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August 25, 2019 12:00 pm
Not only is salvation of the Lord, but effective gospel ministry is also of the Lord, you might say will that's so obvious salvation of the Lord obviously effective gospel ministry has to be of the Lord as well, but it's surprising how many people seem to misunderstand that important point, but it is true that many people cannot understand the gospel in the passage that we are coming to today explains why, and that many Christians have difficulty understanding the source of gospel success in this passage explains that as well.
So Paul continues to explain his work as a minister of the new covenant.
As we look at this section of second Corinthians 4 verses three through six which I've entitled understanding ministry success. Understanding the failures and successes of gospel ministry, and we shall examine this under four headings number one. The reality of gospel rejection number. The two of the reason for gospel rejection. Three. The heart of gospel proclamation and for the power of gospel success and we begin by considering the reality of gospel rejection. Paul says in verse three, but even if our gospel is veiled, even if our gospel is veiled reference to the disappointment of gospel rejection.
Paul faithfully ministered the gospel to everyone that he could remember the last words of verse to precede the statement in verse three, he says, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
That was what he did enthusiastically and energetically faithfully proclaiming the gospel to everyone that he could get to hear it and he was pretty pretty aggressive in getting people to listen to his message, but not everybody received.
That's the perplexity that's a disappointment. But even if our gospel is veiled if they don't understand it. Paul faithfully ministered the gospel to everybody that he could and yet some did not believe it. So the disappointment of gospel rejection ushers into the mystery of gospel rejection for the obvious question is why why why doesn't everybody believe the good news the gospel by the very word that is used by the definition of the word gospel means good news. Why doesn't everybody embrace it. If it is such good news to us.
It's so clear it's so wonderful it's so sweet and yet to some it is not clear. It is not wonderful. It is not welcome. It is not sweet new Christians sometimes have difficulty understanding that the light has turned on in their soul. We understand the beauty of Jesus Christ. The understand how glorious the gospel is and what what about wonderful transformation.
It is made in their own lives and they are eager that everybody else share this wonderful good news this wonderful message, that is come to them and they try to give it to everybody. They can and not everybody is happy to receive it.
What's wrong what's wrong what's wrong we can understand that. Why do some rejected against their own welfare against their own interests. Why don't all people embrace this message.
It is so wonderful. It is so good, that's forgetting some things that the Bible teaches us. For example, that text where also the Corinthians were Paul said, but the word of God is foolishness to them. The natural man receives not the things of the spirit of God are there foolishness unto him, neither can he understand them because they are spiritually discerned part of the problem with people who who are amazed by the wonder of the beauty of the gospel and can understand why everybody doesn't receive it is that they don't understand why they received it, they think they get no no no no no no no, God opened your heart. God opened your eyes, or you'd still be rejecting it.
You have to come to learn that truth when you understand that you will understand that it is wonderful news. But God has to do something to make us realize what wonderful news. It is, and until that happens, the gospel is veiled, but even if our gospel is veiled so why do some rejected against their own welfare against their own good.
Good done interests will some thought. It's because Paul's message wasn't clear enough. Paul, if you just make the message clear, then everybody would believe it some thought that Paul's methods were not effective enough Paul if he would just change your methods then you could have a much better reception to the gospel. Paul is telling us here that the problem is not with the preacher or with his methods, not the preacher is a faithful servant of God. Paul would not change his message to make it more palatable. Paul would not change his methods to make them seem more effective. He had to deal with the reality of gospel rejection because he realized this is the way God has ordained that we are prone to fault the messenger when the results are not what we think they ought to be were present to to reject ourselves and in our are witnessing a gospel work in which we can get really down on ourselves. I've worked so hard I tried so hard and I've had such little success. What's wrong with me but by all means ask that question, but realize that the answer to that question isn't found in the measure of the success that you see it's found in the measure of the faithfulness you have been to the message and to the work that God is given you the only thing that could be wrong with you is that you're not proclaiming the full gospel message, or the only thing that can be wrong with you is that you're not doing it with a heart of humility and love for others. If that's what's wrong with you then get on your knees and ask God to help you. But don't measure the terms of of what is right or wrong with the messenger in terms of the visible results. That's the wrong way to go about it. We must deal with the reality of gospel rejection, number two, we move on to the reason for gospel rejection verses three and four and Paul answers this question as to why it is that some people do not believe the gospel. The real reason not the reason that some people erroneously imagine, but the real reason is actually the real reason involves four different elements and that's a bit complex and probably only God is wise enough to to sort them all out and to blend them altogether and to understand how they work together but Paul makes reference to four different elements here that are the reason for gospel rejection. They are number one veiled hearts number two perishing status. Number three unbelief number four Satanic activity veiled hearts.
We've already seen that in verse three, but even if our gospel is veiled if our gospel is veiled, now we sing that word before came up in chapter 2 Paul apply to therapy to the Old Testament Jews to had veiled hearts they heard Moses read, but their hearts were veiled and they couldn't see Christ in the reading of Moses. They couldn't see Christ in the symbols and types that pointed to him they couldn't see Christ in the terms of the old covenant that is pointing forward to the new covenant and the coming of Christ and Paul told us it's because their hearts are very old and those hearts stay veiled until the veil is lifted by God through the work of the Spirit because of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, like the Old Testament Jews listen to it and chapter 3 verse 11 for if one is passing away was glorious. The old because covenant what remains is much more glorious, which is the new covenant.
Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech.
Unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly at the end of what was passing away, but their minds were blinded for until this day the same veil remains under lifted in the reading of the Old Testament because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless, when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. That was the old testament setting and Paul was speaking about the Jews. But now in chapter 4, he applies this to first century Gentiles as well. In other words, it obviously applies to everybody. Why don't more people believe the gospel that you are proclaiming Paul no doubt false teachers the Judaizers the critics were using this to diminish Paul in the eyes of others. Why doesn't Paul have more success than he has no we look at what Paul did we say that is an amazing record of success, but of course there were more people who didn't believe than did. Why don't you have more success. Paul because Gentiles in the Corinth in the first century like Jews under Moses. In the old covenant have a veil over their hearts that keep them from understanding the gospel and it is there until God removes the veil and so veiled hearts is the first part of the answer to the question why not more gospel success, but there's a second part that is what I have called perishing status we going to read in verse three. For if our gospel is veiled, even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, as long as the veil remains. People are perishing that's true that's obvious as soon as the veil is removed. People believe the gospel. That's also true that's obvious is that all Paul is saying here. If so, then he's simply stating the obvious, but maybe that is going a little bit further in stating that which is not always so obvious, but which needs to be understood and that is it seems to me that what Paul is saying here is the reason not everybody believes the gospel is because some are in the perishing category.
I preach the gospel. Those who are not in the perishing category receive it because the veil is lifted by God Almighty and those who are in the perishing category do not receive it because the veil remains over their heart that has nothing to do with how well Paul preaches that has nothing to do with how clever are the methods which she uses.
It has everything to do with the sovereignty of God and what he's doing and his purposes in salvation and his plan in ruling the University created even if that's not what Paul is saying here and I think it likely is. But it's not crystal clear. But even if that's not what Paul is saying here that is what is told to us elsewhere in the Bible. It is very helpful in this discussion of the question, why do some not believe the gospel. Why not because there are two categories of people in this world the elect and the non-elect of the elector brought by the work of the spirit of God out of the category of the perishing into the category of the living in the non-elect are left in the category.
The perishing because they are in that category by the design of God ministry yes but this is taught in the Bible because there are these two categories. The elect and the non-elect that reality in itself certifies that there are some who will never believe the gospel. No matter what we do. We can't do anything to make one of these people believe the gospel, saving way. Don't you understand that it's out of our hands, just like salvation is of the Lord. So gospel success is of the Lord. It's out of our hands so hard for us to accept that we don't like that we wanted to be in our hands but not really. We don't really wanted to be in our hands when we understand the full ramifications of what that involves.
But there are some who are not the elect of God and they will not believe it. And so we shouldn't be surprised that there are some people who don't believe it. In spite of our sterling efforts to bring them to an understanding of Christ and the gospel, but I must hasten to say in the perfect design of God. We don't know who are the elect and the non-elect God doesn't reveal that to us, but he's told us to give the gospel to everyone.
Let God sort out who's in which category that's God's business was my business give the gospel everybody. That's what Paul said he was doing but by manifestation of the truth back to verse two, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. That's what Paul did, because that's what he was commanded to do given the gospel to everybody about why don't more people believe because some are in perishing category that's out of my hands. But it's helpful to understand the reality of that truth but we don't know who these people are. And furthermore, please understand that no individual who is before me today can know that you are in the perishing category some piping times people are beleaguered by the devil, and he camps on their shoulder and say oh you're not when the elect. You can never be saved. You don't know that. How did you get into the mind of God to see and understand what only God knows what only God understands what you think you are what you seek how audacious that is to conclude that you are in that category.
That's not your business and you can't know that. But God commands you to repent. God commands all men everywhere to repent. If you won't do it then that fall lies upon you and you will have to answer for it because the truth of the matter is, if you will repent and believe the gospel, you will be say is that right is that true that is true you will repent and believe the gospel, you will be saved. No. If fans and butts about that's as much true as the doctrine of election. You say I have a hard time putting those two thoughts together in my mind, well they are they are not contradictory, but they are challenging such leave it to God. If you have difficulty with it, but believe what the Bible teaches. But if you will repent and believe the gospel, you will be saved. But, and this is also true if you persist in unbelief. You will be lost.
That's that's what you need to know. You don't need to know who the elect RNs who are the non-elect. But here's what you need to know if you will repent and believe you will be saved if you persist in unbelief and on repentance, you will be lost. That's what you need to know and that's the truth.
But there two more reasons why the reason for gospel rejection number one veil hearts number two perishing status. Number three unbelief. We've already covered and let's see it in verse four, verse three of our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe who do not believe.
Who are the perishing. They are those who do not believe, and they do not, because they will not. They do not because they don't want to. As Jesus said in John chapter 1 men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. Why don't they believe you say all it's because they're nonelected God won't won't help them will enable them to believe know that you don't know who the elect are the non-elect are. You don't know that.
But this is what you know men do love their sin.
Men do love their air.
They do love their superstition. Many people in the way the claims of the gospel. They say well yes it would be nice to be cleansed from sin, but all I don't know if I'm ready to follow Jesus.
I think I'd rather continue living in my sinful lust. I'd rather continue in my life of immorality. I'd rather continue in my drunkenness, I'd rather continue without telling my dirty stories. I'm afraid that if I that if I come to Jesus. I'll have to clean all that up and I love this too much.
Okay, you made a choice you've chosen not to believe in unbelief. Unbelief is the reason why the gospel doesn't have more success and loved darkness rather than light, but there's 1/4 reason it is satanic activity.
Also in verse four Paul said those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe less the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. Minds are blinded by the god of this age shoes that you said I thought God is God who is the god of this age.
Well it's the one that Jesus was talking about in John chapter 12 verse 31 when he said now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. Actually twice in John's Gospel, Jesus referred to Satan is the ruler of this world you imagine that I thought God was the ruler of this world is what how can you call Satan the ruler of this world. Well, he's he's a temporary ruler and imposter. He has asserted himself into place of authority. The don't belong to him and God according to his own purposes and wise design is allowed to happen for time and this is the reality, he is temporarily the ruler of this world. Jesus said right here. The time is company can be cast out.
He's not in charge, he maybe the ruler of this world, but he's not in total charge of this world is not even total charge of himself. He's going to be cast out. He's going to be trained. He's going to be cast into eternal darkness that has been prepared for that very purpose for him. That's going to happen, God Almighty is going to do that when the time comes when God's purposes are fulfilled. Satan is only the unwilling servant of Jehovah, but you need to understand how sovereign God is he is a just a little bit sovereign these great big sovereign and he sovereign enough to rule Satan, and he done. Satan is the unwilling servant of Jehovah and though he's he's not serving willingly. He's not serving glad Lee's not serving intentionally is trying to do everything he can to thwart God's work in God's will and God's intentions. It turns out in the end that is actually accomplishing what God wants him to do. Imagine that figure that out explained that okay just believe it. You can't figure it out. You cannot explain it. I know nobody can fully but that's what the Bible teaches. So, believe it.
God's got Satan on the train. He's like a dog on the train he can go as far as the chain allows them to go but no farther than one of these days, God's good reality that's all buddy that's all the god of this world, the prince of this world is going to be cast out. This is the one that Paul is talking about in Ephesians chapter 2 and you he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience. The prince of the power of the air, the spirit Satan is the spirit, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience is that the ones whom the god of this world has blinded their eyes.
Men's minds are blinded by the god of this age. This text tells us that it tells us that unbelief opens the door for this blinding whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe their unwillingness to believe is linked to the ability of Satan to blind them in some way again. I can't tell you that I can explain this fully, let me offer a couple more texts. Second Timothy 226 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will. First John 519, we know that we are of God in the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. We are of God, the whole world lies under the sway the power, the influence of the wicked one, but there is a connection between unbelief and satanic activity Alfred Plummer in his commentary and second Corinthians said and I quote because they refuse to believe Satan has power to blind them because they refuse to believe Satan has a we might say Satan has been given power to blind persistent unbelief increases one's danger, persistent unbelief increases one's danger feigned belief, hypocritical professions of faith which really are not a yielding of one's heart to Christ puts one in greater danger. So we been given for reasons for this mystery of why some people reject the gospel that seems to be so beautiful and wonderful. It is because number one they have built hearts number two. They are in perishing status.
Number three. They refuse to believe a number four because of satanic activity but number three and were talking now about number one. The reality of gospel rejection number. The to the reason for gospel rejection and now number three the heart of gospel proclamation. Paul makes it clear that the heart approximate gospel proclamation is not the person of the preacher but is the person of Christ and again we know that we need to be reminded of it. What is he say verse five, but we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bond servants for Jesus sake. We do not preach our sales. Paul didn't.
Nobody else should Paul didn't those who worked in teamwork with him. Those that work on his team that he was captain of that missionary team. They didn't.
We do not preach ourselves. What is Paul saying he preached nothing to exalt a man or build a religious empire.
That's not what he was about.
He did not preach in such a way as to cultivate admiration in a personal following for himself. That's not what Paul was about.
Paul considered himself to be a bondservant of Christ on assignment to minister to people like the people of Corinth, we are he says bondservant of Christ, we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bond servants for Jesus sake. I'm a bondservant of Christ and Christ on the sling Christ and Christ. He said here's what I want you to do.
I want you to go preach the gospel to them. Your your there servants for this task that Christ has given to you because you are his servant, and he said this is what I want you to do preach the gospel to them and so he was assigned to minister to people to the Corinthians in others. He was not there to build a religious following for himself.
That's not what his preaching was about what was it about soul about the person of Christ.
Jesus Christ is central and interestingly, in this explanation of that two truths are paramount and they may not be the ones that we would've expected. We might've said yes Jesus Christ is central and the two paramount truth truths are his death upon the cross and his resurrection from the grave and indeed those are very important truths. And that's certainly in. In one sense the heart of the gospel, but it's interesting that Paul doesn't doesn't even point to that here at this point he gives us two central truths about Jesus Christ and what are they number one Jesus Christ is God in number two Jesus Christ is Lord, actually an understanding of the first one should settle the second one. If he is God he is Lord that lets take them one by one.
This is paramount in the preaching of the gospel. Jesus Christ is God back to verse four, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe last, here it is the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them the glory of Jesus Christ who is the image of God. What is that mean that means he who sees the sun sees the father why Jesus told us in the gospel John nine the father one. Remember, Jesus said that to the disciples of what Philip say well, Lord, show us the father will satisfy us. Jesus had found have I been with you so long that you don't understand, he that hath seen me has seen the father I've already shown you the father. Here is the person of Jesus Christ.
That's what Paul is saying here is another way of saying very clearly Jesus Christ is God you are preaching the gospel unless you make it clear that Jesus Christ is God I thought not too many weeks ago some whole. I guess this is his employment enhancement to provide so many jobs for people taking polls because there's so many of them I saw a poll I think I may have already mentioned it to you before, one of the questions among people who categorize themselves as evangelical Christians, one of the questions was his Jesus was Jesus Christ sinless, and nearly half of them said no they don't know who he is today, and they have no Savior. What does evangelical mean, if you don't believe that Jesus Christ is the sinless son of God. What word evangelical has been stripped of any meaning evangelical means believing the gospel, believing the new birth, believing the message of Jesus Christ, who he is and what he did. How can you call yourself an evangelical and not be absolutely certain that Jesus Christ is the sinless son of God if he wasn't sinless how deceased pay for your sins.
If he is in sinless. How does he become the sacrifice for sinners. If he is in sinless. How does he qualify to dine the cross and paid a sense for anybody gospel hangs upon this, how can people be evangelicals. How can they be going to evangelical churches by the thousands, by the hundreds of thousands yes, by the millions across America and half of them don't even know clearly the Jesus Christ has never sin.
Where does that kind of absolute ignorance come from. You haven't preach the gospel until number one you made it clear that Jesus Christ is God should settle the issue about whether he has sent the number to the Jesus Christ as Lord.
Verse five. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ, the Lord some translations put it probably would better Jesus Christ as Lord, we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus as Lord, Lord, of course, means master ruler. That's part of the gospel. You see you you need to understand what is sin is rebellion against the rightful authority of God. That's what it is. What is salvation is to deal with our sad wow does it deal with our sin. Salvation is the recovery of God's rightful rule, salvation is not just to forgive us for our past sins and to cleanse us from our sins. The thank God there is that where would we be without it. But salvation is to deal with this issue of who is Lord you or God.
That's the issue.
Up until now your answer that question is IN. I do what I want to do. I decide what is right and wrong. I make the rules. I live according to my own rules. That's the way I want to live that's a way I'm going to live as many reason why many do not believe but not willing to give that up. The gospel is Jesus Christ is Lord, and if he becomes your Savior he will become your Lord and if he's not your Lord.
He is not your Savior. And if you want cleansing from your sin, you must bow the knee and settle this issue of who is Lord. Because confession of Jesus Christ as Lord is essential to salvation. It's a matter of the heart. It's a matter of your attitude.
It's not that this is touching yourself to sinless perfection because no one is ever done that but it is pledging yourself to live under his rule to acknowledge that he is right that he is Lord that he is ruler that he has a right to make the rules. He has the right to command you and whenever you do something that is contrary to what he has commanded you are wrong. He is right.
You have sand you need to confess and you need to bring yourself back under his Lordship. That's part of the gospel that's that's part of what's involved in salvation, so we don't preach ourselves, but we preach Christ and when we preach about him number one that he's God, and what else that is Lord, and apart from these two realities.
There is no gospel and apart from these two realities. There is no salvation and minimizing either one of these two will enlist more Christians it will enlist more decisions, but all it's doing is making people a seven fold more son of hell and they were before because you got them to make a decision for Christ. It isn't based upon surrendering their hearts to the Lordship of Christ. There no doubt are some like that in this building today until you come to terms with this until you settle this issue.
You are not saved, and until you settle this issue. You will not be saved.
And if you don't settle this issue before you die you are going to hell. I say that out of concern out of love because it's the truth trying to become the number for the power gospel success. We seen the reality of gospel rejection of the reason for gospel rejection of the heart of gospel proclamation another power gospel success or to success in preaching the gospel come from verse six, for it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness to a shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. It is the power gospel set success the person, the power, the purpose, who is the person it's God, not man say, I thought person met human no I don't think person a sense of human but God is a person, though he's not a human being and who is the person of gospel success. It is God. When God we talking about God, the create tour God the one who commanded light to shine out of darkness, was that read about him in Genesis chapter 1. Read about it that there there was darkness over the face of the deep and the spear brooded over the face of the waters. And God said, let there be light and there was light. Just like that who can do that with God. No one who has the power to do that. But God, no one in. He's the power of gospel success. It is God, not man, and what is the power gospel success.
The power of creation, the God who said, let there be light, says Paul, is the God who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness at the beginning is the God who said to the apostle Paul in the darkness of his sinful heart who was blind to the reality of who Jesus Christ is and was busily persecuting Christians and hating them and would've continued doing that to the rest of his life and Jesus Christ struck him down on the Damascus Road and said, let there be light shining in that heart and Paul stood up and said, what wilt thou have me to do, is that who art the Lord is that I'm Jesus, whom you persecute, what wilt thou have me to do other words, yes sir. You are Lord you are God. I am yours God commanded light to shine into the darkness of Paul's soul. It is the power of creation is the power of resurrection. It is a power regeneration is the power to transform hearts and lives, minds and duties. Paul's mind was opposed to the gospel.
It was opposed to accepting Jesus as the Christ was opposed to accepting Christians as the people of God and the glory of the light of the gospel shine into his heart, by the power by the command of Almighty God and everything changed. Paul suddenly changed his mind Jesus Christ. Jesus of Nazareth is Christ Jesus Christ as Lord, Lord, what would you have me to do everything should his mind changed.
He suddenly saw things the exact opposite of the way he did before his duties changed. He suddenly was no longer committed to the duty of persecuting Christians, but rather helping them and spreading the gospel.
Everything is changed completely by the light shown in his heart from the power of creation. What is the purpose to give the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Christ. In other words, the purpose for all of this is to reveal God to man. The purpose of all of this is to exalt God to his rightful place in the hearts and lives of men. What is the purpose of all of this it is to identify God. Jesus Christ is God the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. That's the purpose in all this. But here's the good wonderful thing to consider, if God did this for Paul and he obviously did than he can do it for others, and he has and is he can do this for those who are now blinded a dinner for Paul.
When Paul was blinded he can do it for others who are now blinded. He can do this for you. If you are here today and you are struggling and you say I may be what you're saying is right. But all I'm having difficulty with that cast yourself upon the mercy of God and ask him to show you ask him to shine his light in your heart he can do that he can lift the veil. He can't remove the blindness he can bring light and life asking to do that he can do this for you and he can do it for your loved ones. Don't give up on anybody as long as they're alive and breathing life because God has the power it doesn't depend upon you your winsome notice your persuasiveness, your personality, your cleverness if you cleverly manipulate them into making a profession of faith that is wrought by the spirit of God would have you done not only have you done nothing you've done worse than nothing you've made you made their their condition worse than before they're deceived more than they were before, but just keep preaching the gospel witnessing the gospel being winsome and kind and loving and Christlike in proclaiming the gospel all the while crying out to the one who was a both crying out Almighty God, the one who has the power, the one who is able, the one who can say let there be light and when he says it. There will be light, salvation is of the Lord. Give him glory gospel successes of the Lord. Give him glory and salvation is for service.
Why did God shine in Paul's heart and the hearts of those who work ministering with him so that they might be used by God as channels of illumination to others God shown in their hearts to illuminate others.
Why did God shine in your heart for the same reason for you to be a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ and an instrument of his grace to others. Therefore, give God joyful obedience service because he is worthy, he is Lord is Lord is risen from the dead, and he is Lord, every knee shall bow every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, but every heart before him.
Father, thank you for these wonderful truths seal them to every heart seal them to every heart. Oh Lord, to the honor and glory of Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen