Have him as the Lord of their lives. And just bless our time together this afternoon, and we thank you again for your love in jesus name amen
Learning. Well… Thanks for bumming everybody out. I think after that announcement.
Maybe we should just do what my kids are asking me at Sunday school every week. We should just all go to McDonald's and get a milkshake or something. If the other's approved, we could all just go do that. No, but you guys… Just want to say we've been blessed with you guys here. I think you've been here the whole time I've been here.
17 plus years or whatever it is, but… how exciting it is. Jean and I would, you're living our dream of going to be with your grandkids and and your children that you have that ability to do that, that's awesome.
We'll miss you, but… I'm not so happy for you.
So. And thanks to Jamie and Luke for cleaning the music this morning and picking a song that 49, it just like makes me cry every time I hear it. I don't know why it is, but… It's just one of those songs and I'm standing up here, I turned around. I didn't realize Janine was sitting behind me. She was bowling.
So thanks for that, Jamie and Luke. But really do appreciate All the people that we just didn't worship on Sundays and especially ladies during first service.
We're just blessed by that music. I remember hearing a preacher one time say.
He really felt bad for the people that were that would come in late right before he was about to speak after the music.
Because they miss out on that. That peace and that blessing.
I would agree with him and also get to the meeting on time.
But I wanted to start off today with a question. And that question is… How's everybody's bracket doing? I'm not even a college basketball fan, but I didn't realize when Fred asked me this.
I thought it was going to be right in the thick of March Madness.
It's the only time of year that I watch college basketball and I just can't turn away. So it's Thursday night and it's 12 o'clock and I'm still watching a basketball game. Got to get up at 5 in the morning the next day and I'm still…
So watching the game, so I might have a lot of basketball references in my message this morning. So I'm just… Bear with me on that one. Now, in all seriousness, I'm really humbled to be up here.
I have a title which is we have the Light So We Have a Sure Hope. And we're going to be looking at 2 Corinthians chapter 4 today.
So let's just begin there. I'm just going to read through the entire passage and… And we'll get into it.
2 Corinthians chapter 4. Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God We do not lose heart, but we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways We refuse to practice cunning or tamper with God's word.
But by the open statement of the truth, we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. And even if the gospel is veiled only to those who are perishing, in their case, the God of this world has blinded their minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel
Of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
For what we proclaim as not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord with ourselves as your servants for Jesus's sake.
For God who said, let light shine on the darkness has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus.
Because we have treasures and jars of clay. To show that this passing power belongs to God and not to us.
We are afflicted in every way but not crushed. Perplexed but not driven to despair.
Persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed, always carrying in the body the death of Jesus so the life of Jesus may also be manifested.
In our bodies, for we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus's sake so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our mortal flesh.
So death is at work in us, but life in you.
Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, I believe, and so I spoke, we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us
Into his presence. For it is all for your sake so that as grace extends to more and more people, it may increase thanksgiving to the glory of God.
So we do not lose heart, though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.
For it is a light momentary affliction in preparing for us An eternal weight.
For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.
As we work not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen.
For the things that are seen are transient. But the things that are unseen are eternal.
I'd like to open with a word of prayer. Hold on. Just moving this.
Yeah, let's pray. Heavenly Father, we just thank you for… your word, now you've revealed yourself to us, and we just thank you for… Paul and this letter that we can… I looked through this morning and it's still… speaks into our lives today, Lord, and we just pray for your guidance this morning and that you would just help us to open our hearts.
And he would just help me to… Deliver this message that you've given to you this morning.
Pray this in Jesus name. Amen. So we're saying the letter of 1 Corinthians, I think, on Wednesday nights, so I'm not going to get into too much context, but this is the second letter, and Paul's still addressing some issues of the church in Corinth.
The first letter, you know, I focused on how to live kind of within the context of the culture and function of the body of Christ. Like at that time they were kind of letting the culture into the church and it was weakening their testimony and effectiveness to the Lord.
So the focus of this letter Or that letter was better to address the practices of the church.
But now in this letter, Paul is still facing some opposition within the church, challenging his authority and his message. So this letter… It's deeply personal. Paul bears his heart.
And he's explaining this new ministry that he's been given and what it truly means for us to live in a new life of Christ.
It's a message of perseverance and hope, and a hope that's sustaining us.
We look at this first passage, it says therefore Having this ministry by the mercy of God.
We do not lose heart. This ministry that Paul is talking about is the the new covenant. We can see that if we go back one chapter.
Chapter 3, verse 6. It says, who has made us competent to be ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter.
But of the Spirit. For the letter kills. But the Spirit gives life.
Because it is life-giving life And only from the mercy of God, Paul does not lose heart.
He was sure of what he had in Christ, but he keeps pressing on.
It is important for all of us as believers that our calling to share the gospel is not a burden. It's a privilege.
In verse 2, Paul continues.
Oh, no, no memory. The new covenant that he's talking about here.
Is the gospel. It's the life and death of Jesus Christ. He died in our place. He accomplished it as only he could. He paid the full price for sin.
Paul gives the whole gospel message in the next chapter if we look at 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21.
It says this. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become sin.
The righteousness of God. And in this new ministry, the Lord has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us and to convict us.
Just looking at John 14 verse 14. In John 16, it is.
Verses 7, starting in verse 7, John 16, verse 7. Nevertheless, I will tell the truth.
It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the helper will not come to you.
But if I go, I will send him to you. This course is the word she's talking.
And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. Concerning sin, because they do not believe in me, concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you will no longer see me. Concerning judgment because the ruler of this world.
Is judged. Paul continues in verse 2.
But we have this renounced, disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word.
But by the open statement of the truth, we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.
Since it is not Paul's gospel. He's not willing to tamper with it.
It's part of what was still going on at that time in Corinth. People were… adding things to the message or they were… giving false doctrine or they were watering it down even so. And we see that a lot today where
People, churches will water down the truth or twist things out of context to make it fit their idea of what they think we should be because we're allowing the world into into the… into the gospel, so to speak.
But, you know, it's especially wiring it down when people, they're afraid to offend people i remember Our former boss who would have claimed to be a Christian and he said that his wife would stop going to their church because the pastor was speaking on suffering a lot and like, who wants to hear that? You know, he was like, it's such a bummer. He's so depressing. So she had, so he would go on Sundays, but she would stay home and listen to
One of the more famous online or prosperity gospel.
Preachers because that's what made her happy. But Paul was not going to do that. Paul was only going to speak the truth. And he reminds us that we're not responsible for making the gospel acceptable.
We're just responsible for proclaiming it and sharing it with those around us.
2 Corinthians 3, 4 and 5 says this, such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God.
Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything is coming from us.
But our sufficiency is from God. Who has made us sufficient to be ministers of the new covenant.
So RS efficiency. It's from a word that has nothing to do with me up here today. It has nothing to do with any of us. It has to do with the Lord and his message and his mission that he gave to Paul.
But even with that, Paul acknowledges that some are still blind to the truth.
And they reject the gospel. If we look at verses 3 and 4. Even if the gospel is veil.
It is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case, the God of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel and the glory of Christ.
As Lord, who is the image of God? So he will continue.
To speak the truth, Paul will, even if it's veil, because it's veil to those Who are perishing.
And it's failed to the lost. When he's talking about the God of this world, that's a lowercase g. I think that was also mentioned this morning. And first service.
Has binded the minds of unbelievers and, you know, who is he speaking about?
Satan, right? So he's talking about Satan who's hard at work to continue to keep… keep people from the light of Christ.
That's one of his, if not his main objective, right? So let's think about this one for a second.
On a daily basis. Who were coming into contact with and maybe Our children, our parents coworkers, could be our spouses. Who are those that we're coming in contact with that are Currently winding.
Bailed from the truth and that Satan is working over time.
To keep them in the dark. Because Christ is the light.
So we need to be in constant prayer. And for the Holy Spirit to open hearts and eyes of these people to Jesus.
He's the only one that can reconcile us to the Father.
It's the work of the Holy Spirit. One of the verses is like, just when you have children and um You're looking at them to become their own person, their own beliefs.
And what's just really encouraged to me is in Philippians chapter 1.
Where he says… He who began our good work in you with faith will complete it. And it really, as a parent in some respects, I feel that it takes that burden off of me and it's the lord's um And, you know, he's the one that's going to do it. And we just have to trust that we've
We've instilled the truth into our children. We've instilled them with the gospel. Our wives are a testimony to that And we just need to trust in the word for that.
As I was sharing this with Janine, we were talking about this concept of the veiled mind, and she has a friend who is… Brother was raised in… You know, raised in the church, went to Christian school.
And it took a different path and went on. Alternative lifestyle and a homosexual lifestyle and he um I was away from the word. And when he came back.
And was saved and he came back to the family and he was like.
Hey, you guys, it was actually this verse right here. Like amazed at this verse and was like, guys, look at God demonstrates his own love toward us that while we are still sinners.
Chris died for us. And it was like he had never heard that before. And the family was like, well, yeah.
That's what we've been trying to tell you. But he wouldn't see it. And a lot of times, like.
We think like, oh, if so-and-so could just hear this message or just read this book, that would change them.
But what needs to change him his… the Holy Spirit.
So we need to be just in constant prayer for those.
That we know that still need. To be right into the light, because the way of the gospel is powerful.
Continuing on and… Verse 6, for God who said, let the light shine out of the darkness and show in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
You know, we see this light and darkness theme. Throughout the Bible, starting at the very beginning, Paul here is referencing from Genesis.
You know, it's the same God who created the light at the beginning of time has allowed that light now to be… illuminated in our hearts with the truth of Christ.
We must boldly share this light with those still walking in darkness.
Because Jesus is the light. Let's look at some verses that just testify to that.
John 1, 4 and 5. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness could not overcome it.
John 8 verse 12 says this. Again, Jesus spoke to them saying, I'm the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness. But we'll have the light of life.
And then just one more. 1 John 1, 5 and 7.
This is a message we have heard from him and proclaim to you that God is light and in him is no darkness at all.
If we say we have fellowship with him, will we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice truth.
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his son.
Cleanses us from all sin. So once we step out of the darkness and the glorious light, Paul describes it here.
In verse 7. Says, but we have this treasure in the jars of clay to show that the passing power belongs to God and not to us.
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed, perplexed, but not driven to despair.
Persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed, always carrying the body of the death of Jesus, so the life of Jesus can be manifested in our bodies.
So this treasure that we have is the light of the gospel. It's the light of Jesus. It's the light of his knowledge.
In his glory. And this picture here of these earthen vessels is not Not to degrade us as people, but it's just to show that it's not what is in what the vessel is, is what's within the vessel that gives it the value.
So we have this light of Christ. We have fellowship with the Father.
Through the sun where new creation, as Paul mentions in the next chapter.
Because we have the Holy Spirit, we can live in a way that will bring others to the Lord.
This is so that all glory goes to God. This is kind of a silly example, but when Jean and I moved into our house, it's been a couple years for being there for a few months, a couple of neighbors were walking by.
A couple have been in the neighborhood for a long time and they just stopped and marveled and remarked how great it was to see how it was Life in our house again and to see it lit up.
And I guess the previous owners were just kind of private people and the house is always dark. And so it made a noticeable impact to them and it just kind of brought them joy.
And I just think that that's how our lives in Christ.
Should be reflection world. It should change us. People should notice it and people should be attracted to it. We should stand out and be different.
So the others can see the light coming out of our vessels.
But what Paul makes very clear here is that even with this new life we have been given, we will still suffer.
We will still experience tribulations and trials, pain and loss. Yes, we share in Christ's victory over this world.
And that is where our hope and faith share lie. Shuai in Christ and his finished work.
But we are still part of this world. It's not… the way that God intended it to be right now.
And this reminds us that our weakness is not a hindrance to God's work.
Rather, it highlights his power. Paul expands on this by describing the paradox of Christian life. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed.
Perplexed but not driven to despair, persecuted but not forsaken. Struck down but not destroyed.
That would be a great halftime speech, actually. That'll be my last basketball reference. I promise.
We may be down, but we are not out. Through the death of Christ.
We now live. A greater example of this paradox can be found in the Old Testament. There's a lot of examples of it throughout all of Scripture.
But one of my favorites is… in the life of Joseph. We're familiar with the story, but he was hated by his brothers. He was betrayed.
Sold into slavery and he… Then he kind of works his way up in his master's house and then he gets thrown in jail and These bad things keep happening to them.
As we read over and over though in this story, it says.
The Lord was with him. It's in Genesis 39 and 21 where it says, and this is right after… Potiphar had thrown him in prison.
For accusations that his wife made against him. And it's… It's perplexing because Joseph did the right thing, right? He fled temptation. He did… exactly what the Lord would have wanted him to do. And he ends up in prison.
And the verse says after that, right after that happened, but the Lord was with Joseph and showed him his steadfast love.
And gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of prison.
Through all his suffering, Joseph remained faithful. And the Lord did not forsake him.
And, you know, he goes on to become… You know, like the second most powerful person in all of Egypt, all the world at the time. He reconciles with his family is able to reunite with them and reconcile with them. And it's just a great story of how God
Concern our suffering and triumph. And it's Just an example of the attitude we have as we're facing these trials. You know, it's really… I can imagine if I had done when you do the right thing Sometimes you don't get the result that we want because our minds
And our gods, right? Our grace are not God's ways. Sometimes, you know, you do the right thing or maybe you don't do the right thing because you know that it's not going to lead to the best result. I don't know what would happen if you all said to the wrong thing in that situation as far as
Losing his status in the House and being thrown in prison, but it wouldn't have led to good things. But my favorite verse from the story is Genesis 50 verse 20, where his brothers are putting for his forgiveness and he says this.
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it bringing about that many people should be kept alive as they are today.
So a more modern day example of this could possibly be, as I was trying to think of one, was Looking at the life of Corey Chanbil. She was from a Christian family and This is during World War II with the nazis.
You can read about the story. She's written a lot of books, but the hiding place where they were where they were Helping Jews escape the Nazis.
By hiding them in their house and eventually And her father and her sister were caught and they were put into concentration camps. Her father died shortly thereafter.
While they're in concentration camp, her sister also dies. But Corey was able to… get out of the camps, escape and went on to have just like this amazing Testimony for God and how to testimony and how Still… You know, remain faithful through suffering. And there's a couple of quotes
From those stories. One is from her sister Betsy. Well, she's still in a concentration camp.
I found her death, but I'm not that familiar with the story. But she said this.
There is no pits or deep that God's love is not deeper still.
And Corey. Later in her life, she said, now I know in my experience, which You can imagine what she experienced in these concentration camps, that Jesus's light is stronger than the biggest darkness.
So one of the main arguments against Paul at this time For those opposing his authority was that he faced too much suffering to have a true gospel and that he couldn't be, you know, this great apostle because of all
All the claim is they face. Didn't shy away from those trials and he didn't… trying to conceal them. He was very open and shared all the hardships that he's gone through. We can look at 2 Corinthians 11.
I don't have to turn there, 23 to 27, Paul talks about this a little bit.
Are they servants of Christ? I'm a better one. I'm talking like a madman with far greater waivers, far more imprisonments.
With countless beatings and often near death, five times I received at the hands of the Jews the 40 lashes less won.
Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. A night and a day I was adrift at sea. On frequent journeys.
In danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers, and toil and hardship.
Through many sleepless nights and hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
And one thing I'd like to point out here is that Paul faced all these things.
While he was doing the will of God, while he was in ministry.
Proclaiming the message that Christ had given to him. It's a very different thing than when it's a believer or when it's one of us facing the consequences of sin and being out of the will of God. That's a different case. If that's the case, you need to confess
And repent. The Lord wants to forgive. The point Paul was making here is.
We're going to face hardships. He faced a lot of them because of mystery, but despite suffering.
Paul did not lose hope. And why? Because the life of Jesus is revealed through our trials. When we endure hardships for the sake of Christ.
We testify to his suffering and to his power. Our suffering is never meaningless in Christ. It serves a purpose for God's greater plan.
Later on in this letter, Paul describes the thorn in his flesh.
2 Corinthians chapter 12. Seven through nine. So to keep me from being conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me, but he said to me.
My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast.
All the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ Arrest on me. And again we see near God's provision for Paul. He didn't remove it.
And he just provided his grace. And used his weakness to perfect his power.
The grace of the Lord is all we need, and we all know that his grace is abundant.
We read in 1 Corinthians. 127. But God chose what is foolish of the world to shame the wise. God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.
And so we would, you know, when the Lord works at it, they would It's like the opposite, right? It's always like.
What's better, what's stronger, what's faster, what's better looking. It's all about visual and, you know, what's the best. And God has a different idea.
Now, I'm pretty sure… I don't know why everybody here this morning, but I'm pretty sure none of us have been beaten or whipped.
For our faith. None of us have been thrown in jail. Well, David, but it wasn't for, it was for contraband, right? It wasn't for your testimony. But God did sustain you through that trial, correct?
You know, there is, I don't think he's here this morning, but Isaac would be… For an example of what we're still facing in our world because of our faith and just what he must be going through.
It's just we can't see it now, but there's going to have to be an eternal impact for what he's going through with the separation from his family.
And it's going on all throughout the world. Even a few weeks ago, there was a brother here, Dr. Varghese. It was kind of a last minute thing, but he came and he shared Which kind of gave us a, as a journalist and just like a
On the ground reporting of things that are happening in India. And that's kind of what he was here to do but And it was really eye-opening, really convicting to hear what they're facing over there, just imprisonments.
Deaths in some cases, burning down of church buildings, just the persecution.
Is just going rampant. And I would just like to encourage us that when we have Wednesday night meetings. That one was kind of like… a last minute thing, but… I encourage you guys to come out and to hear these messages from the missionaries who are
Out in the field currently and are giving their reports to us it's just Always a blessing. It's always encouraging and convicting to hear what the Lord is doing around the world.
If you're able to, I would encourage you to come out to those because it's… They're really good. And there's many other places You know, where these atrocities are happening today.
All around us. The world is a hard place to live right now.
There's terrible wars, natural disasters, there's sickness. There's death.
You know, there may be things I would say most of all, if not all of us are facing personal trials right now things that we're dealing with maybe within our families Within our marriages can be something With our parenting. Sometimes, you know, things are going on, we're struggling, we feel isolated
We feel like there's nowhere to turn. Maybe struggling with our jobs.
I've definitely been in that one. That's a really all-encompassing one.
I've been out of work. It's a hard place to be, but looking back on those kind of trials that I've been through.
They brought me to where I am today, but you can just see the Lord's hand through all that all the When you're looking back, it's hard to sometimes to see it in the midst of those trials.
You know, maybe you're taking care of your sick aging parents are dealing with loss of family members or loved ones. We don't always know what others are going through.
So I think it's important that we exercise grace when we're looking at other people's lives and Things that are going on maybe within their families or Just in our life that we just need to… Exercise grace with one another and those around us that were, I'm not rushing to judgment on things and
Because maybe we don't always have the whole picture. But what we do have as a church is one of our greatest resources.
Because we have encouragement from God. At the beginning of this letter, Paul opens with this.
2 Corinthians 1, verses 3 through 5. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort which with We ourselves are comforted.
For as we share abundantly in Christ's offerings. So through Christ, we share abundantly in comfort too.
What an amazing father. This word… This is as deep as I'll get today, and it's not mine.
The word comfort here in Greek means much more than sympathy. It communicates the idea of one person standing alongside another in order to encourage and support his friend.
I think about that in the context of God with us, standing alongside us.
As a friend. This is according to… Dr. Constable, I got this resource. I'm sure a lot of you know about it from Dr. Dan Smith used to come and do our Covis Retreats, we worked at MAS for a long time, but he gave…
One time when he was sharing out of that coverage, he said one of his favorite resources was soniclight.com.
I'm not sure if you're familiar with it, but it's just Dr. Constable has all 66 books of the Bible.
And lengthy expository notes on all of them. It's just an awesome resource. I use it all the time. It's on my phone. It's all hyperlinked. You can just click through it.
So if you get nothing else this morning. Look at SonicLight.com if you're not using it already. But just like this principle we have with God's amazing grace.
And sin. He has this abounding grace and where sin abounding grace abounds more.
I feel that's the same with his comfort. There's no amount of suffering.
That can overwhelm the comfort. Of our Lord. We're then of our then to take discomfort and comfort each other. Isn't that a beautiful thing?
That's what we're called to do. And Paul knew that Christ has victory over death.
He knew that he knew that What was to come for those who believe and have the light of salvation?
As we continue in verse 14, here it says, knowing that he who has raised the Lord Jesus.
We'll raise a salsa with Jesus and bring us with you in his presence.
For it is all for your sake, so that grace extends to more and more people. It may increase thanksgiving to the glory of God. Again, we see God as a purpose for our lives.
And wants to bring us, use us to bring others to himself.
His power through our weakness so we can give him all the glory.
One of my current favorite songs is by Shannon Shane. Did anybody get to see them a couple weeks ago when they were in Milwaukee?
No, no Shannon Shane fans out there. They were in Waco, so I wanted to go, but I didn't get to go see them. But the song is called You've Already Won.
And so I'd like to sing it right now. Jim. Just kidding. I'm just going to read a few of the verses. I think I might have had a couple of you. Janine was proofreading my manuscript that I have up here that I'm like.
Too reliant on, but she was like… I think you have a typo in there. I'm like, no, that's a joke. You didn't get my humor. But she's like, you're not going to sing, are you? So I'm just going to read.
First verse and chorus of this song. There's peace that outlasts darkness, hope that's in the blood. There's future grace that's mine today that Jesus Christ has won.
So I can face tomorrow, for tomorrow is in your hands.
All I need you will provide, just like you always have.
I'm fighting a battle you've already won. No matter what comes my way, I will overcome.
I don't know what you're doing, but I know what you've done.
I'm fighting a battle you've already won. I know how the story ends. We will be with you again.
You are my Savior, my defense. No more fear in life or death.
I know how this story ends. I'm not sure if this song was based off of This passage here in 2 Corinthians 4, but I think it does a good job of summing up what Paul was communicating as she was wrapping up this chapter. Verse 16 says.
We do not lose heart, though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.
This is the second time that Paul uses this phrase that we do not with heart, we do not grow faint.
We do not lose hope. Our hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our hope lies in his promises.
As we age, you know, we're becoming older, we don't have to be way with the point.
I'm 45. I'm not what I used to be 20 to 30 years ago. The fact that I can say 20 to 30 years ago is mind-boggling to me. But I can see that I'm not what I used to be now.
I know what you're thinking. My wife is much younger than me, and she's the exception to this rule. So I'm not speaking for her. She is like a fine wine. She's getting better with age. Is that what I say? So it's not…
She's an exception to that rule. You know, so that the world is wasting away and It's all around us. We can see it. But inwardly, we can be renewed day by day. We were to take this life just one day at a time. That's all we're asked to do.
Because God's mercies are new every morning. I always hope. Verses 17 and 18. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. As we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen.
For the things that… Our scene are transient, but the things that are unseen.
Are eternal. Paul's face allowed him Paul's faith Allowed him to see his life and trials as momentary.
He calls in a light momentary affliction. And when we look at, think of this word moment. A moment is immediate. It's right away, very soon.
It's instantaneous. And when Paul compares his present life to the trials… Present Life and Trials, the eternal glory that is to come.
It is beyond our comparison. Cannot even begin to imagine it. Our faith is in the unseen, is in the eternal. Hebrews 11.1 says, now faith is the assurance.
Of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Paul was beaten, rejected.
Afflicted, yet he never lost hope. Why? Because his confidence was in Christ.
Not in his circumstances. Just a couple more verses to drive that point home.
Of our suffering. 1 Peter 5.10 says.
After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
Romans 8.18 says. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
So in closing, I would ask. Where's your confidence at today?
Are you being consumed by trials and suffering of this life? Are you looking… towards our eternal hope that we have in Christ.
Paul's message here in 2 Corinthians 4 reminds us of this incredible truth.
We have the light of Christ within us, giving us the hope that cannot be shaken.
Even when life feels overwhelming, when trials are seeking to press us in on all sides, when we feel weak, God's power is at work within us.
So how do we rise to our lives today? I don't think I think of that song, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.
It's one way. Don't focus on Our temporary momentary life that we're living, these momentary afflictions, a lot of times that's easier said than done.
I was talking about before of just that perspective, the attitude that we can have That can show those around us that we have something different within us.
You know, that eternal glory far outweighs our momentary affliction.
Maybe you're dealing with… Financial issues, health issues, loss of a loved one, or anything that is causing you to feel stressed, but we need to lean.
And God's power and not allow these temporary struggles to discourage us.
Another way we can apply this to live is that reflection of light. The world is full of darkness and God has placed this light within us.
To be a light in the darkness and to show his power.
So how can we encourage someone This week, how can we… cover someone with what we have received from the Lord. I can't remember the guy's name, but on one of the Wednesday nights he was talking about, I don't know what was 10 ways to encourage those but
One of the simple ways just to write somebody a letter.
Of encouragement. And he said that he did that sometimes anonymously because he knew that sometimes maybe people wouldn't.
Take it if they knew it was coming from him, so he would do it anonymously. But that's just a simple way that we can share our comfort with another phone calls or Just being there for one another because we definitely need each other and that's just one of our resources we have.
Having the church. And the last way is to not lose heart, you know, to remain hopeful no matter what we're facing today. God is using our trials for his glory.
The best is yet to come. The ultimate hope for us as believers, no matter what we face, is the assurance.
Of resurrection and eternal life. That's all I have to say. I think… We'll have a closing song. We'll just cause in prayer.
Father, we just thank you. Again, for this ministry of Paul and for the blood of your gospel, Lord, and that it has touched our hearts. We pray, Lord, for those that Maybe you're still being invited.
I haven't heard or been convicted or that you would work with them and Holy Spirit, we're going to convict them and open their hearts, Lord. We just pray for us to remain faithful to you.
And I would just thank you for the time we've had this morning. We just pray this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Come on.