Weekly message: The Apostolic ministry Date 3/6/2022
Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce
Christian Arts Ministries; Biblical precepts & Gospel music; Pastoral ministry & counseling
The Apostolic ministry that preaching through Apostle Paul, it appears the characteristic as follows,
First, The confidence of the ministry in victory; we are the aroma of Christ to God and the fragrance of life to those who being saved. (2 Cor.2:14-17)
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God. (2 Cor. 2:14-17)
Second, we are competent as ministers of a new covenant--not of the letter but of the Spirit (2 Cor.3:3-6)
You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2Cor.3:3-6)
Third, Lord is the Spirit; In Spirit of Christ there is freedom.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.(2 Cor.3:17-18)
Fourth, fix our eyes on what is unseen. Outwardly waste away but inwardly we are being renewed day by day. We live by faith, not by sight. Await a new body -Heavenly Dwelling
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all . So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. ( 2Cor.4:16-18)
Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Cor.5:1-10)
Sixth, Christ's love compels us; in Christ, we are a new creation
For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: (2Cor.5:14-18)
Seventh, we are Christ's ambassadors
That God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor.5:19-21)
Conclusion: What Christ does for us?
1) He gives victory (2:14) “always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads every where the fragrance of the knowledge of him.
2) He made us competent as ministers of a new covenant by Spirit. The Lord is Spirit, where the Spirit of Lord is there is freedom. (3:6; 3;17)
3) He judges (5:10) . For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
4) He reconciles (5:19;8:9) God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
5) He appoints and motivates His ambassadors (5:20)
6) He makes men new creatures (5:17) therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come!
Bibliography,
King James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company
Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.
Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.
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