Introduction

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If you were writing a job ad for a REALLY unwanted job … how would you word the ad?  Here are some examples:

Do you like getting your hands dirty?  Then have we got the job for you.  Sewer cleaner.  You get to inspect and flush blocked sewers … with nothing more than a pair of rubber gloves for protection.  Job comes with a high chance of contracting gastrointestinal diseases … as well as developing respiratory and skin conditions.

Do you want to sit in the same chair … non-stop for 12 hours a day … with no one to talk to?  Then truck driver is the career for you.  We’ll give you impossible deadlines … make you deal with heavy traffic and road rage every day … and provide ZERO career advancement.

Do you love animals?  Then come to the abattoir.  Must be able to cope with the smell of animal faeces … and guts … for the floors and walls are covered in them from killing and cutting up large land animals for human consumption.

Do you enjoy large outdoor events?  Then Port-a-loo cleaner may be the job you’re looking for.  After sucking out human waste from the loo … you get to pick up stray toilet paper before hosing down the interior with disinfectant.  The high-pressure hose WILL result in spray back.

Some jobs its just hard to put a positive spin on … is it not?  Yet that is what Paul is doing in our passage today … for the job of being ‘Christ’s Ambassador’.  If you look back with me a few verses into last week’s passage … and we see Paul said this:

2 Corinthians 5:19b-20 (NIV) And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.

So if you recall last week’s sermon … we saw how God has given Christians the task of trying to ‘persuade others’ … v. 11 … to be reconciled to God … v. 20.  And we do this as Christ’s ambassadors.  What does that mean?  Well just like an ambassador TODAY speaks on behalf of the President or Prime Minister of THEIR country … so too do Christians speak on behalf of God.  When we speak to people about Christ … it is to be as though Christ himself were making that appeal THROUGH us.

And in TODAY’S passage … Paul tells us what being an effective ambassador is like.  OK … the first half of 2 Cor 6 is kind of like a job ad … for being Christ’s ambassador.  Yet the description he gives … is kind of like those job ads I just mentioned.  This is not an easy job.  Yet it is an important one.  In fact … it’s THE most important job in the world.  Forget being a surgeon … or a fire fighter … a school teacher … or even President of the United States.  Being an ambassador for Christ … which we became automatically when we became a Christian … is the most important job there is.  Why?  Because we’re representing the most important PERSON there is … in order to deliver the most important message there is; how to flee the coming wrath … and be reconciled to God.

And Paul gives us 3 lists in this passage … as to how we are to commend being a Christian to others.  And these 3 lists are our 3 points today.  And they are (i) The hardships Paul suffered … v. 3-5, (ii) The conduct Paul displayed … v. 6-7, and (iii) The paradoxes Paul lived … v. 8-13.  And in each of these lists … Paul is saying THESE are the tools that most effectively commend the gospel to others.  Now last week … we saw how the Sydney Anglican diocese has been in decline for the past 6-8 years.  If we want to see that turn around … if we want our month of evangelism next month to be effective in calling more to Christ … then these are the 3 things that will do it.  So please come with me … as we see how to be THE most effective ambassadors for Christ we can be.

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The hardships Paul suffered (v. 3-5)

 

And our passage begins with these words:

2 Corinthians 6:3-4 (NIV) We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance;

So if you recall … the occasion for this letter is that certain false teachers … whom Paul pejoratively refers to as ‘super-apostles’ in chapter 11 … certain ‘super-apostles’ had come to Corinth … and started bad-mouthing Paul to the Corinthians.  And at least SOME of the Corinthians were being convinced of this.  We see this at the end of our passage.  Look at:

2 Corinthians 6:12 (NIV) We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us.

At least SOME of the Corinthians are being stand-offish.  And so Paul spends MOST of this letter trying to convince the Corinthians that these ‘super-apostles’ are not the authentic ministers they make out to be.  And once again … Paul flips the claims of these ‘super-apostles’ completely on their head.  Now again … we need to read between the lines a bit here; but it seems these ‘super-apostles’ were claiming they were the real deal … because they LOOKED the part.  They were great orators and preachers … they LOOKED very successful and wealthy … they drew large crowds … they commanded respect.  And Paul says ‘we commend ourselves a little differently to that’.  We commend ourselves through great endurance … deep perseverance … through hardened resilience.  And why do we need this great endurance?  Cue Paul’s first list:

2 Corinthians 6:4b-5 (NIV) … in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;

Paul says the thing that commends the gospel to others … are our troubles, hardships and distresses.  Throughout the book of Acts we’re told Paul was constantly dealing with hardships:

• In Pisidian Antioch the Jews persuaded the leading women to expel Paul … Acts 13

• In Iconium … both Jews and Gentiles plotted to stone Paul … Acts 14.

• In Lystra … Paul was stoned by an angry mob … Acts 14

Not only that … Paul ALSO suffering beatings, imprisonments and riots:

• In Philippi … Paul is stripped, beaten with rods and thrown in prison … Acts 16.

• In Ephesus … the entire city rioted because of Paul’s teaching … Acts 19 … as did the city of Jerusalem when he went there … Acts 21.

Now … HOW is it that Paul’s SUFFERING is what commends the gospel?  It’s because it shows people we’re willing to worship the Lord … even when things go wrong.  It shows people Jesus is worth it.  I heard a sermon many years ago … from the head of AFES in Europe.  AFES stands for Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students.  This guy ran university ministry across all of Europe.  And he told the story of when his child contracted cancer.  I can’t remember the child’s exact age … probably between 8 and 12.  And despite going through rigorous treatment … their child sadly died.

About 6 months later … his parents came to see him.  They were not Christians.  But they said to him ‘we’ve been watching you son … ever since you became a Christian … when YOU were at uni.  And we thought it was just a fad.  We thought you’d grow out of it.  But you then went to Bible college … and took a job convincing university students to become Christians.  And your mother and I quietly thought … he’ll grow out of it.  And when your child died 6 months ago … we were convinced you’d finally renounce this Jesus bloke.  But you didn’t.  And so we’re here today to find out what it is about Jesus … that makes you keep your allegiance to him … even though he took your child.  And the head of AFES Europe explained to his parents about the God who gave up HIS child … in order to rescue his people.  And his parents went on to become Christians.

Brothers and sisters … non-Christians are LESS likely to be convinced the gospel is real when they see Christians thriving.  That guy’s parents watched him for 20 years … when things were going well.  It wasn’t until they saw their son go through REAL suffering … that they realised Jesus is worth it.  So here’s our first piece of application for today.  Don’t waste your suffering.  Don’t waste your hardships.  They are what commends the gospel to others.

Now I’m not saying REJOICE in suffering … or go LOOKING for hardships.  Suffering is hard.  But very little commends the gospel MORE … than a Christian who can speak of their love for Christ in the midst of real hardship.  It’s why suffering comes to every serious Christian.  And some of you are suffering right now.  So our first piece of application for today is … IF you are suffering right now … as hard as that suffering is … I’m not for a second belittling your suffering.  But IF you are suffering right now … then you are in the box seat to commend the gospel to others.  So if you want to be a serious Christian … an effective ambassador … then do not waste your suffering.  Use it to commend the gospel.

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The conduct Paul displayed (v. 6-7)

 

So … that’s the hardships Paul suffered.  He then gives us a second list in v. 6-7.  Now truth be told … the 3 lists I mentioned are really one big list in 3 parts.  And Part 2 is this:

2 Corinthians 6:6-7 (NIV) in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;

The thing that makes this list different to the first list is that this list shows how Paul CONDUCTED himself … whether he was suffering or not.  OK … remaining firm in your commitment to Jesus in times of HARDSHIP commends the gospel.  So too does godly conduct.  The number 1 biggest obstacle for the gospel today … is Christians who don’t live out their faith.  And the time when it’s the HARDEST to live out our faith … is hardships.  The reason being that hardships tend to take over our focus.  We spend most of our attention on getting OUT of suffering.  Let me explain.

I generally try not to swear … as a Christian.  Eph 5:4 says let no ‘obscenity, foolish talk or course joking’ come out of your mouth.  But my kids can tell you every time they’ve heard me swear.  Thankfully it’s not that many.  Yet.  But each of those times were when something went wrong.  Like if I hit my finger with a hammer … chances are you’re going to hear some fruity language.  And that’s because suffering has a way of consuming us.  If you’re going through serious hardship … that suffering consumes our whole attention.  It’s ALL we think about.  ‘How long O Lord!’  And this is why Paul headed up this whole list with the phrase ‘great endurance’.

You see great endurance … hardened resilience … doesn’t just mean we get through it.  Getting THROUGH hardship doesn’t commend the gospel … because with the exception of those who sadly commit suicide … EVERYONE gets through hardships.  OK … GETTING THROUGH hardships doesn’t commend the gospel.  What commends the gospel is getting through hardships with our Christian integrity intact.  Suffering turns SOME people into very hard … very cold … very jaded individuals.  Some people come out the other side of suffering very horrible … angry people.  They are not effective ambassadors for Christ.  Effective ambassadors for Christ are those who don’t let their suffering consume them.

A few years ago I showed a video here at church of an America’s Got Talent act … by the name of Nightbird.  It was a 30-year-old woman … who had been struggling with cancer for the past few years.  At that time … she said she had a 2% chance of surviving the cancer.  Now what blew Simon Cowell away … was not her voice … as beautiful as it was.  It was her saying ‘I’m so much more than the bad things that happen to me’.  Simon said quote; ‘that really got to me'.

So our SECOND point of application today … the SECOND way we are to be effective ambassadors for Christ … is ensure our conduct is becoming of an ambassador of Christ … even in the MIDST of hardships.  Now what does that look like?  Paul shows us in v. 6-7:

1. Be pure.  Hardships have a way of making us believe ‘I DESERVE a bit of sin’.  ‘I DESERVE a bit or porn tonight … or to get drunk tonight … or to have sex outside of marriage.’  Rather … effective ambassadors remain pure.

2. Be understanding.  Another word for that is ‘empathetic’.  Rather than look down on others … put yourself in THEIR shoes.  Be understanding.

3. Be patient.  Instead of blowing our stack with those who don’t behave the way we want them to … be patient with them.

4. Be kind.  Hardships very often lead to harshness.  Instead … effective ministers remain kind in the face of hardships.

5. Be loving.  Put the needs of others ahead of our own.

6. Be truthful in speech.  Sometimes telling a little white lie seems like the easier path.  We don’t want to hurt their feelings.  Or we don’t want to get found out.  So we lie.  Lying ambassadors do not commend their king and country.  So be truthful.

7. And finally … wielding the weapons of righteousness.  OK … put the sword of the Spirit in our right hand and the shield of faith in our left.

One of the BEST ways to commend the gospel to non-Christians … is to ensure our conduct is becoming of an ambassador for Christ … even in the midst of suffering.

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The paradoxes Paul lived (v. 8-13)

 

Well this brings us to part 3 of Paul’s list:

2 Corinthians 6:8-10 (NIV) through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

So this last list … that commends Paul as an effective ambassador for Christ … is a set of paradoxes.  And living OUT these paradoxes is what ALSO commends the gospel to unbelievers.  Now I can’t spend too much time on each of these … or we’ll be here till midnight.  So let me quickly run through v. 8-9 … because v. 10 is where the real gold lies.  So what does Paul mean?

2 Corinthians 6:8 (NIV) through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors

These 3 paradoxes are basically the same.  It means Paul is praised for his life, conduct and teaching by SOME … and slandered for that exact same life, conduct and teaching by others.  And this is the Christian life is it not?  Jesus himself said ‘woe to you when everyone speaks well of you.  That’s how they spoke about the false prophets.’  If you are living a life of Christian integrity … some people are going to slander us for it.  And they’re going to slander us because we’re travelling in the exact opposite direction to us.

• In the 1970s … people slandered Christians for our stance against porn and sexual immorality

• In the 80s … people slandered Christians for our stance against drugs and greed

• In the 90s … people slandered Christians for our stance against homosexuality

• In the naughties … people slandered Christians for our stance against same-sex marriage.

• These days … people slander Christians for our stance against the transgender movement

Yet not everyone slanders Christians for those things.  God certainly doesn’t.  We are to live out these paradoxes.

2 Corinthians 6:9 (NIV) known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed;

• Though the Christians were a relatively unknown sect in Paul’s day … he was known by God.

• Though Paul ‘died’ everyday … metaphorically speaking … Christ had made him alive.

• And though he had been beaten, pelted with stones and imprisoned repeatedly … God had rescued him every time.  God will spare us until our work is done.

But like I said … v. 10 is the REAL gold:

2 Corinthians 6:10 (NIV) sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

John Piper says what the world needs MOST from the church … what the world needs MOST from each of us here at Earlwood Anglican … is quote; ‘our indomitable joy in Jesus … in the midst of suffering and sorrow.’  What the world needs MOST from ambassadors of Christ is our indomitable joy … our unquenchable JOY … even when going through sorrow.

Now please understand what this paradox DOESN’T means.  It DOESN’T mean being chipper all the time.  May our church services NEVER be like a talk show … where everyone is happy and high-spirited.  May our church members NEVER come to church with a cheerful … playful mask on.  That’s not what we’re on about here.  We KNOW there are Christians:

• Who are dying of cancer

• Whose marriages are a living hell

• Whose children are breaking their hearts

• Who are struggling financially

• Who have lost their jobs

• Or are desperately lonely

We are REAL about those things here at Earlwood Anglican.  We’re not trying to create an atmosphere of bouncy … light-hearted … playful Christians.  But NOR are we trying to create an atmosphere of doom and gloom.  What we want people to see … is our unquenchable joy in Christ … in the midst of our suffering and sorrow.

And the way we do that … the way we achieve this indomitable joy … is by realising that we are rich in Christ.  I was once asked by an ex-parishioner ‘what does the Christian orphan … living in a slum in India HAVE?’  Now you can understand the question … because materially speaking … they have nothing.  But herein lies the GREAT paradox.  And that is … the person who owns EVERYTHING materially … I’m talking mansions … cars … clothes … private jets.  The person who owns EVERYTHING materially AND Christ … has nothing more than the person who only owns Christ.

This is why Paul could make many rich.  Even though he ‘had nothing’ … materially speaking … he considered himself rich.  So whatever material wealth came his way … he just gave it away.  And the reason he considered himself rich … was because he had something that is infinitely better than ANY worldly wealth of comfort.  And that is a relationship with the God who gave up His only Son … just so that He can have you in heaven.  THAT … is where true wealth is found.

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Conclusion

 

And THAT … is how we best commend the gospel of Christ.  It’s not through joy in good times.  OK … joy in the midst of health … joy in the midst of wealth … joy in the midst of prosperity.  The world already has that.  No point in trying to sell them something they already have.  What the world DOESN’T have … is joy in the midst of suffering and sorrow.

Where the ‘super-apostles’ commended THEIR ministry through their healthy, wealthy and prosperous lifestyles … Paul commended his ministry through showing that having Christ is infinitely better than any worldly wealth or comfort.  May we TOO commend ourselves in this way … through our indomitable joy … even in the midst of suffering and sorrow.