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WE ARE ALWAYS CONFIDENT

Text: 2 Corinthians 5
15 April 2012

(I) THE STRUGGLES WE FACE IN THIS LIFE

1. Facing the tribulations of life and ministry

a) Tribulations and sufferings ( 2 Corinthians 1 )

b) Hard-pressed, perplexed, persecuted, struck down ( 2 Corinthians 4:8 )

c) Outward man perishing ( 2 Corinthians 4:16 )

d) Death ( 2 Corinthians 5:1 )

2. Concerns in the midst of suffering

a) Our future

b) Our mortality

c) Our after life

3. Results

a) Greatly burdened

b) Losing heart

c) Fear

(II) PAUL’S EXAMPLE OF HAVING CONSISTENT CONFIDENCE IN THE LORD FOR THE FUTURE

“So we are always confident…” 2 Corinthians 5:6

1. Knowing that God is leading towards eternal life

a) Knowledge of a far greater heavenly home

“For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” 2 Corinthians 5:1

i) Seeing life as a temporary tent

ii) Seeing eternal life as an eternal building from God

b) Knowledge of how life separates us from the Lord

“Knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord” 2 Corinthians 5:6

c) Knowledge of the terror of the Lord

“Knowing, then therefore the terror of the Lord…” 2 Corinthians 5:11

2. Assurance that comes from God’s gift of His Spirit

“Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.” 2 Corinthians 5:5

a) God’s personal preparation

b) God’s gift of His Spirit as our guarantee

3. Focus on the presence of the Lord

a) Knowing that life separates us from the Lord

“Knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord” 2 Corinthians 5:6

b) Seeing it as more wonderful in being in the presence of the Lord

“We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:8

(III) APPROPRIATE RESPONSES TO THIS CONFIDENCE IN THE LORD

1. Only natural thing to yearn to be in heaven

“For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation…” 2 Corinthians 5:2

“For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened…” 2 Corinthians 5:2

2. Our determination to live by faith

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

3. Our ambition to always be well pleasing to the Lord

“Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:9

4. Our scope to persuade mankind

“Knowing , therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…” 2 Corinthians 5:11