G. The Earnest desire for their willing participation. 9:1-16

1. The Reminder. 2 Corinthians 9:1-5

We all understand the necessity of being reminded to do things. We create ‘to do’ lists. The company that makes ‘post it’ has built a profitable business on our need to be reminded. We write ourselves notes, make ourselves recordings, tie strings around our fingers, put bands on our wrists…on and on, because we have a need to be reminded! God reveals our inclination to forget in His Word: He shows us that we need to be reminded by giving us –

a. Monuments: things that we see –

Joshua 4:5-7 And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.

Joshua 22:34 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God.

b. Exhortations: things that we hear –

Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

1 Timothy 4:6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

Paul reminded the church in Corinth of their promise to give. It is one of those situations again that we are familiar with: He told them that he really did not need to remind them, but – just in case – he was going to anyway. Why –

Because he knew their (and our) nature. We simply forget to follow the instructions that the Lord gave us to help us in this life as His children. Most do not intend this to happen. We get ourselves so burdened down that we are not able to do those things that we know we should. God instructs us in how to make it easy on ourselves. –

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

2 Timothy 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

Hebrews 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Colossians 3:1-3 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Luke 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

How did Paul accomplish this in his life –

Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

Clean out our lives! Get rid of all of the things that we have collected that we are no longer going to use in the life for the Lord. If we are going to forget anything, let us forget those things that the Lord saved us out of!

c. Ordinances: things that we do –

1). The Old Testament -Passover:

Deuteronomy 16:3 Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.

2). The New Testament – Baptist and the Lord’s Supper.

These are ordinances the Lord gave to His church, giving them authority to carry out His will in the lives of those that He saves.

a). Baptism – this ordinance is what can be described as the door to membership in the church. Baptism does not carry with it saving grace or sacramental power. Note Paul’s statement to the Corinthian church –

1 Corinthians 1:14-15 I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.

(1). The Ordinance commanded. Matthew 28:18-20
(2). The Ordinance defined. Romans 6:3-6
(3). The Ordinance performed.

Acts 8:35-39 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

The second ordinance is a repeating ordinance. The Lord did not set certain times to observe it, but left it to the church to set its own schedule.

b). Lord’s Supper

Luke 22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

1 Corinthians 11:24-25 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

As Paul reminded the church in Corinth about the offering, we learn that we need to be reminded about our daily walk with the Lord and His will for our lives. In order to accomplish this, we need to be obedient to His commands in His ordinances and His instructions – “…teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…”

Conclusion: Have you come to the Lord for salvation, believing and trusting in His shedding of His blood for you, dying on the cross, buried, and raising again from the dead?

If you are saved, have you obeyed the Lord in baptism?