LAUGH 'N LEARN

An Encouragement Ministry of Verde Valley Christian Church Of Cottonwood Arizona
http://vvchristianchurch.net

Issue # 378 June 13,  2010

LAUGH

Forwarded by Orville Marsh with a "Groaner" warning label. 

LEARN

Jim's Manuscript

June 13, 2010

"True Grit"

2 Corinthians "True Comfort" Series (Part 10)

Text:  Chapter 10

John Wayne played Rooster Cogburn in movie "True Grit".  He was a no nonsense lawman who could get the job done.  He knew how to put the bad man in his place.  The Apostle Paul was like the unlikely combination of the Grit of Rooster Cogburn and Billy Graham.  With True Grit, he got the job done to protect those in harms way from the bad man. 

From what we've read and studied so far in 2 Corinthians, we know that the majority of Corinthians have been won over.  However, there is still a minority, probably the ring leaders, Paul's antagonists in Corinth who continue to slander him.  In Chapter 10 we see what some of the things they are saying.

2 Corinthians 10:10 (NIV) For some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing."

They are saying his letters sound strong, but he has no grit.  He is unimpressive in person. The reality is that Paul Has True Grit, but not in the way of the world, not in the rhetoric of his opponents, but he is powerful in the way of the Lord. 

Focus:  God gives us what we need to change the shape of the world we live in.

RELEVANCE: In what shape is your world?  Is it all messed up?  How do you battle stuff that's messed up in your world?  Today's study will show us how.

I.        True Grit Is More Than Bravado or Rhetoric  (10:1-2, 8, 10, 12-13, 17-18)

Paul's opponents had a lot of bravado and polished rhetoric.  Contrast this to Paul.  He was an unimposing figure.  His speech was, well, not as polished, in fact the more riled he is, the less polished his Grammar becomes, even in his letters!   He even admits later in 11:6...

2 Corinthians 11:6 (NIV) I may not be a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way.

Paul did not match the ideal Hellenistic Public figure, but that is before you consider his TRUE GRIT!

"Unimpressive" Oratory

In Hellenistic society the practice and expectations of rhetorical eloquence were pervasive. Not only were political leaders expected to speak persuasively and eloquently, but so also those who claimed authority in philosophy and religion. Among such people there was great competition, and success depended upon one's ability to express the power of the divine in his or her performance--not only through miracles, but also through rhetorical performances....

Debates may have raged about the merits of different styles of rhetoric, "but the value of rhetorical skill was unquestioned." Winter argues convincingly that the judgment that his bodily presence was weak "was rendered according to the canons of rhetoric.

... Paul apparently did not fit the bill when it came to these qualities.

-- New American Commentary

How A Leader Exerts Power Is Revealing (10:1-2, 10)

Some Use Exploitive Power

This is the Gunman, though probably not with a gun, but with some other use of force, or threat, with little choice but to leave or comply.

Some Use Manipulative Power

This is not the gunman, but the con man, who uses a covert cunning.  The use of bravado and polished Rhetoric had the ability to ENTERTAIN the audience and keep them entertained and perhaps lead them with a false sense of security in their manipulative tactics as a leader.

I'm all for humor, and the ability to keep the audience's attention, but we dare not slip into tickling the ears, and entertaining, in order to keep an audience.  We have to have more than manipulative power if lives are to be changed.  

Some Use Competitive Power

This is the I win, and you lose strategy.  This method attempts to prove "my way" is best and right, and your way is not best and therefore wrong.  As long as you see it my way we all win.  But this is doomed to be the size of the man's rightness or wrongness.  The community shrinks to the size of the man.  Relationships, particularly covenant relationships, do not work well under a win/lose competitive mentality.  Covenant relationships thrive when the relationship wins.  The relationship wins when both win, not when one wins at the expense of the other losing.  Humility recognizes that for relationships to thrive both parties must sense that it is win/win.  The competitive power model cares more to win, showing the other to lose, and I am right, than it does to build up the relationship into a win/win relationship. 

Some Use Nutritional Power

Like a parent's care for children

Care Must Be Taken To Not Smother the Child, forcing the child to do things the parents way only, always, and dependently, but to release the child's ability to choose, and exercise their choices to do good.

Some Use Synergistic Power

This is working with the strengths of the other person.  Understanding that the whole, working together, is greater than just he sum of the parts, working individually.  The church is a body, and when we work in community with one another, the whole is greater than the individual parts on their own. 

Paul is confronted by opponents who have been using the first 3 power models.  They do not understand Paul's model, which is actually Christ's model of meekness and gentleness.  The opponents misunderstand meekness for weakness.  But meekness is NOT weakness.  There is incredible power controlled and under reign and bridle when there is humility and meekness.  Paul's model is really TRUE GRIT, but rightly understood.  Chapters 10 through 13 explain.

II.       True Grit Has Shaping Power (10:6-13)

Example # 1:   Bondo--Obsessed?

Lately I've been enjoying the properties of a new found discovery--Bondo! I've just learned how to mix the compound not too long ago.  I've used bondo to fix wood working mistakes, dinged doors, dog chewed siding, extremely weathered fascia boards, chipped concrete, and what it is usually known for, repairing dented auto bodies.  Now, I find I'm fixing all kinds of stuff with it.  My family thinks I'm obsessed with Bondo, almost like the father is with Windex in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding".  If I get a cut or develop a rash, my family teases me that I should fix it with bondo!  Well, it is pretty amazing stuff. 

Here is the secret of Bondo.  It takes True Grit to shape Bondo.  You apply it.  It may look ugly at first, you apply globs, and the globs aren't all that well shaped.  It sets up fast.  You then take a sander to it.  And Voila!  The perfectly shaped Bondo is there to restore that which is damaged to the newly restored surface. 

It is the grit of the sandpaper that takes off the rough edges, the unwanted portion.  And that Grit is Powerful!!!

"TIMID" Paul Will Punish

⁶ And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.  ⁷ You are looking only on the surface of things.

[true grit does more than just smooth over the surface...there is shaping power in the bite of the True Grit shaping influence] 

Shaping Power Example # 2 (Visual Example)

Visual Illustration of Power Belt- sander!!!

Or the more gentle Power hand sander

Or gentler still, 120 grit, hand sanding, to finish it off to a polished sheen!

If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as he.

Again, probably, quoting the accusation--that he "boasts" of the authority the Lord gave him.

⁸ For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it.

Paul's shaping power was for "building you up" rather than "pulling you down" (10:8).

⁹ I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters.   

[Or my belt sander...my words of correction, admonishment, or rebuke.  They are all intended to build you up, and shape you, to bring glory to Christ, not to me.]

¹⁰ For some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing."

¹¹ Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.

The Corinthian FALSE teachers were outsiders who were taking over Paul's work, and to do so they were undermining Paul's influence and causing people to follow their false bravado.

Paul here mocks their false bravado.   Listen to his tone...

¹² We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves.

There is mockery in his tone.  Then he follows this with an understated correction.

When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.

Just take a look at the facts instead of the false bravado and self commendation.  Paul is simply stating the facts.  They wouldn't be a church if it wasn't for Paul.  They are proof that he has authority.  They are the harvest of his work of planting seeds.  As to these self promoters, what have they done, but tear the church down.  They came to a field not their own, and began working it where they were doing damage to the work already done. 

¹³ We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you.

III.       True Grit Gets Involved (10:3)

2 Corinthians 10:3 (NIV) For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.

We live in the world.  We do not disengage from the world.  We engage.  We don't live like isolated monks, insulating ourselves.  Protecting ourselves.   We don't fort up, to keep the world out.  We storm the world, and take captives.  We get involved.  We do battle.  We shape the world. 

BUT to do so we must NOT be like the world.  If we use the world's weapons, we become like the world.  The world shapes us.  We pick up the unwanted stuff. 

Example # 3:  UNWANTED shavings gets in the grit

If the UNWANTED bondo shavings get into the sandpaper, the sandpaper becomes less and less effective.  It now becomes a question of who is shaping who?!   The sandpaper takes off pieces of the unwanted material, pieces of the world so to speak, but then those pieces stay in the grit.  Then the grit has lost its grit.  It no longer has the shaping power.  True Grit shapes. 

Jesus said if the Salt loses its saltiness what is it good for?  So, also if True Grit loses its grit, and shaping power, the paper that used to have the grit is no good and thrown out.

False Grit, spins like sandpaper in the sander, but the paper looks more and more like bondo powder and less like sandpaper.  It is taking on the shape of Bondo, rather than the other way around.   True Grit shapes.

True Grit engages.  It shapes.  It gets after it.  It makes changes. 

We wage war, spiritual warfare not on people, but on lies, and arguments that stand against God.

True grit gets involved.  Involved in people's lives, serving, helping, shaping. 

IV.      True Grit Uses Godly Weapons (10:3-6)

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (NIV) ³ For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. ⁴ The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. ⁶ And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

It isn't just engagement that is necessary, the right kind of engagement is necessary.  It isn't just involvement that is necessary, it is the RIGHT KIND of Involvelment!  Does no good to simply do as they do.  That's not the right kind of engagement.   It's not the right kind of involvement.

The right kind of engagement uses the right kind of weapons. 

We do not argue with people; that doesn't work.  Besides that is the weaponry that the world uses.  We use different weapons.  We use weapons that work.  They are divinely powerful. 

There are many ways to fight evil.  Just because we are fighting the right enemy does not mean ANYTHING goes.  Too often we are still using the weapons of this world, hoping to accomplish what God wants.  God says, that's not effective.  We would be much more effective using weapons that are not of this world. 

First, by way of illustration, what are some weapons of this world?  Ways of fighting the RIGHT enemy, but the wrong way.  I already mentioned "argumentation".  Let me list off many. 

The world thinks that the way to change the world is through the weapons of power politics, or action coalitions, or organized programs.  The world uses demonstrations, and picketing, and boycotts.  The world uses laws, and more laws, education and more education.  The world might even use violence.  But we need to find out what weapons God would have us use.  Perhaps we ought to use divinely powerful weapons instead of the weapons of this world.  We will be more effective at shaping the world if we use divinely powerful weapons!

What kind of weapons?  Weapons like ...Truth!

John 8:31-32 (NIV) ³¹ To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³² Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Receiving truth, and knowing it are very different things.  Education doesn't do the trick.  Many know better and still are caught by strongholds.  Knowing the difference between right and wrong doesn't mean we choose it.  But now, holding to Christ's teachings, embracing his teachings as truth, following him as disciples, this is how truth sets you free.

We need more than education.  We need to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

We need more than rhetoric.  We need people who walk the talk the way Paul did.

Weapons with Divine power to combat evil include:  Presentation of Christ's ways, shaping and influencing people's individual lives, making disciples, returning good for evil, serving, loving, prayerful action, investing in the lives of those who are upside down, so that one at a time they can become disciples (turned right side up), until the antagonistic world begins to think we are turning their world upside down.  Our primary weapons are Truth, Love, Faith, which leads to Obedience (we obey who we trust), and the Prayers of Faith, manifesting the divine Power of the Spirit. 

How do we take captive every thought to the obedience of Christ?  This is done mostly by example.  In the relationships that we have with disciples, they see how it works in our lives, and as we pray for them, and relate to them, and influence them, they begin to get it.  It is caught more than taught, captured by love and example. 

The running metaphor is not the church that is forted up while battling the world, it is the other way around.  The church is infiltrating and laying siege to the evil fortresses ("arguments and lofty pretentions") that hold people captive, and we bring down these strongholds, and take captive those caught in the consequent lifestyle, and lead them away from their demolished strongholds and lead them to Christ to the freedom of obedience. 

³ For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.

To Demolish Strongholds (10:4)

⁴ The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Weapons of Our Warfare

Divine Power to Demolish Strongholds

We Don't Fort Up, We Take Down Fortresses

To Demolish Worldly Lies And Defenses (10:5)

We Have What It Takes to Demolish Their Arguments--TRUTH!!

People Do Set Themselves against the Knowledge of God.

To Take Captives (10:5)

And Make all thoughts Obedient To Christ

All this must start with ourselves.  When we learn how this works for us, we are given the grace to help others learn how it can work for them too!

Do you have questions?  Find the answers, this says the knowledge base God provided Paul was enough to answer each stronghold, and lofty pretention, set up against God.   We aren't the ones on the defensive.  We need to stop acting like the siege is against us.  The truth is with us, we take down the fortresses and strongholds, and arguments.  We take the captives, and make them obedient to Christ. 

We win! 

⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

¹⁴ We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ.

¹⁵ Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand,

That's what his opponents are doing.  They didn't start the church, they are just moving in on his harvest.  That's what false teachers do.

¹⁶ so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in another man's territory.

¹⁷ But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

Simply put, Paul has the Lord's commendation, he doesn't need all that false bravado, as they do. 

¹⁸ For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

The Prayerhood

Armitage Baptist Church pastor Charles Lyons writes on the topic of praying for the streets of Chicago:

During the 1980s the OA gang dominated our area. We created a prayer patrol of three or four teams of two men each. These were men with street savvy, men who knew the language and weren't intimidated easily.

Normally when a gang hangs out on a corner, nobody goes near them. Once a young man puts on the colors, the only adult that may ever speak to him again is a police detective. With the gang watching every car, keeping an eye out for drive-bys, our prayer patrols would slow down and find a place to park. Then the patrol would do the unheard of: walk right up and start talking to the gang.

"I'm Al, this is Moses, and we're from Armitage Baptist. We're the prayer patrol. How ya' doin'? Is there anything we can pray about with you? Baby sick? Brother in jail? Can we pray for you?"

These patrolmen then put their hands on the shoulders of these lost kids and prayed for them. In time, the gangs got to know and respect our prayer patrols.

The OAs had called our block their headquarters for 20 years. Today, the OAs are gone. The gang was overcome by the power of prayer.

Charles Lyons, "The Prayer Hood," Leadership (Fall 2001), p. 68

(C) Jim Hammond

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