 The title of our sermon this morning is Don't Lose Heart. Don't Lose Heart. This is part three. We've taken our time working through this text. Second crimping is chapter four versus one through six. That's intentional. There's just so much packed into these verses. And we want to work slowly. We're not in any big hurry. This is a marathon, not a sprint. And so we're going to take our time working through this letter. And I pray that the Spirit of God would bless us as we do. Just so much here in these words. And grateful to have God's word, right? And what a blessing it is to us. And these things we need to take to heart. So we consider the ministry that we've been delivered to, the ministry that we've been given, the word that we've been given to preach. We need to take these things to heart as Paul did. We need to follow Paul's example, imitate him as he imitates Christ, and serve the Lord Christ in the ministry that, the blessed ministry that we have. So it's our privilege then to come again to second crimping is chapter four versus four, one through six. And here where Paul continues to give much needed encouragement, much needed instruction regarding the nature here of Christian ministry. And despite the many and varied difficulties that Paul and his co-labors have faith in ministry, Paul boldly states, constantly states in chapter four, verse one, we don't lose heart. We do not lose heart. That kind of confidence, that kind of distinctively Christian perseverance in the cause of Christ is motivated by three factors from our text, God's mercy, God's mission, and God's message. So then knowing that this text given to us by the inspiration of God, exceedingly profitable for doctrine to prove, for correction, for instruction, we consider then ourselves the many ways in which this text may and should apply to us. You may not be called to an itinerant missionary journey around the Mediterranean, a rumor reading that Paul traveled approximately 15,000 miles during his lifetime, about 9,000 of that on foot. You may not be called to that kind of a ministry, right? You may not be called upon to preach and to teach in the way that Paul did. No one today, no one today is called to be an apostle like Paul was. You may not be called upon to suffer as Paul did. But listen, if you are a Christian, then you have been given ministry responsibilities like Paul, right? Matthew chapter 28 verse 19, all Christians, all Christians are to go and to make disciples. Mark chapter 16 verse 15, all Christians are to preach the gospel to every creature. We are to deal faithfully with sin in the church. We're to serve the body with the gifts given to us. We are to exhort one another. We're to love one another. We're to correct one another. We're to comfort one another. And the sheer weight of that task, the sheer immensity of that task would cause any one of us, right? To throw up our hands and ask with Paul chapter 2 verse 16, who is sufficient for these things? The answer to that rhetorical question is no one. No one is sufficient for these things apart from the enabling power of God's spirit. The right answer to that rhetorical question is no one. God is the one who makes us sufficient. So how is it then that we, when we face temptation to shrink back, when we face the temptation to give up, throw in the towel, to give in to discouragement, to give in to despair? How can we then persevere in ministry, persevere in our responsibilities? How can we persevere as Paul did? Well, we persevere the way that Paul did by acknowledging, by embracing the same three truths from our text that motivated the apostle Paul, God's mercy, God's mission, and God's message. Paul here, so we have this clear understanding, isn't preaching an empty moralism, right? He's not saying to us, listen, go home this week and just try better, try harder, do better, do better this week than he did last week. And when you come back next week for next week's sermon, we're just going to preach do better the next week. Paul's not preaching an empty moralism here. We have glorious motivation. We have a glorious mission. We have a glorious message. The message of the gospel is infused with the power of God unto salvation, right? We have all the great, the greatest of motivations, right? The greatest of lies. Brother and sister, don't lose heart. Don't lose heart. This is the greatest message known to man. It's what every person, man, woman, and child needs. They need this message. Now, that's important as we consider these things, God's mercy, God's mission, God's message. It's important to remember our setting, right? Paul again, writing to a Corinthian church that is beleaguered by sin, by setback. Paul has been both faithful and he has been tireless in correction, in instruction, when necessary, in reproving, in rebuke, and taking advantage of their weakness, taking advantage of the spiritual immaturity of the church at Corinth. Paul's teachers, smelling blood in the water, have begun to circle, right? They're taking bites out of the church, doing so primarily by taking bites out of Paul himself, attacking Paul himself. Paul suffers too much to be an apostle blessed by God, right? Paul is duplicitous. He's deceitful in the way that he handles the money. His speech is rude. His speech is contemptible. His preaching is not good. The results just aren't there. People are turning away from Paul's message, rejecting Paul's gospel. So of necessity, then, Paul launches into a bold defense of his ministry. And that defense continues in and through our text here, where Paul concentrates on three primary factors, considering this glorious new covenant, gospel ministry that we've been given. Again, Paul concentrates on God's mercy and God's mission and God's message. Our text began verse one with Paul rejoicing in God's mercy. He says in verse one, therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. Now, the ministry again, verse one, the ministry of the spirit, not the ministry of the letter written on tablets of stone, but the ministry of righteousness, the ministry of life, not of condemnation, not a ministry of death, but a ministry of reconciliation, a ministry of forgiveness. It's a ministry of life transformation, right? Because the Lord Jesus Christ died for sinners. This ministry saves to the uttermost, saves for all eternity. And Paul says, having been shown such mercy by God, giving us such a glorious ministry, Paul says, we do not lose heart. Being the recipients of such mercy, being entrusted with such a ministry, Paul says that in verse two, we have renounced the hidden things of shame. We don't walk in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. So unlike then, unlike the false teachers in Corinth who were acting shamefully, walking in craftiness, peddling the word of God for profit, Paul says we renounce such shameful things. We renounce the slimy sales pitch, right? We renounce the man-centered manipulation. We renounce leaving out hard truths for fear that it may offend someone, right? And you lose a customer because they get offended. A half-truth, by the way, is a whole lie, right? We renounce half truths. We don't distort, we don't corrupt, we don't change, we don't pervert, we don't water down. We don't do those things to make the message more palatable, Paul says. Galatians 1 verse 10, if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. Paul says we commend ourselves in contrast with the false teachers in Corinth. We commend ourselves by the clear, unadulterated, undiluted, uncompromised proclamation of the truth. We have the truth. Brother, sister, don't lose heart. Don't lose heart. We have the exclusive and only truth. This world needs to hear it, amen? Despite the centuries that go by, right? And as the centuries go by, the master counterfeiter churning out one error after another, one counterfeit after another. And this whole world was full of counterfeits. We have the truth and we must preach it, right? Let God be true. Every man a liar. Don't lose heart. Don't lose heart. Paul continues this defense then in verse three, in verse three, but even if our gospel is veiled, even if it's veiled, it's veiled to those who are perishing, Paul says, whose minds the God of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God should shine on them. Our gospel, our message may be rejected and it will be rejected and it is rejected, but only by those who are perishing. God's mission, God's mission is the salvation of God's people, right? God's mission is the gathering in of his sheep into the sheepfold, to the gathering in of the elect from the four corners of the earth. The perishing, they reject our message and they reject our message because the God of this age has blinded them to the truth, those who do not believe. It's not the weakness or the failure of the message. It's not the weakness or the failure of the messenger that one who is preaching faithfully the gospel. It's not a lack of eloquence. It's not a lack of marketing skill. It's not a lack of cultural relevance. You don't have to shape this thing to make the culture want it or make it appeal to the culture. Those with spiritual sight will see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. Don't lose heart, right? Don't lose heart. Those who've been given sight by God will see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God. Don't lose heart. Don't lose heart. We are the blessed recipients of God's mercy. We are the blessed, we have the blessed privilege of being employed in God's mission. Lastly, verses five through six, we carry in earthen vessels the incalculable treasure of God's message. God's message. Look at verse five with me. For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord and ourselves your bond servants for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness who has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. We have God's message an incalculable treasure. You know, there are in various parts of the world today Christians who are severely persecuted for their faith, right? It's been said, and I don't doubt it, it's been said that the persecution that goes on worldwide right now against Christians is as severe as it's ever been even considering the persecution that took place first, second, third, fourth centuries. Persecution now is severe around the world. We're separated from that to a large degree in this country, right? We don't see that every day. We don't have friends and relatives necessarily that are facing that kind of persecution, but that's going on around the world. There are places where preaching the gospel today will get you killed, will get you in prison, will get you beaten. If you're a Christian, you lose your job. I remember sitting in an office and another life before I became a pastor, and I had a family that was here from Egypt who had lost everything because they let their family know that they'd become Christians. They wanted to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. So mom, dad lost the jobs, the kids got kicked out of the school, they had nowhere to go, they came to America, right? Where you can lose everything. Christians are arrested, Christians in prison, they're beaten, put to death. Where churches are forced to meet underground in secret. People actually worshiping today in secret because the state won't allow them to worship openly like we do. Where the state in some of those places will kick in the front doors of your church and burn the building down by the grace of God. That's not the case in our country yet. Paul tells us in 1st Timothy chapter 2 verse 2 that we should be praying for those in authority, praying for them so that we may continue to lead quiet and peaceable lives. We know those times are short. The word of God is clear. There will come perilous times. Those perilous times have already come. They will come to us. However, I want us to see the connection here with our text. The particular evil, the particular wickedness that we do face in our country, specifically here referenced by Paul in our text, is a horrendous, despicable, oftentimes discouraging flood of false teaching. False teaching, particularly in the West, particularly in our country. It is horrendous Pharisees, heretics are a dime a dozen. They're everywhere. Paul says to Timothy that in the latter days and our days people aren't going to go to church because they're looking for the truth. People are going to go to church looking for someone to tickle their ears, to scratch where they itch. People that will look for preachers to tell them what they want to hear so they leave that day feeling better about themselves and go about their lives. Paul essentially tells Timothy, listen, don't give into that temptation. Don't give into the temptation to scratch ears to tell them what they want to hear. Preach the truth. In this context, in our environment here, it's our responsibility to preach truth. Our responsibility to preach the truth in this environment where heresies and errors abound. It's our responsibility in this environment, in this context, to expose lies, to expose the unfruitful works of darkness, right? To proclaim the truth. We are the pillar in the ground of the truth, the buttress of the truth. And we all know many, right? We all know many, many who are deceived. Being deceived, often defensive. We try to preach the gospel to them. They become hostile. Try to explain truth to them and try to explain the Bible to them and they respond to you with hostility. There's great reception of false teaching. People looking for false teaching. People involved in error and like it. They love to have it so. All of this, false teaching, preaching the gospel in this context. People that we know and love given over to error and deception on their way to hell. These are temptations in our context to discouragement. These are temptations in our context to lose heart. I've thought many times before that truly to God's people, I'm not speaking to false, professing Christians who have no interest in following the Lord Jesus Christ, have no interest in preaching to God for who don't care whether a lost friend, neighbor, coworker goes to hell or not. Not speaking about those people who I'm speaking about are genuine Christians who love the Lord, who love the Lord's gospel and want to see lost people saved. Often the temptation to lose heart, the temptation to discouragement comes from having to continuously, incessantly conversation by conversation, face error, face false teaching, face those who love it. Those who are deceived by it and those are hostile, those who are hostile when you confront them in it. I've just said, right, if a person walked in the front doors of our church and you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that if you went out right now and shared the gospel with that guy, he's going to get saved, there'd be a mad rush for the door. You'd be scrambling over each other trying to get to that guy, right? I don't have to be fast. I just got to be faster than you. What keeps us from preaching the gospel faithfully to every creature? What keeps us from taking time out of our very busy lives? What keeps us distant often or keeps us from the hard conversation? What keeps us from going out, preaching the gospel faithfully? What may keep you from preaching to that friend, family member that you believe is going to respond with hostility? We often shrink back. We often lose heart because of the temptation to discouragement, the temptation to fear, fear man, fear rejection, fear whatever it is. This is a temptation. This is the temptation in our context for God's people to lose heart. Listen, brother, listen, sister, don't lose heart. We have God's message. It is the only saving message. It is the truth, and we are to commend ourselves by the clear, not shrinking back uncompromised proclamation of it. Preach the gospel, preach the God. Don't lose heart. We have God's message, right? I want you to see in our text our blessed subject, our blessed subject, our blessed station, our blessed station, and our blessed site. Our blessed subject, our blessed station, and our blessed site. Look first with me at our blessed subject, verse five, verse five. Paul says we do not preach ourselves. We do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, our blessed subject, right? Our blessed subject. Paul could be certain. Paul could be certain that any rejection on the part of unbelievers was not due to the message that he was preaching. For he was not preaching himself. He wasn't preaching a message of his own devising. He wasn't preaching himself. He was preaching Christ Jesus the Lord. When you preach Christ Jesus the Lord, you can be certain that the rejection of the part of unbelievers is not due to your message. It's because they are perishing because they do not believe, lest the light of the glory of God shine on them. Paul is confident here that the gospel is the power of God's salvation. So he is careful to preach the gospel. Verse seven, it is the treasure that has been given to us, mere earthen vessels, mere prithee pots. Why? Verse seven, because the power does not lie with us. The power lies in God, not in us. Paul could be certain that any rejection on the part of unbelievers was not due to the message he was preaching. For verse five, we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord. This is an obvious contrast. Verse five, obvious contrast with the false teachers in Corinth at the time. In the Greco-Roman culture of that time, it was common place for men to pursue preaching or teaching posts. This was common for centuries, right? Men would pursue preaching or teaching posts to gain influence or to gain prestige, right? No one wants to pursue the pastorate for that kind of aim at most anyway. Wouldn't today because the pastorate has lost such respect? I saw it this week, the top 10 list of least-respected professions, the pastor, right? But back in that day, back in that day, it was common place for men to pursue preaching posts to gain influence, to gain, it was considered to be prestigious, right? A speaking post or a teaching post. They would flaunt their credentials, they would boast in their abilities, they would parade their public speaking skills, right? Self-promotion, self-promotion to get the job, so to speak. These are the kind of guys that would tell you whatever you wanted to hear in an interview in order to get the job, right? Tell me your greatest weakness. I think my greatest weakness is I just care too much. I just, I care too much. I just, sometimes I just work too hard. You know the type, right? That's these guys. They would seek authority in order to lord it over the people. They wanted authority so that they could lord it over the people. Paul, Paul by comparison, flaunted his weaknesses. Flaunted his weakness, he was constantly suffering. People often had a visceral reaction to his preaching. His speech was contemptible and rude. Paul didn't charge anything. They thought that was an embarrassment. He didn't take payment. He actually had to work another job to try and support himself. In fact, Paul appeared to actually boast in his infirmities. Why? Chapter 12 verse 9, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Paul knew where his power came from. Paul knew where the power of the gospel came from. He knew what it took to see lost people saved. God would save them through the message preached. Paul said, therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities. I take pleasure in reproaches, in needs, in persecution, in distresses for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. This isn't humility alone so that we understand. It's not that Paul is simply humble. Paul certainly was humble. George Guthrie says that the apostle actually embraced humiliation. He embraces humiliation. If there was any self-promotion involved, it was to boast in his own weakness so that Christ might be glorified in his ministry. It's this heart attitude. It's this heart attitude in utter reliance upon Christ that stands in opposition to preaching ourselves. If we're to see it in the negative, it's that heart attitude of saying, I am the chief of sinners, formerly a proud, arrogant, insolent man, now saved by grace, shown mercy, being placed into the ministry. And now this weak, worthless worm gets to preach the matchless treasure that is Christ. I do that in reliance upon Christ. It's that kind of, you could say, self-promotion that Paul is about, that embracing of humiliation. It's that attitude that stands in opposition to preaching ourselves. You want to know what preaching ourselves is? It's opposite of that. We are valueless clay pots, verse 7, cracked, marred, fit for the trash heap. God can speak through Balaam's donkey. You think about it, right? The Lord Jesus Christ said he could raise up worshipers, sons of Abraham from the rocks. But listen, a rock or a donkey never sinned against God, never rebelled against God in that way. A donkey does what a donkey does by God's design. A rock does what a rock does, doesn't do. By God's design, we rebel. We sin. Matchless mercy. Matchless mercy is the reason that we've been entrusted with such a glorious ministry, verse 1. We are radically unworthy, unworthy even loose his sandal strap. We may only commend ourselves. We may only commend ourselves to every man's conscience through a plain spoken, clear, unadulterated proclamation of the truth of God as it is in Christ. What does it mean then to preach ourselves? What does it mean to preach ourselves? It means our personality dominates, our wit, our eloquence, our gifts, our style becomes a priority, our methodology becomes the priority, the way we work it, right? The way we're going to do it, our approach, how smart we are, how smooth we are, how we can turn a phrase, how insightful, right? How insightful, how funny, how entertaining. It's me or you, our church, it's us presenting ourselves to this lost and wicked world, thinking to ourselves if they like me or if they like us, then they're going to be more inclined to like Jesus. That's preaching ourselves. One preacher said, any philosophy of ministry that counsels us to conform to the world in order to win the world is a philosophy of preaching ourselves. And that philosophy of ministry is epidemic in our country today, epidemic in our country today. It's a disgusting misinterpretation of Paul's statement where Paul says, right? I become all things all people and I might win some. Paul's talking about removing stumbling blocks to the gospel. He's not talking about becoming worldly to try to win the appeal of the world, to woo the world in that way. They perform for the masses every week and they call it church, right? That's preaching ourselves, preaching ourselves. What does it mean to preach? Jesus Christ the Lord. It means preaching Christ crucified, Christ sacrificed in the place of sinners, risen from the dead, exalted to the right hand of the majesty on high and given all authority in heaven and on earth. That's preaching Jesus Christ the Lord. It means preaching the deity of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is our great God and Savior. It means preaching the exclusivity of Christ. Christ is the stone which was rejected by you builders which has become the chief cornerstone nor is there salvation in any other for there is no other name, not one, no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Christ said no one comes to the Father except through me. You have some of these men that I just, I don't understand it late in their lives and truth be known it's early in their lives too. Denying that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. No one comes to the Father except through me Jesus said. Preaching Christ the Lord means preaching his absolute uncompromising dominion. Romans chapter 14 verse 7. None of us live to himself. No one dies to himself. For if we live we live to the Lord and if we die we die to the Lord. Therefore whether we live or die we are the Lord. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. Jesus Christ is Lord. Every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of the glory of God the Father. It means preaching the accountability of men to him as judge, judge of the living and the dead. Second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 10. We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ and each one may receive the things done in the body according to what he has done whether good or bad. Let me give you an example of this. Turn with me to Revelation chapter 6. Revelation chapter 6. I remember witnessing here not too terribly long ago to a woman at the door. She had visited our church and she said I just don't like that hellfire brimstone preaching. It's like when is the last time outside of our church you ever actually heard hellfire and brimstone preaching? Just pull out a favor, right? What our ears scratched and tickled. People avoid it. Revelation chapter 6. Look at verse 12. Preaching the accountability of men to him as Lord and judge of the living and the dead. Revelation 6 verse 12. I looked when he opened the sixth seal and behold there was a great earthquake. The sun became black as sackcloth of hair and the moon became like blood. The stars of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its lake figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up and every mountain and island was moved out of its place and the kings of the earth the great men the rich men the commanders the mighty men every slave every free man hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb from the wrath of the lamb for a great for the great day of his wrath has come and who is able to stand? Turn to Revelation chapter 19. Revelation chapter 19. The Lord Jesus Christ came first not to judge but to save sinners. He will return to judge. And we must give an account. Revelation chapter 19. I give verse 11. I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse. He who sat on him was called faithful and true and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire and on his head were many crowns. He had a name written and no one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood and his name is called the word of God. And the armies in heaven clothed in fine linen white and clean followed him on white horses. Out of his mouth goes a sharp sword that with it he should strike the nations and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He himself treads the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. He has on his robe and on his thigh a name written King of kings and Lord of lords. I saw an angel standing in the sun. He cried with a loud voice saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven. Come gather together for the supper of the great God that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and those who sit on them. The flesh of all people free and slave both small and great. I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, their armies gather together to make war against him who sat on the horse and against his army. The beast was captured with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake burning with brimstone. The rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of him who sat on the horse. All the birds were filled with their flesh. Look at chapter 20 verse 11. I saw a great white throne, him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead small and great standing before God and the books were opened. Another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged according to their works by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them and they were judged each one according to his works and then death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death and anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Look at chapter 21 verse 6. He said to me, it is done. I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. I will give of the fountain of water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things. I will be his God. He shall be my son. But listen, the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone which is the second death. Preaching Jesus Christ the Lord means preaching his authority, means preaching his judgment, means preaching him as the one to whom we must give an account. He came first not to judge but to save sinners. He will come in judgment. Turn, turn from your sin before it's too late. Put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. Brothers and sisters, don't lose heart. We have the truth. This time is coming. We've been given God's message. Back in 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 verse 5. We've been given God's message. Here in chapter 4 verse 5, Jesus Christ as Lord is mentioned then in an obvious parallelism with ourselves, your slaves for Jesus is saved. Jesus Christ as Lord, ourselves your slaves. There's a natural transition. There's a natural transition from Lordship to slavery. We've considered our blessed subject. Consider with me our blessed station, our blessed station. We do not preach ourselves verse 5 says but Jesus Christ the Lord and ourselves your bond servant. The word there is do loss means slave, ourselves your slaves for Jesus sake. This is our blessed station. Paul says we are your slaves for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ. The slave of Christ is a favored self description of followers of Christ. In the Bible we see it repeatedly. Romans chapter 1 verse 1, Paul a slave of Jesus Christ called to be an apostle separated to the gospel of God. James chapter 1 verse 1, James a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter 2 Peter chapter 1 verse 1, Simon Peter a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ. Jude verse 1, Jude a bond servant or a slave of Jesus Christ. In fact, all Christians are regarded as slaves of the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans chapter 6 verse 22. But now having been set free from sin and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness and the end everlasting life. That verse is our blessed station, our blessed station as slaves. We've been set free from sin. We've been set free from sin and we have our fruit to holiness. The end everlasting life everlasting life. Paul though doesn't stop there. He doesn't stop there to say that we're simply or merely slaves of Christ. He says we ourselves are your slaves for the sake of Christ. He tells the church at Corinth. Let me give you an example of what he's talking about. Turn with me to Romans chapter 1. Romans chapter 1 served the church for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ, considered himself indebted to the Corinthians for the sake of Christ. Look at Romans chapter 1. Look at verse 1. Paul, here it is again, a dooloss, a bond servant, a slave. Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which he promised before through his prophets in the holy scriptures concerning his son Jesus Christ, our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh and declared to be the son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead. Through him, verse 5, we have received grace and apostleship for this purpose for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ. Drop down to verse 13. I do not want you to be unaware brethren that I often plan to come to you but was hindered until now that I might have some fruit among you also just as among the other Gentiles. I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians both to wise and to unwise so as much as is in me I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. Paul considered himself a debtor for the sake of this group of believers in Rome, considered himself a debtor to the church at Corinth for the sake of Christ for the sake of Christ back in 2nd Corinthians. He said in 2nd Corinthians chapter 12 verse 15 that he will very gladly spend and be spent for their soul. He would very gladly spend and be spent for the sake of their souls. Let's look at one more passage. Look at 1 Thessalonians with me. 1 Thessalonians, we're going to go to chapter 2. 1 Thessalonians chapter 2. 1 Thess chapter 2. Look at verse 4. Didn't only consider himself a slave of the Lord Jesus Christ but considered himself indebted to or slaves of those people for the sake of Christ. 1 Thess chapter 2 verse 4. But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel even so we speak not as pleasing men but God who tests our hearts. For neither at any time did we use flattering words as you know nor a cloak of covenants. God is witness. This is the same kind of language, same concept that Paul is speaking of in 2nd Corinthians chapter 4. We commend ourselves to every man's conscience by a proclamation of the truth in the sight of God, God who judges. God who judges our hearts. God who knows. Same thing here in 1 Thess chapter 2 verse 4. Verse 5. Neither at any time did we use flattering words as you know nor a cloak of covenants. God is our witness. Verse 6. Nor did we seek glory from men either from you or from others when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children so affectionately longing for you. We were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives because you had become dear to us. For you remember brethren our labor and toil for laboring night and day that we might not be a burden to any of you. We preach to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses and God also how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe. As you know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a father does his own children. Father accountable for his children, responsible for his children. Paul took responsibility for the church at Corinth verse 12 that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into his own kingdom in glory. Slaves of the Thessalonians for the sake of God. They would walk worthy of God who calls you into his own kingdom in glory in the same way pardon me in the same way the church at Corinth slaves of that church for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord asked Peter on the beach didn't he? Peter do you love me? Do you love me? Feed my sheep. Feed my sheep. This is our blessed responsibility. This is our blessed station. We are slaves of Christ and being slaves of Christ you are slaves of one another for Christ's sake for Christ's sake. While we may be slaves of God's people while Paul may have described himself as a slave of those in Corinth we serve only one Lord. Amen. One Lord counter-cultural isn't it? Just not preached today. Not common today. Not common in Paul's day either for that matter. Counter-cultural in his day too. The false teachers in Corinth would have mocked Paul for having that kind of attitude right for thinking that way. The advance of the kingdom will not come through power. The advance of the kingdom will not come through eloquence. Will not come through worldly wisdom. The advance of the kingdom will not come through the might of men. The advance of the kingdom will not come through clever marketing. Will not come through church growth gurus. The advance of the kingdom will not come by changing the message. The advance of the kingdom will not come through cunning or cleverness. The advance of the kingdom, Paul says, God says, will come through sacrificial love, sacrificial service, through submission to Christ as Lord, and through being a faithful slave of the Lord Jesus Christ amongst His people. Preaching the gospel, right? Preaching the gospel. Don't lose heart, brother. Don't lose heart, sister. We've been given a blessed station. Lastly with me, consider our blessed sight, our blessed sight, verse 6. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness who has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Where those who are perishing, where those who face everlasting destruction have their hearts and minds blinded by the God of this age so that they cannot see the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Where that's the case on one hand, on the other, God has shown in the hearts of those who believe, giving them a gift of His grace, right? Shown in our hearts to give what is that gift, the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. He has given it as a gift of His grace that they might see the light. What is the light? The light is the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus. The God who commanded with a word in Genesis chapter 1 verse 3 is the same God who now commands the light to shine in the hearts of His people. By Genesis chapter 1, the earth was without form and void. Darkness was on the face of the deep and the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, let there be light, and there was light. In the gospel, God said, let there be light, and there is a new creation, right? There's a new creation. What was the light of creation dawning then? Now in Christ is the light of recreation dawning, so to speak, and that light was promised. That light was promised Isaiah chapter 9 verse 1. By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, in Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death upon them a light has shined. Isaiah says for unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given. The government will be upon his shoulder. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. Upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward even forever, this deal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this. Isaiah chapter 35 verse 5. The eyes of the blind shall be opened. That's what we're talking about here, right? This is new birth. This is regeneration, sight from blindness, life from death, right? The ears of the death shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer. The tongue of the dumb sing, for waters shall burst forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The parts to ground shall become a pool and the thirsty land springs of water. When did that light first shine in your heart? Has it? Has it? When before this was shadowy and dark? Just don't understand it. Your interest lies in the things of this world. Your desires, temporal desires between now and the day of your death. Just want to get a decent job, make a decent living. I was talking with someone about this the other day. Most people in this life what they look forward to is retirement. As if their heaven is that few misery years between if they're blessed 65 and when they're dead at 75 or that's what they live for this whole life? Really? Our rest is far greater, amen. When did that light first shine in your heart? When did it become clear, right? When did you first acknowledge or recognize your wickedness, your rebellion against God, your hatred for the things of God? When did you first realize you were deserving of God's judgment and you acknowledged that openly before him? When did you first see it? Notice here in our text the light, the light has shown in our hearts. Interesting, right? The light has shown in our hearts. The heart of man apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, apart from that light shining is desperately wicked. Deceitful above all things has that light shown in your heart. What is it that this light in our text has shown? What's the nature, the essence or the form of the light? What form does the light take? Here Paul says it's the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Notice it's not mere knowledge. It's not just mere information. It's the glory of God and it's the glory of God in the face of his only begotten Son. It's personal. It's relational. It's found in the face of Jesus Christ. Who Paul says is the express image of God. This is the same image into which and through which when you look upon it that image you are transformed from glory to glory only in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ. Only in the face of Christ does that transformation take place. It's the transforming glory of God as seen in the face of his Son. You are transformed by it. When has that light shown in your heart? When you see that glory you can't be the same. You are transformed, transfixed and transformed. Has that ever happened for you? Has the Lord ever lifted your blindness such that that is the case such that you're no longer transfixed or fixated on the things of this world? The things of this world fade by comparison. They become dirty, tawdry. They become undesirable. With your sin they become disgusting, deplorable, shameful. You want nothing more than to be free from them. When has that light shown in your heart? When has that light shown? What we see in the world is darkness here. A great light has shown. Often what you hear in churches today is a reflection of that darkness. They reflect that darkness in order to appeal to the darkness, in order to be appealing to those who are in darkness, trying to pack as many as those who are in the darkness, trying to pack as many of them as they can into their church. Don't lose heart, brother. Don't lose heart, sister. We have a blessed light and that blessed light is our blessed sight. It's our joy to preach it. It's our joy to preach it. If you can sit this morning this morning and consider to yourself that that transforming light has never shown in your heart, turn to Christ in repentance and faith, trust Him for salvation. He is gracious. He is merciful. He abounds in grace. He delights in mercy. Past yourself upon His mercy. Cry out for saving grace. Cry out for sight for your blind eyes. Cry out that He might unstop your ears cry out that He would by His Spirit cause you to long for righteousness, to hunger and to thirst for the things of God. That He would change your heart, would enlighten you with the light of the glory of God and the knowledge, the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of His Son. Brother and sister, you're here this morning and that onslaught of world counterfeit producing false teaching and error discourages you from preaching the gospel. If you're fearful because of what someone might think or someone might say, repent of the fear of man, repent of discouragement, turn from that discouragement. Don't lose heart. We have a glorious message, a glorious mission. We have a glorious God, a glorious Savior. Turn. Don't lose heart. Preach the gospel. This life is short, amen. And people need the gospel.