Episode 269: Count the Cost | Dave Sloop

Introduction

Well, good morning. Good morning. We are gonna be in 1 Corinthians chapter four, and if you have a Bible or you can grab one in the pew, I would encourage you to do that. We're gonna be going through the first 13 verses together, and I think it will be helpful for you to follow along.

But before we get to the text that we're gonna be looking at today, I wanted to begin with the story of how my wife, Melissa, and I fell in love. It is February after all. We have Valentine's Day around the corner, and everyone loves a good love story. Right?

Melissa and I were both on Young Life staff. This was back in 2006, and we were both assigned to work at a Young Life camp called Saranac Lake in Upstate New York. And so we showed up there in June 2006, and I met Melissa and was instantly drawn to her. I don't know if I would call it love at first sight, but it was pretty close. Pretty close.

This was not, however, Melissa's experience. Took her a little bit longer, and that's okay. I'm patient. But towards the end of that month, I sat down with Melissa, and I said, Melissa, I have loved getting to know you this month. And if we were under different circumstances, I probably would have asked you out by now, but I would love to keep in touch with you when we leave here, and I just want to know how you'd feel about that.

She responded, just like any guy would want. She said, we can be friends. Not what I wanted to hear, but I was almost 30 years old, and I wasn't messing around. So I said, Melissa, I just want to be sure you understand. I'm not interested in another friend. I'm romantically interested in you.

There was a pause, which felt like ten minutes. It was probably ten seconds, but it was a long pause. She said, you know, I think I'm okay with that. I'll take it. I'll take it. That's enough. Good enough. That began our dating relationship.

Ten months later, we were headed back up to Upstate New York to visit Melissa's parents for Easter. They weren't too far from Saranac, so I suggested to Melissa, why don't we go take a day trip to Saranac and just spend the day there? It would be fun.

So we did, and we walked around, and we remembered as we walked around camp some of the awkward moments that we shared when we first met. We sat in the porch swing where we took our first picture together, and then we sat down in that place where we had had that first conversation, which was right there. We relived that conversation, and we laughed about how funny it was and how she responded.

Then I said to Melissa, what do you think that we would say today? Melissa said something, which I don't remember what she said, because I knew what I was about to say. I did this. I got down on one knee, and I said, Melissa, I have fallen in love with you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.

She was shocked, as you can see from this next picture. We had not talked about it. I had not prepped her for this, we had not talked about what kind of ring she wanted, I thought, I'm gonna just surprise her, but thankfully she was excited, and she said yes, and as you can see from this next picture, she was very happy with the ring choice, and we spent some time looking at that together.

You can see the next picture, we're just kind of taking it in, look at that ring. And after a while though, let's go to the next picture, my face started to change, like, okay, we've been looking at the ring long enough, Melissa. I bought the ring for heaven's sake. And so I thought maybe if I get in her face, she'll stop looking at the ring. No. Then I thought, maybe if I give her a hug, she'll notice me, but then I said, forget it. Let's get out of here. Let's get out of here.

And so we took off, and she just she really liked the ring. But, you know, that was one of the best days of my life, certainly one of the most memorable days in my relationship with Melissa. And wouldn't it be funny if I said to you this morning, hey, it's been sixteen and a half years since that day, and I'm I'm pleased and delighted to tell you that we are still engaged. There would be people coming down front to offer counseling services to me.

That is not the case, however, because in a relationship like that, at a certain point, you've got to just either be in or out. And I'm proud to say that Melissa and I, eight months after that date, we came together before friends and before God, and we took vows. Ladies and gentlemen, on 12/08/2007, Melissa Sloop and I got married.

The Transformation of Marriage and Its Gospel Metaphor

Okay? Now, can I tell you everything changed for us on this day? In some pretty trivial, insignificant ways, and and also in some foundational, fundamental ways. For example, Melissa got a new last name. Not that big of a deal. We started to do our taxes differently.

But also, how about this? This is more transformational. A complete surrendering of all autonomy for the rest of your life. You don't get to make decisions anymore on your own. Everything's a conversation. I get to go hang out with the guys on the weekend without a conversation first with Melissa. At least that's how our marriage works. Don't know about yours.

But it is a complete surrendering of autonomy. We said things on that day right there like this, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, I will stand by you. No matter what life throws at us, we are in this thing together, no matter what.

For how long? Until death do us part. There are some tremendous benefits to a relationship like this, but I would make a case that you can't taste the benefits of marriage until you first are willing to embrace the painful process of death to self.

You know, it is not a mistake, that one of the most frequently used metaphors in the Bible for our relationship with God is that of marriage. We are the bride of Christ. And when we come into relationship with Him, we get a brand new identity. In fact, you just heard some of it up here during that baptism.

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

He says that person that I was before Christ, he is dead and gone, but I am only alive by virtue of the fact that His Holy Spirit has come to live inside me. Now I have a new power for life.

And here's what we all know. If you're an authentic, follower of Jesus Christ, that faith doesn't stay inside. It eventually works itself out into your real life, into your relationships, into your beliefs, and your decisions. And living that way can have some consequences.

See, when we stand with Christ, that can change some relationships. When we believe what He believes about the world, that might even damage our reputation. It might even affect our career. We might have to say to our boss, I can't do that.

See, it will cost us to follow Christ. He made no apologies about that.

Luke 9:23

If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.

Perhaps Dietrich Bonhoeffer said it best in his book, The Cost of Discipleship, when he summarized that verse by saying this, and we actually just sang that song. He said, when Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. Forgive me. I'm getting a phone call.

He said, when Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.

Now, Billy Graham said it this way, salvation is a free gift. Salvation is a free gift, but to become a true disciple of Jesus Christ, it will cost you everything you have. Or for our purposes today, maybe we would say it this way. Maybe we would say that there are some tremendous benefits to being in a relationship with Christ, but we can't begin to taste those benefits until we embrace the painful process of death to self. It will cost us to follow Him.

Now, do you think there is a temptation to wanna create a version of Christianity where we could maintain our reputation in the eyes of the world and not have to suffer? I promise you, that is not just a temptation. That is happening at scale across the globe as people twist and change the Bible and the gospel to say what they want it to say so they can maintain the life that they want to live.

And that is exactly what was happening in the church at Corinth. In chapter one, verse two, Paul says to the church of God at Corinth, and if you know anything about Corinth, you know that that sentence is a miracle in and of itself. The fact that there was a church of God in Corinth was a miracle, that wicked, immoral, worldly city.

But what should have been happening was that that church, that community of God's people should have been living such radically different lives, counter cultural and gospel centered, that they moved out into that wicked city as lights in a dark place and changed it for Christ's sake. But instead, the city, in all of its worldliness and philosophical thinking, had gotten its tentacles into the church and had corrupted the church.

The sin in the church of Corinth was tremendous pride, spiritual pride. In fact, there were some people in that church that thought they had risen to a level above Paul. Can you imagine being in that camp of people thinking that you were above Paul? They looked down on him for his simple gospel.

But on the other hand, there was tremendous immorality too, which sounds counterintuitive, but those often go hand in hand. Spiritual pride and immorality. See, the Corinthian church, they wanted the benefits of following Christ without having to pay the price, without the cost.

Paul is gonna tell us in 1 Corinthians 4 that there is no such thing. So let's take a look as I go on do not disturb, which I should have done sooner.

The Call to Faithfulness

1 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 1. Paul says, this then is how you ought to regard us. You know, in context, Paul is talking about himself and Apollos. But in verse 6, he's going to say, I've told you these things so that you might learn from us. And in verse 16, he's going to go on and say, imitate me.

So Paul is talking about himself, but he is also saying, and this is how you should be too. And therefore, church of the Holy Spirit, this is how we should be also.

This then is how you ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries that God has revealed. Paul, first of all, said you should view me as a servant. This is not the first time that Paul refers to himself as a servant, but it is the first time that he uses this particular word. In fact, it's the only place in the Bible where this word is used.

The Greek word is doulos, it means under rower. This was a special kind of slave. If you've ever seen Ben Hur, the under rower was someone that would have been crammed in the hull of the ship with dozens of other slaves, and they would have rowed the oar to the beat of the master's command. It was a warship. And Paul said, this is what I am. I am nothing special.

In contrast to the arrogance of the Corinthian church, he says, I am just a lowly servant in the bottom of the ship, unseen, but listening to the beat of my master's command. And when I row, the ship of God's kingdom advances.

But secondly, Paul says, I'm also a steward. Now a steward is another kind of slave. A steward was a slave that had been entrusted with the master's most valuable assets. And Paul tells us more specifically what he had been entrusted with, the mysteries that God has revealed.

And if you were here a couple weeks ago, Tim talked pretty clearly to us about what that mystery was. Do you remember? In 2 Corinthians 2, no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him, but God, in verse 10, has revealed it to us by His Spirit.

The mystery that Paul is talking about here is the gospel. And why is that a mystery? Well, because in Genesis 3, God promised He would send a redeemer right on the heels of the fall. He promised that He would send a redeemer. And the rest of the Old Testament from Genesis to Malachi is an unfolding revelation of who that redeemer would be, where he would be born, what he would be like, how he would suffer.

The mystery of the gospel is that God Himself would be that redeemer, that Jesus, God the Son, would put on flesh and come into this world and live a perfect life and meet the righteous requirements of the law. The life that you and I were supposed to live, but we couldn't. But He didn't stop there. He allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross, taking in His body the full weight and penalty that our sin demanded.

Paul said, that is the gospel message, and that has been entrusted to me, and it is revealed by God. He tells us a little bit more about what it means to be a steward in verse two. He says, now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. And that word faithful can also be translated reliable. And it's the exact same word that Paul uses, pistos, in 2 Timothy 2:2, when he says, the things you’ve heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men.

Men who weren’t going to change God's word but men who were going to let themselves be changed by it. Paul said, this is God's revealed truth and my job is to present it to you unchanged. I'm not going to add to it. I'm not gonna take away from it, and I'm certainly not going to change it with the winds of culture.

And therefore, Paul was able to say in verse 3, I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court. Indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear. In other words, I don't think I've done anything wrong, but not even that makes me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.

What is Paul saying? He's saying, I have given to you the capital T truth because it has been revealed to me by God. And if God has spoken, it's a final word. And therefore, I am not going to—that is not my emotional burden to carry. Your response is not mine to carry. He's not saying he doesn't care about them. He wants them to receive the truth, but his identity is not wrapped up in what they think of him.

I think we all could learn a little bit from that. Paul takes it a step further. He says, my identity is not even wrapped up in what I think of me. It is God alone who judges. I live to please Him alone.

Paul tells us why in verse 5. He says, therefore, judge nothing before the appointed time. Wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in the darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time, each will receive their praise from God.

Do you know what day Paul is talking about right here? This is the judgment seat of Christ. It is a judgment that every single person who has a sincere and authentic relationship with Christ will experience one day. The Bible is very clear on this. This is not a judgment where we receive punishment for sin. That has been dealt with once and for all. Sin won't be talked about on that day.

This is a judgment where we won't receive punishment, but if you read the last sentence here, we will receive praise from God. He will honor us and reward us for how we lived this life. What did we do to bring Him glory? What did we do with a pure heart and pure motive? Everything else will blow away like the dust, but that which we did for Him, we will be honored for that.

And Paul said, I am living for that day and for that moment, and therefore, I just don't care much what you think or how you feel about God's truth. It's not my burden to carry.

And then he says this, for what? Oh, then he says this, now brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, do not go beyond what is written. Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against another.

What is Paul saying here? Paul is saying, we don't need to get more creative than God's word. We don't need to go beyond what is written. We need to just do what it says and say what it says, and let the chips fall.

But the moment that we start thinking outside or twisting or changing what God's word said, that's when arrogance sneaks in and immorality sneaks in. But Paul says that if we live according to His word, it protects us from becoming puffed up and arrogant. If we live under God's word, we remember who we are—that we have come from the dust, and we remember who He is.

Paul says, don't get arrogant. He takes it a step further in verse 7. Matter of fact, let's just pause here and just—what has Paul told us so far?

Paul has said, I am a servant. I am a steward. I am a man who is carrying out orders that are not my own, and I have brought to you a message that is not my own. I'm a man under authority. I live to please one, God alone, and I've not gone beyond what God's word says. This is a picture of what a true disciple of Jesus Christ is.

And now Paul's gonna say, let's take a look at you. And this is gonna get uncomfortable. But here's what he says first in verse 7. For who makes you different than everyone else? What do you have that you did not receive?

And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? Paul is saying, what basis do you possibly have for your spiritual pride and arrogance? Everything you have is a gift, and this is true of every single one of us.

And now Paul is about to get very sarcastic. This is perhaps the most sarcastic of all Paul's writing. His words are dripping with it, and it almost feels wrong. But I think what Paul is doing here is he is using language that they have used about themselves in an effort to hold up the mirror and say, do you see how this sounds? In hopes that they would be cut to the heart and ashamed.

Listen to what he says. He says, already you have all you want. That—that Greek word for all you want is full. It's the picture of a guy who's been sitting at a table stuffing his face and can't eat one more bite. He says, you've got it all. There is nothing that anyone can teach you.

Then he says, already, you have become rich. You have need of nothing. You have begun to reign in that without us. Look at you, Corinthians. You are royalty, and you got there without our help.

That's exactly what Paul's saying here. He says, look at you. Are you proud? You should be so proud of yourself. He continues, how I wish that you really had begun to reign, that I might reign with you.

In other words, I'm the one that led you to Christ. Do you think that you would be there alone? I really wish you were running because that means I would be there too.

For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession like those condemned to die in the arena.

Paul here is building on this idea of their royalty. It was a custom back in that day for conquering kings to come back into town and lead a procession. And at the end of that procession were the defeated foe, the prisoners of war, and they would be led through town and mocked and jeered and led into the arena where they would be put to death.

Paul says, we're way back here at the back of the line. How is it that you are so far up front, Corinthian church?

And then I'm going to read the rest of this passage, and this is often referred to as the catalog of Paul's suffering. But before I read this, don't misunderstand this as being a list of Paul's greatest hits. He does that in another place.

This is not, hey, these are the worst things that have happened to me over the last ten years. This is—this is what is happening to me right now, Paul says. This is my present state and my present suffering.

Listen to what he says. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. We are fools for Christ, but you, you are so wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are so strong. You are honored. We are dishonored.

To this very hour, we go hungry and thirsty. We are in rags. We are brutally treated, and we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless. When we are persecuted, we endure it. When we are slandered, we answer kindly.

Listen to this. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world, right up to this very moment.

What is Paul saying here? Paul is saying, I'm a servant. I'm a steward. I have lived to please God alone. I haven't gone beyond what God's word says, and it has cost me greatly. And then he holds up the mirror and he says, what is wrong with this picture, Corinthians? Your life does not match the message.

Then in verse 14, which wasn't part of our text today, but I'm going to say it anyway, Paul says, I don't say this to shame you, but to warn you as dearly loved children.

Which is important for a couple reasons. Number one is so we know that Paul's heart is love. He adores them like dearly loved children. But also, Paul's heart is to warn them. And what is the warning? The warning is this. It is possible, starting ever so slightly, to twist God's word and just massage it a little bit until it says what we want it to say so that we can live how we want to live, such that all of a sudden, we realize we're no longer following the true gospel.

It is possible to tweak Jesus' words such that no we're no longer following the real Jesus. Don't compromise, Corinthian church. And if I could be so bold, don't compromise, church of the Holy Spirit. Don't go beyond what is written.

We are servants and stewards, and we live to please one, and we don't go beyond what is written. That is what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

Application and Conclusion

Now, I think there's an even more important takeaway as we begin to close. I think it's easy to read a passage like this and go, I need to be more like Paul. I need to dig down and find some strength so that I can have courage like Paul, and I want to tell you today that you can't.

Do you know that even Paul in his own strength couldn't? But there was someone who could, and he did.

Listen again to Paul's catalog of sufferings, and tell me if this sounds familiar. Do you know of someone else who, when he was cursed, he blessed? When he was persecuted, he endured. Someone who was dressed in rags, was brutally treated, and was homeless. Someone who became the scum of the earth, who became the garbage of the world even more, he became sin itself.

Someone who became poor that we might be rich, someone who was dishonored that we might be honored, someone who emptied himself that we might be made full, someone who was led, not metaphorically, into the arena to die, but someone who was led quite literally to the cross at Calvary where he bled and died for you and for me.

The goal this morning is not to look at Paul and go, how can I be more like Paul? The goal is to look at Jesus and to realize that He already did it. He lived a life that we could never live. To look at Him and to see that He endured so much suffering for us.

When I say for us, I don't just mean on our behalf, which is true, but I mean He did it for us, to get us, to win us. We were the prize.

Hebrews 12:2
Fix your eyes on Jesus Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame.

Do you know what the joy was that was set before Him? It was you, and it was me.

You see, when we begin to see Him as the one who went before us to win us, we are more able with Paul to say, for me to live is Christ in plenty and in want, in joy and pain, in sickness and in health and brokenness and loss, no matter what. I will stand with Him, not so that He will accept me, but because He already has, and He went through the fire first.

Are you here this morning and you recognize that you have compromised in some area, some place in your life, some place in God's word where you've twisted it just to make life a little more comfortable? Has this morning felt like God held up the mirror? Just know that it's His mercy that He did that. He's not mad at you.

God convicts of sin to draw us close because He loves us as dearly loved children. Don't miss that. Or maybe you're here this morning and you've never trusted Christ in your entire life.

Do you know that today you could enter into the relationship you were made to be in from the day you were born? This is when life starts to make sense.

Or maybe you're here today and you are in the fire, and I know that's true. I know that there are some of you here who are aching at the pain of searing loss and brokenness. Know that He went through the fire first, and He can identify with you in your pain, in your loss, and in your brokenness.

I want to extend an invitation this morning. We want to invite you to come forward. Now, we do that most weeks, but I want to make a special appeal this week.

Is there anything magical about coming forward to pray? No. There's nothing magical about it. However, I do think there's something significant about paying attention to what God's doing in our hearts and acting on it immediately, saying, I don't care who's watching. I don't want to miss what God is doing right now, and I want to go and receive whatever He might have because the reality is this. In thirty minutes, we're all gonna be eating tacos, and we will forget because that's who we are.

We are forgetful. It's not that this is a magical moment, but it is an important moment because God is speaking to us. When we gather, that's what He promises to do.

If God has stirred your heart, don't miss the opportunity to come forward. Meet with Him here on these curved rails by yourself or bring a friend, pray together, open your heart to what God might wanna do, let Him minister to you. Or if you want prayer from one of our prayer team, they would love to pray with you. Don't miss it. Amen.