We live in a culture that is increasingly focused on self-esteem and self-reliance.

It's not uncommon to be told that we are to draw from within ourselves to achieve our goals.

But that's not what the Bible teaches.

And today on Truth For Life, we'll learn about the dangers of being squeezed into the world's mold, both as individuals and as a church.

Alistair Begg is teaching from 2 Corinthians chapter 2.

He begins in verse 12.

I want to approach a subject from our four perspectives.

First of all, to consider the biblical framework that underpins the thesis in the title.

Then to change gears from that and move to the cultural setting, which is ours in seeking to understand the Bible.

Then to change gears again and to ask a question concerning the contemporary church in relationship to the biblical framework and the cultural setting.

And then finally to look at the whole matter in relationship to ourselves as individuals.

Where then does the contemporary church fall in relationship to these things?

Would it be fair to say that the church is firmly grounded in its understanding of inadequacy as a foundation for usefulness?

Or do you think that the church has capitulated to the spirit of the age and that the average seminarian is about to launch himself or herself on an unsuspecting church?

And let them all know how brilliant she is or how terrific he is and how they just can't wait to discover it.

You will recall that when Namaya was assigned the task for the rebuilding of the walls and the re-hanging of the gates in the broken-down context of Jerusalem.

The first thing that he did was pray. Then he did a reconnaissance.

And after his reconnaissance under cover of night and with little fuss and bother, he didn't arrive in Jerusalem under a great banner saying,

your greatest fears are over. I am here. Namaya has arrived.

Now he finally got the people together and he said to them, you see the trouble we're in?

Or in the King James verse and it puts it in the interrogative, do you see the trouble we are in?

Well the fact of the matter was they saw it but they didn't see it.

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