Credible Christianity

Credible Christianity

2 Corinthians 6:3-7:1

SIBKL/Pastor Victor/11/8/12

Last week, in Pastor Daniel’s powerful message, “Live eternity now”, it brought back to my remembrance vivid memories from my childhood. When I was young, I used to have 2 stacks of books. One stack would have stuff like Spiderman and Enid Blyton while the other stack would have the stories of the great missionaries including Jim Elliot and his 4 friends. When I went for camps, I would now and again lift up my hand and tell the Lord “I want to serve you full time, but I don’t know how.” The story of the 5 missionaries were especially special to me. I remember reading it wondering how 5 young men would give up their lives for the Lord like that. Elizabeth Elliot who wrote the book, remarried again and saw her second husband pass away before marrying a third time. One question Christians often ask is “is it possible to be so in love yet so pure? Can passion and purity come together?” The elderly missionary said “yes”.

The Jim Elliot story became so famous that it came out in songs, and even a movie. One songs goes “I've lost track of all the Sundays. The offering plate's gone by and as I gave my hard earned dollars I felt free to keep my life. I talk about commitment. And the need to count the cost, but the words of a martyr show me I don´t know, his cross. For he is no fool, who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. Obedience and servanthood are traits I've rarely shown the fellowship of his sufferings is a joy I've barely known. There are riches in surrendering, that can't be gained for free and God will share all heavens wonders, but the price he asks is me.

Today’s message is to encourage those serving in ministry to press on. It is easy to start but difficult to sustain. We may be excited in the beginning but exhausted in the end. I went full time at age 24, when friends were just going into legal work. I was trained to be a lawyer. I prayed to God “Maybe I’m making a really stupid mistake right now going full time too fast, but I just want you to know I do it because I love you. After school, I made this choice, forsaking the chance to start life as a half-baked lawyer. But after all these years, how did I stay credible?

There are at least 35 ministries in SIBKL. What keeps you going? Faith? Money? Position? SIB has one of the lowest ratios of pastors to members. In ministries like hospital visitation, cancer group support, what keeps you going? How about ushering, shaking hands every week? Or the Bless ministry, with a whole range of ministries within? There are so many unknown, unheard. How do you maintain credibility without being a stumbling block?

In the passage today, we see how the creditability of our ministry is determined by 3 things, 3 theological anchors. In reading it, it helps us understand Paul’s heart for the church.

Firstly, 2 Corinthians 6:3-10 speaks of the perseverance of our faith. Paul was tested in every way - in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger, . Yet, Paul was triumphant – 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 dishonor,bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. What keeps our ministry credible is that we will persevere in testing. Testing is a given, one way or another. It is a paradox. We are tested, yet we have breakthrough. That was Paul’s theology of suffering. We have a God who allows us to be tested yet enables us to be triumphant in every way. The death of the 5 missionaries became the salvation of a whole tribe and inspired the whole world.

Secondly, 2 Corinthians 6:11-13 speaks of the posture of our hearts. It read “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.” Paul exposed himself, not hiding, giving full expression, not holding back, exchanging, not hesitating. It is a picture of Jesus Christ, exposing Himself, expressing Himself, exchanging Himself for us.

Those who stab you are those in front of you and those behind you. When they stab, they stab you in the back, those you depend on. Many stop serving because the last time they served, they hurt really bad. In Paul’s case, he said “all the more will I open up myself to you”. He had a theology of sharing. We have a God who does not withhold His affection from us. The 5 missionaries died, not holding anything back, giving everything they had to the Lord.

Thirdly, 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 speaks of the purity of our hearts. Paul gave 5 rhetorical questions:- What do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Light and darkness? Christ and Belial? A believer and an unbeliever? The temple of God and idols? Some people misquote this passage to say that Christians should not go into business with non-Christians. It’s not that, it must be seen in the whole context. We can be in the world but not of the world. God is distinct and different but not detached.

In conclusion, the credibility of our ministry is determined by the perseverance of our faith, the posture of our heart, and the purity of our conduct. When God wanted an inventor, He chose a slow learner (Albert Einstein). When God wanted a leader, He chose a loser (Abraham Lincoln). When God wanted a reformer, He chose a sinner (Martin Luther).