Sermon Tone Analysis

Paul was no stranger to challenges.

One of the most familiar passages is 1 Corinthians 4.9-13

Treasure- valuables.

jars of clay- earthenware container

surpassing- extremely more than is necessary.

overthrow.

power- influence over reality in a supernatural manner.

This power belongs to God, not us, but he has deposited it in us as believers.

The value of the gospel and the worthlessness of the container it is placed in!- US! Paul is comparing, not downplaying the value of the body.

He is comparing the container to the light of the gospel message.!

afflicted- brought into difficulty in every way and in any way.

crushed- to be in a distressing situation without hope of escape, survival, or other positive outcomes.

perplexed- filled with confusion and failure to understand.

driven to despair- losing mental composure.

It has been hard- but never driven to surrender.

Persecuted- systemic harassment and attack due to one’s religious beliefs.

forsaken- abandoned

struck down- overthrown, knocked down.

destroyed- damaged irreparably.

the death of Jesus- the act of causing someone to die.

we always carry the death of Jesus in our dead bodies....

so

The life of Jesus may be made manifest.

manifest- made clear.

We who are living are constantly being betrayed to death, handed over to death, so that the life of Jesus can become clear in our mortal bodies.

The most important piece of 2 Corinthians 4.10-11 is that both death and life are evidenced in these times- that is, we are not speaking about life after death, nor are we speaking about life through death- we are talking about both death and life being present in the vessel of our bodies.

Death operates perfectly in us so it works the perfect life of Christ in you.

spiorit of faith- our faith is our trust, the animating factor in our living through this.

tell some one with your mouth or with how you live through it.

2 Corinthians 4.13-14 are witnesses that faith cannot remain silent.... Paul quotes Psalm 116.10

knowing a fact

raised- resurrecting

Jesus

will

Raise- resurrect (us)

Bring us into his presence- to be caused to be in a specific place or proximity to something else.

It is all for you

grace- goodwill freely disseminated by God

extends- becomes bigger and bigger

more and more people- greater in number.

thanksgiving increases or abounds.

to give God more and more honor.

lose heart- we are not discouraged.

outer-being on the outside

wasting- the physical process of breaking down, wearing out, whether by becoming older and less healthy or rotting after death.

inner-the soul, the immaterial part of us.

renewed- to become in alike-new and often improved manner.

day by day- every 24 hours (the time for Eaarth to make a complete rotation on its axis.)

momentary- lasting for a brief time.

light- property of being comparatively small in weight.

affliction- an oppressive state of physical, mental, social, or economic adversity.

(pressure)

preparing- working

eternal- forever

weitht- significance or importance

glory- high honor

beyond all comparison- the state of having extremely more than is necessary superlatively.

“as”- provided that

We look not at our present- but at the yet unrevealed future, the hidden, the eternal.

Paul is not saying he is uninterested in what is happening here- often to him(!)- but also to others,.... but rather that he sees it all through the lens of the unseen and eternal promise beyond this life..... that is what reveals the glory he is talking about- the knowledge of the future.

Paul is not preoccupied with heaven, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God the father, because he simply chose it.

He is practicing a very informed decision that he made long ago on the damascus road and that has continued throughout his sufferings.

Paul recognized that this life- all of its heartaches and sufferings along the way- were passing away.... consider 1 Cor 7.31

This is all temporary!

We are temps.

God Honors Our Faith When We Honor His Glory

“All God’s giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on Him being with them.”-J.

Hudson Taylor

Focus on the master, not on ourselves.

Suffering Reveals Not Only My Weakness But God’s Glory

The true test of our ministry is not stars- it’s scars.-

Warren Wiersbe

The Challenge Of My Life Is God’s Adjustment To My Vision

Difficult Circumstances serve to aadjust my vision.

My bottom line is in no way intended to blame God for anything, we live in a sinful world as sinners.

But God can use our circumstances to make us better.

See Luke 1.26-35

I want you to imagine the challenge this would be in Mary’s life.... what was her response: Luke 1.38

The challenge adjusted Mary’s vision- from the short term to the long term.

See Matthew 1.18-25

Imagine the challenge this was in Joseph’s life.

The challenge adjusted Joseph’s vision- from the temporal to the eternal.