Losing Heart

You are listening to a message from Thrive Community Church, a church located in Southwest Florida. For more info, visit us at thrive-fl.org. It's good to be here, and it's good to be in this series. Second Corinthians, the more and more I study this book, this letter, which is actually Paul's third letter to the Corinthian church, from what we can gather. We've lost the middle letter, which, like I said, is a good thing because it's probably so harsh. I don't know if I want to read it. But to be able to be in this and journeying through this book, there's just so much depth and breadth in Paul's experience and how he is probably more open, more vulnerable, more exposed. Today, we're going to see some of that in terms of his motivations, why he's doing what he's doing. You really know why people do what they do when they are under stress, pressure, or difficulty, why people do what they do when they are facing obstacles in the way. If it's about convenience or if it's about being applauded and lauded or paid in one form or another, when the rewards are all taken away, when every perk is gone, that's when you see why. And we're kind of getting at that today. We've learned so far about vulnerability that, first of all, everybody wants to see it in someone else so they can be approachable and open, but nobody wants to show it in themselves. Have you ever noticed that? You want to be on your guard, but you want people to drop their guard. We've also learned in the first week of this study, we talked about the difference between trying to find a comfortable life and being comforted in an open life where you are open to others, serving and giving, and then God comforts us even in the midst of our trials. Last week, we looked at this word confidence, papoithesis, which is the Greek word for it, and we found that, one, Paul talks about confidence, and he does have it, but it's not in himself and his abilities. He finds his confidence and his trust in Christ and his completeness in Christ and how you can be open. And open is probably the best term for what vulnerability really means. It's not about weakness. It's not about just exposing your flaws. It's not about like, okay, I'm going to let everybody see and feel ashamed about myself. That's not what it's about. It's really about openness. And if you aren't open, you really can't have friendship. You can't have family. You can't have community. So I don't think there is an English translation of this letter that uses the word vulnerable or vulnerability, and yet it runs through this letter. Today, we're actually in 2 Corinthians chapter 4. Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. That is going to be a key phrase. It'll come up twice, to lose heart, in this whole chapter. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word. But by the open statement of the truth, we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case, the God of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ is Lord. With ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed. Perplexed, but not driven to despair. Persecuted, but not forsaken. Struck down, but not destroyed. Always carrying in the body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to the death for Jesus' sake so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, I believe and so I spoke, we also believe and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake. So that as grace extends to more and more people, it may increase thanksgiving to the glory of God. So we do not lose heart. Comes up again. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light, momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. As we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. And I kind of highlighted that one word. It's the Greek word enkakeo. Okay, there you get to see it. Okay. And it means to fa...