Stop Looking at Me!

WNBS Recap

February 14, 2007
2 Corinthians 12:1-10



Happy Valentine's Day!


Have you ever seen a picture that's out of focus? Sometimes it's hard to even tell what the picture is. For instance:

Other times, details from the image are just lost. Like, what's the name of this puppy?

So, when things are out of focus, you can lose sight of reality and also lose important detail. Another thing that often happens (and is quite artisitic in the world of photography) is when one thing is out of focus, another thing is in focus.The question that we have to ask is: "Is the right thing in focus?"

Paul has just spent half of chapter 11 giving the people of Corinth what they want: a laundry list of reasons he's better than the other "preachers and teachers" that have been coming to the church. The corinthian church is focused on Paul's immediate earthly success and his accomplishments. Now, Paul wants them to refocus. But how?

Everyone has "good things" they can brag about or give personal praise about. For instance, I have 2 degrees (a Bachelors in Computer Science and Math and a Masters in Christian Ed), came in 2nd on my team at the 1999 NCAA Cross Country Regional, once ran the last mile of a race in 5:00 flag, single handedly eliminated 4 opponents in a paintball game while wearing a white jacket in the woods, won 3 service awards in college, can sing and play guitar, write original songs, can change my own oil, can successfully complete sudokus and photo mosaic puzzles, have been to Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, the Netherlands, England, and Panama, and can eath a triple order of hash browns a waffle and a BEC sandwich in one sitting.

The fact that you now know these things about me is nice, and it may actually give me credibility in some cases, but does any of it really matter? With regard to eternity, are these things really that important? Don't get me wrong. I think it is good to strive for personal success in everything that you do, but if your purpose is earthly success and personal praise, then your focus is wrong!

2 Corinthians 12:1 says: Boasting is necessary, but it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.

While boasting may be necessary to some extent, because it satisfies this need of ours to know that someone is credible and worth listening to, it is not worth much. Why? Because the fact that I can (or could) run fast or can (or could) eat a lot at the Waffle House will do NOTHING to make you or anybody else more like Jesus! It is not wrong to have earthly success, or for people to know about those successes, but if that is the goal of your life, then your focus is WRONG! These are good things, but there are "better things" that we need to focus on, namely visions and revelations of the Lord.

Remember back to 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. Paul encourages the church to focus on the things that are unseen (things that are eternally significant) instead of the things that are seen (things that are only temporarily significant). He is now taking the church back to that focus: from good things to BETTER things!

Verses 2-5 of chapter 12 give a picture of what is better. Eternity is inexpressible with words. It is better that anything experienced here on earth, and as we live here temporarily our efforts need to be geared toward this better thing: eternity!

Again, in verses 6-7, Paul says he will refrain from boasting anymore so that people don't just see him and his success, but the "surpassing greatness of the revelations." There is something far greater!

Revelations of the Lord far> Personal Accomplishment

But, is it easy to keep the focus in the right place? Sometimes it takes a little work, and sometimes it takes a little encouragement. Paul describes the "encouragement" he received from God in verses 7-9: "a thorn in the flesh".

That doesn't sound too comfortable, does it? And when Paul begged God to take it away, what did God say? NO! He said "NO"! Why? Because He wanted to be enough for Paul! After Paul heard God's response, this is what he decided: "I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficluties, for Chrsit's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong."

WOW! What about you? Can you say that? Where is your focus? What are you content with? Is God's grace enough for you?

If our focus is wrong, then we will not be content with God's grace in our lives and we will live for what is insignificant rather than what is significant. Refocusing your life is not necessarily automatic...it may take some work and some encouragement!