Your Repentance, Our Comfort
Notes
Transcript
Illustration:
When I was in construction, I remember a scenario where I was told to where a vest in the job I was doing. What I noticed was that I was the only one wearing this vest, nobody else was. So I decided that I wasn’t going to wear this vest. Well, I was called to the superintendents office and given a warning about my behavior, and if I kept refusing to wear the vest, I could be terminated. I was furious and irate. I called my union rep to have a meeting, I wrote a strongly worded letter about how they were singling me out, and I made a scene about what they were doing. I was so mad and angry… but the reality was, I just needed to wear the stupid vest. Instead of having a godly sorrow, I had a worldly sorrow, and it made my time miserable on that jobsite. Today, we get to see the difference from these two sorrows, and how the one is far superior and actually fruitful
Affection for Us, Not the World (V.1-3)
V.1
O: Therefore, having these promises, beloved,
I: Because of the promises, to be called out from the world, the promise to be His children and He will be our God
O: Let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and Spirit
I: We need to purge ourselves of things both in the body and in the spirit that will pull us away from the Lord
A: This is the cry of Leviticus 19:2
2 .’..You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
In fact, Peter says this in 1 Peter 1:13-16
13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,
15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
16 because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
Our old self needs to be purged
Our old habits, our old way of thinking, our old life
13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
O: perfecting holiness in the fear of God
I: We would become experts in setting ourselves apart from the world, from the old self, as we fear the Lord
A: Understand this, holiness without reverence is arrogance.
We seek to be set apart, to be different, but to have a fear of the Lord, so we don’t just turn into pious snobs
V.2
O: Make room for us in your hearts; we wronged no one, we corrupted no one, we took advantage of no one
I: Paul wants them to open themselves up to him, to receive him and those ministering with him, because they have caused no harm or ill intent with them
V.3
O: I do not speak to condemn you, for I have said that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together
I: Paul wasn’t trying to make anyone feel guilty, but rather, as he said before, that they would both suffer into death and live together
A: This is the body of Christ, that we would die together and live together.
The problem the Corinthians had coming out of the world, and embracing their new family, is the same we struggle with too
We are called out of this world, to now become the body of Christ. That means that we die together, we live together.
Think of Matthew 12:46-50
46 While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him.
47 Someone said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You.”
48 But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?”
49 And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers!
50 “For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.”
Come out of the world, cling to this new family in Christ
Paul’s Comfort from God (V.4-7)
V.4
O: Great is my confidence in you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort, I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction.
I: Even though Paul, being in Macedonia, was facing many trials, there was reason for him to have joy in the Corinthians
A: The greatest joy we have in the body of Christ is found when we have invested in one another, when we have come out of the world and start to enjoy the fellowship and communion we have with one another
V.5
O: For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side; conflicts without, fears within.
I: Paul describes their circumstance in Macedonia, which caused them sleepless nights and fear.
A: We will face trials and tribulations.
Jesus says in John 16:33
33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
V.6
O: But God,
I: Even though our circumstances are aweful, painful, and fearful, God has this
O: who comforts the depressed comforted us by the coming of Titus
I: God comforts us when we are down, and used Titus to bring comfort
A: God brings people at just the right time!!
A reminder, God uses us to bring comfort
Visit one another, fellowship with one another, be present with one another
V.7
O: and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more.
I: It wasn’t only Titus’ presence that brought comfort, but that he himself found comfort and encouragement in the Corinthians
A: When Titus came, Paul realized that the Corinthians had a longing for him, and desire to have him come back and be with them.
This had to be encouraging, because the last time Paul saw them didn’t go very well, and he was unsure how they had responded. But Titus was able to bring good, comforting news
Paul’s Comfort from the Corinthians (V.8-12)
V.8
O: For though I caused sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it- for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for awhile
I: Paul knew that what he wrote caused sorrow to the Corinthians, and even though he regretted that he caused them that sorrow, he wasn’t sorry for addressing the issues that needed to be taken care of
A: Remember, when we correct people, it will lead to sorrow
V.9
O: I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; For you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.
I: This sorrow caused the Corinthians to repent, to change course, and this is what the Lord desired, so that there would be no set backs in the ministry Paul had toward them.
A: This is the best result that I can think of for correcting other believers.
One thing we have to understand about sin is what it causes… hard hearts. See Hebrews 3:12-13
12 Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.
13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
When we correct people, understand that they may harden themselves because of the deceitfulness of sin
Things people say who have been deceived:
Don’t judge me
You hypocrite/bigot
You are being too legalistic
You aren’t being very loving
V.10
O: For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death
I: Godly sorrow leads to us repenting and leads to being saved, while worldly sorrow only leads to death/shame/guilt
A: Godly sorrow, leads us to repent
This is what the author of Hebrews talks about in Hebrews 12:11-14
11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
12 Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble,
13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.
14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.
Godly sorrow leads to repentance, to salvation
Worldly sorrow produces death
We get more insight in the same passage of Hebrews 12:15-17
15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;
16 that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.
17 For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.
Esau had a worldly sorrow, a sorrow that produced death… death of his birthright, death of his prominence in the family, death of his relationships
The difference: godly sorrow looks to the Lord and clings to Him and what He says; a worldly sorrow looks at oneself and makes themself the victim of the situation.
V.11
O: For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow has produced in you;
I: Paul sees the clear benefits of their sorrow, that it has made them eager, made them diligent in these certain things
O: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong!! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter
I: You have cleared yourselves, you have been obedient and want to do what is right. And in doing so, you have shown yourself to be clear of any wrong doing in this case
A: This is what godly repentance brings, the desire to do what is right.
As opposed to worldly sorrow, which makes people dig in, hold fast to their position, question what is right, and allow their sin to harden their hearts.
V.12
O: So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the offender nor for the sake of the one offended, but that your earnestness on our behalf might be made known to you in the sight of God.
I: What I wrote to you wasn’t for those involved, but to see your eagerness and desire to do what is right, your obedience is evident before the Lord
A: We need to understand where we are accountable to… it is to the Lord. So when Paul wrote this, it wasn’t because he felt accountable to the people in the circumstance, but to the Lord. And the fruit he is looking for is the Corinthian church to do things God’s way and obedience to the Lord, not what they wanted or thought best.
Paul’s Reason to Rejoice (V.13-16)
V.13
O: For this reason we have been comforted
I: Paul took comfort in their response
A: We too should take comfort in people repenting and obeying the Lord
Our natural instinct is to now set up parameters and guardrails to make sure they keep doing the right thing… but like Paul, we need to be comforted and encouraged by other people’s obedience to the Lord
O: and besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for Titus, because his Spirit has been refreshed by you all
I: Paul wasn’t only comforted by what their response was, but also, how they treated Titus
A: A true work of the Lord will not just be something the pastor or elders see, but all in the church can see it too, and be comforted by it all
V.14
O: For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame; but as we spoke things to you in truth so also our boasting before Titus proved to be the truth
I: All the good things about you, you proved me right to Titus
A: Sometimes I can be afraid that people will let me down… but we need to learn to trust the work the Lord is doing and what He is doing in others lives.
What we see is that Paul still spoke well of them, even though he had to correct them. I think of Ephesians 4:29
29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.
Especially as you speak of others
V.15-16
O: His affection abounds all the more toward you as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. (16) I rejoice that in everything I have confidence in you
I: Titus had a high opinion of the Corinthians because the fruit of their repentance was evident, and Paul had confidence because of their response and treatment of Titus
A: When people repent, when people look to be obedient to the Lord, we can take confidence in them. Why?? Because the Lord is working… rejoice in that
Conclusion:
Know this, godly sorrow leads to repentance and salvation, while worldly sorrow produces death. Here is the challenge… are you needing to repent, but your worldly sorrow is holding you back? We need to allow the Lord to correct us and change us, because there is much fruit and wonderful things when we do things His way rather than our.
