And in the time that we have left together this morning, I'd like us to return to our study of 2 Corinthians. So head there in your Bibles with us, 2 Corinthians chapter 8, where, if you recall, we've been looking at Christian giving. Of course, we had a little break last Sunday when Brother Art preached from the book of Psalms. But we've pretty much been looking at 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, which all deals with Christian giving. We've already learned several important principles for our own giving as Christians and as a church, and I hope that you've been able to implement those in your own giving to the Lord and to his church. But toward the end of this chapter, of chapter 8, which we'll actually conclude this morning, The Apostle Paul transitions from just giving principles of giving to his own practice of giving. If you remember what was going on here, Paul was taking up a special collection, a special love offering. for the poor Christians in the church in Jerusalem. And he was going from church to church in Asia and in what is modern Greece today, and telling these churches the plight of the first church there in Jerusalem, and the struggles that they were facing, not only from persecution, but from extreme poverty. And just out of love and grace for God's people, expressing that unity of faith, they wanted to collect up a gift, a love gift, that they would then take with faithful men all the way to Jerusalem, and they would distribute it among the people in the church that had the most great needs, as they were very poor. But the verses that we come to this morning, we find the Apostle Paul, again under the influence of the Holy Spirit, he wanted to make sure that concerning this gift, that nothing could be called into question with regard to its handling. This is something that we see even in our own church. We want to make sure that what is given here is given with the utmost integrity, and it is treated with the utmost integrity. want to have anybody question what has been given and why it has been given and where it is going. And the Apostle Paul was no different. We actually see financial accountability going on here in this chapter. And so, beginning in verse 16 through verse 24, Paul is introducing this Corinthian church, as well as all of us, to three men who he sent to this church. And these three men were to be used for proper accountability for what would be a substantial, and in the words of this passage, an abundant gift of money. If you can imagine. all of these churches from all of these regions were making up this collection, it probably would have been a hefty sum. And of course back then it was the Roman Empire and pretty much they used the Roman denarius as their denomination. So they were all collecting the same amount of money and they were giving it into the hands of these trustworthy men to take it all the way to Jerusalem and to do with it what God had intended for them to do. So these men, these three men especially, would be in charge of completing this collection and they had to be men of Christian character and they had to be men with great integrity. So we see from these verses what it takes and what it means for all of us to serve the Lord and to serve Him with integrity. Picking up in verse 16 and we'll read through the end of the chapter. Paul writes, but thanks be to God which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you, Corinthian church, for indeed he accepted the exhortation, when I wanted him to go back to Corinth and to work with this collection, but even being more forward of his own accord, he went unto you. His own free will, he was desperate to get back and to help and to serve. Verse 18, and we have sent with him the brother. the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches. And not that only, but who also was chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, with this gift, this collection, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord and declaration of your ready mind. Verse 20, avoiding this, that no man should blame us in the abundance which is administered by us, providing for honest things, good things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. And we have sent with them our brother." So here's the third, "...whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent upon the great confidence which I have in you. Whether any do inquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellow helper concerning you. Or our brethren be inquired of, they are the messengers of the churches and the glory of Christ. Wherefore, Corinthian church, show ye them, show these men, show ye to them and before the churches the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf. Now even though these verses refer to three specific individuals who are in charge of a very specific ministry, each one of us ought to apply what we learn about them for our own service for Christ and for His church. So this morning we're going to learn what it takes and what it means for us, looking at the lives of these men of integrity, to be a true minister and a faithful minister and servant of Jesus Christ. And so the first thing that we can learn from these men is the special testimony of a Christian servant. The special testimony of a Christian servant. What we just read is a brief note of introduction and commendation of these three men who are going to help the Corinthian church complete their own commitment to this love offering. But what kind of men were they? What kind of testimony did they have? Well, we're going to see from these three men, and even from the life of the Apostle Paul, the kind of testimony that all of God's true faithful servants ought to possess. And we first read about a testimony of devotion. A testimony of devotion in the life of Titus, which we already looked at a couple of weeks ago. But in verses 16 and 17, Paul commends Titus with these words, remember? But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care and diligence into the heart of Titus for you. For indeed, he accepted the exhortation, but being more forward of his own accord, he went unto you. These are words that indicate that this man, Titus, was a man of great devotion. Of great devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ, first and foremost, but also to the people of Christ. He was devoted to the church. He was devoted especially to the Corinthian church, because he had seen what God was doing in their midst. And so Titus here could not wait to go back to the Corinthian church and help them grow through their giving. Because for Titus, Christian service was an honor, no matter what form it took. We believe that Titus at times was a preacher of the gospel. There were times where he was serving as a pastor, but here, He is serving as sort of a financial advisor. And he is going to these churches, and he is helping collect these monies. He's collecting this offering for the Jerusalem church. And no matter what form his service would take, he considered it an honor. And that is one of the testimonies that we ought to have as Christians. It doesn't matter what kind of service that you perform for Christ, you ought to consider it, even what we might think the least kind of service, to be an honor for Christ. I remember my mom telling me of a couple, an elderly couple, at our church in New York State, who loved the Lord, and every single Saturday before the service, before the service on Sunday, they could be found out in the parking lot there in downtown Johnson City, New York, collecting the trash, the trash that had collected over the week. And that's all they did. That was their ministry. That was their service. And there was no great fanfare. Very few people even knew that they did it. I didn't know about it until my mom told me. But they considered this to be their great honor, just picking up the trash and making this parking lot a place where people could come, feel welcome, and go in and worship the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what Titus and his testimony was all about. Serving God is an honor no matter what form it takes. But he also showed us that no matter what form his service took, his service would come from his heart. His service would come from his heart. He would give it his all. He wouldn't do it half-heartedly. He would do it wholeheartedly. And this is the kind of Christian servant God can use and the kind of Christian servant that God is after in you and in me. A devoted servant. Is this your testimony this morning as a Christian today? Is this your testimony as his servant today? Devotion means that Christian service, no matter what form it takes for you, is an honor and it will come from your heart. But then we also read about, in verses 18 and 19, another testimony from another man. This was a testimony of dependability. a testimony of dependability and faithfulness. Again, verse 18, Paul introduces another man who will accompany Titus, and he is identified simply as the brother. The brother. Verse 18, Paul says, and we have sent with him, with Titus, who? The brother. whose praise is in the Gospel throughout all the churches, likely the churches there in Macedonia where he is. And not only that, but this brother was also specifically and especially chosen by those churches to travel with us with this grace, with this collection, with this gift for the Jerusalem churches, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, showing that unity of faith and declaration of your ready mind. Now, as I was reading and studying for this particular message, I came across these verses and through some of the commentaries, there were several that said, that were taking all kinds of guesses as to who this brother might be. The truth is, we have absolutely no way of knowing who this brother is, even though many people have tried to guess who it might be. Now, to kind of spare you your own research, Luke and Barnabas are two of the more popular guesses. But we really don't know. But perhaps the reason why Paul does not use his name is because it was this man's character as a humble and faithful brother in Christ that was more important to record than his name. And I think we see the humility of this man in just simply wanting to be known as the brother from the Macedonian churches and I'm here to serve. I'm here to serve Christ. I'm here to serve you. And the reason why Paul sent this brother with Titus is clear. He was a dependable and a faithful servant of Jesus Christ. He was dependable, first of all, in his reputation for Christ. Paul writes in verse 18 that his praise is in the Gospel throughout all the churches. This meant that this brother was someone well known for his love for and his delight in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have all known someone like this in our churches. Maybe in the past, maybe in the present. There are people that are well known for their love and delight in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It doesn't mean that he's a preacher. It doesn't mean that he was a pastor. It's possible that he was a preacher of the gospel, but it seems more probable to me that he was just a Christian, just a member of one of those churches who loved to tell others about Jesus in his daily life. He just loved to let his light so shine before men. That's the kind of character and reputation that this man and Paul says among all the churches. All of the Macedonian churches knew about this man. And they commended this man. And they loved this man. And perhaps some of you could be described in this way today. He was so full of Christ that he could be fully entrusted with this opportunity to serve. And do you realize that that is the kind of servant that we ought to be looking for? If there is someone who is faithful in that which is least, those are the ones that we want to be faithful in that which is much. He was dependable in his reputation before all those churches, but he was also dependable in his representation for Christ. Paul goes on in verse 19 and says that this brother, this unnamed brother, was chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace. That word chosen simply means the raising of the hand. It means that they voted and they elected that this man, this brother be the one that goes with Titus and to help with this collection all the way to Jerusalem. The churches in Macedonia knew this brother and loved this brother and then sent this brother because of his testimony of dependability. They chose the one who had been faithful among them to represent them. This is one of the reasons why, when we think about missions, it's so important for us to select people that not only come from us, but people that are known by us. Because when we know their faithfulness and we know their dependability and we know their testimony for Jesus Christ, it's really not a hard choice to send someone to be our representative and to tell other people about Jesus Christ. Isn't this what Jesus himself taught about faithfulness and dependability? In Luke 16.10, Jesus said, He that is faithful in that which is least will be faithful also in that which is much. This is the kind of Christian servant God can use, and this is the kind of Christian servant God is after, a dependable servant. So the question is, is that your testimony this morning as a servant of God? Are you faithful and dependable even in the little things that God might have for you to do among His people and within His church? Are you faithful and dependable even in that which is least? You will be when you remember that any service for the Lord, in the words of verse 19, is to the glory of the same Lord. It doesn't matter if you're collecting trash in a parking lot, or if you're cleaning a toilet in the back, or you're standing up here and preaching the Gospel or sharing the Word of God. It doesn't matter from least to the greatest, more visible or least visible, more verbal or less verbal. It doesn't matter. Whatever way you serve is an opportunity to glorify God. It is an opportunity for you to exalt God and to encourage others. Dependable servants are the ones who will hear the Lord say one day to them, well done. Well done thou good and faithful, dependable, reliable servant. Thou hast been faithful over a few things. I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Does that describe your testimony today as a Christian and as Christ's servant? That you are dependable. because of what Christ has done for you. We find another character trait of a Christian servant in verses 20 and 21. And this is the testimony of discernment. A testimony of discernment. Here, Paul kind of stops talking about these three men, and he explains why he was sending along with this other brother, with Titus, in the first place. He goes on in verse 20, avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance, which is administered by us. He knew there would be a lot of money, he knew that there would be a large collection, and he didn't want to bring any question onto what was going on. He goes on in verse 21, providing for honest things, good things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. See, as servants of Jesus Christ, we need to use discernment in how we serve the Lord. We described this a little bit this morning in our Sunday school hour, where there are some things that may be a good thing to do, but it may not be the right way of doing it. Well, Paul understood this principle. He wanted to do the right thing in the right way in order to honor God, but also to provide things honest before men. Because we know that the world is watching our church. The world is watching your life and my life as Christians, and we need to provide honest things in the sight of God and in the sight of men. Especially when it involves, as it does here, financial matters. And so in verse 20, Paul used discernment to avoid accusations about the financial gift. Again, he says, avoiding this, that no man should blame us or accuse us with this offering, with this abundance, which is being administered by us. You see, Paul knew that the love of money is the root of all evil. He knew that money can often ensnare and trap otherwise good and faithful men. And so he wanted to prevent any blame, any blemish to be found, and he did not want anything to bring reproach to the name of Jesus Christ. We need to exercise that same discernment, not only in our church affairs, but also in our personal affairs, in our personal lives. We need to be cognizant that not only is God watching, but the world is watching. The world is watching to see if we will exercise discernment and dependability in what God has given to us to serve Him with. But then in verse 21, Paul also uses discernment to advance this accountability. Now, accountability is not a popular term for people. because we often think that we are our own people and we can be accountable to ourselves. I'm a pretty honest person and I'm not going to offend anybody. I'm not going to bring reproach in the name of Christ. But we need to understand that pride so often is what leads to a fall. And there needs to be accountability for us as believers with other believers and with our own families. And so Paul says in verse 21 that we are providing for honest things. We are preparing so that we can have a good report, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. Not just talking about Christians, but also unbelievers. This is a scriptural principle found in both the Old and New Testaments. It's seen all throughout the Bible. In fact, here in this verse it seems that Paul had Proverbs 3, verse 4 in mind. But it is essential for servants of Christ, like you and like me, to guard ourselves against temptations, to guard ourselves against transgressions that might bring reproach on Christ and His church. You might have heard that there was a minister on TV who was trying to get more money to buy another jet. a newer jet, unlike the old jet that he currently had and would fly all over the world. And the reason why he wanted this new jet was because he wanted to be a better steward of God's resources. He thought as he would travel around the globe that it would have better fuel economy with this newer jet, though it was a bigger jet, a more lavish jet. And you could Watch the news and they were talking about it. You could read online, social media, and people were talking about it. He was not providing things honest before God and before men because most of the world was looking at that saying, how can he be asking for money for another jet? We need to understand that this principle of accountability is so crucial. I'm not saying that Christians can't have jets or some Christian ministries need a jet. We've seen jets with Samaritan's Purse plastered all over it. But what a great opportunity that they have, and they're not being so lavish with these things. But we need to understand that accountability is so crucial for us in our service for the Lord, to provide for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. Paul even tells the Thessalonian church, in 1 Thessalonians 5.22, that we are to abstain from every appearance of evil. Not just the evil itself, but even what people might perceive as evil, or might perceive as dishonest, or might perceive as disreputable. This is the kind of servant that God can use. One who uses discernment. This is the kind of Christian servant that God is after. A discerning servant. Is that your testimony today as a servant of Christ? Are you using discernment in your life in order to take whatever measures are necessary and appropriate to provide for faithfulness and accountability in your life? It doesn't just mean financial matters. It means any matter. that you might struggle with, any temptation that you are facing, any need of help from your brothers or sisters in Christ. You see, standards and boundaries are appropriate for Christians who are seeking to be faithful servants of the Lord. Paul could have told the Corinthian church, just trust me, and they would have trusted him. But he said, instead of just trusting me, I'm going to bring these other three men and involve themselves in this offering so that there is no question about the integrity of myself or this church or this offering. After all, as John Calvin once wrote, who is there that will be exempt from Satan's bite when Christ himself was not spared by them? The devil is like a lion, always prowling around, seeking who he may devour. He even wanted Peter to sift him like wheat. And so we who think that we have a handle on temptation and we have a handle on trespasses and sins and struggles and financial matters, we need to take heed lest we fall and provide honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. But then in verse 22, Paul introduces another brother who had another testimony. And this was the testimony of diligence. So we have Titus, we have the first brother, and now in verse 22 we have the third brother. Paul writes, we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things. But now he is much more diligent upon the great confidence which I or even which he has in you. So to provide even greater accountability, Paul sent another brother, who also remains nameless, perhaps for the same reasons. Still could have been Luke, still could have been Barnabas, could have been Apollos, we don't know. But now there are three men heading to Corinth, and as the Bible teaches, a three-fold cord is not quickly broken. You think you have financial accountability with one faithful Christian servant? Now you have greater accountability with not just two, but now three faithful Christian servants. And this man possessed a proven character of diligence in the service of God. A proven character of diligence. Paul, it seems, knew this man even more personally than the other brother that he mentioned earlier. It says that he oftentimes proved him to be a diligent man in many things. This means that in many things and at many times, Paul had given this brother certain tasks. He asked him to do something for him, and this brother fulfilled those tasks with diligence and with zeal. It didn't matter what Paul asked him to do. Would you do this for me? Would you do this for me? And he would say, absolutely, Paul. What else can I do for you? Diligence and zeal. Whatever Paul asked him to do, no matter how many times Paul asked him to do it, he served with all his heart and he served with all his might. He gave his all. And this is the kind of servant that Jesus wants us to be. There are all kinds of different services and service opportunities. But whatever you put your hand to do, the Bible says that you ought to do it with all your might. It didn't matter to this brother whether the tasks were big or small. It didn't matter to this brother whether the tasks were visible or hidden. Whatever way he could serve, he would do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men. His diligence and eagerness to serve was great, but it even grew more and more when he heard about the Corinthian church and how God was working in them and through them. This too is the kind of Christian servant that God can use and the kind of servant that God is after. Is this your testimony as you serve the Lord? Whether you're a Sunday school teacher, whether you're a nursery worker, whether you're working in a junior church, whether you're in the good news clubs, whether you're at Vacation Bible School, whether you are serving at the nursing home or any other kind of perhaps behind the scenes ministry. Are you doing it with all your heart? Are you doing it as unto the Lord and not unto men? This is the testimony of a true, faithful servant of Jesus Christ. We need to be diligent in our service for Him, whatever that service may be. Colossians 3.17 says, Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, it can be up here or down there. Whatever you do, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him. This is the kind of testimony that we can and should have as servants of the Lord. A testimony of devotion, dependability, discernment, and diligence. What kind of testimony do you have as a servant of Christ? Can these descriptions be used of you? Well, if you're struggling with faithfulness in service or struggling to serve in any way, the next thing that we see in this chapter are the special truths about a Christian servant. The special truths about a Christian servant. And we find these truths there in verse 23, where Paul, after introducing these three men, Titus and brother number one and brother number two, these three men, he makes a final commendation Because he sent to the Corinthians these men, and he says, whether any do inquire of Titus, let them know that he is my partner and fellow helper concerning you. Or, if any man inquire of my brethren, these brethren, this is who they are. They are the messengers of the churches and the glory of Christ. The truths that we find in this verse about these Christian servants can help us become the kind of servants God wants us to be and will enable us to be. We may struggle with devotion and dependability and discernment and diligence, but when we really understand what Christian service is all about, these truths, We will pray and ask God to make us into the kind of servant that he wants us to be. The first truth about a Christian servant is the special relationship that they have. The special relationship of Christian servants. We see this in Titus' special relationship with Paul. Paul says about Titus, he is my partner and fellow helper concerning you. There was such a close personal relationship between Paul and Titus that he's telling the Corinthian church that when you receive him, it's as if you're receiving me. And if you love me, you're going to love Titus. And we already saw that reception earlier on when Titus gave them that first letter, that letter of pain and that letter of sorrow. And they listened and they responded, not just to Paul, but to Titus himself. And so Titus shared with Paul the same motives and the same ministry, the same mission. These Corinthians already knew the love and concern that Titus had for them. But isn't this truth also applicable to us today? We have an even greater and more special relationship with Jesus Christ. You see, we are His servants because He is our Lord. We are His servants because He is our Lord, and since we are His servants, we are His partners and fellow helpers in His ongoing mission in this world. That's how we ought to see service for Christ. We are serving Him, and we are His partners in this world. We are His hands. We are His feet. We are His eyes. We are His ears. We are His body in this world. And so no matter what manner of service that God calls you to, you're doing it for Him. That elderly couple that was picking up the trash, they weren't just doing it for First Baptist Church of Johnson City. They were doing it for Jesus Christ because they were His partners in ministry. They were His fellow helpers in ministry. And because of our special relationship with Christ, we can and we ought to be devoted and dependable, discerning and diligent servants of the Lord. Remember who you serve. You serve the Lord Christ. No matter how you serve, you serve the Lord Christ. But the second truth in this verse is the special representation of Christian servants. The special representation, in verse 23, these two unnamed brothers are called the messengers of the churches. Now the word messenger here is the same word as apostle, which simply means someone who has been sent by someone else. They are their representative. So this means that these two brethren were the representatives of the churches that chose them. They had been assessed by those churches. They had been approved by those churches. They were appointed by those churches. They had their hands up saying, these are the ones we want to send. And then they were given authority by those churches. But in serving those churches, they were serving the head of those churches, the Lord Jesus Christ. When you represent the church, you represent Christ. When you serve the church in any capacity, you are serving Christ. When you serve the body, you serve the head, and we must never forget that. whether you're making food for a get-together, or whether you're going somewhere for a conference, you are representing not only the body of this church, you are representing the head of this church, Jesus Christ. And if that doesn't encourage you and give you strength, because of that special representation, you can and you ought to be devoted and dependable, discerning and diligent in whatever service God calls you to do. Then we find a third truth in this verse, and that is, and I love this phrase here in verse 23, the special reflection of Christian servants. These two unnamed brothers are described further. We could also describe Titus as well, but they were called, very end of verse 23, the glory of Christ. the glory of Christ. Now some translations may say that they are an honor to Christ or a credit to Christ, and that's certainly true, but it seems best to take that word glory, the Greek word is doxa, to take that word in its fullest sense, and we saw that in our video this morning, what is the glory of God? What is this kibod of God or this doxa of Christ? It is the visible manifestation of God and His own nature and character to the world. When you see God's glory, you see all of God's nature. The glory of God was so prominent in the Old Testament. It was there on Mount Sinai. It was there in the temple. It was taken away from the temple because of their sin. But what this means is that even though the heavens may declare the glory of God, the servants of Christ are the glory of God. You are the glory of Christ. If you're serving Him and you're serving Him in these ways with devotion and dependability and discernment and diligence, if you are a faithful servant of Jesus Christ, He is revealing Himself through you to the world. It means that you are the glory of Christ. when you're picking up the trash in the parking lot, or when you're cleaning the toilet in the bathroom, or when you're changing diapers in the nursery, or when you're teaching children about Christ, you are the express glory of Christ to this world. What a privilege! And it puts service in a whole different perspective no matter what it takes, no matter what form it is. As John Calvin once wrote, all that excel in piety and holiness are the glory of Christ. Because they have nothing but by Christ's gift. You see, any of these characteristics, any of this testimony, devotion, dependability, discernment, diligence, doesn't come from you. It comes from Christ. It is Christ expressing His own nature in you and through you. So can that be said of you this morning? That you are a reflection, a special reflection of Christ's own glory? This can only be true for Christians. This can only be true if you belong to Him because you believe in Him. And when you remember that you have this special relationship with Christ and you are a special representative for Christ, you will seek to be the kind of servant that Christ Himself has called you to be. Devoted. dependable, discerning, and diligence, no matter where and no matter how God calls you to serve. In the last verse of 2 Corinthians 8, Paul tells the Corinthians how they should receive these three men who are there to serve. Verse 24, wherefore show ye to them and before the churches the proof of your love. and of our boasting on your behalf. So the Corinthians were to show these men, these faithful men, their love, their love for God and their love for them, but also their growth. that God really was at work in and among them. And I think this is how we should respond, not just to people that are serving the Lord. We ought to have a respect and an honor for every one of us, no matter how we serve the Lord. But when we really think about what it means to be a servant of Christ, when you remember that Jesus himself is the greatest servant and came to serve you, we ought to respond with a greater love for him. Remember Jesus said in Mark 10.45, for even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto. He didn't just come to have everyone do His beck and call when He came that first time. No, He said, the Son of Man came to minister, to serve, and to give His life a ransom for men. And because of His service for us, we ought to serve Him out of nothing but love and gratitude for Him. So because of Jesus' devotion to you, won't you devote yourself to Him? Because of Jesus' dependability and faithfulness to you, won't you strive to be faithful to Him? Because of Jesus' diligence and zeal to seek and to save and to serve you, won't you serve Him with all of your heart? This is the kind of Christian servant that God can use. This is the kind of Christian servant that God is after. because this is the kind of Christian servant that God alone can develop by his grace and through his power. So today, surrender yourself completely as the servant of Jesus Christ. Be faithful in that which is least, because who knows? Perhaps God, through his church, may call upon you to serve in something that is greater than even your own expectation has ever been. This is what a Christian servant is like. Let's close in prayer. Our gracious Heavenly Father, I thank you again for your word, a word that shows to us not just how to give, but Lord, how to serve. And I thank you for this transition where Paul introduces these three men who are to provide financial accountability for this gift that they were collecting for the Jerusalem church. They didn't just choose any men. They chose faithful servants of Christ. Titus may have been the only one who was a preacher and a pastor. These other two brethren may have been what we would call laypersons. They might have been elders. They might have been deacons. They may have been Sunday school teachers if they had Sunday school back then. They may have just been people that were the bright lights in their church. who wanted to tell people about Christ. And they were the ones that the church selected to do this great ministry of going with Titus and representing Paul and representing them and representing ultimately Jesus Christ to help these Corinthians finish what they started in this gift for the Jerusalem church. And so Lord, I pray that you'll help us to see the kind of servants that we all ought to be. Because when we think about your service for us, Lord, we ought to serve you with love and gratitude for who you are and all that you've done for us. Lord, you gave yourself to us. Oh Lord, I pray that we might give ourselves to you. and to do so in whatever capacity that you've given us, whether it may seem small to us or large to us, whether it's hidden from people's eyes or visible to people's eyes. May we be servants that are dependable and devoted and faithful to you that we might use discernment in how we serve to be accountable to others, but also, Lord, to display to the world your glory. to remember that we are your glory. You show to the world what you can do in a sinner's heart like ours. And so, Lord, I pray that you'll help us to remember that no matter where we are, no matter what we do, no matter how we serve, we are your glory. Oh, Father, thank you for making us that way. It's not in us, but through us. It's not because of us, but because of your grace and because of the Lord Jesus Christ and his ongoing work in our life. And so, Father, I pray that with this great work, may we continue to do great work for you. Because Christ came to save and to serve us, may we, Lord, turn and serve others. Help us, Lord, to remember who we represent in this world. And, Lord, I pray that if we are not serving you, I pray, Father, that you will show us the need to. Because to be saved means to be a servant. To be a follower of Jesus Christ means that He is our Lord and Savior. And so, Father, I pray that we will serve our good and gracious Master and to serve Him with all of our heart in whatever way that you call us to, so that you might be glorified in our lives and in our church. We ask these things in Jesus' most precious name. Amen.