"Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, 2 but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. 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.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; 8 we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body."
II Corinthians 4:1-10
Good Morning Beloved,
Welcome to worship, we're so glad you're here!
Allow me to direct your attention to the end of the first verse, where Paul says, "...we do not lose heart," Have you ever wondered as I have, how do you go through
everything that Paul went through in his ministry and remain so steadfast,
immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord? How do you get
there? How do you climb that mountain of
faithfulness, constantly battling all the way with external and internal obstacles,
struggles with your own weaknesses, with your own sin, and all the things that comes at
you from the outside? How do you endure? How do you get to that point?
Any of us who try to serve God for any length of time, often have reasons for being
discouraged. The acute awareness of our human limitations and our
own imperfections constantly gnaw at our self-confidence. The indifference of those with whom we try to share the gospel makes us sometimes wonder sometimes if its worth it. Then Satan whispers in our ear, if this gospel that you share is
such good news, so powerful, why are more people not being saved by it?
And, it's so easy to feel discouraged when we see the aggressiveness, the hate, the evil
in our world today. Then there's the disunity within the church, the lack of
love among many Christians, constant bickering over translations, verses, responsibilities of believers, it can all certainly take a toll on our
motivation.
However, when we read the Scriptures, the story of the lives
of the early Christians, we discover that it has always been this way.
Paul too had faced so many obstacles in his ministry and even he was tempted to
lose heart. But Paul chose to concentrate on those changed rather than
those unchanged and that kept him motivated to go on serving.
If you have access to the old Authorized King James Version, the end of verse 1 says, "We faint not," which is even less helpful than this one. The verb is ekkakeó. There’s a lot more there in that verb than just the idea of losing heart. It’s simply ek the preposition, and kakeó which means "to cause evil, to cause evil." The noun forms: kakós kakeó,
are rather strong words: malice, malignity, wickedness, depravity, to be morally
bad, to be harmful, to be corrupt, to be a criminal. The adverb form:
wretchedly, wrongly, criminally, also very strong words. However, probably a better way,
to understand it would be Paul saying here is, "We do not give in to
evil."
The apostle Paul had been made a minister of the New Covenant, entrusted with the
Spirit who gives life and makes righteous. He was neither timid nor
deceitful. He would not doubt the truth, the power, or the success of
the gospel which he preached. Neither would he corrupt or conceal the
truth, but proclaimed it boldly and commended it to every man's conscience. However,
despite the entire Gospel's truth and power, it remained hidden to
most. Here in chapter four, the Apostle tells us why the Gospel is hidden to the lost and
so clear to the saved.
Let's bow our heads in prayer.
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for all that You've done for
us because of Your love, we realize that we deserve nothing.
We thank You for the great privilege of being together today, the
enrichment of our fellowship, our worship and praise of You, and especially for the blessed power of
Your truth. Help us to be faithful, to not defect, that You might accomplish Your good plans in each of us.
Lord, help us to stay focused on the bigger picture, and let us not to become discouraged and weary in doing good, not just those of us who are teachers of Your Word, but all of us who are believers, that we might endure to the end. That we too be able to say in victory, upon reaching the end of our lives, "I have fought the good fight."
Thank You Lord, for Your finished work on the cross, for the reality of new covenant, we are so grateful, for which we are so unworthy and undeserving.
We pray for those who have not yet come to Christ, for those who do not know Your abounding grace, Your steadfast love. May today be that glorious day, You lay hold of them and say you shall be Mine! May it all be for Your glory O Lord.
In Jesus' precious name
Amen
Today's Message: Behold, The Glory
Today, as we continue in our study of the book of II Corinthians, we come to a wonderful new chapter, so rich, chapter 4. Open with me your Bibles to II Corinthians chapter 4, today we'll be looking at verses 1 through 10. Follow along with me, as I read to you from this marvelous epistle,
II Corinthians 4:1-10.
"Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, but
we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in
craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of
truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of
God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. 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.
But
we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing
greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body."
In spite of everything that the apostle Paul had experienced, he could write to his
friends in verse 1 that we do not lose heart. "Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart,"
"This
ministry," the ministry of the New Covenant, is the ministry of the
Spirit. It is the ministry of life; of grace, of righteousness,
of liberty and the ministry of glory so vividly described in the
preceding passage. To have this ministry is to "receive mercy." Mercy is
not getting what you deserve. Based on what the law calls for, we each
should all receive condemnation. The ministry of the Spirit is not an
achievement of man but a consequence of receiving divine mercy.
Previously Paul had been a blasphemer and a persecutor. Against this
background he had received mercy. The same mercy that had sustained Paul through his many painful
episodes also enabled him to overcome despair. Despite his hardships and
constant opposition, Paul remained faithful and encouraged in his ministry.
Therefore, Paul could proclaim that "we do not lose heart." Receiving
God’s mercy was one reason for his encouragement not to lose heart.
"Lose
heart" or faint means "not to behave badly
in, to give into evil, to lose courage, to turn back. The word is used
for the faint hearted or cowardly in proclaiming of the message of
reconciliation. Paul did not lose heart, instead he placed his
faith in the reality that God had already gained victory through the
resurrection of Jesus.
Having a ministry of such glory and power we can be encourage past our
times of discouragement into new times of boldness and
courage. The gospel of Christ must be made known! For the one who
ministers the eternal riches of the gospel there can be no question of
abandoning the struggle.
Galatians 6:9 says, "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary."
Like Paul, we must look beyond our failures and keep persevering. I cannot think of a
better example of someone who persevered despite apparent failure than
the apostle Paul. His list of discouragements would have likely caused even the best of us to
quit. For one, the people in a church he founded in Corinth stumbled
badly. For another, he went to prison numerous times. Throw in a few
shipwrecks, beatings, and betrayals, and you can begin to have a picture of defeat. Yet, nevertheless, Paul's ministry is remembered today for its
unmistakable faithfulness and tremendous success.
More often that not, success often rises out of the burning ashes of failure. So, I'd like to encourage all of us, to
look past our failures, and look toward the promises of God. For it is because of God's mercy and grace we need not
lose heart.
In verse 2 Paul defends his ministry of the Word of
God. "but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God."
One source of Paul's discouragement was the condition
of the Corinthian church brought about by false believers and their
biting criticisms and challenges to Paul, but instead of losing heart he
renounces all falseness and deceitfulness. These false teachers were gaining the ascendancy in the church, and it was breaking Paul's heart. To renounce is "to speak
forth, to speak off or speak away." What Paul speaks away is the hidden
thing of shame. Those things done in secret which are dishonorable
and deceitful which would result in shame if exposed to the light of
God’s truth, so they are hidden. Meaning the things that can attack a
Christian, however, the Christian who has fully submitted to God's will, can renounce
and courageously stand in defiance against the powers of darkness
and they must move back, they must flee.
Renouncing in the Spirit
thus means the turning against "walking in craftiness", clever cunning,
deceitfulness, a cunning readiness to adopt any device or trickery to
achieve their selfish ends, or adulterating, to catch
with bait - to ensnare or corrupt with error - mixing error with truth,
the Word of God. The apostle Paul could say, "I have received of the Lord that
which also I delivered unto you."
Paul was not an opportunist nor shrewdly and unscrupulously seeking to
achieve his desired aims. For a man dare not use the gospel to achieve his
own ends. Paul proclaims that his ministry was one in which the truth
was manifested, openly displayed and outspokenly proclaimed so that none
but gain-seekers would question the genuineness and sincerity of his
motives. If in a man's conscience, in the sight of God, he will listen
to what Paul says, God will bear witness to its truth.
God will always reveal
what is truth and what is counterfeit, what is valuable and what is
worthless. In the sight of God all things and every person is laid bare. However,
if that conscious has been severed from God, it will be unmoved by
God’s revelation of truth.
John 3:20-21 reminds us, "For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
When things are brought into the light of the divine Presence the true
is separated from the false. In contrast with those who shun the light
because of the shameful character of their conduct, he that does truth
comes to the light so that his works maybe revealed that they have been
wrought by God.
I John 5:1-2 teaches us, that " Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments."
After all, is not one of our primary purposes for living in this world is to reflect the light of the likeness of Jesus Christ?
In verse 3 Paul defends himself against the charge that what he said was
obscure and difficult to grasp. "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,"
Now this gospel for which
he claims so unique a power has been ineffective in the case of majority of those to whom Paul proclaimed it. Paul concedes that large
numbers failed to perceive its heavenly glory of which he has spoken
with such enthusiasm. The fault, however, is not in the gospel or with
his preaching but in those who have failed to discern its glory. It is
not because he was obscure or hid anything from them, but because
they chose to be blinded by the work of evil, especially the deception
that come through false believers.
Yes many could not comprehend the gospel Paul preached however, they understood
the preachers of the law. Beloved, the fallen man finds it easier to believe what is
of flesh than what is of the spirit. In fact, the Old Covenant rules and regulation
written for fleshly man, is far easier for many to understand than the gospel where
yielding to the Holy Spirit must occur if comprehension is to occur.
I Corinthians 2:14 says, "But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised."
Verse 4, in which Paul says, "in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God," indicates that the devil blinds the minds of unbelievers to the
gospel message.
However, there is yet another power at work upon natural man. Unbelievers are so
dominated by Satan that he effectively shields them from the light of
the glorious gospel of Christ. The apostle Paul, infers that those who find
his message difficult to accept or criticizing his ministry at Corinth
are not even saved. They are lost, unbelieving, and blinded by the god
of this world.
In John 12:31; 14:30 and 16:11, Satan is also referred to as the ruler of the world, or prince of this world in some translations, whose activity is characterized by "hidden things of shame, of craftiness, deceitfulness," and by blinding people’s minds from
the light of the gospel. When by unbelief one turns from the One True
God, that person has turned to the dark side and submitted their mind to
the Satanic blinding.
However, in contrast, Christ is the very image of God. The ideas
are those of representation and manifestation. Jesus said, in John 14:19; 1:18, "He who has
seen Me has seen the Father." Christ is the invisible
God made visible, sent to shine God’s truth into the minds of men. Christ, the Light of the World, is the visible image of God.
Colossians 1:15 says, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation."
A person who knows Jesus as Lord and Savior is "in Christ," and from that vantage
point he can see Jesus as He really is. The Holy Spirit lives in
believers and enables us to appreciate and understand Scripture.
But those who have not received Christ as Savior and Lord are
spiritually blinded to spiritual truths. They are like the visitors who see the waterfall and the sunshine - but not the
rainbow. Without the light of Christ, people are in the
dark about God's Word!
As Christians, we have a great privilege. We can help the
spiritually blind to see. We can introduce Jesus Christ to those to whom
the gospel "is veiled." In II Corinthians 5:20, the apostle Paul wrote, "Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God." Just before His ascension, Jesus said, "...you
shall be witnesses to Me" As believers, we have a responsibility to be an ambassador for Christ, a witness who can say, "I was blind, but now I see."
What
an awesome challenge and great privilege! We can "give the light of the
knowledge" of Jesus to a sin-darkened world. Who could ask for a greater honor and privilege?! If your Christianity, if your belief in Jesus Christ is worth having, then beloved, it's worth sharing!
Paul affirms in verse 5, that he is not promoting himself but proclaiming Christ
Jesus as Lord. "For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake."
Preaching "ourselves" is a pretty poor topic for any preacher, however, there are some who do.
Some do blatantly like Jim Jones who called himself lord or Sung Yung
who preached that he was the second coming of Christ. Others simply say
put your hand on the screen or buy this prayer cloth and send me
your money. Yes many crafty deceivers adulterate the Word and preach
self. Paul’s remark suggests that some false apostles were presenting
themselves as important rather than as servants.
Paul may
have called it "his gospel" but Paul certainly did not preach himself. Paul and his
companions focused their message on the fact that Jesus is Lord. It is
the responsibility of the preacher to preach Christ as the central and
absolutely indispensable focus of the gospel message.
A faithful preacher must focus his attention upon Christ and minister as a bond-servant, not a master or lord. The Old Testament speaks of bond-servants. Provision was made for an
Israelite to sell himself into the service of another Israelite for six
years. At the end of the time he was to go free. However, if his master had given
him a spouse, and if children had been born to that union, the spouse
and children remained with the master when the time for freedom came.
However, because of his love for his new family or perhaps out of
loyalty for his master, the freedman could choose to remain a servant. A
simple ritual would confirm his choice. The master would place his
servant’s ear on the door post and drive an awl through the lower lobe,
thus making the freed man his bond-servant for life. The
choice to remain his servant was a choice of love and commitment.
Such
was the nature of Paul's choice to serve Christ. For Paul, there was no
turning back. Out of love and gratitude for God's mercy, he gave himself
to a life of service to others for the sake of Christ.
Would you describe yourself as Christ’s bond-servant? How would you describe your service for Christ?
Now
Paul is not suggesting that those he ministers to are His masters. For there is but one master. It is for Jesus' sake that he assumes the role
of the servant of others. The servant of Jesus becomes the servant of
every other believer but always for the sake of Him who is His sole
master.
Beloved, not all of us are called to be preachers, however, every Christian is to be a witness. It
is our honor and great privilege to point others to Jesus Christ. Rather than call
attention to ourselves, we must exalt our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in order that others are drawn to Him. When through our wittiness, tell people about what Christ has done, and not about your abilities
and accomplishments. People must be introduced to Christ, not to you.
In verse 6 Paul states the reason why he preached Christ and served
others. "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."
Light will shine out of darkness paraphrases or alludes to the creation account in Genesis 1:3, ""Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light."
The Word of God spoke to the light so that it would shine in the
darkness. The gospel is intended to do in human hearts what the creation
of light did to the darkened chaos of earth. The earth was formless and
empty till God acted to bring light out of darkness, so in His creating
of a new spiritual man, He causes a light to shine in darkened hearts. Just
as God created the world, He now makes believers into a new creation.
Jesus Christ, shines into our hearts and only then can we be saved. Left
to ourselves, the sinner can only stumble on in eternal darkness and damnation. At the
point of salvation, God enlightens our whole being: moral, intellectual
and spiritual. Christians carry Christ in their hearts, in order that they can see the way out of
darkness into His glorious light of His new creation in Christ. Much in the same way, miners carry a lamp on their fore heads to light their way.
What a glorious spiritual truth! Though we may face many difficulties in our
lives. These difficulties can often paralyze us with fear, if we dare to take our eyes
off the only One who can help us. Jesus says that we are to keep our eyes on
Him, simply taking one step at a time. He promises that He will faithfully lead us to
the other side of the difficulty or danger. We can always look to Jesus
for the strength and leadership We need.
The basis of Paul’s
ministry is the privilege of having seen for himself the glory of God in
the face of Christ, initially on the Damascus road. However, we can only share
with others the Christ we have met for ourselves. The human heart can be a closed, darkened space. However, the Christian who looks
to Christ. will have the illuminating knowledge of the glory of God
shining from with in their hearts.
In Closing....
In every way we’re troubled but not crushed, frustrated but not in
despair, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed. We
are always carrying around the death of Jesus in our bodies, so that
the life of Jesus may be clearly shown in our bodies.
However, Christians
are not normal people. We don’t think like normal people. We aren’t
cynics or optimists. We are people who see life from an unearthly
perspective. Normal people see life rooted firmly in the human view, which more often than not, is dirty, messy, and broken.
Praise be to God, who has made the ultimate truth available to us. Billy Graham would often
say to his audience, "You have two sets of ears—your physical ears with
which you hear what I’m saying to you right now, and your spiritual ears
with which you hear what God says to you." When the gospel is preached
in power, God uses it to shine a light where before there was only
darkness.
Beloved, the world around us is dark, drowning in spiritual ignorance. For multitudes
of people, the aimlessness of their existence leads to unspoken
discouragement and despair. We can't single-handedly drive back the darkness
everywhere, but we can do something significant. We can let our redeemed, the Jesus Christ-ignited lives serve as lanterns of light. In Matthew 5:16, our Savior
commands us, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your
good works and glorify your Father in Heaven."
Instead
of lamenting, bemoaning the darkness, we can show the way to those around us. As
Christ shine through us, lost souls stumbling in spiritual darkness will
be drawn to Him who is the Light to the World. Remember, the
even smallest light still shines in the darkness!
Is the glory of
God in the person of Jesus the image you are looking at, and being
transformed into? Are you shining the light of Christ’s glory into a world of darkness?
May it be so...
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen