2 Corinthians Ch6v1-Ch7v1 - Whose Side Are You On?

So, 2 Corinthians chapter 6.

2 Corinthians 6 · chapter mention

We're going to read the whole chapter together.

And then we're going to do something a little bit different.

We're just simply going to walk our way through the text and hear what God has to say to us.

So, we're going to read it.

Then pray.

And then we're going to walk our way through it as we hear what God has to say to his church today.

Let's pick it up in verse 1.

2 Corinthians chapter 6.

2 Corinthians 6 · chapter mention

As God's fellow workers, we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain.

For he says,

In great endurance, in troubles, hardships and distresses, in beatings, imprisonments and riots,

In hard work, sleepless nights and hunger,

In purity, understanding, patience and kindness,

In the Holy Spirit and in sincere love,

In truthful speech and in the power of God,

With weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left,

Through glory and dishonour,

Bad report and good report,

Genuine,

Genuine, yet regarded as imposters,

Known, yet regarded as unknown,

Dying, and yet we live on,

beaten, beaten, and yet not killed,

Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing,

Poor, yet making many rich,

Having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

We have spoken freely to you,

Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you.

We are not withholding our affection from you,

But you are withholding yours from us.

As a fair exchange, I speak as to my children,

Open wide your hearts also.

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers,

For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?

Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?

Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?

For we are the temple of the living God.

As God has said,

I will live with them and walk among them,

And I will be their God,

And they will be my people.

Therefore come out from them and be separate,

Says the Lord.

Touch no unclean thing,

And I will receive you.

And I will be a father to you,

And you will be my sons and daughters,

Says the Lord Almighty.

Therefore,

Since we have these promises, dear friends,

Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit,

Perfecting holiness out of reference for God.

For God.

Well, please keep your Bibles open.

We're going to return to it in just a moment,

But we're going to pray,

And ask for God to do a work in each of our lives.

Let's ask him to do that.

Lord God, you are great,

And it is pleased you,

To have this word written down for us today.

And we pray,

That not one of us will leave this building,

Without your word having touched us deeply this morning,

Changing us,

And making us more like Christ,

Helping us to see all that he has done,

And what it means to follow him.

Father, please do this work amongst us,

For we cannot change ourselves,

Only you can change us.

Please do that.

Amen.

Christ has given his all for you,

Now give your life to Christ.

Christ has given his all to you,

Now give your life to Christ.

Well, what is it that Christ has done for us?

Well, look back with me to chapter 5,

Verse 17.

Therefore,

If anyone is in Christ,

If you are trusting in Christ,

You have become,

A new creation.

A new person.

How did he do that?

Well, look at verse 21.

God made Christ,

Who had no sin,

To be sin for us,

So that in Christ,

We might become the righteousness of God.

Christ,

Christ,

Christ,

In obedience to his father,

Has given his life for us.

Making us a new creation,

Declaring us right with God,

And securing our eternal destination.

So don't hold back.

No more sitting on the fence.

No more will I or won't I.

Give him your all.

What will it look like for us to give our all for Christ?

Well we're going to look through this text and we're going to see five simple things of what it means to give our all to Christ.

The first is this.

Receive the grace of God's word.

Verse 1.

As God's fellow workers we urge you, I plead with you, not to receive God's grace in vain.

God's grace, his undeserved kindness is always available.

So long as we are still breathing, God's grace is there for us.

Whatever our sin, whatever the burden we carry today, we can always run to him and always turn to him.

Why? Look at verse 2.

For he says,

In the time of my favour I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.

Now that's a quote from Isaiah, telling us about God's people who are being disciplined for their rebellion against God.

But God still pursues them and longs for their return.

So how much more true is that for us through Christ?

End of verse 2.

I tell you, now is the time of God's favour.

Now is the day of salvation.

Today is the day.

Don't let another moment go by.

Call on God for his grace and he will forgive you and he will give you a fresh start.

So if you are not a Christian today, listen to God's free offer.

Don't delay.

Don't put it off.

Where you are right now, ask God to save you.

Or perhaps you are a Christian, but you've been walking in disobedience.

Where you are today is not where you were a number of years ago, but week by week you still come.

You hear the offer of grace, but you resist it.

Verse 1.

As fellow workers, I urge you, I plead with you, do not receive God's grace in vain.

You see, to give yourself to Christ is to reap the benefits of his grace.

Now is the time.

Today is the day of his favour.

Where we are right now, Christ has given his all for you.

Now give your all to Christ.

Receive the grace of God's word.

Second, we are to embrace together the reality of gospel ministry.

As we think of what Christ has done for us, this is our response.

Verse 3.

We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.

Rather, as servants of God, we commend ourselves in every way.

We've given our life to gospel ministry, so that others might receive the grace of Christ.

So what will it look like to embrace this kind of ministry?

Well, three things are highlighted.

First is, you will suffer.

Look at how Paul describes his life in verse 4.

He says,

As servants of God, we commend ourselves in every way, in great endurance,

in troubles, hardships and distresses,

in beatings, imprisonments and riots,

in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger.

It's going to be hard.

We mightn't face these same trials written here,

but you can't get away from the fact that gospel ministry is costly.

You will be opposed.

You may lose your friends.

You may even lose your job.

Embracing gospel ministry means you will suffer.

But not only will we suffer,

we will have grace or power from God.

To be able to endure these hardships,

look at how Paul responded to them.

Verse 6.

He responded in purity,

understanding,

patience and kindness,

in the Holy Spirit

and in sincere love,

in truthful speech

and in the power of God.

With weapons of righteousness

in the right hand

and in the left.

If we are to keep going,

we need much more than effort and enthusiasm.

We need God's supernatural help.

We need his grace

to respond patiently,

kindly,

gently

and with love.

Embracing gospel ministry means

we need the power

of God's grace.

So we will suffer.

We need grace.

And third,

we learn that we have enough.

God will ensure

that you will have enough

to serve him

and the gospel.

Look at verse 10.

Amen.

Whatever we go through,

be it sorrowful,

yet always rejoicing.

Poor,

yet making many rich.

Having nothing

and yet possessing everything.

It's remarkable,

the one person

who changes

all our hardships

is Christ.

He is the one

who makes all the difference

so that we can say

in death

there is life,

in sorrow

there is joy,

in poverty

we make others

rich in Christ,

having nothing

and yet we possess

everything.

In other words,

if we have Christ,

then Christ

is enough.

all other things

in this life

and this world

may be lost,

but we have gained

what we can never

lose.

We have

Christ.

Christ

has given

his all

for you.

Now give your

all

to Christ.

Embrace

the reality

of gospel

ministry.

third then,

experience

the love

of fellow

members.

As we think

of all that

Christ has done

for us

and the love

he has shown

to us,

giving

ourself

to him

will mean

we experience

the deep

love

of others.

verse 11.

We have

spoken

freely

to you,

Corinthians,

and open

wide our

hearts

to you.

We are

not

withholding

our

affection

from you,

but you

are withholding

your affection

from us.

We've

held nothing

back.

We have

given our

all to you.

We love

you deeply.

You see,

affections

are not

just feelings

on the

surface

that change

and come

and go.

It's a

deep love

that comes

from within

our inner

being.

It's being

moved

with tender

compassion.

And it's

this kind

of affection

that is

experienced

when the

church

truly

and genuinely

opens up

their hearts

to one

another,

where we

take off

the mask

and we

bear our

souls

to one

another.

No more

hiding,

but being

transparent.

So let me

ask us all

the difficult

questions.

am I

starting

with myself?

Am I

withholding

my

affection

from you?

Are you

withholding

your affection

from others?

you see,

that's why

we take

membership

of the

church

seriously.

It's

followers

of Christ

committing

themselves

to a

tender,

compassionate

affection.

It's

opening your

heart to

the people

around you.

Yes,

it means

you're being

vulnerable,

but by

becoming a

member,

I am

opening my

heart to

you.

and you

open your

heart to

me.

The question

is,

will we

do so?

Verse

13.

As a

fair

exchange,

I speak

as to

my own

children.

Open

wide

your

hearts

also.

Christ

has

given

his

all

for

you.

now

give

your

all

to

Christ

and

experience

the

love

of

fellow

members.

Fourth,

as we

think about

all that

Christ has

done for

us,

we guard

the promise

of Christ's

presence.

love

love.

Look at

verse 14.

Do not

be yoked

together with

unbelievers.

Familiar

verse,

one we

often apply

to people

who are

seeking to

get married,

believers

marrying

unbelievers,

but I don't

think,

while that's

important,

I don't

think that's

what the

text is

saying here.

it's

about

guarding

and

protecting

our

relationship

with

Christ

first and

foremost.

In other

words,

we are to

be careful

of those

who claim

to be

Christians,

but deny

the gospel.

Look at

the rest

of verse

14.

For what

do righteousness

and wickedness

have in

common?

Or what

fellowship

can light

have with

darkness?

what harmony

is there

between

Christ

and the

devil?

Or what

does a

believer

have in

common

with an

unbeliever?

You see,

in the

church in

Corinth,

there were

those who

were distorting

the gospel.

We read

about them

in chapter

11.

Just have

a look

a couple

of pages

ahead.

Chapter

11,

verse

13.

Here we

have a

picture of

those who

were wicked,

those who

were in

darkness,

those who

were unbelievers.

Chapter

11,

verse 13.

For such

people are

false

apostles,

deceitful

workers,

masquerading

as apostles

of Christ,

and no

wonder,

for Satan

himself

masquerades

as an

angel of

light.

It is

not

surprising

then,

if his

servants

also

masquerade

as

servants

of

righteousness.

Their

end

will be

what

their

actions

deserve.

Go

back

to

chapter

6.

The

people

we have

just

read of

are the

people

that are

in mind

in chapter

6.

They

offer

you

nothing.

In

fact,

we should

know that

we already

have

everything.

Verse

16.

For what

agreement

is there

between the

temple of

God

and the

temple of

idols?

For we

are the

temple of

the living

God.

As God

has said,

I will

live with

them

and walk

among them

and I

will be

their God

and they

will be

my

people.

Just

over

2,000

years ago

God

did

walk

among

his

people

through

the

person

of

Christ.

Emmanuel

God

with

us

and now

Christ

is present

with us

by the

Holy

Spirit.

Verse

16.

For we

are

the

temple

of the

living

God.

If you

are a

Christian,

God

has taken

up residence

in your

life.

The

creator

of the

universe,

the

ruler

of the

world,

the

saviour

of the

nations

is

living

in

you.

So

don't

be yoked

together

with

unbelievers.

Don't

go looking

for other

teaching

and for

what the

world

offers

because

in

Christ

we

have

everything.

He

is with

you.

He

is

committed

to

you.

You

belong

to

him.

Christ

has

given

his

all

for

you.

Now

give

your

all

to

Christ.

Guard

the

promise

of

Christ's

presence

with

you

today.

Fifth,

as we

think about

all that

Christ

has

done,

our

response

is to

pursue

the

call

to

holy

living.

Verse

17,

therefore

come out

from them

and be

separate,

says the

Lord.

Now

again,

Christians

have

understood

this

verse

in very,

I think,

unhelpful

ways.

People

will come

out with

things like,

well,

that means

you don't

socialize

with

unbelievers

or don't

do business

with

non-Christians

or keep

away from

pubs and

clubs.

Well,

that's not

what the

Bible

teaches.

In fact,

we should

be people

who are

in the

world.

Remember

what Jesus

prayed for

his disciples

in John

17,

my prayer

is not

that you

take them

out of

the world,

but that

you protect

them from

the evil

one.

As you

sent me

into the

world,

I have

sent them

into the

world.

So when

we are

called,

verse 17,

to come

out from

them and

be separate,

it means

to be

separate in

how we

live.

Be

holy.

In

other

words,

live out

your new

identity.

And what

is that

new identity?

Look at

verse 18.

And I

will be

a father

to you,

and you

will be

my sons

and my

daughters,

says the

Lord

Almighty.

Because of

Christ's

death on

the cross,

because Christ

has dealt

with all

our sin,

we have

now been

reconciled

to God.

God is

our father

and we

are his

sons and

his

daughters.

That is

our new

identity.

We are

his

children,

loved and

treasured.

So let

us together

start living

as his

children.

Chapter

7,

verse 1.

Therefore,

since we

have these

promises,

dear friends,

let us

purify

ourselves from

everything that

contaminates

body and

spirit,

anything that

causes us to

drift from

Christ,

deal with

it.

Perfecting

holiness

out of

reverence

for God.

Holiness is

not some

pious

religious

superiority.

prosperity.

It's

simply the

life of

God's

children,

sons and

daughters who

delight to

live his

way and

in a way

that reflects

him to

others.

It's

brothers and

sisters of

Christ going

into the

world to

the messy

and broken

people,

bringing

grace just

as we

have received

grace.

Christ

has given

his all

for you.

Now give

your all

to Christ.

Pursue

the call

of holy

living.

It's a

simple message

today,

isn't it?

I'm not

asking that

we remember

every single

thing,

but I

ask us

all that

as we

look at

the screen

and think

of these

five

responses,

that we

would just

take one

today,

one that

the Lord

is impressing

upon you

by his

spirit,

that is

touching

your heart

and asking

that God

would do

an effective

work in

your life

and enable

you to

respond

to all

that Christ

has done

for us.

Let's just

take a moment

in the

quietness

and let us

all individually

where we are

respond

to the

grace

of Christ

today

and ask

him

to change

us

for his

glory.

Amen.

Amen.

Our Father God,

we asked at the very beginning

that not one of us would leave this building

without being changed.

And we pray that you would do that work amongst us today

as we have just been praying.

For today is the day of your favour.

Now is the time of salvation.

Lord, pour out your grace upon us

that we may become those who embrace

gospel ministry,

experience the love of one another

as we open up our hearts

to each other,

that we would be those who guard the promise

of Christ's presence

living in us.

And that we would go as your holy people

pursuing all that honours you.

Christ

has given his all for us

in our weakness

and in our frailty

and in our doubts

and our fumblings.

we give our all to you

and say thank you.

Thank you for your

redemption

given to us.

In Jesus' name we all pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Oh, Christ is enough.

That's what we're saying.

Christ is enough for every moment

and every situation.

Let us give our all to him.

Let's make this song our prayer

as we sing together.

Let's stand together.

Amen.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Christ is enough for me.

Everything I need is in you.

Everything I need.

Christ, go with us.

Christ, go ahead of us.

Christ be our power and our strength for all that we need.

For he is enough.

We praise you and thank you for the Lord Jesus, for all that he has done for us.

And now in your power and by your spirit, help us to serve him and his gospel this week.

In Jesus name.

Amen.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hello.

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Thanks Johnny