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?