AIMING LIKE PAUL
2 CORINTHIANS 13:11-13
INTRODUCTION
I. The Aim of Perfection
One of the first aims that the Apostle Paul commands the Corinthians to shoot for is perfection. Paul says in verse 11, "aim for perfection." The command is one that speaks to the Corinthian Church as well as to our own. What is Paul saying to us? One of the first things we must discover is what Paul means by ‘perfection.’ The word ‘perfect’ in the orginal language as Paul used it was a very specific and descriptive word. In fact, it is the same word used in Matthew 4:21 when it says, "Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets." The ‘perfection’ in 2 Corinthians is the same word as ‘preparing’ in Matthew 4:21. The sense that we get is that Paul wants the Corinthians to prepare themselves fully when it comes to their Christian character.
The relationship that Paul has with the Corinthian Church is a rocky and rough one. The church was struggling in some areas and were asking Paul questions about some of those areas. This prompted Paul to write the letter of 1 Corinthians and talk about areas of sin in the church (chapter 5 and 6), personal relationships (chapter 7), the Lord’s Supper (chapter 11), spiritual gifts (chapter 12), and the worship service (chapter 14). They did not like all that they heard from Paul. Paul also refers to others letters that he wrote the church and that atleast one visit he had with the church was a painful one (2 Corinthians 2:1). It is in the midst of this painful and rocky relationship that Paul makes this command to "aim for perfection."
The Apostle Paul wants the best for the Corinthians and even tells them this at the beginning of his letter (2:4), "For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you." Paul loved these people and wanted the best for them. He wanted them to be spiritually prepared for the witness that they would be in their city. He wanted them prepared. He wanted them perfected.
ILLUSTRATION... The Pony Express (http://www.bible.org/illus.asp?topic_id=1159)
When it comes to being on the alert and ready at any moment to do the job, it was hard to beat the Pony Express. This historically famous mail service between St. Joseph, Missouri, and California depended on constant movement and readiness. Relay stations were established every ten to fifteen miles. A rider would shout aloud as he approached a station, giving the station master very short notice that he needed to be outside waiting with a fresh mount. Even when a rider came to the station where he was to spend the night, another rider was already mounted and waiting, ready to grab the first rider’s bundle of packages and continue the trip. The completion of the transcontinental telegraph system rendered the Pony Express obsolete after just eighteen months. But we have this service’s intriguing example of what it means to be ever watchful,.
Paul is asking and commanding the Corinthians to be watchful and vigilant in their church that they would be totally prepared and become perfected in some areas. The second thing we must discover is what areas had Paul written about in 2 Corinthians and in what areas he had wanted them to prepare. What does Paul write about?
* Paul writes about forgiving one another and restoring relationships in chapter 2
* Paul writes about living by faith in chapters 4 and 5
* Paul writes about being generous and giving in chapter 8
I think that all three of these areas are wonderful areas to prepare and perfect for any church. Paul wanted the Corinthians to have good relationships with each other and to have relationships in which they forgave each other and restored each other. Church is to be a place of healing relationships and we need to prepare our church to be such a place. Paul wanted the Corinthians to live by faith and not to allow the world around them to overcome them, but to be renewed day by day by their faith. Church is to be a place where our spiritual batteries are recharged so we can conquer the sin of the world and not fall victim to it. Paul also wanted the Corinthians to be generous in their giving so that the work ofJesus Christ would expand. Church should be a place where the most generous and giving and helpful people on the planet can be found... this is an area we always should strive in.
In all three of these areas that Paul wrote about, he wanted the Corinthians to prepare themselves and make a great effort to become perfect. I hope you understand that these things take work and effort and thought and planning. It takes discipline and perserverance. Paul knows this and wants our church (and the Corinthian Church) to be prepared.
II. The Aim of Unity
ILLUSTRATION... Working Together (http://www.pastorport.com/sermon.asp?mode=view&index=1635)
Two men were riding a bicycle built for two when they came to a big steep hill. It took a great deal of struggle for the men to complete what proved to be a very stiff climb. When they got to the top the man in front turned to the other and said, ’Boy, that sure was a hard climb.’ The fellow in back replied, ’Yes, and if I hadn’t kept the brakes on all the way we would certainly have rolled down backwards.’
We laugh at that of course and realize that when two people are working against one another in such a situation that there is a serious lack of togetherness and no unity. Paul not only wants the Corinthians to aim towards perfection, but also states that he wants them to "be of one mind." This is not the first time that Paul has mentioned unity to the Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 1:10 says, "I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought."
ILLUSTRATION... Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins [may need Buzz L toy to explain]
I was watching a cartoon with my kids the other day and a great example of unity piped into my home through the TV. The cartoon was Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (one of Nate and Ian’s favorite shows). Buzz Lightyear is a space ranger made famous by the movie "Toy Story" and now he has his own cartoon. They were showing the pilot episode in which the homeworld of Buzz Lightyear’s allies the Little Green Men was attacked by the evil Emperor Zurg. The Little Green Men are the mechanics and scientists that help the space rangers and so when their world is attacked, the space rangers want to help their friends. The Evil Emperor Zurg attacks for a specific reason and steals what is called the "unimind." It is the Unimind that links all of the LGMs together and allows them to work as a team and be the most effective mechanics and scientists. It allows them to work with one purpose. It allows them to function as a united workforce. Once the Unimind is stolen, the LGMs cannot do anything. They cannot communicate, they cannot fix anything, and they cannot do the most basic tasks. Long story short, Buzz Lightyear rescues the LGMs by getting the Unimind back and saving the day! And yet, the lesson remained. Without a common thought and purpose, the Little Green Men were lost and actually worked against each other.
A church is very much the same way. The Corinthian Church had lost it’s way and at times they were
working against each other. Some were peddling forwards while others had on the brake. Some were turning right while others assumed that left was the way to go. Paul commands the Corinthian Church to come together and be of one mind. Paul commands the Corinthian Church to be united.
* Creating unity means communication among members
* Creating unity means agreed upon purposes and goals.
* Creating unity means having unified leaders who will pave the way.
* Creating unity means each person being selflessness and being a servant.
Paul speaks to the Corinthians about aiming for perfection. Paul speaks to the Corinthians about aiming for unity. And the Apostle Paul also speaks to the Corinthians about the aim of peace.
III. The Aim of Peace
What does it mean to have ‘peace’ in a church? What does aiming for peace look like in the Body of Christ? I think that James helps us understand what this looks like when he writes about peace in James 3:13-18, "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."
What does aiming for peace look like in the Body of Christ / the church? James tells us...
* Peace means doing deeds in humility
* Peace means not harboring bitterness and selfish ambition
* Peace means accepting the Truth when it comes
* Peace means relying on heavenly wisdom
* Peace means harvesting righteousness
ILLUSTRATION... Peace of Mind (http://www.bible.org/illus.asp?topic_id=1077)
Duke University did a study on "peace of mind." Factors found to contribute greatly to emotional and
mental stability are:
1. The absence of suspicion and resentment. Nursing a grudge was a major factor in unhappiness.
2. Not living in the past. An unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes and failures leads to depression.
3. Not wasting time and energy fighting conditions you cannot change. Cooperate with life, instead of trying to run
away from it.
4. Force yourself to stay involved with the living world. Resist the temptation to withdraw and become reclusive during periods of emotional stress.
5. Refuse to indulge in self-pity when life hands you a raw deal. Accept the fact that nobody gets through life without some sorrow and misfortune.
6. Cultivate the old-fashioned virtues—love, humor, compassion and loyalty
7. Do not expect too much of yourself. When there is too wide a gap between self-expectation and your ability to meet the goals you have set, feelings of inadequacy are inevitable.
8. Find something bigger than yourself to believe in. Self-centered egotistical people score lowest in any test for measuring happiness.
I think many of the findings of Duke are not new and can be found in Scripture. Overall, aiming for peace in the church means cultivating good things in the relationships we have with one another and fending off the bad sinful things. Peace means making sure Satan cannot enter and cause discord. Paul wants the Corinthians to aim for this... another worthy goal.
CONCLUSION
I invite you to:
* AIM for perfection in your life and in the life of the church. Prepare youself personally to restore the relationships in your life, to live by faith, and to be generous. Prepare yourself and aim for perfection in these areas and in other areas that God will reveal to you.
* AIM for unity in the church. Committ yourself to communicating clearly, putting away selfish attitudes, and supporting the leaders in the church to create a great spirit of unity in the church.
* AIM for peace in the church. Pray that God will send His Spirit and that peace will be on all our hearts.
