Gospel Ministry: 1 John #5
This is an exposition of 1 John 2:12-17. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, November 1, 2015.
Intro:
A friend of mine was counseling a couple in his office. It is part of the normal fare for a pastor to meet with a couple struggling to hold their marriage together. The young woman was attending his church, her husband did not. In fact he really wasn’t interested in the church or what the church had to say. He was there because he really did love his wife. In the course of conversation the pastor began to respond and deal with some of the problems in their marriage as he saw it. In response to something he said, the woman burst into tears. She could not be consoled. The husband nervously tried to comfort her. Then, with obvious anger, he stood to his feet and glared at the pastor. Granted the circumstance may have distorted his view but my friend swore this guy was about 12 foot tall! The husband slammed his fist on the desk and said, “I thought you people were supposed to make people feel good.”
I was visiting with a man one time who was recounting a recent revival meeting they had at their church. “Boy you ought to have that preacher we had, at your church. He was really good. He chewed us up and spit us out.” This guy thought real preaching was when you left a little bit mad. Unless you got your toes stomped on and worked over a little bit you really haven’t been to preach’n.
I have received more than one cussing from a disgruntled person who came knocking on the church door and didn’t get what they wanted. When they wanted cash and I offered food, they got mad. When they called wanting a motel for the night and I offered a shelter, they slammed down the phone. Some think it is the role of the church to give without question or discretion.
What is the role of the church? What is the church to be about? What is our assignment and how do we accomplish the task given? If we were to survey the crowd this morning we would get a variety of answers. The answers would reflect the heart and desires of those responding.
I’m convinced that:
Thesis: In a world of twisted morals and misaligned priorities the church must maintain a genuine Gospel ministry.
For most of us, when we think of “Gospel,” we think only of the plan of salvation. But
Gospel Ministry is more than the Roman Road. It is more than pleading with the lost to come to Christ. Such pleading is essential and it must be done but the Gospel is more than that. The Gospel is the whole counsel of God. It relates to the whole of salvation; regeneration, sanctification and glorification. We never “outgrow” the Gospel. The Gospel is for the nonbeliever and the believer alike.
John the beloved apostle, in 1 John, is writing a letter of encouragement to a group of people he dearly loves. A group who are facing extraordinary times. Times of widespread and at time fierce persecution. He is writing to assure them of their life in Christ and the security of that life. Some false teachers have disrupted the fellowship. They have taught a secret, higher knowledge. They claim superior understanding of spiritual matters. John says to the church – “They went out from us, and that’s good. It’s good because it shows they were never with us to begin with.”
In 1 John 2 John deals with the question, “How do I know that I know God?”
Is assurance possible and if so how do I know?
He lays out 3 tests:
- The moral test – am I growing in holiness?
- The social test – am I increasing in my ability to love?
- The doctrinal test – do I have a desire/passion for the truth?
As John has spoken directly and passionately about these things he has used some blunt language. He says, “If you claim this…but live this…you are a liar and the truth is not in you.” His language is forceful and direct. The problem is that sensitive believers who struggle with their sin might misapply John’s words. John is speaking primarily to those false teachers but, realizing the potential for misunderstanding, he interrupts his argument and speaks a word of encouragement to the faithful.
Text: 1 John 2:12-17
As we look at his parenthesis we find two keys to authentic Gospel ministry. We discover that a well rounded Gospel ministry is a ministry of encouragement and warning. While seeking to encourage believers to remain secure in their faith it also challenges them to maintain vigilance.
I want to focus on this two-fold aspect of Gospel ministry.
- Gospel ministry seeks to encourage and affirm believers in all stages of their spiritual development. (2:12-14)
- Gospel ministry warns the believer of the danger of compromise and passionately pleads for a life of faithfulness. (2:15-17)
Conclusion:
Gospel ministry calls believers to follow Christ. The early disciples left fishing boats and tax booths to follow him. It is a calling to flee from error and embrace the truth. A call to turn from unrighteousness to righteousness.
To engage in Gospel ministry is to call sinners to life in Christ. To seek to encourage believers in every stage of their spiritual development and to warn them of the dangers of compromise and plead for a life of faithfulness.
In a world of twisted morals and misaligned priorities, God grant us to the courage to engage in a genuine Gospel Ministry.