Praise Comes From God - 4:1-5

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1 Corinthians   •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  54:05
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Introduction

There is a principle played out in history countless times.
Those who praise you today, may seek your death tomorrow.
Our Lord endured this in His time here on earth.
The very people who cried out “blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” later cried out “crucify Him!”
In the French revolution many of those who sat on the council and condemned thousands to death by the guillotine were later condemned and guillotined themselves.
This historical fact has led to a popular saying “Revolutions Devour Their Own Children.”
As believers in Jesus Christ, a choice lies before us.
Will we live for the temporary praise of men or the eternal praise of God?
In chapter 4 of 1 Corinthians we get into a new section of the book.
I want to take just a moment to remind us of a few things since it has been awhile since we were in 1 Corinthians.
This is a letter written by Paul to the church in Corinth.
He is writing because there is a need for unity in the local church.
As he exhorts them to pursue unity he deals with doctrine-what we believe, and practice-the behavior driven by our beliefs.
You should have in your bulletin a copy of the outline we are using for the book.
Chapters 1-6 deal with the doctrine and practice necessary for unity.
Chapters 7-16 confront and correct the disunity that is present in the Corinthian church.
So far in our study we have made our way through the first three chapters.
Chapters 1-2 deal with the necessity of a unified voice.
Chapters 3-4 deal with the necessity of a unified vocation.
We looked at the nature of calling in chapter 3.
Now we come to
The nucleus of concentration.
Paul deals in this chapter with the central focus of the Christian life.
How do we want to behave as servants of Christ?
We mentioned at the beginning that this is a corrective letter.
The tone of correction begins to increase in chapter 4 and will grow more intense as the epistle continues.
Chapter 3 ends with Paul’s declaration that we belong to Christ.
As possessions of Jesus Christ we are called to live for His glory.
When we stand before the judgment seat of Christ, every believer will receive praise from God.
In this passage Paul calls us to three responsibilities for which we will receive praise.
For blessing in this life and praise in the life to come, fulfil three responsibilities.
Responsibility #1…

1. Praise For The Faithful Steward vv. 1-2

Have you ever been entrusted with something precious?
Children are one of the most precious things we can be given.
We love each of our children dearly, they are all so precious.
However, having children and loving them does not automatically make you a great parent.
We have had to work at parenting and learn from our mistakes.
Just the other day Jess and I were laughing about something that happened early on in our parenting journey.
Shortly after we had Joseph, we headed into town to go shopping together for the first time since his birth.
We arrive, get out of the car, and start walking toward the store.
We had only taken a couple steps before we realized Joseph was still in the car!
We were so used to going in by ourselves that it took a second to realize something was missing!
We have been entrusted by God with something precious.
We are called to be faithful stewards of that responsibility.
There are two keys to being a faithful steward.
Key #1…

a. Become a steward v. 1

1 Corinthians 4:1 NKJV
1 Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
You cannot be a faithful steward until you have first become a steward.
To be a steward, one entrusted with the mysteries of God, we must be trustworthy.
How do we demonstrate that we are trustworthy?
Through service for Christ.
Paul lists these as two separate things.
Servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
This is primary. This is how we want to be known. Servants of Christ.
This is fascinating to me.
Paul doesn’t want to be known as the apostle, or as the church planter, or as the missionary or elder or pastor.
Paul declares that when people think of us they should think of us first and foremost as servants of Jesus Christ!
What does it mean to be a servant of Christ?
In order to be a servant, you must have a master.
Who is our master?
Paul just told us.
We are servants of Christ.
In Acts 17, when Paul is preaching on the Areopagus or mars hill, he mentions that it is in Christ that we live and move and have our being (v. 28).
We belong to Jesus.
We have been purchased by the blood of Christ.
We are His.
If we are to be good servants, we must meet three requirements.
First of all, a servant must…
Obey
We can’t realistically claim to be servants of Jesus if we do not obey Him.
Look at what Jesus said in John 14:15.
John 14:15
John 14:15 NKJV
15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.
Obedience is required of a servant.
Obedience is not necessarily easy.
Last week we saw commands from God to love our enemies and do good to them.
Scripture tells us to consider others better than ourselves.
We are called to avoid the appearance of evil, to flee sexual immorality, to shine as lights in a world of darkness, to resist the devil and many more things.
It is not possible to keep these commands apart from the power of the Holy Spirit!
As servants of Christ we have been equipped with all the tools necessary to obey Him.
A servant obeys.
Secondly, a servant must…
Prioritize
When the master calls a servant to do a task, the servant doesn’t say “just a second I need to finish what I want to do.”
The servant prioritizes the call of the master.
The tasks set by the master come first.
Matthew 6:33 records Jesus giving the following command.
Matthew 6:33
Matthew 6:33 NKJV
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
The things of God are to have first priority in the life of the believer.
It is impossible to be a faithful servant of Christ if we constantly place our own will and desires ahead of Christ.
Our priority must be the things of God.
The Word of God reveals the will of God and the child of God submits to His will.
A servant must obey.
A servant must prioritize.
Thirdly, a servant must…
Work
A servant who does nothing is no servant at all.
We have been called by God into service.
We have been given gifts specifically chosen to accomplish the tasks we are given.
God has shaped, fashioned, and equipped us to serve.
All that is left for us is to do what we have been called to do.
In Paul’s letters to Timothy he calls him to work several different times.
I want to look at two of them.
2 Timothy 2:15; 4:5.
2 Timothy 2:15; 4:5
2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Timothy 4:5 NKJV
5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
We are to do the work of Bible study. We need to rightly divide, accurately handle, God’s Word of truth.
A servant learns how to use the tools needed to accomplish the work!
In the second passage we are called to fulfill our ministry.
Each one of us has a task to perform, we have a calling from God and we need to work at it.
Those are the requirements of a good servant.
Obey, prioritize, and work.
Paul wants to be known as a servant of Christ.
He also wants to be known as a steward of the mysteries of God.
What is a mystery of God?
A mystery is something previously unrevealed that has now been made known.
In Scripture the gospel is called a mystery, the unity in the body of Christ is called a mystery, Christ in us is called a mystery and there are more.
Because Paul uses a plural here we can be confident that he is referencing all of these things.
Everything called a mystery in Scripture.
We are stewards of the things God has revealed in His Word.
A steward is someone who has been entrusted with something. It is a manager or an administrator.
We have been entrusted with the truth of Scripture.
What God has revealed in His Word is to be carefully defended and protected by His people.
If we want to receive the praise of God for being faithful stewards, we must first become stewards.
We must place our faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.
We must serve Him where He has placed us with the gifts and talents He has given us.
We must learn the truth of Scripture and resolve to defend it.
That is what it means to be a steward.
A steward takes responsibility seriously.
How do we know that? Because a steward has been entrusted with something precious.
Are we servants?
Do we obey, prioritize, and work?
Are we stewards?
Do we know the truth of Scripture and are we ready to defend it?
To become a steward we must be worthy of stewardship.
That’s where Paul goes next.
The first key to being a faithful steward is to become a steward.
Key #2…

b. Be faithful v. 2

1 Corinthians 4:2 NKJV
2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.
This is the crux of the issue.
We are servants who have been entrusted by our master with the precious truth of Scripture.
Yet if we are not faithful with the truth entrusted to us, it does no one any good.
What does it mean to be faithful?
It means reliable, responsible, worthy of trust.
In Yellowstone national park there is a geyser called old faithful.
It is called old faithful because it erupts around 20 times per day and can be predicted with a 90% accuracy.
Here’s the problem though.
90% accuracy is not enough to really be called faithful.
Let me explain.
I don’t want to have a chair that holds me up only 90% of the time, do you?
How about someone who tells the truth, but only most of the time.
Here’s a good one.
Do you want food that’s good most of the time, but 10% of the time it is poisoned and will kill you?
No!
The same is true of God!
He wants His children to be faithful all the time!
He wants us to be reliable, responsible, and worthy of trust!
Paul says that if we are going to be good stewards we are required to be faithful.
Required – ζητέω (zēteō) seek; look for; desire. to be sought (state) v. — to be or become that which is looked for. Finite verb, present, passive, indicative, third person, singular.
Required – ζητέω (zēteō)
Faithfulness is the main requirement.
Faithfulness is what God is seeking, it is what he desires and looks for.
If we want to be used by God it isn’t about education, experience, or ability.
Usefulness isn’t primarily about talent, it isn’t even about a willingness to do anything or go anywhere.
What God is looking for faithfulness!
Proverbs 24:16 says this,
Proverbs 24:16
Proverbs 24:16 NKJV
16 For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity.
Faithfulness gets back up.
Faithfulness keeps pressing on.
Faithfulness can be depended on to always move forward!
Beloved, are we faithful?
One day we are going to stand before the judgment seat of Christ and we are going to receive praise from God.
Will we receive the praise of a faithful steward?
A faithful steward is trusted.
Are we trustworthy?
If not, do something about it!
I want to make one quick note from the verse we just read in Proverbs.
A righteous person is not someone who never falls.
It is someone who keeps getting back up.
God does not expect perfection.
He does not expect us to never fall.
He does however expect us to get back up 100% of the time.
If you are hearing this and you have fallen, get back up.
Confess, repent, make it right, and get back in the race.
Don’t give up.
To be a faithful steward first become a steward. Second, be faithful.
Three responsibilities for which we will receive praise.
Responsibility #1. Praise for the faithful steward.
Responsibility #2…

2. Praise For The Focused Servant vv. 3-4

Have you ever lost focus?
In 2014 the city of Naples, Italy was on the verge of bankruptcy.
Unpaid debts topped $2B. Streets were filled with potholes. Organized crime had a grip on the city, the police department was underfunded, and illegal dumping had marred the beauty of this port city.
In the midst of all these difficulties it shocked residents to learn that high on the priority list of city officials was the eradication of dog poo.
You heard me right. Dog poo.
The city started a program that would store the DNA of local dogs so their droppings could be traced back to their owners and fines could be given.
“I know some people find it funny,” Mr. Tommaso Sodano, the vice mayor said, smiling, “that with all the problems the city has, we would focus on dog poop. I know that.”
Yeah. It is.
$2B in debt, potholes, organized crime, underfunded police, but lets focus on dog poop.
-https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/23/world/europe/a-forensic-approach-to-a-sidewalk-nuisance.html
I would call that a loss of focus.
When we see a loss of focus on this scale it makes us scratch our heads in confusion.
How could someone see eliminating pet waste as more important than addressing organized crime?
And yet, we excuse our own loss of focus when we judge it to be on a smaller scale.
In the next two verses Paul explains why he doesn’t focus on the opinions of others, he focuses on the evaluation of God.
If we are going to receive praise as focused servants here’s what we need to know.
First of all…

a. Know what is important v. 3

1 Corinthians 4:3 NKJV
3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.
Most of us spend quite a bit of time worrying about what others think.
Paul wants us to understand something very important.
The opinions of others in regards to our service for Christ do not matter.
What do I mean?
Turn with me to Romans 14:1-4.
Romans 14:1-4
Romans 14:1–4 NKJV
1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
This is what Paul is talking about.
This is what I mean.
If God leads me to eat certain foods, and leads you not to. So what?
In areas of personal freedom, it is none of my business what you do!
In the context of 1 Corinthians 4, Paul is referencing being judged by a human court.
It seems likely he is thinking of the times he has been arrested and tried for preaching the gospel.
However, he also states that it doesn’t matter to him if he is judged by the Corinthian church.
From elsewhere in the epistle and from 2 Corinthians we learn that there were those in this church that opposed Paul.
In 2 Corinthians 10:10 Paul gives us a glimpse at the things being said of him.
2 Corinthians 10:10
2 Corinthians 10:10 NKJV
10 “For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.”
Paul has just said that he wants to be known as a servant of Christ and a steward of God’s mysteries.
His desire is to be judged faithful by God. He isn’t worried about the opinions of men.
When Paul calls the judgement of men “a very small thing” he uses a word that means insignificant or trivial.
This is reminiscent of Acts 5 when the apostle declare that they ought to obey God rather than men.
The judgment of men should be the least important thing to us.
Paul mentions a human court here as a set up for verse 4.
He isn’t worried about the judgment of a human court because a divine examination is coming.
He ends verse 3 with the surprising declaration that he does not even judge himself.
I say this declaration is surprising because I know many of us are our own worst critics.
How can Paul say that he doesn’t judge himself?
Because Paul’s opinion of himself matters as little as those of other people.
Only one opinion matters.
We are servants of Christ!
We are stewards of the mysteries of God!
It is the evaluation of our master that matters!
Remember Romans 14. To our own master we rise or fall.
What matters most is the judgment of our Savior.
Paul is a trusted servant. He is untroubled by the judgment of others.
It is possible to spend so much time worrying about the opinions of others that we never consider what pleases God.
And yet when this life is over and we stand before Christ, He isn’t going to be asking us what our neighbor thought.
He will ask if we have been obedient servants and faithful stewards.
We desire to earn the praise of God in this life.
We want to be focused servants.
To do that we must know what is important.
Not only do we need to know what is important, we must also…

b. Know what is immanent v. 4

1 Corinthians 4:4 NKJV
4 For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.
Here Paul explains why he doesn’t judge himself and why he is unconcerned with the judgment of others.
He knows of nothing against himself.
This is huge.
Why?
Because Paul was a persecutor of the church.
We will eventually get there, but look with me at 1 Corinthians 15:9-10.
1 Corinthians 15:9-10
1 Corinthians 15:9–10 NKJV
9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
STOP AT V. 9
Paul considered himself the least of the apostles.
He called himself unworthy to be called an apostle.
He persecuted the Church of God!
How can he say he knows of nothing against Himself?
Look at v. 10
It is the grace of God that makes us worthy!
It is the grace of God that makes us acceptable!
It is the grace of God that gives us the ability to serve!
When Paul says that he knows of nothing against himself he is alluding to the confession of sin and the cleansing we have in Christ.
1 John 1:9 puts it this way.
1 John 1:9
1 John 1:9 NKJV
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
This is what Paul means.
He has no unconfessed sin in his life.
He is in a right relationship with God both in his position and in his practice. In his state and in his standing.
Paul is unburdened because he knows the justification of Christ!
This is so important.
Paul’s righteousness isn’t determined by the fact that he doesn’t know of anything against him.
That is not what justifies.
Paul has been declared righteous because He has placed His faith in Jesus Christ!
When we stand before the throne it is the blood of Christ that we will plead!
“I need no other argument, I need no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died and that He died for me!”
There is a question we sometimes ask in evangelism.
“If you were to stand before God and He asked you why He should let you into Heaven, what would you say?”
Paul is telling us that he wouldn’t tell God, “I’ve been a pretty good guy.”
Paul would plead the blood of Jesus!
We get into heaven because of what Christ has done on the Cross!
We get into heaven because the price has been paid! The debt has been settled. The wrath of God has been satisfied. Jesus paid it all.
It is faith in the finished work of Christ that justifies.
We are declared righteous because His righteousness is credited to our account.
The end of the verse is a reminder that we will be judged by God.
Not by a human court, but by God Himself.
Here at Grace Church we believe in the immanent return of Christ.
This means that we believe He can return at any moment. There is nothing that needs to happen before He calls us home to be with Him.
At any moment we could stand before Christ to give an account for how we have discharged our duties.
Would we be able to say with Paul that we know of nothing against ourselves?
If we live with the awareness that we could be called to Jesus at any moment, would it change how we live?
If Jesus came back at the end of this service, would we be ready?
Don’t live under the burden of sin.
Confess sin as soon as you are aware of it.
A focused servant is ready for the master’s return.
May we be ready.
May we be able to say with Paul “I know of nothing against myself.”
May we rest in the justification of Christ as we await His return.
We need to know what is important and what is immanent.
Three responsibilities for which we will receive praise.
Responsibility #1. Praise for the faithful steward.
Responsibility #2. Praise for the focused servant.
Responsibility #3…

3. Praise For The Finished Sprinter v. 5

There are several places in Scripture where the Christian life is compared to a race.
Here is a picture of a racetrack.
At what point on the track do we get the prize?
Is it here? Or at this turn? Maybe on the 10th lap?
That was a trick question, because there isn’t a point on the track when prizes are given.
How ridiculous would it be for a race to be half over and everyone to be congratulating the runners?
The race isn’t over until it is over!
The winner isn’t awarded until they have completed the course!
We are all running the race, but the prize doesn’t come until we are finished.
As believers, we understand that it is God and God alone who knows when our race is over.
He has determined our days.
He has chosen the length of our race.
Rest assured, there is an end to the race; and a prize awaits each of us.
As we consider the day that is coming, we all must take two actions.
Action #1…

a. Admit the sin v. 5a

1 Corinthians 4:5 NKJV
5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.
This is one of those verses that has a tendency to strike fear into our hearts.
To be fair, there is an element of that here.
However, there is something amazing in this verse as well.
Let’s dive in.
The first word is “therefore.”
Paul is basing what he says here off the reality that the Lord is going to judge us.
Because the day is coming when we will be judged by God, it is best to reserve all judgment until then.
This is one of those statements that we have to be really careful with.
When we get to chapter 6 we are going to find Paul telling the Corinthians to judge one another.
When he says to judge nothing here, we must understand it in context.
Paul is talking about judging someone’s service for Christ.
Judging the stewardship of others.
To help us understand Paul’s point here, turn to Mark 12:41-44.
Mark 12:41-44
Mark 12:41–44 NKJV
41 Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. 42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. 43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”
An outside observer might be tempted to judge this woman because she threw so little into the treasury.
Yet Jesus knew the full depth of her sacrifice.
As outside observers we see someone using their time, talents, and treasure for the Lord and we may think they don’t do enough or we may question their motives.
That is the kind of judging we are to stop!
The Lord knows the gifts and talents He has given each of us.
We will give account to Him.
That’s where Paul goes next.
We’re to judge nothing because the Lord is going to come and at that time, He will judge.
There are two things Paul says the Lord will do when He comes.
Bring hidden things to light.
Darkness is normally used in a negative sense in Scripture.
When we are evaluated by God, there will be some things of which we will be ashamed.
Hidden things of darkness will be brought to the light.
Now, we do not need to fear this.
Why not?
All our sin is covered by the blood of Jesus!
The judgment seat of Christ is not about salvation, it is about blessing and reward.
There will be things in our lives which will lead to a loss of reward.
There will be things brought to the light.
There is a second thing the Lord will do at His coming.
Reveal the motives of the heart.
God is going to reveal, He is going to make visible, the counsels of the hearts.
Counsels are plans or purposes.
God is going to make our motivations visible to all.
Now, before you get all worried about this I want to challenge you with this thought.
How many of us have ever had our motives wrongly questioned?
How many of us have wrongly questioned the motives of others?
Being a parent we watch quite a few animated movies.
Some of my favorite animated moves are the Lego movies.
In “The Lego Movie 2” the villain is Queen Watevra Wa’nabi.
Throughout the film you question her motives because everything she says seems to have a double meaning.
However, when you get to the end you find out that she was never a bad person at all!
She was sincere, but misunderstood.
This is what Paul is talking about.
Motives that have been sincere, but misunderstood, will be revealed for what they are.
Why did we title this point, admit the sin?
If we want to stand boldly before Christ with nothing to conceal, we must confess our sin.
Don’t have any hidden things that must be brought into the light!
The faithful servant runs an honest race.
We dare not run with the burden of sin on our backs.
Drag the hidden things of darkness into the light before Christ returns.
Don’t question the motives of others.
Worry about your own race.
Action #1. We must admit our sin.
Keep the lines of communication open between us and our Savior.
Action #2…

b. Accept the sincere v. 5b

1 Corinthians 4:5 NKJV
5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.
I struggle to accept the final part of this verse.
As I mentioned earlier, I am my own biggest critic.
My failures and faults loom large in my mind.
I have a tendency to minimize any success, and downplay any ability.
Anyone else do that?
Paul ends this verse with the confident declaration that when Christ returns, every single one of us will receive praise from God.
He says “then each one’s praise will come from God.”
“Then” is a temporal adverb. Paul is saying, at that time. When Christ returns, when He judges, at that time, we will receive praise!
Praise – ἔπαινος (epainos) praise. praise (approval) n. — an expression of approval and commendation. Noun (subject), nominative, singular, masculine.
Praise – ἔπαινος (epainos)
That is what we will receive from God!
Approval and commendation.
This word translated “each one’s” is a word that speaks of every person considered individually.
This is such a powerful verse!
Yes our hidden deeds will be revealed.
Yes our motives will be exposed.
But each one of us will receive the approval and commendation of our redeemer!
Our heavenly Father is going to look at us and speak words of praise!
This is what it means to be a child of God.
This is what it means to have your sins forgiven.
When God says that He has removed our sin as far as the East is from the West He means it!
It doesn’t matter how many vile sins you have committed.
It doesn’t matter if you have disappointed people.
It doesn’t matter if you have struggled and fallen.
If you are a blood-bought believer in Jesus Christ you will receive praise!
Now, does that mean our sin doesn’t matter?
Of course not!
Jesus died to deliver us from it!
Paul has called us in this very passage to be faithful, to serve, and to steward the mysteries of God.
What we do matters. How we live matters.
But what I want us to understand is that our God is not looking down from heaven waiting to squash us when we step out of line.
Our heavenly Father looks down on us with love and approval!
He is cheering us on!
He delights in you and me and when we stand before Him He is going to speak words of praise, approval, and commendation.
Every child of God will receive the praise of God.
We serve the God of grace, the God of love, the God of mercy.
He is standing at the finish line of life with arms open wide, waiting to receive us.

Conclusion

Let’s talk for a minute about some areas of application.
Personal: We need to use the gifts and talents we have been given in service for Christ. We need to avoid judging the service or motives of others. Live for the praise of God. Commitment: Find an area of service to get involved in. Make sure all known sin is confessed.
Relationships: We are stewards of the mysteries of God. To us have been entrusted the truths of Scripture. Are we sharing them with others? Are we guilty of judging the motives and service of those closest to us? Commitment: Deliberately seek ways to share the truth of God’s Word with others. Ask forgiveness from those we have judged. Live with pure motives.
Parenting: As stewards of the mysteries of God, we need to pass them on to our children. We need to model for our children what it looks like to be servants of Christ. If we have judged others in front of our children, we need to confess that and ask their forgiveness. We must teach our children the importance of confession and of pure motives. Commitment: Refuse to judge the motives and service of others. Find ways for children to serve.
Marriage: Next to ourselves, it is the motives and service of our spouse that we judge the most harshly. We are not the Holy Spirit for our husband or wife. One day they will stand before Christ and receive His praise just like us. In our marriage, our goal should be to love, respect, and support our spouse. They should see the kind of servant we are and they should be the ones to whom we give the most grace. Commitment: Let God judge your spouse. Get them ready for God’s praise by praising them now. :)
COMMITMENT: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Here are some key take away’s as we wrap this up.
We are servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
There is coming a day when we will stand before Christ and be evaluated by Him.
Until that time comes, be faithful.
When Christ returns we will receive praise.
As we await the coming of Christ do three things.
Be a faithful steward.
Be a focused servant.
Run your race all the way to the finish.
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