TAKE TIME TO BE HOLY

If we are too use to pray, then we are too busy. Consider these challenging words from Andrew Murray:

Though God had His appointed servants in Israel, watchmen set by Himself to cry to Him day and night and give Him no rest, He often had to wonder and say that there was no intercessor, none to stir themselves up to take hold of His strength. And He still waits and wonders in our day, that there are not more intercessors, that all His children do not give themselves to this highest and holiest work, that many of them who do so, do not engage in it more intensely and perseveringly. He wonders to find ministers of His gospel complaining that their duties do not allow them to find time for this, which He counts their first, their highest, their most delightful, their alone effective work. He wonders to find His sons and daughters, who have forsaken home and friends for His sake and the gospel’s, come so short in what He meant to be their abiding strength – receiving day by day all they needed to impart to the dark heathen. He wonders to find multitudes of His children who have hardly any conception of what intercession is. He wonders to find multitudes more who have learned that it is their duty, and seek to obey it, but confess that they know but little of taking hold upon God or prevailing with Him. (The Ministry of Intercession, pp. 120-121, Kindle edition).

The old hymn reminds us to “Take Time to Be Holy.”

1. Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;

Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word.

Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak,

Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek. 

2. Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;

Spend much time in secret, with Jesus alone.

By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;

Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

3. Take time to be holy, let Him be thy Guide;

And run not before Him, whatever betide.

In joy or in sorrow, still follow the Lord,

And, looking to Jesus, still trust in His Word.

4. Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul,

Each thought and each motive beneath His control.

Thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love,

Thou soon shalt be fitted for service above. (William D. Longstaff)

RESTORING THE FALLEN

We are called to reach the sinner, but also to restore the stumbling. All of us have known church members who have been “overtaken in [some] trespass.”  These did not keep their guard up and have their armor on—were not diligent and vigilant. Thus, the temptation crept up on them and the trespass overtook them. 

One thinks of Peter—a genuine follower of Christ. Yet, he was in slumber  when he should have been in supplication. He relied on the strength of his flesh rather than the power of the Spirit. He did not heed the Lord’s warning. His resolve in which he boasted proved insufficient in the hour of trial and he was overtaken by trespasses—denying the Lord. Yet, he would be restored by the Lord, (John 21). Read that for it is the perfect pattern for the principle Paul presents here.

How do we restore the fallen?

We do so MATURELY with the resource of God as “you who are spiritual.”  The spiritual man is the one who is filled with the Holy Spirit. Such are mature in faith and robust in devotion. Paul describes the spiritual man in contrast to the natural man (a lost soul) and the carnal man (an immature believer) in 1 Cor. 2:12-3:3. There is maturity for such a one has wisdom from the Word—their faith nourished by moving beyond the milk of Scripture to the meat of Truth.  They have a Biblical worldview, seeing everything through the lens of the Word. Such have discernment against error and evil creeping up on them.   They have cultivated right thinking and righteous living. Yet, it is not dependence on human resolve, but reliance on heaven’s resource that keeps them from stumbling and equips them to restore those who have been overtaken. 

We do so maturely and TENDERLY, for to restore the fallen not only demands the resource of God, but also the requirement of gentleness, “restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.”

The Greek word “restore” was used in the ancient world for a physician setting a broken bone and in the New Testament of a fisherman mending a torn net, (Mk. 1:19).  Both of these would require a gentle touch. If someone has a broken arm, they will not recover use of it without setting it, but you do not go twisting and yanking on it or you will do more damage. A torn net is useless in catching fish, but it needs to be mended gently, lest a bigger hole results. 

My wife has accused me of being “a bull in a china shop” when it comes to repairs around the house. The repairs needed to be made, but sometimes I have pursued them with such zeal that I did more harm than good.  Some in the church may possess a spirit of legalism instead of love. They are right to detect where someone has stumbled, but they express condemnation instead of compassion. Rather than lifting the fallen out of the mud, they stomp them down further.

We do so maturely, tenderly, and HUMBLY, “considering yourself lest you also be tempted.”  This is our reflection on danger.

How do we respond when a member of our church family is overtaken in a trespass?  It is far too easy to say, “I would never…and how could they?”  Instead, it is a call for us to consider our own peril and reply, “There, but for the grace of God go I!”  The warning is, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall,” (1 Cor. 10:12).  

Maturely, tenderly, and humbly let us restore the fallen.

DO NOT BE A BIBLE BULLY!

Paul was a man capable of confrontation. His knowledge of Scripture and power of speech meant he could lacerate his listeners with the Spirit’s Sword—the Word of God. Yet, he restrained himself—though in his flesh was tempted to do so. Did he not have the right?  Did he not write that the Word of God was the Sword of the Spirit?  True on both counts. Yet, authority is to be used to bless others and not to blast them. The Scriptural Sword is to be wielded against the foe and not our fellow soldiers. The preacher is not to be a Bible bully!  Let us examine 2 Corinthians 13:8-10.

We are to be CONVICTIONAL, “For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth,” (v. 8).   By no means did the Apostle compromise the message. He was a man of clarity and conviction. He did not go along with error to get along with people. The Corinthian church was planted in a pagan environment that sought to mold them into its image. The struggle to resist and rather be shaped into the image of Christ was real. Sometimes they faltered and Paul found it necessary to be very direct. 

Our church members live in such a hotbed of heathenism. The peril of compromise with the culture is relentless. The temptation to be silent—like Lot dwelling in Sodom—is persistent. The Serpent whispers, “Believe what you want—but be nice and don’t try to force your beliefs on others. Jesus was nice and you should be.”  Sadly, many pastors reinforce that flawed thinking. Our people are ill-prepared to make a difference in the world. They do not have the distinctive qualities of light and salt that push back the darkness and restrain the rottenness of the culture. Pastors MUST equip the congregation with truth. Being concerned for others in their struggles does not mean we cannot be convictional about their sins. Indeed, we must be “for the truth.”  The Word of God will stand when all in this world perishes in judgment.

Yet, we are to be COMPASSIONATE, “For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. And this also we pray, that you may be made complete,” (v. 9). Paul was willing to sacrifice for the cause of Christ. He would pour himself out on the altar for the glory of the Lord and for the good of the church. His joy was found in expending his energy for others and not for himself. Many an hour was invested in intercession for the saints and when he saw them making progress in sanctification, then he knew his labor was not in vain. 

Being for the truth means that we are for the church. Elsewhere the Apostle spoke of the proper balance, “speaking the truth in love,” (Eph. 4:15a). Adrian Rogers expressed it this way, “Loveless truth is brutal. Truthless love is hypocrisy. Love in truth is necessary.” (The Adrian Rogers Legacy BIble, p. 1324). The result of conviction (truth) and compassion (love) is completeness (growth).  Then we will see that the people “may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ,” (Eph. 4:15b). 

Thus, we are to be CONSTRUCTIVE, “Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction,” (v. 10‬‬). There is a danger in “speaking off the cuff,” in our sermons. Paul faced the reality of this. He said that he was glad he was not physically present with the people—for in his emotional state he may have lacerated them with a sharp tongue. 

If you preface a point in your sermon with this, “I might not should say this, but…” you probably should not say it. Paul was able to calm down and write a constructive message instead of a destructive one. God can use spontaneity in sermons. If the Spirit leads us to say something off script then we should follow His prompting. We are there to please God and not people. Yet, in the heat of the moment, it is more likely we may act on a fleshly impulse and blame the Spirit for it. 

I advocate writing out your sermons as Paul did here. As you read over your notes and think through the text, you are more likely to resist the temptation to be a Bible bully. Our desire is to be constructive in using our preaching to build others up and not tear them down. We do not speak to “get something off our chest,” but to get Scripture into their hearts.

I think Paul was following the Jesus model in ministry.  Our Lord pictured His method this way, “A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory;” (Matt.‬ ‭12‬:‭20‬‬).  The bruised reed—a plant bent and bruised—must be tenderly straightened or it will break rather than heal. The smoking flax—the wick of a lamp barely glowing—must have a gentle breath to cause it to burn again instead of being blown out by a forceful breath. This is how we must deal with struggling saints—and we have pews full of them. 

I have written these words of A. J, Gossip in the front of my Bible as a reminder, “The mass of trouble in a congregation is quite unbelievable. And they come up to church, looking to you to help them, hoping for some word to bring them through.”

Will our speech be constructive “for edification,” or destructive, “for destruction”?  Will we build up the church or blow it up?  Do not be a Bible bully!

GOALS IN GIVING

6 trillion dollars!  Can you imagine such a sum?  Yet, that is what has been obliterated in the stock market in only two days!  Yet, any sum—vast or small—that is given to the Lord’s work is never lost and only pays dividends of eternal worth. 

Thus, Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt. 6:19-21). 

The purse strings are directly connected to our heart strings. Our stewardship is a spiritual x-ray of our soul. Therefore, every pastor must preach on giving and set the pattern in giving. 

Paul sets forth three goals to govern our giving in 2 Corinthians 8-9.  These are not about the sum of what we give, but the spirit in why we give.  The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart!

The first goal in giving is GRACE, (8:1-15). Four times in these verses, the Apostle calls giving a “grace.”  This is the means of our giving. It is not a legalistic obligation, but a loving motivation. It is not about how little we can give to satisfy God’s demand, but how large a gift we can give to celebrate God’s grace toward us. 

That cannot be measured in dollars, for Jesus presented the example of a widow who gave only two “mites.” A mite would be equivalent to about 1/8th of a penny today. Still Jesus said she gave more than all the wealthy men, “for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood,” (Mark 12:44). She was motivated by grace, and that is what God is looking for in our giving. 

Of course, Jesus is the perfect model and Paul underscores that here. All we are and all we have and all we will enjoy for eternity is all of grace—the incalculable, “indescribable gift,” of Christ, (2 Cor. 9:18). God not only mandates our giving, but models true giving (Jn. 3:16). I have no right to preach this, if I do not practice this!

The second goal is GLORY, (8:16-9:5). Twice, Paul uses the word, “glory,” in presenting a goal. This is the motive for our giving. Now, he does boast in the generosity of the Macedonian churches, using them as an example to inspire the Corinthians. Yet, that goes beyond and points to the glory of God as the Provider who makes all our giving possible. All we are, all we have, and all we do is to redound to the glory of God and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why Jesus warned to have the proper motive for giving. 

“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” (Matt. 6:1-4).

This does not mean that generosity cannot be celebrated. We already mentioned that the widow gave all she had and Jesus shone the spotlight on her. Then, I think of a very wealthy man, Barnabas, who sold all his vast possessions and surrendered the sum to the Apostles to distribute to any in need. The inspired Scriptures document that. In this text, Paul is giving a pat on the back to generous givers in stressing the Macedonian saints. Again, this gets to motive—and the heart’s passion. Is our giving for the praise of men or the praise of God?

The third goal in giving is GLADNESS, (9:6-15). “God loves a cheerful giver,” (v. 7). This is the mirth of our giving. It is not “a grudging obligation,” (9:5) in paying a bill, but a glad celebration in praising the Lord. I understand the use of online giving, or providing collection boxes, and the passing of collection plates. Any of these may be the means for offering worship to God. I do think highlighting giving in the gathering of the saints is important—as it is about worship. It is a personal matter, but a public celebration. How raucous is the rejoicing when the offering is received?

What is the business of the church when we assemble on the Lord’s Day?  It is for the purpose of exalting God in corporate worship. We may participate in worship by our singing, and with our serving, in the Scriptures, and in our stewardship. Some give madly, angry that there is the expectation that they give. Some give sadly, as they worry that they won’t have enough after they give. Some give gladly, and only these receive the blessing of God upon their giving. 

The passage closes with a summation of these goals in giving, as Paul stresses grace, glory, and gladness.  

“For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men, and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (v. 12-15)

We need more liberal preachers and churches. Not in doctrine, morals, or politics—certainly not!  But, liberal only in the matter of our giving—an abundance of grace, glory, and gladness!