Boast only in Lord
Or to put the question, another way, what is the identity of the person? Who if you don't receive Commendation from him or her? You are devastated or Down cast? The last week we talked about the truth of spiritual confidence and that as Believers in Christ, we have been given the Holy Spirit and we are commanded to do battle with thoughts. We are commanded to take up the shield of Faith to do battle with thoughts that are evil distracting or opposed to the knowledge of God and we can win. Amen. So when we fight sin when we fight thoughts that are distracting thoughts that are immoral, thoughts that are sinful, we fight from a position of Christ, having already won the victory because Jesus through his humble obedience and suffering fully identifies with us and has achieved that Victory on our behalf. And so we looked at chapter 10, last week we destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ. Proverbs 21 verse 22, talks about that imagery of taken captive, a wise, man scales, the city of the mighty and bring down brings down the stronghold in which they Trust. And so through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, we can take captive thoughts that are opposed to God and bring them under submission. Bring them under control under the The Obedience of Christ.
But today chapter 10, the scriptures, explain the confidence that I'm sorry the confidence that continue explaining the confidence that the Apostle Paul had in Christ. And the critical question in the Corinthian Church was well who is the who are people in the church seeking approval from And here's a sinful human tendency that all of us have. We have a tendency to seek out approval from people and place that approval above God's estimation of us.
Admiring other people's praise can be idolatry. Isn't that true? Now it's not wrong to to acknowledge. If someone gives you thanks or if someone does says great job of it you know you have a gift for this good job. Keep at it, you know there's nothing wrong with with you. No giving thanks or Commendation in general but when we admire other people's praise that can be idolatry that can be the shrine of Pride as the CH Spurgeon Road. And so the teachers in Corinth, specifically, the ones who were opposing Paul, where he says in this chapter commending themselves measuring themselves by themselves, You think of a example of measuring themselves by themselves, I think of the Academy Awards. When you have all the actors coming in on the red carpet and all the pictures and everything, and their speeches are. So filled with the when they win that, it's the desire of having the praise of who the the academy the is it Academy of Motion Pictures know what it whatever that the Actors Guild and all that right to be recognized by their peers, right is so meaningful to them that they even give a golden statue.
That's a simple tendency that we all have. That's just an example of how it plays out. If you can find a clever way to get people's praise, then you can have influence. Once you have influence, you can gain Authority, once you gain Authority, you can exercise power and control. So the problem in the Corinthian Church was that certain people were deposing Paul and through their clever reasoning through their artistic speaking, they gained influence and brought opposition against Paul. And so as a result people were grouping themselves under these teachers and then 6:12, he says, you are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. Meaning, I think you're giving your affections, you're putting your affections in the wrong place, you're putting emphasis in the wrong place, they were embracing false ideas. One of the ideas that they perhaps we're embracing was sort of a Prosperity Gospel that said hey look at you Paul you have all this suffering in Ministry. Your ministry must not be too legitimate cuz you know you're going around. You're talking about being beaten and Shipwrecked and being a hungry and and all these different things. Well probably some of the false teaching was hey if it's really from the spirit, you know it it doesn't include suffering. When he says in chapter 8 and chapter 9, he says you will be blessed in every way, God Will Supply when you so and give to the Lord. So, a see, you will be blessed in every way. Why? So that you can be generous in every way. Isn't it interesting that that the Prosperity Gospel 10 to leave that second part of the verse out? You know, why, why does God bless us in so many ways so that we can be generous in those ways not so that we can accumulate, accumulate accumulate So they were embracing some of these false ideas and he says, in 2:17, we are not like so many Peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity as commissions of by God, in the sight of God, we speak in Christ in 1st Corinthians. And we'll just read a couple versus here to give the context. I fed you with milk, not solid food for you were not ready for it and even now you are not ready for you. Are still of the flesh for while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the Flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, I fall apart all. And another says, I follow Apollo's, are you not being human? What then is Apollo's, what is Paul servants through, whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each? And so, he says, don't get caught up in recognizing who you're following or or the the labeling of this don't put emphasis on human credentials Apollo's, how to roll, Paul had a roll Peter and James were leaders in the church in Jerusalem. They had rolls And then you repeat again that same idea in 1st Corinthians 3 verse 21, don't so let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul oropallo store or cephas meaning Peter or the world, or life, or death, or the present or the future, all are yours and you are Christ's and Christ is God's. This is how you should regard us as Servants of Christ and stewards of the mystery of God. She says, you have what you need? You have what you need. Don't regard people in a higher estimation than Servants of God. Now that brings up a very good question and I probably delayed too long and sharing with you. The question of what? What is exactly? Apostolic Authority. Paul, the Apostle. Paul. What is Apostolic Authority? What are two basic criteria, Apostolic Authority is being an eyewitness of the Resurrection. And being specifically commissioned by Christ as his apostle. And so you have the original 11 disciples - Judas, and then in the beginning of the book of Acts, they added in Mathias, they chose Matthias and they said it, we have to choose someone who's been with us since the beginning. Also, Jesus, half, brother. James is referred to as an apostle and then also Barnabas and Paul are referred to as Apostles in Acts chapter 26, Paul Reed tells his experience of meeting Christ on the Damascus Road and having that direct appearance of the Risen Christ. And Paul a retails that and tells how God had commissioned him to be the Apostle to the Gentiles. In Acts chapter 13. The holy spirit said, set apart for me, Barnabas and Saul for the work that I have prepared for them or given to them after the people were fasting and praying, it says the holy spirit said set apart for me Barnabas and Paul. So there was a specific Commission That those 15 men were given a certain level of authority by God. What Authority were they given? They were given the authority to preach? They were given the authority to start and established churches and the office of apostle. I don't think is transferable to today. I know, there are churches that refer to people as either Bishops or Apostles or or different things but The office of apostle as it's used in New Testament. Times is is not, I don't think transferable to today. I think people can have Apostolic giftings where their God gives them an area of responsibility or they have a supernatural gifting to oversee a number of churches. Or to plant churches, one of the, one of the evf, cas missionaries, who retired? I think, within the last year of Gene Wilson, Jean Wilson was with reach global missions for many, many years and he traveled, the world. He was basically a church planter and church planting trainer. And I think that's in a sense. An Apostolic type gifting. I'm using that. Apostolic with a lowercase, a, that he had an unusual Supernatural. Ability gifting from God, I think to be able to train other leaders to be able to encourage them. Helping them start churches. Now, that's a whole nother conversation about offices in the church and okay, what offices do we recognize and all of that? But I want to just make the point that Paul had been given that Authority specifically by the Lord and he was the one who founded the church in Corinth.
So he says, later on in the passage, you said, look, we were the first ones to come to you with the gospel. And so the the sofas that the the fancy philosophical teachers and others who followed them and others who followed the sofas were directly challenging Paul's Authority and the authority that God had granted him and they were giving themselves self commendation.
Anniversary date. He says, or even if I boast a little too much of our Authority which the lord gave it for building you up and not for destroying you. I will not be ashamed. He's kind of reasserting himself there. He saying I'm not ashamed of the authority that God had gave. You has given me for building you up.
Okay, so for the rest of our time, I want to give us three questions that we can ask Jesus. 6 minutes 2 minutes per question. Okay. All right. Maybe we'll just get the one or two of the questions. So here's the questions that help us as individual Believers and I think as a church as as churches in this area as groups of believers,
That help us discern where or from whom are we seeking commendation? First question is, this is my life consistent with Jesus. Second question. Do I send fully compare myself to others and third? How can I be diligent in the area? God has given me. Look at verses 8 through 11, the first question. Do I have a consistency that demonstrates following Jesus verses 8 through 11? I just read verse 8. I'll read verse 9. I do not want to appear to be frightening, you with my letters for. They say his letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak and his speech of no account. Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent. We do. When present the, the accusation against Paul was that he was away from the church and correnty wrote this Stern letter to them, And the accusation as well, but when he's here in person, he's kind of weak. You know, he doesn't, he doesn't follow through with what he says.
God had given him authority to build up. That is to establish and edify the church and he tells them. I am the same person. I will follow through with what I say when I visit again. That's essentially what he saying. So then the question to ask is, are you and I people who will follow through on our word,
Do we like to exaggerate or cry foul in one setting? And then when we are in another setting or face-to-face with someone, we back down or we talk differently.
Would you say face to face what you texted or wrote in an email?
Well, if you're not prepared to do that, it's probably not worth texting or emailing, if you're not willing to say it to someone's into it in person.
Two passengers related here. The first one is 1st Corinthians 10 verse 31 and verse 11 verse 1. So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or the Church of God. Just as I try to, please everyone and everything I do, I do not seeking my own Advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. Be imitators of me as I am of Christ. Now, it's kind of sounds like he's acting two different ways. And in the context of 1st Corinthians 10, he's talking about will in these disputable matters in these matters that are not specifically commanded. By God, we have freedom to either eat meat. That was offered to an idol, or we have freedom not to eat meat, that was offered to an idol in sacrifice and so it's not that. He's being inconsistent. He's saying my, my, my consistency is in the fact that I want as many to be saved as possible. So I try to to imitate Christ in what I'm doing. Within the bounds of what Christ has given me. It within the bounds of what Christ has commanded.
His goal is singular. Reaching people who don't know, Jesus. His consistency of life is modeled after Jesus. What was the accusation against? Jesus? Oh, he's a friend of sinners. But Jesus was a friend of sinners who did not compromise on morals and spoke up when necessary.
Another related text that shows that consistency of Life, Psalm 15 O Lord who shall sojourn in your tent who shall dwell on your Holy Hill, He Who Walks blamelessly and does what is right? And speaks truth in his heart.
And then verse 3 and 4, it says, who does not slander with his tongue who swears to his own hurt and does not change. That phrase is always stuck with me who swears to his own hurt and does not change our you. And I willing to tell the truth, even when we know it will cost us
It may cost you will real estate sale because you have to fill out that form what are they call it? The seller's disclosure form and you have to disclose have you had any problems with termites? What has been repaired in your house if you had any floods or damage is, when is the roof been replaced? And all this, you have to fill that out. There has to be a consistency of life, but it, but it may cause o, the person might not by the house for as much as you want them to buy the house if you if you tell the truth, but will you tell the truth when it cost you
It may cost you some pay are these hours. Correct that you clocked in at the at work? Are those the correct hours?
Think of it this way humorously. Relax for a second. God has put the IRS in place in our lives to ask us every year. Is this how much you earned? Are you going to answer, honestly? Is this how much you donated to charity? Are you going to answer? Honestly are these the correct business expenses? You had. Are you going to answer? Honestly, are you willing to tell the truth? When you know, it's going to cost you? The ancient Greek poet pindar. he said it this way as death approaches, sweet hope. Is a kind nurse in one's old age. Sweet. Hope is a kind nurse in one full days. What did he mean by sweet? Hope he meant the clear conscience of a virtuous life lived.
but the question is compared to who A virtuous life lived is excellent, but compared to who compared to your peers. Compare to others, you judge to be in your demographic. Brothers and sisters, the consistency of life. That every one of us is going to be measured against is Jesus. That's why we need his grace for unless your righteousness, surpasses that of the scribes in the Pharisees, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. I thought the bar was here. Jesus put just put the bar up here.
I must need Grace.
So, the first question is, does my life reflect a consistency of following Jesus?
Secondly, in what ways do I simply compare myself with others? I guess we'll only get to the first two questions today. Look at verse 12. Again, I'm trying. I'm trying to personalize these these points for us, not that we dare to classify, or compare ourselves with some of those who are committing themselves. But when they measure themselves by one, another, and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.
The false teachers in Corinth were measuring themselves by one another. And they were in their own Echo chamber. How many of you have heard that term? Echo chamber, right? I've never been in an actual Echo chamber, while I've been in in, I guess a cave where it echoed. I remember hitting the tennis ball against the wall, at the high school, where I grew up in the way that the buildings were, there was a large brick wall on one building. And then there was a small space in another building and if you hit it just right, the the reverberation of the tennis ball hitting the wall wood would Echo you know a couple of times. Well, people refer to the internet, you know, as our Echo chamber. If you're, if you're always following the same type of news, are the same type of Articles, or the same blogs, or whatever, it can be an echo chamber, because you're just comparing yourself to to the group that already thinks like you do.
Answer the false teachers in Corinth were their own Echo chamber. Every incident of congratulations, rebounding, and being Amplified to their own ears. Theologian, John Calvin, spoke of monks. In his day, for those of you who are a young, the monks were not the guy on the television series. We're talking about monks in
Cloister. Mark Jerry I was going to say Convent no that's not right, that's the nuns. Alright. The monks John Calvin was speaking of the monks in his day talking about comparing themselves. To one of their he says this. No wonder the man who has one good eye is a king among the blind. Such were those who were satisfied with themselves simply because they did not look to any that were Superior to themselves. If they did, they would have exchanged their boasting for shame, Paul's Rivals inwardly flatter themselves not considering what virtues entitled a person to True. Praise since, almost all our blind through excessive self-love, we cannot safely Place confidence in the estimate that we form of ourselves.
His point. Let me make an a classroom analogy that might hit home if you and your three besties have judged yourselves, the smartest people in the class. No wonder that you would look down on your classmates and disparage anyone from another class or another school. That's what he was saying. No wonder the person who has one. Good eye is a king, among a whole bunch of people who are blind, they had already judge themselves, superior to the others in the church and disparage Paul, they weren't looking to Christ. My friend in Florida, Ross lamon. He made the point about often about politicians. He said, here's the danger. You start thinking that your press releases and your public relations statements are 100% true. You're committing yourself.
The danger is when you and your inner circle, are the only reference point. No comparison. When we compare ourselves to others, it often either feeds our ego or feeds our self-loathing. It is dangerous. We get either an over-inflated level of confidence or we get an under-inflated level. And his Believers we want to stay spiritually buoyant, right? If you're if you're out on the water and you're not buoyant. If if you're over inflated, the raft burst and you sink. If you're under inflated the raft can't even float at all.
So look back at Paul's assessment of himself in 1st Corinthians, chapter 4.
But with me, it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human Court. In fact, I do not even judge myself for. I'm not aware of anything against myself, but I am not there by it, is the Lord who judges me, therefore, do not pronounce judgment before the time before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his Commendation from God. He will disclose the purposes of the heart. And then the Lord says to the servant. Well done, good, and faithful servant enter into the joy of your Master's happiness. Each one will receive his Commendation from God.
So where is our security? Where is our confidence? It is in the cross. It is in the fact of our adoption as God's sons and daughters that we do not relate now to God as our judge. But as our father, our confidence is in God who saves who sanctifies and will glorify us completely free from the presents or even the possibility of sin when we are with Him face to face. Because Jesus Christ is the author and the sustainer and the Perfecter of our faith, we can put our hand to the plough and carry on. Let's pray.
