- In this sermon, I’m going to focus on the transition statements within this passage. I want to do that because in this particular passage those words give us some clues to the point that Paul is making. They each point to a significant idea within this passage.
When You Feel Like You’re Not Good Enough:
1. How does God give us the chance to make a difference? The power of the Spirit to transform us.
- 2 Corinthians 4:1.
- 2 Corinthians 4:1 – “Therefore” points back to 3:18, which speaks of the Spirit’s power to transform us into ever-increasing glory.
- 2 Corinthians 4:1 – “this ministry” – this points to the “chance to make a difference,” i.e. a meaningful ministry.
2. Why don’t we lose heart? His mercy opened up something this impressive to us.
- 2 Corinthians 4:1.
- 2 Corinthians 4:1 – “we do not lose heart.”
- There are for most Christians going to be times when we start to lose heart. We get discouraged and dejected. How do we persevere through that? We remember that His mercy has opened up this impressive opportunity to us.
3. What about when I don’t feel worthy? Don’t keep secrets but embrace God’s transforming mercy.
- 2 Corinthians 4:2.
- 2 Corinthians 4:2 – “Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways.”
- The second transition word I want to focus on (the first was “therefore”) is “rather.” Verse 2 begins with it. “Rather” obviously implies a contrast. The end of verse 1 spoke of “not losing heart.” Ok – so what do we do instead? “We . . . renounce secret and shameful ways.”
- What’s the connection between the two things?
- I think the connection is found in a common response to moments when we don’t feel worthy. I get down because I allow sin in my life. I suffer a spiritual setback. I fail to live sold out to Christ.
- A common response is the try to hide that sin, both from the world and from God. We don’t want to acknowledge the problem is there. That is the wrong response, though.
- A better response than hiding from God is to run to Him. Yes, I’m going to mess up sometimes, but I respond to that by going to God, repenting, and moving forward confident of His help.
- This, of course, does not come naturally to us. We want to hide. But that doesn’t get us to victory.
4. Are we just trying to make ourselves feel better? This works because it’s based on honesty and truth.
- 2 Corinthians 4:2 – “we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God.”
- This continues the thought I just shared. We are not using “deception” – trying to convince people that we’re something that we’re not or trying to hide things from people.
- Further, we don’t pick and choose passages from the Bible in order to further our agenda. This is a common tactic to ease our conscience, but we don’t have to do that.
- The pathway to freedom is through honesty and truth. Most don’t want to go that route because it requires repentance and change in behavior. For many, it’s easier to pretend.
5. Does this hurt our witness? Not at all because this has the smell of authenticity.
- 2 Corinthians 4:2 – “On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”
- An additional objection that some would present to the previously shared ideas would be that admitting to such failures and shortcomings will drive away the unsaved. That’s easy to think, but is incorrect.
- What the unsaved object to is not that we sin, but that our hypocrisy in pretending to be righteous when we’re not. They also object to us claiming a belief in a powerful God but then continuing to live an unchanged life.
- When we share our struggles with sin, acknowledge that we fail, and give evidence that we are working to move forward into victory, that doesn’t push the unsaved away. They can see themselves in our failures.
- It’s important to be authentic, rather than trying to pretend to be something that we’re not.
- As this passage shares, when we set forth the truth plainly, that commends us to those around us, rather than pushing us away.
