What's Your Motivation

Introduction

Have you heard the story of the frog who fell into a deep rut and, try as he might, he could not get out? Mrs. Frog, standing above the rut, admonished, cajoled, beckoned, and belittled him: "Get out, come on, let's go." But Mr. Frog, down in the deep rut, said simply that he couldn't. "I've tried everything, and there is no way I can get out of this rut."

So Mrs. Frog left him there and hopped on down to the pond. A few minutes later, however, Mr. Frog appeared beside her on their favorite lily pad. "I thought you said you couldn't get out," she said. He responded, "A big truck came along and I had to."

Fear is a great motivator.

It can get us out of the ruts of life…it can motivate us to change our lives...

Fear can motivate many things...

But one thing fear cannot motivate…is love.

1 John 4:18 ESV

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

Our Passage

Today…as we continue to explore the timeless love of God…I want to focus on what motivates us to love. What are the efffects of God’s love in our lives?

If fear motivates us…we can do many good things…and avoid many bad things…fear has its place.

But if love motivates us…if the effect of God loving us…in turn…motivates us to love God and love our neighbor…then anything is possible with God.

We see both fear and love mentioned in our passage this morning.

2 Corinthians 5:11–15 ESV

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. 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. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 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.

The fear of the Lord is mentioned as the motivation for why Paul and other apostles do what they do…in evangelizing the world.

Scripture tells us:

Proverbs 9:10 (ESV)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

Hebrews 10:31 ESV

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Why all this fear with God? Because God is our judge. God will judge you and me…and everyone on earth one day. We will all be found guilty of our sins…if we are not covered by the blood of Christ.

The fear of the Lord is a sense of honor…of being in awe of who God is…and we as human beings…being so impressed with power and might…we do fear God’s judgement...

Paul is saying here that his “fear”…of God…is his motivation for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ…that through him we have nothing to fear.

Theological Point

Now I want everyone of you to remember this for your own personal theologcial understanding about the fear of God and the love of God…and how those two are mixed together.

God always provides everything that God requires of us in Christ Jesus. (Repeat)

Being aware of this good news…is the motivating factor or Paul to preach both God’s coming judgement and God’s loving provision in Christ.

Fear vs Love

Look again at vv. 14-15

2 Corinthians 5:14–15 ESV

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 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.

Is it fear that controls Paul? No. It’s part of his motivation…his fear of the living God...

But it is God’s love…the love of Christ Jesus…that “controls” him.

The root word for “controls” means “to hold in one’s grip”.

One way to understand this is …as Dr. Ralph Martin put is it…that “Paul is shut in as between two walls by Christ’s love for him. Because of this love, Paul has one purpose—selfless devotion to God and his fellow human beings (as summed up in 5:13). (fool for God; right mind for humanity)

Ralph P. Martin, 2 Corinthians, ed. Ralph P. Martin, Lynn Allan Losie, and Peter H. Davids, Second Edition., vol. 40, Word Biblical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014), 286.

He adds…quoting Ethelbert Stauffer...“God has the first word. He establishes the relationship. This is laid down once and for all in Rom. 8. His resolve, election and calling are decisive [Rom 11:29]. From Him proceeds everything that may be called ἀγάπη.” (love).

Ralph P. Martin, 2 Corinthians, ed. Ralph P. Martin, Lynn Allan Losie, and Peter H. Davids, Second Edition., vol. 40, Word Biblical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014), 286.

Closing

God does it all! Isn’t that good news!!

Paul is explaining why he loves the church in Corinth so much! He is compelled…controlled…in the grip of Christ’s love for God’s people…he can’t help but love them...

That’s how we should be!

2 Corinthians 5:14 MSG

Christ’s love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do. Our firm decision is to work from this focused center: One man died for everyone. That puts everyone in the same boat.

We are all in the same boat people.

We all need help! We all need a savior on judgement day before the living God.

Guess what…God provides that for us. I’ll let the scriptures sum it up and stand on its own…may the Holy Spirit let this truth shine in our hearts…and breakthrough in our understanding as he hear it read:

2 Corinthians 5:17–21 (GNB)

Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come. All this is done by God, who through Christ changed us from enemies into his friends and gave us the task of making others his friends also. Our message is that God was making the whole human race his friends through Christ. God did not keep an account of their sins, and he has given us the message which tells how he makes them his friends.

Here we are, then, speaking for Christ, as though God himself were making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf: let God change you from enemies into his friends! Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God.

Friends…be motivated by God’s love for you. Fear God…repent…believe the good news in Jesus Christ…and tell everyone what God has done for them!

Thanks be to God…AMEN.