Examine Yourselves; Aim for Restoration

What does genuine love for others? Look like What does genuine love for others? Look like, we all think of love in different ways. We might, if we went back to 1st Corinthians 13, the love chapter. It reads love is patient. Love is kind, love does not envy or boast. It is not self-seeking, it is not arrogant or rude. You might think of love that way. We might think of love loving others. Genuine love for others as helping to meet peoples needs serving them in some tangible way. And that's one of the blessings of being part of a church is that you get involved in helping to meet others needs and serving one, another taking people to doctor's appointments or, you know, doing chores for somebody who is unable to do house chores outside or something like that, helping to meet other people's needs. You might think of Love genuine love for others as listening to them or extending empathy or feelings of love. Or maybe if you're in the younger generation you think of Love genuine love for others as posting that little heart emoji. After a text message. I mean you've got what 56 colors to choose from. There's a red heart, blue heart, green heart. I didn't know how many their emojis there were until I realized I owe. You can scroll down and there's like hundreds and hundreds of them. Is that what? Genuine love looks like posting a heart emoji. Or does a genuine view of Love, have room for warning. For examination. Correction. And restoration. Not only towards others but towards yourself. Do you have room for warning for Examination for correction and restoration? I mean, if you're a new college student, you learn tough love quickly. If you get a new roommate, And you say, hey hey bro, I love your taste in music but you know, I need to be real. You can't leave the pizza box with three, slices of pizza, under your bed, for 4 days. Okay, that's not going to work. We got to work this out. You got to take it to the trash, you learn tough love, quickly in those kind of situations. And from college students today, to Richard Baxter, the 17th century, Pastor, who wrote this? if you be their best friends meeting people that your ministering to if you are going to be their best friends, then help them against their worst enemies. And think not all sharpness. Inconsistent with love parents. Correct their children and God himself chastens. Every son, whom he receives There have to be room, if love is genuine, if love is Christ. Like there has to be room for warning for correction. For disciplining. Don't fool yourself as what he saying. By taking sin lightly James 4:4 whoever wishes to make himself a friend of the world with her, right? Whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Brothers and sisters, God does not want us to Cozy up to send. I mean some of us think that we're going to we're going to be in the situation where they're sin tempting us and we're going to do this like juke move on a video game and we're just going to run away and and get get past it as if you can do some magnificent Juke Madden NFL move. In the moment. Don't cozy up to send. Now, that doesn't mean that everything in the world is by definition sinful there. Many enjoyable things about the about the world. God gives us nature, God gives us our God, gives us music. God gives us all these wonderful things we can enjoy. But James chapter 4, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God, me and the world. Meaning the system of sin that is opposed to God. And we said last week, God doesn't want, does not want Barefoot Christians? God does not want Barefoot Christians being being in Barefeet in our culture. Symbolizes relaxation, right? Symbolizes vacation time, symbolizes not having a lot of responsibility to do things. You know, you got to a third world country being Barefoot means you don't have shoes. That you have to do everything without shoes but the but the scriptures tell us have your feet. What it? What are we supposed to have on our feet? Ephesians chapter 6, we talked about it last week, the shoes, the sandals that are ready for them to bring the gospel of peace, right? It so God doesn't want us to Cozy up to the world. And so Paul has to warn the Corinthians in this last chapter of that same idea. Until last week here are his final points to the Corinthians. Last week, we looked at gospel Ministry, being about people. Specifically about bringing one another to Greater maturity in Christ. That's what we looked at last week. Gospel Ministry is essentially about people. Paul says, don't think that were defending ourselves to you for our sake, we're doing this so that you can be built up in Christ and then chapter 13, the main message of chapter 13 is this mature Christlike. Love warns others while praying and working for restoration

Mature Christlike, love warns, others, while praying and working for restoration. He says, at the end, aim for restoration, he says in verse 9, your restoration is what we pray for. Now, the rest of the passage is a warning. He say, I warned those who sinned before and all the others and I warned them now while absent as I did, when present on my second visit that if I come again I will not spare them. Meaning he is going to give a message of judgement in regards to their sin.

So, mature Christlike, love warns others, while praying and working for restoration. The bottom line is that he is warning them because he loves them. And if you're a parent, you know what's that? What that's like with your children. If you see them going down the wrong path, your into the intensity of your love for them, goes up a notch. Now, you're chilled children interpreted as oh, you're you're hovering, you're being overprotective, you're you're, you know, you're upset with me, whatever? Whatever. But imagine a parent whose child ends up in a drug addiction and moved away from home and is in his homeless or is on the streets or whatever. The parents love goes from here to here. It's a jealous love. It's a Godly jealousy to say, wait I'm I want to warn them. I need to correct them. I need to to, to help them. Paul is warning them because he loves them because he is mourned by their sin. And there are Eternal consequences to not passing the test, not passing the test meeting, not being approved by God not being qualified for heaven, being disqualified, from heaven. I mean, every human is qualified. To go to hell.

Every human is qualified to do that every human is qualified because we all inherit Sin from Adam, we are Sinners by nature and by choice. So we are Sinners by nature, but we all signed on the bottom line, with our own sin, every human being is qualified to go to hell. The crucial question is, whether or not a person is qualified to go to heaven. And that phrase meeting the test means, are you qualified? Are you approved? And the only qualification for that, Is through Christ is through Jesus. Amen. The truth is what Paul is pointing to over and over in this letter, is that true that the only qualification For being part of God's people, for being part of the New Covenant people of God, for being part of the, the body of Christ with which, in which the spirit of God is working. The only qualification for that is Jesus Christ. Believing on him, trusting him.

At the same time he has to warn the church. He loves the Corinthian Church, but they also caused him a lot of trouble. The warnings are necessary part of Christ like love. And that's the first necessity, we see. Warnings are a necessary part of Christ, like love because people continue to disobey the word of God, or they refuse to obey the word of God. Why are warnings necessary? Because we we don't always okay.

Warnings are necessary look closely at verses 1 through 4 again in chapter 13. This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three Witnesses. That's from Deuteronomy 19, the reference to to an official proceeding where evidence had to be given by two or three Witnesses. I warned those who sinned before and all the others and I warned them. Now while absent, as I did one present on my second, visit that, if I come again, I will not spare them since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me, he is not weak in dealing with you but it's powerful among you for he was crucified and weakness but lives by the power of God for, we also are weak in him. But in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.

He's saying that he's coming to visit them, but he's saying that Christ will deal with them powerfully.

we always quote to ourselves, if we come to a church meeting and there's not too many people there, We say, oh well, where two or three are gathered, the Lord is there with them. You know, glad we're here. We kind of as pastors, you know, we kind of joke about that. Sometimes, if we have pastors prayer and there's a bunch of guys that are out and there's only a few of us, the immediate context of that verse Matthew, 18, verse 20, Is the church Gathering to deal with sin.

Matthew chapter 18, Jesus talks about resolving conflict and he says, if you can't resolve conflict, then you need to take it to the church and he talks about binding and loosing, whatever you bind or loose on Earth will be bound or loosed in heaven. He's talking about keeping the church pure, he's talking about dealing with people's sin.

Because Peter says, in the next first, he says, will, how many times Lord when my brother sins against me? Must I forgive him? 70 * 7 minutes, a lot.

Jesus has no, not that many times over and over over and over. You need to forgive him seven times. No Seventy Times Seven, you need to keep doing that. Jesus is dealing with sin in the church. And Paul is warning The church here. Because when Jesus asked powerfully in the church, whether through the Apostle Paul or whether through the appointed leaders of a church, Jesus brings sin into light We have to deal with that reality.

We have to deal with the fact that Jesus wants to bring sin into the light, so it can be healed so it can be dealt with so it can be so we can live in the freedom of the truth. If you are going the speed limit under the speed limit and you passed that sign that says, speed limit 65. You can smile all the way by if you're going the speed limit. But if you're not going the speed limit, what you do. Oh, well, everybody else is speeding? Maybe I should slow down. Maybe you know what? You come up with all these justifications. There's freedom in living in the truth of God. Amen.

Does Jesus want to expose our sins? Simply because he wants to shame us know. He wants to expose the truth of our sin because that is the only way to be closed with the righteousness of Christ.

John 3:19 says this.

And this is the Judgment. The light has come into the world and people love the darkness rather than the light because their Works were Evil. Jesus says, I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

Brothers and sisters, some of us have attended church for years. And we pray silently for God's eyes solutions to persistent. Chronic problems in our lives. And yet we are deathly afraid of anyone asking us directly. What battles was sin? Are you fighting this week?

Some of us have attended church for years. We pray silently for God's eyes solutions to Chronic problems. Are our lives and yet we are deathly afraid of anyone asking us. Are you dealing with this sooner? That's in Howard? Are you struggling? What's going on? We would rather talk theology. We would rather talk turkey events, we would rather talk about the weather, or our work or vacation, plant, or new church, new purchases or new, or political views that we have, we would rather talk about any of those things, rather than dealing with what the Lord Jesus, the Risen Lord, Jesus wants to deal with in our lives, meaning bringing sin to light, and the spirit of the Risen Christ. Purifying us, the Holy Spirit. Purifying us. And that he is crucified and weakness, but he is alive by the power of God. Amen. And so the question is, will we allow him to do that? One of the fascinating things that made the Methodist so. So used by God when the Oxford, holy Club got together, John Wesley and his friends. They were they were intensely into accountability. Because one of the questions they asked in their small Bible study group, they would ask you. No, have you love the Lord, your God this week. Have you broken? Any of The Commandments this week? Have you have you sought the Lord in prayer this week etcetera, etcetera. The last question then was has anything that you've told me, In the last set of questions, been false.

But the point wasn't to you do admit to ourselves that we were Sinners and then, you know, stare at our feet for 30 minutes. The point was come into the light so that Jesus can heal you. He wrote in that him and can it be? My chains fell off. My heart was free. I Rose went forth and followed thee.

Jesus Will purify his church.

And I decide, I want to urge us to to recognize that there is strength and there is healing that comes from bringing or struggles to the Lord and to one another, that doesn't mean that you have to confess something to the entire church. That doesn't mean it that you do. You have to have counseling session after counseling session that the Lord provides context for all that the Lord provides different settings where you can talk to people about that.

But he wants us to do that. For our own good. It's a what's a response to this warning? Will we have to examine ourselves verses five through eight? We have to examine ourselves. He uses the same word in First Corinthians regarding communion, 1st Corinthians chapter 11 verses 28 and 29 says this. Let a person examine himself then. And so eat of the bread and drink of the cup for anyone who eats and drinks without Discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself.

First and then verse 32, but when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. So he's telling them about communion. He's saying, look, you have to, you have to examine yourself when you come before the, Lord, because this is why we say, if you're taking communion you, you need to be taking communion. If you're a believer in Christ, if you're not a believer in Christ, you are drinking judgment upon yourself because you are not recognizing the significance of the bread, and the cup, you're not recognizing the significance of what Jesus did on the cross. At Saint. Paul is addressing two groups. He's addressing one group who have examined themselves and their drinking of the cup in a worthy Manner and they're not condemned and he's also addressing those who drink of the cup in an unworthy manner. You see, inverse 32. He says, but when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined. So that we may not be condemned along with the world, the world meaning someone who reject cry, someone who is not recognizing the significance of communion. And so it's a similar scenario in 2nd Corinthians 13. Some have not repented, some of the church have still not repented, they're still in sin. But he's also addressing the people that he's trying to correct in saying yes you are genuine believers. So in verse five, he says this examine yourself to see whether you were in the faith test yourself. Or do you not realize this about yourselves that? Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed, you fail to meet the test. You see how he's trying to address both groups. He's reassuring one group he saying or do you not realize this about yourselves that? Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed, you fail to meet the test. There were some who were genuinely repented and things had improved in the meantime while Paul was away from the church at Corinth but there were some who still did not repent and so he's warning both groups.

Now, does it make you a little nervous? When the scripture says, examine yourselves and makes me nervous Just, just the for the first letters. First four letters of the words exam that makes me nervous and teaching they were exams but then they were called assessments. I don't know, I don't know when that switch happened was that like late 90's early, 2000's, maybe, you know, we're not going to have an exam. We're going to have an assessment or an inventory students on Friday. We're going to have an inventory of your knowledge. We're going to take an inventory. There you go. Alright. Examine yourself to see if you're in the faith. Do I have the spirit of Christ Living in me? Okay. So then how do you know that the spirit of Christ is living in you? Is it how you feel at any given moment? Is it what you see posted online is it? What so-and-so said about your church or what you thought about the Bible study that you attended last week? No. It's what does God God's word say, how do I know that the spirit of Christ is living in me? If you love me, you will obey my Commandments. Jesus says. So do I have an inkling? Do I have a desire to obey Jesus? That's one way. The spirit, testifies, with our spirit that we are children of God, Romans 8:19. And by the spirit of God, we cry Abba, Father, we have the spirit of sonship, we have the spirit of adoption. Paul says, no one says, Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. So, is there evidence of the fruit of the holy spirit in my life? Now, that's where we can ask others. Do you see evidence of the fruit of the Holy Spirit In My Life?

This is not a daily pass fail. Question that Paul is giving them. I don't I don't, I don't think it's what he's telling them to do. Every morning when you wake up and say I wonder if I'm really in the faith. His intent isn't to make them question their daily experience with the Lord. His question is saying, when I come to visit, I will call out soon for what it is. So be ready.

How many of you have heard the name? Pastor John Piper, Pastor John Piper. There's a really good compilation of his answers to questions. Cold, Ask Pastor, John And and so I needed help on this verse. So I went to ask Pastor, John But he has a good maybe 10 minute interview on this. Any, he Compares this verse where it says, examine yourself to see if you were in the faith. He compares to this verse with 2nd Peter 1:10, which says be sure to confirm your calling and election. And I don't have time to go into all the differences now, but I think he does a good job of differentiating. He says, on the one hand, there's the daily task of confirming. Our calling to follow Christ that we make choices everyday, small choices that confirm, the calling that God has put Upon Our Lives to follow Christ. Every everyday choices. And then he says there's a difference between that and examining ourselves in crucial moments when we realize that we fallen into sin and we realized that we have strayed from the Lord. And so I think there's a there's a distinction there. He's not telling them to You do question themselves each morning when they get up?

He saying if you are have sinned and you have not repented and and you are not in line with, you're not living how God wants you to live, examine yourself. So that, so if you want to look that up online that I think it's a, you can type in Ask Pastor, John and type in second Corinthians 13 and you'll probably find that. I think it's a good reminder. Now verses 6 through 10. These seem probably very convoluted. Verses 6 through 10 but I'm going to give you my best paraphrase.

because he talks about, I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test and then and then in the next verse he says not that we may appear to have met the test So, you read that, you cannot go. Head scratcher. Here's my best paraphrase. Paul is saying to the church Corinthians. And in particular, those who have criticized my Ministry. I hope you realize in time that I am qualified as an apostle even though you have questioned it for 6. Whatever you may think of my weaknesses. My failings, my struggles. We pray that you are following Christ and maturing that is the most important thing verse 7. Notice at the end of her 70 says, but that you may do, what is right though, we may seem to have failed. So he's telling the Corinthians, I know that you may have seen my weaknesses my struggles. But you following Christ is the most important thing. We act with a clear conscience before God verse 8. All this is for your growth so it is fine if I become weaker so that you become stronger verse 9. And he says, I am writing this way in hopes that when I come, I won't have to discipline you with the authority that God has given me. that Authority is always working toward the goal of you becoming more like Jesus verse 10, So I think that's the essence of what Paul is saying here. He saying I know you may have observed, my weaknesses. I know you may have seen my struggles but the most important thing is that you are being built up in Christ.

The second necessity that we see in the end of the passage here is the necessity of christ-like love, working towards the restoration with those in the church. Boy, that's, that's a difficult one. Because what's our solution in America, if you have differences that are big enough, you just go start another church. The Paul says, aim for restoration, I think things got better in the Corinthian Church because we have the letter of 2nd Corinthians. If the, if the, if the church in Corinth didn't survive, I don't think we would have the letter of 2nd Corinthians or 1st Corinthians. I think the fact that it is in the scriptures, testifies to the reality that things improved and that God kept working in that church throughout history. so, there's a necessity and working towards restoration, The New Testament is saturated with one another statements. You realize that The commands that God gives the church. confess your sins to one another pray for one, another encourage one, another exhort with one, another Rejoice, with those who Rejoice weep with those who weep the entire flow of the New Testament and Paul's letters. Are on.

people in the church serving one another

That's a huge theme. And so Paul wants us to focus on the things that we agree on, not on the things that we disagree on. Agree with one another.

Agree with one another. Now what about this greet one another with a holy kiss, I'm not so sure about that. Well, think of it, it's a standard greeting, in many countries giving a person, a kiss on each cheek when when Emily and I visited Haiti. I think partly because of the French influence, but there is that was the way people wanted to greet you. And so, you know, you just kind of work work with that and and takes a little getting used to, but in, in certain cultural context, you know, that would be the standard, greeting, in other contexts a handshake or even now after covid, it's a fist bump, you know, kind of thing or a pat on the shoulder or a side hug, you know, a bro hug so to speak. But the command behind that is don't avoid one. Another Don't avoid one. Another agree with one. Another greet one. Another

and then restoration, meaning to prepare or make complete In the book of Galatians. He says, if you have fallen into sin, you who are spiritual, Should restore. The person Galatians 6:1. He says Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness

Restore. In a spirit of gentleness. now, he might also be referring to the offering for Jerusalem that he commanded the Corinthians to take up saying, prepare this aim for restoration, prepare this offering

But do we make restoration? Our aim or do we let the root of bitterness get under our skin cuz once that root of bitterness gets under our skin, then we say, oh enough with these problems

Paul says, aim for restoration, I want to finish with one verse that. I want to leave you with two versus. Excuse me from the chapter 1, which give us the theme of 2nd Corinthians.

And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us. And who is also put his seal on us and given us his spirit in our hearts, as a guarantee.

If there were one takeaway verse, well, there's many in in 2nd Corinthians, but this is one that expresses, I think Paul's heart for the church, he says, God has established us with you. We're on the same team here and has anointed us, and he is also put his seal on us and given us his spirit in our hearts, as a guarantee.

Let's pray.