Grace to You All (2 Corinthians 13:11-14)

Introduction

· Thank you, Dr. Mays. What a special morning this has been already. In our last Sunday together, my heart is drawn to 2 Corinthians. I invite you to turn with me to 2 Corinthians 13. We did a verse-by-verse study through the Book of 2 Corinthians back in 2019 and early 2020, but we actually never finished the book. My last time preaching on 2 Corinthians was March 1. To put things in perspective, I was looking at my sermon notes, and that morning I announced that Lucas Hannah had just been born the previous Tuesday. Well, fast forward fifteen months. Now Lucas is toddling around and has a big smile with a mouth full of teeth!

· I would have finished the book of 2 Corinthians in March of last year, but of course then there was this little thing called COVID. Curfews and stay-at-home orders were imposed, everyone began wearing masks and staying at least six feet apart, and it just didn’t seem like the right time to preach a sermon on greeting one another with a holy kiss. Not only that, but I symbolically wanted to wait and preach that sermon at a later time, when it was time for the church to regather. The final verses are about Body Life, and I wanted to wait until things were back up and running to use this passage to bring encouragement. Little did I know that in the providence of God, I would also be saving this passage for my final sermon as the pastor of Crossview Bible Church. But how appropriate to spend our final time together studying the last words written by Paul to the church of Corinth. There is much here for us to ponder and to be challenged by this morning.

· Read 2 Corinthians 13:11-14

· In these final verses of his letter, Paul runs through a whole list of commands, like a string of pearls. They are short, quick, and to-the-point. Many center around the subject of church unity. It’s as though Paul wants to make one final appeal to the church and urge them to grow in love for one another.

· These last four verses can be outlined into two points: Paul’s final instructions (vv. 11-13), and Paul’s final blessing (v. 14). Let’s look at each of these together.

Paul’s Final Instructions

· As Paul reaches the end of his letter, he says, “Finally.” There’s an old church joke, “What does it mean when the preacher says ‘in closing? … Absolutely nothing.” Some of us may still go on preaching for another twenty minutes. But seriously, when Paul says, finally, these really are his final words to the church.

· Although we call this 2 Corinthians, it is in fact Paul’s fourth and final letterto the church. 1 Corinthians 5:9 mentions an earlier letter that Paul had written to the church, which would make 1 Corinthians his second letter. And 2 Corinthians 2:4 mentions another, “severe” letter that Paul wrote to the church, which would make 2 Corinthians his fourth letter. But 1 Cor. is the first letter to Corinth that was inspired by God and canonized into scripture. And 2 Cor. is the second such letter. So it is appropriate for us to call them first and second Corinthians. These are his last words. At least written words. He will make a final visit to the church, and spend three months with them according to Acts 20:2-3.

· What will Paul say in his final instructions? Will he challenge the church to stir up their spiritual gifts, speaking in tongues and prophecies? No. Will he unveil some new secret about end times prophecy? No. He calls them to unity.

· Rejoice, he says. Earlier in this letter we discovered that Paul was something of a paradox. His life didn’t make sense, at least from an earthly perspective. He could say “we are treated as impostors, yet true…unknown, dying, and behold we live; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing…having nothing, yet possessing everything.” (2 Cor. 6:8-10). In chapter 7, we learned that Paul’s joy was found in Christ, but that it was also tied to the obedience of the church. He said in 7:9, “I rejoice…because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.” Friends, you have brought great joy to my family through this transition. This has not been easy. But you have been so gracious. The church’s response, especially the next Sunday, have brought much joy and relief to my heart. If you want to continue to fill my heart with joy, just keep walking with the Lord. Stay faithful to him. The things that you have said you believed in my presence, live them out now even more even in my absence. This will be the true test of your faith. I may not be here in person watching, but God will still be watching. And I will be keeping an eye and lifting up a prayer for you too. As 3 John 4 says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

· Paul continues, “Aim for restoration.” In 1 Corinthians 1:10, Paul urged, I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. You might remember this church struggled with factions and divisions. Unity had been an ongoing struggle. The church had made some progress, but they still had a long way to go. And unity is a fragile thing. It’s like a delicate rose, or a newborn chick. Squeeze it too hard, and you could crush it. I am of Paul, and I am of Apollos, and I am of Cephas. People will have different preferences and styles, and different personalities they gravitate to. But Paul says aim to be restored. If something breaks, fix it. If something tears, mend it. If you can’t do it by yourself and need some help, ask for it. Don’t let things go too long. Remember what we saw in Eph. 4 - don’t let the sun go down on your anger.

· Next Paul says, “comfort one another.” It is actually in the passive voice. Be comforted. Let yourself be encouraged and exhorted. Remain teachable. A little footnote in the ESV suggests Paul might mean, “listen to my appeal.” So, there may be an element of doing the comforting, but here Paul has more the idea of being comforted and admonished. Let yourself be ministered to by others. Don’t isolate yourself. Don’t wallow in self-pity or act out of self-righteousness. Assume that you have blind spots, and that others around you have things to teach you. Don’t try to go through life alone. You need each other. Early on when we first announced that we would probably be leaving the church, a friend said to me, “This will destroy the church.” I said no it won’t. If it does, then I haven’t done my job as the pastor. The goal is not to attach a congregation to a pastor, but to attach them to Christ. This church has developed a deep network of love. A web of care for one another, that can endure and even shine during this trial.

· These next two commands can be paired together: agree with one another, live in peace. This does not mean that you will agree on every single tiny detail. No two people will have exactly the same opinions on every issue. My wife and I are alike in a lot of ways, but there are different food tastes and decoration choices. You say, but those aren’t spiritual things. You’d be surprised how many things in the church people turn into a spiritual issue, and they forget that they are also supposed to show love and defer often to others. Worship style, how long a sermon should be, church décor, COVID protocols, the list goes on and on. Avoid strong, unbudging opinions on secondary issues. A good rule of thumb is that if you can’t give chapter and verse to back up your conviction, then hold to your preference lightly, and leave room for some level of disagreement. Try to live in peace and harmony. Finding a pastor is a delicate process, and Satan will try to bring division. Be in the Word. Pray without ceasing. As a member of the search team you will need every ounce of love, courage, and forbearance you can muster through the power of the Holy Spirit. Be patient with one another. Remember the church is a family that will have different opinions, preferences, and convictions. You may not agree on every matter, but keep the big picture in mind. We are here to honor God and serve his church, not advance our own personal agenda. Do more listening than talking. Discuss things face to face whenever possible so as to avoid any miscommunication.

· If you do these things – purse peace as you trust God – you find a promise: the God of love and peace will be with you. What a beautiful name for God this is! In 2 Corinthians 1:3 we saw, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. This is a God worth knowing. There are many gods, many religions in this world, but there is only one Father of mercies and God of all comfort. If you haven’t ever trusted in him, do that today.

· Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. Here we see a little glimpse into body life in the New Testament, and how God still wants it to be today. A kiss can be romantic, but it can also be familial. And although it’s not part of our culture to plant a kiss on the cheek of someone else who is not family, we get the idea. Show appropriate signs of physical affection. A handshake. A hug. Heidi said she loves seeing guys give a big hug and slap on the back. We have all gotten nervous with physical touch. May be necessary for a brief time during the pandemic, or if you have a compromised immune system. But a lot of people need a good hug. Some have gone over a year with almost no human touch. Ann said that Carl had not had a shower in over two months. Hadn’t brushed teeth in two weeks. God has made us spiritual beings, but physical beings too, and much of our life experience and affection is found in touch.

Paul’s Final Blessing

· Paul’s use of triplets. 1 Corinthians 13:13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Thessalonians 1:3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. And now here.

· A strong trinitarian passage. One of several passages I would use to support the doctrine of the Trinity. All on equal playing field. One being and essence. Three distinct persons and unique roles. There is one God, but he is revealed in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There is no exact parallel in all of creation. The egg analogy (shell, white, and yolk) and water analogy (steam, liquid, and ice) fall short. Marriage provides an interesting analogy, for a husband and wife are two, and yet they also become one. They retain a distinction, and yet become one flesh, one family unit. There is a divine union between a husband and wife. But they are still two distinct people, so it is by no means a perfect analogy.

· A peculiar order that describes our experience – we first come to Jesus (God the Son), in order to enjoy a relationship with God the Father, at which time we receive the blessings of God the Holy Spirit.

· Son’s grace – full of grace and truth. Father’s love – he IS love! Spirit’s fellowship – the glue that binds together. Blessed be the tie that binds.

· Are you familiar with the song, “Blessed Be the Tie That Binds.” Natalie requested we sing it today, but I was concerned most of our people wouldn’t know it. Here are the words:

· Blest be the tie that binds Our hearts in Christian love: The fellowship of kindred minds Is like to that above.

· Before our Father’s throne We pour our ardent prayers; Our fears, our hopes, our aims, are one, Our comforts and our cares.

· We share our mutual woes, Our mutual burdens bear, And often for each other flows The sympathizing tear.

· When we asunder part, It gives us inward pain; But we shall still be joined in heart, And hope to meet again.

· Crossview Bible Church, we may be torn apart for a short time, but we shall always be joined in heart, and know that we will meet again. We love you, and pray the Lord’s riches blessing on all of you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.