Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

How many of you know who this man is?

Breaking news: Benny Hinn says that he renounces the “prosperity gospel”

“Televangelist Benny Hinn has admitted his teachings on prosperity “got out of hand” and “damaged a lot of people” and said he wants the remaining years of his ministry to focus on evangelism and the Gospel — not the “health and wealth” theology that made him millions.”

What is the prosperity gospel?

The false idea that if you give your life to God and serve Him, he will make you rich and wealthy and prosperous.

You have these prosperity gospel preachers that say, “send me all your money, and God will bless you in return with wealth!”

That’s convenient for them isn’t it?

They get rich and everyone else gets poorer but they say, “look at me, I’m wealthy, so it must be true!”

It seems that at least a some point, the Christians in Corinth bought into this idea that if you were really with God, then you would be well off.

When you accept Jesus, you won’t have suffering.

This is something people still believe today.

Many ask, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”

The reasoning/assumption is, if you’re a good person, shouldn’t God reward you with good things?

We’re going to look at a passage in Scripture today that shows us how the true gospel gives us so much more hope than any false, prosperity gospel ever could.

By the way, Benny Hinn is still preaching the prosperity gospel

When you accept Jesus, you won’t have suffering.

This is something people still believe today.

Many ask, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”

The reasoning/assumption is, if you’re a good person, shouldn’t God reward you with good things?

We’re going to look at a passage in Scripture today that shows us how the true gospel gives us so much more hope than any false, prosperity gospel ever could.

We are going to see how, contrary to he popular prosperity gospel, trials and persecution do not mean that God has forsaken you, but rather persecution proves the purposes of providence

Pray

Main Passage

We see light, shining into our hearts, and shining out of darkness.

What is this light?

:

The light is the gospel

What is the gospel?

Gospel - “euangellion”

Compound word - 2 in 1

Eu = good + angellion = message

3 angel’s message

What is the good news message about?

The good news is about the glory of Christ, who is in the image of God.

What is the glory of Christ?

and 34 tell us the story of when Moses asked God to show him His glory, and when God did, Moses described His character!

The good news is about the character of Jesus.

The gospel is about who God is.

As you come to know who God is, the light of His goodness shines into your heart, changing you from the inside out.

Satan wants to keep people in darkness by preventing them from having the light.

Background

His opponents were undermining his work, claiming that his suffering proved he was not a true apostle.

​2 Corinthians 11:24–28 NKJV24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.

25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— 28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.

Paul was known for being poor, humble, and suffering.

Paul responds that his suffering highlights or proves his dependence on Christ.

The Corinthian believers were exposed to other more “successful” leaders that were not humble, poor, and suffering like Paul was known for.

It seems that at least some of the Christians in Corinth believed in a sort of prosperity gospel.

What is the prosperity gospel?

The false idea that if you give your life to God and serve Him, he will make you rich and wealthy and prosperous.

You have these prosperity gospel preachers that say, “send me all your money, and God will bless you in return with wealth!”

That’s convenient for them isn’t it?

They get rich and everyone else gets poorer but they say, “look at me, I’m wealthy, so it must be true!”

It seems that at least at some point, the Christians in Corinth bought into this idea that if you were really with God, then you would be well off.

When you accept Jesus, you won’t have suffering.

This is something people still believe today.

Many ask, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”

The reasoning/assumption is, if you’re a good person, shouldn’t God reward you with good things?

They were exposed to other leaders that were well off, were great public speakers, and then they looked at Paul, and something didn’t add up.

They would compare these other leaders with Paul and there was a big difference.

Was Paul wealthy and rich?

No. Paul was humble and simple and besides that, his life was filled with trials and hardship!

Paul was known for being poor, humble, and suffering.

To make matters worse, Paul’s opponents were undermining his work, claiming that Paul’s suffering proved he was not a true apostle.

They would say, “Look at Paul, what a mess!

How can anyone believe that he is really an apostle!

Clearly God has forsaken him.”

So how does Paul respond to these accusations?

Did Paul deny that his life had trials?

No, instead he confirmed it did!

What kind of trials did he have?

We don’t have to guess because he tells us directly.

We see this idea that there were people who were opposed to Paul’s ministry that were trying to discredit him.

Letter of recommendation/references

As a pastor I get asked to fill out letters of recommendations or reference forms a lot.

We see this idea that there were people who were opposed to Paul’s ministry that were trying to discredit him.

We see this idea that there were people who were opposed to Paul’s ministry that were trying to discredit him.

Letter of recommendation/references

As a pastor I get asked to fill out letters of recommendations or reference forms a lot.

Paul is saying, I don’t need a letter of recommendation, I started this church (Acts 18).

We see this idea that there were people who were opposed to Paul’s ministry that were trying to discredit him.Letter of recommendation/referencesAs a pastor I get asked to fill out letters of recommendations or reference forms a lot.Paul is saying, I don’t need a letter of recommendation, I started this church ().I’m the one who taught you everything you know about Jesus.

I brought you into the faith.You want a recommendation?

Look in the mirror.

I’m the one who taught you everything you know about Jesus.

I brought you into the faith.

You want a recommendation?

Look in the mirror.

Observe the Facts in

His opponents claimed that his suffering proved he was not a true apostle, but rather that he was forsaken by God.

Paul responds that his suffering highlights and proves his dependence on Christ.

When Paul said, “We are troubled on every side,” did he know what he was talking about?

Troubled on every side, perplexed, persecuted, and cast down.

Would you rather follow someone who is poor and always going through problems, or would you rather follow someone who is seemingly successful, wealthy, and has their act together?

The Corinthians were tempted to believe these false teachers that were saying that Paul was not truly on God’s side.

But Paul responds in chapter 4, and he is basically saying:

My life may be filled with challenges, trials, adventure, but that doesn’t mean God has forsaken me!

It means that God has chosen to use hardships in my life as an opportunity to attract others to Him! Instead of proving that I am forsaken, my hardships actually prove the exact opposite, that I am being used by God!

Paul was essentially saying this: To suffer for Christ is not shameful.

To suffer for Christ is an honor, it is a privilege.

persecution proves the purposes of providence