Phil Beach Jr. emphasizes the divine order presented in 2 Corinthians 4, illustrating how God places the treasure of Christ within our earthen vessels to manifest His power through our weaknesses. He explains that afflictions and trials serve to weaken our outer selves, allowing the life of Christ to shine through us, ultimately bringing life to others. The sermon encourages believers to embrace their new identity in Christ, recognizing that the inner man is being renewed even as the outer man decays. Beach highlights the importance of nurturing this new creation through fellowship with God and His Word, leading to a life empowered by the Spirit. He concludes with a call to recognize and feed the new man within, which is greater than the struggles of the old self.

Beginning in 2nd Corinthians chapter 4. Let's pray. I'm asking God to give us a revelation this morning. Because I saw something that staggered me. 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 has divine order to it. And I want you to see the divine order in 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 because the same divine order in 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 is the same divine order that is working in the lives of all who love God and all who are truly washed in the blood of Jesus Christ. So, I'm asking God that He will give you a revelation of this divine order so that you can know of a surety the way and manner in which God is going to work in your own life. This is really going to throw your heart. Really going to encourage your heart. And you're going to see how the Holy Spirit took us this morning down a path that perfectly is in unity with the Word of God in this particular portion of Scripture. Let's pray. Father, I'm asking you as Paul asked you to open up the eyes of our understanding. Give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of you and your Word. Lord, cause the light to shine, the spotlight from heaven to shine upon our eyes. Not our natural eyes, but our spiritual eyes. And cause the Word of God to become life this morning that it might minister to us, encourage us, uplift us, strengthen us, and impart the very life of Christ Himself into us. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen. 2 Corinthians chapter 4 beginning in verse number 1. Therefore, since we have this ministry, Paul is referring to the ministry of life. In 2 Corinthians chapter 3, he compares the ministry of death, which the law ministered to the people, versus the ministry of life which Christ brought to the people. And Paul was suggesting and signifying that he did not have the ministry of death. He did not bear the covenant of death. His ministry was not producing death in those that believed in what he preached. But his ministry was the ministry of life. It removed the veil from our eyes. It translated us out of darkness into life. It imputed the righteousness of Christ into our very soul. Christ had the ministry of life. This is what he's referring to in the first verse. Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart. We have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. Now, beginning in verse number 5, Paul begins this glorious order that the Holy Spirit wrought in his life. For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as bondservants for Jesus' sake. For God who said, let light shine out of darkness, is the one who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. Here, Paul, after telling the Corinthians that he had received a ministry of life, puts things in proper perspective. The proper perspective is this. The ministry of life does not propagate a person, a personality. The ministry of life does not put in neon lights flesh. But the ministry of life focuses around and has its centrality in the person and work of Jesus Christ. For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus. Now, verse number 7. First, Paul signifies this ministry revolves around Jesus Christ. Now, in verse number 7, Paul shows how God's wisdom has placed Christ in the midst of the church. Listen closely. But we have this treasure. Now, the treasure that Paul's referring to is the person of Jesus Christ. Where is this person of Jesus Christ who is the author of the ministry of life that the apostle Paul is heralding to all the nations? Not only is this person of Jesus Christ seated at the right hand of God the Father, there making intercession for you and I, but the person of Jesus Christ, this heavenly treasure who is the author of the ministry of life is with us by the Holy Spirit. And I want you to notice exactly where he is. Because this is essential to understand if we are to know why God crushes us, why God breaks us. Listen closely. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels. That the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves. God's plan, God's purpose, God's wisdom is to place this treasure who is the very life of Christ, who is the author of the ministry of life, which has the power to deliver and free all who will believe and turn to that light. God in his wisdom places this great treasure in earthen vessels. Now these earthen vessels happen to be you and I. God considers our human constitution, what we are as human beings, our body, our soul and our spirit. God considers that to be an earthen vessel. And he wants us to understand that he has placed this treasure within the earthen vessel. What for? What's the purpose? That the excellency or that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves. Now here's the astounding revelation. If God, I said if God has placed this treasure in earthen vessels and it is his desire that the excellency of the power might be coming from that treasure and not from the vessel, what is God must do? What must God do to ensure that the power coming from our lives would be a power coming from the treasure within and not from the vessel itself? What must God do? Begin in verse number 8. Paul understood that because he has a treasure in an earthen vessel, verses 8 and 9 and 10 were inevitable. I said they are inevitable. Verses 8, 9 and 10 is God's divine insurance, God's divine surety that the treasure will be seen. Why? Because these verses, listen, these verses describe what God uses to break the outer clay, to break the earthen vessel. And as the earthen vessel is broke and weakened and bears the death that Jesus walked in, then it bears the life. Let's read it. What an astounding revelation from God's word. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves. We are afflicted in every way. Let me ask a question. Does affliction hinder that treasure within? Come on. Does affliction weaken that treasure any? No. Who does it weaken? The vessel. Oh Lord have mercy. Affliction. How much trouble affliction brings to this earthen vessel. But oh, how happy God is. Why? That the excellency of the power may be of God and not ourself. The tools God uses to weaken the clay so that the glorious treasure can be seen. Let's see what else God will use in your life and my life. We are afflicted but not crushed. Though God weakens you, He will not crush you. It is not God's intent to wipe you out. It's God's intent just to weaken you enough so that treasure can begin to come forth. Do you want this to happen? Perplexed but not despairing. Persecuted but not forsaken. Struck down but not destroyed. Now listen to what he says in verse 10. Always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus. Jesus walked in a death while he yet lived as a man. What was the death that Jesus walked in? The death that Jesus walked in was the continual weakening of himself so that his strength would be from his Father. See, God wants us to bear to carry about in our body the dying of Jesus. The dying of Jesus is a process by which you and I fellowship in his weakness. His weakness being that utter realization that we are totally dependent upon God and that the power cannot come from ourselves but it must come from that treasure that's within. God accomplishes that through afflictions and through perplexities and through persecutions and through being struck down. How many of you have felt struck down lately? Every hand just about once again. You've been struck down. What are you doing? You're carrying about in your body the dying of Jesus. But that's not the end of the verse, friends. What's the next part of the verse say? That the life, that the treasure of Jesus may be manifested in our body. Can you see it? Listen, for we who live are constantly being delivered to death for Jesus' sake that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. Friends, when a man touches God's heart and when a man gets a taste of the grace of God and when a man or a woman presents themselves to God upon the altar of sacrifice and says, Lord Jesus, your love has won me. Your grace has touched me. Your mercy has overwhelmed me. I present myself to you. You are immediately in God's eyes turned over to the sentence of death because it is not but through death that life comes forth. It is not but through the death of dying, the death of weakness, the death of the utter inability of self through the circumstances that the life of Jesus can come forth. Therefore, Paul says, we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake that the life of Jesus, that that resurrection, if that same spirit that dwells in you, if the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwell in you, it shall quicken you, it shall make you alive, it shall give you strength. Listen to this. Death works in us but life in you. Friend, when death is working in you, you are able to work life in someone else. When you taste the sentence of death and you bear in your body the death of Jesus, then that treasure begins to come forth and it touches someone else's life. So that you can say like Paul, death might be working in me but life is working in someone else. Through my death Christ is coming forth and working life in someone else. Someone can stand up right now and say, God has permitted this and this and I've been crushed and I've been broken but all hallelujah, the grace of God has been made known. See, your very words are imparting life to everyone. Death is working in you but the outflow of the life of Christ that's coming through your death is bringing life to other people. This is God's plan. This is God's plan. What a joy, what a privilege to be called by God to bring life to other people. So many times Christians don't have life because they haven't experienced the death. You cannot put life before you have death. This is the same message in Philippians chapter 3, that I might know Him and the power of His resurrection, being made conformable unto His death, fellowshipping with His suffering. Why? That I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Same spirit, same message. Paul is longing to bear the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus would come forth out of him because he knew that nothing could help this old dying world unless Jesus was moving through him. But he knew Jesus couldn't move through him unless he shared in the fellowship of Christ's death, the fellowship of Christ's sufferings so that he could feel that insufficiency and that total dependence upon God. Wow. What a plan only the eternal God could come up with. Do you agree? Aren't you glad He's God? Now this is the revelation, verse 13 through 18 and we're going to let you go. But having the same spirit of faith according to what is written, I believe therefore I spoke, we also believe, therefore also we speak. Knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. Paul's saying no matter how much of the death I have to taste, I've got just as much resurrection present. There's no depths of death that the resurrection cannot touch. The greater the death, the greater the resurrection. Isn't that encouraging? The darker the dark, Danielle, the greater the light. I didn't mean to wake you up. She was reading. Listen, the greater the darkness, the greater the light. Here we go. For all things are for your sakes that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. Listen, therefore we do not lose heart. Friends, do you want to know how never to lose heart anymore? Are you tired of losing heart? It is understanding, 2 Corinthians chapter 4, that you will never lose heart again. I did not say you won't be cast down, but you won't be knocked out. I did not say you won't be perplexed, but you won't go into despair. I didn't say you won't be persecuted, but you won't be destroyed. But in all these things you will never lose heart. Why? Because you will understand that no matter what the test, no matter what the affliction, Jesus' resurrection is there to pick you up. Therefore Paul said, we do not lose heart, though our outer man is decaying. How many have found that your outer man decays? That's not just your physical body, but that's your strength as a human being. It begins to decay. How many have found that weariness has overtaken you since you have found yourself in manifold temptation, weariness, decaying? But watch this. Watch God's plan here. Though outwardly we are decaying, yet our inner man is what? Being renewed. Guess what man God is more concerned about? That inner man. You know, you look in the mirror and you say, this old guy is pretty handsome, or this old girl is pretty, or this guy is getting old, but you know there's another man that God has his eyes on. And sometimes to get that man strong, that outer man has to decay, or be weakened, or be subject to all kinds of trials. Don't lose heart. Your inner man is being renewed. For momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen. What are the things which are seen? Affliction, perplexity, trial, tribulation. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. What's not seen? That inner man with the natural eye can't be seen, but he's getting stronger, and stronger, and stronger, and stronger. Patrick said it's getting easier. Why? Because the outer man is being weakened, but that inner man is taking over. And when that inner man gets on the bicycle, boy, you can go up the biggest hill and not get tired. When that inner man gets on the plow, boy, you can plow day and night and not get tired. That's what Isaiah meant. Run and not be weary. Walk and not faint. How can you do that? When the inner man takes over, he never gets tired. He never gets weary. The outer man doesn't. But you know who that inner man is? Listen, it's not just Jesus. This is where we miss it. It's you and Jesus, because the two become one spirit. Listen, God doesn't do away with you when you become a Christian. God unites you and creates a whole new person. And it's that inner man. It's you and Jesus. See, a new creation is that spirit that God has created. That's you and Jesus are now one. And you learn to cooperate with Him to the point where you can say it's no longer I but Him. But it is you, because then Paul says, I can do all things through Christ. So how can it not be me, but yet it is me? How can I say, it's not me, it's all God, but yet Paul says, I can do all things. So it's not me, the outward man, but it's me, the inner man who is one with my God. It's that new creation. Paul said, God has created a new man after righteousness and true holiness. What a revelation! God wants that new man to start running the race. God wants that new man to start believing. God wants that new man to start running and walking. When He takes over, you don't get weary. Because He's working by the very power of Christ Himself. The things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. Friends, be encouraged this morning. It is God who is working in you. Building up the new you. I said the new you. But at the same time, He's weakening the old you. The old you will be gone on that resurrection morning. That's when we realize our full redemption. We'll put off mortality, we'll put on immortality. But until then, you will continuously be delivered over to death, that you might continuously experience His life. You are special. God has given you the power, that new man, to do all things through Christ. Have you become acquainted with the new you? Do you know the new you? Oh, how God loves you. That new you is who you really are. But often times, the outer man that relentlessly tries to take over, blinds your eyes. When you begin to see that new you, that new creation, me and my God, one. Oh Lord, let the labor in this body be the result of that new me working. And let the labor that is the result of the old me, that old man, let that old man just be put down by that new man. Oh, what perfect acceptance. What perfect love. This is what God means when He says, yield yourself. Surrender. That's what He means. He says, let that new man get on the reign of your heart. Let Jesus be crowned. You gotta see it by revelation. There's a new man working in you. One spirit. You and the Lord are one spirit now. But that new man needs to be nurtured. Needs to be strengthened. The Word of God, the Spirit of God and the presence of God will strengthen that new man. The filth of this world, the garbage in this world will strengthen the outer man. Who are you feeding? What are you putting into your eyes, into your ears, into your heart? You are what you eat. If you eat junk food, you're gonna be unhealthy. If you eat the junk food of this world, your old man will wake up. Oh, I'm hungry. I want sin. I want lust. And the old man will be in there weeping. But if you nurture that old man and you fellowship with God and you read the Word of God and you fellowship with Christians, you'll wake up in the morning and that old man will be down and the new man will rise up and say, Hallelujah, God. I love you, Jesus. I'm hungry. What has Jeremiah got to say today? I want fellowship. I'm gonna spend time with Jesus. Oh, friends, your new man is greater. Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. Walk in the light as he is in the light and have fellowship one with another. And the precious blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse you from every sin that that old man commits. And in the same act, we'll continue to strengthen that new man. What a redemption. I'm sorry that we kept you so long today, but I think God's done something. Has he not? What do you think, Mary? Let's pray as you continue to pray. Let's just pray. Listen, we have to take an offering. So just whatever God has put on your heart, get it out. And as we're leaving, you can bring it up and put it in the tray. And I have a couple announcements too. Just hold with me for two more minutes. Father, we thank you for the nearness of your spirit this morning. We thank you for the spirit of wisdom and revelation that has come this morning, Lord. Father, I pray in Jesus' name that you would impart this revelation, Lord.