The Proper Posture for Self-Outpouring (2 Cor. 6)

Photo by Andreas Levers

From time to time on this blog, I want to make available to you my personal sermon notes.  Now, let me say that I don't always make very detailed notes.  Particularly when preaching/speaking through a translator, I tend to just jot down a couple thoughts in a notebook and go for it.  Occasionally, however, I do make some notes that have value to someone other than myself.  So here we go ...

At our house church, we've been working through 2 Corinthians as missionaries especially with 12:15 as a theme verse, "I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls."  I was tasked with handling chapter 6 and did so in a 2-part message entitled, "The Proper Posture for Self-Outpouring" (download full notes here).

The idea was that just as people tell you to lift with your legs and not with your back, so there is a proper "posture" for pouring yourself out.  There are things to do and not to do, in order to ensure that you pour yourself out for others faithfully.  Probably more that the four points I mentioned here, but I was trying to stick to the text at hand.  Here were my four points:

1. Remove all unnecessary stumbling blocks to the gospel (6:3)

2. Show yourself to be a servant of God (6:4-10)

3. Open wide your heart (6:11-13)

4. Cling to the promises of the God who tastes good (6:14-18)

So, I had to wander off the reservation a bit with that last point to bring in a little Psalm 34:8.  There's also a little Sanskrit and some T.S. Eliot in there for good measure.  Enjoy!