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Look at verse number 19 where the Bible read for you suffer fools gladly and that's really where I'm getting the title of my sermon This evening you suffer fools you suffer fools now we talked about this morning the importance of suffering little children That's what we should do We should put up with tolerate the inconveniences the burdens of people that are Spiritual babes in Christ people that are growing and learning But the Apostle Paul in this chapter is rebuking those who would suffer fools and notice the Bible says you suffer them Gladly now we have a term that we typically would use to Understand this concept a lot better that term would be a bleeding heart. Maybe you've heard who's heard that term a bleeding heart What is a bleeding heart? Well, the bleeding heart is the one who suffers fools. Gladly. They love fools They love suffering them. They love tolerating them Well chapters 10 11 and 12 of 2nd Corinthians deal with this greatly and so I just wanted to take the time to kind of go through these chapters real quick as best we can and Understand what the Apostle Paul is preaching about when he's preaching to this Corinthian church and warning them of the fools They're suffering. Let's go back to chapter 10 for a moment and let's kind of dig into this chapter says in verse 1 Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ Who in presence and base among you and but being absent and bold toward you But I beseech you that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence Wherewith I think to be bold against some which think of us as if we walked according the flesh now What is he saying? Well in chapter number 10, he's kind of changing gears a little bit from his previous context of chapter number 9 Chapters 8 and 9 talk a lot about giving of money and blessing other churches, but then he kind of transitions and says hey I want to beg something of you I want to ask something of you guys that when I come I can preach to you I can be in a spirit of meekness and gentleness and I can come in peace I don't want to show up and just start you know Kicking people out and being angry and yelling at you guys and rebuking guys. I don't want to come with that type of boldness I'd rather show up with peace and really that's the case for most people When you leave the house and if you have older children you leave them in care of the house You don't want to come back and it's destroyed you want to come back and it's peaceful and it's good And they've done a good job if your boss has to leave for a week and go on vacation He doesn't want to come back and say what were you guys doing this whole week? How'd you screw everything up? He wants to come back and it to be good And so the Apostle Paul the same way he doesn't want to show up at this church and have to start You know cracking skulls he wants to be able to show up in the spirit of meekness and the spirit of gentleness he doesn't want to have to be bold with them, but he's making it very clear that he's going to and Notice whenever he says this in verse number two He says which think of us as if we walked according to flesh when you're bold When you're confident in the Word of God people will accuse you of being prideful People will say oh that pastor is so prideful How how does he get the nerve to throw somebody out of church? How does he get the nerve to call someone trash? How does he get up there and act like he's so godly and so wonderful, you know They'll start accusing you being a prideful person of being arrogant of being blinded by pride and I've heard it Every single act any time there's some kind of a controversy with our church any time There's something negative with steadfast Baptist Church you have to actually be a little bit bold or use a little bit of confidence You know, it always comes out of the woodwork. He's so prideful He's so arrogant. He's such a narcissist. Oh, he's just in the flesh Well, that's the same accusation that they were labeling against Paul being confident But let me tell you this about the Bible you can never be too confident or too bold in the scriptures Okay Now keep your finger here cuz we're gonna come back go to Titus chapter number two for a moment Titus chapter number two People will accuse you of being prideful with the Word of God, but let me say this it is impossible to be prideful about the truth Okay, you can't be too prideful about God's Word Because look it's not my word I can have as much confidence as much boldness to preach the Word of God without ever becoming prideful Okay, because the Word of God is not prideful and you know what you preaching the Word of God with power or authority is not You being prideful. It's you being confident in bold yet. They want to accuse you of being prideful well look being prideful is whenever you're putting all of that confidence and boldness and yourself and your ideas and your mind and what you think and what you say and Elevating yourself above other people, you know what preaching the Word of God is not prideful Standing on the Word of God is not prideful Executing the Word of God is not Prideful and the Bible tells pastors and preachers and those in authority to speak with confidence look at Titus chapter 2 verse 15 these things speak and exhort and rebuke with all Authority let no man despise thee Now does that sound like, you know some panty-waisted, you know, a feminine queer limp-wristed dude getting up and just saying oh guys You know, I'm sorry No, he says rebuke with all authority He says you need to have confidence. You need to have boldness in the Bible today. And you know what? There's a bunch of pastors today. They're not confident in the Bible and then they'll accuse someone that is of being prideful You know is prideful you are for thinking that you should not be bold in the Word of God The prideful person is the one that'll never throw anybody out The prideful person is the one that looks at God's qualifications for a pastor and says, oh nobody could meet these qualifications That person's actually prideful rather than the person looking at someone and Pointing out how they're not qualified and then rebuking them for being in the position of a pastor That person's not prideful yet. The world does not understand this they'll accuse you of being in the flesh Oh, you're so carnal. You're so prideful. You just think you're so so much better than other people. No, I think the Word of God's true That's what I think Yet if I get up and I just say oh nobody could really meet these qualifications Let's just let them have a pass that person's being prideful and you know what? They're rejecting the Word of God So we as ministers and people that are positions of authority, you know what? You can't be too confident or bold and the rules that have been given to you Hey if you're at the job and your boss gives you some instruction some kind of a commandment some kind of a rule and You're putting down the law you're sticking to what your boss said That's not you being prideful and you know what your boss appreciates it when you uphold the rules and the laws that he sets down and So you can't be accused of being prideful for following God's commandments, you know, they did this to his Moses They constantly accused Moses being prideful and arrogant and lifting himself up above the congregation, but you know what he was doing He was just following God's instructions. He was just doing it with boldness though. He's doing with confidence Go if you would diverse Timothy just flip back and look at chapter 4 verse number 11 first Timothy chapter 4 verse number 11 the Bible says these things command and Teach yet. If you give someone a commandment if you get up and speak with authority people will say oh, you're prideful People accuse you of going around and being arrogant and narcissistic Who does he think that he can go around giving commands, you know? Well, the Bible tells me to command people, you know what not of my own will not of my own accord Whatever the Bible says, but I should command people to do that It says in Ephesians chapter 6 flip back even further and go to Ephesians chapter number 6 If you're in a position of authority of spiritual authority, you need to preach with boldness You need to preach with confidence and you know what that is not being prideful You can't be prideful when you're putting all your trust in what God's Word says you're leaning upon him That's actually a humble person That's actually a meek person is someone that's trusting in the Word of God now Ephesians chapter 6 verse number 10 The Bible says finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might We should be able to thunder forth God's Word with power today not because it's our words Not because it's our understanding because it's the power of God because of the wisdom of God Why can I get up and preach with authority? That I know someone's gonna go to heaven or not because that's what God said because that's what the Bible says It's not being prideful people accuse me of being prideful going soul winning They'll say oh you go around judging whether someone's gonna go to heaven or not. I'm not judging them the Bibles judging them But you know what? I'm gonna say with confidence and boldness that you're not saved when you don't believe the gospel I am gonna say with confidence and boldness You're not saved Whenever you say that you believe in work salvation when you think you have to be a good person to go to heaven And you know what? That's not me being prideful That's me being competent. That's me being bold. You know what if I just look at someone That lives a rough life. That's not going to church and I just say you know what? I don't think you're saved That is prideful, isn't it? Is that based on something they said is that something, you know, do I know what they believe? Maybe they believe salvation my faith. I don't know if I'm judging based on my own thoughts my own opinions now I'm prideful, you know the people that go to church and they think everyone that doesn't go to church. Is it saved? They're prideful You know what? You're not prideful by looking at the scriptures and judging righteous judgment and applying the Word of God That's confidence and you know what we need people today to not be timid not be shy of being confident, but let me warn you If you're confident and bold in the Word of God You'll be accused of being prideful people will say you're in the flesh people attack you people come against you they came against Paul Oh Paul's just in the flesh. Oh Paul, you know, he's good. Who's this guy? He's acting all prideful and arrogant Let me say this about the truth, okay You can be bold in the truth you can be meek in the truth boldness would be that of being like in the law You got the law and then you got grace. Okay grace is meekness The law is boldness because you know the Bible in the law is just clear-cut, you know, hey you commit murder death Hey you commit this sin just punishment this right away. It just clear-cut. There's no sugarcoat I mean, it's just boldness. The law is just bold for the wages sin is death You know the thought of foolishness is sin. I mean the law just has a bunch of boldness, but you know, what grace is Meekness, isn't it? You know where God covers your sin and we go out and preach the gospel We have a good mixture typically of both. Hey, you're a sinner deserving help. That's kind of bold That's just kind of you know, the law that's just the truth You know what the grace parts even better These that God loves you and he wants you to go to heaven and you can be saved So, you know what both though are truth And You know what? We understand the confidence and the boldness aspect. We need to have both We never good balance today as a Christian of having both because if we go too far in the side of just boldness Well, then a lot of people will kind of get rubbed the wrong way We need to mix that with a little bit of grace But we don't want to go so far into the grace side of things and never having grace and notice the Apostle Paul is having A mixture here. He said hey, I want to be meek unto you guys. I want to be gracious unto you guys I want to come in a time of peace I want to show up and you know say hey and encourage you and exhort you But if you guys don't get your act together, I'm gonna come with the law aspect aren't I? I'm gonna come with the boldness. I'm gonna start ripping face I'm gonna start showing you what the scriptures are like go back to 2nd Corinthians chapter 10 I'm just trying to give you an idea of the spirit of this letter here As we kind of dig in deeper, you know, the Bible says the righteous are as bold as a lion You know what you put all of your trust and confidence and faith in the God's scriptures That'll never cause you to be prideful The prideful person leans on his own understanding. He thinks about things in the carnal mind whenever you're Whenever you're standing on the Bible, that'll never make you prideful Look at verse number three. The Bible says for though we walk in the flesh We do not war after the flesh for the weapons of our warfare not carnal But mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds casting down imaginations in every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience when your obedience is Fulfilled so the Apostle Paul he's saying look even though they might accuse me of being in the flesh I'm not of the flesh. My weapons are not fleshly weapons. I'm not gonna show up and beat you guys up I'm not gonna show up and physically punish you. I'm not gonna do something carnal. You know what I will do I'll use the Word of God. I'll preach the Word of God and you know what I'll show you how bold I am He says in verse number seven Do you look on things after the outward appearance if any man trusts to himself that he is Christ? Let him of himself think this again that as he is Christ even so are we Christ for though? I should boast somewhat more of our authority which Lord has given us for education and not for your destruction I should not be ashamed that I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters for his letters say they are weighty And powerful but his bodily presence is weak and his speech Contemptable let such a one think this that such as we are in word by letters when we were absent Such will we be also indeed when we are present to the Apostle Paul. He's using some sharpness in this letter Okay, what he's saying is you think that my letters have some power just wait. I'll show up and I'll show you indeed, too You act like you just say all he just talks a big talk, but he's not gonna really walk it Paul said Hey, I'll walk that walk. You want to test me. You want to try me. You don't want to fix the problems You don't want to just take the rebuke and the correction from the letter I'll show up and I'll be bold unto you and you'll see the Word of God in power and indeed And he said hey, I don't want to have to come in here and start showing you what the Word of God is like I'd rather show up in the meekness and gentleness and kindness and they use this silly excuse in verse number seven Where it says if if a man think himself that he is Christ He's like even so read Christ what he's saying. Oh, you can't talk to a Christian like that. Oh Did you know that we're Christians and he's like, you know, you're a Christian. Guess what? I'm a Christian, too And he's like and you better believe it when I show up I'm gonna show you what Christ is like and you think that my my letters are powerful Just wait until I show up indeed wait until you show up and I start preaching You know, these are the type of guys that when they were out preaching the gospel and a false prophet came on him They just cursed them in the name of the Lord and they became blind. Okay. Do you run us? I'd rather just get the warning Okay, I mean, I'd rather just get the verbal warning then whatever kind of curse they could potentially lay upon me I mean think about Simon the sorcerer whenever he's rebuked of Peter I mean, do you really want the Apostle Peter to show up and talk about how God's cursing you and how you're you know in? Trouble with the Lord like I don't want these things Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Ghost and just died Do you really I mean look these guys showing up when the prophet of God showed up and started preaching against you You might just die. Have you read the book of Ezekiel Ezekiel? He's just like start preaching against this guy He just starts preaching his falls down dead. I Mean look the power of God is upon the apostles and he's saying you don't want me to show up and start ripping face You'd rather me just show up and meekness and gentleness and kindness and just being someone that's hospitable to you guys and vice versa Now They're they're basically provoking him and we see in this letter. He's responding. He's defending himself. Basically. He's defending himself against a bunch of accusations We don't know what those accusations are. We can kind of get an idea or a glimpse But some of them are the fact that he's not physically Strong there's nothing really about his physical presence that would intimidate you and you know That wouldn't that should encourage us to realize that even if you're not that physically intimidating You know what? You can still have the power of God come upon you You can still be spiritually bold and spiritually confident and you can wage great war Spiritually, even though physically you may not be very intimidating. You might be unassuming in a sense They even say the Apostle Paul's contemptible. It doesn't even seem like he's average It seems like he's like below average. He's just this old decrepit guy, which look if you've been beaten with rods thrice I mean, you're probably a little rough-looking He's just hobbling up there. He's just like, you know, whatever. I don't know We don't know what the Apostle Paul looked like, but he didn't sit here and deny it He didn't say oh you think I'm you know Contentable in the flesh. Let me show you how much I could bench buddy Let me see how many you know dumbbell reps I can do buddy. Let me show you my squad Have you seen my power clean, you know? Come on fight me. No, he said hey my I don't have a physical fight here But I have a spiritual fight and you don't want me to do the spiritual fight You don't want those gloves to come off says in verse number 12 for we dare not make ourselves of the number or compare ourselves With some that commend themselves, but they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise But we will not boast of things without our measure But according to the measure of the rule which God has distributed to us a measure to reach even unto you We stretch not ourselves beyond our measure as though we reached not unto you for we are come as far as to you as We're come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ not boasting of things Without our measure that is of other men's labors But having hope when your faith is increased that we should be enlarged by you according to our rule Abundantly preach the gospel in the regions beyond view and not to boast another man's line of things made ready to our hand But he that gloriest let him glory in the Lord for not he that commended himself is approved But whom the Lord commended now in this passage we can learn a few things quickly Somebody in that church was committing themselves. They thought highly of themselves the Apostle Paul saying this is not wise We should not compare ourselves and try to figure out who's the greatest and we should never commend ourselves Now commend it's a word that we don't necessarily use but what we typically do is add the word read to it Recommend right re Commend we use the word recommend so you wouldn't recommend yourself to other people. That would be a bad attribute You know The Bible says let another man praise the and not thine own mouth a stranger and not thine own lips so we should not go around praising ourselves and recommending ourselves or commending ourselves or comparing ourselves and the Apostle Paul says I would never do such a thing and I'm not gonna sit here and boast of things without our measure. What does he mean by this? The language of 2nd Corinthians is kind of tough. Okay What he's trying to say is I'm not showing up and trying to take authority somewhere that I don't have authority I'm not trying to show up and rule you guys when I have no reason to it's not even people that I've gotten saved It's not my labor. I'm not showing up at somebody else's church and pushing people around He's like I got you guys saved. This is my measure This is my area of influence and you know what? It's not just you guys even reaches beyond that because we've been going out preaching the gospel to all these areas And so I'm in your sphere of influence here and I'm not gonna sit here and push people around That's not in my sphere of influence because the Bible makes it clear that we're not supposed to meddle with strife not belonging to us Okay, I'm not gonna go around and just start pushing You know people around in other churches and trying to influence other people that I have no real authority. No real realm of Authority at all He's trying to say Though and make it clear that he is in his realm of authority and this is a church that he's influenced greatly Now as we go into chapter number 11 We're really just going to keep going off of this thought because at the end of the day He's rebuking an attitude of pride even though that's what they're putting upon him What's that pride latitude? They're comparing themselves among themselves. They're commending themselves They're trying to talk about how great they are and that's a wicked attribute that we need to squash in a church Okay, when people go around singing their own praises, that's an indication that this is a bad person. Okay at worst They're in a wicked sin That's a wicked sin to go around and sing your own praises and talk well of yourself and commend yourself Yet a lot of people fall for this Pretty much the whole world. I mean, let's think about the most popular people I would say, you know, like Michael Jordan LeBron James Tiger Woods, I mean these people and guess what their opinion is of themselves real high Even though like they might even be the greatest player. They definitely think they're the player I mean they know I mean you take the top five basketball players I guarantee all of them think they're the best but usually they're always so arrogant and they're so prideful Does that turn people off apparently is that turning the world off from getting their poster? Is it turning people off when Chad Ocho Cinco names and his renames himself after his number as Jersey? Or do people buy that Jersey now people love that Jersey people love to get tattoos of these guys on their bodies and like Worship them basically. I mean have you met the celebrities that are Really humble. What about political people? How about Donald Trump? I mean this guy doesn't sing his own praises. Does he this guy doesn't isn't a lover of himself You know, have you ever met a political party candidate? That's just like, you know, I'm not that great You know, can you imagine Donald Trump? Yeah, I'm not that great. I'm not that wonderful. I'm not that awesome You know, it's like no he's saying he's saying the exact opposite. He says the greatest he's the best He knows more than anybody every candidate is like this, aren't they? But notice is it really hurting them or people just falling all over themselves to worship these people and love these people Because unfortunately the carnal person loves it when you pray yourself When you get up and recommend yourself and talk about how great you are vain and light and treacherous people. They like it You know, there's that stupid Disney movie Beauty and the Beast Gaston, you know They just have a whole song dedicated to how great Gaston is and he's just singing about how great he is and everybody just loves Him look, this is what people like, you know, they have rap songs. It's like I'm number one, you know No time for losers, you know, whatever the song is, you know, they're the top gangster the top pimp I'm rolling, you know just rolling cruising, you know, I mean every song is about how great they are and how wonderful they are You know what church should be different than the world Church is not a place. I'm rolling in those numbers. So winning rolling numbers. Yeah, man We roll in in a soul-winding van and we hitting up them neighborhoods and I'm just like BAM gospel BAM got you saved, you know Baptizing it's like no bad attribute bad attitude When you start singing your own praises and talking about how great you are and we even as a church, you know Look, I'm very pleased with steadfast Baptist Church I love steadfast Baptist Church and I think you should try to go to the best church in your area Well, we should never get this attitude. Just like we're the best We're just steadfast the best Baptist Church and we're so great. We're so wonderful. You know what? I just say hey if you think there's a better church go to it Because why not but at the end of the day, you know, we shouldn't be getting up here and having this prideful hot yet We're the only one serving God We're so great. If you're not going to steadfast you're right. You're not right with God, you know, I'll pray for you You know, we shouldn't get some such a prideful hot II arrogant attitude We should be one that's humble and we should not go around singing our own praises The Apostle Paul would rebuke us sharply if we go around singing your own praises He'd point out all the problems we have with our church like he did all the other churches Okay, but as we go into second Corinthians chapter 11, he's gonna further elaborate on the stupidity or the silliness of praising yourself He says in verse 1 What the God you could bear with me a little in my folly and indeed bear with me For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy for I've espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a Chase-virgin to Christ now the word jealous is always positive in your Bible Jealous is when you don't want to share something that's yours personally. Okay, I'm not gonna share my wife with any other man Because she's mine. I'm jealous for my wife. God is not gonna share his people with another God. Okay, that's a righteous jealousy Okay, and so we have to understand the word jealous is always positive the flipside of that word would be envious Envious is when you want something or you desire something that's not yours. It's not something you should have that would be envy Envy is always wicked. Envy is always wrong. Jealousy is always good You should be jealous for your wife for your children for your church for your God Okay, and even the Bible says about God himself is that his name is jealous the Bible says God is Jealous, he's a jealous God and he's not interested in sharing you with other things He's not interested in sharing you with other gods and mammon and all the other things that could take away your heart He wants your whole heart every single aspect of it. Okay, and he says a verse number three, but I fear Less by any means as a servant of God leave through his subtlety So your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ for if he that come with preachers another Jesus whom we have not preached or if you receive another spirit, which you have not received or another gospel Which you have not accepted you might well bear with him So the Apostle Paul's rebuking this church saying look if someone came to your church preaching another Jesus It's like you guys just put up with it If someone shows up and preaches a sermon with another spirit Not the Spirit of God you guys end up bearing with this guy Hey if someone shows up and they preach another gospel you guys are allowing someone to show up and preach another gospel Now all three of those could be different right another Jesus could be the Mormon Jesus Another Jesus could be the Jehovah's false witness Jesus right imagine someone coming in here preaching another Jesus Or how about another spirit? That's just any false doctrine or another gospel people getting up and preaching a repent of your sins or a works-based salvation Hey, they have the right Jesus per se but you know what they have a wrong spirit And they're preaching a false gospel or what if they had it seems like a good spirit They have the right gospel, but all of a sudden their Jesus is the oneness Jesus. Oh Are you gonna bear with that guy are you gonna? Let that guy get up and preach you can let Andrew sleuter get up and teach you about how Jesus is really oneness And let him teach you about dispensational. That's another spirit, and then how hyper dispensationalism another gospel But you know what there's a lot of churches that'll let these people just come in their church won't they Hey, they'll suffer fools gladly won't they they'll bring in Sam Gipp to teach them about another Jesus Because he says that Jesus isn't the one that's his Messiah That's another Jesus then because guess what Jesus is my Messiah, and if Jesus is not your Messiah That sounds like another Jesus one that I'm not interested in one whose name was even supposed to be Jesus. That's like another Jesus I'm not it my Jesus has always been Jesus because my Bible says Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever His name is Jesus, okay And that's the name that are supposed to bow to and we're supposed to worship and glorify God the Father with but you know what? How many churches will let Sam get come and preach in their pulpit? Because they're a bleeding heart because you know what they suffer fools Gladly and the Apostle Paul saying you shouldn't put up with it for a second How many churches will let a traveling evangelist a traveling missionary get up and preach repent of your sins? And they just be like oh, you just probably misunderstood him. Oh It's you know you just said it differently Look I've been in churches where you get traveling evangelists come in they preach all kinds of crazy stuff. It's always different It's another spirit, and I'm thinking like why would you let this guy get up here? They just suffer fools Gladly well the guy talks about how he's winning all these people to Christ. He's doing so great. He's a great evangelist Well let another man commend him. Why don't you give me your stats, and then I'll tell you how good you are oh? Last month you were working on a guy named Timmy to come to the church How many did you get saved zero okay this guy sucks? Let me tell you what I think about you Hey, the least esteem of my church gets more people saved than you in a month. That's what I think Why would I let you get up and preach in fact if you're not a soul winner? You don't even get to preach in our church So guess what the traveling evangelist needs to go out and start soul winning before he can preach in my church You know your average person that contacts me about doing deputation or whatever Wants to go do their PowerPoint They're not qualified to preach behind my pulpit because guess what you have to be a soul winner And you know what they don't do on deputation so winning They're not even going so they're traveling around begging for money. That's not soul winning. That's not preaching the gospel You're not even allowed to preach behind my pulpit Quit contacting me quit asking me for money. I'm not gonna. I'm not even let you preach let alone. Give you money ridiculous You know what we're not gonna suffer fools gladly at this church and people get really mad at us for that People get really mad at church like us because when we find a fool we expose them We say hey you got another Jesus get out of here. Hey you got another gospel. We're not interested in you Hey, you're a fool. You're a flat earther, and you're going around teaching that nonsense get out of here You know what people look at our church like oh you guys are so mean hateful You know so prideful, and I'll kick people out. No. I'm not prideful I'm confident in the Word of God, and you know what I don't want to be the opposite I don't want to suffer fools gladly like you do Letting people get up like John getch at West Coast Baptist College the Lancaster Baptist Church let him preach a false gospel and Then he's still on staff how can you get up and preach work salvation and Still be the president of the Bible College How can you still be allowed to preach after you got up and preach that I mean they're literally suffering fools gladly But you know what if you ask John getch I bet he could probably give you all kinds of accolades that he has right I'm getting a little bit ahead of myself. Let's get it. Let's get a little bit further in this chapter He says in verse number five for I suppose. I was not a whip behind the very cheapest of apostles But though I'd be rude in speech had not knowledge, but we have been thoroughly made manifest among you in all things Says in verse 7 have I committed an offense in basing myself that you might be exalted because I preached you the gospel of God Freely, I robbed other churches taking wages them to do you service and when I was present with you and wanted I was charged with No, man for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome to unto you and so I keep myself now the Apostle Paul says That he abased himself in their sight by not receiving a paycheck Basically by showing up and saying hey, I'll preach for free You guys don't even have to pay anything it was kind of an abasing because you know, especially You know in the old I have be we're not really like this But in the old I have be if you want a high-level Preacher if you want someone that's kind of prolific or someone that's pretty well known to come preach at your church They'll have a certain fee that you have to pay But you have to pay like two grand to have this person come preach at your church You know and again traveling evangelists have certain fees They'll say hey my speaker fee is 1,500 bucks or my traveling fees $2,500 and basically you have to pay that if you want this guy to come preach at your church Well, you know if someone called me up and said hey, can you just send one of the guys in your church? It's free. Okay Well, my guy cost five hundred dollars So, you know It's so you could kind of see how there's like a rate attached to the preacher per se and he's saying he's kind of a basing Himself by saying he's not even taking a paycheck He's not even gonna take any kind of money or any kind of goods to show like the significance I mean, it's the Apostle Paul, okay Plenty of people would be willing to pay for him to come preach wouldn't they they would shell out all kinds of funds to have The Apostle Paul per se but he's saying I abased myself. I wouldn't even take a cent I wouldn't even take a dime from you guys because I didn't want to be burdensome upon you I wanted to just be a blessing unto you and you know, there's certain times where I've tried to have a pastor You know give him money for preaching for us or whatever and they wouldn't even take it Because they just want to be a blessing. They didn't want to be a burden they just wanted to help out the church and so, you know, it's a good attribute and Also, he says that he robbed other churches now Let me explain that verse for a second because robbing sounds like he's sinning Robbing you thinks thievery or stealing He's just using dramatic language when he says Rob basically what he's saying is he's saying he took money from a church To basically supply whatever needs he had for that trip and it didn't benefit that church in any way It was only to benefit a different church now. I do this actually all the time. Okay, especially with our satellite churches There's been plenty of times where I've essentially robbed one of the churches to help out another church You know what? It's not a bad thing I think it's a great thing that we just bless other churches or vice versa or you can constantly be helping or giving You know or if I go preach for somebody maybe I'll just pay you know All the expenses from our church rather than letting them pay for them Just because I want to be a blessing unto them and that's what the Apostle Paul's saying here That that's the only thing that he did not let this church have Was the ability to bless Paul or to give money to him he abased himself says in verse number 10 as The truth of Christ is in me No, man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of the Kaia wherefore because I love you not God knoweth what I do That I will do that. I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion that wherein they glory They may be found even as we so notice in chapter number two or verse 20 verse 12 He says he wants to cut off occasion from them with desire occasion. What is that? That is your self-willed person the person that desires occasion They desire to be in power they desire to be in authority and notice what the Apostle Paul's attitude was I want to cut them off Whoever wants to be in charge not in charge. Basically. It's like he shows up. He's like who's interested me in charge Okay, all y'all get out. It's like, you know who really wants and again We don't want to misunderstand the the fact of having a desire to be an event Evangelist or desire to be a pastor or being willing to do things that are godly It's just saying that these people they don't desire to serve they desire occasion Don't they they desire to have the position to have the authority not to be a minister and he's saying hey Why don't you test these guys and find them like we are? Hey, are these the same guy are these guys who are wanting to be in charge? Are they getting no paycheck like I am? Are they getting beat like I am are they going out ministering to the Saints like I am? Why don't you find them like me or they probably the ones that are all in it for the money all in it for the Position and the power and the authority and they're not getting any kind of persecution He says in verse number 13 for such are false apostles deceitful workers Transforming themselves and the apostles of Christ now, let's pause in this verse for a moment when you find someone in the work of God and the work of the ministry and They're in it for the occasion Not for the ministry. What is the Apostles Paul? What's his opinion about that person? Are they just mixed up a little bit? Well, they're a pretty good person. They just kind of a little bit prideful. They just have a little bit of problem It's just a different opinion. What did he say about them for such our false apostles? Deceitful look when you catch somebody in a position of ministry and they are not there for the right reason It's because they're a false brethren. It's because they're wicked notice the Apostle Paul didn't say well, sometimes they're pretty good person He says no, they're they're false Notice the person that wants to be in a position of authority For the purpose of being an authority is a wicked person They are an evil person the Pharisee the Sadducee Constantly throughout the scriptures whenever you see people desiring position desiring occasion desiring to be you know Shown to be something they were a false apostle and you say why? Well, look a position of an apostle is of high prestige Okay, nobody is just gonna accidentally become an apostle. No one's gonna accidentally just do these type of things So either you have two people someone that's gonna work really hard genuinely and get there Or someone that's wicked and is gonna cheat their way into that position Okay, and we talked about a position of a pastor. Look, it's a pretty highly prestigious position someone that wants to get there legitimately Okay versus someone that's just let's just go with a different story for a moment because sometimes you point out someone that's really wicked and They desire occasion. You call them a false brethren. Everybody freaks out like Adam Fannin And they'll say oh, he's just a little bit prideful He's just a little bit mixed up Okay, the person that's a little bit prideful and a little bit mixed up. They'll just never become a pastor legitimately They'll just fail they'll quit they'll get burnt out. They'll be discovered. They're not gonna be able to make it Okay, because it's too hard. It's like saying somebody just actually became a marine, you know, they didn't really try very hard Look becoming a marine you have to be like all-in and even guys that are all-in don't make it Okay, but then let's say someone shows up and like I can just sneak you into the Marines buddy, you know or whatever I can just kind of get you through the door Alright, or they just try to fake it or they pretend or do something to sneak in Look that person is always wicked as hell. It's not questionable When you catch somebody that's in a position of authority not legitimately not for sincere reasons It's not that they're just kind of bad. They're really bad. Okay, he says in verse 14 and no marvel For Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness Whose end shall be according to their works now Let me say this also about these type of people these fools these false prophets these false apostles the seeple workers They're getting in there their works always suck But you know what they talk big they talk about how great they are They talk about how godly they are they talk about how much they serve God But then when you start boiling it down you start realizing like what work you have Let's let's run with our example. Okay Adam Fannin what great work that Adam Fannin ever do Where's that sermon where he he just preached that sermon and it was just like whoa Where's that documentary? You know Where's that work that he did how about this? Where's that person? That he got saved and changed their life and got them baptized and got them soul. Where's that person? Can you find can I find somebody that says you know what they're a genuine person they're saved they love God They love the Lord Jesus Christ. They're on fire for God. They're going soul-winning They're making good decisions in their life, and they say it's all because of Adam Fannin Where's that person Hey, let's judge him, but according to his works Where's that fired up godly soul-winning Baptist that Adam Fannin influenced? Oh, yeah, it doesn't exist does it? But you know what they talk so spiritual and you know what they point to why don't use a microwave I? Don't drink I don't drink lemon water I All I never expose my elbows. I'm so godly You know I don't want to expose my nakedness, okay Look the guys are all talk. It's a bunch of hot air, but then you start examining their works. It's like huh? But let's take another person. Let's say pastor Stephen Anderson. You think I could find some works that he had that are decent I don't know like any sermons that are good Like any documentaries that are pretty decent has he done any works I mean you think I could find anybody that says hey you got me saved, and he got me into church He got me fired up about the Lord Jesus Christ, and he I mean is there really a difference It's an obvious difference, and that's why the Apostle Paul's bringing this up He's like look. I'm a lot different than these guys in your church that are claiming to be apostles here, okay? It's not even close They talk big another thing that these people do is they're always present. You know what being present isn't hard Judas was always present wasn't he or did that make him a good person no they talk big They're always showing up to everything and they tied That's basically what they point to these false teachers these false prophets They like to talk about how much money they give they always show up, and they talk big about themselves But they're a fool when you start examining their works. You realize it's fake. There's nothing of substance. They haven't done anything godly Look the Pharisees tied. Oh You're so godly The Pharisees bragged about tithing on their anise they were so righteous Look you can see all kinds of people giving money. Oh that must mean their God came had a big offering Oh, he's so godly. He was present. He talked a big talk, but guess what he was fake wasn't he where is his real works? Where is this good stuff? You can't find it. He says in verse number 16. I say again. Let no man think me a fool If otherwise yet as a fool receive me that I may boast myself a little that which I speak I speak it not after the Lord but as it were foolishly and this confidence of boasting seeing that many glory after the flesh I will glory also for ye supper fools gladly seeing yourselves are wise So you say look I'm about to speak like all these idiots that you've been listening to I'm gonna speak like all the Adam fannins and all the other bozos that are out there And you know what I'll give you a little taste your own medicine Hey, you want to talk you want me to talk like I'm bragging about myself. Let's go all right He says in verse number 20 for you suffer if a man bring you in a bondage If a man devour you if a man take of you if a man exalt himself a man smite you on the face So he's saying these guys they boast about themselves so much yet They could bring you into bondage like the Pharisees did you know they say oh, you shouldn't have a microwave look Taking a microwave to Jacksonville was like a big deal Like I show up, and they're like can we have a microwave, and I'm just like yeah, they're like whoa I Mean look Adam Fannin could get them to pluck their own eyeballs out, and they would do it you know just ruining people's lives preaching all kinds of bondage and marriage relationships and Christian living and just putting them down. I mean look women could not breastfeed and the mother-baby room without a covering That's bondage my friend Talk about literal bondage Look, it's crazy. I know you. I don't agree with you. Well. You're crazy all right Because that was crazy Okay, I mean this guy would just say like pluck out your eyes or do something weird You'd be like sure you know no problem. Let's go for it Says the verse 20 when I speak as concerning approach as though we had been weak Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold I speak foolishly I am bold also so now he's gonna dig into some of the things he says verse 22 are they Hebrews So am I are they Israelite so am I are they the seed of Abraham so am I? Now I have three points that I want to quickly quickly give for you for this sermon because I have plenty notes But we'll just kind of finish it here in this passage But when we talk about bad people how can we find this fool? What does this fool look like? We already saw that he's gonna be present. He's tithing he's talking a big talk, but when you kind of examine his work It's fake, but what are these poor people like to boast about themselves with what do they talk about they talk about their accolades? Right isn't he kind of showing his act as well. I'm a Hebrew. I'm an Israelite You know he's kind of pointing to his history. How do people do this well. They say I've always been a Baptist The point of the fact they've always been an independent fundamental Baptist I mean Adam Fannin was an independent fundamental Baptist a long time I mean he went to Pensacola, which is that you know that's not really an accolade anymore I mean they'll point to all I've been a bad as for so long What does that matter you could have been a bad Baptist? There's a lot of bad Baptist out there I mean hey, I went to Peter Ruckman's church for all my whole life I'm not gonna think good I'm gonna think like oh, you know rough But the point to the fact they've been a Baptist for so long or other fake people you know the point is their degree John guess is saved. I mean did you see he's a doctor? Doctor look at all the doctor of divinity and the doctor of ministry and his PhD of course he's saved Look, it's all my degrees. You know I mean this does that really prove anything When did the Apostle Paul say look at all the degrees I have look how godly I am Did you know how good a pastor I am I got a degree from Baylor and agree from Hardin Simmons I'd agree from oil Roberts. That's a charismatic one. I don't even that's bad They'll point to their parents How many people I've heard this on a lot of people oh my parents were bad this and they raised us And you know do you know my dad is my dad's a great Curtis Hudson. Well. You're fat. Yeah You don't preach the same as him. Hey guess what Eli had some wicked sons And you know what just I don't care your daddy is I don't care your daddy's Jack Hiles Guess what Jack Hiles had some bad kids, too You're not exempted just because of your daddy is You know they'll talk about how many years they've been a pastor the point of those accolades of course. I'm godly I've been pastoring for 20 years Look this person's fake Why would you point out all your accolades because you don't have anything of substance? Well of course of course. I know the Bible. I've been pastoring for 20 years does that really mean anything There's plenty of people that have been pastor for 50 years, and they don't know the Bible. They're not even saved There's plenty of people that Baptist not even saved plenty of people whose parents were great. They're not even saved Don't point to the accolades the Apostle Paul's thing by pointing to accolades. That's a proof that this person's bad They're prideful. They're arrogant. Why would I get up here and brag to you about all the achievements that I've had in my past Because I'm prideful because I'm arrogant because I'm boasting of myself He says in verse number 24 Or verse 23 let's back up are they ministers of Christ I speak as a fool I am more and labors more abundant and stripes above measure and prisons more frequent and deaths off So another thing that these fake people like to do is not only they point out their accolades. They'll point out their works Did you know how much I go soul winning I go soul winning more than everybody in the church This is a bad person Look, I've literally had somebody tell me that recently and then they put it on YouTube to talk about how great they are They're like I'm better than everybody in the church. I do more than three fourths the soul winning for the entire church You're wicked By even saying that you're prideful. You're boastful. Why would you get up and say such a thing? Oh Look at all. Hey, I'm a minister of Christ over here. Look there's been other people They're like, you don't know how much I serve in this church. I'm thinking like whoa prideful much both so much You think that if you think that you serve the most in this church is because you're prideful You don't know how much other people serve in this church You don't know how much other people give of their selves to this church What a prideful arrogant added even if I said that that would be prideful and boastful as the pastor. I don't know What an area even the Apostle Paul he's saying hey, I'm speaking like a fool here yet when people brag about hey I go so any more than anybody else. They're like, oh Let's learn from him. I'm thinking like run away from this guy The guy that's going around bragging about all the works. Do you know how much I serve in the church? Do you know how much I do in the church? Apparently you're pretty prideful about it And no, I don't want to know no, I don't really care what you think about yourself I'll let other people tell me what they think about you You know whenever I was trying to pick someone to be the leader in Jacksonville I said hey give me three people you think should be in charge excluding yourself Then we'll find out who everybody likes then we'll find out who's really serving and helping other people You know what if we asked everybody in the church we said hey Give me a list of the three people that are serving the most in this church I guarantee that's gonna be way more accurate than if I ask your opinion of yourself of how you feel And you know what? Usually the person that's probably the greatest Or the person that everybody likes the most would probably be the most humble about it They probably wouldn't even think that they were that great You got to get the right attitude not be like the world today and these false prophets They like to brag about their accolades. Well, I've always been an independent Baptist I've always been in church, you know how much soul-winning I do. You know how godly I am. Look I hold the purse. I Count the money, you know you take the money Do you actually count it? I don't know if Judas counted it or not. He probably didn't it's probably like fanning Let's keep reading He says in verse 24 of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one thrice was I beaten with rods once with a stone Thrice I suffered shipwreck a night and a day I have been in the deep and journeyings often in perils of waters and perils of robbers and perils by my own countrymen and perils by the heathen perils in the city and perils in the wilderness and perils in the sea and perils among false brethren and weariness and Painfulness and watchings often and hunger and thirst and fastings often and cold and nakedness beside those things that are without That which cometh upon me daily the care of all the churches who is weak and I am not weak Who is offended and I burn not I must needs glory our glory of the things which concern mine and firmities So the Apostle Paul again He's speaking as a fool and he's pointing out all these things about himself that he should never do But he's doing it because he's rebuking this church hardcore He's like, hey you want to start bragging about how godly you are. Look at all the things I've done Look at all the persecution the suffering and affliction that I've done and this is what false prophets love to do They love to brag about their burdens and difficulties They love to brag about all the things that they have I have to drive so far to church And I have to help out with so many things and I do all this stuff and I have to you know I'm the only one that ties of the church and I'm the only one that goes out and does this work and there's just so Much burden and you know, I get persecuted by my family so much You don't even know how hard it is at work They're just constantly persecuting me and I just take every single stripe at work. Oh, man It just it's such a heavy burden to be so godly and I just love God so much Did I tell you how godly I am already? Look, there's some people they say Oh pastor Shelley. I just wish I could work at the church You're so lucky because you know at my workplace everybody's so ungodly and you know If I could just be in a Christian church serving there I would just it'd be so much better because there's so much burden in the workplace. Everybody's so evil and so wicked It's just so hard You're a wicked prideful person you are How are you gonna minister to the sinful when you're so godly that you can't even work in the workplace? How you gonna minister to other people how you gonna go out and get people saved when you can't even work in the workplace I Feel like the Apostles were okay in the in the world. I Feel like the Apostle Paul could get along with other people with sinful people, you know the Apostle Peter He thought he was too sinful even be near the Lord. He didn't go around like I'm so God I'm too godly for this fisherman job these guys They speak like sailors out here, I don't know, you know what I mean? They're constantly using colorful language and the Bible says swear not You know, even though that's not what that's talking about, but I just am so godly Like there's pastors they get up and they're like, I'm not like other pastors Who use words in the Bible out of context like hell, you know, that's so wicked. The Bible says swear not at all But that's not what that's saying buddy That's not what the Bible is teaching But they have to get up and they have to talk about all their burdens and all their difficulties And all their struggles and how godly they are how persecuted they are, you know I'm pretty sure there's no one more persecuted than Jesus Christ and he didn't go around Happen to let everybody know that I Feel like he got on his knees and just washes disciples feet and just cared about them and loved them and said father forgive them For they know what they do. He wasn't walking over the cross like this is so hard They're about to crucify me oh man, no one's been crucified like this, you know, but it happened it's true The Apostle Paul, he's not going around look obviously we found out of all things He did but he would just show up at the church just happy-go-lucky even though he got beat You know the night before even though he was like drowning the night before But these other guys they love to brag about themselves and boast about themselves and talk about themselves about how godly and wonderfully are Look, you know, we should put our confidence and boasting in God And notice he's gonna glory and his infirmities. What is it infirmities? It's his weaknesses He says hey, I like it when I'm weak Because then it gives more glory to God You know, I like it when people can respect my preaching when I'm contemptible in the flesh because then I know it's nothing about me They're not they weren't like whoa, you know, you know, it's not like Aaron Thompson where he's just like, you know And you're like, whoa, you know, we're grasshoppers in his sight, you know, he gets up and he's just like oh And you're just like ah, you know You get up and you just preach the Word of God with power and then people are like, whoa You know, you can see it's the power of God You can see it's the Spirit of God that comes upon people and the Apostle Paul He's saying hey You know what all glory and the things that I'm weakened The things that I struggle in because you know what that gives more honor and glory to God I'm not gonna sit here and brag about myself. I Like the fact that I have weaknesses because then God can show himself strong on my behalf Something that I don't not good at something that I don't have a lot of talent in but God still uses me Anyways, he says in verse 1 of chapter 12. It is not expedient for me to doubtless to glory I will come to visions revelations of the Lord So not only did the Apostle Paul have so many things to brag about if he wanted to carnally even spiritually He had abundance of revelations Hey you guys think you're great in the flesh look at all stuff I did on top of that I know the whole Bible too, you know, I mean I know way more than you guys I've had abundance of revelations from Jesus Christ himself. He showed himself unto me. Did that work out for you? False apostle you false prophet do what he's saying. He says in verse number 8 Or verse 9 he says and he said unto me my grace is efficient for thee for my strength is made perfect and weakness now Here's the thing The Apostle Paul he goes through a dissertation for sake of time. We'll pick this up later But he talks about how he got all these different revelations, but God wanted to Essentially give him a thorn in the flesh so that he would not be exalted above measure So people wouldn't think of him more than they ought to think and in his weakness God gives him grace and he gives him strength to continue forward because you know what it takes strength To have boldness and confidence when other people can't see it When other people don't have it for you When they look at you, they think who's this guy getting up here for each? But then you can show up and you can preach with boldness Anyways, you can preach with confidence Anyways, that shows the strength of the Lord and notice who he's really relying upon. He's relying upon God He's not replying upon something carnal, you know someone were to get up and to try and perform With any kind of faculty and they didn't have the Spirit of God upon them and they knew the crowd was hostile They would quit, you know when a comedian gets up and he's drowning on stage. He just walks off He just quits he just fails, you know, people don't like the show if people don't like what's going on They'll just quit people will get done any kind of performance any kind of sport anything that's going on Whenever they're failing and people don't like them they'll quit. Okay, but the Apostle Paul going into an adverse situation Not having anything, you know going for him carnally He'll step in there with the power of God and you know what in that weakness God can show himself strong I Think about the gospel itself. It went out in weakness, but you know what it came in power Jesus Christ died on the cross Basically under the power of the Romans and you say oh, that's a failure. That's weakness No, it was the power that he was willing to be able to go through that The power of someone to subject themselves to constant ridicule the constant harassment The constant persecution to the fact that people just won't even like acknowledge. He's an apostle They reject him but he still goes strong he still has confidence shows the power of God Saying what would cause somebody to just keep preaching the gospel when everyone's resistant when everybody's turning against you It's the Word of God, you know these fake people as soon as people turn on them They'll get their tail tucked behind their legs and they'll run away quickly They're not going to continue on when the pressures put on they're not going to continue on when they're shown to be the weakling That they truly are but even in the carnal world when people think that the Apostle Paul is weak He's still strong because he has God on the behalf because he has the Word of God And so my encouragement to you would be this Don't suffer the fools. Okay, go to Revelation to this last place of return Don't suffer the fools in the carnal number one Whenever you see them, you know bragging about their accolades bragging about their works bragging about the burden that they have We should not give them the attention that they're begging for and you should realize this problem. This person is wicked and What the encouragement is this you don't need those things? To be confident for God you don't need those things to be bold for God a false prophet does a false prophet has to get up and he has to get you to like his accolades and appreciate his works and Basically sympathize with his burdens so as he won't quit You know, what's stopping the false prophet or not stopping the foster? What's encouraging the false prophet to keep preaching is all those carnal things? People giving all you're so great. Oh, you're so wonderful. Oh, you're working so hard. Oh, you're so godly Oh look at those burdens, but as soon as the spiritual people show up and they're like that's fake crap They're just like they just run away They're like, ah, you're you're prideful and carnal. I'm gonna get out and they just basically project on you their problems They project on you their faults But you don't need that. I don't need people to go around and talk about my accolades. Oh You're from faithful word. Oh, you were trained by Pastor Anderson. Yeah. Oh, you must be wonderful You know, I don't need people to pick out my works and just be like, oh, this is the greatest sermon ever Oh, you're just so wonderful pastor Shelley, you know, I don't need people to go around and and sympathize all my burdens Oh, you must be so godly all that attack that you get and all that persecution and all that difficulty You know, I don't need that, you know, I need I just need the comfort of the scriptures Because when I'm weak he is wrong And you know what if I go for all that carnality It's just fake. Anyways, it's vain. Anyways, it's not gonna profit the church Anyways people that are spiritual see right through it if I get up and start bragging about myself and boasting of myself But here's the thing the Corinthian Church was so carnal. They just didn't see that They embraced the carnality. They embraced the prideful and so we should not suffer fools gladly We should rather expose them like we have in Revelation to look at verse 2 and I know they works my labor and I patience and how that's can't not bear them which are evil and Thou hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not and has found them Liars, so here's the thing. We need to expose the fools today We need to test them you say how do we test them when they start bragging about themselves and they start boasting about Themselves and they start going on about all the things that they're doing we should recognize that and say this person's wicked expose them and Whenever we expose them we should not get the bleeding heart and say I can't believe you did that to him Look, you know you suffer little children But you do not suffer the fool When the fool exposes ugly prideful boasting head when he gets on there and makes a phone call the pastor and records it and uploads it to YouTube and It's just the it's just a brag after brag after brag of himself Oh You just suffer fools gladly don't you You're just a bleeding heart, aren't you? And you know a bleeding heart will kill you Hey if your heart isn't bleeding right now, you need to go to emergency room right away You know, it's called bleeding heart for a reason. It's a problem It's what you when you sympathize with people that are dangerous when you start feeling bad for Jeffrey Dahmer. Oh He probably didn't mean it to the to be mean to those people Look Jeffrey Dahmer admitted that if you let him out of prison, he'd keep doing it These six psychopath Freaks look there are people that will never stop hurting and don't have a bleeding heart for them We need to suffer those that are godly and ignorant But those that are prideful and arrogant and fools when we expose them we need to expose them and don't get mad at step-by-step Baptist Church for exposing fools. I I Don't want to have a church filled with John getch and Sam Gipp and Adam Fannin and Tyler Baker and Doug Trowbridge and let them come and just preach you the Bible and talk about how great they are and how wonderful they are Who did Adam Fannin want to be in charge of the church whenever that was happening Adam Fannin. Oh, I should be in charge. I should come to Fort Worth. I should be the one Deputizing and doing all this work. Well who recommended you? You did Who's I'm qualified to pass to the church I'm qualified in six months who decided that you did Look when you start recognizing, you know, this guy has problems. This guy has faults. You just expose them and you say oh I think he's just a little mixed up. Nope. He's a false brethren And you know, I'm not gonna suffer fools gladly So you shouldn't either because otherwise you're gonna have a bleeding heart for them and you're not gonna like this turn Let's go some prayer. Thank you father so much for your word for this great study that we can do through the book of Corinthians I Pray that you just help us to put all of our heart and trust in the promises of God's Word That we would not just take all the good stuff in the Bible But we take also the evil of the Bible and that we would also expose those that are wicked that we would not just Fall for all the carnality we'd fall for the easy traps today But rather we would expose fools for who they are and I pray that if we ever get a prideful attitude or a prideful thought That you just help us to be humble and to realize that we shouldn't go around singing your own praises But rather we should esteem other better than ourselves and in Jesus name we pray. Amen