connecting

The Normal Christian Life
Sermon Summary and Discussion
Clay Spencer
April 20, 2008

Introduction:
Key Scriptures: -2 Cor. 1:3-4, 8-10 1.“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfortt with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians was full of rebukes. Now he writes the second letter to encourage the believers. He speaks of the Comforter or the Paraclete “one who gives strength” The one who comes alongside to help us in our afflictions (our weaknesses) Vs.8- 10

Paul gives a personal testimony of his own troubles:
2. “For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction that we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves, but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope, that He will deliver us again.”

Example: Abraham was given the promise when he was completely incapable of fulfilling it in himself. He had to depend completely on God both to bring his son to life and then to raise him from the dead if necessary. (Romans 4;16-23, Heb. 11: 17-19)

  • We come to the end of ourselves- we just can’t do it anymore.
  • We can only rely on the one who gives life to the dead • We go through raw life experiences
  • We have no reserves left- nothing left to give.
  • We have no hope in ourselves that we can change or that things can change.
  • We can only look to Christ who gives deliverance.

Example: Clay and Kitty’s marriage struggles. No body is “normal” ie. Problem free. Real people struggle and have to depend on God to be their strength and to deliver them when they can’t deliver themselves.

3. Romans 8:20 0 “ For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”

  • All creation was made subject to futility.
  • Sooner or later everyone’s boat sinks.( shipwrecks)
  • Creation is groaning. We are His creation. Believers are groaning..

4. 2Cor. 5:2-5 “ For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may be found not naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened- not that we should be unclothed but that we should be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by Life”. Why are we groaning?.

  • We don’t really want to die.
  • We want to be more alive.
  • We want more life, more energy, more focus, more creativity.
  • We want to be fully Godly, to be fully good.
  • For now we have to rely on God who gives life to the dead and calls what is not as though it is.

5. 2 Cor. 4:7 -11“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show the surpassing power that belongs to God. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”

  • We are common, fragile, everyday vessels.
  • The power belongs to God, not to us.
  • It is the “overthrowing power”. It overthrows all of our weaknesses- all that we cannot do.
  • This is normal Christian life- being delivered over to death for Jesus sake .We suffer affliction (weakness), conflicts, persecutions, being struck down, ..all that the life of Christ may be manifested in us.
  • Why does God want us in such a state of weakness? We hate our weakness. We want to hide it from others.
  • God wants the overthrowing power of Christ to be seen in our weakness.
  • God has subjected nature to futility and that futility in nature is stronger than man. It always prevails in the end. ( ex. The Old Man and the Sea)
  • Our only hope is in Him who gives life to the dead.

6. 2 Cor. 11:23-27 – The Apostle Paul’s Amazing Afflictions: Imprisonments, beatings, near death., lashes, stonings, shipwrecks, danger from rivers, robbers, his own people, danger from the Gentiles, danger n the city, in the wilderness, at sea, from false brothers, in toil and hardship, sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, cold and exposure, and the daily pressure and anxiety for the churches. “Who is weak and I am not weak?” But then….

7. 2Cor. 12:7-10 “ So to keep me being to elated by the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger from Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But He said to me ”MY GRACE IS SUFFICENT FOR YOU, FOR MY POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon (dwell, tabernacle) me For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, I am strong.”

So we are to be content in our weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with calamities, with persecutions, for Christ’s sake. For when we are weak, we are strong in Him.

8. 2 Cor. 6:4-10 – “...as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, ,by truthful, speech, and the power of God, with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as imposters, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich, as having nothing, yet possessing everything.”

So the Christian life is composed of two sides:

  • In weakness and in power.
  • We’re called out from the world but on the other hand we’ re called to the world.
  • While we may be a new creation, we are called to be stewards of the old creation.

The Lord has left us fully redeemed on the inside but still fragile and weak on the outside, and still He has made us stewards of His creation. We are all His creation. Because we love Him and His Spirit is in us, we must love others. For we are all made in the same image of God. We are not to kill but love others because they are made in the image of God.

Henri Nouwen -Way of the Heart: “We are not to judge others. It is hard to live up to that. But it is the secret to a compassionate ministry. Bear your own faults and weaknesses. Do not look at the failures of others. Do not let judgment take over. It is folly for a man who has a dead person in his own house to go to the house of a neighbor to grieve.”

9. Remember: 2 Cor. 5:19 - “For God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them.” Can we live this way? In a fragile, weak world, can we give love, kindness, forgiveness, and not judgment?

10. 2 Cor, 12: 9 -“ And He said to me “MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU, MY POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS.” Most gladly therefore, will I boast about my weakness, that the (overthrowing) power of Christ may dwell in me.” The goal of the weakness is to let Christ’s strength shine through us. His power is with you..

11. 2 Cor.13:5 “Examine yourself, test yourself to see if you have genuine faith…Christ is in you.”

  • We hate our weakness.
  • We want to hide it, to cover it up.
  • We must acknowledge our weakness, and let it become our strength through His power.
  • We don’t need to turn and run in shame. Turn to Him.
  • Believe on the one who gives strength.
  • Acknowledge your weakness , your overwhelming situation.
  • Acknowledge Christ who is in you in it. He is present with you in power.

Discussion questions:

  1. Have you ever felt that you were burdened excessively beyond your strength, so that you despaired even of life?
  2. Why is it so hard to acknowledge our weaknesses and failures to others?
  3. Why is it so easy to blame and judge others when they fail?
  4. How has the Holy Spirit strengthened you in your afflictions and struggles?
  5. Name some specific areas where you can say God’s grace is sufficient for me.
  6. Why do we have to continually live in weakness?
  7. Why must we live as “cracked” pots and not perfect vessels?
  8. What are some ways that the overthrowing power of Christ is made manifest in our lives, and in our relationships with others?