TO THE GLORY OF GOD THROUGH US

As the Westminster Shorter Catechism properly puts it, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”  The pastor effectively leads the church, when he models this to the church. Our ministry is about the majesty of God. It is not about making a name for ourselves, but magnifying the name of our Savior.  Paul states that he—as a preacher—along with other men of God, like Silvanus and Timothy, lived “to the glory of God through us,” (2 Cor. 1:20b). Let us explore 2 Corinthians 1:8-22. 

The passage begins with Paul acknowledging his PAST DESPAIR, “For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life,” (v. 8 ). Gospel ministry is not all sunshine and daisies, but often storms and difficulties. Being in the heat of spiritual battle can make us weary and worn. We can reach the point of despair, as did Paul. If a man of such faith could, “despair even of life,” I certainly may. I think of the mighty prophet Elijah, sitting under a juniper tree wanting to die. Many have been taught that “God will not put on you more than you can bear.”  Paul clearly contradicts that. He says, “we were burdened beyond measure, above strength…”. But though Paul was in despair, he did not stay there. 

We may experience a POWERFUL DELIVERANCE, “Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.” (v. 9-11). Adrian Rogers said, “God will put more on us than we can bear, but not more than He can bear.” (Adrian Rogers Legacy Bible, p. 1299). Paul was about to die, but had a Deliverer—the Lord Jesus who conquered death, hell, and the grave. Nothing then is beyond His power to overcome!  The Lord worked through His Body, the church at Corinth, to bring the Apostle’s deliverance through the power of their prayers. We must remind our congregation to lift us up in prayer, as Aaron and Hur held up the arms of Moses until the deliverance came. The Corinthians not only supported him with their fervent prayers, but their financial possessions.  Over and again, I have seen the bank account depleted, but then a kind church member’s generosity enabled me to make it through another week. 

Thus, Paul maintained a PURPOSEFUL DEVOTION, “For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you. For we are not writing any other things to you than what you read or understand. Now I trust you will understand, even to the end (as also you have understood us in part), that we are your boast as you also are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus. And in this confidence I intended to come to you before, that you might have a second benefit— to pass by way of you to Macedonia, to come again from Macedonia to you, and be helped by you on my way to Judea.” (v. 12-16). Paul may have been sidelined in despair, but because of the Lord hearing the pleas of the saints on his behalf, he was restored in devotion. He lived with purpose. His conscience was clear. He was in the world, but not of the world. His lifestyle was marked by “simplicity and godly sincerity.”  He did not rely on “fleshly wisdom,” but “the grace of God.”  We are to emulate him in living for eternity—“the day of the Lord Jesus,” and summon others to do likewise.  What a crowning moment it will be, when we stand before the Lord of Glory, with those we have shepherded safely to the other side!

The preacher must make a PURE DECLARATION, “Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I plan, do I plan according to the flesh, that with me there should be Yes, Yes, and No, No? But as God is faithful, our word to you was not Yes and No. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” (v. 17‬-‭22‬‬). God is faithful and we as preachers must faithfully proclaim Him. We do not say one thing in the pulpit and another outside it—yes to one member and no to another. There must be consistency in our communication—purity in our preaching. It is pointed: “the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us.”  As the old saying goes, “Wherever you take your text, make a beeline to the cross!”  The glory of preaching is in the glory of the cross of Christ.

My brothers, do not despair, many—including me—are praying for your deliverance, so reinforce your devotion, and refocus your declaration.  “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”

BURDEN BEARING

Paul catalogues some of the adversities he has endured in ministry—and it is astonishing in their gravity and severity.  

“Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 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; 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; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness” (2 Cor.11:23-27 NKJV)

Beyond these crises events—that would have been more than sufficient to cause even the hardiest among us to give up—he describes a relentless pressure, “besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches” (2 Cor.‭11:28).  He does not seem to list this as an afterthought, but an accentuation.  This is the icing on the cake of trials!

I have not experienced much of what Paul lists as his troubles and trials, but this is one that any Gospel preacher who is faithful to proclaim the message and shepherd God’s people knows very well. You feel it when you wake up. You walk with it through the day. You carry it to bed at night. It can even haunt your dreams.  What the people of God face, we face with them. What hurt they know, we ache for them. When they fall, we feel it. When they grieve, we weep with them. Their need becomes our concern.  

Often we are there for others, and no one is there for us.  I recall sitting in my car in the parking deck of the hospital. One of our faithful members that had been a staunch supporter of mine had just died. I had sought to comfort the weeping family. Then it hit me—how much I would miss him—and I cried profusely. Yet, there was no one to hug me and pray for me. I was alone in my anguish. That is often the preacher’s lot. 

Yet, there is a special application for those who serve the church in an even broader context. Paul not only felt the weight of a local church, but of churches—plural—all of them. Those are the shoes I stepped into this year as an Associational Mission Strategist for Haywood Baptist Association. There are sixty two churches now that I serve.  ‬‬I walk with those pastors and seek to encourage them and counsel them. I pray for these churches and try to help them accomplish their mission.  Some are healthy and need to be fueled with encouragement to continue their effectiveness. Some are stuck and need counsel as how to get back on track. Others are sick and need guidance in how to end conflict, find a shepherd, refocus, and be revitalized. Then, there are those who are dying, and the praying for a miracle is intense.  Should they die, I will mourn.

Please pray for your pastors. Pray for other Christian ministers. Pray for me. Help us bear our burden and God will bless you for it!