2 Corinthians - Lesson 4C

• This morning, turn with me if you will back to just one of the four letters that Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church. This letter we are studying is known as 2nd Corinthians. When we last left off, we were deep into Chapter 4 verses 1-6, where Paul told this Corinthian Church that:

  • A - They (Paul and the other disciples) never lost heart in their ministry because of the mercy God had shown them. Which simply meant they understood their plight before God. Meaning, they understood their destiny, highlighted by the understanding that God was in control. That His hand was with them.

  • B - He said that they never walked in shame, nor had they distorted the Word of God, but by the open proclamation of the truth they commended themselves to every person’s conscience in the sight of God. Which meant that their lives were proof of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

    • Another way to say it is, they were who they said they were, which is what you do as a witness. This is the very definition of a witness. Our witness is who we are, how we act and respond. Not what we say. Our lives are our witness, and our lives should give testimony, or proof, to the One we say we serve.

  • This concept has long since been abandoned by the church. So-called Christian men and women conducting themselves in ways that testify opposite of who they say they are in Christ Jesus.

• Today, the church’s faith has become weak, diluted and watered down, surface and superficial at best. Something we often wear as a banner (at times), but very rarely does it move or motivate our behavior. And, unfortunately, I get to see it on full display as I deal with it in business every day.

  • Men and woman distorting the reality of who God is, and what He expects from each one of us. Where Christianity once meant something to the individual, and to society, it’s now (in most of the cases) a side note.

  • Even in the more devout believer, their faith has become nothing more than a loose affiliation, or somewhat of a life of ‘comfort food’. But that is not what God expects from us, and Paul’s own words paint for us a picture of the truth as it relates to our life as a witness.

  • Paul’s message to the Church at Corinth was clear. We are who we say we are, and you can know that in the way we conduct ourselves. Guess what folks? The same is true for us as well. Our lives should reflect our faith, and so the question is, does it?

• Paul proceeded to write some words in verses 3&4, words that would turn out to be very controversial in the future. Having said that, Paul probably never considered his words to be controversial. But as man always does, we have managed to make something out of nothing, and therefore, his words created controversy for Bible theologians for years to come.

  • And what were those words? If their gospel was veiled (meaning hidden), if it were veiled it was veiled to those who were perishing. And then he said, in verse 4, “In which case the God of this world, had blinded the minds of the unbelieving, so that they will not see the light of the gospel of the Glory of Christ.”

  • These words shouldn’t have been controversial, because they simply highlight the overarching testimony of scripture, which is, that God is the creator, and we are His creation.

  • And because of that very fact, He moves and does as He wills, or as God Himself told Moses, “That He will have mercy on whom He has mercy.” I won’t rehash all of this, but if you want to hear all about it, then I encourage you to go back and listen to the previous message.

    • Paul said in verse 5, that he nor the other Apostles, preach themselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and they as bondservants on account of Jesus. Paraphrasing here, Paul was saying we are 100% sold out for Jesus. We are committed. We are serious.

    • And one of the ways you can know we are true in what we say is demonstrated by the fact that we do not promote ourselves in any way. Another way to say it is, we will never elevate ourselves. In fact, we are so sold out; we are your bondservants on account of Christ Jesus. We are your slaves because of Christ, and we are here to serve you, to help you, by and through Servant Leadership.

• And finally, we ended our teaching with verse 6, where Paul said,

2 Cor. 4:6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

• One more time, Paul is validating who they are by reminding them that God is in control, and that God is the one who causes all things to happen, including Salvation. Which is what he means when he says that He is the one who has caused the light of Jesus to shine in our hearts, and to give the Light of the Knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

  • God is the one. He and He alone is the one who started a work in them, and He and He alone is the one who will be faithful to complete it, which harmonizes perfectly with what Paul wrote in Philippians 1:6 - which said,

Phil 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus.

• And that, my friends, is the truth. God is the one who pricks the heart. He and He alone is the one who will keep you until the end. It all starts with Him, and it ends with Him! But why is Paul telling them all this? Because there were some in the church, one in particular, who began murmuring and saying that Paul might not be who he said he was.

  • This person gained support from others, which is the way it always begins. The murmuring generally begins with one person and gains momentum from there. Now, before moving on this morning, I want to highlight what I believe is one important thing to note about Paul’s defense.

  • And that is, at no point does Paul sight any of his own accomplishments as reason for them to trust him or believe him. Rather, he continually points them back to Jesus. And why is that important? It’s important because only God can change the mind and the heart. We can’t change anything.

  • We can talk ’til we are blue in the face, but ultimately, God will be the One who brings the results. That’s simply the way it is. Now moving on this morning, we pick back up in the 4th Chapter of 2 Corinthians, as Paul continues with his defense, or his explanation if you will, of who he and the other Apostles/disciples are.

• Now, before we read these next set of verses, let me just say, what we are about to read is a promise from God. A promise that every believer can count on. It wasn’t just for Paul. It’s for you and I as well. So, let’s read it, and see what this promise is all about:

2 Cor. 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen containers, so that the extraordinary greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;
2 Cor. 4:8 we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing;
2 Cor. 4:9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed;
2 Cor. 4:10 always carrying around in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
2 Cor. 4:11 For we who live are constantly being handed over to death because of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal flesh.
2 Cor. 4:12 So death works in us, but life in you.

• The word Powerful doesn’t even begin to describe what is truly being said in these verses. Beginning with verse 7, Paul says we have this treasure in earthen containers, (the Greek says, ‘Earthen Vessels’).

  • If you are a believer, you and I, our bodies are containers. They are vessels. And so, if we are truly containers or vessels, then the immediate question is, what are we as containers holding within ourselves?

  • God created us with a purpose in mind, and by Paul’s own words he knew we were created to hold something. And so, what is it that we are holding? Paul says it’s a treasure. But what’s this treasure? Well, if we refer to verse 6, we get the answer. Let’s read it again.

2 Cor. 4:6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

• So, what is this gift? It’s the knowledge and the revelation of Jesus Christ. Which ultimately leads to what? Salvation, which causes the Holy Spirit to take up residence in your body. And, if that’s the case (and it is), it means there is something Pure and Holy living inside you.

  • The problem is, it cohabitates with something else, which is what? Your flesh, which is what? The Enemy of God. And these two are constantly warring against one another. If I asked you the question, which one of these would you prefer to be more pronounced in your life, I would think you would say or hope you would say the Holy Spirit, right?

  • And if that’s the case, then I would ask you how’s that looking these days? Paul was saying that he and the other disciples were so full of God that their very lives exuded it. The feeling is almost like God oozed out of their pores.

    • And the same should be said of us as well, because what produced this effect in Paul is still available for you and I as well. We are no different than Paul or the other disciples. We too can have “all” of God we want. We can have so much of God that without ever even saying a word, when people engage with us, they will feel Him and begin to inquire about Him.

• Moving on, Paul says as believers we are containers, earthly vessels. And as containers we are meant to house or hold a part of God, and that thing that we are to hold, or house is the treasure Paul is speaking about.

  • But for me, that begs the question, wonder why God chose us as vessels, to inhabit His children in this manner?

    • In other words, why did God choose to place inside of you and I His Holy Spirit? I mean, He didn’t have to do this, did He? No, He didn’t. So why did He do it? Because He was doing something, as always. He was, and is, working His plan. And what is that plan?

  • Paul tells us in the second half of the verse, when he says:

2 Cor. 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen containers, so that the extraordinary greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; 

• It’s simple. God chose to inhabit a believer and to cohabitate with our flesh so that His Glory and the Greatness of His power would be made manifest in us. And then ultimately, His light would be shone into a dark and dying world.

  • Our earthly vessel, our bodies, are part of the method that God uses to inject His Light into this world. In other words, we are the instruments He uses to accomplish His will. And so, once again, how are you doing at being a useful instrument of God?

    • Do you possess the ‘Spiritual Law of Attraction’? In other words, are people drawn to you because you exude the characteristics of Jesus? Or would the opposite be true. Instead of drawing people in, do you push people away?

    • The surest way to push people away is to claim to be a Christian, ‘a Christ follower’, and then to act opposite or display the opposite characteristics of Christ. Another way to say it is, declare your faith to the world yet display no fruits of the Spirit. Which are what?

  • Love - Joy - Forbearance - Kindness - Goodness - Faithfulness - Gentleness and drum roll please, Self-Control. That’s a tough one, isn’t it? It’s tough for everyone. Believers and non-believers. Which, by the way, is why I believe that the toughest characteristic to control in our lives is the one that will bring God the greatest glory.

• Think about it. Do you lose your mind when you get mad, or do you remain calm and prayerful? Are you slow to speak or are you quick to respond in anger? These attributes of Christ are what draw people to Jesus.

  • People expect you to lose your mind, and so when you don’t, it causes them to pause and inquire. Remember, it’s not about you, it’s Him shining through you, and this should always be on the forefront of our minds as we move about and live out every day of our lives.

  • Verse 8 - 9 says:

2 Cor. 4:8 we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing;
2 Cor. 4:7 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; 

• In these verses lies that promise of God that I was previously talking about. It’s a promise that is available to all believers. Just like Paul. Even though we are afflicted in every way, we will not be crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

  • It’s simple. God has made it clear, repeatedly. He will never leave us nor forsake us. And just like Paul and the other disciples, this is a promise you and I can count on as well. It makes no difference how bad it gets; He is always with you. And that applies even if you don’t feel His presence in that moment.

    • Remember, just because you may not feel it, doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Feelings are emotions, and I assure you, that in the darkest times of your life, if you pray, study, and seek God, the feeling of God’s presence will eventually return. So don’t worry about the feeling. Just simply remember the promise.

  • This world is always going to try and beat us down and rob us of joy. Drag us through the mud of life. But God will always make us stand. And why? Because of what we just read in verses 10 -12. Let me read it again.

2 Cor. 4:10 always carrying around in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
2 Cor. 4:11 For we who live are constantly being handed over to death because of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal flesh.
2 Cor. 4:12 So death works in us, but life in you.

• Paul’s words here are almost poetic. In these verses he paints for us a picture of just how bad things were for him and the other Apostles/disciples. But he also gives us the why behind the entire process. He says they are always carrying around in their body the dying of Jesus.

  • So that, AND THIS IS THE KEY, so that, THE LIFE OF JESUS MAY ALSO BE REVEALED IN THEIR BODY.

  • Paul’s words may be a little confusing here, but the concept is an easy one to understand. Let me explain it quick. Once we are saved, the next step after Salvation is Sanctification. This is simply obtaining Spiritual Growth in our lives, which is nothing more than Spiritual Maturity.

    • And why is this the case? Why is this what God requires of you? Because this is the method He uses to accomplish His will, to carry out His plan for mankind. We are His instruments, and the only way we can be an effective instrument is through the process of Sanctification. The more we mature, the more God uses us.

• So, if you don’t feel like God ever really puts you in the game, it’s probably a maturity issue. You need to seek Him daily through His Word and begin your spiritual growth journey. But what does that have to do with verses 10-11-12?

  • What Paul is telling us is, that through their persecution, through their trials, and by their reaction to those trials, they themselves experience just a little bit of what Jesus experienced. Paul also said this very thing in Philippians 3:7-11. Listen to what he said:

Phil. 3:7 But whatever things were gain to me, these things I have counted as loss because of Christ.
Phil. 3:8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them mere rubbish, so that I may gain Christ,
Phil. 3:9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,
Phil. 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;
Phil. 3:11 if somehow I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

• This process, or concept if you will, is that of ‘Suffering for Christ’, and through that suffering there is connection to His death. Even though Paul and the others experienced some harsh treatment, including beatings and imprisonment, nothing they ever experienced compared to the suffering Christ experienced on the cross.

  • But, in a small way, through their own sufferings, they made a connection to what Jesus experienced. They handed themselves over to all of this because of their calling, because of their ministry. And for that reason, they connected with Him on an entirely different level.

  • Now, having said that, we too can experience the same thing Paul, and the others did, but to do so, we must put our own sufferings in proper perspective. We must look at our own sufferings to bring Glory to God. And how do we do that? By pointing the outside world back to the cross through our pain.

    • In other words, by letting the world know that God is in control. That He and He alone has a plan, and that we have experienced nothing in comparison to what Jesus endured on our behalf on the Cross of Calvary. Unfortunately, for most Christians, when we suffer, we don’t look at things this way.

    • Instead of pointing people back to the cross, we generally ask why me Lord? And I get it. It’s natural, but it’s not mature, it’s not spiritual. As a matter of fact, it’s fleshly. We must never forget, our lives are but a vapor, here today - gone tomorrow. It may seem sad, but it’s the truth.

  • Once you pass away, there are two truths you can count on. The first is, the people we know, the ones left living, they will think about us for a little bit but then quickly move on. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just the way it must be. We do the same thing. Life moves on and we move on. That’s the first truth.

  • The second truth is, once you pass away, you will not care about this earth. If you are a believer, you will not want to come back and you will not be sad. This is a promise. And so, if these are the two truths about our death that we can count on, then all that remains is what we do while we are still living.

    • Not what we do for ourselves or our kids or family, but what we do for the Kingdom of God. You know that place where we are going to be living for eternity. Never forget, you (as a believer) will be rewarded for the work you do for God while you remain on this planet. All this is not for nothing.

• As a believer, the work you do for God while living your life out is the most gratifying and fulfilling work you will ever experience while living on this earth. There is nothing like being an instrument of God. Nothing.

  • Outside of being saved, there is no greater feeling than being part of a transformation of someone else’s life for God. And if you haven’t experienced it, I would suggest you get busy in your maturing process and ask God to use you.

• Moving on, so Paul counts it gain to suffer for God, and that’s exactly what he is re-emphasizing in verses 10 -12. One more time listen to it again:

2 Cor. 4:10 always carrying around in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 
2 Cor. 4:11 For we who live are constantly being handed over to death because of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal flesh. 

• And then in verse 12, he summarizes it all by giving us the why behind this whole thing. Listen to what he says:

2 Cor. 4:12 So death works in us, but life in you.

• They experience what they experience so that others may be saved, so that others may experience eternal life.

  • If this were a mathematical equation it would read like this; suffering = transformation, and that transformation is what qualifies you and I for the work of the ministry. Our transformation, through suffering (if we will let it), qualifies us to do the work of the ministry.

  • Our suffering transforms us into a useful instrument of God. This is ultimately what Paul is saying in verse 12 when he says, “So death works in us, but life in you.”

• Moving on, and we will close this morning with Verses 13-18, which just further highlights what Paul continues to say. Listen to him one more time:

2 Cor. 4:13 But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written: “I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE,” we also believe, therefore we also speak, 
2 Cor. 4:14 knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and will present us with you. 
2 Cor. 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, so that grace, having spread to more and more people, will cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

• (The whole purpose of this creation and your existence by the way - To the Glory of God)

2 Cor. 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day. 
2 Cor. 4:17 For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 
2 Cor. 4:18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

• I am not going to spend a lot of time on these verses this morning, other than to say as you read Paul’s words you do see more of the same. He is desperately trying to get a point across, and that is, Christian men and women wake up and smell the roses. This life is passing, and what we do here matters.

  • In Paul’s own words he says we are dying on the outside, but he and the other Apostles/Disciples are being renewed daily on the inside. Not for the here and now, but rather for what is to come. The focus here is on the eternal not the temporal.

  • We as a people are so much worse off than any other generation that has ever lived before us, because we are so here and now focused, and that’s primarily because we have advanced in our knowledge. Which is not a bad thing, until it begins to make us reliant on ourselves.

    • Advances in technology and medicine have taken us to a place where we think we are going to somehow live forever. Maybe not consciously, but certainly subconsciously. Because we begin to believe ultimately, it’s all within us, that we can do anything and that we can accomplish anything.

    • We even tell our kids this lie, and it is a lie by the way. I’m sorry but it is. We can’t do anything we want to. And just an FYI to you, this is such a dangerous theory to promote, especially from a Christian standpoint, because it runs counter to what God is trying to teach us through His word.

• You see, one of the most important concepts for us to understand is our dependance and reliance on God. Which means any teaching that says ‘We’ are the captain of our ship, is 100% counter to the mindset God wants us to have. The truth is, we can’t accomplish anything outside of Christ, especially as it relates to working for Christ.

  • Now, my words may seem obvious and simple this morning, and they are. But the reality is, very rarely do believers operate from this basis. They may understand it, but it doesn’t control how they act. And this is so important because mindset matters. What you think, whether consciously or subconsciously, matters, because it’s what ultimately moves and motivates you.

• Now, I’m going to digress on this topic and close, but before I do, I want to do something I have never done before. I want to issue you guys a challenge. This week I want you to take verses 13-18 and do a deep dive into just exactly what Paul is trying to relay to this church, and by extension what he is trying to relay to you and me as well.

  • Next week I’m going to begin the message with these same verses. The difference is I want you to come prepared. Prepared by studying and ingesting these verses ahead of time, so that when I teach it you will receive the maximum Spiritual Impact in your life.

    • We will call this an experiment of sorts. Take these verses and go study. And don’t just go to a commentary or your study Bible and read what someone else wrote based on their studies. Before you begin your study, start out with prayer, then read the verses, read them again, read them slowly and think about what you’re reading.

• Remember, the Bible is not a novel. It’s not to be read for entertainment. It’s an instruction manual. So, start out with prayer, then read the verses slowly. Ingest them, meditate on them, let them soak in, make notes, and then, if you feel led, go read some commentary on the verses.

  • Let’s try that this week and let’s see if the teaching has an entirely different effect on your life.