Don’t Lose Heart

Introduction

Ever since the pandemic of 2020 (remember that?), the idea of resilience has grown in popularity, being used to describe businesses, culture, the economy, as well as one’s physical and emotional health.

Resilience

the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.

the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity.

In general, the ability to deal with difficulty - to not lose heart.

2 Corinthians 4:16 “16 So we do not lose heart.

Ever “lose heart?”

After week one March Madness bracket

resilience = not losing heart.

In Galatians this word is translated as “growing weary.”

Paul will tell the Corinthians all that he has been through - beatings, abandonment, illness, rejection, and more.

Yet he says he doesn’t lose heart. Why?

“So” - logical inference of what came before.

Why?

Because of the gospel.

Paul says the gospel is a treasure:

2 Corinthians 4:7 “7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay

Jars of clay - not metal, glass -

ILLUST - What if I told you this baseball card is worth $5,000? I’d be lying. But it would change your perspective of this piece of paper.

It would suddenly have value to your life.

The gospel is this:

Jesus taking my place so I can live in his presence.

It is not just a story on a piece of paper - it is LIFE! And it affects your life.

Treasure is the gospel. The heart of the gospel is the resurrection.

Without the resurrection, the gospel would not be Good News about a risen Savior, it would be instead old news about an ancient dead guy.

if the resurrection did not happen, then it does nothing for me

Proof of the Resurrection

Jesus really lived

No one argues that a man named Jesus of Nazareth lived in 1st Century Palestine whom many saw as a miracle-worker.

2. Jesus really died

No one argues that this man died at the hands of the Romans and that some claimed him to be God

(It’s not as though the ancients did not understand science. The reason Joseph was worried when he learned of Mary’s pregnancy was not because he did not know where babies came from but because he did. )

3. The tomb is empty

Virtually no one will argue the fact that there is no body in the tomb

If there had been a physical body they would have produced it at Pentecost when Peter was preaching Jesus rising from the dead

4. Something happened

Many eyewitnesses

Early claims of resurrection

Conversion of skeptics

Bible claims there were eyewitnesses to the risen Jesus at a time when it could have been refuted

Jesus appeared to hundreds of people at one time

The lives of Jesus’ followers were transformed to the point of being willing to die for the fact that Jesus rose from the dead.

All the apostles maintained that Jesus rose from the dead - even when they had nothing to gain and everything to lose

The resurrection message was taught very early. This is way too early for legends and myths to develop

The conversion of skeptics such as Paul and James the brother of Jesus give evidence that what changed their mind was actually true.

“Your brother is the son of god.” What’s your reaction? Yeah right!

Remember, EVERY disciple was a skeptic to start.

YOU MUST RECEIVE THE GOSPEL!

Seeing someone else own a valuable baseball card does nothing for my own life. Receiving a valuable baseball card from someone right after the service - does!

*Paul’s life changed when he met the risen Christ. He recognized the resurrection was real!

Have you met the risen Christ?

2 Corinthians 4:7 “7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” if the resurrection does not do anything for my life today, it is pointless

The Resurrection Gives Power to Endure Hardship

Surpassing power = hyperbole

This power strengthens us helps us to endure the things in this life that would, could, and should cause us to lose heart:

affliction, perplexing, persecution, being struck

But, because of the gospel and the resurrection:

2 Corinthians 4:8–9 “8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;”

ILLUST - paper cup

Someone once described this as:

Squeezed but not squashed

Bewildered but not befuddled

Pursued but not abandoned

• Knocked down but not knocked out

Though things may be tough, they are never final - because the resurrection!

This power is inside us!

No matter how fragile we may seem (clay pots) we have the power to endure!

In other words, because of the reality of the resurrection, there is nothing you CANNOT endure!

The Resurrection Gives the Promise of Eternal Life

You will die. I will die. Everyone knows it. Everyone wrestles with what comes after death?

2 Corinthians 4:13–14 “13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.”

Romans 6:8–10 ESV

8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.

John 11:25–26 ESV

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

This means, if you have confessed and repented of your sin and trusted in Jesus for salvation, you will have eternal life - guaranteed.

Revelation 21:4 ESV

4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

THERE IS NO LONGER ANY FEAR IN DEATH!

Jesus as firstfruits

What keeps us from living forever in God’s presence? Our sin. Jesus paid for our sin on the cross.

When we receive his salvation, we receive all the benefits as well.

If you had nothing in this life but the promise of eternal life,

Gene Lee - “Well, that’s not a bad option, either.”

The Resurrection Gives a Perspective for Everyday

2 Corinthians 4:16 “16 So we do not lose heart.

Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.”

I’m getting older. I do not like that fact, and I will deny it every time my ankles click when I play soccer, every time my kids point out the gray in my beard, and every time the doctor tells me which medical tests my age now qualifies me for.

Even as our physical bodies grow weaker, our spirit can grow stronger as our perspective shifts away from what we thought might strengthen and sustain us toward what is the only power that can truly strengthen and sustain us.

With the promise of heaven, there is no earthly fear of:

Getting older

illness

world events

problems

2 Corinthians 4:17–18 “17 For this light momentary affliction

not light by feeling but light by comparison

Paul’s affliction that he calls “light” he will later recount as beatings, rejection, abandonment.

is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

2 Corinthians (5) The Resurrection Hope (4:16–5:10)

The incredible, eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison outweighs any earthly afflictions and makes them look like a tiny storm in a teacup

The problems of this life feel heavier than they are when we use the wrong scale. Earthly scale = heavy but heavenly scale = light

ILLUST - I only weigh 30lbs. . . on the moon.

by this logic, I can eat anything I want!

Romans 8:18 ESV

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

Draw a line - make a list of the things that are transient (of this earth) one one side and things eternal on the other.

TRANSIENT:

Health struggles, illness, physical pain

Stress, anxiety, emotional lows

Financial pressure, job instability

Success, promotions, achievements

Failure, embarrassment, regret

Reputation—what people think or say about you

Possessions: homes, cars, technology, money

Busy schedules and daily demands

Conflict, misunderstandings, broken relationships

Seasons of life (raising kids, career peaks, transitions)

Cultural trends, political climates, headlines

Even our physical bodies as they are now

These things are real, they are important, they may be heavy, but they are not ultimate. They will not last forever.

ETERNAL:

Your relationship with Christ.

God’s presence with us

The love of God in Christ

Our identity as children of God

Salvation and the promise of resurrection

The Kingdom of God

Faith, hope, and love (especially love)

The Word of God

The work God is doing in us (character, transformation)

Eternal life

The souls of people

ILLUST - A business man going on vacation with his family to the beach only to spend the entire week building a giant sandcastle. At the end of their time, the tide will come in and all that was built will be lost,

What are you spending your time building? Will it wash away when this life is over? Or will it last?

Time spent on Jesus, people, and bringing people to Jesus is what will last.

What if we put each day in perspective of eternity?

ILLUST - Life timeline on a string. Perspective of eternity changes the size of our problems (and accomplishments).

“Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine, and ten thousand beside.”

Remember the forever.

Conclusion

Looking at your life right now, what are some “transient” things that have been feeling ultimate to you?

What is one “eternal” reality you need to focus on more this week?

How would your daily decisions change if you truly viewed life through the lens of eternity?

What is one practical way you can invest more in what lasts (Jesus, people, spiritual growth)?

When hardship comes this week, how can you remind yourself of the resurrection and not “lose heart”?

Who is one person you could encourage with the hope of the resurrection?