Remembering the Mission Pt. 2

Along with the word of God and the Spirit of God, the Body of Christ is the witness of Christ in the community. This being the case, God desires his church to be striving for unity so that his glory might shine to those around us.

I. Controversy (Review)

A couple of weeks ago when we started this series, we saw how the church in Corinth was not so unified. Chaos and controversy had spread through out the church. Paul had planned to take up a collection in Macedonia and Corinth for the persecuted Christians in Jerusalem and Judea. The church in Corinth began to take up money for the collection.

However a problem arose, a group of people had entered the church and began to oppose turn the hearts of the people against Paul by attacking every aspect of Paul they could.

Paul wrote them a letter and sent it with Titus to the Corinthians, a letter we don’t have. However, we do know that as a response to the letter, all except a small group of people repented.

Paul responded to this church by writing the letter of 2 Corinthians to rejoice over this. In doing so, he urged the Corinthians to fight for their unity.

2 Corinthians 13:11 ESV

11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

How does one achieve this Kind of unity?

*The great pastor and writer A.W. Tozer in his classic book, The Pursuit of God offered this thought about unity.

“Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers [meeting] together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be, were they to become ‘unity’ conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.”

That is a remarkable insight. Unity is not found by pursuing unity in itself. According to Tozer, Unity is found by a church pursuing Christ.

Like the pianos who are tuned to one tuning fork are one. A church where all the members are in tune with Christ will be in tuned with each other.

Last week we saw Paul tell the Corinthian church, “Do not allow the Chaos of Controversy cause you to compromise your Kingdom work.”

The way not allow controversy to cause you to compromise your mission is in the midst of controversy is to look to Christ.

When we look to Christ we see that there are some constants about who Christ is and what the church is that remain true whether controversy exists in the church or not.

It is these constants that show us that no matter what we may be going on in the church, we can never compromise the mission of spreading a passion for the glory of God through disciplemaking.

So here’s why we can’t compromise the mission:

II. Constants: Even in the Chaos of Controversy…

A. The Love of God still must be Displayed

2 Corinthians 8:8 ESV

8 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine.

The church was created to display the Love of God. Paul was seeking to display this love from Christians who were not being persecuted to Christians who were being persecuted.

Paul points out that to display the Love of God often times we have to get past certain Obstacles.

For the Corinthians, the obstacle is the controversy in which they have been enthrolled in.

Paul’s a pretty good salesman here. He knows that it would be very easy for the Corinthian church to say, “We really can’t give much to the mission because we’ve got all this chaos going in the church and some people are still talking against you, Paul.”

So Paul says, “Let me tell you about the churches in Macedonia.” Their obstacle is their severe poverty.

2 Corinthians 8:1–4 ESV

1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints—

For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means (They just didn’t give up luxuries; they gave up necessities. They gave food off their table and clothes off their back. And they did it because they wanted to.), of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints. (They begged for the opportunity to suffer so that persecuted Christians in Jerusalem and Judea would experience the Love of God in their persecution)

So in an ingenious way, Paul says, “If the Macedonians can find a way to get over their obstacle of extreme poverty to display the Love of God in generous giving, then certainly you Corinthians who are relatively rich can find a way to get over the obstacle of your controversy and display the love of God through giving as well.”

+We can always find excuses for why we can’t get involved in the mission of displaying the Love of God through the world, aren’t there? I don’t have money to give, or I don’t have time to go on mission or to get involved in ministry.

So the question I wonder is, “ How were the Macedonians able to do get over such a series obstacle?”

V. 5 gives us the answer

2 Corinthians 8:5 ESV

5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.

They didn’t view themselves as giving money to people. They viewed themselves as giving money to God. Their first motive for giving was a love for God and that his Love be Displayed to others.

+Almost everyone I know that comes into Mt. Gilead comments on the great love that is expressed here among it’s people and the blessing of God that is on this place. I agree whole heartedly. Misty and I have never been more loved than since we have been here and we do our best to return that love.

+However, I think it does us well to understand that Mt. Gilead is blessed not because people love each other, or because the people love the pastor and staff. We have been a blessed church because people love Jesus. And they show their love for Christ by loving others and giving to the cause of Christ through the church.

All churches should remember that even in in the midst of chaos, the Love of Christ must be displayed.

B. The Grace of God still must be Acknowledged.

Throughout 2 Cor. 8-9, Paul calls the collection that he is taking up an “act of grace.”

2 Corinthians 8:1 ESV

1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia,

2 Corinthians 8:4 ESV

4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints—

2 Corinthians 8:4 “begging us earnestly for the favor (charin…grace)of taking part in the relief of the saints.”

2 Corinthians 8:6–7 ESV

6 Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. 7 But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.

(also 9:14-15)

Why does he so often call this act of giving an act of grace? This tells us something about the purpose of giving our tithes and offerings. The act of giving to God is an acknowledgement that everything we have is a gift from God.

If God didn’t give to us we would have no hope of being able to give back to him.

*Golfer Arnold Palmer once played a series of exhibition matches in Saudi Arabia. The king was so impressed that he proposed to give Palmer a gift. Palmer demurred; "It really isn’t necessary, Your Highness. I’m honored to have been invited."

"I would be deeply upset," replied the king, "if you would not allow me to give you a gift."

Palmer thought for a moment and said, "All right. How about a golf club? That would be a beautiful memento of my visit to your country." The next day, delivered to Palmer’s hotel, was the title to a golf club. Thousands of acres, trees, lakes, clubhouse, and so forth.[1]

Paul wants us to understand, “This is the way that God has given to us!” Think about his gifts: every second of life, every inhale and exhale, bodies that function in ways that are still beyond our understanding, eyes that see, ears that hear, the laughter of children, the singing of the mocking bird, hot coffee in the morning, central heat and air, the love of a spouse, the comfort and enjoyment of friends, the beauty of a first frost, Jesus, the word of God, salvation, hope of eternity. Everything we are, have, or hope to be is grace!

+So whether or not we are facing some forms of chaos caused by controversy, Paul says, “We have to keep giving to God because God keeps giving to us.” His grace must continually be acknowledged.

C. The Bride of Christ still needs to be Sanctified

2 Corinthians 8:7 ESV

7 But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.

Paul’s pointing out, “You have a lot of strengths. (faith, speech, knowledge, all earnestness, and in our love for you) But, you have some weaknesses as well (giving). Seek to make this weakness a strength.

+We all have individual strengths and we all have individual weaknesses. It’s not easy for any of us to admit that. But, until we do and desire to make them stronger we never have any hope of growing more Christlike.

+The same is true for churches. Some churches are healthier than others. Some churches love more than others. Some churches give more than others. Some churches are more biblically structured than others. Some churches do more evangelism and mission than others. But none of us have it all down.

Whether a church is in the midst of controversy or not, all churches have growing to do. And it may be that God has allowed for the chaos of 2020 to stretch us to be stronger than we have been, to sanctify us to be more like him.

James 1:2–4 ESV

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

And thank the Lord, God has not done sanctifying us.

III. Culmination

2 Corinthians 8:11–12 ESV

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. 12 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.

Readiness to be faithful to God is a good thing. But do you know what is a bad thing? Never acting on good intentions.

Paul says, “Your readiness is acceptable. But your lack of action is not.” So finish what you started in the best way you can, according to what you have.

Mt. Gilead, may we never be a church that simply has a lot of good intentions, but not a lot of actions. May we be a people that feet to faith, even in the chaos of 2020, may the glory of Christ and the mission of we are here for be pursued.

[1]Bradley Rushing, Illustrations of Bradley Rushing (2009).