Struck Down But Not Destroyed 2 CORINTHIANS 4:7-18 All of us have to deal with problems in this life. They can be brought on in many different ways. We may have health problems We may have financial problems We may have problems with family and friends We may have problems because we re Christians 1
These problems and others are no stranger to the Christian. Christians suffer from the same problems that face all of mankind such as pain, sickness and death. In addition to these, Christians many times have to endure hardships because we are followers of Christ No matter which type problem is faced, the Christian is in a unique position to handle them better than anyone else. I want us to spend a few moments looking at all the problems the Apostle Paul faced in this life and then look at how he felt about these problems. Paul suffered great hardships during his life many brought on because he was a Christian. Like many of us, he suffered from physical ailments. He describes one of them as a thorn in the flesh 2
This ailment seems to have been a chronic condition. 2Co 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. We have no way of knowing exactly what this thorn in the flesh was but many believe it was a disease that affected his eyes. There are a few verses that seem to support this idea. 3
Evidently Paul dictated most of the epistles he wrote, possibly because of poor eye sight. Ro 16:22 I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord. In the epistles that Paul dictated, he made a habit out of signing them himself. 2Th 3:17 The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write. In Paul s handwriting we see another indication that he may have had difficulty seeing. He wrote with large letters. He points this out to the Christians at Galatia. Ga 6:11 See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand! It would be very natural for someone who does not see well to use large letters when writing. 4
Paul also mentions an infirmity was the reason he preached the gospel at Galatia the first time he was in that city. Ga 4:13 You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. 14 And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. Ga 4:15 What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me. Evidently this disease was something that was visible to others It could have been a cause for the Galatians to have despised or rejected him. It must have had something to do with his eyes 5
I believe further evidence of Paul having some type of problem with his eyes was his inability to recognize the High Priest. In Acts 23 Paul had been taken before the Sanhedrin Council. Ac 23:1 Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, "Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." Ac 23:2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?" 4 And those who stood by said, "Do you revile God's high priest?" 6
Listen to Paul s response 5 Then Paul said, "I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.' It s hard to imagine that Paul would not have known who the High Priest was. Unless he was unable to clearly see who gave the command for him to be struck In my way of thinking these verses indicate that the Apostle Paul had some ailment that affected his vision, was visible to others and would not go away. In reality what this thorn in the flesh was doesn t really matter. The point is that Paul had similar problems to us. This time last year, I couldn t take a step without my Achilles tendon hurting. 7
The surgery on my tendon so far has been successful A few months after the surgery I began to have severe pain in my lower back on occasion. Shortly after the back pain went away I had to deal with kidney stones for a few weeks. After the surgery healed up, the sharp back pain went away and the kidney stones were taken care of, I began to experience sciatic nerve pain down both legs that still goes on today. Sometimes life just seems to throw us one problem after another. My problems are small. Some of you have experienced and are still experiencing far worse physical and emotional distress. We may wonder sometimes what else can go wrong? 8
The Apostle Paul also suffered because he was a Christian like we do on occasion. Demas was a Christian and a friend of Paul s He worked with Paul spreading the Gospel Paul mentioned in the book of Colossians that Demas and Luke sent their greeting to that church. Paul tells Philemon that Demas is a fellow worker. Philemon 1:23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers. What an honor it would be to have the Apostle Paul say the same thing about us. There is no doubt Paul loved Demas. 9
Paul gives Timothy some very sad news about his friend Demas. 2Ti 4:9 Be diligent to come to me quickly; 10 for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica-- Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. No doubt this weighed on the mind of the Apostle Paul. How many of us have had similar problems. Dear friends and family members who once were Christians but have gone back into the world. The worry and concern over their souls can be a heavy weight to carry. We need to remember that we are not the only ones who have faced such burdens. 10
Paul faced many, many more problems in this life. Hopefully none of us will have to face all of the things he did. 2Co 11:22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they ministers of Christ? --I speak as a fool--i am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. 24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 11
2Co 11:26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness-- 28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. I know life is not easy for us sometimes but thankfully we have not had it as tough as Paul did. I certainly don t want anyone to think I am trying to down play the problems they face in this life because sometimes they can be almost overwhelming. I want us to see Paul as someone who suffered in this world like we have. 12
Now that we have seen many of the problems that Paul went thru, I want us to look at his attitude towards them and hopefully we can develop this same attitude ourselves. 2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 2Co 4:8 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed The pressures of this life may be great but they are not more than we can bear if we depend upon God. 13
2Co 4:8 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed We may be perplexed and not understand why things happen like they do but we don t give up because we know there is a better life to come if we hold onto God. 2Co 4:8 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed We may be persecuted by others because of what we believe. Friends and family may forsake us but God will not. He knows what we are going thru! 14
2Co 4:8 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed Life may knock us down over and over again. This world may even take our physical life but it cannot destroy us spiritually if we hold onto God! The worst thing that could happen to us is for us to allow the problems and trials in this life to destroy our faith in God. God knows what is going on and he cares. Each of the 7 Churches that Jesus addresses in Revelation He tells them He knows what is going on with them. He knows what we are going thru as well. 15
Let s go back and read the rest of 2 Corinthians 4 2Co 4:10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death is working in us, but life in you. 2Co 4:13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak, 14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. 16
2Co 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 17
Conclusion Verses 17 & 18 explain why the Christian should be able to handle the problems of this life better than anyone. It is because the Christian knows this life and all of its problems are temporary. Christians need to focus not on the temporary but rather on those things which are eternal. This world can throw all the problems at us that it wants but it cannot destroy us unless we allow it to. 18