In a 1987 television special on the Civil Rights Movement called Eyes on the Prize, Parks recalls the conversation. “When the bus driver saw me still sitting, he asked if I was going to stand up, and I said, ‘No, I’m not.’ And he said, ‘Well if you don’t stand up, I’m going to have to call the police and have you arrested.’ I said, ‘You may do that.’”

This incident was the latest and most prominent in a chain of events which led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The boycott was instrumental in the Civil Rights Movement for many reasons, one of which was that four days after Parks’ arrest a new group called the Montgomery Improvement Association was formed to help lead the boycott. The group’s first president was an individual new to Montgomery, a relatively unknown pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  
The story of Rosa Parks is well known and obviously played a key part in the Civil Rights Movement here in the United States. From an interview on National Public Radio in 1992, we learn a little of her mindset as she sat on that bus. I would like you to pay particular attention to her use of the word ‘stand.’

“I did not want to be mistreated; I did not want to be deprived of a seat that I had paid for. It was just time.  . . . there was opportunity to take a stand to express the way I felt about being treated in that manner. I had not planned to get arrested. I had plenty to do without having to end up in jail. But when I had to face that decision, I didn’t hesitate to do so because I felt that we had endured that too long. The more we gave in, the more we complied with that kind of treatment, the more oppressive it became.”

Our focus passage of scripture is 1 Corinthians 16:13, 14. "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do, be done in love."

This passage comes from one of the letters from the Apostle Paul to the church in Corinth. We know from Acts 18 that Paul began the church at Corinth. On his missionary journeys he would begin a church then maintain contact with that church through multiple visits, or sometimes he heard updates from individuals who had visited the church and then spent time with Paul. Much of the New Testament is made up of letters that Paul would write to these churches or pastors to encourage them in their faith. A letter to the church at Ephesus comes across as very encouraging as Paul uses the format of a letter to continue his influence within the church. However, this letter to the church at Corinth does not always come across as encouraging. Paul has heard from multiple sources of problems within the church at Corinth, and for us to really understand what the problems were, we need to understand the ancient city of Corinth.

The modern day ‘sin city’ of Las Vegas has nothing on the ancient city of Corinth. Ancient Corinth was located on a narrow strip of land that connected the northern and southern sections of Greece. Its location was strategic as a shipping route both north to south and east to west. The volume of trade brought with it much wealth, but it also brought influence from many parts of the world.

In the city there was a hill 800 meters above sea level which was called the Acrocorinth. Many of you have seen pictures of the Acropolis in Athens, the hill upon which the Parthenon sits. As in Athens, the Acropolis in Corinth dominated the geography of the city. On top of this hill in Corinth sat a temple for the Greek goddess Aphrodite. This temple dominated the life of those living in Corinth. Listen to the description of Corinth that William Barclay gives in his book, “The Letters to the Corinthians.”

"Aelian, the late Greek writer, tells us that if ever a Corinthian was shown upon the stage in a Greek play he was shown drunk. The very name Corinth was synonymous with debauchery and there was one source of evil in the city which was known all over the civilized world. Above the isthmus towered the hill of the Acropolis, and on it stood the great temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. To that temple there were attached one thousand priestesses who were sacred prostitutes, and in the evenings they descended from the Acropolis and plied their trade upon the streets of Corinth, until it became a Greek proverb, 'It is not every man who can afford a journey to Corinth.' In addition to these cruder sins, there flourished far more recondite vices, which had come in with the traders and the sailors from the ends of the earth, until Corinth became not only a synonym for wealth and luxury, drunkenness and debauchery, but also for filth.”

The famous Greek playwright Aristophanes coined the verb korinthiazesthai, which means to live with drunken and immoral debauchery. When the philosopher Plato referenced a prostitute, he used the expression, “Corinthian girl.”

The German Philosopher Von Dobschutz (Ernst Adolf Alfred Oskar Adalbert Von Dobschutz)says this about Corinth, "The ideal of the Corinthian was the reckless development of the individual. The merchant who made his gain by all and every means, the man of pleasure surrendering himself to every lust, the athlete steeled to every bodily exercise and proud in his physical strength are the true Corinthian type--in a word, the man who recognized no superior law but his own desires.”

That gives us a good understanding of what the ancient city of Corinth was like. In the year 146 BC, the Roman Empire actually destroyed the city because it had taken part in a rebellion against the empire. Julius Caesar re-founded the city 100 years later in 44 BC, and it quickly rose to its former prominence. It was a new city but one that had historical vices that could never be satisfied.

One hundred years later, in the year 51 AD, the apostle Paul made his way to Corinth to begin a new church with the help of Aquila and Priscilla. After one and a half years, he left to begin the work in a new area. Throughout his time away from the church in Corinth, he continues to hear reports of the church and her struggles. He writes this letter, 1 Corinthians, in approximately 55 AD or about four years after he had helped to begin the church.  He writes to correct them in several areas in which they have fallen to the many temptations around them. He addresses those areas throughout the book, but our passage this morning comes near the end of the letter.
Like many of his letters, his last thoughts are filled with instructions or comments regarding specific individuals. This letter follows that same pattern, except that it appears that while writing these last thoughts he remembered again what it was like to live in Corinth. In Corinth, there will always be temptations that the believers must continue to ward off if they are to remain faithful. So in the middle of his closing remarks, he gives five commands that will help the church in Corinth. Let’s look at those a little more closely.

Being alert is acknowledging that the world around you is difficult and that there are potential dangers.  It is the idea that you are aware of your surroundings and you realize there are things an individual needs to be aware of around them. In the translation The Message it is rendered, “Keep your eyes open.” Obviously, it is impossible to see without your eyes being open, so Paul is saying to the church at Corinth, look around you, know what is there, and be alert. But it has a little more to it than just that. The NIV says, ‘be on your guard.’ The Greek word for guard is gregoreite, which can be rendered, “be diligent.” When I hear the word diligent, I think Paul has more in mind than just awareness. Paul is saying know what is here, and be on the alert, have the fortitude to endure whatever comes your way.

The next command immediately follows: stand firm in the faith. Remember that Corinth is a place filled not only with temptations that are inherently present, but with the constant flow of trade there are always new temptations and philosophies of life that the church can succumb to. Paul reminds them to stand firm in the faith. When I read the word “stand” here, I picture a tree standing in the midst of a storm. How does a tree withstand the forces that the wind is imposing on it? Through a strong root system. As the tree grows above the ground the root system grows deeper and wider in the ground beneath a tree. The largest trees have the widest and deepest roots. I believe what Paul is saying to the church in Corinth is this: There are many temptations all around you, make sure you are grounded so you can withstand the forces at work around you.

The question for the Corinthianian church is what were they grounded in? Unfortunately, I have been genuinely shocked, amazed, frightened, worried, sometimes appalled, and many times heart-broken at the conversations I have had with believers who are not grounded in the truth of God’s word. They have allowed the remnants of other religions or popular culture to seep in and ruin the foundation of their faith. This language of Paul is similar to what he says to the church in Colosse. In Colossians 2:6-8, Paul says, “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.”

Paul is reminding the church in Corinth their foundation is their faith in Christ. Continue in Him, walk in Him step by step. There has never been a person that got anywhere by taking four steps at once; it has to be one at a time. Step by step. Walking in faith. Do not try to answer and respond to every critic, every philosophy at one time. Grow in your faith. Take the time to ground yourself in the truth of God.

While serving as a student pastor at a church in Missouri, I was preparing a series of lessons on other religions and cults that our students might encounter. While I was preparing the lessons, I talked with my pastor about some of the issues we would be discussing. I still remember several things about that conversation, but one thing stands out above the others. He said that while it is important to study and know about other religions, the best wisdom for the students was to have them study the truth of God’s word so that they will know when something is false or contrary to scripture.

The same principle is in place in detecting counterfeit money. The people who constantly deal with real bills can immediately tell a difference when they touch a false one. Paul was saying the same thing to the church in Corinth – stand firm in your faith. Know what you believe, so that you can ward off the false teaching that will be present around you.

His third command to the church in Corinth is to act like men.

I am sure there are many thoughts that come to mind when you hear the words, “Act like men.”  I was worried that when we focused on that particular portion of the verse, there might have been a collective gasp of all the ladies who are picturing men watching football while eating meat in their man-caves.

I am also sure that most women in here have had the pleasure of “dragging” their husband, father, brother, or son with them while they were shopping, but hopefully, no one in here can relate to this woman who received the following letter from a store in England. The store is called Tesco and is similar to a Target or Wal-Mart that would be found here in the states.

Dear Mrs. Murray,

While we thank you for your frequent shopping and valued use of the Tesco Loyalty Card, the manager of our store in Oxford is considering banning you and your family from shopping with us, unless your husband stops his antics.

Below is a list of offenses over the past few months all verified by our surveillance cameras:

1. July 19: Set up a tent in the outdoor clothing department and told shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring sausages and a  gas stove.
2. August 14: Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.
3. September 15: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official tone, 'Code 3' in housewares . . . and watched what happened.
4. September 23: When the deputy manager asked if she could help him, he began to cry and asked, “Why can't you people just leave me alone?”
5. December 3: Darted around the store suspiciously, loudly humming the “Mission Impossible” theme.
6. December 9: Hid himself in a suitcase which he parked in an aisle, and when anyone would attempt to move the suitcase he would begin to yell and scream.
7. December 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed particular items, yelled “Pick me! Pick me!”
8. December 21: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed the fetal position and screamed “No! No! It's those voices again.”
9. And last, but not least, December 30: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at five-minute intervals.

I do not believe that is the type of man that Paul had in mind.  Two other translations might help to understand what Paul is saying. The NIV says to be “men of courage” and The Message says, “Give it all you got.”
Paul is trying to communicate to the church in Corinth to be ready to endure the difficult times that will come when you stand firm in the faith. They need to be courageous in the days to come.

When I hear the translation from The Message, “Give it all you got,” it makes me think of the effort it takes to succeed in sports. With the Super Bowl coming to Dallas next week, football has been on the mind of many people around the metroplex for several weeks.

Possibly one of the greatest ever NFL playoff games occurred in 1981. The article in Sports Illustrated that described the game was titled, “The Game No One Should Have Lost.” It was a playoff game between the San Diego Chargers and the Miami Dolphins that is remembered for being played in difficult conditions on the field, the performances of both teams, and the numerous records that were set.

Perhaps the best performance of the game was put in by Kellen Winslow. In addition to a blocked field goal that ensured the game would go to overtime, he recorded an NFL playoff record of 13 receptions for 166 yards and a touchdown, despite suffering numerous injuries. During the contest, he was treated for a pinched nerve in his shoulder, dehydration, severe cramps, and a gash in his lower lip that required three stitches. A picture of an exhausted Winslow being helped off the field by two teammates after the game is an enduring image in NFL lore and has been replayed constantly ever since.

Afterward, Winslow said, "I've never felt so close to death before."

That was a man who understood what it meant to give it all you’ve got and that is the type of effort that is required to stand firm in the faith.

The fourth command is very similar to the third, be strong, or as it says in The Message, be resolute. Paul is encouraging the church to be strong, to be willing to face the dangers and difficulties that will come and be resolute not to fall away.

Have you ever gone to the gym and decided, “I’m going to be strong today and attempt to lift twice as much weight as I’ve ever lifted before”? Or have you ever woken up, and decided, “I’m going to lose 50 pounds today”? Or, have you ever made a decision to beginning running by starting off with a marathon on the first day? Of course not, because it is not possible to lose that much weight or run that far or become that strong in a day. It takes work, discipline, concentrated effort, and a diligence to endure the good and bad days with the same fortitude.

Paul is imploring the Corinthian church to be strong. Every person who heard that knew Paul was saying, “Commit yourself to the Gospel message, do not stray from how you should live, have the discipline needed in your life to be able to endure the constant struggle for purity that will be present around you. Take the time to be strong.”

If we look at these first four commands, we see an obvious trend. The apostle Paul, after spending a year and half in Corinth, came to know the people and the city well. As he began to hear troubling reports of the church and the areas in which they were struggling, he felt compelled to write a letter that was both correcting and encouraging. But as he is closing the letter, as he is sharing his last thoughts, he remembers how difficult it will be for the church to take a stand, to remain resolute in their commitment to the faith, so he says a similar message four times:

    Be on the alert.
    Stand firm in the faith.
    Be men of courage.
    Be strong.


However, the fifth command gives a different light on what was expected of the church. If you noticed, the first four commands all dealt with how they should act individually. In other words, he is saying to them to be personally alert, aware, courageous, and firm in their beliefs. He was not telling them what they should try to give to other people, but only to remain strong personally. With the fifth command, he challenges the church in the way that they will interact with those around them.
 
After those four commands of how to be strong and resolute, you might expect Paul to say something like, “Do not tolerate the weakness of others,” or “Do not associate with those who fall away,” but no, he completely changes gears by saying how he desires the church to interact with others. He says, “Let all that you do be done in love.”

While I was in seminary, I had our former missions pastor, Dr. Mark Young, as a professor. Among the many things I learned from him in his classes, one of his quote has stood out: “You have no right to be right unless you are also being redemptive.” Mark knew, as did the Apostle Paul, that it is too easy to look down on those who are different or struggling or who believe differently than you. But to see the differences in people is not enough; we must see the differences and respond to them with the redemption of Christ. We must love them where they are, not judge them. Each of us who has experienced the new life in Christ provided for us through His redemptive work should be the first to proclaim Him and His work.

Paul knew that people tended to be legalistic in their interpretation of how others should act.  He wanted them to stand out, look different, act different, be different in how they related to people. He wanted their actions to be guided by love. Why? Because love never fails, as he says in Chapter 12.
When people are in a place where they wonder where their next meal is coming from or fearful of the next storm because their home will not stand or fearful from the systemic injustices that are present throughout the world, they need something more than a sermon. They need a hand to help pull them up, they need a shoulder to cry on, they need help to heal their broken bodies, they need love. They need the practical expression of a believer who has been redeemed by God and because of that is showing the unending, unfailing love of God to them. We love them because we have been loved by God. And at the proper time, as God guides us, we’ll tell them the whole message of the Gospel.  And I believe that they will respond to the Gospel because before they heard it, they experienced it.  
Paul is telling the church to be strong in your beliefs—stand firm in your faith, but as you interact with people, love them.

The  application of this passage has two parts. First, for the entire church.

At this point, you might be thinking that this has not been a typical missions passage, and you are correct. By now, you have seen our new missions theme several places throughout the church, “Stand in faith, go in love.” I would like to explain how that theme will be not only the way that we talk about missions, but it will guide the projects that the Missions Ministries engages in as we move forward.

First, Stand in Faith

Just as in Corinth, there is a plague of false beliefs, false religions, and false philosophies of life in our world.  Without the truth of the Gospel, each of the people who are held captive by these falsehoods will suffer both in this life and in eternity.

Seated here today, it is difficult for any of us to imagine how many people live under the darkness of this world. A few recent statistics from the “Operation World” prayer guide for missions will hopefully help us all understand how bleak it is throughout the world.

There are currently 35 countries in the world with less than 0.4 percent of the population as evangelical believers. Some of those countries are Turkey, Morocco, Iran, Slovenia, and Uzbekistan, just to name a few.

Those 35 countries represent 690,902,000 people, which is more than twice the entire population of the United States.

Out of those 690,902,000, in just those 35 countries, there are about 1.3 million known believers.
Those are big numbers, and it is difficult to grasp that each of those numbers represents a person. So, to make it a little simpler to understand just how desperate the situation is in just those 35 countries, I want to apply those numbers to how many people are in the room today.

Our worship center seats 3,000 people. If the 3,000 people that worship in our church represented the more than 690 million people that are currently living in just those 35 countries, do you know how many believers there would be in this room today? Six.

The other 2,994 individuals would speak different languages, some would live in remote places, some would have cultural practices that keep them from Christ. What we need is for God to raise up individuals and churches to go to those places and share the saving message of Christ.

Our job, our role, our calling as a church is to help spread the Gospel of Christ to those who have not yet responded. How do we do that?

We will stand in faith.

We will support the work of those who serve on the front lines of ministry. We will help to train them so they know how to properly apply the truth of scripture to their world, we will help spread the message of Christ through whatever means God has enabled us to be part of. We’ll identify and evaluate ministry opportunities based on their commitment to share the Gospel without shame and without changing the message.

There are too many false messages in this world; what is needed is the truth. We will stand firm in our faith and help those throughout the world who share this same burden. Through the years, many have found it easy to try to change the message of the Gospel to make it more socially acceptable. We will not do that. We will stand firm in the saving message of Jesus Christ and the complete belief that there is “no other name under heaven, by which men must be saved.”

But that is not all. We will also Go in Love.

There are too many people in the world who are lonely, hurting, marginalized, forgotten, and living in darkness. Because they are so blinded by that darkness, they need someone to meet them where they are and love them to the light. We know they need to hear the Gospel, but for many their first contact with the Gospel needs to be in such a way that they experience it.

• For the orphans who have no home, we want to provide for them a shelter filled with the love and care they didn’t even know existed.
• For the bodies who are ravaged with sickness and disease, we want to hold them close, caring for the body and spirit at the same time.
• For those who never know where their next meal is coming from, we want to share from the abundance of what God has given us.

In all of these instances, we do not want to judge them for the root causes of why they are in that situation; we want to love them. Let love be the guide as we interact with them. When God gives us the opportunity, we will share the message of Christ, we will let them know why we are motivated to help them, and we will let them know that they are loved—by us but, more importantly, by the one, true God.

This is not just a theme; it is a philosophy of how we will evaluate ministries.

Now, an application individually to each person here today.

Katie and I have one son, Hudson, who is two and a half years old. Hudson does not realize yet that part of the reason he is alive is to serve as sermon illustrations for me. I am sure there will come a time when he will not be too fond of that, but at this point, he does not realize it happens, so allow me to indulge.

Hudson is at an age where he really enjoys coloring things. Thankfully, at this point that has not included the walls of our home but has been limited to coloring books and papers. He also really enjoys showing me what he has drawn. He will excitedly hold up his paper and say, “Look Daddy, a cow,” or he will draw another picture and say, “Look Daddy, a dog.” My response to his drawings is usually, “That’s good Hudson,” or “Great job.” The reality is the pictures look nothing like a cow or a dog, but he believes what he is drawing is a good representation of a dog.

I think we can be like that sometimes. When we hear a message about something like missions, our first realization is that it is bigger than us. As we pray about ways that we might be involved, we might draw a picture of our own lives and give it to God and say, “Look Daddy, here is how I see my life committed to missions.”

Now, when it comes to drawing pictures of cows or dogs, I can draw a better picture than Hudson. It does not mean I am a great artist; it means I can see the whole picture. I know that a picture of a cow needs to have four legs, a face, fur, and a tail that swishes back and forth. How much better can our heavenly Father, who sees all of our life, draw the picture of our life?

There are several ways to become involved in Stonebriar missions: you can contribute today, make a financial pledge, sign up for our missions newsletter, ask for more information regarding full-time missions, or just ask any questions you might have. What I am asking you to do is simply ask God to paint a picture of what your response should be. Do not try to give God a picture of what you could do, but stop and quietly ask God to reveal to you how you can be committed to what He is doing throughout this world through Stonebriar Community Church.