2 CORINTHIANS Chapter 04 STRENGTH FOR THE BATTLE I.INTRODUCTION A. Get the word "MINISTRY" confused! 1.minister = SERVANT.
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2 CORINTHIANSChapter 04
STRENGTH FOR THE BATTLE
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Get the word "MINISTRY" confused!
1. minister = SERVANT
2. Insight into what it means to serve the
Lord. a. Paul suffered and
remained strong. b. He remained brave
enough to keep fighting
(1) How are we doing in the battle? (a) We can learn
much from our text.
II. 2CORINTHIANS 4:1
A. Literal translation:
1. What “kind” of ministry did Paul have? a. #1 - kept him from
quitting: (1) Trials almost more than he could bear.
(a) 2Corinthians 1:8(b) Confidence the
Lord would see him through! (c) Are you ready to
quit?b. #2 –kept him from being deceptive:
III. 2CORINTHIANS 4:2-4
A. Making reference to the legalistic Judaisers.
1. Have we renounced hidden things of
shame? a. Do we still have those "secret sins"? b. Is everything out in
the open? c. Verse 2
(1) “Hidden things” come to the surface!(2) Blessing is in doing
not hearing! (a) James 1:23-24
1) Paul was hiding nothing!
d. #3 - kept him from being a "self promoter"
IV. 2CORINTHIANS 4:5-6
A. Didn't preach himself!!
1. He look straight onto the face of Jesus
Christ! a. “Looked" into the face of Jesus we have
proper appraisal of ourselves.
(1) Jacob's wrestling with the Lord,
Peter's denial, and Paul on road to Damascus:
(2) All "looked into the face of Jesus
Christ".(a) Self-promotion
seems useless!
V. 2CORINTHIANS 4:7
A. Clay pot has any value because of contents!
1. Requirement - be clean, empty for service! a. Sale of out first home!?!?
(1) Clean, empty, and available.
b. Simple, plain pots deliberately
chosen!(1) Where many of us make our mistake. (a) Place a higher
value on our life!
2. Paul not afraid of suffering! a. Hudson Taylor:
(1) Placed too much value on the clay
pot
B. "Test of true ministry is not stars, but scars."
VI. 2CORINTHIANS 4:8-16
A. To protect contents, a container take abuse.
1. EX. = Guitar case!2. To become Christian, death must occur! a. Must die to self! b. Christian living in victory will experience
this death!(1) World principal
self gratification.
(2) Principal of the cross is death.
(3) Must be constant submission. (a) Matthew 6:19-24 (b) Suffering reveals
weakness of man. (c) Ministry costs us
nothing, it will accomplish
nothing.
i) Galatians 6:17 ii) REDPATH:
(4) Death of self makes Jesus visible.
C. Sure way to "lose heart" is to try to save it!
1. World fixated trying to preserve this body!
2. Live with eyes on the temporary we will be heart broken.
a. This earthly "tent" more weary every day! b. Eternal perspective
refreshes us day by day
(1) Each day we grow closer to being
with HIM!
VII. 2CORINTHIANS 4:17
A. 2Corinthians 11:23-28
1. He says his afflictions are light!
2. Because he was a Christian!
a. Could have said, It costs too much.
b. Could have turned his back anytime!
c. We can walk away from pressures of being
a Christian!!!!d. Version of temporary
was 30-40 years! (1) Won't end 'til Jesus
returns.
VIII. 2CORINTHIANS 4:18
A. Eternal vision!!!!
1. Faith that looked beyond present suffering a. Hebrews 11:1 b. How many can say
life turned out the way we thought?
(1) We put faith into things that will
burn.(2) Some work 50-60
hrs. a week!
IX. CONCLUSION
A. How's our "ministry" doing?
1. Every Christian in full time ministry.
B. What "kind" of ministry is it?
1. Keeps us from quitting?2. Keeps us from being
deceptive?
3. Keeps us from promoting ourselves?
C. Looked into the face of Jesus lately?
1. At the cross!2. Can we see the bigger picture?
D. Do we have eternal vision?
1. Have we given up, to focus on the
material?
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