DEMANDS FOR AN EFFECTIVE MINISTRY
2Corinthians 4:1-6
February 5, 2006
Good News Christian Fellowship
BUCAS, Daraga Albay
INTRODUCTION
Through Paul’s evangelistic activity, church leadership and theological insights, he had an immeasurable influence on the development of Christianity. Paul traveled extensively, plowing new mission fields and planting a number of churches. Aside from those accomplishments he penned thirteen New Testament letters. These letters grew out of his travels. Four of those letters: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon were written while Paul is in prison.
Second Corinthians, however, is different from Paul’s other letters. It is most emotional, personal, bold and defensive. It shares the concern, passion, intimate feelings and thoughts of an apostle who is defending his own apostleship and ministry in a church which he founded.
Now in Chapter 4:1-6, Paul penned down demands for an effective ministry. What does an effective ministry look like? How should we present the gospel to the lost? Shall we emphasize on emotional persuasion? Are we trying to amuse men to join us in the fellowship? Is our ministry just for the sake of gathering crowd around?
Let’s turn to chapter 4 verses 1-6 and let’s see and examine what Paul had written here.
I. DO NOT LOSE HEART (v.1)
“Therefore” or "For this cause" – Paul is referring us back to what he mentioned in Chapter 3. It is about the ministry.
• What ministry he’s talking about? Verses 4-17 of Chapter 3 described it:
1. It is a spiritual, new covenant ministry (v.6)
2. Freedom in Christ, the glorious gospel (v.7-8); the good news about Christ.
3. It is the ministry of righteousness (v.9) (Imputed, Imparted)
4. It is the ministry of liberty (17)
• Liberty in grace
• Liberty in worship
• Liberty in giving
• Liberty in Service
However please take note Paul didn’t say “my ministry”. Instead he says, “We have this ministry” Every servant of God is given a service to perform. Our service, our ministry is a common task. WE labor together in the work of the ministry.
“We don’t lose heart” Though scandalized, maligned, abused, lied about, and despised, “we don’t lose heart” Though we do not see the success we would like to see, “we faint not!” Though many others do, “we don’t lose heart” We keep on doing what God has put in our hands to do.
Paul didn’t lose heart because of the greatness of his ministry, a ministry with OPENNESS, LIBERTY, and AUTHENTICITY. A ministry without veils- without anything to hide and without anything to prove.
Paul didn’t lose heart in the ministry for he received it by the mercies of God. He was given by God a great task: to be minister and to preach the unsearchable riches of God. (Eph. 3:8) We too in our ministry should have an abundance of mercy.
The servant of God must never lose heart regardless of the circumstances. Neither weariness nor opposition is to drive us to quit. Our task is too great and God mercy had done too much for us and will continue to sustain us. (I Cor. 15:58; Phil. 1:27)
II. HONESTY, INTEGRITY (v.2)
God demands honesty and integrity in our ministry. Correct mentality must eventually translate into ACTION. If motives are wrong, everything will be wrong. Their should be no dishonesty, no hypocrisy, and no pretence:
• In our action
• In our motives
• In our doctrine
In verses 2-4 Paul delineated how our life reflect effective ministry. He offered himself as an example.
1. Rejection of deceit – Paul renounce “things hidden’ or “shameful and secret ways” (NIV) Paul remain the same person in public and in private. Paul renounced things that will disgrace himself
The Minister is to renounce all secret and hidden…
• immorality
• greed
• desires
• covetousness
2. Never “use cunning way” or rely on cleverness. Cunning means deception. It means a man will do anything and use any means to get what he wants. Our wit and charm don’t the kingdom of God. Techniques to attract people never Paul ways. Lord Jesus during His earthly ministry doesn’t use gimmicks to get results, or uses God-want-you-to-be-rich messages (actually you can hear that kind of message today in some churches). But this kind of messages is but a form of religious materialism.
Paul never played on peoples emotions. He presents the plain, unvarnished truth of the Gospel AT ALL TIMES. So with us, brothers and sisters, we don’t have to sugarcoat the gospel. Don’t be tempted to package it in an appealing box. The problem with some of them is that they tried to be non-confrontational in preaching the gospel, thinking that people might be offended and eventually will not accept the gospel. So they have to device some methods or ways to be non-offensive in their preaching. They tried to be so appealing, a user-friendly approach.
John Gill comments:
“they used no sly and artful methods to please men, to gain applause from them, or make merchandise of them; they did not lie in wait to deceive, watching an opportunity to work upon credulous and incautious minds; they did not, by good words and fair speeches, deceive the hearts of the simple; nor put on different forms, or make different appearances, in order to suit themselves to the different tempers and tastes of men…”
3. Never “tamper” God’s word- Tamper means to falsify, adulterate, corrupt, and deceive. The minister is not to add ideas, tradition, philosophy or speculations of men to the word of God. Paul taught that an effective minister remains faithful to the sacred intentions of God and avoids reading into text or twisting it to prove a point. Paul assured the Corinthians that he was no salesman (Peddling prophetic pills…cure all tonics…positive thinking…health & wealth…legalism & negativism) Paul declared the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
The great English preacher Charles Spurgeon wrote:
“Everywhere there is apathy. Nobody cares whether that which is preached is true or false. A sermon is the subject; only, the shorter it is better” (as quoted by John McArthur in Does Truth Matters Anymore?)
Those words of Charles Spurgeon are more a 100 years old yet TRUE TODAY!
Charles Swindoll commented:
“Today’s church faces a rarity of biblical instruction, and it breeds the spiritual confusion so many are experiencing. Another reason for confusion is the overemphasis on emotional persuasion that pervades body life.” (Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit)
4. Paul reached out to touch everyone’s conscience. Conscience is the moral nature of a man’ or the moral element in his nature. It is this, therefore we have to address. Whether we are senior pastor, lay leader, musician, music ministry, Sunday school teacher or anyone else in the body of Christ, we are charged to proclaim the Gospel to the unbelieving world.
Charles Swindoll observed, “When it comes to preaching and teaching of God’s Word, too many churches provide entertaining sermonettes instead of real sermons.”
This means that many of them end up eating spiritual junk food instead of taking nutritious meat of the Word.
Paul addressed this problem in his second letter to Timothy chapter 4 verses 3-5.
Paul exhort Timothy to give people what they NEEDED to hear, not just what they WANTED to hear.
This is actually what we are doing here in Good News Christian Fellowship. We have to declare the whole counsel of God without fear or favor.
Remember Paul in Mars Hill (Acts 17:15-34) he spoke with wisdom and boldness, without fear. He simply speak the truth to all who need to hear and trust the LORD for the results.
We need to be “manifestations of truth” to others. Veering clean of manipulation and guilt inducing tactics, it’s our job to share the truth of the Gospel and it’s God job to change hearts.
III. A REALIZATION THAT SOME WILL NOT BELIEVE (vv.3-4)
Paul never mishandled the word of God. He openly proclaimed the gospel of reconciliation and redemption. He was true to the gospel, he proclaimed it in all its PURITY.
However, in verse 3, Paul says that “if the gospel is hidden, it is hidden to those who are lost.” In other words, some did not believe the Gospel he preached. If anyone was a preacher it was this man and we talk about Calvin and Spurgeon and Dr Lloyd Jones and Whitefield and great men they were, but the apostle Paul was ahead of them all and yet you see many people had heard that man’s preaching, apostle that he was and they were blind.
This wonderful preacher, this great theologian, this outstanding orator, this genius of geniuses, this man whom God raised up, the apostle Paul, to establish churches all over the European world whose name has been synonymous with orthodoxy and greatness in the Christian life ever since then, from that day till now. But even Paul, when he preached, he experienced what preachers do today, many people don’t understand, they don’t see, they don’t believe. Paul REALIZED that not all will believe.
People did not believe because of his mishandling of the Gospel or due to Paul’s losing heart, but because:
• The gospel is hidden or “veiled” because they are “perishing”. Men are on the road to perishing. They have turned away from God and are traveling in the opposite direction. They don’t understand their need of Christ. They never fell their needs.
Therefore they are traveling to the road of the lost, the road of those who are perishing.
• The gospel is hidden because Satan blinded the minds of unbelievers. Satan hindered the works of God.
IV. SUBMISSION TO CHRIST’S LORDSHIP (vv.5-6)
Paul didn’t preach himself. He didn’t preach book, a ritual, an institution, a denomination, but a PERSON.
Paul point the people to the living Christ. Though Paul teach about atoning work of Christ, it was not the theory of atonement that he preach, but the PERSON who could forgives sins (Acts 5:31)
• We preach for Him!
• We preach about Him!
• We preach by Him!
• We preach Him!
“And ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake!” God’s servants do not labor as men pleasers, under the rule and thumb of the people they serve. Pastors are not under the rule of churches. Churches are under the rule of God appointed pastors (Heb. 13:7, 17). But pastors serve the churches. He is to be as devoted to people as slave is to his master; as ready to help them and to meet their needs as a slave would be required to do by his master.
Charles Swindoll wrotes:
“Any leader, spiritual or otherwise, can easily become a hero in the eyes of those he leads- but the danger begins when he starts believing it himself!” (A Ministry Anyone could Trust, pp.51)
Paul continually pointed to Jesus Christ as Lord, never allowing those he taught to view him as anything more than a signpost.
He does not preach to impress people with his charisma, ability’ fluency, speech ,or leadership.
As ministers of Christ we should not let pride creep into our ministry.
Charles Swindoll has these advice:
“How do you know when you’ve let pride creep into your ministry? When you talk about yourself often. When you pursue promotion. When you expect special treatement. When you expect others to follow you blindly and submissively… When these attitudes crop up in your life, it’s time to step down until the Lord regains firm authority.” ( A Ministry Anyone Could Trust, pp.51)
Therefore, all ministers are to become servants to men, to sacrifice themselves in serving men for the sake of Christ. No higher service can be done than to serve for the sake of Christ, the sake of Him who loved us and gave Himself for us.
V. CONCLUSION
How do today’s ministers live up to Paul’s example? What about you? What about us? Remember brothers and sisters, the Gospel is entrusted not only to Pastors, Evangelist, Lay workers and deacons but to all of us (2Cor.5:19) We are ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20)
How brightly does our light shine?
Preach the gospel with BOLDNESS.
Talks straight and frankly of the truth, with a clear conscience.
Brothers and sisters, we should not criticize ourselves, when some people reject Christ. Realise that some will not believe the Gospel. Jesus Himself did not win everyone in his audience. He understood that all those whom the Father gave to Him will Come to Him ( John 6:37)It doesn’t mean our time is wasted. It is FAITHFULNESS, not success that is God’s measure of our service.
Our evangelistic effort are God’s means to bring the people, whom he called, to salvation. So we have to reach out. If we have done our best, we proclaim the truth, we can leave the matter to God. Don’t lose heart, instead:
• Trust Our God and Savior.
• Bow to our King.
• Enlist in the service of God’s House!
