2 Corinthians chapter 4. Our text will be verses 17 and
18, but especially verse 18. Paul tells us here how it was
that he viewed his many troubles, his continual, relentless persecution
and difficulties. He mentions them briefly in verses
8 and 9. And he tells us in verses 17
how he viewed those difficulties, those constant persecutions. And he tells us in verse 17,
for our light affliction. That's how Paul looked at those
things he mentioned, as light afflictions. And we can go through
the book of Acts and his epistles and think to ourselves, they
were anything but light. Anything but light. He seems
to never to have had a break. Constant heartache, constant
affliction, constant trial and persecution. But here, Paul says,
they're light afflictions. How did Paul view these things
as being light afflictions? Because he viewed them in the
light of eternity. That's how he considered them.
And in so doing, he says this, it's as though he sets out a
set of weights, scales, And he says, I've put the afflictions
in one side of the scales, and then I've put eternity in the
other side. And here's what I see. Viewing
my persecutions, my trials, this present life, in the light of,
in view of, in the certain prospect of eternity, He says, I consider
them light. My afflictions are light and
but for a moment, a moment brief, all but the hope of heaven, being
with Christ. He said, now that's a far more
exceeding weight of glory. And he also said the afflictions
don't work against us. All know they work for us by
the providence and working of our ever-faithful Heavenly Father,
These afflictions are not against us, but they work for us as only
God can make them do. God sends them our way on purpose. Everything God does, he does
on purpose. He's a God of purpose and grace. As Paul said in Romans 8, we
know it. We know. This is a verse we know
by heart. We don't need to turn to it. We know it by heart. It's memorized. It's often read, quoted, heard. But Paul says, we know that all
things, all things, those things he mentions here in 2 Corinthians
4, all things work together for good to them who love God. that them who are thee called,
that's not everybody, but them who are thee called according
to his purpose. Paul, how do we know that? Because it's God that's doing
the working. It's God that sends these afflictions
and it's God that by those afflictions molds us into the image of his
dear son, whom himself said to his disciples and to us, in the
world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I've overcome
the world. Paul lived in the immediate prospect
of eternity. Think about that. He lived in
the immediate prospect of eternity. Oh, how it will lighten our load
and cheer our way if we lived every day as though we were on
the very doorstep of heaven. Brothers and sisters, we are. We are. We stand on the very
doorstep, upon the very threshold of eternity. Paul viewed everything. in his present life, he viewed
it in the prospect of eternity. He stood, as it were, a man with
his hand up on the door that he should soon open and step
out of this life into everlasting glory with his Redeemer. And
with that attitude, with that view of things, he could say,
all these afflictions are light. their light compared to that
weight of glory that awaits all God's children. And this affliction
is only for a moment. It's only temporary. Oh, but
eternity, everlasting forever. Today, our Lord told the dying
thief, that one who was a trophy, a trophy of His mighty grace. That one who looked over and
saw that man hanging upon the cross through the crown of thorns
and the bleeding, and the plucked out beard, and the spittle, and
the degradation. He saw the King of Glory. He saw He who alone was His substitute. Oh, what a demonstration of God's
sovereign grace. And he said, remember me, remember
me. when you come into your kingdom.
And oh, what sweet words these must have been to his ears when
he said to that dying thief, today, today thou shalt be with
me. Is that not the glory of glory,
Lonnie? You'll be with me today in paradise. Those same words could be spoken
to all his children, each and every one today. Oh, that's how
they view this life. We may be with him in paradise. It's nearer, our salvation is
nearer than when we first believed. So in that view of things, Paul
says, that's how he looked. That's how he considered these
light afflictions. As the hymn writer put it, when
peace like a river attendeth my way. And the man who wrote
these words wrote them after he lost children, lost property,
but more than that, he lost children in a ship that had went down.
Afterwards, as he sailed that same route, and being directed
at the spot where that ship went down. He sat down and wrote these
words. What a demonstration of God's
grace. When peace like a river attendeth
my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever my lot,
thou hast taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul. God, teach me that. Teach me that. Look again, if
you will, at verse 18. The title of my message is, Looking
at the Unseen. That's what Paul says, does he
not? Why 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 or temporary, but the things which are seen, or
which are not seen rather, are eternal. That's a paradox, isn't
it? a paradox, a seeming contradiction,
only seemingly, not really a contradiction, but it at first seems like it
is. And this is another one. The
scriptures are full of these concerning the child of God.
This is true of every child of God. For example, Paul said,
when I am weak, then am I strong. That's a paradox to all but the
believer. He knows exactly what that means. Without Christ, nothing. Christ said, without me, ye can
do nothing. And attempt to do it without
me, and I'll prove to you that it will result in nothing. But
oh, Paul could say, I can do all things, Through Christ that
strengtheneth me, so here. The things seem, the things seem
with this natural eye. And that's everything, that's
everything. Everything you see, one another,
all your earthly possessions, those homes that you'll go back
to, everything, every relationship, Everything we see, Paul says,
is only temporary. Temporal. It'll soon be gone. Brother Scott Richardson, I heard
him say more on more than one occasion, hold everything that
God is pleased to give you in this life with a loose hand. With a loose hand. Because it'll
soon be gone. Oh, but the apostle goes on to
say, the things which are not seen, these things are eternal. These things are forever. That
is what Paul considered. That is what he looked to and
how he looked at them. And that's what comforted him.
That's what sustained him. That's what encouraged him. And
that's what motivated him. He was a man who knew he was
facing eternity. And he knew he was preaching
to people who were facing eternity. That's why he said, I endure
all these things for the elect's sake. The world can never understand,
can they? The world can never understand
this paradox. They can never understand a true
child of God. And they may be your own children,
brothers and sisters. companions. They just don't understand
you. They just don't get it, do they?
Because grace experienced, grace experienced in the heart makes
us strangers to this world. And in this world, we're crucified
to it and they're crucified to us. In this world, Yes, no question
about that. We're not in heaven yet, but
we're not of the world. And the only reason is, and how
we should thank God for this, our master said, you're not of
the world because I've chosen you out of the world. I've chosen
you out. I've extracted you from the pit
of all the rest of mankind. Look back to the rock from whence
you were hewn and to the hole of the pit from whence you were
dig. Look back where you were, where
I found you. You were children of wrath. You
were no different, no more deserving, no better than any other lost
rebel. Oh, but I chose you out of the
world. The Father before the world began
chose you and gave you to me and I came to this world and
in time by my grace I called you out of the world. He died for those the Father
chose and in time the Holy Spirit calls all those the Father chose
and all for whom Christ shed his precious blood. That's why
you're not of the world. So let us, brothers and sisters
in Christ, come out of the world every day. God give me grace
to come out daily. Bobby, as you sang a moment ago,
I need thee every day. Every hour. Give me grace for
every hour as I walk through this world to turn my back upon
its pleasures, its enticements, its temptations, and have my
eyes focused on it. That's the word that Paul uses
here for the word look. Focused. Focused. Let the scope
of my vision be continually before Him and eternity to which I swiftly
approach, give me grace to follow Christ. Not being influenced
by the world's motives for living, not being influenced by their
mindset, their religion, oh no, but to follow Christ. How can
this be done? How can we look at the unseen? Paul tells us in verse 13, of
2 Corinthians 4, look at it again, will you? How can it be done? How can you look at the unseen? And of course the answer is by
faith, faith alone. Paul says in verse 13, we having
the same spirit of faith, of faith, we believe God, Paul says. Just as David believed God, we
believe God. David believed and spoke of those
things that he believed. Likewise, we believe and speak
of those things which we believe. We look at the unseen by the
precious gift of faith. That's the only way to do it.
It's the only possible way to do it. It can't be done otherwise. Thomas, our Lord said, after
his resurrection, after his sure and certain resurrection, after
being raised again, just as he had spoken of time and time again,
and yet it was hid from their eyes, all but now he stands before
them. This same Jesus stands before
them, that one they saw upon the cross. that one they saw
expire, that one they laid in the tomb, that one who was most
surely dead. Now he stands before them and
he exclaims, I'm alive forevermore. Thomas, because you see me, you
believe. You see me with the natural eye
and therefore you believe. But blessed are those, does that
include you and I? Most certainly, if we're children
of God. He speaks to you and I, and of
you and I. Blessed are those who shall not
see me, like you're seeing me now, Thomas, like we're looking
at one another. Blessed are those who shall not
see me, and yet they will believe. Thank God, Lester, for the precious
gift of faith. Thank God that he enabled us
to believe. Thank God that He dropped into
our hearts the precious gift of His grace whereby we see Him. The world doesn't see Him. They
don't get it. They don't understand it because
it's a gift of God's grace and He gives it to whom He will. For by grace are you saved through
faith. And that's not of yourselves.
It's not something that's man-made. It's not something you reach
in old fallen Adam and find. It's not there. It's the gift
of God's grace. Blessed are those who shall not
see me, and yet will believe. Do we not, fellow Christians,
feel an obligation to ever sing that sweet song of praise to
Him? Can we not take our place beside
that old converted slave traitor and sing, I once was blind, but
now I see. Thank God for your mighty grace. Faith is most often described
in scripture as a look, as a look. Turn back, if you will, to Isaiah
chapter 45, Isaiah chapter Forty-five. You know where I'm going. Oh
yes. There's life. Eternal life. Everlasting life. There's life
in a look at the crucified one. As we read these verses, speak
to yourself. May God rather speak to us. May
we be reminded of his words. Blessed are your eyes, for they
see. They see. Blessed are your eyes. Peter, my father has done something
for you. He's revealed to you who I am. Flesh and blood didn't do that,
Peter, but my father, which is in heaven. Isaiah chapter 45,
verse 18. For thus saith the Lord, that
created the heavens. God himself that formed the earth
and made it. He had established it. He created
it not in vain. He formed it to be inhabited. I am the Lord and there is none
else. I have not spoken in secret in
a dark place of the earth. I said not rather unto the seed
of Jacob, seek ye me in vain. Oh no, seek and ye shall find.
I, the Lord, speak righteousness. I declare things that are right,
things that are right, things that are true, things that are
certain, things as they really are. Verse 20. Assemble yourselves
and come. Draw near together, ye that are
escaped of the nations. They have no knowledge that set
up the wood of their graven image. Are these not sad words? And
pray unto a God that cannot say. What a sad picture. People actually
praying to the graven wooden image. A God that cannot save. He can't save, He can't even
hear, much less answer. But you know, sadly, that's happening
all around us. All around us this morning. Not
bowing down to a wooden image, but to an image devised by man's
own depraved mind? They're praying to a God that
cannot save. A God of man's own devising. A God that cannot save unless. Is that what folks are being
told? God can't save you unless. That's a God that cannot save.
Joe, a God that requires my help in any way whatsoever, that requires
anything from me before he can save me, a God that people are
told can't save you or will save you if you is a God just as false
as that wooden image. He's a God that cannot save. Look at verse 21. Tell ye, and
bring them near, yea, let them take counsel together. Who had
declared this from ancient time? And who had told it from that
time? Have not I the Lord? Have not I the Lord? And look
what he says. And there is no God beside me,
a just God and a Savior. There is none beside me. Look unto me, look unto me, and
be ye saved. All the ends of the earth, for
I am God, and there is none else. Look unto me, me. This is what faith directs us
to, the person of Christ. My faith, the hymn we'll sing
as we close our service, my faith has found a resting place. Isn't that a sweet rest? Isn't
that a sweet place for you to repose your soul, your immortal
soul? You're everything. Oh, do you
not find sweet comfort in that? Even amidst the heartache and
the afflictions and the travail, do you not find sweet comfort
in just falling down, just putting the weight, the entire weight
of your immortal soul up on Christ's solid rock and find sweet comfort
for your soul there? Oh, look unto me and be ye saved. Saved from the penalty of sin. Oh yes. If you look unto Him,
you'll be saved from the penalty of sin. You'll find there's no
condemnation. No condemnation to those who
are in Christ Jesus. Be ye saved from the power of
sin. Sin shall not have dominion over
you, because you're not under the law, but under God's mighty
grace. and one day be saved from the
very presence of sin. And I don't mean by that touch
not, taste not, handle not. Oh, I mean saved from the very
presence of sin right here, right here. Oh, to be enabled to love
God with an unsinning heart. to be enabled to look unto Him
and appreciate as I don't and can't now, but to appreciate
how He loved me and gave Himself for me. Nicodemus, this is what
you need to know. You think you know a lot. You're
a ruler, you're a teacher in Israel, but this is what you
need? No. This is the only thing that
matters. As Moses lifted up the serpent
into the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted
up. And He was, was He not? Was the Son of Man lifted up?
Did Christ go to the cross? Did he suffer in the room instead
of sinners? Did that really take place? Was
that the truth and not a fable? Was he lifted up? He said, I
must be lifted up. I came into this world to be
lifted up. I came into this world to lay
down my life for my people. Yes, of course, that happened. Well, so will this. He went on
to say, and I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me. Yes, the Son of Man must be lifted
up, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but
have eternal life. Yes, there's life for a look
in the crucified one. Then looking back at our text,
notice secondly, Paul says, while we look, while we look, Underlying
that word, why? Paul says, as we're passing through
this world, let me be a little more personal. As I'm passing
through this world, I stand in need of constant grace. Don't you? I stand in need of
his constant grace to keep my eyes fixed, focused on Christ. Several months ago, Jeff and
Jessica's little girl, Juliette, was just beginning to take her
first steps. I watched her back in the kitchen
one day after we had lunch, and she was going to mama. As long as she looked to Jessica,
She was fine. But if she became distracted
by anything, she began to totter, became a little unstable. Brothers
and sisters, so it is with you and I. As long as we keep our
eyes fixed upon Christ, all is well. But we must, by grace,
stay focused on Him. Turn, if you will, to Galatians.
This is what Paul tells us in Galatians chapter 3. Galatians chapter 3 verse 1,
he says, if ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things
which are above. That's where Christ is, where
Christ saideth on the right hand of God, set your affection on
things above, not on things on the earth. They're temporal,
they're passive, they're but for a moment. For you are dead,
and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our
life, shall appear, then shall ye appear with him, with him. Oh, that's the heaven of heaven. That's the glory of glory. Then
shall we appear with him in glory, in glory. Oh, set your affections
on things above. We have an example. Many examples
in scriptures where God's people temporarily failed to do that
in all how they suffered. I think of Lot on the plains
with Abraham, his uncle Abraham. Told in Genesis that Lot cast
his eyes toward Sodom and he thought, well, look at that great
city. Man could make something of himself
there. could have an advantage there,
so he pitched his tent towards Sodom, and in a little while
he was living right in the midst of Sodom. Yes, he was delivered
by God's grace. Isn't it amazing? God told the
angels, go fetch Lot out. I'm going to destroy Sodom, but
I can't do anything until Lot is brought out. bring him out,
and they did. Yes, Lot was delivered, but he
lost his wife, daughters, sons-in-law. How often he must have thought
to himself, oh, I should have stayed on the plains with Abraham. Oh, I wish I'd never seen Sodom. Wish I'd have never went there.
What a sad picture when the angels told Abel, Lot, whoever you have
here, bring them out. God's going to destroy this city. Genesis chapter 19, Lot goes
to the homes of his sons-in-law, married his daughters, knocks
on the door and says, come with me. Come with me. God's gonna destroy this city. And you know what we read of?
It said, God, or rather, I'm sorry, we're told the reaction
of Lot's sons-in-law, daughters, was this. He seemed as one that
mocked to his sons-in-law, and they believed him not. He'd lost
all influence, all testimony. They thought, It's a fairy tale. It's not going to happen, but
it did. Oh, for grace to look to the
eternal everlasting unending, to stay focused by faith on the
unseen. The unseen. Peter said, seeing
that all these things shall be dissolved, shall melt away. What manner of persons ought
we to be in all holy conversation and godliness? Seeing all these
things, they'll all be desired. What manner of persons ought
we, believers, to be? I was reminded of this again
this week. I listened to a CD again, a CD
that was recorded in the hospital, and that faithful man, many of
you were there, perhaps all of you, I don't know. But he left
this testimony, and you were there, and had the privilege
of witnessing God giving grace to your dying pastor. He said,
nothing can be wrong if God does it. He said, I'm just going to
get there a little ahead of you. And he said, look to Christ.
Look to Christ. Nothing else matters. Look to Christ. Looking not at
the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen. Faith is not pretending something
is so when it's not. No, no, no. But faith is God's
gift enabling us to lay hold of Christ and all of his promises. Turn if you will to Hebrews chapter
11. Here's a definition of faith and the results of faith. And
it doesn't sound like a shadow. It sounds like substance. It
doesn't sound like a fable. It sounds like reality. In verse
1 of Hebrews 11, now faith is the substance, not the shadow,
the substance of things hoped for. the evidence of things not
seen. And look down in verse 13. These
all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having
seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced
them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on
the earth. That sounds real to me, doesn't
it you? That sounds like a reality Not
a pretense. And Paul exhorts us between that
first look. When we first looked to him as
the Lamb of God and our sins were all taken away. When by his grace he opened our
blinded eyes to first see him and the burden. Oh, that horrible,
heavy, dragging me down to hell burden was rolled away. Bless God, it's gone forever
when I saw Him between that look and that look when I shall see
Him as He is. Paul says between the two, just
keep looking. The best thing you can do After
you've looked to Christ, is to just keep looking to Christ. Always, everywhere, in the valley
or on the mountain, God give me grace to look. In joy or in
sorrow, God give me grace to look. whether I feel like it
or whether I don't. God give me grace to look. In
sickness, in health, God give me grace to look to him, my faithful
husband, my bridegroom. Last of all, looking again at
the text, 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. The seen things are temporal,
as we said. They won't, they can't last,
they're not made to. This world and everything in
it will pass away. One writer said, all the trees
in this forest are marked to be cut down, don't build your
nest in them. But God give us grace to live
in this world as someone who believes God and what he says
about eternity and heaven and hell. God, give me grace to live
before you, before my children, before everyone that I have any
influence whatsoever with. Give me grace to live that which
I profess. Give me grace to keep my eyes
focused upon him, come what may. I want to read an article, just
a brief article, by Brother Tim James. He said, I've often been
called upon to sit at the bedside of folks who are about to die.
That is one of the duties of a pastor. Over the years, I've
become convinced that on a purely natural level, dying people know
how to live. I have yet to hear someone who
is facing eternity say, I wish I'd bought a bigger house, or
I regret not devoting more time to my career. Instead, I've often
heard groans such as, I wish that I'd been a better husband
or wife, or if only I had spent more time with my kids, or why
did I waste so much time and energy on bitter grudges? I've also noticed that those
who attend a dying relative or friend quickly let go the petty
differences on which they have expended precious energy. These
natural lessons are of great spiritual value. We are told
in scripture that we are dying. In our youth, we know this in
our heads, and that's about it. But as the years go by, we not
only know it in our heads, but we feel it in our bones, don't
we? Yet I'm not convinced that we
really believe in our hearts. If we knew that we would not
see tomorrow, which by the way we are not promised, what matter
of folk might we be? How precious would one more gathering
of the saints to worship be? How hungry would we be to hear
the glorious gospel of the sovereign grace just once more. How easy
it would be to say, I'm sorry, or please forgive me. How necessary
would it be to embrace our loved ones, bounce our children on
our knees, or grandchildren. How ready would we be to receive
kindness and mercy, even pity. David said, Lord, help me to
know mine end and the measure of my days, what it is that I
may know how frail I am. And Moses said, so teach us to
number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom. Looking
at the unseen, may God give us grace to do so. Amen.