Welcome to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. In this last message from our series on 2 Corinthians, Pastor Rich fleshes out what it looks like to speak and act in truth and meekness, just as our Lord displayed for us in his earthly life.
Let's listen in. This is part two of a message on 2 Corinthians 13, 7 through 14, titled Gentle Authority. It was originally preached on September 7, 2014 at Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. One of my favorite coaches, he's no longer a coach, but he was and he won the Super Bowl, was Tony Dungy, quality man in so many ways. Tony shares the following story about his father's Christian character in manifesting a humble authority. Tony says, my dad was usually a quiet, thoughtful man, a scientist at heart and by training.
Wilbur Dungy loved to be outside enjoying the scenery. Fishing allowed him time to contemplate, to listen and to marvel at God's creation. My dad used fishing to teach his children to appreciate the everyday wonders of the world God created. One particular day stands out in my mind.
It was in the summer of 1965. I was nine years old and my brother was five. My dad had taken us fishing at one of the many lakes around Jackson, Michigan. On that day, my dad was teaching my brother and me how to cast. We were both working on it, mostly in silence until my dad's voice finally broke a period of stillness. Hey, Linden, don't move for a minute, please. I looked back and watched my dad move his hand toward his face.
Calm and deliberate, he continued to speak. Now, Linden, always make sure that you know not only where your pole is when you're casting, but also make certain that you know where everyone else is around you. At this point, I realized my dad was working on my brother's hook out of his own ear. I learned something about proper casting that day. But what's more, I learned something about patient, humble authority.
Years later, when I got hooked myself in my hand, I realized how much it hurts. Remembering my dad's patience and humility that day when Linden's hook was caught in his ear, I finally understood the importance of staying calm and communicating clearly. Gentle authority is prayerful and gentle authority is humble. Thirdly, gentle authority is truthful. If you're going to have gentle authority, if it's going to have any authority at all, it cannot, you cannot catapult truth. Gentle authority is truthful. As the Apostle Paul said, we can do nothing against the truth. Verse 8, we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth. Gentleness without authority, gentleness without truth is no authority at all.
This is why the Apostle Paul says, therefore, I write in verse 10. He says, I communicate truth to you. I realize that in my letters, I'm authoritative and you're one of your charges against me is that when I'm with you, I'm, I'm too nice. I'm too soft. I'm not authoritative enough.
I'm not apostolic enough. He says, but I'm writing to you. This is the truth.
I want you to know the truth. I'm communicating to you the truth. Look what he says as he continues in verse 10. I write these things to you being absent, lest being present, I should use sharpness according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not your destruction.
Gentle authority is truthful. He says less being present, I use sharpness. Remember last time we used in strong exhortation, we use the example of drywall. If you've ever dry walled, there are going to be flaws in that. And the best way to find those imperfections is to approach it with a spotlight, a bright light and a scraper because you're going to need it. And Paul says, I'm coming with that bright light and a scraper if I need to.
I would rather not, but if I have to, I will use them. Interesting, isn't it? Gentle authority does not catapult truth. The word sharpness that he uses here, I should use sharpness, he says, that is a derivative of what it means to cut. And I like to use the illustration of trees. You have fruit trees in Michigan where we live for eight and a half years.
My wife is from there. There's orchards all over the place. Cherry, apple, peaches are all over the place and they're beautiful. And they take very close care of them. And when you have on a tree, in an orchard, you have the tendency, those trees tend to grow what we call, what they call suckers.
You know what suckers are? They're these little would be branches that grow up like all around the base of the tree. And frankly, if you look at the tree, the tree and for those things to grow, they require what?
Sap. It's the lifeblood of the tree. And what does the farmer do? He cuts the suckers off because they drain life, necessary life from the rest of the tree that is productive. And Paul says, if I have to, if I have to, I will cut the fruitless suckers that only drain life from the tree. Now, I don't think he used that language, but they knew that he meant what he said. They knew that he meant what he said because his main concern was the health of the church.
Is the church all about the character and the purpose of Christ? And that was his concern. So, gentle authority is truthful. Gentle authority is also confident. There has to be a confidence in that. If authority is going to be gentle, it needs to be confident because a lack of confidence often manifests itself in arrogance. Gentle authority is confident. As he said again in verse 10, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction. That word authority, there is the word exousia.
It's the word that describes the whole genre, the whole topic of these last four chapters of 2 Corinthians. It's been said that the real lion doesn't have to roar. In the church at Corinth, there were all these other would-be, wannabe lions who were trying to roar, but they were sounding more like frail little puppies. Paul recognized that his authority was from the Lord. He knew who he was.
He knew who he was not. His authority came from the Lord. It was not the authority of his position. It was not the authority of his opinion.
It was the authority from the Lord, the authority of the revealed word of God. And Paul recognized that. He understood that. He had confidence in that. And because of that confidence, Paul could exercise great meekness.
He didn't need to posture and he could be gently authoritative. And that's what meekness is. We can define it as humbly confident. Meekness is being humbly confident. Because you can still exercise authority even if there might be some who are criticizing you, misunderstanding you, demeaning you.
That doesn't distract you from doing what God has called you to do. And that's meekness. Meekness is being humbly confident.
And that's what we see in the Apostle Paul. Lastly, with regard to gentle authority, we find that gentle authority is hopeful. Gentle authority is hopeful.
What do I mean by that? It is encouraging. It is inspirational.
He says, be of good comfort. It is encouraging and inspirational in the sense that the people, the leader, the person with gentle authority leads people to rise up to the occasion. A leader leads out front. What does that mean? It means they're the trailblazers. They go first expecting people to follow in their steps.
Not in any kind of sense of grandiosity or arrogance. It's that you're the risk taker. You're the one out front cutting the path, facing the chief resistance. And you clear the path for others to follow.
And you lead out front. It's the writer of Hebrews says it clearly. Follow their faith. Follow their faith.
Now, let me remind you this morning. I'm not just talking to people in leadership positions, although it's true there as well. For me, for the deacons, other pastors around, those of you who will be one day pastors. But remember that ministry is for all of us in this congregation.
If you are in Christ, you are a minister. Lead hopefully, encouraging another person to rise up, to hone the craft of following Christ. That's why the Bible uses the analogy of a shepherd for leadership. A shepherd. You know, a shepherd leads the sheep out front. The shepherd doesn't push the sheep. Can you imagine how unsuccessful that would be if you were merely pushing the sheep? Some of you have dogs as pets. We've had a dog. I've tried to push a dog before. You know how all that works?
Doesn't work. They dig in their heels. Well, they don't have heels, I know, but you know, their paws, they dig them in. Certainly a cat, you cannot push a cat. You cannot even lead a cat.
They will approach you only on their terms. Thanks for joining us here at Delight in Grace. You've been listening to Rich Powell, the lead pastor at Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. The Delight in Grace mission is to help you know that God designed you to realize your highest good and your deepest satisfaction in Him, the one who is infinitely good. We hope you'll join us again on weekdays at 10 a.m.
