Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20010722.htm

2 CORINTHIANS: OVERCOMING WHEN GOD'S SERVANT FACES RESISTANCE
Part IX: Effectively Appealing To The Conscience In Discipling
(2 Corinthians 6:1-13)
  1. Introduction
    1. We learned in 2 Corinthians 4:2 when we appeal to the conscience of those we seek to disciple, we leave the most effective influence to cause them to believe what we have to say in relaying God's Word.
    2. As one might wonder how to do this well, we note Paul's example of appealing to his readers' consciences in 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 and 11-13 and his fully expecting them to believe him. Just why he could expect them to believe him is revealed in 2 Corinthians 6:3-10.
    3. We review the passage for insight on effectively appealing to our disciples' consciences in discipling:
  2. Effectively Appealing To The Conscience In Discipling, 2 Corinthians 6:1-13.
    1. Paul appealed to his Corinthian readers to accept his teachings about God's grace to offset their carnal, legalistic and artificial spirituality, 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 in light of 1 Corinthians 3:1-3:
      1. The Corinthians were carnal, living and thinking as though they were still unsaved, 1 Cor. 3:1-3.
      2. Accordingly, to offset their carnal artificial spirituality, Paul urged them to heed his words about God's grace in their lives, 2 Corinthians 6:1-2.
    2. Paul's BASIS for making this appeal was his own record of great credibility, 2 Corinthians 6:3-10 NIV:
      1. Paul said he had not given offense, or caused others to head toward ungodliness in any way in his ministry, but had kept working as though he truly believed what he had taught, 2 Cor. 6:3-4a.
      2. He then certified his claim to such uniformity between his life and words by reminding them of his testimony before his readers, 2 Corinthians 6:4b-10. We enumerate his points as follows:
        1. Paul had continued ministering in the face of much personal discomfort, indicating he really believed the credibility of the words he taught them, 2 Corinthians 6:4b,c.
        2. He had faced much personal persecution in his ministry, rising above exercising personal vengeance to absorb wrongs with humility and graciousness, 2 Corinthians 6:5.
        3. He had exhibited a sterling personal character throughout his time with the Corinthians, 2 Cor. 6:6a.
        4. Paul's personal ministry had evidenced the Holy Spirit's power in his preaching, 2 Cor. 6:6b-7a. This also included the changed lives of his listeners, 2 Corinthians 3:1-3.
        5. He had exhibited spiritual prowess from God's involvement in his ministry by rising above Satanic attacks from all quarters, using effectively God's spiritual armor, 2 Cor. 6:7b with Eph. 6:1-18.
        6. Paul had consistently outlasted charges of being a deceiver and a man of bad reputation, showing that he was not ministering out of false pride, but for God's glory in true humility, 2 Cor. 6:8.
        7. Paul had consistently outlasted and remained positive in the face of social abuse, 2 Cor. 6:9, 10a.
        8. He had consistently handled emotional stress by rising out of grief to a stable joy, 2 Cor. 6:10a.
        9. Paul had consistently remained effective in helping others toward fulfilled spiritual living though he obviously had not been able to point to human riches as a motivating or causative factor, 2 Cor. 6:10b. This signaled his resource was not money, but God's spiritual power.
    3. Having given his credentials in his proven track record, Paul repeated his appeal for his readers to accept his teachings, 2 Corinthians 6:11. He candidly implied that if they did not now respond positively to him, that it was not HIS fault, but THEIR OWN inexcusable fault, 2 Corinthians 6:12-13 NIV!
Lesson: The WAY to appeal to the consciences of those we seek to disciple so they will have JUST CAUSE to believe what we say is for US the DISCIPLERS to APPLY that teaching in our OWN lives so that we LIVE God's Word and power in the face of DIFFICULTIES that our students discern we face!

Application: (1) To appeal to another's CONSCIENCE in effective discipling, (a) WE the DISCIPLER must SHOULDER LIVING by the teachings of God we promote to gain a TRACK RECORD that our hearers can "read" themselves! (b) Once we EARN the RIGHT to be BELIEVABLE as THEY see it, God can use our words with IMPACT before our listeners! In other words, we must depend upon God to outlast general trouble, persecution, challenges in the very ministry of the Word itself, outlasting false charges, abuse and emotional pressures in God's power as to expect to be BELIEVABLE!