Away from Home

Introduction:

About Me:

Pastor of GC—OVERLOOK/SHAMOKIN...

HUSBAND—FATHER (2 GIRLS)

------------------------------------

------------------------------------

II. Opening Prayer

------------------------------------

------------------------------------

III. Songs (x3)

Song List (F):

There is Power in the Blood (p. 15)

There is a Fountain (p. 40)

I Need Thee Every Hour (p. 55)

------------------------------------

------------------------------------

IV. Message: Away from Home

I. Introduction—Faith: Not the Opposite of Fear, But the Opposite of Sight

We often hear faith and fear are opposites.

TRULY THEY ARE—

Psalm 3:3: "But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head."

DAVID’S FAITH ENCOURAGED HIM DURING FEARFUL TIMES...

-----------

SCRIPTURE—FAITH = FREQUENTLY CONTRASTED W/ SIGHT!

Illustration: DON’T NEED FAITH for WHAT WE SEE

CHAIRS

LIGHTS

TABLES

ETC

------------------------------------------------------------

Defining Faith:

Hebrews 11:1: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

FAITH = ASSURANCE/CONVICTION of WHAT ISN’T SEEN....

************

Transition: APOSTLE PAUL—SHARES SIMILAR THOUGHT in 2 CORINTHIANS 5…1-10

I’D LIKE to READ THIS PASSAGE TO YOU TODAY...

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢 --- 12 minutes left---🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

II. Passage Reading:

2 Corinthians 5:1–10 (ESV)

1 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling,

3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked.

4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,

7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.

8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢 --- 10 minutes left---🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

III. Passage Exposition: Our Earthly "Tent" vs. Our Heavenly "Home"

Context: PAUL RECOUNTS (CH. 4) ABOUT TRIALS/PROBLEMS of APOSTLES

**APOSTLESHIP DIDN’T RESULT in PERFECT LIFE—BUT SUFFERING**

👀 Takeaway: PAUL FOCUSED on ETERNITY— TO AVOID DISCOURAGEMENT!

--------------------------------------------

✨Beautiful Contrast (v1)✨

EARTHLY BODY = TENT

but HAVE HOPE FOR:

A building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens

-----------

Background: PAUL = TENTMAKER

USUALLY THINK: PAUL the APOSTLE… NOT “PAUL the TENTMAKER!”

Background: TENTS = COMMON in CORINTH...

SEAFARERS,, WHILE SHIPS in HARBOR

TRAVELERS/VISITORS

Main Point: TENTS AREN’T PERMANENT HOMES! —TEMPORARY!

************************************

⭐ Connection: DID ANY of YOU CAMP/TAKE FAMILY CAMPING WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER? ⭐

P. Illustration: HAVE NICE CAMPER NOW...

Story: BAD TENT EXPERIENCE—CAPE HENLOPEN,, WILD STORMS W/ BABY in TENT!

“WHAT SORT of DAD..???”

🦌 && WIFE DOESN’T LIKE ANIMALS 🦌 🦌

JUST SAW BEAR

RACCOON in OUR CAR

NOW WE HAVE a CAMPER...

-----------

👉 TENT-CAMPING— YOU KNOW IT’S NOT HOME.

NO A.C./HEAT

NO NICE BED/COUCH

NO FRIDGE/PANTRY

--------------------------------------------

Analogy: OUR EARTHLY LIFE = CAMPING TRIP,, AWAY from HOME! 💡

Connection: SOMETIMES CAMPING TRIP = NOT SO NICE...

LIFE = FILLED W/ STORMS, PROBLEMS, HEARTBREAKS…

Encouragement: BELIEVER’S TRUE HOME in HEAVEN! —

— JESUS PREPARED a PLACE FOR US!

--------------------------------------------

Conclusion: PAUL = of GREAT COURAGE...

🤯🤯Shocking Reality: PAUL FACED MAJOR HARDSHIPS! 🤯🤯

SHIPWRECKED & ADRIFT...

BEATEN

WHIPPED

STONED & LEFT for DEAD

PAUL WAS REGULARLY KNOCKING on DEATH’S DOOR—YET HE WAS HOPEFUL...

💥HE KEPT HIS EYES on HEAVEN—WALKING BY FAITH!

--------------------------------------------

Relatable: WHAT WE SEE = DISCOURAGING

HEAVENLY REALITY = STILL REAL & COMING!!💡

************

Transition: WHILE WE’RE CAMPING HERE on EARTH—

— KEEPING OUR EYES on HEAVENLY HOME BRINGS 2 RESULTS…

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢 --- 3 minutes left---🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

III. Application—The Results of Walking by Faith (2 Corinthians 5:6-9)

👣FIRST,, WE SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED 👣

PAUL = ENCOURAGED DESPITE MAJOR TRIALS!

HOPE of ETERNAL LIFE—ALL WHO BELIEVE

NEW HEAVENS & EARTH

TEARS WIPED AWAY!

👣2ND—BE CHALLENGED,, LIVE GOD-PLEASING LIFE 👣

2 Corinthians 5:9 (ESV)

9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.

Reason: ALL APPEAR BEFORE JUDGMENT SEAT! (V10)

--------------------------------------------

Theological Backing: NOT SAVED BY WORKS—BUT FOR WORKS...💡

Ephesians 2:8–10 (ESV)

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

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

NOT BY WORKS— BUT FOR GOOD WORKS THAT GOD HAS PREPARED!

CONSIDERING DAY WE STAND B4 HIM—OUGHT to AFFECT HOW WE LIVE TODAY.

************************************

************************************

IV. Conclusion—Look Up!

👀👀Keep your EYES FIXED on eternity BY FAITH & HEAVENLY HOME...👀👀

Be encouraged by the promise of our heavenly home.

Be challenged to live for God's glory today.

-----------

We WALK by faith,

knowing ETERNITY is REAL...

and WE WILL BE W/ JESUS

when our EARTHLY TENT EXPIRES

& CAMPING TRIP COMES to an END…

------------------------------------

V. Closing Prayer

------------------------------------

------------------------------------

VI. Closing Song:

Amazing Grace (D/Capo 2) (p. 14)

------------------------------------

------------------------------------

VII. Prayer Requests/Closing Prayer/Dismissal