The Life Of Christ Manifested

by Pastor Mark
April 24, 2026

 

The challenge to serve well

It is vital that we learn to serve the Lord well. But for some, service is a matter of convenience. We offer ourselves to serve only when we have the time. For others, service is more of an obligation. We feel we have to rather than we want to. We may not have the right attitude towards our service to the Lord.

The Apostle Paul is a great example of how we ought to serve the Lord. He always ministered with the utmost regard for the Lord and His work. Let us consider how Paul sought to serve the Lord.

1. Ministry

“Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.” (2 Corinthians 4:1)

  1. Paul wrote that he had been entrusted with a great ministry.
  2. It was by the mercy of the Lord that he could serve Him at all.
  3. No matter what he had to go through in life or ministry, he did not lose heart.
  4. Paul saw his ministry as a treasure and loved it…“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7)
  5. Even though he saw himself as an earthen vessel, he sought to carry this treasure…his ministry by the excellence of the power of God.
  6. Let us be challenged to have the same approach and appreciation for our ministry.

2. Mindset

“We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—” (2 Corinthians 4:8–9)

  1. With this power from God, Paul developed a strong mindset to face great difficulties.
  2. He felt great pressure on all fronts, faced many perplexing moments, was persecuted and was struck down numerous times.
  3. But Paul never gave up or lost heart.
  4. He had a resilient mindset that was not crushed by these difficulties, nor was he in despair. He did not think that he was forsaken or destroyed.
  5. Paul had the same spirit of faith as those of old, such as the prophets who overcame great adversity (2 Corinthians 4:13).
  6. Let us be challenged to serve the Lord with this same mindset and faith.

3. Manifest

“Always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” (2 Corinthians 4:10)

Paul was very conscious of carrying the Lord Jesus with him as he served. The ministry of the Lord was that He “did not come to be served but to serve, and give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). His mindset was one of humility…to serve in a lowly manner and one of love and sacrifice…to give His body to save many souls from sin.

Paul sought to manifest the Lord Jesus in his life by the way he served, following His regard for ministry and His mindset. Let us be challenged to emulate Paul’s example in life and ministry.

Let us be challenged to manifest the Lord Jesus in our bodies as we serve Him.

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