2 Corinthians 6:1-13
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SLIDE 2
2 COR 6:1-
1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
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SLIDE 3
2 COR 6.3
3 We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities,
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SLIDE 4
2 COR 6:5-
5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love;
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SLIDE 5
2 COR 6.7-
7 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 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;
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SLIDE 6
2 cor 6.10
10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. 11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open.
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SLIDE 7
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.
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INTRO:
In the first letter to Corinth, in , Paul told the church that he was a fellow worker, with God, along with Apollos. Paul planted… Apollos watered… but God gave the growth.
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Paul and Apollos were fellow workers with God. But, the actual church in Corinth… they were God’s field. They were God’s building.
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As we begin chapter 6, Paul returns to this language. He has something important to say.... his is making his appeal… but first, he lets them know who is speaking.
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Paul, along with his own personal ministry team… they don’t come with all the fancy titles and commendations that the so-called super Apostles come with.
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In the previous chapter, Paul set the contrast:
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They care about the outward appearance… but Paul emphasized the importance of what is in the heart.
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They claim that Paul seems like he is beside himself… (This probably refers to Paul’s physical demeanor… Paul was a guy who has suffered great hardship, many beatings, physical ailments, and a guy whose job left him dirty and sweaty)… Paul says, if they think he is beside himself… know this, it’s for God.
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They regard people, and judge them according to the flesh… but Paul and his fellow workers… they have determined to regard no one according to the flesh.
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They wanted people to be impressed with them… Paul wanted people to be impressed with Jesus… and always brought the topic back around to the Gospel. He ended chapter 5, declaring this as his purpose. He and Titus, and the others that were with him… - they were ambassadors… and God was making HIS appeal through Paul.
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So… as it says in chapter 6:1… - Paul and his team… they were working together with God… to fulfill this mission.
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Because the mission was so important… - it was also… obviously… very urgent.
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This urgency comes out in the second half of verse one.
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‘WE APPEAL TO YOU NOT TO RECEIVE THE GRACE OF GOD IN VAIN.”
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This plea could mean so many things in the context of this letter… so many things that are equally applicable to tus..
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Don’t get so distracted by the fancy stuff, that you forget the Gospel.
Don’t get so caught up in the titles and the positions, that you forget the Gospel.
Don’t get so invested in programs, church growth schemes, image consultants and smoke machines, that you forget the Gospel.
Don’t become so entrenched in protecting the finer details of your doctrine, that you forget the Gospel.
Don’t let your church become so invested in issues of secular and social justice, that you forget the Gospel.
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Don’t become so focused on other things, that you dismiss the simple, powerful, undeniable and eternally necessary reality, that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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The church in Corinth was turning their focus to the outward… and Paul was trying to turn it back… from the physical, to the spiritual… from the outward, to the inward.
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The ministry of reconciliation… the ministry of bringing lost souls back into a place of unity and fellowship with God through the cross of Jesus… is being proclaimed to you. This is the work, says Paul, that he is doing WITH GOD… in their midst.
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It’s important… it’s urgent… so… don’t receive it in vain.
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Some claim that this appeal is to those who hear the Gospel… - and in hearing it, they are receiving grace from God to see and understand the impact of the Gospel… - but they are so swayed by the current of the outward world… they fail to embrace it. -so, they hear it in grace… but it’s vain to them, because they ultimately deny it.
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I fear that this is an epidemic reality in the church… in America today. -I think many people equate the church experience with salvation. They go… and they resonate with some of the things that are being said… they might have an emotional connection to the music, or to the manner in which the message is presented.
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They are part of church life… though maybe, sporadically.. but they go occasionally… that that serves as a numbing assurance that everything is ok.
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Listen, you can go to church for years, and still… never really surrender your life over to Jesus Christ. - And the church culture we live in, in America… just makes this easy to do.
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Many receive the grace of God in vain.
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Some scholars take a different approach to this. They declare that Paul is speaking to believers… to people who are saved… but, people who have entered into God’s Kingdom… but are not doing anything of value for God’s kingdom.
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They look back to Paul’s testimony and example in
SLIDE 8
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.
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Paul states here… that God’s grace towards him was not in vain because… he responded to it with hard work. Why did he work so hard for God’s Kingdom? Because of the grace of God that was in him.
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An Archbishop of Canterbury named Anselm wrote these words on this topic:
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SLIDE 9
“He receives grace into a vacuum… who does not work with it, who does not give it his heart, and who, through sloth, makes that grace ineffectual, by not doing all that he can do to express it in good works.”
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This call to not receive the grace in vain, could go to either side of this argument… BUT… - considering the context of what is to follow… - I believe that Paul is speaking to the believer in Jesus… who is living a life of disobedience…
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To the believer who is, according to vs. 12… restricted in their own affections… that is… their heart is closed to the things of God, because it is invested in the things of the world… or, as vss 14-15 indicated… to those who are unequally yoked with an unbeliever… - To those, specifically, who think it’s a good thing, to court, date or marry someone who does not believe in the same way.
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Paul tells them… it is an amazing work of grace… that you would be reconciled to God through Jesus… but so much of it is just vanity, if you cannot live a life of obedience for His glory after receiving this grace.
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In verse 2, Paul gives an excerpt from .
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The passage from Isaiah is rich… - It speaks of a time when God’s people would be restored after their exile. God promised that He would respond to the cries of the exile, in a favorable time and in a day of salvation.
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This ‘favorable time’ was determined by God… and it was the time when God did a great work to ‘deliver, redeem, and restore His people’.
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In a prophetic sense… beyond the exile of Israel… this speaks of the work that God would one day do through Jesus. - Christ has come… He has completed His work. God’s wrath for the sins of mankind has been satisfied. God’s desired path towards reconciliation, fellowship and acceptance has been opened.
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To the people who first received this letter… many of them could remember a time before Jesus. Many of them knew the urgency and the newness of this dispensation of grace.
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They have had very little time to grow dull or complacent. - And yet… they have.
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You know… it doesn’t take long.
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Look at the history of Israel throughout the OT. They would witness and experience great miracles of God… they would experience His presence before them as something undeniable. They would acknowledge Him as real…
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…and then - moments later… they were worshipping idols… and cursing him… and complaining about His provision… and doubting His very existence.
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And it’s not an ancient Israel problem. It’s a human problem.
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Jesus brought us into this dispensation of grace nearly 2000 years ago… and the church in Corinth was much closer to the event than we are… - THIS TERM: THE FAVORABLE TIME - would have been much more contemporary to them.
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It is just as powerful and applicable to us, right now, as them… - but it would have carried more impact. They were not far removed the from events of the resurrection. - THE FAVORABLE TIME… should have hit them as a true, contemporary reality.
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So Paul reminds them: behold, NOW IS THE FAVORABLE TIME! - This isn’t something just for the people in Isaiah’s day. This is for us: now.
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Paul used the word ‘now’ to emphasize the present reality of Christ’s work for humanity… time and time again.
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Here’s a few examples from Romans...
SLIDE 10
Rom
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—
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SLIDE 11
9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
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SLIDE 12
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
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NOW.
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The writer of Hebrews emphasizes the word: TODAY.
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SLIDE 13
13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
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This time of God’s favor… is now. Not just for the church of Corinth many years ago… for us, right now.
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This phrase was used in the OT at times to speak of the year of Jubilee… a year when debts were forgiven and family lands were restored...
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This is a term that Jesus used… while reading from the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue from … — he read from .
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he ended with this phrase from the first half of verse two: to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
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Then, he handed the scroll back… went and sat down… and every eye was fixed on him. They were expecting him to do something, or say something… so he did.
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SLIDE 14
LUKE 4.
21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
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THIS IS THE URGENCY THAT PAUL BRINGS TO THE READERS IN CORINTH. - this favorable time… when God is offering salvation… it is now.
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SLIDE 15
3 We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry,
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SO PAUL SAYS…
And we… your servants… do not want to hinder you from receiving it and walking in it. We don’t want to put extra rules on it. We don’t want to adorn it with outward garments, or hats, or flowing robes, or letters, or certificates… We don’t want to hinder you from receiving by making you do things that were not taught by Jesus… things that are contrary to grace… things that might be considered… works.
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We have put not obstacle in your way… and we ourselves, have endeavored to have a ministry w/o fault… so that we also would not become an obstacle.
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Listen… as a pastor, or as an elder, or as a ministry leader, or as a parent… - We know, that the salvation of those who follow us, does not teter on our ability to remain upright. - If someone gets saved under my ministry… then, down the road, I do some knuckle headed thing and leave the ministry...
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And if, because of my failure, that person decides to walk away from their faith..
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They are not going to get a pass.
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It won’t be my fault… even if I do bear some responsibility. People might fall away… but if we serve in a role of leadership… we need to know… we are not ultimately responsible for, or in control of other people’s decisions… but… we do have influence.
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We can either help to encourage people to keep walking in truth… or we can hinder it. Ultimately, the responsibility falls on the one who stays true, or walks away… but leadership means something.
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In leadership, we are called to help, encourage, exemplify and direct people to do… what they are responsible to do. .
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Part of that… is to not do things, that might hinder them.
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So… in the face of this ongoing criticism… Paul gives a continued defense..
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We have put no obstacle in anyone’s way.
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But… here’s what we do… We might not bring you a letter of commendation… but you are our letter of commendation… and not only that… our actions serve as commendation.
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the list starts in the second half of vs 4… and there are six different categories to this list..
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In the first group… he speaks of their hardships.
by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger;
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In the second group, he speaks of their integrity
by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love;
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In the third group, he lends credit to God for truth and power
by truthful speech, and the power of God;
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In the fourth group, he talks about the tools of his trade..
with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for left;
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In the fifth group, he declares their consistency to serve in spite of the circumstances..
through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise.
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And finally, in this sixth group… he declares their true identity as God’s children, in spite of the labels the world tries to put on them.
We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
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These hardships… this integrity… this truth and power… these tools of righteousness… this consistency… this true identity… - THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT PAUL AND HIS COMPANIONS STRIVED FOR...... in order, to not be a hindrance to the believers they served.
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SLIDE 16
2 cor 6.1
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.
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So, before Paul moves into a more direct address, telling them of the action that is wrong… he first tells them, of problem w/in them, that leads to the wrong action.
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Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers. Don’t have partnership with lawlessness. Don’t have fellowship with darkness.
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But… many in this church are doing this..
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Why?
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Because they have a heart problem.
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Vs. 11… Paul says: ‘our heart is wide open’
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And then… vs. 12… he tells them… their heart is not open… why? Because they have restricted their own affections.
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Now, this term doesn’t impact us they way it would have impacted them…
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This literally means… to be confined or restricted in the bowels.
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Which literally means… - constipated.
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Paul told them… that they have done things, to constipate their hearts. They are plugged up. Things are moving in… but they are not moving out.
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So when Paul says, “I speak to you as children”… he making it clear… that they should fully understand what he is saying… they are responsible for this blockage. They have made decisions that have led to this. This has nothing to do with Paul or the accusations against him that he is unqualified. Their desire to follow after a more impressive degree of apostle has not unclogged them.
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Blaming Paul isn’t helping them… and embracing the ideas of the other teachers is not helping them. They need to recognize the urgency of this moment… and respond… in this moment.
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So Paul simply says: “widen your hearts also”.
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For if they didn’t.... the information, and the rebuke that lies w/in that information… will not go anywhere.. It will not flow into their hearts as truth, and flow out of their hearts as obededience…
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And there it is. - This is the ultimate message.
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If the truth is flowing in to your heart… but obedience is not flowing out… then you need to act. It’s urgent. The favorable time is now. Today is the day of salvation. Don’t be someone… who takes in truth in vain.
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close.