I'm going to read in 2 Corinthians chapter 5. I'm going to read verses 6 through 15 to give us a little bit of context. However, this evening we will focus on verses 11 through 15. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 starting at verse 6. This is the Word of God. So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Therefore, Knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others, but what we also know is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance, and not what is in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God. If we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this, that one has died for all, therefore all have died. And he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him, who for their sake died and was raised. Once again, we praise God for his holy word. Let us pray briefly and ask him to bless our time as we unfold and reflect on this passage. Our Lord and our God, as we have read your word, we ask now that you would prepare our hearts, prepare our hearts to receive it, prepare our hearts to obey your will, through Jesus our Lord, amen. Well, just wondering here, as I look out, I'm not sure, I know that maybe perhaps one of you have been in a play before, but do you have any actors here before us, been in some plays? I maybe see a couple looks there. I see Jim Wishes he was, I'm sure. So, well, maybe it is just in the movies that they say this sort of thing, but we've kind of seen people trying to get into character and they're asking, you know, what is my motivation? And they're trying to understand a character's choices and behaviors. so they can more faithfully play that character and represent him. So that question, what is my motivation, is not just something for actors or us want-to-be actors. some of us maybe. But as Christians, we also need to ask that question of ourselves. What is our motivation? We need to frequently examine our own heart to determine what's behind my own behavior and my own choices. Now we know that common motivation for those out in the world include things like winning the approval of others, fame, riches, temporary rewards, comfort, things that just make to seem to make our life a bit easier. However, we know that those motivations for actions and behaviors are not just out in the world, but those are also in our own heart. And so in 2 Corinthians, Paul can relate to having his motives questioned. He's been accused of having false motives for his ministry. He's already proclaimed his love for the church in Corinth, and now in 2 Corinthians 5, 11 through 15, Paul further explains his motivation for ministry, and he teaches that the fear of the Lord, or the fear of Christ and Christ's judgment, and the love of Christ fit perfectly together to provide a true motivation for Christian ministry and for life. So our goal tonight is to understand Paul's motivation for Christian ministry, so then we can better understand our own motivations for ministry and serving God in our own life. So we have three points. the fear of the Lord, or the fear of Christ, love of Christ, and then just point three is just application. So, the first motivation for Christian ministry that Paul mentions is the fear of the Lord. In verses 11 through 13, we see how this fear of the Lord motivates Paul, and then he explains what a fear of the Lord-influenced sort of ministry looks like in comparison to those false teachers in Corinth and their ministry. To understand what Paul's saying in verse 11, I'll do a lot of paraphrasing and just re-explaining what Paul says, but we really need to go back to verse 9 and then go forward through verse 11 to understand what Paul's getting at. So 2 Corinthians 5, 9, starting back there, so whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. Now, a couple weeks ago, last time we learned and we at least reviewed, when Jesus returns and we are raised from the dead, there will be a final judgment and there will be an evaluation of what we have done. Well, the fear of the Lord, Paul speaks of here, he's not afraid of losing his salvation, it's not a fear of terror, it's that fear and great awesome awe and respect for God and His holiness and His almighty power. It's also something else. See, Paul knows that he's been given the responsibility, the call as the apostles to the Gentiles. He's called to be an ambassador, an ambassador that preaches Christ and Christ crucified. And Paul knows that God will hold him accountable for the gifts he's given him and for the calling that he's called him to. And this accountability is why Paul says, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. The Almighty King, the Lord Jesus himself, who will come again to judge the living and the dead, has called Paul to be a messenger of the gospel. And Paul, he does not fear hell, but what he does fear is being a poor steward of the gifts that God has given him. He fears doing a poor job at being God's special messenger to the Gentiles. So as a result then, he's motivated to diligently persuade sinners of the truth of the gospel. And in verses 11 through 13, we see then what this persuasion looks like. And it looks very different than the methods of the false teachers in Corinth that the Corinthians have followed and are being led astray. So look again at the second sentence of verse 11. But what we are is known to God and I hope is also known to your conscience. So Paul's just saying here, look, God knows the motives of our heart. He knows our good gospel motives. And I really hope that you believe this about us as well. And then in verses 12 and 13, Paul compares the ministry of his ministry team with the false teachers in Corinth, and he essentially says, here's the comparison, judge for yourselves which one is authentic. In verse 12, we read, we are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you cause to boast about us so that you may be able to answer those who boast about the outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. So, he's describing the ministry of these false teachers. He's accusing them of boasting, of finding their confidence and their motivation and their fulfillment in ministry and the outward flashiness of their ministry. Perhaps in their slick words, the big offerings they're getting, maybe even fancy togas, I don't know. But, it's their prosperity is what motivates them, and that's what's giving them confidence, is just look at the results we're getting from all these things we're doing. But Paul says ministry is not about appearances, but it's about the heart. Now we know that the Apostle Paul had an encyclopedic knowledge of the Old Testament, and it shouldn't surprise us then if perhaps Paul's thinking of something, maybe he's even thinking of God's instructions to Samuel when he tells him to choose David and anoint David as king over Saul, who's fancier and in greater appearance here. First Samuel 16.7, but the Lord said to Samuel, do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him," referring to Saul. For the Lord sees not as man sees. Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. See, Paul's ministry is a ministry that's pleasing to the Lord because he doesn't care about outward appearances. It's Paul's godly sincerity. It's his heart in ministry that pleases the Lord. Paul's ministry doesn't seek his own glory and his own advantage, but he seeks to see that God is glorified. The glory of God is the true heart motivation for Paul's ministry and for the ministry in life and for the life of service for all Christians. Now, Paul further describes what this heartfelt, ordinary, non-outward appearance ministry looks like in verse 13. He says, for if we are beside ourselves, it is for God. If we are in our right mind, it is for you. So even though Paul, he had a lot of great spiritual experiences. He says, I spoke in tongues more than all of them. He healed people. He was healed. He was miraculously delivered from death several times. That's at the end of 2 Corinthians. And he even had, later we're going to talk about his out-of-body experience with the Lord. Well, these are not the things, though, that Paul characterizes his own ministry by. They're not his source of motivation. These experiences are not what he points to and says, look at me, you should listen to me. See, Paul's ministry is a right-mind ministry. We might think of it as an ordinary grace sort of ministry. Because it's preaching. It's preaching Christ's death, resurrection, and ascension. It's that kind of ministry. For this reason, then, the Corinthians could have great confidence in Paul's message, because even though the message doesn't look or sound flashy, the message is otherworldly. It's a message from heaven itself. One commentator summarizes verses 11 through 13 well, saying this, Paul's healthy fear of the judgment seat of Christ induced him to place the public persuasion of people far above the pursuit of personal ecstasies. It means he really was trying to persuade people of the truth of the gospel rather than pursuing personal religious experiences. He continues, knowing the fear of the Lord, Paul's consuming passion was to persuade others through the scriptures about the truth of the gospel. See, Paul's definitely motivated by a healthy awe and reverence and fear of the Lord, but his motivation is complemented and completed and made whole and perfected by the love of Christ, which our Lord Jesus demonstrated through His death on behalf of sinners and rising from the dead so that we might have new life. In verse 14, Paul says this, For the love of Christ controls us. The love that Christ has for sinners is the control and the guide for all that we do. Others have translated this phrase in different ways. The love of Christ impels us. The love of Christ compels us. For the love of Christ urges us on. for the love of Christ overwhelms us, for the love of Christ lays hold of us, or even the love of Christ dominates us. See, Paul's not governed by his own ambitions. In light of Christ's love demonstrated through his work on the cross and through his resurrection, Paul and all Christians are now controlled, impelled, urged, overwhelmed by, laid hold of, dominated by, and motivated by the love of Christ. to share the gospel and to serve the Lord. In the second half of verse 14, we see a description of this dominating and motivating love. He says, because we have concluded this, that one has died for all, therefore all have died. Now Paul is not teaching some form of universal salvation here. This is probably a little creedal statement in the church or perhaps part of a hymn. One has died for all, therefore all have died. Paul's teaching the same thing that he teaches in other places, in Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15. We're not going to have time to look at those passages tonight, but I do talk about Romans 5, 1 Adam, 2 Adam. all the time, an imputation of righteousness, Christ's righteousness to us. We'll just summarize those passages, reminding us that they teach us that Christ died for the sins of all who the Father has given to Him. And all those who belong to Jesus are then united to Christ. Believers are united to Christ in His death and in His resurrection. In Christ, the believers, their sins have been judged and paid for. Christ was our substitute. He took the penalty. He died for us, and now we're united to Him. So we can see that we died in Him, and now we're also raised in Christ. In our place, He died. We died with Him, and now we're raised. That's what Paul is getting at here. He also teaches that in Romans 6. We do have time to read that one. Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried, therefore, with Him by baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. This love of Christ described here is Paul's motivation for ministry. In verse 15 he says this, and he died for all that those who might live no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. In his commentary on 2 Corinthians, Simon Kistemaker reflects on this. He says, the purpose of Christ's redemptive work is that His people, set free from the curse of sin, now enjoy life in fellowship with Him. They are no longer spiritually dead but are the recipients of new life in Christ. Selfish goals and ambitions are set aside. Because believers' purpose now is to live for the one who died for them. Now, none of us like to think of ourselves as being controlled by anything. But we were, weren't we? We were slaves to sin. We were the prey of death. We were destined for the grave. We were trapped. But no longer. Now we're free through the work and love of Jesus Christ. And as a result of Christ's love for us. As a result of that, this should result in a motivation to serve Him that is so great and so powerful that we can't help it. We actually have no choice but to obey it because we couldn't think of doing anything else. Love of Christ has taken the place of love of our own sinful desires in our hearts. And now we can't help it but be motivated by love for our Savior to serve Him in whatever way that He sees fit, whether that's in a glorious and an upfront way or in a humble way. Doesn't matter, Lord, all I want to do is serve You. Fear of the Lord and the Lord's love on display for His people are the true motivation for Paul and all his saints to serve Him and to serve Him alone in all that we do. And this is why in the introduction I brought up the topic of motivation. Because if you're like me, you often have some serious motivation problems, some serious defective motivational problems. Sometimes you will have the wrong motivation or motivation, you know, motivation for bad things. Maybe you'll just have, I'm not very motivated to follow Jesus Christ and serve Him in an intense and dedicated way. Or perhaps you don't have any motivation. Maybe you had it, and now it's gone, and you're only motivated to serve yourself. Well, let's take a few minutes here. We'll apply Paul's message to our motivation problems. The first motivation issue I want to address is, what if you don't have any? Or what if you had it for a while, but now you've lost it? Or what if you're only motivated to serve and satisfy yourself and your own desires? Well, friends, if this is you, if you're somewhere on that spectrum, the answer is the same here. If you do not desire to serve the Lord as you know that you ought, you have a heart problem. It's possible that you're still a slave to sin. But if you're in Christ, that means you're living like you're still a slave to sin. If you do not desire to serve the Lord, then that means that for now, you are in this life for your own glory and your own enjoyment. And this is a dangerous place to be. If you feel like you're here, if you feel like this describes you, and you don't change directions, you will get your reward. You will be rewarded. but you're rewarded will be in this life. In the life to come when our Lord Jesus comes again, you'll be left naked and your sins will be exposed on the day of judgment. If you don't desire to please the Lord, if you've lost all motivation to serve and it never comes back, look to Christ. Look to Christ tonight, either for the first time or look back toward your first love. Take your eyes off of what you want that's making you unhappy because you can't have it. And instead, see your great need for the Lord Jesus. Repent of your sins, trust in Him alone, and the more you trust Him, and the more you learn about what Christ has done for you, the more motivated you'll be to serve Him and Him alone. In Deuteronomy 4, that's why we read that big long list, that list of everything that God says that He did for Israel. And then in the pastoral prayer, Pastor Mininger mentioned that there's so much more since then that Christ has done for us. It's by meditating on all those ways that God has saved us and all His faithfulness to us over the years where we find the motivation to serve Him even now. Now, the second motivation issue that those of us who are motivated to feel Christ, and we feel like we do a lot of serving of the Lord Jesus. Well, we still must examine our motives and our own heart. Are we motivated to do this for the right reason? Because if our motives are not true, we still may end up actually serving ourselves, even as we seek to serve the Lord. Now what does this look like? Well, many of us struggle with motivation and sometimes our motivation for ministry or to do good works or to serve others, sometimes it's because we still are thinking that we can earn God's favor and that if we just do more, God will love us more. Or we don't understand God's grace and we think that if we don't do as much as we can, God will judge us and we've got to outweigh the bad. Or sometimes we're trying by doing ministry and serving others, sometimes we're trying to make other people happy because we know that they'll give us compliments and that's what they wanna see in us. Maybe sometimes we make a decision to please the Lord or do what's right because we just wanna please our parents. And if I do this, my church and my parents will be proud of me. Well, if we want to please our parents, and this is our only motivation for serving, That's a form of people pleasing and works righteousness. Sometimes we do things because we're just trying to win the approval of other people and we want other people to think well of us. Sometimes we just serve because we're lonely or maybe because we even want to network. Sometimes we do ministry because we want to be able to brag about the kind of church that we attend. My church feeds the poor, does yours? Or fill in the blank. My church worships in a certain way, and I play the piano for it. What do you guys do? Oh, you have a band? The truth is, when we think about our motives for service, even our motives for serving the Lord, our motives are not pure. Some of the things that we talk about are usually mixed in with them. And as last time we heard, even our good works, even our good works, our best works are still stained with sin. So what do we do? How do we fix this? How do we serve with a pure heart? Well, we can't just decide to. In our own strength, we cannot fix this. But we remember that God has given us as believers His Holy Spirit. And His Holy Spirit is at work in us, renewing us daily to be further conformed to the image of our risen Savior. And one of the primary tools that the Holy Spirit uses to cleanse our minds and our hearts and to align our wills with God is the Word of God as it's applied to our hearts. The Spirit uses the Word of God, a right-minded ministry, an ordinary grace ministry to get our minds right and to purify the motives of our hearts. In this passage, we learned that Paul's fear of the Lord motivates him to persuade people of the truth of the gospel. God called Paul to be an ambassador. Paul desires to serve his Lord. Well, God also calls us to be ambassadors in all of our various callings and vocations and neighborhoods and circles that we are in. So we must constantly then strive to show the love of Christ to those around us every day. You must look for and pray for those opportunities. Lord, please give me an open window. Please give me an opportunity to in some way, shape or form, invite this person to church or to point them to the love of Christ or to come along and say to them and say, you know, this is really hard. When things are hard for me, this is what I do. I look to Christ for comfort. I tell my brothers and sisters in the Lord at church what's going on and they come alongside me and they help me and they pray with me. Pray for opportunities to share these kinds of things. We must also be willing to use the gifts that God has given us for the expansion of His kingdom. God has gifted all of us in many, many ways. Has God gifted you with musical gifts? Well, you should pray about soon or someday serving him by sharing those gifts with us through accompaniment. Or we had a funeral here within the last year, and Michelle and Wayne played, and it was beautiful, and it really ministered to those that were here, and a lot of them were not Christians as we said goodbye to our dear friend Barb. What about finances? God gifted you with finances. You should be generous then in your giving. And the Lord will hold you accountable for your giving. As God gifted you with the ability to organize, to do manual labor, to teach, to work with kids, to comfort others, the gift of prayer, of encouragement, whatever it is. Let the fear of the Lord then motivate you to be faithful stewards. God's given me these gifts and these stewards. I must use them and I want to use them because Christ has loved me. God calls us to use these gifts in his church to encourage one another and to serve our neighbors. So as we see Paul's ministry here and what motivates him to do what he does, May the Lord cause us to use the gifts that he has given us faithfully so that we might hear words like this on the day of judgment with respect to our gifts. May we not only hear on the day of judgment beautiful words, your sins are forgiven you, you served me fruitfully, well done my good and faithful servant. We want to hear those words. Let us continue to examine the motivation of our own hearts as we seek to serve our Savior. Let's pray. Our Lord and our God, we do pray, we ask that Paul's motivation would be our motivation in everything that we do in service of our King. May the fear of the Lord Jesus and his love motivate us to be faithful in our service and all our various callings in our church family and to our neighbors, to our workplaces. And Lord, above all else, we ask for more motivation to serve Christ. We ask that you would give us more love for Christ, that we would see and understand and experience more of his love for us. and that we would increasingly share this love of Christ with others. In Jesus' name, amen.