So, 2 Corinthians chapter 6.
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.
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,
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hello.
Thanks Johnny