2 Corinthians (Program #9) – The Ministers of the New Covenant (2)

What should be the important criteria or qualities to be a genuine and proper minister of the gospel of the New Testament? We all might have our own ideas and thoughts about what are the most important qualities. But the Bible devotes several chapters to the subject in the book of 2 Corinthians and it’s there that we see several items that we likely would never have even considered.

First, the ministers must be those that are constituted with the life giving and transforming Spirit as chapter 3. This means that they are full of Christ and therefore able to minister this very Christ into people.

Second, as we will see today in chapter 4. They are those who conduct themselves in such a way that the glory of the gospel of Christ might shine through them and out from within them. In other words, their goal should not be just to preach the gospel, but to allow the gospel in its glory to be shined out through them for other to see. Oh, how we Christians today need such healthy, heavenly ministers.

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Exodus (Program #174) – The Erection of the Tabernacle – God’s Side and Our Side, Two beginnings, Moses, The Need for Reality

In the final chapter of Exodus we see the people of God carrying out His plan and erecting the tabernacle, His dwelling place.  The completion of this work brings in a two-fold presence of God’s glory.  First it covered the tabernacle or tent of meeting as a cloud outwardly and then it filled the tabernacle within.  God’s House brings man into contact with God’s glory.

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2 Corinthians (Program #8) – The Ministers of the New Covenant (1)

All believers have their favorite verses, verses that just seem to minister particularly to us in our situation. But one verse that deserves to be on every list is 2 Corinthians 3:18, listen to the apostle Paul in this marvelous verse,

18 “But we all with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit.”

Why is this verse so particularly important? Because it brings us face to face with the Lord Jesus in an intimate and personal way. But also in a way where by we are infused, transfused even transformed by Christ Himself as the very life giving Spirit.

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Exodus (Program #173) – The Making of the Tabernacle – Offering of the Materials, Preparing of Workers

The Bible reveals that God needs man to assist Him in His move.   God needs man and for this God calls man.  The question is what is it that man can do to assist God in His move?  What is it that God is looking for for man to carry out His move?  Part of the answers can be seen by understanding the types and pictures in the Old Testament book of Exodus.  For the past several months we had that enjoyment, that privilege and that pleasure and today we come nearly to the conclusion of this life study of Exodus.

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2 Corinthians (Program #7) – The Ministry of the New Covenant (3)

You probably remember the story of Moses coming down from Mt.Sinai after having been in God’s presence when he received the ten commandments. His face was shining so brightly that he had to put a veil over it before he can encounter the rest of the children of Israel. That shining was the outward reflection of God’s glory. A shining reflected off of Moses face. But as marvelous as that shining was in 2 Corinthians Paul calls it a fading glory. And rightly so, because in a very short time it was gone from Moses face. Actually this shining represents the glory of the Old Testament ministry. A ministry of as Paul called it “death and condemnation”. No wonder this glory fades.

But the New Testament ministry that Paul declares to us in 2 Corinthians is more in glory, an unfading, eternal, surpassing glory, that shines not just upon us but even out from within us, as the New Testament ministers.

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Exodus (Program #172) – The Making of the Tabernacle with Its Furniture and the Garments for the Priests

When the children of Israel were escaping Egypt, the Lord granted them favor and allowed them to take much gold, silver and other precious materials with them.  Later they used that gold to make an idol, offending God to the uttermost.  But after being reconciled to Him they were able to offer this gold once again.  This time for the building of God’s House.  This brought in God’s full blessing.  This is a wonderful lesson for us today.

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2 Corinthians (Program #6) – The Ministry of the New Covenant (2)

Metaphors play an important role in Scripture. Webster says a metaphor is the use of one set of words to describe or illustrate a similar point.

John uses the technique when he speaks of Jesus approaching him in the gospel. “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Surely he wasn’t saying that Jesus was a literal “lamb”. But the metaphor or picture gives us a much richer and clearer understanding.

The apostle Paul was also very fond of metaphors, particularly when conveying his deepest thoughts in teachings. We see it used intensively in 2 Corinthians. For example in 2 Corinthians chapter 2:14 he says “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in the Christ”  Here, the metaphor is the triumphant possession of captured and vanquished folks after a Roman battle. And Paul says that we, the believers had become such vanquished ones in the train of the victorious Christ.

Now, we come to another marvelous metaphor in the very next chapter, chapter 3 of 2 Corinthians begins this way:

1-3 “Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some do, letters of commendation to you or from you? You are our letter, inscribed in our hearts, known and read by all men, Since you are being manifested that you are a letter of Christ ministered by us, inscribed not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone but in tablets of hearts of flesh.”

Living letters of Christ. This is our topic today.

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Exodus (Program #171) – Moses Stay With God

After 40 days and 40 nights with God on Mount Sinai, Moses was instructed on how to begin building the tabernacle, God’s dwelling place with man.  But twice in Exodus chapter 24 and again in chapter 35 the Lord cautions even warns Moses and the people not to begin working for Him without first enjoying the Sabbath rest.  Is this just an oddity of the Old Testament dispensation or is this a real and meaningful exhortation for us, God’s New Testament believers?  We will explore the real Sabbath today.

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2 Corinthians (Program #5) – The Ministry of the New Covenant (1)

When we consider what are the main qualifications to be an effective and useful minister of the gospel. We may list things like been an eloquent speaker or having a charismatic personality or been one in power with miraculous gifts that can perform mighty works of power in the name of Jesus.  But the New Testament itself when presenting to us what’s the genuine ministry of the New Testament doesn’t uplift any of these things. Rather what we see in the genuine ministry of the apostles was the growth and maturity in the divine life. Paul the apostle himself was such a minister not relying on either natural ability or super natural gifts. He was the one spent years experiencing, enjoying and been constituted inwardly with the life giving Spirit, the very Christ in resurrection.

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Exodus (Program #170) – Moses Stay With God – Donkey, Lamb, Bringing the First Fruits to God, Not Boiling a Kid in Mother’s Milk

It has been marvelous, the reason is that we have seen Christ Himself in a wonderful way, unveiled for our experience for the carrying out of God’s economy.  When we see such a Christ in relation to our experience and God’s economy, the situation in our reading and study of the Word truly become wonderful.

Today we come to chapter 34.  This is a chapter where once again the Lord gives Moses the tablets containing the commandments.  But there are a couple of other matters that we need to look at.

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