Failing Flesh and Fantastic Future
Senior Adult Sunday • Sermon • Submitted
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INTRO - Last week we finished off our study of the book of Galatians. Today we are taking a break from a book study to focus on one very special group of people.
Today is Senior Adult Sunday.
Next week we celebrate another very special group on Mother’s Day and thereafter we begin a 10 week of messages focusing each week on one of the 10 commandments.
TRANS - I’m at that age when I’m starting to think about getting all those senior discounts.
Curiously, not everyone considers you a senior at the same age.
So to help, I went to a world famous expert on all sorts of things, Jeff Foxworthy.
Here is Jeff’s list on “How to tell if you are a senior adult:”
ILL - You might be a senior if:
At the breakfast table you hear snap, crackle, pop and you’re not eating cereal.
Your idea of a night out is sitting on the patio.
Happy hour is a nap
It takes longer to rest than it did to get tired.
You stop holding your stomach in no matter who comes into the room.
You have more hair in your ears than on your head.
Everything hurts, and what doesn’t hurt - doesn’t work.
You sink your teeth into a steak - and they stay there.
TRANS - To all my senior adults, you all know that I love you.
After sharing Foxorthy’s list I thought I better mention that so nobody gets the wrong idea and I still get to become a senior adult myself one day.
I’ve known some pretty amazing senior adults in my lifetime.
Doc Anderson helped me understand the value of taking care of my body so that I can do what God has for me to accomplish.
Bob Wilkes set the example of giving sacrificially to mission and went from millions to dye broke in this life, but a great treasure in the next.
Bill Moore demonstrated the sort of tough love that helped me leave behind a life of ruin and run full force after the things of God.
There are many more, but my point is, seniors have so much to give, thank you.
Lets take a look at our passage this morning:
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you.
Understanding the culture will help us dig deep into this text. We will dive in to the Paul’s world of philosophers and stoic grandstanders.
Not only will we dive into the context, this passage is loaded with interesting words that a number of word studies have much to reveal.
First, a bit of literary structure to help us understand Paul’s train of thought.
Paul begins, v.7 describing the difference between people and God. V.8-9 he presents a series of comparisons. V.10-11 are the two “We always” mortifying statements. And, v.12 Paul brings this teaching together.
TRANS - Let’s begin with v.7:
Faulty Flesh
Faulty Flesh
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;
At the core of this teaching, Paul clarifies what he knows about death. There is some confusion about his apostolic ministry and Paul needs to explain how God’s great glory as manifested in the power of the Spirit reconciles with death.
How is it possible for God’s glory to work through these “earthen vessels?” Paul explains how going through tribulations is only possible with the help of God.
ILL - Unless we die, we all get old. Along the path, our bodies change.
Sagging skin, dimming eyesight, aches and pains, and memory loss seem the standard prescription. As much as we try to avoid and remedy old age, it remains relentless.
before the sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain; in the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and mighty men stoop, the grinding ones stand idle because they are few, and those who look through windows grow dim; and the doors on the street are shut as the sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters of song will sing softly. Furthermore, men are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags himself along, and the caperberry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal home while mourners go about in the street.
Paul teaches we can endure anything in this body with the help of God. Whether that be beatings or just getting old. With God’s help and the right attitude, getting old does have to stop us, slow us, or sadden us. With God, all things are possible!
Paul’s listeners hear the word we translate to “earthen vessels” as implying fragility or being somehow inferior. First Paul paints a picture of himself as an everyday utensil containing a great treasure. He explains how he carries the greatness of God within himself. Catch this, the focus in not on Paul’s weakness, but upon God’s great power.
Secondly, Paul draws attention to his lowliness. Paul is not some highly prized Grecian urn, bronze vessel, or delicate goblet with gold inlay. Paul is not a thing a beauty. Here Paul strikes a comparison describing what we might consider valuable, earthly treasure, and how it does not measure when compared to God’s gift.
Thirdly, Paul notes his expendability. Earthen vessels were, in the day of Paul, like our plastic bags, they were disposable. Glass and gold can melt down for reuse, but clay is tossed in the trash.
God’s wisdom explained previously to the Corinthians:
but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,
Paul criticizes the Corinthians pointing out how his weakness that annoys them delights God.
TRANS - Flesh does fail, but thanks be to God, we can endure.
Let now look at Pauls list of comparative pairs.
Framed Followings
Framed Followings
we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
Ever know a critic who constantly has to one up, challenge, or flat out disagree with other people?
They tend to take comparison in the wrong direction. Criticism, critical thinking, do a good service, but the offensively critical person seems to have a personality problem.
Here, Paul demonstrates his ability to counter they hyper-critical.
Vv.8-9 is some of Paul’s finest work in my opinion. Its a great read in English, but I want you to, also, get how Paul mastered the Greek language. He really left his critics little room to display their contrary spirit.
HUM - Keep in mind Paul was contending with folks so contrary you’d have to look upstream for them if they downed in the Jordan River. Their conversational input was useful as a screen door on a submarine.
Paul had to speak intelligently. Let’s look at 4 word pairs in our text to see how he accomplished this.
“afflicted” and “crushed”
“afflicted” and “crushed”
Opposites in the Greek language. In English we call them “synonyms.”
“Afflicted” probably because of its frequent use in 2 Corinthians. The word for “crushed” can mean “in a narrow space,” “constricted” and is found only twice, here and in 6:2.
“perplexed but not despairing”
“perplexed but not despairing”
This pair is impossible to translate to English in a way that Paul communicates them to people of his time.
They are a wordplay where “perplexed but not despairing” literally means “at loss but not absolutely at a loss.” Paul’s word play has a sort of rhythmic or rhyming sound that intensifies this paring.
“persecuted” and “forsaken”
“persecuted” and “forsaken”
The next pairing has rich Scriptural associations.
“Persecuted” is used by Paul when he calls out the mistreatment of Christians.
“Forsaken” is associated with God in the OT and His determination not to forsake His people. Also, it is the word used by Jesus Crucified.
Here it implies an eschatological intent; God will not abandon His children.
“struck down, but not destroyed”
“struck down, but not destroyed”
This last pair describe the extremity of suffering.
Paul uses a verb he doesn’t use anyplace else.
In contemporary literature the word means “laid low” (by a weapon), or “bullied,” or “stricken.”
The paired word “not destroyed” like “forsaken” is eschatological. The suffering Paul communicates that he is not, nor will not, be forsaken or lost from God.
TRANS - In addition to using the power of words, Paul knows he’s using something his audience knows all so well.
Stoic philosophers used to list their sufferings to show their commitment to a life of contentment.
Jews often looked to the suffering of prophets and martyrs as examples by which to endure.
POINT - If the worldly and religious do this, how much better ought Christians especially given Paul’s example? As with Paul, shouldn’t suffering make us better Christians? Shouldn’t our complaints be turned into bragging rights for God?
Example, “What a blessing is old age for knowing my Lord Jesus. Jesus had a brand new body waiting for me and I appreciate that hope so much.”
NOTE the now elaboration on the description of why, unless asked, because that would either sound like complaining or self-boasting (anything that points to self is self-boasting even if its about age related issues.)
How might God use this? Say you make a statement like this. 1) It points to God, 2) It’s intentional, 3) Even if asked to “explain” it always points back to “because Jesus saved me.”
Sound like Paul? See what we give up when telling someone are woes instead of pointing them to Jesus? Let Pauls reminder encourage us to live for the Lord and not for lamenting over ourselves.
Frame your words.
When a complaint sneaks out such as, “I’m not feeling too good,” follow that up with a, “but God’s power has me finishing strong!” Don’t be a “sad sack” and bring everybody else down with ungodly “oh poor me” talk.
God will use you when you lighten up a room instead of being a dark cloud.
TRANS - From flesh that fails, to framing our words to point to God instead of ourselves, what else does this passage teach us about living to glorify God?
Faith’s Fellowship
Faith’s Fellowship
always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you.
The “dying of Jesus” taking place in Paul is the affliction, bewilderment, persecution, and humiliation we just studied.
The “life of Jesus,” on the other hand, is the deliverance which the “but nots” highlighted. We die to be saved.
God’s purpose in suffering is to bring us to testify about His deliverance; to move us use to evangelize.
God’s mercy, though, is a piece of the eschatological deliverance of resurrection later mentioned in this letter:
knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you.
Paul expresses “carrying about” which is his going about his life’s mission.
As Paul goes about his life, he makes known how he endures, from where comes his strength, and that God is asking others to join with him in faith.
The “carrying about” was a term used for pallbearers and implies that Paul faced tribulation everyday!
The word for Jesus’ dying captures that idea as the actual word in Greek includes the stench and rotting of a person who is dead or dying.
Using this language, Paul graphically describes his condition to urge others to join him in understanding how God changes us to live a joyous life regardless of circumstances, hardship, difficulties, or even bodily pain as Paul knows this all to well.
What a fellowship, what a joy divine we sing as we join in “Ever Lasting Arms.” Together with Paul and saints of all ages, we will one day see our Savior face to face.
It stands out how Paul brings this to a very quick end. He presented death and life and closes with a “so” statement. “So death works in us, but life in you.”
In some way, Paul says his suffering is to the benefit of the Corinthians. It seems a reflection from chapter one:
But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer;
Paul is not saying his suffering saves people, but that how he lives his life for Christ, how he shares in Christ’s sufferings, how that is a benefit to others.
Paul is a living paradox because he gains life by giving his own for others.
Do you live your new life in Christ self-concerned or self-indulgent, or are you self-emptying like Jesus?
Pauls success in life will bring more battering and at the same time increased spiritual blessings for others.
Paul’s life is an example of God’s power and Jesus’ resurrection as a source for our lives and ministries.
TRANS - Faulty Flesh, Framed Followings, & Faith’s Fellowship
Conclusion
Conclusion
We all are tied to this world by a strand to that old nature. We all have done things which God disapproves.
Falling to worldly ways is our livelong battle and one only overcome by faith and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Like worldly ways, our words can reflect those around us, or we can choose to live by the Spirit and the teaching of the Bible.
Today we see how God can use our sufferings and our choice of words to bring glory to Himself.
In our final point we saw the blessing of true fellowship with God and others. How we share in Jesus’ sufferings makes all the difference for us, others, and matters to God.
Be a winner, use Failing Flesh to highlight a Fantastic Future.
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