2 Corinthians Chapter 4

[Music] shalom and welcome to via hafta israel a hebrew phrase which means you shall love israel we hope you'll stay with us for the next 30 minutes as our teacher dr baruch shares his expository teaching from the bible dr baruch is the senior lecturer at the zehra avraham institute based in israel although all courses are taught in hebrew at the institute dr baruch is pleased to share this weekly address in english to find out more about our work in israel please visit us on the web at loveisreal.org that's one word loveisreal.org now here's baruch with today's lesson are you interested in serving god having your life and everything that that relates to your life being utilized by god for his purposes see we need to understand that once one receives salvation they become a purchased instrument of the living god for his purposes and if you didn't know that then you did not hear a biblical presentation of the gospel see redemption involves and that's what the gospel is a plan a revelation of god's redemption and offer to be redeemed and when one is redeemed as we see for example in the scriptures what paul writes to the corinthians we become a purchased possession of the living god that we might glorify him with our mortal bodies that we become a receptacle the scripture says a temple for the holy spirit to bring order into our life into our situation into the life of others that is what we are called to be and we are going to see much wisdom much counsel much truth in regard to being transformed and conformed to the will of god the purposes of god in the chapter that we're going to study this evening so with that said take out your bible once more and open it up to second corinthians and chapter four second corinthians and chapter four god willing we're going to look at all 18 verses in this chapter and i didn't want to break it up because there is a flow to what paul is saying especially in this fourth chapter and this fourth chapter is is rich there is a wealth of information for us in order to learn how to walk with god how to participate in his purposes how to do what he has saved us to do and therefore this chapter is of the utmost importance so let's begin and it's vital that we pay attention to exactly what paul is revealing understanding his intentions because he writes not from his own perspective from rather from the perspective of god all of this obviously was inspired by the spirit of god for the purposes of god for the glory of god and that's why he writes second corinthians chapter four and verse one he says on account of this now what is this well you're going to discover what this is as we go through this entire fourth chapter this has to do with the ministry that we've been called to what god commands us demands us to do and if we don't understand that this instruction is just that an obligation unto him we don't understand who we belong to what we have become in messiah so he writes here on account of this having this ministry so he realized he's speaking to believers now he's writing to this congregation at corinth but what he says in this chapter is relevant it is essential for all believers if you want to grow you want to mature you want to be more pleasing to god you want to experience him in your life then you are going to take seriously this chapter you're going to study it you're going to study it again you're going to listen over and over to to this teaching because it is so relevant it is so informing for our walk with the living god to experience him and how to be an instrument so that others can know god's presence his power his provision in their life so paul writes on account of this having this ministry just as we have received mercy now this word for receiving mercy and it's very hard to translate it literally in the greek because it's in the passive and what this tells us is that something brought about mercy it just didn't happen and we didn't receive it by anything that we did it was because of another factor and that factor is of course the work of messiah and the grace that that he offers when we receive that we become a recipient of his mercy but we see so frequently in the scripture how mercy is foundational for beginning the work of god in a person's life so he says just ask and that's the word pathos just as we have received mercy we do not uh lose heart we do not despair we do not grow grow uh wary now what he's speaking about is this receiving god's mercy it has an effect in us and that mercy causes us not to become easily discouraged to become worn out in doing that which is good but the mercy of god energizes us it gives us a passion for the work of god and we're gonna see in this chapter it's all about doing his work that's what ministry is so he says on account of this for this purpose in other words we have this ministry just as we've received mercy we do not lose heart we do not become dispurged we do not we do not become worn out in the things of god that's his his his message but and notice this but there's a change but he says we reject and the word here i might use the word in english disinvolve it is a rejection that comes with a a strong strong affirmation this is not part of of my life this is not who i am so i reject i disinvolve i have nothing any longer to do with these things and realize it's those things and we'll talk about what they are in a moment it's those things that are going to work in our life in an adverse way that is going to cause us to grow wary to become discouraged and to lose heart but when we are committed and here's the key when we are committed to doing ministry doing the will of god the work of god it is going to bring about a dynamic change in our life when we are going to be energized we are going to have a sense of purpose a sense of meaning we're not going to experience uh discouragement we're not going to have emotional things that that paralyze us and hinder us but we're going to be pressing forward with excitement for the service of god and that's why he says look again verse 2 but disemboweling rejecting the hidden things of shame now what hidden things are you talking about things that people do that they don't want anyone to know about them so the hidden things are things that if people would know that we're doing those things they would be a cause for our personal shame so we want to keep them covered hidden camouflage this is not what a true believer does what he's saying here is that these things we reject notice very carefully but and we could say but rather in contrast to to this what do we do we disinvolve we reject the hidden things of shame not walking in and this is word for for something that's not up front something that is not clear or or easily discerned what he's talking about here is something that is is hidden but the word would be more in line with that which is crafty someone thinks hard for the purpose of hiding these things and and paul's saying this is not how we are we do not have a hidden agenda a hidden behavior things that we do that we don't want anyone else to know we live a very transparent life so he says in contrast to those hidden things of shame he writes but rather he says we are not walking in craftiness nor adulterating and this means perverting the word of god now it's so significant that paul when he talks about life a lifestyle he always turns quickly to scripture to the word of god the context here that we see right off the bat in verse 1 is doing ministry now you should be able to take out a piece of paper and write down things that you are doing that that relates to doing ministry if you're not you're saying to god god i'm not interested in you i don't want your provision in my life i don't want your blessings in my life i really aren't i am not interested in you if you are about doing ministry blessing others helping others being a positive influence for the things of god in other's life then you're saying the exact opposite so how do you answer that question do you have things that that you can write down that relate to ministry that you are doing he says we are not walking in craftiness in in the adulterating of of the word of god but for the manifestation of truth and he says here which commands ourself to the conscience of of men before god what he's saying is this we are able to commend and this is a word of presentation this is a word of transparency we are living and behaving in such a way that no matter who we come in contact with their conscience and remember i put a big emphasis upon the human conscience it is a a gift that god has placed within every human being that that convicts them now of course the indwelling of the holy spirit works in a more powerful way but but all people have a conscience that teaches them to a certain degree what is right and what is wrong not to a full degree but but partially and what he's saying here is that we he's speaking about how he conducts his life and others who are serving with him he says we are able to commend ourselves before the conscience before all men and they can see that there's something godly something righteous something that is proper on how we're we're living so the transparent things of his life bears witness to others that he is living for god that he is about being a blessing being a help to others and he says that this is true before god god testifies as well before god he agrees with this this evaluation look now to verse 3. but but if also is hidden and this is a word which comes from something that has been hidden in the past now and will continue and the reason why these things are not acknowledged not seen as valuable not seen as significant he says but if it is hidden what's in our gospel what does it mean by our gospel the gospel of messiah that we are proclaiming the death burial and resurrection why he died that he was buried that he descended but being fully dead he rose he conquered death which means he had victory over sin the consequence of sin that is the gospel that paul is referring to when he says our gospel so read all he says but if also is hidden our gospel it's to those that are perishing that's who it's been hidden to those who are not going to ever respond why because they have no interest in the things of god they're pursuing what motivates them what drives them are the things of what we talked about earlier shame now here's what we need to see when it talks about shame it's talking about those things according to the standards of god god says such behavior such deeds they are shameful before me he rejects them and not only rejects them he will bring judgment upon them and what those actions bring about the outcome he's going to judge and his judgment ultimately is a consuming one where these things are going to be destroyed and that's what he's talking about the people if you are living in shame those shameful things they are not just going to perish but you will too it's going to be an utter destruction so when we read here he says if if our gospel is is being hidden then it's hidden to the ones who are perishing verse 4 in whom god the god of this age now he's speaking here about another spiritual principle that i have mentioned many many times especially when we were studying in the book of exodus and the life of pharaoh but this is a principle that is so foundational so vital that we learn notice what he says verse verse 4 in whom god now god of this age he has blinded so in whom the god of this age has blinded what is he blinded the thoughts of the ones who are unbelieving they are are lacking faith and the phrase here is really they are against faith meaning they are against the truth remember what we talked about this word faithlessness or the term here unfaithful not believing unbelievers it is because they are willfully rejecting truth truth comes to them even though they have a conscience that says yes to this this is right and that's why i've experienced this and talking to others i know that this is a a common common to humanity common experience that when they begin to hear truth their conscience tells them this is for you you need to respond they fall under conviction now if they respond to that they are brought closer to god god willing they will continue to draw closer until they become believers and are saved saved by god's grace he's drawing them to himself but if they reject that if they say no that rejection heartens their heart and that's exactly what it says here here it uses the description that god blinds but but here's what we need to understand it is not god going and saying oh i'm looking at this one i i choose because i'm sovereign to blind this one and this one over here why i'm sovereign i can enlighten this one we don't see that being taught in the scripture poor theology it teaches that but not the word of god what we find is this when the conscience bears witness this is true and a person says nose to that that darkens their their perspective it brings about a hardening of the heart it brings about a spiritual blindness blindness that's what he's saying so in whom the god of this age he is blind blinded their their thoughts the thoughts of the unbelievers in order that it would not that they would not have illumination they would not be illuminated to the light of the gospel of the glory of messiah who is the image of god now we don't have enough time to unpack that last statement but but i would would counsel you with with great great seriousness and trying to to give you an incentive to really study what it says here when it speaks about messiah notice the context because they said no god as a response to their rejection then stopping the work of their conscience in their life god of this age blinds their thoughts the thoughts of who the unbelievers for them not to be enlightened concerning the the light of the gospel notice how the gospel is mentioned the gospel of glory of messiah it is a message that manifests glory and the the source of that glory is messiah what he has done and who he is who he is so these two things who he is he's god the god who became human flesh and lay down his life so that we could have eternal life to be saved this manifests god's glory and when someone says no i'm not i i i hear what the conscience is saying within me but i reject that they are rejecting they are rejecting god's illumination and instead of saying yes and having more and more illumination given to them every time they say yes to god agree with their conscience when they say no they are increasing the darkness so they do not see the light of the gospel of the glory of messiah and look at this last part of verse 4 and speaking about yeshua it says who is the image of god and and this word for image icon is a very very important word one that that you need to know what what relevance and what significance this word icon is it speaks of a perfect representation that meets the objective of of the one and what we find here is that this icon messiah he's the image of god he was never made there was never a time that he did not exist but he is the perfect representation of substance of very deity so that he's god and this is what the scripture is boldly sharing verse 5. for not ourselves we we preach he says it's not ourselves that we are proclaiming but messiah yeshua the lord but ourselves and the reason why it says but it's in contrast to him he's making a great distinction and that's why the grammar is so important he's making a great distinction between the lord messiah yeshua and himself and others who he's serving with who he ministers with he says look again verse verse 5 for not ourselves we preach but but messiah yeshua the lord and after speaking about yeshua he says but ourselves your servants he's saying in light of knowing him you're sure understanding what he has done for for us this has caused us willfully with great desire to become your servants so if we are embracing this truth as we should we should not only be able to write down the things that we do that are that are ministry but also the ones that we are serving that we become their servants that's what paul is saying and furthermore look now he he writes all of this is on account of the verse ends verse 5 on account of yeshua knowing what he's done how he has blessed me how he has saved me how he's redeemed me and with what he redeemed me with his blood i now become committed i become paul saying your servants on account of him verse 6 because god and this is the god the one who and some bibles like the king james and most of the time i i like the king james because it tends to be literal but here the king james took some some liberties that they ought not because i believe both the king james and the new king james says who commanded it's not the word commanded it's the one who has spoken now obviously what god says comes with an authority it's a command but it simply says let's look at the entire verse verse verse 6 that god the one who has spoken out of darkness and he has shine light so god spoke and this goes all the way back it's a reference to creation and the creation account speaks about the authority of god to bring order to bring purpose to bring meaning and to bring a future before god began to bring light and those changes in into creation the earth what does it say empty void formless it couldn't produce but when god began to speak and this is what it says here right the one who spoke when he began to speak out of darkness for the shining of light which he shined in our hearts to the f to the light of knowledge of the glory of god in the face of messiah yeshua now that is a lot of words as we conclude verse verse six but what he says here it all began with the word of god realize that that your life what you're going to do what you're going to become what rewards what promises you're going to receive the blessings in the kingdom of god it all begins with the word of god and that's why if you're wise you're going to be committed to the scripture not just doing what it says but learning what it says many times people want to do but they don't understand it takes time it takes effort it takes prayer and therefore he writes god the one who spoke out of darkness and he he shined light who has shined in our hearts for the light of knowledge so he's given us knowledge this illumination is so that we can know truth and that knowledge brings about the glory of god and it does so in the face of messiah yeshua now in the face can it be understood as before in his presence that he's there over seeing he's there supplying that light but it can also mean in the face face we all know the the beer cut hakonim the aaronic benediction which says the lord make his face shine upon you twice we see that expression the lord shine his face make his face shine upon you and that is an idiom for blessing so when it says here all of this is being done and let me translate literally it says in the face of messiah yeshua the implication is as he is there witnessing those things he is going to be blessing so when we do those things that reflect the illumination of the word of god from the truth of god we are going to be doing ministry which is going to bring about the blessing of messiah in our lives verse 7. but we have what great news we have this treasure this treasure in an earthen vessel now what's he talking about we are the workmanship of god we are the creation of god and through faith as an outcome of being redeemed we become an earthen vessel which is a treasure a treasure that reveals and releases the blessings of the kingdom of god the blessings from god into others lives so he writes here but but we have not everyone we believers only we have this treasure an earthen vessel in order that the surpassing power shall be of god and not from ourselves so now and i love this word and this word is going to appear at least two additional times in this chapter and it's the word that talks about a fulfillment a want a desire and going beyond exceedingly beyond so let me give you an example let's say that i'm short money and i and i go to someone i say i really need a a financial blessing would you give me a hundred dollars this word would would relate to one who does not give just that amount a hundred dollars but would give 500 a thousand dollars going exceedingly beyond the expectation or the need or the requests and that's what he says here that that we have this treasure in an earthly vessel order that the surpassing the surpassing power shall be of god and not from ourselves verse 8 now why is he giving this this exceedingly power well in order that we can suffer much it's very important that we see how the scripture moves along now not too long ago i was was listening to a message someone in preparing for this study and the person was speaking on this verse and when he talked about that surpassing power he gave it in context to achieving prosperity taking hold of the things of this world and redeeming them for the children of god and was all about living in the life of luxury now i can't assure you that people would like hearing that message i can tell you someone who didn't and that's god the spirit of god was not in agreement with what he's saying he took that totally out of context this surpassing power is for what purpose well move on to the next verse and see what paul's going to talk about see he never dealt with anything in continuation within the passage notice what he says in verse 8 in all troubles now he's talking about life of luxury having the very best we be the king's kid so we should live as the king's kids the king's kids know the very best they eat the best they wear the best they experience the best but this is not what the scripture tells us that is what he talks about earlier which is adulterating the word of god he says we don't do that as he says earlier we don't peddle the word of god meaning we don't make it a business what is he saying context tells us look again at verse 8 in all trouble but not being crushed he says we experience all sorts of trouble but we are not crushed sometimes he goes on and says being being perplexed being confused but he says but not not being of despair so we are experiencing trouble as we walk with god in this world we are going to experience trouble we might find ourselves at times being confused perplexed about what we are experiencing but he says this trouble does not crush us nor does this this confusion it does not bring about discouragement or despair i like what he's saying what does this tell us we persevere we not only persevere but with god's help this this power that he spoke of earlier we are going to not only persevere and endure but we're going to overcome the things of this world and where are we going to overcome them in in the kingdom of god notice how he continues on verse 9 not only are are we individuals in all sorts of trouble but he says being persecuted but not abandoned so he says we're going to be persecuted this is what the believer experiences as we walk in faith in this world we're going to experience persecution now we all know hebrews chapter 11 that that great chapter about faith read the last part of it where it talks about faithful ones being solved into burnt having all types of torture placed upon them these individuals who were in the hall of fame of faith doesn't say and they lived in great prosperity and with a luxurious life experiencing the final thing final fi finest things of this world that's not what the scripture says and and let me share with you those who misteach give a false presentation of the word of god remember what we talked about earlier they have a conscience and they say no the spirit of god tells us this isn't right this is not truth this is not what the word of god says i mean we don't have to have a phd to see after god speaks about power he calls us to suffer he says look again verse verse 9 being persecuted once again there's a cause that brings about this persecution what is that faithfulness being persecuted but not abandoned god's not going to leave us nor forsake us he says being cast down but not destroyed not being destroyed verse 10 always and i want to underline that always he says the the death of our lord yeshua now he's talking about trouble he's talking about being confused he's talking about being persecuted all these things and then he moves into the best example of why we're receiving those things what happened to to messiah what happened to yeshua he died upon that tree why he spoke truth he did truth he was faithful how faithful perfectly faithful and what did they do the world nailed him to a tree tortured him beat him previously shamed him mocked him and who is he the son of god how dare we think that we should be in the life of luxury so he says always as i said underline that always the death of our lord yeshua in the body we carry meaningless in our existence as we go about day after day event after event we carry we remember we bear the death of messiah we remember that that he suffered so don't be surprised when you suffer he was hated don't be surprised when when you are hated that's what he's talking about here when he says we carry the death of our lord yeshua in the body why we'll remember something in order that also the life of yeshua in our body we manifest and it literally says that it be manifested meaning there's a cause as we walk in a recognition of messiah who died for me who suffered for me that that memory that commitment and understanding of what he did for me is going to encourage me empower me and steer me direct me to do those things that i may suffer as well will suffer experience persecution but i won't be abandoned i won't be crushed i will be overcomers because i'm going to and this is what it says here because the life of yeshua it should be manifested that's what it says in our bodies verse verse 11 4 he says a different word but means the same thing always for always we who are the we he he defines that for always we the ones living living for death what does that mean it's very similar to what messiah taught when he says if you want to follow after me pick up your cross and come we are living but we're living for death meaning we're ready to die we're going to make the decisions do the things that is going to cause the world to want to rise up and kill us so when you suffer for your faith don't don't be surprised don't be faithless and say why is this happening to me you're learning why it's happening because this glorifies god you say my suffering for him glorifies him yes it does but realize what a great reward you're going to have and when you see the outcome from eternity because of what you endured here for him there's gonna be no complaining there's just gonna be great and exceedingly gratitude for him that he counted you worthy to suffer in his behalf so look again verse for always we the ones living for death it says being being delivered over through yeshua or on account of yeshua we are handed over delivered over on account of yeshua why in order that also the life of messiah here's the third time or second time he said that should be manifested in our our mortal fleshly bodies in this fleshly body of of death is what it's saying here so we realize something we have to make a proper evaluation i am in this body and and how much time do i have in this body one super says 70 perhaps if you're strong 80 years now today people are living a little bit longer than that but i can tell you if if you reach 80 you're you're in decline and you're declining rather quickly you don't feel when you're 82 the way you did when you're 81 and and oftentimes if you see people when they pass 80 change their appearance things can change rapidly they're in a very big fall in in decay that's just simply how it is happens to all of us so we are running out of time so don't be so stupid to want to have everything in this temporal life i only go around once so i want all the gusto all the things i can get because tomorrow i may die foolishness you may die tomorrow what then a faithless person says well that's that's the end it is not it is the beginning of eternity and you do not you do not want to be unprepared for that and that's why paul's sharing what he's sharing in this great chapter when he says for we the ones living living why for death that that we are being delivered on account of yeshua in order that also the life of yeshua being manifested in our our bodies this mortal body of of our flesh so that verse 12 so that on one hand death is is being worked out being done in us but on the other hand it is life for you now notice as paul writes he's always thinking about those that he's ministering to and he's saying here so that when we have the right mindset and we're doing the right things we are living for death we know we're going to die and we're going to be persecuted and the world is going to want to bring about death and by the way we're naturally because we're human beings we are in the process of decay he's going to come to this in a moment so let's not emphasize that which is decaying when you and hear this principle when you are all about investing in this world this life you are investing in that which is being destroyed now if we had money and we were going to invest in a company would you want to invest in a company that's decaying that is moving towards its conclusion it's finished that is going to be no more you would not you would want to invest in one that's moving up that has a future a glorious future a good future a long future well if you invest in the kingdom of god and you're part of that kingdom you have a glorious eternal future so you are deceived if it's all about this world do not be one that mourns your death now the death of others whom you love might grieve you and they should but realize your death it's a release it's a transition into the glorious presence of god and that's why he says look again verse verse 12 so that on one hand death is being worked out in us but on the other hand life unto you verse 13. for we having the same spirit of faith according to that which has been written down notice faith goes with the truth of god the scripture for we have the same spirit of faith according to that which is written down so paul says i have have believed therefore i have spoken he says what he has believed also we believe therefore also we have spoken he's saying i am sharing with you what i've believed and we as a ministry team we are sharing what we believe that's what we we speak no hypocrisy that's why messiah was so so upset with the leadership with the pharisees the sadducees hypocrites but not these men verse verse 14. knowing that and what a great passage knowing that the one who raised the lord yeshua also we therefore will will rise of yeshua by our relationship with him our covenantal relationship with messiah the same one who raised him we are going to be raised of yeshua by yeshua with yeshua meaning the same kingdom life this is what we're going to experience and notice twice we have a reference to what resurrection resurrection what should come into your mind this is why we began in john chapter 11 because the resurrection is is associated what did yeshua say to marta he says i am what an important phrase i am the resurrection in the life if if you don't experience resurrection you're not going to experience the real life of god if you think now is life you've been deceived you believed a lie no resurrection gives life a kingdom life experience so he says knowing that the one who raised the lord yeshua also us on account of we might say of yeshua he he raises that we're going to be race and not only that presented with you meaning we're all in it together paul says i'm going to be resurrected because of my faith in yeshua and i'm going to be presented along with you here's the key what he's saying as i have ministered to this one when they come before god for that judgment of rewards paul is going to be right there you're going to be right there with the one who you minister to i am going to be right there with the ones that i've ministered to because read hebrews chapter 11 in order that there's a sharing of these these kingdom rewards so he says and also presented with you verse 15 for all things on account of you he's saying i'm making these decisions on account of you in order that the grace should in its word for abound in order that the grace should abound he says through more more people is how most understand this but but the grace should abound and should do so more and more and what is going to be the production of more and more grace here's what he says the thanksgiving should abound in the glory of god to the glory of god so grace abounds and this brings about more glory being given to god through thanksgiving now spiritual maturity when you are growing spiritually you are going to have more and more of a sense of gratitude for god it's just going to be the natural outcome you're going to see his workmanship his provision his leadership his presence in your circumstances and you're going to just naturally it's a spiritual outcome you're going to have more and more gratitude for god that's how you check your spiritual maturity am i growing in messiah am i more grateful do i walk around with a profound sense of gratitude to god for the privilege of serving him seeing his presence what he's up to in my life and in my circumstances verse verse 16. therefore and remember we saw if we go back to verse one we read in verse one on account of this we have this ministry just as we've received mercy we do not lose heart we do not grow weary we do not faint well he says as he concludes this chapter he goes back to that same word now let's go to verse 16 again therefore not losing heart but and he's talking about this interchange this new man this this inner man he says therefore not losing heart but if also the the outer man is decaying and it is we could say not if but sense since the outer man is decaying this outer man is what you see right now i am in the process of decay i'm getting older my body's worrying out i'm not as fast not as strong don't hear as well glasses have to change all these things are evidence that says to me i'm approaching death i'm coming to the end of this existence that's okay i don't i don't mind that at all it's simply the outcome of life a physical life but what motivates me is the kingdom life and that's what he's going to emphasize before we close he says therefore we do not lose heart we do not become faint-hearted we do not despair grow weary but since also the outer our outer man is decaying but and here's a a very important particle of speech the word but in contrast to we could translate it but rather but rather the inner one that inner man is being renewed how day and day meaning day after day we're in this process of a spiritual renewal the inner man not that outer one we're getting older we're decaying we're wearing out but the inner man is experiencing a kingdom renewal and that word renewal is related to the kingdom verse 17. foreign this is what we need to see a very important word in verse 17 for this is word for the moment don't focus in on the the moment meaning this h why notice what he says for the moment is what in this life momentarily we have he says our affliction it's worth ellipsis tribulation so momentarily we have our he says light tribulation now why does he say light tribulation very simple compared to the wrath of god what we are experiencing for righteousness for ministry purposes for the truth of god they are light and they're only momentary terror they're only for a short while so he writes for the moment our light affliction but then he uses this word remember surpassing exceedingly wanting a hundred getting a thousand he says far exceedingly for exceedingly is the eternal weight of substance that word can mean the death meaning of if you say that person's deep they have a lot to them and it's saying the eternal death of what of glory it's talking about how yes momentarily in this age we have our light tribulation that we go through but all of that remember momentarily it's temporal but what do we have we have exceedingly for exceeding it's the word twice surpassing for the surpassing eternal depth of glory is being worked out in us and here again being worked out meaning it's in the passive hopefully you understand what that implies it implies that it's that temporary tribulation like tribulation comparatively speaking that we're going through it is what is producing here this this eternal very meaningful of substance highly significant glory that we're going to have verse 18 the last verse i know we're going a little bit long tonight but sometimes we go short only 40 minutes this week a little bit longer verse 18. he says we do not and the word here many bibles say look that's fine but realize there's going to be two words you sir the word bleppo and the word for scoping something scopus so we have the word scope which means to look at something carefully to look intently to look with great significance uh at something and what does he say he says we are not looking intently at the things seen what can you see you can see money you can see uh the luxurious things luxurious things of of this world you can see uh all those things with their eyes and he says we're not paying much attention to those things we don't give them much much importance in our life we're not gazing upon the things that are seen but he says the things that are not seen why what's he referring to the kingdom promises he says we gaze not on the things that are seen we don't give them significance but rather on the things that are not seen for the things that are seen are temporary they're here but they're not enduring in fact if you look at the book of revelation in one hour they're all going to be destroyed none of the things that the world puts significance on from a worldly perspective is going to make it into the kingdom of god not according to the book of revelation he's going to destroy them in a moment so the things which are seen they are temporary but the things which are not seen they are eternal and remember that word eternal is an adjective that describes the kingdom of god paul and this fourth chapter of second corinthians gives us much wisdom and insight and knowledge and truth for living a life that is going to have eternal significance well close with that until next week shalom from israel well we hope you will benefit from today's message and share it with others please plan to join us each week at this time and on this channel for our broadcast of love israel.org again to find out more about us please visit our website love israel dot o-r-g there you will find articles and numerous other lectures by baruch these teachings are in video form may download them or watch them in streaming video until next week may the lord bless you in our messiah yeshua that is jesus as you walk with him shalom from israel

Channel: LoveIsrael.org

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Length: 61min 30sec (3690 seconds)

Published: Sun Jan 17 2021