Week 3 - 2 Cor. 10-11:33 | Treasuring Christ: Trading Comfort for a Cross

Paul: A Life Well Lived. • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 42:25
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· 37 viewsEmbrace the challenges of following Jesus by living daily in the light of the Cross, where sacrificial love gives purpose to inevitable suffering.
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If you were with us last week, you’ll know that we spent a decent amount of time looking at some history and the everyday faithfulness of Paul that lead to him doing some seriously gangster stuff for Jesus in Acts 13 where we saw Paul, guided by the Holy Spirit, go toe to toe with an agent of darkness.
There was a sorcerer, like a dude straight out of Lord of the Rings, who was opposing God and all that is good, trying to deceive people and keep them from knowing Jesus using the powers of the demonic realm. Well Paul and Barnabas they happen to love Jesus and they desired that all people would come to know and love Jesus too and so they can’t let this dude keep on casting his dark spells and leading people to hell.
So Paul calls Elymas out: “You are an agent of Satan! You oppose all that is good! You think you’re powerful? Well, say hello to my little friend, the Holy Spirit!” And then, the Holy Spirit working through Paul’s obedience, blinds him—not permanently, but for a season. Why? So Elymas would know there is a God in heaven who is far more powerful than any of his dark forces and who loves him enough to discipline him.
Now, you might think, “How is blinding someone an act of love?” Church, sorcerers are all about power. God wanted Elymas to know that no matter how powerful he thought he was, his gods and demons were nothing compared to the one true God. This was both judgment and discipline, and as we know from Scripture, discipline is an act of love.
Parents, you know this: If you don’t discipline your kids, you don’t really love them. Discipline, when done right, restores and builds up. In the same way, God was using Paul’s obedience and faith to show love to Elymas. He was judged, yes, but only for a season. And because it was temporary, we can see it as a disciplinary wake-up call. God’s heart was for Elymas to wake up, turn from his deception, and come to know Him as the true King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
And to top it off, the proconsul—a high-ranking Roman official—believes. He’s seen enough. He gives his life to the High King of Heaven. A mighty blow against the kingdom of darkness!
As Crush, that surfer-dude sea turtle from Finding Nemo, would say: “Righteous!” Right? I mean, come on! Gospel preaching, accompanied by signs and wonders, confirming the truth of the message and the power of God—it doesn’t get any better than this! The gates of hell are no match for the Church of Jesus Christ.
This is the stuff movies are made of. Christians conquering spiritual forces of darkness. The power of God on full display through the boldness and obedience of His people. It’s incredible.
But… (and here’s the caution)… it’s so easy to read the Scriptures, especially Acts, and start to get the wrong idea. Acts is full of gospel power and miracles. It’s like a Holy Spirit highlight reel. And if we only ever focus on the power, strength, and miracles, we can lose sight of what Jesu is actually calling us to which is a Cross.
So today, as we continue looking at Paul’s life, we’re turning to 2 Corinthians. We’ll examine the challenges Paul faced and the message he had for believers being taken captive by a different Jesus, a different Spirit, and a different gospel.
Over the next two weeks, we’re going to talk about suffering and weakness in the lives of believers. Today, we’ll focus on suffering. To do this, we’ll need to understand what was going on in the church in Corinth and contrast Paul’s message with what the so-called “super apostles” were saying.
Here’s my hope for this morning: By the end of our time, I hope you’ll better be able to embrace the challenges of following Jesus by living daily in the light of the Cross, where sacrificial love gives purpose to inevitable suffering.
That’s our big idea for today. And we’ll get there through three points:
The Temptation to Seek Comfort and Power. (2 Cor. 10-11:21)
The Cost of Following Jesus. (2 Cor. 11:22-29)
The Way of the Cross. (2 Cor. 11:30-33; Luke 9:23)
Alright, with all this in mind, let’s dive into the text together by looking at our first point:
The Temptation to Seek Comfort and Power (2 Cor. 10-11:21)
The Temptation to Seek Comfort and Power (2 Cor. 10-11:21)
For the sake of time, we won’t read all the text under this point, but I encourage you to take time this week to go back, read the passages, and verify what I’m saying.
Our focus begins in 2 Corinthians 10, where Paul is defending his authority and ministry. If you glance at your Bible, most translations will have a heading like Paul Defends His Ministry or Paul’s Authority. That gives us a clue about the situation: Paul’s authority was under attack.
Why? Well, Paul was the one who planted the church in Corinth, as we read in Acts 18. This was part of his second missionary journey, which began and ended at his home church in Antioch. That journey lasted about four years and covered nearly 2,800 miles. During that time, Paul spent 18 months in Corinth (Acts 18:11), discipling people and building a healthy church community.
Paul followed a familiar pattern in Corinth, just as he had in Antioch. He started by preaching in the Jewish synagogues, but when the Jews rejected the message, he turned to the Gentiles. He poured his heart, time, and soul into these people—discipling them, building relationships, and laying a strong foundation for the church. These weren’t just converts to Paul; they were his spiritual family, his brothers and sisters in Christ. You could even call them his spiritual children.
Now imagine Paul’s heartbreak when he learns that other teachers—what he sarcastically calls “super apostles”—have shown up in Corinth. These “super apostles” were questioning Paul’s authority, his authenticity, and even his love and concern for the Corinthians.
In 2 Corinthians 10-11, Paul addresses their accusations and exposes what these so-called apostles were really about.
Paul summarizes what they were up to in 2 Corinthians 11:4:
“For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.”
These “super apostles” were preaching a different Jesus, empowered by a false and demonic spirit, leading the Corinthians away from the true gospel. And sadly, the Corinthians were tolerating it because it sounded good, looked impressive, and fit with the culture of the day.
And what we’re some of the things the “super apostles” were accusing Paul of? Well they were accusing Paul of being weak and timid in person. Saying things, like, well Paul’s 2 faced. He’s bold and sharp in his letters to you but when he’s here he’s weak and timid. He’s shy. Can you really trust this guy? (10:1-2). They were making claims that their works and their credentials and their preaching style and rhetorical skills were all far superior to Paul’s! (11:22-23; 11:6). They also accused Paul of being a fake because he didn’t ask the local Church to support him financially! (11:7-9) Reasoning that surely any legitmate missionary will make demands for financial support!
These accusations were all rooted in a superficial, worldly way of judging success—what Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 10:7 as “judging by appearances.”
Translation, the “super apostles” and the people being duped by their slick sounding words were using the worldly metrics of strength, eloquence, financial success, and self-promotion to validate their ministry. They came to Corinth with polished presentations, impressive resources, and an aura of success. They preached a gospel of power, victory, and glory—a message that proclaimed, “God wants you to be healthy, wealthy, and prosperous!” They mocked Paul’s humility and weakness, asking, “What kind of leader doesn’t demand respect and financial support?”
And they didn’t just question Paul’s authority; they replaced the gospel of Jesus Christ with a counterfeit. Instead of calling people to take up their cross and follow Jesus, they preached a message that catered to the cultural values of power, wealth, and self-promotion.
Now folks, we don’t know what exactly the different gospel it was that this crew was preaching. Paul doesn’t exactly spell it out word for word and I think that’s intentional. By leaving the specifics open, this passage applies to many false gospels throughout history.
It could have been:
Christian nationalism, where people believe Christianity’s goal is to take over the nation or world by earthly power, political dominance, and cultural control.
It could’ve been Legalism, where blessings are earned by strict obedience to the law, with promises of health, wealth, and prosperity if you have enough faith, a kind of prosperity Gospel.
It could’ve been License: where grace is abused as an excuse to live however you want because “God will forgive you.”
Whatever the specifics, Paul is clear: this false gospel wasn’t from Jesus, wasn’t empowered by the Holy Spirit, and wouldn’t lead to freedom. It was a deception that brought bondage to demonic influences.
The super Apostles were proclaiming a Jesus that wasn’t the true Jesus of the Bible, making people captive to an unholy spirit by preaching a gospel that wasn’t the true gospel! (2 Cor. 11:4)
And the Corinthians were putting up with whatever false doctrine was being proclaimed because it was flashy and fit in with the culture of the day!
And Paul was having none of it! His response? He refused to use worldly methods to fight back. Instead, he relied on God’s spiritual weapons to tear down the strongholds of deception (2 Cor. 10:4-5). His desire wasn’t just to defend his reputation—it was to tear down anything that kept people from truly knowing and loving the True God.
Here’s what I want you to see, Church: the temptation to redefine Jesus and the gospel didn’t stop in Corinth. It’s a danger for every generation, including ours. If we lose sight of the Jesus of the Bible and the way of the Cross, we will always be at risk of tolerating a different Jesus, a different spirit, and a different gospel.
And let’s be honest: this isn’t just a problem “out there.” It’s not something we can pin on the culture while washing our hands of responsibility. It’s a temptation for every one of us.
We live in a culture that worships comfort, success, and self-expression. If we’re not careful, we’ll start reshaping Jesus into someone who exists to meet our desires, rather than surrendering ourselves to follow Him.
Friends, this isn’t theoretical—it’s happening in churches across our country. It’s happening in churches right here in this town! False teachers and preachers have been ordained and commissioned to proclaim messages that do not come from the Jesus of the Bible. These messages don’t lead to human thriving or freedom through the Holy Spirit. Instead, they bind people to unholy spirits and captivate them with culturally informed gospels that are not the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I think one of the more popular false gospel right now that’s sweeping through our nation and even creeping into this community, is a gospel of a Jesus fashioned of our own making. It’s empowered by an unholy spirit spreading lies and deception. And here’s what it says:
Jesus came and died so you could be comfortable and experience pleasure.
False! It’s not true! This false gospel is one of the reasons why we see so much brokenness around us. It’s why sex is out of control and people are more depressed than ever before. People are searching for pleasure, comfort, and fulfillment in things, experiences, and achievements—but this gospel of comfort isn’t working. It’s binding people in chains of despair, depression, and suicidal ideations.
Listen, your personal comfort and your personal pleasure are not what Jesus died for. Jesus died to make you holy. He died to make you righteous. Yes, He died to give you life—but the life He gives isn’t always comfortable. In fact, if you surrender to King Jesus, your life may very well include more difficulty and more trials than if you continued to serve yourself, your comfort, and your own pleasure.
The gospel of comfort says following Jesus shouldn’t cost you a thing. It promises ease, pleasure, and fulfillment in worldly things, but here’s the truth: the gospel of Jesus Christ—the real gospel—could not be more radically opposed to that idea!
The gospel of Jesus doesn’t say following Him will cost you nothing. Instead, it says it will cost you everything. Jesus Himself said, “Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:25).
The Cost of Following Jesus 2 Cor. 11:16-29
The Cost of Following Jesus 2 Cor. 11:16-29
Friends, no body wants to be seen as a failure. Whether you’re a Christian, a business man or church leader, no body wants to fail or be seen as weak and ineffective. There is always a desire and a danger to want to boast. To boast in strength and power. To boast in the glories of man’s achievements and to look at the worldly metrics for success as the means by which we evaluate our lives or the worth or legitimacy other other people’s lives, business and faith.
And Paul says, fine, you want to play that game! You really want to give into to this vain and silly comparison game and method of worldly measuring. Fine, lest do it. I’ll boast right there along with you!
These guys say I’m a fraud, they’re the ones with the real authority, with the real gospel, fine let’s compare ministries. And Paul starts out with some impressive credentials. Hebrew, yep, I’ve got the pure blood. I’m a Hebrew of Hebrews, an Israelite of Israelites, a descendent of kings. Servant of Christ, can anyone say they’ve served Christ more than me! This is like the 10th Church I’ve planted! I’ve served more and worker harder than any of the rest!
And He had, which if I were Paul, that’s where I would’ve stopped. Worldly success. Giant ministry, great record. Give’em the glorious highlights if they want to compare ministries and grounds for authority, but Church Paul doesn’t stop there. He continues, and the rest of the list He gives, is not exactly a list of what you’d expect from a great and successful conquering Christian ministry, well at least not if the god of comfort and pleasure and success it the god you serve. Which is precisely why Paul continues!
You want to truly serve Jesus, well then look with me at what He may call you to and then you tell me whether or not Jesus died to make you and I comfortable or whether or not He has far greater ends for you and I than that!
2 Corinthians 11:16–33 (NIV)
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. 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 have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? 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.
Friends, does this sound like a comfortable life to you? Whipped, lashed, beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, almost drowned, bandits, hate from Jews, hate from Gentiles, long days of hard work, sleepless nights shivering in the cold, hunger, thirst and on top of it all the constant pressure, worry and anxiety for the people he discipled. The Apostle Paul himself admits, that the pressures and worries and cares of life caused him worry and anxiety.
2 Corinthians 11:28 (ESV)
28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.
Does that sound like someone following a Jesus who exists to make life easier?
Paul concludes with a story that’s almost comical in its humility. He recounts how, early in his ministry, he had to escape a city by being lowered in a basket through a window. A grown man, curled up in a wicker basket, sneaking away in the night. That’s not exactly the image of a victorious conqueror, is it? But that’s the point.
Paul knew that true strength wasn’t found in boasting about his accomplishments or avoiding suffering. True strength came from knowing the real Jesus—the crucified and risen Savior—and trusting Him, even when it cost him everything.
Church, I love you too much to let you believe the lie that Jesus died to make you comfortable. He didn’t die so you could avoid trials or coast through life. He died to call you to Himself, to make you holy, and to give you eternal life.
How did Paul persevere through so much suffering? How was he willing to pay such a high price? He knew Jesus—not a false Jesus of comfort, but the real, resurrected, reigning King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
The Way of the Cross (Luke 9:23; Hebrews 12:2)
The Way of the Cross (Luke 9:23; Hebrews 12:2)
If you settle for a false gospel, you’ll never know the real Jesus. You’ll never receive the freeing, peace-giving power of the Holy Spirit. And without that, you won’t have the strength to face the costs of following Him. Whatever false god you serve—whether it’s comfort, pleasure, success, or self—will ultimately fail you. Those gods have no power to save, only power to enslave, steal, kill, and destroy.
But Paul knew the crucified and risen Jesus, and that made all the difference. Knowing Him made every hardship worth it.
You want to know the Jesus of the Bible, well here He is Church. Hear what He calls His would be disciples to:
Luke 9:23 (NIV)
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
Does that sound like a god who exists to make you comfortable or empowers you to live your truth?
No it does not and praise the Lord for it! Do you know where your sinful desires will lead you! Straight to the pit of hell, and not just for eternity, but in this life too! The wages of sin are paid in death friends (Rom. 6:23)! And Jesus says to you and to me! Come to me, come to me and die to yourselves. Die to your sinful desires, whether they’re greed or pleasure and comfort above all else, come to me and die to yourselves. Take up your cross daily! Accept and embrace the challenge of laying down your sinful desires whatever it costs you and follow me, wherever I lead you, not matter how uncomfortable it gets, follow me and I will make living waters flow up throw your soul (John 7:38)!
Why? How, because when we surrender to Jesus and accept the way of the Cross, we get the power of the Risen Holy Spirit. And this Spirit keeps our eyes fixed on Jesus so that when suffering hits, we don’t think what am I doing wrong why is God allowing this to happen to me, no when suffering and discomfort hits, we look to Jesus and we remember what the author of Hebrews told us in Hebrews 12:2 “2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Jesus is not calling us to something He Himself did not do! So too for Jesus, there was no crown without the cross!
And this truth, the real gospel, that Jesus set aside His own comfort and pleasure for me and for you, this is what wins our hearts back to Him! This is what beckons us into His love! If Jesus would do this for me, what a savior! What a friend!
The real gospel, it reveals the treasure to our hearts of the worth of Christ! I know we talk of the gospel every week, but friend never grow tired of hearing it! And don’t just gloss over it. Think about what Christ did. He knew the comforts and pleasures of heaven and he left them to come live down here. On the best day, this world is a chaotic, scary, filthy trash heap! There are glimpses of God’s glory and beauty to be sure, but those moments are like sitting on a beach next to a trash dump… the smells of sin and evil disturb and tarnish even the best moments in this life. And Jesus, He left perfection to come here. Talk about leaving the comforts of home. And not to be served like a King, which one might be able to understand, but when God came here, he came to a poor impoverished blue collar no-name family! Money was tight, I’m sure there were days where food and clothing were scarce and tattered.
And for most of his ministry, Jesus didn’t even have a home. He lived out of a tent! And the people He came to serve they mostly ridiculed and hated him for it, so much so that they punished him using the worst form of torture and death ever invented by humanity to this day.
He did all that, why? So He could make you and I comfortable. No, so that we might know Him and experience Him as He is and this gospel, this gospel is but a glimpse of who He is. Truly, Church, who is like this god? There is none in Heaven like Him
Don’t put up with anything less than this Jesus, than His Holy Spirit and this one true gospel!
Lord help us stay close and stay true to this Jesus!
Pray.