Ben Brown

Introduction:

Trash or treasure? Valuable or worthless? Thousands each year take old items they find in their basements, garages, and attics to the Antiques Road Show® to learn of their value. I find it fun to watch the reaction on people’s faces when they learn that what they have is a treasure that is worth a lot of money. It’s also interesting to hear their plans to take much better care of an antique once they learn of its value. Attics, garages, and basements aren’t places for storing treasure.

I was having a chat with someone this week who acquired a violin from a family who had been storing it in their garage. His comment upon his recollection of their chosen storage space was, "You don’t put a violin in a garage." There are storage places that are just not appropriate for holding treasure. In view of this, we might wonder, "Why did God put the treasure of ministry into weak vessels like us? Why does he have weak human beings like you and me proclaim the light of the knowledge of God in Christ?" While it might seem inappropriate that God would have put such a vital message of inestimable value into us to carry to others, He had very good reasons for doing so.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians about the privilege of ministry in 2 Corinthians 2:14-7:16. In 2 Corinthians 4:7, Paul underscored that the ministry he had been given through the New Covenant was a privilege by calling it a treasure. Unlike earthly treasures that are stored in strong lock boxes, the treasure of ministry is carried out in fragile bodies which Paul described as jars of clay. Clay pots are fragile and expendable and so were Paul and his co-workers in ministry and so are we. Why would God deposit valuable, vital ministry into frail, corruptible human bodies like ours? God did it to show us that when ministry occurs, it is the result of His power and not the result of any power or ability the minister generates. The minister is weak for the purpose that the power might be from God.

Transition: In 2 Corinthians 4:8-11, Paul illustrates how God’s purpose of displaying His power was fulfilled in his ministry along with that of his co-workers. Paul, in a series of four contrasting parallels, shows how adversity affected him as a weak, human vessel and how God’s power sustained him in and through that adversity.

Hard pressed on every side. The Greek Word pictures a mass of people crowding around and pressing in on someone. You have probably all seen a movie or television show in which the villain puts the good guy in a room in which the walls start closing in on him. That is a picture of what it was like for Paul in ministry. Paul faced pressure and affliction from every side no matter which way he turned.

Crushed. The pressures were great, but God’s sustaining power kept them from crushing Paul and his co-workers.

Perplexed. He was at a loss. He was at wits end, confused, uncertain about what was ahead and what was going to happen to him. 2 Corinthians 1:8 speaks of Paul’s despair in the past, "We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life."

In despair. He was not utterly at a loss.

Persecuted. Paul was a hunted man who frequently had opponents of the Christian message in hot pursuit of him. Remember the account in Acts 9:23-24. There we read, "After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him, but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall." Paul’s opponents were relentless in their pursuit of him.

Abandoned. God never left Paul in the lurch. He never forsook him.

Struck down. Paul’s opponents from time to time succeeded in casting Paul down on the mat if you will.

Destroyed.

Transition: Paul’s sufferings were neither coincidental nor accidental. Rather…

Paul’s sufferings from being hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted and struck down were actually his carrying around in his body the death of Jesus—or better translated the "dying" of Jesus. This is not a reference to Paul’s final condition of death, but rather to his constantly having to face death’s threat. That this is what Paul meant is clear from his further explanation in verse 11 where he refers to himself as one who was alive, yet "always being given over the death for Jesus’ sake." Paul underwent repeated sufferings that were designed to get rid of him. He was constantly exposed to the danger of physical death. This did not surprise Paul for he knew that Jesus had taught his disciples, "If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also" (John 15:20). He had taught Timothy, his son in the faith that, "Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Timothy 3:12). Paul’s focus as he was facing the process of dying and the prospect of possibly dying at any moment was not on himself, but on Christ. His focus was not on his frail vessel, but on the treasure of ministry—the opportunity to make Jesus’ life known. Paul ran the risk of death so that he could proclaim new life in Christ. Paul made Christ’s life known not only by his preaching ministry, but also by the fact that his not being crushed, his not being in despair, his not feeling abandoned, and his not being destroyed reflected the enabling power of the resurrected Lord living in him. What God does in our mortal bodies as the display of His resurrection power that brought Jesus back to life is instrumental in making Christ’s life known.

Paul’s being given over to the ever-present threat of physical death was the means God used to minister to the Corinthians. Death was at work in Paul (dying was a continual reality for Paul as a minister of Christ), but eternal life was being received by the Corinthians and others who had responded to the gospel by trusting Christ.

Transition: What compelled Paul to continue speaking up in ministry given the suffering and constant threat of death he would have to endure for doing so?

Paul explained what compelled him to speak up as God’s messenger using a quotation from Psalm 116:10. Psalm 116 is a psalm of thanksgiving and praise for God’s deliverance from affliction. It is significant that Paul quotes from this psalm given how the psalmist’s experiences were so similar to those he faced. Like Paul, the psalmist went through times of great adversity.

Psalm 116:3- "The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow." In Psalm 116:6, the psalmist tells of himself having been in great need. In Psalm 116:8, the psalmist speaks of having been delivered from death, tears, and stumbling. In the mist of his affliction, the psalmist prays for God’s deliverance. Psalm 116:4- "Then I called on the name of the LORD: ‘O LORD, save me!’" In Psalm 116:10 which Paul quotes, the psalmist writes, "I believed; therefore I said, ‘I am greatly afflicted.’" How as the psalmist’s bringing up his affliction an expression of trust in God? The psalmist spoke with God about his affliction because He trusted that God could and would do something about it. He trusted that God would do something to deliver him from his affliction. Paul had the same spirit or attitude of trust in God. He continued to speak. He continued to minister the gospel in spite of the continual risks he faced for doing so because He trusted that God would deliver him. When death did in fact come to Paul, he knew that God who raised Jesus from the dead would also raise him and those to whom he ministered. Paul knew he and the Corinthian believers would one day be resurrected and presented in the presence of Jesus.

Transition: Paul could not contemplate his own blessed future apart from thinking about the blessed future that his converts would also experience. In the same way, he could not think of the suffering he went through without remembering the benefit that it brought to those to whom he ministered.

Through Paul’s sufferings, the grace of God in the gospel of Christ reached more and more people. As more came to trust Jesus as their Savior, it caused thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Paul’s ministry was for the benefit of others, not for his own personal benefit. His ministry was ultimately for the glory of God and not for personal glory.

Transition: Paul endured a lot of adversity in his ministry for Christ. In 2 Corinthians 11:24-27, we read Paul’s account of what he went through. "²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, ²⁶ I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. ²⁷ I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked."

Paul went through all this and yet he writes in 2 Corinthians 4:16, "We do not lose heart."

By faith, Paul chose to focus not on what he could physically see, but on the spiritual realities, both present and future, that he could spiritually see by faith, but could not yet physically see. (Read 2 Corinthians 4:18) Paul’s statement in this verse shows the essence of how it was that Paul was able to keep from becoming disillusioned about the obstacles and difficulties that faced him in ministry. Paul’s focus gave him the perspective to realize that the things of this life that are here and now, including suffering and death, won’t last. These things are temporary. However, those things that are ahead for the believer, will last forever. They are eternal. Paul’s focus gave him an eternal perspective that allowed him to entrust the risk of losing the temporary dwelling to God and enabled him not to lose heart. Paul realized that the loss of the physical body is insignificant compared to the gain that would be his.

The physical life of Paul was weak and frail like a jar of clay. Everyone’s life is deteriorating and approaching death, but in Paul’s case, his lifestyle as a faithful minister was speeding up the process. Paul faced constant persecution from his opponents, imprisonment, beatings, and shipwrecks—these were all taking their toll on Paul’s body. We also need to take into account how all of the traveling Paul did and how the strain of caring for the churches must have taken their toll on him physically.

The outward man was wasting away. On a physical level, Paul was deteriorating and moving toward death.

Yet Paul, by faith saw that in regards to his inner man, it was a completely different story. His inner man was being renewed day by day by the ministry of the Holy Spirit. As commentator Homer Kent writes, "As Paul’s Christian life progressed toward its inevitable earthly close, his physical capacities might lessen but his spiritual awareness of God’s program continued to develop. He understood more clearly the values which should govern the Christian’s outlook" (Kent, A Heart Opened Wide, page 76).

Paul did not minimize what he was going through. Earlier in 2 Corinthians 1:8, Paul spoke of his troubles as being far beyond (literally-far more) his ability to endure. There were times when Paul’s troubles seemed like a heavy load. However, when he focused on the glory that was ahead, he saw that it far outweighed (literally-far more unto the far more) all his troubles making them seem light by comparison.

Human assessment that focuses on life here and now will call physical affliction a heavy weight. Faith’s assessment will call physical difficulties light in comparison to the glory that far outweighs them all. Human assessment causes us to say, "When will I ever get out from under these difficulties?" Faith’s assessment will cause us to focus on the eternal glory which will give us the perspective to see that the trials of this life are short-lived. Yes, in this life we might temporarily suffer, but we shall receive future glory that is far greater and lasts forever.

Paul compares our earthly bodies to tents. Like a temporary tent, our bodies are fragile, insecure, in constant need of being mended or doctored up, easily torn down and dismantled. In contrast, the glorified bodies that await us in heaven are buildings from God. They are eternal dwellings. They are not built by hands meaning that they are not of this earthly creation. They are fit for life in heaven. They are far superior to the bodies we live in now.

Paul sighed or groaned expressing his deep longing to be freed from his earthly body and all of its accompanying weaknesses. He longed to be clothed instead with his heavenly dwelling. Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 5:3 remind us of what he wrote in Romans 8:22-23- "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies." Paul did not despair of physical life being taken from him for the sake of the ministry nor did he try to do everything he could to hang on to physical life because he knew that a glorified, permanent body would be given to him. This is not to say that Paul took unnecessary risks and was reckless with his life. Paul did not have morbid thoughts wishing death for its own sake. Paul was not implying that the physical body is to be put off at all costs and treated carelessly. Rather, his longing was for its replacement with a superior body. With an eternal, heavenly dwelling to look forward to that was vastly superior to Paul’s earthly body, death was not a catastrophe.

The reason for Paul’s longing for his heavenly dwelling was not only that it would replace a temporary and mortal one, but also that it would solve the problem of being found naked. For Paul, his mortal life in his earthly body was like nakedness, marked by humiliation, privation, and vulnerability. Not until Paul was clothed in his heavenly dwelling would he no longer be found naked.

When a person is unclothed, he or she feels very vulnerable. Paul was no different. In the nakedness of his earthly body, Paul experienced suffering, trials, and troubles that caused groaning and burden. When a person is unclothed, he wants very much to get dressed. Paul too wanted to be clothed in his heavenly dwelling and did not wish to remain in the state of being unclothed. Paul eagerly anticipated the day when that which is mortal will be swallowed up by life. In eternity, when clothed in his heavenly dwelling, Paul realized that it was at that point in time that he would have all that God planned for him in eternal life.

Our receiving glorified bodies will come to pass because God Himself has prepared us for this glorious future prospect. God elected us, called us to salvation, made us new creatures in Christ and arranged that we would be resurrected and given glorified bodies. Not only did God work to prepare this glorious future for us, but He also has guaranteed it by the deposit of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit, who indwells the believer, is the believer’s seal who also serves as the earnest or deposit of God guaranteeing what is to come in regards to our receiving of glorified bodies. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 1:21-22- "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." The Holy Spirit guarantees that what God has purposed to do will come to pass.

Max Anders (Anders, The Holy Spirit: Knowing Our Comforter, pages 39ff.) provides the following illustration from the trucking industry which is helpful for understanding the security the Holy Spirit’s sealing ministry provides:

"For certain types of loads, when a truck is fully loaded and ready for its run, a plastic seal is put around the lock of the door. Breaking this seal before the truck reaches its destination will mean the loss of one’s job. This is similar to the sealing of the Spirit. The seal of the Spirit cannot be broken before the Christian reaches his heavenly destination. His seal is our guarantee of reaching the destination God intended for us and receiving the glorified bodies God has promised us."

This glorious future is guaranteed by the Holy Spirit to all those who have trusted Christ, but only to those who have trusted Him. It is only by trusting Christ that our lives are sealed by the Holy Spirit. It is only those who trust Christ who have been given the Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing them a glorious future in a glorified body. Ephesians 1:13-14 says, "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory."

Twice in verses 6-8, Paul refers to himself as being confident. The idea of this Greek word is that of good courage, courageousness, boldness. The guaranteed future possession of a glorified body caused Paul to be of good courage and confident even in the face of death.

While Paul was of good courage, it was not his preference to be in his earthly body, but away from it and with his Lord. Paul knew that as long as he was at home in the body, as long as he dwelled in his earthly vessel or tent, he was away from the Lord.

Paul is clearly not denying the presence of Christ in the believer’s life. He himself had contact with the Lord through prayer, the indwelling Spirit, and fellowship through time in the Word. Rather he is saying that as long as he was living in his earthly body, he was not in the direct personal presence of the Lord.

In the mean time, while waiting to be ushered into the direct, personal presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul lived by faith and not by sight. He could not physically or scientifically observe the blessed realities that would be his when he was physically with Christ, but he accepted and looked forward to these realities by faith. Paul trusted God that He would do what He said He would do.

Like Paul, our preference should be to be away from our earthly bodies and present with the Lord. In stating his preference, Paul is not here saying, "I wish I were dead." Rather, he is giving a triumphant, victorious expression of his trust in God to bring him into His ultimate glory at which time he would be released from his present sufferings. Is it your preference to we with the Lord like it was for Paul?

The story is told of a pastor who was asked by a lady in his congregation if he would meet with her to put funeral arrangements together for her own funeral. When the pastor and the lady met, the arrangements they made were fairly routine. The lady told the pastor her favorite songs that she wanted sung, she told him of the Scripture she wanted read, and she told him the people she wanted to be involved. As the meeting was coming to a close, the pastor asked, "Is there anything else?" to which the woman replied, "Oh, yes, there is one more thing. Could you please make sure that a fork is placed in my casket?" Somewhat surprised, the pastor responded, "May I ask why it is you want a fork in your casket?" The lady happily obliged. "You see Pastor, my favorite part of joining others for a meal is when I hear them say, ‘keep your fork.’ I enjoy hearing these words because they proclaim the good news that something better is ahead. Dessert is on its way. I want a fork in my casket to remind those who come to my funeral that something better is coming. After we die, we will be at home with our Lord.

Transition: As Paul reflected on the prospect of death, he thought not only about the glory of being at home with the Lord, but also about the implications of having to stand before the Lord at the Judgment Seat of Christ to be judged. Christ’s judgment provided Paul with the incentive to live a life that pleased God.

Paul knew that there would be a day in which he would stand before Christ at the Bema Seat to be judged. At this judgment, it would be determined whether Paul would experience reward or loss of reward. If Paul’s works in the body were good, then he would receive reward. If Paul’s works were bad or worthless, he would experience loss of reward.

Christ’s judgment of Paul would not be to determine where he would spend eternity. Where we spend eternity is dependent on whether or not we trust Christ. All unbelievers who reject Christ will stand before Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment. All those in this judgment will be cast in the lake of fire. The Judgment Seat of Christ or Bema Seat Judgement, as it is commonly referred to in connection with the transliteration of the Greek word, is a totally different kind of judgment. A Bema Seat historically was a raised platform at which rewards of laurel wreaths would be doled out for athletic contest winners. The Bema Seat will be a place at which all believers will appear before Christ to be judged. No one will be exempt. At the judgment seat of Christ, believers will receive what is due them for the things done in the body. For those things that are good, they will receive reward. For those things that are bad, they will experience the loss of rewards they could have had, had they been faithful. At the Judgment Seat of Christ, we will be individually held accountable for the things we do in the body. We will not be able to point to what others are or are not doing. We will individually have to give account for our own actions.

The Bema Seat was never a place of judgment at which punishment would be determined. While believers will not experience punishment because of having been saved from sin’s penalty by grace and through faith, the necessity to live in a way that anticipates the Bema Seat judgment is no less important. While punishment will not be received by any of those who are judged at the Bema Seat, there is the real possibility of experiencing loss of rewards which will bring shame that will certainly not be something to be desired (see 1 John 2:28).

That the seriousness of the Bema Seat should not be minimized is also highlighted by what Paul wrote about those who will experience loss of reward when they are judged. He writes in 1 Corinthians 3- "If it is burned up (that is what the believer has built in his ministry), he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping the flames"—this description certainly does not depict anything any of us will want to go through.

What is it that will please Christ and bring reward? The only standard in which we can have absolute confidence for determining what will please Christ is the Word of God. Colossians 1:10-12 gives us a list of the types of things that please God. Paul prayed that the Colossians might live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way. Paul, through four participles, enumerated four things that please Him: 1. Bearing fruit in every good work. 2. Growing in the knowledge of God. 3. Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you can have great endurance and patience. 4. Joyfully giving thanks to the Father. Certainly a life characterized by these things will be rewarded.

Another important consideration we need to make in preparing for the Bema Seat judgment is the motive for which we do what we do in ministry. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:5- "Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God." Wrong motives for ministry will result in loss of reward. Our motive in ministry needs to be to please God and benefit others all to the glory of God.

When we suffer in the work of ministry, our focus should be on Christ and making His life known.

Our ministry should be the display of God’s power, it should be for the benefit of others, and it should be to the glory of God.

We do not need to shrink from death’s threat as ministers because we can trust God to deliver us through resurrection. We can entrust the risk of losing our lives to God, knowing that when we do die, our loss will be insignificant compared to what we will gain. All that can be destroyed now is the earthly tent we live in and what it will be replaced with will be far better.

Our focus while living on earth should not be trying to hold onto our earthly vessels, but instead on trying to please Christ.

Why hold so tightly to life on this earth when it will be far better when we are at home with the Lord?

Philippians 3:20- "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."