Notes are below. As usual the material is made available so that any may use it, adapt it and preach it.
Sources:
Talbert, C. H. Reading Corinthians, A New Commentary for Preachers.
Watson, N. The Second Epistle to the Corinthians.
The Billy Graham book I referred to: Thoughts and Reflections on Billy Graham’s Life Principles.
2 Corinthians 7
Make Room in Your Heart
In 2 Corinthians 7:2 Paul seems to be responding to some accusations against him and against his apostolic authority.
“Make room for us in your heart” Paul asks. I would like to ask you this morning, what are you making room for in your heart? Because no one has an empty heart, not even non Christians. If I could be frank, non Christians are just spiritually dead. They are not in relationship with the One True Living God, through Jesus His son and so any spirituality they do have if you don’t mind me saying is so weak that it’s dead. But none of us have empty hearts.
The Greek word for “heart” here is Psuche (Psoo - Khay) meaning: the seat of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions (our heart, soul etc.), (For audio pronunciation of the Greek).
This is different from your spirit. The word spirit refers to that invisible part of us which gives a person the ability to have an intimate relationship with God. The soul is our horizontal view of the world, the spirit is our vertical view of God. Yet the two are very closely related and one affects the other.
We are not simply flesh and bone. There are times when we will be in situations and feel certain movements in our spirits. These will not simply be the products of chemicals being released in our brain. The spirit will be telling you something, He will be communicating with you and you may very well escape a situation which would otherwise have been big trouble, (Story about my old flatmate).
Let’s not rely too much on feelings though as Graham would say “keep the brain plugged in“.
But back to my original question, what are you making room for in your heart? I’ve been doing an assignment recently and it’s been tough. I’ve just moved house I don’t have a desk in my new room yet it’s about a third of the size of my old room (no more en suite). But God suggested something that would help me at the beginning of last month. He said, “Why don’t you stop watching TV this month?” and I said “but I’ll miss Top Gear”. Isn’t it so sad that I genuinely agonized over that decision? Eventually, I had to push TopGear and Dragon’s Den out of my heart to allow room for something more important, my theological studies. I’m in a very privileged position working for this church, making time for God is probably not as difficult for me as it may be for many of you who lead different lifestyles. But how about making some more room in your heart for God today, this week, this month? How about switching off the TV and reading a Christian book.
Billy Graham video clip from YouTube.
Worldly Sorrow
2 Corinthians 7:8-10. We can’t be 100% sure what Paul was so worried about but considering the context it would probably have been how his letters would be received by the Corinthians and what news Titus would return with. But thankfully, as is so often the case, there was nothing to get so anxious about. Titus brings good news. And Paul writes that he had initially regretted ever sending the letter but now, in light of the good news, he has no regrets even if he had caused sorrow. Even if he had caused them sorrow he doesn’t regret it. Why? Because their sorrow led to repentance. And so there was no real harm, quite the opposite. This does not refer to the repentance of a non believer to a believer but of a believer who has corrected his ways after going amiss.
So, Paul says in verse 10 “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but Worldly sorrow brings death“. Paul had already warned of the dangers of being overwhelmed with excessive sorrow which leads to despair or bitterness in Chapter 2:5-7. Wordly sorrow leads to anger, self-condemnation, despondency and I would like to add the fruits of bitterness: gossip and slander. This is the result in a person who cannot handle being corrected for something that they have done wrong, can’t be told off. We have some responsibility for the way we dish out correction but ultimately how we respond to correction is key. Are we going to have godly or worldly sorrow? Learning to take it on the chin, without being a doormat is an important skill. Knowing the difference between fair correction and just bullying is important. In the work place, if you think your boss is being a bully then it’s going to be difficult not to have worldly sorrow. Hard not to get angry and backstab and be bitter and gossip. But you must resist, join a union if you think you’re being bullied by your boss. And pray, above all pray, pray for God to provide an answer to your situation. Don’t get angry or bitter or do something you’ll regret.
In the church, I should hope that the kind of correction you’ll receive from people will be good honest stuff. You’ll be able to tell by referring to the bible. Don’t be filled with worldly sorrow, don’t be someone who cannot be told.
Godly Sorrow
Listen to this little list that Paul makes. Most of us are pretty familiar with the lists in Galatians 5 (the acts of the sinful nature and the fruits of the Spirit) and the list in 1 Corinthians 13 about Love. But in my 8 or so years of being a Christian I don’t recall hearing a sermon about this little list. So from verse 11, see what godly sorrow has produced in you:
- What earnestness
- What eagerness to clear yourselves
- What indignation
- What alarm
- What longing
- What concern
- What readiness to see justice done
Are we earnest about God, about the meeting of the saints (that’s us by the way)? Are eager to clear ourselves, to be honest, dignified and humble men and women? Do we express indignation at sin in the church? Are we alarmed by it, shocked by it? Do we long for peace and holiness together? Are we concerned and diligent in striving for these things? Are we always prepared to see justice done among us, to see that righteousness is the norm?
His spirit Has Been Refreshed by All of You
2 Corinthians 7:13 - 14 isn’t that lovely? Titus’ spirit was refreshed by the people in the Corinthian church. Do we refresh people who come among us? You know what, without being immodest, I don’t think we do too bad here. We welcome, we give hospitality: tea and coffee, we embrace regardless of race or language or status. Even our name, Elim, is taken from Exodus 15. Just after Moses and the Israelites have left Egypt, God has parted the Red Sea and closed it again on top of Israel’s oppressors, Pharaoh and his soldiers. They wander around in the desert for three days, no water! Things are getting desperate, God is having to perform more miracles just so that they can have a drink. But then he leads them to an oasis called Elim. Where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees (the fact that there was so many palm trees indicated just how much water and nutrients there were there) and they camped there near the water. I dare say, you couldn’t keep them away from the water! Let’s be a church that really emulates our name! If Paul could say good things about the church in Corinth, I’m sure we’re doing ok!
But just as we make room for God in our hearts, let us also bear the fruit of godly sorrow and refresh those who come among us, who come among the palm trees of Elim.
Sources:
Talbert, C. H. Reading Corinthians, A New Commentary for Preachers.
Watson, N. The Second Epistle to the Corinthians.
The Billy Graham book I referred to: Thoughts and Reflections on Billy Graham’s Life Principles.
Matt continued our study on 2 Corinthians this morning from Chapter 6.
Graham continued the study of 2 Corinthians this morning, from 2 Cor 5:11.
Notes are below. As usual the material is made available so that any may use it, adapt it and preach it.
Sermon 2 Corinthians 5:11-21
Reconciliation
Intro
To be reconciled to God is to be at peace with Him. See the following scriptures regarding this peace:
Romans 1:7
To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Ephesians 2:14-15
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace,
Ephesians 2:17
He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
Ephesians 6:15
and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
Colossians 1:20
and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Colossians 3:15
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
1 Thessalonians 5:13
Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.
Hebrews 12:14
Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no-one will see the Lord.
Hebrews 13:20, 21
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
1) The Ministry of Reconciliation
A stranger can not perform the introductions for two people he/she does not know. I need to know the God I am introducing people to.
I need my own experience of God. See Matthew 6:6ff. Here we have two types of people compared, the one who connects with God, and the other who connects with his audience. There does seem to be some satisfaction from the hypocritical person connecting with others instead of God, “praise” and the feel-good that comes from that. However, it should not be compared with what is received from the authentic encounter with God.
The ministry of reconciliation is more than introducing two people. It is bringing together two parties that are in a broken relationship. Had I not claimed for myself the finished work of Jesus I would be separated from God.
The ministry of reconciliation is about bringing together, through proclaiming the good news, the one who has reached out on love to the one hasn’t can not reach. See Ephesians 2:1-12.
A reconciler takes seriously the challenge when breaking bread with another believer, to be reconciled with those in the “body of Christ”
2) The Love of the Reconciler v14
“Implore” v20
“Persuade” v11
Paul knows he speaks to a community of faith, some having been born again, some not, though all still part of a group that will hear his message.
Unless reconciled, one group will remain lost, not having peace with God.
Unless reconciled, the other group (though “saved”) will squander their years of opportunity. Years that were meant for relationship and years that were meant for service.
3) The Wonder of Being Reconciled
A believer can say, “I AM reconciled!” See Ephesians 2:13-22
It does not involve travel or expense on my part. Jesus made the journey and Jesus paid the price.
As someone with the ministry of reconciliation I have to realise it does not depend upon me. I must not give the impression it depends upon me. You do not need to buy my book or buy a DVD of me or give a donation to “my” ministry.
Reconciliation is all about Jesus and His finished work on the cross.
A believer has his/her part but only as one who has this treasure in jars of clay (see 4:7).
Conclusion
Do you need to be reconciled again to God by repentance and be restored to service and relationship?
Do you need to be reconciled again to God by repentance and meet with Him for the first time?
Should you take up your ministry again, as a reconciler? Pray for the opportunities. Pray for those that God has given you a sense of responsibility for.
Start in your secret place and get alone with God.
Graham continued the 2 Corinthian series this morning from 2 Cor 5:6
Sermon 2 Corinthians 5:6-10
1) Confidence (verse 6 & 8)
(a) In what?
Verse 6, “Therefore we are always confident..”
Verse 8, “We are confident, I say..”
The intermediate state, the place we go to until we receive our resurrection body, is preferable to our present state.
(b) Why so confident?
If we track back through the letter we see: forgiveness 2:5ff, the New Covenant 2:12ff (esp 2:14), the work of God’s Spirit 3:3 & 5:5, treasures in jars of clay 4:1ff, the real verses the shadow of what is to come 5:1-6.
(c) How to increase our confidence
Know the scriptures! I see no other substitute as a means of receiving sound revelation concerning the truth.
2) Pleasing the Lord (judgement seat)
“Appear.” Or “be manifest” as we really are. Salvation is not of works (Ephesians 2:3-9) but works should follow.
See Eph 2:10, James 2:14-24.
See Philippians 3:7-14
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ— the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last for ever.
Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
3) New Creation 5 (verses 14-17)
Back to my first point again, “confidence.” I see the expression of the invisible realm in the fact of my new creation.
Today Matt looked at 2 Corinthians 4:13-17.
This week Matt continued the series on 2 Corinthians, beginning from chapter 4.
This week Graham picks up from where John left off last week. Now in 2 Corinthians 3, verses 7-18, his subtitles are More Glory, Greater Hope and Better Reply.
Notes are below. As usual the material is made available so that any may use it, adapt it and preach it.
Sermon 2 Corinthians 3:7-18
More Glory, Greater Hope and Better Reply
1) More Glory (3:8)
2 Corinthians 3:8
will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?
Well is it? Only by having correct knowledge, coupled with faith. Then we declare it is so.
See Hebrews 12 verses 18-24You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.
The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, I am trembling with fear.
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
We see that the Apostle John understood this sort of thing when we see his choice of words at the beginning of the book of Revelation 1 verse 10, “I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day.”
2) Greater Hope (3:12This is a word with a particular and exact meaning when used in the Bible and therefore in the Christian community.
See the following scriptures:
Acts 26:6 ,7 And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today. This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. O King, it is because of this hope that the Jews are accusing me.
Romans 4:18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations
Romans 5:2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Romans 8:24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Romans 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.
Colossians 1:5 the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel
Colossians 1:23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
1 Thessalonians 5:8 But since we belong to the day, let us be self- controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
Titus 1:2 a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,
Titus 3:7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
Hebrews 6:11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.
Hebrews 6:19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,
Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Hope. From teaching I presented to York Summer Soul two weeks ago:
Supposedly by Mary Frye, tough authorship is disputed:
Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am in a thousand winds that blow,
I am the softly falling snow.
I am the gentle showers of rain,
I am the fields of ripening grain.
I am in the morning hush,
I am in the graceful rush
Of beautiful birds in circling flight,
I am the starshine of the night.
I am in the flowers that bloom,
I am in a quiet room.
I am in the birds that sing,
I am in each lovely thing.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there. I do not die.
The above is pagan, pantheistic and certainly not Christian. Were it not for the risen Jesus Christ, then “sting” and “victory” would fit death well.
Death is real. But as Job said, (Job 19:26 ) “And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.”
When I do funerals is quote Romans 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?… For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jude 1:24,25 To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy–to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and for evermore! Amen.
At the Grave I read from 1Co 15:51-53 Behold, I tell you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
At the grave the words of Committal I use are:
For as much as it has pleased Almighty God in His great mercy to take to Himself the soul of our dear brother/sister here departed, we therefore commit his/her body to the ground, earth to earth ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is He who is able to transform those who trust in Him. So that our lowly bodies will be like His glorious body. To Him be glory for ever and ever. Amen
What of our journey as we wait in hope?
Our journey goes by the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 1
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength,
20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,
21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
Ephesians 2
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions- it is by grace you have been saved.
6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
In some way we are already citizens of that new land, though living here for the now.
See Philippians 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Ephesians 2:19
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow-citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household,
Where did John go to (see Rev 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet..)?
By faith we are there too, see Hebrews 12:18-24. That is where we are on the Lord’s day.
Where will we be when we arrive?
1 Thessalonians 4
13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.
14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
15 According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord for ever.
18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.
He is coming:
Rev 22:7 “Behold I am coming.”
v12 “Behold I am coming soon.”
v20 “Yes I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
We will be in our bodies. See 1 Corinthians 15
We don’t stay in that place of greeting, we arrive with him to rule on earth.
Rev 21
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
5 He who was seated on the throne said, I am making everything new! Then he said, Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.
6 He said to me: It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.
7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
To the church in Philadelphia - Rev 3:11
11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no-one will take your crown.
12 Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name.
13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
What should we being doing as we wait for the fulfilment of our hope?
See the model prayer that Jesus gave in Luke 11:2-4
And he said unto them, When you pray, say,
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven…
Because I pray “Thy kingdom come” I can go on to pray “Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven”
When I pray “Thy kingdom come” I am inviting his rule to be expressed.
By praying “Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven” I am pronouncing that I am asking that not the will of flesh nor the will of the enemy, but the will of the Almighty God be seen.
3) Better Reply
1 Peter 3:15
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
But not only our preparedness to give a reason for the hope, but back to 2 Corinthians 2:15, we are called upon to carry the aroma of Jesus. And in 2 Corinthians 3:2, our lives are to be a letter read by all.
It is not enough to just let them see how you live, not only that they hear your words. We must proclaim by both.
Discussion Questions for small groups:
- How do you imagine your resurrection?
- “The lost.” Do hear this term often? Do you feel comfortable with this term? What do you think is meant by that term?
- In what way can the prayer of “Thy kingdom come” and “Thy will be done” be used in your encounters with people in need?
Following on from Graham’s sermon two weeks ago (part 6), I covered the next three verses in 2 Corinthians 3:4-6.I referred to the first issue of Confidence a pentecostal periodical from 1908. You can view any of the Confidence periodicals and other early 20th Century pentecostal periodicals at this website.
- John
2 Corinthians 3:4-6
“1Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? 2You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. 3You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
4Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. 5Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant-not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
1. “Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God.”
Paul had a tough job. But in some ways, having been so close to the action, he had an easier job than you and I. That’s why Jesus said in John 20:29 to Thomas “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.” In some ways it was easier for Paul to be so confident, Jesus had literally stopped him in his tracks and commissioned him. Two thousand years later, many wars and scientific discoveries and theories later, you and I are keeping the faith. We have confidence in Christ.
“Confidence” was chosen as the name of one of the very first Pentecostal periodicals back in 1908 published by Alexander Boddy et al. Boddy was the CofE minister of All Saints church Sunderland. In 1892 he received the baptism in the HS (unusual in those days), in 1899 his wife Mary was healed of asthma, in 1904 he visited Wales where he met Evan Roberts and the following year he went to Oslo in Norway to a revival which had been started there by Thomas Barratt. Barratt himself had been to LA and to Azusa Street. Boddy then invited Barratt to Sunderland subsequently Boddy and his wife spoke in tongues. His wife later laid hands on Smith Wigglesworth and George Jeffreys was introduced to Pentecostal teaching by Boddy.
Read Confidence. Comment - there are lots of very interesting stories in these pages most are testimonies of this so called Pentecostal blessing which was really the Holy Spirit breaking into churches all over the country and the world.
I don’t think it is uncommon for Christians to suffer a crisis of confidence in God’s grace extending to them. I have experienced this. It is one thing for a non christian to sin but quite another for a christian to sin (watching Doctor Who when you should be reading your Bible). Surely the deepest darkest corner of hell is reserved for such as this? Ofcourse not.
The most powerful source of confidence, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22. Who knows of this experience?
2.”He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant“
One aspect of this new covenant is the universality of the Spirit. You might like to call it that excellent Lutheran phrase “the priesthood of all believers”. Being a christian is both the greatest earthly honour (not nobel prizes or number one in the charts) but it carries with it a responsibility.
In this wonderful new covenant we live under, each of us has access to the Spirit. Therefore each of us can be a conduit for God’s love, wisdom, mercy and Spirit as well. We are a spirit filled community.
Now the old covenant was not like that. The Spirit was reserved for special leaders, the Spirit wasn’t just for anyone. It was for Moses, Joshua, the Judges, the Kings, the prophets Elijah and Elisha. It wasn’t poured out upon everyone irrespective of gender or race or status. But God was always dropping hints of a new time to come. Joel 2:28-29, Isaiah 59:21, Ezekiel 36:26-27.
3. “a new covenant-not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.“
Letter is used five times in the first six verses of 2 cor 3. The greek varies because Paul means something different by his first use of the word. “Sustatikos” for letters of recommendation and “amma” for letter in verse 6. This use of the word letter means law, the mosiac covenant. The laws handed down through Moses.
Why does the letter (law) kill? Because we always fall short of it. I would argue that was God’s intention. The law was really much harder to keep than it seemed: Matthew 5:28 (lust) 1 John3:15 (Hate). God’s standards are so high that if we try to please Him without Christ and the Spirit we will die. But hallelujah the Spirit gives freedom!
One of the Chairman of Assemblies of God Singapore, Anthony Phua spoke for us this morning. He is also the uncle of a student who has been with York Elim for three years.
This morning, Matt gave a short presentation in honour of the anniversary of the Vumba Massacre. Vumba, Zimbabwe, was where missionaries including small children and a baby were martyred for being Christians. As their murderers assaulted them, the missionaries prayed for their forgiveness. Eight of the men from the platoon that attacked the missionaries later became christian ministers.
