This is an exposition of 2 Corinthians 4:1-6. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, April 29, 2018.
Intro:
If the apostle Paul had fallen asleep in the first century and then awakened in the twenty-first century, like Rip Van Winkle, he would be more than a little surprised.
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Can you imagine him stumbling from church to church rubbing his eyes in unbelief? How depressing it would be for him to see so many powerless, ineffective churches. Paul, who participated in the birth of the church and who cared for it in its infancy would be horrified to see it today in its adult state. Church Swindoll described today’s church in this way, “Ours is a day in which the gospel has been packaged like cereal in a supermarket. It has been brightly packaged, sugar-coated and offers free prizes inside. People are buying it and feeding on it. Is it any wonder the church is weak? The church is dangerously malnourished from consuming all those empty calories.” The Church has fallen on hard times. Attendance is down. Churches are closing. Interest in and commitment to the church is quickly disappearing. We are living in what many have labeled a “post-Christian” culture. Historic, traditional, orthodox teachings are now considered outdated and dangerous. Holding to basic historic orthodoxy will likely get you labeled a fanatic and part of the “lunatic fringe.” If you hold to such outdated and dangerous notions as there being such a thing as truth - something that is always true, for everyone, in every situation you are suspect. If you think gender is a simple matter of one being either male or female you are considered ignorant. If you are not prepared to embrace the notion of same sex relationships, if you will not celebrate the broad spectrum of gender identity and joyfully adopt the new morality you are not to be taken seriously. The church is being told if you want to be on the right side of history you had better change what you believe. Sadly many are doing just that. Oh, they are not denying essential doctrines, at least not yet, just making “minor” adjustments at the edges. A small compromise here a wink and a nod there all in an effort to be heard. But, can we afford such adjustments? At what cost are we heard? How are we to minister in an age when our message is considered dangerously out of step with the culture? Our text is found in the 4th chapter of 2 Corinthians.
Text: 2 Corinthians 4:1-6
The culture of Corinth was not unlike our own, progressive, indulgent and immoral with an emphasis on personal freedom. It was to this corrupt culture the apostle Paul came preaching Christ crucified and risen. For a year and a half he preached Christ. He called them to a new standard of holiness. As a result the gospel gained a foothold in the west. But all was not well. False teachers moved in and called into question Paul’s integrity, the truth of his message and the validity of his ministry. A part of his response was to point out the glory and wonder of the gospel. He reminded the Corinthian believers of the power of this gospel to transform lives and the superiority of the new covenant over the old. Now, in chapter 4 he gives us insight into what this new ministry looks like.
Let’s look at our text beginning in chapter 3 verse 18…
Thesis: Genuine gospel ministry is mark by certain, defining characteristics.
When we talk about gospel ministry we are talking not just about the content of the gospel but also the methods employed in communicating that content. If we are not careful the message is corrupted by the way it is communicated. It is not just what we say but how we say it. There are three things I want us to note in this text related to genuine gospel ministry.
- We are sustained in ministry by the mercy of God granted to us in the glorious gospel entrusted to our care. (4:1)
- Because of the power of this glorious gospel we do not rely on cleverness or gimmickry but rely on the clear, direct proclamation of the truth. (4:2-4)
- Because we are focused on Christ and not ourselves our ministry is infused with Divine confidence. (4:5-6)
Conclusion:
The world is hostile to the gospel.
The world is a dark place.
That means there is all the more opportunity for the light of the gospel to shine!
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