2 CORINTHIANS 6:1-52005 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: 2 Corinthians 6:1-5

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2005.

Last week, we concluded 2 Corinthians chapter 5. And for the past few chapters, 1 Corinthians chapters 3 through 5, Paul has been talking about ministry. He has explained to us what ministry is all about and told the Corinthians many things about ministry and sharing his heart about why he did not come back and the task and really the things that God has put upon his heart.

And as we've learned about ministry, we kind of summed it up last week as we ended chapter 5 in the heart of ministry that Paul had been sharing in the last two chapters. He also talked last week about the motives for ministry. The first motive being the fear of the Lord, knowing that we will stand before Him one day and give an account for the way that we lived and what we did with the calling, with the talents and the abilities and opportunities that God has given to us.

The second motive that Paul shared with us was the love of Christ, the love that Christ has for us and our response to that, as well as the love that Christ has for the lost and for those around us and our response to that. And so as he's been explaining to us the heart of ministry, the motive for ministry, as we get now into 2 Corinthians chapter 6, he continues on the same conversation and tells us what the marks of a true minister are.

The marks of a true minister. Now, we're just looking at the first five verses this week. And in a couple of weeks after, well, next week Pastor Rick will be sharing. And then the week after that, Pastor Tom will be sharing. But then after that, we'll get back into 2 Corinthians and finish off the marks of a true minister.

This morning, though, we will see ten marks that Paul shares with us, ten characteristics of a true minister. Now, you remember the situation. False apostles had been raised up there in the church of Corinth, and they were proclaiming themselves and saying that Paul was not a true apostle at all. They were saying all kinds of blasphemous things about Paul, and so Paul now has been...

This morning, this call for us is for us, that we would be true ministers of the gospel. That's our call. That's what we studied last week as we have been called to the ministry of reconciliation.

The ministry of bringing people back into right relationship with God. It's our ministry. It's our call. So we then too should have these marks of a true minister. As Paul is sharing, I want to encourage you and encourage myself this morning. Challenge us to give ourselves wholeheartedly to this ministry that he has called us to. Are you willing this morning to give yourself wholeheartedly to the ministry of reconciliation?

He starts out in verse 1 and he says, Now, what does this mean, to not receive the grace of God in vain? It's important for us to know.

to keep this in context. What has Paul been saying as we try to understand this verse? Well, if you jump back a couple of verses there in chapter 5 to verse 20, we hear Paul, he says, "...now then, we are ambassadors for Christ."

And then in chapter 6, verse 1, he says, Paul here is continuing his conversation. Going back to the subject that we are Christ's

ambassadors. We're His representatives. We're sent by Him to share with people about God and to demonstrate to them the love of God and show them who God is and what He's all about. We're sent by God to bring people into right relationship with Him. Now, we talked about this last week. That's why we exist. That's why we don't get raptured as soon as we accept the Lord. He leaves us here

as we believe in His name, so that we can affect this world, that we could be His ambassadors, that we could represent Him and share with others the good news of what Jesus has done in our lives. We've been given the ministry of reconciliation.

God did not choose to use angels. He did not choose to write big letters in the sky to give His message to the world. He didn't choose some supernatural thing. He chose to use you and He chose to use me. His desire, His goal, His purpose is to draw all men unto Himself. This is what we looked at last week. That's His desire. That's what pleases God. And He's chosen to use you and me in that endeavor.

He chose us to reach the world with the message of love. So we're his ambassadors. That's why Paul says we are workers together with him because God's doing the work but he chooses not to just leave us out of it. He chooses to include us and to use us. He is working together with us drawing all men to himself.

So Paul tells us, since we're workers together with him, since he's called us to this task and given us this ministry, he says, do not receive his grace or the grace of God in vain. What does that mean? Well, the word vain, you probably know what it means, but it means not resulting in anything or it's worthless.

Paul is saying here, look, we're workers together with Him. We've received the grace of God, so do something with it. Don't do nothing with it,

To receive the grace of God in vain, as Paul is sharing about here, would be to not share the gospel, to not work together with God in reconciling people. Paul is telling us, let it affect your life. Change your lifestyle. Let it affect every part of what you do. Most importantly, share it with others. Don't receive it in vain, but do something with it. Pass it on. Share the good news. And put to work the good news.

the grace of God that has been given to you. It's interesting that when we're talking about spiritual gifts back in 1 Corinthians 12, 13, and 14, that many times the word for gift is the word grace because it's God's grace that gives us, that gives us the talents and abilities

to be able to minister to the people around us. So don't receive that in vain, Paul says. God has cleansed you, He's washed you, He's wiped you clean, but He's left you here to do a work, to work together with Him, to be part of the ministry of reconciliation, to bring people to Jesus, to tell them about Jesus, to show them how much He loves them.

So in verse 2, he goes on to say, for he says, in an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you. This is a quote from Isaiah chapter 49, verse 8. And that whole chapter, Isaiah chapter 49, is dealing with the subject of the servant, who is the Messiah, the promised one, the anointed one who is to come. And Isaiah chapter 49 is talking about how the servant is

is going to be a light to the Gentiles. He's going to be used by God to bring light to the Gentiles, salvation to the Gentiles. That's the servant, the Messiah's work and his goal.

So the Messiah, Jesus Christ, His desire is to save souls. He uses us. Why? Well, because we're the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12, 27 tells us that. We are the body of Christ. So as He draws all men to Himself, He uses us as His body to do this work.

And God the Father in Isaiah 49 verse 8 is saying this to the servant, in the acceptable time I have heard you and in the day of salvation I have helped you. So God the Father is saying, I will hear in the accepted time. I will help in the day of salvation. I will help in this task, in this service that you're doing and bringing light to the Gentiles, light to those who need salvation. I have heard and I will help.

Now, he says in the accepted time, in the day of salvation. When is the acceptable time? When is the day of salvation? Paul answers it there for us, right there at the end of verse 2. He says, Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. When is the accepted time? When is the day of salvation? It's today. It's right now. It's immediately. There's no other time that's promised to us. Tomorrow is not guaranteed.

This afternoon's lunch is not even guaranteed to us. We don't know what lies for us around the corner. Jesus could come back at any moment. We could be struck by lightning. Who knows? But,

But the only moment that is guaranteed is this moment. The next is not guaranteed. So the implication being, when should you respond to this message? When should you respond to what Jesus has to offer? And the answer is, right now. Because that's when it's guaranteed. You don't know what's going to be in store for you tomorrow or later on this afternoon. You don't know. You don't know when Jesus Christ is coming back. So if you have not responded, if you have not received...

the love and the gift that Jesus has to offer, you need to receive it now. Now is the time. Today is the day of salvation. Do not delay because you don't know what's in store for you. But it also, in the context of what Paul is saying here, speaks very clearly to us as believers that since now is...

The day of salvation. Today, right now, immediately is the acceptable time. When should you and I, who have responded to the message, when should we share the message with those around us? And the answer is right now. Immediately, as soon as possible, because you don't know what's in store. You don't know what's around the corner. You don't know when Jesus is coming back. The acceptable time, the right time. When will God hear you? Right now. Paul is saying, look, don't receive...

the grace of God for nothing. Put it to work. Share the message now. It's the acceptable time now. Don't wait. Don't put it off. What could be more important than bringing people to Jesus that they might receive eternal life? What could be more important? You know, we're great at procrastinating and putting things off and delaying and having all kinds of excuses. But what could be more important than sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with those around us?

What could be more important than saving people from hell? What could be more important? It's what God has left us here for. Many times, God puts people on our heart. And our response is, well, I don't know if that's really of the Lord. Let me pray about it. Or this or that. You know, we have plenty of excuses. I'll do it tomorrow. Listen, what if there's no tomorrow for that person?

You will have never had an opportunity then to share with them except for the one right now that God is giving you. The time is now. You don't know what's in store for you or for them. The time is now. So maybe then I thought as well,

but God will use someone else if I don't do it. Let me just pray. I want to make sure it's of the Lord. Listen, is that really the attitude that you want to have, that God will just use someone else? It's kind of scary because we do have that attitude. We say that to ourselves. Well, if I don't do it, but God wants it done, He'll use someone else. But think about this for a moment with me. Matthew chapter 25 verses 14 through 30. Look it up on your own time. Spend some time. Meditate on it.

Jesus tells the parable of the talents. You're very familiar with it. There's this master and he goes on a long trip. And so he gives these talents, now not abilities like we normally think, but they're sums of money, amounts of money. He gives this certain amounts of money to his servants. To one he gives five talents, to another he gives two talents, to another he gives one talent. Right?

And he says, I'm going away. Put it to work. And when I come back, then you'll be able to show me what you did with it and what you gained and earned from me while I was gone. So the master goes away. They put it to work. He comes back and the one with five talents comes back and says, Master, I put it to work and I've doubled it. I've got ten talents now.

And of course the master said, well done, good and faithful servant. Then the servant with two talents comes in and, master, I've doubled it. And so you've got four talents now. And he said, well done, my good and faithful servant. Enter in. And then the last servant, you know the story, comes in. He had one talent he started with and he came back with one talent. He said, I buried it. I was afraid of you. I was afraid of what might happen. I was afraid of losing it. Whatever the case, I was afraid and so I didn't do it. And what did God tell him? What did the master tell him?

You wicked and lazy servant. Listen, if our attitude is, well, God will just use someone else. My fear is that God will be telling me, you wicked and lazy servant, not willing to take advantage of the opportunities that I've given to you. Not willing to put this grace to work, this faith to work. Not willing to be involved and to work together in the ministry of reconciliation. We need to be involved.

He goes on in verse 3. Paul says, Now this is Paul's heart. He's encouraging them, look, we're ambassadors. We're representatives for God. We've been given this ministry. Don't let it be in vain. Continue on. Do the work that God has given us to do. And Paul says, as for us, look, we give no offense in anything.

And anything that our ministry may not be blamed. Paul says, look, this is our call. We're his ambassadors. I don't want it to be in vain, so I'm going to do my best not to be blamed by anybody for them not accepting the Lord. And that happens a lot. But Paul's saying, hey, look, I don't want it to be when this person stands before God in the end of days.

And I don't want them to be able to say, well, I didn't receive Jesus. I didn't follow Him. I didn't go to that church or do those things because of this guy. Because of what he was doing and the way that he was acting and the life that he lived. He stumbled me in this area or he stumbled me in that area. And so I...

That's why I didn't receive Jesus. Now, obviously, God holds each of us accountable independently and no excuse is really going to fly on that day. But Paul says, look, my heart is, my desire is that nobody would even have the opportunity to blame me for not coming to Jesus Christ because of my bad witness, because of what I said, whatever the case may be. And it does. It happens a lot. People avoid church. They don't come to certain ministries. They don't do certain things because of bad witnesses.

because sometimes people are ripped off. And they use it as an excuse then to not receive Jesus, to not be involved in the things of God. It's not a valid excuse.

But they use and they blame others. And so Paul says, I don't want to have anybody have that opportunity. We give no offense in anything. That's why in 1 Corinthians 8-10, Paul talks about it and says, look, I limit my rights and my freedoms that I have in Christ so that I don't stumble anybody, that I don't cause anybody to be offended. So the question for you and I, because you and I have been called to the same ministry that the Apostle Paul has been called to.

Our talents might be different. Our abilities and giftings that God has given to us. But it's the same ministry. The ministry of reconciliation. So you and I then need to ask ourselves the question, am I willing to go all out in this ministry that I've been called to? Will you be willing to limit your freedoms so that others might come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ? Will you be willing to give no offense in anything? In your lifestyle, in your words, in the way that you do things, whatever the case may be.

Are you willing to go all out in this ministry? Now, we do need to be careful with this one a little bit. You know, there's a saying that the truth hurts. And then there's another saying that says that the truth only hurts those who are living a lie. People will be offended at true ministry. People will be offended by the truth.

Paul is not saying that we shouldn't be true to the Word of God. We must be true to the Word of God, and people will be offended. When we talk about sin, people will be offended, but the Word of God speaks about it, and so we must share. When the Word of God talks about homosexuality, we'll talk about it, and people will be offended. When the Word of God talks about tithing, we'll talk about it, and people will be offended. There will be offenses.

But people who are offended by the truth are not offended by us, but they're offended by what God has to say. We must speak what God says. You might even be offended this morning at the message that the Apostle Paul is sharing with you and I, because it's the Word of God. It's not comfortable many times. As we talked about last week, those who are lukewarm will think the person who's sold out totally crazy.

We need to be sold out, completely committed, wholeheartedly devoted to this ministry that God has given to us. We must speak what God says. And if people are offended by that, then they're offended by God and not by us. But let none of our actions and our hypocrisies and our sin cause people to be offended and stumble and turn away from Jesus Christ. Verse 4 says,

But in all things, we commend ourselves as ministers of God. So he gives a contrast here. In verse 3, he says, And then in verse 4, he gives the opposite of that.

In all things, we commend ourselves as ministers of God. So, no offense in anything. In all things, we commend ourselves. You can see what Paul is doing here. He's including every part of his life and excluding no part of his life. Everything about me, everything that I do, he says, I don't want to offend anybody. And in everything that I do, I commend myself.

myself or proclaim myself as a minister of God. Now this is a tough thing that Paul is saying, yet it's what you and I are asked to do, to live every part of our life as a representative of Jesus, not offending an

In order that we might deliver the message that he's given to us. In all things, everything I do as a minister of God. Wherever I go, that I'm there as a minister of God. Whatever situation I'm in, I'm in that situation as a minister of God. And he uses the word commend. Now we've talked about it a couple times and we'll continue to talk about it. He uses it over and over in this book.

He started out by saying we don't commend ourselves to you nor do we need letters of commendation. We're not boasting of ourselves or puffing ourselves up. It means to praise yourself or to tell someone how great someone is.

The idea, it's used very often in introductions. And you know, when someone's being introduced, right, to be on the stage and the announcer, you know, says all these great, illustrious things about them, it's the idea of commendation, commending them. Paul says, we're not doing this to you, we're not boasting of ourselves and puffing ourselves up, but he says in this, just like he did last week in 2 Corinthians 5, we're not commending ourselves, but we're giving you answers.

That you may respond. That you may evaluate those who say that they're apostles, say that they're ministers of God, but really are not. Paul says in everything, by our actions we commend ourselves as servants of God. By our actions we prove that we truly are ministers of the gospel.

2 Corinthians 5.12, Paul says, let me turn that real quick. He says, So Paul is saying the same thing again. He says,

as ministers of God. That you may have an answer. That you may be able to evaluate and tell who is a true minister of the Lord and who is not. And so that's why in the next coming verses or next couple of verses he describes to them the marks of a true minister. The marks of a minister of God. Now Paul is commending himself saying I've endured these things. I've gone through these things. It's proof that I truly am a minister of the Lord.

And the question for you and I is, are we willing?

To be wholeheartedly devoted even in these marks, even in these characteristics which he will lay out for us. My desire is to be a minister of God, to be his ambassador, to not receive the grace of God in vain but to be active in the ministry of reconciliation because the time is now and the time is very short. I want to give myself wholeheartedly to the ministry that God has called me to. So these marks that he goes on to share, I want them in my life.

What about you? Will you be a minister of God? Will you carry these marks? What are they? Well, there's ten of them that we'll see this morning and we'll continue on in a couple of weeks with the rest of this portion. But ten marks, ten characteristics that God has called us to as ministers of God, demonstrations, proof that we are ministers of God. So,

Number one, what's the first mark? What's the first characteristic? Well, back there in verse four, he says, but in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God and much patience. So the first mark, the first thing that Paul says you must have to be a minister of God is you must be a dynamic speaker.

No, he doesn't say that. You must be a great leader. No, he doesn't say that. You must have brilliant ideas. No, he doesn't talk about any of those things. What does he say? The first mark, the first thing, the first way you can tell if someone is a minister of God, much patience. Someone who ministers in much patience. How do we commend ourselves as ministers of God? In much patience. This patience that he's talking about is endurance patience.

Under circumstances. Patience in dealing with trials and situations. Not just enduring and kind of dealing with and getting through and being all grumpy about it, but being joyful and having the hope, patience, knowing that God will come through, that God will provide for us, that God will take care of us in these situations and circumstances. A minister of God is marked by patience in the midst of trials and tough times.

God gives us peace in the midst of a storm. Much patience. Are you willing to give yourself wholeheartedly to minister in much patience? In much patience. And even when there's tough times and situations in your life that you must endure, that you are ministering the gospel, sharing the good news, not receiving the grace of God in vain, but working together with Him to bring people to Him.

in the midst of trials and tribulations, much patience.

The second mark that he shares with us is in tribulation. So in all things, in much patience, in tribulations, during all of these things, Paul says we commend ourselves as ministers of God. So even during and amidst of tribulations. That word tribulations means pressing together. It's the idea of crushings. The times of crushings and being broken and smashed physically, emotionally, physically.

All of the things that happen, the crushings in our life. When your car breaks down, you lose your job, you lose your home, all at the same time, that's tribulation. God is doing a work. The crushings, the tribulations. A minister of God is marked.

by tribulations. John chapter 16 verse 33 Jesus speaking to his disciples says this These things I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace in the world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world. Jesus himself says look in this world you will have tribulations but be of good cheer because I've overcome the world. That is the mark of a minister of God.

One who follows Jesus. Yes, there will be tribulations. Yes, there will be tough times and crushings in your life. But will you minister through them? Will you be of good cheer, obedient to the words of Jesus and share the gospel in the midst of that? Are you willing to give yourself wholeheartedly to minister in tribulations? Mark number three. He says, "...in needs."

The next thing a minister ministers in is in needs or in necessities. Now, nobody likes to be in need. To be in need speaks of hunger or thirst, the necessities of life, food, clothing, shelter. To be in need of those things. Paul says, if you want to be a minister, you're going to be a minister of God in need.

you're going to be a minister of God, then you'll have to learn to minister while you yourself are in need of the necessities of life. A minister of God is marked by being in need. And you might ask the question, well, doesn't God take care of you? Yes, He does. In fact, He blesses us so abundantly, especially here, man, in this country, in this state that we live in. We're so blessed. He does take care of us. But there are times when

There are times, whether they be frequent or few, there are times of need where He allows us, He teaches us, that we might learn to trust Him to supply all of our needs.

In Luke 9, verse 58, you might remember the context. There was a disciple or a guy who heard Jesus teaching and heard what He said and said, Oh man, I want to follow you wherever you go. I'm there. I'm with you. I'm going to be with you the whole time. I'm going to follow you from now on.

And in Luke chapter 9 verse 58, Jesus replies to him and says, Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. That's the ministry that Jesus knew. That's the ministry that Jesus lived. He lived a ministry being in need, in the desert hungry for bread, in the ministry not having a place to lay his head, ministering in need.

Those who follow Jesus will minister in similar ways. And the guy didn't follow him. We need to understand, are you willing? We need to ask ourselves, are we willing to give ourselves wholeheartedly to minister in need? Even when we're in need, that we minister to other people and share with them the good news. Tell them about the love that Jesus has to offer. The fourth mark, the fourth characteristic is

He says, in distresses. Distresses. Literally, it means a narrow space, a tight spot. Now, as I was meditating on this, of course, you know, I think about Star Wars. So, I was thinking about Star Wars and I was remembering, remember when Luke and Han Solo, they go and they rescue Princess Leia. And they rescue her from the Death Star and somehow they get stuck in this trash compactor. And it starts to close in, the walls start to move closer together and they're freaking out and they're trying to

to save themselves, right? The walls are closing in. Listen, you and I know that feeling in our lives when there's those walls closing in upon us, the tight spot, the situations that bind us into a corner, that put us in a tough spot, a tight situation where there's nowhere to move, there's nowhere to go.

That is what this word is talking about. The walls are closing in. The bills are due. We're running out of time for this or that. Whatever the case may be, the situations are such that we're stuck in this spot and we have nowhere to go in a tight spot. A minister of God is marked by distresses. Again, God takes care of us, but he lets us learn to trust him too. Are you willing to give yourself wholeheartedly to minister in distresses?

The fifth thing now is found in verse 5. He says, in stripes. In stripes. Now, this and the next couple will be a little bit foreign to us because we don't understand the persecution of the church. Not here in this country, we do not. This country allows us to live casual, complacent, half-hearted Christian lives. It's unfortunate. It's unfortunate.

Because we have a lukewarm, half-hearted, casual, complacent church. It's not the case in many parts of the world. In most parts of the world, it's

A life or death situation to serve Jesus Christ, to follow Jesus Christ. That is what Jesus has called us to. Not half-hearted Christianity. Not I'll serve him when it's comfortable or when it's convenient, but I will serve him regardless. Paul says in stripes. What does that mean? It means in beatings, in physical affliction, of blows, of being beaten and scourged. Paul understood what this was like. He was beaten for the name of Jesus Christ.

So the mark, the characteristic of a minister of the gospel is one who ministers in stripes. Now, this doesn't mean that we ask for beatings, you know, hit me because I want to be a minister of God. No, that's not what it's talking about. But we have the heart that's willing to be beaten for the sake of the gospel, to represent God in

and minister the gospel through it all. To be willing to the point that if it takes being beaten by someone for me to share the good news with them, then that's what I will do. That's what I will receive because that's my priority. That's my task. If I must be beaten for sharing the gospel, if I must be beaten for the name of Jesus, then I'll be beaten. It's easy to say, very difficult to live.

Mark chapter 13 verse 9, Jesus talking to his disciples says, But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them. Jesus himself said, you're going to be beaten. Look in the book of Acts. All of the things that Paul is talking about here take place. He lives them out. The trials and tribulations and patience, beatings.

A minister of God is marked by beatings. Are you willing to give yourself wholeheartedly to minister even in the midst of beatings, even in the midst of persecution, even if it means that people will not like you, even if it means that people will hate you and be violently opposed to you? Are you willing to be a minister of the gospel?

Mark number six, in imprisonments. Being imprisoned for Jesus' sake. Being put in jail, being put in prison for the gospel. Now, again, in this country, it's not something we're familiar with, but listen, it happens constantly around the world. People are put in prison, they're beaten, they're persecuted, physically afflicted for the name of Jesus Christ.

It's what Paul went through. It's what the disciples went through. It's what the New Testament is really all about. Are we called to a lesser ministry than they? No, not at all. Yes, we're blessed. But many times, many times, we're half-hearted about it. We don't take advantage of the grace that's been given to us to share the gospel with others.

We take advantage of it to live comfortable lives. So you get the idea. People are not going to like us if we are ministers of God. Because society is at war with God. Society, people, they don't want to repent. They don't want to hear about sin. They don't want to hear about God. So society will be opposed to those who are ministers of God.

John talks about friendship with the world being at enmity with God. We need to be friends with God even if it means being an enemy of those around us because they will not want to hear the gospel message. People will be opposed.

And Paul went through all of these things that he's talking about. You can check it out. 2 Corinthians chapter 11, he talks about all of the things that he went through. Also, 1 Corinthians chapter 4, he talks about the things that he's going through. The book of Acts, all of the epistles that Paul is writing to you, most of them is because they're going through persecutions and imprisonments and beatings and things where people do not like them. Listen, a minister of the gospel is marked by imprisonments. Are you willing to give yourself wholeheartedly to God?

to minister, even if it means that people might not like you or will not like you, even if it means that people will be opposed to you violently if need be. Mark number seven. In tumults. I don't know if that's how you pronounce it, but it means in riots, in uproars.

Again, people are not going to want to hear about the gospel. Yes, it's great news that Jesus Christ died on the cross, has forgiven your sins. All you need to do is receive this gift that he has to offer his son. He paid the price for you. You simply must believe and you can be saved. You can spend eternity with him. Such a great message. Such good news. But people do not want to repent from sin. We love our sin far too much.

And so there will be riots like there was in the Apostle Paul's day. There will be riots against those who preach the gospel. A minister of God is marched by all of these things. Ministering in the face of opposition and hatred and beatings and imprisonments and threats and riots. Are you willing to give yourself wholeheartedly to minister? Are you willing to go all out to get the message of Jesus Christ out there? Mark number 8 says,

And labors. And labors. Now, this labors, it's an interesting word. It's not the emphasis on the energy that's exerted in order to accomplish something, but it's on the weariness as a result of labors. That's where the emphasis is. It could be translated in weariness from labor or in exhaustion.

Because we have this great task ahead of us. There are many people who do not know Jesus Christ. They don't know about Him. They don't know Him as Savior and Lord. They don't believe in Him. There's so many who need to hear the message. There's so much to do. And so a minister...

of God. As Paul is saying, commend yourself, or we commend ourselves as ministers of God. Hey, even when we're weary from toil, when we're weary from labor, when we're exhausted, there's still such a great task. And so we continue to minister even though we're weary.

1 Thessalonians 2.9, he says, For you remember, this is Paul talking, you remember, brethren, our labor and toil, for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. We preach to you the gospel of God. Listen, Paul's pretty radical, but listen to what he says here. I worked all night,

Made tents all night because that's what I do so that I can minister during the day. And so, ministering in weariness, toiling night and day, laboring night and day to get the message out, to tell people about Jesus. Because they need to know there's such a great task. A minister of God is marked by weariness. Are you willing to serve God, to give yourself wholeheartedly to minister in weariness?

Even when you're tired. Even when you're weary. Weariness from providing for our families and doing the physical work that we must do.

But also weariness from ministry. Because there is so much ministry that needs to take place. People who need to be reconciled, brought back into a right relationship with Jesus Christ. Mark number 9 goes right along with it. In sleeplessness. In sleeplessness. Long nights, no sleep, lack of sleep. Sleeplessness. Paul worked all night so that he could, during the day, share the gospel.

Paul figured it this way. If I work all day, then I just have a little bit of time to tell people about Jesus because I'll be working all day. So here's what I'll do. I'll work all night. That way when people are out and about during the day, I'm totally free. I can share the whole time. I can minister the whole time. I don't have to be worried about providing for my needs or providing for myself. Listen, in sleeplessness, yes, I won't get a lot of sleep, but people will hear about Jesus.

People will hear about him. It's a hard one, man. My flesh hates it. I don't like lack of sleep. I love to sleep. But Paul says in sleeplessness, that's the mark of a minister. Jesus, Luke chapter 6 verse 12, Now it came to pass in those days when he went out to the mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God. Paul, Acts chapter 20 verse 9, Now on the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message and said,

Until midnight. You think I'm long-winded. Man, think about the Apostle Paul. Continuing till midnight. Getting the message out. It's okay if I don't get asleep. It's okay. Sleepless nights. Nights of prayer. Nights of study. Nights of concern for the lost. Sleepless nights. That's the mark, characteristic of a minister of God. Are you willing to give yourself wholeheartedly to minister even in sleeplessness?

The tenth and final thing for this morning, he says, in fastings. In fastings. All of the others, we might be able to hang with those, but what about this one? In fastings. Denying ourselves food in order to pray and be devoted to the things of God. That's what fasting is for. To draw us close to God. To discipline our bodies to be devoted to prayer.

A minister of God is marked by fastings, by devotion to God. Are you willing to give yourself wholeheartedly to minister in times of fasting, in times of prayer, in times of drawing close to God? Are you willing? Are you willing?

As we have been speaking about this ministry of reconciliation, it's an incredibly awesome ministry that we have been called to. And God is using us to save people from hell. We're workers together with Him. We're His ambassadors. That's what we've been called to. It is not lightweight, fluffy Christianity that we've been called to, but it's an all-out ministering for God ministry.

to reach the lost with the news of Jesus Christ, the ministry of reconciliation. The false apostles would not want to proclaim these characteristics. They wouldn't want to minister in this way because they were not ministers of God. Sleepless nights? What are you talking about? I need my sleep. Hard times? Troubles? No, man. Minister in comfort, luxury,

That's not what the gospel message, that's not what Jesus taught, that's not what Paul taught, that's not what the word of God says. Yes, many people say it, and sometimes there's a loudest voice out there, but it's not the word of God. The false prophets will not proclaim these marks. They'll proclaim others, like education, or experience, or some supernatural visitation that took place.

But they will not proclaim these marks. Paul says, this is the mark of a true servant of God, of a true minister of God. These are the things that will be in the life of those who have given their hearts over to Him completely.

This is a life that's truly been touched by God. Jesus went through these things. Paul went through these things. And then Paul tells us to imitate him as he imitates Christ. How can we expect to truly be believers in Jesus without these things in our lives? How can we expect to stand before him and hear, well done, good and faithful servant, when we haven't experienced any of these things for the sake of the gospel? How can we expect?

Time is running short. Jesus is coming back soon and so many people are lost and dying without him. And as a church, and this nation especially, myself included, we're lukewarm, cold to it, don't care, barely raise a finger to tell people about Jesus Christ. The time is now. The accepted time is now. There is no...

There's no time to delay. There's no time to wait. No time to waste. We need to get the gospel message to a lost and dying world. Do not receive the grace of God in vain. Tell people about Jesus Christ. Tell them how much He loves them. Tell them what He's done for them. Get the message out there. You've been called to the ministry of reconciliation. Give yourself wholeheartedly, completely to this ministry.

Live your life for this ministry. That is the call for us. Like I said, it's not lightweight, fluffy Christianity that we're called to, but it's this ministry that we are called to. And that in all things, we commend ourselves as ministers of God. In all situations, my goal, my desire should be, how do I use this to bring people to Jesus? How do I use this to tell them how much He loves them?

Are you willing? Are you willing to be a minister of God? To go all out for Him? Are you willing to minister in much patience when times are hard, when times are tough, when you have to endure situations and circumstance? Are you willing to minister in the midst of tribulations and crushings in your life? Are you willing to minister in needs, in times of necessity? Are you willing to minister in distresses,

The narrow places, the tight spots. God will provide for you. He'll take care of you. You focus not on providing for yourself. God will take care of that. He'll get you out. You focus on ministering the gospel. Are you willing to minister in stripes and beatings? Are you willing to minister in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings? Are you willing to go all out for Jesus Christ? Are you willing to

to take this ministry of reconciliation and live as ministers of God. Commending yourself in all that you do as ministers of God. Responding to His call. Are you willing? Let's pray. Heavenly Father, Lord, our spirit is willing, but our flesh is weak many times. And God, we do desire to live for You. And so I ask, Lord, forgiveness.

for the many times, Lord, that we fall short and the many areas even we looked at today, Lord, that we don't measure up. Lord, we would rather live comfortable lives than tell people about You. Lord, we'd rather not face opposition or have to deal with people that don't like us than share with them the Gospel message. Lord, we'd rather be focused on the things of this world. We'd rather build our kingdom here.

But Lord, I pray that you would help us. Lord, to be motivated by the love that you have for the lost. Lord, that we would give ourselves wholeheartedly to this ministry of reconciliation. Lord, help us to be motivated by the fear of the Lord, knowing that we will stand before you to give an account. Lord, I don't want to hear you say to me, you wicked and lazy servant. Lord, help me not to receive the grace of God in vain. Lord, help me to live for you 100%.

God, right now I surrender my life to you. And I ask, Lord, that you would take my life and use it in all things to serve you, to minister in what you've called me to do, and that is to bring people to you. Lord, we ask that you would help us to make this our priority, our goal, our heart's desire. Lord, we want to be marked in the same way that we would have the characteristics of a servant of God. Lord Jesus, that people would come to know you

that we would work together with you. Lord, that we would bring people to you that they might receive eternal life. Help us, God. Forgive us where we fall short, but we give ourselves to you now, fresh and new. We surrender to you and ask that you would use us how you see fit. Make us ministers of your gospel. In Jesus' name, amen.

We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.