2024-11-17 Sermon Notes
💡Big Idea
Takeaways and Next Steps
📖Bible Passage
Even so, I myself didn't burden you. "But, being crafty, I caught you with deception."
Did I take advantage of you by anyone of those whom I have sent to you?
I exhorted Titus, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? Didn't we walk in the same spirit? Didn't we walk in the same steps?
Again, do you think that we are excusing ourselves to you? In the sight of God we speak in Christ. But all things, beloved, are for your edifying.
Points
- Edification: the instruction or improvement of a person morally or intellectually
- Paul faced many critics. Some of his criticisms
- He's not a very good orator or speaker.
- He doesn't take any money from followers. (Therefore he must be a fraud.)
- It is far too easy to slander and lie about someone.
- The unsuspecting read the lie and think that it is true.
- It is so hard to correct the lie and to convince others that it was in fact a lie.
- 2 Corinthians 12:16: Paul, here is quoting a slanderous lie from his enemies.
- Paul's critics accused him of secretly receiving money from others.
- While Paul publicly did not receive money from the Corinthians (see v. 14 and 15) and yet he was still being falsely accused of taking money.
- Many wicked people accuse others of doing the very harmful things that they themselves do.
- Paul's answer to this accusation (v. 17-18):
- "I exhorted Titus, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? Didn't we walk in the same spirit? Didn't we walk in the same steps? Again, do you think that we are excusing ourselves to you? In the sight of God we speak in Christ. But all things, beloved, are for your edifying. "
- If Paul supposedly collected money through others, then it was through whom? Titus? Clearly not. Titus preached with the same spirit and Gospel. Titus did not behave, teach, or act differently from Paul. So how could he have collected dirty money for Paul?
- From Titus we learn that a helpful servant is vital to the reputation and success of his leader.
- 2 Corinthians 12:19: Paul: "Do you think that we are excusing ourselves to you?"
- Many sinful people, when confronted with their sin, become defensive. They come with excuses for their bad behavior.
- It is a fault amongst genuine ministers of Christ to stoop to defending their bad behavior.
- Yet this is not what Paul was doing. Paul's reasoning for responding was not to protect his reputation, nor was it to cover his own sins.[1] In other words, Paul doesn't really care what you think of him.
- So what does Paul care about?:
- "*In the sight of God we speak in Christ.*"
- Paul doesn't care what we think of him, but he certainly cares what God thinks of him. He desires to be a good and faithful servant.
- "But all things, beloved, are for your edifying."
- Paul wants to edify (to build up), the people that he serves, the people of Corinth.
- "*In the sight of God we speak in Christ.*"
- Ministers are called to build up others:
- Acts-20 > v32
- Colossians 1:28-29
- 2 Timothy 4:2
- 1 Corinthians 3:2
- Hebrews 5:11-15
- All of these passages the work of the ministry of the Gospel. It is to preach God's Word which will build us up.
- The minister's job is not to:
- Be an entertainer
- be a commentator on current events.
Application
- How are ministers to preach the Word of God.
- 1 Peter 2:2 : "as newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the Word, that with it you may grow,"
- We need the Word of God and nothing else. Without changes or modification.
- We need the Word of God, not the faulty word of man.
- The minister must have discernment and sound judgment in how to feed the people of God. The minister must know what the people are ready for, providing milk for babes and meat for the mature:
- The minister must feed the congregation with a balanced diet of the Word:
- With physical food, if we eat unbalanced, (e.g. carbs and no protein), then our body will suffer. This principle is also true of spiritual food.
- We need the whole counsel of God. Acts 20:27
- We need not only encourage, but also reproof and correction. We need to be told how to live a Godly, holy life.
- We need to be both exhorted to action and filled with right doctrine. One without the other is severely lacking.
- Nothing is more devastating than a ministry which is only intellectual and never stirs the heart.
- The minister must preach in an attractive manner:
- Prepare and present the Word in the best way possible.
- This does not mean that ministers should become entertainers and only tell us what we want to hear.
- 2 Corinthians 5:11: "Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men"
- The Word of God must be spiritually attractive not carnally attractive
- The minister must practice what they preach. They must demonstrate the Truth in their actions and life
- 1 Thessalonians 2:10: "You are witnesses with God how holy, righteously, and blamelessly we behaved ourselves toward you who believe."
- 1 Peter 2:2 : "as newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the Word, that with it you may grow,"
Further Study
💬Discussion Questions
Rather Paul was quite public about his sins, failures and weaknesses. He spent the greater part of the last chapter highlighting his sins. ↩︎
2024-11-17 Sermon Notes
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