Sacred Selfie 3

Text: 2 Corinthians 2:14-17

The sporadic nature of our attitude.

Illustrate and comment...

The way we receive a message

The way we act on that message

Reveal our attitude

Remember this was a major problem in chapter 1 was the cynical nature of the church.

Cynicism led them to be

The people were tone deaf.

Paul decides not to come to them with another letter of correction. (1)

He knew they could be overwhelmed with sorrow. (2-3)

They misunderstood the spirit in which he wrote his original letter.

They thought he was calaused.

But he wrote in tears.

They thought he was maniacal.

But he wrote in grief.

They thought he wrote in anger.

But he wrote in love.

Think of how differently we read letters when we hear a voice of tenderness and not anger.

Misheard texts?

Invention of the emoticon

We have this same issue in our own communication. Have you ever noticed how hard it is to communicate feeling in a text? It is hard to say the things with the right feeling when all you have are words.

Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?

I Corinthians 8:1

For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation.

I Corinthians 11:29

“...There is fornication among you...one should have his father's wife.”

I Corinthians 5:1

Think of how differently we would read I Corinthians with emoticons?

But if I hadn’t written even if misunderstood you wouldn’t have made it much longer. I would rather offend you than lose you.

By the way that was the logic of Jesus in Matthew 18. It was better to risk losing your brother than to leave things unchanged.

Matthew 18:15 KJV 1900

Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

In fact it is seen in their overreaction to Pauls letter.

Remember in I Corinthians there was a man that was flagrant in his sin. Having an open sexual relationship with his own step mother.

This was something that the people of the church allowed to go on without confrontation.

So Paul writes to them and commands that they put him out of the church.

He was causing division which is what sin does it makes liars out of the saints and was bringing harm to the body.

1 Corinthians 5:11–13 KJV 1900

But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

Why would Paul call for this.

1 Corinthians 5:5 KJV 1900

To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

The Result - the man repented.

The church refused to forgive the man and let him back in.

Think of the fickle nature of our flesh.

They let the wicked man flaunt his sin. But made no room for a humble man to be forgiven.

Pauls’ answer to this. (5-10)

I didn’t mean to over charge you...

His punishment was sufficent...

Don’t let him go...

confirm your love to him...

Whatever you forgive, I forgive...

Then Paul gives us a reason.

Consider the tone deafness of the first letter was mirrored in their harshness toward this other man.

The reason they thought to be impatient and unloving to this man had a lot to do with the way they read the words of Paul. All of it sprung from that cynical judgemental attitude they gained with the false teaching of the “Super Apostles”.

So Paul is calling us to reflect the attitude of Scripture as much as obedience to its commands.

Here is the danger.

Satan has devices at play that will trip us up.

Satan wants you to treat sinners harshly so because that is his device.

Satan wants you to respond to irritations with anger that is his device.

Satan wants you to gain pride in the ministry you used to perform humbly because that is his device.

A fleshly, unforgiving, cynical attitude gives Satan an advantage.

Instead of this attitude we are called to see things the way they really are...

We are not set up to fall to these devices.

We are set up as part of triumph in Christ.

The Roman Triumph was a Spectacular Celebration...

For a general who

Won major offensive

defeated and or captured at least 5,000 enemy soldiers.

Ending a particular war.

He would be honored by the Senate with a parade.

General in a chariot, or horseback.

Priests out front with incense on a ball held by a chain.

His men in support

His captives in tow

The procession would end at a temple or the coloseam.

Where the captives would be sacrificed or they would fight against wild animals for the entertainment of the Emporer and the animals always won.

Paul says of us...

We have a great processional...

Christ is our general for the great battle he won at the Cross.

When all the enemies of hell thought they had defeated him. Only to find that on the third day they had overstated their victory.

Every soul that is saved is in this great processional cheering the great victory of our hero Jesus Christ.

We are unto God a sweet savor of Christ.

We are not defeated

We are not subject to satans devices

we are those redeemed in Christ’s victory and we praise Him as an incense rising in his honor.

unloving and harsh attitudes give a place for the devil to get us. But that sweet loving attitude is like a sweet smell to God.