Do you get discouraged if you assess the Church over the last 20 years?
Do you get discouraged if the church is slow growing?
Do you get discouraged because of other believers?
Reading a long resignation letter from a pastor in the USA
Very different to the apostle Paul
He had discouragements and a difficult church
v1 - "we do not lose heart"
It is a ministry of the spirit and of glory
v8-9 – "We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed"
v16 - "therefore, we do not lose heart"
The pastor was measuring his ministry by visible success
He is focusing on his sufferings
He is focusing on the weakness and failure of the church
He is not focusing on Christ
He is not seeing that suffering is part of the plan of God
Perhaps you can identify with some things written in the letter
Especially when churches go through a rough patch
It is at these times we need to look to the word of God
Example of Jonah
Reasons not to get discouraged/lose heart
Because of the ministry we have received (v1)
"Therefore", connects us to the previous chapter - the glory of the new covenant
* Not a contrast with the law or the work of a high priest
* A contrast between the ministry of the spirit and a ministry of condemnation
* A contrast between glories
We have a ministry of preaching Christ
We do not lose heart
Christ works in our lives
Believers are changed from glory to glory
Paul knows the great privilege of preaching this gospel
Do we focus on our privileges?
We are saved
We are children of God
We are to represent Jesus Christ
We are witnesses
We are to remember our privilege - it is a mercy
Do not be discouraged
Do not lose heart - can be translated 'do not act badly'
How do we react in situations?
Do we remember our blessings
Because the truth will prevail (v2)
Paul could have been discouraged by all going on around him
False peddler's of the gospel
Truth has a self-evidencing power
Do not worry about false charlatans
Do you get discouraged when you hear about churches turning away from doctrine or those based on a false gospel/promises?
Paul had this
Example of Galatians, Colossians, Corinthians, but also Peter, Jude
Example of Peter and John at Pentecost
Acts 5:38-39 – "And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God."
We must have this confidence in the truth of God
It is God's power to save
Do not focus upon people but upon truth
Do not focus on putting false things down
Concentrate on the power of the word of God
Because salvation belongs to God (v3-6)
We do not carry the burden for salvation in ourselves
The devil has blinded the eyes of those who do not believe
Yes we have a great responsibility to witness to others
But not a burden that cripples us
We should preach the gospel to ourselves - daily
Salvation is a work of God
So we trust Him
We can be discouraged if we preach and people are not saved
Example of William Carey
God opens the eyes of the blind
Because God works through weakness and suffering (v7-15)
Does the Church look for things in the wrong places - examples
Do we emphasise the person and not the gospel?
It is the gospel that gives blessing and success (v7)
We are clay pots - fragile, breakable and replaceable
We are weak, ordinary Christians
God has designed it this way
We are not to be seen - God is to be seen
Suffering will not break us - we will not be defeated
The more we experience, the more we are blessed
v8 - Paul had death threats
11:28 - deep concern for all the churches
5:11 - a great responsibility in preaching the gospel
