God Encourages Those Who Are Discouraged

Review:

2 Corinthians 6:14 & 17 NLT

¹⁴ Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers.

¹⁷ Therefore, come out from among unbelievers,

(These statements were directed to members of the Corinthian Church)

• • • • • Doing the right thing can be very painful.
        • Paul experienced deep discouragement.

God Encourages Those Who Are Discouraged

Paul’s Appeal for Reconciliation.

Paul’s Burning Desire for a Restored Relationship with the Corinthian Church.

2 Corinthians 7:2-7 (NLT)
² Please open your hearts to us. We have not done wrong to anyone, nor led anyone astray, nor taken advantage of anyone. ³ I’m not saying this to condemn you. I said before that you are in our hearts, and we live or die together with you. ⁴ I have the highest confidence in you, and I take great pride in you. You have greatly encouraged me and made me happy despite all our troubles.
Paul’s Joy at the Church’s Repentance
⁵ When we arrived in Macedonia, there was no rest for us. We faced conflict from every direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the inside. ⁶ But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus. ⁷ His presence was a joy, but so was the news he brought of the encouragement he received from you. When he told us how much you long to see me, and how sorry you are for what happened, and how loyal you are to me, I was filled with joy!

Examine the scriptures:

2 Corinthians 7:2-7 (NLT)

Review:

2 Corinthians 6:14 & 17 NLT

¹⁴ Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers.

¹⁷ Therefore, come out from among unbelievers,

(These statements were directed to members of the Corinthian Church) 

• The Corinthians were siding with (believing) false teachers and they were rejecting Paul. 

² Please open your hearts to us.

2 Corinthians 6:11-13 NLT
¹¹ Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you. ¹² There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us. ¹³ I am asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us! 

• Paul desperately wanted the Corinthian church to accept him as a spiritual leader. 

We have not done wrong to anyone,

2 Corinthians 2:17 NLT
¹⁷ You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us. 

nor led anyone astray,

2 Corinthians 4:2 NLT
² We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this. 

2 Corinthians 6:3 NLT
³ We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. 

 nor taken advantage of anyone.  

A history of “hurt” with the Corinthian Church.

Some misunderstandings resulting from “the missing letter”.

2 Corinthians 2:1 NLT
So I decided that I would not bring you grief with another painful visit.

Paul is defending his actions. 

³ I’m not saying this to condemn you.

Paul did not blame the Corinthians for their vacillation.  His rivals, the false teachers, were cunning.

Cunning: having skill in achieving one’s ends by deceit or evasion.

• Paul’s rivals were cunning.

2 Corinthians 11:3-5 NLT
³ But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. ⁴ You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.⁵ But I don’t consider myself inferior in any way to these “super apostles” who teach such things. 

2 Corinthians 10:12 NLT
¹² Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!

• Paul’s rivals are described as wonderful, important, “super apostles”. 

I said before that you are in our hearts, and we live or die together with you.  

⁴ I have the highest confidence in you, and I take great pride in you. You have greatly encouraged me and made me happy despite all our troubles.

• Paul was confident that God was at work in the Corinthian church.

1 Corinthians 1:4-9 NLT
Paul Gives Thanks to God
⁴ I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. ⁵ Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge. ⁶ This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true. ⁷ Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁸ He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. ⁹ God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Paul’s Joy at the Church’s Repentance
⁵ When we arrived in Macedonia, there was no rest (no peace of mind) for us. We faced conflict from every direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the inside.  

• Paul experienced deep discouragement.

⁶ But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus. 

• God encourages those who are discouraged.

⁷ His presence was a joy, but so was the news he brought of the encouragement he received from you.

2 Corinthians 2:3-4 NLT
³ That is why I wrote to you as I did, so that when I do come, I won’t be grieved by the very ones who ought to give me the greatest joy. Surely you all know that my joy comes from your being joyful. ⁴ I wrote that letter in great anguish, with a troubled heart and many tears. I didn’t want to grieve you, but I wanted to let you know how much love I have for you.

When he told us how much you long to see me, and how sorry you are for what happened, and how loyal you are to me, I was filled with joy!

• Doing the right thing can be very painful.

Faithfully Presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Today’s lesson does not focus on the message of the Gospel.  The focus of today’s lesson is presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 6:3-13  (NLT)
Paul’s Hardships
Paul’s Faithful Ministry
Faithfully Presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
³ We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. ⁴ In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. ⁵ We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. ⁶ We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. ⁷ We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. ⁸ We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. ⁹ We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. ¹⁰ Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.
¹¹ Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you. ¹² There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us. ¹³ I am asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us!

Examine the scriptures:

2 Corinthians 6:3-13 (NLT)

Paul’s Faithful Ministry

Paul’s Hardships

Faithfully Presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:18 NLT
¹⁸ The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.

2 Corinthians 2:16 NLT
¹⁶ To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom.  

• The Gospel may be offensive or foolish to many people.

³ We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us,

Matthew 18:6 NLT
⁶ But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea. 

1 Corinthians 8:9 NLT
⁹ But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble. (This verse was talking about eating certain foods.) 

1 Corinthians 8:9 Amplified Bible
⁹ Only be careful that this liberty of yours [this power to choose] does not somehow become a stumbling block [that is, a temptation to sin] to the weak [in conscience].

• We must live our lives in such a way that no one will stumble because of us.

and no one will find fault with our ministry.  

• We need to avoid behaviors that would negate our effectiveness as an ambassador for Christ. 

⁴ In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. 

This principle does not just apply to Paul and his co-workers.

Philippians 1:27-30 NLT
Live as Citizens of Heaven
²⁷ Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. ²⁸ Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. ²⁹ For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. ³⁰ We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.

Matthew 5:14-16 NLT
¹⁴ “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. 

• Live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. 

The following is a description of Paul’s experiences.  We should anticipate some similar experiences. 

We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind.  

⁵ We have been beaten
,been put in prison,faced angry mobs
,worked to exhaustion
,endured sleepless nights,
and gone without food. 

2 Peter 1:3-7 NLT
Growing in Faith
³ By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. ⁴ And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
⁵ In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, ⁷ and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. 

• Patiently endure troubles and hardships remembering that God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. 

⁶ We prove ourselves by our purity
,our understanding
,our patience
,our kindness
,by the Holy Spirit within us,
and by our sincere love.  

• Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.

Galatians 5:22-23 NLT
²² But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 

⁷ We faithfully preach the truth.
God’s power is working in us.
We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. 

2 Corinthians 10:4 NLT
⁴ We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.

2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT
⁷ We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

Ephesians 6:10-11NLT
The Whole Armor of God
¹⁰ A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.

• God’s power is working in us.

⁸ We serve God
whether people honor us or despise us,
whether they slander us or praise us.
We are honest, but they call us impostors.
 ⁹ We are ignored, even though we are well known.
We live close to death, but we are still alive.
We have been beaten, but we have not been killed.
¹⁰ Our hearts ache, but we always have joy.
We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others.
We own nothing, and yet we have everything. 

• Living for God is challenging.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT
¹⁶ Always be joyful. ¹⁷ Never stop praying. ¹⁸ Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

• Remember who you are serving.

Ephesians 2:10 NLT
¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

2 Corinthians 5:20 NLT
²⁰ So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 

¹¹ Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you. ¹² There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us.  

¹³ I am asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us!

Paul’s appeal to the Corinthian Church.  Open your hearts to us.

• Invite others to be a part of your life.

Don’t Team Up With Those Who Are Unbelievers.

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 (NLT)
The Temple of the Living God
¹⁴ Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? ¹⁵ What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said:
“I will live in them
and walk among them.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
¹⁷ Therefore, come out from among unbelievers,
and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.
Don’t touch their filthy things,
and I will welcome you.
¹⁸ And I will be your Father,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”
7  ¹Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.

Examine the scriptures:

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 (NLT)
The Temple of the Living God
¹⁴ Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. (This is a summary of this entire lesson) 

• Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. 

Interesting verses from the Old Testament:

Deuteronomy 22:9-11 NLT
⁹ “You must not plant any other crop between the rows of your vineyard. If you do, you are forbidden to use either the grapes from the vineyard or the other crop.
¹⁰ “You must not plow with an ox (clean) and a donkey (unclean) harnessed together. *
¹¹ “You must not wear clothing made of wool and linen woven together.

*You will end up with crooked rows.

Leviticus 19:19 NLT
¹⁹ “You must obey all my decrees.
“Do not mate two different kinds of animals. Do not plant your field with two different kinds of seed. Do not wear clothing woven from two different kinds of thread. 

• Some partnerships, between believers and unbelievers, just do not work.

God knows what He is talking about!

Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT
⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
⁶ Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take. 

This is not saying that we should end all associations with unbelievers.

We interact, we do not become yoked together.

We should not be:

yoked together, coupled, connected, hooked, interconnected, interlinked, joined, linked, partnered

This relates to:

Mixed marriages (Spiritually)

Improper business associates

False apostles

How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness?

How can light live with darkness? 

¹⁵ What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil?

How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? 

¹⁶ And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? 

• It is impossible under certain partnerships for things to be done to God’s glory. 

For we (the church) are the temple of the living God. As God said:
“I will live in them
and walk among them.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people. 

Leviticus 26:12 NLT
¹² I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people.

Ezekiel 37:27 NLT
²⁷ I will make my home among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

1 Corinthians 3:16 NLT
¹⁶ Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?

John 14:16-17 NLT
¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. ¹⁷ He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.

• Believers are the temple of the living God.

• The temple of the living God cannot team up with those who are unbelievers.

• “You must not plow with an ox (clean) and a donkey (unclean) harnessed together.

It just won’t work! 

¹⁷ Therefore, come out from among unbelievers,
and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.
Don’t touch their filthy things,
and I will welcome you. 

This applied to the Israelites.

Isaiah 52:11 NLT
¹¹ Get out! Get out and leave your captivity,
where everything you touch is unclean.
Get out of there and purify yourselves,
you who carry home the sacred objects of the Lord. 

This applied to the church in Corinth.

2 Corinthians 11:3-4 NLT
³ But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. ⁴ You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed. 

But I (Paul) fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted.

This applies to us, today. 

• Believers must separate themselves from unbelievers.

1 Corinthians 15:33 NLT
³³ … “bad company corrupts good character.” 

• “Bad company corrupts good character.”

¹⁸ And I will be your Father,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.” 

Ephesians 1:3-6 NLT
Spiritual Blessings
³ All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. ⁴ Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. ⁵ God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. ⁶ So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 

Galatians 4:5-6 NLT
⁵ God sent him (Jesus) to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. ⁶ And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” 

• Believers are God’s children, adopted into his family. 

7  ¹Because we have these promises, 

1. 1. 1. 6:16 & v. 6:18 

dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit.

1 John 1:9 NLT
⁹ But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 

And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.

2 Timothy 2:19-22 NLT
¹⁹ But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.”
²⁰ In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. ²¹ If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.
²² Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts. 

Romans 12:1-2 NLT
A Living Sacrifice to God
¹ And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. ² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

2 Peter 1:3 NLT
Growing in Faith
³ By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 

Progressive sanctification:
2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT
¹⁸ So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 

• “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.”

 

God’s Ambassadors (Part 2)

2 Corinthians 5:18-6:2

Paul constantly faced criticism and accusations from fellow Christians who doubted him as a leader.  Paul wants the Corinthian Church to accept him and the role God has given him as a spiritual leader.  In this passage, Paul continues to defend himself.  He opens his heart to the Corinthian congregation to a degree not found in his other letters.

As Paul shares his story, there is a great deal for us to take from this passage and apply it to our lives.

In this passage, Paul is describing a role God has given to him.

God has given us a similar role.

2 Corinthians 5:18-6:2  (NLT)
We Are God’s Ambassadors (Part 2)
¹⁸ And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. ¹⁹ For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. ²⁰ So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” ²¹ For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
^6:1 As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. ² For God says,
“At just the right time, I heard you.
On the day of salvation, I helped you.”
Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

 Examine the scriptures:

2 Corinthians 5:18-6:2 (NLT)
We Are God’s Ambassadors (Part 2)

 ¹⁸ And all of this is a gift from God,

Previous verse:

2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT
¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 

• Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

“All of this” simply put is salvation.

Ephesians 2:8
⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

2 Corinthians 4:6 NLT
⁶ For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 

• God saved us by his grace. And we can’t take credit for this.

(God) who brought us back to himself through Christ.  (True reconciliation)

God (Christ) does the work.

1 John 4:10 NLT
¹⁰ This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 

1 Peter 2:24 NLT
²⁴ He personally carried our sins
in his body on the cross
so that we can be dead to sin
and live for what is right.
By his wounds
you are healed. 

Ephesians 2:11-19 NLT
Oneness and Peace in Christ
¹¹ Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. ¹² In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. ¹³ But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.
¹⁴ For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. ¹⁵ He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. ¹⁶ Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.
¹⁷ He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. ¹⁸ Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.
¹⁹ So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 

Romans 5:9-11 NLT
⁹ And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.
¹⁰ For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. ¹¹ So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. 

• Reconciliation: a broken relationship restored. 

And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. ¹⁹ For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 

What an assignment!

2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT
⁷ We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. …

Luke 2:10-11 NLT
¹⁰ but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. ¹¹ The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 

We have the message of a Savior, a message of reconciliation.

• We have been given the wonderful message of reconciliation.

Remember, God does the work. 

²⁰ So we are Christ’s ambassadors;

A “messenger” (not a Savior) 

God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 

• We are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”

Romans 3:23 NLT
²³ For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

Romans 6:23 NLT
²³ For the wages of sin is death, (separation from God) 

²¹ For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 

John 3:16 NLT
¹⁶ “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 

^6:1 As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. 

We are both a messenger and an encourager.

Do not ignore this marvelous gift.

An initial, apparent acceptance of God’s grace was not real.
or
Saved, but hindered by false teachers.

1 Thessalonians 3:5 NLT
⁵ That is why, when I could bear it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out whether your faith was still strong. I was afraid that the tempter had gotten the best of you and that our work had been useless.

Matthew 13:1-23 NLTParable of the Farmer Scattering Seed
¹ Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. ² A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. ³ He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:
“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. ⁴ As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. ⁵ Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. ⁷ Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. ⁸ Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! ⁹ Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
¹⁰ His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”
¹¹ He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. ¹² To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. ¹³ That is why I use these parables,
For they look, but they don’t really see.
They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.
¹⁴ This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,
‘When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
¹⁵ For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.’
¹⁶ “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. ¹⁷ I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.

¹⁸ “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: ¹⁹ The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. ²⁰ The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. ²¹ But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. ²² The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. ²³ The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

² For God says,

“At just the right time, I heard you.
On the day of salvation, I helped you.”

Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

Isaiah 49:8 NLT
Promises of Israel’s Restoration
⁸ This is what the Lord says:
“At just the right time, I will respond to you.
On the day of salvation I will help you.
I will protect you and give you to the people
as my covenant with them.
Through you I will reestablish the land of Israel
and assign it to its own people again. 

• Do not accept the marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. 

the “right time” is now.

James 1:22
²² But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 

• But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

God’s Ambassadors (Part 1)

2 Corinthians 5:11-17

Paul constantly faced criticism and accusations from fellow Christians who doubted him as a leader.  Paul wants the Corinthian Church to accept him and the role God has given him as a spiritual leader.  In this passage, Paul continues to defend himself.  He opens his heart to the Corinthian congregation to a degree not found in his other letters.

As Paul shares his story, there is a great deal for us to take from this passage and apply to our lives.

2 Corinthians 5:11-17 (NLT)
We Are God’s Ambassadors (Part 1)
¹¹ Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. ¹² Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. ¹³ If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. ¹⁴ Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. ¹⁵ He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
¹⁶ So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! ¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

 Examine the scriptures:

2 Corinthians 5:11-17 (NLT)
We Are God’s Ambassadors (Part 1) 

¹¹ Because we (Paul and his co-workers) understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord,

Paul was highly motivated to serve the Lord.

“Fearful responsibility”

Fear: (as used in scripture) can mean healthy reverence, awe, and reverence, terror, carefulness, concern fright, or dread.

Ultimate respect.

Fear of the Lord is a good thing.

Proverbs 1:7 NLT
⁷ Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Proverbs 9:10 NLT
¹⁰ Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.
Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.

Fear: (used here) healthy reverence, awe and reverence, carefulness, concern.

Ultimate respect

Fear: Highest possible level of respect resulting in a heartfelt desire to please and rightly serve God.

Why would Paul feel this way?

Paul knew what God had done for him.

Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT
⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. ¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Paul clearly understood the ministry God had given to him.

Previous verse:
2 Corinthians 5:10 NLT
¹⁰ For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.

Paul knew that God would hold him accountable for what he did with his life.

We too should understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord.

• We all have good reasons to be motivated to serve God. 

we (Paul and his co-workers) work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. 

Persuade in Greek, means to seek someone’s favor, as in getting the other person to see you in a certain favorable or desired way.

Galatians 1:10 NLT
¹⁰ Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant. 

Paul was not trying to win the approval of people.

Paul wanted the Corinthian church to know that he was sincere, genuine, and a bearer of truth.

Paul had a genuine concern for the Corinthian church.

Sincere: free from pretense or deceit; proceeding from genuine feelings.

• It is important that people know you are sincere about your concern for them.

¹² Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. 

“Show” vs. sincerity.

External vs. from the heart.

Money, popularity, self-Importance vs. the Gospel of Salvation.

1 Samuel 16:7 NLT
⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

• A sincere heart is far more important than a spectacular ministry.

¹³ If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God.

Willingly and joyfully enduring affliction for the Gospel.
An accurate description of Paul.

And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. 

Carefully and clearly sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the Corinthian Church.
Paul, the teacher and loving spiritual father.

Sometimes our behavior may appear crazy, other times our behavior appears to be logical.  Our goal is to bring glory to God and benefit people.

• We want our efforts to bring glory to God and to benefit people.

¹⁴ Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 

1 Corinthians 9:16 NLT
¹⁶ Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News! 

Romans 12:1-2 NLT
¹ And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. ² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. 

• Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. 

¹⁵ He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

Titus 2:11-14 NLT
¹¹ For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. ¹² And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, ¹³ while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. ¹⁴ He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.

1 John 3:16 NLT
¹⁶ We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. 

• God’s design for us is to live for Christ, not for ourselves. 

¹⁶ So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 

An earthly king who would free the Jews from the Romans.

Romans 1:3-4 NLT
³ The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, ⁴ and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.

 Philippians 2:6-11 NLT
⁶ Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
⁷ Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
⁸     he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
⁹ Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. 

• Stop evaluating others from a human point of view.

¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 

Colossians 1:13-14 NLT
¹³ For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, ¹⁴ who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

 Colossians 1:21-22 NLT
²¹ This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. ²² Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. 

Titus 3:5 NLT
⁵ he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 

• Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.

 

The Promise of a Better Life

Previous bullet points:

• • • Life for the believer can be very difficult.
    • Never get tired of doing what is good.

2 Corinthians 5:1-10 (NLT)
The Promise of a Better Life
Our Heavenly Dwelling
New Bodies
¹ For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. ² We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. ³ For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies^] 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. ⁵ God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.
⁶ So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. ⁷ For we live by believing and not by seeing. ⁸ Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. ⁹ So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. ¹⁰ For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.

Examine the scriptures:

2 Corinthians 5:1-10 (NLT)

The Promise of a Better Life

New Bodies

Our Heavenly Dwelling 

¹ For we know that when this earthly tent

^4:16 … our bodies are dying,

We are like fragile clay jars.

Lowly, common, expendable, breakable, and replaceable.

Tents:  (Remember that Paul was a tentmaker.)

Paul’s metaphor for our physical bodies
Temporary (the tabernacle was a temporary structure)
Nomadic (no permanent place to call home)
Fragile
Insecure
Lowly

we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body),

 we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 

Permanence
A heavenly, eternal body
Made for us by God
Security
Certainty

Bodies that will never die (1 Corinthians 15:54)

⁵⁴ Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.

• When we die and leave this earthly body we will have an eternal body made for us by God himself.

² We grow weary in our present bodies, 

• We grow weary in our present bodies.

and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 

This is no death wish.

Philippians 3:20-21 NLT
²⁰ But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. ²¹ He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. 

• Our citizenship is in heaven.

Romans 8:23 NLT
²³ And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.

• We wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. 

³ For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 

We will put on heavenly bodies.

1 Corinthians 15:42-44
⁴² It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. ⁴³ Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. ⁴⁴ They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.

Real
Eternal
Resurrection body

⁴ While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life.  

1 Corinthians 15:50
⁵⁰ What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever. 

• We will put on heavenly bodies. 

⁵ God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. 

⁶ So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord.  

⁷ For we live by believing and not by seeing. ⁸ Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 

Hebrews 11:1 NLT
¹ Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.

Ephesians 1:14 NLT
¹⁴ The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

1 Corinthians 15:20-22 NLT
²⁰ But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.
²¹ So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. ²² Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.

• We live by believing and not by seeing.  (For we live by faith, not by sight.)
• Live by faith believing God’s promises.

⁹ So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. 

Colossians 1:9-10 NLT
⁹ So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. ¹⁰ Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. 

Hebrews 13:21 NLT
²¹ may he equip you with all you need
for doing his will.
May he produce in you,
through the power of Jesus Christ,
every good thing that is pleasing to him.
All glory to him forever and ever! Amen. 

• Our goal is to please him. 

¹⁰ For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body. 

• We must all stand before Christ to be judged.

Romans 14:10-12
… Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. ¹¹ For the Scriptures say,
“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bend to me,
and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’”
¹² Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. 

Acts 17:31 NLT
³¹ For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.” (Jesus)

• The believer’s judgment will not be a bad experience.

Romans 8:1 NLT
¹ So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:33-34 NLT
³³ Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. ³⁴ Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. 

The Judgment Seat (Bema) of Christ 

Bema – elevated platform where victorious athletes received their crowns.
This does not include sin (that has already been taken care of)
Receive eternal rewards

Valuable vs. useless

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 NLT
¹² Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. ¹³ But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. ¹⁴ If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵ But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.

Why Paul “Never Gave Up”.

Why We Should Never Give Up.

2 Corinthians 4:15-18 (NLT)
¹⁵ All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.
¹⁶ That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. ¹⁷ For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! ¹⁸ So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

Examine the scriptures:

2 Corinthians 4:15-18 (NLT)
Why Paul “never gave up”.

¹⁵ All of this

 Paul’s suffering mentioned in previous verses.

 is for your benefit. 

Paul’s suffering is benefiting other believers.

Paul’s suffering and endurance are intended to bring about resurrection life among the Corinthians as they learn to trust God during difficulty.

 Application:

Philippians 2:3-8 NLT
³ Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. ⁴ Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
⁵ You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
⁶ Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
⁷ Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
⁸     he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 

• Willingly take the humble position of a slave (servant). 

And as God’s grace (through the preaching of the Gospel) reaches more and more people (people hearing, believing, responding, and being saved), there will be great thanksgiving,

 and God will receive more and more glory.

Changed lives changing lives.

Serve for the benefit of others.
Teach for the benefit of the students.
Telling the children about Jesus.

All for the glory of God

1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT
³¹ So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Ezekiel 36:23
²³ I will show how holy my great name is—the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign Lord, then the nations will know that I am the Lord.

• God reveals his holiness through you, the teacher, to the student.

Psalm 78
⁴we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
about his power and his mighty wonders.
⁵ ….
⁶ so the next generation might know them—
even the children not yet born—
and they in turn will teach their own children.
⁷ So each generation should set its hope anew on God,
not forgetting his glorious miracles
and obeying his commands. 

¹⁶ That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying,

But we ourselves are like fragile clay jars. 

Galatians 6:9 NLT
⁹ So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. 

• Never get tired of doing what is good.

So each generation should set its hope anew on God,

*** And as God’s grace reaches more and more people,

there will be great thanksgiving,

our spirits are being renewed every day. 

• Spiritual renewal is an ongoing process.

Romans 12:2 NLT
² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Colossians 3:10 NLT
¹⁰ Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

Ephesians 3:16-20 NLT
¹⁶ I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. ¹⁷ Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. ¹⁸ And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. ¹⁹ May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
²⁰ Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Psalm 51:10 NLT
¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me. 

¹⁷ For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 

Paul experienced some serious suffering, but in light of eternity, this suffering is nothing.

¹⁸ So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather,

Don’t dwell on your current troubles.

we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

Look beyond the physical to the spiritual.
Look beyond the present to the future.
Look beyond the visible to the invisible.
Look beyond the temporary to the things that will last forever.

 Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT
¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. ² We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. 

• Keep your eyes on Jesus. 

So each generation should set its hope anew on God,

*** And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving,

 

Treasure in Jars of Clay

Applying Paul’s experiences to our lives (where applications fit)

2 Corinthians 4:7-14 (NLT)
⁷ We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
⁸ We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. ⁹ We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. ¹⁰ Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
¹¹ Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. ¹² So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.
¹³ But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.” ¹⁴ We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. 

Examine the scriptures:

2 Corinthians 4:7-14 (NLT)

⁷ We now have this light shining in our hearts,

 We can see and reflect the glory of the Lord, (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Colossians 1:27 (NLT)
²⁷ For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

Christ lives in us.

Ephesians 1:13 (NLT)
¹³ And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.

We have the Holy Spirit.

John 8:31-32 (NLT)
³¹ Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. ³² And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

 We know the truth.

• We have the light shining in our hearts.

but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars

We are like fragile clay jars.

Cheap, breakable, and replaceable.
Lowly, common, expendable, and replaceable.

Jars that do serve necessary household functions.

In comparison:

Exodus 25:29 NLT
²⁹ Make special containers of pure gold for the table—bowls, ladles, pitchers, and jars—to be used in pouring out liquid offerings.

2 Timothy 2:20 NLT
²⁰ In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use.

 Mere mortal person.

 containing this great treasure. 

The veil has been removed.  We can understand and share the message of salvation and see the glorious and divine results it produces.

• We are like fragile jars containing a great treasure. 

This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

 Salvation is the work of God, not men.

Some plant, some water, but God makes the seed grow.

1 Thessalonians 2:4 (NLT)
⁴ For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News.

• We are approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News.

⁸ We are:

 pressed on every side by troubles,                 but we are not crushed.
We are perplexed,                                           but not driven to despair. 
⁹ We are hunted down,                                   but never abandoned by God.
We get knocked down,                                   but we are not destroyed.  

    Fragile Jars                                                   Empowered by God 

Human helplessness                                     Divine enablement
Could be physical or psychological

¹⁰ Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

Paul’s experience.

2 Corinthians 11:23-27 NLT
²³ Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. ²⁴ Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. ²⁶ I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.^[a] 27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

¹¹ Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. ¹² So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.

Again, this is speaking about Paul.

• Life for the believer can be very difficult.

¹³ But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.” ¹⁴ We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. 

We continue ….  (What is our ministry?)
Because we have faith.
We know ….       (What do we know?)

Psalm 116
¹ I love the Lord because he hears my voice
and my prayer for mercy.
² Because he bends down to listen,
I will pray as long as I have breath!
³ Death wrapped its ropes around me;
the terrors of the grave overtook me.
I saw only trouble and sorrow.
⁴ Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“Please, Lord, save me!”
⁵ How kind the Lord is! How good he is!
So merciful, this God of ours!
⁶ The Lord protects those of childlike faith;
I was facing death, and he saved me.
⁷ Let my soul be at rest again,
for the Lord has been good to me.
⁸ He has saved me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.
⁹ And so I walk in the Lord’s presence
as I live here on earth!
¹⁰ I believed in you, so I said,
“I am deeply troubled, Lord.”
¹¹ In my anxiety I cried out to you,
“These people are all liars!”
¹² What can I offer the Lord
for all he has done for me?
¹³ I will lift up the cup of salvation
and praise the Lord’s name for saving me.
¹⁴ I will keep my promises to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.
¹⁵ The Lord cares deeply
when his loved ones die.
¹⁶ O Lord, I am your servant;
yes, I am your servant, born into your household;
you have freed me from my chains.
¹⁷ I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call on the name of the Lord.
¹⁸ I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people—
¹⁹ in the house of the Lord
in the heart of Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!

Next lesson:

Why Paul “never gave up”.

Why We Should Never Give Up

 

The Light of the Gospel

2 Corinthians 3:16 &18 (NLT)
¹⁶ But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. …. ¹⁸ So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. ….

John 8:12 (NLT)
Jesus, the Light of the World
¹² Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” 

• We can see and reflect the glory of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 4:1-6 (NLT)
The Light of the Gospel
4 Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. ² We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.
³ If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. ⁴ Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
⁵ You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

Examine the scriptures:

2 Corinthians 4:1-6 (NLT)
The Light of the Gospel
¹Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us (Paul and his coworkers) this new way, we never give up. 

• Grace is a gift we don’t deserve, while mercy is not getting the punishment we deserve.

A gift
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT)
⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

God’s role in this verse: God saved us by his grace.

• • • God saved us by his grace.

Our role in this verse: Never give up.

• • • Paul never gave up. We should never get tired of doing what is good.

Galatians 6:9 (NLT)
⁹ So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

 ² We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods.

 Matthew 24:24 (NLT)
²⁴ For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. 

• We are surrounded by false teachers. 

We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.

We (Paul and his coworkers) don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God.

Colossians 2:4 (NLT)
⁴ I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments.

• We should not be fooled by well-crafted arguments and we should not use well-crafted arguments to try to convince others of God’s truths.

We don’t argue.  We share the truth.

• We dare not water down scripture.

2 Timothy 4:3 (NLT)
³ For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.

• We dare not be influenced to teach just what people want to hear.

2 Timothy 2:15 (NLT)
An Approved Worker
¹⁵ Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.

³ If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. 

We cannot persuade people to believe; only God can do that.

Some people won’t “get it”.  That is not our responsibility.

⁴ Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. 

• Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. 

⁵ You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves.

It’s not about us. 

We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord,

• We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord.

1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT
³¹ So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

 and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 

• We are Christ’s servants.

⁶ For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

Physical
Genesis 1:3
³ Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 

Spiritual
Colossians 1:13 (NLT)
¹³ For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,

 Encounter the life-transforming glory of God.

Ephesians 5:8 (NLT)
⁸ For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!

Matthew 5:16 (NLT)
¹⁶ In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

• Live as someone who has been transformed by the glory of God.
• Live as people of light!

Removing the Veil

The veil has been removed. Christians have been given a “confident hope”.

2 Corinthians 3:12-18 (NLT)
¹² Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. ¹³ We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. ¹⁴ But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. ¹⁵ Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.
¹⁶ But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. ¹⁷ For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

Examine the scriptures:

2 Corinthians 3:12-18 (NLT)
¹² Since this new way gives us such confidence, 

Another translation:
 ¹² Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, (NIV)

What is this new way?  What is this hope? What is Paul talking about in this passage?

Acceptance by God.

Salvation through Jesus Christ.

Believing the promises in scripture that are given to Christians.

Romans 8:24 (NLT)
²⁴ We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it.

Ephesians 1:18 (NLT)
¹⁸ I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

1 Peter 1:21 (NLT)
²¹ Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.

• Christians have been given a “confident hope”. (Ephesians 1:18) 

we can be very bold.  

¹³ We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away.  

Moses may have felt that the people were unworthy of God’s glory.

The veil communicated obscurity.

Reminds me of:

Matthew 27:51 (NLT)
⁵¹ At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart,

 What does a veil do?

Separates

Obscures

¹⁴ But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. 

• There are many people who can not understand spiritual truths. (These people are without hope.) 

And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. 

Without Christ, the deep spiritual truths of the Old Testament are veiled.

Romans 10:17 (NLT)
¹⁷ So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.

¹⁵ Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand. 

This principle does not just apply to the Old Testament.

1 Corinthians 2:14 (NLT)
¹⁴ But people who aren’t spiritual (without the Holy Spirit) can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.

1 Corinthians 1:18-19 (NLT)
The Wisdom of God
¹⁸ The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. ¹⁹ As the Scriptures say,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”

A passage in our next lesson:

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NLT)
³ If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. ⁴ Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

Matthew 13:15-16 (NLT)
¹⁵ For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.’
¹⁶ “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 

¹⁶ But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.  

• Whenever someone turns to the Lord (believes in Christ), the veil is taken away.

¹⁷ For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  

¹⁸ So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord.

• Salvation removes the veil for “all of us”.

 

Again this reminds me of:

Matthew 27:51 (NLT)
⁵¹ At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart,

And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

Bring changed – being transformed

Romans 12:2 (NLT)
² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

• Avoid Spiritual Malnutrition. Spend time in the Word.