2 Corinthians 2. For our text tonight,
I want to read you a few verses of Scripture that I personally
needed this week. I hope this will be as much of
an encouragement to you as this was to me. This was such an encouragement. 2 Corinthians 2, verse 14, Now thanks be unto God, which
always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest
the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are
unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in
them that perish. To the one we are the savour
of death unto death, and to the other, the saver of life unto
life. And who is sufficient for these
things? Who is sufficient for these things? There is a lot of comfort in
that last line. There is a lot of comfort. That
turns the eyes to Christ. When a believer hears that, it
turns the eyes to the Lord Jesus Christ. Who is sufficient for
these things? He mentions the fact in verse
12 that he came preaching Christ's gospel. He said, furthermore,
when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, When it comes to preaching the
gospel of God, when it comes to preaching the gospel of Christ,
Christ's gospel, who is sufficient for these things? Honestly, who is sufficient for
these things? I don't have any influence over
God's Holy Spirit. And aren't we so glad? I have no idea who he is going
to bless and when he is going to bless
and how he is going to bless God's Holy Spirit bloweth where
he listeth. He just blows where he lists. This is all in his hands. This
is all in his hands. Every bit of this. Every now
and then we hear his sound and oh how wonderful that sound is.
Every now and then he blows our way. But we can't tell whence he cometh
and whither he goeth. If I could, if I could, I would
bless God's word to your heart every time I stood up into a
pulpit to preach. If I could, I would do that,
and I wish that for you. I desire that for you. I can't
tell you how much time I spend thinking about the distance that
some of you drive to get here, and I think, oh, Lord, please
feed them. Please don't let them come all
that way only to turn around and go home, unfed, unspoken
to, untouched by your spirit. If I could, I would bless this
word, what God has written in these pages, I would bless it
to your heart every time I stand up. But no man on this earth
is sufficient to do that. No man is sufficient to do this. That is God's work. That is the
kindness of God's work. And when I think of standing
up in a pulpit to preach His Word, you think about this. This
Word came from the heart and mind and mouth of God. This came from heaven to earth. And when I think about standing
up in a pulpit to preach His Word, being called to execute
the means that He has given, of opening blind eyes and deaf
ears, converting men and women from darkness to light. Again,
not that I have the ability to do any of that. I cannot open anyone's eyes.
I cannot convert anyone's soul. I cannot bless anyone's heart.
That is God's business. But just being the servant of
the means, just being a deliverer of the message, that's what I
am. I'm just the point A to point B deliverer of the message. It just makes me think who is
sufficient for these things, these eternal things. We're all
here dealing with and hearing about eternal things, eternal
things. Along with that, along with the
responsibility of this calling, the responsibility, the weight
of it, I would say one of the greatest heartaches and one of
the greatest fears that a man has to go through, who has been
called to stand up and speak on God's behalf, is knowing what he is in the
flesh. I think that's one of the greatest fears. A man is
standing up here speaking on God's behalf. I've heard people tell me over
the years, I've heard it many times. Different ones have said,
I just couldn't come to the service. I just didn't even feel worthy
to sit and listen. I get it. I get it. Try having to stand
up in a pulpit feeling that way. begging, pleading, overrule me,
remove me, you don't need me. Oh, speak to your people. Who is sufficient for these things? Who is sufficient to speak God's
word? The answer is no man, no man. All right, but let's take that
a step further. Who is sufficient to hear God's word? You talk about take something
lightly and take something for granted. And who is sufficient
to hear God's word? No man, no woman in our flesh. We are dead. That's all we are.
We're just dead. And a dead man does not have
ears to hear. Our Lord said, whoever has ears
to hear the dead man doesn't. Those ears have to be given.
God has to give those ears. The Holy Spirit has to bring
those ears. All right. Therefore, who is
sufficient to believe this word? We get so upset with people thinking,
why don't you just believe it? What's wrong with you? Who is
sufficient to believe it? Who is sufficient to trust this
Word? We come here to open this Word
for some peace and some comfort, to gain some trust and some rest. That's what we're here for, some
assurance. Who's sufficient for that? Who
is sufficient to trust and rest in the Word of God? The answer
is no one. No one in his or her own flesh. So I just want to go ahead and
we'll lay this foundation right here. I'm not sufficient to preach
it. And you're not sufficient to
hear it. And none of us are sufficient to believe it. That's what made
verse 14 such a comfort to my heart. It says, now thanks be
unto God. which always causeth us to triumph
in Christ. This is on my page here, but
look with me at 2 Corinthians 3, verse 4. And such trust have we through
Christ to Godward, such trust have we through Christ to Godward. Verse five, he said, not that
we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves,
but our sufficiency is of God. Our sufficiency is of God. What a glorious thing to know. I have been truly begging the
Holy Spirit to bring this to us. If he is willing, Lord, would
you please teach us something and cause us to know this, cause
us to see this. Our sufficiency is of God. Our sufficiency is not of ourselves
and we don't have to look to ourselves. We don't have to. So many people are just under the bondage of looking
to themselves. They feel like they have to look
to themselves. We don't have to. We do not have to. Every time we do, we are going
to be disappointed and we're going to be disgusted. Every
time we do. Every time that we look within
for ability and sufficiency, depression is sure to follow. If you really want to get a good
depression going on, start looking within to see if you stack up,
to see if you are sufficient before God. We will never find sufficiency
there. Our sufficiency is of God. Look with me at 2 Corinthians
9. 2 Corinthians 9 verse 8. And God is able to make all grace
abound toward you that you always having all sufficiency in all
things may abound to every good work. God is able to give you
all of the sufficiency you need. He's able to give it to you. He's able to apply it to you. He is able to make you to be
so. He's able to make you sufficient. How? In Christ. In Christ. In the Lord Jesus Christ. By
putting us in Christ and Christ in us. That's how. That's how. In Christ, we're sufficient. That is a glorious thought. In
the Lord Jesus Christ, we are sufficient. That is a relieving
thought, so relieving. In Christ, we're sufficient.
Now this right here, what we just said, and what we're about
to see is a savor to every single person on this earth. It's a
savor to all men and women. To some, it's the sweetest savor
they've ever tasted. Some taste the gospel of Christ,
the good news of being in Christ. And to some, that is the sweetest
savor they've ever tasted. To others, it is as foul and
awful and repulsive as death itself. Back in 2 Corinthians 2, if you
go with me back to our text, verse 14, it says, Now thanks
be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and
maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every
place. For we are unto God a sweet savor
of Christ. You just think about that line.
We are unto God, a sweet saver of Christ in them that are saved
and in them that perish. The saver of Christ comes to
those who are saved. And it comes to those who are
going to perish. Verse 16 says to the one, to
those who are going to perish, those who have not received the
love of God shed abroad in the heart, it says, To the one we
are the saver of death. This truth of man's insufficiency. Man's absolute insufficiency
and absolute inability. The flesh hates it. The flesh
of man hates it. The flesh rejects it. It is dead
to the natural flesh. That is dead to me. I don't want
to hear it. I don't want to have anything
to do with it. and the rejection of the truth of the glory of
Christ, it only leads to eternal death, eternal damnation. Verse 16 says, to the one we
are the saver of death unto death. Verse 16 says, and to the other,
and oh, I pray we are the other. I do, I pray we are the other.
And to the other, the savor of life unto life. Those that have been quickened
by the Holy Spirit. Those that have received grace.
Noah found grace. Noah should have died just like
everybody else. But Noah found grace. Noah found
mercy. Noah found a covering for him
and his family. An atonement was provided for
Noah. And all of God's people have
that same thing in Christ. Grace, mercy, To those who have been quickened
by the Holy Spirit, that is the greatest news they've ever heard
in their life. It is life. It's life. Verse 16, to the one we are the
saver of death unto death and to the other, the saver of life
unto life. And who is sufficient for these
things? The Apostle Paul said it so well
in his first letter to the Corinthians. If you'll turn back about two
pages. 1 Corinthians 15 verse 10. It says, but by the grace of
God, I am what I am. and His grace which was bestowed
upon me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than
they all." Now watch these next three words. Yet not I, but the
grace of God which was with me. Yet not I, but the grace of God
that was with me. To the natural flesh, that is
so offensive. It is so offensive to say, I
have never done anything. He said, yet not I, it wasn't
me that did it. To say that I've never done anything
outside of Him doing it for me. And when He did it for me, I
hadn't earned Him doing it for me. I did not deserve Him doing
it for me. I did not even want Him to do
it for me. I rejected Him doing it for me. I am completely a product of
His mercy and His grace." That is such an offense to the natural
flesh. That is so offensive. Man loves his pride and he loves
his self-righteousness and he loves receiving glory and credit. You know what man loves? Glory
and credit. That's what man loves. That's
what the flesh loves. So God receiving all of it, all
the glory, all the credit that is a saver of death to those
who are still dead in their sins. But to those that have been given
life, hearing what God has freely done without any merit on our
part, It's amazing isn't it? It is
amazing grace, freely bestowed, no contribution on our part.
Hearing what God has freely done for us in the person of the Lord
Jesus Christ is life and it's joy and it's rejoicing. And God's people love it and
they feed on it. I'm in my heart. I'm wanting
to tell you an illustration. I'm going to get it and I'm going
to tell it to you in full. But I read it earlier. It was a bulletin article of
a man back in the old days of the Depression. There was an
area where food was so scarce. They were talking about people
who had to stand in line for who knows how long to wait their
turn to get food that wasn't even enough for a whole meal.
Everywhere they went, they had to get in a line and get a little
bit of food. And they were bringing out the
fact that none of those people cared what the building looked
like that it came from. None of those people cared who
was serving it. None of those people cared about
anything. They had to have that food. And
that's how God's people feel about the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ. They don't care what kind of
building it's in. I'm so thankful for that potential building,
but we don't care what kind of building it's in. We don't care who's serving it. Just feed me Christ. It's life,
it is joy, it is rejoicing. To a sinful child of God who
has seen his need of a savior, to hear of Christ's finished
work that he accomplished for me, That is the exact opposite of
offensive. That is the exact opposite of
offensive. It is triumph and it's victory. That's what it is. Don't turn
but Psalm 98 verse 1 says, Oh sing unto the Lord a new song
for he hath done marvelous things His right hand, who is Christ,
and His holy arm, who is Christ, hath gotten Him the victory.
Look right here in 1 Corinthians 15 at verse 57. Now Christ got the victory. Christ
fought the battle. Christ won. He got the victory.
1 Corinthians 15 verse 57 says, but thanks be to God which giveth
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, if we are God's people,
We can cling to and we can hope in and we can find all sufficiency
in the Word of our Lord Jesus Christ and the work of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Here is His Word. Look with me
if you would at Isaiah 25. Isaiah 25 verse 8, He will swallow up death in victory,
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces, and
the rebuke of His people, His people, shall he take away from
off all the earth, for the Lord hath spoken it. That's his word. That's the word of his victory.
Now, how is he going to accomplish that victory? And how is he going
to give that victory to us? Turn with me over to Revelation
chapter 12. Revelation 12 verse 10, And I
heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation
and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his
Christ. For the accuser of our brethren
is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him, They triumphed,
they got the victory by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of
their testimony. And they loved not their lives
unto the death. Our triumph and our sufficiency
is in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the blood He shed
and in the word of promise that He has given to us. So with that
understanding, Let's see if we can get a hold of this fact.
I am truly asking the Lord to help us and teach us this. This
will bring much comfort. I believe this will be a great
comfort and a great help if we can get a hold of it, all right?
Go with me to 2 Corinthians 12. 2 Corinthians 12 verse 9, and before I read this,
let me just say this is absolute truth. If you would like to apply
some absolute truth to your life, here it is. 2 Corinthians 12
verse 9, And he said unto me, the Lord said to Paul, My grace
is sufficient for thee. For my strength is made perfect
in weakness." In your weakness. My strength is made perfect in
your weakness. Paul said, most gladly therefore
will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may
rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in
infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions,
in distresses for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I
strong. Now let's see if the Lord will
confirm this in our hearts. To feel strong in the flesh is
to be weak. That's what weakness is. I feel
so sorry for men and women who are in false religion. feeling
so strong in their flesh. They feel so strong in their
flesh. No doubt in their mind, I'm saved,
I know where I'm going, such on and so forth. That is spiritual
weakness. That's what it is. When we look
to our own strength, we are not looking to His. When we feel and when we are
completely weak in our flesh, I mean utterly helpless, totally
unable, that's the moment we are our strongest. That moment
just before we faint, we're at our strongest point. And it's because we have no choice
but to lean on the strength of the Lord Jesus Christ. A true
believer will say, a true believer will say, a child of God will
say this, I may be the weakest thing I've ever seen on this
earth, but I am not looking to my strength. I'm looking to His. I'm looking to His. When we feel
worthy, when I feel worthy to preach this gospel. If that moment comes that I feel
worthy to stand up here and preach this gospel, when you feel worthy
to come hear this gospel and worthy to believe this gospel,
at that moment, we are at the height of unworthiness. Never are we more unworthy than
that. But when Christ is all we have,
I mean all we have when our only cry is worthy is the lamb. That's the moment we triumph
in him. A true believer will say, I may
be the most unworthy thing I've ever seen in all of my life,
but I'm not looking to my worthiness. I'm looking to his. He is the
most worthy thing I've ever seen in all my life. I may be the most insufficient
thing that has ever walked the face of this earth, but I'm not
looking to my sufficiency. I'm looking to His. And there's
comfort there. There is real, true comfort there. There is sufficiency there. When the only sufficiency that
we have is Christ himself, his word, his work, his mercy, his
grace, his blood. When that's all we have left,
this is all I have. As I look at myself, I can honestly
say this is all I have. I have his word, I have his mercy,
I have his grace, I have his blood. It's all I have. When that's all the sufficiency
we have, we have all sufficiency. When that is all the sufficiency
that we have, we have all sufficiency. That's why Paul said back in
our text, if you go one more time to 2 Corinthians 2, verse
14, Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph
in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by
us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour
of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish. To the
one we are the savour of death unto death, and to the other
the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these
things? Christ is. That's what God's
people say, Christ is, He is our sufficiency. I pray the Lord
will make that a blessing to us. All right, let's all stand
together.