Relying on the Grace of God

Today is our third Sunday going book by book through the letters of Paul and focusing our attention on his prayers. Today, we will be looking at what we refer to as Second Corinthians. It’s actually the fourth letter that we know about to the Corinthians, but only the second that has been recorded for us.

Acts 18 tells us that Paul spent 18 months in the city preaching the gospel and planting the church. The church was predominantly made up of converted pagans.

Well, Paul had to continue on his missionary journey, but two to four years after leaving Corinth, Paul wrote an letter to follow up with them and to get an update on how they were doing.

That initial letter was delivered, and the Corinthians responded with a letter of their own. This letter included a number of questions, and would have come to Paul along with an update about the church.

In response to their questions and the update, Paul writes a second letter, and that’s the letter we refer to as First Corinthians. We call it that because it’s the first of the ones that we have. In chapter 5 of the book, however, he mentions the previous letter.

Sometime after that letter gets delivered to the Corinthians, Paul visits them again briefly, and he indicates that it was a painful visit; it was sorrowful. Things were not going well for the church.

So, after leaving them again, Paul writes them a third letter, which was severe in tone. It was harsh. Just like with the first letter, we don’t have a copy of that, but we have references to it.

Lastly, Paul writes them a fourth letter, and this is the one we call Second Corinthians.

I say all this to you because I want you to know that Paul had a unique kind of relationship with this church. He kept following up, and he kept trying to keep the church from falling apart, especially since there were false teachers trying to discredit or slander Paul. Second Corinthians is primarily Paul defending himself from those attacks. And he’s not doing it for himself so much as for the protection of the church.

So, if you take time to read 2 Corinthians, you’ll really see Paul’s heart behind his ministry. And as we walk through the prayers, I think that’ll be evident too. There’s a pain as Paul writes. There’s a frustration. There’s a burden on his heart.

Now, before looking at the prayers themselves, I want to give you point of this message upfront. Rathe than add a point every time we meet a prayer, I want to see the prayers as examples of the same point.

And here is the point I want to make: The heart of dependency on God is also the heart of diligence for God. In other words, dependency and diligence don’t cancel each other out. They need to go together. Humility and hard work are supposed to go together.

We shouldn’t pray to God in praise or thanks or with a request and then just sit back and do nothing. That’s a lazy humility. We also shouldn’t be working for God without depending on Him to make our work productive. That would be an arrogant diligence.

In the prayers we are going to look at, I want to simply point two things. Number I, I’ll point out Paul’s prayer, and number two, I’ll point out how that prayer is connected to Paul’s ministry.

He moves from adoration to application. He goes from his worship to his work. He goes from praise to practice, from exaltation to energy. And that is a wonderful example for all of us. We need to depend on God, but we also need to be diligent in the ministry He’s called us to.

Let’s look at our first prayer from Second Corinthians chapter 1, starting in verse 3. This is a common beginning in Paul’s letters. He gives thanks for the church. Second Corinthians 1:3.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, [4] who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. [5] For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. [6] If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. [7] Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

This is a prayer of praise, but it’s also a teaching prayer. We learn about how God operates but also about how we should operate in response.

Verse 3 says God is the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. He is compassionate and merciful. He wants to help us. He wants to strengthen us in our difficulties.

This is an amazing insight into who God is. He sees our pain and our challenges, and He has compassion on us. He doesn’t watch from a distance. He ministers to His children personally. And for that, Paul gives thanks.

But that initial adoration, leads into an application. His praise turns into a practice. What’s the application? We need to extend the mercy and the comfort of God toward others.

Verse 4 says we are comforted so that we will be able to comfort others. God does not intend to give you something so that you can hoard it for yourself. He gives you His good gifts so that you can use them in ministry to others.

That’s true for comfort, as Paul says here. It’s also true for the gospel and for all Scriptural truth. God’s plan for your life doesn’t end with your being saved. He saved you so that He would use you to tell others.

This world rejects the message of Jesus Christ. But the church is here to uphold it. We stand on and we uphold the truth of all creation. That God is the Judge, and mankind will face eternal wrath on account of sin. But those who trust in and surrender their lives to Jesus Christ will be saved on the basis of His death and resurrection.

This isn’t just the Christmas story; this is the story of humanity. And we are here to tell people about it. If they don’t know, then we evangelize them. If they already know, then we remind them, because we are so forgetful and sinful.

You might be on vacation from work or school, but you’re not on vacation from ministry for Jesus Christ.

Praise God for all that He has done for us in Christ. Praise God for all that He continues to do. Amen. But that’s not the end. The blessings of God are meant to empower us for ministry. Paul understood that. He looked beyond just a meaningful or fruitfu; prayer life.

Skip down to verse 10. Paul talks about how much he suffered in ministry, but God sustained him. And Paul expresses his confidence that God will deliver Him again

Verse 10—[God] delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. [11] You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

So, when Paul faces some kind of opposition, he asks the church to pray for him. But if those prayers are answered, and Paul escapes the danger, he doesn’t say, “Phew! It’s done now. I escaped!” No! Paul is looking past the prayers to what is next. Your prayers lead to my freedom, and my freedom leads to more ministry, and that leads to more people giving thanks to God.

That’s the kind of mindset we need to have. If you’re praying for healing, or for a better job, or to get married, don’t let any of those things be an end in themselves. They need to be a pathway to more fruitful ministry. That should be our overarching desire. Life is not about us; it’s about the glory of God.

We find another praise from Paul in chapter 2, verse 14. Paul is talking about a time he visited Troas for ministry. One the one hand, he was excited about the opportunity to preach the gospel, but on the other hand, he was a nagging concern for Titus, whom he could not find, and for the Corinthians. So, he decided to leave Troas and go to Macedonia.

There was a tension in his heart in all this, He wanted to stay, but he moved on because of a pressing issue. But in all of that, he trusted in the sovereignty of God. Look at the prayer in chapter 2, verse 14. Paul is confident that God is leading him.

Verse 14—But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. [15] For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, [16] to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? [17] For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

God leads Paul in triumph. There’s a confidence there. At the same time, Paul is humbled. He feel inadequate for what God has called him to do. That’s what he expresses at the end of verse 16: “Who is adequate for these things?” But since God is with him, Paul doesn’t just give thanks, he continues on with his ministry.

Adoration leads to application. Exaltation leads to effort and energy. Worship leads to work.

Before ascending back to the Father, Jesus gave His disciples a final instruction. He said, “Teach these things to everyone, no matter what nation they are from. Make disciples of all nations.” But that instruction came with a promise. He said, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Christ is with you. He goes with you to work. He with you at home. He’s with you when you meet with your family and friends. Praise Him for that, and allow him to work through you wherever you go.

Wherever you go, you are to be a fragrance for Christ. Some people will appreciate it. Many won’t. But that’s okay. You just be faithful to do what Christ has called you to do, and let God do His part to work on people’s hearts. Depend on the Lord, and be diligent to serve Him.

The next prayer is very brief, and it comes in chapter 8, verse 16. Titus was one of Paul’s coworkers, and he ministered to the Corinthians as well. And so, Paul gives thanks. Second Corinthians 8:16—But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you. 17 For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest he is going to you of his own accord.

Paul gives thanks because Titus works alongside him for the benefit and the strength of the church. Paul’s not alone. He’s not just thankful for Titus’ companionship; he’s thankful that Titus works with him. Part of that work meant travelling to Corinth and taking up a collection for the church in Jerusalem. That was dangerous work, but Titus did it eagerly.

For those of you who are married, or those of you who minister in a team, I hope this kind of thanksgiving characterizes your relationship. You don’t just enjoy one another’s company, you praise God because together you are more effective for the glory of God.

Give thanks for your spouse, and give thanks for those people who are working zealously to minister to the church for the glory of God.

The next prayer comes in chapter 9. I’m going to read a few verses starting in verse 12. There’s a lot packed in there which you can study on your own. Again, all I’m going to point out is Paul’s ministry related to his prayers.

Look at Second Corinthians 9, verse 12. Paul is still on the topic of the Corinthian’s offering for another church. Verse 12—For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. [13] By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, [14] while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. [15] Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

It’s not just money that Paul gives thanks for. He gives thanks for the way that this gift will unite churches in gratitude and in ministry. Thanks be to God!

When you look around at all the blessings God has given you, don’t just say, “Praise the Lord!” Ask yourself, “How can I use these blessings to minister to others?” Thank God for His gifts, and then use them to minister to others. We worship, and we get to work.

This next passage isn’t an explicit, but I figured it was close enough, so I’m including it. Second Corinthians chapter 11, verse 30.

Paul is describing how much he has suffered in ministry—physically and emotionally. Paul’s enemies said that those hardships were evidence that God wasn’t blessing him. But Paul says they’re evidence that he is a true minister. And rather than complain, Paul praised God.

Look at verse 30 of chapter 11. Here’s what Paul says—If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. [31] The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. [32] At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, [33] but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.

Again, Paul depended on the Lord. He didn’t boast in, or take confidence, in Himself. And with that confidence, he continued in ministry, even when his own life was threatened. Dependency and diligence. Dependency and diligence.

One of the unique ways God sustained Paul, and compelled Him to minister, was by giving him a vision of heaven at some point in his ministry. And while something like that might be an occasion for pride, Paul knew that God wanted him to be humble. And so, God allowed this pain to come into Paul’s life, to keep him humble.

Look at Second Corinthians chapter 12. Second Corinthians chapter 12, verse 7.

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. [8] Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. [9] But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. [10] For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

What did Paul pray for three times? He prayed for this pain or difficulty, whatever it was, to go away. He wanted God to relieve him of it. But God didn’t do it. So, what? Does Paul stop working? Does he throw a tantrum? Does he quit the ministry? No!

God’s grace didn’t reveal itself in a healing, but it would be revealed in his sustaining. The work continued. Paul says he was content with the pain because it helped him stay humble. It helped him rely on Christ.

Is that how you pray? “Lord, heal me, please—if that’s what best for my life and for my ministry in your name.” Again, the goal of Paul’s life was never his own comfort. It was the glory of God in Christ in the lives of the people to whom he ministered. And that’s what fueled his prayers.

Don’t give up. Because of age and pain and life circumstances, you might not be able to do some of the things you did before, but that doesn’t you have to stop serving God.

It might mean you can’t fit into a certain role. You can’t pick up the kids in the nursery anymore. You can’t stay up late with the youth. You can’t drive yourself to all the places you’d like. Your schedule doesn’t allow for teaching. But that doesn’t mean you can’t serve God. It doesn’t matter what title or official function you have or don’t have, you are a member of the body of Christ, and God will use you. So, pray for God to strengthen you spiritually—to help you depend on Him—and pray that He guide you into the best way to serve him in this season of life.

The final prayer I’m going to comment on comes in chapter 13, the last chapter of the letter. Paul calls on the Corinthians to examine themselves and to examine his own ministry.

2 Cor 13:7—But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed.

Even though Paul has been defending his own ministry, his concern was not his own reputation. It was the health and purity of the Corinthian church. Paul wants the Corinthians to stay focused on the person and work and plans of Jesus Christ. He doesn’t want them to be sidetracked or deceived.

That’s why he says, “even is we may seem to have failed.” What he means is even if the church still has doubts about Paul, or even if he doesn’t live up to some earthly standard they have in mind, he wants them to stay on the right path. For Paul, ministry is not about him; it’s about Christ. So he prays that the Corinthians will stay focused.

What a great prayer for parents to make for their children. What a great prayer for teachers and elders to make for the church. Even if those we minister to think we’ve failed in some way, may they cling to Christ. May they continue in what is right.

Paul continues in verse 8—For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. [9] For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for. [10] For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.

There’s the connection again between Paul’s prayer and Paul’s practice. He prays for the church to be strengthened, so that when he visits them again, he can encourage them and not be harsh with them. He doesn’t pray for them to grow in the Lord, and then leave them alone. He plans to keep ministering.

As our church continues to grow spiritually and numerically, I hope that God continues to give us the heart of Paul, which is, ultimately, the heart of Christ. We want to be continually depending on God. We want to be humble before him. But we also need to be diligent. Let’s worship God for all He has done for us, and let’s put the work in to see Him glorified in our own lives and in the lives of those around us.

Let’s pray to that end.