THE SECOND PART: A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
The Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians
Message Four—The All-fitting Life
Scripture Reading: 2 Cor. 6:1-13; 7:2-3
I. Every believer who loves the Lord and who wants to come up to God’s standard should become a minister of the new covenant—Eph. 4:11-12; 1 Tim. 1:16: (2003 ST, msg. 10)
A. The goal of the Lord’s recovery is to recover the ministering of Christ by all the believers so that the church as the Body of Christ may be built up. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
B. In order to be new covenant ministers, we need a life of ministering Christ to others for the sake of His Body— Matt. 24:45-46. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
C. This excellent, marvelous ministry needs excellent ministers with an excellent life, whose living and being match their doing. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
II. We need to work together with God by a life (not by any gift) that is all-sufficient and all-mature, able to f it all situations, able to endure any kind of treatment, to accept any kind of environment, to work in any kind of condition, and to take any kind of opportunity, for the carrying out of our ministry—John 14:6a; Acts 27:22-25; 28:3-6, 8-9: (2003 ST, msg. 10)
A. To work together with God means that we are in God; only a person who is in God can bring others into God; our closeness to God is the measure of the result of our work—2 Cor. 5:20; 2:10. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
B. If we have been fully saved and have an all-fitting life, then any situation or circumstance is right for us to minister life to others—Phil. 1:20; 4:22; 2 Tim. 4:2a; cf. 2 Chron. 1:10. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
C. There are eighteen qualifications of the ministers of the new covenant and of the pattern of an all-fitting life— 2 Cor. 6:4-7a: (2003 ST, msg. 10)
1. In much endurance—Rev. 1:9a; 2:10; 3:10a; Heb. 12:1-2a. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
2. In afflictions—2 Cor. 1:8-9. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
3. In necessities. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
4. In distresses—12:10. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
5. In stripes—11:23-24; Gal. 6:17. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
6. In imprisonments—2 Cor. 11:23; Eph. 3:1; 4:1; 6:20. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
7. In tumults—Acts 17:5; 19:23. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
8. In labors—2 Cor. 11:23, 27; 1 Thes. 2:9; 2 Thes. 3:8. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
9. In watchings—2 Cor. 11:27; Acts 16:25; 20:7-11, 31. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
10. In fastings—2 Cor. 11:27. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
11. In pureness—1 Tim. 5:1-2. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
12. In knowledge—Col. 1:9. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
13. In long-suffering—1 Thes. 5:14. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
14. In kindness—Gal. 5:22; Rom. 2:4. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
15. In a holy spirit—2 Cor. 7:1. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
16. In unfeigned love—Luke 10:27; 1 Pet. 1:22. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
17. In the word of truth—Eph. 4:15. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
18. In the power of God—Isa. 40:31; 2 Cor. 12:9. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
D. The new covenant ministers with the pattern of an all-fitting life carry out their ministry through three groups of items—6:7b-8a: (2003 ST, msg. 10)
1. Through the weapons of righteousness on the right and on the left—Matt. 6:33; 5:6, 10, 20. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
2. Through glory and dishonor—1 Cor. 4:10-13. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
3. Through evil report and good report—Matt. 5:11. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
E. The new covenant ministers with the pattern of an all-fitting life are seven kinds of persons—2 Cor. 6:8b-10: (2003 ST, msg. 10)
1. As deceivers and yet true—Matt. 10:16. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
2. As unknown and yet well known—John 6:15; 2 Cor. 4:5. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
3. As dying and yet behold we live—1 Cor. 15:31; 2 Cor. 4:10-11. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
4. As being disciplined and yet not being put to death—Rom. 8:28-29. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
5. As made sorrowful yet always rejoicing—Matt. 5:4; 2 Cor. 11:28; Phil. 4:4. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
6. As poor yet enriching many—Eph. 3:8. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
7. As having nothing and yet possessing all things—1 Cor. 3:21-23. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
F. If we would have an all-fitting life, we need an enlarged heart, a heart to embrace all of God’s people—2 Cor. 6:11-13: (2003 ST, msg. 10)
1. To be enlarged by growing and maturing in life is equivalent to being fully reconciled to God. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
2. With an enlarged heart we are able to embrace all believers regardless of their condition, and with an opened mouth we are free to speak to all believers frankly concerning the real situation into which they have been misled—Matt. 5:7; 6:14-15; 7:1-2. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
III. We need to be enlarged to have the intimate concern of the ministering life—2 Cor. 7:2-3; 1 Thes. 2:8; Phil. 2:19-20: (2003 ST, msg. 10)
A. If we have the ability to carry on a work but lack an intimate concern, our work will be fruitless; our not having the loving and forgiving heart of our Father God and the shepherding and seeking spirit of our Savior Christ is the reason for our barrenness—cf. Luke 15. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
B. Eloquence, gift, and power can never touch people as much as our concern for them—1 Cor. 12:31; 2 Tim. 1:7; Philem. 9-12. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
C. How fruitful we are does not depend upon what we are able to do, but on whether or not we have an intimate concern—1 Cor. 12:31b; 9:22; Matt. 9:12-13. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
D. A ministering life is a life that warms up others by cherishing them in the humanity of Jesus to nourish them in the divinity of Christ with the riches of Christ—Eph. 5:29; Prov. 25:15: (2003 ST, msg. 10)
1. Paul shepherded the saints as a nursing mother and an exhorting father—1 Thes. 2:7-8, 11-12; Acts 20:19-20. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
2. Paul came down to the weak ones’ level so that he could gain them—2 Cor. 11:28-29; 1 Cor. 9:22. (2003 ST, msg. 10)
3. As a lover of the church in oneness with the churchloving Christ, Paul was willing to spend what he had, referring to his possessions, and to spend what he was, referring to his being, for the sake of the saints in order to build up the Body of Christ—Eph. 5:25; 2 Cor. 12:15; 11:28-29. (2003 ST, msg. 10)