CONFIDENT IN GOD: The Basis of Real Ministry
Boast in God not Yourself
2 Corinthians 10.10-18
5/9/10
Jerry A Collins
SCC
v Does God get adequate praise in our lives?
v How do we manage situations where our reputation is stake?
v Do we have a tendency to honor ourselves?
INTRODUCTION
Lurking beneath the surface is the desire to have
recognition and to be noticed and appreciated. I am not saying that is to be
censored. It is a legitimate desire and God has built us so that we are
motivated by our personal profit. But like all desires this one is also
perverted. It can cause us to become jealous, envious, defensive, discouraged,
anxious, and fearful. The reason is because we find ourselves wanting
recognition and appreciation so badly, that we will sinfully pursue these. We
will take advantage of others, ridicule, cheat, withhold, dishonor, lie, vindictive,
selfish, and angry so long as we get the notice we crave.
Now the apostle Paul is up against some scoundrels who are
doing just that. Who these opponents were we can only
tentatively address. They are probably Jewish in nature 11:22; assumed
the stance of apostle 11:13-15; and brot letters of
recommendation from somewhere 3:1. They claimed to bear a message of
righteousness 11:14; but ultimately sought monetary gains from the Corinthians
2:17. The Corinthians contributed to the presence of these huskers because they
were superficial and shallow in evaluation 10:7; and oriented to things
external and worldly wisdom 1 Cor 3:1ff. As a result,
the Corinthians were fair game and set up for these
deceivers in their lives. We can string together at least three motives that
provoke us to seek our own glory instead of God. Here are three perspectives
that contribute to our interests in promoting our own glory.
WE COMPARE OURSELVES TO OTHERS WHO MAKE US LOOK GOOD 12
There is a hint of sarcasm here when he states that he is
not ‘bold to class or compare ourselves with some of these who commend
themselves’. These opponents are engaging in this game—one the apostle seems to
ridicule. The reason is because when you compare yourself to another person, as
they were, the result is a foregone conclusion. You find yourself well
qualified, acceptable, and noteworthy. They use a standard that makes them look
good. It is not a true and authentic standard but it does not have to be. So
Paul’s conclusion is that ‘they are without understanding’. When comparing
yourself to another person you use an inadequate standard of measurement. It is
skewed in your favor. We are to compare ourselves to Jesus Christ. He will be
the judge and He sets the standards. So any other standard of measurement I use
to determine my adequacy or my righteousness, or my obedience, means I lack
understanding about God’s expectations. And that means I am ill prepared for my
evaluation by Christ. If you develop the standard of spiritual measurement that
Christ provides, you can count on the fact that you are positioning yourself to
bring glory to God.
Have you ever noticed that when we compare ourselves to
other people it is often to those who do not excel us? That way, of course, we
always look better, and can have more pride in ourselves. Pride is the very
enemy of spiritual growth. If you think you are good, you cannot confess sin
and grow. It is why people do not receive Christ as their Savior—they think
they are already good and do not need one. This is some of what these false
apostles were doing—comparing themselves to Paul who se personal appearance was
unimpressive and his speech contemptible 10:10. As long as they could maintain
this distinction, they looked good at the Apostle Paul’s expense.
WE ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY THAT BELONGS TO OTHERS 13-14
First of all,
Paul’s ministry was not his idea. He was called by God to go to the Gentiles.
So he can properly boast within that sphere which God portioned out for him. He
can do so because it was not his, it was God who sent him and gave him the
authority to go to the Gentiles—to even reach with that ministry as far as the
Corinthians. They were the authentication of this ministry from God to him.
These false ones were beyond proper limits in their claims upon the
Corinthians. Paul himself had planted here 1 Cor 3:6
and God saw to it that it had borne fruit.
Second, vs 14, Paul was the first missionary to arrive in Corinth.
He staked out his claim to them well before anyone else had arrived. Sent by
the apostles in Jerusalem, these false apostles were invading Paul’s territory,
muscling their way in, and doing so with a false way, a false message, false
claims, and a false gospel. The two key ideas are ‘beyond measure’ and ‘overextending’
means they have gone beyond acceptable limits. They are assuming responsibility
that was not theirs to advance an agenda that was theirs.
This kind of take-over gives a platform to the one who
wants to advance his agenda. Without any Power base of their own they find one
to absorb so they can wield their influence through it and by means of it for
their own purposes. The platform and power base give them credibility they
might not otherwise have and assists in the deception. Understand that
spiritual gifts are not given to the church so that others can avoid their
obligations. Those with the gift of giving are not placed in the church so they
can give and the rest of us can take (or at least avoid giving ourselves) but
to help us learn to become givers; those gifted to teach must not only teach us
to learn, but teach us to teach better; those gifted to lead should not take
over, expecting us only to follow but lead in a way which helps us be better
leaders, in our homes, in our jobs, and in our church. It is not about assuming
other’s responsibility to advance my agenda but to serve you to fulfill your
ministry.
WE EXAGGERATE OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS 15-18
15 There would be no
boasting from Paul in areas in which others had labored. But because he was the
first on the scene in Corinth, with the gospel, he had the rite
to defend his ministry among them. So it seems those with a vested interest in
themselves can place you on the defensive. The hope is that as these
Corinthians grow up and mature spiritually they could become the platform from
which further ministry could be generated and serve as a platform possibly all
the way to Spain vs 16 giving opportunity to bring
the gospel to places it has not been before. This maturity would bring discernment
and understanding so boasting about who did what and where would no longer be
important.
17 The corrective to
self-promotion is boasting in the Lord! Everything you have spiritually
is directly and only from God. It is not the result of any human. Why, then,
this tendency to be enamored of men, to decide who has the best credentials,
when in fact it is only God’s grace that we have and achieve anything. Self- commendation and the praise of men count for nothing ‘For it
is not he who commends himself that is approved’ vs
18. Of all flattery, self- flattery is the worst. It is
self-deceit--‘But he whom the Lord commends’. You and I will stand before the
Bema seat of Christ for judgment. So make your goal to please Him. You do not
need to compare, assume take-over, and exaggerate your accomplishments. Let God
advance you while you serve the advance the Kingdom.
SIGNIFICANCE
1. Live for an audience of One. It
will help diminish your desire for self-promotion.
2. Let God exalt you. You just continue serving not
seeking.
3. God is interested in your profit and will ensure you get
what is your