Hard pressed but not crushed - Part 2

Thank you for listening to this message from the ministry of Morse Corner Church in Leverett, Massachusetts. Morse Corner is a non-denominational church that is committed to the preaching and teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our church was founded in 1896 by two students of the famous evangelist D .L. Moody. We seek to encourage and edify the body of Christ through the proclamation of God's word through the ministries of the local church.

If you'd like more information, visit our website morsecornerchurch .com. We hope you enjoy the message. This is what Satan does. Satan hates God, but he can't touch God, so he does the next best thing.

He targets people made in God's image. So that's why you have a target on your back as a Christian. Now things in this country are actually pretty good, you know, relatively speaking, compared to other places in the world.

But if you speak about your faith, you're going to be disliked for your faith eventually. Why? Because their anger, just remember, it's not really directed at you. It's not really about you. Their anger is directed at God.

Paul’s Suffering for the Sake of Others

So Paul, as an apostle, go back to 2 Corinthians chapter 4, but through it all, I mean, we're hard pressed on every side, but we're not crushed. So Paul, as an apostle, he had a target on his back by the devil, by those who are servants of the devil, more specifically the false apostles, false teachers.

So Paul faced all of these things, just like Cain killed Abel. Many would have loved to do that to the apostle Paul. Remember a month or so ago, we talked about the riots in Ephesus. They wanted to tear the apostle Paul apart, and they would have if they got a hold of him.

So many would have liked to do the same thing to Paul. The devil hated Paul. His enemies hated him, but their hatred was really hatred of the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember what Jesus said in the Gospel of John, chapter 15, verse 18?

He speaks to his disciples and says, If the world hates you, you better know they hated me before they hated you. So Paul, as the representative of Jesus Christ, he endured it all. Why? 2 Corinthians 4, verse 12.

So then death is working in us, but life in you. So Paul did it for their sakes. You know, there are going to be people that maybe they don't like you. Maybe you catch a little flack for your faith. And for some people, you're the only Jesus they're ever going to see or hear from.

You're the closest thing to it. And if you endure it patiently with love and kindness, you know, sometimes that can have an effect on them. And they're going to not expect that. They're going to lash out at you and expect you to hit right back.

Maybe it'll cause them to think. But either way, you should endure it for the sake of others. Paul did it for the sake of others. He did it for Christ's sake, but he loved the church. I know we think of Paul sometimes as this bold and courageous man is strong, but he was, he had a softer side, you know, his love for love for the people, his love for the lost.

You think of all the things that he went through, traveled the known world at the time, all because he loved people. What's the second great commandment in the law? What is it? Love your neighbor as yourself.

So is that what Paul did? Actually, you know, I don't think he did that. I think he put his neighbors above himself. Look at all the things that he went through. He did it for them. He didn't just love his neighbor as himself.

He put his neighbor above himself. It's like the acrostic joy, right? J-O-Y. You put Jesus first, the J, you put others second, the O, and then yourself last. That's the way you want joy in your life.

That's the way to do it. It's counterintuitive. You think, well, putting myself first, that's the way to have joy. No, that's the way to be miserable. Joy, put Jesus first, others second, yourself third.

That's what Paul did. So Paul put himself at risk for the sake of others. And through it all, he can say, yeah, I've been through this. I've been through that. God strengthens me. I endure. I persevere in the faith.

And like Jesus, Paul was willing to lay down his life so that others might be saved. That's what the gospel is. And yet, Paul, he was doing the same thing in a different way. Paul followed the example of Christ.

Now, the real question is, are we willing to follow that example? Are you willing to follow that example? Are you? Now, before you get too nervous and you think of all the things that Paul went through, yeah, he's an apostle, right?

So there are going to be things that Paul went through that the odds are none of us are ever going to have to go through these things. That's true. That's good news, I suppose. But even on a smaller scale, even to a lesser degree, when we face trials and tribulations in our life, some of you have been, you felt like you've been facing some trials over the past few days, I'm sure.

But on a smaller scale, when we face those things in our life, in your life, how do you respond? When you face something later on today or later on this week, can you really say, yes, I'm hard pressed on every side, but I'm not crushed.

I may be perplexed, but I'm not in despair. I may be struck down, but the Lord and his grace helps me up. Will you be able to say that? Well, time will tell. I mean, you can say, oh, yes, I'm I will always stand strong and persevere.

That's what everybody says. But then some people don't do it. So recognize that you're what's the point? Recognize you're a jar of clay. OK, you are dust. You are frail. I think that was the first song.

There's a line in there that were feeble and in frail. So how does that help? You know, that's ruining my self image. You know, that's hurting my self esteem. Some preachers won't preach that because of self esteem.

But you need to have that mindset because you're right. You can't endure. You can't persevere. You can't do it. But with God's help through him, you can, because it's him doing it in and through you. Verse 13.

And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, I believed and therefore I spoke. We also believe and therefore speak, knowing that he who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus and will present us with you.

For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. Therefore, we do not lose heart. I think that's the second time in this chapter he says it.

Therefore, we do not lose heart. Are you losing heart? I hope not. We do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. So a lot of things to say about this passage, these verses.

The Outward Man and the Inward Man

All right. Not least among them is the contrast between the earth and vessel and the inward man. Right. So the outside or the flesh, the outward man, he's a jar of clay. He is perishing. You may, depending on your age, you may feel like you're weaker and weaker.

You're you're fragile. Your outward man is perishing. But the inward man should be growing and being renewed. He should be continually growing and maturing and getting stronger. And if you feel like your physical body is going downhill, hopefully the spirits there, it's getting stronger and stronger.

And that's good because you're relying on God instead of your own, your own strength. I like what Paul says in verse 13. I believed, therefore I spoke. What's he saying? Well, he's quoting Psalm 116, verse 10, which says, I believed and therefore I speak.

Paul saying, I'm just telling you what I believe. I'm just telling you the truth. I'm just being honest. I believe it and I'm going to tell you about it. This is true. And here it is. And for a preacher and a teacher of God's word, especially you need to know when you're in the fellowship, when you're listening to preaching and Bible teaching, that that's the one place maybe that you will hear the truth.

You know, if you turn on television, radio, go here or there, are you hearing the truth?

I don't think you're hearing the truth.

And then the Psalm that Paul is quoting, the Psalmist says in that same section, in my haste, I said, all men are liars. Have you felt that way? Yeah, you have. All men are liars. And of course, that's true.

He's saying it in haste. Well, Paul says in Romans chapter three, verse four, let God be true and every man a liar. But the one place you should be able to count on the truth is within the church. So people lie, leaders lie, all men lie.

But especially from an apostle, you're going to receive the truth. So I believe, therefore I spoke. I'm just telling you the plain truth of the matter. And you know what? Sometimes I suffer because of that.

Again, if you are vocal, you say, I've never experienced any troubles, trials. No one has ever disliked me because of my faith. It's never happened to me. You're not talking about your faith. You're like the person who says my faith is very, very important to me.

But it's private. Like these politicians. My faith is very important, but it's very private. Well, I don't know what kind of faith that is. It's not the Christian faith. I'm pretty sure. But Paul says, I'm telling you the truth and I suffer because of it.

Because the false teachers and his enemies, what did they do? They attacked him because he boldly proclaimed the truth of the gospel. So you have Paul who's speaking the truth. Compare that to the false teachers who were speaking the truth.

No, they were speaking the truth mixed with error. The false teachers would alter the message. Their motivation was selfish. Just like the false teachers today, what do they do? They put their finger to the wind, find out which way the wind's blowing and move in that direction.

Tell people what's popular, what they want to hear. You're never going to be persecuted for that. No one ever dislikes you because you tell them what they want to hear. The false teachers were in it for themselves.

Their motivation was power, prestige, and prosperity. And they elevated themselves above the apostle Paul. And that's how it works. Okay, Paul's the apostle. Let's knock him down a few pegs that'll lift me up.

And just think about that. Here the false teachers are elevating themselves while Paul is over here suffering for Christ's sake. It's kind of disgusting when you think about it. So the false teachers, they made accusations.

They were the ones accusing Paul of being what? Paul is the fraud. So they turn everything around. They're guilty, but they accuse the man who's innocent. And they said Paul's just in it for himself. How could that be true?

Just, again, think about all the things that Paul went through. And then they call him a fraud. And he's just in it for himself.

What's he benefiting?

How is he benefiting in any way? And then once they acknowledged his suffering, what did they do? There must be some sin in his life. God is punishing him.

He can't win.

It's like Job. Job was suffering for righteousness' sake. He was a righteous man. And yet his friends come along and, well, Job, you know, you must have some. It must be your fault somehow. Listen, don't do that.

When you see somebody who is suffering, you know what? Don't kick them when they're down. Thanks for listening. I'm Pastor Michael Grant from Morris Cornick Church. If you'd like to listen to the complete message or if you'd like more information about the ministry, visit our website, morriscornickchurch .com.

And we'd love to have you join us some Sunday morning here in Leverett. Until next time, may the grace of God be with you.