How To See Change In Your Church & Life

Secular -

George came home from University in tears. "Mom, am I adopted?" "No of course not!", replied his mother. "Why would you think such a thing?" George showed her his genealogy DNA test results. No match for any of his relatives, and strong matches for a family who lived the other side of the city. Perturbed, his mother called her husband. "Honey, George has done a DNA test, and... and... I don't know how to say this... he may not be our son."

"Well, obviously!" he replied. "What do you mean?" she asked. "It was your idea in the first place" her husband said.

"You remember, that first night in hospital when the baby did nothing but scream and cry and scream and cry. On and on. And you asked me to change him." "I picked a good one I reckon. Ever so proud of George."

Farmer wife, elevator

Today’s Message is about How to see Change in Your church and life.

Historical/Cultural Context -

Sometime afterward (c. A.D. 55), Paul left Ephesus, traveling north to Troas (a port city). There he had arranged to meet Titus and hear how the Corinthians had responded to the severe letter (2:12). Not finding Titus there, Paul crossed over to Macedonia to await him in that location. Eventually Titus arrived, reporting the Corinthians’ response to the recent letter and bringing news of other developments in Corinth (7:5–7). The book of 2 Corinthians (actually his fourth letter to that church) was Paul’s response to the news brought by Titus.

Biblical Text -

2 Corinthians 2:12–3:6 NKJV

Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia. Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ. Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

-[Prayer]-

Life Principle - Go Where God Calls & Minister The Power Of The Gospel To Those Around You.

Life Point- Make Sure You Go & Do Where God Is Truly Calling You

Exegetical -

2 Corinthians 2:12–17 BSB

Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia. Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.

Homiletical -

Paul finds himself in Troas waiting for Titus to return but Titus is running behind and Paul is uncomfortable. Remember Titus was sent to Corinth to deliver a letter from Paul, which we don’t have, and to check on their spiritual development.

Here are some things to note about this situations:

1 ) Paul saw that God had opened a door preach Christ’s good news.

Just because a door is open doesn’t mean it is from God. Many a marriage, a family, and a life has been destroyed by walking through doors that were open to them in life, but were not God’s will. So you better make sure that this wonderful opportunity that is before you is from God.

2) If this door is open to you, you better make sure you are sharing the good news of Christ. Wherever you go you are not exempt from sharing God’s Gospel. The death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord.

Matthew 28:18–20 BSB

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

If a door for a new job, or a new place comes open to you and you absolutely know that sharing the Gospel might get you fired or persecuted then you need to make sure God is calling you there.

Sometimes God will call us in those situations to spread the Gospel even if it results in our deaths. He still calls us there.

Sometimes He is telling you not to go there because its’ not your time for persecution yet. But you see you think you know better than God and the opportunity to just make some good money is open to you, so it must be from God right?

Wrong. If you aren’t 100% sure that God is calling you to do it, then don’t do it.

But pastor, you know I need the money! Hey Let me tell you something, I would rather be stuck eating a Twinkie for dinner than filet mignon if I knew I was in God’s will and have peace in my life than not.

So Paul is preaching God’s Word but he finds himself in an interesting situation. Everything is, presumably, going well. We aren’t told its’ not going well.

Yet he senses in his spirit some restlessness. Something isn’t right so he gets up and departs from these people and moves on to Macedonia to wait for Titus there instead.

Sometimes God will tell you to move from one job to another even though there is nothing wrong. It is just time to go. Why? Because God says so.

This is why it is called a walk of faith. We have faith in God that if He has moved us on, it is for His reasons and He will take care of us.

That’s how it was when I came here. Nothing really bad was going on. God called and, through faith, I answered, simple as that.

Notice also that as God called Paul that he continued to spread the Gospel.

2 Corinthians 2:14–17 BSB

But thanks be to God, who always leads us triumphantly as captives in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one, we are an odor of death and demise; to the other, a fragrance that brings life. And who is qualified for such a task? For we are not like so many others, who peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as men sent from God.

Now you have to understand something. When you put on perfume or colon, make sure you don’t take a bath in it. Some of us can’t handle that. But when it comes to spreading the Gospel of Christ, don’t just bathe in it, but keep putting it on as you go. Every 5 steps you got more Jesus being poured out of you.

Those that are receiving your message of Christ and are being saved find the Gospel the most sweetest of smells ever, but to those who don’t it is the stench of death.

This is why the true Gospel is so divisive. On the one hand you have those who come in humility to be saved and they find life and love in the message.

On the other hand you have those who reject the message and they are already condemned in there sin and now you come in and tell them that wages of sin is death, Romans 6:23.

They don’t want to be reminded of that. They just want to live in there darkness and sin. They want to be selfish and not give up control. Now here you come with the Gospel, and how do they react? Many people will have a very violent reaction.

Does this stop us? No. Why? Because our Lord and saviour commands us to spread the Gospel anyway. So wherever we go we let that smell of the Gospel waft out of us as a sweet smelling savor.

You know Paul says here that he is not like so many others who peddle the word of God for profit.

You see even in Paul’s day they had fly-by-night, take your money preachers who were only interested in tickling ears and telling people what sounds good to swindle them out of their hard earned money.

I’m not talking about the Biblical stance on tithes and offerings, I am talking about the type who take your jewelry, your watches anything you have so that they can buy another Porche.

Benny Hinn had a time when he was in Orlando. I heard this from a trusted friend who was there. Where he shut the cameras off and said “My family and I have been good to you this year, now you be good to us. In this offering we are about to have, give your best. All the money in your wallet, jewelry or anything else you have of value.”

You know what? People actually did it. They gave expensive jewelry and Rolexes and stuff. I can’t even imagine the personality of someone doing that, much less watch it happen. How evil is that?

No, Paul preaches the Gospel out of sincerity as one truly sent from God, and not out of ill-gotten-gain.

Life Point - Let Who You Are Be known By The Power Of The Gospel

Exegetical -

2 Corinthians 3:1–3 BSB

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, inscribed on our hearts, known and read by everyone. It is clear 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.

Homiletical -

These Corinthians were accepting a lot of preachers that weren’t saved. Preachers that were coming to them with letters of authority from well respected teachers. I am not convinced that the letters they produced were genuine either.

These same preachers would condemn Paul and lead the people of Corinth away from him and the true Gospel.

So Paul says, who needs pieces of paper? Is not the miraculous regenerating power of God that changed your life through the preaching of Christ’s Gospel that I shared with you enough?

That Change, that power of God alone should be all that Paul needed to prove he is who he says he is. Beware of people who try to rely too much on their pieces of paper.

Yes it is important to be trained in your job or your industry, don’t get me wrong. But the proof is in the pudding. Let me see what God has done with you and through you.

The ironic thing is that we will see later that Paul had better credentials than all the preachers the Corinthians were being lead astray by, but he didn’t get into a paper fight. He just said, “Hey, because of God’s work through me to you and you being saved that should be all the credential you need.”

Proverbs 21:2 BSB

All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.

Jeremiah 31:33–34 BSB

“But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people. No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.”

You know a lot of people say I shot myself in the foot because I didn’t go to a Souther Baptist Theological Seminary for my undergrad and graduate work. You know what my answer is to that? Am I hear to please man or to please God? I went where I sensed the Spirit tell me to go and to where the doors opened by the Spirit of God.

Does your papers or my papers mean anything in eternity? No, what matters is that we share the Gospel wherever we go.

Life Point - Minister Life To All Those Around You

Exegetical -

2 Corinthians 3:4–6 BSB

Such confidence before God is ours through Christ. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God. And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Homiletical -

This man, this Jew named Paul who once was Saul who sat at the feet of the highest teachers in the land. Who was a zealot and had the respect of the entire ruling class of the Jews, but was radically saved and changed by Jesus Christ says here that all his training and all his accomplishments mean nothing in the sight of Christ.

He says that all of confidence of word and though is his and indeed ours through Christ the saviour.

All of our knowledge, training competency does not come from us, from human wisdom, knowledge and understanding but from God.

It is God who has qualified Paul and other ministers throughout the centuries. Not some council, not some test, not some denomination. It is the Spirit of God. It is God’s gifts moving and working through our lives that qualifies us as ministers of the Gospel. Not degrees, certificates, ordination papers or anything else.

The question is not, have you had all your wonderful training, but does God work through you to touch and change others? If not, then all your wonderful papers mean nothing! They are useless.

I can bring a man with a doctorate in this church and let him loose, but if he is not called by God to this church and relies on all his teachings and indeed is haughty in them, then this church will die.

But if you take a man with minimal training in the Bible who is humble and relies on the Spirit of God and is called by God to this church and let him loose then you will see a church that starts to become alive again.

Let me tell you something, I have a Master’s Degree in Christians Studies, but that isn’t what changes people’s lives. It is the Spirit of God that brings life where the letter of the law brings death.

This doesn’t just apply to ministers. This applies to everybody. If you are humble, share the Gospel and rely on the Holy Spirit you will find people coming alive around you. They will come to Christ and be saved.

You know what happens after that? Their lives change and if they do the same thing, others lives will change.

Pretty soon your work place is more profitable than it ever has been, either on the books or in moral or both. Share Christ wherever you go and let that be your credentials of a life lived well in Him.

Life Principle– Go Where God Calls & Minister The Power Of The Gospel To Those Around You.

Call to Action – altar call….