A Treasure That Triumphs

2 Corinthians 4:1-10 3/2/25 a.m.

“A Treasure that Triumphs”

We’ve all had times when things were tough. Some of you more than others. Some of you all have lost the dearest person in your life. Your husband or wife. Some of you have lost children. Some of you have lost SO MUCH.

I was talking with Janice Whalen this week. Some of you probably remember her. She hasn’t been here for a while but she set right over there where _____ are setting. I was with her at the hospital this week and we were going back through the years. I’ve preached 6 funerals for her family. Her mother’s funeral, her husband’s funeral, two of her sisters, and two of her brother-in-laws. She’s battled cancer this last year. Now she’s battling pneumonia. But slowly she’s getting better. Let me tell you, these last few years have been really hard.

I have a friend that I’ve been helping this week. He’s 85 years old and he has NO ONE. He’s dealing with medical issues. Of course his parents have passed away. He was an only child so he has no brothers or sisters and no nephews or nieces. He had one daughter who died without children. And he has one son who is living a sinful lifestyle, and so he refuses to have anything to do with his father, my friend. Now this fellow is in the last years of his life and he has no relatives to depend on for help. I’ll be honest, I can’t imagine how hard that would be.

And as I look at the life of the Apostle Paul, I can see his difficulty. How tough his life must have been. The shipwrecks, the beatings, the jail time, the stonings. I mean, the Apostle Paul had it rough. And so this morning we’re going to look at something he needed to teach the people of Corinth. Let’s look 2 Corinthians Chapter 4 this morning. I love this first Verse.

“Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;”

I think Paul wants to make one thing clear as he writes to the people of Corinth. I think he wanted them to know that because of God’s Mercy, he wasn’t going to quit. He was determined to keep going.

And I think we all need to MAKE THAT DECISION in our own mind. Listen, God has placed each one of us in His ministry. It may get hard and it may get tough but we’re NOT gonna quit. We need to make that DETERMINATION like Paul did that WE’RE going to keep pressing on. And so this morning let’s read 2 Corinthians 4 Verses 1-10.

“Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;

2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.”

This morning I want to look at the last four Verses that we read. Verses 7-10. I’m gonna TITLE this message, “A Treasure that Triumphs” I want to talk to you about this TREASURE that makes all of the things that we go through WORTH IT.

And so before we get in to the message, let’s go to the Lord in Prayer. Brother _____, would you lead us.

Before I get into the heart of my message I want to go over a few things that are important for us to understand.

Working our way down to Verse 7, Paul starts out this Chapter by showing us his determination . And then in Verse 2 he shows us his character. Everything he did was out in the open. He was above reproach in all of his dealings.