The Obstacles

"The Obstacles" - 2 Corinthians 4:8-18 The obstacles we have are small and will not last forever. But thanks to them, God will fill us with the glory that lasts forever: a great and wonderful glory. Because we don't worry about what happens to us in this life, which will soon end. My weaknesses are without joy; for in reproaches, needs, persecutions, anguish, and all is for Christ. When I am skinny, then I am powerful (2 Corinthians 1:8-10).

I. Treasure has been entrusted in an earthen vessel.

A. An apparent defeat, and instead, on the other, there is a perpetual victory.

1. There is weakness for all outward appearances, but in reality, there is an incomparable strength.

2. We are troubled in everything, but not narrowed, meaning that he is constantly troubled with adversaries and difficulties, but not wholly hindered from being able to proclaim the message freely.

3. In trouble, but not desperate; Paul often did not know what possible solution he should put to his difficulties, and yet the Lord never let him reach the place of "despair."

4. Persecuted, but not helpless.

5. At times he could feel the fiery breath of the enemy behind him, but the Lord never forsook him to his enemies.

6. Struck down but not destroyed, means that Paul was many times severely "wounded in action," but the Lord raised him up again to go with the glorious tidings of the gospel.

7. God in His wonderful wisdom, sees fit to let "His servants" be touched by sickness, pain, affliction, persecution, hardship, and distress.

8. All of this is set to break the earthen jar, so that the light of the gospel may shine more clearly.

9. (10) The life of the servant of God is one of constant "death."

10. The Lord Jesus Himself, in His life, was constantly exposed to violence and persecution, those who follow in His footsteps will be met with the same treatment.

11. But this does not mean defeat.

12. It is the true path to victory.

13. The blessing fills others by dying like this daily.

14. As we Christians suffer in the service of the Lord, "His life is manifested in our bodies."

15. (11) The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.

16. We often tend to cry out to the Lord in our illnesses to be delivered from them so that we can serve Him better.

17. Perhaps we should sometimes thank the Lord for such afflictions (troubles, shortages, sickness, etc.) in our lives, and glory in our weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may be manifested in us.

18. (13) "Faith enables you" to continue to preach the gospel; "knows that beyond the sufferings of this life ineffable glories open up (which cannot be explained in words,

cannot be narrated or expressed), all that remains is a desire to speak, a smile, an expression of head movement and a lifting of the shoulder.

19. Psalm 116:10 says, "I believed, therefore I spoke."

20. We also believe, which is why we also speak: He had the same spirit of faith that the psalmist had when he spoke these words.

21. The afflictions and persecutions of the life of "my dear Paul" "did not cease his mouth."

22. Whenever there is a true "faith, there must be the expression of it."

23. He cannot remain silent.

24. (14) Paul was not moved by the constant danger of death; we find the answer to it in such a verse.

25. He knew that "this life was not everything."

26. The same God who raised the Lord Jesus would "also" raise with Jesus the same apostle Paul and "present him together" with the Corinthians and us Mega Zoé.

27. (15) Paul understood the more he suffered, the more God's "grace" became available to others.

28. The more people were saved, the more "thanksgiving" ascended to God.

29. And the more "thanksgiving" ascended to God, the more God was glorified.

30. The more you suffer, "the more thanksgiving ascends to God"; nothing to fear, He is glorified.

31. (16) Therefore, we do not lose heart.

32. Paul in his readiness to suffer all kinds of difficulties and dangers because he had before him the certain hope of the resurrection.

33. He constantly lived the process of physical deterioration, on the other hand, there was instead a "spiritual renewal" that enabled him to continue despite all adverse circumstances; so, the believer wants to live like this, he is led away by the blind.

34. "This outer man of ours is decaying."

35. It looks very evident in the body!

36. But Paul "rejoices here in the fact that God sends daily supplies (provides) of power for Christian service.

37. (17) How terrible afflictions endured by the Apostle Paul may seem difficult to comprehend how he could refer to them as a “light tribulation"!

38. The afflictions contemplated by themselves are light, they may be very intense, but when compared to the "eternal weight of glory" that lies before us, they are light.

39. The "light tribulation is momentary," while the glory is "everlasting."

40. The lessons we learn through afflictions in this world will "result in rich fruit" for us in the world to come.

41. A few drops here; a whole ocean there.

42. Setting your sights is the idea of considering something as important. (18)

43. "The things that are seen" are not the goal of our existence.

44. Paul's great goal in his ministry was "that which is not seen." Amen