Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Good morning my friends, we find our self here again in the Lord’s house.

We have had a great week for Vacation Bible school, the weather was nice, the kids had a lot of fun, they learned a lot about Jesus, and they had a chance to see Jesus as we lived in front of these kids and loved them.

I want to say thank you to everyone who helped with Vacation Bible School, our director, those who helped with music, food, games and those who made sure the kids got from station to station safely and on time.

We certainly do appreciate all your hard work.

Truthfully, we could not do Vacation Bible School without you!!!

Now today I am going to a new text, and I want us to look at just all that God has done inside of us and the ministry each of you possess.

Now did you catch what I just said… there is a ministry inside of each of you.....

God has done something wonderful in your life, just as He did in each of the Apostles lives, we know that he is still calling people to come and serve.....

Not as Apostles, but as ministers of the word in our world we live today.

So lets begin today...

Take your Bibles and lets go to 2 Corinthians chapter 4.

Now, Paul is ministering to the people who are in Corinth, those believers in the New Testament church.

But it has been hard and difficult, the people there have faced many challenges, especially from false teachers who have tried to lure people astray through their teaching and presence in their community.

In fact there is so much persecution, Paul has to defend the ministry God has called him to and His teaching.

So lets begin today… And lets start here...

Paul was thankful for His Ministry.....

1. Paul was thankful for His Ministry.....

Let me begin by saying this...... Paul was indeed happy to be used of God in such a wonderful and powerful way.

And honestly it wasn’t easy..

He had difficult days while serving the Lord in Asia, there was hardship and suffering...

@ Cor 1:8

In the midst of human frailties, His throne in the flesh and other difficulties along the way, Paul confesses life was hard.

He pulls no punches there.

He knew God would see him through it all.

And He was thankful....

Listen to what Paul says in verse 1

The ministry given to him was from God, and this ministry is was result of God’s great mercy.

Now you might be wondering what Paul means here, what is he saying....

The very life Paul enjoyed and the ministry God has entrusted him with was the result of God’s great mercy.

If we look back to chapter 3, verse 6 - we see Paul’s confession about the ministry God had called him too.

Paul knew he didn’t deserve salvation or God’s calling on his life.

But God loved him and desired to use Him..

Paul was thankful for this ministry...

A discouraged Methodist preacher wrote to the great Scottish preacher, Alexander Whyte, to ask his counsel.

Should he leave the ministry?

“Never think of giving up preaching!”

Whyte wrote to him.

“The angels around the throne envy you your great work!”

In all that is being said here I can come to this conclusion, Just as God prepared Paul and used him for His purposes, for His glory.

The Lord does the same in our lives.

he calls us and uses us.

You have a ministry, a calling set before you.

At times, as we serve we feel discouraged , remember God loves you and it is by His great mercy that we are hear, that we are His and that He desires to use us.

Amen.

Be thankful for the work God has called you to do....

And then there is a second thought for you today...

2. The World is being Led Astray...

If there is anything I feel I must continually remind you off today, it is this truth, we are living in a fallen and sinful world.

We see it and experience it every day, in a variety of forms.

This world has not been the same from the moment that Adam and Eve sinned against God, and honestly it continues to get worse and worse with each passing day.

It is like the growth of a disease, every so spreading....

Why you might ask, why doesn’t it improve?

Why doesn’t it change?

Oh it will, but His day has not yet come…

The truth is simple, the devil is described as the prince and power of this age (, ) and He is not stopping, honestly he is trying to take as many people to hell as he can....

I believe that.

But as for today… The truth is simple, the devil is described as the prince and power of this age (, ) and He is not stopping, honestly he is trying to take as many people to hell as he can....

I believe that.

Lets go back to our text....

So consider what Paul is saying here....

A. I am not discouraged.... even though Paul has faced hardships and suffering for the sake of Christ, he is not discouraged…

Just as Paul confessed to those believers at Philippi, He could do all things in Christ, in His power, in His help and in His strength, they would have success.

B. Paul says I’m no cheater.... Paul said He refused to change the message to suit others… he would do nothing in a disgraceful or harmful way to the gospel message.

He finished faithfully, the same way he lived in his life.

C. The Devil is at Work and People are Perishing… The phrase speaking about the gospel being veiled refers to what Paul spoke of in chapter 3.

The message of the Old Testament was delivered to Moses and Moses had spent so much time in the presence of God that when he came off the mountain, his face shone with the glory of God.

His face glowed so brightly, the children of Israel did not want to look upon it, so that asked Moses to cover his face when in their presence.

So as the face of Moses (who brought God’s message to the people) was hidden from the Jews, so the gospel message of Jesus is hidden, or veiled to those who are perishing… So the gospel message of Jesus is veiled or hidden from those who are perishing, those whose eyes have been dimmed, lead astray by the deception of the Devil.

Frankly, the Devil wants as many people in hell as he can get, look at verse 4 again

2 cor

The devil doesn't want people to see the light of the gospel, the wonderful message of God’s grace that can set the whole world free..

It is not that they cant see the truth, he has veiled the truth so that the lost, the children of perdition will not have the truth...

Look out beyond our walls today… the world has been mislead and not they are leading the world away… the message of the world is one of tolerance, acceptance, its not hurting anyone, love is love.....

The world is being led astray by the devil, by his minions, and we cannot afford to give any ground.... we have given to much already… stand firm and stand for Jesus my friends...

Let me ask you a question...

How do you feel?

How do you feel about what you believe and what you have given your approval too?

Don’t let the devil and the things of this world steal away what you know is right..... Hold fast to what is right...

And now lets look at another thought today....

3. God has Placed a Great Treasure in Us

Now consider the life saving, the life changing work that Christ has done in our lives…

It is really indescribable, He has saved us, forgiven up, cleaned us and recorded our name in the lamb’s book of life,

Do you ever stop and wonder about the work Christ has done in us?

I do!

I think about what He has done///

Do you ever stop and wonder about the work Christ has done in us?

I do!

I think about what He has done///

listen to what Paul describes in verse 7

He has placed something so wonderful in our lives.

And it reveals one truth, God lovers us deeply, deeply enough to give yn

What is Paul referring too…?

Back in Paul’s day and like our times many years ago, people stored their wealth in vessels, perhaps to bury or hide their gold and silver, well… in Paul’s day the vessels were often earthen vessels or some type of hand made item…clay pots for example.

The type of vessel, well It wasn’t important, they were protecting it, saving it and keeping it for a future time.

The message is the same for what Paul is sharing in this message to the believers at Corinth.

God has stored in us, our earthly, our dirty vessels something so precious, the glories truth of His son, the forgiveness of sin and the blessing of His love… Salvation for the sinner is stored in us, and it is never lost, it is safe in us.

And once saved the Holy Spirit fills us and walks with us as well.

And please know the earthen vessel, it is not special, it has no power, and we have no power, what God has done is all his work, we are blessed to be the recipients of God’s great love.

The recipients of HIs love, His works and the blessing of His Son,