The Undercover Adventist

  Sabbath School First and Second Corinthians Lesson 10  Authentic Christian Ministry You may use this for presenting and studying the current Sabbath School Lesson. > Download the Notes for Lesson 10: Video Authentic Christian Ministry Here (Video is Below) Lesson 9 Daily Devotionals:  Sunday: Fruits of an Authentic Ministry    Monday: Suffering and Glory    Tuesday: Christ-focused Ministry of Reconcilliation    Wednesday: Call to Holiness   Thursday: Comfort and Joy  More Daily Extras to Come! Sabbath School 3rd Quarter Online: First and Second Corinthians Quarterly  

  What Is Your Motivation? Scripture: 2 Corinthians 2:12–17 Every day, we are motivated by something. Sometimes it is money, recognition, success, approval, comfort, or simply the desire to accomplish a goal. Even our spiritual activities can have mixed motives. We may serve because we want to be appreciated, teach because we enjoy being noticed, or help others because we want them to think well of us. But Paul challenges us to consider a deeper question: What motivates us when we do things in the name of Jesus? In 2 Corinthians 2:14, Paul writes, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.” Paul understood that his ministry was not ultimately about Paul. It was about Christ working through him. Paul had opportunities to preach in Troas, but he was troubled because Titus was not there. Even though a door for ministry had opened, Paul’s heart was unsettled. Yet instead of focusing on his...

  Church discipline can be one of the most difficult responsibilities a congregation faces. When someone has openly sinned or seriously harmed others, the church must respond. Yet Scripture shows that discipline is never supposed to be driven by anger, revenge, embarrassment, or a desire to punish. At its heart, biblical discipline should be an expression of love that seeks restoration . The church in Corinth had experienced a painful situation involving an offender. Paul had previously urged them to take action, and the congregation had responded. But now Paul encouraged them to move beyond discipline toward restoration. He wrote, “Ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such an one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow” (2 Corinthians 2:7, KJV). Then he added, “Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him” (2 Corinthians 2:8). That is a remarkable instruction. The same church that had been called to confront wrongdoing was now cal...

  How War, the Sabbath, and Military Service Divided Adventism The Seventh-day Adventist Church is often thought of as a single worldwide denomination, but its history contains a major and painful division that began during World War I . The controversy was not primarily about the Trinity, the Sabbath, Ellen G. White, or the Second Coming. It centered on a much more immediate question: Could a Seventh-day Adventist take part in war, carry a weapon, kill an enemy, and perform military duties on the Sabbath if the government required it? The answer given by some Adventist leaders in Europe in 1914 produced one of the most serious crises in Adventist history. Those who rejected that position were expelled from Adventist churches, and eventually a separate body emerged that became known as the Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement . Today, both groups still exist. The mainstream Seventh-day Adventist Church has millions of members worldwide, while the Reform Movement is a much smal...

  Misunderstood, But Still Faithful Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:18–22 Have you ever done something with the best intentions, only to have someone misunderstand your motives? You tried to help, but they thought you were being selfish. You tried to avoid making a situation worse, but they thought you did not care. Few things are more painful than having sincere motives questioned. Paul knew that pain. Paul had carefully planned his visits to Corinth, but circumstances changed. After receiving a troubling report about the church, he changed his plans. He eventually made a visit, but it was painful. Rather than immediately returning and risking making the situation worse, Paul went back to Ephesus and wrote them a letter. His decision was misunderstood by some Corinthians. They accused him of being unreliable and suggested that his changing plans meant he did not love them. But Paul explained that his intentions were not driven by selfishness or indifference. In fact, his decision not t...