2 Corinthians Chapter 6
By Pastor Neil
What Do Christians Do When Things Go Wrong?
It is always interesting to live among the people of God and take note of how people respond to hard times. Sometime we find people pouring their hearts out over something that seems to us to be such a small thing. It puts me to mind of the saying “Minor surgery is what other people have”. When I have surgery, it’s MAJOR! Occasionally we pour out a story of what seems to us to be great suffering and then later discover that the person to whom we were speaking had, in their past, something ten or even a hundred times worse than what happened to us. Does it ever bother you when you are sharing something bad that has happened to you and your listener turns on you and “trumps” your story with a much more horrific story of his/her own? That’s embarrassing! It makes me a little nervous about my occasional “whining” to others.
My suspicion, as I read 2 Corinthians chapter 6 is that the recipients of Paul’s letter may have been a bit “whiney” to him in correspondence or information that made its way back to him. Read these verses, 3 – 10 and look at what Paul tells them about himself. He is defending himself against what he believes are false accusations or denigrations by others. Here’s the list of what he done:
1. He’s demonstrated endurance—he’s no quitter.
2. He’s had troubles, hardships and distresses.
3. He’s been beaten, imprisoned and in the middle of riots.
4. He’s faced hard work, sleepless nights and hunger.
5. He’s been able to remain pure, understanding, patient and kind.
6. He’s demonstrated the Holy Spirit’s presence in sincere love
for all.
7. He’s been truthful in speech and lived in the power of God.
8. He’s used weapons but they have been righteousness.
9. He’s experienced glory and it opposite, dishonor.
10. He’s experienced good and bad reports about his work.
11. He’s been genuine but been regarded by some as an imposter.
12. He’s been known and yet had some treat him as an unknown.
13. He’s faced death and yet he lives on.
14. He’s been beaten “within an inch of his life” and yet lives.
15. He’s faced terrible sorrow but still rejoices in the Lord.
16. He’s been poor and yet made many rich in the Lord.
17. He’s been reduced to having nothing and yet, through Christ, has
all he needs.
Now that you’ve read Paul’s list how does that make you feel. I’d be pretty embarrassed to share with him most everything I’ve ever whined about. So what does such a list do for us, for me? For me, it helps me put things into perspective. This is a fallen world and once we are born we are headed toward death. And that, taxes not withstanding is our “downward” spiral through life. But Paul is saying to us, this is an “upward spiral” when we put things into perspective and realize that through every trial and tribulation of our lives, we have the option to glorify God and to grow in His love and to enjoy His presence. I think I’m going to put my eyes, my attention on the positive side of life rather than to get weighed down by what I perceive to be my sufferings. Want to join me?
Click here to read 2 Corinthians Chapter 6
2 Corinthians 5
By Pastor Steve
Ambassadors
I have always loved 2 Corinthians chapter 5. It is filled with great encouragement and instruction. It reminds us that without reconciliation as a way of life, people will struggle to live in harmony. It teaches us that when we observe people from a worldly point of view, we are unable to recognize the new creation that Jesus instills in the sole of humanity. It provides us with the truth that the love of Christ in our lives should be a compelling motivation to live beyond what is merely human and tap into the power that Jesus provides. Paul said it this way:
“For 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. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!”
Although all of this is awesome teaching concerning how we are to live for Christ, Paul takes this tutoring a step further when he discusses our responsibility to be ambassadors for Christ. One of the definitions of an ambassador is to be “an authorized agent or messenger.” This means that the individual who is representing Christ is the person who literally brings the message of God’s love to people who are longing for love and acceptance. It is no wonder that Paul preceded some of this ambassador talk teaching us that we need to live life from a spiritual point of view and not a mere human perspective.
Right after Paul stated that people who are in Christ become a new creation he said: “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.”
As ambassadors and ministers of reconciliation we do not have the right to hold people’s sins against them. Jesus finished the work of total reconciliation when He willingly offered Himself for the sin of humanity. All we are required to do as His ambassadors is to carry that message to the world so they can experience forgiveness from a human standpoint and understand forgiveness from a spiritual point of view through our lives.
Remember—God is making His appeal through your life!
2 Corinthians Chapter 4
By Pastor Chris
Do Not Lose Heart!
Have you ever had “one of those days”. You know the ones. You wake up a little “off” and go out to your car only to find you left the lights on all night and it will not start. By the time you make it to work you are late and you have missed something important. Since you were in a rush you forgot to bring the lunch you packed the night before and instead skip it (never a good idea). Then someone comes by and makes a snide comment about your performance so far today. Let’s take stock of your day so far: you’re feeling some pressure, the stomach is rumbling and everyone around you is in “attack mode”. Into this setting the Apostle Paul might have this to say,
8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. … 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2Corinthians 3:8-10, 16-18
Sometimes I read that and think: “Is he serious? Does he know what kind of day I am having?” He clearly has no idea how hard my life can be sometimes.
Paul writes this letter as one who used to hunt down and persecute Christians and has become someone who is now hunted and persecuted. His crime? As far as I can tell it was just the fact he couldn’t stop telling people about Jesus. According to church tradition he gave his life for spreading the gospel. He was writing to a people who, by all accounts, loved God and followed Jesus. They too must have been persecuted because at this time Christianity was illegal. Paul, who knows hard times, tells the people of Corinth to not lose heart! No matter their circumstances they are to set their eyes on the eternal and be a light to all. They are renewed God they are given a peace that we cannot comprehend.
We have never had it so easy. Our lives are sometimes complicated, but rarely is our life at risk. These people who bravely stood up for Christ are our example. We too can embrace the challenges in life and choose to rejoice in everything. This small act would serve as an example to everyone around us that we are truly followers of Christ.
2 Corinthians 3
By Pastor Brad
Glow In the Dark
There are a number of products that are designed to glow in the dark. I’m sure you’ve seen things like Frisbees, plastic stars attached to the ceiling, paint and even some clothing. Colton even had a glow-in-the-dark cast when he broke his hand. That was totally awesome. I think it’s every boys desire to have a cast at least once in their life. That’s another story that may show up in a devotional some day. But my favorite is a boom-a-rang, although very dangerous when it stops glowing.
Each of these however, cannot glow by themselves. They must be accelerated by some kind of light source. An incandescent light bulb usually does the trick. Hold any of these objects close to the light for a while and when you turn out the lights… Voila! …It glows.
After awhile these objects all start to loose their glow. Once that happens, you will need the light bulb again.
God has created every person in His image. Some choose to walk in his image and others continue to walk in darkness. We were created to share His light in a dark world.
Jesus is the source of light, and we are a reflection of that light. But on our own we cannot shine his light. Just like the glow-in-the-dark objects, we fade. And so, it’s important for us to stay close to the light by maintaining a relationship with Christ through the scriptures, prayer and worship.
In today’s passage you’ll read in verse 18, And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
You will find the theme of this verse in the following songs:
“Shine, Jesus, Shine” Shine, Jesus, shine fill this land with the Father’s glory…Blaze, Spirit, blaze set our hearts on fire
“Moment by Moment” Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine
“Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” Till, transformed, in thine own image
I’ve heard it said that husbands and wives often start to look like each other the longer they are married. It’s more than just matching clothes; their facial features often become similar.
In the same way, would someone be able to say that you look a lot like Christ?
2 Corinthians 2
By Pastor Libby
Stinky
“For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one we are the smell of death, to the other the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?” 2 Corinthians 2:15-16
As I am studying this passage of scripture my nose has been assaulted by a particularly rotten smell. It is akin to something like, dead rodent. I call my son from the kitchen and quiz him, “do you smell that?” “What is that terrible smell?” to which he replies; “I don’t smell nothin” and proceeds to walk off munching contentedly on his sandwich…
I franticly look under couches, between pillows, I check for any stinky tennis shoes, my nose then zeroes in on the wafting current; it is coming from the fireplace! It’s something dead in the chimney. Oh yeah…
Good fragrances or bad they leave an impression on us. Certain smells can create an oasis while others a stress filled tableau (When will my
husband be home to take care of that dead thing in the chimney?!!!) They titillate our senses, our memory banks, and our expectations.
As Christians, like certain smells, we can influence those around us. Paul is pointing out that, what we do, should speak to Who we serve and make some people a little uncomfortable. Does this mean we should be confrontational with those who don’t believe as we do? Certainly not! It means that our love and our actions towards non-Christians should be radically different from the world at large. We need to give them grace; we need to treat them kindly, even when they may not return the favor. It means that to those who reject the Gospel, when they are confronted with their own choice, by observing ours; that they are able to identify for themselves, a “smell of death” – an eternity away from God.
So, you have my permission as a Christian, “to stink up the place”… in a good way! As for whatever is in the chimney, it is certainly going to spur this family on to action. Oh good! I hear my husband pulling in to the driveway. “Oh David honey, how do you feel about going up on the roof tonight?”
Click here to read 2 Corinthians 2
II Corinthians 1
By Pastor Neil
2 Corinthians 1:3—7
You Think You’ve Got Troubles?
One of the fascinating studies of Paul’s correspondence with the Corinthians is the study of just how many different letters we can see represented in what we call 1 and 2 Corinthians. Most scholars find solid evidence of at least four different letters in these two parts of what we have today. Take a close look and see if you can find them. If you need some help, find a book or a commentary or a Bible Dictionary about Paul’s Corinthian correspondence and they may untangle it for you. It’s quite a puzzle.
Today I want to concentrate on verses 2 – 7 in this first chapter of 2 Corinthians. A quick read through may leave you a bit puzzled, wondering what in the world is going on here. When you take a step back, take a deep breath and look closely, it will become very interesting to you. Let me make a few suggestions to you today that may just put the troubles you are facing into perspective.
Paul begins with giving all praise to God the Father or the Lord Jesus Christ. He identifies God particularly with respect to His attributes of compassion and comfort. We know that this is the very nature of God because of our personal experience. None of us has faced loss or trouble apart from the presence of God to be with us. That’s a solid promise, that we won’t face our problems alone—even if nobody else shows up to care, God is there. In fact, Paul claims that what we know about compassion and comfort has come from our experience with God. We would be so self-centered that we would not even notice others who are in trouble if we had not been aware that Someone cared about and for us. And that “Someone” turns out to be God Himself.
One of life’s great experiences is to share the love of God that has come to us in our time of need with someone else who now needs God’s love. What a privilege it is to receive God’s love and compassion and comfort in the person of family, friends or others who love Jesus. Several years ago I experienced something I had delivered many times to others—a pastoral call in the hospital. A pastor friend came to see me following my back surgery (want to see my scars?). I was alone and feeling very uncomfortable and wondering if all the connections to restore feeling in my lower leg would be returning any time soon. When he walked in the door, smiled, visited a few minutes and then prayed for and with me, it a bit like “warm oil” being poured over my head (now I’ve never experienced warm oil literally, but it sounds nice in my imagination). It was a glorious interlude. As a minister I’d visited many, many people in hospitals to try to deliver the presence of Christ to suffering people. I just hadn’t had the tables turned on me before. I really, really liked that!
This is the kind of thing Paul is talking about here. We deliver God’s love to others and sometimes the tables turn and the comfort comes to us through others. In the end, Paul reminds us that Jesus Christ, Himself, experienced suffering beyond what anyone has suffered before or since. And so when He speaks to us, we can’t say “you don’t know how much I hurt” or “you just don’t understand”.
When we think about this, it can help us be patient with others. It can help us endure the suffering that has come to us. It can help us know that Christ has gone through suffering before we got into our sufferings, and He is now walking through our sufferings with us. Paul puts an interesting twist on this in the end by noting that comfort comes to those who suffer. You don’t get the comfort without the suffering. And the compassion and comfort of God the Father through Jesus Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit makes what appears to others to be a terribly negative thing (namely, our suffering) into something that brings the presence of Christ in all His comfort into our lives. Apparently Paul finds this to be a good trade. Yes, you and I suffer and hurt and are lonely. But it is these sufferings that occasion God’s presence in our lives. When I think of it now, that is what makes me patient and teaches me endurance in the times when loss cannot be undone for now.
1 Corinthians 16
By Pastor Steve
Intentionality in Ministry
As I have attempted to raise and mentor my children in the Lord, I have always made it a point to teach them that ministry to others demands intentionality. You see, my son and daughter have both chosen to serve the Lord with their lives. Joshua is a Youth Pastor and Kristyn is studying Intercultural Missions with a desire to participate in God’s mission work somewhere in the world. Their choices have inspired me to do the best I can to help them be as effective as possible as they serve the Lord; and part of that inspiration is to help them understand that ministry demands a certain level of futuristic intentionality on their part. I have always taught them that planning for ministry means that we should do our best to think in future terms so we can plan what we need to do for the Gospel. This future planning helps us become more effective with the ministries we are planning.
I think that our passage for today would support my convictions on this matter. In 1 Corinthians 16:5—9 Paul wrote to the people saying: “After I go through Macedonia, I will come to you—for I will be going through Macedonia. Perhaps I will stay with you for a while, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go. For I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.”
As I was reading this passage, I was inspired by Paul’s intentionality. He noted that he had a great desire to visit the people of Corinth, but he also realized a few important factors to take into consideration. He did not want to make a short visit but wanted to spend some time with his friends. Paul understood the value of friendships and building community. He realized that they were participants in Paul’s journey and the promotion of the Gospel. We do not embark on ministry ventures alone. It is important to remember that ministry is shared with others and is not a solo act. But the most important aspect of intentional ministry is to realize that we are led by the Lord and not our own desires. Paul’s last statement helps us realize that when push comes to shove, ministry demands that we remain under the Lord’s leading and not our personal desires.
So the big question? How is ministry going for you? Are you intentional for your own desires or for the Lord’s desires? Are you partnering in the work of the Gospel and are you willing to submit to the Lord’s desires if they do not match your desires? How intentional are you?
1 Corinthians Chapter 15
By Pastor Chris
500
Friends, let me go over the Message with you one final time— this Message that I proclaimed and that you made your own; this Message on which you took your stand and by which your life has been saved. (I’m assuming, now, that your belief was the real thing and not a passing fancy, that you’re in this for good and holding fast.)
The first thing I did was place before you what was placed so emphatically before me: that the Messiah died for our sins, exactly as Scripture tells it; that he was buried; that he was raised from death on the third day, again exactly as Scripture says; that he presented himself alive to Peter, then to his closest followers, and later to more than five hundred of his followers all at the same time, most of them still around (although a few have since died); that he then spent time with James and the rest of those he commissioned to represent him; and that he finally presented himself alive to me. It was fitting that I bring up the rear. I don’t deserve to be included in that inner circle, as you well know, having spent all those early years trying my best to stamp God’s church right out of existence.
1 Corinthians 15:1-9
Here we find Paul’s very brief restatement of both the gospel and the life, death and ressurection of Jesus. The number of people Jesus appeared to after his resurrection is sometimes a bit striking. It was not just His 12 disciples and a few others, it was well over 500 people.
If ever there is proof of a risen Christ it comes in the lives of these 500 who, like Paul states in verse 31, put their lives on the line daily for the risen Messiah. They had nothing worldly to gain from proclaiming the gospel. Their only guarantee was to be persecuted for spreading the hope of Christ. This did not deter them at all instead the hope of being reunited with Jesus in resurrection empowered them to proclaim His message even more boldly.
It is in this spirit that Paul reminds the Corinthians (and us) not give up, to continue to believe these eye witnesses and to throw themselves fully into the work if the Lord.
1 Corinthians 14
By Pastor Brad
Order of Worship
Each week I prepare for worship by first studying the sermon scripture passage. I often cross-reference other scripture passages and once I feel confident about the theme, I begin compiling songs into one list.
Some weeks the songs just seem to jump right out of the hymnal or from the many resource music books that I have in my repertoire. By the time I finish my song search I will often have 10-15 songs that would really fit. Trying to sift the list down to 5-6 songs can be difficult at best. And on some occasions I struggle to find any songs that support the preaching theme of the day and my hope is that we can find a few songs that will draw us together.
The process I use to determine which songs are best suited for the day includes: the selection of a particular style, the theology within the text and the emotional response that connects each song. This process is vital to the flow of worship. Each song is scrutinized and played in my head as I anticipate how the gathered body will receive its intention. I pray about what to say and what not to say. I pray about what style to use or not to use. I pray that God will speak to the entire body through our time of worship. And, I pray that God will be exalted in our worship together.
My favorite time of worship is when I’m at the piano in the sanctuary with the only light source coming from the lamp on the piano and no one else is around. I can sit and play and sing for hours. It’s my personal time of worship. It’s intended for my Heavenly Father and me. And in some of those moments I’ve wanted to share that experience with the entire congregation but realize it would exclude many. The task before me is one of inclusion and not exclusion. The word of God, spoken or in song, will unite and draw all people unto Him.
Paul was instructing the believers that God is a God of order. We are to come to worship with our hearts prepared to share with the entire body for edification of the entire body. But remember, worshipping together is about the “we” and not the “me.”
This week I would like you to read this passage of scripture from “The Message.”
I Corinthians 13
By Pastor Libby
Coaching Tennis: Love-Forty
I have never been a great athlete, so it was with some surprise that I found myself as the 7th grade tennis coach at Jefferson Jr. High School. I remember vaguely answering on my interview that I had played a “little” tennis …period, end of story. “Little” as in gym class and weekend “there’s nothing else to do…” matches.
When I received my coaching assignment, I knew that “little” wasn’t going to cut it with the students.
I suppose part of the reason I bring up my less than sterling coaching career is that in tennis the term love, means zero. As we love as Christ intends for us to love, we become less while others around us become more; more fulfilled, more loving themselves, more likely to see that what we do doesn’t stem from vain ambition or brownie points but true Christ-giving, sacrificial love.
When Paul writes of love in I Corinthians 13, this descriptive and memorable chapter points out to me that love has to be passionately lived; you can’t just have a “little” love. If you have the gift of tongues but no love; so what! No one is impressed. If you can prophecy, but have no love; who cares? It’s a wasted effort. If you have the faith of Moses but can’t love like it matters; big deal! It all pales in comparison. If you can play tennis like Andre Agassi but show no love, I’m not sure I want you playing with me.
So, what did I do with those kids who were on the 7th grade tennis team? I leveled with them from the very beginning of the season and told them that I was no tennis pro. Then together we worked on the basics of tennis; watched technique videos, got out on the court every chance we
could, and I loved them and encouraged them through the whole process. Love helped make up for a wealth of nonexistent experience.
Can love be learned? I think so, and as we love as Christ loves, I believe that the rest will fall into place. So, it’s now your serve. Is there any place in your life that love needs to be self evident, not just a “little” but a lot?
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
Click here to read I Corinthians 13
1 Corinthians 12
By Pastor Neil
Reflections on 1 Corinthians 12:
Who is the Most Valuable Person in Twin Falls First Nazarene?
In this chapter, Paul speaks first about spiritual gifts. In recent years this has been a “hot topic” among Christians. We have developed whole systems of testing and workshops designed to help us figure out what it is that our gift-mix best equips us to do in service to the Lord. Mostly, in my observations, it turns out to be the things we most like to do. That’s not surprising since few of us enjoy failure every time we turn around. Following this opening paragraph in the chapter Paul launches into a discussion that has always intrigued me. It is this second part of the chapter that captures my attention for us for today.
He tells us a story that is based on our own bodies. He points out that every part of the human body has a unique function and an importance that is unique to it. There just don’t seem to be any duplicates in our parts and pieces. Anything that is missing or not functioning properly disables us to some extent. As I grow older I’m a living laboratory for the unfolding story of body parts that don’t do as well as they once did. And this story continues apace and gives me aches and pains and inabilities I had not known before.
There is a lot of humor as Paul’s story unfolds. We see eyes speaking to hands and heads talking to feet. The core of the story is that nothing about us seems to be worthless or unneeded. This fascinating metaphor shows us that the body that works best is the one where all the parts work together, doing “their thing”, whatever that may be, to make us whole and effective in our lives. An important truth about our bodies, as Paul points out, is that when any part of us hurts it affects the rest of our body. A tooth ache can make you miserable all over. Think about his metaphor. He says that each part should have concern for every other part. Our hands sometimes protect our heads in a sudden stumble and fall. Our eyes see something coming toward us and we duck or run or sidestep and this saves a broken leg or perhaps a knot on our head from an object coming at us. When every part of us works in harmony, life is good.
Paul then ends the chapter and applies the metaphor to the church. We are the “body of Christ” and every person is a part of this body. And every part is important and contributes is some way to the overall health of the whole. When everyone is coordinated in the effort to truly be the church in the world today, the church is a beautiful body to behold. He urges us each to do what we do best for the greater good of the body and for the glory of God. And at the end of the chapter, he gives us our lead into the glories of Chapter 13. If you really, really want something in this body of Christ, throw all your effort into the “greater gifts” as he puts it. It turns out that this “greater gift” is “love divine, all loves excelling.” Tune in tomorrow for more about this.
1 Corinthians 11
By Pastor Steve
Who likes examinations anyway?
I am not exactly overjoyed about going to the Doctor or to the Dentist for routine examinations. My guess is that many of you feel the same! I always wonder when I go to the Dentist if he is going to tell me that I have a cavity and he is going to need to take a drill to my tooth in order to fill in the hole that is growing in my tooth. Thankfully that hasn’t happened to me for many years—but it is still always in the back of my mind and causes concern. Although I dislike going to the Dentist, I still go twice a year in order to have the examination because preventative measures are always better than prescriptive measures.
When I go to the Doctor for an annual examination, I am generally concerned about what I might hear him say as well. I wonder if I will hear that my blood pressure is too high; or maybe my blood work revealed that my cholesterol levels are too high and I need to change my diet in order to lower that cholesterol level so I will be healthier. Although I have my concerns, I would still rather have those examinations and live as healthy as possible than avoid the examinations and find out that something is wrong with my physical body that might require more drastic measures.
When I was reading our text for today, I was once again inspired and challenged by Paul’s admonition to participate in self-examinations. When Paul was instructing the Church in Corinth about the Lord’s Supper, he wrote: Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.
I think that many people would rather avoid self-examination concerning sin in our lives as much as I would rather avoid the Dentist or the Doctor. We fear the self-examination because if we really look at what is happening on the interior of our lives we might just find out that we need to adjust our “diet” of activities in order to reduce the level of sin in our lives. Much like an adjustment of unhealthy foods can reduce cholesterol in our human body, a good reduction of unhealthy activity and thought processes can reduce sin in our lives. If we do not participate in self- examination concerning what is going on within our spiritual lives, we will be unaware of the needed changes. The next time you are about to participate in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper (communion) take a few minutes to look within and ask the Lord to do some preventative work on your soul so when you share in communion you can commune with the Lord through a clear conscious wrought through self-examination.
