2 CORINTHIANS 4:1-182005 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: 2 Corinthians 4:1-18

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2005.

This morning we get to see the Apostle Paul's heart and ministry again, as we've been seeing it the past couple weeks in chapters 2 and 3, as he's explaining a very personal letter from Paul to the Corinthians, explaining why he was not able to pass through there on his way back like he had originally planned, and explaining to them really about ministry and what ministry is all about. And so today we get to continue that conversation that the

The Apostle Paul is having with us and we get to learn really a little bit more about ministry and what it is all about. And the question I have for you to meditate and to ponder on this morning as we go through 2 Corinthians 4 is, are you, like the Apostle Paul, living all out for Jesus Christ? Are you living like the Apostle Paul, going 100% totally committed for Jesus and for the glory of God?

If you are not, Paul will demonstrate to us today that it's not because of anything eternal that we're not living for Jesus 100%. But it's because of something temporary, something that's temporal in our lives that keeps us from living sold out to Jesus Christ and walking with God as Paul did.

What you are looking at will determine the life that you live for Jesus Christ. So what are you looking at? We'll touch on this again, but let's read together first. 2 Corinthians 4, starting in verse 1. It says this,

But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the God of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

Verse 7, Verse 8,

that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed. We are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed, always caring about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake. Amen.

that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you. And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, I believed and therefore I spoke. We also believe and therefore speak, knowing that he who raises up the Lord Jesus Christ

Verse 16,

Therefore, we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we do not look at the things which are seen...

but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we do come before you this morning, God, and we ask that you would speak to our hearts through your word. Lord, we do ask that you would help us in this time to understand and to look at our lives. Lord, that you would reveal to us

the things that keep us from following you completely. Jesus, we ask that you would help us to focus our eyes on you, on the things that are not seen, the things that are eternal. God, we pray that you would pierce our hearts by your word. Fill us with your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Amen. 2 Corinthians chapter 4. Paul, continuing his discussion. Last week we saw very clearly in chapter 3, the ministry, as Paul described it, that God had given to him as well as to us, was no longer the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of death, the old covenant, the law, the Old Testament that we have, but the ministry that we have received is the ministry of the Spirit, the ministry of life, of righteousness.

The ministry of grace and truth through Jesus Christ. Paul in verse 1 says, Therefore, since we have this ministry, the ministry that he was referring to all last week in chapter 3. What ministry is it? Well, it's like I said, the incredibly awesome ministry of the Spirit.

The spirit that God is at work, that we can approach God and have full access to God completely based on what Jesus did for us without any bearing on what we've done or how we've been or how we've blown it. That we can come to God because of His blood. And we don't earn it. There's no merit by which we have to attain. It's simply receiving God.

The ministry of the Spirit and what God has done for us. It's the ministry of grace, of mercy, of righteousness. It's the ministry of letting people know that no matter what you've done or how you've been, you can have full access to God through the blood of Jesus Christ. Paul says, therefore, since we have...

received this ministry, as well as we have received mercy. Now, mercy we talk about a lot. It's not getting what you deserve. Paul brings it up over and over again because it's so important that we remember mercy.

That God has shown us mercy. That it's God who has withheld His judgment from us, the judgment that we deserve. That it's God who allows us and enables us to be here, to be used by Him, to be involved in ministry. He's given us this ministry because He's had mercy and paid the price for us by dying on the cross. So Paul says, therefore, since we have this incredibly awesome ministry, since we've received mercy and haven't been judged, he says,

He says, we do not lose heart. We don't lose heart. We don't faint. We don't grow weary in these things. Paul says, look, this is the reason why we don't grow weary. This is the reason. Why? Well, because of this incredibly awesome ministry in which God uses us to bring people to Him. The false apostles that were coming against Paul in the church of Corinth. Paul says, they don't stop me. They can't discourage me. They don't bug me.

I don't grow faint because of this ministry, because of this awesome responsibility, this awesome joy, this great thing that God has given to me. In 2 Corinthians 11, verses 24-28, Paul describes some of his sufferings and persecutions, some of the things he went through. He describes,

He describes there that he was stoned once and left for dead. They thought he was dead because they had stoned him. Now, I don't know if you're familiar with the technique of stoning, but it's very simple. You pick up a rock and you throw it at someone until they fall down and they're dead. Very simple. Paul was stoned. He was shipwrecked three times. Five times he was struck with 39 lashes by the Jewish people.

Paul says, none of this makes me lose heart. None of this makes me grow faint. Because I have this incredibly awesome ministry that God has given to me, I have received mercy, and so none of this holds me back. None of this makes me grow faint. Verse 2 goes on to say, On the contrary,

On the contrary, we don't lose heart. We don't grow faint. Instead, here's what we've done. We've renounced the hidden things of shame. Paul says, whatever can make us ashamed, if people found out, we've renounced that. We've gotten rid of it. Why? Because of this incredibly awesome ministry that God has given to us. And we want nothing to be able to hinder that, to hold us back.

from this great thing that God has delivered to us. He goes on to say, hey, we're not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully. Again, stressing, we're not in this to make a profit or benefit in some way. We're not trying to hide things in our lives, preaching one thing while living another. Paul says, we're going all out for Jesus because he's given this incredibly awesome ministry to bring people to him and we want nothing to hinder that. There's no other desire. It's a genuine, sincere heart that we're serving in this way and doing this.

He goes on to say, "...but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God." Now, this is something that the false apostles and false teachers could not declare and could not share.

And Paul will explain why as he goes on. But he goes on to say, but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. So he says, we've renounced the hidden things. We don't walk deceitfully, but instead, here's what we do. We manifest the truth. That word manifestation means revelation. It means to reveal. It's the idea of removing of a curtain, to pull back a curtain.

Paul says, look, instead of hiding things, instead of using the Word of God deceitfully or trying to cover things up and make some type of profit, here's what we do. We just pull back the curtain and say, look, here's the truth. We reveal the truth. That's what we do. We pull back the curtain so that you can see the truth and know what the truth is.

He says, by this, we're commending ourselves to every man's conscience. Now, in chapter 3, verse 1, that we looked at last week, Paul says, he asked the rhetorical question, do we begin again to commend ourselves? And the obvious answer was no, we're not commending ourselves. Paul was saying, look, we're not trying to please men, we're not trying to make men happy, we're not trying to praise ourselves to men, but here, in chapter 4, he says,

He says, what we are trying to do is pull back the curtain to reveal the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience.

So what's the difference then? If he's not trying to commend himself, but here he's trying to commend himself to every man's conscience, it means this. God has given us a conscience. He's given us an innate knowledge of what is right and what is wrong. So Paul says, by me revealing the truth, what I'm doing is I'm bringing what's true and what's right and what is truly of God to the forefront of people's minds and hearts. And their conscience...

the innate ability that God has given them, knows that it is true, knows the difference between right and wrong. It's like we talked about on Wednesday, that creation declares the glory of God so that all men are without excuse. We have within us the knowledge that there is a God. We know the difference between right and wrong. Whether we acknowledge it or not, whether we accept it or not, that's another story. But God has given man a conscience that

to know right from wrong. When Paul tells the truth, he says, hey, their conscience confirms it. Their conscience within them tells them, this is right, this is true. Whether they admit it or not, whether they fight it or not, whether they run from it or not, their conscience tells them that it's true. So Paul says, we just reveal the truth. That's what we're doing. We're not hiding things. We're not doing crafty things. We're just revealing the truth. And when we do that,

And they know it whether they admit it or not. We're commending ourselves to their conscience by simply telling the truth because they know that it is the truth and they know that it is right. Verse 3 goes on, But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. So even if there is this curtain...

He says it's a curtain. It's veiled only for those who are perishing. It's a reference again to chapter 3 that we studied last week. The veil that lies on the hearts of unbelievers that keeps them from the presence of God, from the knowledge of God, from understanding spiritual things. There's a veil without Christ.

As Paul talked about in chapter 3, that the veil lies on the hearts of those who do not believe so that they do not understand when the scriptures are read. And there's an important point for us. If we do not understand the Bible, Paul says, your eyes are veiled. Which means here in verse 3, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The gospel is veiled. If you do not understand the word of God, then you need to be born again.

If you do not understand spiritual things, it's because spiritual things can only be understood by spiritual people, by those who have been born again by the Spirit of God. And if there's a veil, if there's not an understanding of God's Word, if when you read it, it doesn't come alive and speak to your heart the very words of God, there's a veil. And Paul says, the veil is for those that are perishing. And so watch out, beware, be born again, so that you can understand the things of the Spirit.

How is the veil taken away? We looked at it last week, 2 Corinthians 3.16. Nevertheless, when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Simply turning to Jesus, coming to Jesus, running to Jesus, takes away the veil, allows us into the very presence of God and allows us to understand the things of the Spirit. Paul says, look, we renounce the things of shame and we tell the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience, the ones who receive it,

Those are the ones that understand spiritual things. Those are the ones who are receiving Jesus Christ. But the ones who do not receive it, those are the ones who will not turn to Jesus. The ones that are coming against us, Paul says, the ones that are standing up and saying that we're false or that there's some need for them to stand up against us, listen, those are the ones that are perishing, Paul says, because there's that veil. There's that lack of understanding.

Once again, God tells us, not show me and I'll believe, but it's believe and God says, I will show you. Believe, turn to Jesus and I will remove the veil. I'll pull back the curtain and I'll show you what spirituality, what spiritual life, what true abundant life is really all about. Turn to Jesus, turn to me and I will show you who I am and what I've done for you.

So Paul says, even if it's veiled, even if people don't understand, it's veiled to those who are perishing. And it's not that they can't understand, it's that they won't. They will not believe. That's what he goes on to say in verse 4. He says, Now, first off, who's the God of this age? Well, we know that to be Satan, the devil.

He is the God of this age. Remember back in Matthew chapter 4 when Jesus was in the wilderness being tempted by Satan. And Satan takes Him up to this high mountain and shows Him all the nations of the world and Satan tells Him, look, you can have all of these. You don't have to go to the cross. You can do it this way. Have all of these nations if you'll bow down and worship Me. It wasn't a false claim that Satan was making there. It wasn't something that he really could not offer. He is the God of this age. He is the God of this world.

For a time. God is sovereign. He is going to have the last word, the final say. And He does work out everything for good as we've studied so many times. And so we don't need to fret and worry that Satan is the God of this age. But the reality is, He is the God of this age. 1 John 5, verse 19. We know that we are of God and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. We're of God.

But the whole world, the entire world, lies under the sway of the wicked one. So Paul says, the God of this age, Satan, has blinded. Now, how has he blinded those who are perishing, those who will not believe? Very simply, he blinds by directing our attention elsewhere. It's the old trick, you know. Look over there! What's that? When the truth, the reality, or what's taking place is over here.

He distracts by taking our attention elsewhere. Look, something shiny. Chase after that. That's what you want. That's what you've been looking for. That will fulfill you. That will satisfy you. That will bring you everything that you've always wanted. Just get that one thing. Chase after it. And he blinds eyes and he blinds hearts and he covers and he veils so that they do not see the truth and they will not receive it.

Satan has us chasing shadows all over the place, expecting to find fulfillment in something that can never bring it. Fulfillment, satisfaction, peace, love, it's only found in Jesus Christ. What you're looking for this morning, it's found in Jesus Christ.

He goes on to say, those who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. These guys who are perishing, these guys who have been blinded by Satan, he says that they do not believe. Why don't they believe? Because they don't want the light to shine in their heart. They don't want the light to shine on them.

John 3, verse 19, in reference to Jesus, says, This is what the Word says.

Men love darkness rather than light. You and I, naturally, it's our desire, it's our tendency to love darkness rather than light because our deeds are evil. We love our sin and we do not want to change. And that is why people do not believe. And you can come up with all the excuses you want and all those that you talk to can come up with all the excuses that you want, but the reality is...

The truth is confirmed by their conscience, but they will not believe. Their eyes are blinded because they do not want to have the light. The darkness is much more enjoyable in our hearts and in our minds. I don't want to believe, our hearts would say.

Because I love my sin. I enjoy my sin. I like the darkness. I like where I'm at. I like what I'm doing. I don't want to change. I want to live in these things. I don't want the veil taken away because the light is going to reveal the hidden things of shame. Paul says that's why they don't believe. They don't believe lest the light would shine in and they would be revealed for who they truly are. Verse 5 says,

For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves, your bondservants, for Jesus' sake. Listen. The false apostles were coming against Paul. And they're saying he has these great mysterious things, he has these hidden motives. But Paul is saying very clearly, look, I'm just speaking the truth. And if you don't see it, it's because your heart's veiled, your eyes are veiled, because you do not want to believe, because you're walking in darkness, because you love your sin. Listen.

If we came preaching something else, they would receive it, Paul is saying. But they don't receive it. They're blinded. Why? Because we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord. The false apostles would come preaching themselves, commending themselves.

Preaching another gospel, preaching something else, preaching anything else but Jesus, people will receive it. And that's what we see in the world. That's what Paul saw on that day. But he says, look, these guys don't receive it because their eyes are blinded because we preach Christ Jesus. We don't preach anything else and we don't preach ourselves. Why is the gospel veiled? Because people do not want to receive the message of Jesus Christ. The false apostles were preaching something else. And of course people are receiving it.

tickling their ears, the message of prosperity, whatever the case may be. Paul says, we preach Jesus Christ and that's why they do not receive it. They do not understand it. He goes on to say, look, the only reason why we make mention of ourselves is to say that we're your slaves for Jesus' sake. That's the only message of us in there. We don't preach ourselves. We preach Christ Jesus and we preach ourselves as slaves for Jesus' sake. Slaves, bond servants, bond

For the sake of Jesus. Try teaching that message on TV once in a while. Try flipping the channel and coming across that station. I'm your slave. Send me money. It doesn't work. It doesn't work. And maybe you're asking, Hey Jerry, are you saying that there's false apostles on TV?

What I'm saying is, let's move on to verse 6. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness who has shone in our hearts. Yes, there are false apostles. Yes, there are false teachers. Yes, there are those who would distract and who would be used by the enemy to have you chase some shiny thing. But the light, where does it come from? Verse 6. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness who has shone in our hearts.

who has shone in our hearts. Who's the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness? He's God. The only one true God. The King of kings and Lord of lords. The Alpha and Omega. The great big God who said, in the beginning, let there be light. Paul says, He shone in our hearts. He personally has revealed Himself, has come in.

Paul says, as I turned to the Lord, the veil was taken away, and this God, God Almighty, Jehovah, Alpha and Omega, beginning and end, He shone in my heart. He revealed Himself to me. And that is an amazing thing. So it is God who commanded the light to shine out of the darkness who is shown in our hearts. That's the shiny thing. That's the real fulfillment. That's where you and I find everything that we're looking for.

He goes on to say, "...to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." The light of the knowledge of the glory of God. The knowledge. That word knowledge is the idea of experiential knowledge. Where we get to experience. It's not just a book knowledge.

But we get to experience the glory of God and who God is. Because He doesn't just want a distant relationship, but He shines in our hearts in that He reveals Himself personally to us that we can have that intimate, close relationship with Him. How does He do that? How does He reveal that? How does that light shine? It's through Jesus Christ. It says, in the face of Jesus Christ. The face. It literally is a reference to the part that can be seen.

You ever heard the saying to take something at face value? Just the part that can be seen, the part that's evident. Listen, Jesus is the evident part. He is God's revelation of himself to you and I. The knowledge of the glory of God is found in what can be seen of Jesus. He's the revelation of God to us. Verse 7, But we have this treasure in earthen vessels.

What treasure is he talking about? Well, the treasure that he's been alluding to, that he's been talking about this whole time. The incredibly awesome ministry that God has given to us, the mercy and truth and revelation of God and who God is and personal relationship of God within us. We have this treasure, this wonderful thing, this glorious thing of God wanting to spend time and have a relationship with you and I. This treasure, we have it, he says, in earthen vessels. An earthen vessel,

Or a jar of clay. A jar of clay. It carries with it the idea of being frail and weak. Brittle. Easy to break. We have this treasure. This great, awesome, incredible, mind-blowing treasure. And a jar of clay. Most of us, if we have something valuable. If you were the king of kings and lord of lords and you wanted to give something valuable, it would be in a decorated jar.

wonderful, beautiful container somehow, someway, however you work that out. But God, He's a little bit different than us. His ways are not our ways. This most awesome treasure that He's given to us of having intimate knowledge and relationship with God is carried around in this broken, weak, and frail body. And Mario's there in the back. Speak for yourself, Jerry. I only got 7% body fat, man. This thing, weak body, no way. Not frail? No.

Sorry, Mario. He's talking about moral weakness. We stumble. We fall. We fall short. We sin. Listen. The King of kings and Lord of lords, the God of the universe, the Holy God, desires and makes residence within us this treasure, this incredible thing in us who are not worthy, who do not deserve it, who stumble and fall and blow it all the time.

We're earthen vessels. We're jars of clay. We're easily broken. We're easily stumbled. He's desired. We have this treasure in earthen vessels. Now, why would God do it this way? Well, he goes on to say that the excellence of power may be of God and not of us. Why did God do it this way?

So that He would get the glory, very simply. That the excellence of power, that everybody would know, oh my goodness, God's doing that. It's definitely not because of them. Paul says, everyone will know the reason why wonderful things happen and God's doing this work is because He's doing the work and He's involved and it has nothing to do with me. It's not of my works. It's not of my righteousness. It's not how great and wonderful prayers I have. It's nothing of me.

But it's all about Him. I'm just an earthen vessel, a jar of clay, a cracked pot, Paul says. And so it's God who gets the glory. The power, the strength, it doesn't come from me because I'm a weak and frail vessel. Then in verses 8 through 10, he goes on to give us a series of what seems to be contradictions when you take the words at their meanings. Because he goes on to say, we're hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed.

Now, as you're picturing this earthen vessel, this clay pot that's weak and frail, he says we're hard-pressed on every side. What's going to happen with a pot that's hard-pressed on every side? It's going to be crushed. It's going to be demolished. But he says, yet not crushed. Hard-pressed. The idea is the word that they use to crush grapes.

This is happening in our lives, he says. We're hard pressed on every side, but we're not crushed. The word crush is literally in a narrow place or in a tight spot. Now, picture that for a moment. We're hard pressed on every side, but we're not in a tight spot. There's no pressure. We don't feel the pressure.

He goes on, the next one, he says, we're perplexed, but not in despair. Now, the word perplexed means to be without resources, to be in the straights, to be left wanting, to be embarrassed, to be in doubt, not to know which way to turn. You understand, you know that feeling of perplexity. I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't know how it's going to work out. I don't know how I'm going to get this done or take care of that.

We're perplexed. We're perplexed. But he says, not in despair though. The word despair means to be utterly at loss. To be utterly destitute of measures or resources to renounce all hope. I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't know how it's going to happen, Paul says. We're constantly perplexed. Have no idea how God is going to work this out. But we're not in despair. We haven't lost hope. We're not without resources because...

We have this treasure in earthen vessels. God has filled us. God has dwelt within us. We're persecuted, he goes on to say, but not forsaken. Persecuted, again, contradiction of ideas and thoughts. Persecuted means to make one run, to flee, to put to flight, to drive away, to push away. But forsaken means to abandon or desert.

So he says we're persecuted, we're pushed away, we're driven away, but we're not abandoned. We're not alone. We're not deserted. Why? Because we have this treasure in earthen vessels. God with us. Struck down.

but not destroyed. The word struck down means to cast down, to put in a lower place. But destroyed means to render useless, to put out of the way entirely. So we're struck down, we're cast down, put in a lower place, but not out of the way entirely. Like God, no matter what circumstance we're in, no matter where we're at in our lives, Paul says, God still has a plan. We're not out of the way entirely, but

We're struck down, but we're not destroyed. God still has a work. He's still working.

moving and doing things. So we're hard-pressed, but not crushed. We're perplexed, but not in despair. We're persecuted, but not forsaken. We're struck down, but not destroyed. And lastly, always caring about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our body. Now, this is interesting. Here's this other contradiction. Death and life, right? Well, the words, when it talks about the dying of the Lord Jesus...

It's the idea of suffering the same type of things that He suffered. Suffering the same types of things that He suffered. What did He suffer? The scourging, the whipping, the mocking, the persecution, the death on the cross. Suffering the same types of things that He suffered. He says we're always caring about these same types of sufferings that Jesus suffered. Why? So that His life, the life of Jesus, may be manifested, again, revealed, the curtain full deck, in our body.

In other words, we suffer like Jesus did so that the curtain can be pulled back in our lives and other people can see within us Jesus Christ. That's why Jesus said, hey, if you want to follow me, here's what you want to do. Take up your cross and follow me. The cross, the symbol of death, how he would die. The same sufferings that Jesus went through.

Paul says, I'm carrying those things with me, those same types of things, so that Jesus might be revealed in me. Matthew 10, 38, and he who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. You want to follow after Jesus? Guess what? Jesus says, you're going to have to carry the same type of sufferings, the same type of pains and sorrows.

Paul is being very bold here. He's being very clear. He says, I wasn't called to live a comfortable life. I'm called to suffer like Jesus did.

in an endeavor to preach the gospel. So whatever the cost, it doesn't matter. How much ever it hurts, it doesn't matter. It doesn't stop me. I don't lose heart. I don't grow faint because I have this incredibly awesome ministry of revealing Jesus Christ to people and He does that through my sufferings and through the things that I go through in my life. Not only that, but Paul tells us, get this, he has the nerve to tell you and me that this is our ministry too. Look at verse 11. For we who live, are you guys alive today? Yes.

It took a second, but you're alive, okay? We who live, we're alive. He says, are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. Hey, we're alive. So the purpose of our life in Christ is to reveal Jesus to others.

So you and I as Christians, we need to expect the hard pressings. We need to expect perplexity and persecution and being struck down. It's how God uses us to reveal himself to others. So, are you willing to take up the cross and follow Jesus Christ? It's not a call of complacency. It's not a call of comfortableness.

But it's a call of suffering. It's a glorious call. It's an incredibly awesome ministry that God has given to us. But will you take up your cross and follow Jesus Christ? Verse 12, Paul says, So then death is working in us, but life in you. Paul says, look, death is working in us and we're suffering and we're going through these things. But the result is Jesus is seen in us. You see Jesus in us. And as a result, life is working in you.

As the veil is pulled away and you get to see Jesus. You get to live and learn what it truly is to have life. So Paul says it's all worth it. What an incredibly awesome ministry that God has given to us as earthen vessels, as clay pots, cracked pots, that He would shine through our lives as the crushings of perplexity and things come in our lives, that people would know and be able to see Jesus.

So we will suffer. We will face persecutions. That's what Jesus promised too. Now, how do we do this? How do we go through these things and expect these things without losing heart? Going back to verse 1. Therefore, Paul says, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. How do we go through pressings and crushings and perplexity and not lose heart? Well, the question is, what are you looking at? What are you looking at?

That is the key to knowing the right perspective and having the same perspective as the Apostle Paul. He starts out in verses 13 and 14 and says it's of faith. He says, And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, I believed and therefore I spoke, we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that he who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus and present us with

with you. Paul says, look, the reason why we can endure is because we have faith. We believe that since Jesus has been resurrected, we too will be resurrected. His resurrection guarantees our own. We saw that in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. And he quotes here from Psalm chapter 116. You can look that up and check it out later. But

He says, we have this faith. The worst that could happen, we die. Hey, we are resurrected with Jesus. We spend eternity with Jesus so we don't lose hope. We don't lose heart. We don't grow faint.

Then in verse 15, he goes on to say, All things. These sufferings and persecutions, these things that we're going through, all the trials and tribulations, hey, it's so that grace may be spread and God may be glorified. So Paul said, that's worth it. That's enough for me. Paul is really setting himself aside from these false apostles.

From these guys who proclaimed themselves and proclaimed that you could have this and be blessed in so many different ways and if you'd only listen to me or send me money or whatever the case may be, Paul is setting himself aside from all these things and saying, look, you're going to suffer and this is why, but it's worth it. You cannot have this type of ministry like the Apostle Paul for some personal gain because it's all about dying to yourself so that God may be glorified.

So Paul is revealing the true heart of ministry. This is the mark of true ministry. Verse 16 says,

He says, therefore, we do not lose heart. There's that same phrase again. We don't lose heart. Taking us back to verse 1, it's the conclusion of everything. He's saying, look, therefore, we have this ministry, we've received mercy, all these great things, this heart and crushings and persecutions, but we do not lose heart. Here's why. Even though, he says, our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

The outward man, sure, it experiences the pain. Sure, it experiences the trial and suffering and persecution. But the inward man is being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 5.17 If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, behold, all things come new. That's not just a one-time thing, but that's a daily thing for those who are believers in Jesus Christ that God renews us and refreshes us and restores us on a daily basis.

He does this work. So we don't lose heart. We don't grow faint. We don't hold back. Even though the outward man might be perishing, might be suffering, the inward man, what God is doing within, is far greater and superior. And so it's worth it. Verse 17, he says, "...for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

Check this out. This is the Apostle Paul talking here. He says, our light affliction. And we say, light affliction? Dude, you were stoned practically to death. You were shipwrecked three times. You were beat 39 times with a rod by the Jewish people. And all the other things that you listed, you call this light affliction? Are you insane? What are you talking about? How can you call that light affliction?

Well, Paul has the right perspective. The question is, what are you looking at? He goes on to say, which is but for a moment. Now, you and I very well know, if there's a trial, if there's some type of pain or suffering or challenge in our lives, we feel like it's never going to end. There's no hope. It's always going to be this way. And we can't imagine any other type of life because this pain or this suffering is so overwhelming, so consuming.

But Paul, he says, it's but for a moment. But Paul, you've been like this for like 20 years. Yeah, but it's but for a moment. It's just a moment. Because again, Paul has the right perspective. So what are you looking at? What's your perspective this morning? Verse 18, while. That's the key right there. Light, but for a moment.

While what? Why? He explains, What are you looking at? Paul says,

But we're looking at the things that are unseen because those are eternal. And in that perspective, as I look at the big picture, the big scope of what God wants to do and has done and will be doing for the rest of eternity, hey, this affliction, it's light. It's but for a moment. It's for a time now that I should live 100% sold out for Him, sold out for Him.

So what if there's pain? So what if there's suffering? It's but for a moment. It's light in comparison to what God has in store for the rest of eternity. Paul says, I'm not looking at things I can see because nothing of this life, including this body, will last. But instead, I'm looking at the things that are not seen because those are the things that are eternal. Those are the things that truly are important. Those are the things that will last. So Paul has the right perspective. And so he's able to not lose heart.

Looking forward to and knowing that as he bears in his body the death of Jesus Christ and the life of Jesus is revealed through him, that it's returning or working, he says, for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. There's something far greater in store. Paul is saying live for eternity and not for today.

We're going to partake of communion at this time. And the worship team and the ushers are going to come forward and get ready. But I want to challenge you this morning as we see the example of the Apostle Paul. And he shares his heart with us about true ministry. This morning, God wants to reveal or to remove the veil in your life.

He wants to remove the veil in your life. If you're here this morning and you've never accepted Jesus Christ, you've never been born again, listen, Satan has a veil over you. But if you turn to Jesus, as he said in 2 Corinthians 3.16, he will remove it and reveal himself to you. Let him show you how wonderful the light truly is.

It's simply by turning to Him. And so as they pass out the bread and the cup, I would encourage you this morning, if you want that veil removed and you want to receive Jesus, go ahead and partake. Go ahead and take of the bread and the cup. Hold on to them. We'll partake together at the end. But go ahead and grab on to a cracker and a cup. Because God wants to remove the veil in your life. God wants to show Himself to you.

And He can only do that as you turn to Him. And He takes away by revealing Himself through Jesus Christ. But perhaps this morning, you are a believer. You have been born again. Maybe you've been here many times or heard many messages like these. But listen, as a Christian, many times we have veiled eyes and veiled hearts.

Satan often has a veil over us to keep us focused on the things that are seen, the things that are now, the things that are temporary. He keeps us living for this life instead of living for eternal life. And I would encourage you as a believer, as you hold of the bread and of the cup, to meditate on the things of God, to meditate on who God is and what He's done for you.

And ask yourself the question, what am I looking at? Am I looking at the eternal? Or am I looking at the temporary? Am I looking at the things of this life and holding on to this life and living for the pleasures and the fun and the joy of this life? Or am I living for eternity? Am I holding on? Am I building my kingdom here in this planet, on this earth? Or am I building a kingdom in heaven?

Jesus said, where your heart is, there your treasure will be also. Where's your treasure this morning? Is it in an earthen vessel that is dedicated to suffering, to living for the eternal, that Jesus' life might be revealed?

So whether you are a believer and you have accepted God, or whether you are not, this morning God wants to remove the veil. Use this time to look at Jesus. The glory of God is revealed to us in Him. He reminds us there of the mercy that He has shown to us. His resurrection guarantees our own. So use this time to ask God to give you the right perspective.

As you look to the cross and be on to eternity, what God has in store, let's go all out for Jesus. Use this time. Allow God to speak to you. Let's worship the Lord together. We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.