Pleasing the Lord
2 Corinthians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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2 Corinthians 5:6-11
2 Corinthians 5:6-11
Pleasing the Lord is more than just us trying to obey a command to proselytize or evangelize or however you want to couch it. The fact is that we cant help but talk about what is truly important to us, especially the things which are important to Him.
1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Evangelism, Motives For
The story is told of the captain of a Mississippi riverboat who, as his ship passed another vessel, grabbed the first passenger he saw and said, “Look, look, over there on the other boat. Look at its captain.” The man was somewhat bewildered and asked, “Why do you want me to look at that captain? What makes him so special?”
Then the captain told him the story of how he had collided one night with another boat. His own vessel was foundering and in the process he was thrown overboard. The captain of the other vessel saw his desperate plight and maneuvered close enough that he was able to dive into the water and save his life.
After telling the story, the once-saved captain then turned to the bystander and said, “Ever since that day, I want to point out my rescuer to others.” Likewise, as those who have been saved, secured, and loved by Jesus, we should want to tell others of him.
Pleasing the Lord is a great way for us to look at our walk of faith. Not just that Judgment is coming for all - but that God is going to settle things once and for all. And if our focus is on Pleasing Him, we are looking at things in the right perspective.
1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
Reminder that these bodies will be remade, this isn't our permanent home, we should live not for this world but the one to come.
our text today -
6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 11 Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.
6-8 Confidence of Faith, 9-11 Reality of Faith
6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.
8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
Vs 6-8 is a sandwich 6/8 bring the bread.
Paul isn't just saying the obvious, but that since we know we live in this world right now. The contrast is with what he just gave us (context) (5:1-5 and v8) tells us we are not afraid to die. We face these things in our life, Paul was willing to walk into the temple because he was confident or the greek - tharrero - - be courageous.
it can also mean to be bold (courageous, even cheerful, tharrero in our speech) Hebrews 13:6 “So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”” earlier he had said, 2 Corinthians 4:13–14 “And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, 14knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.”
when you truly know this, there is nothing that can stop you from your reward, even if they take this temporary life.
While we are at home and present with the… are both a very particular word only used here in the NT - endemountes (endemeo). it means to assemble with, be one of the people of. To be in ones land. We are at home here because He lives in Us. Even when our true and final home is there with the Lord.
he says absent from the body. the implication being that there is a reality of us knowing we are separated from our body and will be aware of our presence with the Lord. I don’t want to belabor the parable of lazarus (only in Luke 16:19–31) but it definitely points to a conscious existence after “death”. Notice Paul usually calls the death of the believer sleep (temporary) and here simply says, away.
some argue about the nature of heaven, hell, resurrection, etc. whether we immediately are resurrected because there is no time in heaven (which those crying out for vengeance under the throne of God contradcit that in Revelation 6:9–11 “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls (diembodied) of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.”
this is more than just a spiritual thing, its a locale/location thing. Here, He is present with us, there, we are present with Him. Here we go on hope (unseen) there we will see and no longer NEED hope. Look he says
7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.
this is the meat of the sandwich. the thing that defines why we know about the truth of the resurrection lived out. How we live Paul had explain earlier 2 Corinthians 4:18 “while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” We hope in faith, for his call to us, eagerly seeking to enter into that next stage of our development as Christians. Romans 8:24–25 “For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”
that is walking by an absolutely courageous confidence, that we know Jesus died. That he rose, and that he saved us. This is the walk of faith. Walking in love, obeying commands of Christ, not living as we once did, being blameless.
The reality of a person walking by faith, can change nations and affect so many. Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” this isn’t an, “if i believe in it its real to me,” its an, “This is absolutely reality and thus I have absolute faith.” My life is defined by my confession of who He is. God come to save me.
Paul then begins to note the result of these things as God is coming to do what He is coming to do. Judge us all.
9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.
since He has purchased me, my all in all is that I live as he calls me to come die with him and in this, i no long and desire to be pleasing to Him. Not for my salvation but for His gifts.
make it our aim or our ambition. Our endeavor is to is to live as one accepted in Christ. 1 Corinthians 9:26–27 “Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” and v10 is the reason we seek to aim.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
Judgement Seat - bematos - the step that criminal judges ruled from krino - the act of judgement - is the end of all things in Christ.
Matthew 16:27 “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.” Acts 10:42 “And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge (krites) of the living and the dead.” Romans 2:16 “in the day when God will judge (krinei) the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.” Romans 14:10 “But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” Romans 14:12 “So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.”
Things done in the body: Galatians 6:7 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” Ephesians 6:8 “knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.” Its a reminder of what Adam & Eve did in their work would like covering our sin with fig leaves.
Paul says works judged, 1 Corinthians 3:13–17 “each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 16Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.”
good 1 Corinthians 4:5 “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.” Ephesians 6:8 “knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.”
bad 1 Corinthians 3:15 “If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” Colossians 3:25 “But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.”
Here is the thing, if i would just go away, that isn't terror, that doesn't result in fear just apathy. But when we tell the truth, that the second death is one that you will experience forever, separated from all goodness, that is terrifying!
Dan. 12:2 “2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Matt. 25:46 “46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”” Acts 24:15 “15 I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.” Many verses that would indicate otherwise context alone shows that this punishment is true - therefore:
11 Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.
Here is the thing, if i would just go away, that isn't terror, that doesn't result in fear just apathy. But when we tell the truth, that the second death is one that you will experience forever, separated from all goodness, that is terrifying! Jesus is our Judge
Acts 17:30–31 “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.””
Ps. 9:8 “8 He shall judge the world in righteousness, And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.” John 5:22 “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son,” “27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.”
So, for the believer, we still have every word judged, etc. But this judgement for us is about gifts, rewards, etc. not about our salvation.
if we are in fear over the judgment that is to come, perhaps we aren't in Him and we need to examine ourselves - 2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.” not saved/unsaved. but serving jesus or serving self. I want to please not the congregation but the savior.
It is a solemn and frightening thing, in this world of sin and flesh and devils, to realize that about eighty or ninety percent of the people whom God is testing will flunk the test!
A. W. Tozer
If the Lord has given me a heart for people, then I cannot but help try to convince others to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and savior. We persuade: peithomen, we convince, its an ongoing effort.
the comment that we are well known to God seems to be that this means his life and behavior match up with this confession.
he assures them with his walk, that they know the authenticity of their life in Christ.
his sincerity is because they experienced it. They saw personally a man who gave up his life to see them know Jesus. Do the people we know hear about Jesus from us? Do they know that we know Him? Do they know we are sincere about this savior? That we would share him with them?
Lets look real quick about a great evangelism story in the bible, Acts 16:16–40 summarize 16-21 - Paul cast a demon out of a slave and was punished by the magistrate of the town - 22Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. 23And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. 24Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. 27And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 28But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.” 29Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household. 35And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, “Let those men go.”” they eventually apologized and let them go.
No matter when, what or where. Getting beaten at midnight in an earthquake. The Gospel remains the power of God to salvation for all who believe.
And as Paul taught the Jailer, Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” where is your walk today?