Power Arrogance vs Confidence

Power

Arrogance vs Confidence

For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

Power can get to your head

A little money, knowledge, status

Maybe even our good looks can give us the thought

“I’m just better than you”

Like David verses Goliath

Confidence in the Lord will cause the arrogance of man to fall 

Arrogance vs Confidence

Power can get to your head.

Our head gets puffed up

and we become arrogant.
 

A little money, knowledge, status, maybe

even our good looks can give us the thought…

“I’m just better than you.”

Paul had to deal with this arrogance

that was in the church at Corinth.

Paul recognized as believers we have been

entrusted with the secret things of God.

1 Corinthians 4:1 

That is cool, and for people like me, I

love finding out about those secrets.

It is wonderful that God wants to

reveal the secrets of heaven to us.

When God entrusts something

to us, it should not go to our head.

When God entrusts something to us,

we are required to be faithful with it.

 1 Corinthians 4:2

Paul says arrogant people

go beyond what is written.

They take things out of

context for their own benefit.

There are no self-made men or women.

You have nothing without

God giving it to you.

So how can we boast?

What makes you different than others?

Yes, God makes us different

but not to be arrogant.

If there is any glory, it belongs to

God who gave us the things we have.

 

Paul says that there were some in the church who

saw the things God had given them as power.

They considered themselves

as rich in need of nothing.

They saw themselves as kings

not to serve, but to be served.

Paul contrasted his life and the life of the apostles.

Paul says…

“…it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena.”

Paul goes on with this comparison… 

“We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men. We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.”

Scum of the Earth???

Yet, Paul had something the arrogant do not have…

“Confidence”

“But I will come to you very soon… and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have.”

Confidence verses Arrogance

Confidence realizes what

we have comes from the Lord.

Arrogance sees what we

have as our own making.

  

 Confidence is humility with boldness.

Arrogance is pride with boldness.

  

Confidence serves.

Arrogance looks to be served.

 Confidence rest on God’s

authority where He is the judge.

Arrogance rests on our own

authority where we are the judge.

  

No one wants to be powerless.

Paul was confident that the power of

God would reveal the arrogance of others.

Like David verses Goliath…

Confidence in the Lord will

cause the arrogance of man to fall. 

Scripture Reading

1 Corinthians 4:18-21 NIV

18 Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?