In the Sight of God

Saint Augustine put it this way, "Better It is to love even with the accompaniment of severity than to mislead by excess of lenience." Love with the accompaniment of severity than to mislead by excess of lenience. Meaning it's better to show love with a little bit of toughness tough love rather than mislead someone by being too nice. Or the Book of Proverbs says it even better than St. Augustine. Proverbs 27. Verse 5, "better is open rebuke than hidden love; wounds from a friend can be trusted but an enemy multiplies kisses," Proverbs 27, verse 6. I think that's the NIV version. Well, those truths that I just read to you encapsulate the challenge that the Apostle Paul had in writing to the Corinthian Church, not only in the book of 1st Corinthians- notice in verse 20 there the things that he listed are all problems that he raises in 1st Corinthians. Quarreling jealousy, anger. Hostility slander, in the book of 1st Corinthians. He says, look one of you follows, Paul one of you follows apollos1, you follow Cephas, you're having disorder, you're having these factions, this is not good. So he had this challenge of not only writing 1st Corinthians, but then the second severe letter that he wrote to them and then this letter of 2nd Corinthians. So he was riding with a dual purpose, he was writing to strengthen the faith of those who were weaker in their faith or we're drifting in their faith. And he had to also had to rebuke those who were arrogant, those who were opposing him. He had to reassure some and he had to call others to repent. That's the job of the preacher is to comfort The Afflicted. And afflict the comfortable in a good way to comfort The Afflicted, and afflict the comfortable. Or as I say, you know, as a preacher, my job is to preach in. Your job is to listen and hopefully we end at the same time. It is very similar into to Ministry in. Today's Church, the upon what the Apostle Paul was dealing with in every gospel preaching Church. There is a great need for instruction, for edification for extending people's face. But at the same time, there is always the presence of sin, the presence of Pride the presence of power, struggle personality, clashes, miscommunications, false assumptions, conflicts, etc, etc. When I was in Uganda, in January, with Pastor Robert- very humble, very dignified man and we went to this one town- pretty remote. It was near the national park. So we were able to visit the national park, but we visited this one church , just an A frame structure, basically. I don't even think it had a tin roof. I think it was a wood roof with thatch and then just mud walls. And and he was talking to the church. And and he said this is one of my first I'm paraphrasing here to the best of my memory. He said this is one of my first visits too many churches in 2025, Pastor Robert supervisors, over 1500 churches in Uganda and so they're separated into Regional districts. And so he tries to visit every District that he can throughout the year. And he says this is this is my first one of my early visits to the churches. And he says, now remember that I came to visit. You remember later in the year that I came to visit you? I love you and if I can't come to visit you for the rest of the year, don't say that. I don't love you. It was his gentle warning right now, he's saying, look, I'm making the effort to visit you now, but but don't don't think that later on because I haven't come because it's been a long time since I've come. Don't think that, I don't love you. He was building them up and at the same time, giving them a gentle warning. and that's the reality of ministry in Paul's day and in our day is that people often questioned the motives of the leader and Paul was being opposed by some in the Corinthian Church and and you can imagine Imagine the people in the church in Uganda, when they saw me, the Muzungu - the white person basically. And I think the derivation of that word comes from a person who wanders around. And so you can imagine a white person that Africa wandering around. And so that's the nickname that they gave to the white person, then resume, goo. And so you can imagine the people in the church when they will. Why did Pastor Robert bring this person here? What in Corinth people did question Paul's motives. Why does he not ask us for support? Perhaps he is trying to get money for himself under the guise of this collection for Jerusalem. And so, he has just finished his boasting exercise in which he admits in one sense that he is talking foolishly until last week. We looked at chapter 12 and Paul says, essentially this he says look, I could boast about my Revelations from God, but God gave me a thorn in the flesh to keep me from being prideful and to show me that in my weakness. Christ is my strength. That's how any of us grow in the Christian life, isn't it? That God uses things to show us. Our weakness to reveal our weakness. And to show in us that in our weakness. Christ is our strength. I don't think there's any other way to grow.

I mean, we do grow maybe by learning certain things or reading books or devotionals or fellowshipping with other Christians, but you talk to people and you ask will when did, when did Jesus become more real to you in your daily life? When did you send his presence more and more? Well, the majority of the time people will say, when I was going through, something difficult, when I was at the end of my own strength, when I was questioning what God was doing, when I was doubting, if God would bring resolution to this situation.

And so in the next couple paragraphs, Paul gives his final points to the Corinthian Church and he reaffirms his love for them and so that's what we're going to look at, is his final points to the Corinthians in verses 11 through 21. This is the point that he brings out. Gospel Ministry is about people specifically bringing one another to Greater maturity in Christ. That's the thing that he's emphasizing in these 10 verses 11, verse 11 through 21 He saying I care about you.

He says, in verse 14, he says and I will not be a burden to you for I seek not what is yours? But you meaning he supported himself while he was with them and he's not asking them for support. Specifically for himself. He says I'm not seeking. What is yours? I'm not taking what belongs to you. I'm seeking you. I'm pursuing you. I'm talking to you. I'm instructing, you, I'm giving myself to you. It's a gospel Ministry Ministry that reflects the good news of Jesus is about people and what was his goal specifically bringing people to Greater maturity in Christ in verse 19 He says it's all for your up building, beloved it's all for your edification. What's an what is an edifice? an edifice is a structure. So when the Bible talks about edification it talks about the building up of our faith. And so he is yearning that they would grasp greater maturity in Christ. When I was in seminary, I took lots of classes, but two of the classes that I have very distinct memories of our pastoral duties, which was one of the introductory classes for pastors and pastors seminar. So pastoral duties, was that first class where they took people who wanted to be prospective pastors, and they talked about, here's all the nuts and bolts of how to be a pastor. I mean, we talked about how to arrange the chairs for a prayer meeting, okay? And we did, you know, this is how you put your hands around someone if you're baptizing them in waist-deep water. We talked about every little thing Everything practical that we would need in order to become effective ministers. But I remember the crucial talk from one Professor, he said something like this. He said, if you are in ministry because you feel called to meet peoples needs or because you want to help people in the general way you are in for a big shock. Why? Because number one, you can never fully meet peoples needs. Only Jesus can do that. And number two, often you are the one who needs help the most not your people. Now, what was the professor driving at? He was driving at the fact that ministry in the name of Jesus is never about what you get out of it. It's never about what kind of ministry career you might have, it's never about any personal benefits that you might experience. Missionary Steve Saint with the I-tec Ministry in the in Florida, whose father on Nate, Saint was one of the five missionaries speared by the warranty tribe in Ecuador. He said this- and he's got a great little book, called The Great Omission that talks about missions and how a lot of churches is specifically Western churches don't do missions properly because we we tend to do everything for the the indigenous people instead of training them. But he says this in the book, he says, shepherding is for the sake of the sheep, not the shepherd, And read the book of Ezekiel 2 to hear a description of the Shepherds who are not tending to the flock. Shepherding is messy, you will get wounded, you will get tired, you will gets and you will get disappointed with others. You will get disappointed with yourself. Just read the book of Exodus and think then and see how Moses was over and over aggravated with the people, aggravated with himself, aggravated with God,

And yet. God is gracious, amen. And he uses each one of us for his kingdom and His glory. And so, Paul's goal was to bring the Corinthians to Greater maturity in Christ and it's about people. And so in Colossians, he uses the same word here. Him. We Proclaim meaning Christ, we Proclaim Christ in you. The hope of glory warning, everyone and teaching everyone. With all wisdom, notice those two aspects, their warning and teaching. So there's a, there's a positive instruction. But there's also a negative instruction in terms of warning with all wisdom that we may present everyone mature in Christ for this site oil struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works Within Me. And notice the dynamic of his personal struggle and God's power, his energy. I toil with his energy. I toil and struggle with the power that he works Within Me. It's so he's warning everyone that we may present them complete or mature in Christ. 2nd Corinthians 11:2 he would go back to chapter 11. He says for I feel a Divine jealousy for you since I betrothed, you to one husband to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. The church is the bride of Christ. We are to be presented to Christ as holy and blameless. And so he is trying to convince the Corinthians that his goal in. Ministering to people is the same as Jesus goal. That's where. That's where the question of motives, come in, right? I mean, the whole section of of 2nd Corinthians chapters 2 through 7, Paul is trying to establish to them. Look, my goal is the same as God's goal for you. Colossians 1:22. He has now reconciled Us in his body of Flesh by his death, in order to present you, holy and blameless and above reproach before him. Paul is saying, this is what Christ has done. This is what God has done. He has now reconciled you in his body of Flesh by his death in order to present you, holy and blameless. And he saying that's my, that's the same goal that I have. Ephesians 5:27. Again, this were present so that he might present the church to himself in splendor without spot or wrinkle or any such thing that she might be holy and without blemish. Give us hope. With all the wranglings in churches and all the quirks and all the problems. And everything that every single church has every Minister has every congregation has in their lives. God is bringing all of us to his glorious Eternal future as the Spotless. Bride of Christ. Amen. God is bringing us there. And so Paul is reminding the Corinthians that this is the goal. I am ministering among you for your sake to see you mature in Christ to see you built up.

This is all for your building up beloved. He says in verse 19,

And so I hope that gives you encouragement today. I think of, I can remember one of the first district conferences. I went to in the Great Lakes District in the Evangelical Free Church. And, you know, the pastor's would split up into separate groups and pray for one another and just share a couple of things you know what's encouraging to you. What's also hard about what you're going through.

And I remember one of the pastor sharing it and he said, he said, yeah, I just had some difficult things. I have one person that's that, you know, being really difficult in my church and they've gone to the, to the point of leaving notes on my windshield in the parking lot.

I thought, wow. I mean, that's serious. And that's also a pretty tough trial I didn't know the full context of the story and I didn't need to, but it was just a difficult interpersonal conflict that he was dealing with. But it gives us hope that in the midst of all the quirks, all the problems. All the difficulties that every church and every Minister has that God is bringing us to this glorious future as the bride of Christ. And so he's giving us two reminders in the rest of this passage that I want us to focus on that. That that Ministry is about people. And so two reminders, if you want to drop them down in your, in your Bible are in your notes. The first reminder, is this authentic gospel Ministry demonstrates christ-like love with patients at personal cost. Notice what he says in verse is 12 + 14. The signs of a true Apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders, and mighty works. and then, in verse 14, He says, and I will not be a burden for I seek not. What is yours but you Her children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. So, Paul is saying in his role of spiritual parenting, I'm not I'm not my desire is not to take from you. My desire is to build up and save up for you to bless you.

And so authentic gospel Ministry, demonstrates christ-like love with patients at personal cost that he, he did not want to be a burden to them, so he supported himself while he was with them. Remember he spent 18 months in Corinth? He had a second painful visit after his first 18 months there and now he's planning on a third visit and he's writing to them still defending his credentials. He says you know I'm not at all inferior to these other super Apostles although I am nothing. Now, what does he mean? When he says he's nothing sometimes we can misinterpret that kind of thing. We can say all, I'm I'm nothing I'm just, I'm just, you know, I'm just one of billions of Christians Around The World. God, I don't make any difference to God. No, that's not what he's saying. He saying in his own strength in his own credentials, that that doesn't matter. He's been called by God to speak in the Name of Christ. He's been given the scriptures. He's been given the gospel message through Christ and so he sang I'm not at all inferior to these other ones who call themselves super Apostles. But I recognize that in my own self. I still need Christ. I'm the chief of sinners. Like he says in one of his other letters. So he's not saying that he's worthless, he's simply saying that his human credentials aren't, what matters.

Now, it's interesting that he still going on about this because I can imagine, if I were Paul's one of Paul's Ministry companions, I would say, "look Paul,

my friend, my brother, listen to me, you have spent a lot of time on this Corinthian Church and it's giving you a lot of problems. And I see the stress that is causing you. Why not just plow other fields? Aren't there other places you can go? You're familiar with the Mediterranean World. Why don't you just give up on this group? Leave it to somebody else, this congregation is not going to change."

Paul says, no, I'm still coming to visit you again. He says with utmost patience. I spent time with you. With utmost patience.

Where he says, "The signs of a true Apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders, and mighty works. Why does he say utmost patience? I think he probably says that because that was more common than the signs and the wonders and the mighty works. I mean, he could have said, "oh, remember when this person was healed, or remember, when this mighty work happened, remember when these 10 or 20 people professed faith in Christ, when I was preaching," But he says, with utmost patience. He doesn't draw attention to the signs and wonders, because he knew that was a stumbling block for the Corinthians. But what is patience in ministry?

That's a good question. Patience in ministry is not simply waiting quietly. It could be waiting quietly, but I don't think patience is only that. Patience in Ministry to people is extending ourselves repeatedly. Over and over. Patience is offering ourselves in service to God on easy days or on difficult days.

Patience is allowing people to make mistakes and not giving up on them. I can think of teachers that were patient with me, you know, I just don't understand this. I just I just don't get it. "Okay, that's go over this one more time." Is a good teacher going to give up on you and say "oh you'll just never understand this. You'll never get it . Let's just pack up, just go home." No! A patient teacher is going to say, let's go over this one more time. How can I help you understand. Patience is allowing people to make mistakes and not giving up on them. Patience is pursuing others in love. When our first instinct is to move on.

Patience is putting ourselves at a disadvantage for another person's good. I'll tell you a story from when we were ministering in Florida, it was a newer church plant and we were we had small groups initially that we're going well but we didn't have any Sunday class. We didn't have any children's class during the Sunday service. And so we thought we'll the next step for the church is is providing something during the church service like a children's church so that you know new families that come with kids will have something that their children, can attend in the parents can focus on on being in the service. And so we have the task of starting that and I asked, three or four, ladies whom I thought were gifted and diligent and teaching, and we had a rotation of of teachers lined up. And there was one young woman who was, I think she was a Elementary or kindergarten teacher, maybe a first grade teacher, a new, first grade teacher, who was in charge of the curriculum and the schedule. And so she had taught, lots of kids lessons before and some of the teachers had and others had not Well, within the first month of setting up this class one lady, phoned me and was asking questions about the lessons. And she had questions about the curriculum and and I had reviewed it and it was from a source that I trusted. And so I didn't think too much of it, but she had a couple particular questions that were bugging her. And so I suggested I said, but wanted to call the other lady that's in charge of the class rotation and talk it through with her. Well, that conversation didn't go as I expected. And so, in the midst of the conversation, their difference is a rose. I think mainly differences of, you know, how should we teach this, how should rephrase this and, and what should we have for size? And so, the, the, the younger woman decided, boy, this is a lot of stress for me starting out, maybe I shouldn't be the leader of this ministry. And her feelings were hurt and the other woman because she had these questions and was more interested in this curriculum and and getting it, right-- she ended up taking the lead for the class, and it worked itself out- sort of. You know how these things are, they work themselves out, and there's this kind of, you know, hanging conflict. That's like a cloud that, you know, like Charlie Brown where the cloud follows him all around town, you know?

But here's the God moment in all of that.

The older woman who had, who had the questions about this curriculum and she had initiated the conversation and she and she you know, I think she had genuine concerns and she wanted to make sure that we got this right that we weren't, you know, misleading young children, we wanted to teach this correctly. She called the younger lady a few days later. Not to talk about curriculum. Not to talk about the lessons that we had to plan or whatever she called her because she wanted to make sure that the two of them were on good terms. And she wanted to encourage her.

Even though I had, they had a disagreement. She pursued her sister out of love though. It wasn't easy.

That is she was demonstrating the teaching the lesson or doing the ministry. Task was much less important, then their work with the Lord and their relationship with the Lord. Now, what was her personal cost in that? Well, the time of making a phone call. Her personal cost was not insisting. That she was right.

A personal cost was bearing, the weight of the other person's concerns or the other person's burdens. And she was willing to pay those costs in order to help her other sister in the Lord. So that's what gospel Ministry is Gospel, Ministry, demonstrates christ-like love with patients. That can come at a personal cost. Now, that doesn't mean that this one lady did. Everything exactly. Right. And in hindsight, I think maybe she was making a little bit bigger problem out of something that wasn't wasn't that that big of an issue. but it was an opportunity for the two of them to reconcile and it was a demonstration of the work of Christ. Between two people. Here's the second reminder that Paul gives us is that authentic gospel. Ministry is always in the sight of God, who calls all people to repentance and faith and who will judge all mankind noticing verse 19. This is, this is the force of the texts. I want us to feel

verse 19 says this.

He says the Titus try to take advantage of you didn't we didn't? We have the same ministry, The same Spirit. The same steps verse 19- Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you?

what Paul is saying is, "Look Corinthian Church. Do you think that I have this entire time I've been doing this to defend myself? No, it is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ and all for your up building beloved reminds us back in chapter 22 and 3 where he says in the sight of God we speak

We are speaking. This in the sight of God, Psalm verse Psalm. 2 verse seven reads, this serve, the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling that verse is always puzzled me but I think there's a fascinating principal there serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling There is a holy, God given fear that should be present in our minds when we gather as a congregation.

Let me repeat that, there is a holy God given fear, that should be present in our minds and hearts when we gather as a congregation. Why? Because we are worshiping the Living God. Amen? This is not simply a social or cultural exercise. Amen. It is not simply singing songs or reading in unison or speaking. Yes, we are doing those things, but we are doing it in the sight of God! God is here! Christ is among us! When we partake the bread in the cup, he is spiritually among us! And God is watching when we worship him! God Is watching and sees our attitudes and sees our thoughts and sees everything about us, when we come before him together, And Paul levels with the church. He says, do you think all this time we are defending ourselves? Is your opinion, Corinthians is your opinion of myself and Titus so important that we have to look to justify ourselves to you. Do you think our goal is to impress you? It's our goal to look good in your eyes because you have the final say in all these matters? No, who has the final say?

God has the final say, and in Uganda the song was Jehovah has the final say, "who has the final say, God has the final say!" God Almighty, the one who was and is and is to come all of us will stand before him. And so, Paul's concern in verse 20 is not primarily that the people would be unprepared to face Paul. His concern is that they would be unprepared to stand before the Risen Lord, Jesus Christ, who will come again to judge the living and the dead. In verse 21, he says I fear that when I come again my God May humble me before you and I may have to mourn over many of those who send earlier and have not repented of their impurity sexual immorality and sensuality that they have practiced. He says, if I come again, I may have to mourn over this sin. Not because I know I'm, I'm this great leader Paul and you didn't meet my expectations. No, it's their standing before God that he is concerned about. I don't want to mourn over your sin, but I may, if you are not ready to face Jesus, brothers and sisters, that is the burden of any ministry! Because we know that perhaps in an instant or in a week or in a month. Any one of us will face Jesus. We do not do ministry for our reputation, sejkora for a family sake, or for the sake of our own goals and objectives. We do ministry because we know people are lost and dying that people are going to hell. Every second. If they do not know Christ and God has put the good news into our hearts and into our hands and into our lives. And Paul says, in Ephesians, 6 he says put on the armor of God. And you know what, you need shoes, and what are the shoes made of? The shoes are for having put on the readiness by giving the gospel of peace. And Jim Halstead exhorted us. Are we shoeless? Are we shoeless Christians? God is not about barefoot Christians! Barefoot may look good on the wall at the beach house-- oh Barefoot, put your toes in the sand and what not. God says, no, put on the sandals of the gospel of peace and get going!

There is not that much time left. In the blink of an eye, any of us could face Jesus. And 2nd Corinthians 5:10 he says the same thing. For we must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ. So they each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

We speak in the sight of God, everything that we do is in the sight of God and God knows the number of our days, he wrote those days in our book even before any of them came to be- Psalm 139

Let me finish by reading our movement statement of faith from the EFCA article, 10, that talks about what we believe about The Eternal Destiny and response that is needed from All Mankind. We believe that God commands everyone everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to him in Repentance and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world assigning. The unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment, and the believer, to Eternal, blessedness, and joy. With the Lord, in the new Heaven, and a new Earth to the praise of his glorious Grace. Amen. That is what drives us. Paul is not going through this entire section of 2nd Corinthians simply to prove that he is better than some other person who calls himself an apostle.

He's speaking this way because he knows that every one of them will have to face Jesus. And we want to be ready. Amen. We want to have him say to us, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Master's happiness."

And we can only do that if we know him and come to him by faith. Let's pray.