Participants: Kelly Mowrer
Series Code: HWAL
Program Code: HWAL000413
00:15 Hi, and welcome to His Words Are Life.
00:18 I'm Kelly Mowrer and today we are going to be reading 00:21 some of the things that Paul was writing to the Corinthians. 00:24 about why he, himself, was a servant of Christ, 00:28 and how he tried to make that service to their benefit. 00:32 I think sometimes when I sit down to read the bible, 00:35 when we come together, I talk about how that the Word of God 00:38 can be hope and life and comfort to us, 00:41 and I know that, that is always true, but the end result 00:45 is not just to draw us closer to God for our own edification 00:50 but so that we can be a blessing to others and so today, 00:52 as we read these words from Paul, perhaps God will use 00:55 them to show us how each of us wherever we are can go out and 00:59 serve better and serve more selflessly as Paul is writing 01:04 here. Let's pray together. Dear God, Thank you so much 01:07 for these words and thank you for sending us the Holy Spirit 01:11 to help us to understand them, both to be thankful 01:16 for the example that Paul set for us all those years ago 01:19 but also give us a, as we listen today, ears that can hear these 01:25 words as an instruction to us. And open our minds to ways that 01:31 we could put them into practice and be used by You to build up 01:34 Your family that is living today in our neighborhood, 01:38 in our home and in our churches. We love you so much Jesus, 01:42 and thank you. Amen. 01:43 I am reading from the King James version and this is 01:46 2nd Corinthians, chapter 5, starting with verse eleven. 01:51 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; 01:56 but we are made manifest unto God and I trust also are made 02:00 manifest in your consciences. For we commend not ourselves 02:03 again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, 02:08 that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory 02:11 in appearance and not in heart. For whether we be beside 02:15 ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, 02:19 it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constraineth us; 02:23 because we thus judge, that if one died for all, 02:27 then were all dead: And that he died for all, 02:30 that they which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, 02:34 but unto Him which died for them and rose again. 02:38 Wherefore, henceforth know we no man after the flesh. 02:42 Yea, thought we had known Christ after the flesh, yet now 02:46 henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in 02:51 Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away 02:55 and behold all things are become new. And all things are of God, 02:59 who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given 03:03 to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit that God 03:08 was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, 03:11 not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed 03:16 unto us the word of reconciliation. 03:19 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did 03:24 beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, 03:28 be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, 03:33 who knew no sin; that we might be made 03:36 the righteousness of God in him. 03:38 I am reading from II Corinthians beginning now with Chapter six. 03:42 We then as workers together with him, beseech you also 03:48 that you receive not the grace of God in vain. 03:51 For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the 03:55 day of salvation have I succored thee: 03:58 behold now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of 04:02 salvation. Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry 04:06 be not blamed: But in all things approving ourselves as the 04:11 ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, 04:15 in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, 04:21 in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings, 04:25 by pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, 04:31 by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, 04:37 by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness 04:40 on the right hand and on the left, by honour and dishonour, 04:44 by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; 04:48 as unknown and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; 04:55 as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; 05:01 as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet 05:08 possessing all things. O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open 05:13 unto you, our heart is enlarged. Ye are not straitened in us, 05:17 But ye are straitened in your own bowels. 05:20 Now for a recompense in the same I speak as unto my children, 05:25 be ye also enlarged. Be ye not unequally yoked together with 05:30 unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness 05:32 with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light 05:35 with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? 05:39 or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 05:43 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? 05:46 for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, 05:51 I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God 05:57 and they shall be my people, Wherefore come out from among 06:01 them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not 06:04 the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 06:06 and will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sons and 06:10 daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 06:12 2nd Corinthians chapter seven. Having therefore these promises, 06:17 dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness 06:21 of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness 06:24 in the fear of God. Receive us; we have wronged no man, 06:28 we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man. 06:31 I speak not this to condemn you for I have said before, 06:35 and ye are in our hearts to die and live with you. 06:38 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying 06:43 of you. I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful 06:47 in all our tribulation. For when we were come into Macedonia, 06:51 our flesh had no rest but we were troubled on every side; 06:54 without were fightings, within were fears, 06:57 Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast 07:02 down, comforted us by the coming of Titus; 07:06 and not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith 07:10 he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, 07:14 your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; 07:17 so that I rejoiced the more. For though I made you sorry with a 07:21 letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: 07:24 for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, 07:28 though it were but for a season. And now I rejoice, 07:32 not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed 07:35 to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, 07:39 that ye might receive damage by us in nothing, 07:42 for godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation 07:46 not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world 07:50 worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed 07:54 after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, 07:59 yea, what clearing of yourselves yea, what indignation, 08:03 yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, 08:08 yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves 08:12 to be clear in this matter. Wherefore, though I wrote 08:16 unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, 08:19 nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you 08:24 in the sight of God might appear unto you. 08:26 Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: 08:30 yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, 08:34 because his spirit was refreshed by you all. 08:37 For if I had boasted in anything to him of you, I am not ashamed. 08:42 but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so 08:46 our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth. 08:51 And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, 08:55 whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, 08:58 how with fear and trembling ye received him. 09:01 I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things. 09:06 We are reading from II Corinthians, 09:09 and the King James version. and beginning now with chapter 8 09:12 Moreover brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed 09:18 on the churches of Macedonia; how that in a great trial of 09:23 affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty 09:26 abounded unto the riches of their liberality. 09:29 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their 09:34 power, they were willing of themselves; 09:36 praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift 09:40 and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints 09:44 and this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their 09:49 own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. 09:52 Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, 09:57 so he would also finish in you the same grace also. 10:00 Therefore as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, 10:04 and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love 10:07 to us, see that you abound in grace also. 10:10 I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness 10:15 of others and to prove the sincerity of your love. 10:17 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, 10:20 that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, 10:25 that ye through his poverty might be rich. 10:29 And herein I give my advice for this is expedient for you, 10:33 who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a 10:37 year ago. Now therefore, perform the doing of it; 10:42 that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be 10:46 a performance also out of that which ye have. 10:49 For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according 10:54 to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. 10:58 For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: 11:02 but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be 11:07 a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a 11:11 supply for your want: that there may be equality: 11:15 As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing 11:18 over and he that had gathered little had no lack. 11:22 But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care 11:25 into the heart of Titus for you. For indeed he accepted 11:29 the exhortation; but being more forward, of his own accord, he 11:33 went unto you. And we have sent with him the brother, 11:36 whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches; 11:39 and not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to 11:43 travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us 11:47 to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready 11:51 mind: Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this 11:56 abundance which is administered by us: 11:58 Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, 12:02 but also in the sight of men. And we have sent with them 12:07 our brother, whom we have often times proved diligent 12:10 in many things, bit now much more diligent upon the great 12:14 confidence which I have in you. Whether any do inquire of Titus, 12:19 he is my partner and fellow helper concerning you: 12:21 or our brethren be inquired of, they are the messengers of the 12:26 churches and the glory of Christ wherefore shew ye to them 12:30 and before the churches, the proof of your love, 12:33 and of our boasting on your behalf. 12:35 Continuing to read Paul's 2nd letter to the church in Corinth 12:40 and beginning with chapter 9. For as touching the ministering 12:44 to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you: 12:47 For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of 12:50 you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; 12:54 and your zeal has provoked very many. 12:57 Yet have I sent the brethren lest our boasting of you should 13:01 be in vain in this behalf; that as I said, ye may be ready: 13:05 Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you 13:10 unprepared, we, that we say not, ye, should be ashamed in this 13:15 same confident boasting, therefore I thought it necessary 13:19 to exhort the brethren that they would go before unto you and 13:22 make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, 13:26 that the same might be ready as a matter of bounty and not 13:31 as of covetousness. But this I say, He which soweth sparingly 13:36 shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully 13:40 shall reap also bountifully, every man according as he 13:46 purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, 13:50 or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver. 13:54 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; 13:58 that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, 14:02 may abound to every good work: (as it is written, 14:05 He hath dispersed abroad, he hath given to the poor: 14:08 his righteousness remaineth for ever. 14:11 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread 14:16 for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase 14:20 the fruits of your righteousness) 14:22 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, 14:26 which causes through us thanksgiving to God. 14:30 May God's blessings come through each of us 14:33 to bless those around us. Goodbye. |
Revised 2014-12-17