2 Corinthians 12:10

I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10)

Three points:

1. I am content.

This is hard isn't it. The hardest for me is to wait.

2. Weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions, difficulties for Christ's sake.

These might come because we are Christians. Of course, if we're not living the way the Lord Jesus wants us to live, there won't be any of the above. If we live like the Devil, why should he bother to trouble us?

3. Weakness = strength.

It seems strange doesn't it? The examples in the Bible show this weakness to be relying on God instead of ourselves. It is not weakness in mind or purpose. Praying and waiting are blessed by God; He will answer.

Genesis 2:15-17

Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:15-17)

Three points:

1. God is a good teacher.

Don't ya think Adam understood? Sure he did. One law. One point to teach. It was clear.

2. God provides a test.

A good teacher will test his/her pupils to see if they have learned what was taught.

3. Adam failed.

God teaches us and tests us today. He has given us the Lord Jesus Christ whose words are in the Bible. His rules. His points He wants us to learn. Then...He tests us. Will we be true to what He taught us? Or will we fall? Most in the church today have fallen. Fallen with a false gospel and a false bunch of rules. God help us!

2 Corinthians 3:6

II Corinthians. 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter kills, but the spirit giveth life.

[It is He] Who has qualified us [making us to be fit and worthy and sufficient] as ministers and dispensers of a new covenant [of salvation through Christ], not [ministers] of the letter (of legally written code) but of the Spirit; for the code [of the Law] kills, but the [Holy] Spirit makes alive.(2 Corinthians 3:6)

Three points:

1. God does the making.

A person can go to school, seminary, etc but it will not make a useful tool for God. Only God can do it. Ministers can be understood as the ministry, that is, pastors and deacons, but it also can be understood to be any Christian who will serve God. God makes these servants sufficient, able, adequate to do the work he has given. No mention is made of talent, special abilities, or resources. Our needs are met by abiding in the vine, the Lord Jesus. He supplies all our needs.

2. God makes useful tools for the Gospel (the new testament), not of the law.

He used to do it for Old Testament saints, now the Old Testament has been replaced with the New Testament. The old is done away; the new is come. These tools are for preaching, defending, edifying all people--some to become Christians and for the Christians to grow.

3. God uses the Spirit, not the law to bring life.

The Law (The Ten Commandments) does not bring life; they bring conviction.

2 Peter 2:1

False prophets appeared in the past among the people, and in the same way false teachers will appear among you. They will bring in destructive, untrue doctrines, and will deny the Master who redeemed them, and so they will bring upon themselves sudden destruction. (2 Peter 2:1)

Three points:

1. The history and future of false people are the same.

The past had false prophets; now we have false teachers and false prophets. A class of so called Christians who reject the Bible as being God's Word. These false Christians bring in all sort of "Words of the Lord" and treat the Bible as secondary to their pronouncements.

2. These false prophets/teachers bring in lies and destructive teaching.

Things that will destroy people, families, churches, and nations.

3. The even deny the Lord Jesus and bring upon themselves God's punishment.

They deny by putting the Bible not as the only Word of God but a secondary word. The real word is straight from God Himself, through them, and there is no need for the Bible in this way any more. Unfortunately they will receive God's punishment for REJECTING what God has said. What are you and I doing? Do we also reject?

Psalms 60:12

With God on our side we will win; he will defeat our enemies. (Psalms 60:12)

Three points:

1. I cannot fight all my battles alone.

What kind of battles do we have? There might be financial, physical, family, emotional, or spiritual battles like temptation. Many of today's saints face persecution, famine, sickness, and abuse.

2. God is the deciding factor.

Jesus said, "Without me you can do nothing." Later the Bible states, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." God plus one is victor. Job suffered but finally delivered. So others suffered from Abel to Noah, from Moses to the Lord Jesus, but God also wins. Why the delay? I don't know. Even our Lord Jesus suffered and waited for victory.

3. God defeats the enemy.

Once the battle is over; it is time to praise God. We may be in the thick of the fight, but the Lord gives the strength to win.

Matthew 7:20

Therefore by their fruits you shall know them. (Matthew 7:20)

Three points:

1. People have fruits.

The fruits that the Lord Jesus refers to are the things we do, and even the things we think, desire, and say.

2. The fruit.

We can by our senses know what is good and bad fruit. This is obvious with potatoes; a rotten potato with really stinks; an bite into apple with a spot of brown, stinky mush is thrown out. The potato is obvious, the apple more subtle. Good fruit is But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

3. What is our fruit?

We can test what others are, but what about ourselves. Oh, Lord may You work in us to produce good fruit.

Matthew 5:17

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. (Matthew 5:17)

Three points:

1. What did the Lord Jesus come for?

Some living then might have thought He came to destroy the Law. Jesus came to destroy sin, death, and the devil.

2. Jesus came to fulfill.

Fulfill what? He came to fulfill the Law. Every single law written in the Old Testament the Lord Jesus fulfilled in word, thought, desire, and deed.

3. Jesus keeps His promises.

He said He came to fulfill. He fulfilled the whole of the Law and the prophets. We can trust a great leader like Him.

1 Timothy 6:7

What did we bring into the world? Nothing! What can we take out of the world? Nothing! (1 Timothy 6:7)

Three points:

1. Belongings are important.

The things we have or want to have are important. What is your bank balance? You probably know. If it was suddenly cleared out--brought down to zero--you would be shocked and dismayed; so would I.

2. These things are not important.

Can they heal sickness, bring peace to a troubled world or mind, or save a marriage or children from making bad choices? No

3. We cannot take them with us.

We will die. What then of those things we thought so important? What good will they be before God on Judgment Day? Better to be ready now; then it will be too late.

Proverbs 16:27

Evil people look for ways to harm others; even their words burn with evil. (Proverbs 16:27)

Three points:

1. Words do hurt.

It doesn't take much intelligence to know that. The question is, "What kind of words am I saying?" What is the look on our face, the tone of our voice, and the emphasis of our words? There are many ways to say, "I love you." It can be mocking, tender, meaningful, sarcastic, shouting, snarling; the same words can show love or hate.

2. Evil people

If it is evil people who are looking for ways to hurt others and their words "burn with evil", then we want OUR words not be this way. This is a day and age of hurtful words. Often they are given to the ones we say we love.

3. Words and actions are related.

What is in our hearts comes out in what we say and what we do. Let us start to speak loving words and doing loving deeds. Sometimes constructive criticism is thought of as being hurtful words, but often that very rebuke sets one on the right road.

Rebelation 3:20

Listen! I stand at the door and knock; if any hear my voice and open the door, I will come into their house and eat with them, and they will eat with me. (Revelation 3:20)

Three points:

1. Listen

Often we are listening to the wrong things. Our hearing is overwhelmed by what is around us, but what is important is to listen to the Lord Jesus. He shouts, "Hey, listen up." He wants us to pay attention to what He is saying.

2. The Lord Jesus' part

He stands at the door. He knocks. This is unconditional.
He comes in and eats. The is conditional. We must let him in.

3. If any hear my voice and open the door.

It is not so much a problem of hearing but a problem of responding. All hear; few respond.

Proverbs 18:12

No one is respected unless he is humble; arrogant people are on the way to ruin. (Proverbs 18:12)

Three points:

1. Pride is an attitude where a person thinks they are really great.

It doesn't matter what it is, but when one has an attitude like that, people know it. The look on one's face, the expression in their eyes, and their stance.

2. People generally don't appreciate someone who is proud.

That's why they look to people who are humble.

3. Arrogant people have over confidence.

They may take chances that others won't. They may come to conclusions others won't. They may be controlling, abusive, and loud. They don't like to shown their faults, their mistakes, their errors, their sins; they will retaliate to prove their supremacy, but all to no avail. They will go into ruin and rejection at some point.

Genesis 7:21-22

Every living being on the earth died---every bird, every animal, and every person. Everything on earth that breathed died. (Genesis 7:21-22)

Three points:

1. Many accuse God of killing innocent people.

They especially like to blame God for killing, murdering is their term, innocent, helpless babies.

2. They refuse to understand why people had to die.

God told Adam that if someone sins, that is, disobeys the rules, laws, that God gives, that person must die. Adam know that, but disobeyed anyway.

3. They refuse to understand that Noah preached for 120 years.

All the people had to do was step into the ark. They knew to disobey God's rules would lead to death, but they refused to obey, so they and their children died. It was the parent's fault in this situation. We don't have to make the same stupid mistake they did.