Calvary Road Baptist Church
“MISSIONS AND OUR FIRST MOTIVE”
Second Corinthians 5.11-13
In 1989 a terrible explosion occurred in one of the monstrous 16-inch gun turrets of the old battleship USS Iowa. Is anyone here old enough to have any memories of that incident?[1] If you are interested in such military history things, you might notice in your research the extent to which the Navy’s findings, and their decision to fix the blame for the fatal explosion on the gun captain who died in the explosion, was based on an FBI report.
The FBI has a team of psychiatrists and psychologists who specialize in trying to discern the motives of people who commit various types of serious crimes. These specialists are used to either try and find out what makes a kidnapper tick so he won’t kill his hostage or to try and recreate the likely thought patterns of a serial killer. They are called profilers. You have no doubt heard the term.
When the USS Iowa gun turret blew up the Navy brought in a team of FBI experts to justify their shifting of blame away from senior Navy officers’ incompetence and mismanagement so they could blame everything on the sailor who was killed in the explosion, and who could not defend his actions or his reputation. They were attempting to assassinate his reputation, as senior figures in uniform so often do.
Did you know the CIA has a team of specialists that do the same kind of thing? We have men and women in the CIA whose sole job is to put together psychological profiles so they can predict, with some reasonable amount of certainty, how the leader of a foreign government will react under a given set of circumstances.
Too bad the leaders of Argentina did not make use of such data back in the day when they decided to seize control of the Falkland Islands (British islands off the coast of Argentina) when Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister of Great Britain. Of course, the attempted seizure of the Falklands was to shift the Argentine’s attention away from their military dictatorship’s badly failing economy.
Back to Margaret Thatcher. Not only would everyone who had ever known her realize, but the shrinks employed by almost every nation’s intelligence services could have predicted that the woman known as The Iron Maiden would not let the Argentines get away with their invasion of those tiny British islands. And indeed, she did not.
Then there was the meeting between the Soviet Union’s Mikhail Gorbachev and the USA’s President Ronald Reagan in Reykjavík, Iceland, in 1986.[2] Gorbachev attempted to push Reagan (to, in effect, bully him) into an arms settlement. The result? Anyone who knew Ronald Reagan, or who remembered how he dealt with university campus agitators when he was governor of California, could have predicted it.[3] President Reagan stood up, walked out, ordered his Secret Service detail to transport him back to Air Force One, and flew home.
Here is another one. Why were our past administrations so accommodating in their dealings with Vladimir Putin? He is an utterly predictable man, astonishingly aggressive, a complete xenophobe concerning all things Russian, and a politician who is as ruthless as they come. No one climbs to the top of Russia’s political king of the mountain game by being either stupid or nice. I might say the same thing about China’s leader, Mr. Xi. Those men are serious and need to be studied and dealt with in a most determined fashion.
Even the military uses these kinds of profiles. The United States military’s various regional commands always know who the commander of the opposing forces they are facing in conflict happens to be. Is that commander aggressive or reluctant to attack? Is he a risk-taker in battle, or is he extremely cautious? You would want to know what your opponent in battle will do. Would you not agree?
The reason governments make up these psychological profiles is that there are times when it is good to know what makes the other guy tick, whether he be friend or foe. My goodness, football coaches do this stuff with opposing quarterbacks. The main problem though, as I see it, is that to try and figure out what makes the other guy tick you have to be very judgmental. And the Bible says that judging the motives of another person is very sinful, for several reasons unrelated to a nation’s defense or a team’s chances of victory.[4]
I know that governments of necessity have to do what individuals are forbidden by God to do. And there is nothing immoral about estimating the likelihood of a quarterback throwing on third down.
But regarding the question of dealing with others in personal relationships, if you aren’t supposed to judge another person’s thoughts, and if you aren’t supposed to try and figure out another person’s motivations, how do you know what causes a person to tick? What makes him do what he does? Governments feel they need these kinds of answers. Teams feel the same way. I will not argue with that.
However, we who are Christians are directed to rely on the Bible for that kind of information in our interpersonal relations. Governments or teams can make judgment calls all they want, with all of the built-in error that such evaluations entail due to inadequate information about another person, but when you are considering questions of motivation on a personal level, you’d best rely on the infallible Word of God.
We are going to rely on the infallible Word of God to limit our inquiry to that which makes a spiritual Christian tick, what makes for a truly fruitful Christian life, and what motivates a genuinely dynamic believer in Christ. We will forget for a moment about Putin and Xi and Iran’s ayatollah, and North Korea’s Kim. We will pay no attention to Rogers or Mahomes.[5] Our concern today is you, and me, and others who credibly name the name of Christ.
Have you ever wanted to know what makes the useful child of God do what he or she does when other Christians goof off? Have you ever wondered what causes a godly missionary to forsake the comforts of the United States for the dangers of South America, Africa, or India? Have you thought about why Christians in Russia, Vietnam, Syria, or Myanmar risk discrimination and imprisonment when they could just as easily lie and say that they didn’t believe in Christ, and thereby find relief from persecution?
There are several things God’s Word reveals to us about what motivates God’s servants. Several things specifically motivated the Apostle Paul and his colleague, Timothy. In this message from God’s Word, we’re going to look at just one of their motives for serving God. It is also one motive that provokes modern American Christians to participate in evangelism, to faithfully attend Church when the saints gather, and to give to the cause of Christ.
Please locate Second Corinthians 5.11-13. I want you to try and see what powerfully motivated the Apostle Paul and his colleague Timothy in their service to and for the Lord Jesus Christ, mentioned here by inspiration of the Holy Spirit because they knew it would also motivate every other Christian who ever lived:
11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
12 For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.
13 For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.
Do you see what it was that was one of their motives for serving God as diligently and as zealously as they did? It was fear, wasn’t it? See the word “terror” in the first part of verse 11? That word translates the same Greek word, phá½¹bos, from which we get the word “phobia,” which means fear. It was a sanctified, healthy fear of Christ that was one motivation for them to serve Him the way they did.
In Second Corinthians 5.11-13, the Word of God supplies us with Paul and Timothy’s collective autobiographical psychological profile, written by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And in their profile, we are shown what the results are when spiritual men serve God in response to a healthy and holy fear of the crucified and risen Savior. Yes, Margaret, fear does play its role in a well-adjusted person’s life.
Four results:
THE TERROR OF THE LORD RESULTS, FIRST, IN OBEDIENCE
Paul begins verse 11 with the words,
“Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we persuade men ....”
In John chapter 15, the Lord Jesus Christ told His disciples that He had chosen them for glorifying their heavenly Father by bearing fruit. A proper understanding of that passage reveals that the fruit the Lord Jesus Christ was talking about to His disciples was precious souls brought to the Savior.
Ephesians 2.10 backs this up with Paul’s assertion that the person who has trusted Christ as Savior has been “created in Christ Jesus unto good works.” The good works that are referred to in that passage, recognizing what Paul is generally talking about when he refers to “works” in the good sense, is evangelism.
And what about the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 28.19-20? The undeniable fact of life for the child of God is that the Captain of our salvation has left Churches such as ours with standing orders to preach the Gospel to every creature.
I ask you, why are so many of God’s children disobedient in their unwillingness to adhere to the wishes of their Lord? One reason is that they do not fear the consequences of disobedience. It’s because they do not know the terror of the Lord.
Understand that this message is not designed to put the fear of God into anyone. I’ll save that for another time. Perhaps you will gain that wisdom through the trials and experiences of life as you begin to comprehend God’s response to you when you disobey Him and suffer His chastisement.[6] What I want to establish at this point is the truth that Paul and Timothy’s terror of the Lord produced in their lives obedience in this area of persuading men to trust Christ. Until someone fears the Lord enough to avoid the consequences of not persuading men to trust Christ, they will not begin to persuade men to trust Christ. People typically do not persuade others to consider Christ when they are told to persuade others, but when they acquire the beginning of wisdom, which is the fear of the LORD, Proverbs 9.10.
Next, THE TERROR OF THE LORD RESULTS IN OBSERVATION
Verse 11:
“Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.”
In the first part of verse 11, Paul informs us what the consequence was of their terror of the Lord, their fear of God. They persuaded men. In the second part of this verse, he reminds us of something we already know, because it’s happened to every one of us at one time or another.
Those of you who have been believers for a while will need to think back to your early days as a Christian, for just a moment. Those of you who have been believers for a matter of months will have no difficulty relating to what I am about to describe.
Do you remember, as a young Christian, when just about the only thing about your life that appeared to be different since your salvation was the fact that you went to Church regularly? I also want you to remember the first time you sat down to a meal with a mature Christian, and you began eating, only to be stopped for prayer. How embarrassing. Or how about the time you were with a mature Christian who started witnessing to an unsaved guy, while you just stood there wondering why you didn’t think of doing that.
Paul and Timothy knew their heart motives were visible to God. They knew that God was aware of everything about them. But they also wanted the fact that they feared God to be evident to other Christians. They wanted others to see evidence in the way they lived their lives that they knew the terror of the Lord. So they trusted that their fear of God would be obvious enough to others that it would prick others’ consciences, and those others would ask themselves, “How come I don’t serve God like that?” That’s one reason moms and dads are so careful to attend Church and serve God faithfully. Otherwise, they risk their children never asking themselves, “Why don’t I enjoy Church like mom and dad do? Why do I think serving God is a waste of time?” Of course, a child will put up a fuss come Church time, or come evangelism time. What else would they be expected to do? They’re lost and they hate the things of God. However, fear of the Lord trumps fear of a rebellious child’s response every time. When a child knows that protesting accomplishes nothing with mom or dad, the protests become less frequent and less energetic. Too bad so few moms understand that reality these days.
Paul and Timothy didn’t know if everyone who saw them would put two and two together and realize that they were serving God out of a pure and sincere motive, so they had to trust God that they would be made manifest to others’ consciences. So then, one of the results of fearing God is obedience in seeking the salvation of the lost, and the other result of fearing God is being observed by other people. Neighbors, unsaved spouses, and children will see the effects of your spiritual attitude toward the person of the Lord of glory. Do you want others to see your fear of the Lord or the absence of your fear of the Lord? Your conduct will show what you truly and sincerely want others to see, or your lack of concern for what others will notice without you ever being aware that they noticed.
Third, THE TERROR OF THE LORD RESULTED IN AN OCCASION
Verse 12:
“For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.”
When you are serving God openly, it won’t be just believers who are sympathetic to your cause who observe you in action. I’m sure that most of you realize that by now in your Christian life. Let me say again that there are unsaved people all around you who delight in mocking and ridiculing Christians and Christian service, even if they do so under their breath. As I just mentioned, they notice. There are also carnal Christians who make a show of serving God but who have no real heart’s desire to glorify His name. Oh, how they delight in a Christian’s faulty conduct and service, reflecting as it does an absence of the terror of the Lord. They use that, thinking it lets them off the hook.
Paul and Timothy were very careful to point out in this verse that they were not seizing on an opportunity to commend themselves to the Corinthians. They were not seeking to brag about their ministry. However, they could not deny that their ministry, and the ministries of their coworkers, were greatly used by God, even though they did not spend time and effort to make their ministry a great show to entertain or impress people.
When the Corinthian Christians were confronted by unsaved people who mocked and ridiculed men of God as being fakes and frauds, who were only interested in self-promotion and high living, Paul and Timothy advised that they point to them and say, “What about them? Are they promoting themselves? Are their ministries show business, or is the power of God evident?”
Or what about the so-called Christians whose ministries are nothing but public relations gimmicks, who criticize and ridicule sincere and God-honoring ministries? When that happens, Paul suggests that the Corinthian believers point to his ministry. Is Paul bragging? No. He realizes that the fear of God in any believer’s life, such as in his own life, gives other Christians occasion to glory.
And what is it to glory? It’s the rejoicing, and celebrating a person does when he is excited and delighted at seeing God work in the lives of other people. When you and your Christian friends fear God and serve Him, He will raise a cheering section among other Christians. Would you like your spouse to be in your cheering section? How about your Christian friends? How about your kids? What should the Christians in your cheering section do when they see God bless you and those you serve with, God-fearing believers? They should cheer. That’s the third thing that results from the terror of the Lord. How sad it is, then, for a man to deny his wife an opportunity to cheer God working in his life, or for a parent to deny her child an opportunity to cheer God working in mom or dad’s life. That is what people give up when there is no terror of the Lord, and they stay home instead of being here, or when they are silent in the face of witnessing opportunities God brings their way, or opportunities to make a principled stand for Christ.
THE FOURTH THING THE TERROR OF THE LORD RESULTS IN IS OBSESSION
Verse 13:
“For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.”
I want you to notice the word translated “beside ourselves” in verse 13. Ẻxá½·stemi means to be crazy or to be nuts.[7] And do you see the word “sober?” That word, sofroná½³oo, means to be in good shape mentally, to be sane, to be sharp.[8] Thus, both ends of the sanity spectrum are being referred to here.
Here, essentially, is what the text is saying: There are times when the child of God cannot quite figure out what and why extremely dedicated Christians do what they do. Sometimes what truly committed Christians do may look to others like it is a bit weird. But that’s between the committed believer and God. Other times the committed Christian’s actions and conduct seem so right and so extremely logical. That’s for your benefit, for the onlooker’s benefit.
But what is it that results in behavior that seems somewhat strange, and then results in behavior that seems very logical and proper? In both cases, it’s a super-strong commitment to Christ; that’s what it is. It’s what I have chosen to call obsessive behavior, with the obsession being the overwhelming desire to please God at any cost. Do you and your partners in ministry have that kind of desire? Of course, the unsaved will say such Christians are extremists. They will claim that all things are okay in moderation, but we mustn’t be too religious. The reality is that if we do not have that kind of desire, it is not because we’re not extremists (no matter what the unsaved say), it’s because we do not know the terror of the Lord. It’s because we do not have a godly fear, a spiritual reverence, a holy caution concerning the One Who you call Lord.
I’d like for you to think about the fear of God for a moment, the terror of the Lord. I’d like for you to think about whether or not you know the terror of the Lord Jesus Christ, or are you one of those Christians who view the Lord of glory as little more than a buddy and a pal, but not one to be feared. And if you aren’t quite sure whether or not you know the terror of the Lord, let’s take a little quiz. Let’s see if the characteristics that surround the lives of those who know the terror of the Lord are noticeable in your life. Just your life, mind you. No one else. That would be judgmentalism.
Are you ready? Here’s the quiz: First, do you persuade men? That is, do you attempt to persuade men and women that it is in their best interest to repent of their sins and trust Christ as Lord and Savior? Do you seek to persuade your unsaved spouse, your unsaved children, your unsaved siblings, your unsaved neighbors, your unsaved coworkers? If you know the terror of the Lord, you do. Paul and Timothy explicitly made that assertion in our text.
Second, is this observation made by others about you? Is your fear of God made manifest in the consciences of other believers? When you go to lunch with coworkers, do they see anything about you (such as praying before a meal) that sets you apart? How about when you attend a family reunion, and you go to Church though no one else goes to Church? If you know the terror of the Lord, chances are some people will be aware of it.
Third, is your life an occasion for others to justify the Christian faith when scorners condemn the Christian faith? When someone brings up the name of Jimmy Swaggart or Joel Osteen or Joyce Meyers or T. D. Jakes, is it likely that believer will bring your names up to show that some who name Christ mean business for God? If you know the terror of the Lord, you’ll likely qualify as such a candidate.
Finally, do some people seem to think that you are obsessed with the idea of doing right and pleasing God? Do unsaved relatives think you go overboard with this Christianity stuff? If you know the terror of the Lord, there are times when that is exactly what unsaved folks will think about you, and sometimes say about you. That’s a good thing.
“Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord.”
There’s an awful lot implied in that brief phrase. And if there’s an awful lot implied in that phrase for those who know Jesus Christ as Savior, think of the implications for those who reject the claims of Christ? In short, to know Him is to be saved. To know Him is to fear Him with a fear that properly motivates believers to serve Him. To not fear Him is to be foolish, according to the Bible.[9]
Think about being on the wrong side of someone who can walk on water, being on the wrong side of someone who can calm the wind and the sea, being on the wrong side of someone who can cleanse the leper, give sight to the blind, heal the lame, and raise the dead. How smart is it to be on the wrong side of someone who not only forgives sins, but who conquered death Himself, and who will come again to punish those who are on the wrong side of Him?
Think you can deal with life yourself? Think you do not need Christ? I will grant that you may not need the Savior if you can walk on water, if you can raise the dead, if you can heal diseases, if you can come back from the dead employing your own power when you die, and (most importantly) if you can stand before the Great White Throne and persuade the Almighty not to punish you for your sins.
Can you not do any of those things? Then you need Christ. And even when you have Christ, you still need the terror of the Lord to serve Him effectively.
A final consideration. Can serving Christ effectively not involve evangelism and missions? Can serving Christ corporately not involve evangelism and missions? Not on your life.
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[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Iowa_turret_explosion & http://whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/CRASH/TWA/IOWA.html 9/9/2014
[2] https://www.thereaganvision.org/the-reykjavik-summit-the-story/
[3] https://www.academia.org/immortal-reagan-bests-campus-radicals-again/
[4] John 7.24; 1 Corinthians 4.1-6
[5] Greenbay Packers quarterback Aaron Rogers and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
[6] Hebrews 12.5-12
[7] Fritz Rienecker & Cleon Rogers, Linguistic Key To The Greek New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: Regency Reference Library, 1980), page 468.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Psalm 36.1; 111.10; Proverbs 9.10; 15.33
Would you like to contact Dr. Waldrip about this sermon? Please contact him by clicking on the link below. Please do not change the subject within your email message. Thank you.
Pastor@CalvaryRoadBaptist.Church