Paul Tripp writes:
‘I
saw a change in my friend. He was once a
champion of the gospel. It was the fire
in his belly, the passion that constantly motivated him. But now he was different. It hadn’t happened all at once, but his ministry
had changed. It had been all about his
Saviour, but now it was all about him.
He seemed to have fallen into the lure of his own notoriety. He clearly loved being the centre of
attention. He liked being surrounded by
his fans. He loved hanging around with
“the cool kids.” He was still in
ministry and still doing ministry things, but the glory-focus had radically
shifted. Whether he knew it or not, the
glory that excited him was not the glory of his Saviour. He was obsessed with his own glory, and it
would be his undoing.’
I
find those words chilling because I like to be centre of attention. I like people to make much of me. I want to be told I am great. While affirmation can bring needed
encouragement, we must not live for human applause.
What
about you? Who are you trying to
impress? Are you trying to show the
world that you have got it together? Are
you striving to be the best? Do you push
your children to make you look good? Is
your worth found in how far up the career-ladder you are? Do you get angry when people don’t notice all
that you have done? Do you demand that
people take your opinion into account?
Do you get upset when no one thanks you?
Do you draw attention to all you have achieved? Do you have to be a leader or have you
learned how to follow?
This
morning we are going to see the difference between making much of ourselves and
making much of Jesus.
Those who want to make much of themselves are
critical and ambitious
(10:7-12)
You are judging by appearances (NIV).
You are looking at the surface. Look at what is before your eyes (ESV).
The
people in the church at Corinth are faced with two types of leader. On one hand there are those Paul has
ironically labelled ‘super-apostles’.
These men are trained communicators, who have an impressive appearance and
who think highly of themselves. On the
other hand, you have Paul. Listen to how
these ‘super-apostles’ describe him. ‘His letters are weighty and strong, but his
bodily presence is weak, and his speech is of no account’ (10).
Paul
wouldn’t entirely disagree. His letters
were strong, and he had come to them in ‘weakness with great fear and trembling
… not with wise and persuasive words’ (1 Cor. 2:3-4). But his words did count for something because
he preached Christ-crucified. Also, Paul
isn’t a two-faced coward. If they won’t
respond to his letters, he will show them how stern he can be when
face-to-face.
Paul
had opened this letter by describing himself as ‘an apostle of Jesus Christ by
the will of God’ (1:1). His letters were
recognised as Scripture by the other apostles (2 Pet. 3:16). I remember talking to a friend about an issue
that Christians disagree on. I wanted to
know what she thought of the apostle Paul’s teaching on the subject. She admitted, ‘I don’t really care what Paul
said.’ You can’t say that as a Christian!
He was writing with divine
authority.
While
Paul was appointed by the will of God, the ‘super-apostles’ were
self-appointed. While Paul sought to
build up the church, the ‘super-apostles’ sought to build their reputations. They wanted to be masters, he sought to be a
servant.
The
‘super-apostles’ desire to make much of themselves demonstrated itself in a
critical spirit, boastfulness and comparisons.
There is something wrong with our heart if we are regularly critical of
people. There is something wrong with
our heart if we always feel the need to tell people of the things you have
achieved. There is something wrong with
our heart if we find ourselves comparing yourself with others.
Comparison
will either lead us to pride or jealousy.
If we think that we are better than someone we will proud and smug. If they think that they are better than us we
will be discouraged or even jealous. But
if we can rest in the fact that we belong to Jesus and are dearly loved
children of an affirming Father then the need to compare ourselves with others
should disappear. Paul says that those
who find their worth in comparison are not wise/without understanding (12).
Those who make much of Jesus point to the
beauty of Jesus (13-17)
Look
down to Paul’s words about boasting.
‘Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord’ (17). That is a quote from Jeremiah: ‘Let not the
wise boast of their wisdom or the strong of their strength or the rich boast of
their riches but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have understanding to know me, that
I am the Lord, who excelsis kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for
in these I delight’ (Jer. 9:23-24).
The
‘super-apostles’ wanted to draw attention to how great they were, Paul wanted
to draw attention to how great God is.
God is the one who loved us when we wanted nothing to do with Him. God is the one who gave His Son to take the
punishment for all our guilt. God is the
one who has made us a part of His family.
God is the one who has prepared works in advance for us to do. God is the one who is pleased even with the
smallest gesture, like giving someone a cup of water in Jesus’ name.
Paul
says that he will not boast beyond proper limits, ‘but will confine our
boasting to the sphere of service that God himself has assigned to us, a sphere
that includes you’ (13). Paul recognises
that God had called him to share the gospel with the Corinthians and that God had
blessed his efforts. But he would be the
first to tell you that anything of value that happens through his efforts are
the result of God’s power not his.
‘Neither
do we go beyond our limits in boasting of work done by others’ (15a). The ‘super-apostles’ arrived in Corinth and
tried to take credit for work Paul and his friends had done. Their attitude was ‘nothing really had
happened until we arrived’. They would
have said, ‘these Corinthian Christians weren’t really very spiritually mature
until we started to teach them.’
Paul
had a godly ambition. ‘Our hope is that,
as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly
expand, so that we can preach the gospel in regions beyond you’ (15b). He hoped to take the gospel as far as
Spain. But he wouldn’t go until he feels
that his work with them is complete.
Paul isn’t just into counting numbers.
Someone says that you need to weigh converts as well as count them. You need to ensure that they are really
established in the faith.
Remember
that it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the Lord’s
commends (18). The Lord’s work done the
Lord’s way will always bring the Lord pleasure.
That is our joy!
Conclusion
Paul
Tripp:
‘Sin
causes us to search for glory satisfaction outside of our Creator, but God will
not share his glory with another. He is
jealous for his glory to be the one glory that captures our hearts, and should
shape the way we live … God exercises his power for his own glory. Does that bother you? It is wrong to live for your own glory
because, as a creature, you belong to the one who made you. You exist by his will and for his purpose
… His zeal for his own glory is the hope
of the universe. It is in loving for his
glory that we are rescued from our bondage to our own glory, a glory that will
never satisfy our hearts.’
Final
question, who had more joy, Paul or the super-apostles? The super apostles who wanted to be centre of
attention who compared themselves with each other who had a critical spirit. Paul who delighted in the gospel. He marvelled that God would use him, even
him, to fulfil his purposes. He knew
that God sees all that what we do, and doesn’t need to worry about others
recognition, who depended on God’s power working through him. He boasted in the Lord.
Prayer:
‘Lord,
help us live for your glory. Rescue us
from the bondage of our own glory, which will not satisfy. I thank you for being my hope, my life, and
satisfaction. I praise the name of
Jesus, the one who died and was raised for my sake. May I live for his eternal glory, even as I
pray in his name, amen’ (Adapted from Paul Tripp).
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