Welcome to the defender bible study. A weekly encouragement to equip the body of Christ through the study of scripture and prayer to manifest the gospel to orphans and vulnerable children around the world. This podcast is a ministry of Lifeline Children Services, where we believe that defending the fatherless begins by being rooted in God's word.

Good morning. It is Monday, July 15th, and this is Blake Wilson, Lifeline's vice president of operations. I'm really excited to jump in this morning and continue our study in 2nd Corinthians. We're gonna be looking at the latter part of chapter 8 and then on into the first part of chapter 9 this morning. But I'm I was most encouraged by this of just the way it challenges us to look at what we are to be as believers, how we are to behave, how we're to care for one another, and really how we're to look out for for other churches and to support other other churches.

You know, I think, unfortunately, there's there's a culture sometimes in our country, to to really stay within maybe the confines of your denomination and to not cross cross those bridges or, you know, isolate ourselves just to our specific church. But we're a body of believers around the world, and I think it's so encouraging when you are able to to travel or maybe meet somebody from another culture, another church who has a relationship with Jesus, and you instantaneously have so much in common because of your your faith and your hope and your trust in our eternal father. And I think as you read through second second Corinthians, you really see that model of how the the church of Corinth was taking care of other other churches, how they committed to care for other believers. And, really, this goes back to the book of acts. If you look in in acts chapter 4 when the first church started, you oh, I'm gonna read a portion of act chapter 4, but it just reminds us of how there was no one in need, how everyone was cared for because the believers really shared that burden.

And this is what acts 4:32 says. All the believers were 1 and have one heart and one mind. No one claimed any of their possessions as their own, but they shared everything that they had. With great power, the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the lord Jesus, and God's grace was so powerfully at work in all of them, that there were no needy persons among them. From time to time, those who owned land or houses sold it, and they brought the money of the sales, and they put it at the apostles' feet.

And it was distributed to anybody that was in need. So you can see this culture that was created in the first church that we hear about in the book of acts. And really as we continue through the new testament and even looking into first and second Corinthians, you begin to see this modeled of a body of believers carrying well well for others. And in chapter 8, Paul starts this off in verse 16, and he says, thanks be to god who put into the heart of Titus the same concern that I have for you. You know, I think as as believers, the lord puts something in us, his spirit to be able to discern and share and care well for others.

We're able to sense, those that are in need. He puts a sense of compassion in us to be able to support and love. He's commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves. And Paul is just praising the Lord in this very first verse of saying, praise be to God that he has put the same same heart and same concern into my brother Titus as he has to me. They were both concerned, and they had a burden.

They wanted the gospel to go forward. So he's praising the Lord that Titus shares that. And I think as believers, we have to we have to remember that as well. We can't be so so timid and backward and bashful that, we're scared to be able to speak truth. Because when we speak truth, we're gonna be able to find other believers who are also, challenged and and walking the same road.

So he says in verse 17, for Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative. And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. And what is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry this offering, which he administered in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. So in these first three three verses, you're seeing Paul talk about Titus, talk about these other brothers who are going to be really gathering funding to to have the gospel go further. You know, and I think if if you look at this, I think it's a first application point is is the excitement that builds when you are on a journey with someone else.

You saw Paul get excited about Titus, then you see Titus get excited because there are other brothers accompanying him along this route to be able to make this collection and to administer this this offering. So I think it's important for us to be surrounded by another body of believers, to where we can keep things moving, we can keep things progressing, and we can stay focused on what the Lord has called us to do. So we need to be surrounded by friends and believers to keep us on task, to keep us motivated, and to keep things moving forward. He continues in verse 20, and he says, we want to avoid any criticism on the way we administer this liberal gift. For we we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the lord, but also in the eyes of man.

So it's important. Accountability and honesty is is really, really important. He's saying we're being cautious because we want to avoid any type of criticism that could come our way. He didn't want you think about it today. Even even when we're dealing with money today, right, we wanna be very careful with how, things are portrayed, that there are no questions or concerns with where that money is going, how that money is being used.

There are systems of checks and balances in place. And Paul's saying, I want to avoid any type of criticism. I'm sending people with with Titus to monitor to this. I wanna make sure that it is it is very, very clean, and and there is no question as to my integrity. So the second thing I think is important for us to to follow is remember that we're called to act with honesty and integrity before God and others.

And everything that we do, we should be forthright. We should act with with integrity. We should be overly transparent, as as we serve. And really when it what Paul is speaking of specifically here is is around money. And I think it's so easy for us to get sidetracked and for us to get wrapped up in money.

Money can really cause tension, between people. Even among believers, it's a point as it's a point of contention, and can really be divisive. And Paul knows this, so he's really challenging the church of Corinth in the transparency and the honesty and integrity of how this is going to be used because these people were sacrificially giving. And if you're sacrificially giving, you want to make sure that that gift is being stewarded well, that is being used well. And Paul is is doing this to just prove to them, like, these are the steps that I'm doing in order to make sure there are no questions or concerns or accusations brought against us.

He continues in verse 22. He says, in addition so here's a third layer. We are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you. So he is saying not only are we sending Titus, not only are we sending this other brother that the church elected, we're also sending a third person who has proved to us to be zealous and to be a forthright man. He says, as for Titus, he's vouching for Titus.

He is my partner. He's my coworker among you. As for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches that honor Christ. Therefore, show these men the proof of your love for the reason of our pride for you so that the churches can see it. So he's saying, I'm sending 3 men that I have vetted, the church has vetted, and that we have all approved of to take this collection and to prepare, for this money to be given to be able to to further the gospel.

I think that's so so encouraging to look at how this is modeled for us in in this letter to the to the church of Corinth. And then he he jumps he jumps over in chapter 9, and it's almost like he's writing to them in a in a way of, like, just double checking of saying, I know I don't need to say this, but but I'm gonna say it anyway. It's like parenting your your kids and, you know, they say they they're going to to camp or whatever, and they're like, I packed my bag and you just I don't. I trust you, but just let me lay eyes on it. Alright?

Just let me double check. Just I just I know I don't need to say this, but let me say it. And this is what Paul is saying in in chapter 9 in in the last, 5 verses that we're gonna look at today. He says, there is no need for me to write to you about the service of the Lord's people. So he's he even starts out.

He's like, I know I don't need to say this, but I wanna say it anyway. For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year, you and Achaia were ready to give, and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them into action. But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready as I said you would be. So he is telling this church to be accountable. He's writing to the church of Corinth to tell them, be accountable, follow through on the promise that you made.

If you look back in 2nd Corinthians 8, I believe it was in verses 10 or 11, He talks about their the the their commitment to give. So he's reminding them of their commitment to give. And and Paul is saying, I I put my neck on the line. I've been boasting about this saying you guys are a giving church. You're going to care well for others.

So I'm sending these people to you, and and don't I love the word hollow. He says, don't prove me hollow. Like, don't don't make me, don't make me look like I have misconstrued things. Like, do what you said you're gonna do, be accountable, and follow through. And I think that's a a crucial lesson that we need to to make sure we learn from.

Follow through. Be a man of your word. If you've said you're gonna do something, follow through and do what you promised to do. Follow through and meet those expectations. He finishes up in this passage, and he says, for if any of the Macedonians come with me and they find you unprepared, we, not to say anything about you, would be ashamed of having been so confident.

So the church of Corinth is have is helping the Macedonians, and Paul is saying that I don't want I don't wanna look like I have lied. Don't don't don't prove me to be dishonest. He says, I wanna be I wanna be confident in what I've shared. So I thought it necessary, verse 5, to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements of the generous gift you promised. Then I will be ready as a generous gift or it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given.

So these men were going on behalf of the Church of Corinth to just prepare prepare things, to remind them of their promise, to to ultimately care well for other believers just as we read in acts 4 earlier of there should be no one in need. And I think it's just a beautiful picture and a beautiful reminder for us as as followers of Christ to make sure that we are that we are carrying well, for those around us who are in need, that we are surrounding ourselves with other believers to keep us encouraged and on this path to to serve well, that we're acting with honesty and integrity. And then lastly, that we're that we're accountable, that if we make a commitment and a promise that we follow through with that commitment and that promise, to further the gospel. So let's let's challenge ourselves. Let's let's look inwardly and evaluate our obedience and our faithfulness and our commitment to Christ.

Are we doing what he has called us to do? Have we made promises that maybe we, haven't kept? You know, have we have we not have we not followed through or maybe we haven't we haven't acted with complete transparency? Let's let's evaluate our our lives. Let's evaluate our hearts, and surrender that to complete obedience in Jesus this week as we serve together.

We're gonna close at our time today, praying for, our partnership and what we're doing in Honduras. So today, we just wanna make sure that we're praying for, those government, partnerships that we work with there. Ultimately, that dictates so much of what happens in in the country, and then also just what we're doing here at Stayside and our staff that is working to support, this country. So let's pray, for Honduras today as we close out our time. God, we are thankful for your word.

We are thankful for, Lord, just a reminder that Paul gives us in this passage of the need to act with honesty and integrity really around money. And, Lord, how often this can be a divisive conversation. So, God, may we learn from this, this message. May we may we apply this to our hearts, and, lord, may we be, a body of believers who act with integrity and honesty. And, God, may we just spur one another along, maybe encourage one another, to be able to further the gospel in conversations as we as we serve together.

God, we also close out our time today just praying for the country of Honduras. God, we pray for just further favor with that government. Lord, may may you give us an opportunity to deepen relationships, for us to be able to explain, more about our ministry. God, may these conversations be seasoned with with salt and the gospel. And, lord, may they see that our families are different, and may they see that the families that we work with truly do care well for these children.

And, lord, may we see that favor granted to to, but to deepening relationships. God, we pray for our staff who who are navigating these conversations and, and look at your families as as they pursue, interest and the opportunity to adopt children from this country. So, god, we thank you for the opportunity to serve in Honduras and, lord, for our staff that work so diligently day in and day out, to make that happen. So, father, we love you. We thank you for this time, and, lord, may you bless this week as we serve together.

Amen.

Thanks again for joining us for the Defender Bible Study. If you enjoy making this podcast a part of your weekly routine, we'd love for you to take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review the defender bible study to make it easier for more people to find. For more resources and information on how you and your church can partner with Lifeline, please visit us at lifelinechild.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter by searching for Lifeline Child. You can email us directly at info at lifelinechild.org.

We look forward to seeing you again next week for the defender bible study.