Have you ever been handed an unexpected assignment? Maybe your boss called out sick and suddenly you’re running a meeting you weren’t prepared for. Or a ministry opportunity arose that felt way above your pay grade. That’s exactly what happened at GBC Phoenix on January 10, 2021 — Pastor Josh wasn’t feeling well, and one of our elders stepped in to deliver a message he hadn’t planned to give. The title of that sermon: Character and Circumstances.
The message comes from one of the most theologically rich sections in all of Scripture — 2 Corinthians 3:18 through chapter 4. And the preacher opened with one of the most important habits every Bible reader should develop: when you see the word “therefore,” find out what it’s there for.
“Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.”
— 2 Corinthians 4:1
That “therefore” reaches back to the end of chapter 3, where Paul writes one of the most stunning verses in all of Scripture:
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
— 2 Corinthians 3:18
Ministry Requires Godly Character
The first half of this sermon zeroes in on a trap that every Christian — and especially every Christian in public ministry — must avoid: the double life. The preacher put it bluntly:
“We have renounced shameful ways… we affirm our public proclamations with the practice of our private life. This is what character is. If you violate your private life with what you proclaim in your public life, you are living a double life, and your character is challenged.”
— 2 Corinthians 4:2 (paraphrased)
This is convicting because it’s so easy to compartmentalize. We can look godly on a Sunday morning and live like the world Monday through Saturday. But that gap between what we profess and what we practice is exactly what Paul is addressing here. True ministry flows from integrity — not just public proclamation, but private obedience.
The sermon also warned against two specific ways we erode that integrity:
- Deny God’s omniscience. We live as if God doesn’t see our private moments, our secret thoughts, our hidden sins.
- Misuse grace as a license. We treat God’s forgiveness as permission to keep sinning, rather than the costly gift it actually is — bought by Christ’s blood.
Grace is free, but it is not cheap. It does not give us permission to continue in sin; it rescues us from it.
Ministry Requires Resilience Through Circumstances
The second major point is equally important, and perhaps even more countercultural: the reflection of Christ’s image is shown by how we hold up in tough circumstances. The preacher called this “jars of clay” theology — quoting verse after verse from 2 Corinthians 4:
“We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
— 2 Corinthians 4:7-9
This is the paradox at the heart of the Christian life: death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. Ministry isn’t about pristine conditions and perfect circumstances. It’s about pressing on when everything hurts. The very things that should destroy us — persecution, hardship, weariness — actually become the stage on which God’s power is displayed most clearly.
“For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal flesh.”
— 2 Corinthians 4:11
This is deeply encouraging: when we reflect the image of Christ, we will face hard times. But we will not face them alone. God’s love and His provision endure through the tough times.
So What?
The sermon closed with a clear summary: Ministry requires two things — godly character and resilience through tough circumstances.
Both matter. You can have character but no resilience, and you’ll burn out when things get hard. You can be resilient in the world’s eyes but lack character, and your ministry will be hollow and self-serving. Together — character formed in private obedience and resilience refined in difficult circumstances — these produce a ministry that glorifies God and displays the surpassing power of the gospel.
Whether you’re preaching to a congregation, raising kids, working a job, or serving in your local church — this is the call. Not perfect people, but transformed people. Not comfortable Christians, but ones who hold up under pressure and keep reflecting the image of Christ.
Scripture References
- 2 Corinthians 3:18 — Beholding and being transformed into the image of Christ
- 2 Corinthians 4:1 — Therefore, we do not lose heart
- 2 Corinthians 4:2 — Renouncing shameful, hidden ways
- 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 — Treasure in jars of clay
- 2 Corinthians 4:11 — Death at work in us, life at work in you