Sunday 21 June 2009 2 Corinthians 5:10-6:13 Every Member Involved in Evangelism 2: We are servants, Bruce

In two weeks time the diakonia will become presbuteroi . Will they stop being deacons?

This seems to be Paul’s third letter to the church in Corinth. As Robert told us last week, he speaks of us as ambassadors to the wider world; but there is also an inner dimension. God made him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God; we have received a full and complete forgiveness and new start, simply and only by believing in Jesus. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. But Paul has had to remind them of the standards of Christian behaviour, and of areas where they are falling short. We have been justified, but there is a work of sanctification to be done. They did not like it. So part of the list of hardships that he recites refers to his treatment by those he is serving. The passage quoted ends with an appeal to the Corinthians to be reconciled. There is a sense in which we all need to be constantly evangelised. None of us is perfect.

We often list the five key attributes that we associate with being a Christian:
Christ at the centre
Every member a disciple
Every member in ministry
Every member building community
Every member involved in evangelism

These are not to be thought of as a list, with the most important first. Rather, think of a bridge with five pillars or an arch with five segments. Remove one aspect, and the whole thing comes tumbling down.

1. All that we are and every hope that we have is centred on Jesus, on the death that he died for us, and the life that he now lives through us. We can do nothing without him; anything that we attempt without him, even from the highest motives, will turn to dust and ashes and failure.

2. We are entranced, won over, by the love of Christ, and we are therefore his disciples. We take full responsibility for our growth as Christians. We want to learn to read, pray, study, live disciplined lives. No one compels us to do this, we want to do it, and we are only truly happy when we are doing it. When we fail, we keep coming back for cleansing and healing, trusting always in the blood of Jesus, and in the work of the Holy Spirit to keep changing us into the image of Christ.

4. Paul’s concern is to re-establish fellowship and build community. He appeals to the Corinthians to be in right relationship with each other, with him, and ultimately with God. It is by the building of strong local churches where we really love, trust and respect each other, that the gospel is made credible and attractive. The only way that this church or any church will grow is by being filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The way that we grow as disciples is through our inter-action with other believers; none of us is perfect, but God works us all together for good, for our transformation and for the blessing of the world.

5. God gave us, all of us, the ministry of reconciliation. We are all ambassadors. We are all fellow workers with God, announcing the day of salvation. We are all servants. Jesus gave himself as a servant and sacrifice to redeem the world, and we rejoice to share the good news of it. We delight to do this. We rejoice at opportunities such as Lost for Words to equip us.

3. Paul makes it very clear that we are all involved in ministry, or as servants. It is the same diakonia word. Jesus is our great High Priest. We are all united as a kingdom of priests who represent God to humankind, and humankind to God. God is our Father, Jesus is our Brother and Friend; but we are never to forget that we are under obligation to live holy, humble, obedient lives as servants. All that Paul does is shaped to ensure that he can carry out the ministry with which he has been entrusted. He will endure any hardship or slight if it will further the service of the gospel. This is our motivation. To be good servants, we will redouble our efforts to be disciples, we will put the building and keeping of fellowship and community above all else, we will be passionate in sharing the good news of Jesus with our families, neighbours, colleagues and friends. We will do this not in our own efforts and strength, but relying on Jesus who is the Vine and we are branches, drawing our lives and goodness from him.

If we remove one segment of the arch, the whole thing will crumble.

If we are not centred on Jesus, we will be high minded do-gooders, either proud of our success or sinking into a mire of failure. If we are not disciples, we will be spectators and passengers, taking part in religious practices but never enjoying contact with God. If we are not servants, we will be motivated by our own desires, our likes and dislikes, instead of being open to the heart-beat of God and moving in his will. If we are not community builders, we will be ignoring the prayer of Jesus in agony, that we should all be one as he and the Father are one. If we are not involved in evangelism, we will be trying to contain the sacrificial love of Jesus for the whole cosmos, neglecting to share it, pass it on.

This week I call servant-hood to your attention, as a way to think about being involved in evangelism. They are not two different values, but different aspects of the same over-arching aim, which is to encounter God and grow in him.

Questions
1. How do we respond to the words “For Christ’s love compels us”?
2. In what ways can we see a connection between the five ‘values’ of encountering God and growing in him?
3. What particular ministries or areas of service do you think that God may be calling you to?