July 16, 2012
THE THREE OF MANY
2 Corinthians 6
Chrissy MacQuilkan
Central Truth
God wants us to live for Him in every area of our lives.
Key Verse | 2 Corinthians 6:3
[G]iving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited. . . (2 Corinthians 6:3)
2 Corinthians 6
1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says,
“In a favorable time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3 We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
11 We have spoken freely to you, 1 6:11 Greek Our mouth is open to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open. 12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. 13 In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.
The Temple of the Living God
14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? 2 6:15 Greek Beliar Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
17
Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
18
and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”
Dive Deeper | 2 Corinthians 6
I found three lessons in 2 Corinthians 6. Being the people pleaser I am, I chose to introduce all three.
1. The majority of U.S. teen and preteen minds never come across God's Word. However, change can happen. 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 says, "And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain -- for He says, 'At the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.' Behold, now is 'the acceptable time,' behold, now is 'the day of salvation'. . . ." Paul wrote this letter to thank the church in Corinth for their change in heart.
2. There are many areas of a person's life. Take mine for example; I enjoy school, volleyball, family, friends, church, and guitar; and I'm sure I'll come across many more hobbies in my lifetime. When I was younger, I learned that life is like a pizza. When you order a pizza, you most likely want to have the same toppings on each slice. God wants the same thing for your life. He wants to see His Word in every area of your life. Read 2 Corinthians 6:3-10 to see what this chapter has to say about integrity and how we should live in every area of our lives.
3. My dad always reminds my sister and me about Psalm 1. It says not to follow the wicked or stand around with sinners. (But my dad sums it up by saying not to hang out with punks.) I found a similar message in 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 (NLT): "Don't team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God's temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. . . ."
These are three lessons from this chapter that really inspire me. I hope they do the same for you.
Discussion Questions
1. In lesson one, we learn not to accept the gift of God's kindness and then ignore it. Have you ever betrayed God's kindness? If so, when?
2. In lesson two, we look at the different "pizza slices" of my life. What do your "pizza slices" look like?
3. In lesson two, we learn we need God's Word in every area of our lives. Do you live with God's Word in every area of your life?
4. In lesson three, Psalm 1 says not to follow the wicked, or stand around with sinners. Do you lead the lost to Christ, or do you follow them to sin?
WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY
2 Corinthians 6-10 (July 16-20)
Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-15.
• Talk about verse 6: what happens when you plant a few seeds versus planting lots of seeds?
• How does the Scripture compare this to our giving?
• What are different ways of giving? (Think broader than just money or things.)
• What do you think it means to give cheerfully?
• If you give generously and cheerfully, what will God do for you (see verse 8)?
• What does it mean to have all that you need? Is there a difference between your needs and your wants?
• If God gives you more than you need, what does He desire for you to do with the extra?
• When people see you giving generously, whom do you want them to praise?
Activity: As a family, think of different ways that you can give. Think about time, talents, and treasures. From your list, pick one way in which you can serve together . . . give generously and cheerfully.