II Corinthians 11:16-33

To be with you this afternoon.

I won't say the morning.

Thankfully I remembered.

But before we dive into our passage, let me uh pray for our time together again.

Loving Father, I thank you so much for your grace, for your mercy toward us.

I thank you how consistent you are, that you never fail us.

You are always faithful.

And I pray now, as we come to your word, would you help us to see what you have to say to us?

Would you give us hearts of humility, hearts to receive from you what you would have us see and know, and grow more deeply in love with you.

In your beautiful name I pray.

Amen.

I wonder whether you have ever been compared to someone.

This week I was at a conference virtually, and part of the time we were in breakout rooms, and you just chatted to people who were in the room.

And one of these times I was put into a room with uh my old pastor from Manchester and a few people I knew.

And we were chatting, and and he said how he thought I was Arlen's answer to Antonio Banderas.

I thought that was rather nice comparison for those not old enough who wouldn't want to be compared to Zorro.

I have also had people, um, many times sadly, uh, hear me speak and and and they hear my voice and they're like, oh, I feel like that sounds like someone I know, and and they kind of rack their minds, and and on too many occasions, people have been reminded of Graham Norton.

And I'm like, great.

Now, obviously, we can jokingly compare people in this way, but care comparing people is common.

In our social media age, we can often find ourselves being compared to those around us.

And we can do this to others as well in negative ways.

We can think, why aren't you more like them?

And this is what's been seen throughout this letter.

This is what Paul is highlighting for the church at Corinth as they continue to compare him to these so-called super apostles.

And in our text, Paul is gotten to the stage where he desires to expose the foolishness of these leaders.

How he is doing this is by comparing himself with them.

He's not eager to speak in this way, but feeling compelled for the sake of the church, he is going to speak as they have spoken.

Paul is saying, fine, if you want to compare me, I will show you how they are not as impressive as you think, but rather they are foolish.

Look at verse 17.

What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say, not as the Lord would, but as a fool.

It is as though Paul is saying to these believers, these brothers and sisters, if you will only listen, if I speak like these fake leaders speak, then let me show you how foolish your thinking is.

How wrong to believe that this is what true leadership looks like.

Paul does this by exposing their abuse and by exposing their arrogance, by exposing their abuse.

Look at verse 18.

Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast.

For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves, for you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face.

These words are heavy, they're they're weighty in what Paul is saying, that as he has witnessed this church being swayed by these leaders, he has seen their abuse.

These leaders have come with a desire to dominate and oppress.

And what is even more upsetting is that the church have just bought into this.

They believe this is true leadership, this is true strength, acting and behaving in this manner.

Can you imagine how frustrating, how difficult it would have been for Paul?

You are trying to compare me to them?

You're trying to say that I should be more like them, really?

Men who have used this church and sought to make them serve their needs, men who have bullied them, men who have used them for what they could get out of them, men who have treated them as lesser.

See, this image here of being struck in the face is a common image in Jewish culture at this time.

It would have been the backhand blow across the face, an action to shut the person up, an action to clearly make clear to everyone what they have just said is not worth listening to.

It is worthless.

And with a heavy heart, Paul with tear-soaked irony remarks, to my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that.

Do you hear this desperate desire to expose what is happening to their utter blindness of the situation?

You believe this is strength, you believe this is godly leadership.

If you want to label me weak because I did not treat you that way, then fine, go ahead.

As we sit here, as I stand here, maybe we imagine this could never happen.

This could never be us.

For others here, sadly, maybe you've seen this in leaders.

You've seen leaders act and behave in abusive ways.

Right now, in your mind, you have that situation, you have that leader, you have those leaders in mind.

And it is evil when leaders of any kind abuse their power and their position.

But for a leader who claims to be a minister of the gospel, a minister of Christ, abuses their power and their position, it is utterly sickening.

To bring such shame to the gospel is unspeakable.

We live in such a broken world, and sadly the church, time and time again, has been marred by the brokenness of its leaders.

We should grieve when we hear of such abusive leadership.

We should be sorrowful when we know the utter contempt of so-called leaders to have used the gospel in such evil ways.

Our call as people who love the gospel, who love Jesus Christ is to expose and protect.

To expose the abuse, expose the evil that has taken place and hold them to account.

There is no justification for abuse of any kind.

This is Christ's bride.

To abuse his bride, to abuse the bride that he died for, the bride he suffered for is utterly disgusting.

The church has never been and should never be a place for abuse.

This is not our Savior's desire.

Rather, every gospel church should be a place that provides shelter, a place that provides protection.

We need to be people who protect.

That we might be a place of protection for those who have been abused, that they might come and be loved and cared for with genuine compassion, that they might find a place to know true gospel healing and restoration.

A place where grace and humility are seen and felt.

Look at what Paul expresses here in his actions towards them.

To my shame, I must say we were too weak for that.

As I said, Paul is being ironic.

But this is filled with deep sadness and grief.

As he sees the abuse of these leaders, he is revealing how true leaders should be.

He has not exercised earthly strength over them.

He hasn't sought to dominate, he hasn't sought to subject them below himself.

He did not take from them.

No, he embraced weakness.

Last week we already heard about this, that he already reminded them back in verse 7.

Did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted because I preached God's gospel to you free of charge?

Paul has been the complete opposite to these false teachers.

He has not asked anything of them, he has not demanded from them, but given to them.

He has not sought to puff himself up, but he has lowered himself.

Because this is true gospel leadership.

Becoming like Christ Jesus, the Son of Man came to be served, did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom.

At City Church, we hold the biblical call of elders who are men who meet the requirements laid out in 1 Timothy and Titus.

This is not at the detriment of women, but rather for the health of the body.

Men and women here have equality and worth and value.

But God has determined distinct roles for men and women.

We do not lead in a vacuum, not hearing.

That will be foolishness.

As women, you are and have so much value and worth to our life together.

We all need one another to be able to build one another up and to point one another toward Jesus Christ.

Even for us as leaders, you need to know that we do not believe we are beyond the gospel.

We need the gospel just as much as you do.

This is not to say there is no leadership roles within the church for women.

There are.

Pray that City Church will be the sort of church that offers refuge, genuine refuge for those who have been abused, a place of safety, a place of compassion, love, and care.

Paul exposes their abuse, and now he turns to expose their arrogance.

Paul is unable to begin before once again saying how foolish this is.

Look at the second half of verse 21.

Whatever anyone else dares to boast of, I am speaking as a fool, I also dare to boast of that.

If these men boast like this, now Paul is going to do the same, but with gritted teeth.

He's grieved to speak in this way.

He wants that to be clear.

I will boast, but know that this is not what I wish to do.

Verse 22 Are they Hebrews?

So am I.

Are they Israelites?

So am I.

Are they offspring of Abraham?

So am I.

So much has been made about the recommendations of these so-called superapostles.

They have come boasting in their standing, they have come boasting in their heritage, as though they deserve people to sit up and take notice.

Look at me.

And here Paul is seeking to show they're not better than him if they want to boast about these things.

They may act as though they are, but the fact is they are like Paul, Hebrews.

They like Paul are Israelites, the people of God, the people of promise.

They aren't just partly Jewish, but they are from the line of Abraham, just as Paul is.

There is nothing impressive about these men compared to Paul.

They can act as though they are worthy of recognition.

But Paul wants to be clear they are not better than him.

He wants the church to know, to listen.

If you want to listen to these men, then you need to realize that they do not hold more significance than me.

But he goes further.

Look at verse 23.

Are they servants of Christ?

I am a better one.

I'm talking like a madman.

You see, he can't just say these words without quickly stating how ridiculous this is.

I'm talking like a madman.

You see, the posture of seeking to be impressive, to boast about who you are and how great you are is not the way of a godly leader.

So many people in our culture see leadership as those who are not just confident but arrogant.

Men and women who boast about their accomplishments and are applauded, who act as though they are far better than those around them, who believe they are more important, more significant.

This should not be the case with church leaders.

Those who are captured by Christ, men who love him and love his bride, are men who should be tender-hearted, men who should be humble, men who are approachable, men who seek to live before their brothers and sisters in Christ.

They don't just separate themselves from the body, they are among the body.

Godly leaders know their sheep, those under their care, but they also are known by their sheep.

The arrogance that Paul is identifying is men who believe they deserve, deserve the church to revere them, to treat them as men who are impressive.

And how Paul seeks to destroy this is to show if they want to think in these ways, he is far more impressive.

He is the one who has seen the risen Jesus Christ face to face.

And yet he turns to show the true way of godly leadership.

Look again at verse 23.

Are they servants of Christ?

I am a better one.

I am talking like a madman, with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.

Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one, three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I was adrift at sea, on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers, in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure, and apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

Here is my recommendation.

Here is what I will boast about in my accomplishments.

You would imagine that Paul wouldn't go there.

You would imagine that he would start talking about the countless people who have been saved underneath his ministry.

The many churches that have been planted, the elders that have been raised up and equipped, the healings he has performed.

You would think that is where he goes, but no, he flips it on its head.

What is Paul's answer to the credentials of a godly leader?

Declaring the suffering, the pain, the hardship, the danger of his ministry.

He is not like these men.

Because to be a servant of Christ is to be lowered.

It is taking the road of suffering, of hardship, of humility.

Brother, sister, this is Paul showing us an example, but this is for all believers.

Let me encourage you and challenge you that in our Western church culture, we can easily believe Christianity is not walking this road.

We can act as though our faith is vital to us, but we don't believe we need to face hardship or suffering.

We don't believe we need to sacrifice our wants, our desires.

When hardship comes, when suffering comes, it's it takes us by surprise.

We're confused by it.

This is the gospel pattern.

Jesus Christ Himself is our pattern.

He is the one we look to.

And to think we will not suffer is completely misunderstanding the gospel.

Jesus does not pretend, he doesn't lure you in to offer a life without pain or without hardship.

Hear his words in John's gospel.

Remember the word that I said to you.

A servant is not greater than his master.

If they persecuted me, they will persecute you.

Too often we do actually believe we are better than him.

We don't say that, we don't articulate that.

But we are happy for his suffering for us.

But we do not feel we should have to suffer for him.

What Paul is painting here is a life that is captured by Christ Jesus.

A life that is orientated not around his wants, his desires, but rather around his love for his Savior.

His love for God's people, his love for the lost.

Because Paul knows this path, this road, is the road we need to walk.

The call to die to self is not simplistic.

I wish it were.

It is hard.

I suspect for all of us, we probably won't face this level, this degree of suffering hardship.

It won't come to this extent that Paul faced.

But we need to know we will suffer.

There will be hardship.

What Paul exemplifies is the manner in which we should consider our hardships.

Look at verse 29.

Who is weak and I am not weak.

Who is made to fall and I am not indignant?

If I must boast, I will boast in the things that show my weakness.

Paul here is showing once again his love for this church.

The great apostle freely identifies with the weak.

He is angered when he hears of people causing his brothers and sisters to fall.

This is his heart.

It is a heart that overflows for this church.

There's so much freedom for us in the gospel.

When you feel weak, when you feel at the end of yourself, and you come and you walk through those doors, what do you see?

Do you look and think, why can't I have it together like these people?

Maybe you don't.

Why can't I be more like whoever?

Peter.

You might not want to be like Peter, but anyway, why can't I be stronger and cope how they cope?

Is it not good to know that we can all say we are weak?

Is that not freeing?

Is that not sweet relief for you?

That when you come into this room, when you come into our homes when restrictions allow, you do not need to put on a face.

You don't need to pretend you're in a better place than you are.

You don't need to act as though you're stronger than you are.

You don't need to conjure up some false sense of security and I'm good, life is good.

Jesus doesn't demand of you to be strong.

But rather, he invites you to know your strength to be found in him.

Godly leaders should set gospel cultures, and we want to say to you, if you are weak, you are welcome.

There is no shame, there is no guilt.

We are with you.

Even preparing this sermon this week, how I have felt my weakness.

But isn't that good if you look around us?

Let's be honest, all of us in this room, probably this week, at one point felt weak.

Just at the end of myself.

How sweet it is to know God's grace toward me in Christ Jesus.

I don't need to be strong enough.

I can't be strong enough.

I'm not good enough.

But how long that we might know this freedom, embrace our weakness, walk in our weakness, and fall into the loving arms of our Savior, knowing that His grace and by His grace we stand.

When you think you are just killing it, when you're like going through life, man, I'm crushing life.

You're missing it.

Everything you have has been given to you.

Your abilities, gifts, talents, job, family, friends, they've been given to you.

The very breath you have, given to you.

Embrace your Savior, run to Him, cry out to Him.

If you're here today and you're feeling at the end of yourself, you're feeling so weak, so vulnerable.

We are with you, but know that your Savior is with you.

He is for you.

He is saying, Yes, come to me.

I can work with weakness.

I can't work with some false sense of strength.

The path Jesus walked, the path that led him to be rejected, the path that led him to be reviled, the path that led him to be mocked and beaten, the path that led him to be nailed on the cross was walked so that we might, by the power of his spirit within us, walk.

By the newness of his life within us, knowing that the day is coming.

The day is coming when we will suffer no more.

When we will know this weakness no more.

The day is coming when we will be fully restored free from sin.

Paul knows this.

And he knows with all the imprisonments, all the beatings, all the danger, all the suffering.

You just read that list and you think, anything more, Paul?

It is worth it.

It is a very sign and display of a man who is willing to lay it all down for the one who gave himself up for him.

Living in this way.

God has held nothing back from you, brother, sister in Christ.

He is giving you all things in Christ Jesus, and you only need to look to the cross to know his unending love and care for you.

Abuse and arrogance have no place among church leaders, among gospel churches.

We are not perfect, but we long.

We long for this to be a place that displays gentleness, compassion, love, grace, humility, forgiveness, mercy, and peace.

May this be the aroma.

May this be the culture we have among ourselves, brothers and sisters.

And may He be the one who is glorified.

Let me pray.

Loving Father, I thank you so much for your word.

I thank you for the truth of it.

I thank you for the fact that we as people are free to be weak.

We don't need to pretend, we don't need to try and be strong.

That you invite us to yourself.

You invite us to come and know your strength.

So I pray for all of us here that we would know your kindness towards us in Christ Jesus, that we would know your love, your grace, your mercy to us, and that you would help us to be people who would walk by the power of your spirit within us, in the newness of Christ Jesus' life within us.

And that among us we would show such humility, love, grace, care for one another, that this would be a place that displays your gospel to one another and to those who might come in.

May you help us, may you build us more into the image of your Son.

For your name and your glory.

Amen.