There was an Anglican priest who auditioned for the show Britain's Got Talent.
And in his audition, he sang REM's song, Everybody Hurts.
I don't know if you've seen it.
You can see it on YouTube, if you know what that is.
But the thing was, at the end of this audition, he just mesmerized the crowd.
It was like, by the time he finished singing it, the room was silent until Simon Cowell got up and just started applauding.
And then at that point, everyone was to their feet, standing ovation for a phenomenally good performance.
And the online comments were interesting that flowed on that on YouTube.
Some thought that, in fact, he sang it better than REM.
And because of the real authenticity in which he sang it from someone who'd been an Anglican priest for many decades.
And the amount of hurt that he had dealt with over those years.
In fact, some thought that he did it so well that he should, in fact, shift careers.
One person made the comment that, I bet you that guy wished he went into a singing career earlier in life.
That is, what was being projected in that moment, in that comment, is a value statement.
You know, see how you've impacted not just those sitting in the room with you singing,
but people online who have seen you.
See the impact you've made?
Why on earth would you be a minister?
Why would you do that?
Unfortunately, too many get their view of ministry from the Vicar of Dibley,
the Simpsons' Reverend Lovejoy,
or Father Brown,
or something like that.
For many in our society,
the role of minister is that they're there,
if they have any concept of it all,
they're there to be there for times of crisis,
significant life events,
ministry of the poor,
care for the flock,
but basically don't say anything offensive
and stay out of the way most of the time.
That's if they've got any concept.
But increasingly,
in our day and age,
when I say to people what I do,
when they ask you,
what do you do?
And I tell them that.
I may as well be telling them
that I work for the taxation office
or that I work for a big bank.
Like, it's a conversation killer.
And if there's a follow-up question,
it's,
but what do you do?
Like, what is it that you actually do?
For those in the church,
we often expect a carer,
a scholar,
a leader,
an evangelist,
a manager,
a janitor.
Without an own diocese,
there is an undercurrent of expectation
that the wise leader,
and I'm quoting someone,
that the wise leader
will keep everyone in the church
on board
while they significantly push forward
for new growth
and reach new people
at exactly the same time.
In 2 Corinthians,
Paul is helping us here
and the passage is read out to us.
What does authentic ministry look like?
We saw yesterday,
last week,
what does the authentic minister look like?
What does the authentic Christian look like?
What does authentic gospel ministry look like?
That's what we're looking at here right now
in 2 Corinthians 2 and 3.
You've got this next point out to you already.
If you've got the paper version,
right down the bottom,
point number four is robust love.
That's not where I'm heading,
but good thing to think about anyway.
So go back and do that later.
We've got three points
I want to particularly focus on.
But the situation
is that when Paul moved on
from his time at Corinth,
his opponents moved in.
They were eloquent.
Eloquent religious leaders
who took pride in the outward display
of ministry success.
They started to drive a wedge
between Paul and the church.
They criticized Paul,
both of his life
and his message
as being weak,
poor,
he's not authentic,
he's not the real deal,
he's not the true apostle,
his ministry is not authentic ministry.
They started to think that Paul
was worldly,
insincere,
cowardly,
weak,
theological deviant,
who preached a false gospel.
And so the Corinthian church
is in,
significant danger
of walking away
from the authentic apostle
and therefore walking away
from the authentic good news
of Jesus Christ.
And that's what Paul
is fighting for
in this letter.
As we saw,
Paul's defending himself,
as we saw last week,
as he revealed the characteristics
of the true apostle,
what it means to be
a true follower of Jesus.
Today,
the outlines in front of you,
authentic ministry,
what it looks like.
Paul reveals three important things
about authentic gospel ministry,
what authentic gospel ministry is,
what it does,
what it produces.
That's where we're going to go,
that's the journey.
Nick was right,
absolutely true,
if you do not have a pencil in hand,
you don't learn.
That is called active engagement
in the learning process.
So rip it out,
or your finger,
if you need to,
for your iPad,
and have the text in front of you open.
No arms folded,
just looking at me.
Okay,
what authentic ministry is?
Let me just jump to the chase here,
it is God speaking through the gospel.
Verse 14 to 17,
I'm going to jump straight to 17 of chapter 2.
Unlike so many,
we do not peddle the word of God for profit.
On the contrary,
in Christ we speak before God with sincerity
as those sent from God.
Notice that Paul says,
the key activity of authentic ministry
is the ministry of speaking the word of God.
And it's marked by the sincerity
of knowing that we are accountable to God.
That is a direct shot
at Paul's opponents in Corinth,
who peddle the word of God for profit.
And Paul chooses
two word pictures,
if you like,
that are shocking
in this section.
First he says in verse 14,
but thanks be to God
who always leads us
as captives
in Christ's triumphal procession.
Now that doesn't mean
what you probably think it means,
and it doesn't mean
what the super apostles were declaring.
It refers
to what great Roman generals
used to do
when they captured a city,
a country,
a nation,
and they conquered it.
They led the captives,
their enemies,
as conquerors.
And they led them
to the place
of death and slavery.
They would
line them all up behind them
and they would triumphantly
ride back into Rome.
The people of the city of Rome
would just be singing
the praises of their general,
all the treasures
that they had captured.
First of all,
I think they robbed
from the nations,
and then last of all,
the people that they captured.
The kings,
the rulers,
and then the commoners.
Verse 14,
but thanks be to God
who always leads us
as captives
in Christ's triumphal procession.
In other words,
Paul's saying,
I'm defeated,
I'm taken captive
by Christ,
but he was brought to faith
and forgiven
and justified
and set free
from slavery
to sin and death
and made a glad
and willing servant
of the greatest general
who ever was.
You see,
what's happening here
is Paul's describing
the nature of discipleship.
You're at the end
of the train.
You're captive to Christ.
Christ.
He's the general.
He's the triumphant one.
Not you,
super apostles.
Not you.
So what Paul's doing here
with these word pictures
is he's accomplishing
two almost opposite things
at exactly the same time.
On the one hand,
God is like a great general
and Paul is a conquered
and called,
Paul is conquered
and called to suffer
in his service
even to die.
But on the other hand,
God is triumphant
and Paul is in his service
and through Paul
spreading everywhere
the good news
of the triumphant gospel.
Paul is weak.
He's a broken vessel.
But God is displaying
his greatness,
his goodness
and his power
through him.
Paul's adversaries
at Corinth
don't recognize
Paul's authority
and they don't think
Paul is triumphant
as a missionary
the way they think
he should be.
Some people are converted,
some people are not.
Some see Christ in him
and some reject Christ
because of him.
They only see weakness
and failure
and hardship
and difficulty
and rejection.
He has some success,
he has some failures.
But they think
that if he was
a genuine apostle
of the triumphant
king of kings,
then he would have
success
and triumph
in every area
of his life.
And so Paul chooses
a word picture here
that describes him
both as belonging
to a great victor
and as a conquered enemy
whose service of the king
is to suffer
and look weak
and even die for him.
Led in triumphal possession
as a defeated foe
in the service
of a king.
And yet,
Paul says,
this is my delight.
This ministry
is good news.
We go,
what?
What?
Captive?
A slave?
How's that good news?
Paul says,
this is my delight
because this great victor
who leads him
in triumphal possession
is the king of kings
and the lord of lords.
This is the one
who himself
surrendered
to the soldiers
in the garden
of Gethsemane.
Condemned to death
by a puppet ruler.
Led by soldiers
through the streets
of Jerusalem
carrying a cross
as the crowds
mocked him
before being nailed
to that cross
and dying.
And to the eyes
of the world,
he was to be
spat upon.
He was a loser.
He was defeated
in that moment.
He was a spectacle
to be ridiculed.
And yet,
as the scriptures tell us,
this is no accident
of history.
This was not
an unfortunate event.
Jesus himself
declared
it was going
to happen
and he was
in control
of it
every single
step of the way.
Because Jesus
declared that
I am the God
of this universe
come into your presence
in flesh,
the creator
and the ruler
of all things,
the one who assigns
the beginning
and the end,
not just the interpreter
of history,
but I am the declarer
of history.
It doesn't happen
unless I think it
into existence
and speak it
into existence.
The prophet Isaiah
says that of this one
Jesus,
the government
of all the universe
is resting
on his shoulders
or rule
and authority
is his.
There is none
more powerful
and this is the one
who chose the path
into captivity.
This is the one
who was led
to the place
of slaughter.
He chose the path
of weakness
and death
so that we
would be set free
from our rebellion
against him,
the true king
for putting ourselves
in the place
of being the king
of kings.
He was crushed
so that we aren't.
And that's the truth
that's captivated
Paul's heart,
his soul,
his mind,
his body.
He says it
explicitly
in chapter 5.
He says,
Christ's love
compels us.
Because we are
convinced that one
died for all
and therefore
all died
and he died
for all
that those
who live
should no longer
live for themselves
but for him
who died for them
and was raised
again.
And so at the end
of chapter 2
he uses a
second picture
of his life
as a sacrificial
offering
that is a sweet
fragrance before
God.
This is him
living as one
no longer for
himself
but for him
who's captured
his heart.
Starts in the
middle of verse 14.
Have a look at it.
Got the text in front
of you.
And uses us
to spread the
aroma of the
knowledge of
him everywhere.
And so Paul
here pitches
his missionary
life and his
ministry as
spreading the
fragrance of
the knowledge
of Christ
everywhere.
When Christ
died for
our sins
allowed himself
to be taken
captive
led to the
place of
slaughter
for our
sakes
it was
like a
fragrant
offering
pleasing
to God.
Ephesians 5
2 says
that when
Jesus died
for sins
it was a
fragrant
offering
that was
pleasing
to God.
Now
here
is Paul
standing
in the
place
of Christ
as his
representative
here in
the world
suffering
like Christ
in the
service
of his
conquering
Lord
and he
says
we
are the
aroma
of Christ
to the
world.
But first
of all we
are the
aroma of
Christ
to God.
God sees
my service
of him
and he
smells it
and it
is pleasing
to him.
in other
words when
we suffer
in the
service
of Christ
as witnesses
to the
gospel of
Jesus
Christ
it's like
Christ
suffering
for the
lost
and God
smells
this
fragrance
of
sacrificial
love
and it
pleases
him.
But
it's not
pleasing to
everyone
including
ironically
the
Corinthian
church.
That is
there are
heart rejoicing
and there
are
heart
breaking
parts
of our
service
to Christ
and the
gospel.
This
aroma
the
gospel
of
Jesus
Christ
divides
the
world.
Look at
the
division
in
verses
15-16
For we
are to
God
the
pleasing
aroma
of
Christ
among
those
who
are
being
saved
and
those
who
are
perishing.
To
the
one
we
are
an
aroma
that
brings
death
to
the
other
an
aroma
that
brings
life.
Some
smell
the
sacrificial
love
of
Jesus
from
the
lips
and
the
life
of
Christians
and
it
only
smells
like
death.
They
hear
the
gospel
and
all
they
hear
is
death.
They
look
to
the
cross
and
all
they
see
is
death.
They
see
failure.
They
see
no
life.
They
see
no
hope.
They
see
no
future,
no
joy.
And
so
they
go,
that
stinks.
And
they
turn
away
from
it.
And
if
they
turn
away
forever,
they
die.
That's
what it
says.
They
die
forever.
They
are
perishing.
The
smell
of
death
leads
to
death.
You
smell
roadkill
as you
drive
along
at
100
km
an
hour.
Smell
roadkill,
it's
because
something's
dead.
they
don't
believe.
They
don't
see
the
heartbreaking
side of
authentic
Christian
ministry.
There
are
people
who
don't
believe.
They
don't
see
Christ
as
precious.
They
don't
see his
suffering
as a
treasure.
They
don't
smell
his
death
for
sinners
as
the
sweetest
fragrance
in the
universe.
it's
not a
satisfying
fragrance.
It's
simply
the
smell
of
death
and
so
they
walk
away.
But
the
heart
rejoicing
side
of
Christian
ministry
is
also
in
verse
16
to
the
other
an
aroma
that
brings
life.
Those
who
are
being
saved
smell
the
death
of
Christ
as
an
aroma
of
life.
They
see
in
his
death
the
substitute
that
they
so
desperately
need
before
God.
The
Son
of
God
dying
in
their
place
is
the
fragrance
of
life
and
so
they
don't
turn
away.
They
believe
him.
They
receive
him.
They
embrace
him.
They
treasure
him.
They
submit
to
him
and
they
live
forever.
In
his
death
they
see
life.
smelling
Christ
is
the
aroma
of
life
that
gives
life.
And
authentic
gospel
ministry
is
spreading
the
fragrance
of
Jesus
by
speaking
the
truth
of
the
gospel
of
Jesus
knowing
that
the
triumphant
God
speaks
through
us
bringing
both
salvation
and
judgment.
we
don't
control
that.
We're
going to
see more
of this
next week
in chapter
four.
And so
Paul
asked this
really
crucial
question
in verse
16.
Who
is
equal
to such
a task?
Knowing
that
eternity
is at
stake
through
my
lips
and
through
my
life
who
can
carry
that
burden?
people
everywhere
are coming
to life
or death
through
me
representing
Christ.
Who
can
carry
that
burden?
Who
can
carry
that
weight?
Paul
says,
I am.
I can.
Not
because
I am
sufficient,
he says.
Not
because
you're
sufficient.
Because
we
constantly
second
guess
ourselves.
Can I
do
this?
Can I
bear the
weight of
being the
aroma of
Christ at
home and
at work and
on social
media and
in the
playground?
And by
God's
grace,
his word
to us
here is,
yes,
you can.
You can
carry that
weight.
Chapter
3,
verse 5,
our
competence
comes
from
God.
God's
grace,
we can
bear the
weight of
being the
aroma of
Christ wherever
he has
sovereignly
placed us.
It is God
who speaks
through us as
we speak the
gospel because
God speaks
through the
gospel of
Jesus Christ
crucified for
our sin and
race triumphant
over sin and
death.
can I just
say it would
be really
good to
remember that
really,
really good to
remember that
the next time
we think that
we've got
nothing to say
in front of
our friends
around the
dinner table
who are not
Christians.
It would be
really good to
remember that
the next time
you're leading
a community
group and it
isn't going
so well or
a youth group
or sharing
with a colleague
or you're
running a
ministry and
it just seems
like nothing's
happening.
Really good to
remember that.
the gospel
is what we've
got and it
is sufficient.
We're going to
talk more about
this next week.
The gospel is
what we've got
and it is
sufficient.
It's not about
our personalities,
not about our
giftedness or
our knowledge or
even our
weakness.
And this leads
us to the
second point that
I have about
authentic ministry.
It's in verses
3 to 11 of
chapter 3.
Authentic
ministry, what
it does, it
changes people.
God not only
speaks through
the gospel but
God changes
people through
the gospel.
Now Paul
flashes this out
for us, first
of all, by
mentioning how
God has
changed the
Corinthians
themselves in
verses 1 to 4
of chapter 3.
ministry.
And then
secondly, by
telling us about
the kind of
change-producing
ministry that
God has given
to Christians
in verses 5 to
11, chapter 3.
Now Paul's
opponents of
Corinth were
saying, you
know, Paul can't
be an authentic
apostle of Jesus
Christ because,
you know, frankly,
look at his
ministry.
He's always
rejected.
He's always in
jail.
People are
running him
out of town.
They're rejecting
you know.
Where's the
massive crusades
and thousands
of people coming
to life?
Where's that
happening?
He doesn't
seem to display
the results that
you would expect
if his ministry
was authentic.
And so Paul's
reply was,
guys, kind of
awkward, but
have a look
around because
before I came
to town with
the gospel in
Corinth, you
didn't even
exist as a
church.
You weren't
even there.
In other
words, you
are the fruit
of my ministry.
Awkward to
point it out,
but the
changes being
brought around
through the
gospel came
through me to
you.
You're my
letter of
commendation.
I don't
need the
degrees on
the wall.
I don't
need letters
of support
from the
mayor of
Athens.
You've got
you are my
commendation.
You are the
result of
my ministry.
In other
words, the
Corinthian church
is his
boast.
They are the
proof of his
ministry.
The lasting
fruit of
authentic gospel
ministry is
people.
Changed
people are
the lasting
fruit of
authentic gospel
ministry.
Not the
size of the
church, not
our mastery of
theology, not
the books we
write, not
the talks we
give, not
the number of
programs we
run, not
the budget
being met,
or any
other metric
you want to
throw at it.
Not the
number of
gospel endeavors
we support
around the
world or the
value of our
property.
People are the
lasting fruit.
People have
been changed
by God
through the
gospel that
has been
spoken by
us.
God
eternally
changes people
through the
gospel that
has saved
us and that
we proclaim.
That is the
heart of what
God has given
us to do
while we
are on
this
planet.
And then,
sorry, that's
what it says in
verse 6.
God has
made us
competent
ministers of
a new
covenant, not
of the
letter, but
of the
spirit, for
the letter
kills, but
the spirit
gives life.
Now, if
you're starting
to doze off
right now,
stick with
me here,
because I
want to
just keep
unpacking a
little bit
what authentic
ministry does
in changing
people.
What does it
do?
What's
happening in
this change?
What sort of
change are we
looking at?
The contrast
that Paul works
with in verses
6 to 11 is
pretty straightforward.
He has in
mind Exodus
33, which is
on the back
of your
service sheet.
Exodus 33,
that was just
read out.
And he's
saying,
God really
worked through
Moses at
Mount Sinai
and the old
covenant of
the law.
It was a
clear display
of the power
of God.
It was
spectacular.
It was
clouds
descending,
fire,
and
mountain
shaking,
and just
awesome.
I just
think,
wouldn't it
be great
nowadays?
What would
happen at
Chatswood if
I was to
get up week
after week,
and when I
spoke, the
foundations of
this building
shook, and the
cloud descended,
and just hold
on, I'm just
talking to God
people.
baptismal waters
were parted,
and just
imagine people
would flock to
it because
this is
spectacular
ministry.
This is the
power stuff
we've been
looking for.
Paul.
Paul's saying,
God did
amazing stuff
through Moses,
spectacular,
but now God
has made us
servants of a
new covenant,
a new way of
working rather
that comes from
the Spirit of
God rather than
words written on
tablets of stone.
A new way of
working brings
life rather than
death.
Now, that was
the awkward bit
about that
passage.
What Paul is
trying to achieve
here is our
confidence in
gospel ministry
when we're losing
confidence in the
face of gospel
ministry.
That's what he's
trying to do
here.
In the face of
hardship and guilt
and rejection and
apparent
ineffectiveness,
his answer is
that God
miraculously speaks
through the gospel
message of the
death and
resurrection of
Jesus Christ
to bring people
to new and
eternal life and
they are changed
forever.
Now, Moses'
ministry in the
Old Testament was
very spectacular.
It was very
impressive.
Massive, visible
signs of God's
presence and
Paul says that
the proclamation
of the gospel in
the power of the
Spirit leaves
Moses' ministry
for dead.
And he says in
chapter 5,
you won't get
that if you
have the attitude
of the super
apostles who only
look at things from
the outside,
who just want
external,
physical displays
of success,
you won't
understand.
Gospel, true
gospel impact.
Moses'
ministry was
quite remarkable
except for
the fact that
it couldn't bring
change in
anyone's life.
That should be
pretty obvious to
us.
When Moses was
up on Mount
Sinai,
3,000 people
died at the
foot of the
mountain as a
result of their
disobedience.
In the midst
of the
spectacular display
of the glory
of God,
3,000 people
died because
they couldn't
even obey
10 simple
rules.
They had
in their
possession
tablets
written on
by the
finger of
God
himself.
Verse
chapter 3
verse 7.
Now if the
ministry that
brought death,
which is
engraved in
letters of
stone,
came with
glory so
that the
Israelites
could not
look steadily
at the
face of
Moses because
of its
glory,
transitory
though it
was,
will not
the ministry
of the
spirit be
even more
glorious?
If the
ministry that
brought
condemnation
was glorious,
how much
more glorious
is the
ministry that
brings
righteousness.
Ministry of
the gospel
brings real
time God
honoring
righteousness.
It changes
people for
eternity.
It's like a
light bulb
and turning
a light,
grabbing a
torch,
walking out
right now and
shining it at
the sun.
The torch has
got no power.
It's nothing.
The glory
between the
two is
so,
I mean,
you get
it.
There's no
comparison in
brightness and
illumination and
glory.
God has
given to
Christians,
even weak
suffering
Christians,
even Christians
struggling with
their own sin,
given to
Christians who
embrace the
gospel of the
Lord Jesus
Christ and
being led by
him in
triumphal
possession,
a ministry
that is
mind-blowingly
superior to
Moses.
And you
will run
everywhere else
looking for
other metrics,
looking for
some sort of
power other
than the
gospel,
if you do
not trust the
power of the
gospel.
It's superior
because God's
glory is
revealed in
the good
news of
Jesus Christ
died and
resurrected.
His glory
is no longer
veiled.
That's the
main point.
I love that
song we sang,
it is no
longer veiled.
That's the
main point of
verses 13
to 18.
And to
simplify these
verses,
Paul is
saying that
when the
gospel of
the Lord
Jesus is
proclaimed,
the so-called
weak,
defeated,
crucified
Jesus,
what some
will see
is the
magnificence,
the beauty,
the power,
and the
splendor,
and the
value of
God himself
for the
very first
time.
They will
see true
glory through
apparent
inglorious
ministry.
Some will
see the
splendor and
majesty of the
transcendent
creator,
God,
in the face
of Jesus
Christ.
Glory is
a very
small word
with huge
significance.
All the
goodness and
perfection and
authority and
power and
majesty and
the godness of
God is
packed into
two syllables,
glory.
Our
ministry is
wider and
deeper and
more effective
than Moses
in bringing
lasting change.
Why?
Because God
changes people
on the
inside through
the gospel
of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Not only
does God
speak through
us when
we speak
the gospel,
but God
changes people
when we
speak the
gospel as
his glory
is revealed
in the
gospel.
The
Spirit
opens our
hearts
to
apprehend,
to
appreciate,
to
savour,
to cherish
and treasure
the glory of
the Lord
Jesus Christ.
And this
happens,
as this
happened,
the Spirit
changes our
inner desires
and drives,
so that we
want what
Jesus wants
and we
get freedom.
See that in
verse 17?
Authentic
ministry changes
people from
the inside
out.
It's not
external
compliance
forcing
change,
but deep
internal
change of
the desires
that changes
outward
behaviour.
Genuine
conversion.
Your whole
value
system
is overturned.
I love
the story
of John
Patton.
He was
one of the
first Christian
missionaries
to the
islands of
Anuatu.
In fact,
he was the
first Christian
missionary
to not be
eaten on
the islands
of Anuatu
because in
those days
they were
cannibalistic
tribes.
He wrote
in his
autobiography
about one
particular
convert to
Christianity
who was
dying.
a former
cannibal
chief.
And it's
not just
because they're
hungry.
Their whole
value system
is wrapped
up.
Their whole
perspective in
terms of
the world
view,
in terms of
the universe
is wrapped
up in
cannibalism.
It's not
because they've
got nothing
else to
eat.
So this
former
cannibal
chief is
dying.
And when
he was
dying,
he came
to
Patton
to say
goodbye
to
Patton.
And Patton
writes this.
Abraham,
that's
Patton's
Christian
aide,
who himself
was a
former
cannibal,
right?
This guy
was a
former
cannibal.
He says,
Abraham
sustained
him,
tottering
to the
place of
graves.
And there
he lay
down and
slept in
Jesus.
And there
the faithful
Abraham
buried him
beside his
wife and
his children.
Get this,
that is
incomprehensible
in their
culture.
He's dead,
we eat
him.
And here
is Abraham
caring for a
dying man,
not eating
him,
and Patton
goes on to
say,
thus died a
man who
had been a
cannibal chief,
but by the
grace of God
and the love
of Jesus
changed,
transfigured
into a
character of
light and
beauty.
And then he
looks to
Europe and
all the
skepticism of
Europe and
against the
Christian faith.
And he
says this in
his diary,
what think
ye of this,
ye
skeptics as
to the
reality of
the power
of conversion.
All the
skepticism of
Europe would
hide its
head in
foolish shame
and all
its doubts
would dissolve
under one
glance of
the new
light that
Jesus and
Jesus alone
pulls from
the converted
cannibal's eye.
God
hear what
he's saying
there is?
Change,
deep
change,
displays the
glory of
Christ and
produces more
change in
others.
one of the
strongest
arguments,
historical
arguments for
the resurrection
of Jesus
is how do
you explain
the change
in the
disciples?
There's no
explanation for
that.
How do you
go from being
cowards to
bold proclaimers
of the gospel?
There is no
explanation,
no psychological
explanation for
it,
no historical
explanation for
it,
except they
saw the
glory of God
in the face
of Christ in
the resurrected
Jesus.
And they
went from
being cowards
to bold.
And that's
what authentic
ministry produces.
The fruit of
authentic ministry
is changed
people,
it is bold
people.
Therefore,
verse 12,
since we
have such
a hope,
we are
very bold.
It is
the confidence
that the
sovereign
God,
spirit of
God,
is at work
in this
ministry to
change hearts
of stone
in the
hearts of
flesh,
and to
give life
and righteousness
and permanence
to all of
God's people,
God is at
work.
It's that
confidence
that God
is at work.
It is the
hope of the
victorious
gospel of
the triumphant
king of
kings.
The gospel
will accomplish
all that
it was sent
to do.
It will
not come
back empty
anymore than
the word
of God
can fall
to the
ground.
Paul is
utterly
confident
that the
spirit of
God will
conquer
and justify
and preserve
for glory
all whom
God has
chosen for
himself.
In other
words,
he's saying
because of
this power,
I cannot
fail.
By the
almighty
power of
the Holy
Spirit,
through the
preaching of
the gospel,
everyone
appointed to
eternal life
will believe.
This is the
hope of
Paul,
and so he
is bold.
And boldness,
to understand
what it is,
it's the
opposite of
fear and
timidity.
it's the
opposite of
shrinking back
and pulling
away.
It's not
shame,
it's not
guarded speech,
it's not
minting our
words,
it's not
being indirect,
it's not
being vague,
it's not
being obscure
in our
communication.
We should
never cloud
the word
of God
and the
simplicity
and the
clarity of
the gospel
with palatable
generalities
and euphemisms
that obscure
the clear
and the
sharp contours
of the
truth.
Boldness
is the
fruit of
hope.
Christian
hope is
the cause
of boldness
in the
Christian
life.
So,
if you
are not
bold in
your
witness,
if you
find yourself
in a
sphere around
the non-Christian
world,
shrinking back,
if you
are not
courageous,
if you
are not
risk-taking
in your
ventures of
righteousness,
if you
are not
open and
straightforward
with your
speech,
it's because
your hope
is defective.
Perhaps
you're hoping
in the wrong
things to
make your
future happy.
Perhaps
you've
never really
thought seriously
about the
relationship
between the
strength of
your hope
and the
boldness of
your service
to Jesus.
The
relationship
is really
clear there.
Since we
have such
a hope,
we are
very bold.
Since we
have such
a hope,
and only
because we
have such
a hope,
can we
and must
we be
very bold.
And so
his
encouragement
here is
that if
your hope
is defective,
it's probably
got something
to do with
the fact
that you're
actually
spending
more time
on YouTube
rather than
in the
Bible,
rather than
gazing on
the gospel.
He says,
keep fixing
your gaze
on the
glory of
God in
the face
of Christ
in the
gospel.
It is
your hope,
it is
your boldness,
and it is
the way that
God will
bring change
and transformation
in your life.
If,
however,
that's for you,
for Christians,
if,
however,
you're here
today and
you're not
a Christian,
maybe,
even as
I've been
speaking for
the first
time,
the veil
is slipping
away.
You're
starting to
see Jesus
in a slightly
different way
than what you
did when you
first came in
here.
You heard
this stuff
about him
being the
triumphant
king of
kings who
in fact
became a
slave for
your sake.
You've
heard Paul
say,
it's
Christ's
love that
compels
me,
and for
the first
time,
you're
not
seeing
him
as
judgmental.
He's
the king
of kings
who's
conquered
sin and
death and
shame and
death for
you.
Can I
say that
if that's
you,
have you
seen the
veil slip
for right
now?
The stakes
are very
high for
you.
Come to
him,
surrender
to him,
and find
your joy
in him
today.
I'd love
to speak
to you
after the
service.