Unshakable Faith

Introducing our theme 2 Corinthians 5:1-7

background. Paul wrote 2 corinthians,

How many of you guys have ever been camping before. Man camping is fun right? I hate Camping. Now I know what your thinking, Josh maybe you haven’t camped like I have. Now, I am talking about camping, not glamping. Some of you guys are like yes i love renting out the cabin for the holidays, I am not talking about that. But camping. Listen, My senior year of high school I went to go camp with my friends back then, and I was excited as the day is long. My parents are letting me out the house, I am going camping, this will be great. It wasnt yall. It was cold, we had to get our own firewood, it was cold, we had to cook our own hotdogs, and it was cold. And then on top of that. My friends brought, case of beer. Talking about feeling uncomfortable, knowing that I was going to be in for a long night. And it was the night was long, my friends got drunk, I was upset. and All I could think about was going home, I remember thinking, I cant wait to get out of these clothes, I cant wait to get some home cooking, I cant wait to take a shower. because I had enough. And when I come home I know that I know my mom and dad are gunna be there waiting on me, to this day I cant wait to see them sometimes and they cant wait to see me. When I walk through the doors Joooooooossssshhhh, its exciting. Look I also know because I am child of God that the father has prepared something for me when I come home to him. Do you know him closely to know that. If you were to walk into a the house of the Lord are you excited to be there? Do you think that God will look at you and say job well done, you have been living for me, you are mine.

We are going to read about our theme verse today and were gunna talk about the theme of unshakable faith

New Living Translation (Chapter 5)

New Bodies

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.

6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 7 For we live by believing and not by seeing.

My first point that I want to raise to your attention is that we are God’s creation.

Gosh yall in the beginning God created man and woman. And that doesn't mean that you are just this average Joe. But you are valuable. You are made in the image of the one who created everything.

Genesis 1:26-27 says this Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Colossians 1:16

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

Ephesians 2:10

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

WE ARE CREATED FOR GOD

We ARE CREATED TO DO GOOD FOR HIM

If we believe in him and believe that he sent his son to die and defeat death. Not only do we have eternal life but we have great implications of our inheritances because of our relationship with him. But is he your hope. Is christ who you live for. Is God your hope. Because this the things in this world fail us yall.

Is God your hope: 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life

The bodies that we have are flesh seeking bodies. We want what we feel is best for us. And only that. If you get stressed out, instead of turning to the hope of God you turn to your hope in Porn, When you feel depressed instead of turning to the hope of God you turn to your hope in Instagram. When angry instead of turining to the hope of God you turn to the hope of Gossip. You think about how you react when things go bad, think about how you react with things go good. You still don’t put give him thanks,

I can remember being in high school and being like, I dont ever want to die. Being in college and hearing people talk about heaven, but I can remember thinking what if I dont get to experience things on earth first. Like family, like marriage, Like the hogs winning, I wanna see those things come to fruition. And im not saying that its not ok to want to do things while you here, but because of the hope that we have if we believe in christ, shouldt make want to live for him instead of myself.

If I am to have unshakable faith. My hope must be in Him. You understand what I am saying, because I dont think we do this. I think we like to do it sometimes. If youre hope is in other things, this verse is disappointing to you. You wanna know what you are putting your hope in. Think about things you are afraid of giving up. And Some of us are like, Ok if Jesus is here right now physically Id give up everything, it doesnt matter what. No he is here right now he is there when youre at school, he is there when you are at church so why don’t you give up the hope that you are hanging onto and place your hope fully in him.

The implications of following him placing your hope fully in him, are far more better than putting your hope in something else. If you believe in Christ you are in heir of God

Being an heir of God means this you have been made a partaker of the promise of God in Christ, which has qualified you for adoption into God's family and a rightful and authoritative owner of everything that belongs to God.

My grandad was a farmer and he worked hard to make a living and sometimes growing up I would get the opportunity to go out and stay with him, and he would ask me. Do you want to get up and go out with me to the field, and I would say no. Gosh I was such a sissy kid. But before he passed away he left all of the land to his children. And when the land is farmed. All 13 children get to go out and eat to celebrate the work of my grandpa and grandma. And when theyre gone, it will be me. And What did I do to deserve this inheritance, well absolutely nothing, matter of fact I did not want to work for it, but yet I will inherit it.

With God, He has sent to his son to die for you, and defeat death so that maybe you can choose to inherit what he has for us. And that is eternal life. And you can inherit the kingdom, you can inherit and if you believe in JEsus. He calls us heirs.

1 peter 1:4 says

To an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,

Romans 8:16-17

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

In these last verses: 2 Corinthians chapter 5 6-7

God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. 6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord

So what makes our faith Unshakable. The spirit of God is alive in you it dwells in you and it is powerful and to have that spirit. To have that unshakable faith you have to believe in Christ and that God sent his son to die for you and me

Spirit dwells in us Romans 8:9 says, You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

And that leads me to this. To have unshackable faith, to have faith thats firm you have to be a child of God. Unshakable faith is not the faith that we put in our school grades, it is not the faith that we put in ourselves it simply starts with the faith we put in christ.

Maybe you are here tonight, and you have not put your faith in Christ Jesus, I don’t make any mistake about it, do not leave here unsure weather or not you know who christ is if you do not know him as your lord and savior, dont leave here without knowing where you stand. I am just gunna be honest its ok to say I have questions about Jesus, Its ok to say I do not know but I want to.

Or some of you may be here you have gotten caught up in the game, I go to church, ive done all the things, my parents believe, my friends believe so I believe because they do, no no Believe in him for your self, I would hate to see my friends have there share of inheritance while I thought that I did, but I didnt have it for myself.

OR maybe you know who christ is in youve gotten caught up in sin, listen Im gunna address that tomorrow but tonight you can ask God for forgiveness right now.

Lets eliminate all fear. Maybe you are here and you are an adult leader, and you know the basics of christ for yourself but you don’t know him for yourself.

I just want to flash some verses on the screen for you.

Romans 6:23

The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 10:9

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

John 14:6

Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation.

philipians 2:12

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."