Spend & Be Spent

I. Introduction
A. Just like winter, the end of 2Corinthians is now in sight. After today, only 21 verses left, 6 sermons.
B. This morning:
1. Five flashbacks from previous sections of 2Corinthians to prepare us to understand the text
2. Five verses of text
3. Five applications from the text
C. Five clips from previous episodes (You hopefully can understand the passage if you know these.)
1. False apostles, whom Paul mockingly calls super-apostles because of their boasting
a. They had infiltrated the Corinthian church, and had begun to undermine the allegiance of the Corinthians toward Paul.
b. In this letter, Paul refers to them as servants of Satan (11:15), proclaiming another Jesus and a different gospel (11:4), on their way to hell (11:15).
2. The congregation disregarding Paul instead of loving, honoring, and appreciating him
a. Children owe their parents honor and appreciation for all the time, effort, and love they have given in caring for them. So, these spiritual children owe the same to Paul.
b. But, when his detractors began to diminish Paul, instead of sticking up for him, the Corinthian believers listened to their lies and began to be taken in.
3. Paul’s boasting
a. Since the false apostles were boasting in themselves to the Corinthians, and since the Corinthians have not defended Paul against his detractors, Paul feels like he must resort to defending himself. The truth had to be told, not for the sake of Paul’s pride, but to save the Corinthians from lies which drove a wedge between them and their apostle, lies which were turning them away from Paul by making him seem too pathetic, too weak, and too unskilled of speech to be their apostle.
b. But he engages in this boasting only very reluctantly, for this is the method of his opponents which Paul is stooping to, boasting in his superiority over them. But in doing so, he is actually shaming them as well, for whereas Paul is putting on an act as if he’s a boastful fool, the false apostles are very serious about their foolish boasting.
4. Paul’s refusal to accept pay from the Corinthian congregation
a. Paul himself taught elsewhere that it is the duty of churches to pay their pastors, that “Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.” – Gal.6:6
b. And Paul himself accepted money from churches he ministered to. But not all of them.
c. Some churches he felt were too vulnerable to thinking that gospel salvation is something you pay for as opposed to receiving it by grace. So, he refused to accept money from these churches, and worked as a tentmaker to pay for his own food, clothing and shelter, and not be a burden to them.
d. The Corinthians, it seems, had strong tendencies toward transactionalism, the notion that true love doesn’t exist, that all people are motivated by giving only for the purpose of getting something. And Paul wanted to avoid the possibility of them thinking that his ministry to them was an attempt to get something from them.
e. One of the accusations which the false apostles made against Paul was that by refusing their money while accepting money from other churches, Paul was showing favoritism, favoring other churches over the Corinthian church. This proved, they claimed, that he didn’t really love the Corinthians — a ridiculous charge against an apostle who loved them so much that he willingly refused their money, because he wanted their hearts.
5. Paul’s upcoming third visit to Corinth
a. As the epistle winds down, Paul talks more and more about his impending visit, which is his third.
b. 1st visit: preaching the gospel originally, and planting the church: there for 1½ years
c. 2nd visit: when he heard that trouble was brewing in Corinth, he came back to try to address the issues, a visit which was unfortunate and unsuccessful
D. 2Corinthians 12:11–15a I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. 12 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. 13 For in what were you less favored than the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong! 14 Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15 I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.
II. Five things I would like to point out from this passage:
A. 11a “I ought to have been commended by you.”
1. People don’t talk much about the Bible principle of giving honor to whom it is due these days.
2. But the principle is still there in the Bible.
3. Romans 13:7 “Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.”
4. The Corinthians should have defended Paul and stood up for him when the false apostles attacked him. They should have honored Paul as their apostle.
5. And we ought to be willing to defend and stand up for people in our lives when they are defamed or slandered.
6. It’s not very popular right now. It’s rare to hear a person defending a teacher or a church leader, or a parent or anyone from the parent’s generation. Most of the time, you hear the opposite.
7. “I ought to have been commended by you.”
8. And there is a special problem with committing this sin toward one who brings the word of God – because you are giving people an excuse to not listen to God’s word.
9. I don’t mean, of course, that a person like this is never worthy of being criticized. But as with everyone, there is a procedure we’re given when that is the case, and it involves going to them first, not going to the flock and complaining about all the things you don’t like.
B. 11b "I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing."
1. Paul can’t help himself. In the midst of his boasting, he inserts little confessions of his weakness.
2. This is remarkable coming from such a preeminent man as Paul. But it is far from the only time he speaks like this.
a. 1Timothy 1:15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
b. 1Timothy 1:13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy.
c. Ephesians 3:8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given.
d. 1Corinthians 15:9–10 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.
e. 2Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, (Cf. Philippians 3:12–16)
f. 2Corinthians 11:30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
3. We also should be boasting in our weakness.
4. I have had the privilege of having contact with some deeply godly people in my 50 years of being a Christian – and one thing they have in common is that they are self-effacing. Their conversation is punctuated with acknowledgments of their own weaknesses and failures.
5. People who are full of themselves don’t speak like this.
6. Remember that the one who said, “I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2Corinthians 12:9) also said, “ I urge you, then, be imitators of me.” (1Corinthians 4:16)
7. When we have a big savior, we can acknowledge our need in big ways.
8. People don’t want to listen to a person who is full of himself. But they love listening to people who readily admit their weakness and need.
9. Paul spoke this way because this is what he thought. He didn’t just ACT humble. And we’ll never speak like this if we don’t think like this.
10. May the Lord help us to speak humbly like Paul did, to punctuate our conversation with expressions of our weakness in order that God’s power might be shown.
C. 12 “the signs of a true apostle”
1. 12 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.
2. In defending his own apostleship, Paul asserts that certain signs were accomplished in their midst which authenticated his ministry as Christ’s apostle.
3. Similar things were said about Jesus. “Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know.” – Acts 2:22
4. And Jesus Himself actually pointed to this as verification of the fact that He was from God:
a. John 5:36 “The works which the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me.”
b. John 10:25 “The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me.”
c. John 10:37 “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do them, though you do not believe Me (i.e. what I say), believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” (Cf. John 14:10-11; John 15:24)
5. And John extends this even to those who didn’t see the miracles in person, but who read the Bible’s record of them:
a. “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” – John 20:30-31
b. The miracles of Jesus are part of the basis for our faith. By them, we can tell He was from God.
6. But this authentication by miraculous signs didn’t just apply to the miracles of Jesus. It applied to the apostles as well, as Paul says here and elsewhere (1Thess 1:5; Rom.15:18–19).
a. “Such a great salvation...was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.” – Hebrews 2:3–4
7. I don’t meant to imply that miracles can’t happen today because there are no more apostles. But I do meant to imply that I believe the gift of miracles – the authority to perform miracles – does not exist today because there are no more apostles.
D. 15a “I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.”
1. What an extraordinary expression of love!
2. Who here can say they have this passion toward their spouse? Toward their children? Toward their friends or relatives? Toward the other people in the church?
3. But shouldn’t we have it in our hearts to most gladly spend and be spent for the souls of the people God has given us to love?
4. Isn’t this like a litmus test of whether we have a Christ-like heart?
5. Isn’t this what we need to be good church leaders, and good church members?
a. Isn’t this what we need to be good friends?
b. Isn’t this what we need to be good children? Isn’t this what we need to be good spouses?
6. Isn’t this what we need to be good parents? And that one is especially relevant here, because that’s the one Paul is actually talking about when he says this (v.14-15a). “I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15 I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.”
a. Parenting is all about the one-way pouring out of oneself to and for another.
b. Your love will be misinterpreted. You will be accused of being selfish – even when in your mind you are sacrificing for them.
c. Paul was compelled by the love of Christ (2Corinthians 5:14) even though they have been quick to believe evil about him, even though they have not remained faithful to him, even though they have not stood up for him.
d. And likewise we can’t pull back our love. Our love must continue to flow.
7. I’m guessing that most of us wouldn’t pass the test with flying colors.
8. So what do we do if we feel like there’s a pretty big gap between where we are and where we should be?
9. Well, it seems to me that the first thing to do is to repent. Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do when we realize our failure?
10. And I think the second thing is for each of us to ask ourselves: Is this my desire? Is it my desire to gladly spend and be spent in my husbanding (or wifing), in my parenting, in my neighboring, in ministry, in prayer, in sharing my faith with others?
11. If it is, then it’s time to pray full speed ahead: Lord, make me a fountain of Your love!
12. But what if you’re not really sure you even want that?
13. Well, that brings us to our last point – from the same verse.
E. 15a “I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.”
1. Some say that people don’t change. And it is rare to see a person really change.
2. But a Christian certainly can’t say people don’t change. We know about Paul!
3. We know what he was. And we see what he became!
4. And it’s not just Paul. Remember what he said in 2Corinthians 3:18:
a. “We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
5. Paul was a persecutor and a murderer, but then he beheld the glory of the Lord. And that’s what transformed him into the image of Christ, not immediately but from one degree to another.
6. So, if you’re not sure you want to love like Paul, ask yourself this: Do I want to behold the glory of the Lord? If you can’t say yes to that question, I don’t think you should feel comfortable about your salvation.
7. But if you CAN honestly say yes to that question, then again, it’s time to pray full speed ahead: Lord, show me Your glory!
8. You see, just like for Paul, this doesn’t start with us. It begins with beholding the glory of the Lord.
9. Let me ask one more question: Do you know that you have a savior who will most gladly spend and be spent for your soul?
a. What a great description of the love of Jesus! I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.
b. Spend = giving what He has
c. Be spent = giving what He is
10. He has proven it once and for all at the cross, but it’s not just in the past, it’s in the present and in the future! “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” – Romans 8:32
11. Maybe that’s where the problem lies.
a. If you don’t grasp the glorious love of Christ for you, you will never be able to truly love others.
b. If all else fails, here’s a prayer you can pray: Lord, help me to see Your love! And then look for answers in your circumstances, in the world around you, but especially in His word.
12. And when I say pray, I don’t mean say a prayer. I mean to cry out to Him day and night — as if we really WANTED something (see Luke 18:1-8).