Image Isn't Everything

Image Isn't Everything June 13, 2021 By Craig Minke The theme this week is God doesn't play by our rules. Today our sermon looks at 2 Corinthians 5. In this intensely personal letter, Paul appeals to a community that has been distracted by flashy teachers to tell them that image fades, and God's kingdom is upside down. II COR 5:6-17 6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13 If we are "out of our mind," as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! Some of you may remember the 1990s tennis pro, Andre Agassi. * He is celebrated as possibly the best tennis player who ever lived and was in so many advertisements back then his face was recognized throughout the world. * Thirty years ago in 1989 on a commercial in the Nevada desert for a Canon Rebel camera, 19-year-old tennis pro Andre Agassi was instructed to step out of a white Lamborghini, lower his sunglasses, and utter the words, "Image is everything." "Image is everything?" * He emerged on the scene as a kid from Las Vegas sporting acid jean shorts, heavy metal hair * The simple tagline was imminently memorable, and most of us are surprised to learn that those ads are 30 years old! Years later, in one of those odd twists of fate that only celebrities have, Agassi admitted that his trademark long hair was a hairpiece! * The hair which had established him as a bad boy icon in the button-up world of tennis was fake the whole time. * The image that was "truly everything" turned out to be false. * In his autobiography, Agassi also revealed a life troubled by strained celebrity relationships and drug use and overshadowed by an abusive childhood. * Under the image, THE REALITY WASN'T QUITE SO PRETTY. * 3 years later, once he forgot about his "image being everything, a coach helped turn the rebel into a true champion making the world forget about his image. He won Wimbledon and become number one in the world of tennis. The Apostle Paul dealt with some similar issues in the circumstances and conversation surrounding believers in Corinth. * One of the major themes Paul discussed was the Corinthian community's infatuation with sleek, wealthy new teachers who had come their way. * Distracted by these imposters, the believers had become ashamed of Paul, who was not concerned with image, and they were enamored with the polished presentation and prestige associated with this new group. * In his typical style, Paul addresses this head-on in this letter to the Corinthians. * Specifically, in this passage, he addresses a fixation with EARTHLY IMAGE and PRONESS as a DISTRACTION from the deeper reality of knowing Christ. * He casts this not in simply moralistic terms o ("DON'T FOCUS ON YOUR LOOKS") o but in metaphysical terms ("THIS IMAGE IS NOT OUR FINAL IMAGE") Let's look at Paul's response to one of his most difficult and also most beloved communities. We'll break down Paul's response to the church to the three I's: * IMAGE * INVERION * INCLUSIVE FIRSTLY THE ASPECT OF IMAGE We've already talked about Andre Agassi's somewhat humorous story of image that wasn't quite everything. * Have you ever had a moment when you got fixated on your image and presentation and found out, quite suddenly, that it wasn't "everything"? I remember growing up in the 80's. * I decided because I had curly hair that it would be cool to have a frizzed up afro. * That wasn't so bad I added to that white highwater bell bottom pants, * along with black highrise platform shoes that made me 4 inches taller. * After all these were cool in the 80's and IMAGE WAS EVERYTHING or at least we thought it did. As we mentioned, the church in Corinth had become attracted to some smooth talking new teachers, who Paul later jokingly calls "super apostles." * They came with the looks and slick delivery that Paul openly admits he doesn't have those things to offer them * They are distracting the Corinthian church from the transformation of their hearts and minds through the gospel. * In some ways they were feeding the egos of the members by telling them things they wanted to hear. Corinth was a cosmopolitan city to say the least. * One of the interesting features of the area in the ancient world was a short road called the "Diolkos" (pronounced dee-ol-kose). * Instead of navigating the treacherous waters around the south of Greece, sailors stopped their boats near Corinth, put them on wheels, and were pulled across this ancient road from one harbor to another. * The going was treacherous, but it was better than the much longer trip around the southern horn. This feature and the placement of Corinth made it a stop for travelers and traders throughout the ancient world. * This meant the culture, the religions, the languages and the bad habits of these different people groups often found a home in Corinth. * The resulting culture was complex, hedonistic, and-you guessed it-image-conscious. The word "Corinthian," when applied to a woman in the ancient world, meant she was promiscuous and reckless. * Their culture in general, along with religious practices that involved fertility and virility, was marked by sexual brokenness. * The image-consciousness that goes along with an over-sensualized society was no doubt burdening the souls of these people. One top of that, Corinth was a relatively young culture. * The city had recently been re-established after laying in ruins for a century. * Many of the Corinthians were transplants and didn't have a long heritage. * Many were also wealthy because of the constant trade. * All this added up to people searching for identity- * They followed the latest new teachers or the new perspectives that (sometimes literally) rolled into town, * trying on worldviews like clothes. * Sometimes it seems that people do not want to hear the truth but they want to hear messages that make them feel good. * As caption on this picture reads "Some say the church is too reliant upon psychology. HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL. Into this walks Paul. He comes to them with scars to show for his determination to go against the culture, and he questions their fixation with image. * Paul says in II Cor 5:7 II COR 5:7 For we live by faith, not by sight. * He is pointing them toward the COORDINATES they're supposed to live by as children of God. * They aren't to be distracted by every PRETTY FACE that comes along, * by every BOAT that rolls by on the Diolkos. (pronounced dee-ol-kose * They are to hold to the truth of the gospel and see through the fog of trendy philosophies and fashionable beliefs. Today we live in a world of CULTURAL RELATIVISM * Cultural relativism creates an understanding that each culture has developed its own values, beliefs, and practices and none of the cultures are necessarily wrong or right. * Cultural relativism is based on the fact that there is no specific ground rule for what is good or evil. * Thus any judgment of what is right or wrong depends on the societies, rules, cultures and belief system. * We today life in an immoral society, * We also live in an AMORAL SOCIETY where many feel there is no wrong or right way * Many feel that their truth is different from our truth of from Bible truth. * BUT THERE IS ONLY ONE TRUTH, * It is only with the help of the Word of God, Holy Spirit that we can comprehend what is RIGHT OR WRONG.- WHAT IS TRUE AND WHAT IS NOT. * As a world today we HAVE LOST OUR MORAL COMPASS. * How can we KNOW WHAT SIN IS - WITHOUT THE WORD OF GOD. * How can we know what is right or wrong without the Bible. Paul's issue with the Corinthian community is that they had become image-focused and distracted by being in the in-crowd. * Is this still a temptation in our modern world? * How can this distract us from the way God sees us or the way we are supposed to see each other? * Are we seeking to conform to the worlds styles of dress, culture, music, media, * Often times its is not just a culture but a LIFESTYLE OF NON-COMMITMENT, APATHY, HEDONISM, SELF-GRATIFICATION, ENTERTAINMENT, PARTY TO BE COOL. * The world conveys an image-focused approach and it is not always in sync with what it means to be a believer or in Christ. Throughout HIS LETTERS to the believers in Corinth, * Paul has asked them not to just add Jesus to their crowded shelf of gods, which was the practice in the ancient world, * but to clear the shelf entirely. * He asks them to hold to a reality that's more coherent and permanent than the latest fad. "We make it our goal to please him..." II COR 5:9 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. Our modern world is very similar to Corinth in some ways, and very different in others. * Historically, most people would not know many outside their immediate circle. * TODAY - The digital superhighway of the internet exposes us to different cultures and points of view in a few seconds. * And, like Corinth (and perhaps even more so), we are IMAGE -CONSCIOUS and ENTERTAINMENT-SATURATED; * NEW TRENDS are available every time we go online. Dissimilarly, the Corinthians often added new gods to their belief system, according to who was coming through town. * They looked, or at least glanced, toward figuring out why we are here and what powers are at work in the universe. * Their world was fairly cynical toward any one belief system, wondering if it was all completely out of reach, or even relevant. * It is much the same today. In a sense, like in Corinth, in the modern world, all we have left is image. * Paul's message here stands out in stark contrast. * Those who are distracting the Corinthians with new presentations, even though they claimed to be Christian teachers, have the gospel upside down. II COR 5:12 12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer THOSE WHO TAKE PRIDE IN WHAT IS SEEN RATHER THAN IN WHAT IS IN THE HEART. * Paul was walking a different path not one of being image focused. THE SECOND "I" THAT WE WILL DISCUSS IS INVERSION Christian author Thomas Merton, a monk whose books made millions and who lived in one room in a cabin his whole life, wrote insightfully: The last thing in the world that should concern a Christian or the Church is survival in a temporal and worldly sense: to be concerned with this is an implicit denial of Victory of Christ and of the Resurrection. The Corinthian community was deeply addicted to status, and they had made their newfound faith into part of that status machine. * They were following different teachers around to try to angle their way into the "in crowd." * Even the phenomenon of speaking in tongues was something they desired to assure their status among the elite. Paul uses himself as the example to show that the kingdom of God doesn't run on this kind of social one-upmanship. * The Jesus kingdom, in which the last shall be first and the weakest are the strong, runs on inversion. * By the world's measure, it is upside-down. * Paul even said some will consider a believer "OUT OF HIS MIND." * Some things just don't make sense to others. * Things like leaders being servants, * That principle was one even the disciples had trouble understanding as they quarreled among themselves for who would be greater in heaven sitting right and left of Jesus * the first being the last, * take my tunic and my cloak, * let me turn the other cheek, * loving others as Jesus loves-in other words, * putting others first. Our identity as individuals and as a community * can't be tied to this temporary, fleeting earth, * this constant vying for the center-stage. * To live like this, and to waste our energy seeking this, is to deny the victory of Christ and the resurrection. Jesus broke us free from ourselves and our desire to lift up our image, our importance, our value. * He broke us free from the world where image is everything. * Think of the sadness of Hollywood heartthrobs from years ago who've spent a fortune on plastic surgery. * Think of the aging high school star who keeps hanging around the games after graduation because he doesn't know what else to do with himself. * Think of the high-power executive who one day finds himself getting older, walking slower, and wearing last year's suits. * The image world is MERCILESS; it doesn't celebrate humanity-it SUFFICATES it. In the ancient world, the scars on Paul's body were an embarrassment. * The body was ADMIRED, and physical health was a prime value in that society. * But Paul bears his scars with pride, as an example to the people he led. * He writes in Gal 6:17 GAL 6:17 17 From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. * Paul celebrated his wounds, and called us to live honestly in this impermanent, image-obsessed world, so that we might be truly free. THE THIRD "I" WE WILL DISCUSS IS THE ASPECT OF "INCLUSIVE" When we realize our freedom, we focus less on the self and more on others. * Note how Paul finished the comment about others thinking we are "out of our mind." * Look what Paul says in our reading today II Cor 5:13-16 II COR 5:13-16 13 If we are "out of our mind," as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. We believers we don't judge people * by their image, * by their religious practices, * by their lifestyle We judge them * by the truth of who they are-children of God, * many of whom do not know their Father. Christ's love compels us to see others differently, to be convinced that Christ died for them and was raised for them. * We cannot view them from a worldly point of view based on image, or occupation, or status, or race, or religious beliefs, or anything else. * All are children God created who are suffering in one way or another from the fall of humanity. * All have lived in a false image-a series of lies that have been told in so many different ways: * You are not loved; * you are not good enough; * God doesn't love you; * you are worthless; * no one cares about you, * and on and on it goes. * This is the influence of living in Satan's world, the ACCUSER OF THE BRETHREN. Whenever we focus on an earthly image to imitate or to follow, we will fall short. There is an image, however, that we want to hold on to. * You were created in the image of God. * We look to Christ to see what that true image looks like. * He is the image we hold up for ourselves and for others. And this is Paul's message to the believers in Corinth. * Because of Jesus, we see everyone through his eyes. * Because of Jesus, we are new. "The old has gone, the new is here." Living for Jesus is the ONLY WAY TO TRULY FIND FULFILLMENT FOR OURSELVES. * We won't find fulfillment in OUR IMAGE AND HOW WE LOOK * We won't find fulfillment by living for OURSELVES with that ME FIRST attitude. * We won't find fulfillment by centering our lives around ourselves, but rather in see ALL OTHERS AS A CHILD OF GOD. Thomas Merton writes in his writing "No Man is an Island" "Hence I do not find in myself the power to be happy merely by doing what I like. On the contrary, if I do nothing except what pleases my own fancy I will be miserable almost all the time. This would never be so if my will had not been created to use its own freedom in the love of others."~~ Notice what Paul said in Gal 6:17 GAL 6:17 17 From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. * In our world today do we bear the marks of Jesus * Reflecting his love, being a dispenser of grace, kindness, compassion, etc * In our world today are we more concerned with blending into the culture than standing up for Jesus * The pulls on our younger generation and youth are huge and when we see a young person stand up for Christ - it is a beautiful thing to behold. * Are we more concerned with being in the incrowd, rather than taking a stand on morality, what is right or wrong by our lifestyle. * Are we more concerned for our image than being an IMAGE BEARER. * Do people see us WALKING A DIFFERENT PATH from those around us, OR DO THEY SEE US AS BEING ONE OF THEM * Are we ASHAMED OR EMBARRASED TO BE A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST - A CHRISTIAN. Let's be the CHURCH TO ALL WE ENCOUNTER. Welcome to your real image-a beloved child of God. CLOSING PRAYER