All That Glitters | Pastor Robert Bradow | Week 2

Well, good morning, everybody, and welcome to the Orchard Online.

I'm so glad that you've joined us today.

We are in week two of our little short series out of 2 Corinthians, it's titled All That Glitters.

So last week we began talking about something that every person is going to encounter in life, and that's where we've been talking about leadership.

And it's not only about us looking at those people that are leaders in our lives.

Because we have to ask the question, are we representing a biblical leadership to others?

So the big question that we're asking through the series is how do we know if those that we are following are worth following?

And then more importantly, I believe for us is how do we know that we are worth having followers?

See, because we've all heard that old saying that all that glitters is not gold.

So last week uh we discovered that just because somebody looks impressive to us doesn't necessarily mean that they're impressive to God.

And today, Paul is going to take leadership, in fact, biblical leadership, even a step further.

So let me ask you a question, and I'm sure if you're listening, you could probably have done this, but if you ever put together a resume, you know what I'm talking about.

It's that document that you form where you you write all the beautiful little things that end up saying, you need me.

And you list all of your accolades, your education, your experience, all the awards that you've won, all your special skills, all of your accomplishments.

And if you've ever written a resume, you know that you just don't put everything on there.

I mean, you may not put on there that you were terminated from a previous job, or or you may not put on there, my weakness is I just don't like being told what to do.

Sometimes we even get a little creative when we may write something like, uh, uh, I have extensive experience uh in high-volume culinary operations, and we know that that person literally just worked at uh McDonald's.

Or maybe you said something like, I manage environmental sanitation for facilities when their job was just cleaning bathrooms.

But we know how to make things sounds sound really good on resumes, and there's nothing wrong with highlighting your accomplishments.

But here's what I want you to understand a resume tells people what you've accomplished, but it doesn't always reveal the person that you have become.

And that's where this gets interesting because we're a culture that loves impressive resumes.

We love to see accomplishments, we love to see a person who adorns their life with prestige and awards and success stories.

And sometimes we assume that if they're that successful, they must be doing something right.

But what if I told you that the most impressive resume isn't always the most trustworthy resume?

And what if I told you that one of the greatest spiritual leaders of all times, all throughout history, actually gave us a resume that most employers, if they see it, they're just gonna wad it up and throw it straight in the trash.

You see, because instead of listing all of his successes and all of his accolades, he actually listed his suffering and he listed his weaknesses.

Instead of telling everybody how powerful he was, he told them how desperately he needed Jesus.

And maybe you know this already, but we're talking about the Apostle Paul.

And today we're going to discover something that completely contradicts the way our world measures leadership in this form of greatness.

So we're studying the final chapters of 2 Corinthians, and you know that Paul helped establish the church in Corinth, and you can actually read about this in his missionary journey in Acts chapter 18.

Acts 18 · chapter mention

Uh, where but Corinth was a very influential city.

It was a very powerful city.

Um, they loved impressive people, that they loved impressive and powerful personalities, that they they loved their great polished communicators.

Uh they they liked people of status.

And some other teachers had come in and they started to sort of play their game.

And uh, these were the guys that had all the glitter.

And they began convincing people that the apostle Paul was really not that impressive.

You can think about it like this: they wanted a guy to walk in that looked like Dwayne Johnson, you know, the rock in his his Armani suit with his$500 shoes on, that walked in with broad shoulders and the chiseled jawbone.

And man, this guy looks impressive, so he must be the guy.

But then when the Apostle Paul shows up, he walks in, and you can imagine he probably looks something like Danny DeVito.

So you can imagine what was going on here, and Paul is going to tell them, you're judging by appearance.

In other words, you're using the wrong measuring stick.

You're measuring a leader from a worldly perspective.

But today, Paul is going to take this to an entirely new level because the Corinthians weren't just impressed by appearances, they were also impressed by accomplishments.

And Paul is about to do something brilliant.

He's going to give them a resume, but it's not the kind of resume that they're expecting.

But before we get into this text, I want to go to the beginning of uh chapter 11, and I want to share with you why I believe Paul was so concerned about this.

He says these words, but I fear that, or just as the serpent deceived Eve, he says, by his cunning, he says, your minds may have become seduced from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

So Paul reaches all the way back to Genesis 3.

You remember the serpent.

He made disobedience look desirable, he made rebellion look very reasonable, and he made something destructive look beneficial.

You could say it like this the serpent made sin glitter.

And Paul says, I'm afraid that the same thing is happening to you here at Corinth.

And here's the danger: a false message doesn't have to look evil to be dangerous.

Sometimes it can even look inspiring.

Sometimes it can even sound super spiritual.

Sometimes it comes from somebody who may be incredibly talented and be able to preach in a polished fashion.

But if it draws you away from the Jesus that is revealed in Scripture, it doesn't matter how impressive the messenger is.

You see, that's why Paul is so passionate.

He's not fighting to protect his popularity, he's fighting to protect their faith.

And that brings us to one of the most fascinating sections in all of Paul's letters that's found here in 2 Corinthians.

So we're going to pick up in verse, uh chapter 11, verse 16 through 17, and I'm just kind of going to go down through this text.

But Paul begins by doing something very unusual to his nature.

He's going to start bragging just a little bit.

And that sounds strange because we know that Paul spent much time talking about boasting and how we shouldn't be bragging for an ego, but he's being deliberately ironic here.

Essentially, Paul is saying, You want to hear somebody brag?

Fine.

Let me show you how ridiculous this has become.

And then verse 19, he says it like this for you being so wise, you're gladly are putting up with fools.

You guys think you're smart, but look at what you're putting up with.

And then verse 20 comes, and you got to listen carefully to this.

He says, in fact, you put up with it if someone enslaves you, if someone exploits you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone is arrogant towards you, even if someone slaps you in the face.

Wow.

So Paul's saying, these impressive leaders, no matter how impressive they may look, no matter what kind of clothing they're wearing, no matter how polished they may sound, he's saying they are treating you horribly and you're tolerating it.

Why?

Because the people of Corinth were impressed with a package.

They were so mesmerized by the glitter that they couldn't even see if there was any gold inside.

Church, that's extremely dangerous in the church world today.

Because somebody can be an incredibly gifted leader and still be a terrible person to follow.

Somebody can preach a powerful sermon and still they can mistreat people.

Somebody can build an impressive organization and still abuse people to try to build it.

So we must see what Paul's saying here.

Just because somebody is gifted does not necessarily mean that they're godly.

And just because somebody may get some results, as far as we measure results in this world, it doesn't mean that their lifestyle nor their methods honor Jesus.

So Paul's exposing a very dangerous mentality here.

These Corinthians were willing to overlook mistreatment because they were so impressed by performance.

And now Paul says this.

But he begins by addressing the credentials that his opponents apparently were prizing.

He says, Are they Hebrews?

So am I.

Are they Israelites?

So am I.

Are they descendants from Abraham?

He says, so am I.

In other words, if you want to compare credentials, he says, I can play that game.

But then verse 23 changes everything because Paul asks them whether they are servants of Christ, and this is where he kicks it up a notch.

He says, I am more.

And this is where Paul begins to really preach.

And I want to be very careful to make sure that we can grasp what he's trying to say here.

Because Paul is not bragging about how many churches he's planted.

He's not bragging about how many converts he's baptized or how many miracles he's witnessed.

He's not talking about how many missionary miles he's traveled, books he's written, or crowds that he's preached to.

Paul gives a resume based on his weakness, his failures, and his sufferings.

Look what he says.

He says, far more labors, many more imprisonments, far worse beatings, many times near death.

And then Paul starts giving these details very deliberately.

He says, five times I've received 39 lashes from the Jews.

He says, I've been beaten with rods three times.

One time I was stoned, and we know that he was stoned nearly to death.

Three times he was shipwrecked, and he had spent a day and a night in the sea paddling like a little dog with nothing to put his feet on.

And he said, Oh, the danger I've endured.

There's been danger from rivers and robbers and even danger from my own people.

He said, There's been danger from Gentiles and danger in cities.

And while I spent time in the dangers of the wilderness, dangers at sea.

And Paul even goes along to say, I've had sleepless nights.

I've been in times of hunger and thirst, and I've been exposed to cold.

There's been all kinds of exposure.

And I'm thinking, Paul, good grief.

This doesn't sound like a resume.

This sounds like your medical report from the emergency room here.

But don't miss what Paul's doing, because he's not saying that suffering is what automatically makes somebody a good leader.

Paul's showing them what faithful servants has cost him.

But then comes my favorite verse in this entire passage, and I want you to hear this.

After listing all the beatings, all the imprisonments, the danger, the deprivation, everything that he had gone through, verse 28 says this, not to mention other things.

Listen, he says, There is the daily pressure on me.

And then he identifies it.

He says, My concern for all the churches.

Wait, Paul.

After everything you've been through, all the beatings, that's all you're thinking about?

You're not thinking about the pain or the scars or the way that you may walk with a limp now.

You're not thinking about the shipwrecks or the prisons.

You're thinking about the people.

Can I tell you something, church family?

That is the mark of a leader.

You see, Paul isn't just concerned about the success of his ministry here.

He's concerned about the souls of the people that are in his ministry.

And verse 29 makes it very personal.

He says, Who is weak?

And am I not weak?

Who is made to stumble?

And I do not burn with indignation?

You can hear the heart of this shepherd.

When somebody hurts, we can see that Paul's heart is hurting.

We can see that when somebody's struggling, that Paul is struggling alongside of them.

When someone is spiritually deprived, when they are struggling spiritually, he is burdened.

And suddenly his resume begins to make sense.

You see, Paul's greatness wasn't measured by what people did for him, but more so what he was willing to endure for them.

Man, that's Christ-like leadership.

That's a pastor's heart.

That is a leader's heart.

Please hear me.

That is a parent's heart.

That's a heart of somebody who understands that people are tools for building your kingdom.

People are souls that God has entrusted to your care.

Now we're going to transition into 2 Corinthians chapter 12, because while this is a different chapter, he continues to preach.

2 Corinthians 12 · chapter mention

And he's speaking from the third person here, but he's describing his own experience.

He describes being called up into paradise, and the scripture says that he heard things that could not be repeated.

In fact, some translations tell us that he heard things that he was not even permitted to talk about.

And I believe that is because he saw things and he experienced things that there aren't even words in the Greek or the Hebrew or Aramaic or English language today that would even come close to giving credit to what he saw.

And he says twice, he says, I don't know whether it happened in the body or out of the body.

He says, only God knows.

But here's what's so fascinating is that Paul doesn't tell us this to try to make himself look like he has this spiritually superior uh facade about him.

In fact, he seems very reluctant to discuss it at all.

Look what he says in verse 6.

He says, if I want to boast, I wouldn't be a fool because I wouldn't be telling the truth.

I love this.

He says, but I will spare you so that no one can credit me with something beyond what he sees in me or hears from me.

Think about that.

Paul has this extraordinary spiritual experience, and he does not want people to build their opinion of him because of that experience.

Man, that's almost the opposite of our culture today, because if someone has a spiritual experience, you know, maybe somebody says that they died and they spent so many minutes in heaven, the next thing you know that uh they're having a podcast, they're on talk shows, and they're putting together a book and a book tour.

Now, please, please hear me.

Please don't misunderstand me in this.

God can do extraordinary things through ordinary people.

We know that.

God can give us extraordinary spiritual experiences, but an or but an extraordinary experience does not automatically make you an extraordinary leader.

You see, because having spiritual experience is not always a substitute for spiritual character.

And Paul wants them to examine what they can see in his life, in his messages, in his letters, in his conduct, his faithfulness, his care, and even in his suffering, how he had a great dependence on Christ.

And now we arrive at the moment that changes everything.

This is so powerful.

Now remember, Paul just described this extraordinary spiritual experience, an experience that could have made him extremely proud.

But verse 7 says this Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me.

Now, what is a thorn in the flesh?

Because scholars have debated this for centuries, and some believe that it was a physical ailment, maybe something, a problem with his vision, with his eyes, or it could have been his stomach.

Others suggest that it could have been an ongoing time of opposition from people that were standing firm against him.

Some pastors think that it was a stronghold in his life or some kind of a sin that just kept haunting him because of those words, a messenger of Satan.

Now we don't know for certain, but what we do know this is it was painful enough in Paul's life that he absolutely begged God to remove it.

Verse 8 says this, concerning this, he says, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me.

You got to get this.

Paul is crying out three times, take this away from me, God.

And he he's saying, God, please remove this.

God, I need you to deliver me from this.

But Paul got it.

Because Paul understanded there was a purpose in the thorn.

I love the words of the King James Version, the way it says this.

It says, Lest I be exalted above measure.

You see, in other words, Paul understood that this thorn in his flesh is served, though it was a messenger of Satan, God allowed it.

And here's why I believe he did that, to keep Paul from getting too big for his spiritual britches.

You see, and this understanding it led me to one of Paul's most powerful proclamations.

In verse 9, he says these words.

But he, he's talking about Jesus.

Jesus said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.

Man, Jesus doesn't say, uh, Paul, you don't have a problem.

He never says, Paul, you're making this out to be greater than it actually is.

He doesn't tell Paul just to shut up and be about his business.

He doesn't minimize the pain.

He doesn't pretend that the thorn isn't real, but God promises something here that is greater than Paul's own strength to overcome this thorn in the flesh.

He says these words, My grace is sufficient for you.

Man, Paul wanted this thorn to be removed, and Jesus just promised sustaining grace.

Paul wanted his circumstances to change, but Jesus promised that his power would be present in the middle of all the circumstances.

Paul wanted some relief from this moment of weakness, and Jesus showed him that weakness would not prevent the power of Christ from resting in him.

And church, that's the heart of this entire sermon because I believe that's one of the biggest problems in the misnomer of worldly leadership today.

It seems like we spend so much of our lives trying to be strong, trying to be a leader, that we hide all of our struggles.

We conceal our limitations and we try to hide our weakness and we try to cover up our pain.

We don't want people to know when we're exhausted, and we don't want them to know when we're tired or when we're defeated or when we're afraid.

We don't want people to know when we're hurting because we feel like that's going to show the world that we are weak.

We don't want people to know when we need help.

And I don't know where it happened, but somewhere along the way in the culture in which we live, we started believing that needing help was a sign of failure.

But Paul discovers something extraordinary here is that God never required Paul to be self-sufficient.

And I'm here to tell you today that he's never called you to be self-sufficient.

He called him to be Christ-dependent.

And there's a call in our life that the scripture is screaming to us that we must be dependent on Christ.

I think too many of us have signed our own declaration of independence because we want to be strong in this world when we actually actually need to sign a declaration of dependence upon Christ.

You see, here's the big difference in that.

Self-sufficiency says, I've got this, I don't need anybody's help.

That's the way the world speaks.

But dependence says, Jesus, I need you in every moment of my life.

Self-sufficiency says, I am strong enough to do this.

But dependence says, God, your grace is sufficient to get me through this.

Self-sufficiency says, look at what I can do.

Look at how strong I am.

I'm the one that did this.

But dependence says, look at what Christ can do and look what Christ has done through me.

Now I want you to listen to Paul's response in verse 9.

He says, Therefore, here's the great testimony.

I will most gladly boast about all the more about my weakness.

Why?

He says, so that Christ's power may reside in me.

And Paul's bragging about his weakness because he knows in his weakness, that's when the power of Christ is going to become alive and real as a witness and a testimony of what Christ wants to do.

Why?

Because Paul's discovered that his self-proclaimed weakness and humility is the place where Christ can pitch his tent and put his stakes out and take up residence.

You see, there's the tension in our lives is that if we're depending on ourselves, if we're trying to be tough, if we're trying to make our own way and do our own thing, and if we want all the accolades and all the power for all the things that we have done, we have just camped this full tent of self-sufficiency where Christ says, I want to reside.

You see, without Christ, we have no power.

And then verse 10, Paul makes this proclamation that you have heard many times.

He says, For when I am weak, then I am strong.

And the world says, When I am strong, I am strong.

But Paul says, No, when I recognize my weakness, when I can fully depend on Jesus, I can remove this idol of self-sufficiency that is camped out in the bottom of my heart in the place that Christ wants to pitch his tent.

You see, that brings us back to this the title of the series, and that's why we must understand that all that glitters is not gold.

So as we close, I just want to share with you three things.

It's just uh three little things that will help you examine leaders in your life and the leader that Christ is calling you to become.

Number one is this don't just admire what they've achieved.

Examine what they've sacrificed.

And as you examine your own leadership, please understand that we must examine not only what we have achieved and keep it in a humble place, but examine what we have sacrificed because that's what people are looking for.

Paul's resume wasn't filled with trophies.

His resume was filled with failures and sufferings and a self-proclaimed weakness.

And again, suffering alone doesn't make somebody godly.

But genuine Christian leadership is willing to sacrifice for the good of others.

You see, Christ-like leadership isn't just about what you've accomplished, it's about who you have loved along the way.

The second thing I want you to see is this: don't just listen to a person's spiritual claims.

Look for their spiritual character.

You see, Paul could have built his entire reputation around his extraordinary revelation of going to the third heaven or to going to paradise, but he refused to do it.

Why?

Because spiritual experience doesn't place anybody above accountability.

You see, you can claim to hear from God, but the question is, do you really obey his word?

You can claim to have great faith, but does your life demonstrate a Christ-surrendered humility?

You can speak about spiritual power, but the real question is, do you really love God?

And because you love God, you love people.

You see, the true test for spiritual maturity isn't how impressive all of your spiritual experiences are.

It's not about how great you can make them sound, it's how consistently your life reflects Jesus Christ.

The third thing I want you to see is this don't just look at how strong they appear.

Look at who they depend on.

And as a leader, you need to understand that people are looking at you, and maybe they're looking at you as how strong you appear, but they should be looking at who you depend on.

See, this is where Paul lands on his support, where he says, it's through God's grace, because his grace is sufficient for me.

So the question isn't whether or not a leader has weakness, because every leader has weaknesses.

The question is, what are we doing with those weaknesses?

Do we hide them?

Do we deny them?

Do we try to box them up and live a dual life?

Do we blame others or do we humbly admit them and through that humility depend on Jesus?

You see, the result is a leader who recognizes their dependence on Jesus because that can become one of the great and powerful instruments of Jesus Christ to use in your life, but only fueled by his grace.

And that leads us to our final takeaway for the day.

Sometimes the greatest evidence of spiritual strength is in the willingness to admit just really how weak we are.

You see, the greatest strength that you can possess is not in the strength that you have in yourself, but it's in the strength that you find in Christ.

I wonder how many of you have been living your lives trying to convince everybody that you've got everything together.

Man, that you're strong, that you're powerful, that you don't hurt, that there's no pain, nothing rocks your world.

You're strong enough to lead, you're strong enough to provide, you're strong enough to parent, you're strong enough to endure, strong enough to handle whatever comes your way.

Maybe somewhere along the way, you become so determined to appear strong that we've forgotten how to depend on Jesus.

Let me just remind you of the title of this series is All That Glitters Is Not Gold.

You see, that's the strength that matters most, is the strength that our life reflects that we need Jesus.

You see, it's not the strength that we can show off, it's the strength that Christ is working in your life.

So I want to challenge you as you wake up every morning to begin your day like this, praying just a simple prayer.

Jesus, I need you.

Jesus, there's areas in my life where I'm putting this facade that I'm strong, but I'm really weak.

Pray, Jesus, would you give me the strength to show my weakness?

Because when I am weak, that's when I'm strong.

Father, thank you for this time that you've given us.

Lord, thank you for this text.

God, I thank you for the beautiful picture that the Apostle Paul lays out.

God, that just seems to go in total contrast to the way that this world tells us to live and the way that this world tells us to lead.

Father, it's my prayer that we will take the truths that we're seeing in this text and we will apply it to our lives, God, as we are sitting under leadership everywhere.

God, whether it may be under preaching, whether it's live, whether it's online, whether it's podcast, God, whether it's through influences on YouTube videos, whatever it may be, God, that we will look at the true nature of Jesus Christ that's in their life.

And are they dependent on you?

And Father, I also want to pray for those who are in leadership positions.

God, God, every one of us is leading something.

And I pray that the words of Paul, God, will just convict our lives.

God, that we will find that place of humility.

And God, that in that we can find strength through that weakness.

In Jesus' name I pray these things.

Amen.