A Letter Of Christ

2 Corinthians 3:3 NLT

3 Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.

pray

Confession of Faith

I am not moved by what I see or by what I feel. I am moved by what I believe. I believe the WORD of God! The victory is mine! I have it now! I can see it through the eyes of my faith! In Jesus Name

Introduction

Why should anyone listen to Pastor Ken , the minister or be a part of United Christian Fellowship the ministry!

What credentials does he have that should cause people to listen to him! What does UCF bring to the table that will cause people to be a part !

To answering those questions and to establish any ministers credentials, there is one basic truth:

A minister’s credentials are not based on letters of commendation or recommendation.

Now, People always have and probably always will place some confidence in letters of reference or commendation from universities, other people, and or organizations!

But as all responsible people know, many letters are often exaggerated and uncertain. Many times they are not always accurate or truthful.

So a person is not really known until he or she has proven himself on some field of ministry or in some position.

So as a foundation - I want to look at 3 Credentials of the Minister and The Ministry!

Credentials & Recommendations

2 Corinthians 3:2 NLT

2 The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you.

The first credential of the minister, the first credential of a ministry or the first credential of a church is the human lives written upon the ministers or churches heart.

Paul says that the Corinthian believers were written upon his heart. Anyone who knew him could see that he deeply cared for the Corinthian church; that he was always praying for them and expressing love and concern for them. He cherished them. They were dear to him, so dear that he could actually say that they were written in his heart.

Here is my point people are far more important and always will be than letters, degrees, or recommendations!

The Pastor, the ministry, the church must not focus on commendations or recommendations but a heart...

• a heart.. that has people written upon it.

• a heart.. that loves and cares for people.

• a heart.. that deeply feels for people.

• a heart.. that cannot let people go.

• a heart..that must reach and grow people for Jesus Christ.

This is the true letter of commendation - a heart that has people written upon it.

The example is Paul and the church members at Corinth!

People could look at the lives of the members and tell that they were in the heart of Paul.

Paul had gone to Corinth to minister to the people, and some had been reached and others grown in the Lord.

Their testimony was his letter of commendation, and their testimony before the world was far more important than a letter of commendation.

So I use that as an example for my ministry! For the ministry at UCF

I stand on this: my greatest commendation is the changed lives of people I shepherd.

The greatest commendation is the changed lives of people who are a part of United Christian Fellowship!

The greatest blessings is to lead individuals to Jesus Christ and grow others in their relationship with God through Jesus Christ!

This year will continue to be focused on leading people to Jesus and helping everyone to mature in their relationship with God through Jesus Christ

This Year’s Focus Will Be “Transformation”

1 Thessalonians 2:19–20 NLT

19 After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you! 20 Yes, you are our pride and joy.

Remember this, as a believer your life is "read by all men."

Everyday as Christ followers we must be careful what we write by our lives, for the world is closely observing and reading exactly what they do.

Transformation is about Lives written by Jesus Christ through the minister or ministry

2 Corinthians 3:3 NLT

3 Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.

The second credential of the minister or the ministry is the lives written by Jesus Christ through the minister or ministry.

Now this is important I am not the one nor is a ministry the thing that converts and changes the lives of people.

1. It is Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone who converts and grows people.

a. Transformed lives described as the letter of Christ."

Jesus is the author of the believer's life,

Jesus is the author of any ones conversion

Jesus is the author of a person’s righteousness.

Whatever transformation is brought in the believer's life

Whatever love is brought in the believer's life

Whatever joy is brought in the believer's life ,

Whatever peace is brought in the believer's life ,

Whatever forgiveness is is brought in the believer's life

is all due to Jesus Christ.

Our lives are not written with ink which men use,

Our lives are written by the Spirit of the living God.

Jesus uses the Spirit of God when He wants to communicate a message to us.

He not going to write what he wants us to know and do on tables of stone like He did when He gave the commandments to Moses.

He is going to transform us when he writes on our hearts.

He puts his message on the hearts of his children men, which causes us to live transformed lives.

My job as ministrer, UCF’s job as ministry is to serve or minister to the lives of believers.

When Paul says "ministered by us."

He is saying that Jesus creates the letter, transforms the lives of believers, and My job and the job of UCF is to look after and cares for it.

So for Me and United Christian Fellowship the greatest commendation is not letters of recommendation, but...

Jesus Christ written in the lives of people.

The greatest commendation is Jesus Christ being introduced to people

The greatest commendation is transformed live baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit

The greatest commendation is the Spirit of the living God written in the conduct and behavior of people.

The greatest commendation is the law of God written upon the hearts of people.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

1 Peter 1:23 NLT

23 For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.

1 John 2:27 NLT

27 But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.

Transformation is Being qualified and made fit by God (v.4-5)

2 Corinthians 3:4–5 NKJV

4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,

The third credential is the minister or ministry being qualified and made fit by God.

The minister has to be made for serving in ministry by Jesus Christ

I realized I am not sufficient for serving God’s people in and of himself.

My only sufficiency was in Jesus Christ.

I could not make himself fit for the ministry even if I wanted to because I had no power...

• to change anyone’s heart

• I had no power...to give life to a anyone.

• I had no power...to give the assurance and security of God's presence and care to anyone

• I had no power...to give the Spirit of God to anyone

• I had no power...to write the law of God in the heart of anyone

Only Jesus could do transforming spiritual work;

So only Jesus can qualify and fit a minister or ministry to share God's Word with people.

The gift of life and the power to give life is of God and of God alone.

I must serve God! I must serve before God! I must serve under the gaze and inspection of God! I am responsible to God for how I serve his people!

So to me - a minister’s or ministries credentials are the presence and power of Jesus Christ in the life of the minister and the ministry.

The fact that God is moving and working in and through his ministry.

The fact that great works are being done that could not be done by the sufficiency of men.

The fact that great works are being done that could be done only by God.

John 15:4–5 NKJV

4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

2 Corinthians 3:5 NLT

5 It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.

1 Timothy 1:12 NKJV

12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,

Next Week we will continue our foundation for Transformation