MINISTRY STINKS

MINISTRY STINKS!

Bible Reading 2 Cor. 2:14-17

    

2 Cor 2:15-16

15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

           Actually, ministry doesn’t stink – it smells. In his second letter to the Corinthian church, he reminds them of the familiar parade of the victorious Roman general returning from the battle. With him would be his children and family. Behind him would come the wagons of spoil and a company of the enemy in chains. Along the parade route would be the priests burning incense! That smell meant different things to different people.

           To the victors the smell of the incense meant success and peace but to the captives it meant that they would soon be thrown to the beasts in the arena. It was, as Paul said, a smell either of life unto life or death unto death. It was a matter of perspective.

           So the gospel and ministers have an aroma that causes one of two responses from listeners. To one it is an aroma of life and peace. To another it is a reminder that sin has horrible consequences. It is the smell of death.

           Often I have asked the same question that Paul asked. “Who is sufficient for these things?” Doctor Albert Barnes expands the question this way: “Who is worthy of so important a charge? Who can undertake it without trembling? Who can engage in it without feeling that he is in himself unfit for it, and that he needs constant divine grace?”

2 Cor 12:9

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

Dear Lord, I am a poor choice to carry this eternally important message. At least let me be clear. AMEN

THIS IS A HARD SAYING

THIS IS A HARD SAYING!

(Read: John 6:48-71)

           The Jews at Capernaum misunderstood what Jesus said regarding eating His flesh and drinking His blood. “The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (John 6:52)  We still stumble over what we call “The Lord’s Supper” or Communion. One group actually thinks that the priest transforms the wafer and the wine into the literal body and blood of Christ simply by declaring it to be so. Another group thinks that the body and blood are somehow “with” the bread and wine. Still others think that it is purely symbolic.

           They stumbled over the fact that he came down from heaven. The Greek word for “offended” is skandalizo from which we get our word “scandalize.” Warren Wiersbe says: “Jesus explained that His language was figurative and spiritual, not literal. There is no salvation in "flesh." In fact the New Testament has nothing good to say about "the flesh." There is nothing good in it (Rom 7:18) and we must not have confidence in it (Phil 3:3).

The result of Christ’s message was the loss of most of our His disciples. They went back to the old life, the old religion, and the old hopeless situation. The preaching of the Word of God always leads to a sifting of the hearts of the listeners. God draws sinners to the Saviour through the power of truth, His Word. Those who reject the Word will reject the Saviour. Those who receive the Word will receive the Saviour and experience the new birth, eternal life.

1 Cor 1:18

18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

Dear Lord, let me understand enough to trust and follow you. AMEN

HUMBLE SERVICE TO A MIGHTY KING

HUMBLE SERVICE TO A MIGHTY KING!

Rom 1:1

1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

James 1:1

1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

2 Peter 1:1

1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ,

Jude 1

1:1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:

At the beginning of their Epistles, Paul, James, Peter, and Jude, use, indiscriminately, the expressions -- "servant of God," and "servant of Christ," as if they were synonymous. It is one of the unintended and therefore strongest arguments for the Deity of Christ. James combines the two. And in every case each apostle places it first as his highest title -- above his apostleship.

Seventy three (73) times in the Old and New Testaments God refers to His own as “my servant.” We read my servant Moses, my servant David and my servant Jacob. Each had different tasks assigned and some are more highly regarded by their brethren but God views them all the same. They were His servants.

"If two angels were to receive at the same moment a commission from God, one to go down and rule earth's grandest empire, the other to go and sweep the streets of its meanest village, it would be a matter of entire indifference to each which service fell to his lot, the post of ruler or the post of scavenger; for the joy of the angels lies only in obedience to God's will, and with equal joy they would lift a Lazarus in his rags to Abraham's bosom, or be a chariot of fire to carry an Elijah home."
— John Newton

We seek our honor in the tasks we are assigned, as if God has wisely chosen greater or lesser servants. We think that God looks out over the sea of available servants and chooses a great leader and then he spies a street sweeper. We honor one and think little of the other – but God honors BOTH who faithfully serve.

John 12:26

26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

Thank you Lord that today I may be one of your servants. Keep me from both pride and disappointment in my assignment for I am privileged to be a servant o a Great Master and not necessarily a servant with a great task. AMEN

THE WAR BETWEEN FLESH AND SPIRIT

THE WAR BETWEEN FLESH AND SPIRIT!

(Scripture Reading: Romans 8:1 – 15)

Rom 8:1-2

8 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

           True believers feel the constant push and pull between the Flesh and the Spirit. This entire eighth chapter of Romans deals with the particulars of it. This conflict is a recurring theme in Paul’s writings and he mentions it once again when writing to the Galatians.

Gal 5:17

17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

           The “flesh” would include not only our physical bodies which has natural urgings that demand to be satisfied. It also refers to the thoughts of the mind that does not properly respond to God. Spiritual rebirth through salvation does not replace the flesh but places another spirit alongside it. The battle thus begins and continues throughout life. We vacillate in our allegiance to either the flesh or the spirit. At one time we are carnal and at other times spiritual. Paul acknowledges this in agonizing detail in Romans chapter 7.

Rom 7:19

19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

           In Romans 8:3 Paul explains that the Law could not produce righteousness because it was “weak through the flesh.” In other words, the law prescribed rules which the weak flesh was incapable of fulfilling. Christ, total Spirit, perfectly fulfilled these requirements on our behalf while he was in the flesh.

           So, how can we enjoy victory in this cosmic conflict? The secret is in surrender. Did you know that even after the second atomic bomb was dropped on Japan, conventional bombing runs continued for days later? Why? Because the Japanese refused to surrender! The conflict did not cease until there was surrender.

Dear Lord, I surrender today to Thy Spirit and ask that you completely vanquish the enemy within me. AMEN

HOLD ON YOUR WAY

HOLD ON YOUR WAY!

Job 17:9

9 The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.

1 John 2:19

19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

           The New Testament Church is a worldwide body of believers with local units. It is these local units that give the church visibility and utility. It is within these local units that Satan works hardest. Not every member of the local unit is actually a member of the worldwide body! The requirements are vastly different!

           One of our core beliefs is what we call “The Perseverance of the Saints.” Simply stated, this is the belief that the genuinely saved will persist in his faith through many trials. He doesn’t give up! He may go through periods of deep confusion and trouble and even backslide for a time, but he will persevere.

The verse in First John is a blistering accusation of those who depart from the church, the local units of the church, because it questions their membership in the worldwide body!

One of the evidences of true Christian life is a desire to be with the people of God. "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren" (1 John 3:14). When people share the same divine nature (2 Peter 1:4) and are indwelt by the same Holy Spirit (Rom 8:14-16), they want to enjoy fellowship and to share with one another. As we have seen, fellowship means "to have in common." When people have spiritual realities in common, they want to be together. (from The Bible Exposition Commentary.)

Hold on! Hold on your way! Give God time to “work everything out for good” for you. At Job’s end he had been given twice as much as he had lost. Hold on your way!

Dear Lord, help those who are truly yours to hold on their way. AMEN