Authentic Hope

Let's pray.

Gracious Lord, we do indeed thank you for the way you have led us

as we have come this morning and as we church together.

And as Steve has prayed for us,

so indeed we ask that you might work mercifully by your spirit,

through the power of your word,

strip away every distraction,

focus our minds and revolutionise our hearts.

For Christ's sake, Amen.

So, I was really thrilled when I saw the series that you're doing at the moment,

God's Sufficient Grace.

2 Corinthians is one of my favourite books and as the Apostle often does,

it is a book that is full of understatements and there is no greater understatement

than that phrase that titles your series, God's Sufficient Grace.

What does the word sufficient mean?

Sorry?

Enough.

When you say, oh, it's sufficient.

What are you meaning?

It's just enough.

It's just enough.

So we're saying, God's just enough grace.

It's interesting, isn't it?

Isn't it not the greatest understatement you've ever heard?

Here we are, the recipients of this lavish,

as John chapter 1 calls it,

John 1 · chapter mention

grace upon grace upon grace,

and it's meant to be an endless series.

It's like the waves of the ocean.

We don't get this on the western side,

the Indian Ocean is a pond.

But when you go down to DY and you see the waves,

grace upon grace upon grace,

and do they ever stop?

No.

And neither does God's lavish grace.

So when we talk about God's sufficient grace,

let's just bear in mind that we're talking about the understated God,

the God who, when he created all things,

at the end of each day said,

God saw what he had made and behold, it was good.

Good.

Couldn't you have come up with a slightly better adjective?

Couldn't you have just extended yourself a bit?

I mean, like he clearly is an American.

That's awesome!

You know?

Like, you just would go to town.

And I mean, at the end of all six days of creation,

when it was complete,

when it had the crowning glory of the one made in his image,

when it was in perfect harmony,

when love had had its full sway,

can you imagine the dynamic nature of what had been done?

The Lord thought, oh, okay, I better extend myself.

He saw all that he had made,

behold, it was...

Very good.

Great.

Great.

So look, just when you come in here

and you think God's sufficient grace,

just recognise the God we serve.

He's not American.

He is understated.

Right?

And we're talking about authentic hope.

And I get the impression from the screen that's been up here

that authentic, true, real.

Very good.

I have no idea what's been going on.

They're held on too hard,

so I can't pull them off.

There's a very good job, whoever did this.

I know nothing about it,

but I'm just wondering why there are only this many.

I mean, how many of us are there here?

There's got to be a hundred plus,

even on Father's Day.

Or how come there's only 20-odd masks on the wall?

Did you take your mask off when you came in today?

Did you take it off?

Because we all wear them, don't we?

Every one of us.

And we are talking about authentic Christian living.

Real.

And I know one of the things that I found breathtaking

was the, as I grew in Christ,

was coming to understand the most practical Christian doctrine there is.

Imputed righteousness.

Justification by faith.

That I am established outside of myself.

And so you can see me as I am.

Even with all that inadequacy,

all that bankruptcy,

all the failings.

Because

all that does is reveal more greatly

the sufficiency of the God we serve.

So,

when we think

and read through,

hear this passage

from

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5.

I'll try it again.

I must have hit the wrong button.

It says,

For 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.

And when we think

about earthly tents,

there's no place

we should start

more appropriate

than the incarnation.

That the word

became flesh

and dwelt among us

full of grace and truth

and we beheld his glory,

glory as of the only son of the father.

And when you see that little word there

where it says

the word became flesh

and dwelt,

dwelt,

literally that word dwelt

is tented,

tabernacled.

The eternal son

took on flesh

and tented amongst us.

Pitched his tent

as he refers to

this flesh,

this body.

But it says there

that

we know

that if this

earthly tent we live in

is destroyed,

and you've been hearing

about this just last week

as you've looked at

chapters 3 and 4,

but if this earthly tent

is destroyed,

once again,

there is no place

that we should look

more closely

than the destruction

of the body

of Christ.

A body that was

given over for sin.

Everything done

within that flesh

was perfect,

was righteous,

was holy,

was pure,

and yet look.

It's hard to look

at,

isn't it?

It's hard to look

at.

He died my death.

He died your death.

This was the full

curse

of sin

and the full

judgment of God

upon it

poured out

upon his tent,

upon his

earthly body.

But then it says

we have

a building

from God,

an eternal

house

in heaven,

not built

by human hands.

And we look

to the resurrection.

We look

to the resurrection.

The fact

that death,

as the song

says,

could not hold

him down.

when he rose,

it was the

proof.

Do you ever

wonder whether

your sin is

dealt with?

Whether it

will ever

visit you

again?

You only

need to

know that

he rose

to know

that it

is gone

forever.

It will

never visit

you again.

It's not

possible.

Because if

any of your

sin or my

sin was

still hanging,

stuck to

him,

he couldn't

have risen

from the

dead.

He was

doomed

forever.

So,

when we

think about

this

heavenly

dwelling,

meanwhile,

we groan,

longing to

be clothed,

instead,

with our

heavenly

dwelling.

I need

to just

check what

slide we

got here.

We have

got that

one up

already,

haven't we?

Okay.

Alright.

I just

realised it's

not obeying

all the

clicks that

I've put in

it, but

that's alright.

We will

work with

that.

When it

talks about

a new

body,

receiving a

new body,

should I be

thinking about

Chris Hemsworth?

Is that what

I'm going

to get?

You know?

I won't

ask my

wife what

she thinks,

alright?

I don't

really want to

know the

answer to

that, but

can I say

most assuredly

that when we

think of the

new body that

we receive,

that because

Christ has

risen with

an indestructible

body, an

eternal body,

this is not

some airy,

fairy,

spiritual

resurrection,

this is a

resurrection with

substance, a

resurrected body,

and when

Christ raises

with that

body, that

is the

guarantee that

you and I

will have a

new body.

It won't

bear the

impact of

the curse

of sin the

way this

one does.

So does

that mean it

will be like

this?

Well, no.

Because I

want to tell

you, that

body still

bears the

curse of

sin.

We need

to come

back to

seeing what

Christ has

done.

Because what

Christ has

done and

what dominates

his life is

what will

dominate your

life and

your resurrected

glorious body.

body.

I want to

just take

us through

and just

quickly, I

was going to

unfold this

slowly but

it's all up

in front of

you now and

I've realised

that I

struggle to

read all of

this from

this distance

because this

body is

wasting away

and these

eyes are part

of that.

And it

says, but

we have this

treasure in

jars of clay,

body, as

Steve mentioned

before.

Okay, look,

hold on, hold

on a second,

let's just get

this right.

Hold on, I'm

coming down, I'm

going to sit

with you.

We have this

treasure in

jars of clay to

show that this

all-surpassing

power is from

God and not

from us.

We're hard

pressed on

every side.

This is where

you've been

last week.

Hard pressed

on every side,

crushed in

fact.

Perplexed,

but not in

despair.

Persecuted, but

not abandoned.

Struck down, but

not destroyed.

I can't tell you

how many times,

even just in the

last ten years,

I've been struck

down, I felt

crushed, I felt

completely

overwhelmed.

But, his

grace is

sufficient.

We always, it

says in verse

10, carry

around in our

body the death

of Jesus so

that the life

of Jesus may

also be revealed

in our body.

I just realised

we've got a much

better view

looking this

way.

Here I was, I

was looking up

here and I

should have been

looking here.

That's great.

I'll get used to

this place

eventually.

For we who

are alive are

always being

given over to

death for

Jesus' sake so

that his life

may also be

revealed in our

mortal body.

See those words

in bold there?

we carry

around in our

body the

death of

Jesus so

that the

life of

Jesus may

also be

revealed.

It's the

same as when

Paul says,

I did not

come amongst

you with

eloquent

words so

that it

might be

clear to

you that

the power,

the dynamic

for the words

that I speak

comes not

from me,

it comes

from God.

And it

is the

same here.

I am

amazed and

humbled by

the things

that people

have said

about us

and our

ministry over

in the

Northwest,

over in

Wickham.

The things

that people

over there

say about

us and

it is

because the

life of

Jesus is

being revealed

in this

inadequacy.

And it

goes on and

says,

we are always

being given

over to

death so

that his

life may

also be

revealed in

our mortal

body.

Because we

know that

the one who

raised Jesus

from the

dead will

also raise

us with

Jesus and

present us

with you to

himself.

So you

see it is

Jesus'

life and

death and

resurrection

that determines

your course.

And then he

goes on and

says,

therefore we

do not lose

heart.

Though outwardly

we are wasting

away, yet

inwardly we

are being

renewed day

by day.

And this

is the

thing, we

need to

develop a

discipline,

a discipline

of knowing

that it is

solely in

Christ I

live.

You think

of Galatians

2, I

have been

crucified with

Christ.

It's no

longer I

who live,

but Christ

who lives

in me.

And the

life I

now live

in the

flesh, in

this body,

I live by

faith in the

Son of God

who loved

me and gave

himself for

me.

We've got

to start

hanging much

looser to

this body.

When we

read and

we think of

these passages,

so see the

highlighted passage

there where it

says,

meanwhile we

groan,

longing to

be clothed

instead with

our heavenly

dwelling.

Do you

groan?

I'll bet if

you're getting

as old as

me, you

groan.

But is

it because

you're longing

for your

heavenly body?

Is that

why you

groan?

Or do

you groan

because you're

just not

happy, you're

not content

with this

vessel that

the Lord has

given you?

Or you see

it breaking

down?

Are you

walking in a

staunch

resistance?

to the

groaning of

this body?

Not because

you're longing,

longing for

a new body,

a resurrected

body, but

because you

actually want

this one.

That's why

the gyms are

full, isn't

it?

That's why

there is so

much about

the body

beautiful.

And you

might say,

oh Rich,

it's easy

for you to

say that.

You know,

like you

clearly have

been letting

yourself go

for a

while.

You'd be

right.

You'd be

right.

But I've

got to

tell you,

this is

not where

we are

to put

our hope.

authentic

hope is

not in

this.

It is

in the

resurrected

body that

we see

firstly in

Christ as

the first

fruits,

and then

which will

come to

all those

who have

hoped in

him.

he says,

for while

we are

in this

tent,

we groan

and are

burdened

because we

do not,

we do not

wish to be

unclothed,

but to be

clothed

instead with

our heavenly

dwelling.

I want

to encourage

you to

truly groan

and long

for your

heavenly

dwelling.

I've got to

tell you,

that is

hard for

us to

do.

It's

hard for

us to

do.

The first

reading that

we had

was from

the very

start of

Jesus'

public

ministry,

Matthew

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5.

I've only

put up

verses 3

to 6

here.

Blessed

are the

poor in

spirit.

As I

said earlier

when I was

up here

talking with

Steve,

those who

recognise that

they are

completely

bankrupt.

Jesus is

saying,

unless you

realise you

are bankrupt,

you will

not come

to me.

You will

actually

pursue

your own

adequacy.

In fact,

to the

person who

believes that

they are

not

bankrupt,

let me

tell you

this,

grace is

an offence.

Why?

Why is

grace an

offence to

those who

do not

recognise that

in and of

themselves they

are bankrupt?

Can anybody

come back at

me?

Why is

grace an

offence?

grace an

offence?

Why is

it

not

to the

weakness?

Sorry?

It shows up

the weakness?

It does?

But why

does it

offend

me if

I don't

think I'm

bankrupt?

Sorry?

Yeah.

I get

no kudos.

loss.

You think,

what is

at the

very heart

of our

sinful

selves?

I want

to tell

you it

is that

sinful

core of

our pride

that believes

that we

are good

enough for

God without

God.

See,

the nature

of atheistic

humanism

today is

that it

can achieve

everything

that God

would promise

without

him.

And to

atheistic

humanism,

it does

not want

to know

about grace.

It does

not want

to know

about the

greatest

gift of

all time

because

that

actually

detracts

from

it.

And so

Jesus

rightly

starts and

says,

blessed are

the poor

in spirit,

blessed are

those who

realise

their

bankruptcy

before

the Holy

Father,

for theirs

is the

kingdom of

heaven.

Why is

theirs the

kingdom of

heaven?

It's not

because they

stay bankrupt,

it's because

realising their

bankruptcy,

they do

what?

They come

to Christ.

Don't they?

Realising

their bankruptcy,

they come

to Christ.

He goes

on and he

says,

blessed are

those who

mourn,

for they

will be

comforted.

Blessed

are the

meek,

for they

will inherit

the earth.

Blessed

are those

who hunger

and thirst

for righteousness,

for they

will be

filled.

I have

to ask

us this

because

this is

our

challenge

in a

place where

we have

one of

the highest

standards

of living

on earth,

in a

place where

I love

the changes

that have

been done

here,

but can

I tell

you when

Wickham

does not

even have

a place

where it

can gather,

where it

is identified

as the

meeting place

of God's

people,

it's

overwhelming.

When I

see the

poverty,

it is

overwhelming.

when I

see the

needs,

it's

overwhelming.

And we

must ask

the question,

have you

hungered

lately?

Are you

thirsty?

Because what

do we do

as soon as

we're thirsty

physically?

We just

straight away,

as soon as

we're thirsty.

How long

do you wait

and allow

the physical

thirst to

go?

Before you

go,

walk to

the fridge,

open and

get something

that's as

cold as

you want.

It's not

long,

is it?

Before you

get the

beverage of

choice.

But we

know that

we're talking

about a

different

thirst,

aren't

we?

Let's

go back

to Jesus

and the

cross.

What were

one of

his words

that he

spoke from

the cross?

He said,

I thirst.

Did he

go to the

fridge and

get out his

beverage of

choice at

just the

right

temperature?

No.

In fact,

they went

to place

something to

his lips

to dull

the pain,

but he

didn't take

it.

Because what

was he really

doing when he

said,

I thirst?

He was

experiencing

exactly that

which you

and I

experience

as a

result of

living with

the

emptiness,

the

emptiness

of being

a rebel,

of being

without God

and without

hope in

this world.

Now that

you have

come to

Christ,

you

recognize

your

bankruptcy,

you've

come to

Christ,

do you

stop

hungering

and thirsting?

The answer

is no.

In exactly

the same

way as he

says,

blessed are

those who

mourn,

for they

will be

comforted.

What's the

nature of

our mourning?

We have

this all

sufficient

grace and

yet,

even though

we have

that now,

we are

also still

beset with

the weakness,

with this

clay,

broken clay

pot,

with this

tent that is

fading away,

with this

tent that

shows the

signs of

the curse.

And so,

we mourn

what we

see sin

doing here,

what we

see sin

doing in

the world,

what we

see the

powers of

darkness

seeking to

do,

we mourn

these things.

We hunger

and we

thirst.

And I

want to

encourage you

to check

yourself

and ask,

are you

setting up

your life

so there

is only

comfort

and

convenience?

What

happens

when you

hunger?

Every day,

if there is

not hungering

and thirsting

and mourning

within you,

there is

something wrong.

We're missing

something.

Like,

I'm so

thrilled to

see you

younger guys

in here.

Now,

you won't

pick up

everything

that we're

talking about,

that I'm

talking about,

but you

know what?

You know

why it's

so good?

Because you

are confronted

by a world

that is saying

to you,

you need

to pursue

your own

comfort and

convenience.

Jesus is

saying the

opposite.

And he's

saying that

as you

thirst

and hunger

and mourn,

he's

also

saying that

his

spirit

at work

within you

will bring

love,

joy and

peace.

It seems

like a

dichotomy,

doesn't it?

Like a

contradiction.

How can

these things

be going

on at the

same time?

But

constantly,

I guarantee

you,

if you

hunger and

thirst as

Christ did

daily,

then you

will also

know his

peace.

Indeed,

he said,

my peace

I give

to you,

my peace

I leave

with you,

not as

the world

gives,

do I

give.

Not as

the world

gives,

do I

give.

So we

need to be

content

to walk

to the

beat of

a very

different

drum if

we are

to be

authentic

believers

and if

we are

to be

authentic

in hope.

So I

want to

share with

you a

quick story

because one

thing that I

found overwhelming

during the

ministry in

Wickham was

the number

of our

indigenous

people that

I placed

in the

ground.

In a

community,

an indigenous

community of

probably

1500,

there would

be a

death

every week,

maybe two,

sometimes

three.

Think about

that.

We're talking

a population

of 14 to

1500,

maybe at

times up

to 2000,

and there

is a

death every

week.

people in

this land

are literally

passing us

by.

And the

number of

kids I

would

minister to

that are

impacted by

that, that

are orphans,

that have

already lost

both parents.

You see this

boy on the

screen here.

He was the

angriest boy

I had ever

witnessed.

You know

how in

schools you're

not meant to

touch the

kids?

Well, the

local principal,

who was very

suspicious of me

at first, but

eventually I

became a

trusted

confidant,

and she

would ring

and say,

Rich, can

you please

come up?

it's Zane.

And I

would get

there, and

the classroom,

all the kids

would have

been evacuated,

and Zane

would be in

there with a

golf club

destroying the

room.

And she

would need

someone,

because all

the male

teachers have

been taken

out of our

primary schools,

she would

need someone

to go and

disarm

Zane,

and then in

all his

fury,

still him.

And I

would just

hug him.

I would

just hug

him.

I remember

one day when

that happened,

his mum came

up, and she

was so upset,

and she was

so ashamed,

she hit him

around the

ear.

I later found

out that both

he and his

older sister,

both had

perforated

eardrums on

the right-hand

side.

she hit

him,

she clubbed

him,

and then she

grabbed him

by the foot,

and she

dragged him

to the

car.

And this

is him

around that

time.

And

his

mother was

a very

angry woman,

would never

smile.

mother.

But I

want to

introduce you

to her

here.

I cannot

say her

name because

I haven't

asked the

permission of

the family,

and that is

very important

to them.

But see

this beautiful

woman here,

smiling?

smiling.

She's smiling

because she

received God's

sufficient

grace.

And she

was transformed

from a woman

so deeply

gripped and

entrenched in

bitterness

to the

suffering of

her children,

to a woman

that shone

with the

love of

Jesus,

that could

not get

together enough

saying,

pastor,

can we do

some wonga,

which means

God's word?

Can we

open the

Bible?

But of

course,

the impact

of the

entrenched

dysfunction and

bad choices

and behaviours,

the alcohol

meant that

this dear

sister died

only two

years after

this photo,

at the

ripe old

age of

34.

Her

kidneys,

her liver,

everything

chucked it

in.

But hers

was the

favourite

funeral

that I

took.

I took

many.

And it

got to the

point where

the indigenous

pastor there,

he would

get me to

speak because

he'd never

been trained

and while

he faithfully

kept declaring

the core

gospel,

their eyes

they had

closed.

But he

said that

their eyes

would open

and the

screensavers

would come

down and

so he

got me to

just say,

just keep

teaching the

Bible.

I would

just work

my way

through the

Bible with

my largest

congregation,

sometimes up

to 800,

on a weekly

basis.

In fact,

sometimes when

we had two

funerals on

a Saturday,

can you imagine

getting back

here in the

afternoon to

hear Steve

again?

Well,

that was

my

congregation

at

Robben

Cemetery.

But my

favourite

funeral was

this woman's,

this sister,

your sister.

And she,

they produce

a booklet

which is full

of photos and

this booklet

full of

photos always,

always is the

tribute for

their whole

life.

And their

life, their

funeral booklet

means everything

to them.

All these

tributes from

family members,

all these

pictures, and

their story is

at the beginning

and the story

is read, you

know, at the

start of the

service.

And I got to

read her story

and her story

had one paragraph

about where she

was born, who

her parents

was, where

she'd lived,

and then it

said, now

enough of me,

let me tell you

about my

saviour and

what he's done

for me.

And the

whole rest of

her eulogy,

two pages,

was about what

God had done

in her life.

Never seen it

before, where

somebody wrote

their own

eulogy and

they used it

to take the

opportunity to

do just that.

This was a

woman that

was longing

for heaven.

This is her

son now, at

another funeral,

just recently.

You can pray

for him, his

name is Zane.

And the

anger is

going.

He's lost

both his

parents, but

he knows that

his mum is

with Jesus.

Pray that he

will trust

Jesus.

Now, what

we have here

in, is

that it

says, now

the one

who has

fashioned us

for this

very purpose

is God,

who has

given us

the Spirit

as a deposit,

guaranteeing

what is to

come.

It removes

any doubts

because we

know that

the Spirit

has been

given us

this guarantee.

There is no

doubt.

And so he

goes on and

he speaks

of the

confidence

that we

have,

that as

long as

we are

away from

the body,

we might

be away

from the

Lord,

but we

have the

Spirit

living and

working

within us

as a

guarantee.

So,

just looking

at the

clock,

it's time

for me to

finish up.

But I want

to finish up

by just

sharing with

you Philippians

Philippians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1.

because I

want to see

if this

becomes the

standard for

how you

live in

regard to

your body

and your

time here.

Have a look

at it.

He says,

I eagerly

expect and

hope that I

will in no

way be

ashamed,

but will

have sufficient

courage so

that now as

always Christ

will be

exalted in

my body.

Christ will

be exalted

in your

body,

whether by

life or by

death.

for to

me to

live is

Christ and

to die is

gain.

Is that

your mantra

and your

motto?

For you

to live is

Christ and

to die is

gain.

He says,

if I am to

go on living

in this body,

this will mean

fruitful labour

for me.

Yet what

shall I

choose?

I don't

know,

I'm torn

between the

two.

I desire to

depart and be

with Christ,

which is better

by far,

but it's

far more

necessary for

you that I

remain in the

body.

Convinced of

this, I

know that I

will remain

and will

continue with

all of you

for your

progress and

joy in the

faith.

Did you see

what Paul's

only reason

was for

staying in

this body?

What was

his only

reason for

staying?

He says,

if I am

to go on

living in

the body,

verse 22,

this will

mean fruitful

labour for

me.

To live in

Christ here

means fruitful

labour.

It means

service of

the gospel.

It means

to operate

for the

progress and

joy in the

faith of

those around

you.

I hope

that your

life is

dominated by

authentic hope.

I hope

that you,

every time

you come

in here,

you take

off whatever

masks this

world might

tempt you

to wear.

And that

you might,

as that

means that

you feel

very vulnerable

and exposed,

that you

might actually

mourn and

hunger and

thirst together,

but be

encouraged because

you are in

the midst

of this

all-sufficient,

this lavish

outpouring of

grace upon

you.

Let me

pray.

Gracious

Lord, we

thank you so