Chapel 5/14 2 Cor. 3

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Good Morning

We are in chapter 3 of Paul’s 2nd letter to the Church in Corinth
Two weeks ago, I spoke about the God of comfort, that He is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort
We may not think of God like that, but it is true of His character
I mentioned Moses, wanting to know God better in Exodus chapter 34, and God revealing His character to Moses
Exodus 34:6–7 ESV
The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
God is merciful and full of grace towards us
He is slow to anger, if He wasn’t none would be alive
It says He overflows with persistent love and faithfulness for thousands of generations
He forgives sins, not living according to His good ways, He forgives iniquities and transgressions
This is who God is
So, even though it may not feel like that is true or what you believe about God, the Bible tells us it is
That’s not the only area that our thoughts or feelings may not be truthful with us
We may have been deceived into believing incorrect things
One of them might be about what life is supposed to look like as a follower of Jesus
This was an issue in Paul’s time, he at times was discredited as a true and authentic apostle and messenger of Jesus because of the sufferings he endured.
But, Listen again to chapter 1 verses 3-6

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 6 Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer

Paul viewed his sufferings as a way to know Jesus better and how He suffered, it was a way to be like Jesus
He also viewed them as a way to receive God’s comfort and mercy
And He viewed them as the only way to have empathy for others and for them to receive comfort and mercy from him,
an opportunity to get from God in order to give it to others who are going to suffer
B/C in the process, he’s saying suffering is inevitable, we will all have to endure it in some form or fashion and to varying degrees
Paul didn’t see it as a negative, but a positive of his faithful witness and a means of connection to others
So, because Paul viewed it this way, he can say this in chapter 2 starting in verse 14

14 But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. 15 Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. 16 To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume

Paul is using a word picture, and one that is familiar to his audience
This triumphal procession, when victorious kings would return from battle, there would be a procession into and through the city
The king would lead and behind him would be the captured king and royal family, nobles and the elite from the conquered nation
Then maybe some of the spoil, treasures and such
And then lastly, near the end of the procession would be those captured prisoners who are going to be killed publically
Those captives were a demonstration of Romes power, but they were also killed as an offering to their gods, probably burned and the smoke and aroma being pleasing to their god
To the Roman people this was a celebration
The killing and sacrificing a demonstration of their great empire,
a thank you to the gods,
those being burned created the sweet smell of victory, vitality and life, long live Rome and long live Caesar
But to the captives, this was not a joyous occasion, and the killing and sacrificing, brought fear, the smell of the burning bodies meant death
And yet Paul says he is Jesus’ captive, being led in this triumphal procession to his probable and impending death, but this isn’t a bad thing, it’s a great thing
Jesus is using them to spread His good news of victory over death,
and that the only way to the true life God has for you is through death
Death to this life here and now, to live differently, to live like Jesus, to escape the traps of power, prosperity, possessions, opinions, etc
To live as Jesus lived, loving God and loving others, caring for others out of a genuine love that God has for them, living more selfless than selfish
Sharing not accumulating, helping rather than using, being a servant, rather than desiring to be served, like Jesus
Paul says that this kind of life won’t be easy, the world on one hand will push back on it, and yet on the other will be attracted to it.
To some it is a sweet smelling aroma leading to true life, to others it will be the offensive stench of failure and death.
You see the world has us blinded, convinced that it’s system is what is good and necessary.
The powerful especially believe this to be true, but so do those who want to be powerful, or rich, or famous, or whatever this world says is good
In our world you are known for what you can do, what you have, and what others think of you, this is what drives us, it’s also what makes us self absorbed and super self conscious
It creates insecurities, am I good enough, do I measure up, will I make it
It makes failure so hard to deal with, it makes other people enemies at worst, but impediments to our success in the least,
They become either objects in our way, or objects to use to get what we want
Suffering in this world view is not an option, it means we’re failing, no, so we have to do everything in our power to be certain, to know we’re gonna be ok, that we can do it
With this mentality, we can’t trust, we have to do, we can’t live by faith, no we have to do, it’s all up to us,
and yet at the same time, if we’re honest, whatever belief we have in God, it is probably to help us achieve our true goals and get what our heart desires
It’s all about me, it can’t not be with this mentality
But listen to these words from chapter 3, verses 16-18

16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

Whenever someone turns to the Lord, to live for the Lord, to live like the Lord, the veil is taken away,
the blindness we have is exposed, removed, and now we can see differently
We didn’t realize that we were being held hostage in that other system,
a prisoner of our “dreams”,
A prisoner of what we thought was going to help me be known for what I can do, or what I have, or what others think of me
Man if pro ball isn’t promising that, and at the same time holding you prisoner to the what have you done for me lately
What can you do, well that was yesterday, you’re going to have to prove it again today
what do you have, yeah but others have more, or better. It’s not enough, I need more, I have it today, but well maybe not tomorrow,
what are others thinking of me, how can you truly know, we can only assume, or maybe read it on social media, God forbid you are honest and then get cancelled, oh that’s too risky,
so we try so hard to control what they see and hear, so we can manipulate how they think, ahhh, so much fear and pressure, it’s exhausting
You know what we really want? True freedom and internal peace
Freedom not to do whatever we want, no freedom to be who God says we are, to do what God wants us to do, to not care what we have or what others are thinking, Oh if only
With that comes peace, no more striving to do or prove, no more mind racing non stop, worrying,
Paul says it’s out there, but we have to be willing to come to Jesus,
We have to be willing to trust Him, the only One who is truly trustworthy,
We have to be willing to give Him our false selves, who are caught up in all that nonsense in exchange for who we truly are, who He says we are
That’s the only way we can be and do what He’s made us to be and do, to be a vehicle of His love, mercy, grace, someone who helps others to know and experience Him and this life He has for them.
To be others focused and not so self absorbed, to love God and love others, the greatest commandment according to Jesus
This life is out there, but only a few find it, the road is narrow that leads to life, but wide is the road that leads to destruction, and many are on that one.
This is a process that first starts in our mind, opens our eyes and transforms our hearts and will.
Only then can we become more and more like Jesus, transformed into His glorious image, as Paul writes, which brings true peace, true freedom, and the true purpose of our lives.
Let me pray
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