Man 2nd Corinthians chapter number 10. I'm really enjoying doing the series through 2nd Corinthians and let me tell you why I
Like it so much
2nd Corinthians is a great book has a lot of
memorable
quotable verses a lot of really famous verses
Tucked in these chapters and I've heard those verses preached my whole life
I've preached a lot of those verses in fact my very first sermon my main text verse when I was
17 years old was out of 2nd Corinthians chapter 10
But what's interesting is when you actually go through the book of 2nd Corinthians and get these verses in
context
They're actually a lot different than the way we've heard them preach now the way that they've been preached has been a lot of great
Preaching I'm not saying that the way I've heard this preached by a lot of other preachers hasn't been great
It's just that they were preaching more of a secondary application or a generalized
Application and what I'm enjoying about this series is that by going verse by verse through the chapter. We're actually getting them in context and
they actually take on a greater depth of meaning than then I had known that they had myself and
Not only that but I think this is one of the hardest books in the New Testament as far as the language the grammar
I'd say, you know 2nd Corinthians and Hebrews might be tied as far as difficulty
And so I'm enjoying just slowing down and just breaking it down line by line and getting some great truths now
This is a particularly
Interesting chapter because we see the Apostle Paul here. He's being challenged now
Obviously we know that the Apostle Paul came down hard on the Corinthians in 1st Corinthians
and he comes down hard on them a few times in 2nd Corinthians and when a leader comes down hard on people and
Starts rooting out a wicked element within the church and fighting battles
There's gonna be resistance. Not everybody's just gonna roll over and sit back and let the Apostle Paul just come in and clean house
there's gonna be a fight obviously people are gonna
Resist that or struggle with that bad people are gonna fight that and maybe just
Some people aren't gonna be comfortable with the way he came in and and cracked heads, etc
So that's what he's defending in this chapter and
he's talking about how some people have been criticizing him and
Basically saying that he's just a paper tiger, you know, he writes them these letters that are so bold
But he's not gonna say that to our face. That's their attitude and that's what he's dealing with in this chapter
Let's read the chapter. It says in verse 1 now I Paul myself beseech you
By the meekness and gentleness of Christ now beseech means I'm
Asking you I'm begging you I'm pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ
Who in presence and base among you but being absent and bold toward you, you know, cuz that's that's their line of thinking
Well, you know when he's here, he's not so big and bad, but he's sure talking tough in his letters
Look at verse 2
But I beseech you that I may not be bold when I'm present with that confidence
Wherewith I think to be bold against some which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh
He said look don't make me show you how bold I can be in person
You know, yeah, I was nice to you when I was physically there with you. I was nice to you. I
Want to be nice. I want to be gentle. I want to be meek
Jesus Christ was gentle. Jesus Christ was meek and I'm beseeching you by the gentleness and meekness of Christ
Let me be nice. I
Don't want to have to come down there and get bold and get in your face right because people are saying
That I'm not bold. I only write bold letters. Well, I can show you that I'm bold
I can show you what it's like to face me when I've got the rod in my hand
But he said I don't want to do that, right? I want to be nice. I want to be gentle. I want to be meek
Now verses 3 4 & 5 are some of the most quoted verses that I've heard countless sermons on
But when you actually get these verses in this context, they get a totally different meaning
Because he just finished saying hey, you know, oh his you know, they say his letters are bold
But in presence he's based and whatever he's saying
Well, you know, do you want me to be bold because I can be bold. I don't want to be
And then look at it in verse 3 for though we walk in the flesh now
That's picking up from the end of verse 2 that we just read because what's it say at the end of verse 2?
Wherewith I think to be bold
Against some which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh
So verses 3 through 5 are actually in the context of people thinking
That he walks in the flesh. So this is what they're saying. He's not so tough. He's not gonna say that to our face
He's not gonna come in here and clean house. He's just threatening us with idle threats and he says well
We walk in the flesh, but we don't war after the flesh
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds
What he's saying is look if you're looking at me after the flesh and thinking that I'm weak. Okay, you're right in the flesh
I'm weak. I'm not an MMA fighter
I'm not a giant bodybuilder, but you know what the weapons of our warfare are not carnal
they're spiritual and
I'm gonna come there in the boldness of the power of the Holy Spirit and I'm gonna fight this battle and he says the
weapons of our warfare are mighty through God to the pulling down of
strongholds and he says in verse 5
casting down
Imaginations and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity
Every thought to the obedience of Christ, but look the thoughts not over the sentence is not even over right?
there's a semi-colon and
having in a readiness to revenge all
Disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. I've never even heard those verses ever preached and tied in with verse 6
It always just kind of stops at verse 5 and look I'm not down on that preaching because obviously
These are universal biblical truths
You can take verses out of context and still apply those general truths because the Bible is so deep it can be applied in a variety
Of situations and it could be used for a lot of things, but let's stop tonight and let's get the primary application
Amen of what he's actually saying
He's saying you know what? I'm ready to revenge all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled and you know what?
Maybe you don't think I'm so tough, but that's because you think I'm warring after the flesh
I'm coming with a spiritual weapon and it's pointed at you and
I am ready to do what needs to be done to clean house at that church in Corinth
So it takes on a whole new dimension when you get it in the context of verse 2 and verse 6
Because that's where it lies in the Bible
Amen, look at verse 7 and it fits in perfectly with what he says in verse 7
Do you look on things after the outward appearance?
You know, you're looking at the Apostle Paul and I don't know what the Apostle Paul looked like
But I have a feeling he probably
Wasn't that impressive to look at because God typically doesn't use the best-looking people or the most
You know physically fit people or just the the most debonair or whatever
He was probably just an average guy
Because if God's gonna use him more than anybody else and have him write down half the books in the New Testament
God's gonna want to get the glory so he's not gonna pick the most glorious guy
He probably just picked a pretty ordinary guy and we don't know what he looked like
But we know a lot of people criticize him and thought he's weak. He's not tough
He's not gonna do what he said. He's gonna do we know that that happened
So he's saying look
Don't look and judge things according to the outward appearance
And then he says if any man trust to himself that he is Christ's
Let him of himself think this again. That is he is Christ's
Even so are we Christ's
So he's saying
You know, okay you trust to yourself that you're Christ's
You say well, I'm saved
Okay. Well, I'm saved too
Big deal that doesn't make you the boss of the local church
And it certainly doesn't give you the right to do the things you're doing over there in Corinth because we know that some of the things
They had going on in Corinth or fornication going unchecked
There was drunkenness going on there were a bunch of sins going on in the church and he's saying well great
You're saved
But guess what that doesn't change the fact that you're not in authority there and look what he says in verse 8 for though
I should boast
somewhat more of our authority
Which the Lord hath given us for edification and not for your destruction. I should not be ashamed
He's saying here look maybe I should talk more about the fact that I have authority
That's what the Apostle Paul sang
You know since you guys think it's an open mic down there at Corinth since you guys think it's just anything goes
There's just a free-for-all
Oh, well, I'm saved so I can get up and run the church and preach and do all the stuff
He's saying no, that's not the way it works. Okay, there's an authority
Structure and maybe I should boast somewhat more of our authority
But I'm certainly not going to be ashamed to get up and tell you that you guys need to do what you're told
You need to follow the leader here
You see you can't let church become just a free-for-all open mic
Anybody gets up and preaches whatever doctrine whatever the Bible version, you know
We'll bring in the Christian rap artists and we'll bring in the Christian heavy metal
And we'll bring in the NIV and we'll bring in the comedy routine and we'll bring in all these
You know, it's not just an open mic for just any doctrine
We're just any denomination
We'll bring in the Catholics and the Methodists and the Presbyterians
No folks, the Bible says that all things be done decently and in order
The Bible says let the elders that rule well be kind of worthy of double honor
he didn't say the elders who just kind of hang out and
Supervise well, he said the elders that rule well there there is an authority structure that needs to be followed
There is leadership that needs to be followed and Paul is having to assert himself here to a rebellious crowd
There is a rebellious crowd that doesn't want to follow leadership
They despise government not talking about political government
But they despise anyone telling them what to do being governed and they don't want
the pasta Paul
Telling them what to do raining on their parade and he's telling them look I have authority over you
You know, maybe I should talk more about that
Maybe I should come down there and get bold with you
But I'm trying to be meek and gentle like Jesus Christ
If you guys will get your act together, then I can show up and be gentle and meek and nice like Jesus Christ
Look what he said. This is a great chapter
Look at verse 8 for though I should boast somewhat more of our authority which the Lord has given us for edification
Edification means to build you up. So God gave us this authority. He said not to tear you down
But to build you up for your edification like the Spanish word edificio, right is a building edificar is to build
He's saying to build you up not to tear you down not to destroy you
You know, don't try to make leadership out to be the bad guy
Kids don't look at your parents and think your parents are the bad guy
Don't look at your husband as the bad guy. Don't look at the pastor of the church as the bad guy
Okay, don't look at the boss at work as the bad guy. Okay leadership and authority in our life
Is there to help us it's there to build us up not to tear us down
Okay, but you know what if you do that, which is evil the Bible says be afraid
Because the leader bears not the sword in vain you must obey
Because of the wrath of the leader and because of conscience sake two reasons to obey
authority in our lives and so he says in verse 9
That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters
Right, I don't want to seem like I'm just
Terrifying you by my letters again because they're making him out to be a paper tiger that he's all talk
He writes a scary letter, but in person, he's just a little lamb. Okay
Verse 10 for his letters say they are weighty and powerful
But his bodily presence is weak and his speech
Contemptable so that goes to show you what I was saying that it's possible or likely we can't necessarily trust these people because these are the critics
But it's possible that his bodily presence was contemptible in the sense that maybe he was a little bit short
Maybe he's a little bit small and he maybe couldn't speak very well
we don't know I mean for all we know he could have been tall and booming voice, but that's what they're saying about him and
It seems likely that that could be the case but that's why he's saying well, you don't understand the weapons that I have
Yeah, I may not look that much but I've got weapons
The great equalizer is a weapon. He says not a carnal weapon
I'm not gonna pull the gun on you. The weapon is a spiritual weapon. I'm filled with the Holy Ghost
I'm gonna show you a demonstration of the power of God, you know, and and that's what he's saying here
It's not about my physical size and you know
This should encourage you if you want to serve the Lord
But maybe you're of small stature or maybe you are a bad speaker or whatever, you know
God will often use the stammering lips and an unknown tongue to speak his word
God will often use the foolish things of this world to confound the wise and so God will use the weak
To send the mighty fleeing away. He loves to put a David who's filled with the Spirit up against a Goliath of this world
That's when he gets the glory when he uses somebody like Paul or someone like that
So he says well, you know, they say his letters are waiting and powerful
But his bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible. Well, let's such in one
Such a one like the type of people that are saying that stuff
Let's such a one think this that such as we are in word by letters when we're absent
Such will we be also indeed when we're present?
For we dare not make ourselves of the number or
Compare ourselves with some that command themselves
But they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves amongst themselves are not wise say that ten times fast
But we will not boast of things without our measure
But according to the measure of the rule which God had distributed to us a measure to reach even unto you
Now what's he saying there again?
The language is a little bit tough in these Pauline epistles, especially second Corinthians and Hebrews are probably two of the toughest ones
What's he saying here?
He's saying look, you know, you're comparing
Yourselves amongst yourselves you're measuring yourselves by yourselves
What he's trying to say is don't compare me to you. Okay. I'm not you. I'm not your buddies in the Church of Corinth
Okay, and he says I'm not boasting about things that are beyond my measure
I'm not boasting in another man's labor
I'm not boasting about things or or talking about authority that I don't actually possess
You know, I'm not stepping in and getting involved in something where I don't have authority. He's saying my rule
My authority reaches unto you
Okay, that's what he's saying. Let's let's get a few more verses and then we're gonna back up because I want to make sure we understand
this
Verse 13, but we will not boast of things without our measure
You know
I'm not gonna go out of bounds and start exercising authority over things that God hasn't put under my authority
Right because obviously everybody has a certain scope of authority, right?
I have authority over my family
but I can't come into your house and start telling you how to run your family right because then I'd be
Boasting of things beyond my measure I'd be out of bounds and Paul's saying look I'm not out of bounds here
I'm in bounds. Okay. God has given us God has distributed to us
Rule he says are you le do you see that but we will not boast of things without our measure
but according to the measure of the rule
Which God has distributed to us a measure to reach even unto you?
For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure again talking about going out of bounds or you know
Reaching out and trying to exercise authority in a situation where you don't have authority you say no
No, we're not reaching beyond our measure as though we reach not unto you
For we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ
Not boasting of things without our measure that is of other men's labors
But having hope when your faith is increased that we should be enlarged by you
according to our rule
Abundantly and what he's saying there is similar to what he said in 1st Corinthians chapter 5 when he says, you know
You have many instructors in Christ. You might have 10,000 instructors in Christ, but you have not many fathers
I've begotten you in the gospel. He's saying look I preach the gospel to you
I want you to Christ and that means something not just that
I'm just some random dude that you're listening to. I'm actually the one who went there and preached the gospel to you and
He says also that he wants to preach the gospel verse 16 in
The regions beyond you and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand
But he that gloriest let him glory in the Lord for not he that commandeth himself is approved
But whom the Lord commandeth now this I want to tie this in with verse number 12
Okay, and I know it's a little complicated but I want to make sure that we we really understand this passage verse 12 for we dare
Not make ourselves of the number or compare ourselves with some that command themselves
Now there are people who command themselves. What does it mean to command yourself? Well, the word command might be easier to understand
If you think of a very similar word that we have in our modern vernacular
Recommend right. What if I said I
Recommend pita bistro. It's a great restaurant. I recommend it. What am I saying? I'm saying it's a great restaurant
I'm praising it. I'm lifting it up and exalting it and putting it forth as a good example. I'm recommending it to you
Okay
Well to commend is very similar to that just like sometimes a policeman
Will maybe
Get a commendation because he did some heroic thing or got shot or something and then he'll get a commendation
It's basically being praised and lifted up and and if I'm lifting up a certain restaurant, I recommend this
Okay, I'm saying good things about it. Right? So these people command themselves. They're basically people who tell you how great they are
They're telling you how wonderful they are
These people are puffed up and he says we're not going to be like those people we dare not
Make ourselves of the number or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves
But they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves are not white
The reason these people are puffed up and commending themselves is because they're comparing themselves amongst themselves
So it's pretty easy to find somebody who is less of a Christian than you are
Knows the Bible less than you or whatever and then start getting puffed up thinking well, I'm better than so-and-so
Or I'm better than him. I'm better than her. We're supposed to compare ourselves to Jesus
So if we compare ourselves to Jesus, that'll keep us humble then we're not gonna start thinking how great we are
We're gonna be humble
We don't want to compare ourselves amongst ourselves and measure ourselves by ourselves and then what we're gonna do
We start commending ourselves
Okay, and then he says in verse 18 for not he that commendeth himself is approved
But whom the Lord commendeth, so he's saying look you got a bunch of people in Corinth that are exalting
Themselves they're lifting themselves up. They're putting themselves and saying hey listen to me. I'm the boss
I'm the one you should be listening to I'm a great Christian and Paul's saying no, that's not how it works
You know, there's a rightful legitimate authority and it's not the people who commend themselves
It's the people whom the Lord commands that matters
So what we have to understand is that Paul is not praising himself or commending himself in this chapter
He's not saying in this chapter. I'm the greatest Christian. I'm the best preacher. I'm a great speaker
I'm
Physically able to whip you guys in a fight. He's not saying anything like that. Is that what he's saying?
All he's saying is look the Lord has given us
Authority, isn't that what he said God has given us authority that authority is for your edification
It's not for your destruction if I'm gonna boast about something
I'm not gonna boast about my personal attributes the thing I'm gonna boast in the thing
I'm gonna glory in is the Lord the Lord gave us a ministry the Lord gave us this authority. That's why
We're gonna come in and clean house and get these bozos out of there the false teachers the people who are committing all these wicked
Sins, etc. So that's how it all kind of ties together in this chapter
But one thing I want to bring up in regard to this chapter is the subject of church planting
So when it comes to planting a church, there are a few different ways to plant a church biblically, okay?
Now what we have to understand as we study the Bible is that the church begets the church
Okay, the church doesn't just spring up out of a vacuum
It just springs up out of a void where you just have a bunch of people and all of a sudden
They're just sitting around and just all right. We're gonna start a church
Now this is kind of a little bit of a new phenomenon
Because of the internet because it used to be that in order to get a bunch of people saved
You'd have to physically go there and get those people saved right so you'd physically go somewhere you'd get a bunch of people saved and
Then you'd say okay
let's start a church right so the guy who went there and
Brought the gospel and won these people the Lord is the same guy who's starting the church so everybody understand
He's gonna
You know get the people together organize
but now you have people that are just in these remote pockets all over the place and they're just hearing the gospel online and
They're getting saved through watching videos or listening to preaching and they're in just these isolated areas
usually in other countries and
So they just don't have a church to go to you know because they're in a play and it's like in the past
It wouldn't have been a problem because people just wouldn't be getting saved in that area unless somebody went there
And then they'd start the church and whatever
So it's a good problem to have that you got all these saved people popping up in some of the most
Spiritually dark places in the world and that's great that the gospel is getting behind enemy lines
You know even in dark places where the gospel is is is difficult to get there physically
You know people are tuning in online and getting saved and that's great
and then even in the United States you have people getting saved online and they don't know where to go to church and
Maybe they struggle to find a good church in their area or they go to what they think is a good church
And they're disappointed by it. It's lame or whatever
You know oftentimes you just have to bite the bullet and go to the best church in your area and just be a blessing
strengthen the things that remain
Find the things you like about it find the things that they're doing good
Don't focus on the negative focus on what they have right and just get in there sit down shut up be a blessing
Right do what you can to thrive in that local church
But obviously best-case scenario is we want to plant more good churches so that everybody in the world's got a good church near them
I mean in a perfect world. We would just snap our fingers right and then what would happen?
We just have a great church in every city in America and every city across the world, but that's not reality
even in the Apostle Paul's day
This was something that was a struggle that they're working on now a perfect example is Titus chapter 1
Okay, and in Titus chapter 1 if you'll flip over there. We find that on the island of Crete
there were a
lack of qualified pastors, okay, so
Paul had been there preaching and
Titus had been there preaching and they've won a bunch of people to Christ and they've started a bunch of churches right so they've
Gotten the people saved and they've started the churches. What's missing?
What's missing is they don't have the qualified
leadership there on-site a pastor because in a perfect world a
Church is gonna have an ordained pastor of that church, and then it can be an M
They could be an independent church right and it can be governing itself all right and not relying on
Someone else to lead, but it could have a leader right there locally okay, so that's the perfect scenario
But is that the scenario in Crete no?
That wasn't the scenario because they're missing the pastors look what the Bible says in verse 5 for this cause
This is Paul talking to Titus for this cause left. I thee in Crete
that thou shouldest said in order the things that are wanting and
Ordain elders in every city as I had appointed thee then he goes into the qualifications if any be blameless the husband of one wife
Etc etc and
So what he's saying is look. We've gone there. We've won people to Christ. We started the churches, but something's missing
We need to ordain elders in every city as I had appointed thee meaning
This was the plan from the beginning. That's what he had appointed him, and he's just reminding him look
Here's why I left you there Titus because remember how I pointed you
To make sure that you ordain elders in every city you know and here are the qualifications
You need to stay there now if this was something that they could just do real quick
Then Paul would have just done it while he was there
But he leaves Titus behind
to stay behind and basically
Take care of these multiple churches and get an ordained pastor in every church, so here's Titus everybody understand
He's on the island of Crete, and he needs to get a pastor ordained in every church
And he's the one who's being told the qualifications so that he can get a pastor in every church
And he needs to get the qualifications so that he can know what kind of person to pick for the job
So he can do his best to pick the right people
To be ordained as elders, and it's gonna take time because he's gonna have to get to know these people
He's gonna have to observe these people
He's gonna have to go from church to church so basically Paul wants to move on and do more missions
Preach somewhere else do other work that God has called him to do and he's saying I'm gonna leave you here Titus
You're basically gonna
Ordain elders in these churches because that's something that's lacking because look God wants every church to have a qualified pastor
An ordained qualified pastor that meets these qualifications
He didn't just give these qualifications for fun so that we could just have church and just say oh
We don't even need a pastor. We don't even need a leader. We don't even know what are all these qualifications about
Why does he spend so much time giving us these in 1st Timothy 3 and Titus 1 because it's important that we get the bishop
Ordained in each church now can a church exist without a pastor though. Yeah, because guess what Crete's full of them
Okay, so you can start a church and that church doesn't have a pastor right away
okay, and then eventually the church gets a pastor and
Until then it's under the leadership of the church that started that church
Do you understand so the Apostle Paul and Titus they're sent out as missionaries and they go start these churches and they're saying okay
we are going to in the long run ordain elders in these churches and
Then once he's ordained elders in the churches
We have an example in Acts chapter 20 where he commends them unto the Lord and says, okay, you know now
It's between you and God right now and we're gonna move on you guys are the leadership
The Holy Ghost has made you overseers of these flocks and we're commending you unto the Lord now
You know, we're turning you over to him now and we're moving on but but Crete's not there yet
Is it Crete's not to that point where they're ready to just be cut loose and commended unto the Lord?
Why because something's missing something's wanting something's lacking what is lacking they need an ordained bishop elder
Pastor whatever you want to call it
Therefore
The way that we start churches it can be done up one of a couple ways
number one
You could send out a guy like Titus who's already qualified. He's already ordained
He's already ready to pastor and he goes out and starts a church and that church is just
Autonomous and independent from day one because it has a qualified pastor from day one
Okay, that's like our church faithful word Baptist Church. I was sent out. I started the church
I was the pastor from day one
Sent out by my local church to start a church here and to be the pastor from day one
That was the plan and you know what? That's a great way to do it
But that's not the only way to do it. You can also start a church
In an area even if you don't have the guy to pastor yet because it can be a Crete
situation where you're gonna ordain the pastor later once you find the right person or
Once the you know, the the right guy has matured enough and gotten to the point where he's ready to take on that challenge
now in today's world
Obviously, there are lots of churches that have already been started
There were a lot less churches back then now there are tons of churches and in most areas
There's already a decent independent Baptist Church that you can go to and serve God and be blessed
It it might not be the best church ever
But there's usually something available for you while you're waiting for a church, but you know in some situations it makes sense
It's advisable to start a church on this Titus chapter 1 type of a model, you know, for example
we start a church in Los Angeles, California and
So here we had a group of people that were just they already were there waiting. They wanted this church
they they were struggling to find a good church in their area and
you know, it was like 40 people or something that were just ready to roll and
Then Bruce Mahia was a guy that was qualified
To get things started to preach to lead the church
But he wasn't ready to be ordained as pastor because he was just a little bit
Young in his marriage and we have certain standards about you know, we look at these qualifications
We want a guy to have children and you know to be married to have children, etc. He wasn't that point yet. Okay
But he had he was a guy that had the potential to get to that point
So we started that church in LA
He's been at the helm of that church
But it's under the authority of faithful word Baptist Church
Because of the fact that he's not ready to be ordained as Bishop it now he is getting ordained
God willing this August and this August
when he's ordained as Bishop as pastor of the church, well, then there's nothing lacking anymore and
Then at that point we're just going to commend them unto the Lord and then at that point it's an independent Baptist Church
But right now it's not independent because they're missing something
You know if you're missing something that's essential you're not independent
Okay, and so they're missing something so they need who are you let me ask this these churches in Crete
Are they independent or are they relying on Titus?
They need Titus they need the Apostle Paul and they need his deputy Titus
they are relying on Titus for leadership because Titus is the guy who's gonna come in and
Lead and ordain the permanent leadership, right?
But at the end for now he's running things and he's gonna ordain the permanent leadership so that he can then
Turn them over to the Lord's everybody understand that this is a biblical model of church planting
You'll see where the Apostle Paul and and his helpers will go through and start churches in
The book of Acts and then they'll come back through later and they're ordaining elders
you know after people have had a chance to serve and and get to know people and
Be saved longer and and meet the qualifications because you don't want to have a novice a novice simply as a beginner
So you want to make sure it's someone who's mature and they've been tested. They've been a blessing
Look, you can't be a great leader until you're a great follower
Every great leader was first a great follower the Bible even tells us Jesus
submitted himself to Joseph and Mary
Jesus submitted to Joseph and Mary right now he's qualified to lead
Okay, what about Eli?
Shuh becoming a great leader after he poured water on the hands of Elijah
So he's a great follower first then he became a great leader
Well, look, you can't be a great pastor unless you first been a great church member
You can't just sit there and say well, I don't even go to church because all the church around me are too liberal
So I'm just gonna start my own church and you haven't been a church member
No
You need to first be a faithful follower and a good church member
Before and then basically once you're accepted of your peers and
They say yeah, okay
This guy's ready to roll then the man of God
Lays hands on you and ordains you and you're ready to be a pastor now that you've already been a church member
You've been a follower now. You can be a leader
You don't just go out and just do it on your own and just start your own and by the way groups of people don't
Just get together and just say hey, we're just getting together randomly and starting a church. No the church begets the church
Churches should be started by other churches. Otherwise, you just need to go to a church that already is existing
You go to an existing church or the church needs to beget a church
The church needs to produce the church everything brings forth after its own kind
You don't just get a bunch of random people together and just say well
We just decided we're starting a church and then we're just gonna pick somebody to be the pastor
That's not the right way of doing things right the right way of doing things. Is that people who are already in a church?
Serving God
thriving
Doing well, those people are like, okay. We're approved
We're gonna go out now and take this somewhere else and and and start a church somewhere else
And it's everybody understand the difference that it's a big difference because if these churches are just springing up out of a vacuum
They're being started by just total novices and whatever who don't even go to church in many cases or just disgruntled church members
Get angry leave the church split the church and whatever
instead of
Actually, you know doing things the right way. All right, so
Here's a a perfect example of this Adam Fannin
You say well, I'm tired of hearing about a fan. Well, then you can leave all these doors are open
And those are tuning in online can just change to a YouTube channel go watch cartoons or whatever you want
Okay, but here's the thing
Adam Fannin is the biggest phony
That needs to be called out right now
Okay, because here's a guy who was sent to do exactly what brother Bruce Mihia was sent to do
You know, we sent Bruce Mihia and he's doing FWBCLA and he's a good example where he's doing a good job
He's preaching. He you know, the church has grown from like 40 to 100 or whatever and you know
He's he's preaching and he's serving God humbly and he's gonna get ordained when the time comes when the time is right
This August God willing he's gonna get ordained, you know, okay, Adam Fannin was sent to Florida to do the exact same thing
Okay, and he was there
Running a church under the authority of another church
Because it was just an embryonic church plant just like we have all over Crete just like the Apostle Paul
Did so many times in the book of Acts where they plant these churches?
But they're not fully independent yet because they don't have the ordained elders yet in these churches
okay, that was the situation over in Florida and
he was running it as a deputy for like what a year and a half or something and
then all of a sudden when he gets fired and
When the home church tells them hey
you're not going to continue to lead the guy who put you there turned out to be a wicked person and
you know, you're not going to continue in your position because you're showing yourself to be a wicked covetous person and a liar and
So as soon as he got fired, you know what he did the next week
He changed his doctrine and here's what he said the next week. Oh
These church plants are unbiblical
It's unbiblical
You know to go start a church and be ruling it from afar
That's unbiblical. These church plants are totally unbiblical
So he now he basically says what he's been doing for the last year and a half was unbiblical
Well, it's funny how it was biblical until you got fired
Isn't it interesting how it was biblical when you were doing it?
and
If you hadn't got fired, you'd still think it was biblical
But now that you got fired suddenly, it's not biblical
Isn't that convenient
That's called hypocrisy folks when you get up and say oh, yeah when I'm doing it, it's fine
But then as soon as I get fired, well, it turns out that was a biblical anyway
So then he does this big sermon to explain why it's not biblical and this was his mantra in this sermon
Local leadership the church must have local leadership
The church cannot be led by someone in another city
It cannot be ruled by someone in another city
It's the local leadership doesn't matter if they're not ordained doesn't matter if they're not qualified
So basically now he's pastoring this renegade Church lol Baptist Church. It's called
literally and
He's running this renegade Church law of Liberty Baptist Church and basically there's no pastor
Okay, he is
the local leadership
Right no pastor and he says oh, it's unbiblical
for his his pastor
Legitimately that was his pastor that fired him. Well when you fire me, I mean, I can't listen to you if you fired me
Well, if the leadership fires you then that's tough on you
But now all of a sudden it's just not biblical
Well, let me ask you something. You just read 2nd Corinthians 10 with me. Is it biblical for somebody to rule from another city?
Folks that's what first and second Corinthians are all about
The Apostle Paul saying hey, I've judged this situation and you know, my spirits gonna be with you
Here's the justice. You're gonna carry out you're gonna throw that guy out of the church. That's a fornicator because I said so and
He's saying look, maybe I should boast somewhat more of my authority and I'm telling you that my rule
Our rule it's not just my because it's not Paul just doing this unilaterally
Okay, if you look at the beginning of the passage in 2nd Corinthians chapter
2nd Corinthians chapter 1 verse 1 he says Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God and Timothy our brother
So it's Paul and Timothy. That's the we and it's the church. They gave them that authority
That's the we and they're saying you know what our
rule
extends unto you
When we get up and say that we're gonna come to Corinth and we're not gonna spare and we're gonna come with a rod if
We need to let me tell you we're not boasting of things beyond our measure our rule
extends to you
So, how can you sit there and say oh, well, don't his whole sermon. He just keeps saying over
No, well the New Testament, you know, it's always got to be the local the local guy makes the decision
No, if the local guys a bozo
We listen to the legitimate ordained leader that was placed by God over that church
Not the local bozo who's not qualified and being fired
Folks this is cut and dried
The guy showed himself what he is a covetous money-grubbing Judas Iscariot brazen liar
Okay, who gets up and says oh, well, you know, I you know, I'm just doing what the people want
I mean, I just know that if Pastor Shelley becomes the pastor not 90 plus percent of the people are gonna leave
same day
30 40 people make a video saying we stand with Pastor Shelley. I'm thinking does this church run 400 does the church run 500?
Folks Pastor Shelley is the pastor and guess what?
90% of the people didn't leave
80% of the people didn't leave
70% of the people didn't leave 60% of the people didn't leave 50% of people about 40% of the people left and
You know what good take out the trash
if you want because look birds of a feather flock together and
anybody who can listen to Adam Fannin get up and lie through his teeth where he's documented that he lies and
Get up and just be interested in money and promoting himself and lifting up himself folks
Anybody who can just be thinking of himself in a crisis like that
Where Pastor Shelley's trying to pick up the pieces from the debacle that was going on and then basically all he's thinking about is well
When do I get ordained?
Well, you know you can be on a plan to get ordained 18 months from now. Oh, that doesn't that's not gonna work
I'm supposed to get ordained in six months. I
Was supposed to get a 20% raise. Where's my raise? It's like what it what is
Is
Now the time to get sheep and oxen and gold and silver gaze I and men servants and maid servants
Is now the time is that what you're thinking about right now?
Folks the love of money is the root of all evil and let me tell you something
Add the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and look I'm all for giving people a raise if they're not making enough money
But when you hear about a catastrophe in the church your first breath shouldn't be like well, what about my raise though?
That's your priority right there
And we know he had the bag and kept no financial records, which is illegal and stupid
But again, I don't want to go off on that even though I just did okay
But I don't want to spend too much time on that but let me say this
Okay, his doctrine of convenience that says that church planting has suddenly become unbiblical
Folks, it's still biblical because of the fact that the Apostle Paul was exercising authority over the church in Corinth from afar
So what was the local guy?
He didn't have very nice things to say about the local guy
He's coming to clean the local guy's clock with a spiritual weapon. I
Mean
And how many times do we see a situation like where Titus is sticking around
Ordaining elders in churches that don't have elders. So we need to understand that things need to be done decently in order now some people
They don't think authority matters
But what you have to understand is that when there's a void of leadership
Listen to me carefully when there's a void of leadership the worst elements will step in and fill that void
This is why anarchy
inevitably leads to
horrible oppression
Anarchy sounds great on paper, you know, you listen to these anarchists these young people
They're in their 20s and they're like, oh man
Anarchy and I'm an anarcho capitalist. I'm this and that it sounds great on paper friend
Except that it will never work because as soon as you have anarchy and everything's just based on you know
The free market and private property and laissez-faire
you know what there will be wicked forces that will come right in and
Fill that void and they will take over and they will put you in bondage that fast
That's why some people are going around calling themselves an anarcho capitalist and then you run into anarcho communist
That's where that's a little more accurate. That's where you're heading
You're heading for Joseph Stalin when you have anarchy look at these failed states
Where the government has no power, you know what I'm talking about
Who knows what I mean when I say a failed state and I'm not an expert on geopolitics. I'm not interested in politics anymore
I'm just interested in the things of God, but I just want to briefly say that in a failed state
guess what you have just
Roving bands of drug lords and organized crime and mafia that steps in and fills that void of leadership
well, guess what happens when you have a church with no pastor and
There's no leader because look these churches in Crete. They have no pastor, but here's the good news. They've got Titus
Yeah, but Titus isn't local. It's gotta be local
Folks Titus didn't even have an internet
Titus didn't even have a telephone
Titus is
Communicating by writing letters and he's literally walking on foot
I mean if Titus wants to go preach in LA, he has to walk from Phoenix to LA
Now the good news is Crete is smaller than the distance from Phoenix to LA. So he never had to go that far
Because Crete is just a little island, you know, it's interesting if you like maps like I do
Just pull up the island of Crete on
Google Maps and you can do some measurements and see how many miles and look at the main
Cities and see how far things are. Yeah, you can look at Crete and see okay
Here's what Titus was dealing with but you know what Titus didn't have phone Titus didn't have internet
Paul didn't have internet Paul did and Paul couldn't just hop on a flight and be there in two hours
Paul can't hop on a flight and say hey, I'll see you guys tonight
You know Paul wouldn't be preaching in Arizona on Wednesday night and fly to North Carolina and preach on Friday night
What how many thousands of miles away right 2,000 3,000 miles away why because he didn't have that technology
But yet these churches in Crete, you know, what was keeping them straight
Titus is there to make sure the wolves don't come in
The Apostle Paul is there to make sure the wolves don't come in and when he hears about bad stuff happening
At least he can write a letter and say look guys. Let me guide you. Let me pilot you
Let me lead you from afar my spirit is there
I'm not there, but I'm there with you in spirit. You need to throw that guy to the church. He's making decisions
He's executing judgment from afar. So is Titus say well Paul's an apostle. Well, what about Titus? He's not an apostle
Hey Titus is doing the same thing. Why because that was his job. That's what he was there to do in Crete
I guarantee you he was traveling from church to church in Crete fixing problems preaching sermons
identifying the leaders and
Eventually getting things dialed in that's why Paul left him there to do that
Okay, that's a biblical model for church planting. So this local leadership mantra is just made up folks
It's not a biblical teaching the Bible doesn't demand that anywhere
Okay, there can be a leader who leads from remote. Okay, and that's totally biblical
We have numerous examples of that in the Bible. So let's go back to 2nd Corinthians 10 and finish up and
by the way
Let me say this one of the qualifications for being a pastor that Titus is given and this is one that we don't talk
About very much, but I guess we need to start talking about it more going forward not self-willed
Not
Self-willed not the kind of person that's just gonna do whatever they want
It needs to be a team player
Who's gonna take
correction he's gonna take
Instruction he's not just gonna be somebody who's just self-willed like well, I don't care what Pastor
Shelley says I don't care what Pastor Anderson says I'm just gonna go do it because I was ordained by
Mr. Casino to come here and be an evangelist and you know, I know I'm not qualified to pastor
But you know, I'm the local guy so I'm just gonna do whatever I want
That's self-willed
And you say well what gives you the right Pastor Anderson? I'll tell you what gives me the right
because I preached the gospel unto them and that's why my
Border extended unto them and you know what I went and stepped in and helped out of that situation in
Fort Worth because I was invited
By the church the church said will you please help us?
Will you please lead us and I told them I'm ready to go home at any time. I would love to go home
But they said no, please they begged me to stay and to lead and so I de facto
Ran that church for the four days that they had no pastor
I acted as the pastor for four days because they didn't have a pastor
So I stepped in and I led I was the one who was brought in from the beginning
and by the way, I'm the one who sent him to found that church and
They said pastor Anderson help us Donnie Romero himself said pastor
will you please fly out here and be here on Sunday and
Will you make sure that things go smoothly so that the church can survive?
the pastor's wife
Contacted me the pastor contacted me the church begged me to stay and do it
But it's like well what gives you the right? Well, you know what? That's what gives me the right
And you know what gives me the right because my name's Titus
That's what gives me the right and I was there to ordain an elder in a city where something was lacking
that makes me Titus and
You know what after four days we got through the storm. We got through the battle. We got a new pastor ordained and
we're ready to move forward and
you know what the naysayers and the critics and
The rebels and
The people who are self-willed and want to go out and just change their doctrine on a dime because of a convenience
Where what they did last week is suddenly unbiblical now that they aren't allowed to do it anymore. I
Mean a few days before he preached that sermon. He was begging other pastors to rule over him from another city
And then three days there oh, I was totally on biblical because I can't find anybody who will do it I
Can't find anybody who'll leave me for no city. So it must be unbiblical, you know, I local locally
I'm Adam local leadership Fannin
Local only leadership lol right local only leadership Baptist Church
2nd Corinthians chapter 10
He said in verse number 13, but we will not boast of things without our measure
But according to the measure of the rule which God had distributed to us a measure to reach even unto you
And he's warning them I don't want to come to you and be bold in your face
I'd rather be gentle and meek and you know what I
Get frustrated with this in my life
because I am by nature a nice guy and
Often I'm a nice guy to a fault
So basically I want to be nice to everybody and this is why whenever I worked in business
I was never a good manager because I was too nice to the workers and
A good manager is not nice to you
You know what I mean like a good manager can't be your buddy
You know what I'm talking about?
because man I I've worked at some jobs where they ran a tight ship and
Where I mean it things were clean things were getting done
The boss was making money
Everything was efficient. It was a well-oiled machine, but the boss was never nice at those places. I'm just being honest. I
Was always the guy who wants to kind of be the buddy I want to be all my workers buddy I
Want to be my church members buddies, you know, I want to just I'm just a nice guy
I just want to be nice
I want to be meek and humble and just get along with my family and my family and my family
And humble and just get along with everybody
But you know what I found is that a lot of people confuse meekness with weakness
And it's really sad
Because here you know you want to be nice you want to be gentle you want to be friendly?
You want to hang out and have a good time with people and just enjoy life and just enjoy fellowship
and people will just abuse that and it's a you give them a finger they take the whole hand and
It's frustrating. You know you know what I mean especially
You guys say you want to be nice people, and then they start taking advantage of you
You know it's like it's like when we're using these cab drivers in Guyana, and we're nice to them
we're giving them tips right and we're giving and then on the last day one of them tries to rip us off and
And basically collects money from two different people in the group in order to get paid twice
And it's like we were so nice to him. We're buying all their food. We're giving them tips. We're treating them well
We're buddy-buddy, but then they just see you and then they just think oh, you're nice. You must be a sucker
See what I'm saying. It's terrible isn't it so so that so it's like basically Paul's saying I want to be that nice guy
But you're making me be mean I mean look we all want to be nice to our kids don't we and we want to just
Laugh with them and take them fun places and spend time with them. We want to buy them gifts, but we're afraid of what?
spoiling them rotten
Because guess what if you're just nice to your kid all the time
you're their buddy all the time you give them everything they want you know why you want to do that because you love them and
Then what happens they become a spoiled brat so as a parent you got to understand
You know what sometimes I can't be a buddy. I've just got to be a parent
I've got to be parent first and that's more important than being their buddy
I got to be the manager first and that's more important than being their buddy
I got to be pastor first buddy second you know and it's sad, and that's the heart that I get from Paul in this chapter
It's not just a bunch of bluster of you know I'll show you oh you think I'm just terrifying you with my letters as
I am in the letter. That's how I'm going to be in your face look. That's not what I see in this chapter
I mean, that's there, but what I see is at the beginning. I see verse 1
Where he says look I'm beseeching you
By the gentleness and meekness of Christ
Don't make me get bold with you. I want to be your friend. I want to rejoice. I want to be happy
I want to show up big smile handshake big hug greet the brother with the holy kiss
I don't want to greet you with a fist to the face, and I'm just kidding obviously he's not gonna use violence, but I'm saying
Metaphorically speaking I don't want to give you a swift kick in the pants
I want to give you a pat on the back
That's what leaders want to do kids your parents want to be nice to you
They want to pat you on the back, but you know what they're gonna have to whip you and spank you if you're being bad
because they love you and
That's what comes across loud and clear from the Apostle Paul in this whole epistle chapter after chapter
So don't take advantage of people that are nice to you. Don't bite the hand that feeds you and
You know when God blesses you don't take advantage of that how many times in the Bible God blesses them
And then they get all wealthy and everything's going great
And then they spoil their kids and then the kids grow up and don't even worship the Lord
Because everything was handed to them and they grew up with a silver spoon in the mouth
so we got to be careful fear the Lord and his goodness and
Don't get puffed up when people are nice to you and think oh the boss is being nice to me
I guess I can get away with murder on the job. Well. No you're not and if you if you mess around he's gonna fire you
Whoa, I thought we were friends
Sorry you're fired
It's that simple. That's life
Spyro has never word of prayer father. We thank you so much for this great chapter Lord and
What powerful verses Lord they've been they've been used powerfully by many preachers
That have preached them that I've sermons that I've sat in and listened to and been edified by Lord
But thank you also for the primary application of
What was actually going on in this chapter because there's a lot of relevant things we can learn from that as well Lord
And so thank you for the book of 2nd Corinthians Lord
I pray that this study would be a blessing to people as they as they hear these verses expounded Lord just verse by verse
Getting the context and bless us as we go forward with the last three chapters in Jesus name we pray. Amen