I. THE CHURCH UNDER SIEGE
1Oh that you would bear with me in a little folly—and indeed you do bear with me. 2 Cor 11:1
A. There is an element of seeming folly and weakness in the preaching of Christ Jesus compared to the more popular
and good subjects i.e. finances, health, prosperity, prophetic, the supernatural, and the power of God etc.
B. One of the purposes for Paul to write his 2nd letter to the church of Corinth is to equip the church to discern the
presence of false messengers, who preach with a different spirit a different Jesus. Paul’s burden in this regard is
specifically highlighted in 2 Cor 10-11. Paul is concerned for the church of Corinth because the church is under a
demonic siege that has led to an undermining of the apostolic revelation of Jesus Christ. The revelation of Jesus Christ,
which is the understanding of Christ character, power and blue-print is fundamental to the Church becoming a pure and
spotless bride at the end of the age.
C. Paul as a friend of the bridegroom (11:2) is seeking to equip the church to be made ready for the marriage supper
of the lamb (Rev 19:6-8). The apostle is as well equipping the church to be able to discern and stand against the false
messengers that are emerging within and outside the church in his day. The church of Corinth is under the same
demonic siege that Eve encountered.
D. The very same intensity of deception that took place in the garden and shifted the direction of the planet is
assaulting the church of Corinth, which is of great concern to the apostle Paul. Satan is seeking to undermine the
revelation of the knowledge of God through Jesus Christ. This is happening by demonic spirits breathing lies upon the
hearts and minds of the people, through vain imaginations and arguments (2 Cor 10:3-5) as well as Satan raising up false
messengers who will speak messages confirming the arguments in the hearts and minds of the people (2 Cor 11:13-14).
These false messengers speak after the heart of the people and the as Shepherds (Jer 3:15)
E. Paul’s first burden is to equip the church of Corinth. In this hour the Holy Spirit is equipping His people and the
Lord is raising up messengers and preachers of the knowledge of God who will equip the church with the revelation of
Jesus is that the church would be prepared as a bride made read y (Rev 19:7)
F. Paul is equipping the church to understand to true nature of spiritual warfare. The apostle started the subject about
warfare in 2 Cor 10:3-5 and he expounds on the subject with more detail in (2Cor 11:2, 4, 13-14). Paul gives insight into
the nature of spiritual warfare say that come as attacks, lies, and arguments against the revelation of Jesus Christ. Paul
shows the church that this demonic siege is two-fold. First it comes as lies and ideas to the mind or fiery darts of the
wicked that are designed to assault the faith. (Eph 6:16). Second, the attack manifest itself in and through human vessels
which can happen both through sincere believers (Mt 16:13) and false messenger (2 Cor 11:13-14) who speak
messages that will confirm the false ideas in the minds of the people.
G. In chapter 10 Paul states that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but rather that the Lord has given his
church powerfully anointed weapons to wage war against these lies – taking captive thoughts. The only antidote against
this demonic siege and that which will cause us to stand strong is to have an “apostolic determination” to not know
anything but Christ and Him crucified. We must the pursuit of the revelation of Christ as our primary vision and pursuit
again.
II. PAUL’S BURDEN TO EQUIP THE CHURCH TO DISCERN FALSE MESSENGERS
3 But I fear, lest somehow, as fthe serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds gmay be corrupted from the
1simplicity that is in Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:3
A. Paul is seeking to equip the church of Corinth to discern and to stand strong against the false messengers who
are seeking to infiltrate the church with the preaching of another Jesus. In this hour there is a crisis in the land as there
is absence of the preaching Christ along with the increase of the preaching of another Jesus. The Lord is equipping His
people to love the truth.
B. It is essential in this hour that we give ourselves to the pursuing of the beauty of Jesus as it is the only anecdote that
can keep us from getting swayed by the preaching of another gospel.
4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you
have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it! 2 Corinthians 11:4
C. The critical thing before the church in this hour is the preaching Christ in keeping with apostolic revelation Jesus
as declared by the disciples including the book of Revelation.
D. The book of Revelation is about the unveiling of the beauty of Jesus at the end of the age. One of its purposes is
to equip the church to not be swayed by the onslaught of the gates of hell that will come through the Antichrist and the
false prophets. I believe that one of the reasons why the book of Revelation has been perceived as confusing or
irrelevant is because of the demonic siege to undermine the apostolic revelation of Jesus Christ that will equip the end-
time church to stand strong at the end of the age – the gates of hell will not prevail against the church.
E. One of the purposes of the book of Revelation is to equip the end-time church with the revelation of who Jesus is
to stand strong against the greatest demonic onslaught of the gates of Hades under the antichrist in Revelation 13.
Revelation 13:5-6 gives us insight into the greatest demonic onslaught both mystically, if I can say it that way, both in
mystical operations of demon sprits and through human vessels. The greatest onslaught will happen there in Revelation
13 under the antichrist, and the only way that the onslaught of the gates of hell will not prevail against the end-time
church, it is to the measure that the end-time church has insight into the revelation of who Jesus Christ is. We must give
ourselves to the revelation of Jesus.
F. The book of Revelation of Jesus Christ equips the church for the ultimate onslaught of the gates of hell. It equips the
church with the truth of Jesus’ personality, power and purpose for the church to be victorious and to be ready for
Revelation 19
18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades (Rev 13)
shall not 7prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18
III. THE NECESSITY OF THE APOSTOLIC PREACHING
A. The preaching of Christ with the power and the anointing the Spirit will result in the gaze of the bride of Christ to
be lifted towards the heavenly Bridegroom God
1 Behold, you are fair, my love! Behold, you are fair! You have dove’s eyes (single focus and wholehearted loyal
devotion) behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats, going down from Mount Gilead. SOS 4:1
B. The apostolic preaching of Christ calls for communicators of Christ whose primary pursuit is to set the eyes of
their heart on Christ and what He is about.
5 “For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.”
2 Corinthians 4:5
C. Apostolic preaching calls us to expose our spirit to the radiance of God’s presence that dwells in us by the Holy
Spirit. The brightness of Christ’s presence resides in us and we are called to give ourselves to fellowshipping with the
Holy Spirit who reveals the beauty of Christ with the people of God.
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same
image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine.
Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. John 16:14-15
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ
in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27
IV. THE FATHER’S PLEASURE AND ZEAL TO REVEAL HIS SON
A. The Father is filled holy and divine zeal to grant His Son a pure and a spotless bride.
27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be
holy and without blemish.
B. It was determined in the eternal counsels of the Godhead before Gen 1 that God would have a people who would
love Him.
1. What – He chose us.
2. When – Before the foundation of the world
3. Why – To be blameless and holy in love
C. We are not chosen outside of Christ but in Christ, God determined that those who are found in the Son of God
would be chosen and approved of God for the purpose of having intimacy without shame.
1. Holy – set apart, to be His people possessing the beauty of God (Ps 90:17, Isa 61:3, Rev 4:4)
2. Without blame – enmity and hostility removed (Rom 8:1, Col 2:15, Rev 12:10, Gen 3:10-15)
3. Before Him in love – access, voluntary love, counterpart (Eph 5:31-32). It is significant to note that the New
Jerusalem is called the bride of the Lamb (Rev 21:9)
D. A pure and spotless Bride is a people in whom the fullness of Christ is formed and expressed –
19 My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you… Gal 4:19
28 “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in
Christ Jesus.” Colossians 1:28
7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”
8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the
saints. Revelation 19:7-8
E. God created all that exist for the purpose of manifesting the knowledge of who is in all of the created order.
3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the
light from the darkness. Genesis 1:3-4
6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6
F. The glory of God in the face of Christ that filled the earth in Gen 1 is what shines on our hearts and transforms us
as we fellowship with the Spirit Who reveals Christ in us.
G. The Father has great pleasure to reveal His Son in us –
15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal
His Son in me… Galatians 1:15-16
V. SIMPLE DEVOTION TO CHRIST
3 “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the
simplicity that is in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:3
A. The essence of spiritual warfare is to distract us from the pure and simple devotion that is in Christ. Having a
fierce determination to know Christ is the ONLY solution to guard against this deception.
2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:2
4 One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple. Psalm 27:4
42 “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42
B. The great end time strategy of the Holy Spirit is to put on display the beauty of Jesus.
2 In that day the Branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious… Isaiah 4:2