Introduction

We kickoff our midweek ministries this week, so I want to take a break from Nehemiah and offer some encouragement and perspective. What I have to say is not just for midweek staff; it applies to every ministry, to parenting, and to all our work as disciple makers.

First, I want to say how grateful I am for all of you who pour your hearts into making an eternal impact. You have other pressures and heavy burdens. Some weeks you are tired, or you’re in pain.

And ministry isn’t always romantic. The kids misbehave and complain. Yor come ready to teach with passion, but the crowd is small, and they don’t share your passion. Parents, you know the grind well. So can anyone who works hard at personal evangelism and discipleship. Ministry is a marathon, filled with heartache and disappointment.

So, I thank God often that I get to serve the Lord with such an awesome team of godly, ministers who love well and serve with passion. It’s a joy to work together, we love you, and we want to do anything we can to support and encourage you.

In that vein, I want to encourage you today by reminding you of the glory behind all gospel ministry. Your ministry matters! Our text also magnifies one of the core values on the back wall. We are committed to “Gospel-Focused Outreach” (read text). We want everyone we serve to feel loved, get their problems solved, have a good time, and live a good life. But if that’s all we do, we’ve missed the point. The gospel is our superpower. So, we must be gospel-focused in everything we do. So, I hope you’ll leave encouraged to preach Christ and watch God transform hearts. I have 5 challenges for you along these lines. The 1^st is simply…

I.  Preach Christ.

I’d like to begin with v. 5 because it makes the point I most want to emphasize (read). Sadly, there were many orators in Corinth, even some who claimed to be Christians, who preached themselves. Their passion was to glorify their knowledge, oratory skill, and charisma.

But Paul had something far better to show off. We “preach…Christ Jesus as Lord.” Parents, evangelists, disciple makers, and servants, the gospel is your superpower. It is “the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.”

You can convince people that you are the smartest, funnest, coolest, and kindest parent or preacher on the planet, and they may still end up in hell.

And giving kids a good feeling and good time won’t mean squat when their sociology professor embarrasses them in front of 20 peers or sexual passion feels overwhelming. They will need gospel conviction planted deep in their hearts by Holy Spirit power.

So, be engaging, love people, run a great program, and have a good time. But remember that the gospel is your superpower. Preach Christ! How do you that? First…

Tell them that Jesus is Lord. I won’t do this to you, but I would love to talk for 30 minutes about Paul’s message because so many people preach a watered-down gospel. They emphasize how wonderful you are and how God can serve your ambitions. They tell people to give Jesus a try or to add a little Jesus to their lives.

But the gospel is not merely a Prozac pill or a quick fix to your felt needs. It is about a person and about entering a relationship with that person. The gospel is about Christ.

And Jesus is not any person. He is Lord. The sinner must understand who Jesus is; otherwise, he will never understand who he is, how offensive his sin is, and the glorious grace Jesus offers. Don’t forget that we preach “Jesus Christ as Lord.” The gospel begins here, and everything else radiates from this fact.

But someone might say, “That’s offensive and humiliating. People want to believe they are important, and they are in charge. If you emphasize that Jesus is Lord, most people will have no interest.”

Sure, Jesus sympathized with people’s burdens, and he answered their concerns. But every true solution begins with seeing Jesus as he is. And you may get them to pray a prayer or claim Christianity, but until they see that Jesus is Lord, they will not be truly born again.

I’m glad you want results. You want to reach people. But don’t fear the sharp edges to the gospel. They’re essential for cutting through the darkness. Be bold and call people to a genuine relationship with Christ—a relationships where Christ is Lord, not me. But with that…

Tell them that Jesus is glorious. I love how Paul describes the miracle of conversion. Verse 4 says that when someone gets saved, they “see the light…” And v. 6 reminds those who are saved that God “has shone in our hearts…” Those are beautiful descriptions of conversion.

I have to think that Paul is reflecting on his own experience. At one point, he thought that Jesus was a fraud. who was chasing his own glory and fame. But he literally saw the light on the Road to Damascus. He immediately responded, “Who are you, Lord.” He knew Jesus was Lord, and in a sense it was terrifying.

But Christ’s glory was also beautiful. When you get a taste of who Jesus really is, you only want more. Paul loved Jesus, and his great ambition was to know him and be near to him. You know the feeling if you are truly saved. When you see Jesus’ glory, you fear him, but you especially love him.

Maybe that sounds foreign to you. You may believe big things about Jesus, but you don’t love him, you don’t rest in him, and you aren’t happy to serve him. Very likely you have never seen the true glory of Jesus. You must see that Jesus is Lord, he is holy and just, and unless you repent he will judge you for your rebellion.

But also see that Jesus is a wonderful, good Savior. He died on the cross so that you can be forgiven and enjoy a relationship with him that is full of grace and peace. Put aside all your biases about Jesus and see him as he is reveals himself in the Word. Call out to him for grace and salvation. He promises to save. Please receive him today.

And for those who are saved, stay focused on our true mission and how wonderful it is. We get preach Christ! From there, don’t you want more people to see the glory of Jesus? I desperately want my children to see his beauty. Parents and grandparents, I hope you pray that way and that you labor to show them Christ.

Nursery, children and teen workers, I know we put a lot on your plate. You’re a disciplinarian, activity director, secretary, cook, and many other things. But above all, you are a mirror to the glorious beauty of Jesus. Don’t lose sight of your glorious task because it’s awesome.

Remember that all the other stuff is just a means for opening a door to the only power that will change people’s lives. The gospel is your superpower. So, preach Christ. Take every opportunity to people about the wonder of Jesus. Call them to repent, believe, and love. Pray that God would open their eyes. Get excited about your message. Preach Christ. My 2^nd major challenge is…

II.  Preach expectantly (v. 6).

Do you ever get discouraged in gospel ministry? You preach and preach, but nothing happens. That loved one is so cold, and our culture is so evil that you can’t imagine them coming to Christ.

I understand. Loving people can feel cruel, and ministry is often disheartening. But when you quit or close your heart, it’s really a lack of faith. You don’t believe that a clear gospel message and the power of the Holy Spirit are enough to give life.

The Power of God: Notice how v. 6 describes God. He said, “Light shall shine out of darkness.” That language goes back to Genesis 1:3, “Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and (guess what?) there was light.” Consider how incredible that is. The earth was shrouded in absolute darkness. But God’s voice didn’t just turn on a light bulb; he lit the entire world. God’s voice possesses infinite power. It’s a tsunami of sovereignty.

The Power of the Gospel: And the same power that lit the world “has shone in our hearts…” Again, think of Paul’s testimony. One minute he is on a mission to destroy the name of Jesus. Then, the light shines, God speaks, and, boom, he is on his knees confessing Jesus as Lord.

Of course, God rarely uses this sort of visible display, but the same power that called light into existence is still opening eyes to the glory of Jesus. Sometimes, he does it dramatically. He hits the atheist with overwhelming conviction and floods his heart with faith. Sometimes it’s subtle, and you can’t even identify exactly when faith began. But every conversion is a miracle of grace. God cuts through the hostility of depraved sinners, and he gives, “the Light of the knowledge…” It’s always awesome to see God do that.

It’s especially exciting to live in that light. It’s so exciting to read the Gospels and understanding Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, and to see “the glory of God in the face of Christ.” I have a hard time comprehending how anyone could read the Gospels and not love him. Yet many do not. They’re apathetic toward God or even hate God.

But depravity is no match for the voice of God. When God commands the light to shine, the darkness doesn’t stand a chance. Some of you have been praying for decades that God would save a parent, a child, a sibling, or a friend. You preach Christ with all your might in SS, but that one child or teen couldn’t care less. Your coworker is cold and nasty toward any spiritual conversation.

Don’t lose heart. God can cut through the darkness whenever he wants. Keep preaching and expect God to work because the gospel is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” My 3^rd challenge is…

III.  Preach humbly (vv. 3–4).

The background to these verses is almost certainly that Paul’s opponents were using some people’s coldness to Paul’s message to discredit his ministry. You can imagine these big-mouths bragging, “When I get up to speak, everyone is on the edge of their seats. I flood the aisles with responses. Look at my stats. Look at how popular I am.

But Paul he gets thrown in jail and kicked out of every town he visits. His own people, the Jews really hate him. He must be doing something wrong. There must be a better way.”

We feel the same pressure today. If anything, the internet and celebrity culture probably makes it worse. We are obsessed with statistics, and we love a good show.

We should pursue success. Paul said, “I have become all things to all men, so that I may be all means save some…I discipline my body make it my slave” (1 Cor 9:22, 27). Paul worked hard to be successful and so should you.

But what do we do when the gospel seems to make no impact? What do you when your teen is cold to Christ or hostile to your faith? What do we do with the visitor who is completely unengaged during gospel preaching?

Paul says we must remember that more than one power is at work. “The god of this world (i.e., Satan) has blinded the minds of the unbelieving.” He is working hard to keep the unbeliever from seeing the light of the gospel.

He’s good at what he does. It’s as if the puts blinders on the unbeliever’s eyes. You may give the best gospel message ever, but it’s not going anywhere as long as the veil remains. Paul felt that with his own people (3:12–14). The veil kept most Jews from seeing Jesus as he is.

Of course, God can remove that veil anytime he wants. Again, 3:14 says the veil is only “removed in Christ.” But the choice is his, not ours.

Remember that when the person you love is not responding or when fruit is slow to come. Sure, you may be doing something wrong. Maybe you should try a new strategy. But never tweak the message.

Sometimes, we get antsy and desperate. You water down the truth a little or smooth the sharp edges. “I’ll just emphasize the warm parts and avoid lordship, justice, and hell.” Or we lean into human power instead of gospel power. Churches win people to a show, or you win people to the force of your personality and intellect. “I’m a cool Christian, and you can be one too.”

All of that may come from a genuine zeal to reach people for Christ. I hope that it generally does. But consider how arrogant it is for anyone to think their power can add anything to the power of the gospel or that their version of the gospel is better than God’s.

The point of vv. 3–4 is to say that we must preach humbly. Just because the gospel is veiled does not mean the message or the messenger are doing something wrong. God is sovereign, not me. Your personality, an awesome program, and the slickest message cannot overwhelm Satan’s power to blind. Only Christ can remove the veil.

I’m glad you are passionate to reach people for Christ. We need more of that, not less. Be passionate about the gospel and the people you want to reach. But don’t try to carry a burden you cannot bear. Don’t try to be Jesus. Don’t preach yourself, but “Christ Jesus as Lord…” Preach humbly. 4^th…

IV.  Preach plainly (v. 2).

Paul makes these clarifications because other ministers were being shameful and crafty with their message. They were adulterating or tampering with the word of God (2:17). It’s impossible to know exactly how they were doing this, but based on the reference in chapter 3 to the Jews being veiled, they were probably toying with the gospel to make it more palatable to the Jews. They were cutting a little over here about faith alone and adding a little over here about circumcision and holy days.

We could talk for hours about how modern preachers “adulterate the word of God.” Some ignore what the Bible says about hell. Others turn God into a big vending machine in the sky who is there to make you healthy, wealthy, and important. I saw this week that there is a new “Christian” book called The Widening of God’s Mercy. The authors admit the Bible condemns homosexuality but claim God is love, and God is willing to change and grow. So, we can assume he has changed his mind on sexuality. However, the Bible also says that God doesn’t change, and he doesn’t make mistakes.

So, v. 2 challenges us to simply preach the Word honestly and plainly. “Renounce the hidden things because of shame.” You don’t need to protect God’s reputation by hiding the offensive parts of his Word. We don’t need to sell snake oil when we have the real thing.

Don’t be crafty with the Word of God, bending a little here and hiding a little there. And especially don’t adulterate the Word. In other words, don’t twist the Scriptures to fit your agenda or to win an audience.

Instead, honestly and plainly share the gospel and all God’s truth. That’s the point when Paul says, “By the manifestation…” Paul simply set the Word in front of people, and he trusted that their consciences would see his honesty and integrity.

Once again, God doesn’t need you to be his public relations spokesman who explains away his gaffes and hides his dark side. On the other hand, God doesn’t need you to give him an extreme makeover by making his message more exciting, interesting, and emotional.

Sure, when you’re teaching kids, work to be engaging and compelling. But don’t make ministry more complicated than it is, and don’t forget your superpower. The gospel is the power of God to salvation. So, tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. God will use it. 5^th…

V.  Preach perseveringly (v. 1)

We all know that when you love people, you make yourself vulnerable to great pain and disappointment. No one can hurt you like your family. And the people you love the most in ministry often hurt you the most.

Even the great Apostle Paul didn’t always succeed. People he loved turned harshly against him, and it hurt (1:8). Imagine the great Apostle Paul “despairing even of life.” Or how about 7:5–6. Paul couldn’t escape the burdens of ministry. They weighed on him constantly.

So, what he says in 4:1 is very significant (read). Do you ever tempted to hate the ministry God has given or to despise the people you are called to serve? Don’t give in; instead, think like Paul who say his ministry as a mercy of God. “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor” (1 Tim 1:12–13).

Serving the Lord is a wonderful grace. Why? You get to preach Christ! The next time you share the gospel may be the time that God uses your message to command the light to shine in the darkness and that person will see “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.” It doesn’t get any better than that.

So, “do not lose heart.” Some of you have had ministry explode in your face and the shrapnel cut deeply. For some of you it’s coming for your own parents, spouse, or children. All you did was call them to the Light, and they turned nasty on you. Maybe you’ve been hurt so many times that you’ve built hard callouses. You’re going through the motions, but you’re careful to keep your distance and to keep your heart out of it.

Don’t lose heart. Ministry hurts, but it will always be a mercy of God to be able to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. And as long as God is sovereign (and that’s not changing), there will always be hope of God doing something miraculous. Every conversion is a resurrection. Darkness flees, and light floods in. People see the glory of God in the face of Christ. It’s awesome. Stay hopeful and persevere.

Conclusion

I hope you are eager to work hard at your ministry. Be a great teacher. Plan awesome activities. Love people, ask good questions, and be a servant. But remember that the gospel is your superpower. “We do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord.” Preach Christ and watch God transform hearts.