Jump Start # 1684

2 Corinthians 11:29 “Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?”

  Our verse is found after a long section in which the apostle Paul is compelled to defend himself against those who are taking pot shots at him. They have questioned his position, since he wasn’t one of the first apostles. They criticized his preaching. They questioned his worthiness. And in a brilliant, tell-all section, Paul lists the trials that he has endured since he became a Christian. The list is hard to believe. Just any one of these would have been the end to most of us. Yet, here he is, still going on for the Lord. The laundry list of persecution includes:

• Multiple imprisonments
• Five times whipped with 39 lashes
• Three times beaten with rods
• Other times beaten so many times he couldn’t remember
• Stoned
• Shipwrecked, including spending an entire night in the water
• Hungry, thirsty and often in dangerous situations
• Came close to dying more than once

We read these words and two thoughts immediately come to our minds. First, it makes us bow our heads in shame. How many times have we let a headache keep us from riding in a nice automobile to an air conditioned church building to sit on padded pews to worship for an hour? Secondly, it makes us ask, why? Why did you put up with all of this Paul? The answer is obvious. Jesus. It was because of the Lord’s love for Paul and what the Lord endured on the cross that kept Paul going. He wasn’t going to allow suffering to stop him. He saw suffering as temporary. He longed to be with the Lord. He was on a mission and he was determined to complete it.

After this long list of suffering Paul names some great internal suffering that he experienced. There was the daily concern for the churches, and then our verse today, the concern for those who are weak and led into sin. “Who is led into sin without my intense concern?” One has to think that these internal, spiritual concerns, had a greater impact upon Paul than the physical persecutions. He wanted everyone to go to Heaven. He wanted churches to be strong and growing. He couldn’t stand for folks to remain weak. He had this “intense concern” about those who returned to sin.

We are not told what this intense concern for those returning to sin resulted in. It’s not hard to imagine. Knowing Paul from the rest of the N.T., we can put together a good picture of what he would have done.

First, he would have prayed hard about that person. He would have prayed that the Lord would help that person. He would pray that the person would see what they have left and where the sin is taking them. He would pray that the Lord would open doors to reach this person. Pray hard is what Paul would have done.

Second, Paul would have gone directly to the person if he could. He would sit down and reason with the person. He would have shown Scriptures and reminded the person of the great love and sacrifice that God has for him. He would have warned the person about the dangers of losing their soul.

Third, Paul would have continued to follow up. He would write letters when away from that person. He would not let it go. He would have been on that person. Like a giant spiritual tug-of-war, Satan pulling on one end, Paul was holding tight on the other end. He wasn’t ready to let the person go. Paul would have encouraged others to get involved and see after the person. Like an all night search for a missing child, the church would have poured prayers and effort into reaching this person.

Fourth, if all efforts were rejected, with tears streaming down his face, Paul would have led the church into practicing discipline upon the wayward soul. Even at that, there would have been prayers and approaches to reach the person.

This is what “intense concern” looks like. This ought to be the actions of the shepherds or elders of a congregation. Every godly person ought to walk in the steps of Paul. This is what ought to be done. Sadly, and much too often it’s not.

Someone is led into sin and nothing is said. Oh, after a few months, some quietly whisper about what ever happened to “so and so.” Those months become nearly a year before slow moving elders decide to read a form letter before the church. As it is read, some look to each other and ask, “Who is this?” A couple of weeks pass, and a second form letter is mailed to this person in sin. It lists a few verses and coldly proclaims that the church has withdrawn fellowship from him. As the man in sin reads this letter, he scoffs. It’s been over a year now and they are just now getting around to this? He’s returned to sin and is very comfortable now. It’s been so long since he has worshipped with God’s people, that he doesn’t even miss it. Where was the concern when he first left? And this cold, form letter is supposed to bring him back to the Lord? This is showing love and “intense concern?”

It’s about time that congregations gave a lot of serious thought into their methods of dealing with those who are led into sin. It would be interesting to see how many were turned around because of these late sent form letters? Is this nothing more than appeasing the conscience of the leaders rather than a serious attempt to bring the  one in error back?

Intense concern. I’d like to see a class on that. I’d like to hear a sermon on that one. It would probably be painful to sit through, knowing what has been the practice in the past. Do we really care? Do we really want them back? Do we really love their souls? Maybe it’s time to ditch these form letters and get in the car and drive over there and sit down face to face and talk. Maybe it’s time to ask, “What would it take to bring you back?” Maybe that ought to be done within the a couple of weeks of noticing that they are missing. Maybe we ought to pay better attention to who is missing.

Intense concern. I’d like to think that if I dropped out, there would be several who had intense concern about me. I just wonder if I have that same concern for others.

Bless be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love—more than a song. It’s the way that it ought to be.

Roger