Checking All the Boxes - Pastor Stacey Shiflett
- Pastor Shiflett
- 1 day ago
- 20 min read
Watch Part 2 here:
Checking All the Boxes
Part 1
2 Corinthians 6:1-10
Intro: On Sunday night, we looked at Why We Do It; referring to a life of Christian service.
Tonight, we are going to look at HOW we do it.
A. Paul’s Identifying Classification – 1 We then, as workers together with him…
B. Paul’s Imploring Caution – 1 …beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain…
C. Paul’s Irreproachable Character – 3 Giving no offence in any thing,
D. Paul’s Inspiring Concern – 3b …that the ministry be not blamed:
Paul was concerned about his role as a minister of God.
He was consumed with the possibility of giving the ministry a bad name.
Notice his attitude: 4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God,
He wanted his ministry to be approved.
Not in just an area or two, but in ALL THINGS.
APPROVING: to show, prove, establish, exhibit; to put together, unite parts into one whole; to be composed of, consist
Paul was mindful of the many aspects of being a minister of God.
He was not content to focus on one or two aspects.
He was not happy with progress in several areas.
He wanted to be approved in ALL THINGS.
Paul wanted to CHECK ALL THE BOXES!
Part 2
NOTE: Having man’s approval is worthless, but seeking God’s approval should be our concern.
Being approved is possible and it should be a priority.
Notice how many times Paul referred to this truth:
· Romans 16:10 Salute Apelles approved in Christ.
· 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
· Philippians 1:10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
What does it mean to be APPROVED?
ILLUSTRATION: In the ancient world there was no banking system as we know it today, and no paper money. All money was made from metal, heated until liquid, poured into molds and allowed to cool. When the coins were cooled, it was necessary to smooth off the uneven edges. The coins were comparatively soft and of course many people shaved them closely. In one century, more than eighty laws were passed in Athens, to stop the practice of shaving down the coins then in circulation. But some money changers were men of integrity, who would accept no counterfeit money. They were men of honour who put only genuine full weighted money into circulation. Such men were called "dokimos" or "approved". (Donald Barnhouse)
A person that is APPROVED is not cutting corners.
They are not shaving off little insignificant aspects of Christianity and still trying to pass it off as legitimate.
They are not in the business of doing as little as possible and still qualify as “ministers of God.”
Approved means you’re checking all the boxes.
Paul wanted to CHECK ALL THE BOXES!
He did not put the burden on the ones doing the approving; he put that burden on himself.
Approving OURSELVES as the ministers of God.
Understanding what it means and undertaking that title with diligence and confidence.
He gave us a comprehensive list of areas that are important as ministers of God.
Here are twelve boxes that Paul testified that he had checked as a minister of God.
He checked…
Box Number 1: SUFFERING
· 4 …in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
· 5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults,
Let’s examine the degree of suffering that Paul said we should strive to be approved in.
These aren't things Paul endured begrudgingly; they're the very things that validated his ministry.
Paul begins verse 4 with "…but in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God…" — the word "approving" there is sunistanontes (συνιστάνοντες), meaning to commend, prove, or demonstrate by evidence. So everything that follows is the proof.
Here's the breakdown of the suffering that Paul listed as evidence of being approved:
· In much patience — hupomonē (ὑπομονή)
This isn't like patiently waiting for your name to be called in a doctors waiting room.
It's a word meaning "to remain under."
It's the kind of endurance that continues; stays under a load without collapsing or running.
This word sets the stage for the whole list that follows.
The six categories after it are the specific arenas where that endurance was tested.
Paul didn’t just demonstrate patience, but MUCH patience.
James 1
· 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
· 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Patience is clear evidence of spiritual maturity.
· In afflictions — thlipsis (θλῖψις)
This word literally pictures pressure, like crushing grapes or grain under a weight.
It's the general term for the crushing pressures and tribulations of ministry life.
The Psalmists said it like this:
· Psalms 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
As a Christian, can you honestly say that you have experienced “afflictions?”
Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
Paul embraced this aspect of being a minister of God.
Colossians 1
· 23 …whereof I Paul am made a minister;
· 24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:
· 25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Afflictions is part of it!
Enduring afflictions and suffering is what enables me to CHECK THE BOX!
In fact, he made a play on words with the word AFFLICTIONS and the pressing weight that it involved.
Notice his perspective:
· 2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
· In necessities — anagkē (ἀνάγκη)
This speaks of dire need, distress brought on by circumstance.
There were things Paul had no control over.
Financial difficulties, going without – all a direct result of his role as a “minister of God.”
What was Paul’s mindset toward this aspect of suffering?
· 2 Corinthians 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
Paul’s attitude toward doing without clearly checked the box of necessities:
Philippians 4
· 11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
· 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
· In distresses — stenochōria (στενοχωρία)
A vivid compound word: stenos (narrow) and chōros (place).
It's the sense of being squeezed into a tight, narrow space with no room to move; calamity so confining it feels like there's nowhere to turn.
Paul used this word in four distinct places.
Notice when and how he referred to DISTRESSES.
Romans 8
· 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
· 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
The distress is real, but it cannot separate you from Christ's love; you come through it more than a conqueror.
· 2 Corinthians 4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair.
The distress is real, pressing in hard, but God’s grace keeps it from becoming the final word.
· 2 Corinthians 6:4 our text; evidence approving a true minister of God.
· 2 Corinthians 6:12 further down in the chapter, Paul shows the word isn't only about circumstance; it can refer to a person’s relationship with other believers.
· He is admonishing the Corinthian church about the dangers of a narrow, cramped heart toward him and encourages them to enlarge their heart like he did toward them in verse 11.
· In stripes — plēgē (πληγή)
This is a literal wound or blow, the marks left by a whip or beating.
Paul wasn't speaking figuratively here; he bore actual scars from being beaten for the gospel.
· 2 Corinthians 11:23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
· 2 Corinthians 11:24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
Paul was marked for life for his role as a minister of God.
· Galatians 6:17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
MARKS: this is the word stigma and is the only place in the entire New Testament this word appears.
In the Roman world, a stigma was a brand or mark burned or cut into the skin to denote ownership.
Slaves were branded with their master's mark.
Some pagans marked themselves to identify with a particular god or temple.
It also describes the brand put on a criminal.
In Galatians 6, the Judaizers wanted Gentile believers circumcised; cut in the flesh as a mark proving submission to the law.
Paul throws that right back at them. "You want to talk about marks in the flesh? Look at mine."
He's not talking about circumcision.
He's talking about the literal scars from being beaten with rods, stoned, and whipped for the gospel.
Paul referred to his stripes often because it was a big deal to him.
He could boldly say, “…in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God” and he had the stripes to prove it!
· In imprisonments — phulakē (φυλακή)
Paul is referring here to literal jail cells.
Jesus was imprisoned.
John the Baptist was imprisoned and beheaded in prison.
The apostles were imprisoned in Acts 5:18.
Peter was imprisoned again in Acts 12:4.
Paul was arrested and imprisoned many times.
NOTE: We can estimate that roughly 4-5 years across Philippi, Caesarea, and the first Roman imprisonment) plus the unspecified "more frequent" imprisonments Paul mentions and the second Roman imprisonment before his death, a reasonable, defensible estimate is somewhere in the range of 5 to 6 years of his roughly 30-year ministry spent in literal chains or incarcerated to some degree.
How many Christians today would be willing to check the box of imprisonment for the opportunity to identify as “ministers of God?”
What does your level of commitment to Jesus Christ look like in comparison?
· In tumults — akatastasia (ἀκαταστασία)
There is a progression worth noticing.
Paul moves from the general to the specific; from internal pressure to external pain.
Notice the progression from the inward, invisible pressure of afflictions, necessities, distresses to the outward, visible proof of stripes, imprisonments and tumults.
This word TUMULT means instability, commotion, riotous disorder.
The chaos of mobs and uproars stirred up against him, like what happened in Ephesus or Thessalonica.
This is a realistic and very accurate picture of biblical Christianity.
Everywhere Paul went, there was a group of Jews that followed him stirring up the people.
Conclusion: There is nothing hypothetical about this list.
Every category was something he had actually walked through, and patience was what carried him through all of it without quitting.
And make no mistake; our Lord Jesus Christ experienced this very same list of suffering. Every one!
So – explain how the vast majority of modern-day Christians think they can check all the boxes without ever checking this one?
How much of an uproar has your Christianity produced?
As a "minister of God," have you checked the box of SUFFERING?
Part 3
Box Number 2: STRUGGLING – 5 …in labours
Paul shifts gears right here.
He's moving from things done to him to things he did.
He’s now the suffering he chose, not just the suffering he endured.
· In labours — kopos (κόπος)
This word doesn't mean ordinary work.
It carries the idea of toil to the point of exhaustion — labor so intense it produces weariness, even pain.
· LABOURS: a beating, a beating of the breast with grief, sorrow trouble, to cause one trouble, make work for him, intense labour united with trouble and toil
The root idea behind kopos is "to strike" or "to beat," so there's a sense of being beaten down by the sheer effort of the work itself.
This is the word Paul uses often when he wants to describe ministry that costs something physically and emotionally:
2 Corinthians 11:23 In labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
2 Corinthians 11:27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Notice in 11:27 he used the word kopos (labours) as well a second word for weariness.
This is not an easy job; a 9-5 job where you don’t break a sweat.
This is intense, exhausting, back-breaking work.
What have you done lately that could be described as “intense labour united with trouble and toil?”
It is worth noting that Jesus prayed for laborers to be sent into the harvest.
· Matthew 9:37-38 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
Here "labourers" is ergatēs (ἐργάτης), from ergon (ἔργον), meaning "work."
An ergatēs is simply one who works — a worker, a laborer, the noun used for a hired hand or workman generally.
Same root family that gives us ergon used all over the New Testament for "works" or "deeds."
It's a word that describes a role, an identity.
Someone is an ergatēs — a worker, by occupation or function — the way you'd say "he's a farmhand" or "they are a laborer."
But in 2 Corinthians 6:5, Paul uses the word kopos (κόπος).
This is not a role, it's a reality.
This is more than a position; it involves perspiration.
It doesn't describe what Paul WAS, it describes what the work DID TO him.
· Ergatēs tells you somebody is a worker.
· Kopos tells you what it felt like to be that worker.
Jesus prays for ergatai (workers, the noun) to be sent into the harvest.
That is the call, the commission, the need for workers.
Paul, describing his own ministry credentials, reaches for kopos — that's the cost of actually answering that call.
One is the Position; the other is the Price.
It's worth saying plainly to anyone praying Matthew 9:38 for more laborers: you may be praying God would send someone into the kopos.
The harvest doesn't just need bodies in the field, it needs men and women willing to be spent.
Christians that are approved as ministers of God by their level of involvement and effort.
Box Number 3: SOBERNESS – 5 …in watchings
WATCHINGS: to be sleepless, watching
Speaks to his level of alertness; awareness of danger; no apathy; no sleeping; no auto-pilot mentality
And it is exhausting.
Paul understood what it meant to live in a constant state of watchfulness.
· 2 Corinthians 11:27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Paul told Timothy to “…be watchful in all things…” in 2 Timothy 4:5.
God admonished the church of Sardis to do the same thing.
· Revelation 3:2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
“Watchings” reflects an understanding of the constant state of vulnerability we are in as Christians.
Paul didn’t live his life complacent and comfortable.
He lived with his guard up.
He lived with his eyes open.
When he heard noises in the night, he got up to investigate.
When he saw things that weren’t right, he didn’t ignore it.
He was awake when other people were asleep.
“Watchings” means he deprived himself of things he needed and wanted in order to protect himself and those with him.
The devil doesn’t even have to sneak up on some people. He can walk up, introduce himself and they still don’t see him.
Part 4
Box Number 4: SUPPLICATION – 5 …in fastings
The word “fasting” sometimes refers to lack of food.
But in a later passage, he addressed both hunger AND fastings.
· 2 Corinthians 11:27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Make no mistake: Paul fasted and prayed.
· Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
· Acts 14:23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.
There is a level of power with God that only comes from praying and fasting.
Mark 9
· 28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
· 29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
Box Number 5: SANCTIFICATION - 6 By pureness…
PURENESS: purity, chastity, uprightness of life
God cannot use a dirty vessel.
Ministry and service requires holiness, purity, sanctification, separation and living right!
If you and I are going to identify as “ministers of God,” then we must be clean.
· 2 Timothy 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.
Notice the order:
· purged
sanctified
meet for the Master's use
God is not looking for gifted people; He is looking for clean people.
God places a whole lot of emphasis on being pure.
Paul drilled down on it at the end of the chapter.
· 2 Corinthians 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate... and touch not the unclean thing...
· 2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
There are special blessings in store for those that pursue purity.
Psalm 24
· 3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?
· 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
· 5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
The child of God is commanded to live as clean as possible.
· 1 Timothy 5:22 …neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.
Jesus said it like this – ye are IN the world, but ye are not OF the world. (John 17)
Purity is so important that it sets the tone for heavenly, godly wisdom.
· James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
1 John 3
· 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
· 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Part 5
Box Number 6: STUDY – …by knowledge…
KNOWLEDGE: knowledge signifies in general intelligence, understanding
1a) the general knowledge of Christian religion
1b) the deeper more perfect and enlarged knowledge of this religion, such as belongs to the more advanced
1c) esp. of things lawful and unlawful for Christians
1d) moral wisdom, such as is seen in right living
How important is knowledge to you?
Knowledge is necessary if you are interested in ENRICHING yourself.
· 1 Corinthians 1:5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
Knowledge is necessary if you are interested in ENCOURAGING others.
· Romans 15:14 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.
Do you study the Bible?
One of the wonderful things about this church is the many opportunities you have to learn and study.
One of my greatest honors and pleasures is to study and share what I’ve learned with you.
· Jeremiah 3:15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
We have Sunday School classes for every age group on Sunday mornings at 10.
We have Principles of Growth Discipleship on Wednesday nights.
We have a Bible College right here – three nights a week – for 12 hours – SO YOU CAN STUDY.
We have a bookstore filled with resources on many subjects.
I even post my sermon outlines and notes online after every service for you to review.
I’ve written over thirty books on a wide variety of topics for God’s people to study and learn and grow.
Why do unsaved heathens study more than most Christians?
One of the characteristics of the last days is they will be “ever learning.”
There is a constant search for knowledge by people that are not even saved.
That was what that crowd on Mars Hill was all about.
Acts 17
· 18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.
· 19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
· 20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
· 21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
Notice their driving mindset: “…we would know therefore what these things mean.”
How sincere are you in knowing the truth?
Do you believe everything you hear?
The church at Berea listened attentively to the Apostle Paul, but they still studied.
Paul commended them for it.
Acts 17
· 10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
· 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
NOTE: The Thessalonians were wonderful in their receptiveness.
· 1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
But the Bereans were more noble because they studied and researched the message Paul preached.
IF you want to be approved, you must study!
· 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Box Number 7: SCRIPTURE - By the word of truth…
How much of your life reflects the importance of the word of truth?
Your relationship with your Bible reflects your seriousness about your relationship with your God.
· Do you value it?
· Do you read it?
· Do you believe it?
· Do you live it?
· Do you share it?
Before you read the news, which is filled with lies and deception, read THE WORD OF TRUTH.
Before you believe the gossip and rumors of your family and friends, read THE WORD OF TRUTH.
For the minister of God that is seeking to be approved in all things, the Scriptures are not just a book.
The WORD OF TRUTH is a manual – a step-by-step guide for life.
It provides us with the formula for how to live a life that is pleasing to God.
· It is our roadmap to direct our steps in our walk with God.
· It is our arsenal where we find our weapons and our defenses for the battle.
· It is our pantry where we find the nutrients and food we need to be strong and healthy Christians.
· It is our toolbox were we find the tools we need to build a testimony and one another.
· It is our encyclopedia of information so we can learn who God is and what He wants.
· It is our mirror that exposes and reveals all our faults.
· It is our compass that keeps us on course.
· It is our blueprint that shows us how to build a home that honors God.
· It is our treasure chest that contains riches this world cannot offer.
We were SAVED by the WORD OF TRUTH.
· James 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
· Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
We are STABILIZED by the WORD OF TRUTH.
· 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
We are SATISFIED by the WORD OF TRUTH.
· Psalms 119:43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; for I have hoped in thy judgments.
As ministers of God – without the word of truth, we have nothing.
· We have no direction for our lives.
· We have no message for others.
· We have no hope of eternal life.
· We have no way to know God or His Son.
· We have nothing. Period.
God spent 1,600 years compiling the WORD OF TRUTH for you and I to have and to hold.
We cannot check all the boxes and be approved in all things if our relationship with the WORD OF TRUTH is wrong.
Box Number 8: SPIRITUALITY - by longsuffering, kindness, the Holy Ghost, love unfeigned,
This list right here is one of the most important ones on the checklist.
We could preach all night on this list.
As ministers of God, we cannot be approved if we can’t check this box.
· Ministry without longsuffering is a waste of time.
· Ministry without kindness is not even possible.
· Ministry without the Holy Ghost is pointless.
· Ministry without love unfeigned is fake; phony and a joke.
Paul checked off these boxes – can we?
Part 6
Box Number 9: SPIRITUAL WARFARE - by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
The one box that every minister of God has to check is that of being a soldier.
Not just a soldier, but one that is actively engaged in the battle.
If you can manage to identify as a soldier of Jesus Christ without ever picking up a sword, you’ve failed!
Paul is describing the resources God had given him for ministry.
He had the truth of God's Word, the power of God, and the armor of righteousness.
A Roman soldier commonly carried:
A sword in his right hand (offensive weapon)
A shield on his left arm (defensive weapon)
So, on the right hand and on the left speaks of being fully equipped for both attack and defense.
He’s not just defending himself; he’s taking the battle to the enemy.
This is fully engaged; fully involved; fully invested in the battle
The number of Bible verses that describe the Christian life as a battle is too numerous to list.
But here are a few:
· 2 Timothy 2:3, 4 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
· Ephesians 6:11, 12 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
· Ephesians 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
· 2 Corinthians 10:3, 4 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
· 1 Timothy 1:18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;
· 1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
· 2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
· 1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
Box Number 10: SCRUTINY – 8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; As unknown, and yet well known;
If you can’t stand up to the eyes of others, you cannot qualify as a minister of God.
There will be a lot of scrutiny, criticism, analyzing, opinions, verdicts,
I am more convinced now than ever before that scrutiny is one of the biggest reasons why people won’t stand.
It boils down to insecurity.
· Insecure in your position.
· Insecure in your authority as a believer.
· Insecure in your knowledge of the truth/Bible.
· Insecure in your ability to discern. (constantly second-guessing yourself)
· Insecure in your walk with God and your standing with God.
· Insecure in the authority of the Word of God as ultimate truth.
Some honored Paul as a man of God, while others treated him like a criminal.
In one city he was received as an apostle.
In another city he was stoned and left for dead.
Some testified of his integrity.
Others spread lies about his motives.
Paul had been accused of being:
A false teacher
A troublemaker
A cult leader
A manipulator
Yet none of those accusations were true.
The world often labels God's servants according to what they do not understand.
A faithful servant of God may be:
· Honored by some and dishonored by others.
· Praised by some and criticized by others.
· Misunderstood by many and appreciated by a few.
How you handle scrutiny; both positive and negative, will be a very important box to check.
