God's Comfort for Life's Plans

PURPOSE: God’s enduring faithfulness in the midst of interpersonal conflict

INTRODUCTION

WELCOME

Good Morning

Release the Kids

Turn with me to

REVIEW & CONTEXT

CONTEXT

We are in week three of our series through 2 Corinthians

Illustration

How do you respond when plans change?

Some like plans (J), and some like flexibility (P)

My wife values flexibility, open schedules - she would often get frustrated when the kids were eating breakfast but asking what was for dinner. She didn’t know yet

I on the other hand like plans and think of the calendar on an annual rotation. When I had an office my wife would have to call me ahead of time if plans changed for the evening so that I had time to get my mind adjusted. If I came home with expectations on what to expect that evening and those plans suddenly changed then I would get frustrated and annoyed.

The same thing happened between the Apostle Paul and the Corinthians.

Week 1 - We looked at the Author (Apostle Paul) the Audience (Church in Corinth)

Context:

God used the Apostle Paul to plant his church in Corinth

Paul then went to another city (Ephesus) and wrote them a letter after receiving a report about problems in the church.

Timothy to that letter to Corinth and in the letter Paul said that he intended on visiting the Corinthians church on his way to Macedonia, then again after Macedonia, before heading on to Judea.

After arriving in Corinth with the letter, Timothy sent word to Paul that things were worse than originally thought and Paul dropped everything and went to Corinth.

That trip went poorly and Paul returned Ephesus and decided to not make the trips he originally planned.

They continued to question Paul’s authority

Conduct - working with hands, suffering, lack of bragging

Correspondence - harsh letters but poor speaker

Course of travel - changing his plans.

His changes of plans caused many to question Paul even more.

Connection

How can we respond when we don’t get along with another Christian?

Can vs Should: This passage is not directly teaching us on conflict with another believer. Rather, this passage is describing to us how Paul handled the situation when others were in conflict with him.

We see two things:

How Paul handled himself?

What Paul wanted them to remember about God even if they remained upset with him.

Six (6) Applications as we walk through this passage?

We’ll talk about these as we walk through the passage, rather than listing them out at the end.

PRAY

READ

BOASTING (12)

BOASTING IN THE LORD

Seems Wrong

When we think of someone who brags or boasts about themselves - this feels wrong

We think of athletes

This was also common in Corinth

In face, Paul himself wrote to the Corinthians in his first letter that “love does not envy or boast”

Was Paul nows speaking out of both sides of his mouth. Saying both one thing and the opposite at the same time?

Paul is doing two things here:

Taking a word and thought from their cultural context

Flipping their meaning on its head.

Context

Paul isn’t boasting in himself or the Corinthians

He is boasting in God’s work in both his life and that of the Corinthians.

“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

May 24, 2020 we will talk about this passage again :)

We see this teased out as verse 12 continues… “we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity. “

SIMPLICITY & SINCERITY

Both are Virtues of God

These are not characteristics that originate with man.

Both of these find there origin with God himself.

“Paul will willingly take credit for his failures, but only God is to be praised for his success.”

This is why he is boasting in what God has done, and not what he has accomplished.

Simplicity

Some manuscripts read “holiness” here. Paul is the only author to use this words and 5 of the 8 occurrences are found here in 2 Corinthians.

For Christ to be exalted, a leader cannot be:

duplicitous

devious

We must be

Single minded

Single devotion to God

Sincerity

Murray Harris points out that compound nature of this word:

First part - “sun’s heat”

Second part - “I judge”

Meaning, “denotes the state of something which has survived the searching and searing light of the sun, judged by the sun’s splendor/heat, thus sincerity, ingenuousness”

Application #1 - Search my O, God

When we find ourselves in conflict with another believer… can we submit our actions and motives to the searching and searing light of God’s analysis?

“Lord, search me, and know me.”

Is there pride? Fear? Secret Agendas? Insecurity? Self-Promotion? Greed? Control? Self- Righteousness?

Have I behaved with Simplicity (holiness) and Sincerity?

This is all by the grace of God.

EARTHLY WISDOM & GOD’S GRACE

The grace of God displayed through Simplicity and Sincerity are contrasted with earthly wisdom

Pragmatism - just get it done, make it work, get your way

Compromise - cut corners, justify wrong motives for good outcomes, allow culture to redefine what it true so that people get along.

EXPLANATION (13-17)

READ ,

Paul is explaining his decision of changing his travel plans

Application #2 - Listen before Making a Judgement

If you let your imagination run free, you will likely assume ulterior and sinister motives behind the other person’s actions.

For some - this may mean you need to speak and share you reasoning - AFTER you have asked God to search your heart

For others - this means you to listen before speaking and BEFORE assuming you know why they really did such and such.

Satan used the assumptions of the Corinthians to bring division into their midst and their were people among them who were all too willing to share their villanous conclusions.

DON’T READ BETWEEN THE LINES

1 Corinthians 1:13–14 ESV

Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,

2 Corinthians 1:13–14 ESV

For we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and understand and I hope you will fully understand— just as you did partially understand us—that on the day of our Lord Jesus you will boast of us as we will boast of you.

2 Corinthians 1:13 ESV

For we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and understand and I hope you will fully understand—

Application #3 - Don’t read between the lines

Every commentary I read used this same phrase when Paul said - “you read and understood what I said.” But some wanted to find meaning between the words and assume actual meaning and motives.

Haven’t you ever done this with an email or text message?

You read and interpret their tone with a particular voice or edge and infer that tone on their meaning. Then you respond accordingly and before you know - you have a full-blown misunderstanding on your hand.

Psychology Today wrote an article entitled, “Why is there so much miscommunication via email and text?

In the absence of facial expressions, tone of voice, gestures, and general “vibe” we fill in the blanks with our own insecurities and assumptions.

Our assumptions about others say more about our own heart (critical, anxious, rejection, etc) than it does about the other person.

Paul discribes:

Examining his heart before God

Going directly to the people who had an issue with them

Encouraging them to take him at his words and not attribute to him motives or ulterior intentions other than what was expressed.

Paul’s Great Concern

Is not how they view him but what this misunderstanding does to their relationship with God...

DON’T LOOK FOR ULTERIOR, SINISTER MOTIVES

BE PATIENT AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR RESPONSE

GOD’S FAITHFULNESS (18-22)

READ Verses 18-22

ALL PROMISES ARE YES, IN HIM

Gospel proclaimed among you is true...

One of the biggest problems was a lack of trust, in both God and their leaders, namely the Apostle Paul.

Paul wants them to hear his heart behind the reason why he changed his plans but even if they can’t trust Paul, he wants to make absolutely sure that they continue to trust Jesus.

Verses

“As surely as God is faithful...” (Boast in Him)

Gospel proclaimed among you is true...

APPLICATION #4 - When our trust and hope in a fellow Christian is broken, look to Christ - the perfection of his life, the sufficiency of his death, the power of his resurrection, the certainty of his return - God’s answer is always Yes! - He is always more than enough.

Example from sheet...

“God, will you answer me when I call ()?” Yes!

“God, will you answer me when I call ()?” Yes!

“God, can you actually make known to me the pathway of life ()?” Yes!

“God, will you be for me fullness of joy and pleasures evermore ()?” Yes!

“God, can you actually make known to me the pathway of life ()?” Yes!

“God, can I count on you to be my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my shield and my stronghold ()?” Yes

“God, will you be for me fullness of joy and pleasures evermore ()?” Yes!

“God, will you be there with me and for me and beside me, as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death ()?” Yes!

27 such statement in the sermon notes this week

“God, can I count on you to be my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my shield and my stronghold ()?” Yes!

“God, will you be there with me and for me and beside me, as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death ()?” Yes!

Taken from Sam Storms, A Sincere & Pure Devotion to Christ, Daily Devotions in 2 Corinthians.

PROMISES ARE SEALED

These promises are “sealed” with and by the Holy Spirit.

Sealed

Wax seal on an envelope (or)

The downpayment or pledge - commercial transaction where the first installment is paid

You are his - ownership

He gives the Holy Spirit - the same spirit as Jesus. Think of this for a moment:

When jesus said, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me...”

This is the same Spirit God has given us and anointed us.

The Holy Spirit is our seal

The Holy Spirit is our guarantee

There is no questioning one’s salvation for the believer. God’s guarantee and ownership is not yes, then no, then maybe yes.

APPLICATION #5 - The Gospel empowers reconciliation

“It is God (Gospel) who establishes us with you in Christ” (1:21)

“It is God (Gospel) who establishes us with you in Christ” (1:21)

Establishes us with you...

Christians are going to let you down. You are going to let people down. This is a given and expectations to the contrary are only found in fairy tales. The question is how you respond when conflict happens.

1) Search Me O, God

2) Listen Before Judgement

3) Don’t Read Between the Lines

4) Look to Jesus

5) Reconciliation Power in the Gospel

MOTIVATED BY LOVE

Not only do we see here what Paul did, but he also shares with us the motivation of his heart toward the Corinthians. Remember, they were attacking him. His issue was not against them, they were against him and they had hurt him deeply - Yet, by God’s grace and power - see how paul was able to respond.

READ -

FOR THEIR JOY

2 Corinthians 1:24 ESV

Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith.

2 Corinthians 1:23 ESV

But I call God to witness against me—it was to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth.

Paul had two main desires for the believers at Corinth

2 Cor

Their Joy

Them standing in their faith

Paul didn’t use his authority or position to try and control or manipulate the situation. He didn’t just demand their allegiance.

Paul’s primary goal was not just that they be reconciled.

Paul’s primary concern was that they stand firm in the faith and that this situation did not undermine the Corinthians confidence in God and gospel of Jesus Christ.

It was this very reason WHY Paul decided to not make the trip to Corinth as he originally planned.

Paul’s Emotions

Afflication

Anguish of Heart

Many Tears

Abundant Love

APPLICATION #6 - MOTIVATED BY LOVE OR SELF-JUSTIFICATION?

Are you seeking the joy and firm faith of the other person or are you simply seeking to justify your own actions?

In the midst of all the accusations - I am amazed how the gospel compels Paul to seek the good and joy of the Corinthians.

What is your motivation

When someone is upset with you (or)

When you are upset with someone else?

CONCLUSION

BEHOLD

Do we trust in the unwavering faithfulness of Jesus?

Look to Jesus (always Yes)

Reconciliation in the Gospel (Do we believe that we are united with other believers in Jesus by the Holy Spirit?

REFLECT

Search Me, O Lord

Listen before making a jusgement

Don’t read between the lines

Let love be our motivation (for God and for others)

MEDITATE

2 Corinthians 2:14–16 ESV

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?

PRAYER