The Gospel in Action
2 Corinthians • Sermon • Submitted
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· 3 viewsThe New Covenant is something to be excited about. When we see the brokenness of the world and the condemnation of our sin, the Gospel swoops in and gets to work. Paul shows how the Gospel brings a real confidence, a real clarity, and a real transformation.
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But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was,
how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?
For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory.
For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it.
For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.
Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech,
and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away.
But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.
But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart;
but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
***Communion Elements!!***
INTRO: When I was a kid, I loved taking things apart to see how they worked… Did you ever do this? This can be a helpful practice for an inquisitive mind… I will just say that you should make sure that what you are taking apart is not the family TV...
As we continue our study in 2 Corinthians, we get a peak inside the Gospel as it works in and through our lives.
Now, leading into this passage, Paul was defending his legitimacy as an Apostle- not so much touting his credentials, but the power of the message which he proclaimed. There were a few groups of teachers going around claiming to have the true religion, but in reality were twisting Scripture. One such group was known as the Judaizer, who insisted that in order to be a Christian, you must add works to what Jesus did.
The works they were referring to were the OT Law or the Old Covenant. This is not simply the 10 commandments, but all the Mosaic Law - circumcision, dietary and ceremonial law. etc.
So as Paul is explaining why he is a legitimate apostle, he takes time to emphasize the New Covenant that was established, contrasting it with the Old Covenant and ultimately painting the picture of redemption that we see today as we study the whole of Scripture.
In order for us to appreciate Paul’s argument, we need to journey into a bit of history. Don’t worry, it’s an easy history lesson.
In the beginning, God created the world and it was good. (You with me?)
However, if you look around, you can notice that the world is not all good anymore. There is death, disease, natural disasters, etc.
This all points to a BIG problem; you and I know this problem as SIN- this began in the Garden of Eden.
Even as sin existed, there was no written or received declaration of God’s character to define sin.
That is where the OT Law comes into play. God chose a people to covenant with. In His covenant, He promised to be their God and He gave them rules to live by so they might be a beacon of God’s goodness to all the nations.
When we look at v. 7, and even back in v. 6, we see that Paul calls this OT Law, a ministry of death. This is because the Law can only show us our sin, it cannot fix it.
But the Law was still pretty special. It was given by God and is a revelation of His perfect nature to us.
In fact, if you remember the account of Moses coming down from Mt. Sinai after spending time in the presence of God, his face radiated. When the Israelites saw Moses, they knew his message was from God because he literally reflected God’s glory.
But, this was a temporary deal. Paul tells us that one reason Moses put on a veil to cover his face was so that the Israelites could not see that the radiant reflection was actually fading. (7)
The Old Covenant was to point them to trust in God’s coming provision. Jeremiah spoke of that coming provision; We looked briefly at this last week, but it’s good for us to read again:
“Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,
not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord.
“But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
“They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
So, Paul lays out side by side a few traits of these two covenants in order to highlight the glory of the Gospel that outshines anything we could ever accomplish in our own power.
Let’s look at this together: [chart]
The Old Covenant brought death and condemnation, the New brings righteousness
The Old Covenant was engraved on stone, the New is written on hearts
The Old Covenant was one of fading glory, the new is greater, eternal glory
I guess you could say that this New Covenant is something to be excited about!!
Which brings us to v. 12 and the word “therefore”. When we see the word “Therefore” in Scripture, we always want to ask “What is it there for?”
Therefore, because of the glorious New Covenant- the Gospel is in action and Paul gives us the highlight reels in the following verses.
So, I invite you to take out your sermon guide, and follow along as we look at the Gospel In Action.
The first thing we notice is:
The Gospel in Action is Bold (12-15)
The Gospel in Action is Bold (12-15)
Let’s read v. 12-15 again (READ)
Here, Paul says that the Gospel, when proclaimed is bold. Bold meaning that it is unwavering and sure. It describes
one’s confidence in the truth of our message.
And it has to be boldly proclaimed because the Gospel is exclusive and thus is offensive. Jesus said
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
This means that Jesus alone holds the claim to truth.
Now let me say, One can be sincere in his devotion to Muhammad, Buddha, or any number of idols, but the reality is that the Gospel is the ONLY Hope for our broken situation. Only God could make a way of salvation. Only Jesus could pay the price for our sins. As Peter said in...
“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
The boldness of the Gospel confesses what the Old Covenant reveals- ALL have sinned and are in desperate need of a Savior.
The problem with so many in Paul’s day is the problem in our day as well. We gather in churches and the Word of Lord is veiled, edited for easy consumption.
So-called preachers stand and preach a cheap grace that does not save, but instead leads to hardened minds and unchanged lives.
Others preach that everyone is good and and their goodness will get them into heaven.
Oh, but friends, God’s Word says that there is none who is righteous, none who is good. The boldness of the Gospel is a wake-up call! The Psalmist warns us
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Today, if you would hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
As in the day of Massah in the wilderness,
This morning, if you are here and you have never repented of your sins- if you’re not surrendered to Christ, if you’re not abiding in His Word, then hear the bold words of the Gospel. Do not harden your hearts!
You are a sinner and you are headed for eternal judgment in a place called hell. Only by turning from your sins and following Christ in faith will you be saved. There is no hope outside of the Gospel. But Jesus came to save sinners just like you.
The Gospel in Action is Bold.
Discuss: What does it mean that “...a veil lies over their heart” (v.15)?
Next, we see that
The Gospel in Action is Clear (16-17)
The Gospel in Action is Clear (16-17)
Look down with me at v.16-17 (READ)
When people hear the Gospel and turn to the Lord, the reality of life and eternity all the sudden becomes crystal clear.
ILL: As I read this, I couldn’t help but think Paul’s own conversion story. You see, Paul was blinded by the glory of Jesus as he was confronted on the road to Damascus. His blindness remained until Jesus sent a man named Ananias to go to Paul. Let me read
So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized;
Paul clearly knew that he had been on the wrong path. He clearly knew the mercy and grace of God. Just as Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit that gave him strength and power to be a witness for Christ, so too is the person who repents from their sin and surrenders to the Lordship of Jesus.
For those of you who are genuinely following Christ, you may not have all the answers, but you know for certain that you have received that which you could not earn. You are like the blind man Jesus healed who, when asked about the one who healed him, replied, “One thing I do know- I was blind, but now I see!”
How can we sing those words of Amazing Grace and be anything less than in absolute awe that the God of all Creation saw fit to offer that New Covenant salvation to an old sinner like me!?!?
But it’s not just clear in that we have been brought from death to life, it’s also clear in that we are no longer like Adam an Eve as they hid in the Garden of Eden, trying to cover their nakedness. No, friend, the Gospel brings us into the light where our shame and sin have been put to death on that old cross.
Just as the veil was torn in the temple at Jesus’ crucifixion, We can enter into the presence with God because He has taken the veil of our heart away, and sealed us with His Holy Spirit.
Folks, I need to ask you- has the Gospel made that clear in your life?
The Gospel in Action is Bold and Clear.
Discuss: What has the Gospel made clear for you?
Finally, I want to show you that
The Gospel in Action is Transformational (18)
The Gospel in Action is Transformational (18)
Let me read verse 18 again (READ)
ILL: Have you ever noticed that the more time you spend with someone, the more their mannerisms or vocabulary rubs off on you? I won’t tell any specific names, but I have heard about people who frequent to the Mexican Restaurant and as the server is speaking, asking them what they want, this person begins to try to speak with a Hispanic accent...
We tend to be influenced by those we spend the most time with- Scripture even warns about the bad influence of others.
But Paul is talking about more than influence or mimicry. Paul tells us: The Gospel, applied to our life, brings us closer and closer to Jesus. And as we get closer and closer to Him; as we behold His glory, we are being transformed to be like Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The transformation means that our lives look different than they once did. When we and those close to us examine our lives, we see the Fruit of the Spirit on display:
Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, and Self-Control. (Gal. 5:22-26)
When we examine our motives, we care about the things that God cares about.
We weep over our own sin and we get on our knees and plead for those who are far from God.
We rejoice in God’s work, and take joy in serving our neighbor.
And here’s the cool thing- this transformation leads full-circle to BOLDLY Speaking the Gospel and partaking in the spiritual well-being of others because that exactly what Jesus did.
This is what the Gospel in Action looks like. Bold. Clear. Transformational.
The question is, do you see evidence of the Gospel in Action in your life?
As we bring our time to a close today, I want to encourage you respond to God’s Word. Here is a moment we will partake of the Lord’s Supper- we do this as a symbol of our continued unity with Christ in this new covenant. At LRBC, we do not require that you be a member of this body to partake, but we do ask that you be baptized, having already confessed your commitment to Christ.
As always, we want to give you the opportunity to confess and repent of any known sins. So, as the music plays, let us reflect upon the teaching and examine our lives,
I want you to look at your heart. Is it veiled? Is it hardened?
Look at your speech- do you speak the Gospel boldly?
Look at your life- Are you more like Jesus?
Let us ensure that the cup and bread which we are about to partake is not taken vainly.
Discuss: What transformation do you see in your life as a result of the Gospel?
[PRAY]