WEBVTT 00:00:00.401 --> 00:00:05.491 Every Sunday night and we're in 2 Corinthians tonight, so go to 2 Corinthians, chapter 1. 00:00:05.491 --> 00:00:21.434 I'm going to begin reading in verse number 1 and read down through verse number 7. 00:00:21.434 --> 00:00:27.509 2 Corinthians 1, 1-7. 00:00:27.509 --> 00:00:39.631 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will, and Timothy, our brother to the church of God at Corinth, with all the saints who were throughout Achaia. 00:00:39.631 --> 00:00:43.630 Grace to you and peace from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:00:43.630 --> 00:00:49.887 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. 00:00:49.887 --> 00:00:59.329 He comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 00:00:59.329 --> 00:01:08.209 For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also, through Christ, our comfort overflows. 00:01:08.209 --> 00:01:12.954 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. 00:01:12.954 --> 00:01:22.646 If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer. 00:01:22.646 --> 00:01:29.549 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will also share in the comfort. 00:01:29.549 --> 00:01:31.346 Let's pray again. 00:01:31.346 --> 00:01:50.771 Lord, we're thankful tonight that we're sharers together with the Lord Jesus Christ, sharers in his suffering and shar shares together in his glory, and we thank you for the glory of words that comfort us. 00:01:50.771 --> 00:01:54.674 So bring that to us tonight through your scripture. 00:01:54.674 --> 00:01:56.381 We pray in Jesus' name, amen. 00:02:08.699 --> 00:02:10.504 It's hard to overemphasize how individualistic the world is that we live in. 00:02:10.504 --> 00:02:11.829 I mean, we know that, we kind of have a sense of that. 00:02:11.829 --> 00:02:14.997 But Doug mentioned earlier that Kevin is in town with his daughter Leah. 00:02:14.997 --> 00:02:16.703 They're serving over in Indonesia. 00:02:16.703 --> 00:02:21.223 When they're here next Sunday you get a chance to talk to Kevin Sunday afternoon, maybe in the gym. 00:02:21.223 --> 00:02:31.312 You should say Kevin, tell me about what life in your village is like and how individualistic is it compared to things here in America, and just let him go. 00:02:31.312 --> 00:02:33.282 He'll just go for a while. 00:02:33.282 --> 00:02:53.093 We are focused on the kinds of career that we want to pursue, the kinds of clothes that we want to buy, the music that we like the most, the sports that we think is the best, and those things aren't wrong and there's a place to see ourselves as individuals. 00:02:53.759 --> 00:02:58.032 Paul's going to say we have to all each appear before the judgment of God. 00:02:58.032 --> 00:03:01.710 So there's definitely an individual component in Scripture. 00:03:01.710 --> 00:03:28.423 We're made in the image of God, but and this is a very big but God has designed us to be beings that are not just individuals but communities at the most basic level, a community of humanity, of image bearers, but that's also, in a more narrow sense, a redeemed people and, at the most local level, a church. 00:03:28.423 --> 00:03:33.820 A church is not just one person or this person, it's not just a group of individual people. 00:03:33.820 --> 00:03:50.796 The parts make something greater than the individual, and a part of what we see here in Corinthians and a big part is seeing this sharing that Paul has with the people of Corinth. 00:03:50.796 --> 00:03:56.610 Gospel leaders share a deep communion with their people. 00:03:56.610 --> 00:04:05.118 So we're going to walk through this letter tonight, and this is a letter that Paul wrote to a church that he helped to start in Corinth. 00:04:05.118 --> 00:04:14.105 You can read about that in the book of Acts, but I'm going to break it up as we think about this tonight we're going to look at the Corinthian church, these gospel people. 00:04:14.105 --> 00:04:23.612 We're going to look at the apostle Paul, who is a minister, writing to them, and then we're going to look at the communion we share. 00:04:23.612 --> 00:04:25.723 So those would be kind of our three sections for tonight. 00:04:25.843 --> 00:04:27.708 We'll start with the Corinthians. 00:04:27.708 --> 00:04:39.684 Notice there how he opens this letter 2 Corinthians, chapter 1, paul's writing and he says to the church of God at Corinth, with all the saints who are throughout Achaia. 00:04:39.684 --> 00:04:46.391 The church of God is with all the saints. 00:04:46.391 --> 00:04:49.956 He's saying that they're saints, they're holy ones. 00:04:49.956 --> 00:05:09.190 That's how he starts You're people, not that they were perfect, not that they were holy, holy, holy in the same way that the Lord, god Almighty himself is but he does say you're people who are saints, you're in the Lord Jesus Christ, and because of that verse 2, grace and peace are coming to you. 00:05:09.190 --> 00:05:11.208 You have that foundation and hope in the gospel. 00:05:11.208 --> 00:05:13.629 These are gospel people assembling together. 00:05:13.629 --> 00:05:24.425 We also see about this church and this is an evidence of the reality of that gospel work in their hearts that there are repenting people, and you can see that in chapter 2. 00:05:24.425 --> 00:05:28.720 That there are repenting people, and you can see that in chapter two. 00:05:34.379 --> 00:05:38.997 He talks about causing them pain and writing a letter Verse number five if anyone has caused you pain, he's caused pain not so much to me but to some degree to all of you. 00:05:38.997 --> 00:05:41.204 Now we're already hinting at that sharing that they have. 00:05:41.204 --> 00:05:43.130 When one suffers, all suffer. 00:05:43.130 --> 00:05:50.011 But then he goes on to say in verse number six this punishment by the majority is sufficient for that person. 00:05:50.011 --> 00:05:55.860 As a result, you should instead forgive and comfort him, otherwise he may be overwhelmed by excessive grief. 00:05:55.860 --> 00:05:57.867 What's Paul talking about here? 00:05:57.867 --> 00:06:07.122 Well, back in 1 Corinthians there was a man that was living in grievous sexual sin and Paul says he's not repenting. 00:06:07.122 --> 00:06:08.908 You got to remove him from your assembly. 00:06:08.908 --> 00:06:15.630 But now Paul seems to be saying look, if he's turning, if he's repenting, you don't just shun him indefinitely. 00:06:15.630 --> 00:06:17.963 You embrace him, you welcome him. 00:06:17.963 --> 00:06:20.108 That's what true repentance looks like. 00:06:20.108 --> 00:06:23.824 So this is a church, and if you read 1 Corinthians, they had a lot of problems. 00:06:23.824 --> 00:06:33.391 But as you read 2 Corinthians, you see Paul still calling them saints and still acknowledging the progress they're making and the reality that they're a repenting church. 00:06:34.940 --> 00:06:36.286 Flip over to chapter 5. 00:06:36.286 --> 00:06:43.927 These are people who are living their lives for Christ, chapter 5, verse 14. 00:06:43.927 --> 00:06:51.641 Their lives for Christ, chapter 5, verse 14. 00:06:51.641 --> 00:07:06.211 The love of Christ compels us, since we have reached this conclusion that one died for all and therefore all died, and he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for the one who died for them and was raised. 00:07:06.211 --> 00:07:09.781 That's an admonition he gives them. 00:07:09.781 --> 00:07:15.173 It's also I want to say charitably a description of what he sees from the whole. 00:07:15.173 --> 00:07:19.387 They're alive and living for Christ and he wants to encourage that. 00:07:19.949 --> 00:07:21.533 Turn over to chapter 9. 00:07:21.533 --> 00:07:22.502 Chapter 9. 00:07:22.502 --> 00:07:25.310 Just a couple more things, things, and we'll press on. 00:07:25.310 --> 00:07:30.471 To Paul this is a very personal letter, chapter 9. 00:07:30.471 --> 00:07:34.249 Look down to verse number 13. 00:07:34.249 --> 00:07:50.596 Because of the proof provided by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedient confession of the gospel of Christ. 00:07:50.596 --> 00:07:58.185 He's been talking about their overflowing giving, but the overflowing giving is an evidence of what the gospel is doing in their hearts. 00:07:58.185 --> 00:08:08.125 So these are gospel people through and through, though not perfectly and though not without fault, but they're sharing what they've experienced in Christ. 00:08:08.125 --> 00:08:09.529 So Paul can encourage them. 00:08:09.629 --> 00:08:13.528 Chapter 11, last verse I want to look at here before pressing on to the next point. 00:08:13.528 --> 00:08:21.552 Look at how Paul describes these people, these Christians, the Corinthian church, verse number two of chapter 11. 00:08:21.552 --> 00:08:32.871 I'm jealous for you, with a godly jealousy, because I promised you, in marriage to one husband, to present a pure virgin to Christ. 00:08:32.871 --> 00:08:34.576 And then he goes on. 00:08:34.576 --> 00:08:52.832 Verse number four if a person comes and preaches another Jesus whom we did not preach, or you receive a different spirit which you had not received, or a different gospel which you had not accepted, and then he says, a little bit sarcastically but also bitingly you put up with it splendidly. 00:08:52.832 --> 00:08:54.501 Wait a minute here. 00:08:54.501 --> 00:08:55.825 What's going on? 00:08:55.825 --> 00:08:59.351 Well, paul's acknowledging his longing for them. 00:08:59.351 --> 00:09:01.062 He sees them as a pure virgin. 00:09:01.062 --> 00:09:03.633 He wants to give them over to Jesus Christ. 00:09:03.633 --> 00:09:10.057 He acknowledges they're married to Christ, but he's also warning them you've got to maintain that gospel. 00:09:10.057 --> 00:09:20.188 Because if someone comes with a different gospel, different teaching, that's utterly false, you can't put up with it even for a moment or that puts you in danger and that brings us into Paul. 00:09:20.188 --> 00:09:23.342 So there's the gospel people, the Corinthian church. 00:09:23.985 --> 00:09:25.409 What about Paul, this gospel leader? 00:09:25.409 --> 00:09:26.725 He calls himself an apostle. 00:09:26.725 --> 00:09:29.755 Back in chapter one, verse one, flip back there. 00:09:29.755 --> 00:09:39.134 I know we're moving around as we do in these sessions, but Paul is an apostle and I'm not an apostle. 00:09:39.134 --> 00:09:46.360 We don't have apostles here in our church, but there is a reality of gospel leaders and the responsibility that they bear. 00:09:46.360 --> 00:09:49.467 That Paul exemplifies and he has a burden for this people. 00:09:49.467 --> 00:09:55.688 He has an obligation to help them, to consider them, and he's been appointed an apostle by God's will. 00:09:55.688 --> 00:10:04.827 He's not only an apostle, he's an authentic apostle, he's a sincere apostle. 00:10:05.788 --> 00:10:06.850 Look down at chapter 2. 00:10:06.850 --> 00:10:10.316 Look at verse number 17. 00:10:10.316 --> 00:10:20.214 We do not market the word of God for profit, like so many. 00:10:20.214 --> 00:10:24.788 False teaching is not a new thing to our own day. 00:10:24.788 --> 00:10:35.153 The Corinthian church had to face this, and Paul is distinguishing who we are as gospel ministers against the contrast of who some are. 00:10:35.153 --> 00:10:39.250 And then chapter 3 continues that thought. 00:10:39.250 --> 00:10:43.631 So try to ignore that chapter break and just read it as it is there Chapter 3, verse 1. 00:10:43.631 --> 00:10:53.807 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again, or do we need, like some letters of recommendation to you? 00:10:53.807 --> 00:11:07.717 There, apparently, were people coming into the church of Corinth with recommendations, with accolades, with pomp and circumstance, but they weren't coming with the true gospel. 00:11:07.717 --> 00:11:15.224 Paul later in the letter says aren't we better than the super apostles, super apostles? 00:11:15.224 --> 00:11:22.563 So there's a conflict here of people that are promoting themselves in the church of Corinth after Paul has left. 00:11:22.563 --> 00:11:32.985 And not only are they promoting themselves, not only are they seems to have a different spirit and even maybe a different gospel, they're even attacking Paul. 00:11:32.985 --> 00:11:39.682 They're trying to get the Corinthian church to discount Paul as a gospel leader. 00:11:39.682 --> 00:11:47.490 Now imagine how hard that would be if you were Paul. 00:11:51.110 --> 00:11:51.993 He helped to give birth to this church. 00:11:51.993 --> 00:11:55.105 It was God who did the saving, but he was the agent who prayed over them, labored, evangelized first church of Corinth. 00:11:55.105 --> 00:11:56.890 He didn't even inherit someone else's church. 00:11:56.890 --> 00:12:00.577 He helped to found it and he pressed on his missionary endeavors. 00:12:00.577 --> 00:12:06.408 And now one of his fledgling baby churches has conflict. 00:12:06.408 --> 00:12:10.597 And a part of the conflict is other things you can read about in 1 Corinthians. 00:12:10.597 --> 00:12:16.578 But a part of the conflict here is people are saying, well, that Paul guy, I mean, he wasn't. 00:12:16.578 --> 00:12:21.179 It doesn't seem like he was really as great as some of these other guys that we have now. 00:12:21.179 --> 00:12:24.254 Boy, that's got to hurt. 00:12:24.254 --> 00:12:25.658 That's painful. 00:12:29.110 --> 00:12:30.395 Look over at chapter 4. 00:12:30.395 --> 00:12:36.596 Chapter 4, verse 1. 00:12:36.596 --> 00:12:42.682 Therefore, since we have this ministry because we were shown mercy, we do not give up. 00:12:42.682 --> 00:12:52.870 So he's again tying his authority as an apostle, his authenticity as a gospel leader. 00:12:52.870 --> 00:12:54.892 It's God's mercy and God's call. 00:12:54.892 --> 00:12:56.214 It wasn't his idea. 00:12:57.875 --> 00:13:17.374 Instead, verse 2, we have renounced secret and shameful things, not acting deceitfully or distorting the word of God, but commending ourselves before God, to everyone's conscience, by an open display of the truth. 00:13:17.374 --> 00:13:20.457 And how does he do that? 00:13:20.457 --> 00:13:26.086 Verse number five we are not proclaiming ourselves. 00:13:26.086 --> 00:13:36.215 There's one test of a true gospel leader Are they proclaiming themselves or are they proclaiming Jesus Christ? 00:13:36.215 --> 00:13:41.162 Paul is clear about the object of his proclamation. 00:13:41.162 --> 00:13:54.672 And verse number five ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake, just like Jesus himself came to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. 00:13:56.355 --> 00:14:07.801 Now we know that Paul is a gospel man, not only because of his testimony to that effect, but also he can't even hardly go verses or chapters without rehearsing. 00:14:07.801 --> 00:14:09.123 How glorious it is. 00:14:09.123 --> 00:14:17.937 So verse number six, god, who said let light shine out of darkness, has shown in our hearts to get the light of God's glory in the face of Jesus Christ. 00:14:17.937 --> 00:14:21.914 Or you can see back at the end of chapter three the Lord is that spirit. 00:14:21.914 --> 00:14:24.360 Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 00:14:24.360 --> 00:14:29.259 Or let's turn over to chapter five to see a very clear statement of this in chapter five. 00:14:30.041 --> 00:14:31.123 Chapter five, verse 20,. 00:14:31.123 --> 00:14:32.953 We are ambassadors for Christ. 00:14:32.953 --> 00:14:34.738 Since God is making his appeal through us. 00:14:34.738 --> 00:14:36.663 We plead on Christ's behalf. 00:14:36.663 --> 00:14:38.273 Be reconciled to God. 00:14:38.273 --> 00:14:55.051 He made the one one, that is, god, the Father made the one who did not know sin, that's Jesus Christ, to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 00:14:55.051 --> 00:14:58.697 It's been called this passage of a great exchange. 00:14:59.198 --> 00:15:02.445 So Paul's crystal clear about what the gospel is. 00:15:02.445 --> 00:15:05.519 It's not self-promotion, it's not self-help, it's not good works. 00:15:05.519 --> 00:15:10.682 It's God's decision to send Christ to redeem. 00:15:10.682 --> 00:15:23.003 It's Christ taking on sin of people like you and me and marvelously, we take his righteousness and God credits that to our account. 00:15:23.003 --> 00:15:26.899 That's the good news. 00:15:26.899 --> 00:15:27.630 Paul's a gospel guy. 00:15:27.630 --> 00:15:34.863 But even though Paul is a true gospel minister, he's sincere. 00:15:34.863 --> 00:15:43.283 He's got some things to learn as a minister about weakness and power and what that looks like. 00:15:46.171 --> 00:15:48.879 Chapter 6, verse 4. 00:15:48.879 --> 00:16:05.380 As God's ministers, we commend ourselves in everything by great endurance, by affliction, by hardship, by difficulty, by beating, by imprisonment, by riots, by labors, by sleepless nights, by times of hunger. 00:16:05.380 --> 00:16:11.615 That's a lot of suffering as God's ministers. 00:16:11.615 --> 00:16:13.360 He's not the only one who's suffered. 00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:15.174 He suffered a lot. 00:16:15.174 --> 00:16:22.219 He wasn't the only one who suffered and God had appointed a suffering purpose for Paul. 00:16:22.219 --> 00:16:24.182 Even as faithful as he was. 00:16:24.182 --> 00:16:27.654 He wasn't a perfect person. 00:16:27.654 --> 00:16:28.797 No one is this side of glory. 00:16:28.797 --> 00:16:33.052 But you don't read of any scandals about Paul after his conversion. 00:16:33.052 --> 00:16:39.241 That didn't stop God from showering him with suffering. 00:16:39.241 --> 00:16:40.945 That was God's purpose for Paul. 00:16:40.945 --> 00:16:50.341 Go over to chapter 12, or chapter 11, sorry, let's go to chapter 11. 00:16:50.341 --> 00:16:59.434 , verse 24. 00:17:07.230 --> 00:17:09.273 Five times I received the 40 lashes, minus one from the jews. 00:17:09.273 --> 00:17:10.015 Three times I was beaten with rods. 00:17:10.015 --> 00:17:10.596 Once I received the stoning. 00:17:10.596 --> 00:17:11.939 You gotta love how casual that is. 00:17:11.939 --> 00:17:16.194 Yeah, I got stoned once it's when you get stoned. 00:17:16.194 --> 00:17:20.451 They're trying to kill you like the object is not to like throw some rocks at your, at your, window. 00:17:21.133 --> 00:17:23.196 So he managed to survive somehow with stoning. 00:17:23.196 --> 00:17:25.801 Three times I was shipwrecked. 00:17:25.801 --> 00:17:29.375 I have spent a night and a day in the open sea. 00:17:29.375 --> 00:17:43.272 On frequent journeys I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from waters, robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea and dangers among false brothers. 00:17:43.773 --> 00:17:50.114 So it's not only physical suffering that God allows him to face shipwrecks and beatings. 00:17:50.114 --> 00:18:02.875 It's even people that stand opposed to him and that can be the hardest form of suffering, sometimes when it's people that he was passionate about, the Jewish people, his kinsmen according to the flesh. 00:18:02.875 --> 00:18:09.161 He wanted nothing more for them to be saved, and they're the ones that are the ringleaders of his persecution and the lies about him. 00:18:09.161 --> 00:18:17.734 Verse 28, not to mention other things. 00:18:17.734 --> 00:18:31.265 There is the daily pressure on me, my concern for all the churches, and then verse 29, we start to see what Paul understands through some of these things. 00:18:31.265 --> 00:18:34.938 Verse 29 of chapter 11, who is weak? 00:18:34.938 --> 00:18:36.461 And I am not weak. 00:18:36.461 --> 00:18:45.584 Verse 30, if boasting is necessary, I will boast about my weakness. 00:18:48.410 --> 00:18:50.053 Paul was learning. 00:18:50.053 --> 00:18:51.955 He couldn't do it himself. 00:18:51.955 --> 00:18:58.291 In chapter 1, he said that he had the sentence of death in himself. 00:18:58.291 --> 00:19:01.340 There was times when he despaired of life. 00:19:01.340 --> 00:19:15.611 I was talking with another pastor friend who happened to be staying with me this week and we were talking about that passage and I said do you think when Paul says he despaired of life, was he talking about when he was out on the ocean and he thought, well, I'm out here, I guess I'm going to die? 00:19:15.611 --> 00:19:17.534 Was this when he was getting stoned? 00:19:17.534 --> 00:19:21.279 Or was he just depressed and like Elijah's, like you know what? 00:19:21.279 --> 00:19:22.642 Lord, just kill me now. 00:19:22.642 --> 00:19:24.044 I've had enough. 00:19:24.044 --> 00:19:25.105 I'm not sure. 00:19:25.105 --> 00:19:27.698 Maybe a combination of all those things at different times. 00:19:28.029 --> 00:19:32.240 He doesn't go into great, great detail about the circumstances, but he's the spirit of life. 00:19:32.240 --> 00:19:38.320 That's human weakness, but God has a purpose in human weakness. 00:19:38.320 --> 00:19:40.915 Go over to chapter 12. 00:19:40.915 --> 00:19:46.250 This is perhaps the most well-known passage of Corinthians. 00:19:46.250 --> 00:20:04.480 But here, in the context of all that Paul is saying about who he is, he's truthfully writing to this church that he's an authentic gospel minister and they need to listen to his true gospel and reject the false gospel. 00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:25.076 But he's acknowledging that he doesn't have anything in himself to sustain his own ministry, the very gospel power that gave him spiritual life when he was dead is what has to happen if anything's going to happen at all through him as a converted minister. 00:20:27.242 --> 00:20:36.344 Verse number nine so Paul was praying for this thorn in the flesh to be taken away, and the Lord didn't do it, at least at this point. 00:20:36.344 --> 00:20:40.596 But he said to me my grace is sufficient for you. 00:20:40.596 --> 00:20:44.211 My power is perfected in weakness. 00:20:44.211 --> 00:20:48.821 There's Paul just said, who is weak and I'm not weak. 00:20:48.821 --> 00:20:50.310 If I'm going to boast, I'm going to boast about my. 00:20:50.310 --> 00:20:52.497 He's acknowledging I'm weak At. 00:20:52.497 --> 00:20:54.221 The super apostles say how strong they are. 00:20:54.221 --> 00:20:55.472 Good on them. 00:20:55.472 --> 00:21:01.711 I acknowledge I'm weak, but then now we have a chance for Christ's power to come in, and it's not my power. 00:21:01.711 --> 00:21:10.451 Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may reside in me. 00:21:10.491 --> 00:21:12.896 Verse 10, I take pleasure in weaknesses. 00:21:12.896 --> 00:21:24.144 And he's not saying he takes pleasure in any sinful mind or action that he does, but this inadequacy that he recognizes. 00:21:24.144 --> 00:21:31.923 He doesn't have to hide behind it or from it, because he wants Christ's power to be on display. 00:21:31.923 --> 00:21:35.520 He's already said his whole goal is to display and proclaim Christ on himself. 00:21:35.520 --> 00:21:38.878 And here's how that can happen through weakness. 00:21:38.878 --> 00:21:50.279 I take pleasure in weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ, for when I'm weak then I'm strong. 00:21:50.279 --> 00:22:09.739 So last thing I want to come to tonight is that, yes, paul's learning some personal lessons, but all throughout this whole letter he's weaving together the you and the me, the me and the you, this church and my care. 00:22:09.739 --> 00:22:12.635 What I'm doing is for you and what happens to you is for me. 00:22:12.635 --> 00:22:20.578 So it's not merely a personal testimonial about some things God had to teach him. 00:22:20.578 --> 00:22:34.795 A personal testimonial about some things God had to teach him, it's his understanding and realization that God's doing something for the Corinthian church through him. 00:22:34.815 --> 00:22:44.835 Let's go back to chapter one and we'll just scan a little bit and see how this language of communion between Paul and the people, this sharing, is talked about. 00:22:44.835 --> 00:22:58.275 Verse number four of chapter one God comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction through the comfort we receive from God. 00:22:58.275 --> 00:23:05.578 Do you hear that he doesn't say God comforted us so I could learn about my need for comfort, although he did. 00:23:05.578 --> 00:23:11.019 God's giving me something that I have to pass along to somebody else. 00:23:11.019 --> 00:23:13.588 It's this great whirlpool of grace. 00:23:13.588 --> 00:23:13.950 That. 00:23:13.950 --> 00:23:14.971 That's what's going on here. 00:23:16.713 --> 00:23:25.665 Verse 5, just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 00:23:25.665 --> 00:23:29.155 So in his weakness, the power of Christ in him. 00:23:29.155 --> 00:23:34.047 He's a channel that others experience power in weakness. 00:23:34.047 --> 00:23:39.922 Verse 6, there's this word share in verse number seven. 00:23:39.922 --> 00:23:44.201 That's a word you might have heard before koinonia. 00:23:44.201 --> 00:23:48.561 It's okay if you haven't heard it, but it's this idea of communion. 00:23:48.561 --> 00:23:50.696 That's where we get the word communion. 00:23:50.696 --> 00:23:55.541 It's a sharing, but it's a deep, normally a deep spiritual fellowship. 00:23:57.109 --> 00:24:05.641 And in verse number seven he acknowledges that the Corinthians, they have a koinonia, they have a communion in suffering. 00:24:05.641 --> 00:24:08.585 Well, I don't like that spiritual communion. 00:24:08.585 --> 00:24:17.095 Let me have a spiritual communion with we're all praising the Lord and beautiful music, the suffering part. 00:24:17.095 --> 00:24:26.278 But there's a camaraderie that he sees in the suffering that he's experiencing with them and alongside of them, because they're all part of one body, the body of Christ. 00:24:26.278 --> 00:24:29.740 So when one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. 00:24:29.740 --> 00:24:34.259 When one member rejoices, all the members rejoice with it. 00:24:36.290 --> 00:24:37.172 Verse number 11. 00:24:37.172 --> 00:24:48.522 While you join in helping us by your prayers, then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gift that came to us, for the prayers of many. 00:24:48.522 --> 00:24:55.356 So prayer is a form of togetherness, because God uses the prayers of others to help us and our prayers to help them. 00:24:55.356 --> 00:24:57.055 Verse number 14. 00:24:57.055 --> 00:25:06.994 Just as you have partially understood us, we are your reason for pride, just as you also are ours. 00:25:06.994 --> 00:25:13.151 In the day of our Lord Jesus, you say, well, these people weren't as mature as Paul. 00:25:13.151 --> 00:25:18.278 But he sees, I can take pride in you because you belong to Christ, and I hope you take pride in me too. 00:25:18.278 --> 00:25:19.781 We're together in this. 00:25:21.503 --> 00:25:23.010 Go over to chapter three. 00:25:23.010 --> 00:25:28.157 Chapter three, it's so fascinating. 00:25:28.157 --> 00:25:37.976 So he begins by that statement in verse one do we need, like, some letters of recommendation? 00:25:37.976 --> 00:25:45.733 So okay, I didn't come with all the accolades that some of these guys do, but do we need letters of recommendation? 00:25:45.733 --> 00:25:53.134 Verse number two you yourselves are our letter written on our hearts, none read by everyone. 00:25:53.134 --> 00:26:01.218 I don't need a fancy calligraphy on the wall about where I went to school or what I did. 00:26:01.218 --> 00:26:07.661 I've got you guys, and if people want to know about my ministry, they need to look at you, they need to talk to you. 00:26:09.471 --> 00:26:23.240 But he uses this imagery of a letter and says you're a letter written on our heart, and that's the same exact metaphor that he's going to use later in the chapter to speak of the gospel work that originally happens. 00:26:23.240 --> 00:26:34.420 Look down again, verse number 13. 00:26:34.420 --> 00:26:45.214 We are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from gazing steadily until the end of the glory that what was being set aside. 00:26:45.214 --> 00:27:08.321 So there's a veil on the heart, but if you look back up, in verse number 7, he says there's a ministry that brought death, that was chiseled in letters on stone. 00:27:08.321 --> 00:27:17.278 But now, when the veil is lifted, he's saying here the law of God is written on our hearts. 00:27:17.278 --> 00:27:19.496 The Spirit of God brings freedom. 00:27:19.496 --> 00:27:38.881 So it's the power of Christ shining on them that then gives them this beautiful partnership with Paul to be able to take pride in each other and that they can be his letter of recommendation, because the Spirit's already written the letter of the gospel on his heart. 00:27:38.881 --> 00:27:41.077 They're together in Christ. 00:27:47.571 --> 00:27:49.018 Verse number 12 of chapter 4. 00:27:49.018 --> 00:27:55.342 So then, death is at work in us, but life in you. 00:27:55.342 --> 00:28:14.061 Paul is allowed by God to see that, even when he's suffering, even when he's despairing of life, even if he's not feeling strong in himself, at the exact same time God is pouring out life to others. 00:28:14.061 --> 00:28:17.479 And God's not doing two entirely different things. 00:28:17.479 --> 00:28:22.111 It's through the very death of Paul that others are receiving this life. 00:28:22.111 --> 00:28:26.803 And unless the corn of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it doesn't bring fruit. 00:28:26.803 --> 00:28:29.695 But if it falls to the ground and dies it produces much fruit. 00:28:29.695 --> 00:28:34.913 That happened for Christ and only he can redeem sinners. 00:28:34.913 --> 00:28:49.060 But Paul understood that sharing in Christ's suffering meant that there would be dying in him, even as others are receiving comfort through his sufferings. 00:28:49.060 --> 00:28:50.683 And he doesn't actually die. 00:28:50.683 --> 00:28:57.715 But that sentence of death he has in himself Go down to chapter 8. 00:28:59.269 --> 00:29:02.869 Chapter 8 and 9 can be a little tricky to fit into the structure of this letter. 00:29:02.869 --> 00:29:08.957 I didn't talk a lot about the structure of this letter, but in chapter 8 and 9, he gives this appeal that hey, we need money. 00:29:08.957 --> 00:29:12.070 It's like wait a minute, isn't that what the false teachers do? 00:29:12.070 --> 00:29:13.653 Why are you asking about money? 00:29:13.653 --> 00:29:27.790 Well, there's a genuine need that saints have and he's going to highlight the grace of God in other churches, in one church in particular that had contributed very sacrificially, and he's going to appeal to the Corinthians. 00:29:27.790 --> 00:29:29.153 There's some other saints in need. 00:29:29.153 --> 00:29:29.976 We need help. 00:29:31.519 --> 00:29:39.019 But it's still continuing the same theme of you're sharing together with these people because you belong to Christ. 00:29:39.019 --> 00:29:42.724 Verse number four of chapter eight. 00:29:42.724 --> 00:29:51.403 They begged us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in the ministry to the saints. 00:29:51.403 --> 00:29:56.659 Chapter nine, verse 13. 00:29:56.659 --> 00:29:57.191 Verse 13. 00:29:57.191 --> 00:30:14.503 Because of the proof provided by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedient confession of the gospel of Christ and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone. 00:30:14.503 --> 00:30:18.479 Paul shares life with the Corinthians. 00:30:18.479 --> 00:30:22.660 He appeals to them share your life with other churches. 00:30:22.660 --> 00:30:25.416 There's this whirlpool of grace. 00:30:25.416 --> 00:30:30.494 Again, what I've experienced, I'm passing on to you Now you experience it. 00:30:30.494 --> 00:30:32.517 This other church they shared. 00:30:32.517 --> 00:30:33.878 And look at the blessing that they got. 00:30:33.878 --> 00:30:35.589 Because God loves a cheerful giver. 00:30:35.589 --> 00:30:43.037 He's been able to make all grace abound because of the Lord, jesus Christ, who was rich and became poor for our sakes so that we, through his power, would become rich. 00:30:43.037 --> 00:30:45.175 And now you've received that. 00:30:45.175 --> 00:30:46.855 Money's not that important. 00:30:46.855 --> 00:30:49.976 You can share your money because you're already sharing your whole lives with me and with them. 00:30:53.222 --> 00:30:53.844 Chapter 12. 00:30:53.844 --> 00:30:59.756 Going back into chapter 12. 00:30:59.756 --> 00:31:04.130 Going back into chapter 12. 00:31:04.130 --> 00:31:14.147 He compares his relationship to them as a parent to children in verse 14 and 15. 00:31:14.147 --> 00:31:19.798 And then in verse number 19,. 00:31:19.798 --> 00:31:21.607 He reiterates what he's driving at. 00:31:23.191 --> 00:31:25.355 Have you been thinking all along that we were defending ourselves to you? 00:31:25.355 --> 00:31:27.240 He has been doing that a lot in this letter. 00:31:27.240 --> 00:31:31.634 He has been saying you're gospel people, I'm a real gospel minister. 00:31:31.634 --> 00:31:33.778 Here's how you know. 00:31:33.778 --> 00:31:35.383 Here's my testimony. 00:31:35.383 --> 00:31:36.652 Here's what the gospel is. 00:31:36.652 --> 00:31:37.473 Here's what you've done. 00:31:37.473 --> 00:31:40.782 In one sense, he has been commending himself to them. 00:31:40.782 --> 00:31:41.932 He's been defending himself. 00:31:41.932 --> 00:31:46.287 But is that really the main thing he was wanting to do? 00:31:46.287 --> 00:31:47.851 Verse number 19. 00:31:47.851 --> 00:31:50.957 Have you been thinking all along we were defending ourselves to you? 00:31:50.957 --> 00:32:00.419 No, in the sight of God, we are speaking in Christ and everything, dear friends, is for building you up. 00:32:02.381 --> 00:32:04.344 Why did Paul have to suffer? 00:32:04.344 --> 00:32:06.992 Because this church needed to be built up. 00:32:06.992 --> 00:32:10.500 Why did he have to face harassment? 00:32:10.500 --> 00:32:21.444 Because the Corinthians could look at him and see what it looks like to die to yourself and look around and think about how they might die to themselves even a little bit. 00:32:21.444 --> 00:32:30.403 He's seeing the good of the whole, not just his own instruction and lessons. 00:32:30.403 --> 00:32:33.791 So what about you? 00:32:33.791 --> 00:32:34.372 What about us? 00:32:34.372 --> 00:32:44.846 Again, we don't have apostles here, but do we have this expectation that God's doing something in me for other people? 00:32:47.250 --> 00:32:51.059 We often hear people say I want to know what God's teaching me in this, and that's a good question. 00:32:51.059 --> 00:32:52.022 Nothing wrong with that question. 00:32:52.022 --> 00:32:58.782 But what if God's teaching other people something because of your life and your suffering. 00:32:58.782 --> 00:33:08.173 What if you don't always know what he's teaching you and maybe you don't see all that he's teaching you and you might not even see all that he's teaching others? 00:33:08.173 --> 00:33:13.270 Paul is not, at this point in time, right there among the Corinthians. 00:33:13.270 --> 00:33:14.253 He's writing a letter to them. 00:33:14.253 --> 00:33:18.134 He doesn't have video calls, he doesn't have, you know, nice things like that. 00:33:18.134 --> 00:33:25.438 So he doesn't know in perfect detail all that they're hearing, learning, doing. 00:33:25.438 --> 00:33:27.982 But he knows it's happening because he trusts in God. 00:33:27.982 --> 00:33:31.736 So when we're suffering we can trust. 00:33:32.238 --> 00:33:35.044 God's got a purpose in this for New Hyde Park Baptist Church. 00:33:35.044 --> 00:33:37.173 God's got a purpose in this for Christians. 00:33:37.173 --> 00:33:44.241 I know maybe in other places that would hear about what I'm going through and say, wow, isn't God's power perfect in weakness? 00:33:44.241 --> 00:34:13.210 And isn't it better when we can hope that there's joy overflowing to other people, even if we're not feeling the joy every Monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday morning morning? 00:34:13.210 --> 00:34:14.331 2 Corinthians 13,. 00:34:14.351 --> 00:34:16.737 This is how the passage ends. 00:34:16.737 --> 00:34:20.563 The letter ends Verse 12, greet one another with a holy kiss. 00:34:20.563 --> 00:34:23.387 All the saints send you greetings. 00:34:23.387 --> 00:34:37.114 There's the whole again, and it's grounded in Father, son and Spirit and the communion that they have, the grace of the Lord, Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship, or sharing or communion of the Holy Spirit. 00:34:37.114 --> 00:34:40.077 Be with you all of the Holy Spirit, and be with you all. 00:34:44.110 --> 00:34:46.135 Paul learned some beautiful lessons. 00:34:46.135 --> 00:34:51.416 He learned a lot about what it means to share with the people of God. 00:34:51.416 --> 00:34:54.637 God wants us to share with each other. 00:34:54.637 --> 00:35:00.478 Let's pray, lord, give us endurance. 00:35:00.478 --> 00:35:01.777 We're in need of patience. 00:35:01.777 --> 00:35:02.541 We're in need of patience. 00:35:02.541 --> 00:35:03.608 We're in need of endurance. 00:35:03.869 --> 00:35:05.737 Forgive us for our complaining spirits. 00:35:05.737 --> 00:35:14.070 Even the spirit that doesn't complain to others but complains to ourselves, complains to you, lord. 00:35:14.070 --> 00:35:18.639 Help us to see that you're working in us a far more eternal weight of glory. 00:35:18.639 --> 00:35:30.090 And the weight of glory that you're working in each one of us is so that the weight of glory in all of us together can be magnified in the day of the Lord Jesus. 00:35:30.090 --> 00:35:49.195 And so we're waiting for that day and we're trusting that, though suffering abounds in us, and in different times, in different ways, to different degrees, all of us we share in the sufferings of Christ, but we share for the comfort of others, for the joy of others, and everything is for building up one another. 00:35:49.195 --> 00:35:51.362 Give us that heart, give us that mind. 00:35:51.362 --> 00:35:56.976 Oh, how good it is when the family of God dwells together in spirit, in faith, in unity. 00:35:56.976 --> 00:35:59.536 We pray this in Jesus' name Amen.