Missions Paul

God wants you all for Himself (The Message). He doesn’t want to share you with anyone. In that way He is a jealous God.

Corinth was a city known for its moral corruption and false religious worship. Paul in addressing the need to stay away from the influences of the world uses the text from Isaiah 52 v11.

“Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” (2 Corinthians 6 v 17)

As in Corinth, the Israelites were in exile, away from their home, living among people whose culture was completely different to theirs. Isaiah calls for them to depart from the cultural practices and influences.

Paul (or Isaiah) isn’t thinking that God’s people should withdraw from the world but he does call for:-

1. Distinction. There has to be difference in character between the Christian and the non-Christian.
2. Separation. There has to be difference in participation in behaviours.
3. Preservation. There has to be difference in knowing who we are even when surrounded by influential voices.

The end goal is not some holiness badge. It is about the presence of God.

This call to ‘come out from them’ is an invitation to draw near to Him.

He has promised to do so. Whatever path you are on today, He is walking with you, for He is your God who promised you He would walk with you. There is no place that you tread that God doesn’t go with you. If you are entering into a new job, a new season of opportunity and even if you are walking into uncertainty and challenge, He is walking with you. Amen!

““I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (2 Corinthians 6 v 16)

Paul is thinking back to the ancient messages from God and he uses a quotation taking from Ezekiel, Jeremiah and Leviticus, “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.” (Leviticus 26:12)

This blessing was a call to not be influenced by the world His people were living in. They have had an Exodus not to become trapped under evil influence again.

God promises them rain and success as they worked the fields; He promises to protect them and give them victory over their enemies; He told them He would multiply their children; and above all He would walk with them. In fact God says He would enable them to walk with heads held high.

Several years ago I began a Youth leadership training ministry. One of the first young people aged 15 years would never look anyone in the eye. Such was his inferiority complex his head fell to the floor every time. But over the course of time we saw him lift his head and converse eye to eye and today you would never know he had previously had that problem. Today he preaches to several hundred people and is a Pastor.

To the crushed, humiliated, dominated, the broken, the sinful, our message is that we have had an exodus!! Jesus has set us free!! Lift up your head! He wants to walk with you.

Here is the invitation today.

Yes, we once betrayed him, wounded him, pierced him with our sin. But today he says to us, “I have forgiven you. Let us walk together. Have confidence in my love. Lift up that head, walk tall and walk with me.”

^“ Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? ¹⁵ What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” ¹⁷ Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” ¹⁸ And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6 v 14-18)

So what was Paul meaning? How is this message about not being yoked together with unbelievers to be viewed? Is it marriage? Is it business partnerships? Friendships? The list can continue. However, I wonder if it is simply easier to understand that we must be careful not to come under the influence of wickedness, of evil and ultimately of Belial (name for Satan). We are people of righteousness and Paul backs this up with Scriptures which we will look at tomorrow.

So what can we do to protect ourselves from sinful influence? This is what we must focus on.

• Not everything you hear can be trusted and believed blindly.
• Not everything that is inspirational is from Him even though it might make you feel good.
• Not everything that is false looks false at first.
• Everything must be filtered through this one test: Jesus is the Christ.
• Every religious experience must come under the submission of the orthodox teaching of and about Jesus Christ.
• Everything the Spirit of God does points to Jesus and if it doesn’t then it is the spirit of the antichrist.

Let us all make sure we are under the influence of what is good!

“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.” (2 Corinthians 6 v 12-13)

Some people always like to be the victim in scenarios. The Corinthians church were one of these. Paul had to address their sinfulness and he did so firmly in the previous letter. Now it looks like they have withheld their love for him and the team and probably because they say they are hurt. What is more probably true, they are offended.

Paul calls them to be as open and honest as he was with them. For that is the only way to be reconciled. There are people hurt and offended today with someone who is completely unaware that they have been the one to make them feel this way.

Have we built walls instead of bridges?

Is there anyone we have withdrawn from, why?

We  might need to overcome our hurts, disappointments and fears in order to love authentically.

Finally, notice how Paul addresses them as children. This speaks of Paul’s love to them being one of nurture and sacrifice. I heard yesterday how one father hasn’t had contact with his son for many years. They had fallen out a long time ago. Perhaps today there is someone, a parent, a child, a friend of years ago who you stopped loving, you gave up your affection for them. The Spirit calls you to open your heart again and show the same love that God shows you.

“We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you.” (2 Corinthians 6 v 11)

I love the NKJV  which says, “O Corinthians! We have spoken …”

There are times for giving instructions and addressing issues and problems and then there are times for this:

O Corinthians! … our heart is wide open

People always know whether they are loved by you.

Opening your heart to people involves risk and disappointment. You can be rejected. Your heart can be broken and you can face the temptation to pull the draw bridge of your heart up and never to love again. But the pull of genuine connection is far too strong.

Above all it reflects the open heart of Christ for us all.

A crucible: a ceramic or metal container in which metals or other substances may be melted or subjected to very high temperatures.

For Paul, since entering the life of service to God it has not been one of victory and miracles entirely. There has been a flip-side to that coin. It has been more like the crucible. Ministry has happened within the crucible of discomfort but has been proven authentic.

“We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. ⁴ Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; ⁵ in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; ⁶ in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; ⁷ in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; ⁸ through glory and dishonour, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; ⁹ known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; ¹⁰ sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.” (2 Corinthians 6 v 3-10)

Paul’s service flowed from who he was not what he did. He is a servant of God and it is a tough life being so. He doesn’t sugar-coat his experiences. He has faced much difficulty and opposition.

The real credentials of ministry is never what you think it is.

Next week along with the National team of leaders I will be giving out credentials to new ministers who will be ordained the following month. Last week along with others I led a global conference of Pastors from across the world who know hardship and suffering. True credentials are not small cards or whether or not your work is successful, according to the views of people who see you on the many stages of this world; but true credentials are found in difficulty, in the crucibles of this world. The Holy Spirit is there within the crucible of suffering, difficulty and opposition and is forming who we are within them. The paradox of the reality of brokenness and celebration.

Paul doesn’t complain or react against the discomfort. He doesn’t necessarily want to avoid them. He sees his difficulties as the demonstration for the glory of God in his life. So we can sorrow and rejoice!

In the time of my favour I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6 v 2)

Paul quotes from Isaiah 49 but adds his own “now is the time and now is the day”.

Now. Don’t prepare to change tomorrow, don’t reconcile tomorrow, the divine moment of God is always right now, in the present time.

Paul is saying to the Church they are living in a unique time of God’s favour. We are also.

Are you postponing anything that you need to do today?

Are you thinking tomorrow will be a better day to follow God?

If you truly believed that today carries the favour and blessing of God, what would you do?

Don’t wait for a convenient time, do it now. Now is now.

“As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. ² For he says, “In the time of my favour I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.”I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6 v 1-2)

I am writing this devotion whilst the Elim Global conference is happening in London. 176 delegates from all over the world are gathered in London and there is this deep sense of being co-workers together. In fact that is the theme of the conference, Together for the Nations. But this theme has suddenly taken on a whole new meaning. We are not only co-workers together. But Paul says we are God’s co-workers.

Together with Him. Often we are asking Him to work with us. “Come and help me today” we pray and He does of course. But there is a greater call, “Come and join me in my work today.”

We work with the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.

It isn’t that God needs us to help Him out. He doesn’t need our workmanship. But He wants us to work with Him. It reminds me of the story of the elephant and mouse crossing the bridge. The mouse said to the elephant, ‘Wow we really shook that bridge didn’t we?!’

It’s His mission and we join Him. As we do we find that it isn’t all about what we do but it is about what He does in us. Working in the mission of God with Him changes lives, our lives. We are never the same again. And as we change we desire for more so we respond to the call to be with Him.

This work within His mission is grace. This grace encourages us to respond to the call, not to be passive but active.

Today God is calling you again to His grace, the work of His mission. As you do then you will change, for this is the day of salvation, now.

In its simplest but most beautiful form: our sins are laid on Christ and His righteousness is laid upon us.

“God made him who had no sin to be sinfor us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5 v 21)

• Jesus was the only human  who lived without sin, the spotless lamb.
• This sinlessness was essential to His mission. It had to be a perfect sacrifice. If He had sinned even only once then He would have needed saving not been the Saviour.
• Jesus was made sin for us on the cross. There he took on the full consequences of our sin. He was our sin offering bearing the full weight of divine judgment for our sins. At that moment the Father treated His Son as if Jesus Christ had committed every sin of every person who had ever and who ever was going to live.
• Christ gave us His righteousness not because we had achieved or earnt it in some way. It is received by faith .
• When God looks at you now He sees you being clothes in the perfect righteousness of Christ.
• This great exchange is the gospel message and anything that is different in even the slightest way is not the gospel.
• Our righteousness is not by our works but Christ’s work on the cross.

Our world is divided, prejudiced and abusive. It desperately needs individuals who see things differently, and we do, the Church. There is a move of God currently across the world where it seems there is an escalation of lives being transformed, renewed, changed upside down and one of the first things that happens is that the person sees their world differently.

“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. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! ¹⁸ All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ 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. ²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5 v 16-20)

When a person has been transformed by the power of Christ then their perspective on themselves, others and their world changes, they see things differently.

• They don’t see people as the world sees them, their appearances, their social status and achievements.
• They see people as God sees them, with eyes of possibility, seeing the divine in humanity.
• They see Jesus Christ more than a good man, more than a prophet or miracle-worker, but God in flesh Himself.
• They see Christians as new creatures in Christ. Everything is new.
• They see their past failures not as something that defines them anymore but it is the newness of life that gives them a new identity.
• They see the reconciling work of Christ as the key for a new relationship with God.
• They view reconciliation between people as the outcome of reconciliation with God.

May it be said of you and me, ‘From now on …” Let’s start today.