‘The Significance Of A New Creation’--XXIV—2Corinthians 5:9--6:10...
14. The PRACTICAL REALITIES Of MINISTRY-B—2Corinthians 6:3-10...
Part B of point 14 in the series.
No matter what we do for a living or how we worship together corporately, much more is required to bring about the actuality of ministry than may be perceived/considered/grasped.
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 apostolic ministry to the Corinthian church thru a tally of Practical Realities within which they operated.
The significance of how 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 in their manifestation as Commenders of God-ordained Ministry.
14—A new creation is significant in the...
PRACTICAL REALITIES Of MINISTRY-B(6:3-10)
So far we have looked at the significance of...
A. OFFENSE & BLAME(6:3)...as well as...
B. MINISTRY COMMENDATIONS(6:4ff.)(CONT...)
i. (6:4)Patience—cheerful endurance & constancy
ii. Tribulations—pressures
iii. Needs—forced subsistence
iv. Distresses—narrowed circumstances
v. (6:5)Stripes—officially sanctioned punishment
vi. Imprisonments—(officially sanctioned removal from society)
vii. Tumults—chaotic/unstable lifestyle
viii. Labors—physically/mentally taxing work
ix. Sleeplessness
x. Fastings—prayer & fasting
xi. (6:6)Purity—living uprightly
xii. Knowledge—personal, of God & His way
xiii. Longsuffering—refrain from wrath/revenge/vengeance
xiv. Kindness—Useful moral goodness
xv. The Holy Spirit—
xvi. Sincere Love—Unhypocritical
xvii. (6:7)the Word Of Truth—God’s unfailing word
xviii. The Power Of God—God’s ability
xix. The Armor/Weaponry Of Righteousness—protection
xx. (6:8)Both Honor& Dishonor
xxi. Both Evil Report & Good Report
xxii. Perceived as both Deceivers & Genuine
xxiii. (6:9)As both Unknown & Well-known
xxiv. Perceived as Dying but Actually Living
xxv. Chastened, but not killed
xxvi. (6:10)Sorrowful yet Rejoicing
Continuing our look at MINISTRY COMMENDATIONS we find a 27th Commendation in 6:10....
14—A new creation is significant in the...
PRACTICAL REALITIES Of MINISTRY--B(6:3-10)
B. MINISTRY COMMENDATIONS(CONT...)
6:10b—
A 27th Commendation as ministers of God...
“as poor, yet making many rich”
Your commendation Comes in being regarded “as” “poor,” while at the same time actually “making many rich.”
Christians may be considered nothing by others of this world, so that they are sidelined & truly physically poverty-stricken & in needs(:4).
God’s people generally are “as poor” because they seek nothing this world desires. The Christian minister’s treasure is in heaven!
Mat. 6:19-21—“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth & rust destroy & where thieves break in & steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys & where thieves do not break in & steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
In the eyes of the world, Christians are largely beggarly misfits. Christians seemingly have nothing to offer those who trust in gainful employment, & families, & worldly worth for salvation.
However, the Christian who faithfully ministers in God’s will has every ability & makes every attempt to “make many rich”!
—Christians have an extensive Christian family who are all kin by the blood of Jesus!
—Christians are ‘gainfully employed’ spiritually in their service to the King!
—Christians have great worth as they are precious to the God & Father of all!
—Christians have nothing in this life, yet have & offer to others, the grandest home mankind can possibly know—Heaven!
Though the ministering Christian may not find riches in the limited possession & power of things of the world, he/she does offer the real “riches” of that which is eternal. They offer this to others, & thereby from such ‘seeming’ poverty, many are “made rich.”
?How can you make someone, other than yourself, “rich”?...Today?!
We offer to others God’s riches at Christ’s expense(G.R.A.C.E.). And by each of us joining in Jesus’ sufferings(2Cor. 1:3-7) we gladly surrender any flesh-driven ‘richness’ for the sake of eternal richness in & for others.
?How can you make someone “rich”?...Today?!
In Christ, we become ‘responsible’ with the riches of the Kingdom of God...And not ‘rich’ in the things of this world!
?How can you make someone “rich”?...Today?!
1Cor. 1:26-31—“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, & God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; & the base things of the world & the things which are despised God has chosen, & the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--& righteousness & sanctification & redemption--that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”
“Poor”—ptwcov—Adj.—1) Reduced to beggary, begging, asking alms; 2) Destitute of wealth, influence, position, honor—2a) Lowly, afflicted, destitute of the Christian virtues & eternal riches, 2b) Helpless, powerless to accomplish an end, 2c) Poor, needy; 3) Lacking in anything. Ptwcov denotes one who only obtains his living by begging. Strong—from ptwssw--to crouch; akin to ptoew[To scare or frighten] & the alternate of piptw[To fall]); A beggar(as cringing), i.e. Pauper(strictly denoting absolute or public mendicancy, although also used in a qualified or relative sense; whereas penhv properly means only straitened circumstances in private), literally(often as noun) or figuratively--Distressed.
“Making...Rich/Enriching”—ploutizw—Present Active Participle—1) To make rich, enrich—1a) Of spiritual riches; 2) To be richly furnished. Strong—from ploutov[Wealth/Money/Possessions/Abundance/Richness/Valuable bestowment]; figuratively--To make wealthy. Used 3X.
“Many”—poluv—Adj.—1) Many, much, large. Strong—singular--Much(in any respect) or plural--Many; neuter(singular) as adverbial--Largely; neuter(plural) as adverb or noun--Often, mostly, largely.
Argumentation:
2Cor. 4:5-12—“For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, & ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God & not of us. We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed-- always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you.”
2Cor.1:3-7—“Blessed be the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies & God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation & salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation & salvation. And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.”
2Tim. 1:7-11—“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power & of love & of a sound mind. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us & called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose & grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death & brought life & immortality to light through the gospel, to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, & a teacher of the Gentiles.”
Eph. 3:8-12—“To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, & to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities & powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness & access with confidence through faith in Him.”
2Cor. 8:7-9—“But as you abound in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, & in your love for us--see that you abound in this grace also. I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”
?Do the POVERTY & RICHNESS Offered To Others declared thru your ministry, commend your ministry as born/borne of God...
...OR does it negate it?
Illustration:
India’s Caste system/Based on the false belief that ‘the poor are poor & deserve it, & likewise the rich are rich & deserve it—tied to ‘karma’/A corollary of a belief in the false doctrine of reincarnation/POVERTY & RICHNESS
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
*Obviously some ministries are more fraught with difficulty than others, because they are all tied to spiritual relationships & the hardships of physically sharing the Good News. But every ministry demands the sacrifice of self to the revelatory God.
Action:
14—A new creation is significant in the...
PRACTICAL REALITIES Of MINISTRY-B(6:3-10)
We have looked at the significance of...
A. OFFENSE & BLAME(6:3)...as well as...
B. MINISTRY COMMENDATIONS(6:4ff.)(CONT...)
xxvii. Poor yet Supplying Richness to others
i. (6:4)Patience—cheerful endurance & constancy
ii. Tribulations—pressures
iii. Needs—forced subsistence
iv. Distresses—narrowed circumstances
v. (6:5)Stripes—officially sanctioned punishment
vi. Imprisonments—(officially sanctioned removal from society)
vii. Tumults—chaotic/unstable lifestyle
viii. Labors—physically/mentally taxing work
ix. Sleeplessness
x. Fastings—prayer & fasting
xi. (6:6)Purity—living uprightly
xii. Knowledge—personal, of God & His way
xiii. Longsuffering—refrain from wrath/revenge/vengeance
xiv. Kindness—Useful moral goodness
xv. The Holy Spirit—
xvi. Sincere Love—Unhypocritical
xvii. (6:7)the Word Of Truth—God’s unfailing word
xviii. the Power Of God—God’s ability
xix. The Armor Of Righteousness—protection
xx. (6:8)Both Honor& Dishonor
xxi. Both Evil Report & Good Report
xxii. Perceived as Deceivers yet Genuine
xxiii. (6:9)As Unknown & Well Known
xxiv. Perceived as Dying yet Actually Living
xxv. Chastened, but not killed
xxvi. (6:10)Sorrowful yet Rejoicing
Part ‘B’- subpoint xxvii. of point 14 presented 08/06/2017am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
