The Significance Of A New Creation-20 Series

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

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

Part B(continued) of point 14 in the series.

Attention:

Hugs & Kisses

After just a few years of marriage filled with constant arguments, a young man & his wife decided the only way to save their marriage was to try counseling. They had been at each other’s throats for some time & felt that this was their last straw. When they arrived at the counselor’s office, the counselor jumped right in & opened the floor for discussion. “What seems to be the problem?” Immediately, the husband held his long face down without anything to say. In contrast, the wife began rattling off everything that was wrong with their marriage.

After 15 minutes of listening to the wife, the counselor walks over to her, picks her up by the shoulders, lovingly holds her in his arms while bending her backward & passionately kisses her. He then hugs her tightly & tells her that he loves her more than anything in the world. He then sets her back down, where she sat confused, disheveled & speechless. The husband also stared in disbelief not knowing how to respond.

The counselor then firmly states to the husband, “Your wife NEEDS that AT LEAST twice a week if not every day.”

The husband thoughtfully scratches his head, & then as if a lightbulb came on, he replies, “I can’t do that everyday but I can have her here on Tuesdays & Thursdays!”

*The husband’s ministry was decidedly compromised!

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.

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.”

A true Christian receives a new nature.

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)

We will see that Paul & Timothy commended apostolic ministry to the Corinthian church thru a list 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 Commendors 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 role 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 Of Righteousness—protection

14—A new creation is significant in the...

PRACTICAL REALITIES Of MINISTRY--B(6:3-10)

B. MINISTRY COMMENDATIONS(CONT...)

6:8—“by honor & dishonor, by evil report & good report; as deceivers, & yet true;”

Verses :8-10 contrast human appearance versus God’s reality.—NICNT

Now Paul & Timothy’s ministry(as well as all Christian ministry) is commended by contrasting polar opposites...

One represents God’s truth & reality, while the other assays/tests the quality of Christian ministry from a negative & unrealistic worldly viewpoint.

These polarities continue thru :10. “By” both extremes they are commended as “ministers of God.”

These contrasts express the simultaneous reception & rejection faced by any true minister of God in the world.

A 20th Commendation as ministers of God...

“by honor & dishonor”

Comes ‘through’(dia)/“by” both “honor/glory”(doxa) as well as “dishonor.”

“Honor/Glory” is expressed in being so respected that the actions of others toward you reveal it. “Dishonor” manifests itself in one’s being considered of no value & thus one’s message of Christ has no value, in the opinion of another. Both are dishonored.

A true minister of God in Christ will never fully win the opinions of all!...Because simultaneously He/She will garner both the praises/love & criticism/hatred of others!

Thus any “honor & dishonor” received must be built upon the minister’s focus upon Christ alone! If we ‘minister’ as Christians, yet undertake that ministry by flesh, then we deserve the “dishonor” & do not deserve the “honor” from such service....As it is of us rather than of the Spirit.