Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION:

Take your Bibles and open them to 2 Corinthians 11.

We’re at a naturally stopping point in our study of the book of Revelation and since today we are celebrating our graduating seniors and it’s Memorial Day weekend I thought we would do something different with today’s message.

The title of the message is “Rejecting the Counterfeit Jesus.”

One of repeating themes throughout the book of the Revelation and throughout the NT in general is a warning to Christians against false teaching and false Christs.

Jesus said in Matthew 24 that one of the distinguishing marks of the end times is a rise of false teachers and false messiahs who lead people astray.

Certainly in our culture there’s no shortage of talk about Jesus.

But what do people mean when they say “Jesus” and how do we identify the REAL Jesus from the abundance of the counterfeits.

That’s what I want us to look at this morning.

It’s especially relevant for our graduating seniors.

You’re about to be on your own.

You’re going to develop your own Christian convictions - adult convictions that will enable you to navigate your upcoming adult problems.

You’ll need discernment and wisdom in this process.

There’s is nothing more important in all of the world than for you to know the REAL Jesus and reject the counterfeits.

The most important thing about you is what comes to your mind when you hear the word God and specifically your understanding of Jesus Christ as His Son, God incarnate, the savior of the world.

Read the Text

Our passage to unpack this idea is 2 Corinthians 11:1-15

2 Corinthians 11:1–4 (CSB)

1 I wish you would put up with a little foolishness from me.

Yes, do put up with me! 2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, because I have promised you in marriage to one husband—to present a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may be seduced from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if a person comes and preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or you receive a different spirit, which you had not received, or a different gospel, which you had not accepted, you put up with it splendidly!

Before we read any further let me give you a bit of context.

Paul planted the church in Corinth.

In his first letter he talks about how when he came he knew and preached nothing else except Christ and him crucified!

(1 Cor 1:23; 2:2)

After Paul left these other teachers came in.

They called themselves apostles of Christ but they were not teaching the biblical Gospel.

Paul says the Christians in Corinth were ‘putting up’ with these false teachers.

The reason is because they were really gifted in their public speaking skills.

Moreover, they were denigrating Paul’s ministry because of his poor public speaking skills and his constant battles with suffering.

2 Corinthians 11:5–11 (CSB)

5 Now I consider myself in no way inferior to those “super-apostles.”

6 Even if I am untrained in public speaking, I am certainly not untrained in knowledge.

Indeed, we have in every way made that clear to you in everything.

7 Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?

8 I robbed other churches by taking pay from them to minister to you. 9 When I was present with you and in need, I did not burden anyone, since the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs.

I have kept myself, and will keep myself, from burdening you in any way.

10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.

11 Why?

Because I don’t love you?

God knows I do!

This might feel like a bit of a rabbit trail but Paul is defending his ministry against the trash talking of these “super apostles.”

They said Paul wasn’t a REAL apostle because he wasn’t a gifted speaker.

Paul’s response?

I may be untrained in rhetoric but at least the words I speak are actually TRUE.

The second charge seems to be around his refusing to accept payment for his preaching ministry.

We know Paul wasn’t opposed to this in principle because he encourages churches to properly compensate their pastors.

But in Corinth he refused to take payment so as to remove any potential barrier or accusation from anyone misjudging his motives.

Paul concludes 2 Corinthians 11:12-15

2 Corinthians 11:12–15 (CSB)

12 But I will continue to do what I am doing, in order to deny an opportunity to those who want to be regarded as our equals in what they boast about.

13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

14 And no wonder!

For Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

15 So it is no great surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.

Their end will be according to their works.

Counterfeit Christs

There’s so much here but I want us to focus in on 2 Cor 11:4

2 Corinthians 11:4 (CSB)

4 For if a person comes and preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or you receive a different spirit, which you had not received, or a different gospel, which you had not accepted, you put up with it splendidly!

This is the danger I want to warn us against this morning.

Whether you’re a graduating senior entering into a season of developing an adult faith or a seasoned senior who’s been in church longer than I’ve been alive - the warning is the same.

Following Jesus requires discernment.

The culture is full of counterfeit Christs.

You must be able to separate the real Jesus from the cultural counterfeits.

And there are ALL KINDS of counterfeits:

Most people in our culture are “pro Jesus” so long as they get to make him in their own image.

He shows up in our movies, our music, our commercialization of Christmas and Easter.

If you put Jesus into a Google search you’ll get over a billion hits.

Put him into your Amazon search and you’ll find close to 100,000 results: books, DVDs, jewelry, T shirts, bobble heads, halloween costumes, and on and on.

Jesus is everywhere.

But is the Jesus everyone likes the Jesus that the apostles preached?

Or is He another Jesus?

Cultural Visions of Jesus

I came across something the other day that mentioned a couple of these counterfeits:

Each one has some element of truth, but usually at the exclusion of some other important truth.

By themselves they’re not the real Jesus.

Therapist Jesus: Helps you cope with your past by telling you how valuable you are.

Tells you not to be too hard on yourself because of what all has been done to you.

Hippy Jesus: The open-minded Jesus who accepts and affirms you no matter what so long as you are living in “your truth.”

He never challenges you in your sin or brokenness.

Touchdown Jesus: He helps athletes run faster and jump higher than non-Christian athletes.

Follow him and you’ll only ever win and never lose.

Corporate Jesus: Follow him to advance in your job, close the sell, manage your time, make connections and influence people.

Life coach Jesus.

He’ll help you become your best self.

He’ll teach you practical skills and guide you through tough decisions.

Guru Jesus: He hates religion.

He doesn’t like churches or pastors or doctrine and He just wants you to find the god within.

Jesus the Moral Philosopher: He didn’t come to save us from our sins but to show us a better way.

We can excel in life if we would but ask W.W.J.D.

Jesus the Marxist: Teaches us how to identify our oppressors, overthrow the system and replace it with something from Karl Marx.

Jesus the Fascist: He’s got no time for sissies.

He knows how to own the libs.

He stands ready to kick you in the rear if your too soft or nuanced.

Jesus of the American Dream: Will bless you with fulfillment and happiness and wealth.

He exists to make your dreams come true!

We could go on: Mean Jesus, Religious Jesus, Historical Jesus...

And then there’s the Apostle Paul – “When I came to Corinth, I desired to know nothing among you except for Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor 2:2)

The Jesus preached by his first followers was the son of God who died in our place for our sins and was buried, was raised, ascended into heaven and will come again to judge the earth.

That was the Jesus that Paul preached.