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Mar 21, 2021

Sufficient (Click Here For Resources)

Passage: 2 Corinthians 3:1-11

Speaker: Brian Land

Series: 2 Corinthians

Category: Grace Brevard

Keywords: forgiven, priesthood, sufficient, empowered

We are the new messengers of a new message; the gospel of Jesus for the salvation of many. The old message (the Law) served to reveal our death and desperate need for a savior; the new message (the Gospel) is Jesus as the fulfiller of the old message, which we ourselves could not do, and, by his sacrifice, giver of his own righteousness into us, a message that will eternally prevail. So now we, along with Paul, are the messengers (ministers) of this new message not by our own power or abilities but by the Holy Spirit who has written this new message on our hearts.

3.21.21 GBV Livestream from Grace Brevard on Vimeo.

Sermon Discussion Questions:

HERE is a printable version

How do we often weigh others’ by their “recommendation”?
From carpenters to plumber to lawyers to pastors....

Why do we do this?

How do we also do this to ourselves (we weigh out value by how “recommended” we are)?

Talk about the pros and cons of doing this?


Paul was facing a contingency that de-valued him because he wasn’t one of the celebrity pastors. Try to summarize what his response was to being “un-recommended” (vvs. 2-3).

Maybe something along the lines of “fruit over rumors.”


Paul classically inverts the question. The issue isn’t our confidence toward each other but our confidence toward God.

What different ranges of confidence do you have before God?

What if, in the middle of your day, you were immediately transported to the Throne of God Himself...face to face (like Isaiah in Isaiah 6). How “confident” would you feel?

You likely know the “right” answer that Paul tells us in vvs 4-6.
But why isn’t this how we often actually feel?

I think the root is that we deeply struggle with the “new covenant” and lean toward the “old”.


We still feel like Adam who hid because he was naked. We have enough self-realization that, in ourselves, we are disgustingly filthy, and conclude that a pure and holy God cannot possibly want us in his presence.

How does this play out in your spiritual life?

Talk about this: “Your disqualification if your qualification”


Because of the perfect cleaning Jesus procured for us on the cross, we are sufficient to be in the actual presence of God. But it’s EVEN MORE than that...we are ALL sufficient to be “ministers of a new covenant.” This word “ministers” does NOT mean we are all called to be in vocational ministry (example: be a pastor in a church). It means that ALL believers are AMBASSADORS of Jesus Christ.

Skip ahead and read 2Cor 5:16-21.

How ARE we ambassadors?

Where does our authority come from?

How do we (like Moses did) argue that we can’t?

How can you “ambassador” this week?


The great irony is that, though Jesus had become incredibly popular, he was also incredibly dwespised and often just being “used” (or at least trying to) for his miracles and potential power.

How could Jesus, like Paul, respond to peoples’ distrust by simply saying...”others may not say nice things about me, but look at the changed lives of my followers.”?


In light of the cross and the gift of the Holy Spirit inside of you (and you inside of him), what does it practially mean that you are SUFFICIENT?