God’s Promises are Yes, Yes

Three arguments that show these false teacher’s accusations were unfounded.

1. You Know Me

2 Corinthians 1:17 NASB95

17 Therefore, I was not vacillating when I intended to do this, was I? Or what I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, so that with me there will be yes, yes and no, no at the same time?

Paul was being led by the HS, but God wasn’t necessarily telling him where to go in an audible voice.

God did speak to him through circumstances and then in a vision.

Acts 16:6–10 NASB95

6 They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; 7 and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; 8 and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

They knew Paul was not just riding by the seat of his pants. He had purpose in what he was doing and he took it very seriously. It was not a light matter, which is what they were accusing him of. vacillating = lightly or fickleness of mind.

An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon ἐλαφρός,ἘΛΑΦΡΟΣ́

ΕΛΑΦΡΟΣ́, ά, όν, (ἐ-λαφ-ρός = Lat. lev-is) light in weight, Il., Hdt., Att.:—Adv. lightly, buoyantly, Od.

2. light to bear, not burdensome, easy, Il.; ἐλαφρόν [ἐστι] ‘tis light, easy, Aesch., etc.; ἐνἐλαφρῷ ποιεῖσθαί τι to make light of a thing, Hdt.

II. light in moving, nimble, Lat. agilis, Hom., Aesch.; ἐλαφρὰ ἡλικία the age of active youth, Xen.; οἱ ἐλαφροί light troops, Lat. levis armatura, Id.

III. lightminded, thoughtless, Eur. Hence ἐλαφρύνω

2 Corinthians 1:18 NASB95

18 But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no.

He says a very dangerous thing here. He ties His own truthfulness to the character of God. But his logic is this: God is faithful, we are being led by the HS, so our word is true.

Our challenge is to be lead also by the HS. Are you so surrendered to Him and singlemindedly focused on Jesus that you are sure of His direction in your life?

2. You Know the Gospel We Preach

A. The Gospel is not Wishy Washy

2 Corinthians 1:19 NASB95

19 For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not yes and no, but is yes in Him.

2 Corinthians 1:20 NASB95

20 For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.

We don’t preach a message that is, “well, come to Jesus if you feel like it, I’m sure everything will turn out alright in the end. There are many ways to God.” NO WAY! Our message is, “You must be born again.”

B. The Gospel Ties Us Together

2 Corinthians 1:21 NASB95

21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God,

2 Corinthians 1:22 NASB95

22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

Pledge - down payment for an item or service. Some of the ancient writings are of contracts where this word is used. One of the contracts stated something like, “Paid 2 dracmas to Horatio to kill mice while before the young could grow.

Ephesians 1:13–14 NASB95

13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

1000 Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching A Fellowship of Beggars

A Fellowship of Beggars

The year 1983 marked the five-hundredth anniversary of the great reformer, Martin Luther, whose stature increases with time. Found by his deathbed, scrawled in German and Latin, was this declaration: “We are beggars: That is true.”

This statement may have inspired D. T. Niles to say, “Evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where he can find a piece of bread.” Not a sweet roll and a cup of coffee, but a bite of the staff of life—bread!

The church is a fellowship of beggars, receiving and offering love, support, and hope. Committed Christians acknowledge their dependence upon God and their interdependence on one another. They are always in the bread line, if not receiving, then giving.

300 Sermon Illustrations from Charles Spurgeon I Know Where He Is Going (2 Thessalonians 1:3)

I Know Where He Is Going

2 Thessalonians 1:3

Preaching Themes: Church: Fellowship and Unity, Creation: Renewal, Heaven,

I met, the other day, with a pretty story concerning Philip Henry, the father of Matthew Henry, the commentator. He wanted to marry the daughter of a gentleman who was one of his hearers. The father of the young lady said to her, “I have no personal objection to Mr. Henry; he is a good man, a Christian gentleman, but I do not know where he came from, so I cannot consent to your marriage with him.” “Well, father,” said the young lady, “though we don’t know where he came from, we do know where he is going, and I would like to go there with him.”

When I meet a genuine Christian, I may not know where he came from. He may have sprung, as men say, from the dunghill, his parents may have been the poorest of the poor, but what does that matter? I know where he is going, and that is a much more important consideration; he is going to the upper house where there are many mansions; he is going to the palace of the great King eternal, immortal, invisible, where the princes of royal blood are forever to bask in the sunshine of the presence of the King of kings and Lord of lords, and I would like to go with him that I may form one of that blessed company.42

Do you see the Spirit of God at work in you? do you see His fruit in your life?

Galatians 5:22–23 NASB95

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

3. You Know Your Situation

2 Corinthians 1:23 NASB95

23 But I call God as witness to my soul, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth.

2 Corinthians 1:24 NASB95

24 Not that we lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm.

Paul didn’t want press them because of the sin problem they were dealing with. He had already confronted them, visited them to scold them about it and written a harsh letter. He wanted the church to work it out between them and the Lord.

This showed a tender side to Paul. He didn’t want to cause them pain. He wanted them to have joy.

We don’t confront sin for a power trip or to feel important. We do it because we love each other and we know that sin in a believer’s life causes pain and sucks the joy out of living for Jesus.