The Power of A Good Demonstration

Texts: 2 Corinthians 12:1-7, Matthew 5:13-16

Pastor Phil Hughes, American Fork Presbyterian Church, Utah

September 1, 2024

“It’s complicated.”  Do you ever hear that about a relationship?  Maybe someone posts on their Facebook page their relationship status: It might say “Married” or “single” or “in a committed relationship” or “It’s complicated.”  And our eyebrows go up and we wonder what they mean.

Paul could have posted on his page about his relationship with the Corinthians: It’s complicated. 

We have more of Paul’s writing to the Christians in the ancient city of Corinth than to any other church or person that he wrote to. 1 and 2 Corinthians are lengthy books.  In 1 Corinthians Paul kind of chastises them for some serious moral issues going on in their church. He recognizes them as a spiritually gifted people, but also lacking basic Christian love.

In 2 Corinthians Paul has to defend himself.  Read 2 Corinthians and in between the lines we sense there is tension between them and Paul. You see, as Christianity was growing there were other preachers of the gospel.  And, no different than today, sometimes egos could get the best of people. And power trips and rivalry raised their ugly heads. Some called themselves apostles and bragged about their knowledge, their spiritual experiences, or their track record. They compared themselves to others. Many of them put down Paul and discredited him as they traveled to various cities and towns.

The Corinthians were buying into some of this talk and doubting Paul. They were doubting his sincerity.  They doubted he was really much an apostle at all. Part of the reason Paul writes this letter to the Corinthians is to defend himself. He knows there are people discrediting him whom he calls “super apostles” in a sarcastic tone, because they thought themselves a big deal.

Paul has a history with the believers in Corinth.  In Acts we learn that Paul spent a year and a half in Corinth teaching them the word of God. He knew them and they knew him.  And there was a lot of good between them. But after Paul left some of these other preachers came through and placed doubt on Paul in the minds of the Corinthians.

In chapter 11 Paul writes, “I do not think I am in the least inferior to those ‘super-apostles’.”[1] He is making fun of the way they portrayed themselves.

So, Paul is writing to straighten this out. He says he doesn’t want to get into a comparison match.  He doesn’t want to get into a boasting contest. He doesn’t want to boast about his record but given the situation he may have to do a little of that.

Paul actually had quite an impressive track record but he doesn’t want to leverage all of that to gain their favor.  He writes of visions and revelations that he has received. He says that even if he chooses to boast he wouldn’t be a fool because he would be speaking the truth.

But Paul says that he refrains from boasting about his resume “so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say.” That is what this sermon is about.

Paul doesn’t want anyone to form an opinion about him based on anything except what he does and what he says.

“…so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me.”[2] “…because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message.”[3]

Paul has some experiences he could shout about in order to show himself as quite impressive. He speaks in the third person of being caught up into the third heaven and into paradise where he heard holy and heavenly things that cannot even be repeated. Paul elaborates on none of this so we can’t speculate on what he meant other than it was big stuff. His point is that he will not base his life and ministry on this.  He will only go by what he does and what he says.  Paul’s reputation will be set on what his life demonstrates.

If our standing as Christians stood solely on what people see and hear from us, how would we stand?  Do we have the confidence in our Christian faith to hang our reputation solely on that?

Are our lives a demonstration of the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Do our actions and words line up?

Can we confidently say “I don’t want anyone to think more or less of me than in what I say and in what I do?”

It takes integrity.  Consistency. It takes being the real deal.

There are a lot of people these days who claim to be Christians and want people to know it.  There are a lot of people using the name of the Lord Jesus for all kinds of social, political and religious agendas.  What is the substance of their lives and what do we hear come from their mouths?  Does it line up with Jesus?

St. Basil was a Christian leader in the fourth century.  He once wrote that big and bold announcements of what God is doing or saying are common.  But people who follow the humble way of Jesus are much more difficult to find.[4]

In the Book of Order of our Presbyterian Church, which is our manual for how we do things, it lays out the standards for pastors, elders and deacons.  And it says of those who hold these offices: Their manner of life should be a demonstration of the Christian gospel in the church and in the world.[5] A demonstration of the Christian gospel.

In v. 18 of the chapter we read from this morning, Paul writes, “For it is not those who commend themselves who are approved, but those whom the Lord commends.”

Because there are so many different portrayals of faith in Jesus these days it is easy for people to get confused. Or turned off.   One of the big accusations against Christians is hypocrisy. People from the outside looking in want to know if they can trust what we claim to be? If masks are worn and games are played people become very skeptical.

Younger people, especially, are looking for transparency. Can I trust what I see?  Are you who you say you are and appear to be?  We live in the age of image. When everything is about image how you look does not need to match up with who you are.

In my younger years I had a t-shirt that I sarcastically wore.  It said, “It’s not who you are, but how you look that matters.  I mean who really cares who you are?”

Technique and technology have replaced personal contact and openness in our relationships. Images are projected on social media.  We can put up an image even if we aren’t on social media. Is it the real us?

Paul says, only what they see in me and hear from me. Go by that.

There was a survey done several years ago among young people.  It showed that ‘doing what you say you are going to do’ was among the characteristics young people most admired.”[6] “Young people talk these days about the need for authenticity, for ‘keeping ‘it real’ – not pretending to be something you are not, being open about your faults.  Young people are searching for this type of person, this kind of lifestyle.”

Part of our demonstration is being honest about our weaknesses.  Remember I said Paul wanted to refrain from boasting.  He did say if he was going to boast it was going to be about his weaknesses. Who does that? Aren’t we supposed to boast about how much we pray? What we know about the Bible? Our accomplishments?

I mean are you going to influenced by someone who says, “Yeah, I just really struggle with my temper.”  Or, “I am feeling bad about they way I’ve been with my family lately.” Or, “I have been kind of low lately.” Well, a lot of people might want to know that being a follower of Christ doesn’t mean you always have it altogether.  And we can hurt and doubt and struggle, too.

For many people buying into Christian faith isn’t a matter of intellectual debate. It has to do with how people live their lives. My guess is that most of us are Christians because of the influence of someone else whose life spoke to us of Christ. They were a demonstration of the Christian life.

There is a story from some years ago of a bishop whose church was growing, healthy and strong. This church was getting a lot of attention. A magazine editor sent a writer to go and do a story on this bishop.  But they set it up so that he didn’t just go for a brief interview.  They set it up so the writer lived with the bishop for a few days. The writer followed this bishop wherever he went.  He ate with him.  Watched him in gatherings.  Sat in when he was with people. Two days before the writer was to return the editor found him in his office. He asked the writer why he was back.  The writer said, “Because if I had lived with that man one more day I would have converted and become a Christian.”  And he said, “It wasn’t what he said.  It was the way he lived.”

There was a man from another country who had come to the United States and was interested in learning about Christianity.  He had done some reading and wanted to talk to someone who was a Christian.  He got into a conversation one day with a man who he had become acquainted with who he knew went to church.

He asked the man, “Are you a Christian?”  And the other man responded, “Well, go ask my neighbor.”

If someone asked your neighbor if you were a Christian what would they say?  The man who pointed the inquirer to his neighbor was willing to let his reputation as a Christian stand or fall on the way he lived his life, and whether it was visible to others. Nothing more than what he did and said.

Christianity has been presented, studied, read about, verbalized, argued, and discussed.  But has it really been lived? Many people are concerned about the state and survival of Christianity in the United States.  It seems to have become weaker and less compelling to people in the last fifty years.

Ross Douthat, a columnist for The New York Times, and a Christian, in an article called “Is there a future for Christianity?  The shape of things to come”[7] wrote that what Christianity needs more than anything else now and in the years ahead are people who are serious about holiness, sanctity and being set apart for the Lord.  We have allowed many people to hijack Christianity by labeling themselves Christian and doing almost nothing to live in line with that.

He pointed to Mother Teresa as an obvious and big example of someone who “did more for Christian witness in the twentieth century than every theology department and political action committee put together.”

Speaking of Mother Teresa and the power with which she lived and how she was such a stellar demonstration of the gospel, several years ago I read “Come Be My Light” which is a book of her private prayers and writings. It is a really stimulating read. The women in Mother Teresa’s order are to have ordered times of prayer every day. (By the way, daily prayer can feed a consistent Christian life. I mean, Jesus did it.) But one of the things Mother Teresa told the women to pray everyday was to ask God to “let them look up and see only Jesus.”[8]

She said, “You have to be in the world and yet not of the world.  The light you give must be so pure, the love you love with must be so burning – the faith you believe with must be so convincing – that in seeing you they really see only Jesus.”[9]

If you just can’t figure out what to pray about each day well here is a good place to start: “Lord when people see me let them look up and see only Jesus.” I know you and I aren’t Mother Teresa.  We aren’t supposed to be.  But we are to be people who reflect the ways and heart of Jesus Christ in whatever life he has called us to.

What did our Lord say? They will know you are my disciples by the books you read?  They will know you are my disciples by your smile?  They will know you are my disciples if you sing the old hymns or if you sing the new praise songs? They will know you are my disciples by how inspiring you are?

No.  Our Lord said all people will know you are my disciples by the love you have for one another.

Our Lord also said that we are to let our light so shine before others that they may see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven.  Jesus said let people see good – the love, mercy, compassion, sacrificial service, beautiful works.  But not so we will be praised but so that God is seen. Let them look and see only Jesus.

That can take place very quietly, nonchalantly, and it should certainly be natural. When we let the Holy Spirit have control I think our lives more naturally show Jesus.

In 2 Corinthians 3, earlier in this letter, Paul tells the Corinthians that they are a “letter from Christ…written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God…”  If we were a letter what would people read in us? Is the love, light, and faith of Christ readable in our lives?

Paul said “I don’t want anyone to judge me beyond what say and what I do.  Then they can make their conclusions.” Let us be a good demonstration.

Prayer: Faithful Father, help us to follow your Son Jesus with integrity.  May our lives and words match up and may they speak of you.  Help us to be consistent, faithful, true witnesses of the love, grace, and blessedness of Christ.

Holy Spirit, only you working in us can make this happen.

This we ask.  Amen.

[1] 11:5

[2] New American Standard Version

[3] New Living Translation

[4] From “The Emotionally healthy Church” by Pete Scazzero

[5] G-2.0104

[6] Unchristian, p. 55, published by Baker Books, 2007.  Go to www.unchristian.com for more info and resources on this research project.

[7] This article is from July 30, 2012 on the Religion and Ethics section of www.abc.net.au

[8] P.231

[9] ibid