Being a New Testament Believer Text: II. Corinthians 3: 4-6
Paul’s trust is not self-confidence but confidence in the sufficiency of God’s Spirit, who empowers life and ministry through the shed blood of Jesus Christ! Being a New Testament believer means, that I can do what Jesus’ apostles did! I am anointed-I am blood bought-I am saved and I have the wisdom of God! The New Testament believer is totally dependent on the Lord because that person understands that without Jesus he or she is without hope.
I. Vs 6 say’s, who made us sufficient as ministers of the New Testament… Are you sufficient?
A. If you are a New Testament believer you have an inward power bearing the Holy Ghost of God Himself.
B. Jeremiah 31: 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
C. Vs. 6 …the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
D. The law of God shows us our need, but is powerless to meet the need. Paul is also warning us of the danger of God’s word being spoken without life or without the anointing!
E. II. Corinthians 3: 4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. (Our trust cannot be in anything, but in God’s Spirit!)
F. II. Corinthians 3: 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, [He’s the all sufficient one]!
G. We don’t need more peace, we need more Jesus! We don’t need more anointing, we need more Jesus! We don’t need more love, we need more Jesus!
H. Act 12:5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. 7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. 8 Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.
I. Being a New Testament believer means that you will decide to follow Jesus through thick and thin! 1. Following Jesus gives you peace for yesterday 2. Following Jesus gives you help for today. 3. Following Jesus gives you vision for the future!
