Do Not Lose Heart: God's Power in Weakness

You wanna know what God is like? Take a look at Jesus Christ because the glory of God is revealed in his son. And that's Paul's reason. He says Christ is being revealed. The light is shining, and God has acted and is acting through the ministry of the church. So we don't lose hope because the gospel reveals the glory of Christ. And reason number two, we don't lose hope because the power belongs to God. [00:49:35] (38 seconds)  #GospelRevealsChrist

But what's remarkable is that none of those hardships have the final word. None of those hardships have the final word. Every negative statement that he makes in that piece of scripture right there is followed by a bigger and greater reality. Affliction in Christ does not become destruction. Perplexity does not become despair. Persecution does not become abandonment, and being struck down does not become being, being destroyed. [00:56:41] (36 seconds)  #HardshipsDontWin

What's up with that, and how is that possible? Well, at the end of chapter three, Paul had been describing the glory of the new covenant. And he he makes this comparison Moses whose face was veiled to believers now behold the glory of the lord with what he says are unveiled faces. And he's making the point in chapter three that through the gospel, God is transforming his people into the image of Christ from one degree of glory to another. [00:42:10] (43 seconds)  #TransformedByGlory

Your aching shoulder or your back or your hip or your ankle and the pain that it causes you and the delay that it causes you in getting your life stuff done is seen. The empty chair of the person that you used to do ministry or lead a bible study with is seen. But Christ is unseen, and he's greater than all that. The resurrection is unseen, and it is greater than the light momentary affliction. [01:05:30] (39 seconds)  #ResurrectionOverAffliction

I think this is where a lot of Christians become discouraged. I I think we assume sometimes in our lives that weakness means that you got an f. We assume that if God were really at work, then we would feel stronger and healthier and more capable and more successful. But Paul says the opposite. Paul says that God places heavenly treasure in fragile vessels, heavenly treasure in fragile vessels so that no one makes the mistake of confusing the power of God with the strength of the messenger. [00:52:57] (52 seconds)  #TreasureNotStrength

Paul says that that's what we are, carrying a glorious treasure while being an unglorious vessel. He's he's making an intentional contrast right there. Paul immediately explains why god has arranged things this way. This whole treasures in jars of clay thing is about showing that the surpassing power belongs to god and not to a human being. [00:51:44] (33 seconds)  #PowerBelongsToGod

He doesn't say we hope it's gonna happen. He says we know. We know that the resurrection changes everything. It changes how Paul thinks about suffering. It changes how Paul thinks about ministry. It changes how Paul thinks about aging. That's why he says our outer self is wasting away, is being renewed day by day. [01:01:33] (39 seconds)  #ResurrectionChangesAll

When somebody turns and and places their trust in Jesus Christ, it is a rescue mission that has taken place. It is God that is breaking through the darkness in this world. God who is opening up blind eyes in this world. God can open up blind eyes. And God must shine where the enemy has worked to keep the people in darkness. [00:47:08] (30 seconds)  #GodBreaksDarkness