2 Cor 4:16-18 (9/3/14)

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2 Cor 4:16-18 (9/3/14)

Stay the Path

September 3, 2014 • Benham Brothers

The secret to making it through affliction:
1) Renewal - taking off the old and putting on the new (Romans 12:1-2).
2) Focus - we fix our eyes on God (Peter sunk when he lost focus on Jesus).
We don't look at what's in our hand, we look at what's in His.
2 Cor 5:9 - When we focus on God our one ambition is to please Him.
When ambition takes the lead the ends justify the means so that the accomplishing of the "thing" is more important than the way we accomplish it.
Focusing on God means we concern ourselves with our duty and not the results.

2 Corinthians (9/19/13)

August 19, 2013 • Benham Brothers

1 Cor didn't accomplish it's purpose and some Corinthians were confused and thought it was too severe, so 2 Cor addresses that: 2:15-16 - fragrance of death. Spirits have an odor 3:7-9 - ministry of death (the law) 3:17 - true liberty is the freedom NOT to do something (you've been liberated) 4:16 - renewal of the inner man - counteracting lies with truth 5:9 - proper ambition - the means are just as important as the ends 5:17 - a brand new man 6:14 - bad binding - don't be bound with unbelievers (those with the wrong goal) - there's a diff between a christian business person and a kingdom one. Bad Goal - to make money to glorify God. Good Goal - to glorify God, and if this involves making money then so be it. 10:12 - the problem with comparing - don't do it 12:7 - pride is controlled by the prick of God!

2 Corinthians 1:6-9 (9/14/22)

September 14, 2022 • Benham Brothers • 2 Corinthians 1:6–9

* Why does God allow trials and tribulations in your life? * Think of the two greatest commandments, and then think of trials. * They teach you to rely on God. * They prepare you to help others. * Vs 3 - “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort…” * It would be great if it was all about our own comfort. * Compassion = “to suffer together.” * Vs 4a - “…who comforts us in all our troubles…” * God isn’t concerned about making us comfortable apart from trials, He’s interested in comforting us in the midst of them. * Why? Because you draw close to those who show you compassion (suffer with you). * Vs 4b - “…So That we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God…” * Your trials aren’t about you. * The words “so that” define your purpose. * Vs 5a - “For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ…” * To show true compassion for Jesus we have to be willing to suffer with Him. * Don’t be ashamed of His name. * He came to earth to suffer with us. * Vs 5b - “…so also our comfort abounds through Christ.” * We enter His suffering so we can get His comfort! * Rick Warren in Purpose Driven Life said there are four levels of unity: * Level 1 - you grow close with people you STUDY with. * Level 2 - you grow close with people you SHARE with. * Level 3 - you grow close with people you SERVE with. * Level 4 - you grow close with people you SUFFER with. * Fighting together draws you together (BiB). * Vs 6 - “If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.” * God does things TO you so He can do things THROUGH you. * When you see yourself as a conduit, not a cul-de-sac, God can pour more through you. * This is both blessings and burdens! * EX: God says, “Jason is about to go through something difficult, and he’s going to need some good buddies around him to encourage him. So I’m going to let John go through something difficult so he can be an encouragement for Jason.” * Vs 7 - “And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.” * God’s ways are always a two-way street. * Vs 8-9 - Anyone who trusts in their own ability cannot be led by His Spirit. * God’s strength is shown through our strain. * Why trials? * They teach you to rely on God. * They prepare you to help others.

2 Corinthians 2:8 (9/3/15)

September 3, 2015 • Benham Brothers

In 1 Corinthians 5:2 Paul said to remove a man from among them. Nobody knows who the man in 2 Cor 2 was who Paul was referring to. Many commentators think it may have been this same guy. Paul shows his fatherly heart, because he was willing to restore the man caught in sin. He was hard toward the unrepentant heart. He was soft toward the repentant heart. His heart toward both was for restoration. The key hinges on the repentance of the person.