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16th March 2024
SaturdayReflection
John MacArthur offers
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"Certainties That Drive Enduring Ministry"
We're using the apostle Paul as the pattern for endurance, because it is he who, at the end of his life, said,
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith".
We're asking the question, how do you get there?
How do you end up at the summit, being able to say,
"I am ready to come into your presence, Lord. I am ready to face you with a clear conscience. I am ready for my eternal reward. Get me out of here. I'm done."?
Look into the heart of Paul, because twice, he says,
"We do not lose heart."
Well, there are some things that he says here in this chapter (Second Corinthians 4)
that I think help us get our arms around the things that drove him to an enduring and triumphant ministry.
These are spiritual means.
He knew he had the great revelation, the mystery which before had been hidden but was now revealed the glorious gospel of Jesus, the better thing that everybody, including himself, had been waiting for.
He knew he had the message the world desperately needed, the only message of hope.
He never lost the wonder of knowing, believing, and being redeemed by that truth and given the responsibility to proclaim it.
The wonder of the superiority of the New Covenant drove him.
He embraced the privilege of ministry as a mercy.
It could never be forfeited by his own weakness because in his own weakness, his ministry became what?
More powerful. He embraced ministry as a mercy.
He embraced the necessity of a pure heart.
He said,
"I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience."
There he understands that this too is a mercy from God.
And so, God is given the thanks.
He writes to Timothy
"I want people to love God from a pure heart and a good conscience."
So it was not only his own personal commitment, it was the very objective of his ministry in the lives of others.
We do evangelism from the word of God.
Why?
This may seem a bit surprising to you, but the truth of Scripture has an ally in a very foreign place.
The truth of Scripture has an ally in the human heart, and the truth of Scripture's ally in the human heart is the law of God written in the heart.
Paul embraced the reality that the results of his ministry did not depend on him.
Please notice 2 Corinthians 4:2-3, which says:
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
He bursts into a doxology at the end because he can't restrain himself, though that's not his point.
His point is, "I'm not in control of results."
It's so important, I think, to understand this.
We all sow the same seed, but only God can plough the soil.
I think the primary flaw is the idea that the preacher's job, or the evangelist's job, is to overcome "consumer resistance".
We have to figure out how to persuade people to buy this product called Jesus.
But this is not a good strategy, because consumer resistance is way too large for us to overcome.
These people are dead and they're blind.
Now, if I want to sell my soap in a funeral parlour, I don't think I'm going to have any buyers.
The God of this world, Satan, has blinded the minds of the unbelieving in order that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Jesus, who is the image of God
When you think about evangelism and the task that we have, and it's the only reason we're here, do you understand that?
There's only one reason to leave us here.
Everything we do here, we'll do better in heaven except one thing,
and that's proclaiming the gospel because there won't be anybody there to tell.
><(((°>
This is an edited version.
The full article and Bible references are avaiable on request
John MacArthur
is the pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church,
as well as an author, conference speaker, president of The Master's University and Seminary, and featured teacher of Grace to You.
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