Father, we come now before you, before your word.
Lord, we ask that you would speak to us this morning.
Lord, thank you that by your Holy Spirit you enable us to know spiritual truths, Lord,
that are wonderful, precious, sweet.
Lord, we pray this morning that we would not have hard hearts, Lord, and that we would
not resist your teaching, but Lord, that you would give us soft hearts to receive what
you have to speak to us this morning.
God, I pray for your help, that I might proclaim your word faithfully, that Christ would be
lifted up in our midst.
Lord, be with us, we pray, in Jesus' name.
Amen.
My son Eli had a doctor's appointment, actually a dentist appointment this week.
He's seven and his teeth are coming in.
His two lower front teeth are coming in, but his baby teeth haven't fallen out.
As a matter of fact, until this week, they hadn't even been loose.
And I, as a, doing this for the first time around, had no idea how serious this was or
not.
So I called the dentist, made up an appointment.
I was hoping they could just call me back and talk me through it, but they couldn't.
They had to set up an appointment.
So, so we set him up to take him in on Thursday.
And, you know, my poor little boy, he just hates being treated for things like cuts and
bruises and, you know, band-aids.
He just, he hates it.
And I thought, oh, Lord, if they have to take out four of his little teeth to make room for
those big honking ones that are sticking up through his gums right now.
Oh, Lord, have mercy on him.
I just wanted so much for him to not have to go through that.
I wanted so much for him to not go through that pain and that trial.
And I realized that it's just a little window into my heart.
That's how I often think about him and Katie.
As a parent, I want them to not have to go through trials and loss.
I hope that as they go to school, they don't have to face mockery and scorn from their peers
at school.
I pray as they grow that they won't have to face the sufferings of disappointment, of dashed
hopes and broken hearts.
I'll be honest with you.
I think, haven't they already seen enough?
Haven't they lost enough?
And you know, it's not a bad instinct for a parent to feel this way about their children.
Goodness, it's far better than neglecting them or not caring at all what happens to them.
But as I examined my heart this week and as we looked at our, as I was studying this passage,
I saw in it that there's a deeper longing in my heart.
I just want my life to be free from suffering and trial altogether.
I want it to be successful.
I want it to be triumphant.
Even the trials, I want to be able to say, I've overcome them and look at all the good
that they've produced in my life.
I want it to be easy and carefree.
I think we live in a world where this is often the subtext that life is supposed to work.
It's supposed to work out well.
Even the hard things produce good things.
And if there's something wrong, there must be a problem and the problem has to be fixed
or we sue somebody.
I think we spend in our culture a lot of time avoiding pain and suffering.
And you know, I think we can even import this into the church
and think that, well, isn't this what God wants for us?
God has saved us from sin.
God has saved us from our foolishness.
God has, in Christ, given us a new life.
It gives us hope that God will be good to us.
Not only in our eternal salvation, but in our everyday life.
And again, this is not an untrue thing that God would be good to us in our everyday life.
And yet, we expect God to preserve us from every pain and trial.
To preserve us and rescue us from every distress quickly.
And when he doesn't, we blame.
We reject him.
We withdraw from him.
I think we often go through our life, rather than asking the question that I think the Bible wants us to ask,
which is, how can we glorify God in whatever our situation?
We ask ourselves and God the question, how can I avoid pain in this situation?
Here's your test.
Think about how you pray.
When you have an evaluation at work.
As you think about your kid going off to junior high.
As you go on a date.
Or, nowadays, a dating online match moment.
I don't even know what that is.
When you go into your doctor's office for your routine evaluation.
Or, for something that you don't know quite what it is.
When you launch out on a new business venture.
Set off to a new place to live.
What do you pray for?
Do you pray for anything other than God's help?
That your endeavors would be successful.
That your problems would be fixed.
I know that I often don't pray for much more than that.
Maybe you're like me.
Thankfully, God has spoken to us in his word.
And so, if you want to turn with me.
Page 953.
We're looking at 1 Corinthians chapter 4.
Starting in verse 6.
We're looking at verse 6 to the end of the chapter.
And as we turn there.
I want to remind you.
Because this is actually the end of a section.
The first four chapters of the book of 1 Corinthians.
Are kind of an opening salvo.
And then you will see a strong transition.
Beginning of chapter 5.
And in this, Paul has been addressing broadly.
Their understanding of the Christian life.
Of what Christian leadership ought to look like.
And specifically.
Of what the gospel that they believe.
Actually is and promises.
And for much of this.
He has been uncovering.
In their thinking.
And in their hearts.
That their understanding is far more Corinthian.
Than it is Christian.
Far more Corinthian.
Than it is cruciform.
Shaped by the cross.
One commentator explained.
That for the Corinthian church.
It seemed that their values.
Were form above content.
Prestige above humility.
Stoicism above passion.
An organizing philosophy of wisdom.
Above frank confession.
Frank confession of ignorance.
And the limitations of human knowledge.
Rhetoric above truth.
Money above people.
And reputation above integrity.
The church had in many ways.
Adopted the thinking of the culture.
That they had lived in.
And one of the effects of it.
Was that they thought.
That the kingdom had already come.
They took the successful.
Get ahead culture.
Of Corinth.
And they imported it.
Into their understanding of God's kingdom.
And they thought.
That the kingdom that was.
That is future.
Has now become theirs.
In the present.
That.
They wanted to get ahead.
For God to be sure.
But by the means.
Of the Corinthian thought patterns.
Paul has been unpacking this.
And attacking it.
Over and over again.
In the last three and a half chapters.
And here.
He ends with a very passionate.
And very personal appeal.
To the Corinthians.
To consider.
What God has actually called them to.
So let's read this passage together.
First Corinthians chapter four.
Starting in verse six.
I have applied all these things to myself.
And Apollos.
For your benefit brothers.
That you may learn by us.
Not to go beyond.
What is written.
That none of you may be puffed up.
In favor of one another.
One against another.
For who sees anything different.
In you.
What do you have.
That you did not receive.
If then you received it.
Why do you boast.
As if you did not receive it.
Already you have all you want.
Already you've become rich.
Without us.
You have become kings.
And would that you did reign.
So that we might share the rule with you.
For I think God has exhibited us apostles.
As last of all.
Like men sentenced to death.
Because we have become a spectacle to the world.
To angels.
And to men.
We are fools for Christ's sake.
But you are wise in Christ.
We are weak.
But you are strong.
You are held in honor.
But we in disrepute.
To the present hour.
We hunger and thirst.
We are poorly dressed.
And buffeted.
And homeless.
And we labor.
Working with our own hands.
When reviled.
We bless.
When persecuted.
We endure.
When slandered.
We entreat.
We have become.
And are still.
Like the scum.
Of the world.
The refuse.
Of all things.
I do not write these things.
To make you ashamed.
But to admonish you.
As my beloved children.
For though you have countless guides.
In Christ.
You do not have many fathers.
For I became your father.
And Christ Jesus.
Through the gospel.
I urge you then.
Be imitators of me.
This is why I sent you Timothy.
My beloved and faithful child.
And the Lord.
To remind you of my ways.
In Christ.
As I teach them everywhere.
In every church.
Some are arrogant.
As though I were not coming to you.
But I will come to you soon.
If the Lord wills.
And I will find out.
Not their talk.
Not the talk of these arrogant people.
But their power.
For the kingdom of God.
Does not consist in talk.
But in power.
What do you wish?
Shall I come to you with a rod.
Or with love.
In a spirit of gentleness.
In this argument.
There is actually only two central commands.
That he said.
And one is an implication.
That you might not be puffed up.
The central command here.
Is what we see in verse.
I took off my glasses.
What is it?
16.
Verse 16.
Imitate me.
This is the.
This is Paul's passionate appeal.
To the Corinthian church.
Is to say.
You have been thinking so much.
About your own culture.
You have been so influenced.
By the ways of thinking around you.
And maybe even by leaders among you.
As we see at the end of this chapter.
But would you.
My beloved children.
Imitate me.
Follow my example.
Not in boasting.
Not in self-promotion.
Not in self-exaltation.
Not in self-dependence.
But in self-denial.
And sacrifice.
Following.
In the footsteps of the Savior.
Imitate me.
In following Christ.
Paul unpacks this passage.
There are two different things.
I want to look at this morning.
As we look at.
What it is that Paul is saying.
As he's doing this.
I want to look first.
At the relationship.
On which this appeal.
Was grounded.
And secondly.
I want to look at the pattern.
That he put forward.
For us to imitate.
So let's look first.
At the relationship.
That Paul had.
The relationship.
That gave the grounds.
For this imitation.
First.
What we see is that Paul loved.
The Corinthian church.
To them.
To him.
They were like family.
You see it in verse 6.
My beloved.
My brothers.
I've done this to you.
Because you are my brothers.
In Christ.
I don't lord it over you.
I am not simply trying to come in.
And fix you.
As some authority.
I am your brother.
In this.
And then as we saw.
In 14 through 17.
He says.
Not only am I your brother.
But I'm your father.
Verse 15.
When it says.
I have become your father.
The word there.
Is the same word.
To birth a child.
And it's interesting.
The way Paul puts it.
Isn't it?
He didn't say.
I have birthed you.
He said.
I have become your father.
Because the gospel.
Has begotten you.
As my child.
Do you see how he says that?
I became your father.
In Christ Jesus.
Through the gospel.
Paul isn't saying.
I'm appealing to you.
Because I have done all these great things in your life.
Paul is saying.
No.
The gospel has done great things.
And I've had the privilege.
Of being a vehicle.
Through which the gospel has worked.
In you.
And I love you.
And I love you enough.
Not to back down.
I love you enough.
Not to say.
Hey.
I just given my opinion.
Do your own thing.
He loves them enough.
To say.
I will come.
It will either be with a rod.
Or it will be with gentleness.
It will either come with strength.
Of rebuke.
Or it will come.
With the gentleness.
Of embrace.
He loves them that much.
And he does say.
I have become your father.
So imitate me.
This was a cultural pattern.
That in our modern world.
We have very little sense of.
But in the ancient world.
And in fact.
In most places in the world.
In most times.
Sons would follow.
In the footsteps of their father.
Think of how in the English language.
We have some great last names.
Baker.
And Smith.
Do you know why they have that last name?
Because their dad was the baker.
And then the son was the baker.
And the son after him.
Was the baker.
And so you just kept your name.
Or in the Scandinavian countries.
How many of you are named.
Peterson.
Or Svensson.
Or Olson.
Or Olofsson.
Or whatever.
I'm the son of my father.
And that's my identity.
And I follow in his footsteps.
And I bear his name.
Think of even how the crowds responded to Jesus.
When he began his ministry.
Isn't he the carpenter's son?
Shouldn't he be in his woodshed?
Workshop?
Working?
What is he doing?
Preaching?
This isn't what he's done.
So Paul is leaning on a cultural pattern of imitation.
He's saying, I have become your father.
Not a pedagogue.
Not a...
The word here for countless guides.
Might be best translated a governess or a nanny.
Someone who takes over the full-time care and moral development of a child for a period of time.
But not forever.
And in the ancient Near East, there's a clear distinction between who is the father.
And who was the caretaker on a day-to-day basis.
And Paul says, you have many who can come and teach you and take care of you.
He's not trying to pick a fight with the other teachers.
Apollos and Peter and others.
Saying they're a blessing to you.
But you only have one father.
Imitate me.
Finally, I want you to see that in his relationship, his focus was not on himself.
It's so easy for us, isn't it?
As people to try to sort of leverage our personal relationships to get someone else to do what we want to do.
Hey, I did all this for you.
Come on.
Give me a little...
Give me a little something in return.
If we have authority over someone, we can wield that in a way to manipulate or to control.
Paul isn't doing any of that.
So striking in verse 14.
I don't write this that you would be ashamed.
Don't be ashamed of who you are.
Don't be ashamed of what God has done in your life.
Don't be ashamed of me.
I don't want this to be a guilt trip for you.
It is instead an invitation.
I want to draw out of you the best.
I want to elicit you to find what is right and good and true.
And to pursue that.
He intervenes for their good.
The thought that Paul would be wielding his relationship with them for his own benefit flies in the whole face of the passage.
Because that's not the pattern.
I wonder if you've ever had a relationship like this in your life.
I'm thankful to say that I've had many.
I sat down this week and I counted four turning point incidents in my life.
Where I had whether mentors or friends.
Men and women both.
Who spoke into my life.
I can think of Bill who confronted me about my lack of responsibility in a dating relationship.
outside of a dormitory at college.
I talked to him.
I thought of a dear sister who sat me down when I was a young foolish and one of those really dangerous guys who was really nice.
And didn't quite know what he was doing.
And said, you've got to learn how to have more self-control so you can love your sisters well.
And not be confusing.
I can think of a couple who called me on a decision that I was making.
And they said, we think you're doing this for selfish ambition.
And not for desire for the kingdom.
I can think of a time here at Trinity when I was confronted by a brother about my lack of grace.
And you know, sometimes I saw the wisdom of their statements in the moment.
Sometimes it took years for me to really understand it.
But each of them said, you're not living up to your profession to follow Christ.
You're being foolish when you think you are wise.
You're being proud instead of humble.
I'm thankful for them.
I'm humbled by them.
And I want to imitate them.
I think Paul's example is one for us to consider as well.
How we might bring these dynamics into our relationships.
Obviously this applies to a discipling relationship or to church leadership as we lead the church.
That we might do this.
Sense both the weightiness and the responsibility to have these kinds of relationships.
For any of you who are parents, you recognize this is a part of what we do in parenting as well, isn't it?
But also in spiritual friendships.
The examples I gave many were mentors.
But one was just a friend, a sister, who sat me down and helped me see something that I couldn't see.
And I wonder if we have those kinds of relationships that are based in love.
That are calling us to live out the profession that God has given us.
Willing to confront where we think wrongly.
Willing to love, not to shame, but to encourage and exhort one another to follow Christ.
Do we value people doing this in our own lives?
Do we value, do we seek to cultivate these kinds of relationships as we initiate them with others?
But this is only setting up the content of the passage, the rest of the passage, isn't it?
Because this is the basis upon which the appeal to imitate Paul is laid in this familial, loving relationship.
But then we see Paul saying, what is it that you're to imitate with me?
And he sets up this contrast.
He says, the pattern for you, that you are to imitate in me is one of boasting in nothing.
But in the cross of Jesus Christ and him crucified.
And walking a path of life that is patterned by that crucified Messiah.
As you look, verses 7 through 13, you see this constant contrast.
You, we, you, we, you, we.
He's saying, there's a pattern that I see in your life that looks like this.
But the pattern that I have lived looks like this.
And he says, imitate this.
What is this?
Well, let's look at it.
Let's look at this contrast together.
The Corinthian way.
Start with me in verse 7.
Who sees anything different?
That is, who sees anything special in you?
What do you have that you did not receive?
And if you received it, then why do you boast of it as if you didn't?
The very core of the Corinthian problem was that of pride.
They had an inflated sense of self-worth.
Like Tom Hanks in Castaway sitting on this beach saying,
Look what I have created when he lights a bonfire.
But we think about everything in our life that way.
And rather than seeing that every good and perfect gift comes from the Father above,
we take these things and we make them ours.
And then we say, look what a great thing I am.
And when we do this, we fall into all the patterns that we've been talking about for the last two and a half months.
We compare to one another.
Am I ahead of them or not?
We compete.
We lift ourselves up by putting other people down.
Taking credit for the things that we have that other people don't so that we can feel more important.
We build our identities on things that separate us from others.
And in doing so, we jockey for greatness.
And that pride is expressed in a kind of arrogance.
It builds one another up.
It's fascinating thinking about how to read this passage.
Because if you've ever wondered whether sarcasm is okay,
for those of us who are in New England, we love it.
Right?
Paul got sarcastic here.
Right?
He got ironic here.
In verse 8,
he's saying something that is both true and untrue at the same time about them.
Already you have all that you want.
Already you are rich.
Already you have begun to reign,
which is the best translation of that phrase.
You have begun to reign with Christ.
Christ.
And look, if we went back,
if you were here two weeks ago,
when Greg preached on the end of chapter 3,
you see this, right?
All things are yours in Christ.
So in one level, this is true.
And yet, because of the way they held it,
because they took these things,
and rather than seeing them as received from the Lord,
they took credit for them,
and they puffed themselves up with it.
In fact, they were empty rather than full of all that Christ had done for them.
They're boasting empties themselves.
And like a souffle before it's pricked and collapses,
like cotton candy that looks so good and yet disappears in your mouth as soon as you touch it,
Paul says, this is what your lives are.
In your pride, you have built a great facade,
and there is no substance in it.
You have a misperception of yourselves,
and the fruit of it is destructive.
You haven't even gotten what you truly want.
For what you want is true wisdom,
true spiritual life,
true greatness.
True power.
And in fact, you have none of those things,
because you have sought to build them yourself,
and take them from the world,
and establish yourself in the worldly pattern,
rather than receiving these things from Christ.
And Paul says,
you are in grave danger,
because if you follow in this pattern,
you are robbing God of his glory.
You are denying all of the things that he has done for you.
And you are refusing to see how he has done it,
and embrace him as your pattern.
And so Paul says,
you have done all of these things,
this has been your pattern,
but we have done these things.
We have followed a different pattern,
the way of the cross.
What is this characterized by?
Strikingly,
in verse 9,
God has exhibited,
God has appointed us.
His starting point is not,
look what we have done,
but this is what God has done.
God called us into this.
God has called us into this path.
We probably wouldn't have chosen it,
in our own wisdom,
but God has called us to this.
It is a part of his plan,
and it is good.
And what does it look like?
Friends,
are you ready for all these?
We have become a spectacle.
Becoming a spectacle,
usually is not a good thing.
And here,
Paul certainly means it that way.
The world looks at you and thinks,
are you kidding me?
Seriously?
Really?
Foolishness?
Weakness?
Dishonor?
We've become like a freak show.
Whoever that is,
I don't get it.
I don't understand it.
Paul goes on and he says,
I've embraced the suffering.
Physical suffering,
hardship,
hunger,
and thirst.
No clothing,
no shelter.
I've experienced the scorn and derision of other people.
I worked with my hands,
like a slave.
It's like President Obama,
vacuuming his own office.
And even we are way too democratic to get,
that actually doesn't strike us as odd.
We'd be like the King of England,
cleaning his toilet.
That's the kind of
shockiness
of a spiritual teacher
working with his hands
to earn his own
in the eyes of the Corinthians.
He worked with his hands.
He was reviled.
He was slandered.
He was persecuted.
And then,
one of my most favorite,
though most striking verses,
we have become
and still are,
verse 13,
the scum of the world,
the refuse
of all things.
Have you ever left a coffee mug
in a hot window
with a little milk in the bottom of it
for a couple weeks?
Have you ever cleaned out
the grease trap
under your sink?
Have you ever walked
the streets
of a third world country
where you share
the sidewalk
or the road,
there's no difference,
with
scooters
and bikes
and cars
and trucks
and cattle
and sheep
and
donkeys
and
chickens?
Have you ever seen
what you would scrape
off the bottom of your shoe
at the end of the day?
That's what the refuse
of all things is.
That's what the scum
of the world is.
They are things
that are not only
ugly
and distasteful,
but they're actually
offensive.
And Paul says,
this
is what God
has appointed
for us.
This is the pattern
that God has set
for us
to do it.
And do you see
there is no room
for pride here?
There's no room
for boasting
and self.
There is instead
a refining work
that empties us
of all of our
self-promotion
and self-exaltation
and self-dependence
and, dare I say,
it's self-esteem.
It refines us
and empties us
of self
and fills us
instead
with something else.
It fills us
with love.
Do you see?
This is what
the end of verse 12
and beginning of verse 13
say.
In the midst
of all of this
suffering
that I endure
for the sake
of the gospel
when I am treated
like the scum
of the earth,
when people
look at me
and think
I'm a freak show,
I seek to bless them.
I want their good.
I entreat them.
That is,
I appeal to them
to see the folly
of their way
and the wisdom
of the cross.
it fills us
with love
that enables us
to endure
because if our identity
is in
how great we are,
then when people
treat us
like
the stuff
on the road,
then we're shattered.
But if we know
that this is what
God has appointed
to us
and we know
that in Christ
we have
something far
better,
far more,
far richer
than anything else,
then we can be
patient and enduring
even in those trials.
I think of
a man named
Charles Simeon.
If you ever want
to know about him,
John Hinkson
did a master's
thesis on him.
It's a great story.
Actually,
John's thing
is a good read too.
But Charles Simeon
was a pastor
in England
a couple of
centuries ago.
And he served
in a,
he was wonderfully
converted
during his time
in college
and afterwards
he ended up
staying
and was
surprisingly
at a fairly young age
able to take
the pastoral position
of a church,
Trinity Church,
right near
Cambridge University.
But this is what
his ministry life
looked like.
For the first
ten years,
the members
of the congregation
didn't want him.
Back then,
you could
reserve,
purchase,
own a pew
in the church
so they locked
their pews.
If you've ever been
to the Old North Church
in Boston,
they have the
locking pews still.
It would be like
there's a door
along the aisles
and you couldn't
get in
without getting
over these doors.
And for the first
ten years,
the entire pews
were empty
and people came
and sat on the floor
to be preached to.
Not the members,
but others.
For ten years,
he preached to a church
that didn't want him.
That finally
changed
some,
yet
he still
thirty years
into his ministry
went through
another season
where everyone
sought to
cast him out
of his position.
When he turned
forty-seven,
he developed
a physical disability
that made him
almost unable
to speak.
After he preached,
he could only speak
in a whisper.
This went on
for thirteen years.
He was so
looked down
upon
in the
university
community,
though he was
a graduate,
he was so
looked down
upon
that he remarked
once in his
journal
of the blessing
of a colleague
who walked
with him
for fifteen
minutes
around the
courtyard
of the
college
because it
was the
first time
it had
happened
in years.
He was
so despised
and scorned
in the
university
community
that even
his colleagues
would not
walk with
him
around the
campus
universe
around
the
campus.
And then
his biographer
writes this
in April
1831,
Charles Simeon
was 71
years old.
He had been
the pastor
Trinity Church
for 49
years.
He was
asked one
afternoon
by his
friend
how he
had
surmounted
persecution
and outlasted
all the
great prejudice
against him
in his
49-year
ministry.
And he
said to
Gurney,
my dear
brother,
we must
not mind
a little
suffering
for Christ's
sake.
When I
am getting
through a
hedge,
if my
head and
shoulders
are safely
through,
I can
bear the
pricking
of my
legs,
let us
rejoice in
the remembrance
that our
holy head
has surmounted
all his
sufferings
and triumphed
over death.
Let us
follow him
patiently.
We shall
soon be
partakers
of his
victory.
This is
what Paul
longed for
the Corinthian
church,
that they
would see
that his
example
was one
of suffering
because he
was following
Jesus,
the one
who went
first and
foremost,
who suffered
in our
place.
The echoes
of Isaiah
53 ring
in our
ears that
he was
wounded for
our
transgressions,
he was
crushed for
our
iniquities.
Don't
follow the
path of
boasting,
but instead
follow the
example of
Christ.
So what
might this
look like
for us?
Friends,
we need to
do some
heart work
about who
we are.
Are you
willing to
walk around
with a
t-shirt that
says,
scum of the
earth,
spectacle before
men and
angels?
A t-shirt
is cheap.
It's not
really our
identity.
But more
importantly,
how about
those that
you interact
with in
the world?
Whether it
be your
families,
your
colleagues,
your
potential
employers,
your
classmates in
the school
room and
in the
hallways.
friends,
Jesus' call
here is
one that
is striking
because to
follow him
makes us
aliens and
strangers,
in the words
of the
apostle Peter,
aliens and
strangers in
our world.
It ought to
feel weird to
follow Christ
in our world.
Sometimes I
fear that
we have
bought into
a lie that
somehow if
we can do
our
Christianity
just well
enough and
with enough
wisdom and
savvy that
we'll be
accepted and
people will
think well
of us.
But that's
probably not
really the
case.
Jesus said
if they
persecuted me
they will
persecute you
also.
The gospel
cuts across
every culture
we will
find the
places where
the exclusivity
of Christ
or a
faithfulness
about teaching
of how we
live our
lives sexually,
how we
interact with
the world
and other
religions,
how we
forgive our
enemies.
things.
All of
these things
will be
striking and
countercultural
in various
places in
various ways.
And if we
think that by
faithfulness we're
going to be
okay and
there won't be
a cost, we
haven't heard
Paul this
morning.
We may
become
marginalized in
our culture.
Friends, we
need to be ready
for this as a
church.
I don't want
to be doom
and gloom.
I don't want
to try to fight
the culture war.
I want to
follow Christ.
But we need to
recognize that
following Christ
may lead us
outside the
camp.
It may lead us
to places where
all we have is
the power of
the gospel in
our lives as
we live humbly,
brokenly, in
weakness, and
being seen as
foolish in the
world.
friends, this is
what Paul did
because he
followed Jesus.
And this is
what Jesus did
for us.
Because as
offensive as
the cross and
following the
cross can be in
our world, the
deepest offense in
the world is
far more profound,
isn't it?
The thing that
most offends us
and our friends
and our world
is not a
particular stance
on this or
that issue.
But it's that
we are owning
the fact that
we are sinners.
And that sin
is so offensive
that it deserved
not a pass,
not a warning,
but it earned
for us the
death of the
Son of God
himself.
when we
admit that
our sin
cripples us,
that our
pride makes
us empty
and puffed
up rather
than substantive
and real,
when we
recognize that
our sin
makes our
wisdom
foolishness
and our
strength
weakness
and our
spirituality
empty
and exposes
us as in
fact offensive
to God,
and helpless.
We then
see how
wonderful a
Savior we
have
because he
stepped into
that.
Jesus took
the offense
for us,
didn't he?
Jesus was
scorned and
mocked.
He was the
Son of God
and the
creator of the
world and
yet we
esteemed him
not.
He came
to his
own and
his own
received him
not.
He was
taken outside
the city
and crucified
on a hill
bearing the
wrath of God
against the
offense of
our sin.
sin.
And though
our pride is
pricked and
our backs
get up,
we want
desperately to
find some
other way,
this alone
is the only
way that we
can be
saved.
And so
we find in
this salvation
not only our
greatest hope
but our only
pattern.
There's no
easier way
than following
Christ because
there's no
better way
than following
Christ.
I think about
this now
sometimes when
I pray for
my kids.
Not often.
But I pray
not that their
life would be
easy but that
they would
know.
They would
know more
of this
Savior who
loved them
so.
And that
the hearts
and the
pains of
their lives
would drive
them to
him.
That they
might know
the fellowship
of suffering
and perhaps
attain to the
resurrection from
the dead.
Let me close
with the words
of 1 Peter
chapter 2.
for this
for this you
have been
called
because Christ
also suffered
for you
leaving you
an example
so that you
might follow
in his steps.
He committed
no sin
neither was
deceit found
in his mouth
when he was
reviled he did
not revile in
return.
When he
suffered he did
not threaten
but continued
entrusting himself
to him who
judges justly.
He himself
bore our sins
in his body
on the tree
that we might
die to sin
and live to
righteousness.
By his wounds
you have been
healed for you
were straying
like sheep
but have now
returned to
the shepherd
and overseer
of your souls.
Let's pray.
Amen.
Holy Spirit
I invite you
to do your
searching work
in our hearts.
Lord help us
to see how much
we still cling
to a vision
of a world
where life
will be easy
where success
is expected
where triumph
is
known
and
banked on.
Lord help us
to see how much
we want to avoid
suffering and trial
in this life
and how often
we are
derailed
from the path
of discipleship
and following you
because of that
commitment
in our heart.
And Jesus
help us
to see you
the great shepherd
and overseer
of our souls.
Lord help us
to return
to you
and to see
the path
that you walked
for us
and to walk
that path
for your sake
for the gospel's sake
for your glory.
Lord may we
not mind
a little suffering
in this life.
We pray this
in Jesus name.
Amen.