Ministering Without Offense (2 Corinthians 6:1-13)

Second Corinthians chapter six verses one through thirteen.

Let's stand for the reading of God's word.

Working together with him, we also appeal to you.

Don't receive the grace of God in vain.

For he says, At an acceptable time I listened to you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.

So now is the acceptable time.

Now is the day of salvation.

We're not giving anyone an occasion for offense, so that the ministry will not be blamed.

Instead, as God's ministers, we commend ourselves in everything, by great endurance, by afflictions, by hardships, by difficulties, by beatings, by imprisonments, by riots, by labors, by sleepless nights, by times of hunger, by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, through weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, through glory and dishonor, through slander and good report, regarded as deceivers, yet true, as unknown, yet recognized, as dying, yet we live, as being disciplined, yet not killed, as grieving, yet always rejoicing, as poor yet enriching many, as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

We have spoken openly to you, Corinthians.

Our heart has been opened wide.

We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us.

I speak as to my children as a proper response.

Open your hearts to us.

Let's pray.

Recognizing how much we need your word to transform us from the inside out to become more and more like Jesus on a daily basis.

Lord, I pray that whatever you have for each one of us and for us collectively as a body of believers here this morning, that we would have willing ears that are open to hear.

And that it wouldn't just penetrate into our minds, Lord, but into our hearts.

And that you would have your perfect will and way inside of each one of us here this morning, we pray.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

You may be seated.

So if you're walking in here for the first time, you think, well, that's an odd group of scriptures to choose.

But what we do here is we go through whole books at a time, verse by verse.

And this is where we're landing here this morning.

And we really try our best to keep things in context.

Because sometimes if you zoom in too closely onto a specific verse, it's easy to make it mean something that it wasn't intended to.

So we're always looking at what was the first thing, what was the intent that the author, being the Holy Spirit, through the handwriting of Paul, how is he communicating to this original audience in Corinth?

So we're taking this chunk and we're going to try our best to keep it in the best context that we possibly can for where it sits in the book of 2 Corinthians.

So Paul's coming into chapter 6 with a full head of steam.

This has been building up and building up for weeks now as we've been going through this.

And there really isn't a natural breaking point between chapters 5 and 6.

Remember, Paul didn't put the chapters in there.

That was put in later so that we can say, turn to chapter 6, verses 1, and we can all know where to jump into.

So there really isn't a natural break in between chapters 5 and 6.

So we really need to kind of hit this chapter running.

You know, last week we talked a lot about what Jesus did for us.

We talked a lot about how he reconciled us to God, paying the debt that we could not pay.

And Jesus really not only, you know, paying the debt in our place, but also offering us a place in God's family.

And then sharing that we get to share in the spiritual riches that Jesus has.

We get to share in his inheritance.

And then Paul talked about how we are all called to the message and the ministry of the gospel.

If you're a follower of Christ, you are called to that.

Taking to heart when Jesus told us in the Great Commission, go therefore make disciples of all the nations.

And how then he started talking about how we are ambassadors for the kingdom of God while we're still in this world.

So as we jump in here, I want to start back at chapter 5, verse 20, and kind of get that running start coming into chapter 6, because it's really going to help us stay in context.

So chapter 5, verse 20, he says, Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us.

We plead on Christ's behalf.

Be reconciled to God.

He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Chapter 6, verse 1.

Working together with him, with Christ, we also appeal to you, don't receive the grace of God in vain.

So here in chapter 6, Paul's gonna go back to this idea that we saw in chapter 5 of it's the love of Christ that compels us to not live for ourselves, but live for Christ and for the benefit of others.

You know, I mentioned last week how we don't become reconciled to God through Jesus and then take on an attitude of, you know, well, I'm saved and this is just a jar of clay, it's just a tent that I live in.

It's temporary, so I'm just gonna eat, drink, and be merry, and I'm just gonna wait things out until eternity comes one way or another.

That's what it would look like to receive the grace of God in vain.

You know, I received it, but I'm not gonna do anything with it.

Taking on the attitude, you know, of I'm just gonna exist and make my life as comfortable as possible until I can make it to eternity.

Paul has been actively encouraging the opposite of that to the Corinthian church for the last couple chapters.

He's pleading with them to participate in God's kingdom now, as ambassadors of Christ in a very dark world that we live in.

He's encouraged the Corinthian church, and we can be encouraged as well, to be the fragrance of Christ to this world.

To let the love of Christ compel us to live for Christ and not place our focus on what is seen, but to place our focus on what is unseen, on the eternal.

And he's not saying in any way that we need to earn grace, because that is impossible to do.

But once we have the grace of God, there should be some evident fruit in our lives and our ministries showing that grace of God in our lives.

Look at verse 2 with me.

For he says, and now he's going to quote from Isaiah 49, 8.

So this is God speaking.

He says, For he says, At an acceptable time, I listened to you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.

See, now is the acceptable time.

Now is the day of salvation.

You know, since Paul is writing to a bunch of Christians that have already been saved, he's not calling them to be saved.

When he says today is the day of salvation, he's not telling them you need to repent.

He's saying there should be some urgency as ambassadors of Christ to spread the message of salvation to the lost.

Going along with what he's already said, you know, don't receive the grace of God in vain.

Rather, we need to be spreading the message of grace to others.

We don't know what tomorrow is going to bring, do we?

And tomorrow is never guaranteed to us.

So today, there should be a sense of urgency as ambassadors, that today is the day of salvation.

He goes on in verse 3.

We are not giving anyone an occasion for offense so that the ministry will not be blamed.

You know, Paul's really good at allowing the gospel to offend others, isn't he?

He's caused riots, you know, over the gospel.

But we learn here that he's very careful that nothing else offends.

If you're going to be offended by Paul, what he's saying is it's gonna be by the gospel and not by anything else that I'm doing.

For example, let's put it into perspective a little bit, of what this might look like should Paul offend otherwise.

If Paul were, let's say, an early believer that the earth is round, and he loves studying space and planets, and his favorite thing to talk about other than the things of God is that the earth is round.

But all the places that he goes, they're still flat earthers in all of those places that he goes.

So Paul isn't going to go into these towns, even though he knows that he's right, and that he's passionate that the earth is round, and say, the earth is round, and you guys are idiots if you don't believe it.

And then he offends the listeners based on something that is true, but is not the gospel message.

Because if he offends them and said and then says, Oh yeah, and you need to know Jesus too.

Let me tell you about the good news of Jesus, and presents the gospel to them.

The people that are offended by this view of his view of earth, they've either already left or they've written him off as a crazy person.

Or they just don't care what he says next because they're offended.

And usually people that are offended aren't waiting at the feet of the offender for their next words, are they?

This is one of the reasons that Paul didn't require the church in Corinth to support him financially when he was planting this church, when he was with them for a year and a half.

He didn't want it to look like he was in ministry for the money.

He didn't want to offend them with that and then allow that to prevent them from hearing the gospel clearly from him.

You know, this is something that I think we need to be careful of today as well.

You know, if we're doing something that is not God-related, that's not gospel-related, that's offending somebody, which leads to preventing them from hearing the gospel, then we've failed.

And Paul knows this well.

This is what he's talking about here.

So he presented the gospel and allowed people to make up their mind about him based on the gospel and not anything else.

And you know, offense doesn't have to be based on beliefs, as we're talking about, you know, Paul's beliefs.

Sometimes our behavior is the bad example that taints how somebody perceives a Christian.

And the reason that they're offended is because of our behavior that is not gospel related.

So Paul says, and I hope we can say it as well, we are not giving anyone an occasion for offense so that the ministry will not be blamed.

Have you ever been out to a meal with somebody that treats the waiter as if they're subhuman?

And then the food comes and then you bow your heads and pray.

You think the waiter's gonna have a good view of Christians after that?

Or you pray for your meal and the the waiter sees you and then you leave a really lousy tip.

I'm a strong believer.

If you're praying for your food, you better be a good tipper.

For those reasons, because they're watching.

They're saying, oh, this is what Christians do, this is how Christians behave, this is what Jesus must be like as well.

All of that ties together.

Look at verse 4.

Instead, he says, as God's ministers, we commend ourselves in everything.

Look at those last two words.

In everything.

Can we say that?

I don't know if I can say that.

Everything we do is for God's glory.

And if anyone's gonna be offended, it's because of the gospel and not because of me, because of something else that I'm doing.

You know, verse 4 really blows my mind where he can honestly say we commend ourselves in everything.

And this isn't Paul boasting, this is Paul saying, I have a clear conscience.

Nothing that you throw at me is gonna stick because I've ministered to everyone with honor.

I've done it selflessly, and I've offended no one other than with the gospel.

You know, and it's my prayer that I can say that, that we can all say what Paul's saying here as well.

Now, Paul's gonna change gears here a little bit, and he's gonna move into this next section where he explains what he and those with him have been through and still remained without offense.

So, verses four and five, we're gonna see what they went through.

And then verses six and seven, we're gonna see how they went through those events, and then verses eight through ten, he compares and contrasts how they were regarded, both good and bad, as ministers of the gospel, yet remained without offense.

So let's start with verse four.

It says, Instead, as God's ministers, we commend ourselves in everything, by great endurance, by afflictions, by hardships, by difficulties, by beatings, by imprisonments, by riots, by labors, by sleepless nights, by times of hunger.

In all those things, Paul's saying, we have a clear conscience.

We have not given an occasion for offense as we went through all of those things.

Think about that.

Even when they were being beaten.

You know, this makes me think of the story of Stephen in Acts.

You know, he's the first recorded martyr.

He's being stoned to death and saying, Lord, do not hold this sin against them.

And remember, Paul's watching during that event with Stephen.

And Paul's the one that the Holy Spirit used to write this book.

You know, I think if anybody has a reason to say something offensive, it's probably somebody that's being stoned to death that's innocent.

Right?

But we learn here that Paul, even when he's being stoned, when he's being beaten, when he's being imprisoned, that he doesn't give occasion for offense.

You know, we learn that when they were in prison, they were model prisoners that were in there sharing their faith, wanting to be examples of Christ, even to the guards that were holding them in prison.

You know, he mentions sleepless nights in this list as well.

I don't feel like I'm a very good example of Christ after a sleepless night.

I don't know about you guys.

I don't feel like I'm a very good example of Christ before my first cup of coffee, to be honest with you.

But look at what Paul endures, and he can still say, I can do all of this without offense.

So those are the circumstances they acted like Christ through, but in verse six, we're gonna get to see how they acted like Christ.

So they acted like Christ, says in verse six, by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love.

Does that list remind you of anything else?

Maybe the fruits of the Holy Spirit love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

So I think what we can glean from this is Paul sees the key to acting like Christ in the face of all of these perils and all of these trials is the Holy Spirit living in and through us.

The treasure, as Paul's already told them, that lays within these clay jars.

Do you guys remember that quote that I mentioned a couple weeks ago?

It can be easy to act like a Christian, but it can be much harder to react like a Christian.

You know, it's by walking by the Spirit that we can be like Jesus in all circumstances.

And Paul is the proof of that.

And then next we're gonna see what they used, what their tools were really to act like Christ.

In verse 7, it says, by the word of truth, by the power of God, through weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left.

The idea here is that the word of truth and the power of God are held like a shield and like a sword, having both your offense with the sword and your defense with the shield.

You know, this is Paul telling us how he continues to move forward against opposition.

First by the Holy Spirit and the fruit that comes from that, but also by the word of truth, as he says right here in verse 7.

When we get attacked, I think especially mentally, we need to defend the lies of the enemy with the word of truth, with God's word.

When Satan says that you're a loser and you probably aren't even saved and nobody really likes you, we need to know, we need to believe and own the truth that we're fearfully and wonderfully made.

That Jesus paid our debt and we are sons and daughters of God.

And that we are loved and accepted by God and his family.

Those biblical truths are our defense and also what propels us to keep going in the face of adversity.

But Paul also talks here about the power of God, being a weapon of righteousness, he calls it.

You know, we've talked a lot about the gospel being the power of God to salvation, but there's more power than that with God.

There's much more.

One element of that power is God's supernatural power to protect us as well.

Paul saw this when I think he was bitten by that poisonous snake, and nothing happened to him.

You know, Jesus showed up to Paul in Acts 18 while he's in Corinth, while Paul's ministering in Corinth, and Jesus tells him, Don't be afraid, but keep on speaking, and don't be silent.

For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you or hurt you, because I have many people in the city.

God's supernatural power was protecting Paul physically as well as mentally.

And it was God's power that was not just protecting him, but it was propelling him forward as well.

I mean, look at all that God brought Paul through just by looking at verses four and five in this chapter here this morning.

And that's a short, incomplete list of everything that Paul has gone through for the sake of the bottom of the gospel.

Now, as we move into verse 8, we get to see Paul compare and contrast what he's gone through, the ups and the downs of ministry.

And I think we can relate pretty much every statement.

I mean, it's it's broad, he's talking about his ministry as a whole, but I think we can look through 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians and relate every one of these compared and contrasts back to the Corinthian church and what they've accused Paul of or how they viewed Paul.

Remember last week in verse uh chapter 5, verse 16, we talked about how Paul told them, We regard no one according to the flesh, according to how the world judges people.

Instead, he said, We need to look at the heart, we need to look at the inner person and keep our focus on what is not seen.

And I think Paul is giving them this list starting in verse 8 of how the world sees him, how the Corinthian church has seen him, maybe some of them still see him, compared to how God sees him.

So let's start with verse 8.

It says, through glory and dishonor.

You know, we know Paul has his supporters, and we know Paul has a lot of people that are against him.

Some of those people are still in this church in Corinth that are questioning his honor very publicly.

He goes on, through slander and good report.

You know, those that accused him of things that didn't stick and had no merit, and those that supported him and actually said honorable things about him.

He goes on, regarded as deceivers, yet true.

They questioned the gospel that Paul was teaching, the Corinthian church did.

They questioned his motives, they questioned his style of ministry, they questioned his appearance even.

But he has proven over and over that all he did and said in his ministry to them was true.

It was honorable in God's sight.

Verse 9 As unknown yet recognized.

The idea here is they are treated as if people don't know who they are, probably in the sense of authority.

But God put them there and He called them into those positions.

And then he goes on, regarded as dying, yet see we live.

You know, Paul told him a few chapters ago, chapter 4, verse 11.

He said, For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake.

So that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

He goes on, as being disciplined yet not killed.

You're looking at Paul's ministry from a worldly perspective, as many of the Corinthians we find out were doing, you would think that the troubles that he's going through and the trials that he's facing were because of something that he had done wrong.

Like they were being chastised for doing something wrong.

But they were not killed.

What did Paul say?

He said, We're pressed but not crushed.

We're persecuted but not abandoned.

We're struck down but not destroyed.

And then verse 10, regarded as grieving, yet always rejoicing.

Paul can rejoice in all of those things that we've talked about so far.

You know, Paul had that painful visit that we've talked about to the Corinthian church.

He's written some pretty harsh words as he was grieving their sin.

Yet he continually tells them that he is rejoicing in them, that they are following the Lord.

He calls them in the beginning of this book his letter of recommendation.

Even though all the stuff that they've gone through together, he's still rejoicing that they've given their lives to Jesus Christ.

You know, even if it is messy and they have a lot of growing to do as a church, he's still rejoicing in them, as we'll see as a father in his children.

He goes on, regarded as poor yet enriching many.

I think Paul's speaking spiritually here.

I don't think he's talking about finances.

He regarded as poor, he's regarded as poor in a lot of ways.

You know, they've told him, the Corinthian church has told Paul, that he isn't much to look at, that he isn't a good public speaker, that he's not like the super apostles.

You know, they counted his persecution and trials as a negative against him, as judgment or discipline against him.

But his ministry was enriching many with the message in the ministry of the gospel.

And his ministry was changing whole cities, turning whole cities upside down.

You know, he knew and gave God all the credit that his ministry was enriching many, regardless of how people were talking about him or how they viewed him.

He goes on, regarded as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

You know, I think Paul, from a worldly point of view, probably had nothing.

He wasn't living the American dream back then with a wife and 2.5 children and a luxury car parked in front of a three-bed, two-bath house with a loaded 401k.

As far as the world was concerned, he had nothing.

But he says they possessed everything spiritually.

You know, he had his salvation in Christ, and God was using him mightily to advance the kingdom and to write a large chunk of scriptures that we're holding today.

God used him for that.

He had everything he needed in Christ on this earth, and he had all spiritual riches that he could imagine waiting for him in eternity.

So in his mind, he possessed everything, he says.

Now, as we move on to verse 11, we get to see Paul's plea, why he's talking about all this, this plea to the church.

He says, We have spoken openly to you, Corinthians.

Our heart has been opened wide.

Basically telling him, Whatever you think, we're standing before you as an open book.

We're not hiding anything from you.

I think they are honestly able to say that we have a clear conscience before God, as we talked about.

Our dealings with you have been honest and pure and commendable.

You know, the King James Version says here, our heart is enlarged.

There's an element of what Paul's saying here that their heart is not only wide open, but it's also expanding for this church.

Their love is growing, it's enlarging for this church in Corinth.

He goes on in verse 12 and says, We're not withholding our affection from you, but, and here it is, you are withholding yours from us.

You know, this is actually kind of funny because it's the opposite of, you know, it's not you, it's me.

He's saying the issues we've had over the years, it's all you, Corinth.

It's not me.

He already told him, you know, we're an open book.

Everything we've done has been in love, and it has been for your benefit, whether you like it or not.

And you have, Corinth, in return, made our lives miserable.

You've caused us so much grief.

So, Corinth, please stop seeing these things from a worldly perspective and start focusing on what is not seen.

Verse 13, he says, I speak as to my children.

That's the love that Paul had for this church.

He said, as a proper response.

So here's their proper response: Open your heart to us.

If you want to respond correctly to us, Corinth, your proper response is to open your heart to us.

Stop with the judgment and see us for who we really are.

He's asking them, will you now do these same things that we've been doing for you all this time in return?

And look at Paul's fatherly heart for this church in Corinth.

He says, I speak as to my children.

That is the care in the heart that Paul has for these people.

He planted this church, he spent a year and a half with them, and he has this love, this growing love in his heart for this people that have wronged him in so many ways.

The love of a father that cares so deeply for his kids, even though they've caused him so much grief.

Any parents in the room here that can relate to that?

How the love doesn't wane even if your kids are doing something completely out in the left field.

That's the heart that Paul has for this church.

You know, this whole section for the last couple chapters has been Paul really pleading with the Corinthians to stop being like the world in their evaluation of him and then their evaluation of those that are with him as well.

You know, trying to show them how much he loves them.

Trying to show them that everything he's done has been because of his love for God and for his love for others.

The greatest commandment, right?

To love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.

Love God, love others.

And this has been Paul explaining to them how to do it using his own testimony to show them how he does it.

You know, first, he says, without offense, as we learned today, and then second, through the power of the Holy Spirit living in and through him, he says, through the word of truth and through the power of God.

This is how Paul loved God and loved others.

And this is our call as well to love God and love others.

Through the ministry and the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news of Jesus Christ, without offense, other than through the gospel, as we've learned, through the ministry and power of the Holy Spirit living in and through us.

And I think we've just seen that over and over again as we've gone through these last couple chapters.

What he did, not only while he walked on this earth, but through his death, his burial, and his resurrection to reconcile us to God.

To make things right, to pay a debt that we could not pay.

And if you're sitting here today and you've never made that decision, it's a free gift.

Jesus holds out this free gift of salvation and says, all you have to do is take it.

But if you've never reached out and taken that gift for yourself and said, Yes, I want Jesus to be on the throne of my life, today is the day of salvation.

There's no better day than today, than to give your life completely to him right now.

And if you regret it, then come and talk to me.

Because you won't, I promise.

If you give yourself completely over to him, God loves us so much.

He desires to adopt us into his family as his sons and his daughters.

Today is the day of salvation.

And if you want to do that, you can do it in the quietness of your seat right now.

You can come up after, talk to one of us.

We would love to chat with you and to pray with you.

You can do it when you get home tomorrow morning next to your bed.

It's just saying, I'm ready, God.

Accepting that gift of the blood of Jesus being spilled on the cross to wash away our sins for us, to reconcile us and bring us into this relationship with God.

You please pray with me.

Lord, I pray that the ministry of the Holy Spirit would be alive and well inside of each one of us, but collectively as a church as well.

Lord, seeing how Paul went through all of these different things that he mentioned here, and it's a short list compared to what we know about Paul's ministry, but how it was you that brought him through.

It was through the power of the Holy Spirit living in and through him that brought him through all of these hardships, all of these trials, all of these ailments that he suffered through.

Lord, but he was convinced and compelled to keep moving forward because of the Holy Spirit inside of him, because of the word of truth that he had in his heart, of your scriptures, because of the knowledge of you that he had.

So, Lord, I pray that you would teach us how to do that too, no matter what we're facing, that we would know that you are the God that spoke this universe into existence and who can so easily take care of our problems as well.

Lord, I pray that we would have a renewed trust and a greater faith in you, that you always have what's best in mind for us, and that you can walk with us and walk us through any situation that we might face in this world.

Lord, I pray that we wouldn't be people that are just kind of sitting around waiting for eternity.

As glorious as it is, as much as we look forward to it, Lord, I pray that you'd help our feet to hit the ground and that we wouldn't take your grace in vain.

Lord, but that we would joyfully spread the message of the gospel to this world.

Lord, we need you so bad.

We live in such a dark world that's only getting darker.

And it's only gonna be through the power of the gospel leading to salvation that we're gonna see any positive effect on this world through revival.

Lord, so we pray for revival.

Use us as beacons of light to spread this message and to do it, Lord, not because we feel like we have to, but because we're compelled.

Because we love you so much.

Help us to be the fragrance of Christ to everybody that we come in contact with.

We pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.