All right, let's get after it. Bible's out and open. Second Corinthians 11. This is the book we've been working through for quite a while. We'll be in it through the end of May, I believe. And it's been a really challenging letter that Paul wrote. Hopefully that's impacting us today is also Palm Sunday and baptisms, and like Ian said, 44 baptisms today. I hope that never gets old for us as a church to see what God's doing in people's life. And there's two excited now, hopefully three by the end of the service, we can get there. But I want to preach our text today in light of Palm Sunday and baptism. So we're going to take the text and we're kind of look at it through the filter of, like, those are realities right now in our world. It's Palm Sunday and Baptism as well. And really, there's kind of two aims at this message. One is, this is a bit of a commission to those being baptized. So how many in this service are going to get baptized in the service? Show of hands. Get them up there. You're about to get in the tank now. It's not the time to be shy. Okay? You just expose yourself, because a lot I'm talking to you, and I'll identify it when I am. But there's a bit of a commission going there. And the other thing is, it's going to be a bit of a challenge for the rest of us, the rest of us that would call ourselves Christians, because I understand there's probably people in this room that's like, my friend's getting baptized. I don't believe in Jesus. I'm just here to support. Great. We're glad that you're here. Hopefully you get a look in what it means to follow Christ, because cards on the table, we want you to follow Christ, too. We're glad that you're here. But part of the message is like, I want to give a commission to those getting baptized. And the rest is a challenge to those of us in the room that would say that we're followers of Christ to examine or test the genuineness of our faith. So that's where we're going. And not so much orthodoxy, which just means. Right beliefs, which is absolutely essential. But the challenge is more orthopraxy. The. The practice. Right. Living in our lives. Like, are we really living as Christians? So that's where we're going. We want to examine the genuineness of our faith, and we're going to do that by looking at how Paul defends the genuineness of his faith. Because if you remember, Paul's under attack a bit. So we're in Second Corinthians, and a lot of Second Corinthians is just Paul defending himself or the genuineness of his apostleship and his ministry, because he planted this church, moves on to plant other churches, other leaders come in that he sarcastically refers to as super apostles and kind of undermines Paul's ministry. So he writes Second Corinthians defending his ministry and his genuineness. So I think there's something we can learn from the way that Paul does this. How does he defend the genuineness of his faith? Now, how would you. How would you like if you had to argue for your authenticity as a real follower of Jesus Christ, how would you do that? Like, what would you say? And how do you know. How do you know that you're really a genuine kind of regenerate theological terms like you're been born again. That comes from John where he's talking to Nicodemus like you've just been changed. Like, how do you know it's real for you? Well, we want to look into this and how Paul defends the genuineness of his faith. And I'm talking fast because there's a lot to say and we got baptisms to get to. So second Corinthians, chapter 11. You guys ready to get after this? All right, starting in verse 16, little context we're picking up in the middle of the chapter, Paul's kind of calling out these false teachers at Corinth, saying that they've preaching a different Jesus, bringing a different gospel. And then towards the end, right before we get to our verses, he really gets clear. False apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise that his servants. So he's really taken some sod. These are Satan's servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. So he's not pulling any punches and he's taking some time to like, expose them. But now he shifts to himself and he's like, but I'm the real deal. Like, I. I can be trusted. And he's about to defend his own ministry. So let's look at this. Verse 16, I repeat, let no one think me foolish, but even if you do accept me as a fool so that I too may boast a little, what I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say, not as the Lord would, but as a fool. Like he's wrestling with kind of his tactic here. It's like, I'm going to be a little foolish here. Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast for you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves, for you bear it. If someone makes slaves of you or devours you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or strikes you in the face to my shame, I must say we were too weak for that. Now, let's stop there. There's a little bit of tricky language, and sometimes when you approach the Bible, you just kind of read it as this ancient document and you just kind of take everything at face value. But this, this is dripping with sarcasm, hyperbole, and even some mockery. Because a passionate pastor that wants to get through to people, he's like, I'll use sarcasm, I'll use mockery. I'll do whatever I have to do to get your attention. Like, I'm gonna do it. And he's using that here in this text. But it's like we're kind of transitioning language and cultures, and it's like, what are you saying, Paul? So let me give you a little bit of a paraphrase of what he's saying in this first part here. He's saying, I'm not a fool, but you tend to listen to fools. So let me talk a little foolishly for a bit. Maybe I'll get through to you, right? I'm not a fool, but you tend to listen to fools, so I'm gonna act a little foolish, but so maybe you'll listen to me. You see what he's saying? Like, you tend to entertain yourself with idiots, so let me be an idiot for a little bit. Let me kind of play that game. Let me kind of speak that language, because I just want to get through to you. And there's so much sarcasm and so much hyperbole. Like look at, back at verse 19, he says, for you, gladly. Now remember the word gladly. If we have enough time, I'll show you a contrast he makes. But he says, for you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves, for you bear it. If someone makes slaves of you or devours you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or strikes you in the face. Now, hyperbole, they're not literally getting punched in the faith and face and made slaves. He's saying, you let people mistreat you. You're letting people mistreat you. To my shame, I must say, we Were too weak for that. So he's saying, hey, I didn't come and mistreat you. My bad. That's on me. I'm just too weak for that. Right? Those super apostles, they're really strong and persuasive. They can come and do that. I mean, they come slap you in the face and you just love it. Like, how wise are you that you kind of put up with that? So he's mocking with him there and he says this word bears with. Where's it at? 20. Thank you. Also 19. Gladly bear with fools. That word bear with is means to tolerate. Now they don't just tolerate, they gladly tolerate. Gladly tolerate. The word gladly is where we get our word hedonism from, like this idea of they take pleasure in it, they embrace it. Like they're embracing this. And maybe you'll see the cultural connection here. But in Corinth was a very diverse city. They had a lot of different cultures represented. It was a very pluralistic city. A lot of different religions represented. Like you would go there, there was a place to make money. So you kind of had all different kinds of cultures kind of coming into one. And a cultural value of Corinth was tolerance. Like if you could tolerate a lot of different beliefs and a lot of different customs, a lot of different people. Like that was a mark of your, of your wisdom, of your enlightenment, of your open mindedness. So Paul's saying, hey, you're so open minded, you lost your mind. Like your brain fell out. Like you're tolerating things you shouldn't tolerate. It's similar to the critique of the Church of thyatira in Revelation 2, where he's saying, you tolerate that woman Jezebel. That's an Old Testament character. It's kind of referring to false teaching, probably connected with sexual immorality. It's like you're tolerating things you shouldn't tolerate. You're okay with things you shouldn't be okay with. He's critiquing them in that. It's like you have this, like you're being more influenced by your culture than you're influencing your culture. And tolerance and acceptance is this high value in Corinth, in your culture. And you've kind of embraced that and brought it into the church. So you get applause from the culture. Look how tolerant you are. But Paul's saying, I think you're being foolish. You tolerate things you shouldn't tolerate. You guys, you with me on this, what the situation is? Okay, so he's kind of jabbing at them a bit, saying, this. This is a problem. You gladly entertain things you shouldn't be entertaining. You look wise, but you're foolish. Like, look. Look how wise you are that you can participate in the temple prostitute worship. Look how strong you are that you can go to those pagan festivals. Look how good of a Christian you are that you can kind of navigate this crazy world and kind of engage in, like, look how great. Look how wise you are of a Christian that you can watch that trashy TV show. Look how wise and strong you are as a Christian that you can dress like that or talk like that or participate in crude joking. Look how wise you are as a Christian that you can navigate such a materialistic lifestyle. Way to go. And he's mocking them. And I was mocking you a little bit, too, if you didn't kind of connect. He's like, hey, I'll do that to kind of break through and get through to you. But he's mocking them for this. And I want you to get this church. Mature Christians are not the ones who can tolerate a lot of sin. We tend to miss this. Like, oh, I'm strong. I can handle it. I can handle watching that. I can handle drinking that. I can handle going to that party. Like, mature Christians are the ones that can handle a lot of sin. That's not true. It's kind of like that situation or the scene in the Princess Bride. Have you guys seen that movie? It's old. It's been out. I'll spoil it. What's the character? That's, like, inconceivable. Nobody. It's okay. It's not important. Stay focused. All right. There's a scene where there's a battle between that character and the main character. Like, a battle of wits. And there's two drinks in front of him, and he's going to put poison in one, and he gets to decide which one to drink. We'll both drink at the same time, and we'll see who can outsmart the other one. And it's kind of this mind game of where you put the poison in front of you. Put the poison in front of me. He's going to switch it. Well, they drink and he dies. And the trick is the main character's like, well, I've spent the last year building up a tolerance of poison so I can take it. That's stupid. Okay, it's a movie. But, like, don't take that approach to Christianity. Like, I just. I'm so mature. I built up a tolerance to sin. It doesn't Bother me anymore. I can handle it. That's not kind of a biblical idea of maturity. Maturing as a Christian is not about growing in your tolerance of sin. It's about growing in your desire for holiness. Like, new desires take over. It's not. I can watch that show. It's like, I don't want to anymore. It's not that I can go to that party. Like, I don't want to. I don't. I don't want to engage in that. I don't. I don't want something different. I want closeness and intimacy with Christ. You have new desires kind of taking over. But maybe we're missing it. Maybe if we're honest, the desire to kind of be closer to Christ isn't as strong as our desire to be accepted in society. And maybe we're missing it. Maybe we've come to think that being a Christian is about just being able to navigate the broad road. It's the road we're on, and I just need to try to walk it as a Christian. I gotta know where to step and how to handle worldliness and how to navigate the sins around me. But we got no interest in the narrow road, like, where there's no interest in just a different road altogether. There's no interest in a life that's sacrificial, take up your cross, die for me type of Christian living. It's like, I want Christ. I want forgiveness of sins. I want the removal of guilt. I want eternal life. And I want to watch what I want to watch and go where I want to go and live how I want to live. And I want both and church. Hear me now. We need to be careful. We need to be careful that our Christianity doesn't become a Christianized version of our own culture. I'm gonna say that again. I want us to get that. We need to be careful that our Christianity doesn't become a Christianized version of our own culture. Because that's their problem. Paul's saying, you're being more influenced by the culture than the culture is influencing you. You're starting to look like Corinth, starting to act like Corinth. You're holding onto the name of Jesus, but you look a lot like Corinth. And you don't even recognize it, because everybody does. You live in Corinth and you're fitting right in. That's not okay. And you can just become numb to that or not notice it when it's you. Anybody know the term? I think it's on like a Febreze Commercial nose blind. Like, you can be nose blind. Like, you ever leave your house for like a week or so on vacation, and then you come back and you're like, is that what we smell like? And then you're worried when you have people over, like, light a candle, Like, I can't smell it, but maybe they can smell it. Like, let's just. You get a little self conscious there. Like, you're kind of blind to the smells that you're so used to, right? But if you go somewhere else, like, you can smell it, their stink is clear, right? But yours, you're kind of used to. Well, it's the same with Christianity. Like, the heirs of other people. Like, boy, we noticed that right away. But we've kind of come nose blind to our own heirs. So I was talking to a friend recently who does some ministry in Haiti, a lot of Christian Christ professing people in Haiti. And he said he made a comment, he's like, yeah, a lot of people profess Christ. Just some still practice a little voodoo. You're like, well, that stinks, right? Or last summer I went to Zambia. Zambia's a Christian nation. A lot of people profess Christ. Just some of them still practice ancestral worship. And you get there and you're like, that stinks. Like, no, that's not okay, right? And we can be like, be really aware of other people's stink. But then we come back to America and it's like, yeah, you're a Christian. They just watch trashy television shows and we don't smell it. They're a Christian, but they just still dress sensually and provocative. They're a Christian, and they just are really comfortable with crude joking. They're a Christian, but they're still just extremely greedy and materialistic. But we don't smell it because it's here, it's all around us. We're nose blind to it. And Paul's saying, hey, you guys stink like Corinth. You stink like corn. Like, for those that would say, hey, I follow Jesus. Do you smell a lot like an American? Because he's saying it shouldn't be that way. Like, for us, we have what we'll call this, we have country music Christianity. You know what I mean by that? Like, if you're a country artist, you can put on your album a song all about Jesus. And it could be on the same album as a song about getting trashed and cheating on your wife in the very next song. Sometimes it's in the same song. No, I'm not joking. Like, here's an assignment. Listen to it on the way home. You'll be like, hey, you mentioned Jesus. And then he mentioned this, like, merging, like world and fit. Like, just kind of this. But it's like, that doesn't stink to us because it's our stink. And Paul's telling them, like, you guys smell like corn. Trust me, I travel around. You look a lot like the city. And he's challenging them. So this church in Corinth is at a fork in the road between Paul and these super apostles. Who can we trust? Who do we follow? Which one is it? What does it mean to be a genuine Christian? So Paul's like, okay, since many of you like to boast in the flesh is what he calls it, I'll play that game. I'll boast in the flesh. And by boasting in the flesh, he's talking about, let's talk about credentials and success. So Paul's going to play their game, kind of. He's going to enter their game and then he's going to change the rules a little bit. So let's look at this. Verse 21 says, but whatever, we'll start in the middle of that verse. But whatever anyone else dares to boast of, I'm speaking of as a fool here, I also dare to boast of that. So he's like, all right, you want to boast, let's boast. And then he says this. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. So starting off pretty strong as far as the boast game goes. Like, let's lay out credentials. I got good credentials. Is this their background? Same here. Like, he's coming out the gate strong, but it's about to get different. Verse 23, are they servants of Christ? I'm a better one. Here we go. And then he's like, just right, I'm better than you type of thing. And then he's like, I'm talking like a madman. Like, this is uncomfortable for me. Like, I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm playing your game, but I'm playing your game to try to reach you. Really uncomfortable. But he's like, I'm better than you, right? And he's struggling, boasting. In fact, the next chapter, Paul's like, I know a guy that was caught up to the third heaven. This happened like 14 years ago. Third heaven is like, you got the sky, you got the galaxies, then you got the presence of God. Well, he's that guy he just doesn't come out and say, like, I was caught up, guys. If I'm caught up to the third heaven, guess what we're talking about next week, right? He's saying, this is like 14 years ago. He's kind of. Paul's not a bragger, so he's out of his comfort zone, trying to play their game. And he's saying, I'm talking like a madman here. But he says, you want to talk about being a follower of Christ, I'm a better one. So let's talk about following Christ. So what's today? Palm Sunday. What happened on Palm Sunday? Jesus rides into Jerusalem as the conquering king on the donkey. People are singing, laying palm branches down, our Savior's here. Salvation has come. That's right up the super apostles alley. Recognition, status, fame. We love that. That's awesome. Let's do that. But he's coming in Jerusalem to do what? Die? Go to the cross, suffer. Romans 8, 17. It's like we're children of God, heirs, fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him that we might also be glorified with him. So you want to talk about following Christ? You want the glory? The glory is not without the suffering. So Paul's about to change the game a little bit and he's going to brag as well. So verse 23, he says this. Are they servants of Christ? I'm a better one. I'm talking like a madman. With far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the 40 lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked a night and a day. I was adrift at sea on frequent journeys in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers from false brothers and toil and hardships through many sleepless night and hunger and thirst, often without food and cold and exposure. There are a lot of stories in there. What do you mean, dangerous within rivers. What happened there? Shipwrecked three times. Like tell us that. Like, we don't all know all those situations, but Paul has a long list of his trials. Now you would think if he's going to enter into kind of a brag mode here, he would say, I've planted more churches than you, I've spoke to larger crowds than you. I've spoken at councils, church councils. I've written more books. Like I'VE done miracles. Probably lead with the miracles 1 Honestly, wouldn't you probably lead with it. Like he's got all this list of things that he could lead out with, but he doesn't. Instead he's like, let me tell you how I've suffered. And in Paul's boasting, we see what matters for authentication, for. For genuine faith. Now you hear that, you might think, well, I've never been beaten with rods or shipwrecked. I must be a fraud. That's not the point. That's not the point. It's not a contest. It's not who can suffer more like we're going to show our scars and tell our stories. It's not like the false or the. The super apostles were. Were boasting about their suffering. And Paul comes and upset. They weren't saying like, well, I've been shipwrecked. And Paul's like, well, I've been shipwrecked three times. No, no, no. They were boasting about their successes, their status. And Paul comes in and changes the conversation. He starts talking about something different. And what Paul points to in defending himself is very telling. What you think discredits me, authenticates me. Because he's not just pointing at suffering, he's pointing at sacrifice. Paul's saying, I choose to live this way. I choose to engage in this. Like I'm pursuing a life devoted to Christ that brings about persecution on purpose. Why? Why would he do that? Why would he live that way? Because the way he lives points to something. What's it point to? What's the way that you live point to? We'll get to that. But he continues, look at verse 28. And apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak? Am I not weak? Who is made to fall? Am I not indignant? Now, here's what he's saying. A little bit of a rabbit trail, but I think it's important to address just because of the prevalence of anxiety talk today. There's a good kind of anxiety and there's a bad kind of anxiety. And you don't want to use the good kind of anxiety to justify the bad kind. What Paul is saying here, when he talks about his anxiety for all the churches, he says, I care. I care about these people that I'm ministering to, these churches that I plant. To have concern is a good thing. He is very passionate about the people he's trying to reach. In fact, when it says who is made to fall, am I. Not indignant. It's like, who's making you sin? Who's putting a stumbling block in front of you? Who's leading you astray? I'm indignant. And that word, indignant. It's like, I'm livid. I'm really. There's like, another word I want to use, but it's not. It's like, I'm really, really mad. Like, I'm just beside myself. I'm burning. It's got, like a literal trans. Like, I'm burning up. Like, Paul is ticked at whoever kind of leading these people astray because he's like, I love you. I care for you. I have this concern. And you can make a case that he makes this long list of all his sufferings, but his greatest pain is for his people not being beat with rods or whipped or in danger. He's like, you know what's. You know what's really bothering me? You being led astray. That's what's really bothering me. But, guys, concern is good. With trust in God. With trust in God. When there is concern without trust in God, that's a problem. That's when concern turns into worry or sinful anxiety. So what Paul is saying is, hey, you see the genuineness in my lifestyle. You see the genuineness in my heart. What he's bragging about is, this is real for me. Like, I'm risking my life for this. I'm getting shipwrecked for this. I'm getting beat for this. I'm staying up late for this. Like, worrying about you. Like, I genuinely care for you. I'm genuinely a follower of Jesus. Like, look at my life. Look at my heart. This is what I have to lay on the table. This is my credentials. But it's the next line that I think really helps us see what he's doing. Maybe not know what he's doing, but. But it's. It's like the. The gold mine underneath of what he's saying. It's. It's the power. Like, how are you like that? What. Why are you like that? What's. What's kind of the. The engine that's. That's driving all this. So look. Look at verse 30. He says, if I must boast, I will boast in the things that show my weakness. Now, there's been a lot of talk about boasting throughout the year. In fact, our songwriting team wrote a song about boasting. We're singing about boasting. That's like, we need to understand this. What does it mean to Boast in my weakness or that we should boast in our weakness. First off, here's what it doesn't mean. It doesn't mean that you're self deprecating. I'm not saying it's wrong to do that sometimes that's funny. But that's just not his point. The point is not to be self deprecating. That's not what Paul's doing. He's not just kind of taking shots at himself, boasting in his weakness. He's not like, you know what I'm really bad at? Ministry. I keep getting caught, right? You know what I'm really bad at? Sailing. I've shipwrecked three times, right? I'm not gonna do that anymore. He's not like kind of undermining himself. He's boasting in his weakness. And it is boasting, or maybe another word than weakness to help us understand what he's getting at. He's boasting about his suffering. And Paul is awesome at suffering. I mean, you read that list and you're like, I think I would have quit. Like, or at least after the first shipwreck, I'll take the long route, right? Like I'm gonna. Because we love comfort, we love ease, the path of least resistance. Paul is a perseverer. He's an endurer. He can take a beat and he keeps going. Like, Paul is great at suffering and that's what he's boasting in. So when he says boast in his weakness, boasting our weakness is not about boasting in what we are weak at or bad at. It's about showing our contentment and joy and peace in what the world deems as weakness. You're poor, you're beaten, you're a criminal. Like, this is kind of degrading socially. And Paul's boasting in this. It's about displaying your contentment, your peace and your joy through situations that nobody in the world would want. You just lost your job. How are you so happy? You just got diagnosed with cancer. How can you have so much joy? You were just so mistreated. How could you be at peace? You don't have all the things that people in this world want, but yet you seem so fine. How is that the case? Because when we have peace in the midst of suffering or hardships, it magnifies Christ. But when we have peace in the midst of comfort and success, it just magnifies comfort and success. Because everybody wants peace and joy. And when they look at Paul and He doesn't have the things that they think it comes from. They're like, well, where does it come from? How do you have that? Where's it at? And this boasting weakness is about highlighting our freedom in Christ or our contentment in Christ, or our joy in Christ. Now you might be like, where are you getting that? Let's reach into the next chapter. We'll go through these verses later, but I want us to see this. If you go to chapter 12, verse 9 and 10, he says this, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly. Remember, that word gladly was used earlier. He's making a contrast here. So he's saying, what were they glad about? Tolerating things they shouldn't tolerate. What's Paul glad about? Boasting in his weakness. So it's that same word where we get our word from, hedonism from. So he's like, you take pleasure in being foolish in this world? I take pleasure in being devoted to Christ. You take pleasure in fitting into this world? I take pleasure pursuing Christ. You take pleasure in social acceptance. I take pleasure in being faithful to God, no matter the social consequences. So he's making this contrast more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities. For when I'm weak, then I'm strong. So what is he saying here when he says that God's power is made perfect in my weakness? He's not saying that God's power has a deficiency and I come along and complete it like it's made perfect that way. He's saying, no, God's power is perfect. So what's the connection between my weakness and the being made perfect of God's power? Well, that word being made perfect is like bringing to completion. Or maybe a better way to look at it in this context is my weakness puts God's power on display. My weakness is the stage in which God's power is displayed to the watching world. It shines a spotlight on it. And you're like, well, how does it do that? Well, look at verse 10. For the sake of Christ, then. I am what? Okay, just. Just those that can read. I am what? Content. Right. Content with weakness and salt. It's his contentment in his weakness that magnifies the power of God. So you're like, power to do what? Not power to kind of keep me from beatings and imprisonments and hardship. No power to meet me in those. Power to give me joy no matter my circumstances. Power to minister to my heart in any circumstance I find myself in this life. It magnifies the glory of God. How do you get that? How do you get that? Look at verse 31. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, he who is blessed forever knows that I'm not lying. Now that's a way to say, guys, I'm telling you the truth. But the way he says it also highlights his main audience. Look at it again. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, he who is blessed forever knows that I'm not lying. So here I am trying to convince you of my genuineness. But if you don't believe me, I know who does. I know who sees me and knows me. And that's who I'm living for and that's who I'm accountable to. So yes, I care for you and I want you to not be deceived by these super apostles and know the right way. But if you don't, if you reject me, I'm fine because I know Christ knows who I am. And I'm telling you, church, there is freedom in living for Jesus Christ here in this world. Or let me put it a different way, there is freedom when you stop trying to live to get everybody's approval and acceptance and affirmation and kind of get off that treadmill because it goes nowhere. But Paul's saying, I found Christ and I live for Christ and I want to make Christ happy. So I'm good, I'm good. He was living for Jesus, but why was he living for Jesus, really? Why was he? Why do you live for Jesus? Let me give you the answer to that. God, his mercy and his great his grace who pursues you. Or let me put a different word to it, conversion. Paul was changed. Look at the rest of this text here. Verse 32 and 33. At Damascus, the governor under King Artius was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me. But I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands. That's a weird way to end this section. You kind of feel like Paul. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. That goes further up. Remember when you were bragging about everything you went through, like, that belongs up there. Why did you end this section with this? It's like, was he just absent minded and being like, oh, I forgot one. Let me kind of add that in the end or was he very intentional and he's making a point because if you're familiar with Paul, which the Corinthians were, and a lot of you are, Paul became a Christian on the road to where, Damascus you can read about in Acts chapter nine. And he was going to Damascus as a proud Pharisee to persecute Christians. But on the way he encountered the living Jesus Christ and he was changed. And the way he left the city was in a basket like a criminal. And that was about his change. Paul is saying, I'm living this way because God changed me. I'm being compelled by his love because I've concluded this, that one died for all and all have died. And he who died for all that we might live for him and not for ourselves, I'm a new creation in Christ. Are you. Have you been changed? And do you remember how Paul was changed on the road to Damascus? What happened to him when he encountered the living Jesus Christ? Christ, he got blind and he had to go into the city and find somebody that returned his sight to him. Do you think that was a big experience in your life? Like if you went blind because of the living Jesus Christ manifesting to you and you had to have your recite returned, do you think you'd remember that one? Think that made an impact on Paul? Do you think that might have colored in some language when he goes. If you go back to chapter four, we don't have it on the screen, but. And he says this in their case, the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel, of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ is Lord, with ourselves as your servants. For Jesus sake. For God who said, let light shine out of darkness has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Do you think knowing Paul's story of conversion colors in those words a little bit? Do you know who I was going into Damascus? I was blind. The God of this world kept me from seeing the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Do you know what led me to get lowered out of a basket from that city? I saw the glory of Jesus Christ. I saw that he was worth living for. I had all kinds of accolades. I'm going into Damascus as an important person, a respected person. I'm getting lowered out of a city wall as a criminal. Why would I do that? Jesus Christ is worth it and my eyes have been opened. This isn't a Call to change as much as it is a call to see. Do you see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ? Does it change the way you live? So here's what I want us to remember. Church. Genuine conversion is displayed in countercultural living. Genuine conversion is displayed in countercultural living. You could add to that in countercultural living comes from glory of Christ seeing. And you could add to that glory of Christ seeing comes from the work of God. Opening your eyes now, here's why this is important to get it, because as I mentioned before coming up in chapter 13, Paul says, examine yourselves to see whether you're in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless indeed you fail to meet the test. And all building up like you're kind of like, what test? Throughout the whole Book of Second Corinthians is like giving you things to examine yourself with. And he's in this section. He's like, hey, you test yourself because right now you stink like Corinth, right? You stink like corn. You stink like America, not Jesus Christ. Like, look at yourself. You're like, well, everybody smells that way, Paul. That's how people live. He's like, not me. Get a whiff of me. Let me tell you my life. I'm a living sacrifice, which is a sweet aroma to God. Does that describe you guys? It's so easy to slip into lukewarm comfort seeking, culture embracing, gladly tolerating worldly living, just kind of Christian in name only. But genuine conversion will be displayed in countercultural living. So let me talk to the people getting baptized a bit. I want you to know what you're doing and know what you're saying when you get in that tank. This is not just a profession of orthodoxy. It's also an expression of desired orthopraxy. When you look at Jesus and he got baptized. You know what I mean by that? Let me back. It's not just an expression of right doctrine. It's also an expression of a desire for the kind of life you're about to embrace. Jesus Christ got baptized. He made an orthodox statement in his baptism because he was baptized by John the Baptist. And by being baptized by John the Baptist, he's saying, I agree with John's message. He's right. I am the Messiah, the one who takes away the sins of the world. I am the Son of God. Like, he aligned himself with John doctrinally when he did that. But you know what else about Jesus Baptism? It launched his public ministry. It was the beginning of his public ministry. And when you get in this tank, you're not only doctrinally saying, I'm a sinner. Christ is who he says he is. He's my Savior, I need him. Doctrinally, you're also being buried and raised to new life to say, I'm devoted to narrow road walking. When Jesus says, take up your cross and follow me, I want to do that. I care more about pleasing God than fitting in in society. That's what you're saying in baptism. So if you're getting baptized and you're not saying that, don't get in the tank. But boy, for the people that say that, we go nuts. We got more narrow road walkers. We love it. And now, for those of us in here that have already made a public declaration of our faith through baptism, here's the question. Are you still saying that? Like, is that still the cry of your heart? I'm with Jesus. I follow Christ. Because maybe you need to think back to your conversion. Maybe it was decades ago in college or when you were young and the gospel clicked and it just made sense and you had this zeal for the Lord, but over time, you've just lived in this world and you just start to smell like it. Do you still have this passion to follow Christ? Because I think Paul ends with the Damascus story as a reminder to himself. When he starts listing how many times he's been beaten and whipped and shipwrecked and in dangers and in opposition, you got to start thinking, like, why do I live this way? Oh, yeah, Damascus. My eyes were open to the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. And when you have Christ, you can boast in any hardship or difficulty you go through because you have Christ. And when you have Christ, you're a child of God, an heir, a fellow heir with Christ. And we will be glorified with him, provided we suffer with Him. It's better. And I hope that we are a group of genuinely converted, countercultural, living God exalting people that there's just genuine, like, you don't come to Veritas and experience, like, country music Christianity where we can just, like, get all excited on Sunday. But Saturday just looked completely like the world. We don't want to be a church like that. We don't. We don't want to just be a cool place to come. We want to be a place people come because we're serious about the Lord Jesus Christ and following him in every aspect of our life. And the only reason we're serious about that is because Christ or God has opened our eyes and we see the glory of Jesus Christ and when other people get into a tank and express I see it too we go nuts not because of them but because our God still saves. Let's pray. Father I pray thank you for your eye opening ministry for those of us in the room that see that you are better than anything this world has to offer that you are worthy of living for it, you're worthy of suffering for it, you're worthy of dying for and I thank you for the testimonies of new people that are proclaiming they can see it now too. And I pray for the blind people in this room that are still chasing after empty promises that will lead to destruction that you would open their eyes as well and that our eyes would be open in such a way that we see your glory are shaped by your glory and live for your glory. We pray this in your name Amen.