1 Devotion to Christ 2 Corinthians 11:3 Please turn in your Bible to 2 Corinthians 11:3. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. The verse on the screen is part of a handwritten letter. The letter traveled from a city named Ephesus to the Christians in a city named Corinth. The church at Corinth had many problems in the areas of doctrine and sin. In any church, leaders need to address those type problems quickly and decisively. The Apostle Paul is the author. Paul wrote two thirds of the New Testament. Through Paul's pen, the Holy Spirit provided a lot of useful information for living. The Holy Spirit inspired, and Paul wrote. It was a team effort. God still works through common people. He wants to work through you. Will you let him? Paul's writings form a foundation for the way we conduct life and church today. Christianity was in its infancy when Paul wrote several books of the Bible. Before Paul's writings, there was no instruction manual that explained how a Christ follower should live and how a church should operate. Paul's writings were relevant in the first century, and they apply today. The verse on the screen applies to you today. Paul was instrumental in the lives of the Corinthians. Paul had invested himself into their wellbeing. If your Bible is open, please look at the previous verse. In verse 2, Paul declared that he had been the matchmaker between the Corinthians and Christ. The church at Corinth was the bride that Paul had betrothed to the husband Christ. Betrothed means joined, united, coupled, and connected. It means super glued. It speaks of commitment and a permanent relationship. When Paul introduced the Corinthians to the Redeemer, he expected the relationship to be exclusive and enduring. Are you familiar with speed dating? Speed dating is a planned event. Dozens of singles gather at a chosen location. They pair off and talk for two or three minutes until a bell rings. Then they rotate to the next person. Each person has several conversations during the course of the event. At the end of the evening, interested speed daters have the opportunity to schedule future encounters.
2 At a speed dating event, there is no expectation of permanence. Participants jump from one person to the next like bees to different flowers. Attention to one relationship is not a characteristic of a speed dating event. Betrothal isn't like speed dating. Paul joined the Corinthians to a permanent relationship with the Savior. Because Paul led the Corinthians to Christ, he was jealous that they appeared to be interested in other lovers. The sense is clear. Paul claimed that it was by his matchmaking efforts that the Corinthians had embraced the Redeemer. Under Paul's influence, they had entered into a relationship with the Savior similar to that between a bride and her husband. Paul felt extraordinary interest in them, which naturally grew out of his desire to present them blameless to the pure Redeemer. The relationship of the Church to Christ is often represented by marriage. We are the bride. Christ is the husband. We have chosen to unite with him in a permanent relationship. As with marriage, our devotion to Christ should be exclusive. We should have no other lovers who compete for our worship and focus. Do you have other interests that seduce you away from a pure devotion to Christ? Life offers many enticements that whisper in our ears to lead us astray. Will you run after worldly things or seek a sincere and pure devotion to Christ? Paul told the Corinthians he was concerned that they would be tempted to dirty their devotion to Christ the way the serpent deceived Eve to forsake her obedience to God. Do you remember the story of Eve's deception? Let's look way, way back into time. On the third day of creation, God created vegetation. Aren't you glad? Often, I enjoy the appearance of the plants, flowers, trees, and grass that abundantly surround us. God created them and their beauty. One of the trees that God created was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We don't have any trees like that special tree. Eating the fruit from that tree imparted knowledge. Many of our students would like to have a tree of the knowledge of math. Our adults would like to have a tree of the knowledge of perfect health. After God made the tree of the knowledge of good and evil on the third day, he created the land animals, including the serpent that slithered on the ground, on the sixth day. Also, on the sixth day, God created a man and named him Adam. God gave specific
3 instructions to Adam about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God said, "If you eat, you die." The instructions were clear and simple. So far, our story has God, a tree, a serpent, and a man. Next, from the man, God fashioned a woman. Adam named her Eve. Eve learned about the special tree from God directly or from Adam. Perhaps the three discussed the tree. By some means, Eve knew that she wasn't supposed to eat fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Next slide. In the verse we read a few minutes ago, Paul wrote, "I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning..." Let's look at the cunning nature of the serpent. In Genesis 3, we have a record of the serpent doing a number on Eve. Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?" Gen 3:2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, Gen 3:3 but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" Gen 3:4 But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. Gen 3:5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Gen 3:6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Gen 3:7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. Gen 3:8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Notice the cunning tactics of the serpent. The serpent questioned God's directions. "Yo, Eve. Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?" The serpent knew that God didn't say that Eve couldn't eat from any of the trees. He knew that only one tree was forbidden, but his broad question was a way to engage Eve and set the
4 hook. Eve took the bait quickly and willingly. I can hear the serpent whisper, "Come on Eve. God can't possible expect you to give up that food. Your actions won't hurt anyone. It doesn't make sense to have to abide by those unreasonable rules." Eve was vulnerable because She didn't have a firm grasp of God's Word. "Eve said, "I'm not supposed to eat or touch the fruit." Eve misquoted God's words. God never said anything about touching the fruit. When we add to or take from God's Word, we set ourselves up for trouble. We must have a firm grasp of God's Word. Next, The serpent lied by calling God a fraud and twisting the truth. "Come on, Eve. Don't be such a sucker. Don't believe God's idle threats. You won't die. Really, has anything ever died in this garden? You don't even know what "die" means. God told you that stuff because he knows that you'll be as smart as he is if you eat." Eve was deceived. Genesis 3:6 says, "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate." Deception, when accepted, shattered Eve's obedience to God. The serpent cunningly set a trap. Eve fell for the temptation. The serpent offered enticements to Eve that dirtied her devotion to God. Paul was afraid that the Corinthians would be deceived the way that Eve was deceived. The serpent in the garden was cunning. The devil in the world is cunning. Do you know that? Are you alert for his cunning deception? Next slide. Let's look at 2 Corinthians 11:3 again. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. Deception begins in the mind. Paul speaks of our thoughts being led astray. A thought becomes a desire, which becomes an action, which becomes a lifestyle. Imagine the owner of a pit bull puppy. The owner can walk the small puppy without being pulled off the path. A wise owner will train the puppy to obey him and walk under his control. If the owner allows the puppy to go wherever he wishes, the owner soon will be sorry. When the pit bull grows to become large and powerful, the owner will be led astray by the strength of the dog. The dog will become the master.
5 Our thoughts are like a pit bull. If we train and control our thoughts, we can walk securely on a Christ-like path. We must be the master of our thoughts while they are small. If we let our thoughts grow into powerful strongholds, they will become our masters. Our thoughts can lead us astray, pulling us farther and farther from a godly life. We can tell from the verse on the screen that God's objective for our lives is a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. Let's dissect that statement. First, Our devotion to Christ should be sincere. Sincere means genuine and focused. We should have a simple and single-hearted devotion to Christ. Paul's fear was that the Corinthians would fix their affections on other objects, and that the singleness and unity of their devotion to Christ would be defiled. As the shepherd of this flock, I'm concerned that your devotion will not be entirely focused on Christ. Some of you may have strayed from Christ. I know the danger that lurks in the shadows away from the path of devotion. I know about the destruction that can occur when a sheep follows something other than the Chief Shepherd. Satan loves lamb chops. I pray you will commit to be sincerely and genuinely devoted to Christ. Secondly, Our devotion to Christ should be pure. Pure means uncontaminated and unmixed. Paul understood the peril of mixing philosophy and the opinions of the world with the simplicity of the gospel. If we blend other stuff with our devotion, our minds will turn away from the pure truths that Christ taught. Next slide. I have two glasses of pure water. I haven't added anything to pollute the water's purity. The water represents a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. The world offers enticements that can defile our devotion to Christ. At first, we may not notice the off-colored tinge, (Add a drop of iodine) but as we offer our devotion to interests other than the Savior, (add more drops) the stain becomes obvious. Our sincere and pure devotion to Christ is spoiled and dirty. Eve encountered a serpent in the garden. We encounter Satan's influence in the world. Like the serpent in the garden, Satan is cunning. He comes to us with enticements. Let's look at some of the enticements that can lead us astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. Pleasure is an enticement that can lead us astray. All of us desire pleasure. Some
6 pleasures are allowable: Milk chocolate melting on our tongues. A refreshing breeze blowing in our faces. A hug from someone special. Other pleasures are forbidden. Beware, even the allowable pleasures can lead us astray if they take center stage. God-given pleasure must not compete with our devotion to Christ. Ambition is an enticement that can coax us away from undivided devotion. God made us to want to succeed for him. Satan perverts success to make it all about us. Ambition is a hungry monster that can consume us, our families, and our devotion to Christ. Ambition must not compete with our devotion to Christ. Money is an enticement that yearns for our attention. Jesus told us it's impossible to serve God and money. Why do we think that rule only applies to others? Tinge by tinge, money discolors pure devotion. Money must not compete with our devotion to Christ. Immorality is an enticement that can dirty our devotion. Satan makes available several forms of immorality, including sex outside of marriage, pornography, and literature. God hates immorality. Immorality must not compete with our devotion to Christ. We could go on, but I think you get the picture. As the slide displays, the world offers enticements that can defile our devotion to Christ. Next slide. To have a sincere and pure devotion to Christ, he must be Lord of your life. Is he Lord of your life? The Bible says, for Christ to be Lord of your life, you must believe that he died to forgive sins. Do you believe? The Bible says that you must believe that God raised him from the dead. Do you believe? The Bible says you must confess Jesus as Lord to others. Will you do that in a few minutes as we sing? If you will believe in Christ and confess him as Lord, life will change. You will discard an eternal existence in hell and receive everlasting life in heaven. There is no more important trade. This morning, will you stop waiting to join God's family? Will you become a believer today? Will you ask Christ to be your Lord today? Once Christ is your Lord, you can display a sincere and pure devotion to him. When you come to church on Sunday, you show that Christ is Lord of your calendar. When you tithe, you show that Christ is Lord of your checkbook. When you turn from temptation, you show that Christ is Lord of your thoughts, decisions, and actions. Which glass reveals your devotion to Christ? Is it this empty glass, which symbol-
7 izes a life without Christ? God wants to fill you with the Holy Spirit and a sincere and pure devotion to Christ today. (Pour water into glass.) Is your devotion tinged by competing interests? God wants to cleanse you and make your devotion sincere and pure. It doesn't matter how tinged you are. God can purify the dirtiest devotion. (Pour ammonia into the iodine-laced glass.) Do you need to become a believer and be filled? Come to see me as we sing. Does your devotion to Christ need to be cleansed? Let me pray with you or pray at the altar as we sing. Is your devotion to Christ sincere and pure? At your seat or the altar, commit to remain completely devoted. Let's pray.