Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each man will get his praise from God.Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.Wherefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall each man have his praise from God.
3 sermons cite this verse
… standing, but I want you to be seated because I want to talk you into the Scripture today. So take your seat wherever you are and turn in your Bible, please, to 1 Corinthians 4, verses 1 through 5. 1 Corinthians 4, 1 through 5. Thank you for your word, Lord. Somebody say what Samuel said. Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening. We talked about Samuel last week and how he attuned his ear to the voice of God so that before he spoke for God, he had to learn to hear from God. Very important. The apostle Paul was another preacher who had to hear from God before he could speak for God. because there was a time in his life when he persecuted followers of Christ, and he thought he was serving God. He had to come to that all-important place that really measures your maturity in the Lord where he said, I was wrong. Try to say that one time. See how hard it is to say. I was wrong by a vowel. Wrong. He spent the rest of his ministry not trying to make it up to God, but trying to spread the message of the God who had saved him by grace after spending his whole life trying to earn God's favor through keeping the law. In 1 Corinthians chapter 4, Paul is well into his established ministry, and he's doing something we would never think that someone of his caliber would have to do. He's defending himself to the Corinthian church. …
This is a remarkable passage where Paul frames up the foundational virtue, the necessary characteristic of a faithful pastor, and in a word it is humility. This is a text about being humble. Humility is the necessary dominating virtue in anyone in ministry, if that person is to fulfill the calling that God has placed on his or her life. So this is a passage about humility, the benchmark. Humility is the benchmark of any faithful servant of God. Now, this is not what the culture would tell us. We live in a world system that neither desires nor requires humility. No matter where I look, I don't see humility on display. I don't see it in politics. I don't see it in business. I don't see it in professions. I don't see it in sports. I don't see it in the arts. People who have any public persona, any opportunity to step into the limelight, tend to lift themselves up seeking prominence and more prominence, publicity, fame, prosperity, adulation. …
5. Then all the saints shall mount up, as with wings, to meet the Lord in the air, and to be for ever with him. After the dead in Christ are risen, and the living saints changed, then they will be prepared to go to Christ, and to meet the bridegroom. The world will be about to be destroyed, and the wicked shall be in dreadful amazement, but the saints shall be delivered. Dan. xii. 1. “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people, and there shall he a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” They shall take an everlasting farewell of this evil world where there is so much sin, and where they have met with so much trouble, and they shall be caught up in the clouds, and there they shall meet their glorious Redeemer; and a joyful meeting it will be. They shall go to Christ, never any more to be separated from him. 1 Thess. iv. 16, 17. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we, which are alive and remain, shall he caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” …