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Our sufficiency is from God

Text: 2 Corinthians 3
3 August 2008

(I) MINISTRY OF THE NEW COVENANT DESCRIBED

1. A Ministry of the Spirit

“How will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?” 2 Corinthians 3:8

a) The ministry of the New Covenant is particularly associated with the Holy Spirit

b) This ministry is described as more glorious than that of the Old Covenant

2. A Ministry of righteousness

“…the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.” 2 Corinthians 3:9b

3. Writing upon hearts by the Spirit of God

“Clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God…” 2 Corinthians 3:3

a) Believers are called “epistles of Christ”

b) They are written upon by the Spirit of God

c) He uses human servants as His writing instrument

4. Compared to the Old Covenant

“But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his
countenance, which glory was passing away” 2 Corinthians 3:7

“For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory” 2 Corinthians 3:8b

a) It was called “the ministry of death”

b) It is also called “the ministry of condemnation”

c) Though engraved on stone, it was nevertheless glorious

d) It was a ministry whose glory was meant to fade away

(II) MINISTERS OF THE NEW COVENANT

“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient ministers of the new covenant…” 2 Corinthians 3:5-6

1. Who may qualify to become “ministers of the New Covenant?”

a) It is God who calls

b) It is God who makes a person sufficient for ministry in the New Covenant

2. Precluding human sufficiency

a) Sufficiency is not found in the human being

b) No one, on his own merit, would be able to make himself sufficient for the ministry

(III) MINISTERING IN HOPE OF TRANSFORMATION

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

Therefore since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech” 2 Corinthians 3:12

1. Ministering in hope

2. Ministering in boldness

3. Ministering in the hope of seeing transformation of life