2 Cor 4:16-18 Eternal Weight of Glory

Eternal Weight of Glory

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Not often that we share difficulty. In the past, shared societal difficulties have resulted in shared resolve. 9/11, WWII.

Covid 19 has given us a unique experience together.

What is this period of shared struggle producing in us? Appears to be greater unrest and anxiety.

What is producing in us as believers?

Main Idea: Though we experience temporary difficulty and decline, we do not lose heart knowing that Christ is producing for us an eternal weight of glory.

First, a disclaimer...

Outer self(literally humanity) and inner self...still one self. Describing the outer self that is temporary and inner self or soul. Material and immaterial.

Not dualism. i.e. Body is bad and soul is good.

Physical body is temporary and the soul is eternal. (Ch. 5 will explain further)

First, consider the temporary.

Followers of Christ experience temporary difficulty and decline.

our outer self is wasting away

“wasting away”

banana

2 Corinthians 5:2 ESV

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

Recognition that the tent is temporary and will wear out.

light momentary affliction distress, oppressive state of physical, mental, social, or economic adversity

2 Cor 1:4, 6, 8; 2:4; 4:8

Hard…Is hard bad?

Can hard be worked for good in our lives? Yes!

Though we experience temporary difficulty and decline, we do not lose heart knowing that Christ is producing for us an eternal weight of glory.

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

repeats the phrase from where he began… “we do not lose heart” despair, become exhausted, utterly spiritless. spiritual weariness

we do not lose heart ...though it is obvious to us that our outer self is wasting away...

Is it obvious to you?

though it is obvious to us that our outer self is wasting away...

our inner self is being renewed day by day.

renewed (present passive) becoming new, improved, restored.

Illus: 65 mustang restored like a brand new car…will fade again

Our new self is not being put back to the 18 year old you…something better

We are becoming more like Christ…Day by day. Not once in a while

Colossians 3:10 ESV

10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

we are doing so as we live in the midst of real life...

17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

Comparison: “affliction” distress…(see above) and “glory” state of high honor

“light”-insignificant; “momentary” lasting for a brief time

“eternal” without end; “weight” tremendous, significant.

“beyond all comparison” literally hyperbole to hyperbole, extraordinary degree to extraordinary degree.

Guthrie translation...17 For our momentary, light bundle of affliction produces for us--in a way both breathtaking and immeasurable--an eternal tonnage of glory. (Guthrie 269)

Present suffering and affliction is thus not vain and pointless. To the contrary, in God’s hand it works an “eternal weight of glory” beyond all measure. The thought parallels that of Rom 8:18... (Seifrid 218)

Romans 8:15–18 ESV

15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. 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.

As the children of God, through Christ, we cry to Him by the Spirit in the midst of our affliction and he produces in us glory that is incomparable.

How does He do this?

18 as we look(present active) 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.

looking and seeing returns to the language of Ch. 3. Seeing through the eyes of faith. We look to see the things that are unseen.

We shift our focus from what is right in front of us and we turn our eyes upon Christ and his eternal Word.

We turn them from what is transient(temporary, not permanent) to what is unseen at this time and eternal.

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

College professor making fun of mountain people for singing about heaven. 2 underlying assumptions…1. people need a way to escape their hardships. 2. Heaven is not real.

HIs point was to live in reality…whose reality?

So What?

Am I focused on the things that I can see or the things that are not yet seen?

Preaching this sermon on June 21, 2020 in the midst of a pandemic and world shut down, slow down.

I am convinced that much of what we are witnessing in the world is an obsession with the outer self. I do not believe the world would have responded this way 50 years ago. They did not. Between 1968 and 1970, the Hong Kong flu killed(worldwide) between an estimated 1 and 4 million, according to the CDC, with US deaths exceeding 100,000. (Note:Some schools shut down because too many teachers were sick.) Astronaut Frank Borman become sick on Apollo 8. The pandemic was hardly discussed in the media.

Not a sermon on how to handle a pandemic. I am preacher not a scientist or politician. I simply mention these things for perspective...

Staying healthy and free from sickness has become the goal of the country. I am not belittling health in anyway. I am asking something deeper.

How about relationships? (MC assignment is to write on what the pandemic will mean for the social well being later in life of children, particularly infants and toddlers with little human interaction during this crucial season?

How about your mind and emotions? Why are people do afraid and anxious? Why are people do angry and depressed? Why is hardly anyone talking about what is happening inside of people instead of only their outside?

How about your soul? Are you taking care of your soul in the midst of all this?

Are you looking to Christ? Are you gazing into his Word?

Do you long to be with his people?

Philippians 3:20–4:1 ESV

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. 1 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

We keep from losing heart by looking to Christ and longing for the eternal.

C.S. Lewis, “whatever is not eternal is eternally out of date.” (Hughes 101)

Prayer

Offering/Sending

END