Series: Action [#108]
DON’T QUIT- WHAT WE KNOW
2 Corinthians 5:1-10
Introduction:
We have done a lot of driving this Summer. Every time we leave, we know where we are going; and we know the route that we are taking. Life is the same- Your destination will determine the path you take. The people that do not believe in an afterlife, live for the moment. They will do anything to stay alive; because once they are dead, that is it.
Those who believe there is life after the grave look at life differently. They see life as filled with choices between good and bad. They feel pain in trials and would like them to go away; but they know that God has a purpose for them.
Verse 1 begins with the word “For”. This is important because it is tying something together from the chapter before.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Paul told them to not give up. He told them to fix their eyes on the things they could not see- The eternal things.
2 Corinthians 5:1
Paul tells us what we know as Christians.
I know…
1. What will happen to me when I die.
My body is an earthly tent that will be destroyed when I die; and then I will spend eternity in Heaven. Paul was a tentmaker by trade and that is how he supported himself as a missionary. So, the image of a tent was something he knew about. He knew that even though tents are valuable and practical, they do decay and eventually need to be replaced. The body is the same.
John 14:1-4
I know…
2. That I have a mansion in Heaven.
The resurrection of Jesus brings me certainty. Jesus tells us that He has went to Heaven to prepare a place for us; and we will be with Him forever.
2 Corinthians 5:2-4
I know…
3. That I will get tired of my earthly body.
I definitely understand groaning- It happens to me every day. The older I get, the more my body causes me to groan; but 1 day I will get a new body- A body that doesn’t hurt, worry, or get disappointed.
2 Corinthians 5:5
I know…
4. That my eternity in Heaven has been guaranteed.
Please do not let this promise get past you. The Holy Spirit has guaranteed your future in Heaven. The Holy Spirit is a deposit for what is to come.
2 Corinthians 5:6-10
I know…
5. That I can be confident in my faith.
I am confident that as long as I am in this body, I am not in Heaven. I am confident that I will get a new body through my faith in Jesus Christ. I am confident that each person will judged by God- For Christians, our judgment will be the refiner’s fire judgment. Anything you have done for God will survive and everything else will be burned up.
Conclusion:
Here is what matters the most- Do you know what will happen to you when you die? For me, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. I am looking forward to my new body- I pray that you are also.
