Burdened
Beyond Measure
Scripture: 2CO
1:4-11
2C2CO1_6fO\
Date: February 16, 1994
Time: Wed 1:52pm b Sat 10:50am e
Location: TBC WE
INTRO:
Last Week we studied the Book of Ecclesiastes
This week we want to go down through vs 11 which is really the introduction
to the Book.
As I have studied vv 3-11 I have found Paul giving us 4 basic reasons why
Christians suffer.
Don't expect to correlate righteousness with lack of suffering.
Ecclesiastes
teaches us that if you try to figure out why God prospers this one and allows
trials to this one, a long life to that one and a short life to this one--you
will
become discouraged.
However we can look at reasons why God allows
Christians to
suffer. Persecution, uncertain death, unexpected financial
reversals, etc.
I. Suffering encourages other sufferers. v4
APP: By far the greatest encouragers are those that
have gone
through the same things
A. God will give sufficient grace to endure
what we have to suffer.
vs 5
1. Without
violating other promises--promised provision,
promised strength to do His will, promised finances to
accomplish His plan.
a. Does not mean that life cannot get tough, unpleasant,
even unbearable. But not impossible.
2. Without
cracking up.
3. Without
our families cracking up.
4. From an
eternal standpoint--only increases.
II. Suffering equips other sufferers vs 6
A. The pioneer purpose in suffering
a. effectual--energizes, wrought effectually, gets the job
done, accomplishes the goal.
b. in enduring--The brave patience that the Christian
contends against the various hindrances, persecutions,
and temptations that befall him in his conflict with the
inward and outward world.
2. ILL
Pioneers--they had to go through the privations so that
others would have the faith to continue.
3. ILL
Pilgrims--many pitfalls. As we go through trials we
learn a number of lessons.
ILL the lesson of the failure of socialism and
importance of capitalism.
a. The lessons of our human nature--its weaknesses--the
special things that discourage us, the things that
encourage us.
b. How God worked during your trial.
APP: People are watching
us--they are skeptical--you claim to
believe in God--is He able to help you, or is this simply some
kind of crutch.
B. God will do the same thing for you
vs 7
1. We can use
this.
2. God is no
respecter of persons.
TRANS: We have seen the purposes of suffering with respect to
others.
Now we turn to two ways that God uses suffering in the life of the person
who actually goes through the suffering.
III. Suffering Removes Trust in the Flesh.
A. Description of the Tribulations vs
8
Paul shares with them the
extent of his sufferings
1. vs 8
the suffering was over and beyond our strength.
a. Gr huper-bola
hyperbole English--hy per bo le A
figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for
emphasis or effect, as in I could sleep for a year or This
book weighs a ton
2. The
suffering is described as "burdened beyond power" a
heavy crushing burden, extraordinarily oppressed.
a. ILL A ship that is overloaded and gradually sinks under
weight of the heavy load until it gets to a fatal point.
b. ILL A weary animal that sinks in despair under a
burden that is far heavier than it is capable of handling.
c. ILL A nation that is being crushed under the heavy load
of taxation.
3. despaired
even of life lit. having no way--be at an utter loss.
Being crushed beneath the load and having no route of
escape.
a. One problem, then another, then another, then another.
b. ILL Job--one report then another...
c. When it rains it pours.
APP: It is at times
like these that we learn the truth about our
abilities--or lack of
them. Ps 30:6 In my prosperity I said...
4. vs 9a--we
had the death sentence passed upon us.
B. Reason for these sufferings
1. To teach
Paul to trust God and not himself.
a. His trials were well beyond his own strength,
physically, emotionally, and spiritually--but it was then
that God stepped in and lifted Paul up
b. This is many times God's way--if He chooses to deliver
it is often after all hope was then taken away.
(1) Joseph--several times all was totally lost.
(2) Rea Sea--all hope was lost
(3) Shadrack, --they were thrown into the fire
(4) Daniel--thrown into the fire
c. real trials because they did not know the final chapter
IV. To give hope in present and future trials vs 10
A. If God has not failed us up to this
time, He probably won't start
now. like vs 7
except this is for ourselves--not others.
1. vs
10 Past deliverances are proof of future deliverance
(1) ILL Dr. Afman
(2) ILL God's provision for us through the years.
B. Why did God wait so long to rescue
Paul? Why does He wait so
long to rescue us?
1. Our
greatest lessons come through trials--not times of
prosperity and ease.
a. The Roman empire was much stronger when it had
many external enemies.
b. Same with the Kings of Judah. Asa 2Ch 15,16 Great
victories as a young man--then 20 years of peace--he
lost his faith.
2. It takes
time for God to remove our self-esteem which the
world has worked so hard to build up. He replaces it with
something far better--confidence in God
3. ILL A
person drowning, arms thrashing, gasping for air--
when would you dive in to rescue the person?--Probably not
until the person was going down for the third time. When
they finally had no more ability to resist.
APP: Parents are too quick to jump in and rescue
their children.
APP: How do we respond? It may be that we
will have to repeat.
Have we genuinely learned to trust.
V. It pays to pray for one another. vs 11
A. The gift--not monetary--but God
deliverance.
VI. Paul's strategy. To demonstrate that it is God who is doing the
work
through Paul's life--not Paul himself.
A. What about the false prophets. Is
it human ability or is it divine
power that helps them get
through this life?
B. Not manufacturing results--but living in
such a way that God must
do the work.