"BIG IDEA":Paul’s heartfelt words in 2 Corinthians 7 help us avoid the destruction of haunting regret (in ourselves and others) by suggesting three differences between worldly sorrow and Godly Sorrow.
NOTE: Also used in preparing this sermon is a chapel message delivered by Dr. Zach Eswine at Covenant Seminary in St. Louis.
Do you know what this is? [Display picture of a "neutralizer" from "Men in Black"]. I’ll give you a clue. At least in the movie where this is used if you don’t wear a special pair of sunglasses you will become forgetful?
If you said this was a neutralizer, or "that thing they use in the Men in Black movies to erase people’s memories—you’d be right. Sort of like having one of these [press Easy Button] to get rid of memories you don’t want hanging around any more.
Would you like to have an easy button to erase a memory or two (or more)?
Can you recall your most embarrassing moment? If you could would you erase that memory [EASY BUTTON].
Have ever bought something that you would just as soon forget you bought [PRESS EASY BUTTON]?
What if you had a limited number of times you could erase memories from the past. How would you use them? Based on my own inclination I would guess that most of use I would start with the most "haunting" memories. Memories don’t seem to lose their capacity to intrude regardless of how many years have passed.
You know them, don’t you? Maybe you said something or did something that hurt someone else. Maybe you betrayed a friend or loved one.
Perhaps there is a sin no one else (not even your husband or wife) knows about. You know that sin you hope never comes to light because you are afraid that it would forever alter how people see you.
We encounter this type of regret in the context of sin. And it is that context that is behind Paul’s words in today’s text [READ 2 Corinthians 7:5-16].
You will remember that last week I told mentioned this series on grace came about as a result of thoughts and questions share by a group people here at Southside. Specifically the question was raised, "How do we deal with guilt for past sins while at the same time believing that we are forgiven by God’s grace?" How do we forgive ourselves?
Like so many questions we take to Scripture when we do so Scripture answers them in a way differently than how we ask them. That is true in this case.
We don’t know what the circumstances are that prompted Paul to write words of correction. It’s probably best we don’t because its not the circumstance but the goal and response that is really important.
The part that is helpful for us is Paul’s comparison of Godly sorrow and earthly sorrow. His lesson not only to helps us with our memories but to help us make sure we don’t contribute to the same kind of haunting memories in others. You see, Paul’s heartfelt words in 2 Corinthians 7 help us avoid the destruction of haunting regret (in ourselves and others) by suggesting three differences between worldly sorrow and Godly Sorrow.
TRANSITION: Verse 10 is the lynchpin to this passage. We begin there because Paul directly compares Godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. Specifically he compares what each leads to. In that verse Paul tells us . . .
Godly Sorrow leads to Repentance
This passage reminds us that guilt is a powerful thing.
ILLUSTRATION: The story is told that Noel Coward, the well known playwright, as a prank, once sent an identical anonymous letter to 10 notable men in London. The note said, "We know what you have done. If you don?t want to be exposed, leave town." Within 6 months, all 10 men that received the letter, moved! A terrible prank--but what an example of the power of guilt (from "Washing of the Grime of Guilt" by Timothy Smith at SermonCentral)
QUOTATION: Dr. Karl Menninger, the famed psychiatrist, once said that if he "could convince the patients in psychiatric hospitals that their sins were forgiven, 75 percent of them could walk out the next day." (illustration contribution at sermoncentral.com by Larry Sarver)
Scripture weighs in as the consequences of unresolved guilt:
Depression accompanies unresolved guilt-(Psa 32:3-4) When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
Fear accompanies unresolved guilt. (Gen 3:8-10)
Godly Sorrow leads to salvation because it leads us to see sin for what it truly is. To take responsibility for our sin and to accept and trust in God’s grace.
ILLUSTRATION: In 1980 New York City was in the middle of a huge financial crisis and Mayor Ed Koch appeared on a local news program. Koch had spent over a quarter of a million dollars to put up bike lanes in Manhattan, and they turned out to be a disaster. Cars were driving in the bike lanes, pedestrians were walking in the them, and bikers were getting crowded out. It was a mess and many people in New York were irate about it. Koch was coming up for re-election, so a handful of journalists cornered him on this show, planning to tear him to pieces for spending money foolishly when the city was nearly broke.
So a reporter started the show off by asking, "Mayor, in light of the financial difficulties New York City is facing, how could you possibly justify wasting $300,000 on bike lanes?" The stage was set for a half-hour confrontation. They were ready to chew him up.
But then, Koch said, "It was a terrible idea. I thought it would work, but it didn’t. It was one of the worst mistakes I ever made." Then he stopped. The journalists were caught with their mouths hanging open.
The next journalist stammered and said, "But Mayor Koch, how could you do this?" Koch said, "I already told you. It was a stupid idea. It didn’t work." Then he stopped.
There was still 26 minutes left to go on the news show, and the reporters had to find something else to talk about. Because the last thing they expected that day was for the mayor take responsibility for his actions. Whether it’s our own guilt or the guilt of a brother or sister—Godly sorrow has distinct, healing purpose—repentance (from "Silencing a Guilty Conscience, by Ken Ritz at SermonCentral)
TRANSITION: As we read this passage one thing that becomes clear is the emotional dimension of what happened. There is real, tangible, pain experienced by all parties in this situation.
Godly Sorrow hurts, but does not last and does not harm.
This is especially difficult isn’t it? How old are some of the memories that haunt you. This is one thing about aging that we don’t appreciate—isn’t it.
Because Godly sorrow leads to repentance the hurt is only for a time and it is for our good.
READ 2 Corinthians 2:5-11-Explain
We may wonder why such memories continue. We aren’t they erased. We can’t we shake them.
When God’s grace is applied we are free from their destruction power, regardless of what others might say or do—but they may still be part of our memory.
ILLUSTRATION: Joni Eareckson-Tada says "we sometimes feel bad about our past sins because we confuse sin with its impression. Have you ever written something in a notebook and then taken the page you wrote on out of the notebook.
Say you write the word ‘sin’ on the top page. Press hard. Now tear of that sheet of paper, crumple it up and throw it across the room. That’s how God forgets your sin. Now take up your pencil and rub it across the new page at an angle, back and forth over the same location where you wrote. And guess what. The ghost of the word ‘sin’ appears. That’s what our flawed memories do. We go back over the deep impression left by transgressions in our life and we feel just as guilty. It’s as if the sin never left. But be encouraged, the impression of sin is not the same thing as sin. We don’t have to continue to work over forgiven sin as with a pencil. God intends the pain to be temporary and to cause us good rather than harm (illustration contributed by Peter Bines at SermonCentral)
TRANSITION: Paul describes Titus bringing of the news. What happened in Corinth not only healed relationships and restored a brother or sister from sin—it was a witness of the power of God’s grace. You see . . .
Godly Sorrow produces testimony
Being free of the guilt but not the memory is allows us to testify about the grace of God in a way that is tangible, personal, and meaningful to someone who is enslaved by worldly sorrow.
Worldly sorrow doesn’t want to let go.
Worldly sorrow might tell us give up, there’s no hope. Worldly sorrow might tell us—balance it out with good works.
Worldly sorrow might tell us—it wasn’t/isn’t really sin.
When we are led to repentance by Godly sorrow we become living sermons of God’s grace.
ILLUSTRATION: I recently read a story about a young businessman who secretly misappropriated a large sum of money business firm’s coffers. When this action was discovered, he walked up the stars toward the administrative office he was told to report to.
He knew, with a heavy heart, that without a doubt he would lose his position in the firm, possibly face legal action, and he and his family would find their world collapsing around them.
Upon arrival at the office, the senior executive questioned the man about the whole affair. They young man held nothing back, but told about the every illegal act and his wish that he could take it all away.
Then the surprising question came, “If I keep you in your present position,” said the senior executive, “can I trust you in the future?” The younger worker not missing this chance brightened up and said, “Yes sir…you surely can!”
The senior executive continued, “I’m not going to press charges, and you can continue in your present responsibility, but let me tell you why…”
“About twenty years ago, someone like yourself, made the exact mistake you made. He came into this same office and he too spoke to the senior executive. It was the first time in the history of the firm that something like that had happened. That young man succumbed to temptation. Would you like to know what happened to that young man? He now occupies this office. What you have done I did. The mercy you are receiving, I received.” We too can testify to others, can’t we, "the mercy I want to tell you about is the mercy I have received. (Contributed by Greg Buchner at SermonCentral)
Godly sorrow is intended to lead us to repentance. It may cause us pain—but that pain is intended to last for a short time. It is a process that allows us to testify to the healing power of God’s grace. Worldly sorrow, on the other hand—leads to death.
DECISION QUESTION: Where has your sorrow leading you? Where is your sorrow leading you today?
If your sorrow is leading you to repentance, leading you to receive God’s grace through Jesus Christ we would like to give you the opportunity to take that step. In a few minutes we will be singing a song of invitation. During that time if you are ready to receive Christ we invite you . . . Or maybe you would like to hear more.
If you’re already a believer you know that memories of the past can haunt. Paul’s words help us to be free from the pain caused by those memories and remind us that we should extend that same help to others. Is there someone you know who needs to hear these words from you, to see these words at work in you.
Are you looking for a church family to encourage you to live in God’s grace—a place where you can find be part of a ministry that testifies about what God has done and is doing in the lives of his people.
We need to make these decisions this morning. But as we consider them there are some things that seem to stand in the way, aren’t there?
In the movie "Forest Gump" Forest has a friend named Jenny. As the film progresses the paths of Jenny’s and Forest’s life separate and converge. Jenny makes choices that lead her into a number of destructive relationships and activities. Relationships and choices she comes to regret. In the clip you are about to see Jenny’s regret stands in the way of accepting an offer made by Forest. Not that she thinks what he offers wouldn’t be good for her—but that with all she has done she is not deserving of what he offers. It’s a clip that can help us to not let haunting regret stand between us and God’s gift of grace
PLAY MOVIE CLIP (Approx. 1:48 of movie where Forest asks Jenny to marry him)
"What Sin" sung after showing of clip
