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1 Corinthians 4:1-5 “Best Regards” 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 “Best regards” Page 1 of 6 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 “Best regards” During a crisis in his life, a skilled surgeon told me he really wanted to become a concert "So then, men ought to regard us as pianist. He went to medical school and became servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the a surgeon only to make his mother happy. secret things of God. Now it is required that those His experience led to another difficult task. who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I o Forgiving those who’ve offended them care very little if I am judged by you or by any extremely vexed many. human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. “My conscience is clear, but that does not Others dealt with long-term chronic pain. make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Some of my most serious early ministerial Therefore judge nothing before the appointed conversations were with a 40 year old man time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to suffering a terminal medical condition; he kept light what is hidden in darkness and will expose trying to figure out a cause that explained why the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will he had to die and leave his wife and young receive his praise from God.” daughter. When you look back on your life, what’s the most o Some felt the frustration in trying to difficult thing you ever had to do? keep all the commandments. I’m not asking you to call or write and tell me about it or to tell anyone for that matter. In junior and senior high, one of For your own benefit, I ask you to reflect a my most arduous tests was moment on your most stressful challenge. enduring long, tedious sermons. During my decades of listening to people, folks have shared test like the following: During my senior year and first Many said that trying to live up to the year of college, my most difficult task This could expectations of others was a tough one. was convincing a girl named have been me. Norma to go out with me again. 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 “Best regards” Page 2 of 6 Would you still enjoy your acclaim? I also remember my terror when trying to officiate at my first funeral. Consider what the gospel of Luke says in 9:51: “As the time approached for him to be taken up to Ever wonder about Jesus’ toughest life-task? heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. He Of all his assignments, what was the hardest? moved steadily on toward Jerusalem with an iron will.” (Living Bible) Jesus knew what was coming. Some think that his superior intelligence and Would you enjoy your parade? abilities made it easy for Jesus With all this being true, I don’t think Palm They assume that the accolades, crowds, and Sunday was Jesus’ toughest. cheering on days such as Palm Sunday made Jesus suffering all worthwhile In fact, Luke 9:41 says that Jesus wept over the That day he certainly got a hero’s welcome. city as he foresaw its future pain and destruction. Yet Jesus also knew what would happen later. Jesus faced many vexing moments. Imagine that your state officials decide to honor To continue the question, “What was Jesus most difficult task?” Would you guess Gethsemane? you and publicly proclaim your worthiness. Many of you may have received great honors. Or Satan’s early temptations? You travel to the capital. As you enter the city, crowds cheer you. On the cross when it seemed that the Father’s face turned away? People ask for your autograph. Young people run up wanting to embrace you. Consider this text from Philippians 2:5-8 Pretty nice, heh? Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Let’s add one more detail to our mix. Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not You can foresee the future. consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the Within days, the people hugging you now very nature of a servant, being made in human will demand that the governor execute you. likeness. And being found in appearance as a 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 “Best regards” Page 3 of 6 man, he humbled himself and became obedient to Yet, you take pity on them, love them death—even death on a cross! and decide to help them. Do most of us choose to help ungrateful Think of living where pain and death do not exist people quickly and without hesitation? and where millions of angels serve you. Jesus’ decision to leave secure splendor in order You look down on the universe you created. to live as one of us relates to our text: You fashioned and named billions of stars. Note the word servant in both our 1 Corinthians More numerous than the grains of sand on text and in this Philippians passage. earth’s oceans and millions of miles distant from one another, the stars flame brightly. Christ, “Who, being in very nature God, did not You planned for many of those consider equality with God something to be grasped, stars to spin off satellites or but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of planets. a servant, being made in human likeness.” Near one of the smaller stars, whirls "So then, men ought to regard us as servants of a tiny planet where you created life. Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things Using dirt from that planet, you made varieties of God. Now it is required that those who have plants and animals, and creatures called people. been given a trust must prove faithful.” You put those people in charge of the planet, and tell them to love and respect one another. In order to help mostly unappreciative people, Yet most of them act selfishly. Jesus came to this tiny planet, took on our form Some of short-lived creatures become proud, and subjected himself to our limitations. arrogant, and spiteful. Jesus served. Though mere dirt, many pretend they are gods. A few people welcomed him. Some people even resent you. Some ignored and doubted Jesus. Lack of concern for others becomes pandemic Many hated him. They took the life of the Son of God, who made them and came to help them. 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 “Best regards” Page 4 of 6 Jesus served even his killers. From what I read about Louis XIV, he When Paul wrote Philippians, he wasn’t simply served hardly anyone but himself. trying to make a theological stmt. He didn’t argue or pontificate on God’s precise Some attribute the French phrase L’etat c’est moi nature as Athanasius did or the writers of the (I am the state) to the king. Nicene Creed or any other creed. Compare him to King Jesus, who “made himself Paul pointed to Jesus as our behavior model. nothing, taking the very nature of a servant.” “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain A French novelist told a story about a very conceit, but in humility consider others better prosperous woman he called The Woman of the than yourselves” (Phil 2:3 NIV). Pharisees. That’s hard to do, isn’t it? This wealthy woman committed herself to the “Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ poor people in her village—in a way. Jesus…” Be a servant and serve others. She regularly visited them all, always leaving Forgive those who offend and hurt us. a gift—along with a suggestion that with a Love all people whom God created, whether we little more ambition and a little more thrift agree with their politics or religion, or share their they could improve their situation. language, color, or social status. This woman never left a poor family's house without making them feel worse An unverified story about French for her being there. King Louis XIV (1638-1715) tells of him ordering a coach to take him She served a cause, but she didn’t serve people as somewhere. The Jesus served. driver of the horse Preachers often point to the stubbornness and powered conveyance arrived at the pigheadedness of the religious establishment, very last moment. who refused to accept Jesus as God’s Christ. “I almost had to wait," the king commented. 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 “Best regards” Page 5 of 6 He performed miracles and demonstrated glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him God’s power numerous ways. over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You As Peter explained: “Fellow Israelites, listen to disowned the Holy and Righteous One and this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God asked that a murderer be released to you. You to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God killed the author of life, but God raised him did among you through him, as you yourselves from the dead.” know.”1 As God promised in the Old Testament, he sent When he presented so much evidence, why didn’t Jesus, as a servant. the experts accept Jesus? Religious elites disowned His servant and killed the If Jesus presented the author (creator) of life, but God raised him. right credentials, why did religious elites reject him? During Jesus’ ministry, it seems the Apostles At our home Lord’s Table service last Sunday, James and John wanted to be chief apostles: Norma and I read from Isaiah 52:13 all the way “When the ten heard about this, they were through chapter 53.
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