‘The Significance Of A New Creation’--XVI—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:
No matter what we do for a living or 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)
Paul & Timothy commended their ministry to the Corinthian church thru a 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 examining the significance of these Practical Realities one-by-one.
14—A new creation is significant in the...
PRACTICAL REALITIES Of MINISTRY-B(6:3-10)
So far we have looked at the role of...
A. OFFENSE & BLAME(6:3)...as well as...
B. MINISTRY COMMENDATIONS(6:4ff.)(CONT...)
i. Patience(6:4)
ii. Tribulations
iii. Needs
iv. Distresses
v. Stripes(6:5)
vi. Imprisonments
Continuing our look at MINISTRY COMMENDATIONS we find a 7th commendation....
B. MINISTRY COMMENDATIONS(CONT...)
A 7th Commendation as ministers of God...
“in tumults”
Comes by means of “tumults.” i.e., A Commendable Ministry is delivered in the package of “tumults.”
The life of a minister of the Good News is “tumultuous” in this world, being chaotic, unsettled, & unstable.
Jesus Himself had no place to lay His head(Mat. 8:19-20).
Mat. 8:19-20—“Then a certain scribe came & said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes & birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
Some denominations attempt to alleviate some of this by moving their pastoral ministers intentionally(humanely), or giving them tenure, by offering lands or houses, or retirement programs or health insurance, etc....They recognize the “tumults”... But even in such provision there is instability. Following God yet interacting with man is a stimulus to “tumults.”
Such instability keeps some from serving God in any appreciable fashion. Yet it also ‘separates the men from the boys.’ As with “imprisonments,” Christian nationals living in nations whose political base is at odds with Christianity(Communist, Muslim, Hindu, etc.) live tumultuously.
An actual church building may not even be able to be openly maintained in such situations. In such situations evangelistic efforts & ministry in general may become more clandestine as well.
We tend to get upset when some or someone leaves ‘our’ church for another Bible-believing church. We consider that “tumultuous”!
Example: Our AWANA program was built around the ‘Commander’ & his wife. After one season of AWANA they were called of God to continue their education in another location, leaving us in the lurch as it were. Both commanders & church—Tumultuous, unsettled, unstable!
Unfortunately, many people live tumultuous lives due to their willful acceptance & allowance of sin in their lives! NOT a commendation of God’s work in them!
?Do your TUMULTS commend your ministry as born/borne of God...
OR do they negate it?
“Tumults”—akatastasia—Noun Fem.—1) Instability, a state of disorder, disturbance, confusion. Strong—Instability, i.e. Disorder. Used 5X.
From—A(as a negative particle)—&—a derivative of kayisthmi—To place down(permanently), i.e. figuratively--To designate, constitute, convoy. 14—A new creation is significant in the...
An 8th Commendation as ministers of God...
“in labors”
Comes by means of “labors.” i.e., A Commendable Ministry is delivered in the package of “labors.”
“Labors” describes the fatigue & physical pains of intense physical work. Ministry places much wearying stress upon the body.
“Labors” entails—Putting one’s ‘nose to the grindstone’ as it were!
Most ministers work all day...& then work thru the church!
Keep in mind that ‘mental’ work is also work! It is laborious & effects the body negatively.
The stresses of ‘herding cats’(working with volunteers)—getting people of various experiential backgrounds to work together—is something only God can do! Involvement in any local church can potentially take its toll on every aspect of ministry!
What I mean by the ‘herding cats’ analogy is—the battle with the flesh that all Christians have on every tier of ministry as they attempt to & do work together!
Mention various ministries within the church:
Sign, Trustee, Deacon, Teaching, Social, Coffee, Sunday School, Contact, Discipleship Training, Event, Breakfast, etc.
I am reminded of what makes FBCC’s involvement in the Riverfront Festival a success— Prayer, Authorization, ‘Legal’ commitment, Set up(tables/chairs/tents/banners), Ice, Bottled water, Bibles, Tracts, Brothers/Sisters to man our booth, Break down, Storage, etc...But it is an absolute blessing, knowing others are confronted with & invited into relationship with Jesus!
‘Christian work ethic’:
2Thess. 3:6-16—“But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly & not according to the tradition which he received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor & toil night & day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us. For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command & exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness & eat their own bread. But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person & do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.”
?Do your LABORS commend your ministry as born/borne of God...
...OR do they negate it?
“Labors/Hard work”—kopov—Noun Masc.—1) A beating; 2) A beating of the breast with grief, sorrow; 3) Labor—3a) Trouble—3a1) To cause one trouble, make work for him, 3b) Intense labor united with trouble & toil. Kopov refers to the fatigue[of labor]. Kopov denotes the weariness which results from labor, or labor considered from the stand-point of the resulting weariness. Strong—A cut, i.e. by analogy--Toil(as reducing the strength), literally or figuratively; by implication--Pains.
A 9th Commendation as ministers of God...
“in sleeplessness”
Comes by means of “sleeplessness.” i.e., A Commendable Ministry is delivered in the package of “sleeplessness.”
a. With an involuntary loss of place, comes a physical lack of rest. Having no set bed, one cannot find steady physical rest.
b. “Sleeplessness” also comes from concern for ‘all’ the churches. He/She is concerned for the well-being of every local body of believers...Why?...because they are all of the body of Christ & are of the family of God.
Again—Mat. 8:19-20—“Then a certain scribe came & said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes & birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
2Cor. 11:28—“besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.”
2Cor. 11:27—“in weariness & toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger & thirst, in fastings often, in cold & nakedness--“
Concerns about doctrinal purity, out-reach, in-reach, the impoverished, the lost, the pretenders, the homebound, relationships at all levels, children, adults, the aged, women, men, etc..
Any effective minister & any effective ministry is concerned about the effectiveness of all churches, whether you pull weeds or head a megachurch!
A minister realizes that their church is not the only one that ministers in God’s name. Such describes inter-church cooperation at its very best, its most intelligent & most surrendered to Christ.
**God’s people are not to compete with one another, but are rather to complete one another
c. “Sleeplessness” also comes to those who tirelessly attend to their individual ministries. They are concerned about honoring God thru their particular ministry. These ‘put their best foot forward’ in their love for the Lord!
These wake up in the middle of the night having thought of an idea or having been convicted of a particular tack to take, or way of doing something in order to satisfy God’s call upon their ministry!
?Does your SLEEPLESSNESS commend your ministry as born/borne of God...
...OR does it negate it?
“Sleeplessness/Watchings/Sleepless nights”—agrupnia—Noun Fem.—1) Sleeplessness, watching. Strong—Sleeplessness, i.e. A keeping awake. Used 2X.
From—agrupnew—To be sleepless, i.e. Keep awake. From A(as a negative particle)—&—upnov—Sleep, i.e. figuratively--Spiritual torpor.
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:
14. A new creation is significant in the...
PRACTICAL REALITIES Of MINISTRY-B(6:3-10)
B. MINISTRY COMMENDATIONS(6:4ff.)(CONT...)
vii. Tumults(6:5)
viii. Labors
ix. Sleeplessness
i. Patience(6:4)
ii. Tribulations
iii. Needs
iv. Distresses
v. Stripes(6:5)
vi. Imprisonments
Part ‘B’- subpoints vii-ix of point 14 presented 05/29/2016pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
