Welcome to the defender bible study. A weekly encouragement to equip the body of Christ through the study of scripture and prayer to manifest the gospel to orphans and vulnerable children around the world. This podcast is a ministry of Lifeline Children Services, where we believe that defending the fatherless begins by being rooted in God's word.

Good morning. It's Monday, May 20th. This is Blake Wilson, Lifeline's vice president of operations, and we're gonna keep studying through the book of second Corinthians today looking at chapter 2 verses 5 through 17. So I'm glad to be with you guys again this morning. Hopefully, you guys have been following along.

And I'll tell you, as I was driving as I was reading through this passage, it was a little confusing because there's this in a sense an intermission that happens for about 5 chapters in the book of 2nd Corinthians and it happens during this passage that we're gonna be looking at today. So we've seen Paul looking, and looking for his brother Titus, in this passage. So he's he's on this on this I don't I don't wanna say an adventure, but he's really on this mission trying to find find his brother. And he can't he's striking out. He doesn't he doesn't know where to look and he's on his way to Macedonia to see if he's there.

And then we pause. And then Paul, in his true teaching style just begins to dive deep in on some some deep theology, again, on on what it looks to be an authentic follower of Christ of of steering away from idol idolatry, focusing on the one true God on on so many different topics that really are reminiscent of some of his first letter in first Corinthians. And then you fast forward over to chapter 7, and then he resumes this whole thought and this whole journey of trying to to to reconnect with Titus. So we truly take this intermission for the next few weeks of of some of Paul's teachings, and then kind of resume back with this with this kind of original theme back in chapter 7. So I was a little confused as we study this.

I wanted you guys to kind of know where we're going. If you were looking for for Titus like I was looking for Titus, you'll find him again in chapter 7 as Paul reconnects with him there in Macedonia. So, today, Paul is really circling back on something he said in first Corinthians. So he gave some some really bold directives to the church of Corinth in first Corinthians chapter 5, and it was talking about immorality happening within the body of Christ. So in the church of Corinth, those people that were professing to be believers were were not living a moral lifestyle.

They were following the the community, the culture around them. But, yeah, they were proclaiming to be Christ and are proclaiming to be Christians. And Paul just gives them very clear directives on how to handle this. What what does this biblical discipline look like? And our text today picks back up with kind of addressing that again.

So what we see is the church of Corinth and first Corinthians really followed those directions. They were very clear in how they handled this this discipline with this individual who had made some poor decisions. And then Paul is gonna revisit that again in our text today. So I wanna start by looking back at that original directive from Paul in 1st Corinthians chapter 5 verses 9 through 13. And this is what he's writing and what sets the stage for our text today.

In 1st Corinthians 5:9 through 13, I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people, not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral or greedy or swindlers or adulterers. In that case, you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister, but is sexually immoral or greedy and a dollar or a slander, a drunkard or a swindler. Do not even eat with such people. Alright.

So he has given given instructions to say, if you if you have people within the church that are claiming to be a Christ follower, but yet they are not living that lifestyle. They're they are following the other things that Paul mentioned of being slanderous. You know, an idolater, a drunkard, a swindler, being greedy, those things. He says very directly, do not even eat with such people. He continues on in verses 1213.

He says, what business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? So he's saying, if you're not a believer, there's nothing I could do. Like if you haven't been transformed by the gospel the redemption of sin. They're still blind living in darkness.

Why cannot judge people outside the church? But inside the church, inside the family of faith, he says, expel the wicked person from among you. So he is no nonsense. If somebody is not living a lifestyle that is reflective of that of Christ, Expel that person from among you. So very clear directives from Paul in 1st Corinthians chapter 5, And he resumes this thought in his second letter.

And this is 2nd Corinthians chapter 2. And our text today starts in verse 5. He says, if anyone who has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent, not to put it too severely. So he is saying, I wasn't I'm not there day to day in the church. I'm grieved by what has happened, but not to the extent of which you are because you are doing life with this person.

This person is in the church. This person has made bad decisions. You guys are dealing with this. So he's saying you you have had it more severely than me. You you are grieved.

He says in verse 6. The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you therefore to reaffirm your love for him. So as as I read this, I can't help but think the church must have really followed through with exactly what Paul had said.

They had stopped all fellowship with this individual, who had fallen into sin. They had expelled him from the church. They had nothing to do with him. And he's been gone, ostracized from the church. So now Paul is coming back in 2nd Corinthians in the second letter to learn what had happened and to say it's time to forgive.

Forgive and comfort this guy so that he's not overwhelmed with sorrow. Can you think about I don't know the timing of of this, of of how long this has happened or how long this this individual had been, expelled from the church. But I'm sure he was just overwhelmed with sorrow. I mean, he probably had, you know, repented of just brokenness of wishing he had never made those decisions, whatever it may have been. And he's searching and seeking reconciliation and policy.

And this guy is overwhelmed with sorrow. Reaffirm your love for him. Reach back out to him. Find that connection and find that reconciliation with this guy. So let's forgive.

Alright? He continues in verses 9 through 11. He says, another reason that I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient to everything. Anyone you forgive, I also forgive, and that I have forgiven. If there has been anything to forgive, I have forgiven it in the sight of Christ for your sake in order that Satan might not outwit us for we are not unaware of his schemes.

So Paul again is just telling the church, don't let your guard down. Let us not let Satan try to outsmart us outwit us cause division between us. We're not naive. We're not unaware. We know the devil's schemes.

And this divisiveness, this separation, this lack of reconciliation between the church and this brother can really cause, or really allow Satan to get a foothold within the church. So he's telling them, let's be obedient, but let's have the larger picture in mind and find a level of forgiveness and unity to bring this individual back in to the church to where Satan cannot, outsmart us, outwit us. And let's find fellowship once again. So Paul is giving that direction of forgiveness of the offender in this first first passage. Okay?

Then he gets he he continues on in this, in this passage of looking for his brother Titus. So in the next two verses, he's just talking about his journey and his desire to find Titus. Now when I was in Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened up a door for me, I still had no peace of mind because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and I went on to Macedonia. So, again, trying to find his brother doesn't have peace without him, wants to know where he's at, what he's been doing, how was the Lord working, and he's on this mission to find him.

So he goes on to Macedonia in this search for him. We're not gonna find out where where Titus was, what has been happening again until you fast forward and you get over to chapter 7. So you have to sit tight for the next few weeks as we study. And we'll pick back up with the the 2 connecting in Macedonia in chapter 7. But like I said, when we started this study, at the beginning of this, Paul begins to dive deeper into what it means to be a Christ follower and hitting on some of the issues he's he even mentioned in his first letter of first Corinthians.

Okay? So this is gonna be verses 14 through 17, and this is what he says. Again, intermission, deep teaching, theology from here on out and then reconnecting in chapter 7. But thanks be to God who always leads us everywhere. I think that's such a humbling verse.

He uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. I think when you look back at at even this verse historically and what Paul is referring to of of leading us as captives in Christ triumphal procession. In the in the Roman times when there was a a Roman battle or Roman, a Roman war and and the Romans had reigned victorious, there was a triumphal procession of this Roman army, and this general would really display his treasure, and it would be the captives. Look look what we've accomplished. We have won the battle.

We've taken over the city. We have captured these people. So he had displayed his treasure and really displayed the captives that he had, that he had won. And then there would be a it was like a procession of parade, a cloud of incense would be burned. So there would be this aroma, of this procession of the general of the treasures and the captives of of the accomplishment that had happened, and burning that to to to not the one true God but to the gods that they would that they would worship, to gain the glory and to kind of gloat about the victory.

So that smell of that incense right to the Romans was this smell of victory, this smell of of of winning of accomplishment. But I think on the flip side of this, to those who are who are captive, it was the smell of defeat. It was the smell of death. So if you were in that procession and you were a captive, there was nothing about that smell that, that that was good. It was it was a a sense of of defeat, of uncertainty, of not knowing what the future was going to hold.

So you have 2 different views of kind of what this aroma and what this smell, stood for. So in verse 14, Paul says, thanks be to God who always leads us as captives in Christ, a triumphal triumphal procession, and uses us to spread the aroma and the knowledge of him everywhere. Christ is using us to spread his gospel, to spread his aroma, the knowledge of him, the gospel, the message of him everywhere. He chooses to use us to spread his message. In 15, it says, for we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

Man, we are those we are put we are a pleasing aroma to Christ. He's choosing to use us to share his gospel. Verse 16 says, and the one and to the one, we are an aroma that brings death and to another an aroma that brings life. Who is equal to such task? That's hard to even to process to think of the weight of of that and how the Lord is choosing to use us to spread his gospel.

Paul says, who is equal to such a task? Who can spread his aroma everywhere? God is choosing us to do this. He's asking the quest Paul is asking that question, Who's equal to such a task of representing Christ? And he says, our adequacy comes from God and the power of the gospel.

It's not anything that we can do. If you look back in Matthew 28, what does the great commission say? He's commissioned us. He has sent us, commanded us to share his gospel to the ends of the earth. But he, God, has given us the power through the Holy Spirit.

It is nothing that we can do independently. It is only through Christ that we can do this. So we are because we are not equal to this task. There is nothing that we can do to do this independently on our own on our own power and our own wisdom. There is nothing we can do, and we are not equal to this task.

But because of what Christ has done in us, given us the spirit, when Christ commissioned us as his followers of his disciples, he has given us the Holy Spirit. And because he's given us that Holy Spirit, we can do all things. We can be the hands and feet. We can be equal to this task of spreading that knowledge and that aroma of Jesus everywhere we go because it is the spirit living in us that is giving us that chance. And we can share that authentic gospel because then verse 17, the last verse he says, unlike so many, we do not pedal the word of God for profit.

But on the contrary, in Christ, we speak before God with sincerity as those sent from God because we are sent from God and we are preaching this message with complete sincerity and reliance upon him. We are not equal to this task, but God has chosen through his spirit to do that in us and through us. So what a humbling thought. Paul is reminding this First Church of that to say it is nothing you can do independently. It is Christ working in you that has given you the opportunity to share the gospel.

So, guys, let's hold on to that thought this week, this humbling thought that God is giving us the task and choosing to use us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. Man, that's a beautiful, beautiful statement, beautiful image of the power and the goodness of our God. So let's hold on to that. Let's spread his aroma this week and embrace of God working in and through us as a ministry. This week, guys, we're gonna be praying for, just our advancement team.

There is so much that happens at Lifeline that we couldn't do without this team. So many events that are held, so many so many conversations and meetings that are happening throughout the year that our advancement team is facilitating, in order to sustain this ministry. And God has been so good to us, for 43 years in allowing this ministry to grow and to sustain through, our financial partners. And our advancement team runs point on all of this and facilitating these these conversations and facilitating these relationships, keeping people aware of what's happening. And they just have a very, very very intentional job and just a very important job in the grand scheme of things with Lifeline.

So it's important for, I think, for us to take a step back and just to to look at the the diverseness of our ministry, but celebrate all those unique giftings that the Lord has has given our team and how we shaped it. So today, specifically, let's just lift up our advancement team as we pray. God, we are thankful for your word, and God humbled by 2nd Corinthians and the reminder of Paul that you have chosen to use us to spread the knowledge and aroma of Jesus Christ. God, you have, Lord, you have worked in us and through us and and to know that you have given us your spirit. Lord, may we find our power and our strength and our hope there Not on our own, wisdom, not our own strength, but, God, in you.

Lord, help us to dwell on that this week. And, Lord, help us to be that aroma. God, I pray that even for our development team and advancement team as they are, they're supporting our ministry and facilitating relationships to with so many people. God, may they be that aroma at with those people they meet. God, may those conversations be seasoned with the gospel.

May they see the gospel impact Lifeline is making. God, may they wanna partner with us. So what I pray for even conversations that are happening this week and next as people are traveling it and having 1 on 1 conversations or meeting at a conference, whatever it may be. God, may you bless these opportunities and these conversations with individuals to partner with Lifeline financially. God sustain our advancement team.

Lord, give them, stamina as they travel. Lord, open up doors for them to meet with people that maybe they have been striving to get in front of for months and maybe even years. Lord, you have proven yourself good. And, Lord, we know that you, have a plan for Lifeline, for many, many years to come. And, God, I pray that you just sustain this ministry and our financial needs as we rely heavily on these financial partners to make our operations day to day.

So, god, thank you for what you're doing at Lifeline. Thank you for our advancement team, and thank you for their partnership in the gospel. And we ask these things in your name. Amen.

Thanks again for joining us for the defender bible study. If you enjoy making this podcast a part of your weekly routine, we'd love for you to take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review the Defender Bible Study to make it easier for more people to find. For more resources and information on how you and your church can partner with Lifeline, please visit us at lifelinechild.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter by searching for Lifeline Child. You can email us directly at info at lifelinechild.org.

We look forward to seeing you again next week for the Defender Bible Study.