The Significance Of A New Creation-13 Series

‘The Significance Of A New Creation’--XIII—2Corinthians 5:9--6:10...

14. The PRACTICAL REALITIES Of MINISTRY-B—2Corinthians 6:3-10...

Part B-i of point 14 in the series.

Attention:

There is a Subaru commercial(2015-16) which opens with a little boy(4-5 yrs. old) driving up in a toy electric car. Dad turns to his son, dangles the keys to the car in front of him, & asks, “Ya’ ready?”(to drive). Before the son answers, the next scenes show the son’s thought processes as he ponders his father’s question—He sees himself off to work, passing his saddened friends at home--The boy sees his car receiving a parking ticket as he hurriedly hollers at the ticketing officer, “I was only gone for 5 minutes!”--The boy sees himself dropping off his Dad at work. Dad gets out & turns to his sons reminding him to pick him up at after work. The son is driving in his pajamas, disheveled, rubs his forehead & lets out an anguished sigh--He sees himself leaving the grocery store with a bag of groceries which breaks open spilling its contents in the parking lot. He lets out another anguished cry.--Lastly, The boy sees himself impatiently & angrily stuck in traffic & lets out another anguished cry of frustration.

Then the boy satisfactorily responds to his Dad’s question, “Dad, No , I’m good.” as he drives off in his toy electric car.

No matter what we dreamed of being or doing, much more was required to bring about the actuality or to live out the dream, than was considered/grasped at its origin.

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)

14. PRACTICAL REALITIES Of MINISTRY--A(6:3-10)

A. OFFENSE & BLAME(6:3)

Today we will see that Paul commended his apostolic 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 going to examine 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)

B. MINISTRY COMMENDATIONS(6:4-10)

6:4—“But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses,”

“But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God:...”

Though they see no viable need to “commend themselves” to the Corinthian church(5:12), Paul & Timothy nevertheless do indeed “commend themselves” by the manner of their walking commitment to/in Christ. Such a “commending” walk is specified beginning with “much patience” & ending in 6:10 with “having nothing, & yet possessing all things.”

Paul & Timothy “commend themselves” “as ministers of God” in truth. Their lifestyles make it very plain that they are called to apostolic(their) ministry.

It is notable & interesting that their “commendation” does not come by means of miraculous works, yet their works obviously point supernaturally to God & not to themselves.

All of the ministry proofs which follow(:4-10) are centered in & flow from Paul & Timothy’s being “ministers of God.” In “all” of these things they are “commended”(Js. 2:14, 17, 21-22, 26).

Js. 2:14, 17, 21-22, 26—“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?”.....“Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”.....“Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, & by works faith was made perfect?”.....“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

Lk. 14:25-30—“Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned & said to them, “If anyone comes to Me & does not hate his father & mother, wife & children, brothers & sisters, yes, & his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross & come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first & count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it--lest, after he has laid the foundation, & is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, “saying, ‘This man began to build & was not able to finish.’”