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What would it take to make your life and ministry come unstuck?

God willing, it will not be sin that disqualifies you from any formal ministry, or any intellectual doubt concerning the gospel and its power to save.

The strongest temptation to come unstuck will come from the disillusionment of things just not working out.

But my guess is that the strongest temptation to come unstuck will come from the disillusionment of things just not working out. Maybe it will be weariness, compounded by the pandemic, or the discouragement of not seeing people saved, or the exhaustion of not having enough leaders or resources, or a decreased capacity brought on by sickness or burnout. Perhaps you have people in church constantly criticising you. Or maybe you have people who constantly speak against you on social media. And you just feel like giving up.

You just lose heart.

If that sounds familiar, you might consider the apostle Paul. He suffered far beyond his ability to endure. He wasn’t sure he had the strength to live (2 Cor 1:8-9). He was perplexed, persecuted, and struck down (2 Cor 4:8-9). He was opposed from within the church he founded (2 Cor 11:4-5). As one commentator puts it: “At times, it felt like the only thing that united the Corinthian church was a common contempt for Paul”.

And Paul’s results often seemed disappointing. The powerful gospel of which he was “not ashamed” (Rom 1:16) appeared ineffective because of Satan’s blinding of unbelievers (2 Cor 4:3-4). Paul describes himself as a “jar of clay” (2 Cor 4:7)—a weak vessel akin to today’s styrofoam cup. A few verses later, in a similar vein, he describes mortality as our “outer selves” wasting away (2 Cor 4:16)—accelerated the stresses and afflictions associated with ministry.

But Paul doesn’t lose heart. And nor should we.

Paul doesn’t lose heart. And nor should we.

“Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart” writes Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:1.

The Old Covenant was a ministry of death (2 Cor 3:7-9). It proclaimed the Law of Moses. And all the Law could ever do was condemn us—even though it was still glorious because it revealed God’s glorious character.

But the ministry of the New Covenant gives life! (2 Cor 3:5-6). It arises from the undeserved relationship that our holy God created between himself and his sinful people. It was signed with the blood of his dying and rising Son. Unlike the glory on Moses’ face that fades, this new covenant ministry will prepare us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison!

And so, as Paul continues to proclaim Jesus in this new covenant ministry through all his afflictions, he doesn’t lose heart!

But how does he conduct this ministry of the New Covenant? Instead of losing heart, Paul preaches the light of the Apostolic gospel. He proclaims Jesus Christ as Lord! (2 Cor4:3-4). He doesn’t do it underhandedly or with cunning to make it easier to sell. He proclaims Christ by the open statement of truth; simply, clearly, and faithfully—even in the face of fearsome spiritual opposition.

Temptation

The temptation Paul describes—to change the gospel to make it more appealing—is still with us today. Some seek to proclaim the gospel:

  • without referring to sin or judgment
  • speaking of sin only as a horizontal offence between people, rather than ultimately a vertical offence against God.
  • blurring the fruit of the gospel with the gospel itself by speaking of social justice rather than salvation.
  • in terms of we can do rather than what Jesus has done.

But look what Paul writes:

For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. (2 Cor 4:5-6)

Even though Satan is at work blinding people—the gospel is more powerful. It will break through all of Satan’s schemes. The power that God exercised when he brought this world into existence from nothing is the very same power that he uses to change our hearts through the light of the apostolic gospel!

A Glorious Perspective

So don’t lose heart!

Paul’s life is a walking sermon illustration of the death and resurrection of Jesus. He carries the death of Jesus when he is persecuted, and he manifests the life of Jesus when he perseveres through the persecution. And as Paul continues to proclaim the Lordship of Jesus, people come alive.

So he doesn’t lose heart. He remembers the glory that is to come (2 Cor 4:16-18). He knows that our “inner self” is what remains when the “outer self” is completely wasted away. The “inner self” is the first sign of our life beyond the grave, and Paul says that it is being “renewed day by day” by the life of Jesus in us.

From that perspective, our afflictions are light and momentary! But if you reflect on Paul’s life, they were not light and momentary at all! He was imprisoned, beaten, stoned, left for dead, shipwrecked, persecuted by his own people, sleepless, starving, and always anxious for the churches he served (2 Cor 11:23-28).

Glory is what fortifies Paul’s motivation to keep doing gospel ministry.

However, compared to eternity, these afflictions really are light and momentary! In fact, they are preparing for us an “eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” Our suffering at the moment will achieve glory in eternity. It isn’t that suffering somehow merits glory. Yet it shares in God’s glory. As people hear the gospel, it brings thanksgiving and glory to God—a glory far out of proportion to our suffering.

Glory is what fortifies Paul’s motivation to keep doing gospel ministry. Glory motivates him not to lose heart. It is the glory of seeing people come to life as he preaches Jesus Christ as Lord.

We might feel personally fragile. Our ministries might seem ineffective. We might be persecuted to the point of death. But we have the gospel of the New Covenant as our treasure, and as we proclaim Jesus as Lord—new life is created in the midst of our afflictions. And we look forward to the eternal weight of glory that is to come.

So don’t lose heart.

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