(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

So you're there in 1st Corinthians chapter 16 and we are finishing up the book of 1st Corinthians and this is really kind of a conclusion if you will to the to the letter to the Corinthians and so there's some just different things that are brought up but we just got done talking about the resurrection and all that and then he switches gears here in verse 1 of chapter 16 talking about the collection for the saints. So look at verse 1 there says now concerning the collection for the Saints as I have given order to the churches of Galatia even so do ye. So he's basically talking about having a collection for the Saints. He's saying I didn't just give this order to you. I gave it to the churches in Galatia as well. It says upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay up by him in store as God hath prospered him that there be no gatherings when I come and when I come whomsoever ye shall approve by your your letters them will I send to you I'm sorry to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem and if it be meet that I go also they shall go with me. Now what I believe this is talking about I actually don't believe this is talking about tithing I believe this is talking about basically an offering above that meaning that you're based basically giving to those that are in need and kind of like a love offering if you will for those that are in Jerusalem for the Saints that are in Jerusalem and so but it's interesting that it says on the first day of the week which shows you that they're all meeting together on the first day of the week which is not in a corner I mean in Acts a lot of time they're they're coming together on the first day of the week which makes sense because that's the day that Jesus rose from the dead. You know there's a lot of people out there that think that we shouldn't have church on the first day of week or Sunday because they think we should have it on the Sabbath day or something like that but Jesus rose again the first day of the week that's when he showed himself to everybody or you know to his disciples you know they would they would meet and break bread on the first day of the week. Here it's saying when you come together on the first day of the week you know it's on the first day of week that's when you're gonna put up in the store so it's kind of like you're all gonna be get together on the first day of the week that's when you do it but he's basically stating that get this all together before I get there so he doesn't want to be like when he gets there and everybody's just trying to throw money into this this pot if you will for him to take to Jerusalem but there's another passage where he kind of talks about this and he's not just taking it to anybody in Jerusalem he's taking it to the poor Saints in Jerusalem and 2 Corinthians really hits on this a lot as far as where he kind of equates this to the manna where they would collect the manna and said those that had little had no lack and those that had an abundance had nothing over and the idea is that there would be equality and what that came down to is that those that were lacking other people supplied their need and you know it's just one of those things where you know by choice we choose to say hey I have a lot of extra I have a lot of abundance you have a need I'm gonna support that need okay in Romans chapter 15 and verse 23 it says but now having no more place in these parts and having a great desire these many years to come unto you Romans 15 verse 24 whenever or when so ever I take my journey into Spain I will come to you for I trust to see you in my journey and to be brought on my way with thither word by you if first I but somewhat I'm sorry if first I'd be somewhat filled with your company but now I go on to Jerusalem to minister unto the Saints for it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Acaya to make a certain contribution for the poor Saints which are at Jerusalem it hath pleased them verily and their debtors they are for if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things their duty is also to minister unto them and carnal things when therefore I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit I will come by you into Spain so here he's talking about a different group of people those in Macedonia and Acaya now Macedonia obviously is close to where obviously Corinth is kind of like in the southern portion of Greece Macedonia is more northern of where Greece is at and everything but but that being said is that it's the same type of logic he's ministering unto the Saints and those in Macedonia and Acaya they made a contribution and he's given it to the poor Saints that are at Jerusalem and the idea is that churches helping out each other and and focusing on helping out the poor okay now this isn't communistic okay because this is all based off free will offerings okay he's not forcing them did you see Paul here writing here okay you must give no actually later on in 2nd Corinthians he's basically saying the Lord love it's a cheerful giver and he basically saying he doesn't want you to give beyond that you have because he doesn't want them to be eased and you be lacking okay so you don't just like you know give beyond what you can the idea is that you give that which God has prospered you and in 1st Corinthians that's what it states you know lay up in store as God has prospered him so he's basically saying if you got if you got something extra and you got you know some money that you're not you don't need it's not it's just kind of laying around and you can help someone out the Bible teaches this you know in Proverbs the fact that you know if you can help somebody and I'm paraphrasing this you know in the way then you should do it now and not wait till tomorrow and the Bible even talked about going to go to now and him that know what to do good and do it and not to him it is sin meaning that if you have the means to help somebody and then you shut up your bowels of compassion from him how do I love God in you know the Bible talks about this in many places but also I really look at this too with within the church and the fact that you know what when it comes to the church you know if there's anybody that's lacking and there's anybody that has need you know what we're here for you and obviously we don't have infinite funds okay but at the same time if you have a need and you need help with something you know there's things that happen that that you know just aren't planned obviously and whenever you have needs like that you know as a church we're here to help you out especially if you're if you're a if you're someone that's coming all the time and you're working in the Lord and you're you're a faithful member of the church I mean the Bible is very clear that were to help out you know those that are in need and obviously here we're talking about the poor Saints in Jerusalem those that don't have a lot that need help all that's true now look at down at 1st Corinthians chapter 16 verse 15 I'm kind of skipping over some verses but I want you to see something here dealing with those that are in a kayo which were mentioned in Romans right that it was in Macedonia and a kayo that they were making this contribution those who were verse 15 here says I beseech you brethren you know the house of Stephanos that it is the first fruits of a kayo and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the Saints they that ye submit yourselves unto such and to everyone that help with with us and labor it I'm glad of the coming of Stephanos and fortunate is and a kayak is for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied but they have refreshed my spirit and yours therefore acknowledge ye them that are such and so here we have those that are in a kayah and they're they've addicted themselves to it to the ministering to the Saints so this isn't just a dictating themselves to the ministry but the ministry of the Saints now you say well you know you know shouldn't churches be helping out other people that are not you know like saved you're going out and helping the unsaved well I'm not saying you can't help out the saved but I want you to look at our verse here good Galatians chapter 6 Galatians chapter 6 actually it might be opposite of what you think the Bible actually teaches us that we should be taking care of the house of God first those that are at the household of faith first okay that this is not to be a soup kitchen for those and listen by the way we're I'm all for helping people that are that are down on their like that are poor and all that but I'm not for helping people that are a bunch of bums that don't want to work okay these panhandlers that are out there that are a bunch of shysters that are just coming into town that want your money or people that call in and just want money and they're not working they're not trying to do anything to make a living or anything like that that is not the Bible says that if you don't work neither should you eat when we're talking about helping out the poor Saints in Jerusalem or helping out the poor Saints in general we're talking about help helping out those that are working hard trying to do what they can they're just down under luck or things happen whatever the case may be and helping out those that are in need that are working and doing what they should be doing okay now in Galatians chapter 6 and verse 10 here it says and as we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all men okay especially unto them who are of the household of faith notice where the priority is the priority is on the household of faith those that are believers that would be the Saints okay so when it comes to you know helping out those that are in need we're gonna help out those that are of our church first okay so meaning this is I'm not against helping out another church and we have you know we have you know sent you know love you know not necessarily love offerings but we've sent help and aid to other churches that are in need but we're gonna take care of those here first okay meaning that it I'm not gonna be like all right we're gonna help out this church over here and help out this family over here and then we have families in our church that are in need okay that's not how it's gonna roll here you know it's gonna be at the household of faith and that obviously would encompass anybody that's a believer but how about the fact that it's gonna be those that are here at this church first there those that are here at this church first are gonna be taken care of with the funds of the church before we start using the funds for other reasons okay and you know the Bible does teach you know in 1st Corinthians 9 which we already taught the fact that though that it's very biblical for people to be on staff and to be paid and obviously the tithe is what pays for that but also you know that money can be used to help out those that are in need and you know what some people give above and beyond their tithe okay so some of that some of that offering money is not just tithe money a lot of it probably is but then there's some some people give above and beyond and that's fine and that being said is that you know I'm not here to say that hey we need to start having an extra offering to where it's like well this is for such-and-such okay and when it comes down to this if anybody you know any family needs help or anything like that we're here to help you but we're not gonna just like broadcast that okay I'm not gonna put a thermometer on the wall this is for you know I don't know this is for brother Richie okay brother Richie needs a new pair of pants and he wants to lose so we kind of we got to raise some money here because those things aren't cheap but you know but honestly though I mean if brother Richie needed a new pair of hands okay we're gonna give him a new pair of pants okay and we're not gonna like just be like all right everybody we're handing him a new pair of pants okay as a church and that's what we're doing okay you know that stuff we don't need to like make a big show about like helping people you know the churches just know this is that the church is gonna do that okay and so and we're not gonna be a respecter of persons about that meaning that if we if we help out someone in an area then we're gonna help someone else out in that same area or whatever the case may be okay and so the Bible is very clear on this and and obviously you know us as just Christians in the church we can just decide that we're gonna help out people now our church is not a very needy church actually you try to help out people they won't let you but all I have to say is that all joking aside you know our church is just not a needy church and we've all been very blessed okay to be honest and a lot of us you know we've been very blessed but here's thing if let's say a family over here is being very blessed by God and then a family over here is just kind of coming down on hard times listen we're all members one of this you know we're all one body and we need to kind of feel that pain and help that personnel and all that now in all honesty you know when it comes to what we have here at the church and the funds and stuff like that we'll take care of that as much as we can but you know what we as believers can just do it ourselves as well you know before the church even gets involved in that which is all fine and dandy and and the thing is that that God sees that and it even talks about like this fruit he sealed them this fruit okay talking about those that have a chia and Macedonia meaning that fruit doesn't always mean like soul saved but it's more so like a product of something right and there's fruits of righteousness okay there's the fruit of the righteous which is the tree of life right but then there's fruits of righteousness and you know what there's sealed fruit for doing righteousness you know to him that know what to do good and do with it okay now obviously it's not what it's a him to do it do it good and do it not to him in the sin but him that know what to do good and do with good listen there's fruit that you know from that there's the fruit of doing righteousness and God will see that whether in this life or in the next you know you will get rewarded for that and and I preach the whole sermon to on like cashing your bread upon the waters you know talks about in the Ecclesiastes and how it will return unto you and you never know what you give to others and how you help others and how that will come back to you and you just need to give not expecting anything in return okay if you ever give to anybody in the church and this is it listen to this advice please if you give anything any amount of money or anything to anybody in a church I never expect to see it again okay I just that I just don't loan money okay but if you were to loan money and say okay you know this person say hey can I just loan this from you I'll pay you back you know it to me it's like if I'm gonna give it to you I'm just gonna give it to you don't even pay me back okay because I don't even want to have to worry about that or that be something you have to worry about but if you do loan something to somebody just expect to never see it again and just say goodbye to it and don't even worry about it okay and don't like you know be like well I need to go to the pastor because he said you're gonna pay it back and then pay back it's just like just suffer yourself to be defrauded but you should have just never given it in the first place if you weren't willing to say goodbye to it in the first place okay so but obviously we need to do that as cheerfully right you don't want to just be grudgingly like here's your money you need it you know and you're just grouchy about it like obviously you should be nice about it and and all that now look at 1st Corinthians chapter 16 verse 5 going back there but I just kind of wanted to show you how that kind of correlates in the fact that they've addicted themselves to the ministry of the Saints and here here just one more point with that is that it can bear it can be very addictive to help people okay I don't know about you but when it comes to Christmas I like giving gifts more than receiving them because I always like seeing like you know whether someone likes it you like to bring joy to people right okay and I a lot of times I receive gifts and I feel more you know it's kind of almost embarrassing to receive a gift a lot of times you're just like I don't deserve this why are you give me this and you know it just you just kind of feel awkward being showered with gifts but at same time like I enjoy giving things to people and it can be very addicting to do that type of thing and that's a good thing right if there's you know there there's obviously a lot of bad things to be addicted to in this world but being addicted to helping out those in need that's a good thing okay so that's something you want to have an addiction with now in 1st Corinthians chapter 16 verse 5 it talks about you know basically a door being opened okay a great door and effectual being open this one says in verse 5 now I will come unto you when I shall pass through Macedonia for I do pass through Macedonia and it may be that I will abide yea in winter with you that you may bring me on my journey whithersoever I go for I will not see you now by the way but I trust to tarry a while with you if the Lord permit but I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost for a great door and effectual is opened unto me and there are many adversaries so we see here that he's talking about coming to them and he's saying I might abide with you and winter with you that could be talking about it he's basically gonna spend the winter with them and just kind of hunker down okay but winter sometimes can be talking about just the idea of kind of enduring right and I preach a whole sermon on that maybe you should listen to it because we're going in the winter time and those that are down on winter should be thinking about the fact they glory in the winter okay if anything the bugs are all gone right so praise the Lord for that humidity is gone that's about all I got right now but so but he's basically stating there that hey I'm gonna come and abide if I do I might even winter with you but he's basically saying you know basically he's basically saying this if the Lord permit so he also knows that that door may not be open for him to do that he's saying this is what you know I may do this I'm gonna try to do this but that's if the Lord permits because if the Lord will we shall do this or that that's the Bible teaches but it says but I will tarry at Ephesus till Pentecost why for a great door and effectual is opened unto me and there are many adversaries now this is something that especially with this whole COVID thing going on that I think about a lot as far as a door being opened or door being closed when it comes to this and there are there that's something that as Christians we should be looking at as far as this door open to go in this direction or is it closed because there are there's cases where the the Lord will open a door and specifically what we're talking about is he's talking about traveling like will that door be open for me to even come to you and all that go to Colossians chapter 4 Colossians chapter 4 also notice that he says then there are many adversaries right so with an open door there's a lot of adversaries there so just because you have an open door doesn't mean that it's just going to be smooth sailing with that open door or that no one's going to be against you taking that open door but what are we talking about with an open door well notice what it says in Colossians chapter 4 and verse 2 continue in prayer and watching the same with Thanksgiving with all praying also for us that God would open up to us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ for which I am also in bonds that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak walk in wisdom toward them that are without redeeming the time let your speech be all the way with grace seasoned with salt that you may know how you ought to answer every man now this reminds me of Ephesians where it says that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel and he's talking about praying for him that that would happen and the idea here is that he's saying pray that there's an open door of utterance okay talking about outward speaking like you think of you know the utter court you know in the Old Testament is the outer court so you're talking about preaching proclaiming publishing the gospel or the mystery of the gospel and he's basically saying pray that there's an open door and that's what we should always be looking for and especially with with missions right and we'd be kind of thinking about that like where is the open door and we kind of hunting around at different places some places are completely closed off we're just like that ain't happening and we need to be praying for that look at Acts chapter 16 Acts chapter 16 I want to show you that you know when Paul's saying if God permit meaning that he's talking about coming to them wintering with them if God permit because God may forbid it meaning that he may be not opening that door for Paul to go into Corinth and opening another door and I want to show you a place here in Acts chapter 16 where God actually closes two doors before he shows them the open door so sometimes you have to go through you know pass up some closed doors before you find the open door but it knows what it says in verse 6 it says now when they had gone throughout Phrygia in the region of Galatia and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia I want you to notice that forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia now our mentality is that we want to preach we could preach anywhere and that's true okay but what we're going to learn here is that there's places that are higher in priority or better places right so the Lord knows where the best place to go is right we could we could pick a place and go there and obviously preach the gospel when you may win someone to Christ but you know what if you would have waited for that open door maybe you would have won dozens may yay hundreds of people to Christ and so the Holy Ghost is forbidding them to preach the word in Asia and then verse 7 there it says after they were come to Mysia they are saved to go into Bithynia but the Spirit suffered them not so here's two things basically forbid for bad them to go to for Asian Asia but then also in Bithynia I'm sorry nope suffered him not and they passing by Mysia came down to Troas in the bit and a vision appeared to Paul in the night there stood a man of Macedonia and prayed him saying come over into Macedonia and help us and after he had seen the vision immediately we endeavor to go into Macedonia notice this assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them okay so it's kind of and I'm not saying that we have to have some vision right brother Dave's gonna wake up and be like I had a dream that we needed to go to Lucia or you know some Virgin Islands or you know what I mean like I'm not saying that you need to have some like vision okay but there's gonna be things that are just gonna be apparent right it says it's surely they surely gathered it's not you know what that shows me is that the Lord didn't specifically say go to Macedonia but there's there's someone crying out help us in Macedonia and this kind of reminds me of like when you go out door knocking right when we go out soul winning that you could waste your time on doors can't you you could waste your time on closed doors and miss the opportunity that open door and I still remember and you probably all have this experience where there's someone that just wants to argue and and they're really trying to push your buttons on your pride because they're just like what you don't know you don't know how to answer that maybe you should learn the Bible maybe she'd study the Bible before you come out here and talk to me you know like those type of things like ah like wrap you around a post I don't know like there's there's like that idea where it just gets at your pride and you're trying to walk away and you're just like yeah that's right that's right I just schooled you at the Bible and you're just walking away and you're just like ah and and you're walking away okay and there I always remember this one time that that was going on and this person was just basically telling me I knew nothing about the Bible and you know it's kind of like one of those things where you get beat of the game and they're just dogging you about it like I'll give you lessons later if you'd like you know like that type of stuff right we're just you just make you angry but I just remember like going down like and we were about done and we only had so much time left and then we ran into a door where this person's just like I was just thinking about this I want to know you know it's almost like one of those like what must I do to be safe and then they get saved what if you would have wasted your time on those closed doors though you wouldn't got to that open door and then the case here in Acts chapter 16 you know what if they would have went to Asia or Bithynia then they wouldn't have been over there in Macedonia and if you know the story they actually ran into someone from Asia right Lydia who's who's it talks about her heart was prepared so it's interesting because they were forbidden by the Holy Ghost to go preach in Asia but they ended up preaching to someone in a of Asia in Macedonia okay so that being said you got to know that hey there's certain places that God is kind of closing off and you just got to have to just deal with it you know what I want to go to Greece but that door is just closed right now okay with this whole COVID thing and just everything that's going on it just closed it's just not gonna happen right now the way things are unless things change you know I'm not getting a shot I'm not gonna go over there and get like you know quarantine for two weeks and then not be able to talk to anybody because everybody's just locked down like that door is closed right now as much as I would love to go do that it's just it's closed but you know what I'm just gonna take that is like that's a closed door there's somewhere else to go something else to do right and just go with that and Revelation chapter 3 it hits on the fact that God opens and shuts the doors okay and when he opens the door no one's shutting that thing when he closes the door no one's opening it right as much as I'd want to open that door you know I want to go there I want to do this I can't open that I why would I force it okay and the idea with with you know the doors being open and all that stuff don't force it just look for the open door pray for the open door maybe God will open it right I'll play I'll pray that God opens that door and you can pray for those open doors and other places as well that are closed at the moment and I've already preached on revelation but it talks about the fact that in Revelation 3 8 it says I know thy works behold I have set before thee an open door and no man can shut it so know this is that you know when Paul's talking about a door of an effectual has been opened you know what if God opened that door no one's shutting that thing but know this that with every open door I believe there's adversaries yay many adversaries because any time you're going to do a great work for God there's going to be adversaries there's going to be people that are against you I mean when they went to Macedonia let me ask you a question were there adversaries I mean that is where we get the most famous story with the Philippian jailer they were in jail when you get that famous story of what must I do to be saved is when the door was opened right so you have these open doors but you may have a lot of adversaries but in that there's going to be a lot of grapefruit there's going to be a lot of great things of God done I mean they didn't stay in prison I mean if anything God did a great miracle there they could have walked out of there if they wanted to they could have walked straight out of there but they end up staying in there getting the Philippian jailer saved and his whole house afterwards and one of the the most used soul winning verses that we all use from a door that was open but yet had many adversaries now go to 1st Corinthians chapter 16 in verse 10 1st Corinthians chapter 16 verse 10 1st Corinthians chapter 16 in verse 10 notice what it says here and again this chapter is kind of a conclusion so he's kind of hitting on different points right he's talking about the collection for the Saints then he's talking about you know I'm trying to come to you if the Lord permit but there's a door that's opened at Ephesus and all that 1st Corinthians chapter 16 verse 10 it says now if Timotheus come see that he may be with you without fear for he work at the work of the Lord as I also do let no man therefore despise him but conduct him forth in peace that he may come unto me for I look for him with the brethren so it's interesting because he basically kind of he's he's basically telling them listen you need to treat him well don't don't make him afraid of you kind of thing and you need to conduct him forth with peace now why would he be writing this well go to first Timothy chapter 4 I believe this gives us an idea because he actually is speaking to Timothy and he basically saying you know but no man therefore despise him but notice what he says to Timothy now to Mothius and Timothy I believe is the same person just as much as Sylvanus and Silas are the same person their names are just kind of different sometimes in the Bible okay in verse 4 I'm sorry verse 11 so first Timothy chapter 4 verse 11 these things command and teach let no man despise thy youth so you when you go when you're in Corinth you can think well what why would they despise him because he's a young man he's a young man that is going to lead them so you can see how people could despise that and say well who's this guy you know this young buck coming in and like tell me what to do when you're they're like decades older than him or whatever the case may be but it also talks about Timothy knowing the scriptures that make him wise and the salvation from his youth right because his mom was a Jewish right his father was a Greek but you know what he grew up with the Bible and I believe Paul won him to the Lord okay but at the same time he's not some he's not like the core Corinthians that basically just this is their first exposure to the Word of God they didn't grow up with it stuff like that and so obviously Timothy is a pastor you know that's being written to in first Timothy chapter 4 and so he's someone that should be regarded as an authority figure yet he's young okay I don't know how young he is or what that would you know what Paul considers to be a youth but that being said it says let no man despise thy youth but be thou an example of the believers in word and conversation and charity and spirit and faith and purity till I come give attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine so young preachers actually have have to basically more so prove themselves to be worthy of being in that position okay because if you're you're gray-headed and you're older you kind of already it already kind of demands respect I mean just in general right you know rise to the glory head and you're supposed to give you know kind of honor to the elderly so you know honor you know you know we're supposed to basically honor the elderly and so that's kind of already given there whereas the youth it's not okay so you kind of have to earn that respect if you will by living godly living pure knowing your stuff right showing that hey I know what I'm talking about I know the Bible I'm not a novice I may be young but I know a lot and I have experience doing this this and this okay you can have someone that's younger that knows more Bible has more experience done more things for God than someone that's 70 years old I mean clearly all the time obviously if you were that same person and then you reach 70 then you should be even above that but at the same time just because you're old doesn't mean that you know all the stuff about the Bible and that you're not a novice you could be a novice and be older when it comes to the things of God Titus it says the same thing to him that doesn't say Titus it was a young person it says these things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority let no man despise thee so it's interesting how he's kind of telling these preachers because those are the the pastoral epistles if you will first and second Timothy and Titus and he's basically saying let no man despise it you know preach these things with with authority reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine don't let anybody despise thee don't let someone despise that youth and when he's giving this charge to the core Corinthians basically saying don't despise Timothy I don't despise Timotheus when he comes unto you don't make him fear or be afraid to be around you I don't intimidate him okay and so he's kind of prepping them for his visit if you will first Corinthians chapter 16 and verse 12 he's talking about Apollo's I don't know why but this verse always makes me laugh okay it says in verse 12 here as touching our brother Apollo's I greatly desired him to come unto you with the brethren but his will was not at all to come at this time but he will come when he shall have convenient time I don't know why but I always it makes me laugh he's like it was not his will at all right to come to you right I just want to make this clear not at all like no way did he want to come at this time okay but this also shows you that Apollo's doesn't have an obligation to go right it's not owed to the Corinthians for Apollo's to come and visit them and at this time Apollo's is just like I have no will desire right now at all to come to Corinth he's like if there's a convenient time I'll come there and you know what that's the way we should look at any type of people that are you know friends of our church we should never look at it be like like if I looked at my pastor friends right and I said you know what pastor Anderson should be here every year and he owes it to us to come every year you know us anything right it may not be his will to come at all this year okay and I'm not don't I'm not speaking for him okay I'm not saying that's his will I'm just saying that you know I have friends but you know what they don't owe us anything to come and visit and come to refresh us or anything like that okay and so that being said Apollo's here and it could be that Paul's basically saying I wanted him to come but it just was not his will at all right he's kind of stating that I desired him to come but it was not his desire at all to come he'll come when he finds a convenient time so it's kind of like Paul wants him to go there and do some things or whatever but it's not not in Apollo's radar at that moment so anyway there's just some verses in the Bible just kind of make me laugh and that's one of those I because I just imagine Apollo's just me like no not at all no no desire right you ever had those places where you're just like I have zero desire to go there right not necessarily Church but I'm just saying like like places right where you're just like no no desire at all to go to that place it's kind of like New York City you know I like part of me is like you know what is to see the Big Apple and all that and I know I got some New Yorkers in here okay but nothing against you guys but I just have zero desire to go to a big city like that I mean the Statue of Liberty is probably the only thing but then I'm like looking at this graven image of some man that's dressed like a woman and is that really worth going to okay did you know that by the way that is actually a man anyway that is not a part of the sermon but you know that one's for free anyway moving on where was I add my notes here yeah first Corinthians first great first Corinthians chapter 16 in verse 13 okay is it there's some verses here that are kind of broken down where I just kind of pops out to you is just a charge right this this is what I would call like a four point or four pronged charge that that Paul is giving to the Corinthians and in verse 13 here says watch ye stand fast in the faith quit you like men be strong and these type of her I love these type of verses because it's just a simple verse that just tells you what you should do watch ye would be like the fact of it's usually synonymous with being vigilant or being sober right you think about watch a watch of the night well you want them to be vigilant first of all you want them to be sober you don't want to be drunken but you want them to be awake right they're not sleeping so the idea is just being awake woke no I'm just kidding vigilant you know like basically just that you know what's going on right you're aware of everything that's going on around you okay stand fast in the faith you think about the fact of holding fast and that word of like hold fast or steadfast you think of the term fasten right something that's fastened but holding fast would be like holding something that's fastened right and so the idea there is that being rooted and grounded in the faith right so you're vigilant you know what's going on but you're also rooted grounded in the faith and how do you do that because you receive the Lord Jesus walk ye also in him being rooted and grounded okay so then it goes it talks about quit you like men now this term quit is not usually that it's very kind of old use of this word we usually think of the word quit like I quit my job or you know whatever the case may be you kind of quit working you quit doing this you quit doing that quit smoking whatever right but this is more so of to behave or perform something okay that's kind of an older use of this term but I'll give you another verse that shows you this in this same use first same Samuel chapter 4 and verse 9 for same or chapter 4 in verse 9 it says be strong and quit yourselves like men oh you Philistines that you be not servants unto the Hebrews as they have been to you quit yourselves like men and fight okay now this is actually a story where the Philistines are like basically getting their morale up and actually win the battle okay so this isn't exactly a great thing for the for the Hebrews by the way it says Hebrews not Jews just a little nugget of truth there they're not called Jews until like the split of the kingdom but that being said is that it's talking about being men to fight okay quit you like men would be like gird up your loins like a man you know you're kind of putting on like being a man okay it'd be kind of like if you know if someone like you know pushed you or something like that and you just started bawling you just start crying as a man you'd be like you'd be like suck it up buttercup that'd be the modern vernacular but it'd be more like quit yourself like a man gird up your loins like a man and stop being a little girl okay now or stop being a little weakling stop being a feminine be a man see effeminacy not feminine not being feminine is good for women being effeminate or effeminate that's a sin okay and meaning like limp-wristed you know soft no quit you like men means to be strong and to be manly okay and you know what the Bible says men be manly don't be effeminate quit yourselves like men why because we have a fight and you know what the Bible talks about soldiers of Christ enduring hardness if you're gonna do hardness then you have to you know what you have to you got to be a man in a lot of cases I did a workout this this Tuesday and it destroyed me okay but it's just one of those things that what doesn't kill you make you stronger unless it's a bear they kill you but but it's just one of these things right this workout where I was doing these farmer walks on a treadmill where you hold up like 245 pounds up an incline for a quarter of a mile and just holding on to these things all I can think about was I'm holding on to these things I'm thinking of what's the leas are the son of Dodo right the guy that claimed to the the sword until his hand was wearing his hand clap to the sword right and and I'm just thinking to my health I just want to be one of David's mighty men I'm like holding on to these things because that was the I couldn't I literally wasn't doing all I could to hold on to this thing and you know what I think about these verses was like be strong quit yourselves like men gird up your loins like a man because in my mind I'm like I want to let this thing go I want to like just be done with this but there has to be an idea in your mind where you're like no I'm gonna keep going I'm gonna be a man I'm gonna hold on to this thing I don't care if it breaks my arms off the next round I dropped it okay but but I'll have to say is the first round I held on to that beast okay but anyway that was that was a little too much weight on that thing but that being said is that the Bible does talk about men being manly I don't believe this verse is talking to women to quit yourselves like men okay the Bible talks about women being you know with shame facedness and you know and talking about being a meek and quiet spirit but with men it's like you need to be hard you need to be you need to quit yourselves like men gird up your loins like a man be manly don't be effeminate and you know what it's a good charge to kind of remind ourselves and obviously be strong correlates with that okay and obviously ladies you can be strong right it talks about the virtuous woman you know strengthening her arms and all that but anyway I love this charge because it's just like this four prong charge if you I like simple Commandments right it's like it's simple to understand that I need to be awake alert vigilant I need to I need to be rooted and grounded in the faith and stand fast in the faith contend for the faith if you will and quit you like men be strong okay now look at first Corinthians chapter 16 verse 14 it says let all your things be done with charity so you think about all these things that Paul is stating here a lot of it just has to do with you know whatever you're doing you need to think about charity or love when you're doing it I mean think about all the lessons that he's teaching about the fraud you know basically suffer to be defrauded that takes love right to do that and you think about the fact that he's he's talking about you know not eating things sacrifice them to idols you know because you might hurt the weak brother or something like that it's like we know that it's nothing and you know what we can eat it but charity will cause you to say you know what I know I can eat it but I don't want to cause this person to fall I'm gonna say you know abstain from the appearance of evil and just kind of stay away from that because I care about this person over here and we do that because I love them and then all these spiritual gifts that you could have you know what it's it's charity that's gonna kind of bind all that stuff together I just give you a few verses on this because this is brought up throughout the first Corinthians and this is that the conclusion right and the idea here is that you know what all these things you can do but ultimately love is the fulfilling of the law the law is fulfilled in one word even this thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself and you know what you can know all the Commandments and be doing everything they should be doing but it needs to be love needs to be with that okay and in first Corinthians chapter 8 verse 1 it says now as touching things offered unto idols we know that we all have knowledge knowledge profit up but charity edify and if any man think that he know with anything he know with nothing yet as he ought to know talking about knowledge all these different things you know you know that's nothing you know it's just an idol you can eat it who cares right but charity edify first Corinthians chapter 13 obviously the whole chapter on love or on charity it says in verse 1 though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity I am become as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal and though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all faith so that I can remove mountains and have not charity I am nothing and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned and have not charity it profits me nothing it's interesting because people think that if you give to the poor that's charity not necessarily because you can get to the poor and it be for nefarious reasons and it's not with charity you can even give your body to be burned and it'd be for you know selfish reasons and not for a charitable reason and it seems crazy but I mean obviously it's in the Bible so it's teaching us that even in that extreme case it could be unprofitable because you're doing it for yourself and you're not doing it because you love others and this verse here is teaching us that hey do all things with charity the Bible says in Colossians 3 e 14 you want to turn there but above all these things put on charity which is bond of perfectness and the thing is is that you think about all these things that we could be doing all the the gifts that you could have just think about that being clothed with charity without charity it's nothing but you put charity in the mix you put love in the mix then you're gonna do great things for God that's when you're perfected perfected in love and we need to not forget that obviously what's our motivation you know why do we do what we do and I know I already preached on that when we were in 1st Corinthians 13 but this verse really just capsulates that that let all your things be done with charity even when I'm rebuking a false prophet or ripping the face off a false prophet there's love in that because the reason I'm doing that is for others to hear you know why do you smite a scorner that others may see in fear right I mean charities involved can be involved in anything to do the government executing pedophiles and and rapists and and murderers you know what charity is involved in that because if you do if you execute judgment swiftly then others will fear and won't do it and you'll you'll lovingly save people from dying and being raped and all this other stuff okay so yeah everything can be done with charity and so you know something to think about there now look at 1st Corinthians chapter 16 verse 19 1st Corinthians chapter 16 verse 19 it says the churches of Asia salute you Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord with the church that is in their house and so you know this is a great verse to show you that there's nothing wrong with having a church in a house now there's a difference between a church starting off in a house and a house church okay so let me explain that real quick a house church is where you don't really have a pastor that's been sent out to actually start a church and you know like I you know it's basically just pop up and be like alright we're gonna have church in our house you know I you know I'm gonna start reading the Bible we have a Bible study and we're having church and house because you know where two or three are gathered together there am I in the midst you know it's like that's not Church okay and that's there's a difference but there's nothing wrong with a church starting off in a house right it doesn't matter where the church that really because it's not about the building it's about the congregation and so actually I was planning on starting this church in my house but it just turned out that we had you know more people that would fit in my house okay my house right now where I was gonna have church was gonna be very small okay so it just wouldn't have fit everybody in there it just wasn't practical to start off in a house so it's a good thing it's a good problem to have but the nice thing about starting a church off in the house is that you're already paying for your own mortgage or rent or something like that so there's no overhead expense there's no extra overhead expense the the probably I don't wanna say scariest thing because I wasn't really scared about it but the the most concerning thing about starting the church was the fact that I was like getting into a lease on a building not knowing whether the money was going to come in to pay for the lease you know I know how much I tied but it wasn't enough to pay the lease I'll say that it wasn't enough to pay rent and so I was you know assuming like maybe what would come in but again I just kind of went out there on faith and said you know what hopefully this was supply but if you start in your house let's say you have a big enough house to start in you don't have to worry about that right I mean you're already at least you're paying your you should be paying your mortgage right you should be paying your bills if you're already paying your bills then there's no extra expense so it's very biblical to start a church in house and when people are just like oh you you're having church in your house it's like Priscilla and Aquila Roman chapter 16 talks about them having a church in their house as well and it mentions again how about Colossians chapter 4 verse 15 Colossians chapter 4 verse 15 so another church that's in a house Colossians chapter 4 verse 15 says salute the brethren which are in Laodicea and Nymphos and the church which is in his house there's another church that's in Laodicea and it's in a house how about Philemon? Philemon 1 and verse 2 it says into our beloved Appiah and Archippus our fellow soldier into the church in thy house so it's very biblical to start a church off in a house and so and really it doesn't really matter what building it's in okay now I'm not gonna have a church that's in a bar that's literally running right now okay like you know pastor polka dot out in Arizona does okay I mean there's certain things where I'm just like there's literally people that come in and drink on a daily basis in this building now if it was a bar at one time and you revamped it and you made it into a church there's nothing wrong with that I'm not saying like you need to be superstitious about like what was done in that building or whatever the case may be it's like I don't care it's got walls got he's got you know air you know it serves a purpose whatever right I went to a church for years that the church building used to be a bar but it wasn't actively a bar okay when the church you know like between church services people are coming in and drinking alcohol and there's literally alcohol in the building like when you're having church okay that's a little different but that being said is that it doesn't matter about the building it's about the fact of who's there in the congregation okay and by the way I mean if that's the only option you had okay but you know what that that pastor had other options okay if you want to call the pastor but people do that all the time where they want to be trendy and they're just like I'm in this comedy club and yeah your church is quite a comedy isn't it but the thing is is that it doesn't matter about the building it's about what's being done the church that's there the congregation and you know what if if a church remained in the house for its whole time then it'd be fine now the obvious thing is that a church should be growing and unless you have a really really big house like you have a house the size of like Kmart or want all Kmart's not a thing anymore right I'm thinking about up there you know in Morgantown where there was a Kmart and there is a church you know that's over there in that Plaza or whatever but not in the Kmart right that's where Royal King is that yeah so anyway but that being said is that you know what if we if we rent it out you know an old Kmart who gives a rip you know as long as it serves its purpose but that being said I just kind of want to give you some verses on that and we were planning on starting what I was planning on starting it in the house but it actually you know worked out that our church actually was already kind of big enough to get a building and all that so first Corinthians chapter 16 we have this ending salutation which kind of started off with Priscilla and Aquila but in verse 20 here it says all the brethren greet you greet you one another with an holy kiss the salutation of me Paul with mine own hand if any man loved not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be anathema maranatha the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you my love be with you all in Christ Jesus amen now the thing when it says greet another with and holy kiss first of all I don't I don't believe that they were kissing each other on the lips okay just so you know like when I think of this I think of kind of like in Europe like they'll like kiss each other on the cheek okay and that's still today like a greeting that certain cultures do that's just not our culture here okay so I don't believe that we're not right with God because we don't like greet each other with like a holy kiss but obviously holy kiss would mean that it's not some evil like you know wrong thing to do right I'm not just going up to some other person's wife and just kissing oh it's a holy kiss you know of charity it's like no like these are talking about greetings that you would think of like like I think you know French people do right with a kissy on each side of the cheek or whatever let's not bring that to America okay I'm just not for that I mean you're lucky if I say shake your hand right and this isn't COVID this is before COVID listen you notice that this church started without having a handshaking time we still don't have a handshaking time we're not playing on having a handshaking time and you know what I'll give you my right hand of fellowship proverbially you know I'm just gonna know obviously I shake people's hands but we don't have like a set you know like in the service where we're shaking hands so you know what we don't have to necessarily greet each other with a holy kiss obviously what this is talking about is greeting each other with love and you don't have to like do that okay so but obviously in that culture they were doing that it says the salutation of me Paul with my own hand and so he would sign the letters but I don't believe that he actually wrote this letter with his own hand okay the reason that I say this because when at the end of lations he says see how large a letter I've written you with my own hand he made a big deal about it in Galatians is a lot smaller than 1st Corinthians okay and basically though you'll see that he writes he puts a salutation just so you know like this is you know I sign off on this is what I said because someone else wrote it okay and so obviously in Romans clearly we see that there's someone that wrote it they sign off and you'll see kind of at the end where different people are signing off and all that now the verse here in verse 22 is a very famous verse it says in verse 22 if any man loved not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be anathema maranatha now I wanted to kind of just the last thing I want to hit here and then we'll be done is this phrase right here anathema maranatha now anathema maranatha is basically a transliteration meaning that this is not a translate you basically if you were to look in the original Greek you'd see anathema maranatha okay obviously you would pronounce it maybe a little different really just because you're trying to speak the language that they speak right but transliteration is basically where you take a word in another language you literally just put the letters for the word right like obviously the the word the name Jesus was transliterated okay from the Greek language into our language okay and that's why a lot of times in the New Testament certain names like Elijah is Elias right it was just transliterated from the Greek language but if you put Elijah I still believe it'd be it'd be fine okay they just chose the transliterated so you're saying it like it would be said in Greek essentially so what is anathema mean first of all well anathema is a Greek word that means accursed well let me give you a couple examples of this in the Bible as far as where that Greek word is translated in the English okay and I'm gonna give you a reason I'm gonna give you the reason why I believe this was left transliterated like this and not just translated out okay and again this is just my thoughts okay but in Romans chapter 9 and verse 3 Romans chapter 9 and verse 3 it says is it says for I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh so that term accursed is where you'd have anathema okay Galatians 1 8 & 9 very famous verses it says but though we are an angel from heaven preach any of the gospel unto you then that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed as we said before so say I now again if any man preach any other gospel unto you then that you have received let him be accursed so this is very simple I know what argues it I mean that's what anathema means it's just a Greek word that means accursed and you see in Revelation we saw Apollyon and Abaddon right the Greek word Apollyon means destruction and the Hebrew word Abaddon means destruction right so but it's basically showing you their actual name now a lot of the Bible it'll use the transliteration right and then it'll say this is what it means okay but in this case the King James translators chose to leave this transliterated into anathema maranatha now when it comes to maranatha here's the trickier one okay because anathema is a transliteration from a Greek word okay and obviously the New Testament was written in Greek but there are there are words that were written in Greek like meaning that the those that pen down the New Testament the Apostles all that we're writing in in Greek but some of the Greek words that they wrote were transliterations from Aramaic okay and you'll see that with like Cephas you'll see like Tabitha Kuma like certain things that Jesus said you know if you obviously it's in the Greek transcript right it's in the Greek New Testament but it's a transliteration from another language right that's not a Greek word but it's just kind of like how anathema is we see that as an English word but it's literally a transliteration of a Greek word but maranatha this is where you know what it states okay and if you just look at the etymology of this that it's an Aramaic you know transliteration in the Greek okay so if you will those that wrote the New Testament transliterated an Aramaic word into Greek okay and then in English they transliterated that Aramaic word that was translated rated into Greek into English okay does that make sense hopefully that makes sense okay basically it's an Aramaic word okay now they state that you know in Aramaic that they say that this word means our Lord come thou or our Lord hath come or basically our Lord come right or come our Lord okay so a lot of people would say well let him be anathema maranatha meaning like let him be accursed until the coming of the Lord or something like that like that they'll say something to that effect is what they think it means I'm going to use the Bible to show you what I think this means okay or what this phrase anathema maranatha means go to the very end of the Bible Revelation chapter 22 Revelation chapter 22 I believe you have two phrases here let him be anathema anathema meaning like let him be accursed right so he that you know those those that don't love the Lord Jesus Christ let him be accursed okay and obviously those that hate the Lord Jesus Christ I would say let him be accursed wouldn't you now when it comes to maranatha and again you know you can have your thoughts on this and maybe you agree with the interpretation that it's like at the coming of Lord let him be accursed at the coming of the Lord or let him be accursed until the coming of Lord or you know but notice what it says here and notice the progression of the statements that are made here Revelation chapter 22 verse 18 for I testify unto every man that here at the words of the prophecy of this book if any man shall add unto these things God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy city and from the things which are written in this book sounds like a curse okay I would anybody disagree that those two verses they're about adding and taking away from the book of this prophecy is a curse that's laid upon somebody right what's the next verse talk about he which testified these things says surely I come quickly amen even so come Lord Jesus the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all amen what do you have a curse that's put upon those that either add or take away from the Word of God and then you have a caught basically calling out for the Lord to come quickly for the Lord to come okay then you have the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all amen what do you have in 1st Corinthians chapter 16 if any man loved not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be anathema then maranatha I believe would be like Lord come then it says the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you my love be with you all in Christ Jesus amen I believe the answer actually is the fact that revelation chapter 22 the ending of the Bible actually tells you that this anathema maranatha is kind of like a coupling of like let them be accursed the Lord come right meaning and and that's hard to translate it's hard to put that into English right to make sense does that make sense because there's certain things that are just hard you can translate it right but it just doesn't maybe flow it doesn't really make sense revelation that makes sense right when you read that there's nothing about that we were just like I have no idea why he would bring that up right because he's saying he was testified these things says surely I come quickly amen even so come Lord Jesus so it's kind of like these people are gonna be accursed come quickly Lord right even so come amen the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all that same progression I believe is what you see in 1st Corinthians chapter 16 but it's hard to put that into English it's hard to put that you know certain phrases in the way you would even say it whereas maybe in Greek you know in the Greek language that just kind of makes sense right that kind of we have certain idioms that are in English that are hard to put into another language okay and I'm just giving you my reasoning of why the King James translator just chose to just keep it with that phrase so that that phrase let them be anathema and then maranatha being put on there is something that is just it just doesn't go over well into English but again I think the beauty of the King James Bible and the beauty of the Bible in general is that I believe it kind of shows you what it's being said there with the Bible okay that's my thoughts on that okay so you can have your own thoughts as far as like what anathema maranatha means to me obviously it's clear that anathema means accursed but what does maranatha mean okay and even if you were to look at it Aramaic it means like the Lord come but how does that make sense right how does that flow together and I think Revelation chapter 22 answers that so 1st Corinthians chapter 16 that's the end of the book of 1st Corinthians I again don't know exactly where I'm gonna be going from here as far as what book again if you have any suggestions or any books that you any book that you want me to go into I'm wanting to go back into the Old Testament because I've kind of hit on a couple of New Testament books kind of wanting to go back I'm not saying I'm going to Jeremiah or anything like that and you're like all right 52 weeks of that but if there's if there's a book that you're you would like to see go through I'm taking suggestions but if not I'll pick something by next week so let's end with a word of prayer the only father we think of today thank you for your word and thank you for the book of 1st Corinthians and just pray that you'd help us to use what we've learned through the book and obviously there's so much more to learn in the book of 1st Corinthians that was not touched on obviously I don't know everything about the book of 1st Corinthians but Lord just prayed she'd help us to glean any type of information we can that we that we've studied on that and Lord just be with us as we go back to work and bring us back at the point of time in Jesus Christ's name amen