Sorrowful Yet Always Rejoicing

Hase, Michael

Sermon • Submitted 6 months ago • Presented 6 months ago

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[OPENING PRAYER ]

INTRODUCTION

How do we respond to suffering? Image: Suffering around the world, and the day-to-day personal sorrows.

How do we comfort others or even find comfort for ourselves?

How does God instruct us to approach different sufferings and sorrows? We’ll continue working through Paul’s writings in 2 Corinthians for guidance.

Lets first take a moment to feel what is happening in the world around us. All over the news we see war, death, sickness, depression, anxiety. There is a real pain and suffering our world is experiencing. And on a personal level we also feel pain and sorrow. This past year has been hard for me with two of my best friends losing their Fathers. One being my fiancé who’s father passed from cancer. Another being my close friend from college who’s father passed unexpectedly from an accident. 2) Need: The attitude that Christian’s will live an easier life and feel happy all of the time is not true. Like most people, Christians suffer too, if not worse. The difference though is how we respond to suffering. 3) Subject: How do we respond to suffering? How can we still rejoice when we are sorrowful? 4) Text: Turn with me to 2 Corinthians 6. 2 Corinthians 6:1-13. 5) Preview: As we explore this passage think about 2 things 1) types of suffering you see. And 2) what is Paul’s instruction to the church of Corinth?

2 Corinthians 6:1-13

2 Corinthians 6:1–2 ESV

Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

2 Corinthians 6:3–5 ESV

We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger;

2 Corinthians 6:6–7 ESV

by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;

2 Corinthians 6:8–10 ESV

through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

2 Corinthians 6:11–13 ESV

We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.

This passage lists out the many sufferings Christians are facing. And closes with how they can be comforted: by widening their hearts. By opening up to God and letting Him in.

Today we will explore how we can open our hearts in response to God’s deep love. And let that deep love comfort us in our suffering.

Suffering comes from broken relationships with God and other people. We disobey God, spit on his name. Family members don’t talk to us for years. We get into verbal fights with our boss or with our spouse.

Sin, disobeying God’s commandments, has hurt our relation with Him. Sin has separated us from our heavenly Father.

***Next slide

BODY

Last week in 2 Corinthians 5 we learned that God has called us to a ministry of reconciliation. We learned that we are ambassadors for Christ. An ambassador makes the case for the one who sent him. We read that Christ is the one who sent us. You and I are an ambassador for Christ. Now it’s time to make our case! Our case to present Christ’s love to a broken, hurting world.

2 Corinthians 5:18–20 ESV

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

A. JESUS CHRIST HAS RECONCILED US TO GOD.

(5:18-19) To be reconciled is to be reunited. Forgiveness can lead to restored fellowship. Sin separated us from God. Through Christ we are forgiven and reconciled, reunited with God.

1. By His Death on the cross, the Lord Jesus became our Savior, the sacrifice for our sin, our disobedience.

2. By His Resurrection from the dead, the Lord Jesus defeated death and gives to all who trust in Him eternal life.

Now I wonder if this eternal life comforts us in today’s sufferings and sorrows

Returning back to our passage, turn to beginning of 2 Corinthians 6:1-2

2 Corinthians 6:1–2 ESV

God reveals the urgency of our calling to be ambassadors for Christ. Are you up for the job?

And He gives us Paul’s life as an example to follow.

II. Let’s take a look at Paul’s resume (3-10). First, he describes the sufferings he endures for Christ 2 Corinthians 6:3-5:

2 Corinthians 6:3–5 ESV

Man, that’s quite the cover letter. You still up for the job?

Second, Paul describes the character he tries to show 2 Corinthians 6:6–7:

2 Corinthians 6:6–7 ESV

by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;

Ok, Ok I think I like this Job

And third, Paul describes the paradoxes of the Christian life 2 Corinthians 6:8–10:

2 Corinthians 6:8–10 ESV

This was Paul’s resume of suffering for the cause of Christ. His resume for his beloved church. Parents often suffer for their children and desire to comfort them when they cry. Paul shares this similar desire for his beloved.

2 Corinthians 6:11–13 ESV

Open up to God and let Him in.

III. WIDEN YOUR HEARTS ALSO (13)

But How do we do this? How do we widen our hearts?

Let’s look at three more of Paul’s writings to paint a bigger picture and see how we open up to God.

1) Earlier in the same letter Paul writes in Second Corinthians 3:18

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

So, what do we do? We look to Jesus. We look to Jesus.

2) And if you ask, “Where and how does that happen?” Paul says, secondly, Romans 10:17:

Romans 10:17 ESV

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

So, faith is tender trust, not rebellious nor disobedient, and faith comes by hearing.

So again I ask how do we look to Jesus? Well how do people look? With their eyes, yes.

But friends we are looking to Jesus with our ears. We look with our ears. We can be comforted by His words. We can choose to read and hear God’s Word to be comforted.

3) And that requires, trust. Paul writes in Galatians 2:20:

Galatians 2:20 ESV

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

So, what comes alive when the old, closed off heart is crucified and then opened up, widened. what comes alive is the new, tender heart of trust and faith.

“I live by faith.” I hear you God. I see you Jesus.

Now with hearts wide open, gazing at Jesus who brutally suffered and died, all because He loves you, He loves me.

As we now suffer alongside Him, what do we rejoice in?

We rejoice in Jesus rising from that grave! We rejoice in being adopted in God’s family and getting to live with Him for all of eternity- without suffering, without pain, without sorrow

Paul’s good friend Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1 to rejoice in this:

1 Peter 1:3–6 (ESV)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials

It’s good to be sorrowful. Jesus is the Man of Sorrows. He experienced every sorrow to its fullest on the cross. And on that cross Jesus experienced joy to its fullest. Joy in knowing He can now spend eternity with us.

***Next Slide

In Summary:

Go Write Your Resume: Reflect on the sufferings you have endured. Reflect on How God was there, right beside you in each moment- now matter how big or small.

Then Widen your Heart: Open up your heart to God and let him in. Look to Jesus with your ears. Hear His Words and learn about who He is and why you can trust in His love for you.

When suffering comes, and sorrow fills your heart. Lean on to the One who sent you, Lean on Jesus. Look and cry out to Him. The perfect friend who empathizes with our suffering and connects to our sorrow.

And Lastly, rejoice in Jesus, our perfect friend. Our Lord and Savior. Rejoice in your eternity with Him, because it’s kept in Heaven just for you. 2. Image: Crying is often seen as an ugly image. And there was a lot of crying at both memorial services held for each of my dear friend’s fathers. But they were the most beautiful ceremonies I have ever attended. Both Fathers knew Christ, and both families were singing and worshipping Jesus in their tearful sorrow. Because both families know they get to sing a new song with the Risen Christ and get to rejoice with their Fathers for all eternity. Crying is a beautiful image, because its in those moments we get to connect deepest with Jesus.