Life or Death Ministry By David Wood (2 Corinthians 3:1-18) скачать в хорошем качестве

Life or Death Ministry By David Wood (2 Corinthians 3:1-18)

AJ Gossip’s pointed question about standing before God and being recognized as “how like Christ he is” frames a sober conviction: God is actively transforming believers into the likeness of Christ. That divine work is not cosmetic rule-following but a Spirit-wrought renovation that moves people from death to life. Ministries and ministries’ metrics are scrutinized; some approaches, though attractive by worldly standards — high ratings, impressive programs, or strict external conformity — can lead to spiritual sterility or even death. The true ministry produces inward, lasting change because it depends on God’s power, not human recommendations or self-reliance. Three temptations in evaluating ministry are highlighted: leaning on recommendations, trusting one’s own sufficiency, and confusing external rule-following for genuine heart-change. By contrast, the New Covenant’s substance is spiritual life: “the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” To discern whether a ministry is life-giving, five practical questions are offered as tests: Are lives being changed? Is the power for ministry coming from God? Has the Spirit given life to hearts? Will the resulting glory endure? Are people being transformed to look like Jesus? These markers shift the focus from transient success to the fruit of sanctification. Transformation is not self-driven progress but the effect of beholding Christ—looking intently at his glory so believers are gradually conformed to his image. The Spirit’s indwelling is compared to an inner power that sustains and reorders desires, unlike borrowed or fleeting glory that fades. Because ministry shapes others as well as receives shaping, each Christian is called to both do and receive the ministry of life; failure to participate in that work inevitably aligns one with ministries that lead to death. The call is urgent and pastoral: embrace God’s method of change, evaluate ministries by the Spirit’s fruit, and expect a progressive transformation “from one degree of glory to another” until Christ completes the work. Key Takeaways 1. Don't measure ministry by metrics Measuring spiritual health by reviews, budgets, or outward appearances often obscures whether people are being genuinely formed in Christ. Numbers and ratings can mask dead orthodoxy or persuasive error; true assessment looks for inward movement toward holiness. A ministry may be culturally successful yet spiritually bankrupt if it produces no real transformation. [05:06] 2. Sufficiency flows only from God Human competence and charisma can initiate activity but cannot sustain gospel change without divine empowerment. Recognizing that “our sufficiency is from God” redirects reliance from self or techniques to prayerful dependence on the Spirit. This humility reshapes ministry priorities and prevents leaders from trading God’s power for human solutions. [19:00] 3. Spirit rewrites heart, not rules External conformity without internal renewal leaves people morally compliant but spiritually dead; the Spirit, not a list of dos and don’ts, produces lasting life. Legalism appeals to performance; the gospel appeals to union with Christ that transforms desires and affections. Ministries that aim at heart-change will cultivate worship, longing, and moral fruit rather than mere checklist observance. [20:42] 4. Beholding Christ changes the soul Sanctification happens less by trying harder and more by gazing upon Jesus—his beauty, humility, and sacrifice—so that believers are caught up in what they love. The discipline of beholding reorders attention and forms desires, allowing grace to re-sculpt character over time. Transformation is therefore both contemplative (fixing the eyes on Christ) and practical (living from what is seen). [27:01] Youtube Chapters [00:00] - Welcome [00:14] - Communion question: Do you believe? [00:51] - God’s work: becoming like Christ [01:42] - Invited to participate in ministry [02:43] - Life and death ministry introduced [05:06] - Temptation: worldly ministry standards [10:56] - Not of the letter but the Spirit [14:52] - True gospel yields lasting change [15:38] - Five evaluation questions explained [19:00] - Our sufficiency is from God [20:42] - The Spirit gives life, not law [25:50] - Beholding transforms into Christ [30:31] - Do and receive the ministry of life [32:12] - Warning: ministry of death [33:29] - Final charge and promise