You Better Check Yourself

2 Corinthians 13:1–10 CSB

1 This is the third time I am coming to you. Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. 2 I gave a warning when I was present the second time, and now I give a warning while I am absent to those who sinned before and to all the rest: If I come again, I will not be lenient, 3 since you seek proof of Christ speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but powerful among you. 4 For he was crucified in weakness, but he lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by God’s power. 5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves. Or do you yourselves not recognize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless you fail the test. 6 And I hope you will recognize that we ourselves do not fail the test. 7 But we pray to God that you do nothing wrong—not that we may appear to pass the test, but that you may do what is right, even though we may appear to fail. 8 For we can’t do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 We rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. We also pray that you become fully mature. 10 This is why I am writing these things while absent, so that when I am there I may not have to deal harshly with you, in keeping with the authority the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down.

Rumors and unsubstantiated accusations should be ignored.

Gossip can kill unity in the church.

There may be legitimate needs that need to be discussed but there is a proper way to do it.

They way not to do it is - to get into a group and one person bring up an issue then sit there and talk about it.

Go to the person… talk to them!

You better check yourself.

We often want to make sure others are doing the right things and there is some truth to this but…

Scripture tells us we need to be sure we are healthy before helping others - Matthew 7:3–4 “3 Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a beam of wood in your own eye?” - Philippians 2:12 “12 Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

Navy Seals have a mindset that they call “3-foot world” - the concept is where the operatots focus only on what is immediately in front of them and within their control, rather than worrying about distant or uncontrollable factors.

You cannot make someone be a better Christian - you can influence them, you can encourage them and you can…

Pray for one another to walk in the truth of the gospel.

To continue the idea of your “3-foot world” - they only way this works is when you completely trust the person next to you.

This comes from being together, working together and training together.

As great as all those are the best thing we can do is pray that God is leading and that person is following.

Our goal is to build up and not tear each other down for the sake of the gospel.