 But today what we're going to do is we're going to look at 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 So allow me to read to you beginning at verse 8. I'll read verses 8 through 18 And we're looking today at the eternal weight of glory and we'll see that in just a moment So beginning at verse 8 reading to the conclusion of the chapter verse 18 Paul writes We are hard pressed on every side yet not crushed We are perplexed but not in despair Persecuted but not forsaken Struck down but not destroyed Always caring about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus sake that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh So then death is working in us but life in you and Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what is written. I believed and therefore I spoke We also believe and therefore speak knowing that he who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus and Will present us with you For all things are your are for your sakes that grace having spread through the many may cause Thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God and therefore we do not lose heart Even though our outward man is perishing yet the inward man is being renewed day by day For our light affliction which is but for a moment is working for us a far more exceeding and Eternal weight of glory while we do not look at the things which are seen But at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporary But the things which are not seen are eternal. Isn't that an appropriate portion of scripture to look at in times such as this? Let me review what we've looked at already as we've been going through second Corinthians together And I'll remind you of a few things that we've already seen and then we'll move into the study of the verses before us As we begin Paul has just contrasted the treasure with the container notice verse 7 He said we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us So he had just contrasted the treasure with the container and what he was doing when he did that is he was revealing the difference of quality between that treasure and that vessel when he speaks of treasure a Treasure is something that is of value. It's it's a precious possession of any kind And so I speak in concerning this treasure and the treasure is is the light of the knowledge of the glory of God that is Revealed in the face of Jesus Christ through the gospel of Jesus Christ and so he made it clear that the treasure That he's referring to is is salvation. It's a salvation that originated with God God's light illuminating our darkness is what he's saying has revealed Jesus Christ to us notice verse 6. He said there it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness Who has shown and so he's speaking concerning this God who commanded light to shine out of darkness the point He's making is salvation originates with God Salvation did not originate with man. He says it is God who commanded light to shine out of darkness Now when you look at the book of James in chapter 1 verse 18 James wrote of his own will Begot he us with the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures It's God who has commanded his light to shine out of darkness It was of his own will that he begot us in other words salvation Originates with God and we are the recipients of it by his grace And it was his message of salvation through Jesus Christ that we received and that we believed Because there are a lot of people who have heard the gospel of Jesus Christ There may be some right now watching who have heard the the words of the gospel you've heard those words But you've never believed them you've heard the words of the gospel of Jesus Christ But never applied them to yourself here in the United States We have the Easter services that we're about to take place that are now Unfortunately going to be canceled and all in terms of us being able to gather But the message of Easter continues and it's a message that God has given to the world that he loved us so much He gave his only begotten son Jesus Christ who died on a cross for us and we celebrate his birth at Christmas But we also celebrate his resurrection and during the Easter Easter season and there are some people who know the message of Christmas they can speak concerning it and they can talk about how that God took upon himself human form was born and Placed in a manger and all of that But they don't know that God who was placed in a manger Jesus Christ God in the flesh placed in a manger They forget that he was also placed on a cross and when he was placed on that cross He did so because he was dying on our behalf and they know the message, but they've never ever Accepted the reality of it for themselves. Perhaps you're one of those today Who's never done that I'd invite you to do that to take the message in your head and Allow it to seep into your heart and to come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ You see it's a message of salvation that we received It's a message that we believed in first John in chapter 1 verses 12 and 13 John said to all who received him to those who believed in his name He gave the right to become sons of God sons born not of natural descent nor of human decision or a husband's will But born of God is those who received is those who believed and they are the ones he became the sons of God They were not born into the kingdom because their mother and father were believers They didn't come into the kingdom because certain rituals were done on their behalf They came into the kingdom because they received Christ You see the Bible makes it very clear that before we were saved we lived in spiritual darkness Not only did we live in spiritual darkness. We preferred it. It was our way of life in third in John 3 verses 19 and 20 it says light has come into the world But men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed Men loved darkness. That's how it has been. That's how it still is So you see the fact that salvation originates with God is intended to humble us not to inflate us in The face of all of this there is no place for arrogant pride. There is no place for self-promotion God has saved us. We are wretched sinners But we are humbled by the reality that we could not save ourselves And that's what he's speaking about in verse 6 once again It says he has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God of the glory of God in the face Of Jesus Christ so without God's intervening grace. We're helpless We walk and stumble in darkness Ephesians 2 verses 1 through 3 says it like this as for you you were dead in your transgressions and sins in Which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air The spirit who is now at work and those who are disobedient All of us also lived among them at one time gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature Following its desires and thoughts like the rest We were by nature objects of wrath We were helpless But God did a work for us God himself brings light into our lives and it comes through what is called the illuminating Gospel of Jesus In the original creation God made light to shine And now he shines in our hearts when we're born again And that's what paul told the aphesian church. That's what he said happened when they were saved The aphesians in aphesians chapter 1 verse 18 were told that the eyes of your understanding Being enlightened were opened up And so we speak in of a treasure And notice again this treasure is stored in what he refers to as earthen vessels ordinary clay pots He says we're in earthen vessels because We are made out of dust And it speaks of the insignificance The insignificance of an earthen vessel Compared to god in his glory and so The excellence of the power of god is is not in the vessels The excellence is in him And i've shared this many times When people Had valuables and they placed them in these clay pots They buried them in their yard because they were afraid that somebody would break in and steal The the clay pot didn't have the value. It was what was stored within it And the only time that that clay pot became valuable Was when it was recognized that it was storing something of value Intrinsically in and of itself the clay pot had no value, but it did have a purpose And so for us We without christ don't have a great value if you would other than to god himself And it's god who redeemed us And we are now the pots if you will the vessels in his hand, but he's put the treasure within us And when the treasure when that pot has opened up and all There are times that they they wanted what was inside so much that they broke the pot to get to what was inside And i suspect that there are times when when god with his hand will actually break our lives So that the excellence that is within has an opportunity To come forth and so we're going to be looking at that in just a moment As paul begins to speak concerning some of the things that he's gone through and all But one more thing in verse five. He had said we don't preach ourselves but christ and uh Jesus Preach ourselves by christ jesus the lord and we Were only your servants as christians It's our desire to be usable vessels in the hands of the lord Now that's something that that paul had already made clear to the carinthians He made it clear that he was a servant. He made it clear that jesus was the greater If you take notes in first carinthians chapter three versus five and six He said who then is paul and who is apollos But ministers through whom you believed as the lord gave to each one. I planted apollos watered But god gave the increase who is paul and who is apollos were only ministers or only servants of the lord jesus christ is saying The one that matters is god because it is god who gives the increase So paul is making it clear. He's only a servant and paul has made it clear that he preaches jesus and not himself So now he's going to answer a question. How then can we become vessels used by god? What is the process god uses to produce vessels of honor? Well, he points to the purpose of spiritual trials in the life of a believer Notice again in verse eight how he begins. I'll read verses eight through ten Notice what he says. He says we are hard pressed on every side yet not crushed We are perplexed But not in despair We are persecuted but not forsaken Struck down but not destroyed Always caring about in the body the dying of the lord jesus That the life of jesus also may be manifested in our body part of god's refining process of For our faith the process of refining our faith and maturing our faith Is the use of trials in our lives Trials are a necessary element of god training us in the way of holiness And usefulness many of us right now Are understanding that in a fresh way, aren't we? We're beginning to understand that in a different way right now because for me This this time of not being able to meet with our church This time of not being able to have Bible studies with Larger groups is a great trial. There are people who are who are writing me on facebook What in particular comes to mind who it has no intent of of of coming apart Coming Looking like he's critical, but indeed He is a little bit and was questioning even today Really My faith in a way, you know Doesn't the church march on in victory shouldn't we be meeting in Because we trust god and all of that and And you know and and I believe his heart is good. I don't believe that he's trying to be Overly critical because some people are just critical, you know, they usually call him your wife, you know, some people are There you go. You laughed good um Some people can be critical and that's true, but You know, I responded by sharing and again I don't want it to come across like he's some bad guy because I don't think he is I believe that he He is sincere and is asking a sincere question I'm just sharing it with you right now because it comes to mind as I'm teaching And I shared with them, you know that I I have faith trust that the lord Is going to protect me. I also have the wisdom to know that I ought not to put him to the test I don't want my faith to be truly Presumption because there's a difference between the two I don't have a personal concern that I'm going to get sick. I just don't You know, I just don't I don't have that concern. I don't carry that. That's not part of my baggage I have other things that I deal with but sickness is not one of them with that said I can Do I'll go about my daily business without A lot of the concerns that other people might have so I have empathy for others because they have a concern in that way And I don't judge them because they're not concerned I think that they have to live before the lord as he has given them the ability to do so So my judgment is not against them. But at the same time, I can't drag people into My own personal faith as it pertains to these things. They have to have the freedom to To decide for themselves. What do they know god can do for them? I think you need to be that way I think that helps me not to judge people and helps me to accept them to where they're at Who am I to judge another man's servant to his own master? He rise or falls and god is able to make him to stand And so I'm not concerned about those things at all, but I pointed out something I said, you know, we may have faith But as I recall the apostle paul in first chrithians 13 said and now abide these three things faith, hope and love And the greatest of these is love And I remember the story. I was sharing this just this morning with john who on our staff and I was sharing with him how that there was a young boy. His name was westley And he was being raised in the city of fontana a number of years ago now. He's 12 years old. I believe round 12 And westley was dealing with diabetes. And so His father took him to a church service that was hosting a traveling evangelist Who was a faith healer? This happened You know years ago now, but not that many years ago And so the father took young westley to to be prayed for so that God would heal his diabetes and so He went up and the evangelist prayed for him in the name of jesus and prayed that god would heal him of diabetes And the father claimed hold of that in his own faith and And took his boy home and the next morning westley woke up and his body was telling him I need insulin And so westley went to his dad and said daddy, I need my insulin and the father said, oh, that's a lying symptom That's just a lack of faith on your part I'm going to believe for you and he went through all of that with his son and So we're going to hold fast your healing because you know, god wants you to be healed by his stripes You are healed and this and that and so eventually what happened is the young westley following his father father's orders Didn't take his insulin went into diabetic coma and died And this is actually an event that took place here in the city of fontana not that long ago It's been a few years, but not that long ago really And the father said that he went to The funeral service and there's a casket with the body of his little boy And the father said that he was looking at that casket He said, you know a greater miracle would be if my my westley Sits up in that casket and begins to walk and and to praise god And so now he's believing even though the boy had been embalmed even though the boy was dead He said that will be even a greater a greater miracle and and then what happens is Is he standing by the graveside as they're putting dirt on that coffin and now his faith is is shattered And he started to think what did I do? I killed my son What did I do and he said do I do and he went and he got into the word And he began to read first carinthians and and it speaks concerning faith hope and love And then he said this and i'll never forget what he said he wrote a book About it and I read the book and in the book he closed basically by saying And he gave us he says you have now these three things abide faith open love But the greatest Of these things is love He said faith on my part was believing god for a miracle of healing Faith believes for healing But love would have given him insulin And I think that many people today are misunderstanding the way that the lord works through our afflictions We want to be we want those afflictions to be eliminated for our from our lives But we don't really really realize that it's through the afflictions that we see the greatness of god And I suspect that as we're going through this time of trial here in the united states That many of us may come to believe that and understand that That in the midst of all that we're going through no matter how low we may go god God is able to lift us up And and we're going to learn some things through this and the apostle paul when he's speaking concerning his life Speaks about the difficulties went through but there's always there was always the The work that god does through that and he's speaking about those things right now You see sometimes when we're enduring a trial Sometimes we can begin to lash lash out at anyone who's trying to Encourage us so to minister to them paul is making reference to the trials that he's gone through And that's going to serve to encourage them But it also will serve to remind them of the proof of his ministry Remember as we've been going through second carinthians that paul's credentials as a minister have been called into question And so to develop his credibility He begins to speak of his trials Because that should establish his spiritual authority in contrast to the false teachers Who are beginning to undermine his work You see trials of faith are very important They're a very important part of walking with the lord Because god's purpose in and bringing them into our lives is to develop and purify our faith Our afflictions work to awaken us To what we may not be aware of a great writer by the name of c. S. Lewis said this C. S. Lewis said god whispers to us in our pleasures He speaks in our conscience But shouts in our pains It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world Now paul suffered many afflictions But he knew that his faith was being purified in the book of Job in chapter 23 verses 10 through 12 We read he knows the way that I take When he has tried me I shall come forth as gold My foot has held his steps His way have I kept and not declined Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food trials Trials are important For a follower of jesus christ Because one of the things that trials and afflictions reveal is the reality of our faith In first peter 1 6 and 7 Peter said in this you greatly rejoice Though now for a little while if need be you have been grieved by various trials That the genuineness of your faith being much more precious than gold that perishes Though it is tested by fire May be found to praise honor and glory at the revelation of jesus christ paul's ministry is being questioned So in answer to the question he speaks of affliction And that reveals his walk with the lord and what it also does as mentioned a moment ago it contrasts His ministry with those of the false teachers who are creeping into the church there in Corinth Somebody said you may readily judge whether you are a child of god or a hypocrite By seeing in what direction your soul turns in seasons of severe trial The hypocrite runs to the world And finds a sort of comfort there But the child of god runs to his father And expects consolation only from the lord's hand And so in verses 8 through 10 paul reveals some of his pain Though he runs the risk of being misunderstood Anytime a person anytime a pastor especially is honest before a congregation He runs the risk of being misunderstood that is just the way it is that's how it goes If you really had faith you would be doing this if you really had faith you would be doing that if you really had faith He usually comes those kind of criticisms usually come from armchair pastors People who have never been in a battle themselves, but they know what i'm supposed to do Or what some other pastors supposed to do they don't do any ministry of their own They're not involved serving anywhere But they surely know what the church is supposed to be like and so they sit on the sidelines And they watch the game and they they eat their chips and salsa and they they drink their beverage And they tell the church what to do Well anytime you say but this is what actually happens I have and all pastors that I know have run the risk of being understood and so misunderstood and so So paul here is contrasting the kinds of things he's gone through They he's he's contrasting his constant pressure With his response of faith by god's power and notice the things that he lists here. He speaks. We are hard pressed When he says we are hard pressed Those words are are speaking of troubles or afflictions. It speaks of distress We have gone through trouble and affliction. We've gone to those points yet. He goes We're not crushed. We haven't been placed in a narrow place in cramped. We haven't been crushed by this He said we're perplexed Well, the word perplex means to be without resources. It means to be left lacking It speaks of not knowing which way to turn. We've been there, but we're not in despair We're not at loss. We're not destitute of resources We haven't renounced all hope. He said we've been persecuted the word persecuted Can speak of being pursued it speaks of being put to flight or driven away to be pursued in a hostile manner We've been persecuted, but Not forsaken the word forsaken means just that not abandoned not deserted We've been struck down when it speaks of being struck down that speaks of being thrown to the ground But we're not destroyed When it speaks of being destroyed, uh, it speaks of being abolished or ruined It means to be rendered useless. I've gone through the hard press. I've gone through the perplex Perplexity. I've been persecuted. I've been knocked down, but I'm not giving up Paul was intimately familiar with the agony of persecution and the trouble that you go through for the gospel There was a city that he was in in the the modern country of turkey. It's called listra And paul was used there to miraculously heal a crippled man To heal this man was an amazing thing. It was worthy of people respecting god glorifying him But the result was different and acts 14 19 and 20 It says some jews came from antioch and iconium And won the crowd over and they stoned paul and they dragged him outside the city thinking he was dead But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city Now that was paul's life sharing the gospel and often suffering for doing so How did he look at this? Well, he says in verse 10 always caring about in the body the dying of the lord jesus That the life of jesus also may be manifested in our body He never lost sight of the fact that jesus died for him and that fueled his service to jesus In colossians 1 24 He says to them i rejoice In what i'm suffering for you I fill up in my flesh What is still lacking in regard to christ's afflictions for the sake of his body Which is the church The afflictions that he endured made paul aware of the price jesus paid On the cross and made him aware that he needed to die to himself Because that's how jesus could be seen in him Jesus's life in us is made evident through his constant purifying of us and he does that by trials And paul died to self he did so daily Which once again emphasized that he was only an earthen vessel Notice in verse 10 how it says paul carried about in his body the death of jesus This is more than jesus being his example It actually spoke of him enduring suffering In and even for a world that was lost He was experiencing the sorrow and rejection That jesus had experienced And that's true for us by the way Do you want to be deep? Have you ever prayed that the lord would make you deeper? Maybe you have perhaps you haven't I think most of us have god make me like you I want to be deeper. I want to have a deeper walk with you I I I want to be used by you. Do you ever pray like that? I hope you do I I do and I have for many years I just But I forget I forget that to be made like him means that I have to die to some things in my life And some of those things that I have died through and I will be dying To over the years some of them became Or were valuable to me. I didn't want to give those things up Sometimes that's just the way it is But if you're praying sincerely and you say lord, I want to be more like you What happens is it begins to work in your life and the things that at one time had such great value Those things begin to lose their value Because there's an excellence of something else that is more valuable that that takes their place And you begin to realize these things were just trinkets. These are distractions. These were things That in the end don't really matter And I've been young and now I'm I'm old and and and I see the difference between Youthly pleasure and youthly desire and things that I think are definitely going to make me happy if I have those things But in fact, those are things that were distractions and not real blessings And I believe very strongly and in the case of paul because he he was being Fashioned into the image of christ That in the case of paul The lord had removed and continued to remove those things that were just really distractions So that it was distilled to a certain thing In philippians 3 10, he said this he said I want to know christ and the power of his resurrection The fellowship of sharing in his sufferings becoming like him In death I want to be like him I want to be like christ notice verse 10 that the life of jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh We're transformed by the power of god And as that occurs we can accurately reveal what jesus is like He says in verse 11 He says for we who live are always delivered to death for jesus' sake God's power is revealed in us as our lives no longer are given over to the deeds of the flesh We are delivered to to death for jesus' sake god is working within us It's like what he said in romans 6 11 through 14 Where he said to the church of rom likewise you also reckon yourselves to be dead Indeed to sin but alive to god in christ jesus our lord Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey it in its lust Do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin But present yourselves to god as being alive from the dead your members as instruments of righteousness to god For sin shall not have dominion over you you are not under law but under grace Understand that we need to understand that we in christ could actually be victorious We we need to understand that that when we yield ourselves to him and he works within us Then we are now no longer in bondage to the things that he at one time when we got saved made so clear that he was setting us free from You see paul said we are constantly facing death And yet we constantly see god Deliver us In second corinthians 12 verse 9 paul says says it this way paul said he said to me my grace is sufficient for you For my power is made perfect in weakness So in verse 12 he says death is working in us But life in you This is the fruit of our lives That have been given over to service To jesus and what's happening is you are reaping the fruit of my sufferings And you have life in jesus because i have been dying to myself There's certain wisdom and truth as he's sharing that Because the more the lord works in your life the freer you are to give of him to other people If you want to be deep in him you go through deep things If you want to be purified Well fire burns if you ever say i want to be like you i want to be on fire for you fire burns and fire consumes And when we go through fiery trials our faith is purified it reveals to us What quality it is because that's what fire does But it also is refined by that same fire and purifies us so that the goldsmith as he's refining that gold Looks into the gold sees his own reflection and knows that it's become pure And god uses these trials in our lives to refine so that the impurities the dross is going to rise to the top And then it'll be skimmed off these things that don't matter until that gold is purified And when that gold is purified and that that goldsmith looks into it and sees his reflection It's simply that the work has been finished and that's what god does through trials And yet we say i want to be like you but i don't want to go through these things You know i've discovered something I've discovered that god's strength usually is revealed at my point of greatest weakness It's when i can't save myself That god has shown me he can save me it's like the apostle peter who's walking on water and and and his friends remained in the boat And yet he said lord if it's you command that i should walk on water come to you And jesus says well come and you know the story how the apostle climbs out of that boat begins to walk on those those waves And he does the impossible and there are things that the lord i'm sure has allowed you to Participate in a partake in where you said that that's so unlike me. That's not something i could do But he gave you the power to be able to do it And you saw his hand And the only time he began to realize that That you were doing the impossible is when you began to notice that you were doing the impossible like Like when the apostle noticed that the waves were rising and the wind was boisterous And he began to sink But then again he prayed the most I would say the wisest prayer he could have prayed when he said lord save me And jesus didn't put his hand on top of his head and shove him further down did he He reached out and took him by the hand And you could almost see that and what a beautiful thing would have been to be able to see that Perhaps it would have been even more beautiful to have been the apostle peter to experience that Because the man in the boat Had less faith faith than he did right Because only one of them climbed out of the boat you didn't see him walking with all the guys You saw him walking on his own Because very often in our spiritual lives you're going to find yourself to be walking alone You're going to find that to be true There are times when you want to do something that you know god is in that nobody else will follow you follow you to do So you do it anyway Because god called you to do it and you learn lessons that you wouldn't have learned any other way You know if you had asked me years ago What my hope was and I was a young man if you'd asked me what my hope was my hope was to be a truck driver My dad was a truck driver I see it as an honorable profession And I liked being in the cab of a truck driving and making deliveries Didn't have to be around people didn't have to talk to him if I didn't want to my dad was a very quiet man And I by nature am too And there I am man put me in a truck. I'll enjoy myself I'll go make a delivery unload trucks. It keeps you in some kind of physical shape And I could provide for my family if you'd have told me That I was going to do what I do Now I would have said that's kind of a crazy thing Why because the two things I hated the most standing in front of people and talking Is what I have to do And on top of that having to read and study and prepare things I didn't like to do I mean I graduated high school with a d-minus average and I think they kicked me out Because they needed room for a new student, you know, so for me, you know, the idea that I would be doing what I do for so many years You know because I started teaching as you know, I started teaching the bible in 1973 At the age of 23 years old just a month past my 23rd birthday And I've never really been out of a a pulpit scene if you will Since I was 23 longer than three months the longest that I can remember that I didn't teach a bible study Was when I went to europe for three months in 1975 I turned 25 years old in in the nation of greece in the city of patras in greece I turned I turned 25 years old in greece and You know, that was the longest I was ever out of the pulpit and I came home I picked up the bible study again and it was the one that I had met my wife marie and I picked that study up again I continued teaching bible study at my parents house didn't stop teaching bible studies at my parents house until Until the late 70s 79 they started coming to the church that I pastored in 81 I have not been out of the pulpit for longer than three months ever in my spiritual life And can you imagine how difficult it is for me right now? 46 years of faithfully teaching the lord's word And did not be able to talk to my church It is so hard for me because I love what I do and I love my sheep and I'm concerned for him But you know, I'm learning from these things God is refining me and he's showing me that there are new avenues to be able to express his word to people New ways to reach out to people and so god willing even through these things that we're doing right now Having to go online You know as I've been saying recently the enemy means it for evil, but god intends it for good God will turn it around just this last week You know, we're not we're not a well known ministry by any means And we normally have as some of you already know and it was brought to my attention But we normally have on a Sunday About 1,500 viewers who watch us online and just this week This week There were over 4,000 and I believe that's going to grow. I do I believe our congregation Is going to grow and we're going to reach more and more people god can take what was intended for evil He can turn it around for good and I believe he's going to do that through these It's difficult as it's been for me because to be honest with you This is one of those things that crushes my spirit to be unable to do what what I've been doing for 46 years To not do it anymore is very difficult But at the same time i'm looking to see what god is going to do because I believe that through this thing that we're going through This light affliction that we as a nation are going through and that we independently and individually are going through That god is fashioning an eternal way to glory I believe that god is working through these things and he's doing a new thing within us Because there's got to be ways to reach so many people who would not go to church ordinarily anyway And so they're now going to be invited to to listen online and and i'm trusting that the lord will do a great thing through all of this You see when paul's speaking about what he's gone through it reminds us that that jesus gave his life for others And we are too Do the same And that is the essence Of salvation he he says in verse 13 we have the same spirit of faith according to what is written I believed and therefore I spoke we also believe and therefore speak That's a psalm psalm 116 it's called A hymn of thanks for deliverance paul is saying I have the same kind of faith that the psalm has had The psalm is expected god to deliver And I expect god to deliver me too And so it's a word of god that brings comfort to him in the midst of his suffering And it's a word of god that the church is supposed to run to In the midst of our affliction right now. We need to stay in the word of god and to read its promises and apply them He goes on in verse 14 saying knowing that he who raised up the lord jesus will also raise us up with jesus and Will present us with you So paul is speaking by by a faith that is fully convinced He has no doubt about being raised He says it he who raised up the lord jesus will raise us up with jesus Now the bible makes it clear that god raised jesus from the dead when he wrote in first carinthians chapter 6 verse 14 paul said god has both raised up the lord and will also raise up us by his own power In romans 8 11 he told the roman church if the spirit of him who raised jesus from the dead dwells in you He who raised christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you And though we go through afflictions together We will one day be presented to god Ephesians 5 27 says that he might present the church to himself a glorious church Not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish 4 verse 15 for all things Are for your sakes that grace Having spread through the many may cause thanksgiving to a bound to the glory of god In other words all the sufferings i've gone through are worth it if it results in your loving jesus war Everything that's the heart of a minister by the way Everything that i as a pastor everything that we as staff Everything that we go through is worth it If it results in people loving jesus war everything No matter what it is. It's a fact Think about some of the things that you've gone through some of us are young and haven't really gone through that many things yet Some of us are older and have gone through many things But everything that i have gone through somehow Can be worked into woven into a testimony of the grace of god in my life I have been asked in the past If you had the ability to change things in your life, what would you change? If you had an ability to go back and change things What would you change? And and and when i was younger i used to have all kinds of ideas well, maybe i could or maybe i would It's easy to think that way At my age i finally have gotten to the point where i say I wouldn't change a thing Not that everything i went through was pleasurable or caused me joy at that moment because it didn't Some things hurt terribly some things are scars in my soul that will continue until i am before jesus christ. That's a fact Would i change those things? No, why not? Are you a masochist of some sort? Do you like pain? No, if there's anybody who hates pain, it's me I shouldn't become a father if there's anything that i that i hate it's pain But it made me into who i am And i like what god has done in my life I like who i'm becoming Because i'm becoming more like him Because i'm gaining his heart i've asked him break my heart with the things that break yours So i can be a real minister so i can Care about people help me not to be so self-centered Help me not to be so caught up with my own plans teach me And break me and then fashion me I believe those things that i pray and he has Everything you go through guys is not just for you. It's for somebody else What you learn is for somebody else not just you That way when you're walking on the road with someone who's hurt You can understand their pain because you have a An empathy not just a sympathy But an empathy you have the ability to feel pain Their pain And there have been a lot of times when i've talked to people after a church service And they're sharing with me and and their eyes are are welled with tears because the pain is so great That that i've actually had empathetic tears with them For their sake sympathy on one hand, but empathy on the other Everything paul went through It wasn't just for him He was so that he could share with others He says that it may abound to or cause thanksgiving To abound to the glory of god all things are for your sakes Therefore verse 16 we do not lose heart Even though our outward man is perishing yet the inward man is being renewed day by day For our light affliction which is but for a moment Is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory While we do not look at the things which are seen But at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporary But the things which are not seen Are eternal So paul closes by revealing that he had an eternal perspective Notice how he says this is a momentary a very light affliction We endure physical and emotional affliction Which affects us completely yet We're not losing heart Notice he says our inward man this speaks of his spiritual life our spiritual man Is renewed in its strength every day These light afflictions Serve to remove our grip from the world And it causes us to long to be with jesus So in comparison to the eternal glory that awaits us the things we go through Are but light problems Remember in the eyes of the world that paul's life was not to be admired as a matter of fact for many He was a horrible failure He gave up a brilliant career He instead endured hardship persecution Rejection But he had an eternal perspective Because he knew that this world was not his home He knew he was passing through And he also knew that one day he would see jesus face to face And i guarantee you that when you see him face to face All of your troubles afflictions pains and sorrows will be forgotten Just as you behold the wonder of the one who loved you and gave himself for you It'll all have been worth it Because we're with him And we're like him In job 19 25 through 27, I know that my redeemer lives And that in the end he will stand upon the earth And after my skin has been destroyed yet in my flesh, I will see god I myself will see him with my own eyes I I and not another how my heart yearns within me One of these days And every day is one day closer to that day One of these days i'm going to see jesus face to face and all of us will One of these days, right? One of these days Every day that i'm alive is one day closer To seeing him finally face to face When i go to heaven It's going to be a reunion I'm going to be able to see people i never met who are believers For example, my mom has told me about my grandmother her mama Who was a believer in jesus christ She talked to me about her mama who was a pentecostal when pentecostalism had just begun And then she spoke to me of her father and she gave me her father's private bible I have it at my home my grandfather's bible Who was a believer in jesus christ never met them My grandfather died when my mom was around 14 My grandmother Died when my mom was less than a year old I've never met them But i will One of these days I have a baby that That was mine That was marie my wife was carrying In between my david and my joseph And marie miscarried I will meet my baby in heaven one day. I will i'll be able to see this baby I look forward to it very much One day to see my baby I'll be able to see my father Fine again I'll see my mom And friends That i have seen go home to heaven In my lifetime Some of whom i've buried I will see them again It's worth it to me everything i go through Everything It's worth it to me if it makes me more like him And if it gives me something to give to other people It matters It's a a light affliction Because i'm gonna receive an eternal weight of glory And one of these days I want to hear the words well done My good my faithful sir That's what i want to hear That's what paul was going to hear And that's what i want to hear myself Paul said in philippians three twenty and twenty one our citizenship is in heaven From which we also eagerly wait for the savior the lord jesus christ Who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to his glorious body According to the working by which he's able even to subdue all things To himself That is what we look forward to as believers Because he said again in verse 18 the things which are seen are temporary But the things which are not seen Are eternal