Sermon Tone Analysis

! Called to Suffer and Rejoice: For an Eternal Weight of Glory

Listen

----

By John Piper September 6, 1992

 

----

*2 Corinthians 4:7-18*

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke," we also believe, therefore also we speak; knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you.

For all things are for your sakes, that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.

For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Verse 16 expresses something everybody here this morning wants to experience.

Paul says, "We do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day."

There is something here nobody wants and something everybody wants.

Nobody here this morning wants to lose heart.

Nobody came in here saying, "I sure hope we sing some songs and hear a sermon that helps me lose heart.

I really want to be discouraged this morning by what John says."

Not a one of you.

Nobody wants the heart for living knocked out of you.

Neither did Paul.

On the contrary, everybody wants inner renewal day by day.

We all know that feelings of strength and newness and hope and vitality and courage and zest for life last for a little while, and then they tend to drain away.

If we are going to be strong on the inside and have hope and joy and resources to love, we are going to have to be REnewed day by day.

We know that.

Life is not static or unfluctuating.

It is up and down and up.

It is fill and deplete and fill again.

It's renew, expend, renew, and expend and renew.

And everyone of us wants the power of renewal.

Nobody here wants to be left in the valley of depletion and emptiness and discouragement.

If there is a secret to being made strong and hopeful and joyful and loving again and again and again day by day, we're interested.

Which means that there are two words in this text that should get our attention.

The word "therefore" at the beginning of verse 16 and the word "for" at the beginning of verse 17.

Why are they so crucial?

Picture verse 16 at the top of a triangle with two sides supporting it.

So there is our longing supported by these two lines: "We do not lose heart . . .

but our inner person is being renewed day by day."

That's what we all want this morning--to be able to say that and really mean it.

V. 16: We do not lose heart...but are renewed day by day

The word "therefore" at the front of the verse means that Paul has been saying some things that lead him to this experience and support it: "this is true and this is true and this is true" in verses 7-15; "THEREFORE we do not lose heart . . .

THEREFORE we are being renewed day by day."

So the first line of the triangle is the truth of verses 7-15 that leads up to this experience and supports it.

That should get our attention and send us hunting in those verses for what it is.

Maybe it is meant for us too!

Then the word "for" at the beginning of the following verse (v.

17) means that Paul is about to say some things that are the reason for verse 16. "We do not lose heart . . .

and we are renewed day by day" FOR (BECAUSE) this is true and this is true and this is true.

So the second line of the triangle coming down on the other side is the truth of verses 17-18 that support the experience he just described.

So can you see it now?

The experience we long for is sitting there on the point of this triangle with two supporting sides.

Verses 7-15 are true, "THEREFORE we do not lose heart but are renewed day by day."

That's one side.

"We do not lose heart, but are renewed day by day" FOR verses 17-18 are true.

So our aim then is to look at the two sides of this triangle and make the truth that sustained Paul the truth that sustains us.

But first, one brief observation: verse 16 acknowledges that not losing heart and being renewed day by day are happening in the midst of suffering.

"We do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying our inner person is being renewed day by day."

Paul knew that he was dying--and that everybody is dying.

He experienced tremendous suffering, and in it he saw the decay and the wasting away of his earthly life.

There were weaknesses and sicknesses and injuries and hardships and pressures and frustrations and disappointments.

And every one of them cost him a piece of his life.

One way to say it was that "death was at work in him" (cf.

v. 12).

That was the context for saying, "We do not lose heart . . .

we are always being renewed."

So what we are really asking now is not just, "How can I not lose heart in life?" and "How can I be renewed day by day?" but "How can I prepare to suffer without losing heart?" "How can I accept the decaying of my body and the ebbing away of my earthly life and at the same time not lose heart, but find renewed inner strength to go on with joy to the end with acts of love?"

Now we are ready to see Paul's answer to this question.

First in verses 7-15 and then in verses 17-18.

In verses 7-15 there are at least four reasons that lead Paul to say, "THEREFORE we do not lose heart."

And every one of them take into account the decaying of his earthly life.

He never loses sight that he is a dying man and that his life is being spent.

So what he is doing in these verses is to show what is true in spite of and even because his outer nature is decaying and wasting away.

*First, though his outer nature is decaying, yet in and through this suffering God's power and the life of God's Son are being manifested and glorified*.

Verse 7: "WE have this treasure in earthen vessels (that is, decaying, weak, outer persons), that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves."

THEREFORE we do not lose heart . . .

because God's power is exalted in our weakness.

Verse 10: "Always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus (that's another aspect of the decaying of the outer man), that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body."

THEREFORE we do not lose heart . . .

because the life of God's Son is exalted in our daily dying.

Verse 11: "For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh."

THEREFORE we do not lose heart . . .

because the life of God's Son is manifested and glorified in our decaying bodies.

So the first reason Paul doesn't lose heart, as his outer nature decays, is that in his weakness and his daily dying for the sake of others God's power and the life of God's Son are glorified and that's what Paul loves more than anything.

*Second, though his outer nature is decaying, yet in and through this suffering life is flowing from him to the church.

Christians are being strengthened by Paul's being weakened.*

Verse 12: "So death is at work in us, but life in you."

THEREFORE we do not lose heart . . .

because not only is God being glorified, but you, my loved ones, are receiving life and strength and hope.

Verse 15: "For all things are for your sakes, that the grace which is spreading to more and more people (through Paul's suffering for them) may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God." THEREFORE we do not lose heart . . .

because (and notice how verse 15 puts the first two reasons together) in my ministry of suffering grace is spreading to you and glory is going to God.

These are the two great loves of Paul's life: bring grace to others and bringing glory to God--and this verse says they happen in the very same experience.

THEREFORE Paul does not lose heart.

*Third, though his outer nature is decaying, yet in and through this suffering God sustains him and does not let him be overcome.*

Verses 8-9: (Notice in each of these pairs what he is really saying is: Yes, our outer nature is decaying, but, No, we do not lose heart) "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed."

THEREFORE we do not lose heart . . .

because God sustains us and does not let us be overcome."

*Fourth, though his outer nature is decaying, yet he will be raised from the dead with the church and be with Jesus.*

Verse 14: "[We know] that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you."

THEREFORE we do not lose heart . . .

because it's going to be all right.

Not even death can make the story have a bad ending.

I'm going to live again; and I am going to live with you the people I love; and I am going to live with Jesus and share his glory for ever and ever.