You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
Our passion is to experience and express grace.
Join us.
If you have a Bible with you in some form, you'd open to 2 Corinthians chapter 4.
We're stepping out just for this Sunday of our journey through the Gospel of Luke, which
we will return to next week.
But I want us to look at this section of 2 Corinthians in some way as a follow-up on a
sermon that I preached here several weeks back from Psalm 67.
But let me read now for us from Paul's letter, second letter to the Corinthians, beginning
of verse 1 of chapter 4.
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 and 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 of 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 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.
Look, we also believe, and 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,
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 nature is wasting away,
our inner nature is being renewed day by day.
For this slight 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 are seen are transient,
but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Let me pray for us as we approach this portion of God's word.
Father, we need you.
We need what your word says.
We need to understand what your word says.
But we need what your word says
to penetrate down into the depth of our hearts,
not just our minds.
So, would you come?
As we study your word,
would you give us that gift,
that working of your Holy Spirit
to move away the things that would distract us?
Would you clarify the things that we need to focus on?
Would you make our hearts receptive
to what you would say?
And then lead us to glory.
Lead us to your glory.
Lead us to a deeper knowledge of your glory.
So that we will value it above all things.
So come, do your work in us,
we pray in the great name of Jesus.
Amen.
Now, a few weeks ago when we were,
when I was here,
we were talking about Psalm 67,
and we really,
that sermon was all about
what I would call the flow of grace.
And it's how that
the more we enter into the knowledge
of all that God is
and what God has done for us
and this grace that He has poured out for us,
the more we experience this relationship
that He has now given and restored
for us in Christ,
the more it's going to naturally
flow from us
into the rest of the world around us.
You know, the Father,
in His effusive joy,
because of this joy,
sends His Son
into the world
to share this joy
with those He has created,
and then the Son
then calls us
to go do the same.
So as we experience that joy,
it flows from us,
and we fulfill the calling
that He has given to us
by sharing that joy
with those around us.
And really,
and since that's what this passage
also is talking about,
but when we look at this passage,
there's this phrase
that kind of gives us pause.
And it's a critical phrase.
One of the lessons
that we need to learn
when we study the Scriptures
is that when you read
sections of Scripture,
you look for those
repeated phrases.
And there's a repeated phrase here
that kind of sandwiches
in this whole chapter.
And that is the phrase,
we do not lose heart.
You see it in verse 1,
and you see it down again
towards the end.
And if the gospel
is such good news,
and if it's such a glorious thing
to experience,
and if it should be flowing
freely from us,
why would we lose heart?
Well,
proclaiming the gospel
when we've experienced it deeply
is a natural thing.
It is also
a costly thing.
And losing heart
is very,
very easy
to do.
When the cost
becomes
and begins
to seem heavy
to bear,
we lose heart
and we wonder
whether
it's worth
continuing
to proclaim
and to communicate
to this
world
that is lost
in their blindness.
We wonder
if it's worth
keeping going.
You know,
Will spoke of this
last week,
I think,
the last two weeks.
Spoke very well
of this.
When we come
to Christ,
it is glorious.
It's also costly.
So we particularly
in the Western church
really find
this concept
difficult.
You know,
we sometimes,
you know,
we talk about
and even
those of us
in our circles,
we ridicule
preachers
who proclaim
what is known
as the prosperity
gospel.
And I'm not going
to mention
names.
You know who
some of these
people are.
But
it is a gospel
that simply says
that,
you know,
when we come
to Jesus,
if we're faithful,
then we're going
to,
we should expect
to enjoy
all the good
and the pleasures,
the wealth
and the benefits
and health
that this life
has to offer.
And we know
in our heads
that's not true.
That's not
what the Bible
teaches.
We sort of
know that.
but I think
even
in our own
circles,
we live
by the principle,
I mean,
our very country
was founded
on the principle
of life,
liberty,
and what?
The pursuit
of happiness.
And unfortunately,
we expect that
out of our religion
as well.
we make,
you know,
we love sermons
that are uplifting
and positive.
We like music
that makes our toes
tap and that are,
it's uplifting
and encouraging.
And it's when
the pain
and the hardship
and of just life
or that pain
and hardship
which comes
because of
our involvement
in the ministry,
when that
begins to encroach
on our
lives,
we can be shaken
and begin
to ask questions
like,
wait a minute,
does God
really love me?
If He loved me,
would He be doing
this to me?
And,
you know,
our level of suffering
really doesn't have
to be that great.
I could go
into a hotel room
with lousy pillows
and complain
at the wazoo.
He says,
how am I supposed
to live
with a pillow
this flat?
What did I do
to deserve this?
You know,
when we were overseas
doing mission work,
it was easy
to have a mindset
that life
was not going
to be comfortable,
cushy,
cozy,
though in a lot
of ways
our lives were.
But you have
this mindset
to, oh,
I'm now
in the mission field.
I'm supposed
to have a hard time
and that's okay.
But as soon
as we came back,
all of that ended.
I mean,
I was very grateful
to enter back
into the good life
of SUVs
and Starbucks.
The problem
with the prosperity gospel
is not just
that it's not true.
It basically
diminishes
what the gospel
is.
because it makes
the gospel
just something
that I can have
the good life
comfort here
and now.
And that doesn't
give us a whole lot
of impetus
to proclaim it.
But what Paul
is doing here
in this text
is he's doing
a couple of things.
He's telling us
about the reality
of what it means
to live in Christ
and proclaim the gospel
but he's also
telling us
about a gospel
that is worth
everything
it'll cost us.
And so I know
in your bulletins
you don't have
a printed outline
so we'll put it up
here on the screen.
I'm basically
going to look at
I want us to look
at three things
from this text.
And it's all
about glory.
First off,
we're going to see
the gospel
of glory.
And then we're
going to look
at the vessels
of glory
and then the pathway
to glory.
First,
let's look at
the gospel
of glory.
You know,
when you read
these passages
of scripture,
again,
the whole thing
of repeated
phrases and words
and if you read
this chapter,
I don't know
if you picked up
on it,
the word,
the term glory
shows up in here
five times.
We see it up there
in verse 4
where he's talking
about the gospel
of the glory
of Christ.
You see it in verse 6
where he talks
about the knowledge
of the glory
of God
in the face
of Jesus Christ.
You see it down there
in verse 17.
We're talking about
the eternal weight
of glory.
The gospel
is not
just about
freedom
from the fear
of hell.
The gospel
is not
just about
my ticket
to a better place
once I die.
The gospel
is about glory.
It is all
about glory.
The good news
of the gospel
is that
we again
can know
glory.
Back in the fall
when man
sinned in the garden
among the things
the consequences
that happened
to that
there were two
major
repercussions
of our
disobedience.
And the first
was that
the glory
that man
knew
initially
being created
in the image
of God
was now
brought down
to shame.
What was the first
thing that Adam
and Eve did?
They ate
of the apple.
They looked
at each other.
They saw
that they were
naked
and they started
covering up
in their shame.
They lost
this sense
of glory
that they
were created
to know
to experience
to own
and it was
gone.
And we've been
living in hiding
in shame
ever since.
And you know
this shame.
You live in hiding.
I live in hiding.
I'm going to tell you
something about myself
that I'm going
to pay for
after this
but I do
not dance.
It's not
because I can't.
It's not
because I don't
have rhythm.
Oh I do.
It's just
dancing
is this
self-expressive
thing
that you do
out there
in front of
people
that terrifies
me.
The people
are going
to watch
me.
They're going
to see
me.
See what
I do.
And then
I'm going
to get
their attention
and that's
not where
I want
their attention.
I'm going
to do
something dumb.
I'm going
to look
silly,
foolish,
and so
I would
just as soon
sit,
tap my toes,
and enjoy
the music.
It's
safety.
Now,
why,
if I'm
so self-conscious
about how
I am
perceived,
why would
I stand
in front
of 400
people
and talk
for over
half an
hour?
That
is the
worst nightmare
for many
of you.
Because,
see,
these situations
expose us.
They expose
us in ways
where we're
not,
we don't
feel safe.
We don't
want that
kind of
exposure.
There is
shame that
is driving
and controlling
so much
of what we
do.
I stand
up here
because this
is something
I feel
confident in.
In fact,
this is a
way I
hide my
shame.
But,
see,
some of
us,
we know
that shame
in a lot
of different
ways.
Some of
you would
never leave
the house
if you
were
dressed
out of
style.
I mean,
some of
you are
terrified
just by,
again,
speaking in
public,
some of
us use
humor in
our words,
again,
to cloak
and to
hide from
other people
so that it
won't get
close.
We are
all hiding
from shame
because we
know that
there's
something
deeply
flawed.
We are
not
right.
And I
don't want
you to
see it.
I've
lost the
glory.
But there's
something else
that we've,
consequence of
that first
obedience.
The second
impact
was
that I
couldn't
know the
real
glory.
sin.
And that
isn't from
the face
of God.
Because one
of the first
consequences
of that
sin is
that Adam
and Eve
were driven
out
away.
They were
separated,
in some
ways
excommunicated,
where they
were created
to know
God deeply
and intimately
and personally.
There is
now this
chasm
between
them
and him
that they
cannot
overcome.
And we
were made
for this.
There was
this
relationship
and it's
something we
were constantly
forever longing
to restore.
We want
to know
glory.
Glory is
something that's
remarkably
beautiful.
It's something
we're so
attracted to.
It's something
we so much
want.
It's like
when you
see this
glorious sunset
out there.
You cannot
take your
eyes off
of it.
It just
draws you
in to
stare and
to linger
because it's
just beautiful.
And we
long for it,
attracted to
beauty.
We are
drawn towards
beauty.
But the
ultimate
beauty in
all of
the world
is now
off limits
because of
our own
sin.
But this
is where the
gospel comes
in.
The
gospel
restores
glory.
thing.
The gospel
covers
my
shame.
Yes,
in and of
myself,
there's
something
deeply
flawed,
but I
am now
clothed
with
beauty,
the
righteousness
of Christ,
with Christ
himself.
And the
one who
is the
most beautiful
and glorious
looks at
me and
sees it
all and
does this.
That's my
boy.
The
creator
declares
me
beautiful.
And
then
the
creator
invites
me
in.
Invites
me to
himself
to
where I
can now
see
and
behold
the face
of glory.
I love
these verses
from the
previous
chapter up
in the
end of
chapter
three
where he
says,
and we
all
with
unveiled
face
beholding
the
glory
of the
Lord.
That's
the
gospel.
That's
what
Christ
has
come
to do
to
restore
glory.
And
that is
good news.
So
much
better
news
than
what we
so often
hear.
glory.
But
now we
come to
really
the
vessels
of
glory.
And
this is
where
Paul
begins
to get
a little
bit
dicey.
And
this is
the part
that we
really
wish he
wouldn't
have put
in here.
Because
how does
God show
his glory
to the
rest of
the
world?
well
I mean
that is
his
intent.
His
intent
is to
he has
shown
in us
the
light
of the
glory
of
himself
you know
in the
face of
Christ
and we
reflect
that
glory.
But
what
now is
the
means
of
of him
projecting
that
glory
to the
world?
Well
he does
it
very
differently
than
we
do.
You
know
on
August
20th
the
people
of
Hungary
are
going
to
celebrate
one
of
their
great
national
holidays.
It's
kind of
like
our
fourth
of
July
but
it's
called
St.
Stephen's
Day.
And
what
they
do
is
kind
of
the
high
point
of
St.
Stephen's
Day.
They
have
this
big
parade
and
procession
through
the
streets
of
Budapest
from
Ishwan's
Cathedral.
I don't
remember if
it goes
from there
to there
but what
they do
they bring
out their
most holy
of relics
and parade
it through
the streets
and that
relic
is a
hand.
It is
supposedly
St.
Stephen's
right hand.
How they
know it's
his right hand
I'm not sure
but it's
just
it's a
hand.
It's
in this
beautiful
box
that it's
golden
it's got
glass
sides
there's
really
gorgeous
red
velvet
inside
and it's
a really
really
beautiful
box
and it's
a good
thing
because
that
hand
is over
a thousand
years old
and it's
not looking
good.
It's just
kind of
curled up
you know
like this
but that
is the
hand of
their very
first king
you know
a saint
now
to the
people
of Hungary
and so
they parade
this through
but it's
got to
have this
beautiful
box
and so
really the
beauty of
this relic
they had
to create
and put
around it
to take
something that
really was
pretty ugly
to make
it
beautiful.
well
that's
kind of
the way
we do
it.
That's
the way
we work.
We are
very cognizant
of the
fact
that
when we
look in
the mirror
we don't
see beauty.
You know
we look
in our
hearts
we don't
see
beauty.
It's
that whole
shame
thing
again.
It's
our
brokenness.
So
we are
very hard
in the
work of
beautification.
And we
do that
through
exercise
through
fashion
through
makeup
through
performance
through
all these
other things
that we
do
to decorate
to make
what we
see as
ugly
into
something
that's
quite
attractive
that's
glorious.
But
this is
you know
it's just
like God
he does
things just
the opposite
of the way
we do
it.
His
way
is
first
his glory
is beautiful
in itself.
And so
it doesn't
need a
beautiful
box.
it needs
the box
to get
out of
the way.
And so
that's
exactly
what he
does.
He
says
basically
we need
to remove
your
pitiful
attempts
at glory
so that
my glory
is on
display
alone.
this is
what he
says in
verse 7
of our
chapter
he says
but we
have
this
treasure
in
jars
of clay.
Why?
To
show
that the
surpassing
power
belongs
to God
and not
to us.
Life
is not
about me.
And it's
not about
you.
Ministry
is not
about me.
It is
not about
you.
It is
about
the gospel
and the
gospel in
and of
itself is
glorious.
And I
have been
given the
glory of
God to
dwell in
me in
the way
the world
sees it
is when
I become
nothing.
Just a
common
old
clay
jar.
And that's
what God
does.
He takes
those of
us who
thinks
we're
beautiful
and
replaces
our
pitiful
attempts
at glory
with the
real
thing.
Because
the gospel
of His
glory is
far better
than ours.
Which
leads us
to the
last point
the whole
pathway to
glory.
glory is
going to be
a hard one.
Because see,
we like glory.
We like our
own.
We are not
convinced
that we
can come
out and
be exposed
and be
okay.
glory is
today.
But God
says,
no,
it's
my glory.
And so
what He
does
is
He gives
us
over
to death.
Paul
says in
verse 11,
these are
some pretty
sobering
words.
So we
who live
are always
being given
over to
death for
Jesus'
sake,
so that
the life
of Jesus
may also
be manifested
in our
mortal flesh.
God's
not the
most encouraging
words.
But this is
God's process.
That we
would be
given over
to death.
That we,
our glory,
our significance,
our position
of being front
and center
dies.
so that
the real
glory of
the Savior
might be
put on
display.
Look also
at verse 17.
He speaks
of this
momentary
slight
affliction.
We need
to put that
in context.
Because
the way
He talks
about
momentary
slight
affliction
is not
the way
I talk
about it.
If you
move on
over to
chapter 6
He begins
to list
out
what
He means.
He talks
about this
momentary
light
affliction.
Well,
He says
in verse 6
this includes
being lost
at sea.
It includes
being beaten
multiple times.
It includes
being imprisoned.
It includes
being starved
and on
and He
experienced
that
for His
whole
life.
So much
for momentary
or slight.
This was
the course.
The
hardship
and suffering
that Paul
mentions.
His
suffering
was
experienced
because
of His
taking the
gospel to
places.
But it
might also
be the
suffering
that we
experience
just in
normal life
that God
might use
disease,
it might
use injury,
He might
use
just
experiences
to bring
us down
and get
us out
of the
way
so that
His glory
would be
put on
display.
His
suffering
works
in this
way.
And that
suffering can
come from
two different
sources.
One,
it does
come to us
involuntarily.
It comes
from just
living our
lives in
this broken
world,
but it
does come
when we
choose
Christ
above all
things,
and we
experience
the payment
then that we
have to pay
because of
that.
If I'm at
school and
there are
other kids
and I am
encouraged
to engage
in,
let's just
say,
sexual activity
or other
things,
and I say
no,
that is
going to
bring on
me a
heap of
pain
and
ridicule.
If I
am in
an employment
and I am
asked to
do something
contrary
to the
standards by
which the
kingdom calls
me to
live,
I might
lose my
job.
If I
go talk
to my
neighbors
and tell
them I
love Jesus
and they
need to
love him
too,
that may
be the
last party
I'm ever
invited
to.
Some
parts of
the world
we start
talking about
Jesus and
you lose
your head,
literally.
You lose
your family.
You become
an outcast.
And so
part of it
is that we
choose to
stand with
Christ in
the kingdom
but we're
going to
pay for
that.
Some of
it might
be voluntary.
we proclaim
the glory
of God
not just
when we
accept
the hardship
for standing
with him,
we proclaim
the glory
of God
when we
voluntarily
choose
to
enter
into
a harder
life
because
the kingdom
is so
valuable to
us.
that I
would
choose to
live at
a lower
standard
of living,
that I
would choose
to live
in a
place
that's
not easy,
that I
would choose
to live
maybe in a
neighborhood
that is
even
dangerous,
that I
would,
I mean I
know
missionaries
who move
their families
into a
city that
was so
polluted
you fly
into a
cloud
50 miles
out,
this thick
red cloud
and they
took their
children
there
because
they
thought
the
kingdom
was
rivet.
So the
suffering,
the hardship
can come
either way
but why
is
suffering,
why is
hardship
so
integral,
so
important
and I
say
essential
for the
proclamation
of God's
glory.
It's
this,
when I
choose
to endure
pain
or hardship
or deprivation
or loss
because
I think
Christ
is more
valuable
than what
I would
gain
otherwise.
I
proclaim
that
Christ
is my
ultimate
worth.
I
proclaim
His
ultimate
value
and
that
proclaims
His
glory.
When I
choose
to do
without,
when I
choose
to give
up
what I
could
have
because
the
kingdom
of Christ
is a
more
valuable
to me,
I
proclaim
boldly
the value,
the glory
of that
kingdom.
And I
think Paul
would say
that's
the only
way.
The way
of the
kingdom,
the way
of glory,
the way
of following
Christ
is going
to
take us
through
hard
places.
Jesus.
So how
can we
go there?
How can
we not
lose
heart?
It is
because,
again,
of what
He has
said
here.
It is
because
we know
that there's
a resurrection
from the
dead.
It is
because we
have tasted
His grace
and goodness.
It is
because we
have seen
His death
that He
would pay
the ultimate
price for
us.
That we
have seen
and tasted
the kingdom.
And when
we've
tasted it,
nothing
else
can compare.
because we
have found
the ultimate.
The ultimate
love,
the ultimate
beauty,
the ultimate
glory.
And whatever
it costs
to gain
that
is no
sacrifice.
It's a
joy.
It's a
joy.
It's a
joy.
It's a
joy.
It's a
joy.
Because to
give up
this which
I cannot
keep,
to gain
something so
glorious
that I
could never
lose.
Duh.
What choice
is that?
What choice
is that?
don't lose
heart.
Come,
let us
come
to Christ
who is the
ultimate of
light,
ultimate in
beauty,
ultimate of
value,
the ultimate
in glory.
Let us
run to
Christ
in His
grace.
let us
run to
the one
who has
bought us
and has
made us
His own
and has
given us
His
glory.
It's
worth
every
cent.
It'll
cost you.
Let's
pray.
Father,
grant us
grace
to see
all we
see
sometimes
we're
very
short
sighted
and all
we see
is what's
here in
front of
us.
Would
you give
us eyes
to see
Your glory?
Would
you give
us eyes
to see
the realities
of this
world?
Give
us eyes
to see
clearly
so that
we would
invest
ourselves
in that
which is
worthy.
Encourage
us
that we
would not
lose
heart
though the
journey
seems long
and the
cost
heavy.
Give us
eyes to
see the
goal of
the prize
of the
upward
call of
God
in
Christ.
Give
us eyes
to see
the glory
that is
found in
His face
in the
hope that
one day
we will
stand there
and see
it.
We pray
in His
name.
Amen.
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