A Servant Who Should Be Respected
2 Corinthians 12: 11-18
1. With the disaster of Hurricane Sandy and the misery and grief it brought, we are reminded about how vulnerable we all are.
2. This life is filled with twists, turns, and uncertainties. The only real insurance is the assurance of our salvation. The spiritual realm is the realm of stability.
3. Yet once we come to know the Lord, there is much to learn. The biggest handicap is found among those who think they know when in reality they do not.
4. Spiritual knowledge is something we accumulate over time; it is work and expends both the mind and the soul. For some, it is like breaking an impossible code:
5. “George Smith died on Oct. 30 … Smith was part of a Marine unit of Native Americans who created a complex and secret code based on the Navajo language. Because Navajo is an unwritten language that was passed through generations, it is difficult for a non-Navajo speaker to translate, according to navajocodetalkers.org.
The words of the code, which were committed to memory by the Code Talkers, were used in communications in key battles, such as Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima, the official site of the Code Talkers notes.
“The Japanese never managed to crack the code.” [source: yahoo.com, The Lookout]
6. This is one reason why we need teachers, and we need to be eager to learn.
7. You might ask, “What is the difference between an apostle and disciple? Do we have apostles today? Or, better yet, do we have the same kind of apostles today?”
8. Many people claim to be apostles…to have a special corner on God.
“I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.” (Revelation 2:2)
Main Idea: We are to respect those in spiritual authority, and we are to respect those who pour themselves out for the Gospel. Paul deserved respect on both counts.
I. AUTHORITY: Paul A True Apostle (11-12)
A. Paul would rather talk about JESUS than himself
• If the Corinthians would have stood up for Paul, he would not have to
B. Conflict diverts a church from it primary DIRECTIVE
• Paul forced into a competition he would not rather be part of
• Rabbi said two pieces of paper; when feeling worthless, one says, “God made the world for me.” When arrogant, “I am made of dust & ashes.”
C. The Apostles unique roles were unique AGENTS of Jesus Christ
Berakoth 34b, “If one makes a mistake in his tefillah it is a bad sign for him, and if he is a reader of the congregation it is a bad sign for those who have commissioned him, because a man’s agent is equivalent to himself.”
D. Apostles were not appointed by the church, but were independently CONTRACTED by Jesus Christ Himself
1. ABOVE the church yet part of the church
Galatians 1:15-17, “But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.”
2. All JEWISH. Jesus promised 12 Apostles would rule (Matthew 19:28)
“And Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.’”
3. Personally appointed by JESUS (Luke 6:13)
“And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles.”
4. Eyewitnesses to the RESURRECTED Jesus (Acts 1:15-20)
I Corinthians 9:1-2, “Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.”
5. The Apostles REVEALED the Gospel (Ephesians 3:3-5)
“…how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.”
6. The Apostles poured the FOUNDATION of the church (Ephesians 2:20)
“… built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.”
E. Paul worked AUTHENTICATING Miracles
Application: Today, we respect apostolic authority by obeying the New Testament. That means reading, working hard and interpreting, and implementing it. Paul is dead, but his God-given authority lives on in his writings which were inspired of God.
II. SACRIFICE: Pouring Out Yourself to Minister (13-18)
The ministry is not about glamour, dignity, and prestige; it is about sacrifice and making a difference in the Kingdom of God.
A. He sacrificed his right of SUPPORT (13)
God’s Kingdom is not unionized. The working conditions can get overwhelming. Everything is not under control and put into neat categories.
B. He sought to PROVIDE for them as a father (14-15)
1. He came the “third time” [gave them every chance, full effort]
2. Third time is the charm; God calls Samuel 3X, Elijah water on altar
3. Ethic: parents to save up for children…
4. Issue here is posture in the realm of authority; the Corinthians wanted Paul to be a hired hand so they could control him, not a leader so they could support him. Read, “control” between the lines.
Craig Keener comments, “The well-to-do in the Corinthians church want an apostle they can be proud of—one who conforms to their high-society expectations for a professional moral teacher. Thus they want Paul to stop working and to accept support from them, to become their client or dependent…Paul avoids playing into the hands of the well-to-do faction of the church…by accepting support from others instead; here he replies in irony: ‘Forgive me!’
“…he refused their support not because he was socially ignorant but because they were his dependents rather than being their dependent…”
5. To expend, like a candle burning itself out to give light to others…
6. Some of you are amazing in your willingness to be expended
7. I think of some of our leaders during conflict, musicians practicing and giving time, people cooking in hot kitchens or cleaning or helping care for children
C. He and his associates observed HIGH standards (16-18)
• You can tell a lot about a person by his trusted friends
• Not the same as friends; an accepting, loving person may have all sorts
D. Application: Sometimes we are called to surrender our RIGHTS
Application: God’s Kingdom is led by imperfect leaders serving the Perfect King who is both present & absent at the same time. Today’s Scriptural leaders are NOT apostles; their authority comes from the legitimacy of their calling, and willingness to expend themselves. They are pastors, evangelists, missionaries, teachers. Those leaders who seek to be true to the Word should be respected, not held in contempt. Balance. They should be held accountable, but not fair game for control freaks. They are not hired hands.
