Proverbs chapter 3, as our Old Testament scripture reading this morning, we'll be reading the first 10 verses. My son, do not forget my teaching. Let your heart keep my commandments. For length of days and years of life and peace will they add to you. Do not let steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart so that you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. And all of your ways, all of them, acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It'll be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce, and then your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will be bursting with wine. Now turn with me, if you will, to 2 Corinthians chapter 8. As we finally finish up this chapter, I think we've spent five weeks now in chapter 8, We'll give our attention to verses 16 and 24 in the sermon, but for the broader context, we will again begin reading in verse one of chapter eight. Second Corinthians chapter eight, beginning in verse one. This is Paul writing under inspiration of the Spirit, saying that we want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia. For in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I could testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor or the grace of taking part in the diakonia, the diaconal relief of the saints. And this not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord, and then by the will of God to us. Accordingly, we urge Titus that just as he had started, so should he complete among you this act of grace. But just as you excel in everything, in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you, see that you excel in this act of grace also. And do not say this as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love is genuine. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. And in this matter I give my judgment, that this benefits you. Who a year ago started not only to do this work, but also to desire to do it. So now finish doing it well, so that your readiness and desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has and not according to what he does not have. For it did not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness, your abundance at the present time should supply their needs so that their abundance may supply your need. There may be fairness, just as it is written in Exodus 16, that whoever gathered much had little had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Now beginning in verse 16. But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus this same earnest care I have for you. For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest, he is going to you of his own accord. With him we are sending the brother who is famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel. 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 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. And with them we are sending our brother, whom we have often tested and found earnest in many manners, but who is now more earnest than ever because of his great confidence in you. And as for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for your benefit. And as for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. So give proof before the churches of your love and of our boasting about you to these men. This is God's word. Let us pray and ask that he bless the reading and preaching of it. Our gracious God and Father, just as you instruct us in the path of wisdom, we ask that we would understand what you are through your apostle Paul. exhorting us to believe and to do that we might do so faithfully and with integrity. We ask these things in Christ's name. Amen. I think one of the more disheartening things that we see in the news in the recent months and even years is I don't think there's a week that goes by without some new scandal arising regarding some manner of corruption, be it in some form of business, be it in the government, be it even a major church scandal. It seems that corruption is all around us. Think of the, the ways in which scandals devastate a particular business or organization, when a CEO is caught embezzling funds. It almost seems to be something of a Hollywood trope over the past decade, decade plus, where there's at least one Oscar contender, where the film or the documentary serves as something of an exposé, an uncovering of some form of corruption and greed. In the midst of all this, I think there's this great temptation towards cynicism regarding these particular institutions, be it the government, be it particular corporations or even churches. We're reminded of Christ's own statement that where lawlessness abounds, the love of many will in fact grow cold. And so I think we should not be surprised that when those who are exposed to nothing but let's say prosperity gospel preachers Those urging people to come and contribute their funds, and when you find out in the news that this has all been a scam, so that the latest flash-in-the-pan pastor can now fly and own his own private jet. There's no wonder that so many look at the pastor with suspicion when he preaches about financial stewardship. What is needed is accountability. Accountability not just for those pastors who do get caught with their hands in the cookie jar. but also accountability when false accusations arise seeking to discredit reputable pastors who have done nothing wrong. Those falsely accused of financial mismanagement. What process is there either to vindicate or to condemn a minister for his wrongful actions? It is one thing to denounce the charlatan preachers of this world. It's kind of like shooting fish in a barrel. It's low-hanging fruit. It's so easy to do. But what happens when there's an innocent pastor that is now thrown under the bus? How do we act accordingly? This is a particular issue that Paul is facing in Corinth. There's these accusations and insinuations that have burrowed its way into the church, and now some of the members of Corinth fear Paul has been using this diaconal collection to line his own pockets. This is why so much of the letter is Paul devoting himself to the defense of a faithful and honorable ministry. And false as these accusations are, they threaten a credible gospel witness. So those accusations must be dealt with. Over and over again, we have seen Paul defending the integrity of his own ministry throughout this letter. But here in the passage of this morning, we see the safeguards that Christ has instituted in his church to vindicate Paul against false accusers for the sake of Christ, and to give comfort and consolation to the members of the church to know that the diaconal relief that they are providing for the poor will, in fact, reach its safe destination. And as Paul does this, he lays down some wise biblical principles for the church of the new covenant in this day and age as we continue the work of the gospel ministry with integrity and with faithfulness. I like to consider these principles under three headings this morning. First, we'll consider the matter of Titus. We'll see in verses 16 and 17. Secondly, we'll consider the two unnamed brothers of verses 18 to 22. And then finally, we'll consider the joint partnership that these three brothers have with Paul. So Titus, the two unnamed brothers, and then the joint partnership of verses 23 and 24. I think we've seen now in a number of portions of this letter, Paul keep referencing his friend and comrade in arms, Titus. At the very least, this ought to remind us that Paul is not some form of lone ranger Christian. Paul is not going from region to region establishing new congregations and ministries that he's naming after himself. He's not building St. Paul's Presbyterian church. Rather, he is here to plant and establish the church of the Lord Jesus Christ in unchurched regions. Paul, at the beginning of every letter that he writes that we have, always identifies himself as this very thing, that he is an apostle. Quite literally, he is one who has been sent, appointed by Christ, and now under the oversight of the Jerusalem church. If you recall in the book of Acts, this is the church that has sent and commissioned Paul to go out and to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. Paul is not just going off on his own. He is one who is accountable to somebody else, even as the great apostle. He is one that is held accountable to other brothers in the ministry. And as the sending church has sent Paul, they have not sent Paul to go it alone, they have sent Titus to join him as well. Men who go from region to region doesn't mean that they're joined at the hip at all times on their journeys as we've read over and over. There are points in time where Paul will send Titus, Paul will be in Ephesus and he'll send Titus to Troas and then Paul will go to Macedonia waiting for Titus to make his way back to reach him and so on and so forth. But they are to go together that they have a joint mission and focus, that there is a brotherhood and a camaraderie that exists among them as they seek to labor together. I think what's really fascinating is that although Paul is busy preaching and teaching, he has nothing to do with the finances. If you recall, as we've seen throughout the course of chapter eight and also Galatians 2, Romans 15 and 16, 1 Corinthians 16, and the book of Acts as well, one of the tasks that has been commissioned to Paul as he plants these new churches, is that he goes from region to region. He takes up a collection for the poor Christians in Jerusalem who are suffering a tremendous period of drought and government persecution. Galatians 2. They tell Paul and set him apart for the ministry. They said, we only ask this, that you remember the needs of the poor in Jerusalem. And yet Paul, as he's going preaching the gospel, and now as he is spending two chapters, chapters eight and nine of 2 Corinthians, urging Corinth to give financially to help this impoverished church in Jerusalem, we also find that Paul himself is not handling any of the money. If you read 1 Corinthians 16, Paul has already made this very clear. He says this, he says, when I arrive, whomever you may approve, I will send them to carry your gift to Jerusalem. In other words, Paul has this hands-off policy. He says, you approve the guy to carry the money, I'll go with them, but they are the ones who will handle the funds. If it is fitting for me to go also, they will attend with me. In other words, Corinth is supposed to appoint delegates to help deliver the money. Paul is not simply just showing up to church saying, hey guys, give me the money, I promise I'll make it to Jerusalem. Paul is saying, no, you guys need to appoint somebody faithful from amongst your midst. As you take this collection to join me, as I am collecting other delegates from the other churches that we might go together to bring a portion, or to bring this portion, our offerings, this diaconal relief to the poor in Jerusalem. And so, in other words, there's a delegation of duties. It is not Paul's responsibility to carry the money. In fact, it's fairly wise that he not be the one to do it, to safeguard him from false accusations. Paul says he's happy to accompany them if fitting, but he's not going to handle the funds himself. He is not going to have access to the piggy bank. That way nobody can accuse him justly of financial mismanagement. And yet it seems that people have done just that here in the Corinthian church. accusing Paul of lining his pockets. This is why Paul had written earlier in chapter 4 when he says we have not dealt in underhanded ways. We are not peddlers of the Word of God. In other words, Paul's saying I'm not preaching for financial gain. Chapter two, he deals with the same accusations. He will deal with them again in chapters 10, 11, 12, and 13 as well. And so in light of these various accusations, to remove himself further, Paul writes of his intent to Titus to finish this particular task. You see it here in verses 10 to 15, that Paul had urged Corinth to wed their duty with delight. This is the very thing that we talked about last week, that it's not just the matter of giving, but also the manner in which we give. As Paul will say in chapter 9, God loves a cheerful giver. Paul's concern is to wed that duty with delight, but now he sends Titus as kind of the example that is set before them. One who has, verse 17, not only accepted our appeal, the duty, the appeal to take the collection, but being himself of very earnest, he is going to you of his own accord. There is a real eagerness and delight on Titus' part to do this. There's a zeal, there's something that's infectious about Titus. And this is part of his particular commission. And of course, the accusation could still be leveled against Paul if it was just Titus doing this. Think of what Paul might perhaps say. Yeah, guys, I'm not lining my pockets, but I'm sending my buddy Titus here. He's gonna come collect the money, so you can just give it to him. I won't touch it. there could still be the hints and the insinuations that Paul is simply using Titus as some sort of lackey to handle the funds for him. But what we see here in verses 18 to 22 is that Titus is also not the only one going. Here in these verses, Paul also mentions two unnamed brothers that are also sent. The first unnamed brother here is mentioned in verses 18 to 21. Paul describes him here as that brother who is famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel. Here's a brother that is so famous that we actually don't know who he is. Doesn't have to be named. Reminds me of one of my favorite quotes in church history, Count Zinzendorf. If I ever croak before having to make my own tombstone, you know what I want on my tombstone. It is this quote, preach the gospel, die, be forgotten. That is the very thing that we have here of a man who is famous throughout all the churches of his preaching the gospel faithfully. He has a faithful ministry, and that's the legacy he's left behind that is more lasting even than his own name. But I want you to know who appointed this particular brother. It is not Paul who appointed him. Verse 19, this man, this famous unnamed brother, has been appointed by the churches to travel with us. Quite literally, the Greek word here for appointed is by the outstretching or by the showing of hands. In other words, this man has been elected by several churches in the region, presumably the region of Macedonia from which Paul is writing at this particular point in time. Remember, the churches in Macedonia are that of Philippi, Berea, Thessalonica. Those poor churches that have set a model for giving for the affluent church of Corinth. Paul is saying these churches, as I'm going from region to region, they have appointed this particular gospel minister to join me and his task is to help with the stewardship and the collection of this diaconal relief for the poor. Here's a man who's been appointed as an accountability partner in the truest sense of the word. His commission is to travel with Paul and Titus. Again, he's not part of the inner circle. He's not kind of close friends with Paul and Titus. Here's a man who has been appointed by the regional church to join Paul and Titus as an act of accountability for what Paul calls here, the carrying out of this act of grace, the diaconal relief for the Jerusalem church. Paul says here, it is for the glory of the Lord and it is to show our goodwill. See what we have here is a practical example of transparency in Paul's ministry. It's something that demonstrates honor and integrity. It shows us that Paul is not out to line his pockets. There's a lot of triggers and safeguards that have been set up to keep Paul from being falsely accused of such things. Paul is not being surrounded by yes men. As he's going from church to church, he's calling for the churches themselves to appoint faithful stewards to join him on the task. Paul says he does this for the Lord's glory, so that no man can accuse him justly of embezzling church funds. See, we need to remember, as we think about how scandals and corruptions that we see in the news mar the face and the integrity of corporations today, so it is with the church. Financial dishonesty dishonors the Lord. This is a big deal because the diaconal work is a part of the new covenant administration. Look here in verse 19 when Paul says this act of grace is being administered by us, that language of administration is the same language, the same word that Paul used in chapter three to speak of the ministry of the new covenant. Here we have been given the covenant that supersedes the covenant of Moses. The Mosaic legislation was good for a time, the Mosaic economy was good for a time as part of the single covenant of grace and the economy of redemption, but now something even greater has come that has rendered the Mosaic organization obsolete. It's like it's made it, like Windows 95. It was good for the time, but if you try to run a business on that today, you're not gonna get very far. Mosaic order has become something like expired milk. It was good for its own time, but it's run its course now. A new and better covenant has been established, one where the Spirit now actually works in the hearts of individuals, conforms us to the image of Christ, and works in us honor and integrity and faithfulness. And so what Paul is saying here is that the diaconal relief is integral to the new covenant. that just as we have a Savior who has given himself to us, so we are reminded that God cares for us in both body and soul. The concern is not just for our spiritual growth, but for our material needs being met. Just as we're called to pray, give us this day our daily bread. This is why the office of the diaconate is so important. It's to attend to the material needs of the members of Christ's body when they suffer affliction, disaster. This is not an afterthought. This is integral to the life of the New Covenant community of the people of God. And so we have to handle the finances of the church and the church's giving with integrity. It is as important as the minister handling God's Word with integrity from the pulpit. Think of what happens if it weren't. If the funds are mishandled in a local congregation, the credibility of the church's witness is compromised. And with it comes the gospel. And Paul's saying we have to be zealous to do everything we can to defend the reputation of the gospel ministry. This is what is at stake. And so one way in which we honor Christ is through financial responsibility. We can have many sermons devoted to financial stewardship of the individual, and those things are important, but Paul's concern here is not just for the individual, it's actually also for the corporate church. Here, Paul's point is on the proper use of the church's diaconal funds and ways in which Christ has established safeguards to ensure an honorable stewardship. See, the diaconal funds are not intended to line the pastor's pockets. That's not the intention of the diaconal offering. We have offerings that are given for the sake of the upkeep of the building, the property, the paying of the ministers, things like that, but there's also funds that are set aside. to help the poor in the church, both locally and abroad. So as Paul is traveling from church to church, he's urging for a collection to be taken up. And so this process has been set in place for the sake of transparency and integrity. It's the very point of this morning's passage. We see here, the heart of this passage is found in verses 20 and 21. Paul writes this, he says, we take this course, why? So that no one should blame us. about this generous gift that is being administered by us. Nobody can accuse us of wrongdoing. Verse 21, for we aim at what is honorable, not only in the Lord's sight, but also in the sight of man. To leave no room for even the appearance of evil and mismanagement. See, here is biblical wisdom doing what is honorable in both God's sight and man's. There should be integrity in preaching. That was Paul's focus in chapter four. But now there's integrity in financial stewardship as a church body. The focus here at the end of chapter eight. That language there in verse 21 echoes the language of Proverbs 3, which we read earlier. That you're to bind steadfast love and faithfulness around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart so that you will find favor and good success in both the sight of God and man. What Paul is seeking here is an honorable stewardship. Wise practice to ensure that the funds make their destination to keep the handlers from corruption so that they could not give in to the temptation, even if the temptation was there, for them to skim off the top. And it's also given as a safeguard to vindicate the minister from false accusations. Paul is saying, I've got nothing to do with handling the money. I'm encouraging you to give. But Titus oversees this facet of the ministry. And so we have Paul preaching the gospel, we have Titus as his comrade in arms, who has accompanied Paul from Jerusalem, and now we have these two unnamed brothers, or we had the one unnamed brother in verses 18 to 21, but now in verses 22, in verse 22, we have yet another unnamed brother being sent. This one, Paul says, has been tested and found eager to serve. But note why this man is being sent, though. He's being sent for the sake of Corinth, not simply for the sake of the churches abroad. Remember, the first unnamed brother is one who's been elected by presumably the Macedonian churches for the collection, but now Paul is essentially saying, among your own selves, you need to appoint a man who sees to your vested interests as we take the collection from Corinth in Greece all the way to Jerusalem. Here's a man who has a vested interest in the Corinthian church. It's not saying that Paul and Titus don't have a vested interest, but here we have a man who is, as we say, let's say we were taking up a collection and we had to travel to Jerusalem and we had to appoint a guy, say, your job is to oversee the collection of this church, even as you're going to all these other churches. That is his particular task. So that when the offering is brought to the Jerusalem church and we have representatives of all these churches, think of the picture of the unity of the body that is presented on that great day. When Paul would come with Titus, these two unnamed brothers from these regions, as well as any others from the other churches, they come giving and offering, saying, this is a token of our love for you as you are going through the severe drought and time of difficulty. Please know, brothers, that all of us are praying for you. What a picture of the gospel that is, of the unity of the body of Christ, that this is something that transcends individual congregations. and all done with integrity. And so what we see here is a joint partnership that these three men, Titus and the two unnamed brothers, together with Paul, form a fellowship. Representatives at every level, notice that. You have the one who is appointed by the Corinthian church, it's that second unnamed brother. You have the famous brother, whose name that we don't know about, who's been appointed by the regional church, multiple churches in Macedonia. And then you have Paul and Titus who have been appointed by the mothership, the Jerusalem church. Here we have representatives at every level, the congregation, the region, and the church worldwide. I think there's a word to describe this level of accountability. It's called Presbyterianism. See, I went there. But it shows that there is an interconnectedness that we have as congregations, a mutual benefit that we have towards one another. And it's given for the sake of accountability. This is a good thing. that we are doing this together, not just as a Lone Ranger pastor or a Lone Ranger congregation, but we are doing this as the body of Christ throughout the region and throughout the world. And so we see here in verses 23 to 24, Paul considers these men together and he calls upon Corinth to receive them when they come to collect the offering. In other words, 2 Corinthians is their letter of certification, their letter of authenticity. These are the guys who have been appointed and certified through multiple levels to come for the collection, receive them as brothers. Nameless as these two men are, Paul says that these men nevertheless manifest Christ's glory. You notice that here towards the end of the paragraph. They are Christ's glory. These men bear Christ's image. They reflect his character. Where we heard of that phrase, the glory of Christ, it's already a phrase that Paul has used earlier in this letter. Again, going back to chapter three, that the work of the Spirit has come to shape us from glory to glory to reflect the image of our beloved Savior. Paul is again reminding us that this is something that is central to the ministry of the church under the new covenant. Remember the pattern that we see in all of Paul's letters. The first half of every one of Paul's letters gives us the great indicative of the gospel, and then the second half of every one of Paul's letters gives us the great imperative to live in light of that indicative. What is the indicative imperative structure that we see here in Corinthians? That the age of the spirit has come, rendering the era of Moses obsolete. How do we live in light of the great and glorious work of the Spirit as He works in our hearts now that Christ has ascended on high? The great imperative is this. Give cheerfully to the needs of the saints. so now Paul sends men who reflect the new covenant glory, a glory that does not manifest itself on the outside like Moses' face had done, shining when he came down from the mountain. Rather, here's a glory that manifests itself in a spirit-wrought integrity, in a spirit-wrought godliness and virtue, purity of heart, that these are the men who together will handle the money as it is transported to Jerusalem. Here are trustworthy stewards. And so it leaves the congregation with no excuse not to support the relief of the saints. So what does this mean for us today? I think what we see as we are also still under the age of the new covenant, that this stewardship is seen as an act of devotion to God. Notice how Paul had opened up this passage and when he says this, but thanks be to God. that this should so tune our hearts to one of thanksgiving that we be diligent not to arouse suspicion through the financial misappropriation of funds. How do we do that? Well, we do it by having honorable men of integrity handling these things, men appointed within the church, men elected, the election of church officers so that Christ's name not be brought into disrepute. I mean, consider all the scandals that the church has faced over the past years, not just as a congregation, but the church worldwide, be it financial or sexual or fill in the blank. It might be a different congregation, it might be a denomination, you might be even reading about some of the sexual abuse cases in the Roman Catholic Church, you go, well, that's not our denomination, so we don't have to worry about it. Well, you know what, for the average non-Christian down the street, they don't know the differences between denominations. And so if they've been abused or hurt growing up in a different denomination, they're gonna look at any sign that bears the name of church with the same level of suspicion. One way in which we overcome that is by demonstrating accountability and integrity, that we do everything we can to bear a faithful gospel witness within his proper bounds and the safeguards. We must hold ourselves to a high level of accountability, not only that we do not fall into sin, but also that if false accusations do come, we would be able to weather the storm safely because false accusations do come. Psalms tell us, deliver me, O God, from the slanderer. It's the most repeated prayer of the psalmist in all the Psalms. It's the ways in which Satan attacks his church. And so we have a government in place that is able to weather that storm so that the gates of hell would not prevail against the expansion of Christ's kingdom. This is why we have congregational meetings. This is why we have diaconal meetings and session meetings and officer elections and treasurer's reports and a board of trustees and annual budget reviews and presbytery meetings and general assembly. And you might look at all these various meetings and you might roll your eyes and go, how boring. And I might go, amen. But just because some of these meetings are boring or monotonous does not mean that they are not important. that these are very practical ways that we have to show integrity and to have a transparent ministry so that the gospel can go forth faithfully and not be tarnished when one man falls into sin or when one man is able to skirt through the ranks. There are mechanisms in place to ensure that the gospel in Christ's name is not tarnished through the devious sins of others. You think of even Jesus' own ministry. Of the 12 men he had, who is it that was handling the funds? It was Judas Iscariot, one who was skimming off the top. And he was held to account for the very things that he did. It seems tedious, but we do these things for a purpose and have a sense of nobility, honor, and integrity. See, this is the work of the Spirit. Remember, the work of the Spirit does not consist in kind of the great ecstatic experiences. You might have a wonderful mountaintop experience at a youth summer camp around a campfire, and that is wonderful. But the way in which the Spirit works is through the ministry of the Word, why He inculcates integrity in the heart. And we as the church must work to ensure that those men, and that all of us, grow in godliness, and that we have safeguards for those cases where somebody does not demonstrate godliness, that those things can be taken care of. This is a practical way in which we act as honorable stewards. So I encourage you to take your membership vow seriously. Don't disparage the committee or congregational meetings. I don't know of another congregational meeting we're planning to have until January, but don't look upon our January annual meeting with dismay or anxiety, but see this as a practical way in which we honor the Lord with financial integrity and responsibility for the sake of defending his great name and the proclamation of the gospel. Let us pray. Our gracious God and Father, we do thank you for your word and we ask that you would make us men and women and children of integrity and virtue, that your spirit would work in our hearts, that we would put to death and dwelling sin and live into righteousness for the sake of Christ who died and was raised for us, that we might be declared righteous and that we might walk in holiness all of our days. We ask these things in Christ's name, amen.