 The title of our sermon this morning is A Fool for Christ. A Fool for Christ, we're in 2 Corinthians chapter 11, verses 22 to 33. When we first met the apostle Paul in the New Testament, known as Saul of Tarsus in those days, Paul is a young man in Acts chapter 7, consenting to the death of the first Christian martyr, who is Stephen. As great persecution is then breaking out against followers of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem, Paul, the Saul of Tarsus, is making havoc of the church in Acts chapter 8, entering every house, dragging off Christians, committing them to prison. By his own testimony, Paul is proud, Paul is boastful, Paul is arrogant, Paul is insolent. By his own testimony, Paul had every reason to boast as others boast according to the flesh, boasting in his own heritage, boasting in his own accomplishments, boasting in his own work, in his own labor for his cause. In Philippians chapter 3, Paul says that he had every reason to have confidence in the flesh. He was, of course, circumcised the 8th day. He was of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews. Concerning the law, he was a Pharisee. Concerning zeal, he persecuted the church. Concerning the righteousness which is in the law, he once considered himself to be blameless. He would have boasted much like these false teachers who have wormed their way into the church at Corinth. He would have boasted like they are boasting, boasting in their heritage, boasting in their credentials, boasting in their accomplishments, boasting in their work, boasting in their labor, boasting in their visions, boasting in their ecstatic utterances, boasting in the work of the Lord through them, boasting all of it according to the flesh. But something dramatic, something profound happened to the apostle Paul on the road to Damascus in Acts chapter 9. Paul has a life-changing encounter with the risen Lord. He meets the risen Lord Jesus Christ on the road. An event in Paul's life of seismic proportions, shaking Paul to his core. In Paul's worldview, Paul's understanding would be forever changed. Now, as we fast forward nearly two decades to Corinth, two decades, what do we find Paul doing? Paul is tirelessly and faithfully serving the Lord's church even through his own harm. The chief of sinners, having once persecuted the church, now bearing in his body daily the dying of the Lord Jesus Christ. The contrast in the life of Paul himself is stunning. Those two pictures painted for us on the pages of the New Testament. It's stunning, a stunning contrast. Once a picture of worldly strength, once a picture of worldly confidence, of worldly wisdom, of worldly power, wielded for worldly gain or worldly glory. Now, after his conversion and by his own admission in 1 Corinthians chapter 2, Paul has come to the church at Corinth in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. Not with excellence of speech, not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but scorned, derided, attacked, assaulted, dishonored as a man condemned to death. Paul would say, made a spectacle, made the filth of the world, the off-scouring of all things until now, a fool for Christ's sake, preaching a message that is foolishness to the natural man. Now, why is that? What explains the contrast, the great difference between those two pictures? Why? Because God has chosen the foolish things of this world to put to shame the wise. God has chosen the weak things of this world to put to shame the things that are mighty. God has chosen the base things of this world, the things which are despised God has chosen. Things which are not in order to bring to nothing the things that are, so that no flesh should glory in His presence. So as we've studied the context of this letter to the church at Corinth then, what do we find the false teachers doing? Well, we find them boasting like old Paul. They're boasting in the flesh. They are glaring in His presence, not unlike the old Paul would have done. The contrast in our texts between Paul and these false teachers, between the apostle Paul and these so-called apostles, is stunning. Both Paul and the false teachers claim to be servants of Christ. Both claim to be preaching the truth. Both claim to be true apostles. But these claims are rooted in two very different and contrasting contexts. The false teachers base their claim on the outward manifestations of strength and wisdom, on the outward manifestations of eloquent speech, on the outward manifestations of their own skill and eloquence, their own worldly wisdom. What does Paul do? Paul bases his claim on his own weakness. It's this weakness, the weakness of Paul that the false teachers attempt to exploit. They want to attack Paul on the basis of his weakness. They want to embarrass Paul. They aim to discredit Paul as weak and frail. They want to discredit Paul as persecuted and powerless. The problem that Paul is facing in Corinth is that their attacks are working. Their attacks, their assaults on the apostle Paul are having an influence on the Corinthians. The Corinthians are taking it in. They're believing a lie. The false teachers have been wildly successful at their efforts. Many have been led astray. They're painting the picture in Corinth that the right personality type, the right charisma, the right worldly confidence, the right hairdo, the right slick suit, the right fancy car, knowing all the right people, being liked by all the right people, being spoken well of by all the right people, speaking at all the right conferences, having all the right friends, having a large church, not a small church, big numbers, big numbers out to hear them speak, preaching in just the right way, looking good while you're preaching. Not spitting. I'm talking about that pounding of the pulpit stuff. That all of that, that all of that is the power of God to salvation for those who believe. The grass is always greener under the leadership of some other guy, some other man, some other leader. But Paul knows in Corinth, stakes are high. Paul knows that he cannot allow his weakness, as weak as he is, to be slandered and misunderstood that way. He can't allow his own weakness to undermine his message, undermine the word of God to these dear Corinthians. For the sake of the Corinthians, he can't ignore the attempts of his opponents to discredit him in this way. So what does Paul do then? What is he forced to do then? What is he compelled to do? He's compelled to boast. He's compelled to embark on a fool's errand, and he descends into the mud with his attackers in boast of himself. He feels forced to do it. He's reluctant. His humility is grieved by having to do this. But in chapter 12 verse 11, the Corinthians have compelled him, and how they compelled him to boast in this way. They've compelled him by giving an ear to his opponents. They've compelled him by believing the lies of these false teachers. And so, by his own admission, Paul here speaks like a madman. He speaks like a fool. He makes himself even more a fool for Christ to win the foolish Corinthians. And so Paul begins his boast. There's a method to Paul's madness here. There's a reason that he boasts in the way that he does. Through this foolish boasting, Paul hopes to accomplish a few ends. Through this foolish boasting, one, Paul intends to discredit those who would try to use his weakness against him. He's going to denounce the false teachers through his own boasting. It may not look like it to the world, but his apostolic credentials are superior to theirs. And Paul is going to denounce these false teachers. Secondly, through his foolish boasting, he wants the Corinthians to accept his weakness as a true and valid expression of his apostleship. He wants them to see this weakness as what it means to be a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is not out of the ordinary for someone who follows Christ. In fact, it's a necessary qualification for someone who is a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's an essential qualification of his apostleship. Far from disqualifying Paul as an apostle, Paul's suffering is consistent, even expected in gospel ministry. Through this foolish boasting, third, he is going to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. He's going to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ in his weakness. Paul's weakness points to the power of God. And in all of this, he's going to encourage us. We're following Paul's example. We're commanded to imitate Paul as he imitates Christ. Then Paul's example here should strengthen us and encourage us to set out in our own service for the Lord Jesus Christ. We'll see all this as we work through Paul's boasting, what has been called the fool's speech in 2 Corinthians chapter 11, verses 22 to 33. As we break down the speech, beginning in verse 22, what is to see Paul's boasting along three distinct lines or in three distinct categories? Paul boasts regarding his identity, Paul boasts regarding his ministry, and then Paul boasts regarding his infirmity. His identity is ministry and his infirmity. We'll see that laid out clearly in the text. So now, the false teachers in Corinth have been bold, confident to this point in their boasting. They've made their case. They've presented their case to the people. They've laid it out sadly. Many have been persuaded. But now it's Paul's turn. So Paul then introduces his speech in chapter 11, verse 21, where Paul says, in whatever anyone else is bold, I speak as a fool. I am bold also. They want to lay out their credentials? Fine. Give me a chance to lay out mine, and then we'll compare resumes, so to speak, right? And so the speech begins. Notice first, Paul boasting in his identity in verse 22. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I, Paul says. Now in verse 22, as we begin working through the text, we can surmise from the context of verse 22, and others, other texts in the correspondence with Corinth, that identity or Jewish heritage was something the false teachers were boasting of. They were boasting in their Jewishness, right? Notice the plural in verse 22. They are they Hebrews. Are they Israelites? In other words, there's more than one of them. There's a contingent in Corinth that have infiltrated the church. There's a multiple of them, and Paul now is addressing the group. These are a group of opponents, a group of so-called apostles. Paul calls them false apostles, ministers of Satan. In prior sermons, we identified them as Judaizers. They're boasting in their Hebrew heritage. They're boasting in their Jewishness, so to speak. These are the Judaizers, Jewish, professing Christians who were attempting to pervert the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ by adding works of the law, namely circumcision, to faith for salvation. In other words, salvation is not by grace alone, through faith alone. In the Lord Jesus Christ alone, salvation is by faith plus works of the law, namely circumcision. They wanted to compel the Gentiles to live as Jews and be circumcised. They boasted them in their Jewishness. They boasted in being Jewish. Now, Jewishness, quote-unquote, is expressed in three ways in verse 22. They were Hebrews, they were Israelites, and they were descendants of Abraham. Now, it's nuanced here, but each of the three descriptions communicate a different emphasis. The word Hebrew, someone who was Hebrew, was certainly Jewish. But the term Hebrew was used to distinguish between a Hebrew-speaking Jew and a Hellenist, or a Greek-speaking Jew of the diaspora. Jews that were scattered across the Greek world at that time and spoke the Greek language grew up in a Greek culture, and those Hellenists, or Greek-speaking Jews now, distinguished from Hebrew-speaking Judean Jews, those who grew up in a Hebrew cultural context. In other words, they were accusing the apostle Paul of being culturally polluted, or culturally corrupted. They were accusing Paul, because he grew up in Tarsus, which was in Syria, in Selecia, that he was culturally compromised. Now, Paul says no. In verse 22, are they Hebrews? No, am I. In fact, Paul says in Philippians 3, I am a Hebrew of Hebrews, raised in Jerusalem, although born in Tarsus, raised in Jerusalem at the feet of Gamaliel. The next, Paul describes himself as an Israelite. The Jews, more than 600 times in the Old Testament, are referred to as the children of Israel, the children of Israel. That description, the children of Israel, has to do with their ethnic identity and their ethnic people, their theocratic identity, their identity as a nation. They came from Jacob. They were descended from the 12 tribes. They were children of Israel. They are descendants of the Patriarch. They can trace their lineage through the 12 tribes to Jacob, to Israel. Paul would say in Romans 9, that it was the Israelites to whom pertained the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises. In other words, to be an Israelite was an honor. To be an Israelite was a blessing, and they boasted in their Israelite heritage. Lastly, they were Hebrews. They were Israelites. Lastly, they were the seed or the offspring of Abraham. Paul says, are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. The Jew would say, we have Abraham and in other words, we are heirs of the covenant promises made with Abraham. We are the ones who will inherit land, seed, and blessing. Galatians chapter 3 verse 16 says that now to Abraham and to his seed were the promises made. So Paul then asks, they're boasting their Jewishness? Are they Hebrews? Are they Israelites? Are they the seed of Abraham? And he answers the question, if they are, I am as much so. This doesn't undermine Paul's effort elsewhere to explain the covenant distinctions between Jew and Gentile and the fact that they are gone in the Lord Jesus Christ. This isn't a contradiction of that. It doesn't change the fact that true sons of Abraham are those who are of the faith of Abraham. But those biblical truths don't erase the distinctions, do they? Just because Paul says there is neither male nor female doesn't erase the distinctions between males and females. It means that we are all inheritors of the promises of God in Christ. Equally inheritors of the promise. Here, those distinctions, those ethnic distinctions aren't gone. And so Paul wants to draw a distinction between the boast of these false apostles and his boast. He does so by comparing their Jewishness. They were attempting to discredit him in this way. Paul says you can't do it. Paul says they cannot distinguish them, distinguish themselves from me in that regard. In that regard they have no advantage over the apostle Paul. Paul says I am a Hebrew of Hebrews. I am an Israelite indeed. False apostles were boasting in their identity. And so then, in answering a fool according to his folly, Paul boasts in his identity. Now note secondly with me. Not only does he boast in his identity, Paul boasts in his ministry as they did. He boasts in his ministry. Verse 23. Are they ministers? Or are they servants of Christ? Listen, I speak as a fool. I am more a servant of Christ. They claim to be ministers of Christ. Paul says literally the word means I'm out of my mind. I'm beside myself. I'm out of my mind. I'm speaking to that man. I am more. I can't believe I'm actually reduced to making this argument, but I am more of a minister of Christ than they are. And what does he say? What does he say to give evidence of this? They claim to be ministers of Christ. Paul is saying I'm more of a minister of Christ and then what evidence does he give? Look how many people I've baptized. Look how many people have been saved under my preaching. I preached the revival. We had 300 people wrapped the aisle and give their heart to the Lord Jesus Christ. Never mind. The 90% of them were under the age of 8. Look how big our church is. Look how many people we've got. Is that what Paul boasted? Church went from 300 to 3000 since I've been here. Never mind it. 2647 of them are never here. Paul says I know how to talk in just the right way. I can convince people. I'm so persuasive. Look at how persuasive I am. This ministry that's been blossoming under my leadership. Paul boasts in that way? No. I've got all the right stories. I know just how to preach the gospel so it doesn't cause offense. Is that what Paul is boasting in? No. Paul says I am more a minister of Christ than they are. And what is the evidence of that Paul? Listen, let me tell you how hard it's been. Let me tell you of how difficult it has been. Let me draw your attention to what I've endured for the sake of the gospel. Verse 23 In labor's more abundant in stripes above measure in prisons more frequently in deaths often from the Jews five times I received 40 stripes minus one three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. A night and a day I have been in the deep. Amazing. Isn't it? Notice in this first group Paul boasts of his own ministry's opposition. This boasting of Paul this fool's speech can be categorized four different categories for the boasting here that Paul does. He begins with opposition. His ministry for the Lord Jesus Christ at the outset has been opposed. Did the false teachers boast like this? No way. Not even close. Nothing like this. This is entirely different. It's like Paul saying that his suffering is actually evidence of his authenticity as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's actually evidence that he's a true apostle. It's a parent from reading the letters to Corinth that the false teachers were teaching an over-realized eschatology. They were teaching in Corinth that the time for suffering is over. Look at 1 Corinthians. Flip back a few pages. 1 Corinthians chapter 4 and the Corinthians were believing in him. The time for suffering is over. You would think looking at much of professing Christianity today that they would agree with that statement that the time for suffering is over. We've got it easy now. No. Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 look beginning at verse 8 where Paul says you're already full. You're already rich. You have reigned as kings without us. These are the lies being peddled by the false teachers and these are the lies that are being taken in by the Corinthians, right? They believe themselves to be full. They believe themselves to be already rich. You've already reigned as kings without us, Paul says. And indeed I could wish you did reign that we also might reign with you. For I think that God has displayed us the apostles that he's contrasting the way that they are portrayed with the way the Corinthians are viewing themselves or the way that the false teachers are presenting themselves. As the men condemned to death we've been made a spectacle to the world both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake but you are wise in Christ. We are weak. You are strong in Christ. You are distinguished. We are dishonored. To the present hour we both hunger and thirst. We are poorly clothed. We are beaten. We're homeless. We labor working with our own hands with the child we breast being persecuted we endure being defamed we entreat we've been made as the filth of the world the off-scouring of all things until now. The notice in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 Paul is not only drawing a distinction between himself and the false teachers Paul is distinguishing his own ministry experience with what the Corinthians themselves believe theirs to be not just a distinction but a contrast with the false teachers this is a distinction or a contrast with many in corn. Paul is saying that's not how it is. The Corinthians were under the influence of these false teachers and Paul now contrasts his own experience with theirs as well. Listen if you believe that the Christian life is going to be a life of ease if you somehow think that we can rest in our leisure that we can active verb take our ease if you believe that you can live and even reign like you're already in the kingdom like there is no war to be fought like there is no battle that is raging like there is no gospel to be preached like we don't live in enemy territory with a god-hating world at our door if you can live like that if you believe like that listen Paul says you have got it wrong I wish that you didn't reign because we'd all be riding with you Paul says listen that's not how it is that is not how it is what happens what happens when you seek to avoid opposition what happens when you take your ease what happens when you retreat from that cause when you retreat from preaching the gospel to a world that hates it what happens well you get what you want you get what you want you don't get opposed when you refrain from preaching the gospel you don't get persecuted you get what you want when you don't confront this wicked world and its wickedness then you don't face opposition listen the Lord Jesus Christ said testify of it that its deeds are evil well what happens when you stop preaching the law preaching the gospel when you stop confronting the world and its wickedness well the world stops hating you and what does the world then begin to do the world begins to love you why because the world loves its own Paul rather than that right Paul after contrasting his own experience I urge you imitate me in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 look at that text again Paul at the end of that he says in verse 14 I do not write these things to shame you but as my beloved children I warn you I warn you for though you might have 10,000 instructors in Christ yet you do not have many fathers in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel therefore I urge you imitate me well how were they to imitate Paul they were to do what Paul was doing and what Paul was doing was drawing opposition what Paul was doing was drawing the antagonism the hostility of these false teachers Paul was drawing the hostility of this world and Paul was suffering under it and in 2 Corinthians chapter 11 it is that very suffering that validates Paul as a servant a bond slave of the Lord Jesus Christ and you might say listen Paul if you want me to imitate you listen you are not selling this well this does not sound good and really at the end of the day who in the world will buy what Paul is selling here who is going to buy that I will tell you who the one who understands the gospel the one who knows what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for them the one who knows who understands the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ the shedding of his own blood for them that one it is that one Paul goes on in 2 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 23 he goes on in labors more abundant in stripes above measure in prisons more frequently in deaths often it is interesting here in verse 23 that Paul mentions his labor in a description of his suffering not just hard work suffering toil not your typical 9 to 5 Paul would say the same city of effort it means weary some toil Paul says further I have been beaten so many times I can't count them listen I remember every single time in my life that I have ever been struck that is a memorable experience isn't it Paul is saying I have been beaten so many times I can't count them all scripture doesn't even record all the times that Paul found himself on the inside of a jail constantly faced death he would say in chapter 4 verse 11 always delivered to death for Jesus' sake and he labored to exhaustion in all of that despite the opposition that he faced despite the prisons despite the stripes despite the fear of the encroachment of death upon him Paul labored more abundantly than any of them in fact he saw all of that as evidence that God was at work through him that God was blessing his ministry verse 24 from the Jews his own people 5 times I received 40 stripes minus 1 Paul was opposed this particular punishment described by the mosaic law listen to this from Deuteronomy chapter 25 where the law says if there is a dispute between men and they come to court that the judges may judge them and they justify the righteous and condemn the wicked then it shall be if the wicked man deserves to be beaten that the judge will cause him to lie down and be beaten in his presence according to his guilt with a certain number of blows 40 blows he may give him and no more lest he should exceed this and beat him with many blows above these and your brother be humiliated we're there for humiliated humiliated means to become contemptible in other words the punishment above 40 blows would be seen to be a show of contempt rather than a justifiable punishment it's not just to punish him now you want to humiliate him now you want to show contempt on him that was unjust so the law said no more than 40 blows and so what do the legalistic Pharisees do they took this law and they added their own and they say no more than 39 40 minus 1 just in case we miscount we don't want to go over 40 so the law of the Jews was 40 stripes minus 1 5 times 40 scourging 40 stripes minus 1 3 times verse 25 I was beaten with rods that's the Roman equivalent of the Jewish punishment the Romans would beat you with rods and they wouldn't count often one of those beatings is described in Acts chapter 16 this was such that Paul said in Galatians chapter 6 no hyperbole here that I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus the stars of the Lord Jesus we can only imagine what Paul's back looked like right what Paul endured he says once I was stoned you can read about that in Acts 14 Paul would be shipwrecked and Paul would still be shipwrecked yet again on his way to Rome in Acts 27 would be there that Paul would eventually lose his head and Paul says imitate me imitate me these are the credentials of my ministry I have been opposed well if you're going to imitate Paul listen brother sister if you're going to imitate Paul if you're going to face opposition you are going to be opposed you are going to face opposition too if you're going to face opposition also and you're going to step out in service of the Lord Jesus Christ faithful and steadfast in the face of opposition then you're going to need as Paul has a right understanding of the place of suffering and the place of opposition in the Christian life if you don't understand that then you're not going to face opposition as Paul did you're not going to remain steadfast you're not going to remain faithful you're going to shrink back why is it that Paul doesn't shrink back because Paul has a cross-informed understanding of his own suffering he has a Jesus Christ field understanding of his own opposition of his own trials he understands what the Christian life is you're going to need a proper understanding of how your weakness then is to display the power of God in the gospel you're going to need a biblical cross-informed Christ-fueled understanding of how your opposition your suffering, your trials magnify the glory of Christ Paul's ministry glorifies the Lord and Paul is saying this is how it does it this is how we magnify the Lord Jesus Christ I magnify the Lord Jesus Christ in my weakness if we're going to imitate Paul we're going to face opposition there's a sense in which you read the New Testament and you hear Paul describing his suffering here boasting in his weakness there's a sense in which Paul is leaning into it he understands it elsewhere Paul says these are the afflictions of Christ he's filling up in his own service to Christ the afflictions of Christ he's suffering for his sake now Paul's not merely opposed Paul's ministry was continuously imperiled it was continuously endangered, Paul was vulnerable and next in the next category Paul speaks of his vulnerability the danger that he faced look at verse 25 three times I was shipwrecked a night and a day I've been in the deep again Paul would face yet again another shipwreck in Acts 27 on his way to Rome verse 26 in journeys often in perils of waters in perils of robbers in other words in constant hostility from and constant danger from countrymen the Jews in danger or in peril of the Gentiles so not just on the seas not just from people but now on the land in perils in the city in perils in the wilderness not just in public places in the city now in unpopulated places on the wilderness I'm in peril in perils in the sea not just on land in perils among false brethren even among those who profess to be Christians if you've been a follower of Christ for the length of time you faced opposition that one stings even among those who profess to be the Lord's people even among those who profess to be Christians Paul is imperiled among false brethren reminds us Paul is reminding us that we are not promised safety or security we are not promised it in fact Paul expected exactly the opposite he says in Acts chapter 20 verse 23 the Holy Spirit testifies in every city saying that chains and tribulations await me Paul just expected it Paul's ministry was opposed Paul's ministry was vulnerable imperiled and Paul's ministry was arduous it was hard verse 27 in weariness and toil in sleeplessness often in hunger and thirst in fasting often in cold and nakedness in other words in deprivation and exposure Paul certainly knew what it meant to be abased intense and prolonged hardship a faithless man would never endure this right anyone else would not endure this anyone would say listen it's not worth it who are those who would say with Paul that it is worth it those who are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ those who have an understanding of what the Lord has secured for them in his own person no one would ever endure this for some worldly wicked pointless cause and even you and I to my shame I often complain of being tired in light of this texture oh man it's been a long day, it's been a long week whatever it's been it's not been this long Paul is boasting in his weariness you work a hard job maybe you're a blue collar guy you come home after a hard day at work and you say you know I'm tired I'm going to put my feet up I deserve to rest Paul is boasting in his weariness boasting in the toil with which he worked often you can imagine all nighters in sleeplessness often Paul said where he's working in ministry working with people all day and then making tents at night to support his own ministry so he's not a burden to them while he ministers to them during the day what the right perspective of these things so that I don't in my own laziness or in my own complaining show myself to be despising God's grace the means of grace the goodness of God toward me by failing or shrinking back in my service to him or availing myself of the preaching of God's word during the week or on a Sunday night or a Sunday morning or that I shrink back from living for the Lord Jesus Christ and serving him walking in a way which is worthy of the calling with which I've been called I think we should be informed from texts like this to understand rightly what it is we are here to do what it is we are here to be how we are to serve him and I want to cut my tongue out of my mouth when I complain Paul is opposed his ministry is vulnerable it seems frail it weren't for the grace and power of God almighty it seems it just would be born away there's so many dangers that Paul faced it was arduous Paul labored weary toilsome labor and lastly it's weighty not only physically weighty physically taxing but emotionally taxing Paul says in verse 28 besides all these other things what comes upon me daily is my deep concern for all the churches and what does that look like Paul verse 29 who is weak and I'm not weak with them I'm not coming alongside empathy is what that's called sharing their burden who is weak and I'm not weak who is made to stumble and I don't burn in my heart and soul with a righteous anger over it with righteous indignation in other words when somebody stumbles off into sin listen mind I'm here to preach so that person can fend for themselves is that Paul's attitude so Paul is an agony over the churches he's shedding tears blood and sweat over this church in Corinth that kind of empathy is motivated by love right what false teacher is there in Corinth out there claiming this what false teacher today do you see exemplifying this not a one that I can think of not a one that I've seen but a one that I can think of that is living like this that is enduring like this steadfast and faithful like this this kind of empathy this kind of labor this kind of entering into this kind of service motivated by love love for the Lord Jesus Christ and love for the Lord's church love for the Lord's people right love for these people that kind of suffering those kinds of trials for those people they're the hirelings that run when the wolf approaches right they're there to exploit them they're not there to care for them they're not there out of love for them they're there out of love for themselves they're serving themselves in their ministry boosting their own reputation patting their own wallet they're there for themselves so they boast in their identity heritage and Paul says they are no more Jewish than I am they boast in their ministry they boast that they are servants of Christ and Paul says I am more so can the false teachers boast like this have they given like I have do they love you like I love you ultimately it's not the sacrifice of Paul it's being magnified what sacrifice Paul is being magnified it's the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ and Paul is going to get there do they or have they sacrificed for you as the Lord Jesus Christ has sacrificed for you no way not even close do they love you like you've been loved in Christ do they really love the Lord Jesus Christ have they really been faithful admittedly here Paul is speaking like a fool but listen even though he speaks like a fool even though he's speaking like a madman here isn't this obvious church why can't we just think for a moment and say yeah this is right even though he's boasting in this folly of boasting Paul is saying don't you see it don't you see it don't you see the difference lastly if Paul is going to be compelled to boast he simply is not going to boast as they have he says in verse 30 if I must boast I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity my weakness I will boast to cut off the opportunity of these false teachers to boast in themselves I will boast if I must out of love for you Corinthians I will boast to preserve the authenticity of the Lord's bond slaves but if I must boast I will only boast in my weakness not as these fools boast but as a true servant of the Lord Jesus Christ boasting in what it means to serve the Lord Christ and then Paul gives an example he gives an example in verse 31 the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who is blessed forever knows that I am not lying he swears an oath here that's oath language it's an oath regarding what he's already said listen this is true start to finish he himself knows that I'm not lying right he swears an oath here regarding what he's already said but now he's going to confirm all of that with an example in Damascus verse 32 the governor under a redis the king was guarding the city of the Damocene with a garrison desiring to arrest me but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped from his hands you might think at first blush this is an afterthought this example comes to Paul's mind this example brilliantly serves Paul's purpose it's not coincidental think with me now it's not coincidental that Paul mentions this story from where from Damascus Paul was a strong proud arrogant an insolent man an insolent man a proud man and Paul was crushed on the road to Damascus Paul was made weak Paul was already weak Paul was made to see his frailty Paul was made to suffer you could say the indignity of his own weakness before God he was humbled after Damascus Paul cannot boast in his own strength how could he Paul sees himself first Corinthians chapter 4 as nothing how could he after Damascus how could he boast in his own strength in his own power how could Paul boast in his own wisdom he has no claim whatsoever to boast that he is the source of his own preservation that he's gotten himself to where he is in his day that he's preserved himself he has no claim to boast of that all that is because he has no claim on God's forgiveness God's love, God's mercy no claim on God's preservation God's strength, God's power no claim on that but a claim of God's own mercy and grace and love the Lord is the one who arrested him on the road to Damascus it is by the grace of God alone that he was preserved from death in Damascus and it is to the glory of God alone that Paul has been preserved in his service to the Lord to this very day through all the trials all the tribulations that Paul has faced beginning with this one the Lord has preserved him through it all not crediting any of that to Paul himself it is all by the grace of God he traces it all back to that Damascus road encounter with the risen Lord and Paul carries that with him we are two decades later Paul is carrying all of that with him daily as he serves the Lord Jesus Christ in other words for Paul the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ by which Paul is saved his death to sin his death to self all of that is not limited to a past event only Paul carries that with him into his present circumstances Paul carries that with him the dying of the Lord Jesus Christ he carries with him daily as he serves the Lord daily as Paul denies himself takes up his own cross and follows the Lord Paul is daily communicating his own understanding of what Christ has done for him daily in the way that he lives his life listen brother listen sister you don't live merely merely or only in light of a past event that event that grace of God in which you now stand should fuel and drive and motivate your Christian service now your love for the Lord your service of the Lord your service of the Lord's church his own understanding of Christ's sacrifice to save sinners of whom he is chief now drives Paul now compels Paul to remain steadfast immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord and Paul seeing the Lord work in that way Paul has great confidence that God is now manifesting the work and sacrifice of his son in and through his life and ministry that should give us confidence when you face opposition when you face trials when you face difficulty when in the face of those trials that difficulty you have your faith rooted and grounded in the Lord Jesus Christ such that by faith you face that which comes you magnify the grace of God in Christ it's how your weakness listen apart from him you can do nothing it's how your weakness magnifies the power of God in the gospel when it comes to boasting then Paul's weakness his weakness is identified or identifiable with Christ's weakness he describes his suffering as the afflictions of Christ this kind of ministry is the only valid expression of the crucified Messiah and his gospel when the people of God face trials face hardship opposition for the cause of Christ and they endure in faith and if you face that in faith if you have that understanding as Paul does here if you live in light of that steadfast faithful immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord by faith I am crucified with Christ who lives but Christ lives in me the light which I now live in the flesh I live for him the one who died for me the one who gave himself for me the one who loved me the one who's forgiven me of my sins Paul's understanding then living in that way he lives in light of the promise of that that one day he himself will fully be crucified in resurrection glory and resurrection power and resurrection incorruptibility because Paul says if he has died then we have all died in him and if he has been raised then we will be raised in the likeness of his resurrection if we have been united together in the likeness of his death certainly we also shall be in the likeness of his resurrection knowing this that our old man so we live then in resurrection power we live then in light of resurrection promises and resurrection glory why? because we've died in him and Paul dies daily and brother and sister if we are going to be faithful to the Lord we die daily we die to sin and self daily you die to the pleasures and the trappings of this wicked world you die to the lust of the eyes the lust of the flesh and the pride of life you die to self you take up your cross daily and you follow him why? because we've died with him and if we've died with him we'll also be raised with him and we live with his resurrection with him when you consider Paul's example in ministry here when you consider his boasting foolish as he says that is we can see can't we that his boasting here not only necessary to deal with the opponents in corner their slanderous attacks but this weakness Paul's weakness understood in the light of the cross of Christ understood in the context of the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ should be a great source of strength great source of encouragement great source of hope a great source of joy a great source of comfort to the Christian just as the gospel conceals itself in weakness so also the weakness of Paul far from disqualifying him for apostolic ministry is the stage on which he displayed the glory of Christ it's only by the power of God that he could accomplish his mission overcome his weakness and persevere this weak and fragile clay pot this earthen vessel has become a vessel for the display of the divine power the life of the Lord Jesus Christ 2nd Corinthians says as much listen to this from chapter 4 verse 7 we have this treasure in earthen vessels that that the excellent what is an earthen vessel it's weak it's frail we have this treasure the gospel in earthen vessels that the excellence of the power may be of God you see how even in Paul's boasting the excellence of the power doesn't rest in him even in his boasting what he's boasting in the Lord we are hard pressed on every side yet we are not crushed we are perplexed we are not in despair persecuted not forsaken struck down not destroyed always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body for we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus's sake it needs to be a present ongoing reality for the Christian that I deny myself take up my cross once a week no right there are many who do not deny themselves and taking up their cross looks like once a week when they have to fight traffic to get to church on Sunday morning for an hour that's disconnected entirely from the example of Paul and what is being described here those things are alienated from one another entirely Paul says always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body that's what Paul is doing in his ministry when Paul perseveres he remains steadfast faithful always abounding in the work of the Lord Paul is manifesting the life of Jesus in his body manifesting the life giving power of God in his ministry for we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus's sake so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh so then death is working in us but life in you we've got to understand too and balance this by saying that Paul isn't glamorizing weakness here he's not praising weakness weakness merits nothing just like strength merits nothing worldly wisdom merits merits less than nothing it merits wrath but weakness doesn't merit praise weakness is not a meritorious thing right Paul's not praising weakness Paul knows that his life in ministry is a living demonstration that the gospel alone is the power of God's salvation all glory then must be rendered to the Lord Christ alone those things that people in this world consider to be mighty have been disgraced and shown to be nothing by God's choice of those things that are considered by this world to be weak in order to show that it is God who is the one who makes strong it is God who is the one who saves the sinner that accomplishes his work of salvation to his own glory the question is then how well do you apprehend comprehend this reality how well do you grasp it how well do we consider these things if we understand it if we understand it if we comprehend it if we apprehend it then won't that think with me won't that have a dramatic impact on the way that you live your life and serve in the Lord's church it is bound to to the degree that I don't understand these things to the degree that I don't apprehend them is to the degree that I will retreat to my own comforts retreat to my own flesh retreat to boasting the way these fools in Corinth are boasting is to the degree that I will become self-reliant is to the degree that I will fear men and fear opposition and fear loss fear danger fear lack of security is to the degree that I'll become a coward is to the degree that I will shrink back is to the degree that I will be faithless and truly weak if that's you or as we consider you and I as we consider our own inherent weakness don't you don't I write when you agree with me that we what we need more than anything is a spirit empowered spirit enabled enlightenment an understanding of these truths that so grips our heart that we will die to self daily that's what we need these are glorious truths Lord Jesus Christ is worthy of all praise, honor and glory what prevents me from living a life of cross empowered cross-informed service to Him imitating the example of Paul here what prevents me, what hinders me my own flesh, my own ignorance my own sin, my own lack of ability to see these things from the perspective of truth will you pursue an understanding of God's word will you accept this reality will you live in light of it will you step out in faithfulness to preach the gospel to lost people facing the opposition facing the scorn, facing the derision listen, if you're here you've never turned from your sin will you turn from the empty and vacuous and vain trappings of this wicked world turn to Him who has died to give you life will you die in your sin has your proud pharisaic heart truly been humbled are you willing to be a fool for the Lord Jesus Christ we can't forget what He has done right there are those who have forgotten their first love we can't forget our first love we can't forget the sacrifice we can't live in ignorance of it we need a fresh grasp of that mercy and grace every single day, don't we faithfulness will incur opposition lean into it, go outside the camp this is humbling, isn't it Paul abandons himself to the cause steadfast and faithful through difficulty this is the fruit of spirit given understanding, true wisdom so that the power of Christ might be shown in him and what a joy to know the power of Christ is shown in you and I when we face our weakness and faith as He does that His grace, His power, His strength might be magnified all praise, honor and glory to the one who suffered and bled and died for us consider your own heart before the Lord now your own comprehension apprehension of these things let's plead together for God, by His Spirit to humble us and to fuel our faithfulness to Him when you're done praying, you are dismissed