The Why of Love | Four Ingredients to being an Irresistible Disciple - 1 Corinthians 16 | June 23
SCRIPTURE
1 Now regarding your question about the money being collected for God’s people in Jerusalem. You should follow the same procedure I gave to the churches in Galatia. 2 On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once. 3 When I come, I will write letters of recommendation for the messengers you choose to deliver your gift to Jerusalem. 4 And if it seems appropriate for me to go along, they can travel with me.
5 I am coming to visit you after I have been to Macedonia, for I am planning to travel through Macedonia. 6 Perhaps I will stay awhile with you, possibly all winter, and then you can send me on my way to my next destination. 7 This time I don’t want to make just a short visit and then go right on. I want to come and stay awhile, if the Lord will let me. 8 In the meantime, I will be staying here at Ephesus until the Festival of Pentecost. 9 There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me.
10 When Timothy comes, don’t intimidate him. He is doing the Lord’s work, just as I am. 11 Don’t let anyone treat him with contempt. Send him on his way with your blessing when he returns to me. I expect him to come with the other believers.
12 Now about our brother Apollos—I urged him to visit you with the other believers, but he was not willing to go right now. He will see you later when he has the opportunity.
13 Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. 14 And do everything with love.
15 You know that Stephanas and his household were the first of the harvest of believers in Greece, and they are spending their lives in service to God’s people. I urge you, dear brothers and sisters, 16 to submit to them and others like them who serve with such devotion. 17 I am very glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus have come here. They have been providing the help you weren’t here to give me. 18 They have been a wonderful encouragement to me, as they have been to you. You must show your appreciation to all who serve so well.
19 The churches here in the province of Asia send greetings in the Lord, as do Aquila and Priscilla and all the others who gather in their home for church meetings. 20 All the brothers and sisters here send greetings to you. Greet each other with a sacred kiss.
21 HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN HANDWRITING—PAUL.
22 If anyone does not love the Lord, that person is cursed. Our Lord, come!
23 May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.
24 My love to all of you in Christ Jesus.
INTRO
Hey family!
We’ll we’ve made it. We did it.
At work, one of my coworkers likes to say, “you’re doing it.” Look at you “you’re doing it.” Although, in this case, it’s more like look at you, “you did it”. You’ve made it through the entire book of 1 Corinthians.
You’ve put up with me saying 1 Corinthians over and over again and although you may have playfully made fun of me, you didn’t question it. In fact, in all of you’re banter I bet you’re never going to be able to look at this letter again without imagining me in your head saying 1 Corinthians. So mission successful.
The last year has just been one big practical joke. Although I’m not sure what the punchline is, so I guess it wasn’t a very good joke. But in all seriousness, we have did it. We have arrived at the last chapter of 1 Corinthians. Chapter 16. And I am very proud of you all for sticking through it.
There are a lot of challenging things in this theologically heavy letter. So, my hope is that we haven’t just survived, but that we have been and are being changed through it all. That’s Paul’s goal with the Corinthians is to see them changed.
As you know by now, they were being changed in a bad way, they were being influenced by their culture more than Jesus. They were good at being spiritual, but they were bad at following Jesus. So Paul is writing to encourage them to be changed by the Gospel, for their lives to be conformed to the image of King Jesus and then he outlines what that looks like.
And as we have arrived here in chapter 16, Paul does his usual thing at the end of his letters, he gives some final words, lays out his travel plans, sends greetings and tells them to greet those who are on their way, and gives his final encouragement.
PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
It’s almost like Paul is saying in this particular letter, remember all the things I just wrote to you about. About being united in one faith, in one Spirit, under one Lord, for the one and only God. About living for God in a world that is overwhelmingly non-Christian and overall opposed to the message of Jesus. About laying aside your pride, preferences, desires, and not getting your own way. Lay aside your gifts and just love. Pursue the spiritual good of the people around you because it is so very worth it. No matter how difficult it may be, it’s worth it everytime.
Remember all that? Here are some ways you can start putting that into practice. Put it into practice. We’re collecting money for the church in Jerusalem. Here’s an opportunity for you to pour out of your personal freedom and what you do with your finances to bless brothers and sisters who you’ve never met. Sacrifice your treasure for the spiritual good of those who are in Christ. Here’s an opportunity to put it into practice.
Paul says I’m planning on coming to see you. When I’m there you can share with me the fruit of your faith. The love that should be growing in your heart. I can’t wait to experience all the ways God is changing you and reshaping your hearts and healing the divisions among you.
Not only am I coming, Paul says, but Timothy is coming. Please don’t intimidate him. Don’t treat him poorly. Here's an opportunity to love Timothy. Show all the beautiful ways God has changed you.
Apollos is probably going to come and Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus.
Stephanas and his house are the ones that Paul says are spending themselves for the Gospel and the glory of God. They are spending themselves. Here’s an opportunity for you to put into practice that whole discussion about submission we had. Submit to them. Serve them. They are doing wonderful work. Restore and encourage their souls.
Look at all of these opportunities that are coming your way to put it to work – to practice the expressions of the Spirit, of God’s love through you for the spiritual good of another.
I just want to say this before we move on and get to the main point for today. God is providing so many opportunities for you right now. We are not wanting for opportunity. If Paul was writing this letter to you, what names would be among this list? What opportunities would be listed? I know not everyone is a notetaker, although I would encourage you to start the habit. Don’t let these words spoken on a Sunday be left here. Let them flow in you and through you and work to change your heart.
Pull out some paper or open the notes app on your phone and just jot down a quick list of three opportunities that could be written for you. Here are opportunities to step away from self and toward the spiritual good for those around you. And the wonderful thing is that as you put into practice recognizing and acting on these opportunities, the more aware you will be of all the ways God wants to work in you and through you. You’ll see more and more opportunities.
These are the opportunities for you to put into practice all the beautiful things you are called to as a Christian, as a believer, as a disciple of Jesus.
AN IRRESISTIBLE DISCIPLE
Discipleship is in a way what we’ve been talking about this whole time. All the ways in which the Corinthians were being conformed into the image of the culture of the world rather than the image of Christ. When they should have been transformed into the image of Christ.
There’s that verse in Romans 12 right, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
If you know this verse, you probably know it in the NIV. Seems like that’s how we all memorized scripture back in the day.
“Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
We’re talking about being conformed to the image of King Jesus. We’re talking about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and what it means to disciple others. It means teaching people how to know Jesus and to be like Jesus — to obey God and seek His best for our lives.
In preparing for our time together today, I came across a beautiful phrase that I think sums up Paul’s intentions to make irresistible disciples. Irresistible disciples.
I love that little phrase. That’s what I want to be, an irresistible disciple.
But how do we become irresistible disciples Zach?
I’m so very glad that you asked. I would love to tell you.
Paul gives us the four ingredients to make an irresistible disciple. Sort of the four necessary actions we must internalize to take the best advantage of these opportunities God is presenting us, to depend on the Holy Spirit and walk into obedience as God transforms our hearts.
Paul says, “13 Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.”
There are four of them. They all reference sort of a military metaphor of soldiers on the battlefield.
“13 Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.”
The first two reference the Christian warrior awaiting attack; the next two refer to the actual combat.
WAKE UP!
Paul says, be on guard. Be alert. Wake up.
Wake up.
This reminds me of many stories throughout the Bible. Gideon and the midianites. God keeps telling Gideon he has too many men, for then people might be under the assumption that they won the battle under their own power. One time God uses how the men drink water from a stream to send some home. The ones who bent over to drink were sent away while those who cupped the water and lifted it to their mouths so as to remain vigilant were kept. They were awake and watchful.
The disciples were invited to stay awake and pray with Jesus in the garden, but were continuously found asleep. Wake up!
Isaiah loves to remind God’s people to wake up! In chapter 52 he writes, “Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city;“
Jesus even tells the story of ten ladies invited to a wedding in Matthew 25. He says, ““Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
Wake up!
Jesus says again in Luke 12, “35 “Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks.”
“You have to be there wide awake, at just the right moment. You need to not be distracted by unimportant things.”
There are sort of two purposes of being awake to think about. There is to be prepared for the arrival of the groom, of King Jesus. Then there is to be on guard against enemies or things that may distract us and catch us unaware, leave us distracted for when the King comes knocking. Watchfulness against various enemies and dangers and watchfulness for the coming of Christ.
“This changes the dynamic, does it not? Having a house fit for the king is not the issue, just as running out of oil is not the problem. Even if you are not ready, even if you are empty-handed, your home impoverished and your heart bereft of anything at all, don’t hide, don’t run off, scurrying about to make amends.”
The problem in this story is not necessarily that the ladies ran out of oil. Because they never ran out of oil in the story. There were afraid of running out of oil so they got distracted and left to go buy some as the bridegroom was arriving.
“When the king comes, just open the door as you are right now, and stand there, face to face. Give what you have, offer your simple presence, your empty hands, your expectant heart. That’s enough. Let the king have a seat in your humble home; let the bridegroom dance with all ten young women; let the feasting begin, ready or not.”
The Corinthians were not on watch against the culture that was creeping in and distracting them; divisions, litigation, self-satisfaction, the list goes on chapter after chapter. Wake up and focus on the outcome, the arrival of the King. We are lulled into a false sense of security, often thinking that there is a ceasefire in the battle. That the enemy is taking a break. Just because you may tire of the fight, doesn’t mean the enemy has. Wake up!
Vigilance is the posture of an irresistible disciple as we watch carefully for the Spirit’s moving and we guard ourselves against the barrage of the enemy so we are found awake and not distracted. Two more quick stories and we’ll move on.
In the secular usage of this command that Paul gives us, it describes people carefully crossing a river while stepping on slippery stones. We must pay attention as we walk so as not to end up in the water. That’s the image Paul is painting.
The second is from your favorite book in the Bible. That’s right – Habakkuk. Habakkuk seeks the Lord then He says, “I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how he will answer…” (Habbakuk 2:1)
STAND UP!
Wake up! Paul says. Stand firm – stand up!
Wake up. Stand up.
That sounds like a Bob Marley song, “Get up, stand up. Stand up for your right. Get up, stand up. Don't give up the fight.”
Wise words for us as we strive to be irresistible disciples.
Stand up!
This is not the first time Paul has instructed the Corinthians to take a stand.
Last week we read, “1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved…” (1 Corinthians 15:1-2)
Standing up has everything to do with what you are standing upon.
“The only way to "stand firm" is to be standing on a rock solid, unshakeable foundation and here the foundation is the faith, not subjective faith (believing) but objective faith (the object believed)”
As we learned from another parable of Jesus, we can seemingly build our houses on a firm foundation only to find out in the end that we were delusional. This is what Jesus says in Matthew 7, “24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
Paul says a very similar thing just a few more chapters back in Corinthians. He writes, “12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:12)
Stand up. Not only that, but examine what exactly you’re standing on. An irresistible disciple stands firm in faith. Irresistible disciples stand firm together in one Spirit. They stand up on the firm foundation of the Lord.
These are three ways in which an irresistible disciple stands up.
Stand firm in faith.
We see that here in chapter 16. The ESV version reads, “stand firm in the faith.” Of course that appears elsewhere as well.
We stand firm in one Spirit.
1 Corinthians is full of Paul’s encouragements toward unity and oneness. Philippians 1:27 also joins in that crescendo, “27 Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.”
Finally stand firm in the Lord.
Paul also writes in Philippians 4:1 to stand firm in the Lord, but again for a bit of diversity He exports us in 1 Thessalonians 3 when he writes, “7 We have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. 8 It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord.”
We stand up! We build our lives on Him. We are firmly anchored to the Gospel and to His promises. We stand firm in faith. In faith of our future resurrection even. We stand firm together. We stand firm in the Lord. He is our only rock and solid ground.
GROW UP!
Wake up! Stand Up! Paul tells us. The third ingredient of an irresistible disciple is the we are maturing. That we are growing up. Grow up! Paul says.
Grow up! Be courageous.
You may notice that some translations say something to the effect of “act like men” or “play the man”. This is kind of a shorthand for the Corintihans to stop acting like children in the way that they think, selfishly running after whatever they desire in the moment. Stop trying to self-gratify, but trust God for the future.
I’m not sure if you have noticed, but Paul has compared the Corinthians to children like three different times. And I know Jesus says that to such belongs the kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 19:14), but I’m pretty sure Jesus and Paul had different childish characteristics in mind when they used those words respectively.
Which is kind of the point. The phrase that I have come up with over the years, I’m not sure if I’ve shared it with any of you or not. It’s more of a statement I suppose that sums it up. I am such a child in all the ways I shouldn’t be. Isn’t that about it. We are all childish in the wrong way.
Paul makes this distinction back in chapter 14 when he writes, “20 Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.”
“Maturity is one of the marks of love (1 Cor. 13:11), and something the Corinthians were especially deficient in.”
It’s interesting that this phrase that Paul uses to literally “play the man” or something to that effect only shows up here in the New Testament. Certainly the idea is captured in other phrases. You know where it shows up a whole lot? Obviously the Old Testament since it’s not the New Testament, that’s kind of the only other option.
But more specifically, it is repeated by Moses in his instructions to Joshua, and then reflected in Joshua’s commands to those under his leadership. You are probably familiar with this, though you may not yet know why.
In Deuteronomy 31 Moses instructs Johsua, “6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
And one of my favorite verses in the Bible Joshua 1:9, Joshua repeats, 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Here’s a quick list of 22 places this idea, this exhortation, shows up in the Old Testament. Feel free to write them down or take a picture for reference in your study throughout the week.
Deuteronomy 31:6; Deuteronomy 31:7; Deuteronomy 31:23; Joshua 1:6; Joshua. 1:7; Joshua 1:9; Joshua 1:18; Joshua 10:25; 2 Samuel 10:12; 2 Samuel 13:28; 1 Chronicles 19:13; 1 Chronicles 22:13; 1 Chronicles 28:20; 2 Chronicles 32:7; Psalms 27:14; Psalms. 31:24; Jeremiah 2:25; Jeremiah 18:12; Daniel 10:19; Daniel 11:1; Micah 4:10; Nahum 2:1
An irresistible disciple doesn’t pray for an easier life. Grow up! Pray to be strengthened by the Spirit of God.
Phillips Brooks. I don’t know who that is. Apparently he wrote “O Little Town of Bethlehem”. So there’s that. Phillips Brooks said, “Do not pray for easy lives! Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be a miracle.”
Jesus has not called us to an easy, self-indulgent life. The easy life does not lead us down the narrow path. God promises us in His word that He will light the way, not that He will remove the bumps.
The irresistible disciples is growing up toward Heaven, toward holiness, toward the one who alone is holy. We must always be looking up, even as we trudge our way through the difficulties of life.
PRAY IT UP!
Wake up! Stand Up! Grow Up! Lastly, be strong.
I Know that doesn’t end in “up”. My fellow OCDers are really struggling at the moment. We can say, “Pray it up!”
Paul is always praying for spiritual strengthening to descend upon him and his brothers and sisters in Christ.
He writes to the Ephesians, “14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Paul wanted the Corinthian to be strengthened by Spirit, and so he prayed diligently for this. Pray it up, along with the saints in glory that you may be strengthened so as to not grow weary in practicing righteousness. Let me give you a quick definition of righteousness since it is one of those churchy words. Doing right by God and people. May the Spirit of God strengthen you to do right by people.
If we keep practicing this, what we practice becomes our second nature, then in a crisis and in the details of life we find that not only will the grace of God stand by us, but also our own nature. Whereas if we refuse to practice, it is not God’s grace but our own nature that fails when the crisis comes, because we have not been practicing in actual life.
The way I like to say it, and the way I pray for it is that my default would be righteousness. Not frustration. Not anger. Not sin and selfishness. But an irresistible disciple practices in life so that the Spirit at work is our default. That we would act from the Spirit and not react from our own strength.
“Herbert Spencer said people were trained to think like pagans six days a week and like Christians the remaining day; consequently in the actual things of life we decide as pagans, not as Christians at all.”
I pray the Lord would strengthen us. Not with strength of activity, but the strength of being. To change our nature and not just the appearance of our actions.
DO EVERYTHING WITH LOVE
So that’s it. The ingredients of an irresistible disciple.
" Wake up!" That is, stay vigilant. Be on the alert.
"Stand up!" Seize what is already yours! Retain it. Don't let it go! Don't go back on what God has already given you!
"Grow up!" Is the trend in your life and actions moving toward an increased likeness to Jesus?
And "pray it up!" Tough times lay ahead. We need the Spirit of God at work in our lives, strengthening us.
It is worth noting that there is more to this sentence. There’s a secret sauce that Paul reveals in the end, “14 And do everything with love.” Let everything you do be done in love.
This is not a command like the others, but rather the manner in which the four preceding commands should operate.
“In other words Paul is not saying do the previous four commands and then do this one "with" love or accompanied by love. No, the previous commands are to be carried out in the atmosphere of unconditional, God-like, God enabled love.”
“Love "keeps our firmness from becoming hardness and our strength from becoming domineering. It keeps our maturity gentle and considerate. It keeps our right doctrine from becoming obstinate dogmatism and our right living from becoming smug self-righteousness."
“This ingredient was in "short supply" among the believers in Corinth! And so I am immediately reminded of Paul's warning against doing anything without love.”
I just want to finish our time in this wonderful letter with those words once again, the climax of Paul’s teaching, chapter 13.
“1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
Resources (*the views expressed within the following content are solely the author's and may not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Mountainside Church):
https://www.preceptaustin.org/1-corinthians-16-commentary#16:13