Sunday Morning Service

II Corinthians 7

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“The Concern Of God's Servants” • 3.24.13 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service

Intro.

- In chapter 6, Paul began to set out the Apostolic Concern that he had for the church in Corinth. They were in grave danger spiritually, perilously close to having received grace in vain.

- The Apostles had been open with the Corinthians, but they had been constricted by their various pursuits of worldly wisdom, carnality and tolerance of evil.

- The Apostles Concern centered in their relationships, which Paul likened to an unequal yoke, referring to the influence that the Corinthians were allowing unbelievers to have upon them.

- Today, as we continue this section, the Apostolic Concern will move from their relationships,  their response to correction.

- How are we to respond to correction? What is the biblical response that God is looking for?

Text

• II Corinthians 7:1 : "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." : The promises of God's dwelling with His people in fellowship, enjoying the relationship of a Father to children, was the basis for cleansing.

- "Dearly beloved," let us cleanse ourselves. The word employed here provides the root of our English words "cauterize" or "cathartic."

- When a person has a "cathartic" experience, they are speaking of a purging of unhealthy emotions. When one cauterizes a wound, they burn a small area to prevent further infection.

 - That is the the type of cleansing that Paul calls them to. Cleanse yourselves, close off that which is causing you emotional distress and causing you to be unholy vessels for God!

- In Leviticus, when the people had become ceremonially unclean because of contact with that which was termed unclean by God, they would need to be ceremonially cleansed.

- Their cleansing would take place before the new day began in the evening. That is the picture here, of a person ready to re-enter the presence of the Lord.

- Like the ancient Hebrews in the wilderness, Paul says, "Let us take on that same attitude, cleansing ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit.

- The word "filthiness" would also be translated defilement, and that from the physical or fleshly realm, as well as the spiritual realm. There are actions that defile me physically and spritually.

- I need to identify those and confess them, seeking to turn away from them. Some things will be easily discerned as you study scripture. Some things will be more subtle.

- They are to cleanse themselves toward the goal of perfecting or completing holiness in the fear or reverance of God.

- Think of it like this: God is calling you to holiness, but there is a clog that keeps it from flowing completely. Those are things that need to be cleansed, purged from our lives.

- Is it what you are listening to? Is it who you are hanging with? Chances are that you know what is clogging up your pursuit of holiness. If not, ask Him now to reveal it to you.

• II Corinthians 7:2-4 : "Open your hearts to us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have cheated no one. I do not say this to condemn; for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation." : "Receive us" as one receives a guest. Paul asks them to make room in their hearts for the Apostles.

- They had not acted unjustly toward anyone, nor had they led anyone away from the faith. They had not taken adavantage of anyone.

- He does not say any of this to condemn them. He wanted them to participate with one another in life and in death. He did not want to be separate from them.

- This seems to be a euphemistic way of saying that they were in this thing together! The Apostles were not going away!

- He spoke with great boldness and great pride of them. In spite of their strange antics, Paul knew that God was going to bring them through all that they were suffering.

• II Corinthians 7:5-7 : "For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears. Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming, but also by the consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more." : Macedonia, or Greece had been God's call upon the Apostle, but it was no picnic for them.

- Their flesh had no rest, a word referring to the ability to let down and relax. Instead they were troubled, distressed on every side.

- From the outside of themselves in the church and around it, there were conflicts, or contentious battles. When they came inside and were able to think for a bit, they were fearful.

- If these guys sound normal to you, it's because they were! They were every bit as human as you and I are, facing difficult conflicts and fears within ourselves regarding our evaluation of things.

- Nevertheless God! What a wonderful statement to them, to me, to us! He doesn't need us to be at full strength, just full trust!

 - Beside how difficult it was for them, God comforts the downcast! The word is descriptive of a person who doesn't want to get up, a picture of a person who struggling with depression.

- God was able to come alongside of Paul to pick him up and get him moving again. God is able to do this alone. No other source cane meet a soul there like He can.

- God is able to comfort the downcast simply by his own touch, but notice also that He uses His people to be a source of joy as well!

- God comforted them through the physical form of Titus! His face brought joy to them. There are few better feelings than when God brings in unexpected reinforcement!

- I have often asked the Lord to bring just such a person into our fellowship and many times, you guys have been the bright face, ready for action and willing to serve!

- Like Paul, I have thanked God for His troop deployment! But then came the mental relief, as Titus brought news of the Corinthians.

- How had they received Paul's first letter? What was their response? Did they receive God's correction? Paul did not know and hoped to hear. Titus brought that news.

- What a relief it was to hear Titus report their earnest desire or longing for Paul. Nothing had diminished their desire to see Paul again, even though there were some who longed to get rid of him!

- Additionally, Titus spoke of their mourning, which was their response to their various sins that we covered in 1st Corinthians. They genuinely felt sorrow over their sin.

- Finally, Titus told Paul that the Corinthians were zealous for him, which speaks of defending him. There were still some who loudly supported Paul and this brought great joy to the Apostle.

• II Corinthians 7:8-10 : "For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." : The letter had made them sorry and Paul regretted the occasion, not the duty.

- He was compelled to correct what he had heard was wrong, a difficult thing to have to do emotionally, especially considering the distance.

- I never like to confront someone, but it's worse when I can't see them!

- Correction on any level is apt to make any person sorrowful, as it had made the Corinthians sad. It had been hard, but Paul was glad for the result of their sorrow.

- Sorrow over sin can be handled in many ways. Some will after initial embarassment become angry, or so shamed that they leave, while others seek vindictive measures.

- All of these are the wrong way to deal with things! The sorrow and embarassment that we all feel when confronted by loving brothers and sisters should lead us to repentance!

- That's what the Corinthians had done. They sorrowed, grieved their way to repentance!

- The word "repentance" means to change your mind, to think differently about something, in this case their previous actions.

- When you change your mind about something, the very next thing is the change that follows in our behavior. Our behavior never changes until our minds make that decision.

- The Corinthians were made sorry in a godly manner. This has a double intention. First, there is a right, a godly way to make someone sorry.

- The person who comes to correct had better check their own attitude, be sure that they are not dealing with the same issue and taking it out on another, or coming with a superior heart.

- I need to come to my brother, but not before I've confessed my own sin and sought the right occasion and scriptures to share with them.

- Manipulation or aggression are tools that get the job done, but leave a lot of mess behind. That's not the Spirit of God. Another meaning might be that this is how God intends for us to suffer!

- When you came to Christ, He came alive in you, making sin an intolerable activity. That doesn't mean that you can't sin. It means that you can't enjoy sin!

- He intends for you to ache over it, to feel lousy because of it, so that you will run back to Him for healing and forgiveness.

- In that way, the Apostles did not cause of bring harm to them at all. This was God's doing! In fact, this repentance has led to their salvation!

- Godly sorrow, the type that yearns to be back in a right standing with God, produces or works to achieve, repentance, leading to salvation!

- Wait, these people were already saved? Remember that when the Bible uses the one term salvation, the context determines what part of salvation that it refers to.

- Justification is at the beginning and glorification is at the end!

- This is sanctification, the part of salvation that happens in this life, which necessarily requires that we continually repent from sin! This repentance then leads to salvation!

- And that is not to be regretted. What is to cause regret? When our sorrow produces death! That is the sorrow of the world! The world's sorrow is always producing death!

- There are many that are sorry in prison, not that they committed a crime, but that their crime landed them in jail! Essentially, they are sorry that they got caught!

- Others are sorry for their sin, not because of it being offensive to a Holy God who died for it, but because they are now inconvenienced or corrected by the Word.

- That sort of attitude leads to death because the person in sin continues to sin and sin always brings about death! There are no exceptions. Thankfully, there is a better response!

• II Corinthians 7:11,12 : "For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter. Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you." : Paul says, "Look at this more closely. When you sorrowed the way God intended, it brought about all of these godly things!"

- Look at the fruit of your repentance. It produced diligence, or an earnest striving in you. You worked hard to correct the issue. You went at it and didn't rest till it was out of your life!

- It produced a clearing of, the word "apologia" speaking of a defense for themselves.

- This spoke to their reputation. They were concerned or eager to clear their name of this.

- Their repentance produced indignation, or extreme displeasure with themselves and a renewed fear or respect for God's presence.

- Their repentance and ours will produce vehement desire or a great longing again for God's presence and pleasure. Their hearts moved toward zeal or an excitement of mind.

- Finally, their repentance produced vindication! The KJV used the word "revenge." The concept was a renewed fervor to punish wrong that they saw in themselves.

- Does any of that describe you? When you think about your sin, or are confronted by it, is there hard work in changing the situation? Is there a desire to clear your own name and reputation?

- Are you angry with yourself and looking again for God to take His rightful place? Is there a longing for God's presence and an excitement to hear from Him?

- Are you ready to come down hard on yourself whenever you see a sinful attitude? That's the type of repentance that will lead you to life!

- Now, when Paul wrote to them, it wasn't for the sake of the perpetrator or the victim, but that their care would be obvious to them!

- The Corinthians would be able to say, "Paul stood his ground and confronted us in love, but it was for our good! It proves that he loves us!"

• II Corinthians 7:13-16 : "Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I am not ashamed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, even so our boasting to Titus was found true. And his affections are greater for you as he remembers the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him. Therefore I rejoice that I have confidence in you in everything." : This news was the Apostle's comfort! Their comfort came from how good the church was doing in their response!

- More than that, this was the cause of Paul's rejoicing exeedingly, meaning that he was dancing around, because Titus had been refreshed, literally, his soul was at ease!

- Paul commends the Corinthians in this, that they did not make him a liar! Titus was able to say to Paul, "Man, you weren't lying about those guys!"

- In fact, the longer that Titus is away, the more fond his memory of them was? Why? Was it their warm reception? Was it their gift for him? No. He remembers their obedience!

- The true minister of God is happiest when the people that he serves are the most obedient to God! He remembered that they received him with fear and trembling.

- The word "fear" speaks of their hearts, the word "trembling" refers to their bodies! They were trembling as the world trembles at an earthquake, ashamed of their sin and afraid of what it had done!

- This is why Paul could rejoice, to be of good cheer again because of his confidence that God was at work in them and they were cooperating with Him.

Conclusion
- God has called you to holiness. He wants you all to Himself. Sin is an offense to God, one that He paid for Himself! Are there things that are defiling you right now?

- As the Word has gone forth today, what is your response right now? Is it apathy? Is it self-confidence? Is it pride? That's sorrow leading to death!

- If you can't wait to get right with God, despite the cost and you can't wait to get it done today, you are grieved to life!

- Your response right now is critical to your development. Holiness will not just happen. That is a battle that must be won in your heart, in your life. What will it be?