2 CORINTHIANS 7 ; Ministry of Christ. Is It Ours.? V 1. A CLEANSING MINISTRY, A condition of the promises of God.

2 Corinthians 6 v 14-18 ; Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion has light with darkness 9 Wherefore come out from among them and be separate says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you.. And will be a father to you and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. LEVITICUS 11 v 44, For I am the Lord your God, you shall therefore sanctify yourselves and you shall be holy, for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any manner of creeping things upon the earth. How much better for us to be following the way of life laid down for us by God, than to be following after Satan. Better to be a member of God's family than destined for the lake of fire and brimstone for eternity. V 2. A RECEIVING MINISTRY; We have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man. Paul could now say, Observe our life style and see for yourselves the truth that is in us. We live what we preach, listen to our gospel and not that of the false teachers. Take us into your hearts and homes for we desire to have fellowship with you. Whom do we desire to have fellowship with ? Believe on and receive the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. Accept the reconciliation with God and rejoice. Be received into a Bible believing church and enjoy the fellowship of other Christians. V 3.. A CHASTENING MINISTRY; I speak not this to condemn you, Paul was gentle in his remarks to the Corinthians and in particular when addressing the unbelievers. REVELATION 3 v 19 ; As many as I love I rebuke and chasten, be zealous therefore and repent. I CORINTHIANS I 11v 3 2 ; But when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Better to be corrected by God than to live our own idea of Christianity. Let us do all to the glory of God and so receive His blessings. V 4. A PROTECTING MINISTRY; Paul was giving them some incentive to keep within the bounds of the gospel he preached. He was showing them that he cared about them and looked upon them as brothers and sisters in the Lord. JOHN 13 v 3 4-3 5 . A new commandment I give you that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love one to another. This agape love is a powerful weapon for good and protects the true believer from the Satan's evil spirits and the eternal hell. It is a caring for one another and if we have any true love and compassion in us it will stir us up to help those in need and carrying a heavy burden. V 5, A FAITH DEMANDING MINISTRY. For without faith it is impossible to please God or preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul has his faith severely tested many times by all the persecutions he received from the Jews, Gentiles and his own brethren who had a false doctrine. HEBREWS I 1v 5 ; By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him. For before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God. What a joy and blessing would be ours if we could keep up a strong faith that pleased God. There are occasions when our faith is tested and we show some concern at the situation but God is always on hand to see us through by the guidance of His Holy Spirit. PSALM 23 v 4 ; Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for Thou are with me, Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. PSALM 28 v 7 ; The Lord is my strength and my shield, My heart trusted in Him and I am helped. Therefore My heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise him. V 6 ; A DEMANDING MINISTRY ; Paul's ministry was heavy going at times with all kinds of persecutions yet his faith in God did not diminish

PSALM II 8 v 6 ; The Lord is on my side, I will not fear what man can do. It is quite surprising that some of our persecutions come from within the church. MATTHEW 15 v 24 ; Then said Jesus to His disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. . LUKE 9 v 56 ; For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them, And they went to another village. There was no holidays and paid overtime for the disciples, they went about preaching and relying on God to meet their needs and He did. The disciples went where ever they were received and preached the gospel for hours on end. They knew that God was with them and they served Him with gladness. V 7, AN OVERFLOWING MINISTRY; Paul had great comfort in knowing that the Corinthians were not going to reject him, and they had accepted his letter of rebuke and welcomed him. PROVERBS 3 v 27-28 ; Withhold not good from them to whom it is due when it is in the power of your hand to do it. Say not to your neighbour go and come again, and tomorrow I will give, when you have it by you. The world would be a much better place if we would all care about each other. We all need help and comforting at some stage in our lives. JOHN 15 v 9 ; As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Continue you in My love. V 8. A REBUKING MINISTRY; A gentle rebuke perhaps, but it was accepted by the Corinthians as they knew they had been accepting wrong teaching. Christ's ministry is one that points out to the unsaved that they should repent of their sinful activities and repent of their sins and be reconciled to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Christianity is a whole new way of life that leads to eternal life with Jesus and other Christians. ROMANS 6 v 16 - 17; Know you not that to whom you yield yourselves to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey, whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness. But God be thanked that you were the servants of sin but you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine that was delivered you. V 9.-IO; A TRANSFORMING MINISTRY; From sinner to saint. For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation. PSALM 19 v 7-8 ; The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul, the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are fight, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure enlightening the eyes. A truly converted soul will manifest a transformed person. People will see the dramatic change and will want that which we say we have. ROMANS 12 v 2 ; And be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. V I 1. A PRODUCING MINISTRY, JOHN 3 v 17 ; For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. Jesus taught His disciples to heal the sick, cast out demons and how to bring lost souls into the family of God.. They preached the gospel of the crucifiction, and resurrection of Christ necessary to reconcile the sinners to God. MATTHEW 28 v 19-20 ; Go you therefore and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Thus in obedience to Christ's commands Christians all over the world are working in God's vineyard and bringing lost souls into the family of God. V 12. A CARING MINISTRY. But that our care of you in the sight of God might appear unto you. It is a difficult thing to rebuke someone and at the same time show that you care about that person. The apostle

Paul learned by his experiences in the school of hard knocks and he went boldly forth in the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. 1 THESSALONIANS 2 v 9; For you remember brethren, our labour and travail, for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable to any of you as we preached unto you the gospel of God. I THESSALONIANS 3 v 12; And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another and toward all men even as we do toward you. V 13, AN ENCOURAGING MINISTRY; Paul was excited at the spiritual growth of the Corinthians after they had repented of the error of their ways There is joy and blessings for anyone who watches over the family of God. 2 CORINTHIANS 9 v 7-8 ; Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give not grudgingly nor of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work.. V 15 ; A PLEASING MINISTRY; PROVERBS 16 v 3 v2O. Commit your works unto the Lord and your thoughts shall be stablished. v 20 ; He that handles a matter wisely shall find good, and who trust in the Lord, happy is he. The ministry of the church is complete teamwork from Sunday school to adult church. If the church is a loving caring church it will also be a happy team and their harvest in God's vineyard will be great. JOHN 4 v 35-38 ; Say not you there are yet four months and then comes the harvest Behold I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are white already to harvest and he that reaps receives wages and gathers fruit unto life eternal , that both he that sows and he that reaps may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, one sows and another reaps. I sent you to reap where you bestowed no labour, other men laboured and you are entered into their labours.. V16. A REJOICING MINISTRY; I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things. Can anyone say such a thing of you, Is Christ seen working in you . 1 CORINTHIANS 2 v 9 ; But as it is written, eye has not seen nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love Him. LUKE 10 v 20 ; Notwithstanding in this rejoice not that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice that your names are written in heaven. A brief summary of chapters 4-7 ; It is a living and inspiring ministry revealing to mankind God's commandments and witnessing to others the joy of a life yielded to Jesus Christ and trusting in the power and guidance of the Holy Ghost. This is a continuing ministry based on faith, experience and belief in Jesus as Redeemer and friend. We acknowledge His death and resurrection to make possible the forgiveness of sins and reconciliation to God. This is a ministry that reveals the power of God in our lives and the peace of mind that He offers us. This is a ministry that demands loyalty to Jesus Christ as He seeks to purify, perfect and preserve us. This is the ministry that bids us love one another with the agape love and compassion, May we be more willing to witness for Jesus and go forward from glory to glory in the name of Jesus.