Affliction and Glory
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My sermon title today is “Affliction and Glory”
17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Prayer
One of the greatest burdens of a pastor is the weight of explaining the meaning of scripture to the flock and then pleading with them to apply it… All the while, you are constantly forgetting what we learn and struggle to apply it to our own lives.
This is definitely true today as we look at “Affliction and Glory”
First, let me define Glory:
To summarize John Piper when he speaks of God’s Glory:
God’s Glory is the shining forth of His holiness
“the glory of God is the manifest beauty of His holiness”
You could say, in a way, “glory is the result of holiness”.
Holiness is separateness, and glory is what we observe or experience from holiness.
Now, let me define Affliction:
Affliction is anything experienced because of the ravages of sin and a sinful world.
In the texts of the New Testament, the primary affliction that they are speaking of is a result of holding onto Jesus tightly while the sinful world ravages us for doing so.
But, in reality, the application of what we read of affliction, even in those texts, is broad and wide. It can be applied to all affliction caused by a sinful world.
Have you ever heard someone say that we need to look for the silver lining in a bad situation?
It means we are supposed to look for good things that might come from a bad situation.
Apparently, this saying originated from a poem that said every dark cloud has a silver lining.
Now, I don’t know much about clouds or weather.
Let me tell you what always came to my mind when someone said it to me.
I always saw the silver lining to be something that lined the edge or interior of a cup.
I would think, “here is the cup I’ve been given, its the one I have to drink from, it might look bad, but once I start drinking and emptying what is in it, I’ll be able to see the inside of it, lined with valuable silver.
It’s pretty good advice.
But, its not the best advice.
Sometimes there are good things within Affliction.
Sometimes there aren’t
Consider the cup illustration.
When I’m looking into the cup for something silver or good, my eyes are captivated by the cup. But, according to the scriptures, my hope is supposed to be outside of the cup.
So, as christians, it is important for us to separate our gaze when we consider Affliction and Glory.
I have here three realities of affliction and three realities of glory that I hope will help us set our gaze where it really needs to be.
The Realities of Affliction
The Realities of Affliction
1. Affliction can feel utterly overwhelming
1. Affliction can feel utterly overwhelming
8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.
According to the New American Commentary, the statement about afflictions that Paul references in chapter 4 are structured poetically similar to this verse in 1:8.
We can conclude that Affliction, in the moment, according to what we see, can seem so so so terrible.
This comforts me because I sometimes feel guilt for feeling overwhelmed or utterly burdened. But, even the Apostle Paul felt this way.
Beloved, it’s okay to feel the burden of your affliction.
Because Affliction Can Feel Utterly Overwhelming.
2. Affliction is light luggage
2. Affliction is light luggage
Luggage that you will only carry while you are on this journey
2 Corinthians 4:17 (ESV)
17 For this light momentary affliction
While it can “feel” heavy, the reality is that the temporary nature of affliction means that it is small.
When you put “momentary” and “eternal” on scales for comparison you will see that “momentary” is small because “eternal” will always be infinitely heavier.
Eventually, this luggage will be left behind because your clothes will be unpacked and stored permanently at your forever home.
You can see your temporary luggage but you can’t see where you will store your clothes in your forever home.
It usually feels as if affliction moments are longer than non-affliction.
2 Corinthians (5) The Resurrection Hope (4:16–5:10)
On earth, our afflictions seem never ending while the more sublime moments seem to pass by in a flash
Some afflictions are super super long.
You have to know that your ride has a beginning and end like all travel. So, there is an estimated time of arrival. You won’t always be on the train.
But you still have the luggage.
Affliction is light luggage
3. Affliction is working for you
3. Affliction is working for you
2 Corinthians 4:17 (ESV)
17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us...
I like how the Legacy Standard puts it.
2 Corinthians 4:17 (LSB)
17 For our momentary, light affliction is working out for us...
Literally, God is working your affliction to work for you.
This is not saying you are strong. But it is saying that He is strong.
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
All things serve the purposes of our King.
The purpose isn’t necessarily to bring about another temporary thing though. Some people say “when God closes a door he always opens a window”. Maybe a window will open, the house with the window is temporary and visible. God’s primary purposes are eternal and invisible!
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
God is making us something we are not yet.
Affliction is working for you!
Realities of Affliction
Affliction can feel utterly overwhelming.
Affliction is light luggage.
Affliction is working for you.
Now lets look at...
The Realities of Glory
The Realities of Glory
1. Glory is greater and heavier than your affliction
1. Glory is greater and heavier than your affliction
New International Greek Testament Commentary..
“Doxa” here is Pauline shorthand for all the blessings of the age to come, experienced proleptically in the present age
Twofold glory:
Beholding the glory of God.
Seeing God without a filter!
Transformed by the glory of God.
Resurrected glorified body like Jesus.
17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
Greater and heavier due to it’s eternal nature.
Greater and heavier causing it to be unlike anything you will every know here.
All good things and all bad things are meant to make us hunger for the glory we will see and the glory we will become.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
There is literally nothing like the glory that awaits us.
I think the hardest part, for me, when I try to imagine having a resurrected body and living in the final redeemed creation with God’s glory fully on display without a filter. The hardest part for me is that I’ve truly never known anything like what the Bible says it will be.
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.
23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.
I have never known anything like this…k
Glory is greater and heavier than your affliction.
2. Glory is accessed by faith
2. Glory is accessed by faith
18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Seen vs unseen.
I know this podium is here because I can see it and touch it.
The only way you can view something that is invisible, and un touchable, is by simply believing the one who tells you that it is there.
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
You have to have faith in the one who makes the promise.
Everyone we see and hear in this physical plain breaks a promise eventually.
Your mom, your dad, your spouse, you kids, your friends., your pastors.
What makes this so hard for us is that everyone here breaks promises. That means you do too!
The question we have to ask is, “is He faithful to keep His promises?”
The answer is yes.
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
Beloved, if God kept every promise all the way to the resurrection of Jesus, we can have confidence that He will continue to keep them.
He will come back for us. He will return!
Glory is accessed by faith
Going backwards a little bit.
3. Glory is being prepared for you
3. Glory is being prepared for you
This is a reminder of Affliction working for you.
It’s work has an end.
17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
Remember what we spoke about when we saw that affliction is working for you...
God is the one working it to work for you.
All things serve the purpose of our King.
His purpose is to take you somewhere.
3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
Most kings build castles to keep the commoners out. Most kings have a few commoners in their castle to serve them. Most kings assert their royalty at the expense of their people.
But our King is unlike no other.
Our king is building a castle to house His people. Our king will dress himself to serve His people. Our King invites His people to become royalty.
It is our king who is preparing this glory for us!
Jesus, our great king, desires for us to be with Him in glory.
Jesus, our great king, wants us to enjoy His glory. To bask in His glory. To be transformed by His glory into glory.
How amazing is it that the glorious one loves us so much that He has prepared to receive us into His glory?
Beloved,
Glory is being prepared for you
I’ve shared the separate realities of affliction and glory. 3 each.
Affliction
Affliction can feel utterly overwhelming.
Affliction is light luggage.
Affliction is working for you.
Glory
Glory is greater and heavier than your affliction
Glory is accessed by faith
Glory is being prepared for you
Let me take both concepts together and give you their combined reality:
The Reality of Affliction and Glory
You will trade affliction for glory because Jesus traded glory for affliction.
Gospel
Communion