The Missing Link (Part 2)

Last week (The Missing Link :Part 1) we laid out some groundwork for what we are going to look at this morning. This is something that a mentor of mine by the name of Ed Lacey has shared with me, and I have to let you in on it today!

Paul was writing to the church at Corinth the letter of 1 Corinthians and was trying to correct some damage done by false teachers within the church. He was waiting to hear there response to his letter where we pick up in 2 Corinthians.

"Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia." ~ 2 Corinthians 2:13-14

"Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place." 2 Corinthians 2:14 

Last Monday we pointed out the question mark that is prompted between the 13th passage and the 14th passage.

Paul seems to go from a point of struggle to a point of triumph like a light switch! What happened?

If God allowed (Not necessarily condoned) circumstances in my life happen, and God would use them as a step for me to draw closer to Him because of those God allowed circumstances... How do I climb the step?

How do I transform the "Walls" on my path into "Steps" on my path?

Paul shows us in this passage!

1.FOCUS ON OUR POSITION IN CHRIST.

I can have victory in Jesus! It is not just a song, it is a reality.

Continual triumph- 24 hours a day; 7 days a week; 52 weeks a year!

Paul expresses the context of this triumph in 2 Corinthians 2:12-13. He is troubled and in the middle of great concern.
He leaves Troas for Macedonia during this time. It was a place of open doors from the Lord and Paul is preoccupied.

There is a wall on his path. What happened between the verse 13 of his life and the verse 14?

Paul looks beyond his wall of concern and trouble and chooses to focus on his position in Christ! He changes his focus from his trouble to his triumph!

He does not:
Look outward at his circumstances
Look inward at his own failures and weaknesses
Look downward at the Devil

Instead he chooses to:
Look upward in Christ!

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." ~Proverbs 3:5-6  ( We looked at this passage in detail in the post "What a way to die!" )
"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us."
 ~Romans 8:37 

"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
~ 1 Corinthians 15:57 

God ALWAYS leads me in triumph, in the Lord Jesus.

It does not matter the outward circumstances; the way things appear on the surface; the response to the gospel. God ALWAYS leads me in triumph. You show me the verse 13 of your life and I will show you the triumph that God leads us in through Christ Jesus!

I triumph because I am being led by The Sovereign Victorious King!

This King is like no other. He has a purpose (Romans 8:28) in my God allowed circumstances, and He has given me a sure promise (Matthew 16:18).

He did not say He might build His church. He said, "I WILL". God is building!

I love this word "Triumph" used in 2 Corinthians 2:14.

"Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place." ~ 2 Corinthians 2:14

The word Triumph used here is making reference to what was called the "Roman Triumph".

In the ancient roman empire there would be a processional ceremony given to the victorious Roman empire. this was not a small town parade where people threw tootsie rolls and pencils with a candidates name written on them. This was an event of the century! The streets of Rome were packed with it's citizens and there was a deafening roar as they cheered their victorious army home!
First down the crowd lined streets would be the senators of the state. They would be followed by the blast of instruments from the waves of musicians parade style. Then would come the temple workers swinging wide trays of incense to honor their gods of war. These were not 24 oz. Yankee candles, these were large cauldrons that filled the streets with the aroma of victory! (Think of a febreze truck exploding on your street!)
Following them would be the wagons laden down with the spoils of war. After which would follow the enemy soldiers now having become slaves.
Then the victorious General. He would ride a white stallion and hold his victorious sword high into the burning sun!
Then the victorious army would march behind him. Heroes of the empire!

Can you see that in your mind? What must the smell have been to the victors? The incense would speak of life and victory! To the slaves I imagine it spoke of death and defeat.

This is the power picture that Paul paints for us.

We are not victims. We are soldiers who follow a victorious king in a TRIUMPH procession!

The Lord Jesus is our Victorious General!

He has defeated death, hell and the grave. He always leads us, through the triumph procession of life.
We have the awesome blessing of being in the victorious army!

Paul could say with confidence, "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ..."

I do not know what you have gone through lately. I know that if your life is like mine that you have come across walls on your path. The difference between a wall and a step is only in if we choose to climb it or not.

the choice is ours alone to make. We can stare at the wall and curse it, strike it, turn from it, and even deny it's reality; however it will remain on our path. We can walk off the path that God has laid out for us and wander for years, but we will never move forward until we climb it. Looking past the wall and fixing our gaze on the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus Christ, is the start. When we focus on our position IN Him, we have taken our first handful of wall and have begun to pull ourselves up and over.

You are not weak.

You have been chosen to:
be in His army
wear His uniform
bear His name
follow His commands
He is victorious and our lives are like the incense that fills the street with the smell of victory! Life to those with life, and death to those defeated by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

I want to close this post with the words of  a song that I believe God wants on your ears today.

I heard an old, old story
How a Savior came from glory
How He gave His life on Calvary
To save a wretch like me
I heard about His groaning
Of His precious blood's atoning
Then I repented of my sins
And won the victory

O victory in Jesus
My Savior, forever
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him
He plunged me to victory
Beneath the cleansing flood

I heard about His healing
Of His cleansing pow'r revealing
How He made the lame to walk again
And caused the blind to see
And then I cried, "Dear Jesus
Come and heal my broken spirit,"
And somehow Jesus came and brought
To me the victory

O victory in Jesus
My Savior, forever
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him
He plunged me to victory
Beneath the cleansing flood

I heard about a mansion
He has built for me in glory
And I heard about the streets of gold
Beyond the crystal sea
About the angels singing
And the old redemption story
And some sweet day I'll sing up there
The song of victory

O victory in Jesus
My Savior, forever
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him
He plunged me to victory
Beneath the cleansing flood

Climbing with you,
~Dan