100:00:00,320 –> 00:00:11,940If you have ever been harshly judged, if you have ever been unfairly criticized, if200:00:11,940 –> 00:00:18,000your motives have ever been questioned, this message today is the word of God for you.300:00:18,000 –> 00:00:22,340Welcome to Open The Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick, and Colin, it sounds400:00:22,360 –> 00:00:25,320like this is a message for everyone today.500:00:25,320 –> 00:00:29,879Well, except for the people who’ve never been criticized in their lives, but I don’t know600:00:29,920 –> 00:00:31,200who these people are.700:00:31,200 –> 00:00:33,599I’ve never met that person.800:00:33,599 –> 00:00:38,200So that would include the apostle Paul because he, I mean, what a marvelous leader Paul must900:00:38,200 –> 00:00:40,639have been, from everything we know about him.1000:00:40,639 –> 00:00:46,200We’re going to look in the Scriptures today at the degree to which he was hurtfully criticized.1100:00:46,200 –> 00:00:50,480Some of the things that people said about him are absolutely astonishing.1200:00:50,480 –> 00:00:52,560We’re going to pick them out of the Bible today.1300:00:52,560 –> 00:00:57,779So here is a good man, a faithful, godly, prayerful leader.1400:00:57,779 –> 00:01:04,440And he really suffers through the unkind words of fellow Christian believers.1500:01:04,440 –> 00:01:06,120That’s what makes it so painful.1600:01:06,120 –> 00:01:10,860And every Christian knows what it is to suffer in some way, in some degree, with regards1700:01:10,860 –> 00:01:11,879to these things.1800:01:11,879 –> 00:01:14,760And then the question is now how are we going to respond to that?1900:01:14,760 –> 00:01:20,620How are we going to make sure we don’t become embittered by cruel things that are said?2000:01:21,580 –> 00:01:22,739The Bible is a wonderful book.2100:01:22,739 –> 00:01:25,019It speaks to the real issues of life.2200:01:25,019 –> 00:01:26,480And that’s what we’re looking at today.2300:01:26,480 –> 00:01:27,480It’s good that we are.2400:01:27,480 –> 00:01:32,480And as you said I think it’s a message so many will identify with and benefit from.2500:01:32,480 –> 00:01:38,580So join us today if you can in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 as we begin a message known to God.2600:01:38,580 –> 00:01:39,459Here is Colin.2700:01:39,459 –> 00:01:42,860Now, our series is called Don’t Lose Heart.2800:01:42,860 –> 00:01:45,940And we have already found reason for encouragement.2900:01:46,519 –> 00:01:51,199First in the great future that lies ahead of every Christian believer as life in the3000:01:51,199 –> 00:01:58,480tent becomes harder, the hope that we have in Jesus Christ shines brighter.3100:01:58,480 –> 00:02:05,320And then we don’t lose heart, second because as life here gets harder, we have unique opportunities3200:02:05,320 –> 00:02:11,080to honor Christ and to walk with Him by faith in anticipation of the great day when we will3300:02:11,080 –> 00:02:14,119stand before the judgment seat of Christ.3400:02:14,160 –> 00:02:19,740Our opportunities to honor Christ now in this life that we will not have in the presence3500:02:19,740 –> 00:02:25,199of the Lord Jesus where sickness and sin and all of the many pressures of life and the3600:02:25,199 –> 00:02:31,139body are gone and we are in an entirely new and very, very wonderful situation.3700:02:31,139 –> 00:02:36,179Therefore, to seize all the opportunities that arise precisely because of the difficulties3800:02:36,179 –> 00:02:41,759of this life is something that is given to us, therefore, we do not lose heart.3900:02:41,800 –> 00:02:46,919Now today we are going to look at another pressure that causes many to lose heart and4000:02:46,919 –> 00:02:52,539I want to begin the message today with the application because that way we will, as we4100:02:52,539 –> 00:02:57,880go through, be able to connect what is being said from the scripture to the immediate and4200:02:57,880 –> 00:03:01,360practical circumstances of our own lives.4300:03:01,360 –> 00:03:09,000So I want to speak today to all of the parents who endure the pain of a son or a daughter4400:03:09,100 –> 00:03:11,300who has nothing good to say about you.4500:03:12,600 –> 00:03:16,600You have done your best to love your children, to provide for them, but for some reason a4600:03:16,600 –> 00:03:21,979son or a daughter has turned against you, set themselves against you, and nothing you4700:03:21,979 –> 00:03:25,020do or say ever is right.4800:03:25,020 –> 00:03:28,100There’s an antagonism, even a hostility.4900:03:28,100 –> 00:03:34,979I want to speak to all the people today who have been loyal to a difficult task or loyal5000:03:35,279 –> 00:03:42,600to a difficult spouse or loyal to a difficult friend, and you have been taken for granted.5100:03:42,600 –> 00:03:45,119You have been presumed upon.5200:03:45,119 –> 00:03:50,160The good you have done has not been recognized and the sacrifices you have made seem to count5300:03:50,160 –> 00:03:51,440for nothing.5400:03:51,440 –> 00:03:54,880Sometimes you feel that you have been treated with contempt.5500:03:54,880 –> 00:04:01,860I want to speak to the person today who feels that you live under the constant pressure5600:04:01,880 –> 00:04:05,139of unrealistic expectations.5700:04:05,139 –> 00:04:11,139You are held to an impossible standard and nothing you do is ever good enough.5800:04:11,139 –> 00:04:13,860Some folks experience that in employment.5900:04:13,860 –> 00:04:17,799Others experience it in family circles.6000:04:17,799 –> 00:04:23,579Perhaps you feel that you live under the shadow of another person, and nothing you ever do6100:04:23,880 –> 00:04:31,799ever quite match up to the imposition of that shadow that remains over your life.6200:04:31,799 –> 00:04:38,760So, the weight of criticism, critique that is spoken and even more of the stuff that6300:04:38,760 –> 00:04:43,459is not spoken, that’s just in, you know, the role of the eyes and the body language6400:04:43,459 –> 00:04:49,399and all of that, all of this critique that you feel you live under, becomes crushing6500:04:49,420 –> 00:04:53,540to you over time, and you know what it is to lose heart.6600:04:53,540 –> 00:04:59,679So, to gather this little piece together, If you have ever been harshly judged, If you6700:04:59,679 –> 00:05:08,260have ever been unfairly criticized, if your motives have ever been questioned, this message6800:05:08,260 –> 00:05:10,320today is the Word of God for you.6900:05:10,320 –> 00:05:14,519Now, do I have an audience for this message today?7000:05:14,720 –> 00:05:21,640I want us to be able to connect how the Word of God speaks to hundreds of situations in7100:05:21,640 –> 00:05:29,880real life where there is genuine hurt, and the difficulty that comes with it, that so7200:05:29,880 –> 00:05:34,760easily can cause us to lose heart.7300:05:34,760 –> 00:05:39,799Now, Second Corinthians is the most personal of all of the letters of Paul.7400:05:39,799 –> 00:05:44,880He speaks here more about himself, opens his heart more here than in any other letter.7500:05:44,880 –> 00:05:49,440And clearly he is uncomfortable about doing so.7600:05:49,440 –> 00:05:51,119Why did he then do this?7700:05:51,119 –> 00:05:56,799Well, to understand the story behind Second Corinthians, you need to know simply two things.7800:05:56,799 –> 00:06:02,640The first is that Paul loved these believers at Corinth very deeply.7900:06:02,640 –> 00:06:05,200He really loved these people.8000:06:05,920 –> 00:06:12,359Acts 18, you can check it out later, gives us the backstory of how Paul came to Corinth8100:06:12,359 –> 00:06:18,839and gave himself to a ministry of pioneer evangelism and discipleship and church planting.8200:06:18,839 –> 00:06:19,839It was not easy.8300:06:19,839 –> 00:06:21,640There was lots of hostility.8400:06:21,640 –> 00:06:26,679He was thrown out of the synagogue, he set up a kind of house church in the home of a8500:06:26,679 –> 00:06:32,880man by the name of Tityus Justus and he stayed there and gave himself to this ministry for8600:06:33,040 –> 00:06:40,04018 months, a year and a half, a long time given the itinerant nature of the work of8700:06:40,519 –> 00:06:41,959the Apostle Paul.8800:06:41,959 –> 00:06:47,359And Acts 18, verse 11, specifically tells us that he stayed in Corinth for a year and8900:06:47,359 –> 00:06:52,980a half and he taught the Word of God.9000:06:52,980 –> 00:06:58,600So the bonds that developed between Paul and these particular believers, with whom he served9100:06:58,600 –> 00:07:02,600for an extended period of time, these bonds ran very deep.9200:07:03,000 –> 00:07:08,040And I want just to give you four scriptures to kind of emphasize that and seal it in our9300:07:08,040 –> 00:07:09,040minds.9400:07:09,040 –> 00:07:12,959We’ll go through them very quickly, so if you’re taking notes, just take down the reference.9500:07:12,959 –> 00:07:15,299You may not have time to write out all of the words.9600:07:15,299 –> 00:07:17,079You can check it out later.9700:07:17,079 –> 00:07:22,059But I do want you to see that he risked his life to bring the gospel to them.9800:07:22,059 –> 00:07:24,8392 Corinthians 10 and verse 14.9900:07:24,839 –> 00:07:30,859We were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ.10000:07:31,339 –> 00:07:36,200In Read Acts 18, you’ll realize how hostile it was, the risk that Paul took proclaiming10100:07:36,200 –> 00:07:37,440the gospel there.10200:07:37,440 –> 00:07:38,440It was not easy.10300:07:38,440 –> 00:07:45,220No one else had done it, but Paul was prepared to extend himself to take the gospel there.10400:07:45,220 –> 00:07:50,500As a result of him being the first there, he had therefore personally, as an evangelist10500:07:50,500 –> 00:07:55,320and as a church planter, personally led many of these people to the Lord.10600:07:55,320 –> 00:07:57,559He’d actually lead them to the Lord.10700:07:57,559 –> 00:08:04,459And that’s why he says in 1 Corinthians 4, 15, I became your father in Jesus Christ10800:08:04,459 –> 00:08:06,920through the gospel.10900:08:06,920 –> 00:08:10,359What he means is, although there are plenty of other people who arrived in Corinth later11000:08:10,359 –> 00:08:14,399and were teachers and group leaders and all the rest of it, no doubt.11100:08:14,399 –> 00:08:20,440But he says I was the one who led many of you to Christ, sharing the gospel as an evangelist11200:08:20,440 –> 00:08:22,640and as a church planter.11300:08:22,640 –> 00:08:27,140Third, he extended himself for these people in tireless effort.11400:08:27,839 –> 00:08:35,080I love 2 Corinthians 12 and verse 15, which, by the way, is a great motto for anyone who11500:08:35,080 –> 00:08:39,260really wants to give themselves in ministry.11600:08:39,260 –> 00:08:46,979I would most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.11700:08:46,979 –> 00:08:49,520Do you see the love in that?11800:08:49,520 –> 00:08:56,020He says to these people, I’d be glad just to spend myself and just to be spent for my11900:08:56,119 –> 00:08:59,799life to be spent for the good of your souls.12000:08:59,799 –> 00:09:04,080That’s what he says in relation to these people at Corinth.12100:09:04,080 –> 00:09:05,020He loved them.12200:09:05,020 –> 00:09:10,159He had sought their good and he knew what it was, therefore, to weep over them.12300:09:10,159 –> 00:09:15,599When they came to a difficult situation he wrote 2 Corinthians 2, 4, out of much affliction12400:09:15,599 –> 00:09:19,619and anguish of heart and many tears.12500:09:19,619 –> 00:09:28,219I did this not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for12600:09:28,219 –> 00:09:29,219you.12700:09:29,219 –> 00:09:33,960So, just these 4 snapshots to settle this in our minds could give many more.12800:09:33,960 –> 00:09:37,559Paul really loved these people.12900:09:37,559 –> 00:09:42,780You’re listening to Open The Bible, with Pastor Collin Smith, and a message called13000:09:42,780 –> 00:09:45,919Known to God, part of our series, Don’t Lose Heart.13100:09:45,919 –> 00:09:50,640In a moment, we’ll continue our message and we’ll see how some believers have become critical13200:09:50,640 –> 00:09:53,239of the apostle Paul.13300:09:53,239 –> 00:09:56,919If you ever miss one of the messages, you can easily catch up, or go back and listen13400:09:56,919 –> 00:10:04,159again online at our website www.openthebible.org.uk or find us as a podcast – and those are13500:10:04,159 –> 00:10:09,219on all the main podcast sites – by searching for Open The Bible UK or follow the link from13600:10:09,219 –> 00:10:10,219our website.13700:10:10,219 –> 00:10:15,219You know Open The Bible is supported by our listeners and, later in the programme, we’ll13800:10:15,219 –> 00:10:19,659be giving details of the offer that we have this month if you’re able to begin supporting13900:10:19,659 –> 00:10:23,280Open The Bible financially, so I hope you’ll stay with us for that.14000:10:23,280 –> 00:10:25,059Back to the message now.14100:10:25,059 –> 00:10:27,539Here again is Colin.14200:10:27,539 –> 00:10:34,179Some of these believers at Corinth, had become very critical of Paul.14300:10:34,179 –> 00:10:41,820Now, some for sure had made too much of him and it’s interesting that that may have been14400:10:41,820 –> 00:10:45,080one of the reasons why others went the other way.14500:10:45,119 –> 00:10:51,000You know from 1 Corinthians 1 verse 12 that some actually said I follow Paul.14600:10:51,000 –> 00:10:56,619Well Paul hated that, and he responded to that in 1 Corinthians 1 verse 13, by saying14700:10:56,619 –> 00:10:58,700well was Paul crucified for you?14800:10:58,700 –> 00:11:00,919I mean why would you follow Paul?14900:11:00,919 –> 00:11:03,599What is Paul he says in 1 Corinthians 3 verse 5?15000:11:03,599 –> 00:11:06,940Only a servant through whom you creature believed!15100:11:06,940 –> 00:11:12,679So there were certainly some people who made too much of Paul and very clearly, and perhaps15200:11:12,679 –> 00:11:18,099it was related, there were others who clearly went the other way.15300:11:18,099 –> 00:11:23,500So that by 1 Corinthians in chapter 4 you have Paul speaking about how he is a servant15400:11:23,500 –> 00:11:29,179of God, but then he makes reference to being judged by you.15500:11:29,179 –> 00:11:33,320So quite early on it seems that there were people who were becoming very critical about15600:11:33,320 –> 00:11:42,299Paul, were setting themselves against him and were making unkind judgments about him.15700:11:42,460 –> 00:11:48,000So here are people to whom he has brought the gospel, many of them he has actually led15800:11:48,000 –> 00:11:49,000to the Lord.15900:11:49,000 –> 00:11:54,539He is very happy to spend himself and be spent for the good of their souls but they are making16000:11:54,539 –> 00:11:59,260judgments about him, many of them and their judgments are not kind.16100:11:59,260 –> 00:12:06,340Whatever Paul did there were some people in Corinth who thought the worst about him.16200:12:06,380 –> 00:12:12,580Now let me give to you just to seal this in your mind, a catalog of the criticism that16300:12:12,580 –> 00:12:18,000Paul was facing from at least some of these Christians that he had loved and that he had16400:12:18,000 –> 00:12:19,020served.16500:12:19,020 –> 00:12:23,260I’ve picked just five examples, I could’ve picked a number of others but these will do16600:12:23,260 –> 00:12:24,859for this morning.16700:12:24,859 –> 00:12:27,820Number 1, people said about him he is unreliable.16800:12:27,820 –> 00:12:34,140I pick that up from 2nd Corinthians, chapter 1, verse 16 to 18 where Paul is explaining16900:12:34,239 –> 00:12:39,299a change in his travel plans, going through Macedonia and he was going to come to Corinth17000:12:39,299 –> 00:12:41,299but then, in the end, he did not.17100:12:41,299 –> 00:12:44,679It’s a very simple thing, he changed his travel plans.17200:12:44,679 –> 00:12:51,460But you know what it’s like when someone really sets themself against you.17300:12:51,460 –> 00:12:57,500Almost anything, however small, becomes something that gets seized on and gets twisted in some17400:12:57,500 –> 00:13:01,340way in a harsh judgment.17500:13:01,340 –> 00:13:05,500And so it seems quite clear from verse 17 where he says,17600:13:05,500 –> 00:13:10,700Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this?17700:13:10,700 –> 00:13:13,460Clearly some people were accusing him of that.17800:13:13,460 –> 00:13:17,780Do I make my plans according to the flesh, ready to say yes, yes and no, no at the same17900:13:17,780 –> 00:13:18,780time?18000:13:18,780 –> 00:13:24,460No, as surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been yes and no.18100:13:24,460 –> 00:13:27,659So very simply here, Paul makes a change of travel plans.18200:13:27,659 –> 00:13:31,260He had intended at one point to come to Corinth, then there’s a change of plans and he had18300:13:31,260 –> 00:13:34,719not able to do that or chooses not to do that.18400:13:34,719 –> 00:13:40,059He actually explains the reasoning for this at the beginning of chapter two, but the people18500:13:40,059 –> 00:13:44,900who’ve got it in for him seize on that and they say, well, there you are.18600:13:44,900 –> 00:13:47,659See, you can’t rely on him.18700:13:47,659 –> 00:13:53,380He says one thing and he does another and you know, the mud gets thrown and some of18800:13:53,380 –> 00:13:54,700it sticks.18900:13:54,700 –> 00:13:57,419Well he’s unreliable.19000:13:57,419 –> 00:14:00,099Second, he’s unimpressive.19100:14:00,099 –> 00:14:04,460Notice an extraordinary verse from 2 Corinthians 10.19200:14:04,460 –> 00:14:09,359Here’s a specific criticism.19300:14:09,359 –> 00:14:19,539They say his letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak.19400:14:19,539 –> 00:14:22,299Here’s what the critics are saying.19500:14:22,299 –> 00:14:25,159You read his letters and they’re weighty and strong.19600:14:25,159 –> 00:14:29,020Well, of course, because they’re written under the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit.19700:14:30,020 –> 00:14:33,960But when Paul is actually there in the room with you, he’s not actually that impressive,19800:14:33,960 –> 00:14:35,619but very interesting, isn’t it?19900:14:35,619 –> 00:14:40,739That that was said, I don’t know what your mental picture of the Apostle Paul is, but20000:14:40,739 –> 00:14:46,320evidently he was not the kind of big personality who immediately sucked the air out of the20100:14:46,320 –> 00:14:48,659room, so to speak.20200:14:48,659 –> 00:14:54,719And that actually fits, if you remember what he says in 1 Corinthians and chapter two.20300:14:54,799 –> 00:15:03,799He says, when I was with you, I was with you in weakness and fear and much trembling.20400:15:03,799 –> 00:15:09,340So this is not some super confidant, mega personality.20500:15:09,340 –> 00:15:12,440He just wasn’t like that.20600:15:12,440 –> 00:15:18,260And because there seems to have been a long with his relentless passion for gospel advance20700:15:18,320 –> 00:15:24,840and his amazing courage against all odds, there does seem to have been after his conversion20800:15:24,840 –> 00:15:33,000something within him that reflected a feeling of his own need.20900:15:33,000 –> 00:15:37,539And the critics seize on this and they turn it back against him.21000:15:37,539 –> 00:15:39,659Well, he’s not very impressive.21100:15:39,820 –> 00:15:41,679Third, he’s ineffective.21200:15:41,679 –> 00:15:42,739Again the same verse.21300:15:42,820 –> 00:15:51,780They say his bodily presence is weak and his speech is of no account.21400:15:58,820 –> 00:16:05,239Now, of course, the background here is that rhetoric was an art form, especially among21500:16:05,239 –> 00:16:08,479the Greeks in the early world.21600:16:08,479 –> 00:16:11,659People would go, I mean they didn’t have television, don’t have Netflix.21700:16:11,659 –> 00:16:14,219So, what are you going to do for an evening’s entertainment?21800:16:14,219 –> 00:16:19,179Well, they would go out and they would hear one of these great rhetoricians speaking to21900:16:19,179 –> 00:16:23,940a crowd and putting on a marvelous performance.22000:16:23,940 –> 00:16:29,460And this was great entertainment, and people would talk about which was the best rhetorician22100:16:29,460 –> 00:16:32,260and so forth and so on.22200:16:32,260 –> 00:16:36,140Now Paul quite clearly didn’t do that.22300:16:36,140 –> 00:16:44,159He spoke plainly, Acts 18 11, he taught the word of God.22400:16:44,159 –> 00:16:49,340He specifically says, in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 1, I did not come to you proclaiming22500:16:49,340 –> 00:16:53,080the testimony about God with lofty speech.22600:16:53,080 –> 00:16:54,219I didn’t do that.22700:16:54,219 –> 00:16:57,539I wasn’t trying to be a rhetorician.22800:16:57,539 –> 00:17:03,039His speaking was an open statement of the truth.22900:17:03,400 –> 00:17:08,000That’s his own description of his speaking in 2 Corinthians 4 2.23000:17:08,000 –> 00:17:11,280An open statement of the truth.23100:17:11,280 –> 00:17:16,719But you see the fault-finders picked up on this, and so you can see how this goes.23200:17:16,719 –> 00:17:21,780He’s not a big personality and he’s speaking.23300:17:21,780 –> 00:17:26,239I mean, these rhetoricians, they can tell stories of people laughing in the aisles.23400:17:26,239 –> 00:17:31,280They’re just moving the whole crowd, and when Paul comes all he does is he teaches23500:17:31,339 –> 00:17:33,339the Bible.23600:17:33,359 –> 00:17:35,359He’s not really that impressive is he?23700:17:35,359 –> 00:17:39,939His speech is of no account.23800:17:39,939 –> 00:17:45,199Number four, I’m just listing out some of the critique that was coming on Paul from23900:17:45,199 –> 00:17:47,479people he had loved and served.24000:17:47,479 –> 00:17:48,560He’s proud.24100:17:48,560 –> 00:17:54,420I’m back now to 2 Corinthians 5 12, where we’re going to remain.24200:17:54,420 –> 00:17:58,880He says, we are not commending ourselves to you again.24300:17:59,359 –> 00:18:02,900If you want to do a word search in the Corinthian letters you’ll find this whole business of24400:18:02,900 –> 00:18:05,800commending keeps coming up.24500:18:05,800 –> 00:18:11,180And it does seem that the critics accused Paul of making too much of himself.24600:18:11,180 –> 00:18:16,920The truth, of course, was that other people were making too much about Paul.24700:18:16,920 –> 00:18:19,260It was not Paul who was doing that.24800:18:19,260 –> 00:18:21,859But what they did placed him in a difficult position.24900:18:23,079 –> 00:18:28,420He felt that he had to say something in response to all this criticism that was being thrown25000:18:28,420 –> 00:18:32,979out so that good people would know how to answer this criticism.25100:18:32,979 –> 00:18:36,140That’s what he refers to in verse 12.25200:18:36,140 –> 00:18:41,219But on the other hand, he knew that anything he said would be taken and it would be twisted25300:18:41,219 –> 00:18:48,020and it would be used against him, whatever he said by those who had set themselves against him.25400:18:49,020 –> 00:18:53,780And then, fifthly, the last of these five, 2 Corinthians, chapter 5, and verse 13.25500:18:54,060 –> 00:19:01,359Do you notice how it says here, if we are beside ourselves, it is for God, if we are25600:19:01,359 –> 00:19:05,280in our right mind, it is for you.25700:19:05,280 –> 00:19:13,560Now he would only have said that given that others in Corinth were saying, you know what?25800:19:14,560 –> 00:19:17,839I think there’s actually something wrong with the Apostle Paul.25900:19:17,839 –> 00:19:21,479Something wrong with him, you know, out of his mind.26000:19:22,300 –> 00:19:27,020You imagine they were actually saying that about the Apostle Paul, there’s something26100:19:27,020 –> 00:19:28,660wrong with him.26200:19:28,660 –> 00:19:35,400So, the fault-finders have run up a catalog of criticism that can be clearly discerned26300:19:35,400 –> 00:19:36,880from this letter.26400:19:36,880 –> 00:19:42,020He’s unreliable, he’s unimpressive, he’s ineffective, he’s proud, and he’s probably26500:19:42,020 –> 00:19:45,239out of his mind.26600:19:45,239 –> 00:19:50,260And Paul, remember, feels like a father toward these very people.26700:19:50,260 –> 00:19:55,079They are his children, but they have turned out to be difficult children.26800:19:55,079 –> 00:19:59,520Most of them are ungrateful.26900:19:59,520 –> 00:20:03,319Many of them are unkind.27000:20:03,319 –> 00:20:09,439And some of them are downright cruel.27100:20:09,439 –> 00:20:11,319Now that’s the scene.27200:20:11,420 –> 00:20:13,119Now, I want to ask two questions.27300:20:13,119 –> 00:20:16,380The first is, how in the world did this happen?27400:20:16,380 –> 00:20:18,959How can that happen in a church?27500:20:18,959 –> 00:20:22,680You want to avoid that at all costs.27600:20:22,680 –> 00:20:28,739And I therefore want to give a warning against the sin of slander.27700:20:28,739 –> 00:20:32,739And then the second question very obviously is how did Paul respond?27800:20:32,739 –> 00:20:35,239And he responded wonderfully.27900:20:35,260 –> 00:20:41,939And I want therefore to give an encouragement to grace under fire.28000:20:41,939 –> 00:20:49,060So keep in mind those things that come by way of critique so that we can land the application28100:20:49,060 –> 00:20:53,540into the realities of our own lives and our own situations.28200:20:53,579 –> 00:20:55,079First then, how did this happen?28300:20:55,079 –> 00:21:00,520A warning against the sin of slander.28400:21:00,520 –> 00:21:05,199Very simply, a powerful force had laid hold of the hearts and minds of many of the28500:21:05,280 –> 00:21:06,640these people.28600:21:06,660 –> 00:21:15,099Paul refers in 2 Corinthians 11.5, he refers to some who are labeled super apostles.28700:21:15,099 –> 00:21:17,500And without going into that it’s a whole other story.28800:21:17,500 –> 00:21:21,439Evidently there were some people who came into Corinth and they were full of themselves28900:21:21,439 –> 00:21:27,599and they were full of confidence, and they basically by their influence steadily turned29000:21:27,599 –> 00:21:33,260these folks who Paul had led to the Lord and nourished through his ministry.29100:21:33,459 –> 00:21:39,260And they turned these folks gradually and increasingly against the Apostle Paul.29200:21:39,260 –> 00:21:43,619And without going into all of that story I just want to make one observation from it,29300:21:43,619 –> 00:21:49,660that people who have a critical spirit usually pick it up from others.29400:21:50,260 –> 00:21:54,959You’ve been listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and a message called29500:21:54,959 –> 00:21:56,439Known to God.29600:21:56,439 –> 00:22:00,140And we’ll continue this message on tomorrow’s broadcast.29700:22:00,140 –> 00:22:02,939It’s part of our series, Don’t Lose Heart,29800:22:03,040 –> 00:22:06,479and if you’ve ever missed one of the series it’s very easy to catch up29900:22:06,479 –> 00:22:09,500or go back and listen again by coming online,30000:22:09,500 –> 00:22:12,859to openthebible.org.uk30100:22:12,859 –> 00:22:17,380or by searching your favourite podcast site for Open the Bible UK.30200:22:17,380 –> 00:22:21,979In both cases you’ll find all the messages which have already been broadcast.30300:22:21,979 –> 00:22:25,719While you’re on our website don’t forget about Open the Bible Daily.30400:22:25,719 –> 00:22:29,839That’s our series of short 2 to 3 minute daily reflections30500:22:29,839 –> 00:22:34,199based on Pastor Colin’s teaching and read in the UK by Sue McLeish.30600:22:34,199 –> 00:22:38,260In the run-up to Christmas at Open the Bible we want to provide churches30700:22:38,260 –> 00:22:41,459and groups with great supporting material.30800:22:41,459 –> 00:22:45,420Here’s Open the Bible’s Executive Director John Martin.30900:22:45,699 –> 00:22:49,300If you want help with your Christmas and Advent events and services31000:22:49,300 –> 00:22:53,099go to openthebible.org.uk31100:22:53,099 –> 00:22:57,459Open The Bible is able to remain on your radio and on the internet31200:22:57,479 –> 00:23:00,939because we are supported financially by our listeners.31300:23:00,939 –> 00:23:03,520So if you already give to support the work31400:23:03,520 –> 00:23:06,479thank you so much and may God bless you.31500:23:06,479 –> 00:23:09,119if you’ve considered supporting us in that way31600:23:09,119 –> 00:23:13,619all this month we’d like to encourage you by offering something in return.31700:23:13,619 –> 00:23:16,839By setting up a new direct debit to Open the Bible31800:23:16,839 –> 00:23:19,140of £5 per month or more31900:23:19,140 –> 00:23:22,660or a new 1-off gift of £50 or more32000:23:22,660 –> 00:23:26,400in return we’ll send you two copies of Pastor Colin’s book32100:23:26,400 –> 00:23:30,400Christmas Stories, along with five exclusive christmas cards32200:23:30,400 –> 00:23:33,479featuring the illustrations from the book.32300:23:33,479 –> 00:23:37,540Here’s Colin to talk about one of the characters from Christmas Stories32400:23:37,540 –> 00:23:38,819Abraham.32500:23:38,819 –> 00:23:41,719I guess Colin it’s a bit unexpected to find Abraham32600:23:41,719 –> 00:23:45,300after all he lived a long time before Jesus was actually born.32700:23:45,300 –> 00:23:47,939Well he certainly wasn’t around at the time of the manger32800:23:47,939 –> 00:23:51,339but here’s a fascinating thing that Jesus said32900:23:51,339 –> 00:23:56,040Abraham saw my day and he rejoiced in it33000:23:56,640 –> 00:23:59,900So in some sense the coming of the lord Jesus Christ33100:23:59,900 –> 00:24:01,699was made known to Abraham.33200:24:01,699 –> 00:24:03,859Perhaps Abraham did not know him by name33300:24:03,859 –> 00:24:08,239but he had a knowledge of the Redeemer and saw Christ’s day33400:24:08,239 –> 00:24:10,079so some anticipation was given.33500:24:10,079 –> 00:24:12,520So this is very important for this reason33600:24:12,520 –> 00:24:15,040it’s not that you know, the world’s gone terribly wrong33700:24:15,040 –> 00:24:17,400and God’s struggling to come up with an idea33800:24:17,400 –> 00:24:20,319and that’s why Jesus comes into the world to kind of put things right.33900:24:20,699 –> 00:24:25,619From before the beginning of time God knew all that sin would do34000:24:25,619 –> 00:24:30,319and set out to redeem us and his plan is absolutely on course34100:24:30,319 –> 00:24:33,060and it has always centered around Jesus Christ34200:24:33,060 –> 00:24:34,260and of course always will.34300:24:34,260 –> 00:24:38,140So that’s our free gift to you of two copies of Christmas Stories34400:24:38,140 –> 00:24:40,500along with five Christmas cards34500:24:40,500 –> 00:24:44,780if you are able to begin to support Open the Bible financially this month.34600:24:45,380 –> 00:24:48,020Full terms and conditions are on our website34700:24:48,020 –> 00:24:50,920OpenTheBible.org.uk34800:24:50,920 –> 00:24:53,739and you can give online on the website.34900:24:54,300 –> 00:24:57,719Don’t forget though to include your full name and address.35000:24:57,719 –> 00:25:01,920Don’t give anonymously so that we can send you your free gift.35100:25:02,660 –> 00:25:05,640For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith35200:25:05,640 –> 00:25:09,319I’m David Pick and I hope you’ll join us again next time.35300:25:15,599 –> 00:25:20,040Sometimes you’ll start talking to someone and realize that they have a critical spirit.35400:25:20,040 –> 00:25:21,660What should you do?35500:25:21,660 –> 00:25:24,599Find out next time on Open the Bible.