SERMON OUTLINE:
He boasts in his jealousy over the Church (vs 1-6)
He boasts in his generosity to the Church (vs :7-21)
He boasts in his Sufferings for the Church (vs 22-33)
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• He looked down the lens of a TV camera and shouted out the words,
• “I am the greatest!”
• The media nicknamed him, "Louisville Lip"
• He called himself by another name,
• And throughout his career he boasted he was "The Greatest,".
• People either loved him or hated him;
• Some bought tickets to see him take one on the chin and be humbled;
• Others because they loved his showmanship.
• But one thing is for sure;
• In the world of boxing he was the champ!
• Muhammad Ali used to boast that in the boxing ring was that he could;
• "Float like a butterfly, and sting like a bee, the hands can’t hit what the eye can’t see".
• He knew how to brag in an attempt to psyche out his opponents.
• And his boasting was all part of that.
• He says in his book, ‘The Soul of a Butterfly’,
• That on one particular flight, that the flight attendant asked him to put his seat belt on.
• He said to her, "Superman don't need no seat belt".
• She smiled at him and said, "Superman don't need no plane, either."
• Well, if you will forgive the pun;
• I guess even Muhammad Ali had feet of ‘Clay’
• TRANSITION: This chapter is about boasting;
• You might not expect it from an apostle of God;
• But there is irony, sarcasm in his boasting.
• And as we look at this chapter;
• We will note the apostle Paul boasts regarding three areas of his life.
Note:
• Now if you were here last week;
• You might remember that I mentioned that the apostle Paul had experienced hostility.
• Opposition from within this Church at Corinth.
• That opposition was in the form of bitter criticism from some teachers in the Church.
• These false teachers showed joined the Church;
• After the apostle Paul had moved on to plant a Church somewhere else.
• Because they were new comers to the Church at Corinth;
• They did not know him and had no loyalty to him;
• Instead of recognising his apostleship, they just found fault in him and in his message.
• These false teachers were into showmanship, they were dynamic preachers,
• For them performance mattered more than substance!
• And the Church of Corinth had been won over by them.
Ill:
• A Native American Indian in Arizona once listened to a politician give a speech;
• When someone asked him what he thought of it;
• He replied, "Big wind! Loud thunder! No rain!"
• TRANSITION: Lots of noise but no content;
• And for these false teachers performance mattered more than substance!
As the apostle writes to correct these problems, he uses ‘sarcasm’ in this chapter;
• The apostle Paul will turn his opponents allegations on themselves.
• To paraphrase he is saying:
"These new teachers who oppose me love to boast,
so I too will use their methods and do a little boasting too!"
• So the apostle has been forced to boast.
• He has been forced to defend his apostleship.
• And he will do it in an ironic way.
• He admits (verse 17) that he is not following Christ's example by doing this;
• Jesus had every reason to stick out his chest and boast - but he never did!
• Remember that the apostle is using sarcasm to make his point;
• And he knows that his boasting will glorify Christ;
• Because all that he boasts about will be about the work of Christ in him.
• So in boasting about himself he is ultimately boasting about Jesus.
Paul boasts over three matters.
(1). He boasts in his jealousy over the Church (vs 1-6)
“I hope you will put up with me in a little foolishness. Yes, please put up with me! 2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. 3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the snake’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.
5 I do not think I am in the least inferior to those ‘super-apostles’.[a] 6 I may indeed be untrained as a speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way”
Ill:
• A doctor, an engineer, and a politician were arguing as to which profession was older.
• The doctor spoke first:
• "Without a physician mankind could not have survived,
• So I am sure that mine is the oldest profession."
• The engineer disagreed and said:
• "Before life began there was complete chaos,
• And it took an engineer to create some appearance of order from this chaos.
• So engineering is older."
• "You are both wrong," said a confident politician,
• "Who do you think created the chaos?"
• TRANSITON: Chaos, anger and heartbreak are often the out-workings of jealousy!
• Quote: It was the great bard of Avon who called jealousy;
• "The green-eyed monster." (Othello Act 3, scene 3)
• Jealousy is an angry, strong, powerful emotion that refuses to tolerate a rival.
• It can be a very powerful motivator to aggressive action.
• It is one of the most frequent causes for broken homes;
• Broken hearts and broken bodies in the world today.
• Yet amazingly, God declares in the book of Exodus (chapter 20 verse 5).
• "For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,"
Question: Now if jealousy is so bad, why does God get jealous?
Answer:
• Simple answer is because God is holy and we are sinful.
• God is jealous/zealous for righteousness and justice;
• And wants the good of the other person,
• Human jealousy is so often tainted and polluted by sin,
• Human jealousy is so often motivated by selfish motives;
• And often at the expense of other people.
• TRANSITION: in verse 2 the apostle Paul says that he feels a "godly jealousy,"
• For these people.
• Whenever we are jealous we need to stop and ask the question:
• “Is my jealousy godly, or is it harmful?"
• We can see the difference illustrated in these verses;
• False jealousy is always selfish; it is concerned about ‘I, me, my’.
• A godly, a true jealousy, on the other hand,
• Is what the apostle Paul felt for these Corinthians,
• It is one that arises from a deep passion for the welfare of another.
• It is not about self, but about righteousness.
Notice: The apostle Paul stats the chapter with an illustration:
• The apostle Paul wanted to present this Church to Christ as a pure virgin bride:
• But sadly he tells them they have been seduced;
• And sadly, they have not even realised it!
• Just like Satan deceived Eve (Genesis chapter 3),
• So these false teachers have deceived the minds of these true believers.
• And this deception has led many of them away from the truth.
• They were now following and trusting in another Jesus and therefore another gospel.
• Because when a person is wrong about who Jesus is;
• Inevitably they will be wrong about the message of the gospel.
Ill:
• We live in the world which always wants their own caricature of Jesus Christ.
• A caricature of course, is a similar image but very distorted;
• It exaggerates some features at the expense of others.
• The greatness of God is most clearly displayed in his Son.
• And the glory of the gospel is only made evident in his Son.
• That is why the question Jesus asked of his disciples (in Matthew chapter 16);
• Is still so important: "Who do you say that I am?"
• The question is doubly crucial in our day,
• Because we see caricatures of Jesus everywhere!
• i.e. There's the Socialist Jesus;
• Who is primarily concerned with the redistribution of wealth.
• Jesus was obviously left wing in hid politics.
• i.e. There is Capitalist Jesus;
• Who gives the individual initiative and drive,
• Earn as much as you can and enjoy the fruits of your labours.
• Jesus was always talking about money and was right wing in his political views.
• i.e. There's Therapist Jesus:
• Who helps us cope with life's problems,
• And tells us how valuable we are and not to be so hard on ourselves.
• i.e. There's Starbucks Jesus:
• Who drinks fair trade coffee,
• And loves to advise the world to where it is going wrong.
• i.e. There's Open-minded Jesus:
Who loves everyone all the time no matter what;
• (Except that is… for people who are not as open-minded as you).
• i.e. There's Gold Medal Jesus:
• Who helps athletes run faster and jump higher than non-Christians,
• Gold Medal Jesus determines the outcomes of sporting contests.
• i.e. There's Martyr Jesus;
• A good man who died a cruel death;
• As the saying goes; “The good always die young!”
• i.e. There's Gentle Jesus:
• Who was meek and mild, with high cheek bones, flowing blond hair,
• And walks around barefoot, in sandals and a white robe.
• i.e. There's Hippie Jesus:
• Who teaches everyone to give peace a chance,
• And helps us remember that "all you need is love."
• i.e. There's Yuppie Jesus:
• Who encourages us to reach our full potential,
• Reach for the stars, and buy that car, that house, that boat etc.
• i.e. There's Spirituality Jesus:
• Who hates religion, churches, pastors, priests, and doctrine,
• And would rather have people out in nature, finding "the god within"
• While listening to ambiguously spiritual music.
• i.e. There's Platitude Jesus;
• Good for Christmas specials, greeting cards,
• TV Programmes like the BBC ‘Songs of Praise’ and of course for ‘nice’ sermons,
• i.e. There's Revolutionary Jesus:
• Who teaches us to rebel against the status quo,
• And blames things on "the system."
• i.e. There's Guru Jesus.
• A wise, inspirational teacher who believes in you;
• And will help you find your centre.
• i.e. There's Boyfriend Jesus:
• Who wraps his arms around us as we sing the latest worship song;
• About his intoxicating love.
• There's Good Example Jesus:
• i.e. Who shows you how to help people, change the planet,
• And become a better you.
• i.e. There's Life-Style Jesus:
• Who fits into our lives when it convenient to you and on your terms.
• No need for repentance and commitment.
• TRANSITION:
• Now there may be a measure of truth in many of those caricatures;
• But they are caricatures, and not the real Jesus!
• That is why the question Jesus asked of his disciples (in Matthew chapter 16);
• Is still so important: "Who do you say that I am?"
• He is Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.
• Not just another prophet. Not just another Rabbi or religious leader.
• Not just another wonder-worker.
• He is the Son of God who appeared in flesh & blood (God in a body);
• And gave his life on the cross as a sacrifice for your sins and mine!
• He is the only one who conquered death when resurrected to new life;
• And he is the only one who is glorified now in heaven!
• He is Jesus Christ the Lord!
• This Jesus Christ is not a reflection of the current mood;
• Or the projection of our own desires.
• He is our Lord and God. He is the Father's Son, the Saviour of the world,
• This is the Jesus Christ preached and taught by the apostles;
• And revealed to us in the gospels.
• And if we depart from the apostles teaching or the inspired Word of God;
• We will end up with a the projection of our own desires.
• Another Jesus;
• That is what these false teachers in Corinth ad done;
• And when you create another Jesus who is a projection of our own desires.
• You end up with another gospel, which is anything but ‘good news’.
(2). He boasts in his Generosity to the Church (vs 7-21).
“Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you. 9 And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. 10 As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
12 And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. 13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
16 I repeat: let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. 17 In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool.18 Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast.19 You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! 20 In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. 21 To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that!
Whatever anyone else dares to boast about – I am speaking as a fool – I also dare to boast about.”
The critics and opponents of the apostle Paul (false teachers):
• Said that Paul could not be a cannot be a true apostle,
• Because if he was, then he would he would charge and accept money for his services.
• Just like they did.
• i.e. In the world the better the singer the more costly the tickets for a performance;
• i.e. The better the footballer the more costly the tickets for a game;
• i.e. The better the chef the more costly the meal will be at a restaurant.
• These false teachers operated on a ‘worldly’ basis:
• They charged for their services and because they were ‘celebrity’ preachers,
• It meant they charged big money to appear and perform.
In contrast the apostle Paul refused to accept support from the church in Corinth:
• He had every right to expect to make a living from his preaching;
• That was explained in chapters 8 and 9 of this book.
• But that apostle Paul was not going to be linked with and tainted by those opponents;
• Money was never his motivation and he did not take anything from the Church.
Ill:
• These false teachers were acting like a dodgy sales-person;
• Who saw an opportunity to deceive a vulnerable customer.
• The apostle Paul never acted like that.
Note:
• The apostle Paul uses a bit of irony here:
• He suggests (vs 7)’
• That he committed a sin by refusing the Corinthians financial support!
• Again using sarcasm he says (vs 8),
• “He robbed the Churches in Philippi” because they financed his stay in Corinth.
• He wanted to (vs 12) "cut off” any opportunity;
• His opponents would have for accusing him (v. 12).
• And yet, they still found fault!
• We have an idiom that says; Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
• In other words no matter what you do, it will cause trouble.
Notice:
• For the first time in this letter,
• The apostle Paul openly accuses these false teachers of being "servants of the devil”.
• One of the devil’s most effective weapon is imitation;
• These false teachers looked the part but were not the genuine article.
Ill:
• One of the places we enjoy going on holiday is the town of Kas in Turkey;
• And if you walk down to the marina you come across a variety of ships.
• My favourite shop is a jewellers, which has a large sign in the window.
• The sign says, “Genuine fakes!”
• TRANSITION: These opponents of the apostle Paul were not misguided saints;
• They were "servants of the devil”.
• Their motivation was self-promotion and financial gain;
• They were not concerned for the health of the Church;
• They were not concerned with ‘building up’ the members of the Church.
• Their motivation was self-promotion and financial gain;
• It was all about them and their ministries!
This Church at Corinth should really have known better:
• They should have looked at the lives and ministries of these people;
• And seen through their showmanship.
Ill:
• Many of us can’t tell fourteen caret gold from eighteen carat.
• Some of us can’t even tell gold plate from solid gold.
• So, years ago, in London,
• The jewellers of Goldsmith’s Hall took pride in doing good work.
• They wanted each customer to know exactly what they was buying.
• So they devised a mark of quality, and its use became established by law.
• When a piece of gold was stamped with a little crown and the figure 18,
• Everyone knew it was eighteen carat.
• "The mark of the hall" guaranteed it.
• TRANSITION:
• The apostle Paul reminds these Christians of God’s ‘Hall Mark’
• These false teachers were great orators in the pulpit,
• But displayed nothing of the spirit of Christ in their lives.
• They were takers and not givers, they did not display servant qualities.
• And in verse 20 the apostle says that their ministry actually enslaved the fellowship;
• When it should be liberating them.
(3). He boasts in his sufferings for the Church (vs 22-33).
“Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have laboured and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised for ever, knows that I am not lying. 32 In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me.33 But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.”
Ill:
• The renowned artist Paul Gustave Dore (1821-1883);
• Lost his passport while traveling in Europe.
• When he came to a border crossing,
• He explained his predicament to one of the guards. Giving his name to the official,
• Dore hoped he would be recognized and allowed to pass.
• The guard, however, said that many people attempted to cross the border;
• By claiming to be persons they were not.
• Dore insisted that he was the man he claimed to be.
• So the guard asked him to prove it.
• Handing him a pencil and a sheet of paper,
• He told the artist to sketch several peasants standing nearby.
• Dore did it so quickly and skilfully that the guard was convinced;
• He was indeed who he claimed to be.
• His work confirmed his word!
• TRANSITION:
• The life and the work of the apostle Paul confirmed his word!
• Paul's credentials of apostolic ministry;
• Were the wounds on his body that he received in serving Christ.
• The apostle Paul suffered for serving Christ.
• Many of the things he listed we are not told about in the book of Acts!
• We only find them out because he mentions them in defending himself.
These sufferings need little comment; they speak for themselves:
• Suffice to say that Paul went anywhere, endured anything,
• That he might take the Gospel to lost men and women.
• Whereas the false teachers only wanted financial gain;
• And would ‘move on’ (flee) when trouble or persecution came along.
• And these false teachers ‘burdened’ the Church financially;
• The apostle Paul was ‘burdened’ (vs 28) by his care for the Church.
One credential of a true follower of Jesus:
• Is their willingness to make sacrifices for Christ.
• It was true of the apostle Paul and it should be true of you and me!
Quote: J. H. Goldner wrote,
• "The prevailing tendency in the present-day church is to make religion too easy.
• It is kept within the realm of convenience and comfort.
• Rarely is there a call for real sacrifice.
• By means of suppers and sales people are tricked into giving.
• Through entertainments and other alluring programs;
• An effort is made to inject a little religion into the unsuspecting.
• And when people have come into the church the greatest care is exercised to spare them,
• So that only a minimum of anything is asked of them."
• TRANSITION: You might be interested to know that J. H. Goldner;
• Wrote these words about the church in 1926.
• And he accused the church of that time of little sacrifice.
• I wonder what he would say about the modern day church?
Conclusion:
Ill:
• Lloyd George was a former prime minister of Britain,
• On one occasion a woman came up to him after he had given a speech.
• And she said to him,
• "Before I saw you in person, I thought you were a much taller man."
• Lloyd George replied, "Madam, in Wales, where I come from,
• We measure a man from his neck up, not from the neck down."
• TRANSITION: God does not measure us by our looks;
• Or by our dress or by our material possessions.
• We are measured by our lives;
• By the things we do, the way we speak, how we treat others, etc.
Questions to ponder:
• What are your credentials?
• What proves to the world that you belong to Christ?
• Are you concerned about others?
• Does that evidence itself in our attitudes and actions towards them?
• Are you concerned about your church?
• Are you praying regularly for the leaders?
• Are you supporting practically the other members of the fellowship?
• Have you sacrificed anything recently for Christ?
• Is it costing us anything to follow Christ?
• God wants His people to shine in this world of darkness.
• We need to let Him work in us and through us!
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=F5zx3tpqDruvborqmEBWGpmNVaeEaWor&forceSave
