Not Your Possessions But You

Sermon for 5/18/2008

Not Your Possessions But You- 2 Corinthians 12:14

Introduction:

A. Getting back to the city of Corinth, it was the Las Vegas of the day.

B. remembering that this was before the time of the TV, there were people in the city of Corinth who were good at entertaining. They were like the vaudeville acts before the time of the movie theater. People would give them money to perform and entertain them.

C. Some of these entertainers were good at rhetoric= the art of making persuasive speeches; oratory. We don’t know about Corinth but some Greek cities hired orators for various purposes. Now the Greeks invented rhetoric, they mastered rhetoric, and they loved rhetoric. They loved hot air. Orators knew how to get and keep an audience in the palm of their hands. Turned out motivational speakers! Not much depth; more about style without substance

D. The more effective the orator was, the more money that he made.

E. Into this environment, we have the church. The church is effected by its culture. Corinth is no different. Evidently after Paul and other faithful ministers left, some of these orators came in. They saw an opportunity to make some money off of these Christians. Therefore, they learned something about the faith and started practicing rhetoric so they could make some cash. Evidently some of the Corinthians Christians were giving them money because of their great speeches. For their own good they needed to discredit Paul. So what did they do?

1. Read 2 Corinthians 11:6- Paul is boring!

2. 2 Corinthians 11:7- 12- Paul didn’t make money, therefore, he is no good.

3. In 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 Paul is encouraging the Corinthians to contribute to an offering being sent to the church in Jerusalem. the great orators don’t like this so it seems that they are accusing that Paul and his team will just pocket that offering. After all, that is what they would do so they accuse Paul of the same. Look at 2 Corinthians 11:20.

WBTU:

A. Paul answers this in our Scriptures this morning: 2 Corinthians 12:11-19.

B. Paul has to answer this accusation again and again about the money issue. Greatly misunderstood. Paul did this for the good of the Corinthians. He loves them!

C. I like what he says in 2 Corinthians 12:14. KJV- I seek not your’s, but you.

D. Paul says I am not interested in your possessions but in you!

E. These statements echo Christ’s spirit. I do not want anything but you! Personal!

Thesis: 3 things that come out of vs. 14

For instances:

I. Christ wants personal surrender.

B. It reminds me of when someone points at my in a crowd. “Who, me?” I look around and think they want someone else. They finally point and yell, "Yes, you!"

C. Uncle Sam- I Want You

A. It reminds me of some children in our day. The parents spend little time with them and just send them gifts. “I don’t want your gifts, I want you.” A woman might say that same thing to her boyfriend. “I don’t want your gifts, I want you.”

D. Paul in these Scriptures is talking as a father to a daughter. Vs. 14 Paul considers himself a father to the Corinthians. (1 Cor 4:15 NIV) Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.

E. The church is like a daughter to him. In that day, a father was responsible for his daughter. If she was not a virgin at the wedding, then the bulk of responsibility fell on the father.

F. Look at 2 Corinthians 11:2-3.

G. Billy Crockett- The Day I gave My heart away

There he was in his own world the one he built himself, made sure the doors were locked, the curtains drawn, his heart upon the shelf. One night he sat up in the dark cause he couldn’t sleep. And wondered if he’d die alone with nothing fit to keep. Into his darkest darkness there without a soul to see, someone came and something changed, the I became a we, the little boy was not alone, the grown up shed his skin, his frightened heart was not so scared because someone came in. He took my heart for his own home, and let me know I’m not alone, my life was changed I’m glad to say the day I gave my heart away.

H. A personal surrender to Christ implies to things

1. We love Christ from our hearts

2. We submit our wills to His Will no matter whether He sends sufferings or joys.

I. (1 John 4:10 NIV) This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.