by George Bonsangue Jr.
As America continues to grow increasingly hostile and in opposition to Biblical values, the message of the gospel and the people who hold them to be precious, then the need for faithful, courageous, articulate ministers of the gospel has become the clarion call of the local church. However the lack of interest in the pew for hearing sound teaching and preaching, coupled with the rising tide of secularism (the recent decision of the US Supreme Court regarding gay marriage in our state is but one example) and the continued rise of Islam and other heresy in this nation, all serve to remind us that the church is under pressure to either stand firm on Biblical conviction or cave in to doctrinal compromise.
It was just such an atmosphere however that the apostle Paul faced in the church at Corinth and which the Spirit of God used to lead him to pen two of the most riveting letters addressing these very kinds of issues. For example in his second letter to them (our 1 Corinthians), he addresses such problems as rival groups following different leaders (ch. 1), prideful tolerance of open immorality (ch. 5), lawsuits brought against one another in front of unbelievers (ch. 6) and abuses of their freedom to dine with unbelievers (ch. 8), partake of the Lord’s supper (ch. 11) and properly exercise spiritual gifts (chapters 12-14); and don’t forget the heresy which denied a future, bodily resurrection from the grave. Sounds a lot like 21st century America to me!!
However, in his fourth letter to them (our 2 Corinthians), he proceeds to address pertinent issues regarding true gospel, new covenant, Spirit driven ministry (cf. ch. 3) that answers the need of the hour today every bit as much as it answered the issues of the Corinthians in their day. Paul proceeds in the opening verses of chapter 4 to give ten characteristics of the gospel ministry that every pastor and parishioner needs to lay hold of for their own joy and resolve in Christ. If believers today are to continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that [they] have heard (cf. Colossians 1:23), then they must be effectively ministered to with the good news of that gospel by which we are saved.
The following ten characteristics are broken into two categories. The first includes five characteristics of the gospel ministers (4:1-2) and the second contains five characteristics of the gospel message (4:3-6). While I will keep my commentary on these familiar verses brief, I encourage you to allow the Spirit of God to refresh your mind and heart in these glorious truths as they apply to every preacher and Christian as well.
I. Five Characteristics of the Gospel Ministers (4:1-2)
A. They embrace the gospel ministry as their own.
In chapter 3, Paul has laid out the superiority of the new covenant over the old Mosaic covenant . . . and himself and his fellow workers as ministers of this covenant. It is also called the ministry of the Spirit which remains and gives Paul hope (3:11-12). It is this ministry that leads people to turn to the Lord (3:16) and results in transformation into the image of the Lord: Jesus Christ, the image of God.
It’s on account of this ministry by which this transformation takes place that Paul and his fellow workers embrace it as their own. For Paul, he experienced this on the Damascus road and from that point on he acknowledged that he had received this ministry.
How about you? Have you fully embraced the gospel ministry as your own? Is it central to all that you engage in? Do you preach it to believers and unbelievers alike with the same passion you talk about your favorite sports team, pastime or even your kids or wife? The gospel should be everything to those who minister its precious truths, not only on Sunday morning from the pulpit but all week long.
B. They acknowledge being recipients of mercy.
Paul had also experienced God’s unspeakable mercy on that Damascus road and he understood that it was only by God’s mercy, grace and love that he had been saved from his former way of life (cf. Ephesians 2:4-5; Galatians 1:13-15). As ministers of the gospel, we must never let a day go by without praising God for His mercy and calling us into service to Him.
Paul wrote to Timothy: even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. And yet I was shown mercy, because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; . . .
It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. 16 And yet for this reason I found mercy, in order that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience, as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. (1 Timothy 1:13, 15-16). He never did “get over it.” Being a recipient of God’s mercy was a daily, underlying motivation to being a servant of the new covenant (cf. 3:6)
You and I are like Paul: examples of those who have received God’s mercy; and this should motivate us to greater faithfulness in gospel ministry also. What happens when we fail to acknowledge God’s mercy in our lives however, is we begin to drift into sin as preaching God’s Word becomes a weekly burden to bear and people become daily interruptions to our schedule. Rather than serving Christ and others out of love and compassion, able to identify with their struggles, sympathize with their weaknesses and provide necessary and timely assistance, we simply dish out more theologically correct and (hopefully) Biblically sound answers, but detached from any genuine sense of mercy. Yet the church desperately needs to see men who embody the humility, patience, grace and love that flow from a minister who knows he needs and has received God’s mercy.
C. They do not grow discouraged.
The verb translated to lose heart (NASB, NIV, ESV) means to lose your enthusiasm or motivation for doing something you should continue to do. Literally it means to give in to evil. Yet this is something Paul simply will not allow to happen. Those who have embraced the gospel ministry and acknowledged God’s mercy in their life understand that though times of discouragement arise, we cannot give in to it.
For nearly 11 years I have pastored a small church (well under 100 people) and I understand the temptation to lose heart in ministry. The struggle to develop men for leadership, mobilize people for evangelism, see Christians stuck in sins they can’t seem to overcome and grow wearisome of my own inadequacies and battles with the flesh have all caused me, on more than one occasion, to want to give up on the ministry. Finding a new ministry or going back into the secular job market can become appealing at times and yet we must not lose heart. Instead we must refocus our hearts and attention once again on the eternal value of the message we preach, the Savior we love and the privilege to be called to this task. I have to remind myself often that nothing else I can do with my time will ever bring me greater fulfillment than the work of the ministry.
How about you? Are you beginning to lose heart? Are you drifting into the thinking that nothing you do in ministry really makes a difference? If so, it’s time to refocus and refresh your soul with the great joy that gospel ministry truly is. Ask the Lord to strengthen you just as He did Paul (cf. 1 Timothy 1:12; 2 Timothy 4:17) and determine by His grace and His Spirit not to give in, give up or give the devil any opportunity (Ephesians 4:27).
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