Steadfast Faith

Good morning. In your homes, away from us, a few of us here, let's bow in prayer. Heavenly Father, we again, we come before your written word and we submit to it. We need your grace, Father, and we need your working of your Holy Spirit to move in us, to change us, conform us to the likeness of your son to make sense of the world make sense of your kingdom and the glory of it father we pray for those that are ailing those that are struggling those that are anxious those that are worried all the things that our human bodies carry give us hope this day in Christ's name amen Happy New Year.

A new year. What's anticipated from a new year? Change. Doing things better. Resolutions. Trying better.

Trying harder. you know you hear it all around in the world and we have the very the very treasure of Christ in the gospel you turn your Bibles to 2 Corinthians 4 I chose this passage as I think not only to encourage us in the faith in our time and our hour to give us strength and know that there's an opportunity in this time not to be caught up with the anxiousness of when things will be better but know that this is the time and the hour the Lord has provided for us to stand firm together to be built up as his saints even as we're separated. So let's look at the text 2 Corinthians 4 this letter of encouragement to the Corinthians Therefore having this ministry by the mercy of God we do not lose heart but we have renounced disgraceful underhanded ways We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God word but by open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone conscience in the sight of God And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled for those who are perishing. In their case, the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel and the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, let light shine out of darkness, has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. but we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassing power belongs to God and not to us we are afflicted in every way but not Christ perplexed but not driven to despair persecuted but not forsaken struck down but not destroyed always carrying in the body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. We who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also be manifested in our mortal flesh.

So death is at work in us, but life in you. 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, knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake that as grace extends to more and more people, it may increase thanksgiving to the glory of God.

So we do not lose heart, though our outer self is wasting away. Our inner self is being renewed day by day, and for this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen, but the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Paul writes to a church that is they have been in quite much of a chaos and division He writes this letter to encourage them for they have drifted away from what they really need to be focused on the Lord Jesus Christ In the first five verses here, he displays this working and why he proclaims this truth. He says we have renounced disgraceful and underhanded ways. Because of Christ, we have renounced these.

We move on to the glory of Christ and we preach for this purpose, to renounce these things. But the gospel, he says, we preach it. It's veiled to those who are perishing. And we bring this to light in our life. We know those we have ministered Christ to. Don't think the gospel has not shined forth.

Don't think that our human efforts proclaim we have to do it perfectly. But he says they have been blinded. Their minds have been blinded. Verse 4, excuse me. In their case, the God of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel. displayed also in Ephesians 2 you understand the ruler of the kingdom of light we all have these ministries in our life and as I go through this section of scripture I want to bring it to bear in our lives those we have been ministering to those co-workers in our schools in our factories those who have their own businesses those we've ministered Christ to and they just don't get it.

We have to press on. And that's the whole, really, telos of this passage, that press on. Press on because the glory of the gospel is always bright. And it is in God's timing. It is in God's timing that they'll turn to never give up, to press on. For the God who said, let light shine out of the darkness, has shone in our hearts to give the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Paul is trying to display here his purposes as he shows later in chapter 6 all that he went through We all have went through things this last year. And I want to just bring to bear how we have handled them, how we have displayed Christ in those things. imperfect as we do things, Christ is still being displayed. I think the theme of this is a steadfast faith.

And that's why I think the Lord would be pleased for us to have is a steadfast faith and not moved. Who secures our faith? Is it by our efforts? Well, sure, there's human responsibility. there's our prayer life and seeking the word and understanding the word and being with the body which has been difficult in our our day because we we hear the preaching but quite frankly it's been hard to share our lives with one another and that's been a burden on my heart we just can't drop in and see folks but we have to stand firm and understand that we need to we need to do some creative thinking in how to meet people.

Many people know how to use the internet. I'm not very good at that. But a phone call, a text, all those things are important. But we have this treasure in verse 7. Whatever endeavors we'll do in this world in this coming year, whatever ambition we have our ambition needs to be for the glory of Christ we can get caught up in purposes of our own but in the end what will really satisfy and make us complete in Christ for those who's called to his glory our ambitions will show our hearts as well I think of just to take stock of our lives this coming year and as we do things, we endeavor to do things and God gives us the blessings of good health some are going through tough health now what's your purpose?

There's purposes here, Lord, and there's purposes in all things. Every good thing comes from the Father, especially trials. I think especially trials because it brings me close to my Redeemer who sympathizes with us, as the writer of Hebrews says. He sympathizes with our weaknesses. And we can understand our weaknesses as we understand this treasure, which is the glory of Christ. he says we show this surpassing power that belongs to god not us i go to the fact that we go through things a lot of times we put our trust in our how we present the gospel well i should have gave him this word to study and there's nothing wrong with perfecting that But know that it's the power of God and Him alone that transforms lives.

And not only that power of the gospel that saves, but the power of the gospel that sustains us. That keeps us going. It keeps us persevering. When I understand my Lord is my sustainer, He is the author and perfecter of my faith. I know every time I get behind this pulpit, I bring that passage up because in Hebrews, it's encouraging the saints that don't lose focus.

Don't lose focus. Keep your eyes on what Christ endeavors to do in your life. And he's endeavoring to do his work in your life as your willing servants. What gets in our way? He says, we are afflicted in every way, but not Christ, perplexed, but not driven to despair, persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry the body of the death of Jesus so that our life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

So we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so the life of Jesus also be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is his work in us, and life in you. That verse just really got me. What's he talking about this? He talking about the proclamation of your life as you renounce those underhanded and he was really addressing the first of this chapter to the false teachers of their time Let address the false thinkers of our time The unbelievers who are in our lives.

That we always carry this life of Jesus in our bodies. What's this death all about? It's a dying to self and living in Christ. We have been crucified in Christ. there's a Christianity today I think it was Voddie Bachman there's a Christianity without the cross it's come to Jesus and everything's going to be fine he won't have that he saw fit to come in our place as a person fully God fully man.

To experience all the sorrows and those things that just overwhelm us at times. He came to deliver us from that. And we understand this treasure we have. This one who will deliver us from that. because that's what it's all about. Our lives are lived so we would deliver others. This death is at work in us, this dying of self, because quite frankly, self is our constant battle, those old habits we have, and they can be good, simple habits.

We want the best for our children. We want to have a good job. We want to provide. But we can lose focus of the purposes of our life to share forth Jesus Christ as Lord. So this death in us, this dying of self, is working us to give life to others. And here's the strength we find. we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written I believe and so I spoke we also believe so we also also speak knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you in his presence For in all for your sake, so that the grace extends to more and more people and may increase thanksgiving to the glory of God.

That would be a proper goal. We always, you know, birthdays, anniversaries, those milestones in our life, we often contemplate, which is not wrong because we need to bring to mind what are we doing? What are we doing as a church? What are we doing as individuals in our workplace? We all have individual ministries, those co-workers and co-family members, our sweet children and our own.

How are we presenting Christ? How are we presenting Christ? Be reminded that God uses the weak to show his glory. that the most prominent persons and most influential people in this world if they had the gospel it would dwarf them to nothing we're in jars of clay as started out in this section but God cares for those jars of clay he is close to the broken hearted we must remember those promises being steadfast in faith being steadfast in remembering the promises that keep us pressing on I thank God for the perseverance of the saints in the past that have gone before us and set such a...

First the apostles and all who have walked before us How is the fruit of the Spirit displayed We have to bring these things to mind as we contemplate this This gets back to the union of Christ being their Christians. Why? Well, just look how they act. I mean, your co-workers and family members should know that. there's a humility always. Our identity with Christ, this union in Christ, it describes our identity.

As we looked at the union of Christ the last time I preached, it's so crucial. Because as you walk in this partnership with Christ, as we're yoked with Him, we can't help to not be humble. because he stripped that veil. If I can say the veil that we think about the unbeliever, it's his pride. I can do it. We can just do it. We're strong enough.

Well, what happens when you fall flat on your back and you do have a virus that could kill you? These are opportune times, brethren, to minister hope because we are creatures of hope. I think of attitude. Attitude. I catch myself grumbling. Oh, why do we have to wear masks?

You know, you just can't run into a place. What is our attitude? Peter addresses these, and turn back to Peter, 1 Peter 3, because he addresses these whoever desires to love life and see good days, he's quoting Psalm 34 here. Verse 10 of chapter 3 of 1 Peter. Let him keep his tongue from evil, his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good. just use that this coming year seek peace do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good is there wickedness in the world yeah did it just start over No, since the fall, man's heart has been wicked and bound against God.

Don't think things have just happened. That's kind of our thinking. Well, things are getting real bad. Well, they can get a lot worse. I think as good soldiers of Christ, we'd be prepared. How's the glory of Christ going to be seen in our families, in our workplace, wherever we go? let him seek peace and pursue it for the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears open to their prayers oh I want this I want this union with my Lord that when I go to that quiet place away from the clutter of the world I can commune with him closer than my closest friend and he knows me the fact that the face of the Lord is against those who do evil we don't want that old life we have nothing to do with it let it go away now who are there who's there to harm you if you're zealous for what is good for even if you should suffer for righteousness sake you will be blessed have no fear of them nor be troubled put in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that is in you yet do it with gentleness and respect having a good conscience so that when you are slandered those who revile your good behavior in Christ may put to shame for it is better to suffer for doing good if that should be God's will than doing evil.

Again, these promises of persevering in this quiet life, this quiet life that lived out properly will turn people to asking, well, what do you think about that? Well, we don't have all the answers. what do we think about tomorrow well I know his mercies are new for those in Christ Jesus How do our conversations how can we draw our conversations to the glory of God That they be seasoned with the grace of God and God's goodness that we experience, that we know we have tasted God's goodness. We have experienced it as we've communed together, as we've known each other together as we've wept together as we've laughed together that's this full life that Christ gives us and that's his treasure that we can't we can't hold back I don't know about you but I need to pray that my heart would break more for the lost that my heart would weep for the loss that it would be drawn that way so my prayers would be drawn that way that we would have every opportunity to share and display the glory of Christ to the praise and glory may increase thanksgiving to the glory of God We long for that day when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

We long for that day. There's not a day in this sin-cursed land that you don't. Wow. I wish the bills would go away, but they just keep coming and coming. I wish these pains would go away. I wish this sickness would go away. gain focus and perspective this year.

Be reminded that this putting off, this killing of self, this putting to death, we have to be reminded of the work of Christ constantly. The gospel, we have to put our thoughts to what was done and what will happen later. So he says, do not lose heart. Though your outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light and momentary afflictions is preparing for us eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison As we look not to the things that are seen but the things that are unseen For the things that are seen are transient.

The things that are unseen are eternal. Eternal perspective. As we await this kingdom, we all have loved ones that went on to glory. we anticipate that day but more importantly we pray that many more will come many family members who do not know you Lord will come friends at work that are troubled let us be aware and carefully contemplating and listening to those around us.

You know, we can get caught up in this battle within our own hearts and say, well, the Lord can't use me. Well, He does. And He will. In chapter 5, He says, the love of Christ controls us. because we have concluded this, that one died for all and therefore all have died. And he who died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him and for his sake died and was raised.

That's a passage we need to look at constantly. We have believed and therefore we will react. Let my desires be your desires, Lord. That was my prayer constantly as I battled selfish ambition, the things that cloud the view of the glory of Christ in our lives. We as a people of God have much to be thankful for. The grace of God is manifested each and every day as we walk, we live, we breathe so we would be those people as David said in 1 Chronicles as we read earlier let look at that 1 Chronicles 16 Sing to the Lord all the earth tell of his salvation from day to day Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.

For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. and he is to be feared above all gods for all the gods of people are worthless idols but the Lord made the heavens splendor and majesty are before him strength and joy are in his place ascribe to the Lord oh families of the peoples ascribe to the Lord glory and strength ascribe to the Lord the glory do his name bring an offering come before him Worship the Lord in splendor of holiness. Tremble before him all the earth. Yes, the world is established.

It shall never be moved. Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice. Let them say among the nations, the Lord reigns. Let the sea roar and all that fills it. Let the field extol and everything in it. Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord. for he comes to judge the earth.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his steadfast love endures forever. So also save us, oh God of our salvation and gather and deliver us from among the nations that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting. Let the Word of God fuel our thinking this coming year.

May we sing praise. May we be a thankful people. Thanksgiving and praise should be evident in our life, not just on the Lord's Day, but every day. As you work, as you tend to your children, as you go about your busyness of life, that this would be impermanent on your mind and on your heart. Why? So we put to death the old flesh and be renewed day by day by this mercy He gives us in Christ Jesus.

It always amazes me. me these old covenant passages which shout out the glory of jesus christ and the gospel we live may we be a thankful people let us pray father we are indebted to you help us live that way that we are indebted to you we owe you you our life or you purchased a people for yourself may this coming year we delight in ministering the gospel and being gracious to all but especially those who are not yours Father that we would draw people to yourself build us up as a body this year Father we long for the day when we all be together but in the midst of that build us up in your name in Christ Jesus name Amen