Discouragement In Ministry - [2 Corinthians 12:7-10]

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Well this morning. I want to encourage you as men about discouragement.
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I want to encourage you About men Being discouraged.
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Let me just throw it out for discussion and some thought -provoking Questions, what would you say?
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Why men get discouraged I? Figured since you guys can speak for yourselves, right?
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Why do men get discouraged any thoughts? Things don't go our way
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Things don't go our way a very good point. Why else do men get discouraged the daily grind and the lack of perceived improvement
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Great insight. Yes Vadim the perception.
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We receive we get from what others may think of us. Yes Okay looking at life
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Without the priorities of kingdom values. Yes, Scott Okay So you're in a difficult situation difficult circumstances very good point and you don't seem like to see the light at the end of it
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And you that was very discouraging. I saw a hand over there. Yes, Raph focusing on worldly achievement and lack thereof
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Something doesn't meet your expectations and and therefore discouragement sits in yes
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Getting older getting older. I'm glad I can't relate to that anybody
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Getting older mark, I like that the way you put that when your dreams don't meet
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God's plans That's a lot of evangelicalism today, right? That's someone else.
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Yes Okay, so piggying back on that on the expectations not all our own expectations of ourselves but our own expectations of what we expect of others of other people and that can happen in marriage and Relationship between the senior pastor in a church
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Pastor has certain expectations of a church the church has certain expectations of a pastor and so on and so forth any others Yes, Bob When we look at it as if we deserve something when actually we know we deserve nothing.
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Well, but what do we actually deserve? Yes Okay, let me let me ask you the different way
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Why do men get discouraged was the initial question and all great answers? Why do men get discouraged?
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In ministry is a follow -up question Why do men get discouraged in ministry?
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Is that a hand up? Okay Financial, okay Financial reasons.
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Yes, Vadim Things get political. Mm -hmm. I had a speaking of words a friend of mine who in in their church
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They're out there have elders, but you know, there was a they vote for elders So the congregation votes for elders, so it got a political so so -and -so would go up to somebody.
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Hey, can you vote for my brother? He's a really good guy. I mean that's political. Yeah, that could be yes
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When you don't see the fruit of your labor, okay, excellent point
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Excellent point any others. Well, I'd like us to look at this morning at the
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Word of God on This issue turn with me to the book of 2nd
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Corinthians chapter 12 2nd Corinthians chapter 12 verses 7 to 10 2nd
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Corinthians chapter 12 verses 7 to 10 You know,
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I think of this is the Apostle Paul, of course and you think of the great Apostle Paul Well, what were the most darkest times in his life in ministry?
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We can think initially when when the Lord Jesus Christ the resurrected the risen Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus and Saved him and called him and then he tries to join
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Luke says in Acts 9 the group of disciples And none of the disciples wanted to welcome him in for the obvious reason that the text says they were afraid of him
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Because of his sharp persecution of the early Christians Was this legitimate his conversion and of course
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Barnabas came alongside and assured the early disciples that yes He is truly saved and he's proclaiming the
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Lord Jesus Christ or one of Paul's darker times also could be with The same
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Barnabas who welcomed them into the fold later on in Acts 15 Luke records. They had a sharp disagreement with each other
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Paul's going on missionary journeys and Barnabas like I want to bring John Mark and Paul's like no. No, we're not bringing him
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He's I can't rely on John Mark Pretty discouraging as you're sitting out to go on a missionary journey
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Or it could be at the end of the book of Acts where he appears before the governor's
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Felix and Feastus and King Agrippa to defend against the charges that the Jews had set against them and If that wasn't low enough in his life, how about at the end of his life think of the end of your life?
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Well, what would you want it to be like Paul at the end of his life? He writes in 2nd
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Timothy chapter 4 That Demas had deserted him that Alexander the coppersmith had done great harm to him and he did not
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Support our message and he says that my first trial everyone no one came to my defense, but everyone deserted me the loneliness of a minister at the end of his life
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But with all those lows I Would say that this is the darkest time when
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Paul could face the deepest discouragement right here and let me read this text for you 2nd
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Corinthians chapter 12 verses 7 through 10 so to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations a
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Thorn was given me in the flesh a messenger of Satan to harass me to keep me from becoming conceited
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Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this that it should leave me but He said to me
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My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness
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Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ May rest upon me
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For the sake of Christ then I'm content with weaknesses insults hardships persecutions and calamities for when
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I am weak then I Am strong Paul understood of all people to pick up on Scott Goddard's metaphor that he was such a difficult and discouraged time in Writing 2nd
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Corinthians that it could almost be that he couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel This was
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Paul's most personal letter if you will his most painful letter his life and ministry were under attack
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His apostleship was in question Just listen to some of the language of Paul here in 2nd
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Corinthians Is it it's his it's him wearing his heart on his sleeve in chapter 1.
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He says verses 8 and 9 For we do not want you to be unaware brothers of the affliction we experienced in Asia For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself
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Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death But that was to make us rely not on ourselves, but on God who raises the dead chapter 2 verse 4
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He says for I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears
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Not to cause you pain, but to let you know the abundant love That I have for you
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Chapter 4 verse 8. He says this we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed perplexed but not driven to despair persecuted but not forsaken struck down but not
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Destroyed Chapter 6 he continues expressing his feelings to the church
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We have spoken freely to you Corinthians. Our heart is wide open You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections in Return, I speak as to children widen your hearts also
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And in our chapter later on he says in verse 11 of chapter 12 I Have been a fool you forced me to it for I ought to have been commended by you
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For is not at all inferior to these super apostles even though I am nothing
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The signs of a true apostle were performed among you without most patience with signs and wonders and mighty words
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For what were you less favored than the rest of the churches except that I myself did not burden you
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Forgive me this wrong here for the third time I'm ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden for I seek not what is yours, but you
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For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls if I love you more
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Am I to be loved less but granting that I myself did not burden you I was crafty you say and got the better of you by deceit
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Did I take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent to you I urge
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Titus to go and sent the brother with him did Titus take advantage of you
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Did we not act in the same? spirit It's Paul wearing his feelings his heart on his sleeve.
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He's saying outright and clearly Unequivocally I will be spent for you and yet we can hear him in this letter
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MacArthur one of his early books are sufficiency in Christ. It's it's so early. I was looking at the copyright 1991 it's so early that in the leaflet of the book
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It says of his ministry that he had given they had given away millions and copies of his audio cassettes
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Remember those days eight tracks and all that It's a book that's near and dear to me because it was given to me upon my graduation from seminary
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And also I love it because he dedicates the book to Martin Lloyd -jones 1991 but he writes about this part in Paul's life chapters 10 through 13 of 2nd
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Corinthian MacArthur writes this 2nd Corinthians 10 through 13 is probably the most emotionally charged text
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Paul ever wrote in it He pours out his heart amid severe attacks on his character and his ministry
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He had given so much to the Corinthians and some of them were turning on him with bitter animosity
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His integrity had been called into question by his enemies his loyalty and leadership abilities have been questioned
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His love for believers had been doubted and denied this was probably the greatest single barrage of abuse that Paul ever received on his life and Apparently it was being fueled by leaders within that church close quote perfect time for Paul to be completely discouraged
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When this is happening now few objections might come up and say well, you know
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This was a great Apostle Paul. It doesn't relate to me and It does relate to you as a man
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Because what we're going to learn from this text the two principles these principles are timeless these truths are timeless
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They're as true as it was for the Apostle Paul then and as they are for our today or your objection might be well
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You know, shouldn't this be a message for a pastor's conference for full -time ministers?
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I'm not a full -time minister as long as you're a man and you're called of God.
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You're a minister If I were to ask you this morning What is your ministry?
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What would your answer be? What is your ministry do you have a ministry
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Think about it. What is that? How would you answer you don't have to be in the ministry?
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to have a ministry You don't have to be in the ministry full -time to have a ministry everyone in this room
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You're a man and if you're called of God and he saved you by his sovereign grace you're called to have a ministry
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So what are the two timeless principles from these texts? Let me give them to you and I'll walk you through this these four verses
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So how will you be able to handle discouragement in ministry from this text two ways?
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We'll learn from the life of the Apostle Paul in his ministry. You'll be able to handle Discouraging and ministry in ministry when you accept when you accept all difficulty
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Even when Satan is behind it as God's sovereign purpose you can handle any discouragement in ministry when you accept
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With all difficulty even when Satan is behind it. That is God's divine sovereign purpose
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Now as we'll see from this text, we're not to go running after Satan the Bible is clear There is no warrant for rebuking
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Satan in the scripture. There's no warrant for binding Satan actually James tells us to resist him
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But what does the text tell us here? Notice in verse 7 what was given to Paul a thorn
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Earlier in the chapter. He talks about visions and revelations and he was caught up in the paradise in paradise
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And was told things that cannot be told these revelations that were given to him As he refers to in verse 7 because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations a thorn was given me in the flesh
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This is not a thorn that I get pricked from a thorn bush. Not at all This word is used of a spike that was used for torture something very painful
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But then he he details what is this thorn? Explains what it is notice what he says in our text verse 7 a thorn was given me in the flesh.
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What's that thorn Paul a messenger of Satan to harass me earlier in the book
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He he makes reference to say in that one of the devil's ministry 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 verse 4
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The God of this age at Satan has blinded the minds of unbelievers
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So that they cannot see the light of the gospel not that you they will not see they cannot see
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And that's why as we heard from brother Corey it takes God's divine sovereign grace to open someone's eyes
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But here he says the thorn in the flesh was from the same Say in the God of this age who blinds the minds of unbelievers to harass me the term messenger.
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There is the Greek word Angelus Where you see in the Greek New Testament the term angel
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But it's also used not only of angelic messengers. It's also used of human messengers
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That's why the term messenger is there now there have been scores of pages and commentaries written about what is this thorn in the flesh?
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Pastor see like Some kind of physical affliction going on and on and on about something that physically afflicted
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Paul Well the text simply from the context a messenger of Satan if we look at the context an angelic
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Messenger or a human messenger Turn back to chapter 11 I read you some of the the background in his heart being poured out to the
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Corinthian Church, and how he was being under attack chapter 11 beginning in verse 3
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But I'm afraid That as a serpent deceived Eve by his cunning your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ Verse 4 for if someone comes and proclaims another
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Jesus than the one we proclaimed or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received or If you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted you put up with it readily enough
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Jump to verse 13 For such men are false apostles deceitful workmen
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Disguising themselves as apostles of Christ and no wonder for even who
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Satan disguises himself as an angel of light So it is no surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness the messenger of Satan this
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Human messenger this false apostle seems to be what he refers to back in chapter 11 these false apostles
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Whoever the ringleader was to cause this attack on the life and ministry of the
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Apostle Paul It's those who were against the Apostle Paul who came from within To bring an attack upon him they were disguising themselves
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They were the it's not the same word that used here in Corinthians But in other places in Scripture the word is used as hypocrisy, so if you take where those masks on the table oh
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How colorful? What's a hypocrite? Back in the day when they perform drama the
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Greek dramas. They would wear masks Right that's a term used there same idea.
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They're disguising themselves They're not who they claim to be for even Satan does that the messenger of Satan are these people that Satan is using?
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to inflict Harm on the Apostle Paul's reputation life and ministry
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MacArthur writes continuing in that book sufficiency in Christ Did you realize that sometimes
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God sends Satan to do the Lord's work? It's true Paul wrote of the divine purpose in the messenger of Satan that troubled him with a thorn to keep me from exalting myself
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He understood that God was using a satanic messenger to accomplish his humbling which was for the glory of God Well how do we know that Paul accepted this even though he saw that this messenger was a person that Satan used
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How do we know that Paul accepted this as God's divine and sovereign purpose for his life? There's a couple of clues notice in verse 7 a
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Thorn was keyword given me in the flesh. He doesn't say a thorn was inflicted upon me
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It was given Given by whom Even though it was used as a messenger of Satan by God himself
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And notice also another clue. What was the purpose is is? Satan's purpose against us to keep us humble
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What was Satan's downfall? pride So we know this is
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God's divine purpose because Paul makes it very clear at the very beginning and end of verse 7 He says it twice.
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I hear an echo so to keep me from becoming conceited The thorn was given me in the flesh a messenger of Satan to harass me here.
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It is again to keep me from becoming Conceited But I can go through that quickly because none of you wrestle with pride, right?
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So that's how Paula accepted this even though it was a messenger of sin That's how he accepted it as God's divine purpose for him
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It was a divine sovereign purpose to keep him humble Because of these surpassing great revelations if you have issues with pride
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Imagine the temptation what it was for Paul and another reason we know that he accepted this as God's divine purpose for him
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Notice in verse 8. What did he do three times three times? I rebuked Satan it says right or three times.
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I bound him Who did he address? Three times I pleaded with whom?
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The Lord he pleaded with the
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Lord he accepted this as God's sovereign purpose for his life
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That's number one to be able to handle discouragement in ministry like Paul.
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You have to accept all difficulty even when saying might be behind it as God's sovereign divine purpose for your life all difficulty and The second time was principle to be able to handle any discouragement as men in life and in ministry
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You have to come to grips with this reality the reality that Christ's sufficient grace is your strength in Your weakness
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Christ sufficient strength grace rather is his strength in your weakness
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Notice verse Nine three times after Paul pleads with the
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Lord to take this thing away What's the first word in verse nine
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But I'm sure that's not what he wanted to hear but he by the way, isn't it amazing that Paul's interaction with the
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Lord Jesus is with the resurrected the risen Lord Jesus the Ascended Lord The road to Damascus he was unique in that Compared to the other disciples and apostles they were called by the incarnate
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Christ He was called by the risen Lord and here again. It's the risen the resurrected Christ talking to him, but he said to me
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That's in the perfect tense Okay, I'm gonna test you who was listening last week to pastor
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Steve's message what What Is the perfect tense mean he brought it out and one of the words there as he was walking us through John 13
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What does the perfect tense mean? Can you speak say it louder?
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Very good. TMU is teaching you well It's an event a bird that happens once but doesn't finish there it has ongoing continuous results
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What does I have to do with this? But he has said to me how many times did he plead with the Lord? Three guess what the
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Lord's answer was every single one of those three times The same thing my grace is sufficient for you.
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I'm not going to take the thorn away I'm gonna take you through this because my grace is sufficient for you
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This was Christ's standing answer for Paul all three of those times the term grace my grace is used in the
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New Testament hotties a 153 times I Believe a hundred or a hundred ten of those is from the
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Apostle Paul Notice from our text what is grace? Grace has to do with power notice what
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Christ is my grace is sufficient for you the very next line for my power my grace my power
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So here is grace Grace is God's power to save you when you're too weak to save yourself
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But in this context it continues Grace is Christ's power to sanctify you to sustain you through life's difficulty and discouragement
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When you are too weak when you in and of yourself will get discouraged When you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel that is
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Christ's grace for you his power in your weakness You're too weak to save yourself and guess what you're too weak to sustain yourself in difficult times without his grace
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And that's what Paul was learning his grace is sufficient and if today as Corey said you are here today, and you believe
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That you have the strength in and of yourself to save yourself. You're fooling nobody else except yourself
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The only one who can save you has the power to save you is the Lord Jesus Christ That is why the gospel is the power of God For salvation
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I was talking with a new friend today Jake and we were talking about we were discussing this the other night with College and career group right then at your house, and I asked him
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I threw out this question to them I said where's the best place to do evangelism of course Tom and Dan it being avid golfers on the golf course
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You're golfing with your buddies. They got nowhere to go Somebody shared even better yet on the plane
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Kim had it was sharing with us an opportunity where she got to talk to somebody in the plane What are they gonna do jump off? Others gave some other answers, and I said no the best place to do evangelism is the church
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You could be an avid churchgoer, but if you're trusting in yourself and not in Christ alone
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The church going isn't gonna do anything before thrice what we got in God's judicial system
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Everyone is guilty until proven Innocent we all stand guilty
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Romans 3 that is the grace of God trusting in God's power to save you But notice also in our text
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Why Paul understood that in this difficult time in his life the sufficient grace of Christ?
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Christ says my grace is sufficient. It's Christ grace, which Christ the one who conquered death
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This is the risen Lord talking here. He's conquered Satan sin and death This is who
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I am my grace Paul Christ is saying is what is good sometimes 80 % of the time
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It's sufficient the term means all the time in every situation Good situations or difficult situations
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Christ grace is always Sufficient to sustain you it's his power in your weakness
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None of us like to talk about weakness right we're men we want to show the the gals we love at Riverside How great and macho we are right?
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But that's the thing with men right we want to show how strong we are but notice in our text How many times weakness is mentioned verse 9 my grace is sufficient for you?
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For my powers made perfect in number one weakness Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my what weaknesses
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Verse 10 for the sake of Christ's name then I am content with weaknesses third time and the verse 10 when
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I am weak Then I am strong Paul said it earlier in verse 5 of our chapter on behalf of this man.
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I will boast but on my own behalf I will not boast except of my Weaknesses and if that wasn't enough
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Notice back in chapter 11 Paul goes on this list of his ministry what he's been through greater labors far more imprisonments countless beatings and often near death
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Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes at less one Three times
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I was beaten with rods once I was stoned three times I was shipwrecked the night in the day.
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I was adrift at sea Infrequent journeys in danger from rivers robbers people
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Gentiles danger in the city Wilderness from false brothers in toil and hardship through many a sleepless night in hunger and thirst often without food and cold and exposure
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That wasn't enough and apart from other things he says there is a daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches and He asked who is weak if I must boast
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I will boast of the things that show my weakness So God in his sovereignty in his divine providence allows us to go through difficulty especially in ministry to show us
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That in our weakness his grace is truly sufficient
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Now as I close what's a litmus test? How do I know that? That I have accepted the fact that all difficulty is from God's divine purpose
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How do I know that I've come to grips with the fact the reality that Christ's grace is sufficient that it's his power in my weakness
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How do I know that two ways two words? boasting and contentment question
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What do you boast about in terms of difficulty now when things are going well?
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This is the context as we said. What are you content about? Or are you content
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When things are challenging Notice what Paul says what's his response after Christ says to him look my grace is sufficient for you
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What does Paul say verse 9 therefore? Based on the reality that Christ's grace is truly sufficient for all time for all things difficulty included therefore
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Paul says I may boast I Hope to boast No, there's a confident insurance there,
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I will boast I will boast All the more gladly of my strength of My weakness that's how
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I know that I've accepted Christ Divine purpose for my life, and I truly believe that his grace is sufficient when
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I can boast in my weaknesses Second one is where do I find contentment verse 10
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Paul says for whose sake for the sake of? Christ then based upon what
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Christ has just told me that his grace is sufficient for me I'm content with what weaknesses insults hardships persecutions and Calamities those are times where any man including the
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Apostle Paul would be tempted to be discouraged the whole focus
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Of Paul's life and ministry to keep him from discouragement was not on himself
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It was on God the two timeless principles. How do we see that in the two timeless principles
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I? Can handle any adversity any discouragement if I accept that all adversity and?
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difficulty is what God's sovereign purpose, it's about God and secondly
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I can handle any discouragement if I come to grips with the reality that Christ Grace is
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Sufficient man, let me encourage you this morning if you're discouraged
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Be encouraged God has a divine purpose in Your difficulty and in the midst of your trial.
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He's not going to take you out of it You can plea like the Apostle Paul. He's going to bring you through it
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Why to show that his grace is sufficient to show that his power is made perfect in your weakness
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Let me pray Father thank you for the truths the timeless truths of your word the timeless truths of scripture that it is written for Our salvation and for our sanctification and for our sustenance father
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Would you just imprint these truths on our hearts this morning as men? Some might be in here today who are more deeply discouraged than others who are in a situation and Can't find their way out of the tunnel can't see the light at the end of the tunnel
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Others might be discouraged particularly in the certain ministry that they're in I pray that you would encouragement you
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Encourage them as you are the God of encouragement and that they would know Beyond a shadow of a doubt that in the midst of their difficulty that you have a divine purpose and that Christ's grace is