2 Corinthians Ch4v16-18 - Glory Through Suffering

Chapter 4, 2 Corinthians chapter 4. Thank you, Ralph, for leading us this morning.

2 Corinthians 4 · chapter mention

!

We've been working our way through this letter to the church in Corinth, written a long time

ago, but written for the church in every age, to God's people.

Well, we're going to pray, and then we're going to look at God's word together.

Let's pray.

Father God, you are the one who sees and knows all things.

And you see us today, not just us sitting here, but you know our hearts.

You know the things that are concerning us, the things that have happened to us.

And we pray that as we hear your word, it would speak into our lives, and allowing us and helping

us to see all our concerns from your perspective, and to see the work that you are doing in us.

And so we pray that you will move by the power of your spirit, and work in us what is good today.

In Jesus' name, amen.

Amen.

We're going to read chapter 4, verses 16 to 18.

It's a short text this morning, but jam-packed with wonderful truth to encourage us.

Chapter 4, verse 16.

Therefore, we do not lose heart.

Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.

Since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Some of you will be familiar with the name Joni or Joni Erickson Tada, a young girl who in her teens had an accident.

And since that time, for the last 50 years of her waking life, she has remained in a wheelchair.

She was paralyzed from the neck down and has suffered terribly in her life.

Joni is a Christian, and she loves Jesus.

In her book, which I recommend to you, it's called A Place of Healing, she writes about a friend of hers called Melinda.

Let me read to you some of that story.

Melinda is struggling with a severe, and I mean a heartbreakingly severe, case of diabetes.

In the process, she has lost both her legs through amputation.

She has lost her eyesight, and she has lost several fingers.

Not long ago, she called to me to tell me that the doctors were about to remove another finger.

My heart went out to her, as it always does.

But my heart is also inspired by her struggle, and here's why.

Melinda has not lost heart.

The diabetes may be taking much away from her, but it can't take that away.

The doctors can't amputate that.

The woman is quite literally wasting away week by week, day by day.

But she has not lost heart, because she places her trust and confidence in Christ.

In chapter 4, we have seen how embracing the Christian life and ministry will mean weakness, suffering, and death.

In fact, to be a Christian means we will face troubles and trials of all kinds.

And when we go through those times, we can lose heart.

We can want to give up.

But we don't need to.

We don't need to lose heart.

Because chapter 4 is written to us for our encouragement.

Look back at verse 1.

Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, the ministry of declaring the good news about Jesus,

we do not lose heart.

And then down in verse 16.

Therefore, we do not lose heart.

So to help us this morning not to lose heart,

we need to be able to see our struggles through God's perspective.

To understand them as God would understand them.

So we're going to look at these few verses together

and see what God teaches us.

How we can respond to our struggles.

First, we do not lose heart because we have an unbreakable reality.

We do not lose heart because we have an unbreakable reality.

Verse 16.

We do not lose heart.

Though outwardly we are wasting away,

yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

That's our reality.

Our outward self, this body, is wasting away.

But our inward self is being renewed each day.

I have some sobering news.

I'm dying.

And so are all of you.

As we get older,

our weakness becomes more apparent.

Our energies decline.

Our thought process slows.

Our sufferings become more acute.

Our aches linger and our pains increase.

Our dying becomes more unavoidable.

Our fight grows tired.

Our bodies wear out.

Psalm 90, that we were reading earlier,

says this.

Our days may come to 70 years or 80

if our strength endures.

Yet the best of them

are but trouble and sorrow.

Even the young people,

you fit and healthy people out there,

you're not immune to this trajectory.

The writer to Ecclesiastes

puts it like this.

Remember your creator in the days of your youth.

Don't forget God.

Before the days of trouble come

and the years approach

when you will say,

I find no pleasure in them.

Now you might think

I'm being a little bit morbid

and a bit dour

and it's not very cheerful this morning.

But I'm just spelling out

the reality of God's word.

Weakness leads to suffering

and suffering will lead to death.

Outwardly,

we are all at this very moment

wasting away.

But,

in the midst of our aches and pains

and our groans and cries,

we are, verse 16,

being renewed day by day.

An unbreakable reality

is taking place

as we waste away.

So what is this renewal?

What's the transformation

that's going on in our life?

Well, we've already been given a hint of it.

If we go back to chapter 3,

verse 18.

Chapter 3, verse 18.

And we all,

who with unveiled faces,

contemplate the Lord's glory

as we look at Christ,

as we see Christ,

we are being transformed

into His image

with ever-increasing glory

which comes from the Lord

who is the Spirit.

Wonderful.

The Spirit of God

is at work

in our inner being.

We are,

as God's people,

at this very moment,

being transformed

to be like Christ

with ever-increasing glory.

And one day,

this renewing,

this transformational process

is going to reach its goal.

We will be like Christ.

We will be like Him.

We will see Him.

And we won't sin anymore.

And we won't struggle anymore.

We are, verse 16,

being renewed.

It is happening.

We are being transformed.

It will happen.

It's an unbreakable reality.

And this is the trajectory

that we are on.

God is preparing us now

for the age to come.

As our external self

decays and dies,

so our inward self

transforms and renews.

It's like the butterfly effect.

The caterpillar crawls

underneath your window ledge.

A chrysalis forms.

And from it emerges

a most beautiful butterfly.

Well, as death takes place

within us,

so at the same time,

life comes forth.

And one day,

one day,

yes, it is true,

we will be like Christ.

This is our unbreakable reality.

Outwardly,

wasting away,

yet inwardly,

being renewed

day by day.

Therefore,

we do not

lose heart.

So we have an unbreakable

reality.

certainty.

We have,

there we go,

an unshakable

certainty.

We do not lose heart

because we have

an unshakable certainty.

Verse 17.

For,

the reason for this renewal,

the reason for this transformation

that's going on in our life

is because,

verse 17,

our light

and momentary troubles

are achieving for us

an eternal glory

that far

outweighs them all.

You see,

when we face our troubles,

whatever they are,

we begin to doubt

and wonder.

Am I going to make it

to glory?

What if my suffering

overwhelms me

and crushes me?

What if I do

lose heart?

But look closely

to what it says,

verse 17.

Our troubles

are

achieving for us

an eternal glory.

Our troubles

are causing us,

they are preparing us

for our eternal destiny.

They are achieving

for us

our eternal glory.

wonderfully,

God in his sovereignty

and wisdom

gathers up

all of our sufferings

and all of our tears

and he uses

all of them

to get us

to glory.

It's the Romans 8,

Romans 8:28

verse 28,

principle.

And we know

that in all things,

in every circumstance

and every detail

of our life,

God works

for the good

of those

who love him,

who have been

called according

to his purpose.

And what is

God's purpose?

But to make us

more like Christ

and to bring us

to glory.

He will do it.

You see,

with God,

your troubles

don't keep you

from glory.

They get you

to glory.

This is our

unshakable

certainty.

And with that in mind,

we begin to see

our troubles

from God's

perspective.

Yes,

we're weak.

Yes,

we suffer.

Yes,

we're dying

and wasting away.

And for most,

that process

is difficult

and hard.

It's a daily

agony for some

people.

It's like a

torture.

Cancer

isn't nice.

Dementia

isn't pleasant.

Losing your

hearing or your

eyesight or your

mobility is at

times unbearable.

They are not,

as the

Apostle Paul

seems to suggest

in verse 17,

light and

momentary.

How can you

call my

painful disease

or my

crushing

disability

light

and

momentary?

It's hard.

Seems that

the Apostle

Paul didn't

get to go

to his

pastoral

caring course,

did he?

But he does

have a message

for us

because he

does understand.

He's telling

us that we're

to compare

our troubles

with the

glory to

come.

Verse 17,

our light

and momentary

troubles

are achieving

for us,

in contrast,

an eternal

glory that

far outweighs

them all.

on your

phones,

I'm sure

you've got

a stopwatch.

Every time

you have a

trouble,

click

start.

And when

it ends,

click

stop.

Do that

with every

trouble

and with

every hurt

and with

every pain

that you

may endure

through life.

And imagine

that you add

them all up,

all those

troubles,

all those

hardships.

Let's just

say for the

sake of

illustration,

it comes to

45 years,

20 days,

and 13

minutes.

That's a lot,

isn't it?

Now get

your stopwatch

and press

start when

glory begins.

And press

it when

it stops.

That's the

point.

That's the

point.

Glory

doesn't

end.

It never

finishes.

It never

stops.

It goes

on decade

after decade,

century

after century,

millennia

after

millennia.

Now

compare your

troubles in

this age

to the

glory to

come.

They are

momentary.

glory.

Your

life's

suffering is

like a

blink of

an eye,

a nanosecond

compared to

the eternal

glory that

is to come.

or think of

it like

this.

Get your

old-fashioned

weighing scales

out.

You know,

the balancing

ones.

Collect all

your troubles,

all your

hardships,

and place

them on the

left-hand

side.

And again,

for illustration

purpose,

let's just say

they all add

up to

120 kilograms.

That's a

heavy weight.

Not many

people here

could even

push it

or lift it,

certainly not

carry it.

Now get

all the

glory that

is stored

up for you

and place

it on the

other side

of the

scales.

Compare

the weight

of your

troubles

with the

weight

of glory.

It's like

putting a

piece of

dust on

one side

and a

cruiser

ship

on the

other

side.

Our

troubles

are a

feather

compared

to the

tonnage

of glory.

That's

why Paul

can say

back in

verse 8,

we are

hard-pressed

on every

side.

but not

crushed,

perplexed,

but not

in despair,

persecuted,

but not

abandoned,

struck down,

but not

destroyed.

The

weight

of glory

means we

are on

the side

of victory.

This

is our

unshakable

certainty,

our light

and momentary

troubles

are achieving

us an

eternal

glory

that far

outweighs

them all.

Therefore,

let none

of us

lose heart.

third,

we have

an unchangeable

priority.

An

unchangeable

priority.

Verse

18,

so,

and here's

our priority,

this is what we

are to give

our time

to,

in the light

of our

troubles,

we fix

our eyes

not on

what is

seen,

but on

what is

unseen,

since what

is seen

is temporary,

and what

is unseen

is eternal.

The

seen

are the

material

and the

tangible

things of

life.

Things like

our work,

our hobbies,

our possession,

our money,

our homes,

all the

things that

we look

to for

our comfort

and our

happiness.

But the

reality is

all that

we can

see,

all the

things that

we hold

dear,

they are

all

temporary.

Even the

things we

most love,

and even the

people that

we most

treasure,

are all

transient.

Everything

we touch,

everything

that we

can grasp

and hold,

perishes,

spoils,

and fades.

As the

writer James

put it

like this,

what is

your life?

You are

a mist

that appears

for a little

while,

and then

vanishes.

Just a

vapor.

We cannot

hold it.

The things

of this age

and the

world that

is around

us do

not last,

therefore,

there is

nothing in

this universe,

in this

world,

that can

satisfy us.

Nothing is

strong enough

to overcome

our sorrows.

Our longing

for contentment,

our desire

for happiness

is never

fully

realized.

What is

seen,

what we

have,

what we

hold and

touch,

it's all

temporary,

temporary,

But the

unseen

is what

is eternal,

it is what

is yet to

come,

it's where

life does

not perish,

things don't

spoil,

things don't

fade,

it lasts

forever,

it's a place

where nothing

breaks,

nothing ends,

nothing dies,

it is nothing

less than the

new heavens

and the

new earth,

the new

creation,

it is

eternal

joy.

And the

very fact

that it is

unseen

means that

it is yet

to come.

Chapter

5,

verse 7

tells us

we are to

live by

faith

and not

by

sight.

We long

for something

better and

greater than

this mere

world around

us.

Our hope

is in what

is promised.

The

Apostle Paul

put it like

this,

hope that

is seen

is no

hope at

all.

Who

hopes for

what they

already have?

But if we

hope for

what we do

not yet

have,

we wait

for it

patiently.

Our

glorious

joy to

come is

eternal,

so we

fix our

eyes not

on what

is seen,

but on

what is

unseen.

That is

to be our

unchanging

priority each

and every

day.

Fix our

eyes on

what is

unseen.

So how

do we do

that?

How do

we fix

our eyes

on what

is unseen?

Well,

two things

to apply

to us.

I don't

have it

there, so

here's the

first one.

Loosen

your grip.

How do we

fix our

eyes on

what is

unseen?

Loosen

your grip.

God's

love.

Because it

was never

God's

design that

this world

should be

our home.

In fact,

all that we

love and

enjoy here

right now

in this

age are

shadows

of the

reality.

One writer

put it like

this, one of

my favourite

quotes.

things that

is

to go to

heaven

fully to

enjoy God

is infinitely

better than

the most

pleasant of

gifts here.

fathers and

mothers,

husbands and

wives,

children and

friends are

all but

shadows.

But the

enjoyment of

God is

the substance.

These, the

gifts around

us, are but

scattered beams,

but God is

the sun.

These are

streams, but

God is the

fountain.

These are

but drops,

but God is

the ocean.

You see, we

so often live

as if this

earth were

our permanent

home.

We grip so

tightly the

things that we

love that we

cannot see

anything else.

And when

suffering comes,

we lose all

hope.

But all

that we have

are shadows

pointing us

to the

reality to

come.

Our hobbies,

our work,

they're the

streams, but

God is the

fountain of

joy.

Our friends

and our

health, well,

they're just

drops.

God is the

ocean filled

with love.

Loosen your

grip on

this life

love.

And look to

Christ who

is unseen.

Adjust your

gaze is the

second thing

we do.

Look to

Christ because

without Christ,

without him,

there would be

no glory.

You see, it's

the presence of

Christ that

makes glory to

come and

eternal joy.

In other

words, if you

could go to

heaven right

now, and if

Christ were

not there, it

would be

joyless.

It would be

empty.

Christ is the

one who makes

glory happen.

He has defeated

your sin on the

cross.

He has

destroyed the

death and

grave.

He alone

satisfies us

and fulfills

us.

As Psalm

16 says,

you fill me

with joy in

your presence

and with

eternal pleasures

at your right

hand.

So let us

together loosen

our grip.

Let us

adjust our

gaze.

Repent of

making the

gifts greater

than the

giver.

Turn from

seeking joy in

the things that

do not last

and look in

faith, walk

by faith, trust

in the one who

gives life in

all its

fullness now

and forever

more.

We are to

be like the

old Christian

who said

this,

when Christ

calls me

home, I

shall go with

the gladness

of a boy

bounding away

from school.

Are you

waiting for

glory?

I can't

wait.

Let's

pray.

Father,

thank you

for your

word

that speaks

truth and

reality

into our

troubles

and into

our trials.

You are

so good.

Would you

please help

us by your

spirit

to loosen

our grip

on the

things that

we see

and that

we may

adjust our

gaze

and look

at what

is unseen

and what

is yet to

come.

May our

eyes be

fixed on

Christ,

the one

who makes

glory possible,

the one

who is

our glorious

joy.

Thank you

that as we

trust you,

you keep

us and

you will

bring and

use all

that we

face to

ensure we

reach glory,

a glory

that far

outweighs

anything in

this world.

Thank you,

Jesus.

Amen.

We're going

to sing

together.

God moves

in a

mysterious

way,

his wonders

to perform,

his plants,

his footsteps

in the sea

and rides

upon the

storm.

I invite you

to sing

as we

entrust

our lives

afresh to

the one

who has

our life

in his

hands.

Let's sing,

let's sing

to encourage

one another

that we

may not