Aim for Perfection
2 Corinthians 13:11
Well, we have another Year in the books! We're standing at the door ready to enter into a New Year. What are we going to do with it? How are we going to approach it?
We've got a couple of choices:
• We can focus on the past: whether it be our successes or our failure…
• Or, we can make the most of the future – redeeming every moment God gives us!
One church media strategist is trying to promote a campaign to Redeem the 167!
• He's referring to the 167 hours each week that Christians aren't in their primary worship service.
• There's more to our Christian life, commitment, and service to the kingdom than what we do here on Sunday mornings.
• Are we redeeming the 167 hours and using each one to glorify God?
Likewise, will we redeem the 365 days of 2018?
• Will we make our lives count?
• Will others be blessed by their relationship and interaction with us?
• Will others have a clearer picture of Christ by seeing Him alive in us?
• Will others be challenged to have a closer walk with Jesus because of our influence?
• Will we model his character each day – not just on Sundays?
To accomplish the goal of redeeming the 365 days demands that we live INTENTIONALLY!
I've heard it said: "If you aim at nothing, you're liable to hit it!"
• If you live without a plan, you will accomplish little.
• If you react according to your feelings instead of a godly strategy, then you will more often than not treat others and act like a lost, worldly, godless person. (You actually have to accept – in advance – that people are going to disappoint you and have a plan how to respond in a godly way – OR YOU WON'T!)
• The path of least resistance always goes downhill fast!
• If you want to live with wisdom – then godliness has to be your focus every day!
Proverbs 17:24 (NIV) A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.
Proverbs 17:24 (GN) An intelligent person aims at wise actions, but a fool starts off in many directions.
His eyes are wandering because they are not strategically focused on wisdom!
Paul had a lot to teach the church about wisdom and living intentionally. He wrote several letters to the Christians in the churches he established on his missionary journeys – the initial spread of Christianity across the middle east and Europe.
• Some of these letters offer more commendation than others.
• The letters to the Corinthians are longer and have much more work to do trying to correct problems in the Corinthian church. HE LOVED THEM TOO MUCH TO LET THEM REMAIN DYSFUNCTIONAL!
o Many believers remained carnal/worldly/not letting go of the sinful baggage of their life before Christ!
o They were cliquish – dividing themselves among favorite teachers.
o Some lived in egregious sinfulness in brash public display.
o Their worship services got out of hand – some were getting drunk on the Lord's Supper wine.
• Paul taught them about being One Body – though very different individually.
• Paul taught them about God's Agape Love – and how it should govern all that we do.
• Paul taught them about the future return of Christ, and how death is not a defeat.
• Paul taught them about showing grace – and redeeming and restoring the sinful.
• Paul taught them that although we are common vessels of clay – God has entrusted within us the treasure of the gospel and the ministry of reconciliation for the world!
• Paul encourages generosity for the cause of Christ!
And in his final thoughts – his summation of his second letter, he says his goodbye and offers this challenge:
2 Corinthians 13:11 (NIV) Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.
Aim for Perfection!
• Does he know that they are going to fall short? Yes!
o Does that mean we don't try?
o Does that mean we don't plan for success?
o Does that mean we don't practice obedience?
o Does that mean we don't stand alert and ready for repentance when we fall?
• What is the standard by which we are to live? Rather, who is the standard?
• If Jesus is our standard, how could we aim for anything less than Perfection?
Illustration: The Baseball player who aimed for a 2.0 GPA in college!
• Fell short – flunked out his first year!
Paul certainly intends for each individual believer to aim for perfection!
But, Paul is also writing to the church as a whole to be a perfect body of Christ – a perfect church!
Illustration: The Perfect Church
I've heard so many pastors use the following line about church members who constantly complain about their perceived short-coming in the church:
They say, "Well, should you ever find a perfect church, whatever you do, don't join it, cause you'll ruin it!!"
Question: What are the characteristics of a perfect church?
• And, how does a church aim at and reach perfection?
I think, perhaps , the answer to both lies in the remainder of the verse.
1. "Listen to My Appeal"
All of Paul's instructions that I listed off earlier… Paul is saying that his words can't merely go into one ear and out the other!
• Scripture must be words that we actually live by.
• They must change our thoughts… and then our actions… and our words!
1 Corinthians 12:21-26 (NIV) The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV) Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.
These can't be empty truths that we understand but do not practice.
We must genuinely value and be concerned for other church members.
We must love one another with this kind of love.
Obedience to God's Truth is essential to the next step:
2. "Be of One Mind"
What does it mean to be of one mind?
Does it mean that we care passionately about the same ministries or think the same way on every issue? Clearly not!!
Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV) Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Paul is admitting that we will have different levels of concern for various issues and interests…
• So don't react aimlessly, but intentionally…
o have a strategy to be looking out for the interests of others.
o have a strategy to make sure no one is left out.
That is why I love our general church budget: it endeavors to meet the needs of everyone's ministry interests. When you tithe to the general fund, you're saying, "I support everyone and all of the ministries of the church; not just my pet projects."
Does being of one mind mean that we have the same aesthetic tastes?
• Do we all like the same foods? No! That's why we champion Pot Luck Dinners!
• Do we all like the same paint color? No! That's why we don't pick them in Bus. Mtgs!
• Do we all like the same arts? No! I'd like to have banners in here, but I've heard others speak of their tackiness! (We have people who decorate that are better than I.)
• Do we all like the same music? No! That's why we have a variety in music!
o I like Christmas carols, but four weeks is enough! I find Jesus Messiah to be refreshing! And if 10,000 reasons doesn't light your fire, some might say your wood's wet… but that's not fair, is it?
o If someone said that they had a hard time relating to the old-fashioned hymn, I Am Resolved, they wouldn't want someone to question their spiritual maturity.
o I don't normally listen to Southern Gospel, but I love every song Vonnie sings.
WE WILL NOT EVER ALL LIKE THE SAME THINGS AESTHETICALLY!
So how do we have the same mind?
We all stand together on the Truth of God's Word – living out the Great Command to love and the Great Commission to make and train disciples!
• We may accomplish these through a wide variety of ministries – utilizing a wide variety of spiritual gifts – embodied in a wide variety of people with various cultural and aesthetic preferences!
So, how do we make it work? We have a Strategy of AIMING for perfect unity while utilizing our God-given and designed diversity! (WE CAN'T BE LED BY GUT REACTIONS!)
3. "Live in Peace."
You can't have peace in a church if all of its members do not "listen to (Paul's) appeal," and practice the truths of scriptures.
You can't have peace in a church if all of its members are not "of one mind," intentionally focused on accomplishing the bigger tasks rather than on their own little lists of personal preferences.
Why is peace so important? BECAUSE PEACE WITH GOD AND WITH OUR FELLOW MAN IS EVERYTHING JESUS GAVE HIS LIFE FOR!
If that's not our priority, then we are discounting his entire life and sacrifice!
Jesus summed up the importance of unity in his final words to the Father before going to the cross:
John 17:20-21 (NIV) "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me."
How can you know if you are listening to and obeying scripture, you are of one mind (focused on the fundamental truths rather than lesser issues), and prepared to live in peace with your brothers and sisters?
• Ask yourself what upsets you... what bothers you…
• What keeps you up at night… what do you dream about seeing happen in the church?
Illustration: Christian Speaker on a College Campus in the 80's
• Began his speech with a series of bad words. The audience was aghast… and rightfully so.
• Then he asked: "What upsets you more, that I just cussed or that your neighbor is dying and going to hell without Jesus?"
HIS POINT: WE MUST FOCUS ON THE IMPORTANT ISSUES!
WHY EXPEND SO MUCH EMOTION ON LESSER ISSUES??
We, as a church, need to Aim for Perfection – to be the church Jesus wants us to be!
Final Thought: If our strategy is to be a church that all people (Christian and non-Christian, churched and unchurched) love to attend, what is it about our church that will make people love to attend it?
• Will it be the pastor – who is as pleasing to the eyes as he is the ears?
(Which is probably true – but that's not a good thing!)
• Will it be because we always sing everyone's favorite song?
• Will it be because our pews are the most comfortable in town, or our heating and air conditioning are always set to a temperature that appeals to everyone simultaneously?
• Is it simply because our buildings are majestic and tastefully decorated?
"And the God of love and peace will be with you."
Here's my Dream and Goal as your pastor: When someone attends our church, they will know two things (through hearing the word, and experiencing it lived out through us): that God loves them, and that we love them! Anything less, and we have missed the mark.
I want people to find God's presence here!
Will you dream the same dream and share the same goal?
Will you be part of what makes our church great?
Will you make sure everyone knows that God loves them and that you love them when they come into contact with you?
