What We Are, and What We Ought to Be

2 Corinthians 11:1-28

DATE: 28 April, 2002 PM          PLACE: BBC Blarney

 

I.         Introduction ()

 

A.      Many times, WE know what we are (saved, blood-bought, forgiven washed, clean)

B.       But does anybody else know it?

C.       What we ARE is something very special, that must be protected, and nurtured

D.      Let’s contrast three truths of what a Christian is, and what he/she is to be doing to make sure they stay that way!

 

II.       Message – What We Are, and What We Ought to Be (2Corinthians 11:1-28)

 

A.      Concerning Our Life (2Cor 11:1,2)

 

1.        We Are Espoused to Jesus Christ

 

a.       Salvation was us surrendering, like a young lady our:

 

1)       Name – Irish, Catholic, protestant, American, etc

2)       Future – hell

3)       Plans – to the will of God

4)       Sins and failures – their power and dominance over our lives

 

b.       And accepting all that Christ offers

 

1)       New name

2)       New future

3)       Changed plans

4)       Sainthood and successes – more than conquerors

 

c.       Adam died to stay with His wife Eve

d.       Christ died to obtain His bride, US

e.       One day, I’m going to be with Him forever- the bride with the Groom

f.        Even though not fully together, I am broken off from all other relationships/gods, idols, religions – that’ why we preach COME OUT!

g.       Also compared to as being a slave, and redeemed by the substitution of Jesus on the cross (1Cor 6:19,20)

 

2.        Therefore, we ought to be HOLY

 

a.       The day we got saved, we got washed, cleaned up, and forgiven

 

1)       1Thes 4:7

2)       Eph 5:25-27

3)       Philp 2:15

4)       1Pet 1:15,16

 

b.       How are we doing TODAY?

 

1)       We still sin

2)       But we don’t have to stay IN the sins we do

3)       The moment you are tempted, Jesus is there to get you through the temptation – He keeps His people from sinning if they want

4)       If you do give-in to temptation, Jesus is there to pick you up

5)       The devil tries to convince people that once they sin, they therefore are filthy

 

 

a)       Well, we are

b)       But, the blood of Jesus Christ, GOD’S Son can cleanse us and make us holy again (1Jn 1:7)

 

3.        So, basically

 

a.       There ought to not be any time that a Christian is hesitant to get right with God, and be holy from that moment on

b.       Holy in the following areas

 

1)       Our speech – our conversation

2)       Our desires – controlling our lusts, and keeping them holy – replace our fleshly lusts with spiritual lusts

3)       Our attitudes – revenge is not godly

4)       Holiness extends to the appearance (1Sam 16:7) for the sake of people

 

a)       We need not just BE holy, but ACT holy – clean

b)       That means NOT doing filthy things

c)       Not attracting people’s lust

d)       Not advertising your “wares”

e)       Not talking like a sewer

f)        Talking, living, and dressing modestly – simply

 

B.       Concerning Our Limits (2Cor 11:3)

 

1.        We Are Easily Fooled (Beguiled)

a.       Into thinking we can live a day without God

b.       Into thinking we have been short-changed – that God has been holding out on us, and that out in the world is a lot that we are missing

c.       Into thinking that some things in our lives don’t matter

 

1)       Doesn’t matter if we disobey God – God won’t kill us

2)       Doesn’t matter if I lose control of my tongue (Mt 12:36)

3)       Doesn’t matter if we act independently of our authority - husband, parents, pastor, government (treason)

 

d.       Into thinking that “religion” is somehow better than Jesus (Gal 3:2,3)

 

2.        Therefore we Must Stay Simple

 

a.       Keep our first love, first – or become like the church at Ephesus

b.       Live IN this Bible – it is complicated enough, yet not like the world

c.       Don’t get caught up in endless genealogies and questions that only produce strife (1Tim 4:7; 6:1-4; 6:20; 2Tim 2:14-18; Tit 3:9; 2Cor 1:12; Heb 13:9)

d.       Simple in the following areas:

 

1)       Debt-free

2)       At home – family first

3)       Church first

4)       Bible study and reading

 

C.       Concerning Our Struggles (2Cor 11:4-28)

                                                                                              

1.        We Are in a Battle – if you are living for the Lord!

 

a.       There are many Jesus’ preached

 

1)       Modern Jesus – Rock and rolling, Jamming, Jesus

2)       Catholic Jesus – blond, blue-eyed, wimp – designer Jesus

3)       Mormon Jesus – many wives, didn’t pay off anybody’s sin

4)       JW Jesus – a little ‘god’ that didn’t resurrect

5)       Humanist Jesus – only a good man

6)       Biblical Jesus – over-turned all the money-tables, boldly rebuked all the Pharisees, stood up to Herod and Pilate, died for my sins

 

b.       There are many spirits promoted

 

1)       New age spirit – astrology

2)       Modern “Christian” spirit – apostasy – it doesn’t matter what you believe, just as long as we develop unity

3)       Dreams and visions as constant revelations overriding the word of God!

4)       Angels, and demons – fearing everything, or making everything “spiritual”

5)       Witches and wizards, and white witches and black witches

6)       The HOLY Sprit of God

 

c.       There are many gospels presented (11:4)

 

1)       Gospel of good-works

2)       Gospel of a good god who wouldn’t send anybody to hell

3)       Gospel of just the four Gospels – no context of the entire Bible

4)       Gospel of the death, burial, resurrection of Jesus Christ (1Cor 15)

 

d.       There are many “apostles” claiming authority (11:5-13)

                                                                                              

1)       My Bible says there were only TWELVE

2)       Yet there are a bunch of people who claim to be apostles also

3)       They speak so smoothly – call themselves cardinals too!

4)       They fleece the flock (2Cor 11:7-9)

5)       A True Apostle had no problem PROVING his apostleship (2Cor 12:11,12)

 

e.       There are many angels at work (11:14-15)

 

1)       Satan appears as a beautiful angel of light – astrology – doing good things

2)       His helpers show up as do-gooders

3)       Angels in all the movies and new age books

4)       We all DO have angels around us, but we are not to talk to them, or listen to them, or rely on them! AMEN!

 

All of these false things do only the following: Bring people into bondage (11:16-20). Real Christianity suffers to enable others to be made FREE

 

f.        There are many burdens (11:22-28)

 

1)       The Christian life is much fuller than the worldly life

2)       Look at what Paul, and any sold-out Christian endured for the Lord – enjoy it!

 

a)       Labouring – hard, back-breaking work!

b)       Stripes – beat-up!

 

(i)       5 times he was beaten 40 times - That makes for 200

(ii)     Three times beaten with iron rods – to break his bones

(iii)    Stoned once and left for dead

 

c)       Imprisonment – remember the jail at Philipi

d)       At the verge of death often

 

(i)       Three times he was shipwrecked

(ii)     24 hours in the deep

 

e)       Journeyings often – going from house to house and city to city, country to country, by foot, and boat tens of thousands of miles!

f)        Constant peril (danger)

 

3)       On top of it all, he carried the burdens of all the people in the churches he started and loved so dearly!

 

2.        Therefore, we ought to be Prepared – you can’t survive the Christian struggles without preparation (training) – like trying to run a marathon without training

 

a.       To Stand – needs lots of encouragement – church, preaching, study

b.       To Win – have to believe we can win!

c.       To Love

d.       To Please God

e.       So how do we get prepared?

 

1)       Join up with a team spirit in church – we have GOT to work together – under this Bible, under the direction of the pastor

2)       Take this old Bible and set out to Master it

 

a)       Discipleship

b)       Bible Institute

 

3)       Start soul-winning – every week! Set out to learn how to win souls by giving the gospel out everyday

4)        

5)       Learn to pray – about everything! Pray until we get the answers to our prayers

6)       Stay in tip-top shape, spiritually, so that we can WRESTLE against these things, especially against discouragement

 

III.     Conclusion – What Are We?

 

A.      Espoused/Engaged to Jesus Christ – So Be Holy

B.       Easily Fooled – So Stay Simple

C.       In a Battle – So Be Prepared