What a Minister of God Looks Like — 2 Corinthians 10-12

0:00 They were giggling the other day. We went in, we had film breakdown from our game on Tuesday, and they were kinda giggling about stuff, and they were in the back as I was running the film, and they're they're giggling, laughing about... And so later, after they were done with film, I asked them, I said, what was so funny today? And so, you missed it. We had a text that was going around, and you were referred to as the Amish guy because I don't have a phone.

0:31 Right? So I was the Amish guy. And then the joke came up with, well, how can we communicate this to him? And someone suggested the smoke signal. So that really wasn't mine.

0:41 Somebody had... That's actually come up a few times before. So... But that's okay. Very content to not have technology in my life as much as I can help it.

0:57 So I will stay with the overhead projector for now. If you missed, first of all, last week with Bruce Henning, it was fantastic. So I would encourage you to go online and listen to it because it's really good. I went on and listened again even though was here last week, and there was just so much good stuff. And, the week before, Art Pile, I was...

1:23 It was recommended by Denzel to go back and listen to his and his comments on knowing God's will. And so I thought it was so good that you're going to pass these around, Joey, to all the youth in the room, and if anybody else wants it. But he he brought up the four, terms of the steps you should take in knowing God's will. And I thought it was really fantastic. And I'll review them real quick without my glasses.

1:48 It starts with God's word. Search search God's word, then pray and and and utilize the the the power of the holy spirit to help understand what you're supposed to do, and take the time to listen, which is an important one too. Sometimes we keep praying, and you just gotta be quiet and listen. And then seek counsel of godly men and women. And then the last thing is use the circumstances and events in your life.

2:14 Okay? Keep working. So I thought that was great. I have it now saved on my computer, which I do use. What's that?

2:33 On there too. I could have taken a picture of it and just sent it around to everybody. Right? Still not enticed. Just get my papers organized.

2:46 Let's let's open a prayer. I can tell you that the direction for today has changed a few times now over the last couple of weeks, and some of it I still don't know exactly where it's gonna go, but I pray that you could be praying for me while we're going through this. This chapter is a very personal one for me over the last few years. This has been a rock for me. What Paul goes through and God's response to his thorn, has really been important in in keeping my mind right at times.

3:24 As we all face different, challenges that that comes into play. So I've decided not to go that route, which is where my direction originally was, but look at the the book overall and what it says about ministry ministers, and our ability to recognize who is truly a minister of God and who is not. And then, I think also to consider in ourselves, we are all, if we know Christ, ministers, doing his work, servants. And what should we emulate from Paul and his experiences, and how should that affect? So we're gonna kinda...

4:03 There's there's a little backtrack because I really believe that chapter 12 is a culmination of all of it. Right? It comes to this point, and and I'll get into this a second after we pray, but it's it's really, you know, the climax of of all the discussion that Paul is having in trying to defend his apostleship. Okay? So let's let's pray first.

4:57 We pray these things in your name. Amen. Hey, first of all, I was hoping to get a few thoughts in in seeing Bob ate up a lot of my time. I'm gonna have to try to cut this short, but I'm just kidding. But what has affected you?

5:12 In the study of second Corinthians, how have you been affected? And this is kind of open forum. Just if anybody has any thoughts, something that's really stood out to you, something that changed the way you think about yourself or about how you're going to approach your view of ministry, your personal process in ministry, have you been affected? Because I would suggest to you that, and this is the difference between just reading and studying, that now that I've learned a little bit more about studying, I'm affected in a much greater way by the things that that we discuss and that we go over. And I I'm I'm hoping that we are all, you know, being affected by what's in second Corinthians because I really believe that there's a point to this, that that it's not that nothing happens by chance.

6:02 God has a plan, and God's plan was for second Corinthians to be in there for us to be able to, number one, recognize what a true minister of God looks like, and then number two, recognize the attributes that we should have in being ministers of his word and and and whatever fashion or whatever shape that takes. And we should be affected by that. And and the way that we we approach those things in our attitudes and our conduct, it should be reflected in what we learn here. Does anybody have any... I don't mean to set that up too hard, but does anybody have a few things that they're affected by throughout?

6:34 Not just being hearers, but doers also. Absolutely. Engaged in the process. Yeah. From second 15 chapter four, how how much boldness that we can have when we go and preach the gospel knowing that it's not our message, but it's the message.

6:51 It's not about the messenger. Right? It's not about the messenger. It's about the message. It's the gospel.

6:56 The power is in the gospel, not in the the the preacher. That comes back into play in chapter 12 in a sense too. Anybody else? I'm not gonna press it too much, but yeah. Just hope.

7:07 His love for the church that is expressed through his joy when things... Even when things aren't going well, there's still a sense of joy that they're saved. They're messed up. They ain't they ain't getting it right, but but there's a joy in that they are saved and that this is part of the process. Yeah.

7:26 Anything else? Okay. Brought up the handling conflicts. That was first Corinthians. I know it's first Corinthians.

7:33 Okay. You know what? No. Once again, that, you know, this whole second Corinthians is about a conflict, isn't it? It's a conflict between, you know, those false teachers that brought into the the church, whether or not Paul is an apostle of Christ, and if he truly is, he...

7:51 They want him to demonstrate that. And I thought Bruce's message really pulled that out really well. That... I love that. See, it still fits.

7:59 Isn't that amazing? That that... I I thought he pulled out very well that this this idea. And I I really, you know, I've read different people's takes on on first Corinth... Or second Corinthians 11.

8:10 And not one of them said Paul's reaction to this was really, I'm not gonna play your game. The idea was that he was boasting in chapter 11 in a sense. He was boasting about the the infirmities, the sufferings that he's gone through. And that's not altogether wrong, is it? There is a sense in which people boast about those things.

8:30 I know I do it. When I want some sympathy, you know what I mean, I'm gonna talk about how hard I got it or whatever, you know. And I'm hoping someone's gonna pat my back and tell me it's gonna be okay. We do those things, but we also do it sometimes to lift ourselves up. Right?

8:45 Look what I'm suffering for the Lord. Look what I gotta get up and go to Iwana tonight. I'm gonna have to cut my nap short. You know? I mean, but we do that.

8:55 We do those things. And I think it's I think it's important that we recognize that that that's part of what Paul's message is here. It's not just... Yeah. Willing to suffer, that's gonna come up later.

9:06 Willing to suffer is... That's all good. Willing to suffer and take joy in it and to want it, bring it on because that's when God works most powerfully in me. That's a whole another mentality that that I think comes through in this. So what we're going do is we're going to take a look.

9:23 You're going to think this is a review, but it's really not. It's disguised as a review. My notes out here. But it's not a review. So don't judge me.

9:55 This is not, you know, this is not like the complete list or the the the best list or I'm not even coming close to that. I'm saying these are the things that have affected me throughout our study of second Corinthians. So do not think that there's not better lists out there. They're certainly much better than this. I'm just telling you this is how I've been affected by this.

10:15 But the first thing that we look at when we consider when we consider what a minister of God looks like and and how we can identify that, and also, I'm gonna say this throughout, also considering the things that we should be in ourselves as we are in whatever facet we are doing the Lord's work, this is what it should look like. And the first thing is that we're looking at and the characteristics of a of a minister of God is that what... We we want to recognize what their motivations are. What motivates them? And we see this as Paul talks about in in chapter five, for the love of Christ compels us.

10:56 He is compelled. Compelled by what? Well, there's two things. Right? There's the the the burden for the unsaved.

11:04 Right? And then the burden for the church itself. Those two things should be, for for all of us, should be important that we have a burden for the unsaved. I pray for that. I've told you this before that I can't say my my natural reaction to things is indifference.

11:22 I mean, truly, it is. I... My natural reaction to most things is indifference. I I find myself being almost indifferent to whether this happens or that happens, you know, and I have to fight that because in doing the Lord's work and and doing... Being part of the ministry of Christ, indifference is not what we're called to be, but actively engaged.

11:40 Right? As Abie was talking about, actively engaged. And so he, you know, that's the idea that the love of Christ, that's what motivates him to both seek and save those who are lost through Christ, course. But to go out and seek and and do the work of Christ in that way and evangelism and and whatnot, but also in the building and the edifying of the church. And I just put a couple.

12:02 I'm not going read through all of them just because of time, but I love this in chapter 11. Who is weak and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble and I do not burn with indignation? He talked in all that list that he gave in chapter 11 of all the things that he suffered for the church. What was the final one?

12:22 The one that plagues him daily, burdens him daily? His concern for the church, for all his church, all the churches that he had started. Right? But his concern for the churches, that was his number one concern. That's what made it life the most difficult for him.

12:39 It wasn't the whippings, wasn't the beatings with rods, it wasn't all the other things that he suffered through. Could you imagine? I've I've never been beaten with rods. I've never been whipped. I've never been stoned to death.

12:49 I can promise you that hasn't happened. I've never... All these things that I've never suffered through, and I think about what it's like getting out of bed in the morning for me now. You know, the aches, the pains, and what whatnot. And Paul, having gone through all that, shipwrecked three times, all the things that he suffered, the most troubling to him is his burden for the church and the suffering that he goes through emotionally and because of that.

13:11 So I thought that was really telling. And it and it's reflected in that last verse, and this is actually from chapter 12 that I will be... I I'm very gladly spend... I'm sorry, I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls. That is the mentality of a minister of God.

13:30 The next thing I want to look at was the methods. The methods. If you look throughout this book, his methods, he talks about how can you recognize that I'm truly an apostle of the Lord. It's not just my motivation, but the methods. How did I how did I do my job?

13:47 First of all, we know that he was a tentmaker. When he was... The time that he spent with the Corinthians, he was making tents. He wasn't asking them for money. He wasn't a burden to them.

13:56 He didn't do any of those things. He was there for one purpose. And he's very he's very clear throughout the chapter or throughout the book what his purpose was in being there, and it was simply to share the gospel with them and to edify that church and build it up. Right? That's it.

14:10 Not to be a burden, not to receive praise and admiration for what he's accomplished in the church and accomplished across Asia. None of those things, that's not what he was there for. He was there for one purpose. And then that was demonstrated through his methods. So if we look at from chapter one, this is right from the beginning.

14:28 For our boasting is this, the testimony of our conscious that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with the flesh, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God and more abundantly towards you. For the weapons of our warfare, this gets into now, what did they utilize throughout this? What were their methods? Well, it was based on the word of God. Right?

14:52 The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. So you consider his methods as he went through, and and tried to edify and and and grow this church in Corinth. That was a way that you could identify him as an apostle. Now I think about how does that apply so far when you talk about... How does that apply to me?

16:10 Correct? It's Christ centered. And when you are truly Christ centered in your thinking, then some of those other motivations don't go into play. You know, they don't come into play that way. And we want to make sure that as we go through and we're doing the lord's work that our motivations are right, they're proper.

16:25 We we wanna we wanna do the Lord's work, but it's not so that we can be exalted through that or not that we can be, you know, recognized for what we do, but truly to do it for for for the Lord, that that he would be glorified. And so that's where the credit comes into play. When we look at, you know, and I don't wanna... It's really easy sometimes. We look at some of these preachers on TV and the mega, you know, with 20,000 people out in the crowd and and whatnot, and and I I don't wanna disparage on on some of what happens there because, you know, the Lord uses those things.

16:58 There's many coming to Christ and being saved through through those things. But but sometimes it's difficult to tell whether or not it's really about the guy on stage or if it's really about the Lord. And that to me is a way for... If we're going to identify what person, you know, is this person truly doing the work of the Lord? Do they make it about themselves or do they make it about Christ?

17:21 And it and it should, and that should be the same thing for anybody that steps up here. I know I can tell you this. There have been times where I questioned myself in the first service that I was reading something through the week, during the week, and I really thought it was cool, and I really thought it was interesting, and I really thought that it was really about I found something cool. And I might look pretty good talking about it. And so I've had to check myself at the door.

17:46 That's why we examine ourselves. Right? And I keep my mouth shut. Because that... What I wanted to say wasn't really about Christ.

17:53 I mean, it was, but it wasn't. It was just a really cool thing that I thought of, or you know, a connection I made or whatever. And and so it's time for me to keep my mouth shut because all of what we do, Christ should receive the credit. He receives the glory. He receives the honor.

18:11 And we have to really be just inwardly focused on on on whether or not our motivations are are correct, and that we're giving credit to the right person, and that is all about Christ. It's all about him. So we see this in Paul. Chapter four, for we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bond servants for Jesus sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

18:49 But we have this treasure in earthen earthen vessels. Sometimes chapter verse seven is separated from the rest, but I think it fits perfectly. We have this treasure in earthen vessels, not tools. Right? Earthen vessels that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

19:07 See, Paul puts all of the credit and the glory to God. It's not about us. It's all about him. From chapter two verse 14, now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ. So even our victories, even those things that happen that are wonderful, and this is why Paul didn't go through and talk about, I've started churches in Ephesus, in Philippi, and all these things.

19:36 He didn't go through and list this as a... As part of his resume as we talked about... As as Bruce talked about last week. He didn't he didn't put all these things into his resume and say, look what I've accomplished. I'm an apostle.

19:47 You can tell because I've done all these things, these great things. Look at all these people that have been saved by the work that I've done. That's not how he reacts. And through us, diffuses the fragrance of his knowledge in every place. It's still the Lord.

20:04 The Lord did the work and so I'm not going to take credit for something that really had very very little to do with me other than just being the the vessel which that was diffused, the knowledge of God was diffused. There's some things I've set up here, you never live down, you're gonna hear about it for a long time. That was one of them, if you weren't here for that. And then, this is the last part of the the review that's not a review. But the things that we've seen throughout second Corinthians is another another attribute of a of a servant of God is someone who's willing to suffer for his...

21:09 He lists and it doesn't give much detail, like he does in chapter 11, but he lists some of those things that that he suffered. Tribulations, needs, distresses, stripes, that means being whipped, imprisonments, labor, sleeplessness, fasting, hunger, and that actually goes on for quite a while. But we see in him willing to suffer. So what I pulled out of it and what's affected me. What is my motivation?

21:36 Whether it's one on Sunday school, sharing the gospel with somebody, what is my motivation? Is it a burden for the loss? Is it, you know, is it because I I have a great appreciation for what the Lord Jesus has done for me? And so I feel that need to share it. What is my motivation within the church?

21:57 I I'm telling you, I I fight that indifference. Things can happen to people and I'm not that guy that jumps right at it, you know, something to pray about for each one of us. Right? That we that we have a burden for one another. And that that whether it's the challenges, but just to uplift each other, to edify one another, to really do that as a church.

22:15 That should be part of our motivation in Christ. Our methods matter. The way we do things matters. Right? We can't just say, you know, Paul in in chapter four said, I didn't I wasn't crafty, I wasn't cunning, I wasn't trying to trick you into anything.

22:32 I came to you with the gospel and it's powerful enough to do the work. I don't have I didn't have to do any of that stuff. The message is good enough, I don't have to worry about it. I didn't have to do those things. And so, our methods matter.

22:44 The way we conduct ourselves matters. So, once again, both in the ministry to those that are unsaved, but also here together, it matters. And then, how much are you willing to suffer? That's a tough one, isn't it? I consider...

23:05 I was thinking this morning in the first service about our pile brought up the, you know, the Jesus is the lamb. That picture of Jesus is the lamb of God takes away the sins of the world and and through Exodus, you know, the the Passover lamb and all those things. And I also thought about Jesus also portrayed as the great shepherd. The great shepherd and and you know, gives his life for the sheep and all those types of things. And I think of the suffering that Christ went through being perfectly perfectly equipped to go through his life having never done a thing wrong and yet suffered for us, suffered for me.

23:57 And he did that he did that with, as we'll see in chapter 12 again, knowing that his love could never be reciprocated properly or fully. And to me that speaks a lot and it's one of the things that stands out to me about Paul is that he loved this church even though there... That love was never reciprocated to him fully. That's another tough thing. And that's why I kind of think that that's another, example or one of the things that stood out to me, as far as being a minister of Christ, what that looks like.

24:34 So that's where we get into chapter 12 then. I know you're thinking, you know, I'm only going to verse 15, so it won't be won't be a problem. But but not just to suffer, but but how you react to that suffering matters. And that Paul was able to rejoice in sufferings, to be strengthened by sufferings, to to gladly accept those sufferings. There we go.

24:59 So let's read verse one through 10. Someone let me know too, if I have stuff on the screen and it's not in a place where you can actually see it. I'm not looking back there very much, but. Okay. Second Corinthians chapter 12 and verse one.

25:43 You know, they wanted to kill him, and so they're waiting at the gates, and they're waiting at... They wanted to find Paul and kill him, and so they sneak him out of the city. And maybe it was... I, you know, I try to put myself in the place of Paul. Paul, if as we read in Philippians, Paul had a great position among the Jews, didn't he?

25:58 He was a Pharisee. He was a teacher. He was high up. He was that guy who sat at the head of the table. He was the guy whose cloaks they threw down his feet when they stoned Stephen.

26:07 Right? This this is this is a guy who had pretty good authority within the Jewish culture, and now he's being lowered out a window to escape from, you know, those people that wanted to kill him because he was teaching about Christ. So maybe that's why it was humiliating. So he goes from this point of where he's talking about this... The humiliations that he suffered for Christ, to now he's going to talk about this opportunity that he has to boast that most people, you know, could never claim.

26:37 Only a couple have been brought up into heaven that weren't dead. Right? It is doubtless, not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago, whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows such a one was caught up into the third heaven.

27:02 You know who he's talking about here? He's talking about himself. Right? Paul. He's talking about himself.

27:09 And I know such a man whether in body or out of the body, I do not know. God knows. How he was caught up in the paradise and heard inexpressible words which is not lawful for a man to utter. So these were things that he heard that were too incredible. Too incredible for him to even utter.

27:30 That's what we have to look forward to. Of such a one, will boast, yet of myself, I will not boast except in my infirmities. For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me. And lest, and this is to seal the deal, and lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me.

28:02 A messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you. For my strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, most gladly, I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

28:30 Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities and reproaches. I'm sure I need to move this up, don't I? I'm sorry. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

28:59 So originally my thought was to really focus in, you know, the the focus of this section is that, you know, a lot of people focus on the thorn in the flesh. Right? What was that thorn in the flesh? I wonder what's the word? I wonder what was.

29:11 Paul. What was Paul's thorn in the flesh? And there's all kinds of... You write, you read this guy, it's a vision, and this guy... It doesn't matter.

29:18 Because he didn't tell us, and he didn't want us to know because it wasn't important. Because even in his communications to the Corinthians, it wasn't about him. He didn't want their sympathy. He didn't want even their empathy. He just wanted him to understand that this thorn in the flesh was given to him to humble him.

29:35 Period. That's what it was about. To make sure that this great vision, he had been caught up into heaven. A lot of people say, you know, there's discussions you go online, it's so funny, you know, whether it was really in the flesh or out of it. Paul doesn't know.

29:47 Why waste your time talking about it? Paul doesn't even know. I would think if anybody's going know, Paul's going to know. Right? So you read all this stuff, and it's like, why do they...

29:55 You know, well, this guy is theoretical and... You know. But I don't understand it. Why it's even worth... Some things I just don't have the patience to even worry about.

30:03 You know? By faith, Paul knows that he was there. He doesn't know whether it's flesh or or out of the flesh. So who cares? Right?

30:09 But but Paul was in heaven, which helps, number one, to explain why in chapter five, he's ready to go. Right? Absent with the body, present with the Lord, Philippians, it was chapter one. Philippians chapter one. Right?

30:21 I'm looking forward to this opportunity to get away from here and go to there. Right? And no wonder, he's seen it. Think about us. Sometimes we want to go pretty bad, but usually not for the great reason, not because it's so honorable.

30:32 You know what I mean? But but it is... It's amazing that that he saw it and wanted to be there real bad. But he's got a purpose here still. Right?

30:43 And that is to suffer in the name of Christ and then to to be joyful about doing it. To be joyful in that suffering. He had a purpose still. And as we look at that whole idea of the thorn in the flesh, I consider too, you know, what what are the thorns? We know that say...

31:28 Right? By his family dies, he lose all his possessions, and then eventually after the second discussion, let me attack his body. Let me take his health away from him. Right? So we know that that that God allows Satan to do these things.

31:43 And so the consideration is why. Not so much what are those thorns. Because I think we all, you could probably pick out the thorns in your life. How does Satan attack you? I think, you know, what Bruce talked about last week is right on the money.

31:56 He's real smart, and he's way smarter than we are, and he knows what we're affected by. We... He knows how he can weaken us and bring us down and make us ineffective for Christ. And he's going to go after those things. And I'm going to tell you in my life, I can make a list of the things that he's gone after and continues to go after in my life to make me less effective.

32:14 Okay? And we all have those. I guarantee we all have them. Nobody can... He's he's going after all of us because he doesn't want any of us to be effective for him.

32:22 None. And so, you consider... I'd rather get a whole discussion about that. You take some time to think about what are the thorns? What...

32:29 How is Satan attacking my life? And how have I reacted to it? Because that's what... After I went through this, it was about how am I reacting? How am I reacting to it?

32:38 Because I have to tell you, I react terribly at times. Terribly. I want to fix that. I want to get it fixed. One thing with these overheads, they are transparent, my vision is going, so it gets really hard to find what I'm looking for here.

33:06 Chapter 12, there we go. Got it. So in this idea of being not just willing to suffer, but to suffer and be thankful for it, we see that God allows Satan to afflict Paul with the thorn of the flesh. And and so it's about understanding what the purpose of the thorn is. The thorn, because God allows it, it means that there...

33:34 There's a reason for it. That any any thorn that's in our life, matter what it is, it could be the death of a family member, it could be some challenge that you have at work, it could be whatever it is that that that thorn is that Satan's put in there. Satan's hoping it's going to make you less effective. God's hoping it's going make you stronger and grow in your faith and trust and dependence on him. Right?

33:52 That's where the battle is that... And guess who respond? Ours... It's our response that decides the winner of that battle. Right?

34:00 So it's either to humble us, been through that, I won't share it. I was going to. It was just one of the things I was going to talk about, some experiences I've had over the last few years that have humbled me greatly. Not not enough, it's still working on me, but but has humbled me greatly. To test the faith of the recipient.

34:17 Can I tell you too? It's a humbling. I did not react well. Kyle, Kip, you can attest to that. Right?

34:22 I did not react well to the humbling that I that I received. To test to test the faith of the recipient. How much am I really depending on God and how much do I depend on myself? Because you can tell, when we react poorly to sufferings in the name of Christ, most often it's because we were we were relying on ourselves in the first place. When it didn't work out, I'm to blame, oh, woe is me and then pout and whatever.

34:47 Right? And then to strengthen the recipient's reliance on God's grace. And that's why I love Paul's reaction. Now, don't don't think for one minute that Paul isn't just as human as we are. Right?

34:58 Because what does he do? When he when he's first afflicted with this thorn in the flesh, what does it say he did? I pleaded with the lord three times. Please, lord, take this away. Came to him again.

35:09 Please, lord, take this away. Whatever this thorn in his flesh was. Please, Lord, take this away from me. Three times he went to him. He didn't enjoy...

35:18 It's not like he got it and was like, oh, yay. Now I have a tumor or... You know what mean? It wasn't like, yeah, celebrate this. No.

35:25 He pleaded with the Lord to take it away, but then he was molded to God's will through that experience when God said, no, no, no. My grace is sufficient for you. So, you know, sometimes we lift Paul up, and Paul is amazing. There's no question about it. But he was very human.

35:42 We see that throughout second Corinthians. He's bitter, he's sarcastic, he's... He responds to some things poorly too. But in the end, in the end, he allows God to shape him and mold him and change him to be more like Christ, which is all part of the process. So the reason I say that is because sometimes I feel bad at my initial reaction.

36:02 Right? And we all probably do that. We react to something, whatever the challenge is, whatever been thrown in front of us, we react poorly at first and then... But, you know, that's... Because we're human.

36:14 We do that. But to come to a place where we say, you know, it'd be great if we could take every affliction and just be like, alright. That's great. I'm glad. I'm glad I got a flat tire on the way home.

36:25 You know what mean? Like, whatever that affliction is, to be able to say, great. You know, I'm gonna take this all in stride and the Lord has a plan through this. It'd be great if we did. But you know what?

36:33 Most of us don't really do that. Not initially. But that's part of that molding and shaping that we recognize those things in ourselves and then let the Lord change us in into what he wants us to be, which is something that can be powerful in terms of working through him, you know, or him working through our lives, you know. So I I think that's all part of the process. To strengthen our reliance on his grace.

37:12 You want me to, don't you? That opens the floodgates in my house. I'm not doing it, so not gonna happen. No problem with people who have them. I'm just not gonna get it.

37:21 So listen to what he says though at the end of that verse. Therefore, most gladly, I would rather boast in my infirmities. And this is an answer to... This is that, like I said, the culmination to this argument that he's had, that they want him to talk about his... What he's accomplished compared to what these other knuckleheads had accomplished that had that had been questioning his apostleship.

37:43 Right? And so his final thing is, you've seen what I've done. I've told you numerous times what I've done. We see chapter three where he says where he says, you are my proof. You're my evidence that I'm an apostle of God.

37:55 Look at how many of you were saved. Right? That I've given you that proof. He even says later in chapter 12, you've seen the signs and wonders. You've seen things that I did.

38:04 That wasn't enough. You want me to now make another list of all these qualifications that I have that makes me an apostle? I'm not going to do it. How about this? Take this.

38:12 You know those infirmities that I just listed in chapter 11? I thank God for those. Because the weaker I get, the more powerfully he uses me. There you go. You want to see what an apostle of the Lord?

38:27 You want see what a minister of the Lord looks like? It's that level of humility. And that's something that we should all be working towards. Right? Working working to become more humble.

38:36 Right? Working to become more humble. I don't... Yeah. I...

38:39 There's a lot of things with humility like, you know, I'm very proud of my humility. Those are things you just can't you can't do. Right? But but to be considering constantly, who do we lift up? Right?

38:51 Who do we lift up in our lives? Is it me or is it really the Lord? I think is a great challenge for all of us if we want to be more effective for him. So how do I react to the thorns of my life? Paul Paul managed to to boast not of his accomplishments, but of his infirmities that humbled him and allowed God to work powerfully in his life.

39:10 And then we can point to the example of Christ on his earth. You want to you want to write, you know, Paul is a great model, but not a perfect model, is he? He's not a perfect model of what a great minister should be. Jesus gave a sad example. His life on earth, humility, please.

39:28 Paul came and approached that. I mean, because I don't think Paul by nature was humble. Do you think? I don't think so. By nature, he was not humble.

39:37 He was humbled by God to be used more powerfully, but he was not by nature humble. Jesus was humble from start to finish perfectly throughout, even to the death on the cross. Right? Then the last point I'm going to make, and the time is up. So I'm going to make it quickly.

39:56 In fact, I'm just going read through it. Not... I could... Well, I'll put up the overhead. This will only take a second.

40:03 Because I think this is one more for just our meditation. I don't know that this would make it onto most lists. It's just one that stood out to me. There it is. Okay.

40:18 I've become a fool in boasting. You have compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you for in nothing was I behind the most imminent apostles, though I I am nothing. Once again, we see some of the sarcasm there. Truly, the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs, in wonders, in mighty deeds.

40:38 For what what is it in which you were inferior to other churches? So how did I treat you differently than the other churches? Oh, that's right. I wasn't a burden to you. I made sure that I wasn't a burden to you.

40:50 Right? Except I myself was not burdensome to you. Forgive me this wrong. Little thick there too. Right?

40:58 Now, for the third time, I am ready to come to you and I will not be burdensome to you. So he's saying to you, I'm coming again and guess what? Guess what's going to change? Nothing. Nothing.

41:10 I'm going to come to you and humbly do the work of Christ, period. I'm not going to fall prey to your thing. Now, he does talk about there's some people that have sinned that he's going to deal with. And he's hoping that everybody's going get their attitudes fixed so he doesn't really have to overall do it. Because I...

41:25 You know, God's given him the power and the strength to to react to sin boldly, right, in the church and to deal with that boldly. But he's hoping that their hearts are going to change so that he doesn't really have to do that because that's not what he wants to do. He wants to come and and and and do the work for the Lord and edify the church and build it up. Now for the third time, I'm ready to come to you and I will not be burdensome to you for I do not seek yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

41:53 I keep hoping that's not really true, but hoping my kids are, you know, all gonna get good jobs so they can take care of me someday. And I will be I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls. And this is the verse that stood out to me in a way that I can tell you is pretty profound. Though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved. And that's why I brought this up before, but this is the example of Christ in his life with with what he did.

42:20 Here's a guy who loved the world so much that he gave his life to die. For a world that did not reciprocate that love, even a percentage. You know what I mean? Like, it's it's hard to even come up with a percentage of the love that was returned to Jesus for what he's done. And and our and our challenge is to try to love him in that way.

42:40 But that, to see that in Paul, this this the capacity to love even when it's not reciprocated. I'm going to tell you, I'm not good at it. Are you? I'm not. I'm not good at it.

42:54 If someone treats me poorly, my tendency is to say, well, you know what? See you. You know? I mean that's my tendency. I can't imagine that that goes against human.

43:04 That is human nature, isn't it? Our nature is that, you know, if if I walk, you know, walk by somebody at school, there's one there's one teacher, I won't mention her name. There's a teacher that I say hi to every time I see her. And and she's a big democrat, doesn't like me. Okay?

43:18 So whatever. But I say hi to her and I hold the door open for her and she, with total disdain, just walks by me. You know? And does never says thank you when I hold the door for her. In fact, I think she makes her sick that I do it, which...

43:32 Alright. Maybe I like doing it for that reason a little bit. Okay? There's a little truth in that. But but the Lord's working on me to do it for the right reason, but I try to be nice to her and and and I and I do those things.

43:45 I continue to say hello to her and continue. And then all of a sudden last year, she came up to my room and she thanked me because... And I didn't even know... I wasn't even aware of it, but I guess I had helped a kid out, one of her students out with something. And I didn't even know it was for her class.

43:59 And she came up and she said, you know, I really thought it was great. You took the time for this kid and you didn't have to, and I really appreciate that you did it. I was blown away by that. I was like, wow. So every once in a while now, say hi.

44:11 You know what mean? Like it's softened and and whatever. But but to love somebody when it's not reciprocated, it's It is very tough. It's very difficult to do. But I think that I think when our motivation is right, right, and our motivation is to serve God and to please him and to honor him, we're capable of doing it.

44:33 Aren't we? We're capable of loving each other even. Right? If that really is our motivation, to honor him. So those are just some thoughts.

45:15 We thank you for the examples of Jesus Christ, that can help us to become more like him. So we have that to go go by. The examples of Paul and his words, through the Holy Spirit that that helped to guide us. Lord, we just appreciate so much that that we have these things to help us to understand your will and to know you better. And Lord, we pray that you would help us to to have the courage and the drive and the motivation to continue to get to know you better and to be more like your son.

45:44 We pray these things in your name. Amen.