 much of Paul's communication, ongoing communication with the church at Corinth. And of all of Paul's letters to this church, one of his warmest, one of his most personal, is the theological goldmine that we get to open up this morning, and that is 2 Corinthians. We have the joy, we have the privilege, Dave, of beginning a verse by verse exposition of this wonderful letter. And as you know, if you've been with us, each sermon through this letter, each sermon through 2 Corinthians, we'll take what's called a pericope, a section of text. Often it's a paragraph in your Bible, and each sermon will work verse by verse through that pericope. Sometimes it takes us a couple of sermons to get through a pericope or paragraph or a section of text. You might think it's because I'm long-winded. I like to think it's because you don't listen fast enough. I think it's somewhere because the word of God is so rich, because the word of God is so profound. There's so much packed into these verses, and we're not in any rush, right? So we take our time sometimes to work through these paragraphs, but our time today together is going to be occupied by Paul's greeting now in chapter 1 verses 1 and 2. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother, to the church of God, which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Ikea, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The title of our sermon this morning is God's Gracious Provision. God's Gracious Provision. I want us to consider our text under three headings. You'll find them on your notes page in the bulletin. The first heading is this, the means of his Gracious Provision. Secondly, the stewards of his Gracious Provision. And third, the substance of his Gracious Provision. The means of his Gracious Provision, the stewards of his Gracious Provision, and the substance of his Gracious Provision. Let's look first at the text verse 1 in the means of his Gracious Provision. Paul, he says in verse 1, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God and Timothy, our brother. The immediate means of God's Gracious Provision to the church at Corinth was the apostle Paul himself. Paul describes himself in verse 1 as an apostle, an apostolos in Greek. And there are essentially two different ways that you'll see this term, apostle, used in the New Testament. The first way is apostle simply refers to someone who is sent as a messenger. An apostle was an envoy, an emissary, an ambassador, so to speak. In chapter 8, verse 23, Titus, other brothers are referred to as messengers, or apostoloid, plural, to the churches. Barnabas is often referred to as an apostle, a sent one. But secondly, the term apostle is often used in a technical sense as the title for the 12 disciples in Paul. Those who were directly commissioned by Christ himself, exercising a delegated apostolic authority and speaking for Christ. Now Paul intends the second use of this term when he refers to himself as an apostle in verse 1, Paul, an apostle. Now what does that mean? What does that mean? Well there are guys all over the place today, all over the modern church, referring to themselves by the title of apostle, apostle Bob at this church, apostle Frank at this church, apostle Sally at the church over there. How do we know who really holds this title? Why is that important? There are false apostles all over the Corinthian church, running all over Corinth in the first century too. They're wreaking havoc in the church, teaching all manner of damning false doctrines, undermining Paul's authority, sowing seeds of doubt about Paul's apostleship, sowing seeds of doubt with respect to apostolic teaching, the word of God. The enemy is loose in the church at Corinth, like a lion, like a roaring lion, and Paul is the primary target. In 2 Corinthians, as we'll see in the letters, we work through the letter, Paul is compelled for the sake of the gospel. He's compelled for the sake of the Corinthian believers. He's compelled to undertake a defense of his apostleship, and that defense begins right here in verse 1, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. As we work through the letter, Paul grounds his defense, grounds the defense of his apostleship on two essential points. One is calling, the second is conduct. He grounds his defense on calling and on conduct. When we evaluate leaders in the church today, we evaluate leaders on the same basis, don't we, on their calling and on their conduct. The pastor must be called by God to that office. The pastor must faithfully discharge the duties of that office. By referring to himself as an apostle in verse 1, Paul lays claim to both of those realities. First, let's consider Paul's calling. Paul, verse 1, is an apostle of Jesus Christ and by the will of God. Notice that the apostle speaks on the sovereign authority of the second person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice that he's appointed or set apart by the sovereign will of the first person of the Trinity, God, the Father. Turn with me to Galatians 1. Once you get an understanding of this from Galatians 1, Paul is an apostle not by his own choosing, not by his own doing, not because he presumed to take that title upon himself, not because he was given that title by man, Paul is an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. Galatians chapter 1 and look at verse 1. Verse 1, Paul an apostle and immediately clarifies Paul an apostle not from men, not through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead. If you remember from Acts 9 last week when we were working through the introduction, Paul was met by the Lord on the road to Damascus. The Lord said to Paul, or Saul in Acts 9, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And then the Lord Jesus Christ told Ananias, go and tell Paul, go and tell Paul, he is a chosen vessel of mind. Jesus Christ shows Paul, he's a chosen vessel of mind to bear my name before Gentiles, before kings, and before the children of Israel. Paul didn't receive his apostleship from man, Paul received his apostleship from the Lord Jesus Christ by the word of God. Drop down in Galatians chapter 1 to verse 11, verse 11, but I make known to you brethren that the gospel, the content of Paul's preaching, the content of the faith, that gospel which Paul preached, the gospel which was preached by me, Paul says, is also not according to man. This is the word of the living God. Didn't come from man. Paul had the same difficulty with the Judaizers in Galatia that he has here with the false apostles in Corinth. They doubted Paul's authority, they doubted Paul's message, they doubted Paul's teaching. They were saying that Paul's gospel of salvation by grace alone through repentant faith alone in Christ alone was a product of Paul, a figment of Paul's imagination. It was Paul's word, but not God's word. And Paul says in verse 11, the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. It's not according to man. Look at verse 12. Paul says, for I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. You've heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure, and I tried to destroy it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the tradition of my fathers. In other words, he was a Pharisee of Pharisees. Paul was zealously opposed to the church, zealously opposed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Something happened in Paul's heart and life. Paul was transformed on the road to Damascus. What Paul once did, he did no longer. He completely turned. Look at verse 15. This is why that happened. When it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through his grace to reveal his son and me so that for the purpose that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went to Arabia and returned again to Damascus. This is what it means to be an apostle, right? Of the Lord Jesus Christ by the will of God. Paul is an apostle. Add to this definition of apostolic calling that according to Acts 121, an apostle must be a witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. An apostle will have witnessed the risen Lord. Add to this definition of apostolic calling that according to 2 Corinthians chapter 12, an apostle is going to perform the signs of an apostle, miracles, wonders, mighty deeds, attesting to the fact that they are an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ by the will of God. Add to this definition of apostolic calling that God attested to the calling of an apostle with New Testament revelation, words from God and the subsequent preaching of New Testament truth. All of that attested to by miracles, signs, mighty deeds. Add all that together, two truths become glaringly evident. One is this, Paul is an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ by the will of God. And the second is this, Bob, Frank and Sally are not. They are not. There are no modern day apostles. In fact, on a biblical basis, it is absurd presumption to take to yourself that title. Paul is an apostle. Back in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 1, Paul's calling then, Paul's calling as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the will of God. His calling is from God. Now Paul grounds his apostolic authority on his calling. Secondly now, Paul grounds his apostolic defense on his conduct, on his conduct. Two necessities for anyone who would occupy the role of an apostle, calling and conduct. And we'll look at this aspect of apostolic conduct as we work through the letter, right? Let me give you one example of that that will suffice for now. That's in 2 Corinthians chapter 6. Turn over to chapter 6 with me. When Paul defends his apostleship, he defends his apostleship on the basis of his calling from God and his conduct as an apostle to very important points, very important things to consider as we consider who Paul is and what Paul's doing, right? Calling and conduct. Look at 2 Corinthians chapter 6 and drop down to verse 3. Now calling to the office of an apostle and incidentally, calling to the office of pastor in the Lord's church must always be considered together with their conduct. Calling alone is not enough. The conduct has to be there and has to follow. The one called must faithfully discharge the duties of his office, faithfully execute the duties of his calling. There are certainly qualifications for leadership, right? We see the qualifications for a pastor in 1 Timothy chapter 3 and Titus chapter 1. And if you don't meet those qualifications, you're not called, right? The qualifications have to be met. However, the one called, in this case we're speaking about Paul in 2 Corinthians chapter 1, the one called must prove his calling false or true by his conduct, by his conduct. Now Paul understands this and he leans on this truth in 2 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 3. Listen to what he says. And again, in defense of his apostleship, he says, we give no offense in anything so that our ministry may not be blamed. In other words, Paul's not going to do anything to discredit his ministry. He's not going to do anything to discredit the gospel among them. Paul says essentially, listen, consider the outcome of our conduct, right? Look at verse 4. But in all things, in all things, we commend ourselves as ministers of God in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tummels, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings, right? This is the experience of an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. Ask Apostle Bob, Apostle Frank or Apostle Sally if this describes their apostleship. This is the experience of the Lord's apostles. Now remember what the Lord said to Ananias in Acts chapter 9. I will show Paul how many things he's going to suffer for my namesake, right? Paul is here describing his apostolic suffering. This is the mark of an apostle. Faithfulness of the Lord's call. Why is that? Yes, right? Why is that? Faithfulness to the Lord's calling under such suffering, right? Under such difficult circumstances, faithfulness is only possible by the preserving power and grace of Almighty God. You can't sustain ministry like that on your own in your own strength. One of the signs of an apostle is the preserving power and grace of God on the life of that apostle in his ministry through trials and through suffering. Paul's going to refer to this time and time again in 2 Corinthians. And Paul, what did Paul do? Paul counted it as joy. All joy, Paul says. You want to know your faith is genuine? You want to know that your faith in Christ is genuine? Clean to Christ through trial, right? Clean to Christ through difficulty, through suffering. Clean to him through trial and watch the Lord preserve you if you're one of his own. Now Paul says that he commends himself, verse 6, he commends himself by purity, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor. It's in Paul suffered under false accusations of dishonor. Paul, an honorable, eminent apostle, dishonored in people's eyes by evil report he says in verse 8 and good report. As deceivers and yet true, as deceivers and yet true, Paul's opponents in Corinth had accused him of being a false apostle. We'll see that as we work through the letter. Verse 9, he goes on. As unknown and yet well known, as dying and behold we live, as chastened and yet not killed, as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, as poor, yet making many rich with spiritual riches, right? Paul, poor, making many rich through spiritual riches, as having nothing in terms of material possessions and yet possessing all things in Christ. Michael and St. Corinthians chapter 1. This is Paul's conduct. This is Paul's apostolic defense. Paul refers to himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ in verse 1 by the will of God, and he does so on the basis first of his calling from the Lord Jesus Christ by the will of God. And he does so second on the basis of his conduct among the Corinthians. And why is this important? Was to establish Paul's authority in the eyes of the Corinthian church. Paul in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 1 begins immediately to establish his apostolic authority. He's driving a stake in the ground on who he is and what he's there to do. He's an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ by the will of God. And why does he do this? Why is this important? Because the Lord has given Paul a ministry among them. Paul has a ministry among those people in that church. Paul is sending this letter to them. If you read through 2 Corinthians, I invite you to start doing that. Just reading over and over again through 2 Corinthians. Paul is sending this letter to them. He's going to preach and he's going to teach among them. And Paul's heart is that he wants that word, that preaching, that teaching, to bear fruit among them. He wants them to grow. He wants those who are lost to come to Christ. He wants those who are in Christ to mature in Christ. It's for their eternal good and it's for the glory of God that the Corinthian church submits themselves to the teaching and preaching of Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. That's why Paul mentions Timothy our brother in verse 1. As Paul's delegate, Timothy, his son in the faith as he likes to call him, Timothy has a ministry among them as well. And the church at Corinth needs to love and needs to respect Timothy. They need to submit themselves to Timothy's teaching and preaching as a delegate of Paul. Paul wants his ministry among them to bear fruit. So he defends his authority in the church. And why? Again, why? Right? Keep pursuing the questions. Why? Because Paul among the Corinthian church and Paul through second Corinthians to our church is a mouthpiece for God. He proclaims the truth as it is in Christ with apostolic authority. This letter written with apostolic authority, your eternal destiny depends on how you respond to this word. This points us. This points us to the purpose for Paul's apostleship. Follow with me again, Acts chapter 26. Acts chapter 26. And think through the argument with me, right? Paul refers to himself as an apostle, begins his apostolic defense through calling, through conduct. Why? Because Paul is establishing his authority in the church. Why? Because Paul has a ministry among them, wants to bear fruit among them. And those people, and you and I, must submit to Paul's teaching. Why? Because these are the very words of God and your soul depends on it. My soul depends on it. We must submit ourselves to the Lord of God. Look at Acts chapter 26. In Acts chapter 26, drop down with me to verse 14. Paul is giving his defense before King Agrippa, and he's giving testimony. He's giving King Agrippa a testimony of his conversion. Now notice what the Lord says about the purpose of his apostleship beginning with me in verse 14. And when we had all fallen to the ground, this is on the road to Damascus, right? The light shone around them and they fell to the ground. When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It's hard for you to kick against the goats. And so I said, who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. Verse 16. But rise, stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, listen, to make you a minister and a witness, both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people as well as from the Gentiles to whom I now send you for the purpose that verse 18, in order to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me. Turn with me to Romans chapter one, Romans chapter one, just a few pages of the right. Paul loved these people. Paul had great concern for this church. Paul wanted to see them soundly saved, wanted to see them growing in the Lord. Look at Romans chapter one, look beginning at verse one, and we're considering the purpose of Paul's apostleship, verse one. Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God, which he promised before through his prophets and the holy scriptures, concerning his son Jesus Christ, our Lord, who was born of the seat 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, through Christ, we have received grace and apostleship to what end? For what purpose? For obedience to the faith among all nations for his name, among whom you also are the called, the called of Jesus Christ. Back in second Corinthians chapter one. So why then, why then is verse one so important? Why must you and I understand that Paul's apostolic credentials are beyond contention? Because on the pages of second Corinthians, in the pages of this letter that we're going to spend time studying over the next couple of years, the apostle Paul preaches to us the very words of God. These are the words of God, and you must believe these words when Paul speaks, God speaks. And listen, lost man, lost woman, lost young person, you know your loss by the way that you live your life, you've never repented, you've never turned from your sin to put your faith and trust in Christ alone. Listen to me, Paul is saying to you, the words that I speak to you are from God, the words that I speak to you are spirit and they are life, and you must believe on them to eternal life. These are God's words, brother, sister, you must acknowledge the truth which accords with godliness. In hope of eternal life, the very God who cannot lie has manifested his word through the preaching of Paul in this letter. God's revealed word, his merciful, his condescending self-disclosure to you and I, wicked sinners, and God condescends to give us his word. It's the means, this is the means of God's gracious provision of life and faith and hope to his people. He reveals Christ to us through his word, he works in us by his spirit through his word. Through his word, the living God draws you and I into an intimate fellowship with himself. He draws us into communion with himself. This is the God of the universe that we're talking about. Paul speaks on behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ, the creator of all things, by the will of God, the one who created you, and he speaks his living word by his spirit. God's word, if you think about the Bible in that way, right? Second Corinthians, Paul's letters, they're expressions of love from the living God to you, expressions of love, the love of God for his people. But listen, in the same way that the word of God is an expression of God's love to his people, the word of God is an expression of God's judgment on the wicked. The same word that God spoke through the prophets is now the same word that he speaks through the apostles. The same word that he spoke through the prophets, now he speaks through the apostle Paul. It is the word of Christ and the Corinthian church needs to get it. Listen, you and I need to get it. These are God's words that Paul is speaking, that Paul is preaching. Turn with me to Jeremiah chapter one, Jeremiah chapter one. Let me give you an example of this from the Old Testament. It's amazing in Jeremiah chapter one a comparison of God's call on Jeremiah as compared with God's calling of the apostle Paul. And that's because God is the same yesterday, today and forever. His word stands written in the heavens. It will never change. And it's affirmed here in Jeremiah chapter one to us. The holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the spirit of God as God breathed out his word through them. We see that here in Jeremiah chapter one. Look at verse four. Jeremiah says, then the word of the Lord came to me saying, this is the word of God to Jeremiah, right? Verse five, before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I sanctified you. I ordained you a prophet to the nations. Then said I, ah, Lord God, behold, I cannot speak for I'm a youth. But the Lord said to me, do not say I'm a youth. For you shall go to all to whom I send you and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord. Then he tells Paul, right? Don't be afraid of the people in Corinth. Don't fear them. I have many, many in this city. He's not talking about believers who have already turned from sin to faith, right? He's talking about lost people that God will save because they are his. And he's going to save them through the preaching of Paul. He says in verse eight, don't be afraid of their faces. I'm with you to deliver you, says the Lord. Then the Lord put forth his hand and he touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, behold, I have put my words, my words in your mouth. See verse 10, I have set, I this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms to root out, to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant. And look at Jeremiah one. What does the word of God do? What does the word of God do? It roots out. The word of God will root out your sin, will root out your hypocrisy, will root out your deception. It roots out, it pulls down. It's going to pull you down from your prideful, lofty position. It's going to pull you down from your arrogance. If you submit yourself to the word of God, you won't be arrogant for long. It'll crush you. The word of God roots out. The word of God pulls down. The word of God destroys. The word of God destroys. The word of God throws down. Do you think about the word of God that way? The words of Paul that way, the preaching of the prophets, the preaching of the apostles, they root out, they pull down, they destroy, they throw down. This is the word of God. But look what the word also does, to build and to plant. To build and to plant. How can you tell a false apostle? How can you tell the word of a false teacher? Because the word of a false apostle, the word of a false teacher doesn't do that. It doesn't root out. It doesn't pull down. It doesn't destroy the heart of the wicked. It doesn't convict. It has no power. It doesn't build up. It doesn't edify. It doesn't plant. It doesn't convert. Back in 2 Corinthians 1, in this letter, the apostle Paul is rooting out. He is pulling down. He is tearing down strongholds. He will destroy the prideful heart of those in whom the Spirit of God is working. He's going to circumcise the foreskin of their hearts. He's going to draw them to himself. The Spirit of God is going to be at work. Those people are going to be transformed. Paul knows this. They must submit to his teaching, his preaching. They are the very words of God. When the apostle Paul speaks in 2 Corinthians, he's not nearly bearing witness to what Christ has taught him. Understand, right? Paul speaks in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. He speaks according to the will of God. So again, when Paul speaks, when Paul is speaking, God is speaking. That's what we have. That's what we get when we read our Bibles. When you read your Bible, when we read 2 Corinthians, this is God speaking. He's speaking to the apostle Paul through the pen of Paul, the ultimate author, the Spirit of God. He communicates himself to us because it's God speaking through the apostle Paul, because God is communicating himself. This is God's gracious self-disclosure of himself. God's word in 2 Corinthians comes with absolute unquestionable apostolic authority, the triune God, right? God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit reveals himself to us in his word. In revealing himself to us, he does that for what purpose? To what end? He does that as a means by which he draws us into communion, into fellowship with himself. And what does the genuine Christian do? When a genuine Christian is dwelt by the Spirit, regenerated by the Spirit, when a genuine Christian reads the words of God, how does a genuine Christian respond? Genuine Christian responds with love, with adoration, right? With worship, with gratefulness, with trust, with obedience, with faithfulness, with hope, with a hungering and a thirsting for righteousness. How does a genuine Christian respond? They respond with joy, they respond with service, they respond with submission, they respond with awe and wonder, they respond with godly fear. The Lord looks upon the one who trembles at his word, amen? This book, this Bible, this word is the gracious means by which Almighty God facilitates that communion with his people. It comes to us through his appointed prophets and his appointed apostles. It is his means through which he brings us into communion with himself. That's why, listen, it's not a light matter. It's not a light matter. When some worthless hireling mishandles the word of God, that lousy, worthless hireling should be called out by name. When some worthless peddler of the word of God waxes on about his own opinions, when some cowardly compromiser avoids all the sections that you need to hear in favor of those sections that he thinks you want to hear, that's not a light matter. It is a matter of life and death. It is a matter of heaven and hell. And frankly, I am just over this weak compromising effort on the part of many professing Christians and many professing churches, many professing teachers and preachers. They just want to wrap arms around each other. We're just going to agree to disagree. Like, no, no, we're talking about God's word. We're talking about the Lord's truth. Dig into it. Figure it out. Understand what God is saying. Go for authorial intent. Understand his word. Don't peddle his word, as Paul says. And you understand, listen, brother, sister, you understand that in large part, in large part, God mediates his fellowship with you, his communion with you. That fellowship, that communion, is largely mediated through your reading. You have to read the Bible. Your communion with the living God is mediated through his word, by his spirit. So if you call yourself a Christian, and you're not reading his word, I don't know how you can call yourself a Christian. God communicates himself in his word, and the Christian longs for that communion, desires that communion, wants to be torn down by the word, wants to be built up and planted. This is why that church in Corinth needs to understand that Paul is an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ by the will of God. You and I need to acknowledge that same truth. We can easily slip into sinful patterns where we just take the word of God for granted. We just get mindless in our reading, or heartless in our reading, right? I'm confessing here, we have those difficulties because of the flesh. But these are the words of the living God. Apostolic preaching, apostolic teaching is the means of the gracious provision of God's word to God's people. You know, it's right to include in that Paul is an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ by the will of God. It's also appropriate to include in the operation of the Spirit of God with that. This is a triune, a Trinitarian work. It's under the operation of the Holy Spirit. In inspiration, the Spirit of God moves along the apostle, moves along the prophet as that prophet tends the very words of God. Holy men of God were moved along by the Spirit as God breathed out his word by the Spirit. That same Spirit of God must regenerate the heart of man to understand and to receive his word. So the very same Spirit of God who works in inspiration, works in regeneration, causing the believer to be born again, right? Causing that dead sinner to come to life in Christ, giving him eyes to see, giving him ears to hear. That same Spirit of God, having inspired the word of God, having brought the sinner to new birth in Christ, then illumines the believer with understanding. The Spirit of God helps us, guides us into truth, helps us to understand God's word. The same Spirit of God then works through the word to sanctify the believer, to sanctify the believer, to conform them into the image of God's own Son, right? It's amazing that professing Christians care so little to read it, to study it, to pray over it, to meditate on it, to dig into it. This word is a gold mind. This is a gracious provision. Point two on your notes. Look with me at the stewards of this gracious provision. The stewards, the means of his gracious provision is his word, the stewards of his gracious provision, the second half there of verse one. These words given to the church of God, which is at Corinth with all the saints who are in all Achaia. I think with me for a moment in verse one. In much the same way, in much the same way that Paul defines his apostleship from Christ by calling and by conduct, the church of God is identified in verse one the same way. They're identified in verse one the same way by calling and by conduct. Let's consider first the church's calling in verse one. Notice that Paul there refers to them as the church of God, which is at Corinth. I want you to make an important connection with me, okay, as we consider the church here at Corinth. The Greek word for church in verse one is the word ecclesia. It means assembly, ecclesia. It's made up of a prefix and a root, right? The prefix is ec, which means out from or out of, from. The root is from the verb calleo, meaning to call, right, to call. Literally therefore, the word refers to those who are the called out ones. They are the called out ones, the called out ones of God, which are at Corinth. The same word, that same word ecclesia used over a hundred times in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, translates the Hebrew word kahal, which means assembly. And it refers to those who have been called out from among the nations, the other nations to God, separated to God, called out to God for his purposes, for his use, so to speak. So what does all that mean? Throughout the Old Testament, throughout the Old Testament, you have the word for church being used to refer to the called out people of God. Throughout the New Testament, you have the word for church being used to refer to the called out people of God. Paul in Ephesians chapter two would say that Christ broke down the middle wall of separation between Jew and Gentile, between the circumcised and the uncircumcised, and he made them one people, making them one man, right, one body. This is in verse one referring to one new covenant people of God who have been called out by God himself. Turn with me to Romans chapter one again. Romans chapter one. I want you to see this from Romans chapter one, just one example of many. These are those who have been called out by God, separated by God to God for God's purposes, for God's glory. Romans chapter one, look at verse one, Paul, a bondservant, a slave of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God. And that's how Paul describes himself. He's called to be an apostle, he's separated to the gospel of God. Which verse two he promised before through his prophets and 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, we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name. That's the purpose for which Paul is an apostle. Among whom you also, now speaking to the church, here speaking to the church at Rome, certainly speaking to the church at Corinth, certainly speaking to the church of God, which is at Chiliota, out of Orlando, right? Among whom you also, brother, you also, sister, are the called, notice the definite article, the called of Jesus Christ to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints. Paul says, grace to you and peace from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Simply put, simply put, the true church is made up of those who have been called by God. They've been called by God. Flip over to Romans chapter eight, Romans chapter eight and look at verse 28. Romans chapter eight, verse 28. These are the stewards of his gracious provision, the stewards of his word, the stewards of his gospel. It's the church of God, which is at Corinth, the church of God in Orlando. Look at Romans eight, 28. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called. And again, that's important. They're not simply called, they are the called, the called out ones who are the called according to man's decision. All things are going to work for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to man's will. According to man's prayer he prayed, according to man's sacrament, according to man, whatever. No. Who are the called according to his God's purpose? Verse 29, for whom he foreknew from before the foundation of the world, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he predestined, those whom he predestined, verse 30, these he also called. Those that he called, these he also justified. Those whom he called and justified, these he also glorified. There is an external call of God in the gospel. The external call of God in the gospel goes out to every man, goes out to all men. But apart from the work of God's spirit, all men in their depravity would reject that external call and go to hell. All men are worthy of perishing in hell. You're sitting here this morning, you deserve hell. You're taking up God's airspace, having offended him by your wicked works, and you deserve hell. I deserve hell. I deserve hell. The Bible teaches that because of the total depravity of man, all of your faculties depraved, there must be an internal call that comes by God's spirit at work in the heart of man. And so although God calls all men externally through the gospel, he only calls his own internally by his spirit. And these are those, those whom he's called. These are those who will go on to be justified and to be glorified. In other words, those who respond, those who respond to God's external call with repentance, with turning from sin, with a broken heart over their sin, those who turn at the external call to faith in Christ, to trust him, to entrust themselves to him. Those who respond with repentance and faith are those who have been internally called and given life, been given life, new life by the spirit. They are the called out ones. They are the ones who have been called according to his purpose. Back in 2 Corinthians, the Ecclesia, the called out ones, in other words, the church, the church is comprised of those who have been called by God to himself. See the similarities, right? Paul defends his apostleship based on calling, based on conduct. And he refers to the church, the ones who have been called, the ones who have been called. Now the church, verse one, is comprised of those who have been called by God. In other words, when God calls his own, he calls them or saves them to a group. He calls them or saves them to a community, to the church. And so the church is identified by calling. It is a body of a group of the called out ones. This is not just another man-made organization. This is not a social club. We're not here to coddle you. We're not here to coddle one another. This is not bingo. This is not rotary. This is not a civic organization or a social justice group. We didn't get here because we simply share common ideas or have common thoughts about the way that things should be done. Because we're all conservative or all liberal, has nothing to do with any of that. We share a common birth. We share a common faith. We share a common baptism. We share a common spirit. We share a common inheritance. We share a common mission. We share a common hope. We share a common joy and all that by the will and by the work of Almighty God. He purchases his bride. He purchases those whom he's called with his own blood. He sheds his blood for them to call them to himself. But notice, notice now in verse 1, notice what they are called to be. Notice what they're called to be. In Romans chapter 7 verse 7, the called out ones were called to be saints, if you recognize that remember that text. Here in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 1, Paul groups the called of God in Corinth. He groups them with all the saints who are in all Achaia, with all the saints who are in Achaia. In other words, the church is identified by our calling, but the church is also identified by her conduct, by her conduct. The word for saint there literally means holy ones, hagias, holy ones. The city of Corinth, as we discussed in our introduction, was known for its sexual immorality, known for its adultery, known for its fornication, known for its homosexuality, known for its lust. People just giving themselves up to their lusts was known for its drinking, known for its excess, known for its covetousness, known for pride. Those in Corinth called out by God were to be known as being hagias, as being holy. What that literally means is separated, separated from the world, separated from sin, separated to God and for God's use, separated from adultery, separated from lying, separated from cheating, separated from lust, separated from covetousness, separated from pride, separated from excess, separated from the world, separated from sin, separated to God and for God's holy use. They are hagias. They are holy. They are the saints of God. What has prompted to this point much of Paul's communication with the church at Corinth has been the need for those in the church to conduct themselves as hagias, as holy. Paul asks them in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 3, he says, where there are envy, strife and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? Listen, that's no support for the carnal Christian theory. That's a rebuke from the apostle Paul for acting like unbelievers. As much as you are called out, separated by God to himself for his use, you must at the same time then separate yourselves as holy. Listen brother, listen sister, you've been called out. You've been called out from the world. Then why will you entertain friendship with the world? You've been called out from sin, turn from your sin, fight sin. If by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live. Put off the old man, put on the new man in righteousness, serve the Lord Jesus Christ. You've been called out, called away from your sin. You've been called out from your rebellion. You've been called out from living life for yourself to serve the true and living God, to serve him. So think about how you spend your time. Think about those things that you desire. Are you living for him? Are you holy? Are you separated to him truly? Have you separated yourself to his use? Here am I, God, send me. Right? Have you separated yourself to him? Do you obey the Great Commission? We are to be, we are to be a good steward of the gracious gift of God. Paul said to the Romans in chapter one, Paul said, I am a debtor. That's how Paul viewed his calling. Paul said, I am a debtor. I owe them, Paul says. I owe them. I'm a debtor to Greeks and to barbarians, to wise and to unwise. So as much as is in me, Paul says, I am ready to preach the gospel because he's a debtor. You and I are debtors. You've been given this treasure. You know it's contained in an earthen vessel, a privy pot, and you are debtors, to Jews and to Greeks, to wise and to unwise. You're a debtor to preach the gospel. Paul would say in 2 Corinthians chapter four that we've been given this treasure in earthen vessels. We have the same spirit of faith. We believe, as Paul says there, and therefore we speak. We see the means of his gracious provision, the word of God. We see in verse one the stewards of his gracious provision. That is the called out church of God. Thirdly, look with me at the substance of his gracious provision in verse two, the substance of his gracious provision. Paul says in verse two, grace to you. Grace to you and peace from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice that grace and peace both come or come both from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace proceed from the triune God under the operation of the spirit of God, right? There's a subtle play on words here in verse two. Greek letters, when Greek letters were written, they often began with a greeting, like we would begin a letter, and the greeting always began with a letter karein, or the word karein means greetings, karein, right? Paul changes a couple of letters of the standard greeting and he begins many of his letters with kareis, meaning grace. So when they would have expected to see greetings, Paul says grace, grace to you and peace from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace here represents the gift and promise of God in the gospel. He's talking to you, writing to his called out ones. The very words of Paul are the words of God. As he writes to them, he is writing to them of grace from God, peace from God and from the Lord Jesus Christ. It proceeds from our heavenly Father, not our condemning judge. If you're in Christ, God is our heavenly Father. It proceeds from the one who loved me and gave himself for me, the Lord Jesus Christ. You consider Paul's greeting, grace and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. It's apparent, isn't it? It's apparent that Paul, his heart, his mind, the way that he thinks has been dramatically changed on the road to Damascus. Paul's heart has been transformed. Grace and peace, the promise, the gift of the gospel affirms that God has done that work in Paul's heart. One who is an insolent man, a blasphemer, hostile, persecuting the church of God. He says the least of all the apostles because he persecuted the church of God. He is the chief of sinners, Paul says, because he persecuted the church of God. And yet the Lord Jesus Christ meets him on the road to Damascus in grace and in peace. And Paul is transformed. Paul is remade inside out. So when Paul says grace to you and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, he has a personal experience with that grace and peace. Paul is in awe of God's grace and God's peace in the gospel and the promise, the promise of grace and peace that Paul sees as evident in his own life. The gospel affirms that that promise of grace and peace is for the church at Corinth. Grace and peace to you, those who will turn from their sin and put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace from God, our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul knows that to be the case. And not only for the church at Corinth, but for the church here in Orlando. To you, God's messenger, God's appointed mouthpiece, God's herald comes to you. And he comes to you this morning, here on the pages of 2 Corinthians chapter one versus one and two. And God's herald, God's messenger who has himself experienced the forgiving grace and mercy of Almighty God to him. God's messenger comes to you preaching God's word, the God who created all things, the God who created you, the God of the universe, that messenger, that herald comes preaching God's very words to you. And he comes preaching a message of grace and a message of peace to draw you into precious fellowship, in a precious communion with a God who made you. He offers you grace when you have sinned against him. He offers you peace when you are sitting there as an enemy of God by your wicked works. He offers you a message of forgiveness. He offers you provision for your sin in the blood of his own son who died on the cross for sinners. He offers you love. He offers you forgiveness. He offers you hope. He offers you everlasting life. Grace and peace in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. He bids you come. That messenger of God bids you come. Turn from your sin. Turn from your adultery. Turn from your fornication. Turn from your lying. Turn from your lust. Turn from your anger. Turn from your outburst of wrath. Turn from your selfishness and turn to Christ. That same grace and peace that works at that church in Corinth who didn't deserve it. The same grace and peace at work by God's spirit in this church, and Lord knows we don't deserve it, is the same grace and peace that will work in your heart by his spirit if you will turn from your sin and trust Christ. Why will you sit there in your sin? Why will young person listen to me? Why will you persist one more day in your sin? Turn to Christ. You older man, older woman having rebelled against him year after year. Lord knows the long suffering and patience of God and salvation. To you he calls. Turn from your sin and trust Christ. Be forgiven. Let your sins be blotted out. He calls to you. He bids you to come. This is grace. This is the preaching of peace. And it comes by the mouth of God's own chosen apostle. God's very words. And it comes to you this morning. He bids you to come. All praise, honor, and glory be to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Let's pray. As we pray silently together, I pray that you will examine yourself before God, that you will consider God's gracious provision to you through his word by his spirit for your good for his glory.