Our Aim

2 Corinthians 5:1 CSB

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

INTRO—

[Turn to 2 Corinthians 5]

Today…I invite all of you to go camping with me! [Y’all know I/WE like camping. I mean I’m a Boy Scout ((Eagle)), I’m supposed to like camping!]

And by going camping I typically don’t mean a fifth-wheel or bumber-pull trailer nor an RV…I mean get your TENT and we’ll go find a campsite and set up [now, in my family and old age camping that means a 10’ x 18’/20’ and not a two-person backpacking tent].

IT IS FUN. I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD TRY IT!

BUT…today, I invite you to focus on a different type of camping (‘eternal-perspective camping’). For context we look back just a few verses prior to 2 Corinthians 5, in 5.1 we read—2 Cor 5.1 — “For…”

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 “Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

A definite challenge to living lives worthy of “WELL DONE.”

An eternal perspective helps us to better grasp the challenge(s) of life that lies before us every day…

We’re Just Camping (2 Corinthians 5.1-5)

“Our earthly tent we live in.”

“Is destroyed.” [We’ve had a tent broken/destroyed…]

“A building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens, not made with hands.”

“We groan in this tent.” [My life & camping…I wasn’t enthused about it as a pre-Boy Scout child...!; then our kids…etc.]

“Because we do not want to be unclothed but clothed.”

2 Corinthians 5:5 “Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment.”

We’re just camping, but we long for our home. [ETERNAl PERSPECTIVE!!]

Camping with a Purpose (2 Corinthians 5.6-9)

“So we are always confident.”

“At home in the body we are away from the Lord.”

“We walk by faith, not by sight.” [Petra; Jeremy Camp]

We’d prefer…away from the body (tent) and at home with the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:9 “Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to him.”

“Therefore, whether we are at home or away.” [Ties in with v. 10…the return of Jesus, the judgment seat]

At home = in the body; during our time on Earth

Away = with the Lord; not diminished through eternity; confirmed by the judgment seat of Christ

[In other words…that what we do in this life to please our Lord will never be lessened throughout eternity in heaven]

“We make it our aim.”

Aim = aspiration; ambition; to act from love of honor; goal (including recognition)

“To be pleasing to him” [= hearing, “Well done…”]

Pleasing = delight; ‘well-pleasing’; fully-pleasing; pleasing loyalty; to honor; ((accepted … KJV))

**MY ANNOUNCEMENT: Bi-/Co-/Multi-Vocational Ministry…starting training on other job, Dec. 01.

It is along these lines of our aim for our lives to be pleasing to God that I have an update for you, my church family, as your Pastor — With the financial challenges we face as a church, which our leadership has certainly been working through…and, alongside my wife, my need to take care of our responsibilities at home, I am adjusting, with the full understanding of our church leaders, my life to what is described as Bi-Vocational (or Co-Vocational; Multi-Vocational) Ministry. I prefer the term Co-Vocational—because Bi-Vocational too often carries the assumption of “part-time,” and that is certainly not the mindset I carry in my ministry…and this change WILL NOT change that mindset for me.

Let me just briefly say that this other job helps to address our needed church financial adjustments and my ability to take care of financial responsibilities at home going forward—like, full medical benefits come with this job (a help to the church and our personal budget). The full picture of what this will look like is still being worked out by our church leadership and will be brought forth in our upcoming proposed 2026 budget.

So, I share this with you all today because the company, which is Forrest T. Jones, at which this other job opportunity has—just within the last week-and-a-half—stated that the training for this job will need to begin December 1. If that is a ‘like wow’ moment for you…the timing of this is the same for me, too.

Now, I understand that this transition does change certain aspects of how I will be able to ‘do’ my ministry, but let me first assure you all of what it does not change—my overseeing (administrating) responsibilities do not change. Ministry team meetings have most often (always) been on week nights, etc., to accommodate everyone’s work schedules. My shepherding responsibilities do not change. I am still available to contact 24/7/365, especially with this helpful device (phone).

What does change—on the ‘week days’ is the immediacy of my response. When you call or text me during the other workday [which is Monday - Friday], I promise I will return your message as soon as I can…I will be by to visit in the hospital or at home as soon as I can. Also, just for info, I’ll be spending some late afternoons, early evenings in my office here for sermon study work, etc.

I know this is uncharted waters in the life of our church—we have not had co-vocational lead pastoral ministry (though we have and continue to have such in our other minister positions) before now. It is a learning place for all of us…including our church leadership…including me. This is hard, I understand. This ‘new normal’ is the best way I have been able to come up with to attempt a change—which is what I am asking, calling for us all to do… for ALL OF US to look for and see the opportunities which lie before us as we ‘try out’ this change over the next year.

I love you all, my church family, and am looking forward to what our Lord has in store for us as we continue forth following him day-by-day. [If you have questions for me, please come ask…]

CONCL—

Now…day by day for each of us…we need to adopt/prioritize this mindset we see in 2 Corinthians 5.9…

2 Corinthians 5:9 “Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to him.”

…Our aim—ALWAYS!

WELL DONE!

Faithfulness, Courage, Perseverance, Faith, Obedience, Devotion, Forgiveness, Hope, Evangelistic, Prophetic, Serving, Understanding, Growth

INVITATION:

Salvation

Aim — Pleasing to God

2 Corinthians 5:15 CSB

And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised.