Earthly Suffering, Eternal Glory

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:13-18
May 7, 2023

Corinthians 4:13-18: So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Sermon Outline

1. Christians have real troubles in this life

2. Christians are renewed by their faith

• David's faith in the Old Testament

• Paul's faith in the New Testament

3. Renewing faith is faith that our troubles will be replaced by resurrection glory

• The basic teaching

• Objection: the road is hard and heaven seems so far away

• How our trials are "light"

• How our trials are "momentary"

4. Renewing faith is faith that our troubles actually increase our future glory

• Your sufferings will make you more glorious

• Your sufferings increase your future glory by making others more glorious

• Your sufferings increase your future glory by bringing greater glory to God himself

5. What all this glory — through — suffering will look like on the Great Day

• Beauty

• Splendor

• Honor

  • "The Charge of the Light Brigade" poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

• All reflecting Christ's glory

Jars of Clay

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:7-12
April 30, 2023

2 Corinthians 4:7-12: But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

Sermon Outline

1. Christians have something priceless

• Knowledge of the glory of God

• Knowledge of God reflected in the face of Christ

2. Christians have the priceless knowledge of Christ in frail bodies and hard experiences

• "hard pressed on every side"

• "perplexed"

• "persecuted"

• "struck down"

• Frail bodies and hard experiences are portrayed as a living death

3. Our dying is a joining with Christ in his death

• The statement: "our dying with him"

• Fleshing out the statement

4. Through our suffering/dying with Christ, we share the very life of Christ

• The statement: Suffering Christians share the very life of Christ

• Illustrations of suffering Christians sharing the very life of Christ

Benediction

May you know Christ through the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings and the power of his resurrection. — paraphrased from Philippians 3:10

Romans 15:13: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him… Amen

Christians Refusing to Lose Heart

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:1-6
April 16, 2023

2 Corinthians 4:1-6: Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of the age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," make his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ.

Sermon Outline

1. Christians are sorely tempted to lose heart

2. Reasons a Christian might lose heart

• Paul will mention many reasons later in 2 Corinthians

• One reason mentioned in these verses: Lack of success in ministry

3. Christians who lose heart may be tempted to change the gospel message

• Describing "changing the gospel message"

• The opposite of changing the gospel message

4. Christians who lose heart may be tempted to make themselves more important than the message (preach themselves)

• Describing "preach themselves"

• The opposite of preaching themselves

5. Why does Paul not lose heart? Two reasons in these verses, with more to come

• God has shown him great mercy

• God can penetrate the deepest darkness