Now, last week, we ended our
lesson looking at God's ambassadors, that he has given us the message
of reconciliation, that he has given us the message of substitution,
that the Father made the Son to be sin for us, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him. And Paul says, as
God's ambassadors, we pray you in Christ's stead, be reconciled
to God, come to Christ. Now, he continues with that thought
in verse one of chapter six, he says, We then, as workers
together with him, beseech you also that you receive not the
grace of God in vain. Now, every believer is in the
ministry. All of us aren't preachers, but
we're all involved in the ministry of the gospel in some way or
another. We're all involved in this ministry.
And Paul says we're workers together. with Him. We're workers together
with Christ. Now let's not be confused. Christ
has done all the work of salvation. He's completed the work. It is
finished, He said. We do no work that contributes
to our righteousness or salvation. Of course not. But we are workers
together with Him. He's given us work to do in His
kingdom. We're workers under Him. We work
by His authority and by His power. Look back at 1 Corinthians chapter
3. Many different functions and Lord has given us these things
to his people to do for the good of his church and for his glory.
In 1 Corinthians 3 verse 9, Paul says, for we are laborers together
with God. You are God's husbandry. You
are God's building. And according to the grace given,
according to the grace of God, which is given unto me as a wise
master builder, I've laid the foundation. And another, he's
got another job. He builds there on. But let every
man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. Let every man take
heed how he performs the work that God's given him to do. And
as God's ambassadors, he said, we were talking about this last
week, we beseech you to be reconciled to God. God's reconciled himself
to sinners, now you be reconciled to God. And he says in this verse,
we also beseech you, don't receive the grace of God in vain. We
beseech you, don't just give lip service to this thing now.
Don't just let this be a social activity that you come and sit
and listen and get up and leave and go away unaffected. Don't
just give mental assent to some of the technicalities of the
gospel. You know, you say that makes sense to me. The gospel
does make sense to me. That makes perfect sense. This
is how God can save a sinner. But don't just give mental assent
to the technicalities of the gospel. You come to Christ. You embrace Christ. You believe
Him. Believe the Gospel. Walk in the
Gospel. Walk in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, when Paul says don't receive
the grace of God in vain, he's not talking about saving grace.
You can't receive saving grace in vain. Can't be done. God's
saving grace is never in vain. It always accomplishes His purpose
in redeeming and saving His people. But you can receive a doctrine
in vain. We've seen it many times. You
can receive a doctrine in vain and you'll keep it for a while
until you get tired of it and you'll trade it for something
else. If it's just an idea, if it's just a doctrine. But you
can't do that with saving grace. A sinner will never get tired
of saving grace and wouldn't trade the grace of God for anything. So we beseech you. Don't receive
this as a doctrine. You receive Christ as your life,
as your very life. And we beseech you to do it today. Receive Christ today. Don't delay. Look at verse two.
For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the
day of salvation have I succored thee. Behold, now is the accepted
time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. Don't delay in coming to Christ
because now's the accepted time. Now's the time to be accepted
in him. Today's the day of salvation. Well, how do we know today's
the accepted time? How can we say with certainty
today is the day of salvation? Well, because the father sent
the son into the world to redeem a people, to redeem his elect,
and he will save all those people from their sins. And today's
the day of salvation because he hasn't returned and Christ
won't return until all of his elect have been brought to faith
and repentance in him. And he hasn't returned yet. So
today is still the day of salvation. And we know Christ won't fail.
We know he will save his people because he satisfied the father. That's why the father hears him,
always hears him. Now look back at Isaiah 49. This
is a quotation from Isaiah 49. The Father always hears the Son. And that's important to us because
of the consequences to you and me, to His people, that the Father
hears the Son. Isaiah 49, verse 8. Thus saith
the Lord, in an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day
of salvation have I helped thee, and I will preserve thee. and
give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth,
to cause to inherit the desolate heritages, that thou mayest say
to the prisoners, Go forth. To them that are in darkness,
show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways,
and their pastures shall be in all the high places." All of
God's elect who were prisoners to self, prisoners to sin, living
in darkness, are going to go free, feed in green They're not
going to live in the darkness anymore. They're set free to
live in light because Christ is our light, because the Father
always hears the Son. That's what our Lord says. He stood outside of Lazarus'
tomb. Before he called Lazarus forth, he said, Father, I knew
that thou always hearest me. I know this. You always hear
me. In eternity past, the Father heard the Son. The Son said,
Father, I will be surety for those that you gave me. I will
be their sacrifice. I will be the lamb of God and
the father heard him. And that was a time of acceptance
for you and me. We were accepted in the beloved.
That was the day of salvation and the lamb slain from the foundation
of the world. In John 17, look over there,
in our Lord's great high priestly prayer, the father heard the
Son and gave Him everything He asked for. We won't go through
all this, but let's look at a few verses. In verse 2, as thou hast
given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life
to as many as thou hast given Him. We have eternal life because
the Father heard the Son. Gives us eternal life. In verse
5, and thou, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self.
with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. The
Father glorified the Son as a sacrifice for our sin. When he was made
sin for us, he put that sin away and he glorified him. Gave him
a name which is above every name. And he did that for his people.
Look at verse 9. I pray for them. I pray not for
the world, but for them. Those people whom thou hast given
me, for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine
are mine, and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more
in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee.
Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast
given me, that they may be one as we are." We are so confident
of the preservation of the saints because Christ prayed that the
Father would keep us and preserve us and make us one, and the Father
always hears the son. Look at verse 15. I pray not
that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but thou shouldest
keep them from the evil. Why are the elect kept free from
Satan? Because the father always hears
the son. The son prayed for it and he
receives his prayer because the father always hears the son.
Look at verse 17. Sanctify them through thy truth
for thy word is truth. The elect are sanctified, made
holy through the word of truth. And that is through none other
than our Lord Jesus Christ. Because look at verse 19. And
for their sakes, I sanctify myself that they also might be sanctified
through the truth. We're sanctified, made holy through
the Lord Jesus Christ, because the Father hears the Son. Look
at verse 22. And the glory which thou gavest
me, I've given them. that they may be one even as
we are one, I in them and thou in me, that they may be made
perfect in one, that the world may know that thou hast sent
me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me. Father, I will,
that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am,
that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me, for
thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. This is why we
are so confident a future glory. This is why we're confident that
we will be eternally with Christ. Because the Son prayed, Father,
I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am. And the Father hears the Son.
Look at verse 26. And I have declared unto them
thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou
hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. We know the Father. We have the love of God in us. We have Christ dwelling in us
because Christ prayed that it would be so. And the Father hears
the Son. You see why there's important
consequences to sinners like you and me, that the Father hears
the Son. The Father heard the Son in the
Garden of Gethsemane when he prayed, Father, if it's possible,
let this cut pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, But
thy will be done. He submitted to the will of the
Father as our sacrifice. The Father hears the Son every
second. Look over at Hebrews chapter
7. Every second, the Father hears the Son. In verse 25 of Hebrews 7. Wherefore, He is able also to save them
to the uttermost that come to God by him, seeing he ever liveth
to make intercession for them. He is ever living, making intercession
for his people, and the Father hears the Son. So today is the
day of salvation. As Christ, our Savior, sits on
the right hand of the Father, making intercession for his people,
he's able to save sinners to the uttermost because the Father
Here's the son, because the father is pleased with his son and he's
pleased with everyone in his son. So today is the day of salvation
because the father hears the son. And then Paul says, behold,
now listen to this. Get ready to hear something amazing
and get your undivided attention to what I'm getting ready to
say. Behold, now is the accepted time. Today is the accepted time. Today's the day of peace. Today's
the day of God's goodwill toward men. When did the angels sing
glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, goodwill toward
men? When did the angels sing that?
When Christ came incarnate. This was the demonstration of
God's love and goodwill toward men. This is the time of peace
in our Lord Jesus Christ. The Father gives us peace in
the sacrifice of his Son. So come to Christ. Just come
to him, throw yourself on his mercy and sue for peace on God's
terms. You be reconciled to God and
don't delay because today is the accepted time right now.
And if that wasn't enough, Paul says, behold, give your undivided
attention to this, that now is the day of salvation. Today is
the day of salvation. God's in the business of saving
sinners today. And we know that because Christ
hasn't returned. He's still in the business of
saving sinners. So come to Him. If you're a sinner, come to Him.
You know, we're not guaranteed tomorrow, are we? We're not even
guaranteed this afternoon. So come to Christ now. Now is
the time of salvation. Right now. You know, and I say
this, and let's make this clear. I'm not asking anyone. to make
a decision for Jesus? Absolutely not. But what I am
telling you is the command of the gospel is come to Christ. So you come to him and beg for
mercy, come to him, he'll accept you. You come to him and beg
for mercy. Today is the day of salvation.
Today is the day of grace because Christ has done all the work
of salvation. He's brought in righteousness.
Christ has reconciled God to sinners. Now you come to him
and be reconciled to God in Christ. And I read this verse this week,
and I thought how this stresses the importance of all of us working
in this ministry, not just not just John, but in preaching all
that, certainly that's the most important function, but in all
of us supporting this ministry, giving people in our community
a place where they can come hear the gospel. It's so important. Because today could be the last
time somebody hears the gospel. Today could. Today, somebody
might wander in off the street and come in, sit on the back
row, and for the first time and last time in their life, hear
the gospel. Every day is an important day. Every time we preach the gospel,
It's an important day. It's an important day of grace.
It's an important message of salvation. It's so important.
It's eternally important because today now is the day of salvation. So come to him, come to him while
it's still the day of salvation. Now, verse three, he says, giving
no offense in anything that the ministry be not blamed. I give
no offense. And he means that We need to
avoid conduct or habits that would be offensive to people,
that would put a stumbling block up, block them from hearing the
gospel, that they just tune us out. Don't do something that
would make people tune out your message. Now, don't take the
offense out of the gospel, because if you do that, you take away
the saving power of it. But we need to not be personally
offensive. If someone's going to be offended,
let it be the gospel. Not my bad attitude and bad conduct. I got enough of that. We need
to put a guard on that. Because people, this is the dead
nature of people. They're looking for a reason
to ignore all religion and particularly the gospel. They're looking for
a reason not to listen to it. They're looking for a reason
to discredit your religion. Well, don't give them the excuse
they're looking for. That's what he's saying. And,
you know, he is, Paul is, especially speaking to pastors, to be careful
not to offend all different kinds of people. You know, we don't
just deal with one kind of people. It's all kinds of people. You
know, you can have somebody over here just to You know, a legal,
religious background. And somebody over here that's
the exact opposite, just lived a life of a heathen. Well, you
can't offend either one of them. You've got to be able to speak
to both of them. So both will listen to you. So both will listen to your message.
It's a heavy burden to be all things to all men so that all
men, all kinds of men will listen to you preach the gospel. But
that's what he's saying here. Now, he goes on in verse four,
he says, but in all things, approving ourselves, giving, commending
ourselves, approving ourselves as ministers of God in much patience,
in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in
imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings. Now, again, Paul seems to particularly
be speaking to preachers here, but this is good instruction
for all of us. It gives us a pattern. for all
of us, certainly, to follow. And it's good to understand what
God requires of His servants, that we might be able to recognize
them. But again, this gives us the
example, the pattern that we should follow. Now, a faithful
servant must be patient. And nothing requires more patience
than dealing with people. There's just nothing that requires
more patience than that. We have to be patient, gentle,
kind with all different kinds of people when you're preaching
the gospel to them. And you know why it requires
so much patience? They're dead. And we of all people ought to
understand that because that's the way we were when God found
us, isn't it? We're dead. Well, no wonder they're just
laying around stinking. They're dead. No wonder they
don't do anything. They're dead. It requires patience. And that's the way they'll stay
unless God does something for them in grace. And our responsibility
is to continue preaching the gospel to them because that's
the means of grace. And even in the best case scenario,
we're dealing with sinners who are saved by grace. Yeah, they're
believers. Yes, they have life. Yes, they
know Christ, but they're still sinners. It still requires patience. To deal with me, I mean, it just
it just does. So we must be patient with people.
We must be patient in trials because trials are coming. They're
promised to us from our Lord to strengthen our faith. So we
must endure them patiently. We must be patient in necessities
and wants of physical possessions. We have to be patient. It's hard
for this flesh to be patient in necessities, to wait on the
Lord to provide. And those, again, pastors, particularly
the case, those who preach the gospel live by the gospel. Well, if you're in the ministry,
I can promise you this, you're not going to get rich by it. So it requires
patience to wait on the Lord to provide. Patient in distresses,
both distresses of body and distresses of mind. You have sicknesses
that put stress on this body. And distresses of the mind. That's
what we were talking about. It's a rampant thing in our day. Just distresses of the mind. This is a stressful time that
we live in. And when you don't know what
to do, you don't know which way to go, be patient. Wait on the Lord to lead. Wait
on the Lord to show the way we should go. It's one of the hardest
things to do. to be calm under fire. But that's
what he's talking about here. And be patient in persecutions
over the gospel. You know, Paul was beaten and
thrown in jail and so horribly mistreated. And we don't face
that today, but we do still face mistreatment over the gospel.
Well, be patient in these things and understand these are the
things dead people do. Then he says, patient in tumults.
And that word tumult means instability and confusion. Now, if that's
not the day we live in, I don't know what is. Instability and
confusion. In those times, be determined
that you were going to preach the gospel because nothing about
the gospel causes instability or confusion. The gospel makes
Christ plain to sinners. The gospel makes salvation and
grace plain, manifest to sinners. And the gospel sets us on Christ
the solid rock. There's no instability there.
It's Christ the solid rock. But be patient. In the ministry,
be patient when false prophets cause tumult, instability and
confusion. Because that's what they do.
They cause instability and confusion to people to cloud the issue.
Well, don't get caught up on them. Preach the gospel, be stable
and plain, calm under fire and patient in labors. The ministry
is hard work. I can't imagine a more difficult
job than being in the ministry full time. The burden to study
and preach and care for men's souls is a hard work. Henry said in his outline, God
will not own nor bless laziness. You can't be in the ministry
and be lazy. It's hard work. And then patient
and watchfulness. You're watching over people for
their good, for the good of their souls. Guarding the pulpit, being
watchful. Watchful over our own doctrine.
That's what Paul told Timothy. You watch over your own doctrine.
It'll be good for you and for the people that listen to you.
And then patient in fasting, whether that's voluntary or maybe
it's involuntary. Maybe the Lord, you know, makes
just scarcity. Be patient. And he goes on, verse
six, he says that you're commending yourself by pureness, by knowledge,
by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love, unfeigned. Now, Paul began talking about
our outward conduct. Now, here in verse six, he switches
to our inward attitudes by pureness. You commend yourself in the ministry
by pureness, by pureness of doctrine, by pureness of motives for the
good of people and for the glory of God. That's your pure motive.
You commend yourself by knowledge, by knowledge of the scriptures
that enables you to preach the whole counsel of God, to preach
the mystery of godliness. by long-suffering, kindness,
and love unfeigned. Genuine love for people will
enable you to be patient with them, will enable you to be kind
to them, will enable you to continue faithfully preaching the gospel
to them, even when it doesn't look like it's doing any good.
Even when it looks like they're ignoring you and there's no fruit
going on, you keep doing it because you love them. And in short,
Paul's telling a pastor, you'd be the kind of man that people
can respect because people will listen to a man they respect.
And if they don't respect you, they'll never listen to you.
Well, you look at that and you think, my goodness sakes, who's
sufficient for these things? Who can do this? Who can just
keep having this genuine love and patience for people when
they're so difficult to deal with? Who can do this? Nobody. Except by the Holy Ghost. That's the key. It's by the Holy
Ghost. God makes a man a preacher, a
pastor. And this is how we do it. By
the Holy Ghost, with his power, with his leading, depending on
the Lord for everything. Now, verse 7, he says, you commend
yourself by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor
of righteousness on the right hand and on the left. And look
over at Isaiah chapter 8. A number of years ago, my dad gave
me a book, one of the books he had, and in it was a bookmark. I pulled that bookmark out and
it has this verse written on it in Isaiah 8, verse 20. To the law and to the testimony.
If they speak not according to this word, it is because there's
no light in them. This is the key way a servant
of God is known, that he preaches the word of truth, saying what
God's word says, nothing more and nothing less. God's word,
he preaches God's word and God will bless the preaching of his
word. The preaching of God's word will
come in the power of God. Because we're not just preaching
doctrinal ideas. We're preaching the truth and
the power of God. That's what Paul told the Thessalonians
in 1 Thessalonians 1. Let me read it to you. He says,
For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in
power. This is how you knew we were
God's servants, that our word came to you in power and in the
Holy Ghost and in much assurance. as you know what manner of men
we were among you for your sake." So you recognize this man because
his message comes with the power of God. And he's armed with the
whole armor of God. The sword of the Spirit in the
right hand and the shield of faith in the left, on the right
and the left. And this is how we conduct ourselves in every
circumstance, at all times, no matter the circumstances. Look
at verse 8. By honor and dishonor. by evil
report and good report, as deceivers and yet true, as unknown and
yet well known, as dying and behold we live, as chastened
and not killed, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor
yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all
things." Now this is the way that we meet people, different
reactions to the gospel. We meet all different kinds of
reactions. Some will honor you. Some will
honor your message. If they know Christ, they will.
Because if your message honors Christ, the elect will honor
your message. They will. But it'll meet with
dishonor by those that don't know him. And by dishonor, they'll
call you everything in the book. They'll say everything they think
to say of your message if they don't know Christ. But even though
men dishonor you, dishonor your message. We're honored of God. Aren't we honored of God? Are
we honored this morning to have His presence? Where two or three
are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them.
That's an honor. We're honored to have His mercy
and grace upon us. By good report or bad report.
Some will give a good report of your preaching, of your gospel.
Others will give an evil report. If they don't know Christ, that's
all they're going to know is to give an evil report. Some
people will call you a deceiver, even though your message is truth,
is the Lord Jesus Christ, who is truth, they'll still call
you a deceiver. A true preacher is not going
to have much notoriety in this world, not going to be well known
at all, usually now, just not well known. But we're known of
God and we're known of the brethren. The brethren say, I know that
message. I know, I know who gave him that
message. We go through this world in a
dying body, yet we have eternal life. Chastened by God, and rightfully
so, yet saved from eternal death. Sorrowful over sin, over our
own sin, and over the sin and unbelief of others. We say with Isaiah, Lord, who's
believed our report? It just seems like nobody's listening.
Yet no one, has more reason for rejoicing than God's people.
Because we rejoice in the Lord. We're poor. And you know, that
applies to almost every believer. Very few believers find anything
in this world. Yet we have riches untold. Isn't
that what Peter told that fellow? I don't have any money to give
you, but what I have, I will give you. Rise and walk. Riches
untold. The Lord Jesus Christ. And we
don't possess much in this world. But we possess everything, everything
that God has for sinners in the Lord Jesus Christ. So no matter
what these circumstances, no matter which extreme these circumstances
are, the circumstances don't change God, do they? Then they
don't change our message and they don't change our faith.
And quickly, let me give you this. I know I'm about out of
time. Here is the example. of our Lord Jesus to believers. This is the thing that will enable
us to endure these things patiently, to walk in his steps. Did anybody
deal more patiently in necessities, in distresses, in stripes and
in imprisonments as our Lord did when he suffered for us?
Oh, follow in his steps. Did anybody walk with more pureness
than our Lord? Perfect holiness. Did anybody
walk with more knowledge than him? You know, how many times
did the lawyers and the smart people try to deceive him? They
never could. Or not deceive him, but trap
him and trick him. They never could. He always gave
them the answer. Knowledge. Think about his long
suffering and his kindness and his love unfeigned to you and
me following his steps. He had the Holy Ghost without
measure. Maybe we ought to pray for it like he did. We won't
have it without measure, but we might have it more if we pray
more for it. Our Lord was dishonored by men,
yet glorified by God. Men called him a deceiver, yet
he was true personified. He was unknown by most men. He
came unto his own, his own received him not. But he's known of his
sheep. My sheep know me. They hear my
voice and they follow me. He died in public view on a cross,
yet he purchased eternal life for untold millions. He was chastened
by God and men, yet we read he ever lives making intercession
for us. He is a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, yet
he shall see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied. He
lived as a poor man on this earth, a man who possessed nothing,
yet the cattle on a thousand hills are his. He had the power
over life and death. And in all those circumstances,
he never one time was deterred from his ministry of finding
his sheep, on the trail of his sheep, redeeming his sheep. That's
the example we follow in this ministry. All right. I hope that'll
bless you.