Our Sufficiency is from God

2 Cor. 3:4-6

Our Sufficiency is from God

It is the grace of God that empowers the believers to be sufficient, effective, fit, qualified,

NASB - adequate

NIV - competence

ESV - sufficiency

Cebuano - Katakos

Definition = the quality of being able to meet a need satisfactorily

Important Principles For Effective Service

1.An effective servant puts his confidence in God (v4)

Confidence not in the flesh - Phil 3:4-8

If there’s anyone in the history of the church who could have relied on his own God-given endowments, surely it would have been Paul. He was a brilliant theologian, a gifted evangelist, a tireless church planter, and a sound missionary strategist. He was also adept at cross-cultural ministry—"To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law" (1 Corinthians 9:20-21). Yet Paul, with all his abilities, acknowledged that we aren’t competent in ourselves

Paul’s confidence and competence is from God who calls him to be a minister of the gospel and because He has seen the work of God in changing the lives and hearts of the people.

2. An effective servant looks to God for Spiritual empowerment (v5-6)

Spiritual ministry can be accomplished only by the power of God at work in the minister and released through the preaching of the gospel (cf. Rom. 15:17–19; 1 Cor. 1:18–2:5).1

Application:

If we sometimes feel ineffective, weary, and incompetent in our service to God - we should not give up.

Instead

We should look up to God for empowerment.

We should also look inside and within - whatever remains of self-confidence, surrender it to God.

We should also look at the work of God around us - lives change, weak faith now deep and immovable faith, observers to servants...immature to mature, families now united in prayer...

As we put confidence in what the Lord can do through us, we must cooperate with Him by continuing to grow in the knowledge of the Word with dependence and submission to the Lord who gives us the grace to persevere and be effective

in the work of Service that He called us to.