Soundness of the Source

Again, to 2nd Corinthians and
we find ourselves in chapter 5, 2nd Corinthians, chapter 5. We have turned the corner. We
have begun to head home. Paul has begun the last great
section of this subsection here in 2nd Corinthians, the ministry
section that began in chapter 2, verse 12. He will wrap it
up in chapter six, verse 10, but he has already begun to engage
in the final section. It is perhaps even endemic, perhaps
part of the territory of ministry that criticism is going to be
a part of that, and certainly most, if not all of those whom I have spoken to in the ministry
have faced it. Oftentimes, this becomes a very
cornerstone of pastors meetings where we meet and commiserate
and talk about the difficulties of ministry. Paul certainly wasn’t
a stranger to those. Paul, it seems at times, faced
just unbelievably harsh criticism. In this epistle, particularly,
he ends up defending himself. Paul, throughout the course of
his ministry on various occasions, was accused of being factious. He was accused of being a false
apostle. He was accused of being an imposter.
He was often judged as being too harsh, too confrontational. At times, he was judged as being
fickle or even flighty, making plans that he had no ability
or plans to fulfill. His words were judged as too
weighty. And because of that, he was criticized
frequently. His life was scrutinized. He
was abandoned by those that claimed to be friends. He was judged
by others as being everything from lazy the modern day equivalent
of a workaholic. He was accused of being timid
and then at other times of being too brash. He was accused of
error and deceit and even greed. And so it should come as no surprise
that any who lead in the church and propose to lead in the church
will face similar criticisms. And I have certainly done that.
I have faced criticisms. And I suppose that really the
criticisms that we feel in the ministry, the criticisms that
we face in our life are really just the tip of the iceberg and
not really indicative of us at all, if people knew the true
nature of those whom we deal, we know of much greater criticisms
in our own hearts. If you course through 2 Corinthians,
though, Paul does begin to engage some of these criticisms. And
as I said, this book, as much as any other, Paul was constantly,
it seems, defending himself, not just out of a defensive spirit. We are prone to want to defend
ourselves. We are prone to want to challenge
any who bring up criticisms of us. But that’s not where Paul
is coming from. I don’t believe in Second Corinthians. I want to take you on a course
as we look at some of his defenses here in Second Corinthians. And
so if you would put something in your finger or whatnot in
Second Corinthians five. And I want to go back to chapter
one. The first defense that you see
in 2nd Corinthians, you find in 2nd Corinthians chapter 1,
verse 12, where Paul says, Our proud confidence is this, the
testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity,
not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God, we have conducted
ourselves in the world and especially toward you. What lay behind that
was just the opposite. that perhaps Paul wasn’t holy,
that he wasn’t godly, that he wasn’t sincere. Paul defends
himself and defends his ministry. Second Corinthians, chapter two,
if you would. Where Paul, in defending his
own ministry, essentially points out the error of an opposite
and unbiblical ministry in Second Corinthians, two seventeen, which
first we looked at. Paul said, for we are not like
many peddling the Word of God. Perhaps that was even a charge
that was laid at Paul’s doorstep, that he was going about it like
everyone else was, just in it for the money. Second Corinthians,
if you would, 3.5. Perhaps Paul was even judged
as being self-reliant. And so to that Paul writes, not
that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming
from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God. Second Corinthians
4.2. In Second Corinthians 4.2. Perhaps
what is behind this is that Paul was a sham, a faker, a phony. Because of that, Paul said, we
have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking
in craftiness or adulterating the Word of God, but by the manifestation
of truth, commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in
the sight of God. Second Corinthians 4.5. In Second
Corinthians 4.5, perhaps the argument here was that even Paul
was a self promoter. And to that, Paul said, we do
not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord and ourselves as
your bondservants for Jesus sake. If you would turn to chapter
five. In chapter five, Paul said. Therefore, we have as our ambition,
whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to him. We must all
appear before the judgment seat of Christ so that each one may
be recompensed for his deeds in the body according to what
he has done, whether good or bad, which verse we looked at
just last Sunday. Perhaps they judged Paul as being
an eye pleaser, like so many others were. If you would, chapter
six. Perhaps Paul was judged as having
it too easy. So to that, he wrote in chapter
six, verse three, giving no cause, pardon me, giving no cause for
offense in anything so that the ministry will not be discredited.
But in everything, commending ourselves as servants of God
in much endurance and afflictions and hardships and distress and
so on. And on and on it goes throughout the book of Second
Corinthians, seven to Chapter 8, verse 20. Chapter 10, verse
7. Chapter 11, verse 5 and 6. Chapter
12, verse 11 and 12. Repeatedly, Paul is coming back
to this theme of speaking on behalf of his ministry, even
as it were, defending himself. But it isn’t for the sake of
Paul that he’s doing it. It isn’t for his own sake. It’s
not just that Paul didn’t like criticism. It’s not that he couldn’t
take the heat What Paul was defending here was the ministry of the
gospel, because Paul knew that in a very real way, when leadership
is attacked and falsely, the church is attacked, the gospel
is attacked and Christ is attacked. It wasn’t that Paul was immune
to criticism. It’s not that ministers or those
who lead the church are above. being criticized and scrutinized,
they’re not above feedback or even failure. They are not insulated
from rebuke or even being challenged. But there is, even as Paul writes,
there is cause not only for extra protection for those who lead
the church, but even for extra severity. Listen to First Timothy
5.19. Do not receive an accusation
against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses.
And in that Paul provides an extra measure of insulation from
false accusation. But given the fact that those
accusations are found to be true, Paul says those who continue
in sin rebuke in the presence of all, certainly a much harsher
punishment than any in the church face so that the rest also, the
rest of the elders will be fearful of sinning.” And it is in that
framework that Paul essentially defends himself even in this
passage. Paul says, look, I am not a perfect
man. I believe that as we course through
this passage, you’ll see that Paul isn’t arguing for perfection. Paul isn’t saying that he was
above any error or any mistake. But I do believe Paul yearned
for the same. Paul desired to be godly and
upright. Paul desired that one day all
would know and see a godly man who had labored for them. If
you would, I want to take you back to verse 11. As I said,
the start of a new major section. But rather than reading this
in its entirety, we’ll focus just on these five verses. 2
Corinthians 5, verse 11. where Paul writes, therefore,
knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made
manifest to God. And I hope that we are made manifest
also in your conscience. We are not again commending ourselves
to you, but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us so
that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance
and not in heart. For if we are beside ourselves,
it is for God. If we are of sound mind, it is
for you. For the love of Christ controls
us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all
died. And he died for all so that they
who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who
died and rose again on their behalf.” What Paul desired that
the Corinthians know or come to know was that the source from
which this gospel message came was sound. In his case, and certainly
in any other earthly minister’s life, not a perfect source, but
a sound source. What Paul, I believe, is expressing
in this passage is not a claim of perfection, but he is arguing
for the cultivation of genuineness in ministry. If you would, as
we look at Paul’s cultivation of genuineness in ministry, I
want to look first at the desire for integrity. The desire for
integrity. Look, if you would, at verse
11, where Paul writes, therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord,
we persuade men. The verse obviously looks backwards
initially, even to that passage that we just read, where one
day we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
And we looked at that and said that’s not for the sake of judgment,
thumbs up or thumbs down on whether one goes to heaven or not, but
rather a scrutiny and evaluation of one’s ministry, as we saw
there in the context. Paul looks back at that verse
as he presses on and he says, I know that one day I will stand
before Christ, therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, knowing
that one day I will face my Lord, knowing that one day I will come
before Him and give an account for my ministry, knowing the
fear of the Lord. Paul is referring, obviously,
to that previously mentioned thought of standing before the
judgment seat of Christ to be fully manifest before him. But what about this fear that
is left over? Paul came to the realization
that one day we, as all people, will stand before Christ and
give an account for our respective ministries. But what about this
leftover fear? What is this? Is this the cowering
fear that even keeps us from carrying out our duty? A timidity
that is born out of a perfectionism? That if we can’t do it absolutely
perfect, we’re not going to do anything at all? Is that the
kind of fear about which Paul speaks? I don’t believe so. Paul’s
talking about reverence. Reverential fear that the Lord
stirs up in our hearts As one Puritan described it,
although fear in itself and by itself cannot produce truly good
or spiritually right action, it yet performs a vital function
in keeping the soul awake. Fear rings the alarm bell and
rouses the conscience. It blows the trumpet of warning.
It creates pause and opportunity for all better and nobler things
to make themselves heard. Fear is a healthy thing. Reverence
for Christ. A fear of God is a good thing.
To fear God, said another, is to have reverence or awe and
respect for God that ultimately results in worship and adoration
and service, godly service. So it isn’t fear in the sense
of terror that somehow inspires us. Boy, if we don’t get out
and do and serve, God’s going to judge us and send us to hell.
That’s not the fear that Paul’s talking about here, but rather
a reverence, a love for God that is so deep and severe So overwhelming,
so all-encompassing that we cannot but serve God. Job 28, the Old Testament, characterizes
the fear of God or the fear of the Lord as the beginning of
true piety. Job 28, verse 28, says, to man,
he says, behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. and
to depart from evil is understanding.” Psalm 34, come, you children,
listen to me. I will teach you the fear of
the Lord. It was a healthy, a sound thing. Something that helped
to establish us in all that God would have us to be begins with
a healthy reverence of who God is. Ecclesiastes 12, the conclusion
when all has been heard is fear God, And keep his commandments,
because this applies to every person. Proverbs 1, verse 7,
the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Fools despise wisdom
and understanding. If we’re going to begin at the
very foundation of the service of God is fear, a healthy, reverential
fear and respect of God. Proverbs 9.10 echoes that. The
fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the
Holy One is understanding. Paul makes essentially the same
point as he works his way through the major portions of the New
Testament when he writes in Ephesians 5.21 that we are to be subject
to one another in the fear of Christ. The reverence, the worship
of God The fear of God is to touch everything that we do,
especially pertaining to one another. Another Puritan wrote
this way, the fear here recommended is a holy self suspicion and
a fear of offending God. The more a Christian believes
and loves and rejoices in the love of God, the more unwilling
surely he is to displease Him. And if in danger of displeasing
him, the more afraid he is of it, and on the other side, this
fear of being the true principle of a wary and holy conversation.”
What he says is the way that you conduct yourselves in your
life. Fleeing sin and the occasions of sin, the temptations to it,
is a watch or a guard that keeps out the enemies of the soul.
That’s what Paul says. Knowing the fear of the Lord. Knowing that one day we do need
to stand before Him. Always mindful of those things. That’s what Paul says is basic.
It’s basic to a life that is in service to Christ. Finally,
one additional Puritan, Ralph Wardlaw, wrote this. He said,
this reverence, this fear is a self distrust. It is the tenderness
of conscience. It is vigilance against temptation. It is the reverence which Scripture
opposes. Be not high minded, but fear. It is taking heed lest we fall. It is a constant apprehension
of the deceitfulness of the heart and the insidiousness and inward
power of corruption. It is the caution and circumspection
which timidly shrinks from whatever would offend and dishonor our
God and our Savior. Paul says this is the very starting
point for service to Christ, knowing the fear of the Lord.
And when Paul says knowing, he brings it intimately into his
heart, knowing deep down the fear of the Lord experientially.
in my heart, in my life, given that, knowing that, with that
as my guiding principle, with that as the starting point, we
persuade men. Knowing the fear of the Lord,
we persuade men. The word there basically expresses
the desire to convince other people. But of what? There were And are many commentators
that believe that having the fear of the Lord continually
in front of his eyes, Paul constantly went about persuading men of
the gospel and that that is what is in view here. And certainly
the context would allow that. But I think the. The immediate
context, the nature of Paul’s argument here in this little
subsection, verses 11 through 15, is that Paul isn’t talking
about persuading people to Christ here. He’ll get there and he’ll
get there in the most strident terms, in the most pleading tone. But here, given the immediate
context, Paul is speaking about persuading them about his own
character. Knowing the fear of the Lord,
we persuade men. This ministry is so great and
so grand. And the accusations are so false
and so devastating, if they are held to be true, we persuade
men. We seek to be winsome, we seek
to be patient with others when they criticize, we seek to hear
them out, but we always seek to live them out. And to outlive
those criticisms and to rise above them, Paul here was seeking
to ultimately persuade men as to the genuineness, to whatever
degree God had worked that into him. Not that Paul was above
criticism. Not that Paul was perfect. Some
of these accusations were patently false. And if Paul didn’t seek
to disprove them, if Paul didn’t seek to persuade by his life
and even by his words, that his ministry would be discredited,
the gospel then was under attack and soon Christ right behind. Paul was seeking to persuade
men regarding the genuine genuineness of his character for the sake
of ministry. One said it this way. That Paul
himself endeavored to convince people of his integrity. That
He was really governed by the fear of Christ and therefore
was sincere and honest. That fits the context. God, Paul
said, knew him thoroughly. But it’s necessary that men be
gently convinced over time that we be patient with them. That
we hear their criticism, we take it to the throne of grace, we
bear it out. And as Peter said, we don’t give
anybody cause. We don’t give anybody cause to
or more ammunition, should I say, for judging us, though God knows
us completely. And one day God will have us
to stand before him and we will be seen for exactly who we are.
The problem is people are not omniscient. They are necessarily
distrustful of others primarily because they know too well their
own hearts. Isn’t that true? And so what
they think they see in their own hearts, what they know they
think and believe in their own hearts, they think to be true
of all people. And we are naturally suspicious
because we know of our own sinfulness. We assume that everyone else
is equally or worse even than us. For Paul, just knowing that
he, like all people, will have a hearing with Christ to evaluate
his ministry, he eagerly seeks to win people by consistency
of life. That’s what he says here. Therefore, knowing the fear of
the Lord, we persuade men. We want people to see us as godly. We want people to believe that
we are upstanding and right and true. But Paul says, regardless
of what we desire to do with men, we seek to persuade men,
but we know one day we are manifest to God. Knowing the fear of the
Lord, we persuade men, but we are manifest to God. And it isn’t
just that one day we’ll stand before God. Right now, Right
this moment, God sees everything in us. He hears our mind. He
hears our heart, our attitudes. He knows our words before they’re
even on our lips. He knows our lives thoroughly,
inside and out. God knows us intimately. It’s
only in heaven that one day we will stand before Him, not as
a big surprise to God, But fully aware that God knows us utterly,
thoroughly. There are people that will mistrust,
misread, misunderstand us. They may judge us too harshly
or truth be told, too favorably, but not God. God sees us as we
are, and we know that ultimately we will stand before Him fully
revealed, precisely for who we are. Paul says that. Knowing
the fear of the Lord, we persuade men. We want them to believe
the best in us. We want them to see the good
in us that God has worked into us by His grace. But already we know. We know
that God knows like no man ever could. And that is both a guide
to us and a rebuke to us. It is momentum for us to seek
and root out those sinful tendencies, those attitudes of heart, because already we are manifest
to God. But I said at the outset that Paul is cultivating genuineness
in ministry. And I told you that he is not
there to propose that he is somehow perfect before the Corinthian
believers, that he was without any error or any sinful tendency. But I do believe that was his
absolute desire. Paul wanted God to so be at work
in him that one day the Corinthians would see him, that he would
be Perfect. That he would be a man of utmost
integrity before the Corinthians. Look at the rest of the verse.
Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but
we are made manifest to God. And I hope that we are made manifest
also in your consciences. Paul wasn’t claiming a sinless
perfection. But he was saying here that one
day he hoped that the Corinthians would see enough godliness in
him. that these false accusations
would be dispelled, that Paul would be revealed as genuine
and true because of the ministry, because of the effects that he
had had even on their own lives and their hearts. Paul’s sincere
desire was that in time the saints at Corinth, God’s people, would
see him as God saw him. having done the thorough work
of grace in his life. He hoped to be manifested before
them as true and sincere, a genuine servant of God, a man of integrity.
This isn’t a proud man saying, if you would only see me as God
sees me. Because which one of us would
want that? This is as much a prayer request
by the Apostle Paul for the grace to be faithful as it is anything. I hope that we are made manifest
in your consciences. It’s as much a prayer as it is
anything. It’s as if Paul prays, may God continue His work in
me to the degree that one day all will see me as God would
have me to be seen. But there’s more to this passage.
Paul says, In desiring to cultivate genuineness in ministry, not
only is there a desire for integrity, there is a design to integrity. There is a purpose to it. It
isn’t just that we have integrity for ourselves sake so that we
look good and are perceived as good and judged as good. And that’s that. Look at verse
12. Take a running start at it from
verse 11. Therefore, knowing the fear of
the Lord, we persuade men that we are made manifest to God.
And I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences. We
are not again commending ourselves to you, but we are giving you
an occasion to be proud of us so that you will have an answer
for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart. For if we are
beside ourselves, it is for you. If we are of sound mind, Pardon
me, if we are beside ourselves, it is for God. But if we are
of sound mind, it is for you. Paul says, you know, look, I
am not. That’s what character or clarifies
this whole passage is Paul’s statement here. We are not again
commending ourselves to you. I am not going to stand myself
before you and claim that I have reached some moral perfection. That was one of the criticisms
that was leveled at Paul, was that he was puffed up and always
promoting himself. And Paul takes issue with that
right away. That’s not what he’s doing. He
interjects that that is not the case, that his goal isn’t so
much self-defense as it is clarification so that the Corinthians themselves
can take up the task of defending his honor, his ministry so that
the ministry itself would not be discredited or hindered. Paul’s
whole purpose here in speaking about himself in this way wasn’t
to to offer some kind of self praise, some self congratulation,
some self defense. But to give the Corinthians enough
data, enough material so that they knew that the false accusations
were just that they were false. Because without the vindication
of Paul’s character, Paul’s ministry was effectively on hold, if not
destroyed altogether. Paul said, we are not commending
ourselves to you, but we are giving you an occasion to be
proud of us. We want you to see the work of
grace that God has done. Doesn’t it thrill your heart
when others look at you and they acknowledge the work of grace?
They don’t see you anymore like maybe your old friends saw you.
Isn’t that encouraging to go back around the old crowd? and to see for your own self
what God has done in and through you? Isn’t it great when Christians
look at you and they recognize, look how far God has taken this
man by His grace. Look at what God has worked into
this man. The graces, the virtues, the
godliness. That’s what Paul wanted for the
Corinthians. Paul wasn’t claiming that he had arrived. But Paul
knew and Paul wanted the Corinthians to know that God was actively
at work. He’d accomplished much already.
That that work was not over, but it was ongoing. This word,
so that you will have an answer to those who take pride in appearance,
that you will have an occasion for being proud of us. The word
literally symbolizes a ground or an argument for glorying.
And it should be rendered like this, it should be translated
in this way, supplying you with a source by which you may find
cause for boasting on our behalf. That’s what Paul wanted. He wanted others to say, look,
look at the grace of God coursing through this servant of God. Isn’t that what all of us want? You know, what all of us who
desire to serve Christ, we want to be seen not for ourselves,
whatever paltry personality or little thing that we are, some
background or some pedigree that we bring to the table. We want
to be seen for what God is in us, what God is doing through
us, how God has equipped us. Paul said, I want to give you
an occasion to be proud so that you will have an answer
for those who take pride in appearance.” There were those detracting from
Paul. There were those attacking him,
criticizing him, bringing him down. And Paul says they take
pride in appearance, literally in face. That’s the word there
for you Greek students. What it’s talking about here
is what is merely external as opposed to what is deeply internal,
inward. Paul was constantly warning about
taking in only what is external. Because Paul knew that God looks
at the heart, right? God looks at the heart. Men typically
look only at the face. But what people see with their
eyes is not the full picture. That’s what Paul is saying here.
God sees with eyes that peer into the inner man, into the
heart, to the motives, to the thoughts and intentions. Men
are typically prone to forget this. And because of that, they
play to the eye and they forget about the eye of God. They play
only to be seen by men and not to be seen ultimately for what
matters by the eye of God. As one said, these Judaizers
gloried in what was patent to the world. They put on this pomp,
all of this show to be seen by men. That’s exactly what Jesus
criticized. The superficial, the outward
show, the descent from Abraham, the exclusiveness, the scrupulous
keeping of the law, as one said. Another one said it this way.
These false teachers gloried in their Hebrew descent, their
circumcision, their external religious privileges. And in
all of those things, they placed their ultimate confidence. Paul said, you know what? I want
to give you some ammunition for those who take pride in appearance
and not in heart. God hadn’t touched their heart.
God hadn’t changed their heart. God hadn’t touched their consciences,
the real parts of their lives that mattered. It was veneer. And it was a very thin veneer.
And yet, Paul desires to minister to them. Paul desired that the
Corinthians see Paul for who he was, see his ministry for
what it was, that they could correct and proclaim Christ even
to these. Paul wraps up this argument,
this design of integrity, when in verse 13 he says, for if we
are beside ourselves, it is for God. If we are of sound mind,
it is for you. Paul had been accused of being
out of his mind. Paul had been accused of being
kind of a nutcase. The word there, exhisteni, to
stand outside of, as it were, one’s mind, to be out of your
mind. They weren’t saying that Paul was certifiably crazy. But
they were saying that he was this fanatic. He was he was under
so much influence of these ideas that he was so extravagant. He
was unusable to men. Festus, if you remember when
Paul went before him to be judged, Festus claimed that Paul was
mad in Acts 26. While Paul was saying this in
his defense, Thestas said in a loud voice, Paul, you are out
of your mind. Your great learning has driven
you mad. Paul said, you know what? I’m
not crazy, but if I’m perceived as such, it is for God. I am
zealous. I am a fanatic. I remember one
time somebody describing a fanatic as just somebody who loves God
more intensely than you do. Such was Paul. The Apostle basically
says that whether he was extravagant or moderate, whether he exceeded
the bounds of social norms, whether he was sober and discreet, none
of that was for anybody but God. He had God ultimately in view.
But then he says that if we are of sound mind, it is for you.
It’s a favorite word of Paul. It means to be sober, dignified,
Paul uses it repeatedly in Titus chapter 2 for all of us in various
stations of our life. We are to be sober minded. We
are to be sound and discreet. Paul said, if I’m that way, if
I take that posture as I write to you, it is for your sake.
I desire to minister to you in that context. Paul preached enthusiastically
and was judged as a fanatic. He wrote in a sober fashion because
he desired to minister to the Corinthians. that all of it was
a design, all of it with the design of integrity of ministering
to those outside of the faith. Thirdly, cultivating a genuineness
in ministry, Paul wrote, and we may be able to just begin
this morning and then we’ll pick up again next Lord’s Day. Not only a desire for integrity,
maintaining the design for integrity. But thirdly, the third cultivation
of genuine ministry is the drive for integrity. Where does it
come from? Why should we have it? Paul addresses this in verse
14 when he says, For the love of Christ controls us. Having concluded this, that one
died for all, therefore all died, And He died for all so that they
who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who
died and rose again on their behalf. It is because of Christ’s great
love to us that ultimately issued forth in His death on our behalf
on the cross that Paul says, I so desire to be godly so that
I might be serviceable to God, so that I might minister on his
behalf. It is the love of Christ that
controls us. And we’ll take it up there next
Lord’s Day. Let’s pray. Merciful King, Lord, there are countless things
that others might say about us. Lord, perhaps only a percentage
are true. And yet there are many things
in our hearts and lives that are true that no one knows. And
Lord, we would say with Paul that one day we too desire to
be made manifest to the consciences of others, that people would
ultimately see us and see us true. Not because we’re there
already, but because we yearn for the grace of God to be made
right and true, to be To have integrity worked into our hearts
and lives and ministries. Lord God, we thank you for our
example of Paul. We thank you for his humility.
We thank you for his words, his argument to the Corinthians.
And father, we pray that you would work into us and into our
lives and ministries the same desire. For integrity and ministry. That you would be glorified.
Others would hear Christ proclaimed that many would come to Christ
because of our ministries. Lord God, we thank you for your
kind consideration. We ask your blessing on the remainder
of our day as we go out in Jesus name. Amen. Hi, buddy. Pray for me. I think I’ve just
about had it with Michael. Just watch it. Just watch it.
It’s only girls, and it’s… it’s just too much. Hey, Sugar
Bear. Hi, Joe. How are you?