The Real Deal

Thank you so much, Johan and Amy and Zachy back. Zach's back. Well done, buddy. And love that you came up and the first thing you did was offer a handshake.

It made me more determined to give you the biggest bear hug after the service as well. We do hugs here, not handshakes.

But great to see everybody. And what a special morning. These really are just highlights in our church calendar.

And what we're going to do now just for the next 20 minutes or so is just turn to the Bible.

And this is what we do as a church every Sunday morning as we gather. We just work our way through a different book of the Bible.

It's one of the core beliefs that we have, that when we open our Bibles, that this is no ordinary book.

No, we hear the voice of the living God. We hear the voice, the word of our creator.

And the Christian is someone who's found that to be true.

Or here's how a man called Christopher Ashe, he puts it, the word of God gives us the only reliable map of the world as it truly is.

In fact, I wonder if you heard the survey that was done a few weeks ago.

I remember driving home a few weeks ago listening to Radio 2 and they were reporting the fact that,

did you know the number of the Bibles bought in the UK between 2019 and 2024?

In that period, it increased by 87%.

Now, that's just fascinating, isn't it?

All sorts of reasons people would want to buy a Bible, but we'd be naive, I think, to reject that conclusion

that there's something going on in our culture right now as people regain an interest in spiritual things.

But this is what God's word claims to be, claims to be his voice.

And so that's why we open this every single Sunday morning.

And particularly to all of us today, particularly if you're here and you wouldn't call yourself a Christian,

maybe you've come, you're one of Zach's friends or family, maybe you've just come along this Sunday.

We'd love that you're here.

But here's the invitation to come to the Bible and to taste and see that the Lord is good.

And so we've been journeying through this letter of two Corinthians together since the autumn.

And this is the final installment in this little series that we've been in.

This letter written by a man called Paul.

And he's written it to a church that he founded,

made up of people that he knows and loves living in the city of Corinth.

And Corinth is a city that loves the impressive.

Loves the impressive.

And Paul's big idea to this church is that they've been dazzled by these super apostles

who've offered to them a Jesus who's on the world's terms, if you like.

And they're beginning to buy it, beginning to think about it.

And Paul's been pleading with them, no, no, come back to me and my gospel.

Maybe you can think about it like this.

I remember well my cousin returning from holiday a few years ago.

And she's parading a brand new pair of sunglasses.

And ones that she was telling everyone that she'd got at a bargain price.

But on closer inspection, what she'd actually been sold weren't a pair of Ray-Bans.

They were in fact a pair of Ray-Bombs.

But she knew exactly what she was doing and we all had a good laugh at this.

But have you ever had an experience like that in your life?

You've been left asking yourself, saying, hang on a minute.

Is what I've been sold?

Is what I've got in my hands?

Is it the real thing?

Paul knows that that's exactly what these Christians in this church in Corinth are asking themselves when it comes to the message about Jesus.

That he's passed on to them and that they've got in their hands.

They're asking themselves, is this the real deal?

The reason they're asking the question is that a group of people that Paul ironically calls,

if you've got the text there, verse 11 of chapter 12, he calls them the super-impostles.

And they've infiltrated this church family and they're spreading a different message about a different Jesus

and what it means to follow him.

One which elevated them in their claims to higher plane spirituality.

And at the same time, it undercuts and downplays Paul and his message of weakness and a crucified Jesus

that he's been offering to the Corinthians.

And you'll see a concise summary of that in verse 4 of chapter 13.

Paul's speaking about Jesus.

And what's the crux of his message?

It's that he's been crucified in weakness.

And that's the truth, isn't it?

That the Christians follow a king who came to earth, was rejected by his own,

and who was ultimately handed over to death.

This is our king.

This is the king that we follow.

The cross, the place where he dies.

It looks to the watching world.

It did then, it does now.

It still looks like utter foolishness, weakness, and it looks like defeat.

And yet, see Paul write this about the same Jesus who rose from the dead.

He says, he now lives by the power of God.

And when we put our faith in this Jesus, and that's the invitation to all of us this morning,

when we put our faith and trust in his work on the cross for us,

like Zach was saying, the place where he goes,

he bears the punishment that our sins deserve on himself.

When we put our faith in him,

we can know complete forgiveness of our past, of our present, and of our future sins.

He takes our sins and he shares with us his resurrection life.

If you want to think about it like this,

Jesus is the ultimate impact sub.

The cross is the place.

It is the place of the great substitution.

He takes our place.

And by faith in him, we get his life.

And he shares with us his spirit.

Do you see Paul write that?

Who comes to dwell, to live in,

the believer.

Changing us not from the outside in,

but changing us from the inside out,

and changing us to be more into the likeness of Jesus.

That theological heart of this letter,

we saw a number of weeks ago,

chapter 3, verse 18.

And we, Paul writes,

who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory,

just means we look at Jesus,

are being transformed.

And that's that wonderful caterpillar,

two butterfly word,

metamorphic,

being transformed.

We're being transformed into his image.

With ever increasing glory,

which comes from the Lord,

who is the spirit.

So this message of the crucified Jesus,

dying on a cross,

but risen,

and living by the power of God.

Paul's saying,

that's what my message of weakness does.

And so before Paul comes back,

verse 1 of chapter 13,

do you see it?

For the third visit,

he wants the Corinthians to wake up

and make their choice.

No more sitting on the fence.

No more foot in both camps.

No more thinking that they can have their cake

and eat it.

The decision really is,

will they continue to entertain

these false apostles

and their message of spiritual superiority,

a Jesus in the image of the world,

or will they be restored to

and all in with his gospel?

It's the only thing that works, Paul's saying.

It's the only thing that works.

And here we are some 2,000 years later

and hearing Zach's testimony this morning,

being reminded that it's the only thing that works,

that can truly transform a person

from the inside out.

And so Paul says,

as he finishes his letter,

verse 5 of chapter 13,

he says,

examine yourselves

to see whether you are in the faith.

Test yourselves,

which is code for stop,

think, consider,

and choose today

who you are going to serve.

And the Bible's full of those moments,

isn't it?

If you know the Bible story,

it's full of those moments

where God raises up leaders

who say,

challenges people,

which way are you going to go?

Which way are you going to serve?

That's Paul's plea.

And yet here's the encouragement to them,

verse 6,

Paul wants them to know

as they do this,

that he has passed the test.

Right?

He's the real deal.

Compared to these super apostles,

he's the real deal.

Two quick things we see in this passage

that show us that he is the real deal.

Here's number one.

It is how he perseveres with people.

So these Corinthians have seen in Paul

the marks of a true apostle.

And he says them at verse 12 of chapter 12,

signs and wonders and miracles.

You can think of those things

like God's public seal of approval

on Paul and his message

in the eyes of the watching world.

And he never took money from them

as so many speakers in Corinth did.

And they struggle with that.

They're thinking to themselves

that you don't take money.

What's the catch?

We've got in our culture that phrase.

And growing up in the west of Scotland

had this all the time.

There's no such thing as a free lunch.

What's the catch?

What's the string?

And Paul said,

no,

I just wanted you to see

that what I was offering,

my message,

wasn't just another

first century TED talk

that the super apostles were doing.

It was something completely different.

I wanted you to see it in your minds.

And yet the Corinthians

continue to question his credibility.

And yet here he is,

verse 13,

talking about his plans,

not once but twice,

to go back a third time.

And you ask yourself,

why not just give up on them

at this point?

Baseball umpire,

strike one,

strike two,

I'm out of there on strike three.

Plenty more spiritual fish in the sea.

Why does he not give up on them?

Answer,

because he loves them.

Verse 14,

the only way he can think

to describe it

is that he's like a parent.

Do you see it?

He's like a parent.

That's his heart for his children.

That's how he sees this relationship.

You know,

our oldest girl turned 10

a few weeks ago

struck me

that I have now been a parent

for a decade.

And of all the mistakes

that I've made

and all the regrets

that I have,

I just say the old cliche is true.

Where does the time go?

But see if I had to sum it up

in two words,

the things that the Lord

has taught me,

sum it up in two words,

joyful sacrifice.

Some days you're playing good cop,

some days you're playing bad cop,

but really at the end of the day

you'll do anything for them.

to see them continue

to grow and flourish.

And that's what he's saying here.

Verse 14.

I'm not a one man

traveling salesman

that as soon as the interest

is dried up,

I'm moving on

and getting a new patch.

I'm just following the money.

What's Paul saying?

I don't want your stuff.

I'm here for your stuff.

We live in a world like that,

don't we?

That so often that we wonder,

why are people friends with me?

Is there something

that they're not telling me?

Is there something

that they want?

But he's saying,

I didn't want your stuff.

I'm genuine.

I don't need your applause.

I take it the super apostles,

Paul knows fine well

that that is tied up

with their interest

in the Corinthians.

He's saying,

I don't want your stuff.

I want you.

In fact,

verse 15,

I will gladly spend

and be spent

for your well-being.

So why does he continue

to go back?

Why does he continue

to have these Corinthians

in his heart?

Why does he continue

to persevere with them?

Because he loves them.

It's the mark of Christ's

stamp of approval

and the shape of Christ

in his life

that he perseveres

with people.

And secondly,

here's the second thing

that shows you

to the real deal.

He's really serious

about sin.

Again,

see Paul's heart

for these believers,

verse 19.

Everything that he does,

everything he does

is for their

strengthening.

You might have

building up there.

It's the same thing.

The skin in the game

is that he wants them

to live lives

that display to the world

God's glory

as they grow

over time

bit by bit,

slowly by slowly,

one step back,

two steps forward,

grow more like Jesus.

And that's how he wants

to find them

on this third visit

when he goes back.

He doesn't want to find,

do you see how he lists

the things?

A church full of

discord.

Verse 20.

A culture of jealousy,

of rage,

of selfish ambition,

of slander,

of gossip,

of arrogance,

of disorder,

of sexual immorality.

Now,

why does he name it all?

That's what I've been

asking myself this week.

Why not just summarize it

as unhealthy culture?

I take it Paul knows

that this stuff

is endemic in Corinth,

right?

You read 1 Corinthians,

the one just before this,

and you see it everywhere.

Paul knows that this stuff

is all over the place

as the culture

begins to seep

into the lives

of the church.

But I also,

he take it,

he names it

so that when they

examine themselves,

when they stop,

that they'll see it

in their lives.

It's like when we all

get out of bed

in the morning

and we stand in front

of the mirror

and you see bed heads,

makeup everywhere,

stuff in your teeth

and you just think to yourself,

I need a shower.

That's the kind of thing

that Paul's saying here.

When he shows them it,

he's showing them the mirror

and he's saying,

do you see this stuff

as you examine yourself

in your heart?

Even if it's the roots of it,

Paul wants them

to nip it in the bud.

And this is the truth,

isn't it,

that we're celebrating

this morning

and remembering

that God has saved

the Christian

out of the old pattern

of life.

He's called us

out of

and from the darkness

to live in the light

and to live for him.

A Christian is not just

someone who's made

a few different life choices.

A Christian is somebody

for whom Jesus

has sought

and bought

and died for

on the cross.

The Spirit lives inside,

the old has gone

and the new has come.

And one of the telltale signs

of the Spirit's work

in our lives

is that we see it

for what it is.

And the Spirit in us,

he changes our desires.

So the things

that we used to love,

we now think to ourselves,

that is darkness.

I once heard somebody

talk about this like

orange juice.

Many of us love

orange juice,

I imagine.

However,

I imagine none of us

like it just after

we've brushed our teeth.

And why is that?

I take it it's because

our palate has changed.

And that's the kind

of change

that Paul's talking

about here.

When Christ has came

and invaded your life,

when the kingdom

has broken in there,

friends,

he changes our palates,

he changes our spiritual tastes.

The sin we used

to find enticing

and almost,

can I say,

endorphin producing,

we now find

odious.

And I wonder

if the super apostles

are wandering around

saying this stuff,

it's not ideal,

but it's okay.

It's just part of life.

Maybe the Christians

have found

in these super apostles

are more palatable

Christianity.

Really,

they're like little children

who run to mum

and get one answer.

They don't like that answer

and then they run to dad

and try and get

a different answer.

At least that's how

it works in our house.

But Paul says,

if I come and see it,

I'll be so grieved

if I find

that you haven't

see the word there,

repented

of it.

Why?

Not just because

he's got his

tail up.

It grieves

God's heart.

And out with faith

in Jesus,

friends,

it brings

God's

judgment.

And so we've

got to ask ourselves,

where do we see

ourselves

in this list?

I think so often

my problem,

friends,

I wonder if it's

your problem as well,

is that when we see

this stuff in our lives,

we put out the bunting.

When in actual fact,

we should be

waving the red flag.

We need people

in our lives

who will call us

out in love

on this stuff.

Paul is serious

about sin.

Because what's

on offer here

is life knowing

the living God,

life with the God

who created us,

and life lived

the way that the God

who made us

designed it to be lived,

where we don't run

away from him

to the darkness,

but to repent,

to find forgiveness

in Jesus,

what he's done for us

at the cross,

and turn back to the God

who made us

and loves us,

who made us in his image,

and who made us

to live in relationship

with him.

That's what's on offer

this morning.

Paul's series

about sin,

verse 2 of chapter 13,

he's warning them.

Again,

he's not mincing

his words,

is he?

He's warning them.

And if he returns

and he sees blatant sin

in this church family,

he will not spare

calling it out,

calling a spade

a spade.

Why?

Because he loves

these people

and he loves the Lord

and his glory

and renown.

He's not afraid

to say the hard thing

and make the right call.

Verse 10,

he does it all

under the authority

given him

by the risen Jesus.

And just notice,

just as we finish

this morning,

how counter-cultural

and otherworldly

this is.

When our world says,

let your heart

and passions run free

like wild bison

on the plane,

Paul says,

cease sin

for what it is

and put it to death.

In our world says,

you need to live

your truth.

Paul says,

you need to hear

God's truth.

No matter how unpopular

it makes me,

no matter how much

you want me gone,

because Jesus says,

the truth

will set you

free.

Now here's the question

as we bring this together

this morning.

Who does Paul

remind you of here?

And the answer

is Jesus.

The great pursuer

of wayward souls.

You know,

there was once

an English poet

called Francis Thompson.

Do you know what

he once called Jesus

in one of his poems?

He called him

the hound from heaven.

Jesus came from heaven.

He came with our scent

in his nostrils.

He came to seek us

and to save us.

And the wonderful truth

for every single believer

is that Jesus came

looking for us

well before

we ever went

looking for him.

And the truth is,

and Zach,

you hear this this morning,

that Jesus

doesn't give up

on us.

Faith in him

means that no matter

if you are struggling

this morning,

friends,

know that his grip

on you

is way stronger

than your grip

on him.

Jesus is not like

an employer

who having hired

someone is saying

to himself

a few months in,

I wish I'd asked

a few more questions

at interview.

When he died

on the cross,

he died for all

of our sin.

He knew exactly

what he was taking on.

And the truth is

that we have given

Jesus ample evidence

for him to give up

on us.

And yet the wonder

of grace

is that none of it

has changed

his mind

about us.

And so Paul warns

and he loves

and he woos

and he says

to the Corinthians

to be restored

to my gospel

is to be restored

to Jesus

who loves you

and holds you.

You know,

just as we close,

I remember one of my

first Sundays

at Brunsfield

nearly 13 years ago

and some of you

might have been around

then to have witnessed

this event.

There were three

Chinese girls

who came to Edinburgh

for a university placement

and they were here

before heading home.

And as I got here,

I remember hearing stories

about how they'd come

to faith

during their time

in Scotland

and I witnessed

their baptism.

It was a wonderful morning

seeing three people

being baptized

but I remember

in particular

one of those girls

who will just call Jay

because of the live stream

meeting this girl

called Jay

and Jay was so aware

of what it would cost her

to go back to China

and to declare

that she followed Jesus.

What it was going to cost her

in her society,

what it was going to cost her

in terms of her family,

what it potentially

could have cost her

in terms of her career

aspirations

and being really blown away

by this girl

who was really prepared

to count the cost

for following Jesus.

But here was the million dollar

question.

Is he worth it?

Is he worth it?

And we knew we wouldn't hear

from her for a long,

long time

just because of the risk

involved in communication

but a few years went by

and I remember the day

when John and I,

John who I worked with

at the time he used to be

the former pastor here,

got the shortest

of emails from her

and he just simply said,

got engaged,

husband and I

going to Bible college

hoping to plant a church

and that was it.

Please pray.

But he was this young girl

who moved to this country,

fell in love with Jesus,

found in Jesus

someone who knew her,

who had died for her,

who loves her

and was holding her

and thought,

I want to follow him

with the rest of my days

when I go back home,

fully prepared

to count the cost

of following Jesus,

our crucified king.

And so let's be encouraged

as we hear Zach's story

this morning.

Is he worth it?

Is he worth it?

You know,

together resoundingly

we say,

don't we,

as we come together

on a Sunday morning,

yes he is.

So let me just close then

by reading these words

as we pray

from verse 11.

Finally,

brothers and sisters,

rejoice.

Strive for full restoration.

Encourage one another.

Be of one mind.

Live in peace.

And the God of love

and peace

will be with you.

Greet one another

with a holy kiss.

Zach,

you'll get one of them later.

All God's people here

send their greetings

and here's

how we leave it.

May the grace

of the Lord Jesus Christ

and the love of God

and the fellowship

of the Holy Spirit

be with you all.

Amen.

Amen.

And so Father,

we thank you

for this morning

and we just thank you

for being reminded again

that you,

Lord Jesus,

are the one

who came to seek

and to save.

you are the one

in whom

there is life

and life to the full.

And Father,

we thank you

this morning

for being reminded

of the challenge

to make the decision

but also being reminded

of the encouragement

that it is

that there is none like him.

Father,

convince our souls

this morning

whatever's going on

in our lives

as we contemplate

that question,

is he worth it?

to follow

this crucified king,

to embrace

the pattern

of weakness

being the way

of strength.

Is he worth it?

Father,

convince our souls

this morning.

Yes,

he is.

And so it's

in his strong

and in his mighty name

we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.