Enough Misplaced bragging

What is up Shearer Hills. Man, I am so excited to be with you this weekend.

The theme of the weekend is ENOUGH. So let me give you a quick recap:

Session 1: Enough misplaced worship. (2 Cor. 11:1-15)

Session 2: Enough misplaced bragging (2 Cor. 11:16-33)

My goal is not just to teach you what I want to say but to teach you the message that was intended in the Scriptures. we need to place high value in what the Scriptures teach us & the message that it was intended when it was first communicated.

Let’s pray and we’ll jump into the passage.

If you have your Bibles, meet me at 2 Cor. 11:16-33.

Main Point: The value we place on our merits reveals how much we know about God’s economy.

A new economy

Who wants money? Raise your hand if you want me to give you money. Ok cool. Here is the catch. This money is my money. Do you still want it?

You see this money is only good in my economy.

Here is the problem, sometimes we think that God’s economy- and by economy I mean: the way God has designed things to be in His infinite knowledge & perfection. Some times we do not believe God’s economy is good for us.

That is my main point, if we do not understand the benefits of following what Christ say will be left thinking that we have an useless piece of paper.

But I am here to tell you that while God’s economy does not make send in our culture, it is what we were designed to do.

My hope to day is to show you a few principles that we find in 2 Cor 11. Here is principle #1

Principle #1: The culture’s economy is based on merit & boasting.

2 Cor. 11:16-20 “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.”

What is a merit? “the quality of being particularly good or worthy, especially so as to deserve praise or reward.”

I think you can relate to this. We all have been pressure into looking a certain way, wearing certain clothes, speaking a certain way.

At the same time, we are rewarded by other people’s praises of us.

Literally, social media is all about bragging and highlighting the best side of you. While this may not be true for everyone, it is mainly true. Social media has created this pressure to boast, to show that you are the best.

But this is nothing new. Paul is literally saying that this is human tendency- to boast of the things we can accomplish and this is no natural that we become enslave to this culture of boasting even when it hurts us.

Isn’t that crazy? That we know that social media is often not real or only a small part of reality yet we allow it to run our lives by defining who we are.

Paul is calling us to wake up from such a twisted mentality. God has a better plan. A purposed-filled life for you.

However, understanding this truth begin by understanding God’s economy. The way God has designed things to be does not places the weight in our effort.

Main Point: The value we place on our merits reveals how much we know about God’s economy.

Let’s look at principle 2.

Principle #2: Even our greatest effort is not ENOUGH when compared to God’s standard

I love Paul because He does not pull any punches as He continues.

2 Cor. 11:21-29 “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. 22 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 labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I ha…”

Literally, Paul goes on to one up any other “super apostle.” Paul is saying, if we are going by effort- I am better than all of you all.

Philippians 3:4 “...If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:”

But there is a clear teaching in Scripture which is known as “sola fide” which translates to faith alone. There is nothing that we bring to the table. There is no boasting, merit, skill or talent that you can bring before God that will impress Him.

Even our greatest effort falls flat on its face because God is PERFECT!

Main Point: The value we place on our merits reveals how much we know about God’s economy.

Let’s look at principle #3

Principle #3: God’s economy does not make sense in today’s culture.

Here is where things get bonkers because Paul begins to give us an insight in to God’s economy.

2 Cor. 11:30-33 “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 forever, 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.”

Notice that Paul is saying that “If he has to boast” it is going to be in His weakness.

Now we will cover this idea in the next session but I want you to see the example that Paul uses in verse 32. He uses a humiliating moment in His life to boast. To say, ultimately the hero of our story has always been Jesus, never us.

This goes directly against our culture today and the culture back then. Think about this, this is what Christ did.

One of my favorite passage of Scripture

Phil 2:5-8 “5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!”

Christ came to exemplified a humble servant that would conquer death and sin by dying. By giving His life, Christ showed us that we have nothing that we bring to the table.

EVERYTHING. Absolutely everything belong to God, including our lives and yet He gives us an opportunity to surrender to Him because He is a good God.

Kid’s bringing something to the table. (Kids pic)

My kids do not bring anything to the table, yet they are my kids.

Main Point: The value we place on our merits reveals how much we know about God’s economy.

Challenge:

What will your bring to God’s table today? The answer is your life, your weakness, your mess.

Do need replace our culture’s economy for God’s economy?

Enough misplaced bragging in ourselves since all we are is a result of God’s grace and mercy in our lives.