Dangerous Calling

INTRODUCTION

FATHER’S DAY

Happy Fathers Day

Verse?

THANK YOU

Thank you for worshipping with us this morning

Please stay till the end as we have two important announcements following the service today

Thank you to Justin & AD

TRANSITION

Today we are continuing in our series through 2 Corinthians

Today we will be in chapter 11, beginning in verse 16

In today’s passage we are going to hear about the struggles and difficulties Paul has endured in his missionary journeys. What we will see lived out in his story is merely a reflection, a shadow of true substance of the Kingdom of God. We will see that suffering is the means by which the proclamation of the Gospel is delivered.

PERSONAL STORY

Hanging on the wall above my desk are three meaningful items. To the left is my diploma and to the right is my ordination certificate BUT in the middle is a plaque our team from Chad gave us once we returned on from the mission field.

Below our names it says, “for your leadership through suffering”

“Initiating PIONEERS work in Chad”

“Leading the first team to the Tama people”

It was an honor to lead this team and be first in country to make a way for our church planting efforts among one of the many unreached people groups in Chad. But this work did have a cost.

Sickness: Dysentery and Malaria

Fear: of bandits, car-jacking, and kid-napping during the 2-day roadless drive through the desert

Near Death: memories of being shot at, the sound of rocket propelled grenades and bullets ricocheting off the roof of our house during a week-long coupe attempt. The memory of French hostage rescue flying in on helicopters to secure our position and fly us to safety.

Recovery: Its the PTSD from that time. Crawling to safety on the floor at the sound of fireworks. Ducking when a car back-fires. The moments when I still have to pause when I hear a low flying helicopter and have to remind myself of where I am and that it is safe.

Now, from the safety of my home I read of hundreds coming to faith in Chad and I’m thankful - thankful that God gave us the privilege to participate in his work. Though we bare scars and brokenness from that time, I would not change it.

I am reminded that our suffering is not unique or isolation. Countless people - countless brothers and sisters in the family of God - suffer for the sake of proclaiming Jesus as the true King and Savior.

Paul’s story is one more example that suffering is the means by which the proclamation of the Gospel is delivered. It is uncomfortable and dangerous. We leave safety and comfort behind as we journey forward with a present hope in a secure future.

PAUL’S SUFFERING

READ PASSAGE

Dripping with SARCASM (16-21a)

Leaders of the day - boasted in their power, education, skill, success, bank account, followers, platform

Paul is going to turn the whole argument on it’s head.

He isn’t gentle or diplomatic

Rather - his tone is dripping with sarcasm

Let me be foolish because obviously you love fools (19)

You being so wise yourself.

You celebrate:

Being made a slave

Devoured

Taken Advantage of

Puts on air

Strikes you in the face

All of these describe a domineering leader. Someone who says it like it is.

Paul’s Shame:

I guess I’m just to weak for that...

Paul doesn’t dominate them or control them or use them - Paul is a servant OF the gospel TO the people.

Paul boats in the very thing the people reject

IDENTITY (21b-23a)

Are the Hebrews - Same here

Israelites - same here

offspring of Abraham - yep

Servants of Christ....

It’s here that Paul begins to draw a distinction.

SUFFERING (23b-29)

General Suffering

Example

More labor

More imprisonments

Countless beatings

Often near Death

While to false teachers display diplomas and letters of recommendation - Paul talks about his rap sheet and his mug shot. They graduated from where - Well I’ve been to jail more than them.

They wear what kind of clothes while they preach? Well, I’ve been beaten so bad my clothes were soaked in blood.

Specific Suffering

Examples

5x forty lashes minus one

3x beaten with rods

Once stoned

3x shipwrecked - day and night adrift at seas

General Suffering

Examples - OFTEN

DANGER from rivers

DANGER from robbers

DANGER from Jews

DANGER from Gentiles

DANGER in the city

DANGER in the wilderness

DANGER at sea

DANGER from false christians

False Teachers

Look at my house

Look at my comfort

Look at my blessings

God likes me - so should you

Paul just flips everything on its head

Continues

Hardships

Sleepless nights

Hunger

Anxiety

You think you’re weak - I’M WEAK

TRUE BOAST (30-31)

You want me to boast in something, OK, I’ll boast in something

I boast in anything that reveals my weakness

JESUS’ SUFFERING

TRANSITION

Paul’s example is not unique

St. Augustine

“There are some who occupy the pastoral chair in order to care for the flock of Christ, but there are others who sit in it to gratify themselves by temporal honor and worldly advantages. "

If this we saw then, how much more now. - 400 AD

Paul’s example is a reflection of the true nature of the of the gospel of the Kingdom of God

VIDEO

FOLLOW-UP

Jesus is King of a Kingdom but how God talks about his kingdom is shocking - it’s upside down

Nations and leaders talk about power and might

But Jesus says the greatest person is the weakest, the servant, the one who responds with love to evil in the world.

Jesus wasn’t just announcing God’s kingdom but Jesus is King of the Kingdom

Jesus healed, served

The one whose feet carried the good news of the Kingdom knelt down to wash his disciples feet.

This is the example of our King

Jesus enthronement

All humanity rebelled

The way that Jesus established his reign over the entire world

Not through military might

Through being our suffering servant

How beautiful are the feet that bring good news

Jesus then sends us out to continue announcing this upside down kingdom.

We are to continue proclaiming the Kingdom of God through serving and with suffering

This is what Paul understood

He walked in the reality of this dangerous calling

He boasted in this dangerous calling that exposed his weaknesses so that the power of the gospel might shine through

No we carry the good news of the kingdom of God.

US

GO - to the nations

Unreached

7,410 unreached people groups in the world

Represents 3.23 Billion people

America

300,000 + protestant churches in America

Context - Learner & Proclaimer

Learn Language

Learn Culture & Customs

Build relationships and seek to meet physical and spiritual needs

GO - to our neighborhoods

Whether you go to the nations or to your neighbors, our mission is the same

Become disciples who make disciples

We are called to faithfully demonstrate and declare the gospel in our own culture and in our own context

We need to continue to be learners, listeners as we seek to understand the culture God has us in. Listening to the heart and longings of the people in our community as we seek to faithfully proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom of God.

This can be easy to say but hard and uncomfortable to actually do.

Example:

In Jerusalem - sharing the gospel with Muslims required that we also speak to the Crusaders

Palestinians would often ask us whose side are you on - Israeli or Palestine.

I feel like I was more prepared to speak to these issues in a foreign culture were easier to discern than the issues we see in our own culture

Issues of racism, injustice, police brutality

CONCLUSION

In 1966 Karl Barth said, “Take your Bible and take your newspaper, and read both. But interpret newspaper from your Bible.”

BENEDICTION

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ACTS OF GRACE

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MOVING FOWARD

Process: guidelines from the school, submit our plan, approval, gather

We received those guidelines that include:

Mandatory Temperature check

Mandatory Face-Masks

Mandatory social distancing

Sanitation of Common Surfaces

Gatherings of less than 50 people

Collecting the full name, address, phone number, and email of all participants and submitting this information to the county each week.

Concerns:

Collection, handling, and submission of personal information

Limited gathering size

Overall atmosphere

Though we could meet under these current guidelines we prefer to wait.

For the next three weeks - online for kingdom conversation

July 19 & 26 - Worship in the Park

Tentative Date: August 2

ELDER CANDIDATE

As many of you know, the elders have prayed through adding more people to our elder team.

Elders are men in the church who are charged with leading and shepherding the local church through sound doctrine, prayer, and oversight.

We are prayerful and cautious before inviting someone to this responsibility. A potential elder will go through 4 phrase as a candidate over a period of 12 months.

Phase One - Time or prayer and interviews

Phase Two is trial period where the individual joins our meetings for 3+ months as we continue to seek God’s leading.

Phase 3 - we present the elder candidate to the congregation and the elder candidate continues to participate in elder responsibilities with a voice in decisions but not yet a vote.

During this time we invite the church family to pray and confirm God’s leading

Phase 4 - The elders will meet together with the candidate and spouse to determine if it is appropriate to continue forward. If so, the candidate will be presented to the congregation one month before the elders make their final vote.