Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Well, good morning. We're going to stand, we're going to pray.
[00:00:03] And how many here are fathers? Just raise your hand. I'm just curious how many fathers. Happy Father's Day.
[00:00:10] My youngest daughter showed up and she gave me a card that said mvd.
[00:00:18] Now, if you're a sports person, you go, mvp means Most Valuable Player. But this one had a little trophy. It said Most Valuable Dad.
[00:00:27] So that was sweet. Yeah, that was great. Isn't that fun?
[00:00:32] All of you dads out there, you know, this is probably one of the highest callings that you'll ever have. It's one of the greatest privileges.
[00:00:40] You are leaving an amazing legacy and it's worth pouring your life into and investing into your family. So let's pray for our families today, pray for our dads today, and let's just ask God to open our hearts today. You know, I'm so challenged by the message I'm going to share with you this morning.
[00:01:01] It challenged me, so obviously I hope it's going to speak to you as well. Lord, I do come before you today with gratitude in my heart. I'm so grateful for your grace in our lives that you allow us to have the privilege of maybe being a father. Some people would love to be a dad, but they are not able to. Lord, we just pray, bless every father, all the responsibilities of raising a family.
[00:01:25] And it doesn't stop when your children are grown. It continues on and you have a voice as they continue to seek counsel. You have grandchildren that you're responsible to, and especially in prayer. Lord, help us to be prayerful, to intercede for our family. Lord, as a man, help us to be men of prayer. I pray for the congregation this morning and those that are listening that you will speak into our very being, our innermost being. And I know in my life as a young person, there were certain messages that shaped me. I've never forgotten them. They still echo in my mind as I think about some of the things that you spoke into my life. I pray today that this will be one of those days that when we leave that you will have spoken so powerfully into our being that it will become a life defining, shaping message. And I thank you for that. In Jesus name and God's people said, amen. Amen. You may be seated.
[00:02:28] I'm going to have you turn in your Bibles. I'm going to continue my series on Second Corinthians because I'm going to look at someone who I consider a spiritual father, and that's Paul.
[00:02:38] He's an Amazing mentor. He's got the heart of people in mind. He's a nurturer. He talks about being like a father to people. And I think we're going to see that when we see a little bit from this text. We're going to look at 2 Corinthians 11, beginning in verse 16, right to the very end of the chapter.
[00:02:59] I'll say this, that the true measure of a person is not what they've acquired or achieved in life.
[00:03:06] True measure of a person is what people have had to endure to suffer and struggle to overcome.
[00:03:14] The true measure of who you are today is not the accolades, but actually the endurance and the perseverance and the challenges that you have faced in life and you've had to persevere through those things. That's the true measure of a person. And you can see that that's what develops character in our life. And I think this is particularly true to a follower of Jesus in trying to fulfill God's purposes and assignment for our lives. I'm going to say this, that every one of you in this room, you were designed and created by God, and God had a purpose in mind. And you have an assignment. And we want to get to the end of the life. We want to say, like the Apostle Paul, I've run the race, I've kept the faith. You know, I've persevered. I've done what God has asked me to do. I have fulfilled my assignment.
[00:04:02] John Piper, in his book the Roots of Endurance wrote, I have found myself in conversations with Christians from whom it is simply a given in their minds that you do not put yourself or your family at risk.
[00:04:15] The commitment for safety and comfort is in their minds an unquestionable absolute. The demands of being a Christian in the 21st century will probably prove to be a rude awakening for such people.
[00:04:31] I want you to think about that for a minute. What's Piper saying? He's saying, since we have not embraced the Calvary Road. What's the Calvary Road? That's the road of a crucified life. That's the road of obedience to God. That's the road of facing the challenges God's going to present to us.
[00:04:48] God may simply catapult us into as he did the home loving saints. In Acts 11:19, he said, those who were scattered because of persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the Word. In other words, the church had a mission.
[00:05:06] The church has a mission, folks.
[00:05:09] Every believer has a mission that you and I are called to make disciples. And if we're not doing the job, God will help us get the job done. And sometimes he'll allow pressure to move us in the right direction. That's what he's telling us.
[00:05:25] That's pretty challenging.
[00:05:28] Being a Christian should mean that our trajectory is toward need, regardless of danger, discomfort, and stress.
[00:05:38] In other words, Christians characteristically will make life choices that involve putting themselves and their families at temporal risk while enjoying eternal security.
[00:05:48] What's Piper saying? He's basically saying this, we got to start thinking differently.
[00:05:54] You see, if we have a me ism first attitude, if I'm serving God based on what's convenient to me, if I only volunteer because it's in my convenient comfort zone, I am never going to fulfill God's purposes.
[00:06:08] And what God is going to do is going to put pressure on you and me to move us past those barriers in our lives so that you and I begin to have a greater effect, effectiveness, and a more meaningful and significant life. He's going to challenge us.
[00:06:25] I believe that's coming. We're going to experience that in this country, because Canada is going in the wrong direction.
[00:06:32] And the answer is not a political answer.
[00:06:35] The answer, because it's a spiritual problem, is a spiritual answer. And I believe that the church has to awaken and she needs to see her calling and her mission and in our nation like she never has before. We need to see that the calling is to make disciples. You know, recently I wrote a book by a friend of mine, Dean Merrill. Dean is an editor. He's edited my two books. He's also an author, and he has the ability to take people's stories and do you know, because he's a journalist, he does a good job of communicating.
[00:07:09] And recently he sent me his latest book. It was called Strong to the End.
[00:07:14] This is a little bit of the foreword of the book. He says. When David and Elisha Lloyd opened a children's home in Haiti, they had no idea how their hearts would soar, humbled by the way God was expanding and blessing the ministry.
[00:07:26] And they also had no idea how much it would cost their son, his young wife, and their dear friend.
[00:07:34] Strong to the End tells the story of David, Natalie and Jude. Their lives, their dreams, their love, their faith, and finally their deaths. It is the testimony of a missionary couple in their early 20s who gave their lives for the needy in Haiti and were killed by gang violence.
[00:07:53] In honoring Father's Day, we're going to look at the life of a spiritual father, the Apostle Paul, who addresses the threat of false teachers that are trying and are successfully deceiving some of the Corinthians and leading them away from the truth.
[00:08:07] In 2 Corinthians, chapter 11, verses 16 to 33, he begins to explain the things that he had to endure and overcome in order to bring the gospel to them. And I think we need to hear this message.
[00:08:20] In essence, he explains the cost of being an effective disciple maker. He's going to focus in on the price he paid as an apostle of Jesus Christ.
[00:08:28] And so the question I'm going to raise today is what does this mean for us today?
[00:08:35] In other words, what's the cost to be faithful to God as a disciple maker?
[00:08:43] What's the cost of being an effective disciple maker, which is the calling of every child of God? So I'm going to look at three costs that Paul's going to bring out. We're going to see it here in the closing of chapter 11. The first one is the relinquishing of some past advantages.
[00:08:58] You know, we make choices. Everyone in this room has made choices. The life you have today is, is based on the many times, not completely, but many times the choices you've made.
[00:09:10] And so we got to make good choices.
[00:09:12] We got to make God directed choices.
[00:09:15] And it's going to lead us somewhere. And the first one sometimes is stepping away from some advantages in our lives, what we could have, but we've chosen not to take that road.
[00:09:25] This is what I mean by the cost of following Jesus. We turn away from past activities and opportunities and resources in order to, to embrace God's purpose for our lives.
[00:09:36] In Paul's case, his religious pedigree and manner of life were set aside. While the false teachers were actually extolling their background, Paul considered them to be of absolutely no value to him.
[00:09:48] And he says that very emphatically. I'm going to just turn to the book of Philippians because I think he says it so powerfully there in chapter three, he says, if someone else thinks they have reason to put confidence in the flesh, I have more circumcised on the eighth day of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew, of Hebrews, in regard to the law, a Pharisee.
[00:10:11] As for zeal, he says, I persecuted the Church. As for righteousness based on the law, faultless. But whatever were gains to me, I now considered loss for the sake of Christ.
[00:10:24] What is more, he says, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ, Jesus, my Lord, for whose sake I have lost everything.
[00:10:36] You know, yesterday I was at the church here. I was giving a tour to an Iranian family. They're pastors in Edmonton now.
[00:10:44] And, you know, I'm trying to get to know them because we're going to look at endorsing them into our fellowship and giving them credentials. And this is from one of our missionaries who's done this work.
[00:10:55] And these people became believers and, you know, they've had to flee countries. And as they were sharing their story with me a little bit more, I'm getting to know them more and more. There were times that they just had to leave everything and start all over again.
[00:11:08] That was the cost to follow Jesus. And they've not done it once, they've done it a couple of times.
[00:11:14] And now they're in Canada and they've started a church. It's really amazing. And I've been there, I've preached there. And they're baptizing people who are coming to faith the Lord Jesus Christ. It's really beautiful. He said, next week we're going to baptize five more people.
[00:11:29] And I'm so excited about what God is doing in their life and ministry. But what I'm saying is they had to give up everything.
[00:11:37] And, you know, you have to ask yourself the question, what am I willing to give up in order to do what God's asking me to do?
[00:11:45] You know, Philippians 4, 8 challenges me. What have I lost for the sake of Christ?
[00:11:50] You know, I look at my life, it seems like I've had a lot of gains. There's been a lot of pluses. You know, I followed Christ. Yeah, I lost some things. But the gains have far outweighed the losses by a long shot.
[00:12:03] And it's been amazing.
[00:12:05] We need to reflect upon that in light of what Jesus gave up for us. What did Jesus give up for you and me?
[00:12:12] And the answer is simply everything. He gave up his life.
[00:12:16] He gave up convenience. He gave up authority and power. He laid all of these things aside. It's amazing what he did.
[00:12:23] You know, for some people, it may mean a change of vocation if you're currently doing a job that's unsuitable or unethical type of work. I remember when I was pastoring in the US For a number of years, we had an ex hitman start attending our church. This guy worked for the Mafia. How many know?
[00:12:40] It's pretty obvious that that job needed to end immediately, right?
[00:12:46] He's telling me a little bit about some of his work and I'm going, I don't need to hear this.
[00:12:51] But all kidding aside, there are times when God calls us to give up things that are totally legitimate and we need maybe take on something different in our lives. You know, I don't know, some of the great preachers of the past have given up, you know, maybe a teaching position to go into ministry or they've given up medicine. Dr. Martyn Lloyd Johns, he was a medical doctor who left medicine to go preach the gospel and became a pastor. A very well known pastor and has written numerous books, has been a great influence in many people's lives because God moved him away from one vocation into another. They left careers and practices to follow in a new assignment in their life. And we can see that in the New Testament. You know, people like Peter, Andrew, James and John, they left, they were fishermen. But you know, we think, you know, it was just, you know, they go out there and, you know, fish for one fish. No, that was their business. They had boats, they had, you know, people working for them. These guys were business people and they gave up everything to follow Jesus. You know, I think of Matthew, I know you guys think, well, he was just a tax collector. It was a very lucrative career that he had there, folks. He was making a lot of money.
[00:14:00] That's why a lot of people didn't like him. You know, they saw him as he was exploiting them. He's a traitor. He's doing business with the Romans. But he did give all that up to follow Jesus and he became one of the twelve apostles. We notice how the false teachers in Paul's basically, he's speaking to the issue in their lives. They're boasting of their letters of recommendation and their religious backgrounds as legitimatizing their claims. While Paul saw no value in any of those things, Paul didn't need a letter of recommendation. He says earlier in the book, you're my letter of recommendation. I led you to Christ. I don't need to have somebody recommend me to you. I preached the gospel to you and you became a believer. And you know, Paul looks back at his Jewish background, he says, hey, being a Jewish person doesn't necessarily give you any bigger kudos to God. And I'm not. This is not an anti Semitic remark, folks. I'm just basically saying this. Yes, we know from the Old Testament they were God's covenant people. But how many realize today that when Jesus came, a Jewish person fulfilled the law, that he made a new way to God the Father? And both Jew and Gentile need to come through the same door?
[00:15:16] The person of Jesus, there it's real simple. So he's saying there's no, yeah, maybe he knows the Hebrew language, maybe he can study scripture. Yes, those advantages. But he's not looking to that as what he would consider an advantage in the fact that he has any special status with God because of that past. That's what we need to understand. So now Paul is going to make a defense of himself. We started that last week. And this is how he begins. He says, now I repeat, let no one take me for a fool.
[00:15:50] But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool so that I may do a little boasting. So now, because these other people are boasting and they're puffing themselves up and people are being swayed by this, Paul's going to boast, but he's doing it in an ironic sort of way. He's going to. These guys are boasting on their achievements. We're going to find out. Paul's going to boast about his weakness. There's going to be a totally different way he's going to be boasting. He says this in this self confident boasting. I'm not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool. In other words, this. Only foolish people do this. Since many are boasting in the way the world does. I too will boast you gladly, he says, put up with fools since you are so wise.
[00:16:33] Well, how many know that's sarcasm?
[00:16:39] If you guys are so wise, why are you putting up with these idiots that are boasting all the time and they're making a big thing about who they are, when in reality they're nothings?
[00:16:50] And he keeps saying that throughout his letters.
[00:16:52] He says, in fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or even takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face? In other words, these people are taking advantage of you, they're abusive and you put up with it and you guys think you're smart.
[00:17:12] How many know that's sarcasm?
[00:17:14] He's really basically saying, if you guys were as smart as you think you were, you wouldn't tolerate any of this bad behavior. That's what he's getting across. He says, to my shame, I admit that we were too weak for that. In other words, we didn't approach it that way.
[00:17:28] Whatever anyone else dares to boast about, I'm speaking as a fool. I also dare to boast about.
[00:17:35] So Linda Belvo in her commentary, she said, well, these are all sarcastic comments that these pretenders were literally duping them with their extravagant boasting. And you know, I find it so ironic. You know, we think that, oh, we're smarter in the 21st century.
[00:17:49] You know, people can come up and speak in churches or in other arenas and tell you all kinds of amazing things and people are oohing and awe and half of it isn't even true. And people are being sucked into all of this nonsense.
[00:18:03] Listen to me very carefully. If you're not hearing the gospel preached, you're not hearing Christ preach and you're hearing a bunch of stories, I wouldn't be following that train of thinking at all. I want to hear the word of God.
[00:18:18] And when I was ordained to the ministry, you know, and when we do that in our church, ordained people to the ministry, they receive a charge from God that says, preach the word.
[00:18:31] You're not preaching yourself, we're preaching the word of God. That's what we should be doing. And that's what Paul is kind of trying to get across to these guys. She writes, the intruders are fools on account of the exaggerated opinions they have of their self importance. And she says, and the Corinthians gladly put up with them, thinking themselves to be so wise.
[00:18:53] The position of gladly beginning the clause heightens Paul's sarcasm. Gladly you put up with fools, he says, you tolerate this behavior. The Corinthians had been duped by the apostolic pretenders, yet they think themselves so wise. The irony of the situation does not escape Paul, nor does the danger. This is why Paul is going at this, because he goes, you guys don't realize the danger you're in.
[00:19:19] We're talking about eternity here, folks. We're talking about. This is not where you want to make a misstep. This is not where you want to get off the path because your eternity is on the line here. And that's why Paul is so intense.
[00:19:31] The Corinthians should have seen through these apostolic like pretenders, but they chose not to. Moreover, they did not merely turn a blind eye to what they were about, but received them with pleasure. They wanted to hear this stuff. It was tickling their fancy, you know.
[00:19:47] You know what I believe that when people get deceived is because they want to be.
[00:19:52] That's a shocking statement, but it's true and I said it last Sunday. You know, if you love the truth, you'll shun anything that's towards evil. You'll say, I just want to know the truth. I'm not interested in, you know, all this other stuff.
[00:20:05] How tragic that they thought these false teachers were so impressive, but in reality, leading them away from Christ, leading them away from the truth. Paul pointed out in their folly, the Corinthians thought themselves to be wise. And I still think it's the same case today. People eating up something that will destroy them. Listen to how Paul says it in Romans, chapter one. He says, although they knew God, they neither glorified God nor, nor gave thanks to Him. But their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools. And I think that happens too much and too often.
[00:20:45] Now listen, he goes on. Now Paul says this.
[00:20:48] He says, are they Hebrews? That's what they're basically saying. Look at our background. Well, Paul goes, so am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I. In other words, what he's saying is, don't get locked into, you know, ancestry, genealogy, pedigree.
[00:21:11] Why is that important? It's obvious from this line of defense that the false teachers were promoting themselves based on their Jewish background. Paul now relates that his background may be even more impressive. Anthony Thiselton says he is their equal with respect to race and ancestry, but he is equal, incomparably effective as an agent of Christ. Hebrews may denote they were born Jews in contrast to someone who has been proselytized into the Jewish faith. Or it may denote a pure blooded Jew, or possibly a Jew. We could speak Aramaic or Jew with close family ties with the Holy Land. Do you know, Paul himself studied under one of the greatest Hebrew rabbis of his time, Gamaliel. He studied under him. So Paul was. I'm going to say this. Paul was probably one of the foremost rabbinical theological students in his day.
[00:22:06] And that's why he became such an avid persecutor of the Church. He thought they were committing blasphemy.
[00:22:12] But when he got saved, God took all of that great rabbinical training and turned it and he became the greatest theologian the Church has ever had. There's no question. You read Paul's letters. He's the great theologian of the Church. And we need to realize that now.
[00:22:29] We are foolish if we boast of our strengths and advantages.
[00:22:33] And I'm going to tell you why.
[00:22:35] Why is that?
[00:22:36] Simply put, you are all.
[00:22:39] All that you have, the gifts and opportunities, they all come from God.
[00:22:45] You and I don't have a leg to stand on. You can't boast about a thing. God's the one that provided it.
[00:22:50] You are what you are by the grace of God and Paul says that in one of his letters. There needs to be a deep recognition that everything you possess, God gave you.
[00:23:01] He blessed you, he gave you what you have today. Don't walk around thinking, well, I did this, I did that. No, God allowed that.
[00:23:09] God gave you those opportunities. And then I think we need to be aware that what happens many times when we're bringing the good news to people, you know, people are.
[00:23:20] I'm going to use the word petty.
[00:23:22] There's a lot of jealousy.
[00:23:24] That's where a lot of opposition comes from. Remember, the religious leaders were jealous of Jesus.
[00:23:30] People, you know, the religious people in Paul's time, when he would go into a city and preach and people were coming to Christ, it says, and they were jealous of what they were seeing.
[00:23:40] That's what motivates sometimes a lot of opposition.
[00:23:44] Jesus explains that persecution is actually a sign of God's favor in your life.
[00:23:52] How many go, you know, boy, I'm sure happy I'm getting persecuted. Lord, I feel the favor.
[00:23:58] But listen to how Jesus frames it here in Matthew's Gospel. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of.
[00:24:09] Not because if you did something stupid, you know, or you're annoying. That's not what we're talking about here. I mean, sometimes that happens. I'm being persecuted. No, you're being annoying, okay.
[00:24:21] But if you're bringing the good news and people are shunning you and, you know, are putting you aside, he said, hey, rejoice and be glad because you're great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
[00:24:39] I'm going to say this, and Paul says it. I'm just going to quote him. He says, all who live a godly life in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
[00:24:50] So if you're not suffering any persecution, you're going, hmm, am I literally living a godly life? Am I really making a difference? Because let's face it, some people don't want to be just by our example of life.
[00:25:04] You know, some people will turn against you because they are threatened by your life.
[00:25:11] Let me move on to the second cost of being an effective disciple maker.
[00:25:16] It's the suffering that we're going to experience.
[00:25:19] Often we think suffering, simply something as simple as sickness, we think of today usually, well, that person's suffering and we think of sickness.
[00:25:30] But I think suffering comes in a variety of ways. Paul now begins to list the obstacles he needed to overcome to bring the gospel to other People, he's not only preaching a crucified Christ, he's living a crucified life. What do I mean by that? Look what it's cost him to bring the gospel to people.
[00:25:49] Look at what he's endured for the sake of the gospel. Let's take a look. He says, here are they servants of Christ? I'm out of my mind to talk like this. I am more.
[00:25:59] I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.
[00:26:08] So this word worked harder translates a Greek term commonly used of physical labor that causes one to collapse in bed at night from utter exhaustion.
[00:26:17] Although it is used in 1015 to describe Paul's missionary labors, here, it may refer to the long, grueling hours he worked as a tent maker. He did this to avoid being a foolish financial burden on the church at which he was currently ministering. The plural labors may include that Paul had to work more than one job to keep himself financially afloat. But let me just say this.
[00:26:39] Paul lived an extremely demanding life.
[00:26:44] He labored day and night. He said, didn't you see that I worked among you day and night?
[00:26:49] You know what?
[00:26:51] I always say this. If you're going to go into ministry, don't be a lazy person.
[00:26:55] It's the worst. You know, it demands too much.
[00:27:00] It really does. It's hard work.
[00:27:03] I tell you right now, it's a lot of work. And if you're allergic to work, don't be in the ministry.
[00:27:09] I'm serious.
[00:27:10] I'm being really upfront about it.
[00:27:13] Okay, so what are we to make of Paul's beatings, dangers endured, and constant threat of violence against them? What's the point that Paul is driving at?
[00:27:21] What is motivating the servant of God?
[00:27:25] More importantly, how should we rethink our own service to Christ?
[00:27:31] Are we serving out of a deep love and passion for Jesus, or do we simply serve when it's convenient to us?
[00:27:39] I'm going to just really lay it out here. I think a lot of Christians go, I'll volunteer to do something when it's convenient for me.
[00:27:48] That's. That's your attitude towards Christ? Well, I'm going to. I'm going to do, you know, my service. It's got to work out in my schedule, you know. Oh, it's not going to work here. I'm going to be camping this weekend. Oh, I got.
[00:27:59] I'm just. I'm not trying to be mean. I'm just trying to say, do we have A passion in our service for Christ.
[00:28:07] How motivated are we? Are we just pouring out our lives? I'm going to tell you how I feel. I feel like I'm pouring out my life.
[00:28:15] I felt that for a long time. I'm just pouring my life out for you.
[00:28:19] You don't know that, but I'm literally pouring my life out.
[00:28:23] That's what Paul was doing. That's what Jesus did.
[00:28:27] That's the way you know. When you have a love for Christ and you have a deep love and that love for Christ grows, your love for people is going to grow.
[00:28:35] You're going to find yourself pouring your life out.
[00:28:39] Paul did.
[00:28:40] He's an example. He's a spiritual father. He's a mentor, you know? Or do we simply do it when it's convenient? Do we view our lives as our own, or do we view our lives as belonging to Jesus and he determines the things that I should be involved in? I'm not trying to put you on a guilt trip. I'm just trying to say something to you.
[00:28:59] Is Jesus in control of your life and is he calling the shots, or are you serving Jesus on your terms?
[00:29:08] Because I think a lot of people are serving Jesus on their terms and that's why your life has a minimalized effect.
[00:29:17] Or do you say, no, I just do what Jesus tells me to do Every day. I get up and say, whatever you want is good with me. Let's do it.
[00:29:24] Every interruption, that's an opportunity.
[00:29:27] A lot of us were upset. Oh, got interrupted today. No, no. Maybe that was Jesus. This is an opportune moment. This is what God wants you to do right now.
[00:29:35] Don't get excited about it. Okay? Five times I received from the Jew 40 lashes, minus one. You know, I hadn't thought about this very much, but this week I thought about it. The fact that Paul received from The Jew the 39 lashes was a testament of his amazing love for his own people. You know, in Book of Romans, Paul says that the priority was to preach the gospel to the Jew first and then the Gentile in every community. He sought out people of his own community, his own background. He went to the Jewish community. He was rejected and punished so many times. The fact that he was lashed and was given that to those.
[00:30:13] They only lashed the people who they thought were actually committing, you know, that they. That they considered was a false teacher and they were committing blasphemy or breaking some law in Jewish custom. In other words, when Paul would go into a synagogue and preach Christ, some people interpret that as a Violation of their Jewish thinking, and they would take him out and they would give him the 39 lashes.
[00:30:37] Now, I don't know about you, but if you were, you know, you go to a synagogue and you go, okay, I don't know how these guys are going to respond today.
[00:30:46] It's really simple. They'll either turn to Christ or I'm going to get 39 lashes.
[00:30:51] How many would say, I don't know if I'm going to go to the Jew first.
[00:30:55] I don't know if I really want to go to that synagogue over there. I've heard some things about there. And, you know, 39 lashes, that's pretty painful.
[00:31:05] Five times Paul experienced that at this point in his life. He's telling him, I've already had that experience five times.
[00:31:13] That's a little intense. Do you know when he went to Corinth, he actually said, I'm a little nervous. And God had to send an angel to encourage him. He says, paul, I know that you're a little fearful of now being in Corinth, but I have many people in the city. The angel of the Lord encouraged him to stay and preach the gospel because God knew there were people that were going to be saved because of his ministry, but he was willing to risk his life in order to do this.
[00:31:41] Are we getting a little sense at what it costs to be a disciple maker, being prepared to suffer something?
[00:31:51] We could ask ourselves the question, what am I willing to risk to bring to the gospel of Jesus to people around me? They might no longer be my friend.
[00:32:01] They might think I'm a religious nut.
[00:32:04] They might just, you know, maybe even make my life difficult.
[00:32:10] Who knows what they're going to do? Not only did he receive lashings from his own people, but beatings from those who were in authority in various communities because people complained to the authorities against him.
[00:32:21] And we know the story of Paul and Silas. They were beaten with rods three times. I was beaten with a rod. He was a Roman citizen. They weren't allowed to do that unless they'd been to court. They didn't realize he was a Roman citizen. They beat him with rods, and they stuck him in prison overnight. And Paul and Silas could have said, you know, I'm tired of being in the ministry.
[00:32:41] This is a really painful occupation. You know, I got scars all over my body because of this. I got the marks of Jesus in my body.
[00:32:49] I think I'm going to do something different. There's got to be a better job out there somewhere where I don't keep getting Beat up?
[00:32:56] No, he was singing praises to God at the midnight hour. We know the story.
[00:33:01] God created an earthquake. The cell doors popped open, the jailer rushed in, the guy that beat them, what must I do, sirs, to be saved?
[00:33:10] And Paul led him and his entire household of faith in Christ and started an entire church out of a moment of deep suffering. In that situation, you know, we have this idea that God's going to protect us from all suffering. Not necessarily.
[00:33:24] Matter of fact, Peter says, arm your mind, Be prepared to suffer.
[00:33:29] Three times I was beaten with rod. Once I was pelted with stones.
[00:33:34] That's not fun.
[00:33:36] Three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea. I've been constantly on the move. I've been in danger, he says, from rivers, bandits, fellow Jews, Gentiles. Danger in the city, danger in the country, danger at sea, danger from false believers. Interesting list.
[00:33:57] You said, where I went, I was in danger. I lived a danger filled life.
[00:34:03] Some of us are going, I don't want that kind of stress. Pastor, you know, Paul lived a non.
[00:34:09] He lived a stressful life.
[00:34:11] It was not stressless.
[00:34:13] Philip Hughes explains the nature of his boasting.
[00:34:17] And I think it's interesting that the last one he put down there was danger from false believers. He said, that's the most threatening one.
[00:34:24] These other things are bad, but this is worse. We'll get to that. And with that, he switches from his boasting in his fleshly strengths to boasting in his weaknesses. This was doubly foolish boasting because Paul's enemies had rejected his weaknesses, viewing them as disqualifications. And now he's boasting in that which seems to disqualify him from being a minister of the Gospel. Paul turns convention on its head. He argues for authenticity from his weaknesses and the superiority of his apostolic service from his weaknesses, not from his strengths. Double foolishness, holy foolishness. The apostle begins with a generalized statement of his suffering. Far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, often near death.
[00:35:10] He pictures a life overflowing with perpetual incalculable suffering.
[00:35:15] Just think, the five synagogue floggings, the three Roman beatings, the stoning, the three shipwrecks cited here, totaling 12 near death occasions. All this with more missionary work to go.
[00:35:28] To those caught up in the prosperity gospel of the super apostles, these were hardly resume enhancers but for foolish admissions. But to Paul, they were positive proof that he was a servant of Christ. Suffering, not success, authenticated Paul's ministry.
[00:35:45] You Know, I just keep thinking the last one from false believers.
[00:35:50] What we can see is a servant of God experiencing all these trials, being taxed to his physical limits. But the greater burden was the attacks directed at him. To deceive new believers by these false teachers, to see some of them turn away from the faith because of deceptive teaching was a cross to bear. The list continues of the suffering and price of travel in that ancient world with all of its dangers. He had suffered personal lack. Yet the primary weight of his deep concern was directed towards those who were newly saved. And it felt old, overwhelming upon him. I've labored and toiled and have gone without sleep, he said. I've known hunger and thirst. I've gone without food, I've been cold, I've been naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concerns. For all the churches see, the weight of the ministry was what was weighing him down. Not the physical suffering, it was the emotional and spiritual elements within his soul. And then he says, and who is weak and I don't feel weak, and who is led into sin and I don't burn inwardly? What's he mean by that? He says, when I see people succumb to the temptation, when I see people falling into sin, he says, it grieves me. It breaks my heart. I'm a parent, I'm watching my spiritual children wreck their lives and it tears me apart.
[00:37:15] Wow.
[00:37:18] The intense internal agony of having sacrificed so much to witness this kind of seduction and defeat in the lives of those he had given up much to reach.
[00:37:27] It's obvious that ministry was not about Paul, but his heart passion was for the well being of those converts to Christianity. The question each of us needs to ask, what has it cost me?
[00:37:43] What has it cost us to bring the good news of Jesus to those around us?
[00:37:47] That was a haunting question that came to my mind. What's it really costing me?
[00:37:52] Now, as freedoms in our country are diminishing, the question will be, what will it cost to stand for Jesus and share this amazing message of grace in a society that's becoming more hostile all the time?
[00:38:08] And then the last point, departure from respectability and identification with the despised movement. I want you to think about Paul for a minute. He was the superstar in his religious world.
[00:38:21] He was known by the Sanhedrin, he was known by the high priest. He had all the right pedigree, he was their top person.
[00:38:29] They were grooming him.
[00:38:32] And Paul was the great persecutor of the church.
[00:38:36] He was respected in his religious community and he was dealing what he considered a heretical sect, a dangerous one at that.
[00:38:46] And yet it was on his way to Damascus with everything, that everything changed in his life.
[00:38:51] He had an encounter with the risen Jesus.
[00:38:54] And from that point on, Paul now becomes a part of that despised and persecuted minority in the ancient world.
[00:39:02] He would be doubly despised because he would be a traitor, and a high level one at that.
[00:39:09] Listen to what he said. If I must boast, I'll boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. Now, he's going to swear an oath here. This is interesting.
[00:39:23] He goes in Damascus. The governor under King Aretas had the city of Damascus. Damascene's guarded in order to arrest me, but I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.
[00:39:36] So what does this escape from the King of Damascus have to do with boasting regarding his weakness?
[00:39:42] Well, really, simply Ken Hughes says, if I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The apostle does this by recounting a very low point in his life, when he was lowered in a basket from a window in the city wall. To escape the telling of this event would be so incredible to his triumphant detractors that he used an oath to assure them, yeah, it's true. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows that I'm not lying.
[00:40:13] This oath ensured that his detractors would listen. Why the oath, we wonder? The story is patently benign. In other words, it doesn't seem to really mean anything.
[00:40:25] The governor under King Artas was guarding the city in order to seize me, Paul says, but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped. How can this story merit an oath? The key to the answer comes from the identification of the city of Damascus. It was to Damascus that Paul first went as a proud Pharisee, to seek out and destroy people called Christians.
[00:40:49] But it was on the road to that city that he met Christ and received his call. And when he left the city, it was like a lowly criminal lowered like a catch of dead fish in a basket whose smelly cargo he had displaced. What they were doing, this is what they were doing.
[00:41:08] He was put in the wastebasket.
[00:41:10] He was put in the garbage basket, that's what he said, and lowered down the city. Nobody went over to that because it stunk. That's how Paul was escaping, okay? In effect, Paul views The incident in Damascus as a paradigm for his life, God's strength would be perfected in his weakness. Paul tells us by this story that weakness was at the heart of his calling from the very beginning of his apostleship.
[00:41:36] Actually, he goes on and heightens matters of difficulty and hardship, hard work, imprisonment, floggings and threats to his life. He again, ironically, is inverting the ancient convention of boasting. In other words, he's not telling people how great he is. He's telling people how diminished he became. He was boasting in that interesting. He's inverting what they're doing there.
[00:41:59] While the false preachers are boasting of their accomplishment, Paul's boasting of his challenges and weaknesses. So what is the cost we're paying for the gospel to be brought to our culture today?
[00:42:11] Are we prepared to be misunderstood, to suffer the loss of respectability in the eyes of others?
[00:42:18] I'm going to say something. When countries change laws and all of a sudden it's no longer the law and we're not protected to do the will of God, you know what's going to happen?
[00:42:31] We're going to lose respectability.
[00:42:34] Do you know that?
[00:42:35] We're going to lose respectability.
[00:42:38] We're going to become a despised group of people.
[00:42:41] Could there be physical loss, loss of finances, personal threats, possibilities of imprisonment?
[00:42:49] These were all things that happened to Paul. We look at that story and we go, yeah, that was way back then, Pastor, when people didn't know any better.
[00:42:56] I'm going to argue this has always been the story throughout history.
[00:43:01] And I think we need to awaken because we've lived in a bubble for a long time, folks, and that bubble is bursting.
[00:43:09] It really is.
[00:43:11] And so I believe in the days to come, there's going to be a far greater cost.
[00:43:17] You know, the Christian life I'm going to close with, this is a blessed life, but it's also filled with challenges.
[00:43:24] We're forgiven our sins and we're giving eternal life.
[00:43:29] We're giving the grace of God. We're given amazing promises and hopes. We're looking forward to the day we're going to be in heaven with Jesus.
[00:43:37] But to preach the gospel and establish churches, that's a challenge.
[00:43:42] Paul writes in Acts, they preached the gospel in that city, and they went a large number of disciples, and then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. Faith. And then Paul says this. We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God, they said, notice he's encouraging them to remain true to the faith.
[00:44:06] What's he telling them? Be prepared to experience challenge, trouble, hardship.
[00:44:12] I mentioned at the beginning of the message that book strong to the end.
[00:44:16] You know, they knew of these dangers.
[00:44:21] They knew the country was unraveling. People in the States were arguing with this family, get your family out of there. It's getting more dangerous by the day. We're called of God. He's not called us away from there. Their young son went to Bible college and went back into that danger and it cost him his life.
[00:44:42] When we consider the price Jesus paid for our salvation, what are we willing to pay to see others experience this great salvation? Let's stand.
[00:45:01] You know, my prayer and I said it at the beginning was that this would be kind of a message you wouldn't forget.
[00:45:08] You know, I'm praying that the Holy Spirit is speaking to some of you right now because I am convinced because of my own personal experience with being a recipient of preaching, that there were messages that shaped how my life turned out.
[00:45:24] Because those messages formulated in my mind certain things.
[00:45:30] I believe that you and I have to decide something. We have to make a decision.
[00:45:36] You see, I remember as a young person, the spirit of God spoke to me, said, prepare your mind to suffer.
[00:45:44] I entered into this eyes wide open.
[00:45:48] I went to a Bible college. And they said, if you can do anything else but the ministry, do it.
[00:45:53] This will be, this will cost you everything.
[00:45:56] It'll cost you everything.
[00:45:58] And unless you're willing to give up everything, you'll never be effective.
[00:46:04] Are you willing as a follower of Jesus Christ to say, lord, here's my life, whatever the cost, it's yours.
[00:46:14] Are you willing to make that kind of a commitment to him?
[00:46:18] Because I believe that's the kind of commitment we need to make to him.
[00:46:22] And when you make that kind of commitment, it just changes the whole trajectory of your life.
[00:46:27] It changes the way you serve, it changes the way you live, it changes the way you spend your time.
[00:46:36] It changes how you think about yourself.
[00:46:39] You realize I'm no longer mine. I belong to him.
[00:46:43] You see, as a young 223 year old young person, I came forward in a church service.
[00:46:50] And while a lot of other people left and visited, I wept for a half an hour because Jesus and the spirit of Jesus was speaking in my spirit.
[00:47:00] He was calling me to make a full surrender for the rest of my life to him.
[00:47:06] And I knew what it meant. I was giving up my life for him.
[00:47:11] When I came forward that day and surrendered to him. It changed the whole trajectory of my life.
[00:47:18] And God is speaking to hearts right now and saying, calling you out.
[00:47:23] I'm calling you to give me everything. You are, just like I gave everything for you.
[00:47:29] I'm going to ask you to come forward right now. Just come. God's calling you, speaking to your spirit. You're going to give up your life for him.
[00:47:39] That doesn't mean you're going to be a martyr. It just means you're going to give up the right to your life, the right to doing what you want, want to do. From this day forward, you are going to become totally surrendered to him.
[00:47:54] You're his and you will do what he asks you to do.
[00:47:59] Just come.
[00:48:01] Spirit of God. I believe something. God speaking to hearts.
[00:48:04] Yeah, that's great.
[00:48:07] Because if you're going to be an effective disciple maker, this is what it takes.
[00:48:11] This is what it takes, guys.
[00:48:14] I'm serious about that.
[00:48:15] It takes this.
[00:48:18] Some of you, you said, I've already done it. Great, great, awesome. I have too.
[00:48:25] But you know what? It changes you. This will change you. You'll just say, lord, my life is not mine now belongs to you.
[00:48:32] I'm giving it to you.
[00:48:34] Whatever you want to do with my life is fine with me. Wherever you want me to go, fine with me.
[00:48:39] However you want me to serve, fine with me.
[00:48:42] Sometimes it'll be wonderful. It's not going to all be bad. You see, I've painted. Yeah, there's going to be some hardships. Yes, that's true. But it's going to be. You're going to live the best life. I can guarantee you right now. Giving up your life for Christ is the best life.
[00:48:57] You know, I like what Jim Elliot said. He's no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. Jesus said, if you're trying to save your life, you lose it. If you lose your life for my sake and the gospel, you'll save it. This is the best life.
[00:49:10] I made this commitment almost 50 years ago. Never regretted a moment. It's been the best life.
[00:49:16] I think it's awesome.
[00:49:18] So, Lord, I pray for my brothers and sisters. I'm so grateful. I know that you're speaking into hearts. Your spirit is working.
[00:49:25] You know what I believe, Father? We're going to be more effective as a church than we've ever been before because of this commitment.
[00:49:32] I pray that we'll seal it in our soul, that we'll remind ourselves of this message as a cost to the gospel.
[00:49:38] We saw the price you paid we see the price the apostles paid. They gave their lives. Many of them were martyred, not all of them. John was not martyred.
[00:49:47] But it's the spending of our lives day after day to see the kingdom of God advanced.
[00:49:56] And regardless of the outcomes, maybe the challenge that we face and maybe some of the hardships, Lord, we're going to trust you and be faithful to you right to the end.
[00:50:05] Now I pray Holy Spirit, would you come and fill them? Would you come and fill them not just with a willing determination, but I pray fill them with the empowering of the Holy Spirit to stand in an hour of difficulty, in an hour of challenge, because they're going to start coming in our country. But we want to be difference makers. We want to be disciple makers. Oh God. And I just thank you for my brothers and sisters. I thank you Lord, that you're going to use them in beyond the way you have in the past, in an extraordinary way. I pray use them in extraordinary ways, Lord. And sometimes it'll be in a very mundane and ordinary way. Sometimes it'll be just listening to somebody.
[00:50:50] Sometimes it'll just being an example to someone.
[00:50:53] Sometimes it'll be, you know, making something, bringing a sandwich to somebody, or giving up something for somebody.
[00:51:00] Whatever you ask them to do, Father, may they do it with all their hearts. May they do it willingly and joyfully and may their lives be such a powerful and profound witness to the neighbors and to their family members and to the people around them. And yes, they may suffer persecution, Lord, but I pray that they will learn to rejoice and give thanks for what you're doing in their lives. We thank you for that. In Jesus name, amen. God bless you as you leave today.
