Nothing to Lose; Everything to Gain

Nothing to Lose; Everything to Gain

2Corinthians 12:11-13:14 February 1, 2004

Scripture Reading: 2Kings 19:14-22

Introduction:

Like the passage we read this morning in 2Kings 19 where King Hezekiah has nothing to lose and everything to gain, the situation in the Corinthian church has been so bad that it is like that with Paul.

Seemingly as a fool when confronted by the enemy, he spreads everything out before God and man, makes his case and will trust God for the results.

It is the Holy One of Israel against whom his detractors raise their voices. It is the Holy One of Israel that will be exalted in the end on behalf of them all.

He gladly appears as a fool for the Corinthians. He would have gladly given his life for them in the cause of Christ.

All through 2Corinthians Paul has been laying everything he knew, felt and experienced in Christ on the line for the Corinthian church.

He has made himself vulnerable. He has given his testimony. He has spoken the things of God beyond human reason.

He has fought the spiritual battle tooth and nail to keep them for the gospel of love and self-sacrifice that he gives them in spite of false teachers, naysayers, sinners and self-exalted hypocrites who want to belittle his ministry in the church and draw them astray.

He has attempted to argue and support his calling as an apostle and spiritual mentor to them. He has answered all their baseless accusations with tremendous spiritual wisdom and insight – with humility as well as courage.

He has led them to the brink of understanding and obtaining victory. You recall the last three messages on Getting Victory, Maintaining Victory, and Beyond Victory?

Now, in light of the victory he has taught – that is his, theirs and ours in Christ – Paul begins his conclusion in 2Corinthians 12:11 through the end of the letter, and we ask ourselves the question:

Big Question:

Since I am assured of victory in Christ, how should I live my life here for Christ?

I can risk everything for Christ because I know my calling, gifts and motives in Christ.

I can risk everything for Christ because I know the burden of love in Christ.

I can risk everything for Christ because I know the deep need of others for strength in Christ.

I can risk everything for Christ because I know the deep need of others for submission in Christ.

I can risk everything for Christ because I know that faith will be tested in Christ.

I can risk everything for Christ because I know the goal is perfection in Christ.

I. Cycle One

A. Narrative (vv. 12:11-13)

B. Implication

Since I am assured of victory in Christ, how should I live my life here for Christ?

I can risk everything for Christ because I know my calling, gifts and motives in Christ.

C. Illustration

SUPER-APOSTLES (forgot their calling – they can risk nothing because they have gained nothing)

Survey: Only Half of Pastors Have 'Biblical' Worldview

Fred Jackson and Jody Brown, Agape Press

A new survey indicates that when it comes to developing a biblical worldview, a good place to start may be with the people in the pulpit.

What constitutes a "biblical" worldview? Christian researcher George Barna says it includes a belief in absolute moral truth as defined by scripture, as well as acceptance of six core biblical beliefs: the accuracy of biblical teaching, the sinless nature of Jesus, the literal existence of Satan, the omnipotence and omniscience of God, salvation by grace alone, and the personal responsibility to evangelize.

In a recent survey of Protestant pastors conducted by the Barna Research Group, only half (51%) passed the test on whether they possess a biblical worldview. Of the pastors surveyed, Southern Baptists scored the highest with 71% while United Methodists finished at the bottom with just 27%. In between were 57% of pastors of Baptist churches (other than Southern Baptist), 51% of pastors of non-denominational Protestant churches, 44% of pastors of charismatic or Pentecostal churches, 35% of pastors of black churches, and 28% of pastors of leading mainline denominations.

Another point of interest in the survey dealt with education. The pastors least likely to have a biblical worldview were seminary graduates. There was also a significant gender gap in the results. While 53% of male pastors possessed a biblical worldview, only 15% of female pastors fit that category. In addition, white senior pastors were nearly twice as likely as black senior pastors to have a biblical worldview (55% vs. 30%).

And interestingly, the highest proportion of pastors showing evidence of a biblical worldview were found in the area of the country inhabited by people who are considered among the most liberal. According to Barna, almost two-thirds (64%) of pastors in California, Oregon, and Washington "have such a moral and spiritual compass in place."

This report comes on the heels of another recent Barna survey that indicates only 9% of all born-again adults -- and just 7% of Protestants -- possess a biblical worldview. This more recent survey, the researcher says, highlights a simple but important principle: "you can't give people what you don't have."

"The low percentage of Christians who have a biblical worldview is a direct reflection of the fact that half of our primary religious teachers and leaders do not have one," Barna says. "In some denominations, the vast majority of clergy do not have a biblical worldview, and it shows up clearly in the data related to the theological views and moral choices of people who attend those churches."

Why is a biblical worldview important? According to Barna, everyone has a worldview, but few have a biblical worldview -- which the researcher says has a radical effect on a person's life. He says individuals' attitudes, beliefs, values, and opinions determine their behavior.

"Although most people own a Bible and know some of its content, our research found that most Americans have little idea how to integrate core biblical principles to form a unified and meaningful response to the challenges and opportunities of life," he says. "We're often more concerned with survival amidst chaos than with experiencing truth and significance."

Barna's research indicates that adults with a biblical worldview possess radically different views on morality, hold divergent religious beliefs, and demonstrate vastly different lifestyle choices.

REINVENTED GOSPEL CHURCH:

Pastor Says Some Churches Preaching 'Reinvented' Gospel

Jim Brown, Agape Press

A well-known Christian author and pastor is concerned that a growing number of Evangelical ministers are watering down the gospel message in order to be "seeker sensitive."

Dr. John MacArthur says many Evangelical pastors are presenting what he calls a "reinvented designer pop gospel" in hopes of making Christianity appear more attractive or culturally relevant.

The pastor of Grace Community Church in San Valley, California, says those who preach in that fashion have a weak view of the authority and power of scripture.

"I think it encompasses a weak view of the honor and the power of God and Christ," MacArthur says bluntly. "In other words, I think you're basically usurping the Lordship of Christ over His Church -- you're saying, 'I'm going to stand here and give a message that I think is better than the one that Christ gave.'" Such an attitude, he says, is "a frightening thing to think about."

MacArthur believes it is becoming harder than ever to find an Evangelical church that is not compromising the gospel. He says small churches that remain true to God's Word and do not embrace a user-friendly gospel are often viewed today as "archaic" and "unsuccessful."

"The huge crowds are drawn by lowering all the standards," he says, citing such apporaches as a "minimalist gospel," an entertainment mentality, and creation of a social environment that attracts people by promising them "the path to success" and better economic status.

"You know ... 'You'll do better in your job, your career, your family, your marriage, etc.'" he says. "Those are the kinds of things that are sold on the 'felt need' counter."

In his recently published book Hard to Believe, MacArthur contends that many professing Christians do not understand what it means to be a disciple of Christ because they are seeking an experience rather than a person.

He also takes aim at the so-called "health-and-wealth" and "name-it-and-claim-it" gospels.

CHURCHES (churches can also forget their calling – I can risk being available because I know what I am called to do)

Survey: Those With 'The Answer' Weren't There to Answer (January 28, 2004)

Jody Brown, Agape Press

Have you ever experienced the frustration of wanting to do business with someone, but they never answer the phone or return your calls? Apparently many churches in America need to take that lesson to heart and monitor their phones a little more closely.

During the month of December, a Christian research organization called 3,400 randomly selected Protestant churches across the country. And they didn't call just once -- they called each church at least five times over a two-week period during normal business hours, making sure those calls were made at different times of the day. The California-based Barna Research Group reports some surprising findings.

Simply put, most churches did not answer the phone, says Barna.

A human being could not be reached at more than half (55%) of the nation's churches -- and in roughly 20% of the cases, the phone went unanswered by either a person or an answering machine in each of the five separate attempts. One out of every six churches (16%), Barna says, had an answering machine responding to all five attempts.

George Barna, director of the study, notes that while many churches go all-out in outreach ministries during the Christmas season – offering seasonal musical events and special holiday services, and focusing efforts on attracting and welcoming visitors -- "nobody is covering the phones!"

The researcher contends that it is unlikely that "consumers" with busy schedules and questions about how "user-friendly" churches are will endure the frustration of trying to communicate with a church.

"If ministry is based on relationships and interaction, then many churches might find it easier to penetrate the community if they were more accessible to the people whoa re showing an interest in the church," he says.

And while there were some demographic differences noted in the study findings -- such as United Methodist churches being the most responsive to incoming calls, and the South being the toughest area of the country in which to make personal contact -- Barna urges churches to "capture the big picture" instead of focusing on the denominational or regional differences.

He maintains that with the ability of high-tech communications being able to put people in contact with one another immediately, "organizations that seemingly defy people to penetrate their fortress quickly become an after-thought in people's lives."

Barna Research Group (http://www.barna.org)

Suicide Bomber – a true fool (everything to lose and nothing to gain)

Contrast – “The Woman Who Willed a Miracle” (everything to gain and nothing to lose)

D. Application

II. Cycle Two

A. Narrative (vv. 12:14-18)

Paul says, “I don’t want what you have. I want all you have, your most valuable possession, which is you. I want your love – for me, for Christ, for truth, for each other. You have it backwards. You have put everything on a worldly instead of a spiritual basis. If you are going to think that way then I should spend all I have for you as my children. And I have. I have given you love. So won’t you return it?

B. Implication

Since I am assured of victory in Christ, how should I live my life here for Christ?

I can risk everything for Christ because I know the burden of love in Christ.

C. Illustration

St. Augustine knew what “love had to do with it.” He later figured out that love was the key to understanding the Bible.

Recently, I asked a group of small group leaders at a city-wide training how far they would walk for:

seven Oreo cookies and a glass of cold milk
a new outfit of their choice
brand new golf clubs
an all-paid weekend in Orlando, Florida
a brand new Mercedes convertible
their dream home.

Some said they would walk up to a mile for the Oreos and milk, a few said they would walk as far as 25 miles for the new golf clubs, and most said they would walk 50 miles for the weekend trip to Orlando (Florida sounds good to us here in North Dakota).

So, how far would you walk to show the love of God to one lost soul? Next door? Across the street? To the office next to yours? To the ends of the earth?

D. Application

III. Cycle Three

A. Narrative (vv. 12:19-21)

It is like Paul walked into the local bar at Corinth and started a church with drunks, addicts, prostitutes, pimps, thieves and have ever since been trying to mold them into a productive church.

B. Implication

Since I am assured of victory in Christ, how should I live my life here for Christ?

I can risk everything for Christ because I know the deep need of others for strength in Christ.

C. Illustration

LIVING IN FANTASY LAND:

BreakPoint

cultural commentary with Prison Fellowship's Chuck Colson

http://link.crosswalk.com/UM/T.asp?A1.25.18476.1.1191602

January 26, 2004

Fatal Visions - How a Bad Worldview Can Make You What’s for Dinner

Earlier this month, the half-eaten body of a cyclist was found in a California state park. The next day, a second cyclist barely avoided the same fate when her friends threw rocks at the perpetrator: a two-year-old mountain lion.

For people in Boulder, Colorado, the news brought back frightening memories. Thirteen years ago, a mountain lion killed a teenage jogger. The story of that attack, and the events leading up to it, are the subject of a new book, The Beast in the Garden. It’s a story that shows how faulty worldviews can do more than mess up your thinking: They can literally kill you.

Author David Baron writes that for nearly five years prior to the fatal lion attack, wildlife experts had warned Boulder-area residents that an attack was likely. They proposed a series of modest measures, like a study of the mountain lion population, to lessen the likelihood of an attack. But their warnings and proposals were ignored or discounted.

Why? Because of worldviews that many residents embraced. Boulder is known for its liberalism, especially in environmental and lifestyle matters. In addition, Boulder’s culture can best be described, as writer Cheryl Smith, a Boulder native, puts it, as “new age/hippie.”

This combination led Boulder-area residents to believe that they could create a sort of paradise where people and wildlife could exist in harmony—never mind that, as Baron points out, there has never been such an arrangement, at least this side of Eden. So residents ignored the wildlife officials’ warnings that the area’s out-of-control deer population was an invitation to mountain lions. No one would agree to a controlled hunt of deer.

Even after lions were spotted in the area, they continued to ignore the danger. At a meeting called after a lion had eaten several neighborhood dogs, Colorado game officials expected to be criticized for not adequately protecting area residents. Instead, most of the attendees were concerned about the lion’s well being. Their spokesperson, who mentioned her affinity for “Lakota spirituality,” told officials that everything is “connected”: rocks, dirt, lions, and humans.

Similarly, even after the Boulder teenager was killed by the big cat, the anticipated anti-lion backlash never materialized. In fact, one of the teenager’s teachers complained that rather than being collected for burial, his body should have been left behind so the lion could finish eating it. Incredible.

The Romanticist worldview embraced by Boulderites led them to think that they could create their own peaceable kingdom where the poodle could lay down with the lion. That same worldview caused them to see man, and the civilization he creates, as the serpent in the garden.

A more realistic understanding of the relationship between man and nature seeks a way to protect both people and lions. Baron uses the idea of “conservation,” which is derived from the biblical ideal of stewardship, as a model for managing this relationship.

Of course, doing this would challenge the cherished assumptions that the good liberal residents of Boulder hold so dear. They won’t do it because they would rather stay “connected” to the beast—the one, that is, that views them as dinner.

D. Application

IV. Cycle Four (me about being killed by Matt in 1993)

A. Narrative (vv. 13:1-4)

B. Implication

Since I am assured of victory in Christ, how should I live my life here for Christ?

I can risk everything for Christ because I know the deep need of others for submission in Christ.

C. Illustration

WASH FEET:

“1 ¶ It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. 2 The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" 7 Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." 8 "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."” (John 13:1-8 NIVUS)

D. Application

V. Cycle Five

A. Narrative (vv. 13:5-10)

B. Implication

Since I am assured of victory in Christ, how should I live my life here for Christ?

I can risk everything for Christ because I know that faith will be tested in Christ.

C. Illustration

THE LAW OF THE PENDULUM:

True faith will produce real love. We must first ask ourselves: do we have faith? Ken Davis, a youth pastor, has a way of discovering whether someone actually does have faith. In his book “How To Speak To Youth” he tells of a college lesson he had to prepare for his speech class. He says, We were to be graded on our creativity and ability to drive home a point in a memorable way. The title of my talk, he says, was, "The Law of the Pendulum." I spent 20 minutes carefully teaching the physical principle that governs a swinging pendulum. The law of the pendulum is: A pendulum can never return to a point higher than the point from which it was released. Because of friction and gravity, when the pendulum returns, it will fall short of its original release point. Each time it swings it makes less and less of an arc, until finally it is at rest. This point of rest is called the state of equilibrium, where all forces acting on the pendulum are equal.

He then attached a 3-foot string to a child's toy top and secured it to the top of the blackboard with a thumbtack. He pulled the top to one side and made a mark on the blackboard where he let it go. Each time it swung back a new mark. It took less than a minute for the top to complete its swinging and come to rest. When he finished the demonstration, the markings on the blackboard had proved his thesis. He says, I then asked how many people in the room BELIEVED the law of the pendulum was true. All of my classmates raised their hands, so did the teacher. He started to walk to the front of the room thinking the class was over. In reality it had just begun. Hanging from the steel ceiling beams in the middle of the room he had fashioned a large, crude but functional pendulum (250 pounds of metal weights tied to four strands of 500-pound test parachute cord.).

He then invited the instructor to climb up on a table and sit in a chair with the back of his head against a cement wall. He brought the 250 pounds of metal up to his nose. Holding the huge pendulum just a fraction of an inch from his face. Once again he explained the law of the pendulum to the teacher who had applauded only moments before, "If the law of the pendulum is true, then when I release this mass of metal, it will swing across the room and return short of the release point. Your nose will be in no danger."

After that final restatement of this law, he looked him in the eye and asked, "Sir, do you believe this law is true?" There was a long pause. Huge beads of sweat formed on the teacher’s upper lip and then weakly he nodded and whispered, "Yes." He released the pendulum. It made a swishing sound as it arced across the room. At the far end of its swing, it paused momentarily and started back. Ken Davis said he never saw a man move so fast in my life. He literally dived from the table. Deftly stepping around the still-swinging pendulum, Ken asked the class, "Does he believe in the law of the pendulum?"

Religion Today Feature Story

a close-up look at the people, issues and events making news

http://link.crosswalk.com/UM/T.asp?A1.8.18477.1.1191602

Throughout Christian history there have been many who have laid all they had before the cross – like the Armenian Christians of 1915 (VOM, Feb. 04).

D. Application

VI. Cycle Six

A. Narrative (vv. 13:11-14)

B. Implication

Since I am assured of victory in Christ, how should I live my life here for Christ?

I can risk everything for Christ because I know the goal is perfection in Christ.

C. Illustration

MILITARY MODEL:

“Perseverance (perfection/obedience – total and continuing submission) is not required for believers to be holy in their position, but it is required for them to be holy in their experience.”

Morality w/o Christ vs. Christ w/o morality.

Weaknesses

Flawed but Fruitful

Grace; Ministry; Weaknesses

2 Corinthians 4:7-12

A house servant had two large pots. One hung on each end of a pole that he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. The other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.

For two years the servant delivered each day only one-and-a-half pots full of water to his master's house. The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, but the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable over accomplishing only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, the cracked pot spoke to the servant one day by the stream.

"I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."

"What are you ashamed of?" asked the bearer.

"For these past two years I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you don't get full value from your work."

The servant said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path." As they went up the hill, the cracked pot noticed the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path. When they reached the house, the servant said to the pot, "Did you notice the flowers grew only on your side of the path, not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table."

Each of us has flaws. But if we allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace his Father's table.

à Citation: Anonymous from the Internet, submitted by Phillip Gunter, Round Rock, Texas

(teachable, unified, peaceable, congenial, loving, spiritual)

Things We Should Not Be Unified About:

Peter James Lee, Episcopal bishop of Virginia, is one of 60 Episcopal bishops who voted last summer to approve the appointment of V. Gene Robinson, the denomination's first openly homosexual bishop. Since then, Lee has been fighting moves by more conservative congregations in the Virginia diocese that have taken a stand against the biblical compromise. In his speech to the 700 delegates at his diocese's annual meeting on Saturday, Lee said: "If you must make a choice between heresy and schism, always choose heresy."

Things We Should Be Unified About:

The student body president at one West Virginia university campus says despite complaints from Protestant groups on campus, prayers before Student Senate meetings will continue. Three months ago, Seth Murphy sent a letter to religious student groups on the Marshall University campus, inviting them to open Student Senate meetings with prayers that are heartfelt and directed to God. "I don't want to tell people that because of the idea of political correctness that they cannot pray…in public exactly as they would in private," he says. But United Methodist

and Presbyterian student groups are demanding that the prayers be stopped. The opposition from other professing Christians is not something Murphy expected. The U.S. Senate also starts its meetings with prayer. He says the very idea that prayer in public is somehow unconstitutional is the result of an epidemic of political correctness in America that is "just going against not only our constitution but the very foundations that our country was built upon." But despite the demands from the Christian groups, as well as those from the Marshall University Civil Liberties Union, that the prayers be banned, Murphy says he will not cave in to those who would put political correctness above religious freedom.

This Is Unity:

Millions of Christian youth from different countries are preparing to take part in a special day of prayer for persecuted Christians worldwide. On March 5, Underground, the youth outreach of Open Doors International, will sponsor the third annual "Shockwave," a 24-hour global prayer initiative that will take place at prayer meetings and in Internet chat rooms worldwide. Underground coordinator Jeff Shreve says Shockwave is an opportunity for young people to make a difference. "I know a lot of youth pastors, college groups, and others want to find a

way to get involved, to help the persecuted Church," he says, "but many times distance, geography, or whatever it may be, makes it a little bit harder. Shockwave eliminates all of those things." Shreve says Shockwave can be the start of a massive prayer movement. He advises those young people who participate in the event for the first time this year not to let their involvement end there. "Don't just settle for this one event," he says, "but consider this your initial step into the movement of helping persecuted Christians." Shockwave 2004 will start in New Zealand and work its way across the time zones, covering the world in prayer for

the estimated 200 million members of the persecuted Church.

We Have To Be Of One Mind If We Are To Influence The World That Is Increasingly Of Two Minds:

Traditional Moral Views Continue to Fade in U.S.

Ed Vitagliano, Agape Press

According to a recent poll, more than half of all Americans believe having children outside wedlock is morally acceptable, demonstrating that the moral shift under way for the last 40 years is still moving away from traditional beliefs.

The Los Angeles Times reported that 51% of adults in the U.S. thought it was okay to have a baby outside marriage, compared to 46% who thought it was wrong. Such poll results would not surprise George Barna, a researcher who follows cultural trends related to religion and morality in the U.S. In a study of Americans' moral beliefs released in November, Barna found that the majority of adults viewed once unacceptable activities as now acceptable: gambling (61%), cohabitation (60%), and sexual fantasies (59%).

While other activities did not find approval with a majority of Americans, they were still approved by a disturbingly large minority: having an abortion (45%), committing adultery (42%), using pornography (38%), drunkenness (35%) and homosexual sex (30%).

In both studies there was a sharp distinction between the beliefs of Evangelicals, who overwhelming disapproved of such behavior, and unbelievers, who increasingly see nothing wrong with what were once viewed as sins.

The results indicated that church leaders urgently need to begin addressing the culture with the clear teachings of Scripture.

"Until people recognize that there are moral absolutes and attempt to live in harmony with them, we are likely to see a continued decay of our moral foundations," Barna said.

D. Application

Conclusion:

Big Answer:

Since I am assured of victory in Christ, how should I live my life here for Christ?

I can risk everything for Christ because I know my calling, gifts and motives in Christ.

I can risk everything for Christ because I know the burden of love in Christ.

I can risk everything for Christ because I know the deep need of others for strength in Christ.

I can risk everything for Christ because I know the deep need of others for submission in Christ.

I can risk everything for Christ because I know that faith will be tested in Christ.

I can risk everything for Christ because I know the goal is perfection in Christ.

Timeless Truth:

Knowing Christ and his victory means I have nothing to lose since I have gained everything. Not knowing Christ and his victory means I have everything to lose since I have gained nothing. But since I do have Christ’s victory in me, I can live boldly without fear, even seeming a fool, as I hold out the Word of Life to those in deep need.

What are you willing to risk?

What have you risked lately?

Taking a gamble for God is always a sure bet.

Nothing to Lose; Everything to Gain, PART II

2Corinthians 12:11-13:14 February 8, 2004

Since I am assured of victory in Christ, how should I live my life here for Christ?

I can risk everything for Christ because I know my c a l l i n g , g i f t s and m o t i v e s

in Christ. (vv. 12:11-13)

I can risk everything for Christ because I know the b u r d e n of l o v e

in Christ. (vv. 12:14-18)

I can risk everything for Christ because I know the deep need of others for s t r e n g t h

in Christ. (vv. 12:19-21)

I can risk everything for Christ because I know the deep need of others for

s _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ in Christ. (vv. 13:1-4)

I can risk everything for Christ because I know that f _ _ _ _ will be t _ _ _ _ _ in Christ.

(vv. 13:5-10)

I can risk everything for Christ because I know the g _ _ _ is p _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ in Christ.

(vv. 13:11-14)

Nothing to Lose; Everything to Gain, PART II

2Corinthians 12:11-13:14 February 8, 2004

Since I am assured of victory in Christ, how should I live my life here for Christ?

I can risk everything for Christ because I know my c a l l i n g , g i f t s and m o t i v e s

in Christ. (vv. 12:11-13)

I can risk everything for Christ because I know the b u r d e n of l o v e

in Christ. (vv. 12:14-18)

I can risk everything for Christ because I know the deep need of others for s t r e n g t h

in Christ. (vv. 12:19-21)

I can risk everything for Christ because I know the deep need of others for

s _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ in Christ. (vv. 13:1-4)

I can risk everything for Christ because I know that f _ _ _ _ will be t _ _ _ _ _ in Christ.

(vv. 13:5-10)

I can risk everything for Christ because I know the g _ _ _ is p _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ in Christ.

(vv. 13:11-14)