Take your copies of the scripture, please, and turn to Paul's first letter, the very last chapter of 1 Corinthians. Paul's first letter to Corinth. We'll be finishing that letter this morning, at least our examination of it this time around. Lord willing, very soon I hope to start the second letter. We may have a brief period of a mini-series in between debating that, or we may dive right into 2 Corinthians while it's still fresh in our minds, because it does have a sequel connection between the letters that I don't want us to lose. I'm going to read all of chapter 16, beginning at verse 1. The Apostle Paul says, now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me. I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey wherever I go. For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door of effective work is open to me and there are many adversaries. When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord as I am. So let no one despise him. Help him on his way in peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brethren. Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brethren, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity. Be watchful. Stand firm in the faith. Act like men. Be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. And now I urge you, brethren, you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. Be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer. I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas, and Fortunatus, and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence. For they refresh my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people. The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord. All the brethren send you greetings. greet one another with a holy kiss. I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all. In Christ Jesus. Amen. I've entitled the message this morning, Let Everything Be Done in Love. When we last looked at this final chapter of Paul's first letter to Corinth, a couple of weeks ago, I attempted to present a bird's-eye view of the content of this final chapter, noting Paul's emphasis on inter-church communication and association. Among various communities throughout the Roman Empire, churches of very different cultures, different customs, different languages, were presented, are presented in this chapter, as engaging with one another. Paul encourages that engagement with words of commendation. Now, this was especially important instruction for the Corinthian church because, as you recall, she had a tendency, we've learned this, to elevate men. This is what she did. Now, working with that tendency, Paul points out to the Corinthian brethren that it was appropriate to give recognition to some people in the church for the right reasons and in an appropriate way. Brethren who were committed to the service of Jesus Christ and in service to one another, those brethren, according to Paul, were appropriate subjects of recognition and imitation. Now that admirable character was expressed by believers not only within local congregations individually, it also reached outside these individual local congregations and it expressed itself to other congregations. This was practiced, as noted in chapter 16, this practice was the foundation of my argument two Sundays ago when I presented an argument for the necessity of Christian church association. Now today, as we continue to examine Paul's closing words, I still want to maintain this sort of bird's eye view of the whole chapter, but I want to ask a more specific question about this implied command to associate. First, is it merely, let me ask this, is it merely an implied command? My answer is no. I don't think we can honestly say that. The command of Paul and Scripture goes far beyond mere implication. And I want to spend a little time as I begin to prove that to you. And then secondly, we need to ask this question, how is Paul's command to associate primarily honored and fulfilled? How do we do that? Some brethren Paul has elevated to our attention, and he said that we ought to recognize them. These brethren are to be our pattern, and their example helps us answer the question. Now, before we dive into chapter 16 again and look at the evidence of Paul's command to associate and the content of that association, I want to set the stage of our investigation this morning by referring to another book of the New Testament with a similar message. I want us to go for a moment to Hebrews chapter 13. You're welcome to turn with me there. I'll only be reading really two verses in chapter 13 of Hebrews, so you can listen as well. There we're going to find some very brief scriptural statements, which I personally consider to be among the most fascinating commands given to the church. These are commands given to Christians in a context of the community of the saints. They're summary and closing commands found at the end of the letter to the Hebrew Christians of the early church. In Hebrews 13 and verse one, we read this, let brotherly love continue. Now the two words, brotherly love, in English, are actually one word in Greek. The word is Philadelphia. Very familiar word to us. This is a compound word created by compounding a specific Greek word for love, phileo, with the word for brethren. It's therefore a command to engage in a specific kind of love involving brethren. In this context, the love is phileo love, that is love that is a tender, cherishing, and preserving love. It's love that's directed toward those who are our adopted brethren in the faith, our spiritual blood brothers, you might say. This is the meaning of Paul's command, let brotherly love continue. Let brotherly love continue, or I rather I should say the writer of Hebrews. Now holding that thought in your mind, if you go down just a few verses in Hebrews 13, you arrive at verse 16. And there the church is told this, do not neglect to do good and to share what you have. Now that's the ESV translation of Hebrews 13, 16. The King James Version renders it thus, But to do good and to communicate, forget not." Now with this command, the writer of Hebrews also enjoins the church to engage in the practical acts of love for the brethren. Now the word translated share in the ESV and communicate in the King James, they originate from another Greek word. This love is a particular kind of practice. It's koinonia. It's love that we would say is characterized by gracious and generous acts of sharing of good. The idea of distribution is intrinsic to the meaning of koinonia. It's a very practical word. Now I want to point out a couple of implications, and then I'll attempt to bring this sort of brief foray into the book of Hebrews to a point. Notice that these two verses, Hebrews 13.1 and Hebrews 13.16, are alike in that both require continuity, and specifically continuity of love. Hebrews 13.1 specifically commands that Christian love, defined by a context of communal tenderness and preservation, that love is commanded to continue. Now this is the positive statement of the command. It perfectly complements the negatively stated command in Hebrews 13.16, where we're told, do not cease koinonia. Do not let loving kindness in action end. Also notice that the second command flows from the first command. If love, if tender preserving affection is to continue, then communication and sharing of good with the brethren will not cease. Material generosity and sharing will not end. Now finally, I want us to also simply recognize that there is an emphasis here, I've already mentioned it, an emphasis on continuity. The focus is not on the specific acts of love, not really even on the kind of love. The emphasis is really on the continuity of that love. It must continue. It must not cease. As Paul told us in 1 Corinthians 13 when he was describing Christian love for us, in verse 8 he said, love never ends. Now if you're wondering what's going on with me as I take us on this sort of odd side quest into the continuity of love, bear with me a moment and I'll explain. Notice our text. Note that our text, 1 Corinthians chapter 16, deals with this. Remember that we have previously argued for a requirement that churches engage with one another, that Christians serve one another, and that those who do so well are noteworthy. In my introduction to this sermon, I asked if Paul commands this only implicitly. The answer is no. Paul commands it explicitly. Christ, through his apostle, explicitly commands that his church engages in fellowship. That fellowship is the very fellowship described in Hebrews 13. We're commanded to maintain a constant, vibrant fellowship that is defined by an attitude of affection and tenderness toward one another that expresses itself in preservation of one another through gracious sharing of the good things the Lord has given us. Now, where is that in our text? It's a good question. Hope you're asking that. You should be asking that. Well, let's look at some of the evidence of this in our chapter, chapter 16. First, I want you to note the very first four verses of chapter 16. Paul says, now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable that I should go also, they'll accompany me. Now with these words, Paul has directed our attention to a Christian and to a church tradition of sharing exactly as the writer of Hebrews has commanded in Hebrews 13. This collecting and gathering up of material goods is for the brethren. It's being specifically collected for the brethren in Jerusalem as a gracious gift. This tender, preserving act of love reaching out from Gentile brethren to Jewish brethren is exactly what Hebrews 13 is speaking of. We know that the brethren at Jerusalem had been under constant attack by the wicked one through the vices of the Jewish leadership. Paul himself had once been such a messenger of Satan, sent as the man known as Saul. He was sent to harass those brethren. This was Saul of Tarsus. The property of Christian brethren in Jerusalem in particular had been confiscated. Some had been imprisoned. With wage earners in prison, how would families survive? Some Christians in Jerusalem, like Stephen, had been killed for the faith. With the confiscation of properties and loss of material goods and even employment, the brethren at Jerusalem had apparently fallen on very hard times. We learn in Acts 11 that this need for material support was not uncommon among the brethren at Jerusalem. In Acts 11, 27-30 we read of the following incident in the early church history. Listen. Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world. This took place in the days of Claudius. So the disciples determined, everyone according to his ability, to send relief to the brethren living in Judea. And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. This famine and the economic recession that it brought hit the Jerusalem brethren very hard. hit all of Judea very hard. So much so that Jewish Christian prophets came to the Gentile brethren, warning of the coming famine and engaging with their brethren for mutual aid and support. Presently, Paul and Barnabas were engaged by the church at Antioch to send a gift of material relief to their Jewish brethren. Now in our text, in the verses of our text, this tradition of Christian practical love, we discover it was characteristic of the early church. Now in Acts chapter 2, following the mighty outpouring of the Spirit of God at Pentecost, pouring out that culminated in the salvation of thousands, we read of the immediate appearance of Christian love. Listen to what happens in Acts 2, verses 42-47. And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers. And awe came upon every soul. Many signs and wonders were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. Brethren, this was love unlike anything the world had seen. It produced a reaction among unbelievers even. They were in awe of what they were witnessing. And that awe was not only due to the miracles that they observed. The text makes it clear that they were also in awe of the charitable behavior of these Christians. It produced favor with all the people, we're told. In our text, 1 Corinthians 16, in verses 15 and 16, Paul says the following. Now I urge you, brethren, you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia. They were devoted, that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. Be subject to such as these and to every fellow worker and laborer. Stephanas and some of his household were such generous servants as what we read about in Acts chapter 2. generous servants of which the church was first composed when she was founded. Stephanus was apparently an elder in the church, or so it would seem, as Paul requires submission to him. But also note that the reason that submission is required is at least partially based on the fact that Stephanus had devoted himself to serving the brethren in love. Paul himself was such a servant, and he engaged in the service of Jesus Christ. He engaged in loving service to the church. As he does that, Paul identifies himself as a worthy recipient of tender, preserving Christian charity and love from the brethren. Where do we see that? In verse 5. I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia. And perhaps I will stay with you, or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey wherever I go." You see, it was good and it was appropriate, it was necessary even, for the Corinthian believers to engage in the material help of Paul in his ministry. their help with food and clothing and shelter, traveling expenses, etc. It was clearly anticipated by Paul. They would be collecting not only for the saints at Jerusalem who were in need, but when Paul prepared for his missionary journeys, clearly their koinonia was also expected. Paul presumes that these brethren have a tender regard for his preservation, that they'll voluntarily commit themselves to supplying his material needs out of love for him, because of love for Christ. This is exactly what the writer of Hebrews commanded the church in Hebrews 13. Now, what I'm trying to get to, brethren, is the idea that this is part of the defining character of the Church of Jesus Christ. Disciples of Jesus Christ love one another. They continue to love one another. They do not cease to commit themselves to communicating good to one another in real, practical ways. They love to engage themselves in sacrificial acts of sharing for the preservation of the fellowship of the Church. Paul had seen it before. Corinth specifically had come to his aid before. Notice what he says in verse 17. You see, Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus had been sent by the Corinthians to see to Paul's needs. They refreshed his spirit, but let's also appropriately read between the lines that some of that refreshment was also material. This group of men was sent with a material blessing for the apostle. Their numbers suggest both a provision of security for the money as it was transferred to the apostle, as well as an appropriate process of transfer so that nothing dishonest in their actions might be implied. All the money would be accounted for and with witnesses. Now we learned that this was the process of the early church that she followed in 2 Corinthians. We'll eventually get there. In 2 Corinthians chapter 8, 16 through 21, we read of another act of loving Christian charity among the early churches. Paul says the following there. But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you. For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest, he's going to you of his own accord. With him, we're sending the brother who's famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel." Probably Apollos. And not only that, but he has been appointed by the churches to travel with us as we carry out this act of grace that is being ministered by us, for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our goodwill. We take this course, we're doing things this way, so that no one should blame us about this generous gift that is being administered by us, for we aim at what is honorable, not only in the Lord's sight, but also in the sight of man. Okay, I trust that at this point I've made a decent case to you that the writer of Hebrews and the Apostle Paul are both strong advocates for the necessity of Christian charity. Now, that's simply not stating the facts strongly enough, though, is it? Paul requires it of Christians. He requires it. It's a vital and indispensable identifying characteristic of the Christian Church. where love has ceased among the brethren." The church has ceased. Is that stating it too strongly? I don't think so. Remember what our Lord said as He walked among the lampstands in the book of Revelation. Remember, the lampstands represented the churches, their light shining in the world. In Revelation 2, 1-7, He says the following to the church at Ephesus. Listen. Words of warning, brethren. To the angel of the church in Ephesus write the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your works, your toil, and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you're enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you've not grown weary. Brethren, that all talks about the endurance of the church. If we stopped there, we would say to ourselves, Ephesus is settled. Ephesus is founded. Nothing's going wrong. Nothing's going to happen to Ephesus, but Christ goes on. He says, but I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. unless you repent. Yet this you have. You hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God." It sounds as if the existence of the church at Ephesus was under threat. I don't think I'm reading too deeply into that. Perhaps Ephesus was nearly over as a church. the threat of her end loomed over her. And why? Because she had lost her first love. She hated false teachers. She hated false teachers. She had kept her garments unsoiled from the immorality of the world. She hated heresy and her theology apparently was thoroughly sound. But she was in danger of complete loss, her light as a community church removed. Why? Because she had lost her first love. Now we can easily, I think, there doesn't need to be great mystery in what this first love is. We can easily identify that first love as love for God, love for Jesus Christ, but that answer, brethren, is too broad, and it is not entirely supported by the text. Apparently, she loved the Lord enough to maintain her doctrine free of error, She loved the Lord enough to maintain sanctified integrity as a holy pilgrim in this world. She had been careful to keep the bride of Christ unsullied by immorality and schism. That sounds like love for Jesus Christ to me. How else would we define it? So what's the answer? What's the missing first love? Brethren, I submit to you it's love for the brethren. a large measure of that early love for one another had not continued. Sharing had ceased. In 1 John, the writer of Revelation, John tells us how our first love appears from the beginning of our new birth. It's in 1 John 2, 7-11. John says this, Beloved, I'm writing to you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I'm writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. What's that commandment? Here it is. Whoever says he's in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness, and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes." What has Christ threatened Ephesus with? Darkness. The removal of the lampstand. What was Christ's definition of love for himself? He said, if you love me, keep my commandments. And what command held a place of preeminence in his requirements of his disciples? He said, this is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. That's John 15, 12. Again, it's the Apostle John, the writer of Revelation, who has recorded that command for us. Again, John says in 1 John 3.11, There's pretty clear precedence there, isn't there, brethren? I think I can rest my case. I think it's been well made by John for me. It's no great stretch to note that the problem of the loss of first love in Ephesus was the love of brethren for one another. Tender love, preserving love, practical sharing and sacrificing to help and protect and cherish one another, all of which brethren proceeded out of love for Christ. Doesn't it make sense that it would be so offensive to our Lord that we carelessly despise, through neglect of love, what He laid down His life to save? Our brethren. Alright, I think we've arrived at a firm conclusion in our examination of Paul's closing words in 1 Corinthians 16. As we've examined them in the light of other relevant Scripture, We are called and commanded as a church to engage in and continue to engage in committed, tender, preserving, cherishing practical love for one another. It's commanded. We dare not cease. Okay. I want to use the time we have remaining to consider some lessons, lessons of application. First, I want us to note that this love of the Christian brethren for one another does not discriminate. Now, when I say that, I'm saying that in a context of Christian brethren loving one another. As we studied 1 Corinthians, we frequently noted that Paul has discriminated between the church and the world, between brethren and unbelievers outside the fellowship of Jesus Christ. He's called false teachers beasts. He's required the removal of the immoral from the congregation of the church. But among the brethren, he has repeatedly emphasized inclusion and the removal of false material distinctions. Distinctions of education, distinctions of class, distinctions of wealth, et cetera. Notice that the love of the church to which Paul calls the Corinthians to committedly engage, that love is from Gentiles to Jews. Jerusalem was blessed by the brethren at Antioch and Corinth. Paul himself was a Jew. He called himself a Jew of Jews. And he was greatly blessed and refreshed by the love of the Corinthian brethren. To borrow from Paul's letter to Galatia, Paul says the following, There is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither slave nor free. There is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3.28 Brethren, this is part of our calling. This is our challenge. It's part of the challenge to our regenerated character. We are not like the world. We're not to be like the unbelieving world around us when we engage in koinonia, in sharing. Our continual Christian love for our brethren in our own church and in other churches around us is to be unblemished by sinful prejudice and material discrimination. Favoritism should be absent in Christ's church as we love and serve one another. Now, there will be times when that's going to be challenging. Let's just face that. Clearly, Corinth had dropped the ball in these matters, in particular with the administration of the Lord's Supper. It ought not be so with us. It can be challenging to show indiscriminate love toward all our brethren. Some are easier to love than others. Some can be a pain in the neck at times. Some are easier to love because they love more. Some are harder to consistently love because they fail to show love periodically. Some are culturally very different from us. They were raised differently. They speak differently. Their mannerisms seem odd and uncomfortable to us at times. Well, that may well be. Do you think that wasn't an issue between the Gentiles and the Jews of 2,000 years ago? Well, clearly it was because we're informed that a council had to be called so that koinonia communicating would not cease between predominantly Jewish and predominantly Gentile churches. They had far greater cultural issues to overcome than we do. They had trouble even eating in the same room together. Now, having said that, look at the constant outpourings of practical love among these brethren. What an example for us. What a standard to follow. How corrective and humbling that should be for me, when I struggle with discomfort in maintaining loving engagement with my very similar, my very admittedly familiar brethren. There's room for growth, brethren, isn't there, for all of us? Let brotherly love continue. Do not cease sharing. Now, secondly, let's note that this love to which we are commanded to unceasingly commit ourselves, this love is discriminatory. Now, wait a minute. I just contradicted myself, didn't I? Seems like that. But I really haven't. I am being true to the text. There are conditions for engaging in brotherly love without ceasing. First of all, you must be my brother or my sister, as it happens to be. The kind of love that Paul is emphasizing, that the writer of Hebrews is emphasizing, is love of Christian brethren for Christian brethren. The context is the Church. It's inside the local church specifically and among Christian churches generally. The whole world is not in view in the context. Our context is not even our own nation. The context is the church. Paul is commanding the relief of the poor. Let me say it this way. Paul is certainly not commanding the relief of the poor generally. He is not commanding the charitable support of every leader, every teacher, every missionary. Paul has not advocated the clothing and medical care of every person indiscriminately. He's brought our attention to the Church of Jesus Christ. It's those whom Jesus Christ considers the least of His little ones who must receive food and shelter and clothing in His name. When love is not authored to the least of His chosen, then it's not offered to Him. The Church is not the Salvation Army. We are not a world charity. We are not commanded to clothe the world or to rid the world of drug addiction. If that was our duty, why do we see the apostolic pattern of charitable love directed inside the fellowship of the saints? The fellowship of the church, not to the world. The command is to the fellowship of the saints. Our duty to the world, brethren, is the gospel. Our individual duty as believers may well be, individually, to do some good to our unbelieving neighbor, but the corporate obligation of brotherly love and koinonia, that obligation of the church is to the church. Let's not confuse what we are called to do by the general New Testament teaching of Jesus and his apostles. Now under that same layer of thinking, let's consider that this love is discriminatory even among the brethren. There are some who are worthy of greater honor in the distribution and sharing of our practical material love in the body. Paul has identified his ministry as worthy of that love. He presumes that he'll receive it when the time for its need arises. Again, notice verses 5 and 6 in our text. These verses help us recognize that when the collecting that's been commanded in verses 1 through 4 is going on in the church, we ought to be wise and thoughtful about the distribution of that sharing. There are real kingdom needs that ought to be recognized and addressed specifically. There are those who rule the church well, as Paul tells Timothy, who ought to be well requisitioned from the collection of what is to be shared. In 1 Timothy 5.17, he says, Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. Now, the word honor here is generally regarded by scriptural scholars as referring to a material honorarium in addition to the more common idea of reverential regard. As another example of wise discrimination in the administration of loving material care, we are told that Christian widows should be cared for by the church, but with provisos. Paul explains those provisos to Timothy in 1 Timothy chapter 5. In verses 9 and 10, Paul says this, Let a widow be enrolled, if she's not less than 60 years of age, having been the wife of one husband, having a reputation for good works, if she's brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, has devoted herself to every good work. Provisos indeed, devoted herself to every good work. So we see that while loving, preserving charity must continue, must not cease, the church is not to indiscriminately shower material wealth on all. This is in point of fact, brethren, an injunction against indiscriminate collectivism in the church. Brethren, there is cause for care, for the exercise of wisdom, according to the governing principles and doctrines of Scripture, as we obey the command to continue in loving material sharing with one another. We can't be stupid about it. Now this leads me to a third general lesson of application for the church. Notice the names mentioned in chapter 16. Several names are mentioned in connection to the administration of Christian love through distributed material goods. These names are connected to a pattern of service and devotion. These people are worthy of recognition, we're told. And in point of fact, Paul publicly recognizes them in this letter. 2,000 years later, we're reading about these people. This is part of the honor that Paul is talking about to Timothy, which we noted a few minutes ago. The church has a duty not only to continue in real practical love, but she also has a duty to administrate the distribution of charity in a manner that brings glory to Christ. There's orderliness required. Chaos does not befit the bride of our King Jesus. A disorderly house is not befitting of our wise and creative God. We have to handle the distribution of material love well and wisely, and that means that we will need to appoint ministers like these names, servants to do that as well. We're talking about deacons. Now, we've appointed a deacon recently, haven't we? Do you want to know what a deacon is in a nutshell? He is the hand of the church body that carefully and generously gives her love to others. We follow the directions of our Lord through his apostles when we identify and appoint qualified men to that task. It's necessary for the church to do this. Deacons are not optional and are more than just practical, optional Christian love. We'll figure that out. No. Deacons, when appointed to their calling, are assisting the church in meeting her obligations to Christ. Deacons, think of your responsibilities from that perspective, men. Without deacons, we may well be unable to properly communicate love to the brethren. Now it's hard to give without hands to give, isn't it? In Ephesus, where our Lord threatened to remove church light, we may well assume that diaconal duty was unfulfilled. The deacons were in dereliction, potentially. The cost was the threat of the church ceasing to exist. This is how vital diaconal service is to the body. It's part of the diaconal ministry to the church to help us remember and engage in our first love. That's not an insignificant task. Apparently, it's integral to the continuity of the church. And I present that to you deacons for your solemn meditation. Finally, brethren, let's simply note one last thought of application, I think reasonably derived from Paul's final words. What's that application? It's love, not theology. Corinth seems to have had her theology down pretty well. her soteriology, that is her doctrines of salvation, they were not badly mangled. True, there were some beasts who had entered the church, and we challenged, and they were busy challenging the doctrine of resurrection, we talked about that. But it doesn't seem to me that Corinth is lacking any spiritual gift, we were told that. Spiritually speaking, she seems lively. God has given her teachers and preachers a plenty, it would seem. She has prophets, wise discriminators of scriptural truth, it would seem. She's well-educated, apparently. The church doesn't seem torn apart because she's following false teachers. The final words of Paul in chapter 16 all seem to center on loving fellowship. I think that was what was key in Corinth. It wasn't enough that she had been well taught by Paul and Apollos and Stephanas and others. She needed to repair her broken body through love. What would bind her wounds was love. Note Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 16, 13. This is my final practical exhortation to us this morning. Be watchful. Stand firm in the faith. Act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. This is, I think, the summation of what Paul has said in the previous verses. This is his conclusion as how the church must grow and mature and solve her problems of cliquishness. She needs to behave like faithful, mature men of stature. Grow up and be strong and faithful, Paul sang. How? Let all that you do be done in love. That's how. Do you want a united, cohesive, harmonious church? Do you want to have a church that is strong and unflinching in the face of the world? Then get your doctrine right. Get your covenantal view worked out perfectly. Make sure your eschatology is in full agreement and that your eschatological argument is impregnable. Is that what Paul says? No. Paul argues for none of these things when he commands the Corinthians to be watchful, to stand firm in the faith, to act like strong men. Paul's requirement attached to that command, in order to fulfill this tall order, his requirement is let everything be done in love. There it is. Let brotherly love continue. Do not cease sharing. Love never ends. Sounds like something Paul has said before. If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And if I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned and have not love, I gain nothing. If you think it's our theology, or our understanding of prophecy, or our gifts that maintain the fellowship of Christ Church, you are flat wrong. You're wrong in order of precedence. I've seen churches with sound theology collapse. Churches with some of the most excellent gifts, like Corinth, have been riddled with division. And to be sure, Our theology, our doctrinal integrity, our spiritual gifts are necessary and vital means in the building of Christ's Church. That is undeniable. But if those means are utilized without love, in the absence of the tender, preserving, cherishing fellowship, and the sharing of God's people, the Church will be obnoxious. This is the final thought I would leave us all to meditate upon. God, help us to love one another. Lord, help us to continue to love one another. Lord Jesus, work in us through your word and your spirit so that everything we do is done in love. God, help us. Amen. Let's pray.