2 Corinthians 4:11-18 12/8/24 a.m.
I was reading a while back about a set of twins named Natalie and Monica Rex. Two beautiful young ladies who are now 30 years old. Because of me having a twin brother this story was interesting to me and it really touched my heart. These two have spent their entire lives together but 8 years ago, just before she graduated college, Natalie was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease that’s usually fatal. The name of the disease is Fredreich’s Ataxia. It’s called FA disease for short. It’s a Neurological Disease that starts off by a person having problems with coordination but then progressively gets worse.
Natalie was devastated but, as you can imagine, Monica was too. Monica has chosen not to be tested for the disease and, for now, she has no symptoms.
And so the twins moved in together and Monica has taken on the role of being sister, friend, roommate and caregiver. She wanted to stay close so they can both live a very celebratory life while Natalie is still able.
In many ways, the sisters enjoy life as they always have, hosting dinners and movie nights with friends — but in other ways, Natalie’s disease has resulted in two very different experiences for the twins.
#1, it's really drawn them close, which they both describe as being amazing.
#2 it's also created a lot of moments where they have had to understand their limits.
Monica said, “there have been moments of tension as we figure out what it looks like to navigate this together — but we will always be there for each other, and we'll always have each other's backs. At the end of the day, we truly just want what's best for each other."
And here’s where I’m going with this. As Christians, the sisters have drawn comfort and support from their faith as they go through the challenges of Natalie’s disease.
Natalie said, “I lean heavily into my faith to understand and process the purpose and hope that can come from a hopeless diagnosis like FA,"
And this is what Monica had to say, “The physical decline of Natalie’s body is a daily reminder that this world is not our home — and that one day, all things, including our bodies, will be made whole and healthy in eternity.”
One of Natalie’s favorite Bible verses is 2 Corinthians 4:16, which says, "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day."
Monica added that she trusts God has a "bigger plan" for their pain.
And as I read this story about these amazing young ladies, some of you all came to my mind. Some of the HEALTH STRUGGLES you all are going through. The AFFLICTIONS that you have in your lives. The GRIEF and SORROW some of you all face. I know at times you may feel overwhelmed and so this morning I feel like God would have me preach out of 2 Corinthians 4, and we’ll read Verses 11-18.
“For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
This morning I want us to see the Greatest Problem that faces mankind today. But then I want you to see the Greatest Promise that has ever been given. And it is given to us by the Greatest POWER to ever exist. Almighty God. Omnipotent or Omni potent as I like to say, Omniscient and Omnipresent. He is the GREATEST POWER and He has answers for us today. So before we get into this message let’s go to the Lord in Prayer.
Brother ____, would you lead us?
I. So what is the Greatest Problem facing this present world? It stares us in the FACE everyday. We do our best to stay away from it but it’s everywhere. We see it on the NEWS, read it in the PAPER, talk about it on Social Media. DEATH!!!
Look at the first part of Verse 11
“For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake.”
Look at what Verse 16 says,
“but though our outward man perish”
That sounds like a REAL PROBLEM. I would have to say that’s the GREATEST PROBLEM facing mankind today. NOT the POSSIBILITY of DEATH or even the PROBABILITY of DEATH but the CERTAINTY of DEATH.
Paul tells us that because of HIS RELATIONSHIP with Jesus that his DEATH would come even more QUICKLY than others. His Preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ had become a real SORE SPOT with the Jewish Leadership of that day.
Paul was HATED for what he believed and taught.
Paul was HATED for leading people away from Judaism into the ARMS of GRACE through Jesus Christ.
Paul was HATED SO MUCH that he faced a CONSTANT THREAT of PUNISHMENT and even DEATH. And he did all of this so that he could PREACH JESUS to a LOST and DYING WORLD. And all the while he faced the GREATEST PROBLEM known to mankind. DEATH.
And almost 2000 years later that same GREAT PROBLEM still exists. As smart as DOCTORS have gotten. As good as MEDICINE is today. All of the DIFFERENT NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS. All of the MEDICAL PROCEDURES. We are all gonna die. You know, when Paul wrote the Book of Hebrews 5 or 6 years later, he told them the same thing.
Hebrews 9:27, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”
I love this poem I read.
“Today I faced what most I feared my very first grey hair appeared
It stood out boldly in my hair I couldn't believe that it was there
I hated it, if truth be told it shouted to me, “Man you're old" I was not about to scream and shout, instead I pulled the sucker out”
That’s funny and we can joke about it but it is a CERTAINTY. There is a SPECIFIC DAY when each one of us will die. None of us probably know but God does.
I mentioned earlier that God put this on my heart when I was thinking about the different SICKNESSES and DISEASES some of you all are facing. Some of the HEART BREAKING things that you all have to bear.
And as much as we’d like to, there’s NO WAY to get around having to live through these things. It’s what we call LIFE. And it is a constant reminder that the GREATEST PROBLEM facing mankind is DEATH.
II. But we can’t stop right there. I want us to look back into this passage and see the GREATEST PROMISE. Verse 14,
“Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.”
Look back there at Verse 16,
“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”
For the Apostle Paul, each day was a NEW DAY to continue to go about God’s business. Each day was a NEW DAY to preach the Gospel. Each day was a NEW DAY to talk ONE on ONE about the GOODNESS of God.
Look at Verse 15. Everything that Paul did was to benefit the people of Corinth. And as the GRACE of GOD reached more and more people, God received more and more PRAISE.
God was GLORIFIED. Paul knew that to be the VERY REASON that God created ALL OF US. To GLORIFY HIMSELF. And even though his outward body was GROWING OLD and WEARING DOWN he wasn’t going to QUIT. Why? Because of the GREATEST PROMISE God made to us. I was doing a little research and Paul was around my age when he wrote this letter to the Church at Corinth. Between 58 and 60. He wasn’t NO SPRING CHICKEN. You know, I bet his BONES ACHED just like mine do. He knew all about the OUTWARD MAN PERISHING. But yet he knew the PROMISE of a NEW BODY. A NEW LIFE. And so he kept on going.
He died at the hands of the Roman government 3 or 4 years later just outside the City of Rome. And I believe he was still PROCLAIMING the TRUTH and LOVE of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because of the GREATEST PROMISE … He didn’t quit.
And listen, because of the GREATEST PROMISE that was made 2000 years ago on the CROSS of CALVARY we don’t QUIT EITHER. We don’t despair. We keep on walking and talking. We keep on living.
Even when the DOCTOR has bad news.
Even when it seems there is NO HOPE.
Even when it seems like our work is in VAIN. We don’t quit.
This LIFE can be gone next week, tomorrow or today. Any one of us setting here could be taken out of here HORIZONTAL instead of VERTICAL.
We have NO GUARANTEE of LIFE but we do have a GREAT PROMISE that we can rely on.
Here’s the GREATEST PROBLEM facing mankind. Death.
But the GREATEST PROMISE OVERCOMES that Problem.
In Paul’s first letter to the Church at Corinth, Paul told them in Chapter 15, Verses 51-57,
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
III. And all of this is made possible by the GREATEST POWER to ever exist. Almighty God.
In Verse 11, Paul tells us that the LIFE of JESUS was shown or you might say demonstrated in HIS OWN LIFE. That was only by the power of God.
Verse 12 tells us that even though Paul faced death for what he preached, that was the thing that had brought LIFE to them.
Verse 13 tells us that by the Spirit of Faith that Paul had gave him the POWER and CONFIDENCE to SPEAK.
Verse 14 tells us that just as Jesus was RAISED from the DEAD by the POWER of GOD, HE BEING GOD would raise us up also. It’s ALL by HIS POWER.
Verse 16 tells us that this outward man is DYING BUT…. but by the POWER of GOD our INWARD MAN is RENEWED day by day.
And Verse 17 tells us that it is by GOD’S POWER that we ENDURE our trials here LOOKING FORWARD to ETERNITY
All of these things are by the POWER of GOD.
Are we able to live a life that is pleasing to God on our own?
Are we able to overcome temptation on our own?
Can we endure disease and still have joy on our own?
Can we continue to be a light for Jesus even during GRIEF and Heartache? Can we successfully do it on our own?
And the answer has to be NO. We cannot on our own. But we can through the POWER of GOD working in us.
ILLUS: I went to see some old friends on Friday. Godly, beloved people who have served God for many years. Brother Hershel and Sister Connie Edwards. He’ll be 90 in March. A year ago he was told by one doctor that he had an aneurysm on his heart and he had to have emergency surgery RIGHT THEN. If he didn’t he would dead in 3 months.
Another doctor told him the surgery was very risky and he wouldn’t do it. He told Hershel to go home and live. And that’s what Hershel did. He went home and refuses to ever go back to the hospital. He could literally fall over dead at any second. But you know what Hershel is doing? He’s LIVING and PRAISING God for every moment he has left and looking forward to going to Heaven.
And that leads me to Verse 18. Let’s read it again.
“While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
Do you see what Paul is saying here? We have to get our eyes focused on what’s really important. We have to look past the OBVIOUS. We have to see that the things here on this earth are just TEMPORARY. They are NOT gonna LAST.
We have to get our eyes focused on the ETERNAL.
I guess I kind of got hooked on POETRY while I was studying this message. But I read this poem and I wanted to share it with you. It’s called “Not Growing Old” and it was written by John E. Roberts
They say that I am growing old;?I've heard them tell it times untold,?In language plain and bold----?But I am NOT growing old.??This frail old shell in which I dwell?Is growing old, I know full well---?But I am not the shell.??What if my hair is turning grey??Grey hairs are honorable, they say.?What if my eyesight's growing dim??I still can see to follow him?Who sacrificed His life for me?Upon the cross of Calvary.??What should I care if Time's old plow?Has left its furrows on my brow??Another house, not made with hand,?Awaits me in the Glory Land.??What though I falter in my walk??What though my tongue refuse to talk??I still can tread the narrow way,?I still can watch, and praise and pray,
My hearing may not be as keen?As in the past it may have been,?Still, I can hear my Saviour say,?In whispers soft, "This is the way."??The outward man, do what I can?To lengthen out this life's short span,?Shall perish, and return to dust,?As everything in nature must.??The inward man, the Scriptures say,?Is growing stronger every day.?Then how can I be growing old?When safe within my Saviour's fold???Ere long my soul shall fly away?And leave this tenement of clay;?This robe of flesh I'll drop, and rise?To seize the "everlasting prize."?I'll meet you on the streets of gold,?And prove that I'm not growing old.
I really don’t know why God wanted me to preach this today. He laid this scripture on my heart earlier in the week and then woke me up at 2:00 in the morning on Friday with what to preach.
I don’t know what’s going on in all of your lives. Maybe you’re having a hard time trusting God during this trial. Maybe you have fear of what lies ahead. Maybe you haven’t given it all over to Him.
Listen, we all will have to face the GREATEST PROBLEM of the world today. DEATH.
But God has given us the GREATEST PROMISE of a SAVIOR. A way to have ETERNAL LIFE.
And it’s all possible by GREAT POWER of God. And He wants to be your Savior. Now the question is, WILL YOU LET HIM?
Let’s Pray
