Introduction:
A. Frank Abagnale was the world’s greatest con artist.
1. The movie Catch Me If You Can, directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, is based on the true-life story this man, who bilked the government out of more than $5 million by the time he was 21 years old.
2. Abagnale was raised in the home of a father who cheated the government and a mother who cheated on her husband, so he observed the ease with which a person can lie his way through life.
3. At age 16, when his parents divorced, he ran away and for two years led a life of amazing deception.
4. By creating false documents and forging checks, he passed himself off as an airline pilot, a medical doctor, and a practicing attorney. During this time he even passed a state bar exam.
5. While posing as a doctor, Frank met a young nurse, Brenda, and fell in love.
6. When he met her father, who was a prestigious lawyer, and her mother, he scored points with them by feigning to be a graduate of the same law school the father attended.
7. Knowing they were dedicated Lutherans, he also claimed to be Lutheran.
8. Brenda’s father hired him as an associate in his law firm.
9. The FBI caught up with Frank at their engagement party at Brenda’s parents’ mansion, but Frank saw them coming and raced upstairs to pack his bags.
10. Brenda followed him into the bedroom.
11. Frank wanted her to escape with him. He knew he had to tell her the truth.
12. So he confessed, “Brenda, I don’t want to lie to you anymore. I’m not a doctor. I’ve never been to medical school. I’m not a lawyer or a Harvard graduate. I’m not even a Lutheran. I ran away from home a year and a half ago when I was 16!”
13. With great concern on her face, Brenda said, “Frank? Frank? You’re not a Lutheran?”
B. Unfortunately, throughout time there have been many fake and false followers of Jesus.
1. The apostle Paul was clearly not one of them.
2. The apostle Paul was the real deal.
3. He was a real servant of God.
4. In all of the twists and turns of his life, Paul had only one concern – to show himself a sincere and faithful follower of Jesus Christ.
5. In today’s section from 2 Corinthians 6, Paul lays out an incredible catalog of experiences in his amazing, adventurous life as a servant of God.
6. Let’s take a closer look at these verses, and aspire to be a real servant of God, like Paul.
I. Understanding the Word
A. Let’s begin with verses 3 and 4a: We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance…
1. Given the success of Paul’s ministry and the jealousy of men, it was inevitable that various accusations would be leveled against him.
2. Paul, however, was committed to being sure that any such charges would be without foundation.
3. He was committed to avoid inconsistent and dishonest conduct.
4. He lived in a way that would give no handle for his enemies to latch on to.
5. He was careful not to do anything that would put a stumbling block in the way of either sinners or saints.
6. We all should take great care that our lives be the very best possible advertisements for the gospel.
B. Paul pointed their attention, and ours, to a triumphant word that characterized his service to God – the word is endurance.
1. Paul said that he commended himself in every way, and he began with his great endurance.
2. Translators and commentators have wondered if Paul’s reference to endurance is a descriptive heading for all that follows, or whether it is simply another element of the catalog itself.
3. In other words, is “endurance” the general category that is specified in what follows?
4. Or is it simply the first of the various members in the list?
5. I agree with the decision made by the translators of the NIV to separate out “endurance” from the rest of the list.
6. Here are a few of the reasons that support their decision:
a. First, Paul modified “endurance” with “great,” in contrast to the unqualified designations that follow.
b. Second, “endurance” is a singular, abstract virtue, while what follows is a list of plural adversities.
c. Finally, it is difficult to see how hardships in and of themselves could commend Paul if they are not related to the positive virtue of endurance.
7. Therefore, the focus of Paul’s commendation in chapter 6, verses 3-10 is on his divinely enabled endurance in the midst of his adversities for the sake of the Gospel.
C. The word that Paul used for endurance is a powerful word.
1. It is not one that describes a person with passive resignation who sits with folded hands and bowed head as a torrent of troubles sweep over them.
2. Rather it describes a person with the ability to bear things in such a triumphant way that it transforms them.
3. It describes the courageous and triumphant ability to pass the breaking point and not to break, and the ability to greet the unseen with confidence and joy.
D. Paul proceeds to itemize his hardships in three groups of three things that all put this victorious endurance into practice.
1. Verses 4 and 5 read: Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger…
E. The first grouping points to the internal conflicts of the Christian life.
1. The first one mentioned is “troubles” – the word Paul used originally expressed sheer, physical pressure.
a. There are things which weigh down a person’s spirit – sorrows and disappointments can crush the life out of a person.
b. The triumphant endurance that comes from God can help us cope with them all.
2. The second one mentioned is “hardships” – the Greek word here literally means “necessities.”
a. Certain burdens can be avoided by a person, whereas others are unavoidable.
b. Pain and death are certainly things that cannot be avoided.
c. The triumphant endurance that comes from God can help us cope with these.
3. The third one mentioned is “distresses” – the word Paul uses literally means “a place too narrow.”
a. It might be used of an army caught in a narrow, or a rocky place to narrow to maneuver or escape.
b. Certainly there are situations in life where it seems the walls are closing around us and we are trapped.
c. The triumphant endurance that comes from God can help us cope in those situations.
F. In the second grouping, Paul points to the external tribulations he endured.
1. The first one mentioned is “beatings” – the word literally means “stripes.”
a. For Paul the Christian life meant not only spiritual suffering, but also physical suffering.
b. We know that during Paul’s ministry, he had been beaten, flogged and stoned.
c. There are people today in parts of the world who are still experiencing various kinds of torture because of their Christian faith.
d. Only the triumphant endurance that comes from God can enable us to endure that kind of suffering.
2. The second one mentioned in this grouping is “imprisonments” – It appears that Paul was in prison because of his faith no fewer than seven times.
a. The parade of Christians who have been imprisoned because of their faith stretches from the first to the 21st century.
b. Isn’t it amazing that there have always been those who would rather abandon their liberty than abandon their faith.
3. The final one mentioned in this grouping is “riots” – Paul not only faced the injustice of the courts, he faced the violence of the mob.
a. The crowd has always been the enemy of Christianity.
b. In our day and time, we may not face the violence of the mob, but we will surely face the mockery and contempt of the crowd because of our faith.
c. But God supplies the endurance needed to face these external tribulations.
G. The third grouping of Paul’s trials involves his effort to serve as a Christian.
1. The first one mentioned is “hard work” – this term describes toil to the point of sheer exhaustion.
a. It’s the kind of toil that takes everything a person can give from their body, mind and spirit.
b. Christian servants must be hard workers. Paul certainly was.
2. The second one mentioned is “sleepless nights” – Paul’s sleepless nights may have come from concern for the church and may have been spent in prayer.
a. Others may have come from Paul being in perilous and uncomfortable situations where sleep was impossible.
b. Paul willingly gave up times of rejuvenating rest for the good of the kingdom.
3. The final one mentioned in this grouping is “hunger” – the word literally is “fastings.”
a. Certainly there were times when Paul fasted and prayed.
b. But there were likely other times when he went hungry not on purpose but because of his imprisonment, or the scarcity of food or no time to eat it.
c. Many people would never think of missing a meal for any reason, but Paul certainly did for the sake of the Lord.
H. In the next verses, Paul turned attention away from the trials and tribulations which endurance enabled him to conquer, and turned attention toward his own God-given equipment for Christian service.
1. Look at verses 6 and 7: in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left…
2. Once again Paul employed the same arrangement of three groups of three items.
3. We won’t examine them in detail as we have done the previous ones.
4. Notice that the first group includes the God-given qualities of the mind: purity, knowledge, and patience.
5. The second group includes the God-given qualities of the heart: kindness, the Holy Spirit, and sincere love.
6. The final group includes the God-given equipment for the work of preaching the gospel: truthful speech, the power of God, and weapons of righteousness.
a. The weapons in the right and left hand probably signify a sword in one and a shield in the other – weapons for offense and defense.
I. Paul completed this lyrical passage with a series of contrasts.
1. Look at verses 8-10: through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
2. What did Paul mean by these contrasts? Again, all these things point to the endurance God gave him.
a. He may have lost all rights and privileges which the world can confer, but he was still a citizen of the Kingdom of God.
b. Many criticized his every action, and hated his name, but his approval by God was sure.
c. Many called him a wandering imposter, but he knew that both he and his gospel were genuine.
d. Danger was his companion and the prospect of death was his comrade, and yet the grace of God was alive in his life and even death could not take that away.
e. Things happened to Paul that might have chastened any man’s spirit, but they could not kill the spirit of Paul.
f. Things happened that might have broken any man’s heart, but they could not destroy Paul’s joy.
g. Paul might have been penniless, but the gospel he shared enriched the souls of mankind.
h. He may have had nothing this world offered, but he had everything that mattered in the world to come.
J. What a great servant of God was Paul!
1. The point of laying all this out was not to boast, but to be able to move to his conclusion and exhortation.
2. Look at verses 11-13: We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.
3. In spite of all the problems and heartaches the church at Corinth had caused him, Paul still loved them very much.
4. It was not customary for Paul to address his readers by name, but he only did so when his emotions had been deeply stirred.
5. He had spoken honestly and lovingly to them, now he was asking them to open their hearts to him.
6. All Paul wanted was a fair exchange – his love for theirs.
7. If there had been any lack of openness, integrity or commitment, it had been on their part, not his.
8. So Paul appealed to them as a spiritual father to his spiritual children.
9. Although his desire was for complete reciprocity of affection, he was acutely aware that affection can only be given, it cannot be demanded or forced.
10. But keep in mind that the ultimate goal of Paul’s appeal for them to open their hearts to him was not the desire for renewed feelings toward him as a person, but a renewed faith in the gospel the he preached and embodied.
11. He was not trying to get the Corinthians to like him more, rather he was calling them to repentance and was trying to save their souls.
II. Applying the Word
A. What lessons for our own lives should we wrestle with from today’s passage? Let me offer three.
B. First, I believe that we should be ready and willing to pay any price to be real servants of God.
1. There is a very real cost to being a disciple of Jesus – that ultimate cost is our very lives.
2. Jesus said that we must deny ourselves and pick up our cross daily and follow Him (Lk. 9:23).
3. In the next verse, Jesus said that if we want to save our life we must lose it, but if we lose it for Jesus then we will save it. (Lk. 9:24)
4. In what ways are you making an effort to serve Christ daily by giving up your life?
5. In what real, practical ways are you toiling, and sacrificing to serve Jesus and advance the Kingdom of God?
6. How much real time, talent and treasure are you really putting forth in your Christian service?
7. As we saw today in Paul’s example, he was indeed ready and willing to pay any price to be a real servant of God, are we?
C. Second, I believe that we should be depending on the presence and power of God to give us the endurance needed to be real servants of God.
1. This should be a great relief and comfort to us.
2. God promises to be with us always, and to empower us in every way.
3. God doesn’t want us to be trying to do this on our own, rather we must learn to lean on Him.
4. God is the One who makes us competent and capable of being real servants of God.
5. How does this power and endurance come to us from the Lord? Through our personal connection to the Lord in our daily walk, and through fellowship with God’s people.
D. Finally, I believe we should be motivated by the fact that others are watching us and that our example of being real servants of God can have a huge impact on others.
1. Paul was well aware that others were watching him and were following his example.
2. As a matter of fact, he challenged others to follow him as he followed Christ.
3. The Christian motto should never be “do as I say, not as I do,” but should be “do as I say and as I do.”
4. As real servants of God, it should be our goal to be the best example we can be.
E. I want to close with a secular story of someone who was sold out for her cause.
1. Pay close attention to her willingness to toil and suffer for her cause.
2. I think it will challenge each of us as we ask ourselves if we are giving of ourselves that much for the cause of Christ.
Conclusion: I want to tell you about a young lady named Patti Wilson.
A. At a young and tender age, Patti was told by her doctor that she was an epileptic.
1. Her father, Jim Wilson, was a morning jogger, and one day she smiled through her teenage braces and said, “Daddy what I'd really love to do is run with you every day, but I'm afraid I'll have a seizure.”
2. Her father told her, “If you do, I know how to handle it so let's start running!”
3. That's just what they did every day and she experienced no seizures at all while running.
B. After a few weeks, she told her father, “Daddy, what I'd really love to do is break the world's long-distance running record for women.”
1. Her father checked the Guiness Book of World Records and found that the farthest any woman had run was 80 miles.
2. As a freshman in high school, Patti announced, “I'm going to run from Orange County up to San Francisco.” ( it was a distance of 400 miles.)
3. “As a sophomore,” she went on, “I'm going to run to Portland, Oregon.” (Over 1,500 miles.)
4. “As a junior I'll run to St. Louis.” (About 2,000 miles.)
5. “As a senior I'll run to the White House.” (More than 3,000 miles away.)
C. In view of her handicap, Patti was as enthusiastic as she was ambitious, and she said that she looked at the handicap of being an epileptic as simply “an inconvenience.”
1. That year she completed her run to San Francisco wearing a T-shirt that read, “I Love Epileptics.”
2. Her dad ran every mile at her side, and her mom, a nurse, followed in a motor home behind them in case anything went wrong.
D. In her sophomore year Patti's classmates got behind her.
1. They made a giant poster that read, “Run, Patti, Run!” (This has since become her motto and the title of a book she has written.)
2. Unfortunately, during her run to Portland, she fractured a bone in her foot.
3. A doctor told her she had to end this run to Portland.
4. He said, “I've got to put a cast on your ankle so that you don't sustain permanent damage.”
5. “Doc, you don't understand,” she said. “This isn't just a whim of mine, it's a magnificent obsession! I'm not just doing it for me, I'm doing it to break the chains on the brains that limit so many others. Isn't there a way I can keep running?”
6. He gave her one option. He could wrap her foot in adhesive bandages instead of putting it in a cast.
7. He warned her that it would be incredibly painful, and he told her, “It will blister.”
8. She told the doctor to wrap it up.
9. She finished the run to Portland, completing her last mile with the governor of Oregon running next to her.
10. Newspaper headlines read: “Super Runner, Patti Wilson Ends Marathon For Epilepsy On Her 17th Birthday.”
E. As a senior she accomplished her goal.
1. After four months of almost continuous running from the West Coast to the East Coast, Patti arrived in Washington and shook the hand of the President of the United States.
2. She told him, “I wanted people to know that epileptics are normal human beings with normal lives.”
3. Because of Patti’s noble efforts, enough money has been raised to open up 19 multi-million-dollar epileptic centers around the country.
F. If Patti Wilson can do so much with so little for the cause of Epilepsy, what can we do with God’s help for the cause of Christ?
1. What will you allow God to do today in your heart and life to help you become a better servant of God?
2. Let us be real servants of God for the good of the Kingdom and the glory of God!
Resources:
Paul for Everyone, 2 Corinthians, Tom Wright, Westminster John Knox Press, 2003
2 Corinthians, The NIV Application Commentary, Scott J. Hafemann, Zondervan, 2000
2 Corinthians, John MacArthur, Nelson Impact, 2007
The Letters to the Corinthians, William Barclay, The Westminster Press, 1975
Be Encouraged, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Warren Wiersbe, Victor Books, 1989
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Murray J. Harris, Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein, Zondervan, 1976
