Untitled Sermon (25)
5 (6:1–2) Decision: the message demands a decision. Note three facts.
a. Ministers are co-workers with God. They actually have the great privilege of working together with God. What is the work that they do with God? The minister who works with God does exactly what Scripture says: he “beseeches,” that is, urges, begs, and pleads with men to receive the wonderful grace of God. What is that grace? It is the glorious truth …
• to let the grace of God take effect in his life
• to let God’s grace work in his heart through regeneration
• to let the death and righteousness of Christ be counted as his death and righteousness
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A person must not receive the grace of God in vain. God’s grace is much too wonderful—it is the only hope and way of redemption and salvation.
c. The decision to be saved is to be made now. Now is the only reasonable time to be saved. There may be no tomorrow; in fact, there may not even be one hour left for any of us. Any person’s life can be snatched away any moment of any day by accident, disease, or heart attack. Verse two declares two significant facts (note that this is an Old Testament quotation and God Himself is the spokesman, Is. 49:8):
1) This is the acceptable time when God has heard the cries of men. This is the day of salvation when God has succoured men.
2) Paul, the minister, cries out: “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Note the forceful implication: the day is coming when the day of salvation will no longer be present.
“See, I have set before thee this day life and good and death and evil” (De. 30:15).
“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (De. 30:19).
“Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsover thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me” (Mk. 10:21).
“From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?” (Jn. 6:66–67).
“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve … but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Jos. 24:15).
“And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him” (1 K. 18:21).
1 (6:3) Ministry—Faithfulness: Paul had one great concern—consistency, to offend in nothing. Paul wanted his life and ministry to be so consistent that he would never give any reason for anyone to reject or to turn sour on the Lord Jesus Christ. The word offense (proskope) means to stumble, to strike against. Paul was careful; he guarded his behavior and conduct lest he cause a person to stumble and fall and reject the gospel of Christ. Note the reason: he did not want to be a poor reflection upon the ministry. Paul knew the nature of man, that people looked for excuses to reject Christ and to avoid His church. He knew that some people were always searching for juicy gossip to use against the followers of Christ and especially against the ministers of the gospel. He also knew that God had called him to the ministry of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and that no higher call could be issued. Therefore, Paul sought to bring only honor to the ministry and to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. He struggled against the lusts of the flesh and eyes and against the pride of life. He struggled …
Note four points.
a. The picture being painted is not that of a man who sits with folded hands and passively accepts whatever comes. It is the active struggle of the believer’s spirit to confront the obstacle or sin and to conquer it.
b. Also note the word much—much endurance is necessary if this world is to be overcome.
c. Paul again says that his primary purpose is to live a life that will commend the ministry. “In all things” he sought to build up, to commend, to approve the ministry.
d. Paul’s point is this: he has lived a life of endurance for the sake of the ministry. And he lists all the areas in which he has endured. They are covered in the rest of this passage. Note how the areas span all the areas of a minister’s life and ministry.
“In your patience possess ye your souls” (Lu. 21:19).
“For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise” (He. 10:36).
“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (Js. 1:3–4).
“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (Js. 5:7–8).
3 (6:4–5) Ministry: Paul was consistent and enduring in physical and mental suffering and stress. Six particular things are mentioned.
a. Paul endured afflictions (thlipseis): pressure, strain, tension that comes both from within and without. Things often press in upon a man, weigh upon and burden down his heart. Sometimes the pressure is so heavy and tight that a man feels like he is going to explode or be crushed. The pressure may come from some lustful temptation or from some strong trial, but no matter, he is to stedfastly endure all pressing afflictions.
b. Paul endured necessities (anagkai): inescapable hardship, difficulties, privation, and pain of life. William Barclay points out that the word literally means “the necessities of life” (The Letters to the Corinthians, p. 238). A minister is called upon to face the necessities of life: he has to eat and drink, clothe and shelter himself and his family; and he has to face the sorrows and struggles and pains of life, including death itself—sometimes beyond what the average citizen has to face. Only one thing can carry the minister through the necessities and experiences of life: endurance. He must stedfastly endure for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ and His ministry.
c. Paul endured distresses (stenochoriai): straits, calamities, tight places, inescapable situations. It is the picture of being cornered and being unable to escape; a picture of having no room or place to turn, of being forced to confront the situation or else being utterly devastated and defeated. When the minister is cornered by temptation or trial—when there seems to be no escape—his only resource is endurance. He must steadfastly endure lest he offend the gospel and become a stumbling block to others.
d. Paul endured stripes: scourgings, beatings, lashings, whippings. This was a savage, excruciating punishment. The whip (phagellow) was made of leather straps with two small balls attached to the end of each strap. The balls were made of rough lead or sharp bones or spikes, so that they would cut deeply into the flesh. Paul’s hands were tied to a post above his head and he was scourged. It was the custom for the prisoner to be lashed until he was judged near death by the presiding centurion (Jewish trials allowed only forty lashes.) The criminal’s back was, of course, nothing more than an unrecognizable mass of torn flesh.
Paul was scourged at least eight times—just imagine! Eight times—five times by the Jews and three times by the Gentiles (2 Co. 11:24–25). Tragically, believers all over the world are sometimes whipped and abused because of their testimony for the Lord Jesus. In such times, only one thing can give the believer a consistent life and testimony: steadfast endurance.
e. Paul endured imprisonments. Paul was arrested and imprisoned several times: in Philippi (Ac. 16), Jerusalem, Cesarea, and Rome. The early church Christian, Clement of Rome (A.D. 96), says that Paul was imprisoned seven times throughout the whole span of his ministry. When the believer, minister or layman, faces imprisonment for Christ, the call of the hour is for consistency: he must endure despite the threat. He must not weaken lest he become an offense to the name of Christ and to the ministry.
f. Paul endured tumults: mob uprisings and attacks. Paul often faced angered mobs: at Antioch of Pisidia (Ac. 13:50); Lystra (Ac. 14:19); Philippi (Ac. 16:19); Ephesus (Ac. 19:29); and at Jerusalem (Ac. 21:30). Mob uprisings present one of the most difficult and frightening situations imaginable for a believer, for a mob cannot be controlled by reason. The believer is unable to be heard, so speech is useless. Believers often face the abuse and ridicule of crowds because of the righteous lives they live and because they refuse to join in the worldly pleasures and indulgences of life. At such times the believer must be consistent in his testimony—no matter the temptation to go along with the crowd. The true believer, layman and minister alike, must steadfastly endure.