Remember the Mission Pt.1

2 Corinthians 8:1-15 (Edited from “Giving in the Midst of Controversy”

*Chuck Swindoll suggests that many Christian groups are like a pack of porcupines on a frigid wintry night. The cold drives us closer together in a tight huddle to keep warm. As we begin to snuggle really close, our sharp quills cause us to jab and prick each other—a condition which forces us apart. But before long we start getting cold, so we move back to warm again, only to stab and puncture each other once more.

To dwell above with saints we love,

That will be grace and glory.

To live below with saints we know;

That’s another story.[1]

I mention that analogy to you to speak to the division and chaos that we seem to see all around us. We’ve been seeing it in the last several years in the Southern Baptist Convention over a movement everything thing from a new movements toward the social gospel and social justice to challenging the uniqueness of men and women and their roles in the church and home. We certainly see it right now in the our nation over the chaos and division over the election results. We have differing views on things, but we are forced to live together and that seems to be causing division and chaos.

In the midst of all the drama and chaos, it’s real easy for us to loose sight of what we as the church are really here to do. As Christians, we realize that we live in two Kingdoms, this Kingdom and God’s Kingdom. We live in both kingdoms. That means we need to care deeply about what happens to our nation and for God’s laws to be recognized and used to guide our society. We’ve voted and now we need to pray. But, we don’t need to let concerns in this Kingdom distract us from concerns in the next Kingdom.

For example, when we come to church, we don’t need to talk more about the election than we do about Jesus, sanctification, discipleship of our family, loving our neighbors, reaching the lost for Christ, and growing in Christ. Always remember that we have a stewardship of the gospel that must be priority regardless of the chaos we are experiencing in this world.

That being the case, I want us to have a fall steward series out of 2 Corinthians 8-9, entitled Faithful in the Chaos.

I think this is an important study for every church to take. Because what this text and the history of the church bears witness to is that when chaos in the church arises, the church tends to forget about its mission: to glorify God by making disciples of Jesus Christ.

That doesn’t mean that at times battles don’t have to be fought over truth. (Prop) It just means that we or any church can not allow the presence of chaos to cause us to forget our mission and compromise our Kingdom work.

11. This morning we begin this series on “Faithful in the Chaos” with a sermon titled “Remembering the Mission.” This will be an introductory sermon to help us unpack 2 Corinthians 8-9 in coming weeks. Turn with me to

2 Corinthians 8:10-11. (Read)

I. Controversy

Let’s begin by looking at the controversy that the Church at Corinth had been engaged as Paul wrote this text.

Paul has gotten word to many of the gentile churches that he started that he plans to take a collection for the churches in Judea and especially in Jerusalem. The persecution of Christianity at this time was focused primarily on these churches.

For these Jewish Christians, faith in Christ was causing them to lose social status, lose jobs, lose their homes, their friends, in some cases their families. So Paul had a burden that many of the churches not being so severely persecuted should help relieve those giving up so much for their faith.

Initially, the church in Corinth was very excited about being a part of this Kingdom work of supporting and encouraging the saints in Jerusalem. So, Paul sent Timothy to check on the progress of the collection at the church.

When Timothy arrived, he found that a problem had arisen. Opponents of Paul came into the church and begin to work to turn the heart of the people against Paul.

They began to tell lies about the apostle Paul and slander his name. They began to attack as many aspects of the Apostle Paul as they could.

A. Character

They began by attacking his character. They called into question his motive for organizing this collection.

Listen to Paul having to defend his character concerning the collection.

2 Corinthians 8:20–21 ESV

20 We take this course so that no one should blame us about this generous gift that is being administered by us, 21 for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man.

B. Courage

Not only did they question his character, they also questioned his courage. Listen to Paul’s recounting of their attacks.

2 Corinthians 10:10 ESV

10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.”

So they said, “He’s powerful when he writes to us in letters, but when he shows up there is nothing to him. He’s a lot of bark and no bite.

C. Calling

Not only did they question his character and his courage, they also questioned his calling.

Listen to this, their charge was that Paul suffered too much to be an Apostle of the risen Christ. Wow! Does that sound like the health and wealth garbage of today?

Listen to Paul’s argument back to them.

2 Corinthians 1:3–7 ESV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

Paul argument back to them was, “It is my suffering and the comfort of Christ in his suffering which is the very means that God uses to display his glory to the world.”

Paul had been in Ephesus and his original plan was to go through Macedonia and then to Corinth to collect the money for the churches in Judea. However, he changed his plans and decided to go straight to Corinth to see about this problem.

When he did, the state of the church he found crushed him.

2 Corinthians 11:4 ESV

4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.

These enemies were preaching a health and wealth gospel without the teaching of the suffering Christ. And it was easy for the people to accept it.

In 2 Cor. 2:1 he describes his visit,

2 Corinthians 2:1 ESV

1 For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you.

Yet, in an act of great humility and grace, he doesn’t retaliate right then. He goes back to Ephesus and writes a sorrowful and severe letter to them, warning them that if they didn’t repent the judgement of God would fall on them. He gives it to Titus to take to the church. Unfortunately, we do not have this letter.

But in 2 Corinthians 2:4, Paul comments about this letter. Listen to his burden for the people.

2 Corinthians 2:4 ESV

4 For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.

2 Corinthians 7:8 ESV

8 For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while.

Titus takes the letter back to Corinth. The Corinthians read the letter and revival breaks out among the Corinthians. Most of the Corinthians repent and turn back to God and embrace the true Gospel of grace.

Titus then goes to Macedonia where he meets Paul and tells him the good news.

2 Corinthians 7:5–7 ESV

5 For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more.

So it’s in response to this good news from Titus that Paul writes the book of 2 Corinthians to the Corinthians to prepare them for his next trip to Corinth and to receive the money for the collection for the persecuted Jewish Christians in Jerusalem and Judea.

Now I had to tell you that somewhat elaborate story of controversy and chaos to tell you this. God doesn’t stop working when chaos starts. Often times, it’s the chaos that allows us to see God working most clearly.

2 Corinthians 8:10–11 ESV

10 And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. 11 So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have.

A year before with zeal they began their faithfulness to engage in the mission that Paul started. But now then the controversy came and they go so caught up in the controversy that they stopped giving. They forgot about their Kingdom Mission.

Paul was telling them, “You have let these people who have stirred up all this controversy blind you from the very purpose God has created you for, fulfilling his Kingdom mission.”

Even though many of them had repented there was still a small group in the church that opposed Paul. Paul was saying, “Even though many of you have repented, don’t let this small group keep you from the joy of getting in on God’s Kingdom work.”

+And I’m here to tell Mt. Gilead and every church that will hear me, just because their may be chaos in the SBC and chaos in the USA, God is still at work. And the church must be still on mission. We must be stewarding the gospel. We must stay faithful to give even in the chaos of COVID 19, faithful to shares Jesus even when we might be angry over election results. Discipleship our children to know that our nation is important, but they will only be Americans for may a generation. But they will be Christian for an eternity. Never let the devil’s destraction to our eyes for the Lord’s command. “Go make disciples.” Remember the Mission.

That’s just the introduction. We’ll finish this sermon next week.

[1]Robert J. Morgan, Nelson's Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes, electronic ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000), 332.