II Corinthians for Beginners, this is lesson number six, the last in this
series, title of this lesson: Apostolic Defense. And we're going to
begin in II Corinthians chapter 10 and Lord willing make our way to chapter
13 verse 14. So in this final section of II Corinthians Paul is going to drive
home his point on two issues that we've been talking about. First, the validity of
his own apostleship, and secondly the danger presented by false teachers. These
are the two main topics here of this letter. He'll also do this by
explaining why he is a true apostle in comparison to the false teachers who are
as we have mentioned previously causing trouble in Corinth and then we'll see
him actually exercised his apostolic authority over the church. Something we
don't we rarely see in other epistles where an Apostle actually says I'm going
to use my authority and use it to discipline. So we begin with Paul
defending his apostleship, up to now he has been dealing with problems and
questions that the Corinthians had concerning his visits with them and
matters going on within the church, now he gets personal and goes to the real
point and that is the legitimacy of his own apostleship versus the legitimacy of
those who were claiming to be superior to him at Corinth. So we had some men
some teachers there in Corinth that had crept in and who were claiming that they
were the true Apostles, they were super Apostles, and were trying to undercut his
authority and discredit him by criticizing him and by sowing
discord among the brethren at that place. And the unfortunate thing was the people
there were buying into that and they were questioning
Paul's sincerity simply because he had made a change of travel plans. So we
talked about that last time. So the first issue is: how do you measure an apostle,
how do you do that? So Paul describes the way one is to
determine if one is an apostle in the first place and he gives four things
criteria if you want to find out who is an apostle here are some things that
apostles have and apostles do: first of all they have spiritual power. Chapter 10
verse 1 is 6 let's read, "Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the
meekness and gentleness of Christ- I who am meek when face-to-face with you, but
bold toward you when absent! I ask that when I am present I need not be bold
with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard
us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we
do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not the
flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are
destroying the speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the
knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of
Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is
complete." So they confused his gentle attitude with weakness but they didn't
realize the power he exercised as an Apostle in the spiritual realm. In other
words they were just judging him as if as a man as a physical man
so to destroy the work of Satan he's talking about required true spiritual
power which he possessed. And he says that he's going to exercise this power
for those who continue in disobedience when he arrives and the
unsaid thing underneath that is that the true villain here is not just the
teachers, the true villain here is not just the people who have been kind of
roped into their thinking, influenced by their thinking
he's saying here the true villain here is Satan, he's the
one that's doing this, and so he said Apostles exercise power over spiritual
powers, something that mere men do not have. Second criteria if you wish how
to measure an apostle: their position in relationship to Christ, that's another
way to measure who is a sincere apostle or a true one. Let's read that verse 7
he says, "You are looking at things as they are outwardly (the flesh). If
anyone is confident in himself that he is in Christ's, let him consider this
again with himself, that just as he is Christ's, so also are we. For even if I
boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for
building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame, for I do
not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters." So Paul says that as a
Christian and an Apostle he is also in Christ, or united to Christ as they are,
all those who have been baptized into Christ, become
with Christ, in addition to being related to Christ as they are he also has
received authority for building up the church, that's a special authority. The
point here is that this authority is directly from Christ it's not given to
him through man, and he uses the idea of authority to string together the next
idea and the next idea is the next criteria and that is: how to measure an
Apostle, spiritual power, position in relation to Christ, a chosen Apostle and
then thirdly: deeds done through Christ. Let's compare the deeds here. So
verse 10 says, "For they say, 'His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal
presence is unimpressive and his speech is contemptible.'" That he's quoting here
what the troublemakers are saying about him in Corinth.
And basically what they're saying about him, he's not much of a speaker
I mean maybe he writes pretty good letters but when he's there in person
he just mumbles about fumbles about he's not dynamic okay, can this guy
be really an Apostle of Christ, just undynamic as he is in person?
That's the argument. So as an Apostle, or rather an Apostle is essentially
measured by what he does, his authority gives him the right and the power to do
what he has done or threatening to do among them, but he's not using this to
frighten them but rather to remind them that he can do what he writes about in
his letters if he says in his letters I'm going to discipline when I get there
he's saying to them be careful because I can do this I can carry out my threat.
And if you think for a minute, I think he may mention a little later on,
this is the same person that granted to them the ability to speak in tongues and
to do other wonders he gave them this power and he's saying look if I can do
that if I can do that for you imagine what I
can do if I decide to discipline you. So it's the old story, you know
walk softly but carry the big stick, well he's got the big stick of power that
he's threatening to use against them. How to measure an Apostle: spiritual power,
position in relationship to Christ, deeds done through Christ, ministry for Christ.
What have I done in the name of Christ for Christ so we have a catalogue of
these verse 12 and 13 he says, "For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves
with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure
themselves by themselves and comparing themselves with themselves, they're
without understanding. But we will not boast beyond our measure, but within the
measure of the sphere which got a portion to us as a measure, to reach even
as far as you." He starts out by saying we don't just talk about our
selves and measure ourselves by our own words we measure ourselves by what we've
done in the service of Christ, don't go by what I say, go by what I've done. You
the Corinthian church are an example of our ministry we measure our work by you
what we have accomplished in you. That's remember I said before, here's the guy
who gave these, but not only brought them to Christ but enabled many of
them to exercise spiritual power. Let's keep going verse 14, "For we are not
overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for we were the first to
come even as far as you in the gospel of Christ; it is not boasting beyond our
measure, that is, in other men's labors, but with the hope that as your faith
grows, we will be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you," in other words
we established you, we preached the gospel to you, you're there because of us.
So our boast is not in us, our boast is you. When anybody wants to say yea what
have you done? We point to you, this is what we've done: that church,
those gifts, those things that are taking place, we did that through the power of
Christ. That's how we measure ourselves. Verse 16 he says, "so as to preach the
gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast in what has been
accomplished in the sphere of another." So these are the guys they've come in,
they're trying to undermine me, they're trying to discredit me, trying to take
over my work, don't you realize you people, you're my work. And not only
you but other works that we've done beyond you, so if you want to measure how
legitimate I am as an Apostle look not only to yourselves look at all the
other churches we've planted: Philippi, Athens.
So unlike the false teachers who are taking credit for his work he says we
hope one day you will grow to the point where you will support us to go plant
another church in an area where the gospel hasn't been preached before.
Something that the false teachers did not do in Corinth and had no plans in
doing in the future they weren't interested in going planting other
churches they just wanted to take over this church and lord over it. So true
Apostles were to go out to all creation to preach the gospel not just try and
steal another man's work, that's what he's you know that's the bottom line of
what he's saying here. So he summarizes this section verse 17-18 he says, "But he
who boasts is to boast in the Lord. For it is not he who commends himself that
is approved, but he whom the Lord commends." It's a quote from Jeremiah,
summarizes his feeling about his apostleship. It's been received from the
Lord, it's been authorized by the Lord, it's been empowered by the Lord, it's
been done for the Lord. Is there any praise? Well sure,
is it a praiseworthy work? Absolutely. He says but the praise should go to the
Lord. You know I, meaning Paul, I was a
servant to you, I brought you the gospel, I encouraged you, I empowered you, I
taught you but everything I have given to you I've
received from the Lord, and so if there's any praise it ought to go to the Lord.
Again, what's not said here: the other guys they're taking the praise for
themselves, compare that he says. So if anyone is praising himself it is a sure
sign that he is a false apostle because Apostles are too connected to
Christ to simply praise themselves for the work they do in Christ. All right so
now we move on to another issue, so the larger issue here in this section is
Paul's defending his apostleship, now he goes on him
moves a step further he was talking about himself now he's going to talk
about the false apostles, a condemnation of these false apostles. He speaks
plainly of the character and motives of those who claim to be "superior" as
apostles in the Corinthian church. So he calls them out, he calls them out. First of
all he says they are being seduced by false teachers, I mean the Corinthians,
these guys are false teachers he said we move on to chapter 11 he says, "I wish
that you would bear with me and a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing
with me. For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to
one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. But I'm
afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led
astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. Where if one comes
and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different
spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not
accepted, you bear this beautifully." So uses the imagery of marriage here to
tell them that they're being seduced into being unfaithful to their original
husband Jesus and following someone else because they're not teaching what Jesus
taught and they're not teaching it in the spirit of Christ. So he wonders at
how easily they're being led astray by a different lord a different spirit a
different gospel, he said you bear this beautifully, it's a little sarcastic
actually. Don't you love to be seduced by false teachers. Today we'd say
what's wrong with you people? Again I keep coming back to the analogy of a
parent with a child, a child whose got a brand new bike and a
and had an ice-cream cone for dessert and it's got two days off of school
nothing to do and sitting there in the living room whining and the parents say
what's wrong with you, you got a brand-new bike, you had ice cream for
dessert, your homework is done, what's your
what's your problem? What's your problem, you have spiritual gifts, you've
been taught by an Apostle, you're you know what's your problem? So easily
led away, just any old person come along and whoop. Again the parenting thing, is
well Billy's dad allows him to drive in the traffic,
that type thing. Second thing he says about them: the accusations against
Paul verse 5-6 or 5-12 rather, I'm just going to read 5-6 here he says, "For I
consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles.
But even if I am unskilled in speech," he admits it himself okay I'm not a dynamic
speaker, "yet I am not so in knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made this
evident to you in all things." So it's the accusations against Paul he's saying are
false. What accusations? Well that he is inferior somehow and his answer is
eminent here doesn't refer to Peter or the other Apostles he's not saying I'm
just as good as those other Apostles Peter and James, I'm
just as good as those Apostles, he's not saying that. Eminent refers to these
people who are teaching in Corinth, they're the ones that are calling
themselves eminent, superior he says, I'm in no way inferior to these
"eminent" Apostles, he may be soft-spoken maybe he's not trained in the tactics of
oral debate but his knowledge speaks for itself. Another idea of accusations
against him: that he is not a legitimate as an apostle because he doesn't take
money to preach for them. We read between the lines that the people
who were there were professional speakers and orators, which was
common in those days. Professional speakers and orators would
stake out a position and they would debate a position or incur,
teach a certain position from place to place this was very popular in
Greek society and it seems that some of the ones that had crept in had this
mindset: let's get rid of the local guy and we'll step in and we'll
take over this group with our ideas. So he's saying I'm no less
influential, powerful, knowledgeable, than these "super
apostles." He preached to them for free, oh the thing I forgot to mention was
they got paid money for this, they made money doing this from going
from place to place. So he says to them he preached them for free and will
continue to do so to prove that he is sincere and to give no chance for them
to accuse him, to accuse him of what? Well to accuse him for doing it for
the money. If I come in and preach, support myself, you can't accuse me of
doing this for money, I'm doing it simply for the love of God, love of Christ, the
need to proclaim the gospel. "Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that
you might be exalted, because I preach the gospel of God to you without charge?
I robbed other churches" of course he didn't actually rob them but
that's the term he's using I begged for money from other churches so I could
preach to you for free without charge he said, "I robbed other churches by taking
wages from them to serve you;" why isn't that what we do with missionaries? It's
what we do with BibleTalk, we offer there must be at least five to
eight years of free adult Bible curriculum on video online and it
doesn't cost the church a dime, for free they can watch it for free, they can
download it for free, they can copy it for free, they can distribute it for free,
it's all free, why though? Well because the Choctaw Church supports me and
dozens of individuals and many many other churches in
brotherhood support Bible Talk, why? Because they want us to offer the
service that we do, they want us to do that for free so no one can say
oh they're doing, Hal and Mike they're doing it for the money there's
no money, that's why even online YouTube we have no ads we could put ads. If you
have a 150 thousand views a month you could put ads you make some money
we don't put ads, no ads it's always free in every way. So in the same way Paul is
saying here look we robbed that we went to other churches begging for money
so we could preach the gospel to you for no money. He says, "and when I was present
with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for when the brethren
came from Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself
from being a burden to you, and will continue to do so. As the truth of
Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of
Achaia. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows (he says) God knows I do! But
what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may cut off opportunity from
those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter
about which they are boasting." They want the same position that we have but they
want to charge you for it, can't you see what's going on here?
So in verses 13-15 he summarizes this section he says, "For such men are false
apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No
wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not
surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness,
whose end will be according to their deeds." Wow talk about a smackdown,
remember I told you before between the lines the real troublemaker here is not
these guys the real troublemaker is Satan he's the one that's trying to
destroy this church and the best way to disrupt
the church is by attacking his leadership. So he calls the teachers what
they are: they're false messengers, they're deceitful workers in other words
they're hypocrites, they're actors pretending to be apostles, he compares
their strategy to that of Satan and their judgment to his also you know
Satan's ultimate lie and hypocrisy is parading himself as an angel of light in
other words a force for good in this world, always that way. I mean if he
paraded himself as a force for evil he wouldn't get that many followers but
many times he portrays himself as a force for good and people just swallow
it usually people who don't know the gospel who will swallow some other kind
of philosophy or idea or social engineering plan. So he compares their
strategy to Satan and in other words these people bottom line they're
servants of the devil, they're not servants of Christ. So then he moves
on and he's going to talk about the marks of true apostleship see he shows
these guys are false and this is how they work okay now what about a true
apostle what are the marks of a true apostle, well he starts: suffering you
think he would have started well first of all they got a degree from a good
Jewish Hebrew university or something you know as a Pharasee, he doesn't
start there, suffering he says that's the mark of a true apostle, verse 16-23
he's done this before in chapter 4 but this time he goes into detail about the
things that he has suffered because he's an apostle and I'm not going to read, too
long a section so I've just listed the things that he suffered that he talks
about. Well the first thing he talks about is that he's considered a
fool who has done that to him recently? Well the Corinthians have done that to him
recently. He's considered illegitimate, who's done that recently? Well the
Corinthians have done that recently but even beyond that 29 lashes five times, beaten
with rods three times, stoned once, shipwrecked three times, we read
about one shipwreck in the book of Acts but he said he's been shipwrecked three
times, in danger from thieves and false brethren, often hungry and thirsty, the
stress as a church leader, hunted by Damascus City officials not to mention
the Jewish leadership who had tried to kill him on several occasions, all of
this he has suffered, why? Because he's an Apostle of Christ not because he's a
thief or a murderer or dangerous or an insurrectionist, no because he's
preaching the gospel. So the false teachers they boast in their
intelligence, super apostles we got a better gospel for you, their position but
Paul boasts in the things that he has suffered on account of the gospel, he's
saying look take a look at my scars you want my resume I'll show you my resume
and I'll take off my shirt you can see the scars on my back that's my resume.
The implication is of course that he has paid the price as an apostle and they
have not paid that price, they want to be paid they want to be paid and he said
all of this here I've suffered that for no money, at least if he said but you
know in the end I got rich I can retire, yeah no money they don't give you money
after they've beaten you or tried to kill you. Another mark: communion with
Christ. He says, "Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will
go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen
years ago- whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know,
God knows- such a man was caught up to the third heaven. And I know how such a
man- whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows- was
caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not
permitted to speak. On behalf of such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf
will not boast, except in regard to my weakness. For if I do
wish to boast I will not be foolish, for I will be speaking the truth; but I
refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me
or hears from me. Because of this surpassing greatness of the revelations,
for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the
flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me- to keep me from exalting myself!
Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And
He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in
weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that
the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with
weaknesses, with de-stresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for
Christ's sake; for when I am weak, I am strong." Boy we can unpack this here for a
week. What they cannot pretend is to have spoken with Christ, that's the point. To
have been in the presence of Christ, that's his point. As a true Apostle he
has spoken with the Lord and here he talks about a heavenly experience
reminiscent of Isaiah or Ezekiel in the Old Testament prophets and John the
Apostle in Revelation. The other Apostles physically were with the Lord, touched
Him, ate with Him, taught by Him, saw the
miracles, they were with Him. Paul was not and so one of the accusations
against him may have been is he really an Apostle? Because he was
johnny-come-lately and he was a kind of Jesus rose to
heaven and Paul he wasn't converted till after, what's his big deal I thought only
people who actually saw Jesus could be Apostles, there's a good argument. And so
he says to them yeah I saw Jesus and he says I don't want to boast so he speaks
of himself in the third person when he talks about the vision, I knew a
man, that's him he says I don't want to
boast too much but I knew a man who was taken up into the third heaven, the Jews
believed in layers, third heaven is where God is, who spoke to Christ, who
heard things, who was taught directly from God, that's his answer to the
accusation that perhaps he's not legitimate because he didn't
didn't interact with Christ Himself okay. So as a true Apostle he spoken with
the Lord and he talks about a heavenly experience reminiscent as I said of the
Old Testament prophets. He's too humble to boast about this and he gives a rare
glimpse into his personal sufferings and how he coped, but the point is that only
an apostle could truly speak of such things and he shows his true apostolic
character in that he doesn't use these things to boast as they would he uses
them to give glory to God. Another mark of true apostleship: miraculous power.
Verse 11, "I have become foolish; you yourselves compelled me." It's
your fault if I'm talking like this. "Actually I should have been commended by
you, for no respect was I inferior to the most eminent apostles, even though I am a
nobody. The signs of true apostles were performed among you with all
perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles. For in what respect were you
treated as inferior to the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not
become a burden to you? Forgive me for this wrong!" Again, mom saying to her kid
I'm so sorry I gave you ice cream here I was thinking you'd be happy; he's saying
I performed miracles in your presence, I enabled you to perform
miracles oh I'm so sorry for having burdened you with that and I did it for
free and these guys are charging you money to hear them teach and speak
but they haven't done that they haven't given you anything like I gave you. So
the marks according to Paul are suffering an actual communion with
Christ and displayable power not just talk about power displayable power.
Anybody can say that they've seen Christ but only the ones who can actually
perform the signs and wonders can confirm their words with action, you
don't believe me that I was in the third heaven, that I spoke with
Christ, that I heard things, and so you don't believe me. Think back when I was
with you, the signs and wonders that I performed among you, the abilities that I
gave you think back to that and ask yourself where did I get that power if
not from Christ? So he also reminds them and chastises them for not recognizing
these signs and instead of defending himself as he is doing now he should
have been praised and encouraged by them especially since they received blessings
from him freely. So instead of praising me or commending me you're criticizing
me. So in his last section he brushes aside these false teachers and he takes
his rightful place as an Apostle and he exercises his rightful authority among
them. So we'll keep going he says first of all I'll be back, I'll be back. He
says verses 14-18 not going to read that right now, he's going to come to
them again out of love and they are not to worry it will not cost them anything
for him nor for his fellow ministers who never took advantage of them either. So I
will come to you there was some dispute about his travel plans but I will come
to you but I'll do it you know in love. In verse 19-21 he says he encourages
them to be ready for him to arrive. He hopes they'll be ready for his arrival
and they will have repented of their sins. He's not defending himself
he's building their faith before God. In chapter 13 verses 1-2 he warns them, he
warns them that he will punish the sinners, all of them. And he keeps on
going he reminds them of his power verses 3-6.
They confuse his mild appearance with lack of power he says that Christ also
seemed weak because of his crucifixion but was empowered by God to resurrect.
That was the main well there were other accusations of course against Christ but
one of them was well he can't be the Messiah are you kidding me the Messiah
nailed to a piece of wood that's no Messiah that's not the Messiah we're
waiting for, He has no power and they said that for three days in a row until
the grave was empty, until he said what was going to happen actually happen he
was raised from the dead. So in the same way Paul says he will be empowered by
God when he will be among them for disciplining them in Christ. You watch, if
you believe that Jesus rose from the dead and demonstrated that power
you better believe that when I get there God will also give me the power to
discipline you. I mean you've got to have a lot of confidence to be able to say
that. When he examines himself he sees the power of Christ working in him and
he asks them do they see the power of Christ working in them?
In verses 7-10 he challenges them to choose. He wants them to do right and
obey him not to prove that he's right but rather so that they may do what is
the right thing. I don't want you to choose me over these guys he says I want
you to choose me so that you will continue following the correct teaching
because these people are leading you into error and I want you to
demonstrate your maturity, your maturity in the sense that you're able to discern
between false and truth, right and wrong, and right now you're choosing false over
falsehood over truth and that's not a mark of maturity
and he wants them to avoid punishment because I'll punish you he says. It's
their choice, his visit can be one of a blessing or it can be of punishment they
get to choose. And so he finishes out with salutations chapter 13 verses 11-14.
The chapter finishes with a series of actual positive encouragements.
He tells them to rejoice, that they mature and be united together,
that they be encouraged, that they be at peace, that they enjoy God's love all of
these things follow if they follow what is true what is right. And he says to
offer each other the sign of Christian brotherhood in those times
which was the holy kiss, the holy kiss in that culture the men kissed the men, the
women kissed the women, there was no the men kissed the women you know how we do
a little hello kiss you know and in Montreal I remember it was the two cheek
kiss, kiss kiss, the European style and I remember in Montreal it used to take forever,
can you ever know how long it takes to get started when a hundred people are
kissing each other on the cheek you know? It's a long thing so
I'm glad we don't have that tradition here, just a handshake or a hug
is fine but in those days the the holy kiss. He sends a greeting from
the other churches and a blessing from the entire Godhead upon
them. So that's the text. Seven lessons on leadership and I want to take the time
for that that we get from II Corinthians. Key lessons and ideas from
II Corinthians about leadership. First of all, apostleship is real work; he
cared for the poor, he was managing that collection for Jerusalem, he was a
teacher, he sent epistles, he gave training to Titus, dispute resolution,
preaching, church planting. What's the lesson there? The lesson is church
leadership is hard work because church leaders do
this kind of work to this day. Some people think it's just about having a
meeting well there are meetings but there's all of this here. Another lesson:
apostles were appointed. These fake apostles they were self appointed and
that should have been the first tip-off for the church,
that these guys were phony. Leaders are appointed to their task
by someone in authority; elders or elders in churches that have no elders
elders are raised up and appointed by the evangelists, evangelists when they're
starting out are appointed by elders, it's a cycle, deacons are selected by the
church and confirmed by the elders nobody ever gets up and says well I
think today I think I feel like being a deacon today's I'm gonna I'm appointing
myself to be the deacon of something, that it doesn't work that way.
Everybody's appointed by someone else so they were self-appointed.
Number three: apostles suffered. Paul repeated this often that that his dues
for apostleship was suffering. You cannot lead without suffering, I don't care who
you are or what position you're at. If you're a deacon you're going to suffer, what suffer?
Well you're going to get the call at 2:00 in the morning there's a flood in the
building that day, you're going to suffer a night's no sleep that night or
you're going to work hard to do something and put your all into it and even spend
some of your own resources to do it and after it's done and you're happy you fix
something or made something you'll be criticized. Oh yeah but you didn't do it
this way oh well I don't like that color you know you buy you know you about
green a lot red would be better you know.
Preachers are what people have for lunch at times, elders are constantly
criticized, undermined. I mean if you're going to be a leader in the church you
step up you're appointed to your role and then the first thing that happens to
you if someone comes up and kind of paints a bull's-eye on you because we
want to know where to shoot when it's time. So by all means aspire to
leadership because there's a great blessing that
comes from it from the Lord and from the church but there's no leadership without
suffering so if you're a leader and you suffer and you decide you want to quit
because you're suffering you didn't get it to begin with I mean you didn't get
the idea to begin with. Apostles also acted like apostle. Apostolic
conduct was unmistakable in its sincerity and holiness and humility.
Leaders must act like leaders. We expect the leaders not
to be perfect obviously they're sinful men, we are sinful men, but there are
certain things that you kind of have gotten a hold up in your life. I
used to smoke, I picked tobacco cause it's such an easy thing but I use the
small of smoking man as my favorite hobby was smoking but then when I became
a Christian, I still smoked and but it didn't take long before I
understood boy all those sermons about holiness and all those sermons about
self-control and you know if I wanted to move forward in this Christianity thing
something had to go. How would you feel if I was up here you know speaking to
you and I did this like this and you saw my package of cigarettes right here
how would you feel if I gave the exact same lesson and in between the
the class and the sermon I was out on the side over here taking a smoke.
Having a little smoked between Bible class and worship, how would you feel?
It'd be the same me, it'd be the same notes. Yeah sure you expect the leaders in the
church to have gotten a hold with some of the basic stuff at least. I still
I'm not truthful at times I still have bad thoughts and you know I still
think wow you actually thought that yeah you know yeah I still have that but some
of the basics man you got to get a hold of it before you move up
to lead others in spiritual matters. Apostolic ministry is evident. To his
accusers Paul simply offered his work as a response, leaders actions always always
always speak louder than their words. Don't do what I say, don't copy what I
say, do what I am doing.
Apostles love the church. Paul was continually helping the church
not only in spiritual matters but also in benevolent ones as well.
The special collection, he was an Apostle, he did miracles, and yet he took
the time to collect money for poor people in Jerusalem and so leaders lead
by supporting and nourishing the weak members. Finally, apostles have authority.
In the end Paul warns them to obey his words because he had the power to back
up his authority in Christ. Leaders in the same way don't have miraculous power
but they have the authority to lead. They do have the authority to discipline, they
do have the authority to appoint and to encourage, and the church will not grow
if leaders do not exercise their leadership and if the congregation does
not submit to their leadership. Very very important it's a cooperative thing we
respect the idea that our elders again they are men as we are they're human
beings as we are but they have received an eldership not just from the church
they've received it from the Lord,
through the agency of the church but it's from the Lord. So we respect that
concept and especially as they come together and hopefully make good
decisions on behalf of the church we respect those decisions maybe not
because well he's the smartest guy he's got the most no because together they
come and represent what God has given us as leadership in the church. So it's a
two-way, they exercise their leadership, we exercise our
support of that leadership and when that happens believe me the church moves
forward. We make mistakes, we have some false starts that's fine but
the church does move forward. I've been witnesses of church breakups
and it's always been one of the two things: the elders are divided among
themselves or they're not leading or the church refuses to follow their
leadership and when that happens boom that's it you can't do anything you
can't get anything done. Okay so that's the last lesson in II Corinthians.
I do appreciate your attention to this. Pick it up another time with
another book, thank you.