Sunday, April 12, 2020

What Is Your Response?

Issues Series (2 Cor. 5-6)

Introduction:

- If you are tuning in daily to the news you are witnessing Governors address how their
state is responding to Covid-19, and every evening the President addresses how the
nation is responding as well with his response team made up of experts in the health
field, military leaders, etc. Then we hear from news commenters on their opinions
regarding our leaders response or lack thereof.

- At the beginning of the year church leadership declared that this is the year of 2020/
Clear Vision. We aligned ourselves with the National Evangelical Association and
joined the YEAR OF THE BIBLE. The charge has been to read through the bible in
one year. The issue with our vision is really an issue of the heart. To get clearer
vision we need a purer heart and the tool is the Word of God (Matthew 3:12).

- Some of us have responded to this call from the beginning of the year, others are just
now responding, as they are awakening through this crisis to the need of the times,
while others are battling fear and anxiety, questioning God and all that is going on.

- The question is what is your response? Are you drawing closer to God or further
away? Are you full of faith or full of fear? On this resurrection Sunday, His power is
being poured out to anyone who draws near. He will raise you up so that you can
see this crisis as He sees it and in the midst of it have hope and see how He turns all
things around for good for those who love Him.

- Paul was frustrated with the Corinthians because of their lack of response regarding
what he wrote to them about issues they needed to address in his previous letter, let
us now go into 2 Corinthians 5-6 to discover revelation knowledge on how we should
respond to this current crisis.

I. We Walk By Faith And Not By Sight (2 Cor. 5:1-10)

A. Don’t be moved by the temporary, focus on the eternal. (vs. 1)

B. Our flesh will groan and feel burdened but we have been given the Spirit to
prepare us to carry out God’s purpose, nevertheless. (vs. 2-5)

C. Be confident, though God is not with us physically His Spirit is within. (vs. 6)

1
 Sunday, April 12, 2020
D. We are to be moved by faith in God not in fear from what we see and hear. (vs.
7-8)

E. Our aim daily is to simply please God which is done by faith. (vs. 9)

F. We will all be held accountable for what we did in this life. (vs. 10)

II. Ministers of Reconciliation (2 Cor 5:11-21)

A. A love based open relationship with God will lead to an open love relationship
with people. (vs. 11)

B. It is the heart that needs to be reached the outward appearance means nothing.
(vs. 12)

C. We are willing to say and do anything to reconcile people to God. (vs. 13)

D. We live for Christ not ourselves. (14-15)

E. We no longer look at others in the natural but in the spiritual as brand new
creatures in Christ. (vs. 16-17)

F. We have been reconciled to God and given the ministry of reconciliation. (vs. 18)

G. The ministry of reconciliation is based on the message of forgiveness. (vs. 19)

H. Our role on earth is as ambassadors of Heaven. (vs. 20-21)

III. Don’t Be Unresponsive (2 Cor. 6:1-13)

A. Take advantage of God’s grace. (vs. 1)

B. Seize the moment, make the best of the NOW! (vs. 2)

C. Don’t give people a reason to stumble. (vs. 3)

D. Lead by example both in character and in deeds. (vs. 4-10)

E. Demand a response of those who you are responsible for. (vs. 11-13)

IV. Clean House (2 Cor. 6:14-18)

A. Remove all darkness (vs. 14-15)

1. We cannot serve both God and the Devil.

2
 Sunday, April 12, 2020
2. Anything that we cannot surrender is an idol and needs to be destroyed.

B. We are the sanctuary of God!

1. God walks among and dwells within His sons/daughters as Father

2. Therefore, we must touch not any unclean thing.

V. THE CHARGE:  RESPOND TO GOD'S CALL!  HIS SPIRIT IS

DOING A MATURING WORK TO PREPARE US FOR THE HARVEST,
AND IT STARTS RIGHT NOW IN OUR HOMES!