The Love Of Christ Controls Us
Lessons From 2 Corinthians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
In our previous lesson from 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 we discussed that his physical life is hard and for Christians it is all about getting to the next life.
Certainly there are a lot of challenges along the way but we groan for our heavenly home because we will be “clothed and housed” eternally in the abode of God.
That brings us to our text today from 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:13 wherein Paul begins in those first three verses…
2 Corinthians 5:11–13 (ESV)
11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 12 We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.
As Christians we will come across those that we are striving to persuade to know the fear of the Lord who put all their hope or boasting on outward appearances or things of this world instead of the heart which can lead to God.
We must, as Christians, explain why “The Love Of Christ Controls Us” to those that are being controlled by this old sinful world.
How do we do that?
By explaining first…
The Love Of Christ
The Love Of Christ
Christ Died For All.
Christ Died For All.
The love of Christ can be no more perfectly described than explaining that “Christ died for everyone” not just a select few.
Christ died for every person that has committed murder such…
David (2 Samuel 11-12).
Moses (Exodus 2:11-13).
Paul (Acts 7:54-8:1-3).
Christ died for every person that ever worship idols such as…
Terah Abraham’s father (Joshua 24:2).
Rachel, Jacob’s wife (Genesis 31:19).
Demetrius the silversmith (Acts 19:24).
Christ died for every person that has commited sexual sins such as…
Rahab the prostitute (Joshua 2:1).
Lot’s daughters (Genesis 19:30-38).
David the adultery with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11).
Christ died for every person that has denied Jesus as the Christ such as…
Peter (Matthew 26:69-75).
Paul (1 Timothy 1:15).
There is not a single person that has sinned that Christ did not take on his/her sins through his death.
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
There is not a single person that has sinned that Christ does not want to reconcile to him through his blood.
18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
Summary
Summary
If we want people to know why “The Love Of Christ Controls Us” we must explain what the love of Christ is first.
It is the great and deep love God has for his creation to the point of dying for us to give us life.
14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
We then encourage those we are persuading to Christ to…
Widen Their Hearts
Widen Their Hearts
Not To Be Restricted By Affliction.
Not To Be Restricted By Affliction.
Paul would concluded this portion of our text with…
11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. 12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. 13 In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.
One of the major obstacles to obedience and being “controlled by Christ” instead of self gratification is “our own afflictions.”
Afflictions and tribulations in one’s life have a tenancy to keep us from listening to God.
It’s like having the bible as GPS, but because we are so focused on our own pain, anger, sorrow, and the like that we can’t hear God’s word clearly telling us what turn or direction we need to go.
When we are persuading others to Christ we must help them break through all their afflictions and widen their heart so that it can be pricked by God’s word.
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Everyone has afflictions and will have afflictions in this lifetime but how we see those affliction and handle those afflictions differs completely between those that are controlled by the love of Christ and those that are not.
The great advantage of being controlled by the love of Christ is knowing that Christ suffered far worse, for my sins and if I need to suffer for Christ for a moment I certainly can with his strength helping me.
4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;
2 Corinthians 6:8–10 (ESV)
8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
Summary
Summary
Like the Grinch that stole Christmas, peoples’ hearts can widen and come to accept the love of Christ and therefore be controlled by that love.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Oh how wonderful it is to “tell the old old story, the old old story of Jesus and his love.”
A love that makes those that know it eagerly submit to it and live by it.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
