Looks Can Be Deceiving, Part 2

Pastor C. H. Jr.

Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago • Presented 2 years ago

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Introduction

Appearances Can Be Deceiving

As humans, we’re prone to make judgement where we’ve drawn patterns out of random occurences, misremembered something we thought happened at work, or attributed our performance to external influences.

Why do we make such judgements about others and even ourselves?

Why? Well

Personality traits are enduring and, in some cases, determined by our heredity.

Whereas Character, which is considered the more malleable of the two, takes longer to evaluate as it is revealed in specific and/or uncommon circumstances.

Sometimes we overemphasize the influence of behavior and personality traits (funny, lazy, introverted) to explain someone’s innate character.

This can happen by ignoring situational factors that may explain certain actions, especially when judging others.

We use limited or incomplete information to make judgements simply because it’s easier and faster for our brains to manage those interactions.

There are habits we can all incorporate to develop a more conscious culture where we are more objective in how we see and treat others:

Reflection and regulation- put things into perspective as we process our thoughts and feelings

Self-awareness- clear knowledge and understanding of our own character

Empathy- understand the experiences and emotions of others

Listening- builds trust & makes others feel appreciated

Objectivity- focus on factual situational information that is available to us, as opposed to making assumptions about why something happened

Reframe- list positive qualities the person exhibits that w3 are grateful for. It helps balance our perception of the person and allows them the chance to “prove” themselves.

Taken from mwah.live’s blog site

MWAH means- Make Work Absolutely Human

We start with this philosophy… Work is a fundamental human right.

The right to contribute is an opportunity to use our hands, our minds, our strength, our creativity and sometimes even our hearts, to contribute to the community in which we live. Whether the community is family, local, organizational, national, or even global,

our contribution gives us a sense of purpose, of belonging, of being useful.

The opportunity to grow and develop, to learn and meet new perspectives, even to teach others, makes each of us a little more than we were yesterday.

We have an accountability and responsibility to others to encourage, to coach, to inspire, to lead, to follow, to impact, to care, or sometimes just to show up and share the load – provides a deep connectivity. We can rely on others and they can rely on us.

Community: The Structure of Belonging by Peter Block

Community is built by focusing on people’s gifts, rather than their efficiency

Now I’m not just talking about MWAH in the secular and/world’s sense…

This could too be the description of the church- the body of Jesus Christ

The gospel hip-hop rap artist Lecrae would say it this way I his song “The Bride”

I'm talking bout the church

Yeah she may look gritty When her man come back she gone look so pretty She the Church You might see her acting crazy Be patient with her tho cause she still God's baby She the Church Before you dis her get to know her Jesus got a thing fo her and died just to show her She the Church She ain't bricks and buildings She all of God's people Men women and children

The work in the church though it is absolutely essentially human, it is also absolutely and essentially God with us & in us…

Transition To Body- Prior Chapter 3 Presents the Ministry of the Invisible/Physically Unseen Holy Spirit

The Church- letters from Christ written with the Spirit of the living God, written in the tablets of our hearts

2 Corinthians 3:3 ESV

3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Glorious Sufficient Ministry of the Spirit (not of condemnation but of of righteousness)

2 Corinthians 3:4–6 ESV

4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Liberty of the Spirit of the LORD- power of the LORD to transform us into His glory

2 Corinthians 3:17–18 ESV

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Worshiping in Spirit & Truth through the Freedom of the Holy Spirit

John 4:23–24 ESV

23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

2 Corinthians 3:17–18 ESV

Body- Holy Spirit Filled Church is a Genuine ministry- commissioned by Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit’s Gospel-centered Serving Power

The Gospel of the Glory of Christ

2 Corinthians 4:1–6 ESV

1 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

We proclaim not ourselves but Jesus Christ as LORD, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus sake

2 Corinthians 4:1–2 (IVPBBC NT): Merchants sometimes “adulterated” (cf. NASB here) substances by mixing in something cheaper to cheat their customers; philosophers often accused professional speakers of doing the same, because they were more concerned about speaking ability than about correct content. Like a good Greco-Roman teacher, Paul denies that the charge applies to himself or to his colleagues.

God of this world has blinded them

2 Corinthians 4:5 (IVPBBC NT): To be the slave of a high official in the Greco-Roman world often meant to hold more honor and to control more wealth than the majority of free people. When Paul calls himself a “slave of Christ” (e.g., Rom 1:1), this is a title of honor, similar to the Old Testament’s calling the prophets “servants of God.” But here Paul uses the image of the hired servant: Jesus has lent him to them to serve them on Jesus’ behalf. Moral teachers like Paul would always have to be ready to refute the charge leveled against some philosophers that they proclaimed themselves, a charge that Paul seems to refute here.

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So through genuine ministry sanctioned by Jesus Christ, we and others experience the

Holy Spirit’s Gospel-centered Serving Power

but we are strengthened by the

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Holy Spirit’s God-sized Self-revealing Power

2 Corinthians 4:7–12 ESV

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Treasure- The power to bring about lies only with God

All treasures of wisdom & knowledge

Clay jars- metaphor for fragile and mortal human bodies.

Sometimes the more humble the container, the more glorious it’s precious contents appear

Emphasizes mainly the creatureliness, mortality, and sinfulness of human beings

2 Corinthians 4:7–12 (M:BCL): If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness.

We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us.

As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at.

We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized;

we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do;

we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side;

we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken.

What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best!

Afflicted but not trapped

Bewildered but not in despair, why?

Persecuted but not forsaken, why?

Felled but not destroyed, why?

John 3:19–21 ESV

19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

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So through genuine ministry sanctioned by Jesus Christ, we and others experience the

Holy Spirit’s Gospel-centered Serving Power

, we are strengthened by the

Holy Spirit’s God-sized Self-revealing Power

and consequently the church can’t help but spread the

}

Holy Spirit’s Graciously-Abundant Sharing Power

2 Corinthians 4:13–15 ESV

13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

You Can’t Keep It to Yourself

Mark 7:36–37 ESV

36 And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

For your sake= for your comfort (salvation)

Extends-

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 59.67 πλεονάζω

to increase considerably the extent of an activity or state, with the implication of the result being an abundance—‘to increase considerably, to become more and more, to multiply

Matthew 22:9–10 ESV

9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

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Through genuine ministry sanctioned by Jesus Christ, we and others experience the

Holy Spirit’s Gospel-centered Serving Power

, we are strengthened by the

Holy Spirit’s God-sized Self-revealing Power,

so the church can’t help but spread the

Holy Spirit’s Graciously-Abundant Sharing Power

and finally we are motivated and inspired by the

}

Holy Spirit’s Gloriously-Great Sustaining Power

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 ESV

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Lose Heart

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 25.288 ἐγκακέω; ἐκλύομαι

to lose one’s motivation to accomplish some valid goal—‘to become discouraged, to lose heart, to give up.’

Weight

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 78.23 βάρος, ους

a high point on a scale of extent and often implying importance and value—‘tremendous, very great

Transition To Close

Illustration: Flawed But Fruitful

A house servant had two large pots. One hung on each of a pole that he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. The other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.

For two years the servant delivered each day only one-and-a-half pots full of water to his master’s house. The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, but the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable over accomplishing only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, the cracked pot spoke to the servant one day by the stream.

“I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.”

“What are you ashamed of?” asked the bearer.

“For these past two years I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way to your master’s house. Because of my flaws, you don’t get full value for your work.”

The servant said, “As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.” As they went up the hill, the cracked pot noticed the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path. Whey they reached the house, the servant said to the pot. “Did you notice the flowers grew only on your side of the path, not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them. For two years I have been able to pick beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table.”

Each of us has flaws. But if we allow it, the LORD will use our flaws to grace his Father’s table.

Galatians 6:8–9 ESV

8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Romans 8:28–30 ESV

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Close

Isaiah 40:28–31 ESV

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Glory in the Church & in Christ Jesus!

Ephesians 3:20–21 ESV

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Process of Producing Hope

Romans 5:3–5 ESV

3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

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