At your service

Wesley Wright

Lighthouse Bible Church

Sunday, March 22, 2026

 

Title: At your service

 

2CO 6:3-10

 

Paul wrote before about not offending in 2CO 6:3. People look for reasons to discredit you. To the extent possible, be careful not to give them one.

 

We have freedom in Christ, but we should use discretion too. He’s made the same point before to these folks:

1CO 10:28-33

 

Be careful not to offend, especially if doing so will impact opportunities to evangelize: ROM 14:13-23

 

Be careful not to offend, especially if doing so will impact opportunities to evangelize:

1CO 8:4-13

 

Paul writes that he and others are approved (2CO 6:4) as ministers of God. Others weren’t, since they did what they did with the wrong motives or were enemies of the cross.

 

Remember how he addressed self-commendation?

2CO 3:1-7;

2Co s 5:12-14

 

The word minister means to serve. Paul’s focus and our focus should be first and foremost on our duties. That service can come with a great deal of issues, which Paul recounts (2CO 6:4-5).

 

One part of Paul’s list includes afflictions, and hardships, and distresses and beatings, and imprisonments, and tumults, and labors, and sleeplessness, and hunger. It’s a difficult life.

 

Later in this book, Paul recounts some of the same list: 2CO 11:22-31

 

We should be prepared to suffer some of the same afflictions in this life. It’s a life ultimate in service to God.

1PE 4:1-5; 1PE 4:12-17

 

The afflictions he and others saw, though many, are light in comparison to what they help bring about:

2CO 4:15-18

 

Paul turns to the many graces we enjoy in 2CO 6:6-7. They were produced via the trials he suffered. He deserved nothing from the list, and we don’t either.

 

 

His list: purity, knowledge, patience, in kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, the word of truth, the power of God; the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left.

 

 

The last three verses of our passage (2CO 6:8-10) detail the bad actors who levied accusations against Paul and others. We’ll focus on two aspects of that list today.

 

 

1) Paul mentions that he and others were poor but yet made many rich (2CO 6:10). That’s a juxtaposition tied to the example that Christ left for us.

 

Jesus Christ became poor for our sake, that we might be rich: 2CO 8:8-12; EPH 1:15-21

 

2) Paul also mentioned having nothing and yet all the same time having all things. He lost a great deal for the sake of the cross, but the things that mattered, he had: PHI 3:4-11

 

Be careful not to offend those who are so often looking for reasons to discredit you and the gospel of the cross. We have a great deal of freedom, but discretion is key.

 

Paul and the others were servants, and they suffered a great deal. We will too, but try to keep your eyes forward even amid those trials.

 

If you remember nothing else, remember that the trials Paul + others undertook brought about wonderful gifts from God. They were light afflictions by comparison, and we should see them as such.