GREETINGS

TEXT

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 ESV

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 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.

THE WEIGHT OF GLORY AND THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH

INTRODUCTION

My major points

There is an urgency before us, perhaps like no other time in history. And this urgency is a challenge to the church and the challenges this will take your place?

And there are reasons why the church has not responded and I’m not going to presume that what I’m going to say to you is the ultimate reason, but I do know it is a major.

You have been called not symphony to wait for Jesus to return. You have been called to finish the work of redemption.

I. Never Lose Sight of the Weight of Glory In Your Master

GLORY IS USED 12 TIMES IN THESE TWO CHAPTERS WHICH TELLS US THAT IT IS A SIGNIFICANT POINT THAT PAUL IS MAKING.

IN ITS CONTEXT PAUL IS SPEAKING EARLY ABOUT THE CONTRASTING GLORY OF THE OLD COVENANT VERSES THE GLORY OF THE NEW

THIS GLORY - THIS WEIGHT OF IT - IS ACTUALLY THE GLORY OF THE REVELATION OF GOD HIMSELF IN THE WORD AND IN HIS SON.

HERE IS WHAT PAUL IS SAYING, CRUCIAL TO THE IDENTITY OF THE CHURCH IS ITS UNDERSTANDING AND ITS REVERENCE FOR THE GOD OF CREATION WHO HAS NOT ONLY MADE HIMSELF KNOWN TO HUMANITY - BUT HAS MADE HIMSELF KNOWN TO US, IN HIS SON, BY THE INDWELLING POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

It is the infinite power eternity imposing itself on the finite capacity of humanity. This is seen in the exchange or the clash of heaven upon the humanity of Saul - conversion.

The weight of the Lord must cause the worship humanity. So the weight of our master deuces within us worship a dollar tree.

Yes, this is reality of the believer Church so this point focuses on the embodiment of the church. This cruciform illustrates itself in Christo-formity.

Here is what that means: as this church, together, engages with its Lord, understanding the weight of his Lordship, it turns itself toward one another in acts of love and acts of death. it is love for others in the death of self, which is the fruit, the weight of its master.

Transition: understanding this is important, because it is only as we understand the weight of our master that the church can truly understand, and engage in in the weight of its mission.

II. Never Minimize the Weight of Glory As Your Mission

We given the ministry of reconciliation, which means that the church in relationally is the church that can be ambassadors for that in the world.

C., the weight of the church is mission is that it finishes the redemption of God.

SOMEHWRE: WE ARE TEMPLES OF THE LORD: THE CHURCH IS A TEMPLE AND YOU, AS INDIVIDUALS ARE A TE,MPLE AND THE PURPOSE OF THE TEMPLE WAS TO BE A VISIBLE DISPLAY OF THE RULE AND REIGN AND THE GLLORISOUS MOVEMENT OF GOD TO DEAL WITH SIN

We are not waiting for Jesus to return, because we have experience something of his return in the power of the Holy Spirit. Now the mission of this church is to finish what Jesus started in his life, death and resurrection. You are not insignificant, but you are significant to what God is seeking to do to redeem Concord, North Carolina for his glory

You are here and you are part of this church because you are significant to the mission of God, restoring and RENEWING Concord, North Carolina. I want you to feel the weight of that.

I must say that this is your calling, and if you don’t do it, you will miss your purpose. God will finish his work through others if you choose not to go, but in your choosing not to finish, you are missing your purpose.

Your purpose is to see men and women converted to the Lord Jesus Christ

Your purpose is to show the world and all of society that Jesus is not simply coming to be lowered, but that Jesus is now, Lord

You are to contend with the god of this world who has blinded eyes from seeing in Jesus. Yes Jesus will open their eyes, but can I let you in on the truth you are his hands and you are his mouthpiece and you are the one that goes and touches and engages. And the Lord will, but he has chosen to put his spirit in men and women, so that they might be the carriers of his power of transformation

Cities are not transformed, for the lack of churches cities are not transformed for the lack of Christians. Let us not allow the term Christian to be reduced to profession of faith. Let us understand that term is the Eckles in God, this new creation in God, that extends the new creation of God to the old creation of darkness.

You see so when you see evidences of darkness and evidences of the blindness, spiritual blindness that is equivalent to the equalizer, seeing issues of injustice. We know how that ends.

III. Never Trivialize the Weight of Glory On Your Messenger

(Messenger- Rev 3)

HERE IS WHAT I WANT YOU TO KNOW, AS MEMBERS OF THIS INCREDIBLE CHURCH: GOD IS WRITING A STORY OF REDEMPTION AND YOUR PASTOR IS THE ONE OF WHOM THE LORD IS SCRIPTING THE STORY OF THIS CHURCH ON THE HEARTS OF ALL OF YOU. LOSTEN TO THESE WORDS FROM PAUL

2 Corinthians 3:1–4 ESV

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God.

I WANT TO MAKE TWO BRIEF STATEMENT TO SHOW THE WRIGHT OF WHAT I AM SAYING: PLEASE KNOW THIS BIBLICAL IRONY:

PASTOR HAS THE BURDEN OF LEADING YOU INTO THE MATURITY THAT GOD CALLS YOU TO WHILE HE IS SIMULTANEOUSLY LEADING HIMSELF INTO THE SAME

PASTOR IS LEADING YOU BY HELPING YOU TO NAVIGATE THE WILDERNESS OF SIN FULL OF SCORPIONS READY TO BITE, DEVOUR AND DISTRACT YOU FROM WEIGHT OF GOD’S GLORY AND THE WEIGHT OF YOUR MISSION - “AND”… HE IS DOING THE SAME FOR HIMSELF

PLEASE KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS: HERE IS HIS WEIGHT

HE MUST FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH IN AND FOR HIS OWN SOUL AND, AT THE SAME TIME, HE MUST HELP AND JOIN WITH YOU TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT FOR YOUR FAITH - AT THE SAME TIME.

HERE IS HIS WEIGHT

Colossians 1:28–29 ESV

Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

THE WEIGHT OF YOUR MESSENGER IS THAT HE MUST LEAD YOU TO MATURITY

MATURITY?

Ephesians 4:12–14 ESV

to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

AND CAN I LET YOU IN ON SOMETHING - THIS CONSUMES THE AUTHENTIC AND GENUINE SHEPHERD OF GOD FOR THEY ARE THOSE THAT JEREMIAH SAID

Jeremiah 3:15 ESV

“ ‘And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.

WE KNOW THAT JEREMIAH SPEAKS ULTIMATELY OF CHRIST, BUT THIS IS THE PICTURE OF ALL WHO STAND AUTHENTICALLY WITH AND FOR CHRIST AS PASTORS OF HIS CHURCH

LET ME HELP YOU TO SEE THE WEIGHT OF THIS POSITION AS THE MESSENGER OF GOD:

AS JESUS TOOK ON OUR SIN HE FELT AND EXPERIENCED THE AGONY OF IT ALL

CAN I SUGGEST TO YOU THAT THE MAN WHO STANDS AUTHENTICALLY AND GENUINELY BEFORE THE PEOPLE OF GOD, AS A PASTOR, REPRESENTS CHRIST TO THE PEOPLE

AND I WANT YOU TO SEE THAT AS JESUS TOOK ON OUR SING THAT YOUR PASTOR TAKES ON YOUR PAIN THAT IT TAKES ON YOUR ANXIETY TAKE YOUR HURT YOUR LOSSES.

HERE IT IS HE TAKES IT ALL AS IF IT WERE HIS OWN.

THIS IS WHY THE WORD FROM HEBREWS 13 17 IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO LIVE OUT:

Hebrews 13:17 ESV

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

OBEY - DOES NOT MEAN BLIND ALLIGIANCE - BUT HERE IS WHAT IT DOES MEAN:

WHEN HE GUIDES YOU INTO TRUTH AND COUNSELS YOU IN THIS OR THAT DIRECTION - YOU WOULD DO WELL TO OBEY THAT LEADERSHIP

IF HE DISCERNS THAT THE ENEMY IS GAINING A STRONGHOLD IN THE BODY ANC CALLS THE CHURCH TO FAST AND PRAY… YOU WOULD DO WELL TO FOLLOW THAT LEADERSHIP.

WHEN YOU JOINED THIS CHURCH YOU DID MORE THAN CONNECT T THIS LOCAL BODY. YOU STATED VERBALLY AND PHYSICALLY THAT YOU WOULD FOLLOW THE LEADERSHIP OF THE MESSENGER PLACED ON YOUR CARE.

ALL BECAUSE OF THIS:

HE WILL HAVE TO GIVE AN ACCOUNT FOR YOU

I WONDER HOW OFTEN YOU REFLECT UPON THAT REALITY? THAT YOUR PASTOR HAS A WEIGHT UPON HIM THAT NONE CAN KNOW EXCEPT THOSE WHO CARRY THE SAME CROSS OF PASTORAL LEADERSHIP

Can I suggest to you that the man who stands authentically and genuinely before the people of God, as a pastor, represents Christ to the people can I help you to see that as Jesus took on our sing that your pastor takes on your pain that it takes on your anxiety Take your hurt your losses. Here it is he takes it all as if it were his own.

Do you see the weight of that? But that is his weight of glory.

So the honor comes to this the man of God is deeper than the externals, that he no doubt deserves, and that no doubt you should provide. But please don’t miss this reality.

You should provide for this man as you do. He is worthy of double honor

You should pray for this man because he’s on the front line for battle, not just against the kingdom of darkness, and against the battles of his own walk with the Lord but he’s on the front line, battling for you praying for you ministering to you airing for you pouring out all that he takes in for you.

But with all of that, let me tell you an inside reality of this man’s joy: it is when you act like you know the weight of your mask and when you engage in the weight of your mission. That is his joy, because that is his calling.

The greatest gift that you can give him is to be a people that understand the weight of your master, and to be a people that understand the weight of your mission.

THE WEIGHT OF GLORY AND THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH

I. Never Trivialize the Weight of Glory OnYour Messenger