Going God's Way

Okay, thanks, Kate. Good morning, everyone. Hope you're well. If you have a Bible, come with me to

2 Corinthians. We do this every Sunday. We turn to the Bible. It's our deep conviction here at

Brunsfield, as is many churches throughout the city, that when we open this book, we find that

it is no ordinary book, that it is the voice of the living God. And so we expect to encounter God

by his spirit as we open the pages of the Bible. So please go to 2 Corinthians. If you need to

use the contents page of the Bible, I always think we get ourselves in knots over that. Please feel

absolutely free to do that. This is a letter that we've never been in before at Brunsfield in my time

here. So it's really exciting, and there's so many lessons for us to learn here. I think we're in for

an absolute treat. So we're going to start it this morning. We're going to take a little break for

Christmas, and then we're going to go all the way through to just before Easter next year. And

hopefully that's a way of as many of us as possible getting the whole of this series, accounting for

holidays and stuff, and when people are back. So this is going to be an absolute treat. But let me try

and get us to the big thing that's at the heart of this letter. Here's the question, okay? What kind of

person do you find impressive in life? Do you not love that face? Wish I could make that face. What kind of

person do you find impressive in life? So as you're chewing on it, something I learned recently, one of you

knew this. Every year the co-op funeral directors publish the top 10 songs requested at funerals list.

So I went on this week and I had a look. You've got your classics in there. You've got

Bette Midler, Wind Beneath My Wings. You've got Eva Cassidy, Over the Rainbow. Ed Sheeran somehow

made it in this year as well. But a timeless song that often comes in at number one, and if you trace

it back, has never been dislodged from the top 10, is this song. It is My Way by Frank Sinatra.

Right? Fact for you, between 1969 and 1971, that song stayed in the UK top 40 for a record 75

weeks. Now you bring those two facts together, and I think it shows that we love this song as a

culture. Right? It's a pretty decent song. I'll give him that. Could hit a note in his day. But it's a very

popular song in our day. Do you know the lyrics? I've lived a life that's full. I've traveled each and

every highway. And more, much more than this, I did it my way. And it's a song that's all about

self-confidence. And those are the people that my heart finds so naturally impressive in this life.

Do you find that? The student who can stay out all night and still get straight A's in the exams?

The colleague who can both work hard and play hard, who can burn the candle at both ends and

somehow manage to do it? The dad from Bluey, who seems to have endless fun and boundless energy for

his kids? The parent at the school gate, who has snuck in a little workout before work and dropping

the kids at school, looking polished and clean at 8.50 and looking lean? The person who appears on a

place in the sun, who's saved enough on their pension to comfortably retire to write their memoirs?

The person in bargain hunt, who seemed to make 15 quid on that piece of ornament that no one else

wanted to look at? The family next door who go for the extension on the side of the house, hearing the

story of the self-made man on Dragon's Den? All of these things, I look at it and I think, that's kind of

how I want to be. I want to be impressive. I want to be self-sufficient. And I look at them and I look at my

own life and I think, if only I had it more altogether. And what I do is, as I import that

vision of success in life, and what I do is I just transpose it onto the Christian life and I think

that's how it must work. And so my mind becomes full of words like bigger, better, faster, stronger,

and the one that I think we fall for, hook, line and sinker, busier.

And this letter has been gold for me and I pray that it's gold for us because through it, God has

both exposed the folly of the fact that I'm way too easily impressed. And he's also reminded me of

the things when it comes to the heavenly places, the things that are really impressive in this life.

And it's nothing to do with being self-sufficient. And it's reminded me of how he, the triune God,

Father, Son, and Spirit has shown his power and his wisdom in the things that look like foolishness

in the eyes of the watching world. He's going to flip what we understand impressive to be. He's

going to flip it on its head. You up for it? And it all centers in Jesus.

You remember those black and white movies that you sometimes still get on TV? I'll be honest,

because I sometimes still read the Gospels like that, as if they were black and white film.

The people, the places, the conversations that Jesus has with people, all of them like a black

and white film. Because I remember the moment it occurred to me when I was first reading the

Gospels that Jesus, as he walks in on the scene, he's the only person in 3D color.

Here is a man doing more than just turning the world upside down. Here is a man actually showing

the world what it is to live the right way up. A life not of self-confidence, but a life of walking,

having deep communion with and full dependence on God. You look at Jesus as you read about him in the

Gospels. And if you haven't done that this morning, can I suggest that be a great thing to do after the

lunch this afternoon? If you want to read it to somebody, please grab me. I'd love to do that with

you. You read about Jesus in the Gospels and you think to yourself, here is a man who is fully alive.

And yet his life is marked by what? Unimpressiveness. From cradle to grave,

unimpressiveness, right? Here is the boy from Bethlehem. Here is the man who picks 12

of the most normal ragtag guys to be his disciples. Here is the man who's hanging out with the most

questionable of people, reaching its apex, that foolishness at the cross, the place of utter

weakness and defeat. And yet that is the place to the glory of God, which is the place that God shows

both his wisdom and his power to the watching world. Such is the life of the man from Nazareth.

That's the place in the Bible, isn't it, that people make fun of? You're from there.

Could anything good come from Nazareth? Friends, Christianity will always be from Nazareth.

Following Jesus faithfully, following in his footsteps is really tough.

I take it that when Paul speaks in this passage of the sufferings of Christ here,

that's what he's talking about. The cost of following Jesus.

You come across that. My flatmates think I'm a space cadet.

My family think I'm just going through a phase.

Trying to do the faithful, next right thing, sexually, ethically. It just feels so hard.

My colleagues find my takes strange. And if I really ask them, they really feel sorry for me.

Following Jesus will always be baffling in the eyes of the watching world as we follow the crucified man from Nazareth.

And that's particularly acute in a city like Corinth.

This booming port city, if you find it on the map there, a little southwest of Athens.

How strategic is that city in terms of where it's located?

Here is a total melting pot of peoples.

Here is a place where money and pleasure and making a name for yourself are the name of the game.

Do you know where we were a few weeks ago? Or last week, rather?

We drove past Benidorm.

Right? Alex and I saying to each other in the car.

Here is a city that is just coming out of nowhere huge.

That is just existing for pleasure.

Corinth is like that.

It is like Benidorm and Manhattan rolled into one.

In fact, to Corinthianize was a jokey way of saying that someone was into wild living.

Such is Corinth.

One commentator, and I thought I'd give you this, describes it like this.

Corinth was a city with a Roman face, a Greek heart, a large Jewish minority,

and a deeply, and get this, ingrained universal desire to impress.

And that's why Corinth is not the place that we'd imagine the message about a crucified and resurrected man would get any kind of traction.

Talk about a place that isn't full of low-hanging fruit.

And yet God, because he is this kind of God, because he is the one who works by his spirit to draw all sorts of people to his son Jesus,

from all strata of society.

Jesus has been proclaimed by Paul, and God has birthed a church in the city of Corinth.

And let's never lose sight of the fact that God is this kind of God, and God is working in these kind of places and has done throughout history.

Because God is this kind of God.

Dear friends, this world that we live in is full of what?

Possibilities.

Evangelistic possibilities.

Take that in today.

If God can birth a church in a city like Corinth through the preaching of his words,

then there really is no place that's out of bounds.

There is no person who's out of reach, and there's no prayer that's off the table.

And the amazement of it all is that he uses everyday weak people like you and me and Paul

to reach people with the news about his son.

D.L. Moody, the famous American evangelist, tail end of the 18th century,

who God would use to let thousands of people around the world hear about Jesus,

including in this city.

What was his background?

Shoe salesman.

Love it.

Shoe salesman.

He said this,

The world has yet to see what God can do through a person who is totally dedicated to him.

So, Paul arrives in Corinth, let's call it A.D. 50, just to locate it.

A.D. 50.

And you can read about that in Acts chapter 18,

Acts 18 · chapter mention

the first time that Paul rocks up in Corinth.

And all the things that God did there,

typical Acts, both revival and riot.

That's what you get in Acts 18.

And the relationship between Paul and this church is,

well, it's complicated.

So, on the one hand, they drive him absolutely nuts.

And yet, on the other hand, he loves them so, so deeply.

Right?

He's so encouraged by their progress, I think.

And you get this in 1 Corinthians,

where you see a lot of their questions and a lot of their mistakes

as young baby believers trying to work out how they do this Jesus thing

in a place like Corinth.

And in between, you kind of see them making progress.

But here's the thing that's going on in the background of 2 Corinthians.

And it's that a group of false teachers have arrived on the scene in Paul's absence,

and they're peddling a Jesus-sounding message

that downplays suffering and hardship

and emphasizes looking good on the outside.

And what they're trying to do is lure these young believers away from Paul

and Paul's message about Jesus

and his accompanying cross-shaped life.

And they say, come on.

Paul looks so unimpressive.

The way he talks is so unimpressive.

Do you not think that God's got better things for you?

Higher experiences that you can tap into?

Do you not want the world to like you?

Paul means well,

but surely if he had got this message right,

his life would be hashtag blessed all over Instagram.

And that's why this is one of the most raw

and the most affectionate of letters

that we find anywhere in the New Testament.

Because Paul is all heart and all sleeve here.

Unapologetically defending the message and pattern of his life.

But here's the incredible thing.

I want you to tap into this

because this really gets us to the heart of the letter.

Here's the incredible thing.

The way Paul desires to show the legitimacy of his leadership

isn't by holding up his CV

and holding it up against the CV of the false teachers

and say, do you see how I'm better than them?

Do you see how I'm better than them?

No, he does the opposite.

The big thrust of this letter is that he's saying,

what qualifies me to be a leader is not my brilliance.

It's my need.

I always think C.S. Lewis captures this so wonderfully in his Narnia series.

I'm surprised you to hear me say C.S. Lewis gets this so right.

But there's this wonderful scene in Prince Caspian, I think it is,

where Aslan and Caspian, who's on the cusp of becoming king,

are having this conversation.

And Aslan says to Caspian,

do you feel yourself sufficient to take up the kingship of Narnia?

To which Caspian replies, I don't think so, sir.

I'm only a kid.

And Aslan responds, good.

Do you get that?

If you felt that you were sufficient,

if you felt you could do this on your own,

it would be proof that you aren't ready.

Dear friends, here's the thing, okay?

Progress in the Christian life

is not us understanding that we need Jesus less.

It's as if Jesus is some kind of stabilizers on our bike.

No, progress in the Christian life

is realizing that you need Jesus more.

And you need his people more.

You need us someday more.

Paul has tapped into the secret

that we are never more useful to the Lord

than when we are completely dependent on him.

Do you see how he says that in verse eight?

He says, and it's really striking

that he would open his letter with this,

not keep it right to the end.

He would front it with this.

He's unashamed about the hardships

that he goes through

as a result of following Jesus.

His suffering in Asia, make no mistake,

it's not trivial.

In fact, do you see him right?

It burdened him far beyond the limits of his,

do you see it?

His own strength.

So much so that he despaired of life itself.

That ain't trivial.

Read that to say that we were so utterly spent

mentally, emotionally, and physically,

our supplies were utterly gone

and we just didn't know what to do

or where to turn.

Paul's life is the opposite of Instagrammable.

Yeah?

You go on Facebook,

everyone's sitting telling you

about their best moments,

their best photos.

Paul's game for telling you about his toughest.

And here's the point.

And if you want a strapline,

if you remember one thing from this,

I hope you take a lot.

Remember one thing from this, make it this.

Okay, here's the strapline over this letter.

Weakness is the way.

Yeah?

Weakness is the way.

That's what Paul wants these Christians in Corinth

who are being sucked into this whole idea

of Christianity should look impressive

in the eyes of the watching world.

He's saying, no, weakness is the way.

And it's really striking, isn't it?

Because that's not what I would have done.

It's not what I would have done.

I would have kept that at least to the last page

and dropped that in as a PS.

But it's really striking, isn't it?

And you ask yourself, why?

Why is he all heart and all sleeve

about weakness being the way?

Can I just pull out a couple of things

in these first 11 opening verses?

You ready for this?

I want us to see a one and a two.

One and a two.

So here's one big thing that God does

in our times of trouble.

Times of trouble are not a source of shame to Paul.

Do you see if verse three,

ultimately they are a source of praise to God?

Now how?

In verses three to seven,

do you see how often that word comfort crops up?

It's always a great thing to do

when you see a repeated word in the Bible

to ask yourself why?

It's not just that they need a thesaurus

and they couldn't find one.

If a word is repeated,

we ask ourselves why?

How often that word comfort crops up?

Dear friends, Paul wants us to know

and these Christians to know

that we're dealing with the God

who draws near to his people

in their darkest moments.

That it's when we realize

that Jesus is all we have.

When there's nowhere else to go,

that that is when God meets us

in our darkest moments.

Do you see the description of him

there at verse three?

And this is all tied up

with who this God is.

Do you see the description of him

there at verse three?

And I cannot think of a more sweeter

description of God than this.

He is what?

He is the father of mercies.

That word mercy is used

in the Old Testament

to describe the tender way

in which God showers his people

with undeserved kindness.

And he's the God of all comfort.

Comfort there is an Isaiah 40 word.

Isaiah 40, God saying in the future,

what's he going to do to his people?

Comfort, comfort my people,

says the Lord.

There's coming a new day

when God's comfort

is going to be so much more tangibly real.

I cannot think of more sweeter

sounding descriptions of God's heart

than this.

Our father has the finger,

his finger on the pulse

of every single detail of our lives

as we take daily steps of faith.

Dear friends,

he hears our cries of distress.

And he sees our tears of despair.

And one of the things

that this invites us to do surely

is to embrace a more honest

and a more raw prayer life.

One in which we come to this God

and tell him exactly

how we are feeling

and what it is that we are going through.

We don't surprise him when we do that.

What we're doing right now

is fighting the temptation

to believe that God by his spirit

cannot offer us

the perfect comfort

that we so desperately need

in our lowest moments.

Jesus is the most sovereign

and the most willing of saviors.

in the words of Dane Ortlund

in his lovely little book

Gentle and Lowly

he says,

When you come to Christ

for mercy and love

and help

in your anguish

and perplexity

and sinfulness

you are going

with the flow

of his deepest wishes

not against them.

Truly in Jesus

we have one

a bruised reed

he will not break

and a smoldering wick

he will not put out.

And flowing from that one big thing

that God does

in our times of trouble

says Paul

here are two great ways

that God uses

our times of trouble

that God uses

our times of trouble.

Now even with that

do you see how we are

swimming against

the stream of our culture?

Friends,

you and I are breathing

in the air

every day

just like osmosis

of our highly

individualistic culture

that is saying to us

the thing to really get

in life

is happiness

and comfort.

Everything in our world

is set up

to provide you and I

with as much

cotton wool insurance

around our lives

as we can

with the goal

of being the avoidance

of what?

Discomfort.

Do you see Paul

right after telling them

about his troubles

he keeps using that phrase

do you see it?

It is for.

Do you see that in the text?

It is for.

Verse 6

It is for.

Which tells you what?

That Paul perceives

that even in the hardest

of moments

even in our darkest

of times

God has not

dropped the ball

that more than that

God is

at work

somehow

and it tells us

that our times

of trouble

are not

purposeless

and we don't think

like that do we?

We think tough times

are times to be avoided.

I mean

think about it

what's your instinctive

reaction

when something

in our lives

doesn't go to plan?

When you hit

times of trouble

what is our

instinctive

reaction?

Tell me what mine is

mine is to go

total Bob the Builder

and try and fix it

yes I can

all the time

all the time

I can do this

I can fix it

some of us

play the blame game

that's another one

I love to play

it's other people's

faults

many of us

turn to the bottle

we drown our sorrows

some of us

turn to the packet

and we comfort eat

some of us

turn for the TV

remote

and we binge watch

some of us

grab for our phone

and we doom scroll

on social media

looking for that

next dopamine hit

to escape

our world

is offering us

plenty of

ways to try

and cope

with difficult times

and yet Paul says

would you perceive

when times

of trouble

come when you

follow Jesus

it is not

purposeless

because God

because he loves

us

because he loves

us

because he loves

us

do you not love

that

done nothing

to deserve

the grace

of God

the love

of God

means I can do

nothing to lose

the love

of God

because he loves

us

because he loves

us

because he loves

us

he so often

does the deepest

work in our

hearts

during some of

the toughest

moments of

our lives

and the two

ways that God

uses our

hardships

says Paul

do you see

the first

at verse 9

so that we

might become

less self-reliant

and come to

trust in Jesus

more

I remember

chatting to my

good friend

Dave Hampton

who works for

Christians in

Sport

chatting to him

one day about

parenting

we've got kids

the same age

he's got three

and at the time

I had three as

well

and we're talking

about how tired

we are as

parents

it's a game

that we often

play as parents

who's tired

and how do

we cope

when it gets

really tough

and I'm

starting

I'm telling

him about

all our

tactics

as parents

right

I'm telling

him about

sticker charts

on fridges

and I'm

telling him

about limiting

TV time

to an hour

there's nothing

wrong with

those things

but I kind of

tag him in

at this point

and said Dave

what do you

do

and he said

listen

when Joe

and I

are at

wits end

we don't

know where

to go

see

instead of

just trying

harder

we've been

convicted

just to

pray

together

and that's

the point

and Dave's

one of these

guys who

is just

straight back

I remember

hearing it

and thinking

ouch

he's bang

on the money

isn't he

friends no

experience is

wasted in

God's flawless

economy

as he teaches

us not to

just try

harder when

tough times

come to

think that

we can get

ourselves

through it

but as

he weans

us off

takes us

to the

end

weans

us off

our own

resources

and just

faces our

minds towards

him

helping us

understand more

that he is the

God who raises

the dead

you see that

there Paul

just drops

that in

which I

take it

means regardless

how scary

this world

becomes

we can know

that this

God of

power

absolutely

holds our

lives

that's the

first thing

God does

he weans

us off

self-reliance

and the

second comes

at the end

of verse

three

and I

love this

so that we

can share

that same

comfort that

God gave

us with

others

think of

this as a

bit like a

suffering and

comfort chain

so as Paul

experiences God's

comfort through

his spirit

he becomes

perfectly equipped

to pass on

that same

comfort to

the Corinthians

when they

suffer

and it's

always great

you may be

thinking well

I'm not

suffering right

now I'm not

going through a

hard time right

now but the

thing is we

need to put

this in the

tank of our

lives because

one day that we

will suffer and

find times

difficult

as Paul suffers

and experiences

God's comfort

he wants to

pass that on

to others

and I love the

phrase and I

only noticed it

about an hour

before coming out

this morning

verse 4

who comforts

us in all

our troubles

so that we

can comfort

those in

any trouble

and it's the

word any

there

I've never

seen it

before

any trouble

and here's

what I think

I so often

do

I look at

my brothers

and sisters

who are going

through really

hard times

and I think

because I've

not gone

through that

specific thing

that I've

got nothing

to offer

if you ever

feel like that

in our church

life that we've

got nothing

to offer

because we

haven't been

through that

now listen

God might

bring you

into someone's

path

you have

gone through

what they're

going through

and you can

speak specifically

into a situation

as we'll come on

to see in a moment

but just to fight

the temptation

that we have

got nothing

to offer each

other when it

comes to comfort

this would tell

us that that

isn't true

you know

there's

something wonderful

about us

drawing alongside

each other

and saying to

each other

listen I love

you

I don't know

how you feel

what you're

going through

but I'm here

to listen

and I want

to learn

and if nothing

else I want

to be those

who pray

with you

do you see

that in verse

11

friends that

we really

have something

wonderful

let's not

underestimate

God's spirit

and what he

can do

as we draw

alongside each

other

trying to

offer comfort

you know

for making

this place

a community

of comfort

that we

really do

walk side

by side

through all

the ups

and downs

of life

but here's

some quick fire

questions as we

begin to work

this towards a

close

as we think

about passing

that comfort

on to other

people

what are the

biggest things

that God

has taught

you during

the course

of your

life

what are

the hardest

things that

he's brought

you through

what scripture

in those

times became

so precious

to you

that perhaps

that you can

share with

someone going

through a

difficult time

you know I've

got mates like

that in my

life who just

text me random

verses now

and again

one of them

sitting over

there

just text me

random verses

he's got no

idea what's

going on in

my life at

the time

but boy I

tell you see

when I read

it I think

that is just

the verse I

needed this

morning

let's not

underestimate

the Holy

Spirit

what he

does is we

take this

word and

apply it to

each other's

lives

friends who

could you

get alongside

with the

express purpose

of sharing

that

who is God

the Holy

Spirit putting

on your

heart and

who is he

putting in

your path

again let's

not underestimate

his sovereignty

when it comes

to the people

that appear

in our

past

the amount

of great

conversations

I've just

had with

people at

the door

dear friends

have we

stopped to

consider the

possibility

that we

might be

the perfect

way

that God

brings this

comfort

to one of

his own

people

you know our

time is gone

I'm so excited

to journey

through this

letter together

and see everything

that God is

going to teach

us weakness

weakness is

the way

but our

time is

gone

here's what

I want to

do just

as we

close

I want to

tell you about

to bring us

back to the

big thing

why I love

WD-40

this little

magical

bottled

substance

that you

use to

grease the

hinges of

your door

you use

it to

make the

hinges in

your gate

work

you do it

to change

the gears

on your

bike

there are

many signs

in life

that you're

hitting

middle age

and here's

one of

them

when you

get excited

about things

like this

but do

you know

why it's

called

WD-40

I thought

it was a

band at

first but

that's

WB-40

isn't it

WD-40

because the

people who

designed this

formula

they got

it right

on the

40th

attempt

in other

words it

took 39

failed

attempts of

learning

to get

this right

do you know

why I love

that

I love

it because

no one

needed to

know that

yeah

we should

be up

here waxing

lyrical

about

WD-1

but they

chose to

call it

WD-40

here's a

brand that

is wearing

and gladly

telling the

world the

story of

its weakness

and its

need

and that

is the

backing

track of

this letter

that we're

going to

keep hearing

again and

again and

again

wearing it

that

weakness

is the

way

Paul's

letter as

it holds

to us

God's

gospel

is an

invitation to

embrace a

fully dependent

life as we

rest on a

fully sufficient

Jesus

just as we

close in the

words of

Charles Spurgeon

really simply

I have a

great need

for Christ

and I

have a

great Christ

for my

need

1 Peter

1 Peter 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5

in it

verse 6

humble

humble yourselves

therefore

under God's

mighty hand

that he may

lift you up

in due time

cast all

your anxiety

on him

because he

cares for you

and Lord we

just thank you

simply this

morning Father

for that

wonderful

description

and we

don't take

it for

granted

that we

have it

in our

own

language

that you

are the

father of

mercies

and the

God of

all comfort

truly our

only plea

is that you

are the

kind of

God that

you are

and so

Father we

thank you

just for this

time that

we've had

in this

letter

thank you

Lord that

is Kate

prayed at

the beginning

truly your

word is

alive and

active

sharper than

a double

edged sword

and I

pray Lord

as we

spend a

bit more

time together

now as

we close

and then as

we have

lunch

together

Lord that

you would

be working

in our

conversations

Father that

you would

be moving

in

ways to

encourage

and to

strengthen

and equip

thank you

Lord for

your grace

and we

just commit

this time

to you

as we

close in

Jesus name

Amen