Prevail: 2 Corinthians

Week 10

Meeting Expectations in the Prevailing Church: How to deal with expectations

Focus: In a later letter to the church in Corinth, Paul humbly bares his heart and life as a follower and apostle of Jesus. Paul shares the sufferings, trials, difficulties, conflicts, and heartaches that have driven him ever closer to the comfort of his saviour, magnifying the power of Jesus as a witness to all.

Study by: Ivan Cooper
Sermons can be viewed on the Hope Valley Church YouTube Channel

Praise, Thanks, and Reflection

Invite people to share from one or more of the questions below. It can be done as a whole group or in subgroups. It can also involve a worship song.

What are you thankful for?
Where have you seen God at work?
How has God used you?
How have you gone living out God’s Word since our last gathering?
Where have you struggled to follow the way of Jesus?
Where and with whom have you witnessed to the love and good news of Jesus?

Care and Prayer

In prayer, capture the things you have shared above after also inviting people to share any personal needs for prayer or support.

2. Opening God’s Word

Setting the Scene

Paul expresses his fragile heart and deep emotions throughout 2 Corinthians. Earlier in 1 Corinthians 4, we read that Paul views the Corinthians as his dear children and longs to be their loving spiritual father. He longs to bear any expense or burden himself, as he writes, "...I don’t want what you have - I want you. After all children don’t provide for their parents…" (2 Corinthians 12:14). This extended beyond the Corinthians, as amongst all the churches, Paul was a model of gentleness, as he “treated each of you as a father treats his own children" (1 Thessalonians 2:11).

While many in authority seek power of their own, Jesus said, "...You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant…" (Matthew 20:25-26).

Acting as their father, not their master, Paul seeks to lead humbly by example and willingly brings all of his own weaknesses into the light, so as to be reliant on God’s all-sufficient grace (2 Corinthians 12:9). He feels deeply the hurts of his children, and he feels the pain from his own struggles too. Yet, above all, he longs to build the Corinthians up so they could grow to maturity in Christ and know Him more. He longs that they would know and live in the incredible freedom and hope to which God is calling them, for "it is for freedom that Christ has set us free…" (Galatians 5:1).

Read: 2 Corinthians 12:19-20
Take turns reading these verses from several translations.

What first caught your interest or stuck out to you as you read these verses? Alternatively, what questions do you still want answered?
Describe a time that your good or kind intentions to help have been misunderstood by others (verse 19).
Read verse 20 in the Message:
“I do admit that I have fears that when I come you’ll disappoint me and I’ll disappoint you, and in frustration with each other everything will fall to pieces—quarrels, jealousy, flaring tempers, taking sides, angry words, vicious rumors, swelled heads, and general bedlam.”
What do you feel is the heart of Paul’s message to the Corinthians here when he expresses a deep concern in not meeting their expectations and he not meeting theirs?
Knowing the apostle Paul felt and experienced deeply the hopes, fears, worries, disappointments, and concerns of the church, what encouragements do these verses offer in our lives today as a follower of Jesus?

3. Living out the Heart of God

A strong theme of strength in Christ discovered during crushing weakness extends throughout 2 Corinthians. Here Paul bares his fragile human heart, that he would grow to be ever more reliant on the all-sufficient grace of God.

What hopes or fears can you lift up to God that you could receive ever more grace for today?
In what ways can we build one another up with grace upon grace as the family of God?

Prayer for each other

Break into 2s or 3s to pray.

Pray for each other for any commitment you have made to live out what you have learned.
Praying for your 5 (from your Relational Map – See ‘The Heart of God’ Study – Week 1).

Contacts

If you would like more information or further help, please contact:
scott.button@hopevalleychurch.com.au