2 Corinthians 4:15 ~ 20180923 ~ Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org

09/23_2 Corinthians 4:15; Missions Fuels Worship; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20180923_2cor4_15.mp3

Paul is teaching the essence of authentic ministry. Here in 2 Corinthians 4 verse 15, Paul climaxes with his ultimate passion and aim; worship. The aim of christian ministry is worship.

Earthen Vessels Display Resurrection Power

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Paul is highlighting his own human frailty to put on display the superabundant resurrection power of God. He is a fragile earthenware container, carrying around in his death-susceptible body the glorious light of the good news of Jesus Christ. His suffering, his afflictions, his persecution puts on display the supreme power of God who accomplishes his purposes through the unlikely and unqualified. Death is at work in the messenger to bring about life in the ones to whom he brings the message.

Theology Fuels Missions

2 Corinthians 4:13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.

He speaks out of a deep-rooted confidence in, a dependence on God who raises the dead. It is God who must give life, who must shine light in the sin-blinded hearts of unbelievers who cannot see Jesus for who he is. The god of this world has blinded minds, and the Lord of the universe must unblind them. Theology fuels his evangelism, his mission, his ministry. Knowing the truth of the resurrection, confident that the crucifixion of Jesus was a sufficient sacrifice to cleanse our sin-stained consciences and make us stand faultless in the presence of absolute holiness with great joy, dependent on the gospel to bring both he and those who receive his message into the very presence of almighty God, he speaks.

His confidence is not in his approach, his logic, his presentation. His confidence is not in his capable communication or his winsome wit and personality. His confidence is in God who raises the dead. He believes, so he speaks. Theology fuels missions.

And missions fuels worship. This is the goal of all Christian ministry.

Competing or Complementary?

2 Corinthians 4:15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

It seems in this one verse he offers two competing goals; for your sake, and to the glory of God. Is his ultimate ministry aim to benefit believers or to bless God?

All this suffering, all this daily dying, all this carrying around in my body the dying of Jesus is on account of you; it is for your benefit. Death is at work in us, but life in you! Through my suffering, through my affliction, I am making plain that Jesus is more precious than any earthly comfort. See, Paul didn't have to suffer. As we saw last time, his persecution was a direct result of his speaking. If he would just shut his mouth and stop talking about Jesus Christ and him crucified, he would not have to suffer. But he looked at the believers in Corinth, he looked at and Crispus and Gaius and Fortunatus and Achaicus and Stephanas and their families (1Cor.1:14-16; 16:17), and he said it is all for your sake. He looked forward through generations of believers who would believe because of his testimony, and he said it is worth it. You are worth it. It is a small price to pay for your eternal joy. He said back in 1:24 'we don't lord it over your faith; we work with you for your joy'. Paul is eager to see people blessed. He is eager to see grace abound through the many. He said in 1 Corinthians 9 that he presents the gospel free of charge; he made himself a servant to all that he might win the many. He was eager to win Jews and Gentiles; he met people where they were 'that by all means I might save some'. All this is for your sake.

But we have to take 'all this is for your sake' in light of verse 11, which says that we 'are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake' and verse 5 where he says we proclaim Christ Jesus as Lord with ourselves as servants of the church 'for Jesus' sake'. How is he serving churches in his speaking and in his sacrifices 'for Jesus' sake', and also all this is 'for your sake'? Is he contradicting himself? Are these two competing goals, or are they somehow complementary?

Through and To

Grace superabounds through the many. Literally translated this verse reads 'for all these things for your sake in order that the grace increases through the many the gratitude abounds to the glory of God. It is not to the many; as if they were the end goal and final recipients; it is through the many; through their agency gratitude abounds to the glory of God. Paul is passionate to see the gospel reach more and more people, and it is genuinely for their benefit. But he has a greater end in view. It is to the glory of God.

The Glory of God

We see this passion for God's glory throughout the scriptures, from Psalm 8 where God set his name and his glory above the heavens; Psalm 19 where the heavens were created to declare the glory of God; Psalm 24, where he is called 'the King of glory'; Psalm 29, where glory is due to his name, where the heavenly beings ascribe glory to the Lord; and 'all in his temple cry 'Glory!'; Psalm 86 where 'all the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name'. Isaiah 6 where the angelic beings cry 'the whole earth is full of his glory'; Isaiah 43, where he created everyone 'for his glory'; In Isaiah 42 and 48 God says that he does not give his glory to another, nor his praise to carved idols.

In Romans 1 and 3 our sin is exchanging the glory of God for images, and we fall short of glorifying God. In Romans 5 we 'obtain access by faith into grace and rejoice in hope of the glory of God'. In Romans 15 we are to welcome one another 'for the glory of God' and 'with one voice glorify God'; the Gentiles will 'glorify God for his mercy'.

1 Corinthians 6 tells us we are to glorify God in our bodies; 1 Corinthians 10 tells us that eating, drinking, whatever we do is to be done to the glory of God. In 2 Corinthians 1 in response to the faithfulness of God 'we utter our Amen to the glory of God.' In chapter 3, our beholding the glory of the Lord brings transformation. In chapter 4 Satan wants to keep us from seeing the glory of Christ, but God shines in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. In chapters 8 and 9, their gospel generosity is meant to cause the recipients to glorify God.

3 times in Ephesians 1, our manifold salvation is 'to the praise of his glory'. In Philippians 1 our righteousness through Christ is to the glory and praise of God. In Philippians 2 we confess Jesus Christ as Lord 'to the glory of God the Father'.

In 1 Peter 2 our good deeds are to cause even evildoers to glorify God. In 1 Peter 4 we are to 'serve in the strength that God supplies so that God gets the glory' and even when we suffer for the name of Christ 'we glorify God in that name'.

In 1 Thessalonians 2, 1 Peter 5 and 2 Peter 1 we are 'called to his own glory.'

In 1 Timothy 1 the good news is described as 'the gospel of the glory of the blessed God'

The glory of God is the central theme of the Bible. The Westminster Shorter Catechism got it right in declaring that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.

God Glorified by Gratitude

We get that. We want to bring God glory. But how? What does that look like? What does that even mean? This verse helps.

2 Corinthians 4:15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

Paul endures suffering in gospel ministry so that as the grace increases through the many the gratitude abounds to the glory of God. Grace abounds. Grace is multiplied through the many. Grace is God's kindness, God's favor that is unearned, undeserved. It is God's gift given freely. Salvation is a gift; forgiveness, a right standing with God, inner transformation; all gifts of God's grace. As Paul proclaims Jesus, God's grace is abounds to more people. As Paul suffers for the gospel, more people take notice, pay attention, and receive God's grace. God is infinitely gracious. But the experience of God's grace is multiplied as more people lean into God's grace, depend on his grace, receive it.

And what is the natural response when you experience grace? I ran in to the grocery store the other day just to get a handful of things for dinner. I get to the checkout, and the lady in front of me has about half a shopping cart of groceries. She looks up and says, 'you go ahead'. She didn't have to do that. I don't deserve special treatment at the grocery store. I am not more important than her. She was there first. And it will cost her; if she lets me go first, it will take her longer. That is grace. How do you respond? My first inclination is not to receive the grace. No, it's OK. I don't need it. I can wait. Of course I only came to get three things, so I didn't get a cart, but there were a couple other things on a good sale, so I ended up with five things, and I should have got a cart, but I'm trying to manage to hold on to them all. She smiles and says, no really, you go ahead. What is the response to grace? I feel humbled and grateful. She noticed my situation and extended a small kindness to me that I didn't deserve.

God's grace is infinitely greater, deeper, richer.

Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Ephesians 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—

Colossians 1:21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,

Grace results in gratitude. These words are connected. The Greek word for grace is charis [χάρις]; the word for thanksgiving is eucharistian [εὐχαριστίαν]. Eu-charis-tian is built on the root charis. John Piper suggests an English translation that retains this root word connection; grace and gratitude. Gratitude is a response to grace; gratis. As grace extends to more people, more people are moved to be profoundly grateful.

So how does this help us understand what it means to glorify God? An increase in gratitude gives glory to God. God is recognized as the giver. The gift he gives is a gift; it is unearned, undeserved. He is under no obligation; he is free to give or to not give, and he chooses to give. When I receive his gifts, the normal response of a healthy soul is gratitude. I am humbled (because I did nothing to deserve it) and I feel grateful (because I see his character that he is gracious and generous and kind). This brings glory to God, because I am seeing and enjoying him, who he is. I am recognizing his character, and I am blessed by him. He is the kind of person I want to be around.

These two things, gratitude and glorifying God are linked in Romans 1, where our healthy response is broken.

Romans 1:21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him,

Although God had revealed his character, we did not honor, literally glorify him as God, and we were not grateful. This is what sin is. A failure to respond to God's gracious character with gratitude; a failure to glorify him.

When we fail to receive his grace, when we reject his generosity we don't enjoy him and we won't be grateful; we won't glorify God.

This is how 'all this is for your sake' and it is 'for Jesus' sake' to the glory of God. The experience of God's grace that overflows in gratitude is the enjoyment of God as good and it is this that glorifies God. We are benefited, and God is glorified as the giver.

Our theology, what we believe, fuels missions. What we believe ignites us to go, to love, to serve others in the name of Jesus, even in the face of persecution and death, because we believe in the God who raises the dead. We believe, therefore we speak. And missions fuels worship. As we risk to proclaim Jesus to more and more people, as we invite more people to experience God's grace, we multiply gratitude, and gratitude overflows in worship. Paul is looking forward to that day when God will 'raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.' He is looking to that day when those he has proclaimed Jesus to are gathered with him to enjoy the presence of God.

So what about you? Are you experiencing God's grace? Are you enjoying him as the ultimate giver of every good? Are you getting to know him? Are you humbled and overwhelmed with joy that he would give you what you don't deserve? Can you say that God is enjoyable? That is what glorifies God.

And are you passionately pursuing the advance of God's glory? This too is the natural response of a healthy soul to God's grace. When we truly enjoy something, we want others to enjoy it with us. I will go out of my way to get you to see how good it is, to try it, to enjoy it. I may even make sacrifices to get you to experience it for yourself. What are you willing to endure to see others experiencing God's grace?

2 Corinthians 4:15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org