Well, good evening, everyone.
If you haven't got a Bible in front of you,
then you need to get one.
And there are some up the back,
just out there in the foyer.
Let me be frank with you.
If you don't have a Bible, what I'm going to say
is going to get really confusing very quickly.
And you need to follow along with me.
I say that because I've been wrestling with this text all week.
And up until five minutes ago,
I'm still wrestling with this text.
And so we need God's help to see what can't be seen.
So let's pray that we might be encouraged
and we might not lose heart.
Father God, I pray that as we look at your word now,
that you might bring clarity to the confusion.
We pray that you would help us to see that which is unseen.
And that in seeing that,
and even just getting a small glimpse of it,
that it would cause us not to lose heart
as your disciples seeking to proclaim the lordship of Christ
so that everyone might bow their knee
and confess with their tongue
that Jesus is in fact Lord.
And so Lord, spirit,
we pray for the global task.
In the name of the Lord Jesus.
Amen.
I've developed quite a bad habit recently.
While I'm watching a movie on TV,
I grab my phone
and I look up the movie in Wikipedia
and read the plot summary.
And so very early on in the movie,
I know how the movie ends.
The negative side is that it spoils the end of the movie,
especially if there's some unexpected twist.
And sometimes there is.
In fact, I was looking at the TV guide last night,
wondering whether I would watch a movie,
looked at the plot summary,
went, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah.
And then right at the end,
something happened.
I went, oh, that'd be good,
but it's too late now.
I know what's going to happen.
The positive side of it
is that every little throwaway line
and statement and facial expression
and random event makes sense.
First time up.
The other positive side
is that I don't waste an hour or two of my life
on a dud movie
and I get a little bit more sleep.
So I feel like
that I need to do something similar now
to help us understand
2 Corinthians 4 and 5,
which is our focus
for mission month this year.
If we go to the end of the letter,
it helps us understand the beginning
and especially what's happening
in these chapters.
So you need your Bible
and flick over.
Chapter 10,
Paul starts to, if you like,
pull the curtain back
on the reason that he has penned this letter.
He's defending his ministry
against some people
who have commended themselves
to this church at Corinth.
It would seem that they're boasting
a lot about themselves.
Their ministry achievements
and their spiritual experiences
and their successes
and stuff like that.
And in the process,
they're rubbishing Paul
as if Paul's not the real deal,
that they're superior to Paul.
And so in chapter 11, verse 5,
all's revealed who these people are.
He says,
I do not think,
this is Paul speaking,
I do not think that I'm in the least inferior
to those super apostles.
And so there they are.
These are the people
that Paul has been writing about.
Right from the beginning of the letter,
the super apostles.
And he uses that term quite sarcastically
because while he's an apostle,
these guys have elevated themselves
as super apostles
over the top of every other apostle.
These guys are the real deal,
if you like.
And so these super apostles
are on the forefront of Paul's mind
as he is penning this letter
and including these chapters,
obviously in four and five
that we are focusing on.
It seems that these super apostles
were professional speakers
who got paid lots of money
for being impressive people.
They were eloquent.
They were loud.
They were funny.
They promised the world.
They were successful.
They were beautiful.
They were well-dressed.
They were sort of like
the got-it-all-together types,
if you like.
The only thing I could think of
was maybe a Tony Robbins,
if you ever know who that guy is.
If you don't, Google him
and you'll soon understand what I mean.
People looked out to them.
They wanted to be like them,
like these super apostles.
They had the kind of lives
and lifestyles
that make you envious.
And Paul's great defense
of his ministry
is at the end of chapter 11
where he joins in
on their boasting.
He draws a big breath
and he starts to say
the sort of things
that he hates to hear.
And he starts with his heritage
in verse 22 of chapter 11.
Are they Hebrews?
So am I.
Are these guys Israelites?
Me too.
Are they Abraham's attendants?
Got that one.
And then he makes a bold claim
about himself
against the super apostles.
This is where he draws the line,
if you like,
in verse 23.
Are they servants of Christ?
And he's sort of like
a little bit of a sideline here.
He goes,
I'm just mad when I say this.
And then he comes back in
and he says,
are they servants of Christ?
I am more.
That's a pretty big
sort of line in the sand
to draw at that point.
And then
what he does is
having declared
that he is in fact
the genuine apostle,
that he is
the genuine servant of Christ.
At this point,
you would expect Paul
to go on
and give his resume
like the super apostles
and talk about
his successes,
his spiritual experiences
and everything
that makes him impressive
and more impressive
than the super apostles.
But instead,
he talks about
his sufferings,
his losses
and his defeats.
Look at what he says.
I have worked much harder,
been imprisoned more frequently,
been flogged more severely,
been exposed to death
again and again.
Five times I received
from the Jews
the 40 lashes minus one.
Three times I was beaten
with rods.
Once I was stoned.
Three times I was shipwrecked.
I spent a night and day
in the open sea.
I've been constantly
on the move.
I've been in danger
from rivers,
in danger from bandits,
in danger from my own countrymen,
in danger from Gentiles,
in danger from the city,
in danger in the country,
in danger at sea
and in danger from false brothers.
I have labored and toiled
and have often gone without sleep.
I have known hunger and thirst
and have often gone without food.
I have been cold and naked
and besides everything else,
I face daily the pressure
of my concern
for all the churches.
Who is weak
and I do not feel weak.
Who is led into sin
and I do not inwardly burn.
He says,
that's what makes me
the real deal.
There is my CV
about genuine
authentic
apostleship.
The biggest issue
for the super apostles
and this church of Corinth
who have been swayed
by the super apostles
was not primarily
about Paul's teaching
but about Paul's lifestyle.
Paul's response
is that his lifestyle
is characteristic
of the way of the cross,
of a life of faith,
of following his saviour Jesus.
And so that's the perspective
that he wants us to have
as we look
at chapters 4 and 5.
That is,
he wants us to have
clay pot,
jars of clay,
takeaway containers,
expectations of life
as a disciple of Jesus.
If we understand
with clarity
that we are jars of clay,
then I think
what Paul's saying is
that if we have
that expectation,
it will help us
not to lose heart
in the global task
of proclaiming
the gospel of the Lord Jesus.
Clear expectations
and not losing heart
are in fact put together
in the passage
that you looked at
last week
in chapter 4,
verse 16.
Have a look at it.
Therefore,
we do not lose heart.
So,
we don't lose heart.
That's what he wants.
Though outwardly
we are wasting away
clay pot,
yet inwardly
we are being renewed
day by day.
We don't lose heart
even though
we are wasting away
outwardly
because
we are being renewed
inwardly
day by day.
We don't lose heart
even though the body
is falling apart
because
inwardly being renewed
day by day.
Inward renewal.
That is the key
to not losing heart.
And how does that
inward renewal
day by day happen?
He tells us
in verse 18.
We fix our eyes
not on what
is seen
but on what
is unseen.
Paul's renewed
heart
to pursue
God's global
agenda
to keep
surrendering
his life
to the Lord
Jesus Christ
and his
priorities life
comes
from something
very strange.
It comes
from looking
at what
he can't
see.
As verse
18 says
the things
he can see
are temporal
the things
he can't
see
are eternal
and it's
gazing
on the
eternal
things
that means
that he is
inwardly renewed
and encouraged
and not losing
heart.
The summary
statement
I think
is in chapter
4 verse 17.
for our
light and
momentary
troubles
those he can
see
those he can
feel
those he can
touch
are achieving
for us
an eternal
glory
that far
outweighs
them all
that he
can't see.
In other
words
the unseen
things that
Paul looks
at for
inner renewal
is the
immense
weight of
glory
that is being
prepared for
him
not just
after
but through
and by
the wasting
away of
his body
in the
pursuit
of God's
glory.
That is
there is a
correlation
between the
decay of
Paul's body
in the
service of
the Lord
Jesus
and the
display of
Paul's glory
for all
eternity.
the decaying
of his
body was
not
meaningless.
The pain
the pressure
the frustration
and affliction
it's not
happening in
vain.
They are not
causing him to
lose heart
because when
Paul is
hurting
he fixes
his eyes
not on how
heavy the
hurt is
but on how
heavy the
glory will be
because of
the hurt
in the
pursuit of
the Lord
Jesus.
Now that
bit is
crucial for
us to
get.
Because when
we look at
Paul's life
of surrender
to the
Lord Jesus
there is a
very significant
threat here.
If you
choose the
way of
surrender to
Jesus
then the
great threat
is the
loss of
everything
precious.
When you
look at the
list of
what Paul
suffered
because of
the gospel
because of
God's
global agenda
of the
gospel going
to the
ends of
the earth
the great
threat to
us is
the loss
of everything
precious
everything
that is
most precious
and that is
our life.
it's a
genuine threat.
It's a
genuine threat.
Anyone
want to
lose their
life?
No hands
go up.
I don't
think you
need to
dwell that
point.
I don't
want to
lose my
life.
I had a
great time
today.
After church
sat on the
deck of
morning tea
there and
just discussed
this passage
with a couple
of people and
it was awesome.
From that I
walked straight
over.
we had a
bunch of
people for
lunch and
we sat
down to
roast lamb
and we
talked and
it was heaps
of fun and
my lovely
wife made
it and I
love her
dearly.
My kids
are adorable.
They are
an absolute
hoot.
Basically
all the
time.
Last week
I was
visiting Hong
Kong,
meeting new
people,
seeing new
places and
to lose all
of those
things.
A threat.
And so
a life of
surrender to
Jesus looks
like a real
threat.
He may
take it.
And so
as Paul
launches into
chapter 5,
he's helping
us not to
lose heart.
To keep
surrendering all
to Jesus.
To keep
sacrificing for
God's global
cause because
in these verses
he deals with
that threat.
and the
way he
deals with
it is
you're
actually not
going to
lose it.
You think
this is
good?
All those
things I
described,
you think
this is
good?
You're
going to
get more
if you
pursue
Jesus.
Verse 1.
Now we
know that
if the
earthly
tent we
live in
is destroyed,
we have a
building from
God, an
eternal house
in heaven,
not built
by human
hands.
So the
contrast here
that he
says is
between the
temporary
inferior
tent that
is my
wasting away
body,
to the
eternal
superior
building that
is the
resurrected,
perfected,
eternal body
that Jesus
will give me.
And so
what he
does here
in verse
1 is he
gives us a
real dose
of realism.
Every person
experiences the
wasting away
of the body
and finally
death.
It is a
normal
experience.
We will
all experience
that at
some point.
His point
is your
life is not
secure anyway.
we live
in a tent,
not a
building.
Tents are
vulnerable and
weak.
And Paul
here wants
us to be
free from
the expectation
that we
will be
free from
fragility and
frailty while
we live in
this world,
whether we
pursue Christ
or not.
Pursue all
the security
and protection
and comfort
you like.
It won't
provide what
you want it
to.
Death looms
as a shadow
over every
life.
Which is
partly why
we groan.
Verse 2,
we groan
longing to
be clothed
with our
heavenly
dwelling because
when we
are clothed
we will
not be
found naked.
For while
we are in
this tent
we groan
and are
burdened
because we
do not
wish to
be
unclothed.
The groaning
while we're
in this tent
means that
we groan
all the
time.
Impending
death
means that
groaning
is everyone's
experience.
at any
moment
death
will bring
into question
everything that
we've held
dear.
Everything that
we have
claimed to
achieve in
this life.
But the
groaning of the
Christian has an
added element.
Verse 2 says
that we groan
because we
want the
eternal
perfected
resurrection
body.
The building
made by
God.
That's what we
groan.
We long for
it in other
words.
A resurrected
body is our
hope.
Our own
bodies will
be fitted
out eternally
perfectly
fallously
like Jesus'
body.
That's good
because a
building is so
much more
secure than
a tent.
Especially
notice when
this building
in verse 1
is built
and is coming
from God.
The eternal
God.
This building
is not made
by flawed
human hands
like mine
but made
by perfect
eternal
hands like
God.
We have
the secure
hope because
of the great
treasure of
the gospel.
That's why
we get this
building.
I haven't
made it with
my hands.
God has
made it for
me.
For me,
a sinful,
flawed,
ungrateful,
undeserving of
God's love,
deserving of
his condemnation.
People like
me who have
been forgiven
through the
work of the
Lord Jesus
Christ have
this hope.
I go from
death to
life eternal.
It is
secure and
it is an
eternal gift.
It's an
eternal house
in heaven
given to
everyone who
trusts in the
Lord Jesus
Christ.
That is
Paul's hope
and it is
our hope
who live by
faith in
the Lord
Jesus.
As verse 5
says,
now it is
God who
has made
us for
this very
purpose.
He is the
builder of the
eternal house,
the secure
building,
the perfect
building and
he has made
it for me.
Okay,
that's good.
That renews
me and
gives me
focus in
serving Christ
in that life
in this world
is not the
end.
Paul has
helped me to
see, just
get a glimpse
of the thing
which is
unseen.
There is an
eternal and
perfect life in
Christ waiting
for me.
But there
is one
more unseen
thing that I
need help
here to
see and
that is
when do I
get this
new eternal
and perfect
life?
This new
body, this
new building
fitted for
eternity so
that I can
enjoy the
food, the
relationships and
everything else
in heaven for
all of
eternity.
And this
is the
other unseen
thing which
I need to
see if I'm
going to not
lose heart in
serving Christ.
What happens
when you
die?
In his
answer, Paul
here wants us
to be utterly
secure because
security will
renew us
inwardly as
we outwardly
waste away.
And he
addresses this
in verse 4
and onwards.
We do not
wish to be
unclothed but
to be clothed
with our
heavenly dwelling
so that what
is mortal may
be swallowed up
by life.
To go back to
the tent
building metaphor,
what Paul is
saying here is
I want the
building
fantastic,
new eternal
perfect body.
What I don't
want to experience
is my tent
being folded up
and packed away
before I get
the building.
I don't
want to die
in order to
get that.
That is, I
actually don't
want to be
separated from
my body.
I don't want
to be found
naked is what
he says in
verse 3.
He doesn't
want to die
and be absent
from the body.
And so if he
has a choice,
he wants Jesus
to come back
and immediately
swallow, if you
like, his life
up.
That is, he
wants Jesus
to immediately
swap his
tent for the
building in a
twinkling of an
eye, as other
parts of the New
Testament say.
Christ will come
back and in a
twinkling of an
eye, those who
are alive in
Christ, those who
are walking the
face of the
earth, trusting in
Jesus at that
moment, will
immediately be
transformed.
No death.
That's an
awesome option.
Bring it on any
day, I reckon.
That's what he
means when he
says what is
mortal may be
swallowed up by
life.
Good option.
No death.
No separation
from the body.
No wasting
away.
No weariness
and weakness
in a twinkling
of an eye.
All that stuff
gone.
Perfected.
Unrestricted.
Eternal.
In the presence
of Jesus.
With my body.
Able to give
him a hug.
That's
preference number
one.
I'm assuming
that's if you're
in Christ, that
is your
preference.
That seems
like a good
option to
me.
You see, like
us, Paul loved
life in this
world.
He loved the
ability to be
able to hug
people and
kiss them and
eat food and
chat and
travel and
whatever else
it was.
Which is why
the Christian
hope of bodily
resurrection
connects so
significantly with
our hearts.
We don't want
to be separated
from our
bodies.
bodily
resurrection in
a perfect
physical world
that goes on
forever is
our hope.
Our hope as a
Christian is not
an aimless
spiritual world.
It's not
clouds and
wings and
harps, but
relationships and
work and trees
and rivers and
food in the
presence of our
great God.
life.
And that's, I
think, put Paul's
lifestyle in
perspective for us.
He didn't endure
what he did for
Christ because he
didn't love life in
this world.
He didn't surrender
all that he
surrendered.
He did not suffer
what he suffered
because he was a
depressing, morose
kind of dude.
He just went,
I'll just bring it
on because I
really hate my
life.
He loved it and
he wants to spend
eternity with his
body in a
perfected world
and so he
doesn't want to
experience death.
He wants to go
from this life and
immediately into the
next.
And it will
happen for
everyone who
lives by faith in
the Lord Jesus
when Jesus comes
back.
That will be your
experience.
If Jesus comes
back when you're
alive, pray for
that to come.
Come, Lord
Jesus.
So Paul says,
see the unseen
and feel the
security of that.
Now if you
took the first
option to his
extreme, you
could possibly
conclude that
life is greater
and the greatest
possible thing and
so do whatever you
can to keep
this life secure
in this world.
Which is why Paul
gives us his second
preference in verse
8 and without
verse 8 you
could misconstrue
verse 4.
That is, this
helps us, verse 8
helps us to
correct any
misunderstanding of
verse 4 we
might have.
He said, I
would prefer to
be away from the
body and at
home with the
Lord.
What both
option 1,
verse 4, and
option 2,
verse 8 reveal
is that the
highest priority
in life is to
be with Jesus.
That's the
highest priority.
If the choice
here is between
more life, for
Paul is what he
says, if the
choice is between
more life here by
faith and going
to be with
Christ, he'd
prefer that God
would take him
even if it means
that his body
gets buried in the
ground here right
now and he has
to wait before
Jesus comes back
and unites him
with that body.
Being at home
with the Lord,
he said, is so
irresistibly
attractive because
it means ultimately
more intimacy
with Jesus
than we would
ever experience
in this world.
Whatever
happens with
you, Jesus
comes back,
twigly
even I, done
or death
and wait
for your body
to be united
with him in his
presence in the
physical world.
Paul
wants us to
have absolute
security and
confidence in the
future.
For Paul,
death
meant
gain.
Philippians 2,
to live is
Christ and to
die is
gain.
It's better
in Christ.
And what
Paul writes
here is meant
to give the
Christian a
deep sense
of security
in the future.
For the
Christian who
loses their
life before
Jesus returns,
you are not
aimlessly floating
around in some
spiritual world.
At the point
of death,
there is an
immediate
folding into
the presence
of Christ.
We will not
be separated
from Jesus.
We will never
be separated
from his love.
that is the
impact of
verses 6 to
8.
But these
verses do
emphasize that
the great and
final hope of
the Christian
is not to
die and be
freed from
our bodies.
Our hope is
not a
spiritual world.
It is a
world more
physical and
real than the
world in which
we live.
This is but a
foretaste, this
world, of what
is yet to
come.
The hope of
the Christian is
not to be free
from their
body.
We often
say of the
Christian who
has just
died, well
it's all over
now, at least
they're in
heaven.
And I want to
say that's
option number
two, according
to Paul, and
that is good,
but it's not
the best.
There is still
something yet
to come.
There is even
more forward to
look forward to
when Jesus
return and
raises all the
dead in Christ.
As 1
Corinthians 15
54 says,
when the
perishable,
this body,
has been
clothed with
the imperishable,
my eternal
body, and
the mortal,
this body,
with immortality,
the eternal
body, then
the saying
that is written
will come
true.
Death has
been swallowed
up in victory.
That, the
perusia, the
end of time
when Jesus
comes back and
winds up this
whole show,
that's the
victory we're
looking for.
The
resurrection
body is
our hope.
And so
Paul here has
given us a
glimpse of the
unseen.
I can't explain
it all to you.
I can just do
what Paul did
and try and
explain something
of what he has
seen.
It is meant to
cause us to be
confident.
In fact, he uses
the word twice in
these verses,
that he is
confident.
Of course, the
future shapes his
present life.
If Christ doesn't
come and clothe him
with immortality in
the twinkling of
an eye, bam, and
he doesn't call him
home in death, then
Paul will, verse
7, live by faith
and not by sight.
That is his life
in this world.
Now, that living
by faith and not
by sight doesn't
mean we leap into
the dark and just
hope that preference
one or two, one or
both of them sort
of work out and
come true.
What it does mean
is that what is
eternal, precious,
important, and
beyond our senses,
that's what it
means.
We can't see or
even imagine what
the eternal building
will look like and
feel like.
What does it mean
that my body will
not decay?
Ever.
What does it mean
it will never be
restricted?
Ever.
I don't get that.
I mean, I'm
preaching with a
neck that I can't
hardly move.
That direction at
the moment.
That's got to be
good to get rid of
that one.
And so what
happens is,
living by faith
means we look to
what we know of
the Lord Jesus
from faithful
witnesses who
walked and ate
with him and
heard his voice,
witnessed the
horror of his
crucifixion and
saw him risen from
the dead, who
ate fish with him
on a beach after
that had happened,
put their hands
in his side and
in his fingers.
And we look to
such tests and
we believe the
good news of the
salvation of
sinners and with
the help of the
down payment of
the Holy Spirit,
we trust his
word and we
renew our
courage and we
make it our
goal to please
him, to live
by faith.
death.
There is, just
before we finish,
there is another
aspect of the
end of all
things that
shapes Paul's
lifestyle and
gives us another
reason why we
should want to
please him.
It's verse 10,
for we must all
appear before the
judgment seat of
Christ that each
one may receive
what is due him
for the things
done while in
the body,
whether good or
bad.
very quickly,
for Paul in
these verses,
it's not
condemnation that
he fears,
although it
might be true
for some who
at the present
are not trusting
in Christ.
What he fears
in that verse,
in the judgment
throne, is
evaluation.
salvation.
It's not the
loss of salvation,
but the loss of
commendation that
he fears.
Because he lives
to please the
Lord, his
greatest fear is
in fact not to
please him with
his life.
Now when I say
that, it sounds
like I'm talking
about rewards in
heaven.
And that's
true, because
that's what I am
saying.
The problem
is that when I
talk about
rewards in
heaven, it
sounds anti-grace.
Ephesians 2
verse 8 says
that we are
saved by grace
through faith and
not of any works
that we've done.
We do not earn
our salvation.
Works
contradict grace,
according to
Ephesians 2,
and rewards
sound like works.
I think what
Paul is saying
is salvation is
by faith and
rewards are by
faith, but the
evidence of
invisible faith in
the judgment room
of Christ at the
end of time will
be a transformed
life.
I don't think his
teaching here is
out of line to the
rest of the New
Testament.
It's in line with
Jesus teaching on
the accountability of
the steward to his
master with respect
to the faithful
use of gifts
entrusted to him.
It's in line with
Paul's teaching in
1 Corinthians 3.
The purchase of
our pardon by the
blood of Jesus,
sorry, the purchase
of our pardon was
the blood of Jesus,
sufficient once for
all to cover all
of our sins.
The means by which
we own it is
faith.
And faith alone.
And at the
judgment of
believers, Jesus
is looking for
deeds that prove
that we have
enjoyed our
pardon.
One movie I
haven't searched
on Wikipedia and
haven't gone to bed
early on is
Gladiator.
At the beginning
of the movie,
Russell Crowe's
character, Maximus
Decimus Meridius,
is inspiring
his troops to
fight well in
one final battle,
knowing full well
that they might
die, but the
victory is almost
there.
It's been a long
campaign.
And to inspire
his troops to
throw their life
into the battle,
he says to them,
what we do in
life echoes in
eternity.
of course, it's
unfortunate that he
then went on to
live a life of
seeking revenge,
but that's beside
the point.
He was still the
hero, I think,
in the end,
even though he
died.
I think that's what
Paul is doing for
us here.
Do not lose
heart.
The Lord Jesus
has secured an
eternal building for
all who trust in
him.
Look towards it by
surrendering your
life to him.
Who we are in
Christ, what we
have done with
our time, how we
have pursued
opportunities, how
single-minded we
have been in our
Christian service
will matter for all
of eternity.
And he says it's
possible to live in
such a way as to
build an eternal
weight of glory.
In 2 Corinthians,
Paul demonstrates a
life that hasn't
lost heart.
His lifestyle is
the evidence of
it.
He longed for a
life of comfort
and security and
health and safety
and painlessness,
and so much so
that he surrendered
his body to
insults and
torments and
beatings for the
sake of Christ.
Because in
surrendering his
body, he secured
the comfort, the
security, the
health, the
safety and the
painlessness.
And it was the
grace of God that
was sufficient to
sustain him.
My friends, I
think that one of
the primary
evidences of a
Christian's losing
heart in pursuing
God's global
agenda is seen in
pursuing confidence,
security, and
painlessness, and
everything else here
and now, bedding down
in this world now.
That is, we start
living by sight rather
than living by faith.
life.
The temporal becomes
what's, becomes, you
know, the supreme
thing for us.
We stop looking to
the eternal building
and try to make
this tent as
secure and as
comfortable as we
possibly can.
A few more poles,
a few extra chairs.
I mean, have you been
to a camping shop
lately?
It's astounding.
You can get
recliner camping
chairs.
You've got one.
Oh, you can get
recliner camping
chairs, hot water
systems, fridges.
I mean, why, why
even go?
Just stay at home.
You've got it all
there.
And sometimes we do
the same with the
Christian life.
We just pursue the
comfort and the
security.
We try and make the
tent as livable as
we possibly can.
And my friends, it's a
daily struggle.
Present comfort,
security, and glory,
or eternal comfort,
security, and glory.
It's my struggle.
I'll level with you.
I love comfort.
And the older I'm
getting, the more I
like it.
I'll be frank with you.
That's why I wear a
jumper on a cold day.
It's because I love
comfort.
It's why I'd rather be
sitting in business
class than economy
class, because I love
comfort.
It's like the fact I
like an air conditioner
when I'm in hot
economy, hot climate.
It's because I like
comfort.
I like gadgets in my
car.
Not because I need
them, because they're,
I don't know, because
I like comfort.
It's a daily battle.
And so I think what
this passage is doing
for us is, do we share
Paul's biblical
priorities and values
in life?
Do I love his grace and
his mercy?
Do I enjoy his pardon?
Do I long first and
foremost, and do I pray
for Jesus to come back?
Or would Jesus coming
back right now be an
inconvenience for you?
Secondly, do I long to
be at home with Christ,
even if it costs the
surrender of my body?
And thirdly, am I
committed to walk by faith
until he comes or until
he calls, and to live by
faith in such a way
that what awaits me in
the building is an
eternal weight of glory
in Christ.
Amen.