1 00:00:06,520 --> 00:00:08,920 Again, good evening. Open your Bible, please, to the 2 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:12,200 book in the New Testament called Second Corinthians. 3 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:17,320 Tonight we're in chapter 5 in the title of tonight's message, 4 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:21,560 Living for the eternal, Living for the eternal. 5 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:27,720 I know that there are many in our fellowship that enjoy 6 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:33,400 camping, enjoy forward driving, enjoy getting out into the the 7 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:38,600 Wild West, Australian Bush or Outback adventures and so on. 8 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:41,880 I think many of us have been camping and we know all about 9 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:44,400 that and it's a bit of a, a break from the routine. 10 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:48,400 That's the appeal for us in that because we know that it's 11 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:51,960 temporary, that it's not our our permanent residence. 12 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:57,160 There's something alluring, nostalgic, almost romantic about 13 00:00:57,160 --> 00:01:00,520 going out and just do a bit of bit of camping and, and hang out 14 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:03,200 in a tent for a little bit. But I'm sure that there's been 15 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:06,760 times when we have been camping that we've gotten sick of it. 16 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:10,240 We found ourselves irritated, frustrated. 17 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:12,440 Maybe we can't sleep because it's hot. 18 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:14,560 We don't have our air conditioning or it's cold, we 19 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:17,680 don't have our heating or there's something that's torn 20 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:20,240 off the canvas. Maybe there's a leak or the wind 21 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:23,240 is just, you know, whipping through, flapping in the tent, 22 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:26,560 all sorts of things that make us uncomfortable, maybe the 23 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:29,680 dampness creeping in when it rains, whatever the case might 24 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:31,600 be. And after a while, what happens 25 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:39,000 is you begin to long for and yearn for home, the comforts of 26 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:42,560 home, for that roof over your head, for that warmth in your 27 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:47,120 bed and for all of those things that you don't have access to at 28 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:52,120 a campsite, hot shower, maybe clean fresh water. 29 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:57,720 And so you begin to long for for that which is permanent, that 30 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:00,560 which isn't temporary what you're currently in, but 31 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:03,280 something that is more secure, something that is more stable. 32 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:08,400 Often times with my own children when they were younger, we would 33 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:12,440 camp out in the backyard. That was kind of, you know, the 34 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:15,560 extent of my willingness to go camping with the kids. 35 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:16,720 All right, you want to go camping? 36 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:19,160 All right, we'll, we'll pitch a tent in the backyard and we can 37 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:21,720 sleep out there. And, and the beauty of that was 38 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:25,000 that you knew because you could see it, that the house was right 39 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:27,760 there, that this was just a temporary thing. 40 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:31,560 This wasn't long term. And so, you know, you could put 41 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:34,160 up with some of those things and tolerate some of those 42 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:36,600 discomforts knowing that the house was right there. 43 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:41,200 Well, Paul says in my point in Second Corinthians chapter 5 is 44 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:50,600 that our bodies are like tents, temporary, fragile and often 45 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:54,760 uncomfortable. They wear down, don't they? 46 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:59,080 They weaken, they become frail. They can be damaged. 47 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:01,960 And in using this metaphor that we're going to read off, 48 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:05,960 particularly in the beginning part of the chapter when he 49 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:09,840 speaks of our bodies being a tent, what he's Speaking of is 50 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:14,720 the the impermanent, temporary nature of our physical bodies, 51 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:18,640 that in our current state, our bodies were not eternal. 52 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:24,560 But for those who are in Christ, he says that this earthly tent 53 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:28,040 will pass away and that something new, something 54 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:30,640 permanent will be obtained. And it's glorious. 55 00:03:30,640 --> 00:03:34,800 We are promised, you see, a permanent glorious home in and 56 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:37,400 with the Lord. You know when we die, our 57 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:42,080 spirits join with him firstly, then our transformed glorified 58 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:44,720 bodies in the resurrection and forever in his presence. 59 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:48,000 And and some even think that that the timing of that, given 60 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:52,080 that God is outside of time, is that simultaneously our spirit 61 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:54,480 and our bodies come together in the very presence of the Lord. 62 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:58,760 Either way, what this chapter demonstrates and teaches for us 63 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:03,520 is the importance of living with eternity in view and in mind. 64 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:08,400 That's what Paul here is showing an eternal perspective to, to 65 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:12,040 shape within us a courageous heart to put up with the things 66 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:16,120 that we endure and experience on this earth to, to motivate what 67 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:18,279 we do in our ministry in particular. 68 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:21,279 So we're going to look at 3 truths in and through this 69 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:22,920 chapter. There's there's so much more 70 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:26,600 there, but just to focus our attention here in verses 1 to 71 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:29,680 10, we're going to have a look at our eternal home, our eternal 72 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:31,800 dwelling. And then secondly, our 73 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:34,640 motivating love in verses 11 through to 15. 74 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:37,680 Thirdly, and lastly for us tonight, our reconciling 75 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:41,000 ministry from verse 16 through to the end of the chapter. 76 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:44,240 So let's look at the first part in the 1st 10 verses as we do 77 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:47,440 that out of Second Corinthians chapter 5, I'm reading from the 78 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:53,080 New King James Version verse one says, For we know that if our 79 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:57,360 earthly house, this tent is destroyed, we have a building 80 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:02,240 from God, a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens. 81 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:07,000 For in this we groan earnestly desiring to be clothed with our 82 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:10,520 habitation, which is from heaven, if indeed having been 83 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:12,400 clothed, we shall not be found naked. 84 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:15,280 So in other words, in verse 3 here is that we're not going to, 85 00:05:15,280 --> 00:05:20,520 when we die, just go out and be these sort of floating eyeballs 86 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:23,040 in the cosmos. You know, these spirit entities 87 00:05:23,280 --> 00:05:26,320 disconnected from a body, our clothing, but rather we'll be 88 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:29,880 clothed with a glorified heavenly transformed body. 89 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:33,920 For we verse 4, who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not 90 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:37,640 because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed that 91 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:39,800 mortality may be swallowed up by life. 92 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:42,840 So what he's Speaking of there is the idea that we know that 93 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:47,920 that this physical body, this this rental that we're in is 94 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:50,680 impermanent, that it has problems, that it has issues and 95 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:54,080 we long for something more glorious, something more stable, 96 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:58,400 that it would be swallowed up, no longer exists, but that would 97 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:01,600 be replaced with something all the more better, our resurrected 98 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:04,080 bodies. One Corinthians chapter 15 was 99 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:08,360 big on that as Paul was writing. Now verse 5, he says he who has 100 00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:12,800 prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us 101 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:18,560 the spirit as a guarantee. So we are always confident, 102 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:23,240 knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent 103 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:26,320 from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by 104 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:29,520 sight. We are confident. 105 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:35,160 Verse 8 yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body, to 106 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:38,520 be present with the Lord. Therefore we make it our aim, 107 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:40,920 whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 108 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:44,840 For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ 109 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:48,320 that each one may receive the things done in the body 110 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:51,400 according to what He has done, whether good or bad. 111 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:54,840 Now, if you're the note taking type, you've got a pencil handy. 112 00:06:54,840 --> 00:06:57,960 You can circle the words where we get out our sub points out of 113 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:00,800 this this heading. And you can go back into verse 114 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:04,880 one and circle the word tent. And then you can move ahead into 115 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:07,480 verse 2 and circle the words from heaven. 116 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:12,760 You can jump on ahead into verse 5 and circle the word confident. 117 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:16,280 So there's where we're going and what we're focusing on in our 118 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:21,880 keywords out of this, Paul describes for us our current 119 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:24,040 bodies, that they're like an earthly tent. 120 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:27,640 He uses this metaphor, this analogy that one day will pass 121 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:32,400 away, that they'll be destroyed. You know, tents aren't built to 122 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:35,320 last, are they? They're not, that's not their 123 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:38,400 purpose. They're not to be a, a forever 124 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:40,600 residence or abode, but they're temporary. 125 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:43,920 And as as a consequence of that, there's a fragility to them. 126 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:49,400 And in the same way our, our physical lives, our bodies are 127 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:54,320 subject to weakness, subject to sickness, subject to decay and 128 00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:58,280 the ageing process. I think many of us can testify 129 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:01,280 of the truth of that. But originally Adam and Eve in 130 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:05,560 the Garden of Eden, as we read in Genesis, were created with 131 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:12,320 eternal bodies, right? The sin and the curse that came 132 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:17,560 as a consequence of that sin upon humanity made these bodies 133 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:22,120 now tent like and as a consequence of that, the 134 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:25,840 contamination of sin, the transformation that took place. 135 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:30,720 God knows that we cannot exist for all of eternity in these 136 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:34,120 tent like specimens that are our physical beings, imperfect, 137 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:37,240 impermanent, that they're in need of replacement. 138 00:08:37,919 --> 00:08:40,520 A reversing of the curse needs to take place. 139 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:43,039 And that's why Jesus death and resurrection is so 140 00:08:43,039 --> 00:08:46,440 transformative and so glorious for us to think about. 141 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:49,800 And again, we looked at that in first Corinthians chapter 15. 142 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:54,160 Maybe it is that when Paul is writing this letter and in 143 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:58,720 particular this portion of the letter in chapter 5 that he is 144 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:00,440 we know that Paul was a tent maker. 145 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:06,400 Perhaps he was busy in that day of, of doing his his his labours 146 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:09,320 as a tent maker and thought, oh this is a a great metaphor to 147 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:12,000 bring in and to connect with our bodies. 148 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:16,120 Certainly the Jewish mind would have been taken back to the time 149 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:19,280 of the Exodus for the people of Israel, where as they were 150 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:22,440 journeying out of Egypt, that the people of Israel in the 151 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:27,000 wilderness journey were inhabiting tents as they were to 152 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:30,600 enter in eventually to the promised Land, a land flowing 153 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:33,400 with milk and honey and and places prepared for them that 154 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:36,320 they hadn't built, that would become their permanent homes. 155 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:40,200 So the audience as well, certainly in the 1st century AD, 156 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:44,280 in the time of writing, well acquainted with tents travelling 157 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:48,840 often, particularly if they were any sort of form of business, as 158 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:52,000 they were traverse and very nomadic in their trading and so 159 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:53,440 on. That on their journeys they 160 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:57,200 would often stop, you know, for the night time and just erect a 161 00:09:57,200 --> 00:09:58,920 little tent along the side of the road. 162 00:09:58,920 --> 00:10:02,000 So it was a very common picture and familiarity that his 163 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:04,720 audience would have. And I think certainly you and I, 164 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:08,120 we understand the analogy of tents and what he's talking 165 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:13,160 about, that our physical bodies in our current state, a tent 166 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:19,400 like a temporary and not to be our permanent form of existence. 167 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:23,560 And it likewise also speaks of this, that we are pilgrims on a 168 00:10:23,560 --> 00:10:28,480 journey, that this is not our home here on earth, right? 169 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:31,280 It's part of it. Now our culture, when we think 170 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:34,400 of applying this and thinking through what this explanation 171 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:38,560 means in reality in our lives, our culture tries to deny the 172 00:10:38,560 --> 00:10:40,680 truth that life is temporary, does it not? 173 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:46,720 Billions spent again on anti ageing creams on all sorts of 174 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:49,520 things that we can poke in and, and you know, alter through 175 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:52,720 cosmetic surgeries and different fitness regimes. 176 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:56,400 And, and all of those things can be important and of value, but 177 00:10:56,400 --> 00:11:02,480 they're not the priority because this is a tent and no amount of 178 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:05,840 patchwork on our tent will prevent the fact that it's 179 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:10,120 wearing out. I think the reality all too 180 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:12,920 familiar for many of us is that our tents are flapping in the 181 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:18,080 breeze, weak and and crumbling apart in so many aspects. 182 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:21,240 Flip back with me. I love the the poetry in 183 00:11:21,240 --> 00:11:24,960 Solomon's writing in the book of Ecclesiastes when he talks about 184 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:28,040 the ageing process. Turn back in your Bible to the 185 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:32,320 Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes and into chapter 12 186 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:37,120 and I think that many of you will be able to make a a 187 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:41,200 connection to what it is that Solomon writes of of ageing and 188 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:43,960 and all of the metaphors that he uses for the various parts of 189 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:48,120 our bodies in that deterioration of the tent in which we live. 190 00:11:48,560 --> 00:11:52,120 Ecclesiastes 12 verse 1. He says, remember now your 191 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:56,560 creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days 192 00:11:56,560 --> 00:12:02,640 come and the years draw near when you say I have no pleasure 193 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:07,720 in them, while the sun and the light, the moon and the stars 194 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:11,280 are not darkened and the clouds do not return after the rain. 195 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:14,280 And now verse three, look at how he describes parts of our bodies 196 00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:19,200 in the day when the keepers of the house tremble and the strong 197 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:24,080 men bow down, when the grinders cease because there are few. 198 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:28,280 You know, you can see there is Speaking of teeth and prior to 199 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:31,600 that, Speaking of our, our legs no longer being able to support 200 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:34,480 our bodies. And those that look through the 201 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:41,000 windows grow dim our eyes when the doors are shut in the 202 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:43,400 streets and the sound of grinding is low. 203 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:44,440 Yeah. What? 204 00:12:45,680 --> 00:12:49,880 Turn it up. What'd you say when one rises up 205 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:53,640 at the sound of a bird? And I had a bird this morning 206 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:56,280 out my window. We've got a little bird bath out 207 00:12:56,280 --> 00:12:58,080 there. And you know, it was just, it 208 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:00,760 was praising the Lord, no doubt but me, and I could have 209 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:05,280 strangled that thing. When one rises up at the sound 210 00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:09,720 of a bird and all the daughters of music are brought low also 211 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:13,440 they are afraid of height and of terrors in the way. 212 00:13:14,880 --> 00:13:17,600 This is some of the more scary aspects of ageing, of just that, 213 00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:19,560 that fear that starts to come upon us. 214 00:13:19,560 --> 00:13:24,080 And when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper is a 215 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:28,360 burden. Desire fails, for man goes to 216 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:32,640 his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets, 217 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:35,560 and he goes on. Remember your crater before the 218 00:13:35,560 --> 00:13:39,600 silver cord is loosed, or the golden ball is broken, or the 219 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:42,720 picture shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at 220 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:45,440 the well. Then the dust will return to the 221 00:13:45,480 --> 00:13:49,320 earth as it was, and the Spirit will return to God who gave it 222 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:51,960 man. Solomon knew that. 223 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:54,080 You can turn back in your Bibles. 224 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:58,160 Now to 2nd Corinthians 5. And Paul knows that as he's 225 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:02,320 riding, that our bodies are fragile, that they're tent like. 226 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:07,200 But Christians, you and I, and as we read this, we're very 227 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:10,880 realistic. We acknowledge the frailty of 228 00:14:10,880 --> 00:14:17,640 this life, but we also live in the hope of something more, of 229 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:21,440 something beyond this. Paul, don't you think he knew 230 00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:25,280 this truth all too well? Think of Paul's life and 231 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:29,280 consider from the moment that he was saved what physically the 232 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:31,840 impact the toll was upon his body. 233 00:14:32,880 --> 00:14:36,880 We read that he was converted on the road to Damascus and that in 234 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:41,800 Damascus that no sooner had he become saved, that the impact of 235 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:45,360 of Christ at work in him and the ministry of God at work as as it 236 00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:49,400 was flowing out caused people to desire to kill Paul. 237 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:52,960 So much so that they said, Paul, you got to get out of Damascus. 238 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:57,480 And how did they have him exit Damascus By lowering out of the 239 00:14:57,520 --> 00:15:01,800 the city walls through windows there via ropes out. 240 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:05,680 Then he commences his missionary journeys out by cities called 241 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:10,440 Lystra, Derby, Iconium and they take Paul and they stone him to 242 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:13,640 death. The Bible says they thought he 243 00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:15,040 was dead. Of course he wasn't. 244 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:17,160 We know the story. He's he's resurrected. 245 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:20,040 And maybe that's the story later on in Second Corinthians where 246 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:23,680 he talks about having ascended into the heavenly realm and 247 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:26,920 seeing things that he can't even express in words. 248 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:28,240 And we'll get into that in a moment. 249 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:32,080 But he gets to a city called Corinth, which we're reading of, 250 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:36,120 creates a stir in this city, has to go back before the council 251 00:15:36,120 --> 00:15:40,200 goes to Ephesus and a riot breaks out, makes it to 252 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:43,240 Jerusalem after prophets are saying don't go to Jerusalem, 253 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:44,600 don't go, don't go. Why? 254 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:47,120 They'll kill you, they'll arrest you, they'll bind you. 255 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:50,800 And he says, who cares? I'm willing to give up my life 256 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:53,440 if that's what it means. And he just presses on, gets to 257 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:57,800 Jerusalem and of course, gets arrested in Jerusalem. 258 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:01,520 What happens? There's 40 assassins who have 259 00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:06,280 committed by way of a vow to killing Paul, and that plot's 260 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:08,560 found out. It's foiled, but he nonetheless 261 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:13,320 goes on to Caesarea where he is imprisoned and trial after trial 262 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:17,800 after trial eventually sees him make his way through to Rome, 263 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:21,160 having been shipwrecked along the way, where again, he's put 264 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:23,560 on trial and ultimately beheaded. 265 00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:29,960 So when Paul talks about personal trials, about his body 266 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:33,640 being like a beaten up 10, I think he knows what he's talking 267 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:36,200 about. It's not like, man, it's been a 268 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:37,200 hard day for me. Yeah. 269 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:39,160 You won't believe somebody pulled out in front of me on 270 00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:42,480 Mandra Drive. Well, you know, I went to Grill 271 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:44,960 Burger the other day and they undercooked my burger. 272 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:47,160 Now, what a tough day. You know, that's that's kind of 273 00:16:47,160 --> 00:16:53,080 when we moan and complain about stuff constantly. 274 00:16:53,400 --> 00:16:59,240 Paul, his life was on the line. And so that's why for him, 275 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:04,680 heaven was so much a focus because he could die at any 276 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:08,560 moment, at any time. And so for him, his body, it's 277 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:11,200 like a tent. I'm just passing through. 278 00:17:11,599 --> 00:17:15,760 And then he builds on, he says, I've got, you've got, we've got 279 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:19,960 a heavenly home. And so he's, he's seeing his 280 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:22,599 tent, but all the while, it's like for him camping in the 281 00:17:22,599 --> 00:17:26,280 backyard, he sees the house. This is where I'm going. 282 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:29,280 This is what's permanent. And so he contrasts the tent 283 00:17:29,280 --> 00:17:32,080 with the building that comes from God eternal in the heavens. 284 00:17:32,080 --> 00:17:36,040 He says, and this is our resurrection body, imperishable, 285 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:41,400 glorious, raised in power again as he would speak about in our 286 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:43,200 teaching through 1st Corinthians 15. 287 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:48,480 And Paul says that our bodies, I don't know if you caught this 288 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:51,720 language in verse four, that our tents groan. 289 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:56,200 Paul says we groan in these bodies, longing to be clothed 290 00:17:56,200 --> 00:17:59,960 with our heavenly dwelling. In Romans, Paul writes about 291 00:17:59,960 --> 00:18:02,320 three types of groaning that takes place. 292 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:07,560 He speaks of the groan of creation, of the heaviness of 293 00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:10,240 the curse that sits upon it. And you know, you can often 294 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:14,600 think of natural disasters like the groaning of creation, that 295 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:19,480 there's something wrong in there as the curse is is experiencing 296 00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:22,720 is forcing them to to groan under the pressure, under the 297 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:25,960 weight of that. But then in Romans it talks 298 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:29,440 about the groaning of our bodies, that we groan. 299 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:32,560 And then a third groaning. He speaks of the the spirit 300 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:36,400 within us groaning. Well, the groaning here in 301 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:41,400 Second Corinthians is not so much that of despair about the 302 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:45,320 ageing process, but that's certainly a groan that we have. 303 00:18:46,360 --> 00:18:50,760 But what that is, is a groaning that speaks of a hope filled 304 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:54,680 longing for something better. Let me try to explain it in this 305 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:56,840 way. It's like, again using Paul's 306 00:18:56,840 --> 00:19:00,840 analogy of when you're camping and you're in a tent and I don't 307 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:03,560 know if you've ever been camping, experiencing the tent 308 00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:09,520 and you start to become homesick and there's like this groaning 309 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:13,720 within you. I've had enough school camps 310 00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:18,320 with kids who have been homesick and I remember one particular 311 00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:22,320 instant where a a young boy was so homesick that he was moaning 312 00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:26,360 as he was trying to sleep. I just want to go home. 313 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:31,760 That type of groan within him. Man, isn't that often the groan 314 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:37,520 that we feel as we live life here on this fallen cursed world 315 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:40,760 in our frail tent like bodies. I just want to go home. 316 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:46,920 I just want to be with the Lord, just want to be in his presence. 317 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:50,800 Paul puts it this way. He says I'm not seeking to 318 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:55,360 escape the body necessarily, but to be clothed with a better one. 319 00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:59,240 That's what it's about. Verse 3 when he talks about that 320 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:01,880 will not be found naked or unclothed. 321 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:07,520 So the connection is it's like trading in a temporary shack, a 322 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:13,760 tent for a solid permanent home, custom built by God himself. 323 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:18,640 And there's the physical component in this for sure, you 324 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:21,800 know, for the elderly or the unwell amongst us, we can take 325 00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:24,760 heart from that, that our groaning for heaven is not 326 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:27,480 wasted in this way. And it points us forward to 327 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:33,320 glory to come, you know, and for many of us as we age to, we have 328 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:35,960 probably more Saints in heaven who have gone before us than 329 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:41,280 those still on earth. For the young, don't be fooled 330 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:44,080 into thinking that this tent will last forever. 331 00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:48,520 At the moment on the outside, it's brand new and it smells 332 00:20:48,520 --> 00:20:50,160 good. It's all of those sorts of 333 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:53,560 things that are wonderful. But don't build your your life 334 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:57,480 on that false notion that it will last forever, because it 335 00:20:57,480 --> 00:21:00,280 won't. But the groaning that we 336 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:03,720 predominantly experience is the strain again of living in this 337 00:21:03,720 --> 00:21:12,280 fallen world, in the mess of humanity, the taint of sin, you 338 00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:17,320 know, and just dialoguing with a few people through the week and 339 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:20,280 just today and, and just their experiences. 340 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:26,520 And you can just hear the, the emotional weight and the groan 341 00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:31,600 of, of the pain and the difficulty and the pressure of 342 00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:38,120 living life in these tents. And it wears us down and we 343 00:21:38,120 --> 00:21:42,840 yearn and we groan for our eternal home to be in the 344 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:45,960 presence of the Lord. But Jesus made this promise to 345 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:48,640 his followers, to you and I. He said, if you believe in God, 346 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:51,840 believe also in me. And listen to this. 347 00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:58,840 In my father's house are many mansions, and that's the word in 348 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:02,880 the New King James Version. Probably a better translation is 349 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:08,240 in my father's house are many rooms, many abiding places, 350 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:11,680 literally. And if it were not so he goes 351 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:16,200 on, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you. 352 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:21,360 And if I go, I will come again and receive you unto myself. 353 00:22:21,360 --> 00:22:24,040 That's the promise of Jesus. He's talking about his Father's 354 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:29,960 house and the permanent place that you and I have in that when 355 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:32,120 our temporary tents are destroyed. 356 00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:38,920 And so that flows on from verses 6 into 10 to spurring within us 357 00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:44,160 a confident courage to live. Then in light of the fact that 358 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:47,400 this tent, though leaking, though falling apart, though I'm 359 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:50,080 groaning within it, it's temporary. 360 00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:53,280 It's not permanent. And so because we know that 361 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:56,040 death is not the end. Paul says we are always of good 362 00:22:56,040 --> 00:22:59,440 courage. Verse 8 to be away from the body 363 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:03,280 is to be home with the Lord and that changes then how we view 364 00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:07,520 both life and death. But he adds with that a sobering 365 00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:11,000 reminder we must all in verse 10 appear before the judgement seat 366 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:14,520 of Christ. And this isn't about salvation 367 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:18,200 because that's secure in Christ Jesus, but about accountability 368 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:21,280 in the way in which we live. We will, you and I, give an 369 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:26,120 account for our service unto God, our faithfulness, our 370 00:23:26,120 --> 00:23:29,200 obedience, our living. Think of it in this way when it 371 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:32,720 speaks of judgement, of an athlete standing before the 372 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:40,160 judge, but not to be condemned, but to receive the reward for 373 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:43,040 how they ran. There's a distinct difference in 374 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:45,680 that, isn't there? And this perspective then 375 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:50,560 changes how you and I live. It begs the question, in our 376 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:56,760 living, are you living for what will matter, for what will last, 377 00:23:56,760 --> 00:24:01,800 for what will stand before Christ, or for what will fade 378 00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:05,480 away? We have an eternal dwelling. 379 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:08,760 Verses 1 to 10. Now let's look at the motivating 380 00:24:08,760 --> 00:24:13,960 love that flows on through that into why we're to do what we do 381 00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:17,520 as we live in these tents here on earth, as we're pilgrims 382 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:21,040 journeying on ultimately into the presence of the Lord. 383 00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:30,240 Verse 11 he says, Knowing therefore the terror of the 384 00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:35,640 Lord, and the fear the respect of the Lord, we persuade men, 385 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:40,360 but we are well known to God. And I also trust the well known 386 00:24:40,360 --> 00:24:44,640 in your consciences, for we do not condemn ourselves. 387 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:48,480 Sorry, commend ourselves again to you, verse 12, but give you 388 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:50,840 opportunity to boast on our behalf. 389 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:54,160 You may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not 390 00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:56,360 in hearts. So again, there were people who 391 00:24:56,360 --> 00:24:59,840 were challenging Paul's credibility and his motives for 392 00:24:59,840 --> 00:25:03,440 ministry, trying to diminish Paul's character and then 393 00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:06,560 therefore diminish the message that Paul was bringing in the 394 00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:12,040 gospel of Jesus Christ. For if we are beside ourselves, 395 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:16,320 it is for God, verse 13, or if we are of sound mind, it is for 396 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:18,040 you. We'll come back to verse 13 at 397 00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:22,320 the end. For the love of Christ, you can 398 00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:27,920 circle that love of Christ. Verse 14 compels us because we 399 00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:32,480 judge thus that if one died for all, then all died, and he died 400 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:34,640 for all, that those who live should live no longer for 401 00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:38,960 themselves, but for him. You can circle those two words 402 00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:42,080 for him who died for them and rose again. 403 00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:49,760 So Paul, because we were given account and he says in verse 11 404 00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:54,000 that that we're to stand before the judge and God. 405 00:25:55,680 --> 00:26:00,920 He says knowing the fear of the Lord in verse 11, we persuade 406 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:06,080 others having a a reverence and an awe and a respect. 407 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:12,120 The King James has terror, but it speaks of fear and reverence, 408 00:26:12,840 --> 00:26:16,880 understanding who God is, living in light of His Holiness. 409 00:26:17,360 --> 00:26:21,480 You know, a healthy fear of God in the way that we live 410 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:28,360 motivates and gives weight to our decisions and spurs us on, 411 00:26:28,360 --> 00:26:32,760 compels us with an urgency to witness of the good news of 412 00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:35,880 Jesus Christ. You know, it's to motivate 413 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:40,280 ministry, an urgency to persuade, he speaks of. 414 00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:43,640 Now, this phrase here could be used in reference to sharing the 415 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:44,960 good news of the gospel. Yes. 416 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:48,200 And we have that application. But particularly, again, Paul is 417 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:53,560 defending his integrity against the false teachers who 418 00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:57,240 ultimately were challenging the gospel by questioning Paul's 419 00:26:57,240 --> 00:27:00,320 legitimacy as an apostle. So there's very much that 420 00:27:00,320 --> 00:27:01,920 wrapped up in what he is writing here. 421 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:07,520 But the point is that the fear of the Lord reverence or respect 422 00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:12,600 and understanding and awareness of God's holiness motivated, 423 00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:18,000 pushed Paul on despite all that he was enduring and experiencing 424 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:22,680 and going through. And he builds on that, that what 425 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:27,440 also motivates me is the love of Christ within. 426 00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:31,720 In verses 14 and 15, Paul says that he is compelled. 427 00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:35,040 Literally. It means hemmed in. 428 00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:38,640 It's a kind of like surrounded where I've got no other choice. 429 00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:44,880 I'm controlled by Christ's love. I can't do anything but because 430 00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:48,520 of Christ's love for me. At the cross, he speaks of a 431 00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:52,920 demonstration of love so overwhelming that for Paul it 432 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:57,160 left him with no option but to live for Jesus Christ. 433 00:27:57,440 --> 00:28:00,680 Because he experienced the love of Jesus Christ and he was 434 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:03,440 desirous of others to know the love of Jesus Christ. 435 00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:07,160 And it was a love for Jesus that motivated him in the ministry of 436 00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:10,680 Jesus that he was about. So explains. 437 00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:14,080 Christ died for all so that those who live should no longer 438 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:17,520 live for themselves, but for him. 439 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:22,040 Jesus. And this really in in my life, 440 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:25,160 in your life, in our life as a as a body corporately of 441 00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:31,160 believers is the essence of discipleship shifting from self 442 00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:34,640 centred living to Christ centred living. 443 00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:41,000 You know, everything we do, we do because it's motivated by our 444 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:44,760 love for Jesus Christ. We've received his love, we've 445 00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:47,760 experienced his love. We can't help but want to love 446 00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:50,960 him in return. The Bible tells us we love him 447 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:54,720 because he first loved us and then serve him in return. 448 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:59,440 And and Paul's words are Christ's love compels me. 449 00:29:00,880 --> 00:29:04,000 It pushes me, it spurs me on. It motivates me. 450 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:10,040 If we see this in the world in which we live in, in the 451 00:29:10,040 --> 00:29:12,880 pursuits that people have. Let me give you some just 452 00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:18,000 cultural famous examples of of people who are motivated by 453 00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:21,840 temporal trivial things. You know, Lionel Messi, 454 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:24,280 debatably one of the greatest soccer players in the world, 455 00:29:24,280 --> 00:29:27,840 said this and I quote money is not a motivating factor. 456 00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:32,080 Money doesn't thrill me or make me play better because there are 457 00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:36,120 benefits to being wealthy. I'm just happy with a ball at my 458 00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:39,160 feet. My motivation comes from playing 459 00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:42,400 the game I love. If I wasn't paid to be a 460 00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:45,440 professional footballer, I would willingly play for nothing. 461 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:50,000 You know, if he speaks about his love for a sport motivating him, 462 00:29:51,560 --> 00:29:53,720 how much more the love of Christ within us? 463 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:58,440 Leonardo DiCaprio, the actor, he said. 464 00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:02,000 I don't think I ever expected anything like an Oscar, ever. 465 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:06,960 That is not my motivation. When I act, I really am 466 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:11,280 motivated by the love of being able to work with great people 467 00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:14,400 and create a body of work that I can look back and be proud of. 468 00:30:16,760 --> 00:30:20,000 Michael Jordan. When I lose the sense of 469 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:24,120 motivation and the sense to prove something as a basketball 470 00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:28,520 player, it's time for me to move away from the game I love. 471 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:34,400 You know, if people in the world will gladly give themselves 472 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:42,560 fully to sport, to fame, to success, things that will fall 473 00:30:42,560 --> 00:30:47,120 aside and are temporary and will pass and go, should we not give 474 00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:51,600 ourselves more fully to Jesus Christ, who loves us with an 475 00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:56,120 everlasting love, whose love rescued us from sin and death? 476 00:30:57,040 --> 00:30:59,920 And Paul knew that truth. He says it's the love of Christ 477 00:30:59,920 --> 00:31:02,920 that motivates me to do what I do. 478 00:31:04,200 --> 00:31:07,600 And then everything I do is about living for Christ in verse 479 00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:09,880 15. Let's read that again and focus 480 00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:12,640 on that. And you can underline this whole 481 00:31:12,640 --> 00:31:16,120 verse for for what it's worth because it's so wonderful. 482 00:31:16,120 --> 00:31:19,840 And he died for all that Those who live should live no longer 483 00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:23,880 for themselves, but for him who died for them. 484 00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:28,160 And rose again, You know, the controlling centre of our lives 485 00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:31,160 is no longer me, but our Saviour. 486 00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:39,320 Every decision, every ambition, every relationship shaped by, 487 00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:48,280 guided by, for Him. So again, we can ask and, and I 488 00:31:48,280 --> 00:31:50,800 did in studying this man, what am I living for? 489 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:53,280 What do I value? What is important? 490 00:31:53,280 --> 00:31:56,880 What do I prioritise? And if Christ's love truly 491 00:31:56,880 --> 00:32:01,840 compels me, then I don't think we can compartmentalise our 492 00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:05,080 lives either. It will change when we 493 00:32:05,080 --> 00:32:08,480 understand the love of Christ for us and, and that being a 494 00:32:08,480 --> 00:32:12,880 motivator and then our our focus and our reason being about Jesus 495 00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:15,520 Christ. It will change how we spend our 496 00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:21,000 time, how we use our money, how we view our future. 497 00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:25,960 You know, motivation. I love how how Paul is putting 498 00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:27,680 this all together is the key, isn't it? 499 00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:31,840 Because many times you and I, we might think as we look at our 500 00:32:31,840 --> 00:32:35,360 lives, man, I'm not accomplishing a great deal. 501 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:41,240 Do you have the right motive and the right heart? 502 00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:44,200 And you love God and you're serving him and you love his 503 00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:47,720 people and you're sharing the gospel with people and you're 504 00:32:47,720 --> 00:32:50,880 trying humility to reach them and, and to lead them. 505 00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:53,840 And you're discouraged because you can look around and go, 506 00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:57,000 well, you know, I haven't LED as many people to Christ as they 507 00:32:57,000 --> 00:32:58,000 have. I mean, look at them. 508 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:02,040 They've LED thousands to the Lord and but you know, if you 509 00:33:02,040 --> 00:33:05,880 can do a small thing in a huge way, the right way, the right 510 00:33:05,880 --> 00:33:08,960 motive, then there's reward in that. 511 00:33:11,200 --> 00:33:13,400 In fact, I know you're going to get rewarded for that. 512 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:14,880 That's what the Scripture is teaching here. 513 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:17,720 But you can also do the right thing in the wrong way, can't 514 00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:20,520 you? If you do the right thing in the 515 00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:24,400 wrong way to be seen by men for the plaudits of men for whatever 516 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:27,440 motivation, then you've already received the reward. 517 00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:33,440 And my my, my rather is to have the reward come from Jesus 518 00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:37,800 Christ than from men. So our eternal dwelling, verses 519 00:33:37,800 --> 00:33:41,120 1 to 10, our motivating love, verses 11 to 15. 520 00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:45,520 Now finally, from 16 to 21, our reconciling ministry. 521 00:33:46,920 --> 00:33:49,320 And there's a a transformation that takes place when we 522 00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:52,920 understand this in the way that we not only see ourselves, but 523 00:33:52,920 --> 00:33:54,960 other people. And so there's a new perspective 524 00:33:54,960 --> 00:33:57,520 that comes upon us in verse 16 and 17. 525 00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:04,760 He says, therefore, from now on we regard no one according to 526 00:34:04,760 --> 00:34:08,480 the flesh, according to the tent, according to the physical, 527 00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:12,719 even though we have known Christ according to the flesh. 528 00:34:12,719 --> 00:34:17,920 So, you know, many of them perhaps had seen Jesus in 529 00:34:17,920 --> 00:34:22,239 person, his physical body. Some suggest that this is even 530 00:34:22,239 --> 00:34:27,320 Paul talking about having himself encountered Jesus prior 531 00:34:27,320 --> 00:34:30,280 to his salvation. It's an interesting thought, but 532 00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:33,120 there were many at the time of Paul's writing that had 533 00:34:33,360 --> 00:34:36,360 witnessed with their own eyes that had physically experienced 534 00:34:36,360 --> 00:34:39,880 Jesus Christ in the flesh. But then he says, but now we 535 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:45,719 know him this way no longer. Therefore, verse 17, Because of 536 00:34:45,719 --> 00:34:49,520 that, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. 537 00:34:50,960 --> 00:34:53,560 All things have passed away. It's not about the physical 538 00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:56,040 anymore. Behold, all things have become 539 00:34:56,040 --> 00:35:01,640 new. Now all things are of God who 540 00:35:01,640 --> 00:35:06,360 has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ and has 541 00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:10,200 given us the ministry of reconciliation. 542 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:16,600 That is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to 543 00:35:16,600 --> 00:35:20,800 Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has 544 00:35:20,800 --> 00:35:22,920 committed to us the word of reconciliation. 545 00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:27,040 If you're ever wanting the gospel in a nutshell, verse 19, 546 00:35:28,040 --> 00:35:32,160 look at it. That's where it's at now then 547 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:37,560 verse 20, we are ambassadors for Christ as though God we're 548 00:35:37,560 --> 00:35:41,760 pleading through us. We implore you on Christ's 549 00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:48,720 behalf be reconciled to God, for he made him who knew no sin to 550 00:35:48,720 --> 00:35:53,800 be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God 551 00:35:53,920 --> 00:35:58,160 in him. Paul delivers this new 552 00:35:58,160 --> 00:36:01,560 perspective and it's a perspective that he has towards 553 00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:04,400 people and why he was able to do the things that he was able to 554 00:36:04,400 --> 00:36:07,440 do. If anyone is in Christ, he says 555 00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:10,320 they're a new creation. The old has gone and new has 556 00:36:10,320 --> 00:36:15,360 come and conversion is totally a recreation, isn't it? 557 00:36:15,600 --> 00:36:19,640 The transformation, but the application is in now our 558 00:36:19,640 --> 00:36:23,840 interactions with other people. We no longer see them through 559 00:36:23,840 --> 00:36:27,880 worldly lenses. We see them as eternal souls. 560 00:36:28,560 --> 00:36:31,560 We see them as people that can become new. 561 00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:34,840 The old passing away and behold all things becoming new. 562 00:36:35,320 --> 00:36:38,560 And, and again. No one knew the beauty of this, 563 00:36:38,560 --> 00:36:43,160 I think, more than Paul. For what was he before Christ 564 00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:48,480 intervened? Pharisee, yes, a rabbi, a leader 565 00:36:48,480 --> 00:36:52,920 amongst the people, privileged, but also in that he was a 566 00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:57,360 persecutor of believers, a murderer of Christians, a 567 00:36:57,360 --> 00:37:01,760 violator of Christians, young, old, male, female. 568 00:37:02,160 --> 00:37:04,880 And he called himself the chief of sinners. 569 00:37:05,680 --> 00:37:09,080 And yet now he's an apostle by the very grace of God. 570 00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:12,040 What a transformation. The old had passed away for 571 00:37:12,040 --> 00:37:14,480 Paul. Behold, all things have become 572 00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:17,280 new here on earth as it will be for all of eternity. 573 00:37:18,160 --> 00:37:23,160 And that motivated then him in his life, a new perspective in 574 00:37:23,160 --> 00:37:24,920 the way that he would interact with people. 575 00:37:25,800 --> 00:37:28,400 He's like, man, I'm I'm seeing their frail tent. 576 00:37:29,040 --> 00:37:31,920 I mean, I'm experiencing my tent, but I remember what I once 577 00:37:31,920 --> 00:37:34,400 was. And so I'm compelled by the love 578 00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:37,120 of Christ within me and the power of the gospel within me to 579 00:37:37,120 --> 00:37:40,200 speak and to preach and to share the good news of Jesus Christ. 580 00:37:40,200 --> 00:37:44,120 Because one day for them, possibly the old will pass away 581 00:37:44,760 --> 00:37:48,280 and all things will become new. And it builds on that now with 582 00:37:48,280 --> 00:37:51,840 this reconciling message that that I'm about in verse 18 and 583 00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:54,880 19 and that he says that where to be about that there's 584 00:37:54,880 --> 00:37:57,480 certainly to be about. But you and I, he said God 585 00:37:57,480 --> 00:38:00,400 reconciled himself to us through Christ. 586 00:38:00,640 --> 00:38:04,320 And now He gives us the privilege of being ministers of 587 00:38:04,320 --> 00:38:07,840 this reconciliatory message to pass on to others that they can 588 00:38:07,840 --> 00:38:12,480 enjoy and experience the same. Now you and I, humanity 589 00:38:12,480 --> 00:38:16,400 generally the greatest problem that we possess is alienation, 590 00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:22,680 is separation from God. But in Christ, God, you see, 591 00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:25,560 does not count our sins against us. 592 00:38:26,320 --> 00:38:30,160 Why? Because verse 21. 593 00:38:30,200 --> 00:38:35,120 He made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might 594 00:38:35,120 --> 00:38:37,920 become the righteousness of God in him. 595 00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:43,000 And so now then, having experienced the blessing and the 596 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:48,040 power of the gospel at work, we've been entrusted with the 597 00:38:48,040 --> 00:38:54,080 message to tell others of this powerful work of Jesus and the 598 00:38:54,080 --> 00:38:58,320 possibility that they have to be reconciled with a holy, 599 00:38:58,320 --> 00:39:03,320 righteous God. And this isn't notice here, just 600 00:39:03,320 --> 00:39:05,800 the preacher's task. This is this isn't just what 601 00:39:05,800 --> 00:39:07,760 Paul says. And that's my job. 602 00:39:08,880 --> 00:39:12,640 So you guys just kind of, you know, sit, take it easy, I'll 603 00:39:12,640 --> 00:39:16,360 take care of it. Now he says, we are about this, 604 00:39:16,560 --> 00:39:19,440 you know, every Christian carries this ministry, carries 605 00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:22,320 this privilege. He says in verse 19, he has 606 00:39:22,320 --> 00:39:27,320 committed to us the word, the ministry of reconciliation. 607 00:39:30,680 --> 00:39:33,920 And so he builds on that, that idea that we've got the message. 608 00:39:33,920 --> 00:39:36,720 And now he says, I want you to understand that you and I with 609 00:39:36,720 --> 00:39:39,200 that message are like ambassadors. 610 00:39:40,120 --> 00:39:44,920 Verse 20, we're like representatives here on earth 611 00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:48,600 for Jesus Christ. We are ambassadors for Christ, 612 00:39:48,600 --> 00:39:51,800 He says, Now what does an ambassador do? 613 00:39:52,720 --> 00:39:58,080 They speak for the king that they represent or the government 614 00:39:58,960 --> 00:40:01,960 or the nation in modern terms that they represent. 615 00:40:02,960 --> 00:40:07,400 And you and I, as ambassadors, we carry the King's message. 616 00:40:08,640 --> 00:40:12,680 Be reconciled to God. That's our message. 617 00:40:12,680 --> 00:40:15,880 That's the gospel, verse 19, and it's there. 618 00:40:15,880 --> 00:40:19,720 God made him who knew no sin, verse 21, to be sin for us so 619 00:40:19,720 --> 00:40:22,680 that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 620 00:40:22,680 --> 00:40:26,200 I don't know if you see yourself as an ambassador or not, but you 621 00:40:26,240 --> 00:40:29,760 are. Whether intentional about that 622 00:40:29,760 --> 00:40:33,400 or not, you are a representative of Jesus Christ. 623 00:40:34,560 --> 00:40:39,640 Every interaction, every conversation carries the weight 624 00:40:39,720 --> 00:40:42,840 of representation. Our country knows that. 625 00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:45,560 This week of an ambassador having been kicked out of 626 00:40:45,560 --> 00:40:49,400 Australia, right? Consider the following of 627 00:40:49,400 --> 00:40:56,160 ambassadors #1 they are chosen. Paul had been chosen by Christ 628 00:40:56,280 --> 00:41:01,120 to represent Jesus Christ. Paul did not represent himself. 629 00:41:01,480 --> 00:41:09,200 You have been chosen by Christ. You represent Christ #2 about 630 00:41:09,200 --> 00:41:11,120 ambassadors. They are protected. 631 00:41:12,120 --> 00:41:15,400 An ambassador, as a citizen of the nation that they represent, 632 00:41:16,200 --> 00:41:20,400 has every need supplied, every protection afforded as and when 633 00:41:20,400 --> 00:41:24,960 necessary. Christ supplied Paul's every 634 00:41:24,960 --> 00:41:27,720 need and stood with him in every crisis. 635 00:41:28,240 --> 00:41:31,240 And the same is true for you and I as ambassadors of Jesus 636 00:41:31,240 --> 00:41:35,800 Christ. Thirdly, ambassadors are held 637 00:41:35,800 --> 00:41:39,000 accountable. Each ambassador will give an 638 00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:41,960 account for what they say and what they do in their role. 639 00:41:42,240 --> 00:41:45,160 Paul knew and he already expressed the same for us in our 640 00:41:45,160 --> 00:41:47,840 passage. Do you and I know the reality 641 00:41:47,880 --> 00:41:53,200 and the truth of that? Fourthly and lastly, on that, 642 00:41:53,200 --> 00:41:57,960 ambassadors are often called home before war is declared. 643 00:41:58,600 --> 00:42:02,480 You know, when war breaks out, ambassadors from countries are 644 00:42:02,480 --> 00:42:06,040 called home, you know, lifted out for their protection. 645 00:42:06,400 --> 00:42:12,920 God has yet to declare war, judgement on this Christ 646 00:42:12,920 --> 00:42:14,560 rejecting world. But as we've been reading 647 00:42:14,560 --> 00:42:19,040 through Revelation, one day very soon that will happen. 648 00:42:19,920 --> 00:42:25,160 There is coming a day of wrath. There is coming a time of war 649 00:42:26,480 --> 00:42:29,720 when God will judge the wicked. But you know what? 650 00:42:30,320 --> 00:42:35,560 Christians ambassadors will be called home before that day 651 00:42:35,560 --> 00:42:41,000 comes on Thessalonians 5. Now Paul was motivated by the 652 00:42:41,000 --> 00:42:43,000 fact that he was commissioned by God. 653 00:42:45,040 --> 00:42:50,680 Now, in fact, you and I as believers like Paul, we need to 654 00:42:50,680 --> 00:42:55,480 understand and know we are ambassadors whether we accept 655 00:42:55,480 --> 00:42:59,880 the Commission or not. As the Father has sent me, Jesus 656 00:42:59,880 --> 00:43:05,720 said so also. I send you John 20 verse 21. 657 00:43:07,720 --> 00:43:09,160 All right, let's finish. Paul. 658 00:43:10,160 --> 00:43:13,440 He made a pretty remarkable statement back in verse 13. 659 00:43:14,320 --> 00:43:18,720 He can turn there and have a look and some thought and some 660 00:43:18,720 --> 00:43:23,560 were accusing Paul of this. You're out of your mind, Paul. 661 00:43:23,560 --> 00:43:26,200 You've gone crazy from following Jesus. 662 00:43:27,640 --> 00:43:32,440 And isn't that still true? You know, to the world, it often 663 00:43:32,440 --> 00:43:38,880 seems crazy for you and I to go to church twice on a Sunday, for 664 00:43:38,880 --> 00:43:43,840 some of us to live with eternity in mind, to do all of the things 665 00:43:43,840 --> 00:43:46,880 that we do, you know, to sometimes sacrifice ambition, 666 00:43:47,160 --> 00:43:49,840 comfort, or reputation for Christ. 667 00:43:49,840 --> 00:43:52,200 It seems foolish. To the world, you're crazy. 668 00:43:52,200 --> 00:43:54,520 You've gone out of your own. You're getting too religious, 669 00:43:56,640 --> 00:43:59,600 Paul says. If we're crazy, call me what you 670 00:43:59,600 --> 00:44:04,000 will, it's for God. If we seem ordinary, it's for 671 00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:07,120 you. But what compels us, Paul says, 672 00:44:07,120 --> 00:44:10,560 and what should compel you and I is not sanity by worldly 673 00:44:10,560 --> 00:44:13,160 standards, but the love of Christ. 674 00:44:14,640 --> 00:44:17,440 So our dwelling, this life is a tent. 675 00:44:18,080 --> 00:44:21,320 Don't cling to it long for the eternal home. 676 00:44:22,240 --> 00:44:26,360 Our motivation, Christ's love compels us. 677 00:44:27,000 --> 00:44:31,400 Live for Him, not for yourself. Now ministry, you and I, we are 678 00:44:31,400 --> 00:44:36,000 ambassadors of reconciliation, a holy, righteous God and sinful, 679 00:44:36,000 --> 00:44:38,560 depraved humanity. And we, we carry the greatest 680 00:44:38,560 --> 00:44:40,760 message the world could ever hear in that. 681 00:44:41,600 --> 00:44:45,560 And so practically, what that means is to hold loosely to this 682 00:44:45,560 --> 00:44:47,200 life and the things of this world. 683 00:44:48,080 --> 00:44:53,160 It's a tent you're holding on to tent pegs and and strings and 684 00:44:53,160 --> 00:44:55,640 things that will will fall and and pass away. 685 00:44:55,640 --> 00:45:01,680 Invest rather in eternity and let Christ's love be an engine 686 00:45:02,440 --> 00:45:05,160 motivating obedience and service of him. 687 00:45:06,400 --> 00:45:09,720 Don't fear in that being thought of as crazy by the world. 688 00:45:11,320 --> 00:45:13,720 It's actually a sign that you're living for eternity. 689 00:45:15,720 --> 00:45:18,800 But fourthly and lastly, live as an ambassador. 690 00:45:20,320 --> 00:45:23,040 Represent Christ faithfully wherever he places you. 691 00:45:24,360 --> 00:45:27,160 One day this tent will give way to glory. 692 00:45:27,920 --> 00:45:31,560 One day the ambassador will see the King face to face. 693 00:45:32,400 --> 00:45:35,360 Until then, live with eternity in view. 694 00:45:36,440 --> 00:45:38,200 Even if the world thinks you mad. 695 00:45:39,600 --> 00:45:43,840 It might hurt now, might feel the weight, the tension, the 696 00:45:43,840 --> 00:45:49,800 groaning of this experience, and it might be difficult, but know 697 00:45:49,800 --> 00:45:57,200 this, it's going to get better eternally in the eternal realm. 698 00:45:58,920 --> 00:46:01,040 Now think about this, Paul, our author. 699 00:46:01,600 --> 00:46:05,520 Do you think that Paul the apostle right now in heaven 700 00:46:06,440 --> 00:46:11,640 regrets any of the suffering he went through on the earth that 701 00:46:14,800 --> 00:46:17,560 think he's going? Man, I wish I had a cushier life 702 00:46:17,560 --> 00:46:22,000 just kicking back on the Mediterranean, but I hadn't gone 703 00:46:22,000 --> 00:46:24,880 out and been so radical for Jesus everywhere I went. 704 00:46:24,880 --> 00:46:28,200 And having, you know, to open my mouth and get in so much trouble 705 00:46:28,200 --> 00:46:31,920 as I did, I don't think he regrets it one bit. 706 00:46:34,080 --> 00:46:37,800 So tell the good news of Jesus Christ. 707 00:46:37,800 --> 00:46:44,360 Let me share this final thought. I don't know if you know how a 708 00:46:44,360 --> 00:46:49,040 honeybee operates and functions. When they find a field of 709 00:46:49,040 --> 00:46:54,000 flowers and the nectar is good and a honeybee doesn't arrive 710 00:46:54,000 --> 00:46:58,040 back at the hive and selfishly try to keep the location to 711 00:46:58,040 --> 00:47:02,520 himself instead. You know they're not afraid that 712 00:47:02,520 --> 00:47:06,600 the nectar will will run out. No, if you know anything about 713 00:47:06,600 --> 00:47:13,160 it, they do a little GPS dance. Give everybody the coordinates, 714 00:47:13,920 --> 00:47:16,280 the good news. Let me tell you what I found and 715 00:47:16,280 --> 00:47:20,280 here's where you can find it, you know, and then the hive just 716 00:47:20,280 --> 00:47:22,360 becomes vibrant with activity. You found what? 717 00:47:22,360 --> 00:47:25,160 Where? Let's go and off they go. 718 00:47:25,920 --> 00:47:30,600 I'm embellishing it a little bit here, but my point is that the 719 00:47:30,640 --> 00:47:37,320 the honeybee explains how to find and get to what they have 720 00:47:37,400 --> 00:47:42,280 discovered. An experience and soon many are 721 00:47:42,280 --> 00:47:47,320 blessed to enjoy and encounter the same man If if we were just 722 00:47:47,320 --> 00:47:52,120 grasp that that simple concept of what it is that we have in 723 00:47:52,120 --> 00:47:56,960 Jesus Christ and in the Gospel. It's just like man, I have 724 00:47:57,280 --> 00:47:59,560 tasted and seen that the Lord is good. 725 00:48:00,600 --> 00:48:04,200 Let me do a little GPS dance. You might think it crazy, but 726 00:48:04,600 --> 00:48:08,920 I'm going to show you where you can find Jesus and the 727 00:48:08,920 --> 00:48:14,800 reconciliation that He has to offer with a holy righteous God.