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Session 1: Josh Patterson, pastor at The Village Church.

Pastors and church leaders always have the tension of suffering and joy together. You rejoice over the baptism waters stirring because of conversion, and you suffer alongside the family whose father has just abandoned them. You rejoice at repentance and grieve hardened hearts.

It is a privilege to shepherd the flock of God. Josh’s text for this message is 2 Corinthians 4.

What is the context, the atmosphere, the air we breathe? Three things that ought to be true of us.

1. Prayer.

The formula for successful Christian ministry (from John the Baptist) is “He must increase and I must decrease.” For that to happen, we must be a people of prayer.

Prayer needs to be seen as practical. When people are suffering, we often think about practical help, but don’t think about prayer as practical. Leaders, your people will understand the primacy of prayer by the priority you place on it.

Prayer, more than anything else, reveals what I believe about my own sufficiency to do what God has asked me to do. It reveals my dependence or lack of dependence on God.

Josh is asking some piercing questions about prayer in the life of the local church. How prominent is prayer in the church ministry?

Prayer is not just an act of dependence; it is an overflow of adoption.

2. Suffering

What makes me decrease and Christ increase is my own suffering. Our sufferings showcase the power of the Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians 4:7 – broken, weak temporary vessels to shine the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ

The gospel is shown powerful in our weakness and suffering. Suffering is the everyday common reality we all share. The world is broken.

The context of ministry must embrace suffering, not push it away or ignore it. Your job and calling as a pastor is to proactively prepare your people for the reality of suffering.

Josh is talking about how personal the issue of suffering became when Matt went through his health issues. The church was blindsided in one sense, but was prepared in another sense because God had providentially led the church to study about suffering in the months before.

What do you do when your people are suffering? You point to the glory of God and the love of a Savior who is not surprised by suffering. Suffering has a double-edged effect. It is crippling, but it provides an opportunity to paint a picture of who Christ is and where our hope lies.

In suffering, the gospel of Jesus Christ becomes clearer and sweeter and more beautiful. We look and long for the better day, for the hope of heaven, for the return of Christ.

3. Celebration

The only people who truly have the right to laugh are Christians. Who else is free? We have the privilege to be glad in God.

Where in our churches do we leave room for celebration? Point out the evidences of grace you find in the congregation.

Point out the evidence of Christ in your people. Lift Him up in your preaching, and then point Him out in the lives of your people.

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