‘The Significance Of A New Creation’--XV—2Corinthians 5:9--6:10...
14. The PRACTICAL REALITIES Of MINISTRY-B—2Corinthians 6:3-10...
Part B of point 14 in the series.
Attention:
Ask, “Do we have any ministers in the house today?”
If there are any takers, ask them to describe their ministry.
*Relate to everyone, that if they belong to God thru Christ Jesus, then they are ministers by default!
The glowing term ‘ministry’ sounds like it might be wonderfully satisfying & fulfilling...& it is! But along with acting by God’s will there are many devilish & mundane things to which every minister must be attentive! Attention to these things can either derail or bolster the most well intentioned saint.
No matter how we worship together corporately, much more is required to bring about the actuality than may be considered/grasped by the receivers of such.
A true Christian receives a new nature.
Need:
*The key to our verses is 2Cor. 5:17—“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
Paul clarified the significance of being a new creation in Christ to the Corinthian church.
There is great significance to being a new creation in Christ.
14 significations/signifiers of being a new creation in Christ.
Previously we have found that A new creation is significant in its New...
1. PLEASUREs(5:9)
2. RECEPTION(5:10)
3. PERSUASION(5:11)
4. OPPORTUNITY(5:12)
5. SOUND INSANITY(5:13)Risk
6. LOVE(5:14-15)
7. CONSIDERATIONS(5:16)
8. NEWNESS/Creativeness(5:17)
9. RELATIONSHIP--Reconciliation(5:18-19)
10. INSTRUMENTATION/Mediation(5:20)
11. RIGHTEOUSNESS(5:21)
12. VIEW Of VANITY(6:1)
13. URGENCY(6:2)
And as part of the Significance of this New Creation, we have found that Paul Commended his apostolic ministry & Timothy’s ministry to the Corinthian church thru a concise list of Practical Realities within which he operated.
The significance of being a new creation in Christ is played out in the Practical Realities of Ministry.
We are going to examine the significance of these Practical Realities one-by-one.
14. PRACTICAL REALITIES Of MINISTRY(6:3-10)
A. OFFENSE & BLAME(6:3)
B. MINISTRY COMMENDATIONS(6:4ff.)
Some Commendations as ministers of God are...
i. Patience(6:4)
ii. Tribulations
iii. Needs
iv. Distresses
Continuing our look at MINISTRY COMMENDATIONS we find a 5th commendation....>.>.>.>.>.>.>
14—A new creation is significant in the...
PRACTICAL REALITIES Of MINISTRY--B(6:3-10)
B. MINISTRY COMMENDATIONS(CONT...)
6:5—“in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings;”
A 5th Commendation as ministers of God...
“in stripes”
Comes by means of “stripes.” i.e., A Commendable Ministry is delivered in the package of “stripes.”
That is, physical floggings/scourgings[most often publicly administered]. Mistreatment of ministers of Christ thru governing authorities was the apostle’s unwelcome expectation.
True Christianity cuts into the very core of existing belief systems, leaving the minister of Christ vulnerable to being identified as criminal & ultimately a candidate for martyrdom.
2Cor. 11:23-25—“Are they ministers of Christ?--I speak as a fool--I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night & a day I have been in the deep;
Mat. 10:16-23—“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents & harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils & scourge you in their synagogues[where they worship their God!]. You will be brought before governors & kings for My sake, as a testimony to them & to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. Now brother will deliver up brother to death, & a father his child; & children will rise up against parents & cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”
Heb. 11:32-40—“And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon & Barak & Samson & Jephthah, also of David & Samuel & the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings & scourgings, yes, & of chains & imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins & goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented-- of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts & mountains, in dens & caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.”
?Do your STRIPES commend your ministry as one borne of God...
OR do they negate it?
“In”6X(See 6:6—“By”; 7, 8)—en—Preposition—1) In, by, with etc.. Strong—a primary preposition denoting (fixed)position(in place, time or state), & by implication--Instrumentality(medially or constructively), i.e. A relation of rest(intermediate between eiv[into, unto, to, towards, for, among] & ek/ex[out of, from, by, away from]).
“Stripes/Beatings”—plhgh—Noun Dative Plural Fem.—1) A blow, stripe, a wound; 2) A public calamity, heavy affliction, plague. Strong—A stroke; by implication--A wound; figuratively--A calamity.
14—A new creation is significant in the...
PRACTICAL REALITIES Of MINISTRY--B(6:3-10)
B. MINISTRY COMMENDATIONS(CONT...)
A 6th Commendation as ministers of God...
“in imprisonments”
Comes by means of “imprisonments.” i.e., A Commendable Ministry is delivered in the package of “imprisonments.”
As with “stripes” there is the concurrent fact of officially sanctioned confinement for the minister of Christ Jesus. Christian ‘Nationals’ in societies not founded upon Christian principle, are prone to “imprisonments.” This is one reason we offer support to international missions!
Acts 16:16-25—“Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul & us, & cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned & said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul & Silas & dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. And they brought them to the magistrates, & said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; “& they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.” Then the multitude rose up together against them; & the magistrates tore off their clothes & commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison & fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul & Silas were praying & singing hymns to God, & the prisoners were listening to them.”
We know the rest of the story, that because of Paul & Silas’ ministry, miraculously all the prison doors were opened & all the prisoner’s chains were loosed!
*BUT they were imprisoned nonetheless!
There are probably none of us here who have been imprisoned for the sake of ministry. Another reason to be so thankful to God in Christ—that we have become acclimatized to the great & wonderful freedom we have to worship the true God in the way we do...& potentially to our ruin!
This commendation alone is another reason to forego our petty polity differences so that we may band together in Christ & declare His name to a lost world!
Many people are imprisoned because of the presence of harbored & unchecked sin in their lives.
Mat. 14:1-12—“At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus & said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, & therefore these powers are at work in him.” For Herod had laid hold of John & bound him, & put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. Because John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”
Acts 26:28-29—“Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” And Paul said, “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost & altogether such as I am, except for these chains.”
1Pet. 2:11-20—“Beloved, I beg you as sojourners & pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers & for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men-- as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good & gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good & suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.”
Acts 20:17-24—“From Miletus he sent to Ephesus & called for the elders of the church. And when they had come to him, he said to them: “You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, “serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears & trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, & taught you publicly & from house to house, “testifying to Jews, & also to Greeks, repentance toward God & faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains & tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, & the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”
1Pet. 3:8-17—“Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For “He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil & do good; Let him seek peace & pursue it. For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.” And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.”[Isa. 8:12] But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, & always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness & fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”
?Do your IMPRISONMENTS(or the threat thereof) commend your ministry...
OR do they negate it?
“Imprisonments”—fulakh—Noun Fem.—1) Guard, watch—1a) A watching, keeping watch—1a1) To keep watch, 1b) Persons keeping watch, a guard, sentinels, 1c) Of the place where captives are kept, a prison, 1d) Of the time(of night) during which guard was kept, a watch. Strong—a guarding or (concretely--Guard), the act, the person; figuratively--The place, the condition, or specifically--The time(as a division of day or night), literally or figuratively.
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
*Obviously some ministries are more fraught with difficulty than others, but they are all tied to spiritual relationships with other people & the physical hardships of sharing the Good News.
Action:
A new creation is significant in the...
14. PRACTICAL REALITIES Of MINISTRY-B(6:3-10)
B. MINISTRY COMMENDATIONS(6:4ff.)
v. Stripes(6:5)
vi. Imprisonments
14. PRACTICAL REALITIES Of MINISTRY-B(6:3-10)
A. OFFENSE & BLAME(6:3)
B. MINISTRY COMMENDATIONS(6:4ff.)
i. Patience(6:4)
ii. Tribulations
iii. Needs
iv. Distresses
Part ‘B’- subpoints v-vi of point 14 presented 05/22/2016pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
