06-15-03 Communion Dedication - Baldwin Christian Church

2 Corinthians 2:14 through 3:6

(v.14) Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

(v.15) For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

(v.16) To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

(v.17) For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

Chapter 3

(v.1-6) Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

One of the earliest memories I have is of an encounter I had with a snake when I was four years old. I was alone in the backyard, probably a little bored, and I felt the desire to explore behind the old stone wellhouse down by the creek. There was a pool of water behind the wellhouse, and as I passed around the back corner of the wellhouse wall, I was greeted with the sight of two big ol' black snakes, probably less than ten feet away from me, coiled and gathering up some sunshine on the far edge of that little pool. Immediately, they plopped into the water, and for a few seconds I froze, mesmerised by the sight of one of those snakes swimming right at me. Being the brave little guy that I was, as soon as he got close enough for me to see his eyes, I turned tail and ran as fast as I could all the way back to the house.

Even today, I sometimes still find myself being chased by that snake back to the house, back to the comfort and safety of familiar territory. It comes even in the form of thoughts; thoughts of my own incompetence and insufficiency. Sometimes it comes in the form of discouragement, sorrow, or apathy. Oftentimes, it comes chasing after me as a fear of the unexpected, fears of the condemnation and ridicule I might receive if I share what the Spirit has written in my heart. Paul tells us we have been made able ministers of the Good News, to be known and read of all men. Your testimony will cause some people to look at you as if you've been rolling around in two-day-old roadkill, but others will respond as if you're baking loaves of fresh bread. We should not suffer from discouragement when our sincere witness seems to have no effect, because it's a sweet smell to the One who can turn it all around, and we must not feel pride in successful ministry because our sufficiency was given by Him. Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.