Our text this morning is 2 Corinthians chapter 5.
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How does what will occur affect us now?
Romans 8, we just got finished.
Nathan just got finished preaching through Romans 8.
And it ends with the love of God.
It ends with God's love being played out.
For we receive future glory.
And that nothing can take that away from us.
Not even our sin.
The future glory of being perfected.
The future glory of no longer dealing with sin and death and suffering.
The future glory of being perfect.
That's what we're going to talk about this morning.
When we talk about this future glory,
there are two typical responses or reactions to it.
One is that people don't understand it,
so they take that teaching and they just kind of shelf it.
They just kind of put it up on the shelf and say,
okay, I'm going to just leave that alone.
I don't really understand it, so let's just...
The other reaction is,
it's so far out there in the future
that they take it and they just shelf it.
They just put it up on the shelf and say,
let's not worry about it.
It's not anything that affects us right now.
Well, in both cases, it doesn't affect us now.
In both cases, it has nothing to do with us now
because we ignore it.
We just let it sit there.
I don't know if this is a curse or this is a good thing,
but I'm wired to ask the question, so what?
So if I read something in the Bible,
if I read some commandment,
or if I read some story,
I always ask the question, so what now?
So why is this important?
How does this really affect me now?
What's the purpose of reading this?
And this morning,
I want to answer that question for us
concerning future glory,
our future glory.
Now here's the important thing
to answer, to talk about for a second.
Our future glory affects our ministry now.
I've already said that,
and I want to make it clear to you
that you guys are all ministers,
not just me or Nathan
or any other ordained pastor or reverend in here.
You guys are all ministers of the gospel.
In fact, that's one of the criteria
or requirements of being a member
of Christ's family church
is you to accept that responsibility
of being a minister.
So when we're out,
when we're living life with people,
when we're trying to live out
this Christian life,
we are ministers.
We are communicating a truth.
And I want you to see this morning
through our text,
and hopefully through my words,
that our future glory affects
how we live,
how we act,
how our day is played out.
So let me pray,
and then I'll read our text,
and we'll dig in.
Father, I thank you for this moment in time.
I thank you that you have called us here
this morning to hear your word.
God, I pray that I will hear your word
this morning through you speaking to me.
Pray, God, that all of us
will receive your word this morning
through you speaking to us.
God, use me this morning.
Let what is spoken not be my opinions,
but let it be your word,
your truth to us.
God, I ask for boldness
and for clarity of mind.
God, that I can make much of you
and little of me this morning.
Help us to hear,
not only hear,
but to obey,
to follow through,
to live out
what we hear this morning.
We love you
because you first loved us
through your son Jesus,
and it's in his wonderful name I pray.
Amen.
I'm going to start reading
in chapter 4, verse 1.
Our text is chapter 5,
but I think when I read it,
you guys understand,
it kind of gives us a little bit of context
for our text this morning.
So starting in chapter 4, verse 1.
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 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.
And even if our gospel is veiled,
it is veiled only to those
who are perishing.
In their case,
the God of this world
has blinded the minds
of the unbelievers
to keep them from seeing
the light of the gospel,
the glory of Christ,
who is the image of God.
For what we proclaim
is not ourselves,
but Jesus Christ as Lord,
with ourselves as your servants
for Jesus' sake.
For God, who said,
let light shine out of darkness,
has shown in our hearts
to give the light
of the knowledge
of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ.
But we have this treasure
in jars of clay
to show that the surpassing 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 that the life of Jesus
may also be manifested
in our bodies.
For we who live
are always being given over
to death for Jesus' sake,
so that the life of Jesus
also may 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 believed 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 with you
into His presence.
For it is all for your sake
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 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 the things that are unseen.
For the things that are seen
are transit,
but the things that are unseen
are eternal.
For we know that at the tent
that is our earthly home
is destroyed,
we have a building from God,
a house not made with hands,
eternal in the heavens.
But in this tent we groan,
longing to put on
our heavenly dwelling.
If indeed by putting it on
we may not be found naked.
For while we are still
in this tent,
we groan,
being burdened,
not that we will be unclothed,
but that we will be
further clothed,
so that what is mortal
may be swallowed up by life.
He who has prepared us
for this very thing
is God,
who has given us
the Spirit
as a guarantee.
So we are always
of good courage.
We know that while
we are at home in the body,
we are away from the Lord.
For we walk by faith,
not by sight.
Yes,
we are of good courage,
and we would rather
be away from the body
and at home with the Lord.
So whether we are
at home or away,
we make it our aim
to please Him.
For we must all appear
before the judgment seat
of Christ,
so that each one
may receive what is due
for what he has done
in the body,
whether good or evil.
Therefore,
knowing the fear
of the Lord,
we persuade others.
But what we are
is known to God,
and I hope it is known
also to your conscience.
We are not commending
ourselves to you again,
but giving you cause
to boast about us,
so that you may be able
to answer those
who boast about
outward appearance
and not about
what is in the heart.
For if we are beside
ourselves,
it is for God.
If we are in our right mind,
it is for you.
For the love of Christ
controls us,
because we have
concluded this,
that one has died
for all,
therefore all have died.
And He died for all,
that those who live
might no longer live
for themselves,
but for Him
who for their sake
died and was raised.
From now on,
therefore,
we regard no one
according to the flesh,
even though we once
regarded Christ
according to the flesh.
We regard Him
thus no longer.
Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creation.
The old has passed away,
behold,
the new has come.
All this is from God,
who through Christ
reconciled us to Himself
and gave us
the ministry
of reconciliation.
That is,
in Christ,
God was reconciling
the world to Himself,
not counting their trespasses
against them
and entrusting to us
the message
of reconciliation.
Therefore,
we are ambassadors
for Christ.
God making His appeal
through us.
We implore you
on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake,
He made Him to be sin
who knew no sin,
so that in Him
we might become
the righteousness
of God.
I don't know
if you picked up
on some of the language
that Paul was using,
but in chapter 4,
verse 17,
he says,
for this light
momentary affliction.
I just kind of chuckled
when I read that
for the first time.
What in the world
is he talking about,
this light momentary affliction?
He's talking about
all the suffering
and everything
that he's gone through.
Not right now,
but later on
in your studies
and you're reading,
flip over and look
at chapter 11
and see all the stuff
that Paul has gone through.
He gives you a giant list
of his afflictions
and he's calling
those things
light momentary afflictions.
So,
just incredible
by itself.
Now,
our text this morning
is chapter 5,
1 through 10.
And it's a big chunk
and I understand that,
but I wanted to read
before and after
for you
so you can kind of
see where it sits.
What I want to do
with 1 through 4
is kind of give you guys
a quick summary.
This is basically
Romans chapter 8 again
talking about
our future glory.
It relates very well,
transfers very well.
I want to go through that,
give it the respect
that it's due
and then our points
this morning
are 5 through 10.
So,
1 through 4,
really quick.
Verse 1,
it says,
For we know
that if the tent
that is our earthly home
is destroyed,
we have a building
from God,
a house not made
with hands,
eternal in the heavens.
Now,
what Paul does here,
Paul,
the author of 2 Corinthians,
what he does here
is he compares
tent and building.
He compares
mortal and immortal.
He compares
this life
and the life to come.
Our life here
is like living in a tent
or being in a tent.
It's temporary.
Storms come.
It gets beaten down.
You've got to put it back up.
There's guys in here
who love camping.
I don't really enjoy camping.
There's several reasons why.
One of them,
I hate laying on the floor
or laying on the ground.
I'm a tall guy
so it's hard to find
padding that fits my body.
I hate trying to set up the tent
and usually you're setting it up
at night
and you're trying to do it
with a headlamp.
I just don't enjoy any of that.
But,
you go camping,
you have to set up the tent,
you have to take it down
and that's kind of the idea
that Paul is getting at here.
It's temporary.
It's going to be taken down.
It's going to be removed.
And he's communicating here
that our tent,
our earthly home
is going to be destroyed.
We're going to leave this place.
And what we're going to leave too
is that earthly building,
an earthly home
that God is building for us,
that God has built for us.
One thing I want you to see
is here it says,
for we know,
the first three words,
for we know,
and that is a certainty.
That is a,
you die as a Christian,
as a believer,
as a follower of Jesus Christ,
you die,
you're going to be in the building
and the home
that he is building for you.
It's not a question.
It is as certain
as dying is.
It is positive,
definite,
going to happen.
And in Romans chapter 8,
we learn about
nothing is going to take us away
from the love of God.
In Romans chapter 8,
we learn,
we learn that we have this assurance
in our salvation
that Nathan said last week
that even our sin
can't take that away.
Even our sin
can't ruin that
because of Christ.
And,
and that assurance,
that certainty
is the same certainty here
that when we die,
we are in
the building
that God is building.
Well,
in verse 2,
we see another,
a term here
that is similar
and found in Romans chapter 8 also.
Verse 2,
it says,
for in this tent
we groan,
longing to put on
our heavenly dwelling.
This groaning,
if you remember
in chapter 8 of Romans,
the creation groans
to be finally perfected.
This groaning here
is not just a,
it's not a sigh,
it's not a,
mmm,
that'd be great,
you know,
that'd be good,
but I'm really
looking forward to that.
No,
it's a,
it's a deep down
longing and desire
that can't be curved.
It's a,
it's a hunger
that can't be crushed.
Can't be quenched.
Do you long?
Do you groan
for future glory,
for our heavenly dwelling,
for that building,
that time,
that perfect body
that God is,
is getting ready
for us?
So,
the suffering,
the death,
the pain,
the mortality,
all of that goes away.
All of that disappears.
Do you,
do you long for that moment?
Is that,
is that a great desire
in your life?
In,
in,
in verse 4,
we get the same text,
the same language,
for while we are still
in this tent,
we groan,
being burdened,
just that weight,
that longing here,
that,
that overwhelming power,
overwhelming feeling
that we want to be
somewhere else.
Do you have that?
You know,
it's cliche to say that,
that death is the beginning.
Death is only just the beginning.
You know,
it's just kind of,
kind of a silly statement.
And I,
but Paul believed that.
Paul,
the writer of this text,
the writer of this book,
believed that.
Philippians 1,
21,
for to live is Christ
and to die is what?
Gain.
He,
he,
he saw death
as being the,
the,
the greatest thing
because then he's with,
with the Savior,
he's with God,
he's perfected.
I wonder how many of us
have that perspective.
How many of us
are groaning,
are eagerly awaiting
that moment,
that moment when,
when we no longer
suffer with sin
and death,
mortality,
from every,
every fiber of our being.
Do we,
do we long for that?
That's,
that's the picture here
of this future glory
to be,
as we,
we desire,
we long for it.
In,
in verse 3,
if indeed by putting it on
we may not be found naked,
and the end of verse 4,
not that we would be unclothed,
but that we would be
further clothed
so that what is mortal
may be swallowed up
by life.
He makes another comparison
saying the same thing.
Clothed and unclothed.
Here,
we're unclothed.
But in eternity,
future glory,
we're clothed.
He compares the two for us.
He wants to make a,
he wants to make a point
that we understand
that,
that when we die here,
immediately,
we're in heaven.
Immediately,
we're perfected.
Immediately,
there's not this waiting,
there's not this,
time of,
of purgatory,
or whatever these other,
literary,
creations,
have come up with.
We,
we die,
we are in eternity.
We are future glory.
There's no moment
of unclothed time.
And that's important
because,
because it,
it kind of,
kind of fuels us.
It fuels living
even now.
We know that,
that when we die,
we are with Him.
And that's,
that should be encouraging
to us.
So,
that kind of sets us up,
that kind of gives us
one through four.
That's the future glory
related to Romans chapter 8,
kind of bringing us
and keep carrying that through.
Now,
five points this morning,
and we're going to see them
in five through ten.
Five points of how does
our future glory
affect our ministry now.
Now,
the first point
is found in verse five.
Verse five reads,
He who has prepared us
for this very thing
is God,
who has given us
the Spirit
as a guarantee.
Now,
this may not sound like
something that affects us,
but the truth is
that God is right now
preparing us
for our future glory.
God is preparing us
and making us ready
for that,
that time.
God,
who,
who put the stars
by His word
where they are
and told them to stay,
who raised the mountains
to a certain point
and told them
to stay right there.
The God who gave us,
who planned eternity past,
that on,
what was yesterday,
May 5th,
we would have a super moon.
This God,
through His word,
decided that was going to happen.
The God whose word
is redeeming a people
of every tribe and tongue.
This God is preparing us
for future glory.
Now,
I had the privilege,
I'll say privilege,
to go to the outlet mall yesterday.
I had to make a return
and had to make a purchase.
And as I'm driving down 400,
headed that way,
I am formulating a plan
of where I'm going to go,
how I'm going to get there,
and what's going to be
my most efficient way
of getting in and out.
So if I go to this store,
return this,
and I go down there,
come there,
so where do I need to park
within that area
so that I can just get out of there
as fast as possible
because Saturday
at the outlet mall,
this is crazy.
Well,
my plan didn't work.
I failed.
But I tried
to come up with a plan.
God is coming up
with a plan.
God is working His plan out
for you and for me
and permitting
and allowing things to happen
that is perfecting us
and getting us
and preparing us
for future glory.
He's preparing us
for that moment in time.
In chapter 4, verse 17,
I kind of touched on it.
It says,
for this light,
momentary affliction,
so everything that Paul
has suffered through,
is preparing for us
an eternal weight of glory
beyond all comparison.
Beyond all comparison.
So if God is preparing us
for future glory
and it is beyond comparison,
that should lighten our step
and make our voices bold
and live a certain way.
God is preparing us.
This light,
momentary affliction,
the suffering,
the sickness that we deal with,
the sin that we struggle with,
death,
the fight and the stride
that we have for holiness.
Those moments where we just say
we can't make it.
I can't live sinless.
I can't fight this sin any longer.
The desires to be somewhere else.
Those Southwest Airlines commercials
want to get away.
Desire to be somewhere else
because we just can't make it anymore.
All of that goes away.
All of that disappears
when we reach our future glory.
All of that will be no more.
And what's going to be left
is pure worship
and euphoria
and thanksgiving
to the suffering
that we go through now.
The struggle
and the fight
and the harsh,
the hard struggles
that we have,
all of that
is going to make
our Savior
that much better.
Our Savior
that much sweeter
to our eyes.
That much greater
because He's going to get us
through those times
and He's going to
take all of that away.
God is preparing us
even now.
Even now
for future glory.
And that should,
and I think does,
affect our ministry here.
Knowing that what we're going through,
God is using
to prepare us
for something greater.
So if we know
that God is preparing us,
then in verse 6,
first part of verse 6,
we have courage then.
Look at verse 6.
So we are always
of good courage.
So we are always
of good courage.
We know from the story
of Paul
that Paul abandoned
his life.
Like he just said,
to live is Christ
and to die is gain.
So I'm just going to go
full bore
and I'm going to preach
the Gospel
no matter what.
If it puts me in jail,
great.
If it kills me,
great.
If it makes me
shipwrecked on a boat,
great.
I'm going to put everything
aside for the Gospel.
That was what Paul did
for the mission
that God had called him.
I remember
in 2006
at the Summer X Games,
I remember watching
Travis Pastrana,
I don't know if you guys know,
motocross guy.
And they had built up
this hype
that he was going to
attempt to do
a double back flip
on the big air
motocross trick
or whatever.
I don't even know
what it's called anymore.
I'm too old.
They built it up
and so you had to watch.
It was just this moment
and he's up
at the top of the ramp
to get speed
and there's a moment
where he's sitting up there
before he goes down
that he needs to decide
whether or not
he's going to do this
or not.
Now, it's never been done before.
He's done it in pools
filled with padding.
I mean, that's about
all he's done it in.
So now he's trying to do it
on a motorcycle,
double back flip,
big, big deal.
And there's this moment
where he's got to decide,
am I going to abandon my life
and attempt this
or am I just going to
stay safe
and just kind of
ride down real slow
and just do
some silly trick
that everybody does.
And he, you know,
went forward
and did it.
Of course,
they made it way more dramatic
and his mom's crying
and, you know,
really scared for him
and, you know,
he gets off
and everybody's
jumping up and down
and he ends up doing it.
Well,
we may not do
double back flips.
I'm pretty sure
none of us in here
will do double back flips
on a motocross bike.
But we will abandon
and we can abandon
our lives.
We can say
the gospel
is more important.
We can say
that building the kingdom
and extending the kingdom
is far more important
than our comfort
or than this life here.
We can certainly,
certainly say that.
And in fact,
you and I
abandon everything good
when we choose to sin.
And that's the reality.
So,
it's not really
that hard of a thought.
So,
we can abandon
our lives.
We can live courageously,
live boldly
because we know,
Romans chapter 8,
that God will not
abandon us
no matter what.
If we are His child,
we are His child forever.
God is preparing us
for glorious destiny.
And we can be courageous,
courageous.
We can be bold
in how we act
and how we live.
We can also be bold
through the suffering
and through the hardships
and through the troubled times.
Here are some examples
of being courageous
and being bold.
Move to a place
that doesn't make sense.
Maybe it's dangerous.
Maybe it's just culturally
not even your culture
at all.
But maybe God
is calling you there.
Maybe to be courageous
and live boldly,
you run a business
just so that you can
give your profit
to building a kingdom.
Maybe you,
you know,
some of the hardest moments
of being a Christian
and trying to share
the Gospel
that I find
are those moments
where you're having
a conversation
with somebody
and you're trying
to turn it
towards the Gospel.
You guys know
those moments, right?
You're trying to just,
I wish you'd just say
something about Jesus.
Then I could just
turn it.
Those are like
the hardest moments
to try to turn
those conversations.
They're hard
because you've got
to be bold.
You've got to just say,
look,
let me tell you
about Jesus.
Let me tell you
about what Christ
has done in my life.
So,
can you be bold
in speaking
and turning
those conversations,
turning those conversations
to the Gospel?
How about,
a lot of you guys
are college students
and you don't have
kids right now
and this relates
to me and a few
others in here,
but what if,
what if you had kids
and God called you
to an inner city
where crime
is rampant,
where it's uncomfortable
and culture
is totally different
and totally
unrelatable to you,
but God is calling
you there?
Would you do it?
Would you be bold?
Would you be courageous
to do just that?
So we know
God is preparing us.
We have courage.
We're bold.
But also,
in verse 7,
we find that our faith
is secure
or sure.
Our faith
is secure
or sure.
Verse 7,
for we walk
by faith,
not by sight.
Now,
what this
verse is,
there's far more
to it than
just these
seven or eight
words.
What it's saying
is that our footing
or the root
of our faith
is sure.
It's going to happen.
It's almost like
a synonym
for hope
here.
We know
that it's going
to occur.
Related to
verse 18
in chapter 4
where it says,
as we look,
not to the things
that are seen,
but to the things
that are unseen.
For the things
that are seen
are transit,
but the things
that are unseen
are eternal.
Things that are unseen
are eternal.
They're going to
happen.
They're in play.
They're sure
to occur.
We have a certainty
that it's going
to happen.
It reminds me
of Romans chapter 4
where it talks
about Abraham.
In verse 21
it says,
Abraham was fully
convinced that God
was going to do
what He promised.
Now,
our faith
the root
of our faith
is sure.
It's going
to happen.
But here,
people like
to illustrate
faith by saying
that if I sit
down in a chair,
I have faith
in that chair
that's not going
to break under me.
That is going
to hold me.
I agree
that that's a
description of faith,
but I think it
loses something
because that chair
could break.
That chair
could be faulty.
That chair
could mess up
somehow,
some way.
This type
of faith,
this surety
here,
is that chair
will never,
ever,
ever break.
The illustration
kind of falls
short a little
bit there.
Abraham was
fully convinced
that God
would do
what He promised.
Can you be
fully convinced
that what God
has called you
to,
He's going
to enable
you to do
it?
He's going
to empower
you to do
it?
He's going
to walk
you through
it.
Here's a
trouble that
we have.
Faith is
internal.
It's something
that's hard
to measure.
It's hard.
I can't tell you
how faithful
I am.
On a scale
of 1 to 10,
I'm an 8 right
now.
It just doesn't
work.
I can't look at
Josh or look
at anybody
else in here
and say,
faithful.
I see your
faith level.
It's high.
Well done.
It doesn't
work.
What I can
measure and
what we can
measure is
the actions.
It's the play
out of that
faith.
So how do
we react
to the
suffering?
How do we
react when
things don't
go our
way?
How do
we deal
with certain
people?
How do we
deal with our
struggles?
Do we hide
them?
Or are we
faithful to
confess them?
Are we
faithful to
communicate them
and to say,
I need your
help?
Those are
how we
measure our
faith.
And what we
put our
faith in
is sure.
It's never
going to fail.
What we put
our faith in
is certain.
And knowing
that we
can and
will be
courageous.
Knowing that
God is
going to do
fully convinced
that he's
going to do
what he
promised.
Look what
Abraham did.
Fully
convinced.
What can
you and I
do fully
convinced that
God will
never leave
us nor
forsake
us?
That nothing
can separate
us from
the love
of God.
Romans
chapter 8.
Our faith,
what our
faith is in,
is sure.
But not
only that,
not only
that,
but out of
our faith
that is sure
and living
courageously
and knowing
that God
is preparing
us for
future glory,
we please
him.
We strive
to please
him.
Verse 8
and 9.
It says,
yes,
we are of
good courage
and we
would rather
be away
from the
body and
at home
with the
Lord.
So whether
we are at
home or
away,
we make
it our
aim to
please
him.
Here or
there,
here on
earth,
mortal or
immortal,
perfect or
imperfect.
Baseball
season is
going.
The Atlanta
Braves,
they play
162 games
a year,
81 games
at home,
81 games
away.
And I'm
pretty sure
the manager
of the
Braves
doesn't say,
guys,
we're just
going to
throw in
the towel
on the
away games.
Don't worry
about it.
We'll just,
we'll work
really hard
for our
home games.
We'll work
really hard
when we're
home.
When we're
away,
we'll just
forget about
it.
No big
deal.
Pretty sure
that doesn't
happen.
For us,
here,
living here,
living away
from the
Lord,
away from
his presence,
and this
body,
imperfect
and sinful
a lot of
the time,
we strive
to please
him.
We strive.
It is a
fight
to please
him.
And him
alone.
Not our
parents,
not others,
not our
teachers,
not our
significant
others,
our wives,
our husbands,
our boyfriends,
our girlfriends,
or our pastors.
We seek and
aim to please
him and
him alone.
Every decision,
every action,
every word that
comes from our
mouth,
does it
please him?
Does it,
is it
acceptable to
him?
Remember those
WWJD bracelets?
What would
Jesus do?
You guys
remember those?
Shake your
head,
you do.
You guys
all had
them,
didn't you?
Everybody
did.
I had
one.
WWJD,
what would
Jesus do?
The better
question is,
does this
please God?
Would this
be acceptable
acceptable to
God?
Without
Jesus,
without the
Spirit as
our guarantee,
without being
a Christian,
it's pointless
to even ask
that question.
It's pointless
to ask,
would this be
acceptable to
God?
Because it's
impossible to
please God
without Jesus.
It's impossible
to please
him because
of the
sin.
The
gospel reminds
us of our
sin.
It reminds
us of who
we are,
of our need
of a Savior,
that we
can't do
anything,
can do
nothing about
our sin,
that we
need God.
The
gospel also
enables us
to please
God.
Through the
gospel,
through Jesus
Christ,
his life,
death,
and
resurrection,
through what
he has done
on the
cross,
we can
be acceptable
to God.
Because,
as I read
in 2 Corinthians
5.21,
for our
sake,
he made
him,
being Jesus,
to be sin,
who knew
no sin,
so that in
him we
might become
the righteousness
of God.
It is
impossible
to please
God
without
Jesus.
it is
only by
the power
of God
in your
life that
you can
please
him for
your glory,
for his
glory,
and your
good.
So the
question is,
Paul says
that we
please him,
we aim to
please him,
but he
doesn't tell
us how.
He doesn't
give us
three steps,
five steps,
to pleasing
him,
so here I
thought I'd
help you
out just
a little
bit.
We've
got to
look at
some other
verses in
this letter,
but I
think we'll
all agree
that these
are here.
So how
do we
please God?
Well,
first of all,
we speak
boldly
the gospel.
We speak
boldly
the gospel.
In chapter
five,
later on,
in verse
20,
it says,
therefore,
we are
ambassadors for
Christ.
We are his
representatives.
God making
his appeal
through us.
We implore
you on
behalf of
Christ,
be reconciled
to God.
Paul
communicating
to the
church at
Corinth.
Chapter
three,
verse 12,
it says,
since we
have such
a hope,
such a
surety that
what is going
to be
promised will
happen,
we are
very bold.
Speak
boldly
the gospel.
Secondly,
how do we
please God?
Living
courageous
lives,
this life
in suffering
and pain.
This is
found in our
text,
verse 6.
So we are
always of
good courage,
always of
good courage,
living courageously
through this
life.
Third thing
to please God
is living by
faith.
Found in
our text,
verse 7,
for we walk
by faith,
not by sight.
We walk
knowing that
God is
faithful.
God is
what He
promised is
sure to
occur.
Fourth,
bringing glory
to God,
not to
ourselves,
glory to
God.
Found in
chapter 4,
verse 15,
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.
And then
fifthly,
living out
the message
of Christ
reconciling
death.
End of
chapter 5.
In
Christ,
verse 19,
in Christ
God was
reconciling the
world to
Himself,
not counting
their trespasses
against them,
and entrusting
to us the
message of
reconciliation.
Therefore,
we are
ambassadors for
Christ,
God making
His appeal
through us.
We implore
you on
behalf of
Christ,
be reconciled
to God.
For our
sake He
made Him
to be
sin who
knew no
sin,
so that
in Him
we might
become the
righteousness
of God.
Living the
message of
Christ
reconciling
death out
for people
to see.
So finally,
the last
point,
this doesn't
sound like
a point,
but I
promise it
is.
We are
going to
be judged
for what
we do
here on
earth.
We are
going to
be judged
for what
we do
here on
earth.
Chapter
5,
verse 10.
For we
must all
appear before
the judgment
seat of
Christ,
so that
each one
may receive
what is
due for
what he
has done
in the
body,
whether
good or
evil.
there is
no chance
of avoiding
this.
There is
no chance
of melting
into the
crowd,
of just
kind of
disappearing
and not
being held
accountable.
There is
no chance
that you
or I
can fool
God.
There is
no ability
for us
to be able
to say,
God,
I am not
that person.
we will
be judged
and held
responsible
for how
we live
as
Christians.
This
judgment
is not
to determine
whether
we're
saved or
not,
whether we
are a
Christian
or not.
It's
nothing
like
that.
It's
to show
us that
what we
do here
has
eternal
implications.
To remind
us that
we have
been saved
not for
aimlessness
or indifference,
but to
live for
the Lord.
We read
in verse
15,
chapter 5.
To remind
all believers
that we
are righteous
by faith
alone,
in Christ
alone,
and the
faith that
justifies is
to be expressed
by love
and obedience.
Meaning,
that we're
saved by
faith alone
and Christ
alone.
We all
shake our
head to
that.
But it's
to be
played out
in our
love and
obedience
to others.
Our love
and obedience
to those
who need
Jesus.
Our love
and obedience
to God.
God,
how we
live here
has eternal
implications.
Listen to
one of the
commentators
wrote,
and this is
how he
explained it,
and I
couldn't put
it in any
better terms.
He says,
you can be
certain of
this.
When the
day of
judgment
comes,
we shall
not be
asked what
we have
read,
but what
we have
done.
Not how
well we
have spoken,
but how
well we
have lived.
We will
not be
judged,
or not be
asked what
we have
read,
but what
we have
done.
Not how
well we
have spoken,
but how
well we
have lived.
Whoa.
That gets
me.
We don't
do good
deeds,
we don't
love our
neighbor,
we don't
love and
obey God,
we don't
leave this
place and
live a
different
life for
the kingdom
because we're
trying to
earn God's
favor.
We live
that way
because He's
already shown
us that
favor.
He's already
shown us
that love
and that
grace.
when you
diet,
I have no
experience in
dieting,
I'm this
big for a
reason,
when you
diet,
you don't
think about
the food
that you
can't eat.
You don't
think about
the cakes
and the
snacks and
the cookies
and the
sodas and
all of that
that you
can't eat.
You also
don't think
about the
horrible,
how horrible
the food
is that
you are
eating.
The no
flavor,
the vegetables,
whatever.
You do
either of
those,
you're going
to fail
at dieting.
It's going
to last a
week,
maybe,
depending on
how strong
you are.
You're not
going to
last.
When you
do diet,
though,
you think
about what's
going to
happen.
You think
about how
you're going
to look.
You think
about the
clothes that
you're going
to be able
to wear.
You think
about how
long you're
going to be
able to run
or what
sport you're
going to be
able to
play or
how good
you're going
to look
in a
bathing
suit.
Likewise,
our future
glory should
have that
same impact
on us.
What's going
to happen,
what's going
to occur
should fuel
how we live
here,
how we love
people,
how bold
we are,
how courageous
we are.
God is
preparing us
for future
glory.
He is
working and
permitting things
to happen in
our lives so
that we can
cherish even
more that
moment.
Our faith and
what we put our
faith in is
secure.
It does not
move.
It does not
change.
It's going to
happen.
we strive to
please him.
We live
courageous
lives.
We're going
to be held
accountable for
how we live.
Our future
glory affects
our ministry
now.
It affects
how we live
now, how we
love now,
others and
God.
Let's pray
together.
Let's pray
together.
Let's pray