Sunday, March 29, 2009: God's Fellow Workers

In September 2007, Lufkin's First Baptist Church started the first African-American, BGCT church in Angelina County. We began this process by entering into a partnership with the church planter / pastor, Stephen Pinkney. For the first year and a half of New Beginnings' existence as a mission church, they have met in our chapel building for Sunday morning and Thursday evening services. We agreed to allow them to meet in our chapel "rent free" for a maximum of two years. Today (Sunday, March 29, 2009) was the last Sunday New Beginnings met in our church facilities. They will begin meeting in their own facility next Sunday.

To celebrate their last Sunday in First Baptist's building, we worshipped together for the second time. We also conducted a "dedication service" to send them out into the community.

My original thought was to call this service a "commissioning service," modeled after the commissioning of a missionary. However, "commissioning" symbolizes a tranfer of authority from one group, which has authority, to someone who has no authority. We chose to call this a "dedication service," because dedication is a word that functions in two distinct ways. On one hand, it is possible to dedicate someone other than one's self, by setting them apart for special service. On the other hand, it is possible to dedicate one's self, by committing to be set apart from the rest of the world.

While New Beginnings Baptist Church will continue to function as a mission of First Baptist for a few more years, we acknoweldge that New Beginnings and her members are brothers and sisters to us at First Baptist. We do not stand over them as an authority. We want to be "fellow workers" with them in the ministry of reconciliation in Lufkin and around the world.


God’s Fellow Workers
2 Corinthians 5: 16 – 6: 2.

I. Introduction.

When I was a child, there was no such thing as a mountain bike. Today, roughly 65% of all bicycles sold in the United States are mountain bikes. But, do you know the story of how mountain bikes were first invented? It’s pretty interesting, considering the fact that mountain biking was a popular sport for over 10 years before any of the bicycle companies ever sold a single mountain bike.

When mountain biking became popular, the only bicycles available for purchase were road bikes. People who wanted to ride their bikes off the paved roads had to make their own modifications. They added fatter tires, bigger brake pads and shock absorbers. Ten years later, the bike companies recognized a trend and started building mountain bikes to sell to their customers. Today, mountain bike sales account for approximately $60 Billion in sales (Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams, Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything [New York: Portfolio, 2008], pp. 328 – 329). On one hand, this story illustrates what can happen when businesses listen to their customers. On the other hand, it illustrates the power of collaboration.

Collaboration is a good New Testament word. Of course, you might have a hard time finding “collaboration” in your Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, because it’s not actually listed among the words of the Bible. But just because the word is not mentioned in the Bible does not mean it is not a good New Testament word. “Collaboration” as a concept appears several places in the New Testament.

Our English word “collaborate” is a compound word. It begins with the prefix “co,” which means “together.” It ends with a form of the word “labor,” which means “to work.” Therefore, the concept of “collaboration” is found wherever the Bible tells us that we ought to “work together.”

There is a great Greek word that captures this idea of “collaboration.” It is the word, synergos. This is also a compound word built on the prefix “syn” which means “together” and the root word “ergos,” which means “work.” This is the word which developed into our English word “synergy.”

The Greek word “synergos” appears 13 times in the New Testament, and its verbal form, “synergeo,” appears 5 times. Interestingly, only 3 of the 18 occurrences of these words appear OUTSIDE of the writings of Paul. In other words, the Apostle Paul had a lot to say about “working together.”

The most common way these words are translated is the expression, “fellow worker.” Paul often associated the phrase “fellow worker” with specific men and women in the Bible. Paul named people like Priscilla, Aquilla, Timothy, Luke, Mark, Barnabas and Silas as his “fellow workers.” (The complete list of Paul’s “fellow workers” includes Urbanus, Apollos, Epaphraditus, Aristarchus, Jesus called Justus, Philemon and Demas. A total of 14 people!) These “fellow workers” were the men and women who had studied under Paul’s teachings and accompanied him on his missionary journeys.

It is a safe assumption for us to say that the Christian faith would not be what we know of it today without the teachings and missionary work of the Apostle Paul. However, we often do not think about the contributions made by Paul’s “fellow workers.” Where would we be today if Paul had not been accompanied by these fourteen “fellow workers?”

Paul could not have done it alone. Paul would not have been as successful if he had not been assisted by his “fellow workers.” Paul did not work in isolation from the rest of the Christian community. No. Paul was a “collaborator.” He collaborated with many different people.
We need to learn from Paul’s example. If we try to do the work of the church alone, we will find some measure of success. However, we will be even more successful if we collaborate our efforts with “fellow workers.”

One of Paul’s uses of the term “fellow workers” appears in 2 Corinthians 6: 1. Let’s read 2 Corinthians 6: 1 in its context, beginning with 2 Corinthians 5: 16…

Read 2 Corinthians 5: 16 – 6:2.

There is a lot of good theology in this short passage of Scripture. Paul defends his ministry to the church at Corinth. Paul describes his role as an Apostle of reconciliation. Paul describes the work Jesus accomplished for us in his death on the cross. And, Paul encourages the church at Corinth (as well as the church at Lufkin) to join him in this work of reconciliation…

II. Do Not Judge Others by “Worldly” Standards.

Paul begins this passage with a curious expression about a “worldly” point of view. Literally, Paul says that he no longer views other people “according to the flesh.”

In a place like Corinth in the First Century, the phrase “according to the flesh” was subject to numerous interpretations. Some people would have immediately thought of the dichotomy of flesh and spirit common to the pagan religions. These people thought that everything about human flesh was evil, but it was possible to reject the “flesh” and live by the “spirit.” This view sounds ALMOST Christian, but it is not Christian. It is actually very humanistic, because these people believed there was something inherently good about their human spirit.

The proper way to understand Paul’s words is to interpret them like the New International Version interprets them, “worldly point of view.” There is a godly way to view life, and there is a worldly way to view life. The worldly way is incorrect, because it is in opposition to God’s way.
For example, it is possible for us to judge other people by “worldly standards.” We do this when we do one of three things.

First, the world judges other people by making sinful comparisons with others. Perhaps you have done this when you think about your own sins and shortcomings. You think, I may not be perfect, but at least I am not as bad as Usama Bin Ladan. Or…I have a real problem with gossip…But at least I am not a serial killer. Or…I am struggling with lust…But at least I am not a homosexual. Don’t look down on other people, because you think your sins are not as bad as their sins. They think their sins are not as bad as yours!

Second, we have a tendency to judge a person’s worth based on their outward appearances. We think people are valuable if they are healthy, wealthy and wise. We determine a lot about a person based on how they dress or what color their skin is. Remember what God told Samuel when he was on a mission to ordain David as king of Israel? God said, “You look at outward appearances. God looks at the heart.”

Third, we often make the mistake of judging other people by what they can do for us. We give special treatment to people who have influence over others and can help us. If someone cannot help us achieve our personal goals, we usually have no use for them.

Paul says there was a time when he did this to other people. There was even a time when he thought of Jesus this way. Paul was a Pharisee and a strict, Jewish legalist. He made a false judgment about Jesus, because he didn’t think Jesus could do anything for him. Paul was looking for a Messiah who could re-establish Israel as a political and military power in the ancient world. Jesus did not fit into Pau’s expectations. He didn’t think Jesus could give him what he wanted.
However, Jesus didn’t come to give Paul what he WANTED. Jesus came to give Paul what he NEEDED. Paul wanted to be a citizen of an important political nation. Paul needed to be forgiven of his sins and reconciled in a new relationship with God.

III. A New Creation.

Verse 17, literally reads, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, a new creation.” That doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense in English, so the English translations have added a few extra words to help us understand it. The NIV adds, “he is.” The NRSV adds, “there is.”

These are two possible interpretations for verse 17. On one hand, if the NIV is correct, there is a personal transformation that takes place within every person who is “in Christ.” If your life belongs to Christ, then you will be a new person. If you live according to Christ’s power, you will be changed personally and individually. If your life is united with the life of Christ, then there will be something new and different about who you are. If you are a member of the Body of Christ (the church), you will be different from the rest of the world.

On the other hand, if the NRSV is correct, there is a worldwide transformation that took place when Jesus died on the cross. This is not a personal transformation. This is a worldwide, cosmological change that reflects a new reality. In other words, Jesus’ death on the cross changed the world and ushered in a new reality. Before Jesus died on the cross, there was the old order of things. After Jesus died on the cross, the old is gone; the new has come; and the Kingdom of God has broken into our world.

To describe a personal change in every person who is “in Christ” is to describe a subjective change that is only possible through faith. To describe a worldwide change in the order of things is to describe an objective change—a change that was accomplished once and for all, never to be changed back to the way things used to be.

I believe both of these changes are real and true. Yes, Jesus changes all men and women who come to him in faith. Yes, Jesus changed the world through his death on the cross. BUT…we still have to live in a world that does not appear to be changed. There is still pain and disappointment. The world continues to be affected and dominated by human sin. Yet, those of us who live by faith believe Jesus more than our own senses. Our eyes and ears tell us the world has not changed. Our faith tells us Jesus has changed the world.

IV. Ministry of Reconciliation.

In verses 18 – 20, Paul makes a subtle shift. He is still talking about what Christ has done. But, he is not talking about what Christ has done for the world. He is talking about what Christ has done for Paul.

Here is where Paul’s theology gets very deep and involved. He is describing what Christ has done for him and what Christ has called Paul to do in response. It all concentrates on the word “reconciliation.”

Reconciliation is a word that describes a relationship. Specifically, reconciliation is what happens when a relationship between two people has been broken or violated. Then, the relationship is restored to its proper order. The relationship in question is our relationship to God.

The Old Testament contains God’s Law. It is the way God wants us to live our lives. God has specifically told us through the teachings of Moses and the prophets how we are supposed to live our lives. Of course, we don’t really want to live according to God’s standards. We would rather live life on our own terms. But, God has told us that things work out better when we live by God’s standards.

Anytime we violate God’s standards and try to live life on our own terms, we break our relationship with God. The Bible’s word for this is sin. And God cannot tolerate our sin. This puts God in an unusual position. God loves you but hates your sin.

As long as you and I have a problem with sin, we cannot be in a proper relationship with God. Because God is perfect and pure, he cannot be in relationship with sin. Therefore, someone has to deal with our sin.

According to Paul, Jesus is the only one who can deal with our sin, because Jesus is the only one who has not sinned. Therefore, Jesus actually BECAME sin and died on the cross. Do not read the footnote in your Bible. Jesus did not become a sin offering. Jesus actually became sin. This was the ONLY way God could maintain his righteousness and perfection while re-establishing a relationship with us. If Jesus did not take away our sins, we could not have a relationship with God.

One way we could think of this is to think of God as the judge and you and me as the accused. We stand before God in his courtroom with two choices. Either we will profess our innocence, or we will acknowledge our guilt. If you claim to be innocent, you cannot be forgiven. If you acknowledge your guilt, then the Judge will say, “You are forgiven.” But there is one problem with this illustration. Judges do not usually have relationships with people they have forgiven. God wants to forgive you so that he can have a relationship with you.

I think a better way to think of this is to think of God as a doctor. This doctor loves you as a person but hates the disease that affects you. This doctor will go to extraordinary lengths to rid your life of disease so he can have a relationship with you.

V. Conclusion: Fellow Workers.

Reconciliation is God’s work. God sent his Son, Jesus, to live a sinless and perfect life. Jesus became sin on the cross so that sin could be separated from our lives. When God separated sin from us, the work of reconciliation is possible.

The work of reconciliation is an objective, accomplished fact. When Jesus died on the cross, he separated sin from our lives. Now it is possible for us to have a relationship with God. But not everyone has that relationship with God. Some people have refused to let go of their sins and be reconciled to God. This is where Paul’s work comes into the picture. Paul preaches about the new creation and the reconciliation available through Christ.

If Paul were the only one preaching reconciliation, he would have experienced some success. But Paul needs you and me to be his “fellow workers,” to join in this ministry of reconciliation.