and sorrow and trial, there are
two things that support us and encourage and comfort us. And
the first is found in verse 15. For all things are for your sakes,
that the abundant grace might, through the thanksgiving of many,
redound to the glory of God, for which cause? For this reason,
we faint not. We do not quit. We do not faint. We are encouraged because underlined,
the first few words of verse 15, all things are for your sake.
All things work together for good to them who love God, who
are called according to His purpose. Though our outward man, verse
16, perish, our outward man daily perishes, our inward man is renewed,
renewed and strengthened by the promises of God, by the purpose
of God, by the grace of God. Knowing that everything that
happens to us and in our lives is according to His purpose,
for our good. We can't explain it, and we can't
answer the question why these things happen. Why would a man like Augustus
Toplady, one of the greatest preachers of his day, wrote Rock
of Ages, Clap for Me, preach the gospel, died at 36 years
of age? right in the prime of his life
when he was such an influence and power for the glory of God
in Europe. And God just took him out and
yet left on this earth so many false preachers to live to be
90 and spread their poison all over the world. I can't explain
that. I cannot explain that. I cannot understand that, but
it's not mine to understand. It's just mine to know that God
does everything right. And if it happens to one of his
children, it's for their good, their eternal good. It's for
his glory. It's to accomplish his purpose,
who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.
And that's the first thing that sustains us. Whatever takes place,
whatever happens in your life tomorrow, next week, next month,
next year, throughout your life, if you belong to Him, if you're
His child, all things are for your sakes, for your good, for
His glory. I promise you that. And that
sustains you. That's the reason David said,
I would have quit. I would have painted. if I had
not believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the
living. Therefore, wait on him. The old song says we'll understand
it a lot better by and by. Not now, but by and by. The second
thing that undergirds us and sustains us is found in verse
17 and 18. For our light affliction Our
light affliction, which is but for a moment, and it is, it's
but for a moment. This life compared to eternity
is like a one snowflake compared to a blizzard. This life is just the best of
you that leads us into the great palace hall of millenniums, eternity. This life compared to eternity
is like one drop of water. in an ocean. And our light affliction
is for a moment. And it works, it's working for
us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory while we look
not at things which are seen. These two things, through the depths and over the
mountains and through the storms and in the sunshine. What God
brings to pass in our lives is for our good. And the second
thing that sustains us is don't look too hard at these things.
Look to the future. Take our eyes off things that
are seen. These things are temporal. Verse
18, listen. We don't look at these things
which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. The things
which are seen are temporal. But the things which are not
seen, if you dwell on these things, bring you down. We've got to
dwell on the promises of God and the promises, the prospects,
the glory that's to follow. The glory that's to follow. What
does it say over here in Romans 8? What is that verse? Verse 18 of Romans 8. I reckon, I reckon, Romans 8, 18, that
the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared
with the glory that shall be revealed in us. And those are
the two things that sustain us and support us and bring us through
the deepest water and the darkest valley and the roughest time. It's for His glory and our good
according to His purpose. and we'll dwell on expectations
which are so bright in our Lord. Now verse 1 of chapter 5, for
we know some things. For we know some things. First
of all, we know that our earthly house is an earthly house. It came from the earth, it shall
return to the earth. It's an earthly house. And it's a tabernacle. That word
tabernacle is tent. And the reason this body in which
I live is called a tent is because it's temporary. We don't live
in tents because they're too frail. We build stone houses
up here in the cold country. We build brick houses and stone
houses and strong houses to withstand the weather. This soul of ours
is living in a tent, a lean-to. It's frail. It lasts for a short
time and soon, listen, will be dissolved. Came from the earth,
going back to the earth. It'll wear out and be dissolved. We know that. We know that it's
an earthly house, it's a tent, it'll soon be dissolved, but
we know something that gives us confidence. We
have a building. We have a dwelling. Our Lord
called it, in my Father's house and many dwelling places. We
have a dwelling place. And it's not a tent. It's a house. And it's a house worthy of its
maker. And it's secure as is the throne
of its maker. We have a house not made with
hands. A building of God, a building of God, eternal in
the heavens. Now don't spend a lot of time
speculating there, just believe Him. Because one man by the name
of Paul went to heaven and he actually heard some things, but
he came back here and he said, It's impossible to tell you,
to put in words, what I heard. So just leave this like it is
and believe it. If this tent be folded up, laid
aside, back to the dust, I have a waiting, a building of God
worthy of its maker, a dwelling not made with hands, eternal
in the heavens. Now look at verses 2, 3, and
4. And I don't expect the young people, now listen to me, you
who are quite young and young married couples and young people,
I don't expect you, I don't expect you to enter into these verses
here and really participate in them
like we older people can because as we live out our days more
and more, This twofold desire expressed here becomes a reality. Now listen to it. For in this
tabernacle we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with
our house from heaven. Twenty years ago, I couldn't
enter into that. Maybe even 15, 10 years ago,
but I couldn't enter into that. When you're young and you're
married and you have your family and you're raising your family
and you've got your work and these things, you'd just be lying
if you said, I want to leave here. I think sometimes these
quartets that sing all the time about going to have a mansion,
going to leave this place, and going to go to glory, I'd like
to walk up behind them and whisper, you're going to die tonight.
Let's see how they can sing that song. They don't want to move out quite
yet. But some of us know what Paul is talking about here. He
said in verse 3, If so be that being clothed we should not be
found naked, for we that are in this tabernacle, who have
lived out our days, and finished our course, and kept the faith,
we groan. We are burdened. Not that we
would just be unclothed and die, but we want to be clothed upon
with Mortality swallowed up in life. We want to be like Christ. And there'll come a time, I'll
tell you young folks this, there'll come a time, turn to Philippians
1, there'll come a time when you can, some of us can read
this right now and say, so be it, right now, even so come Lord
Jesus, take me right now. We can read this and enter into
it and the day will come when you can, but not yet. I know that. In Philippians 1,
21, Paul says, for me to live is Christ and to die is gain.
But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor, yet
what I shall choose I do not know. I'm in a strait betwixt
the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is
far better. And don't be unhappy if you can't
enter into that. I understand why you can't, but
there'll come a time when you can, when you can say with the
Apostle Paul, I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is
far better. Not that we would just leave,
we're not just anxious to die, to be done with our troubles
and trials, we're anxious to be with Him, the fulfillment
of promises, for look at verse 5. Because this is why God saved
us. He that hath wrought us, He that
hath chosen us, and redeemed us, and called us, this is why He did it. For this selfsame thing is God. This is the purpose for which
God called us and redeemed us, that He should populate a new
heaven and new earth with a people like Christ. That's what God set out to do.
Turn to Hebrews 2. Listen to Paul over here in Hebrews
2. That's why the Lord sent Christ
into this world, why he died on the cross, to redeem a people,
to populate the new heaven and new earth. In Hebrews 2, verse
10-14, listen. For it became him for whom are
all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons
to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through
his sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth
and they who are sanctified are all of one. For which cause he
is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare thy name
unto my brethren, and in the midst of the church will I sing
praise unto thee. Yes, sir, that's why God saved
us. Or that we might be like Christ,
for whom he did foreknow. He did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among
many brethren. And whom he did predestinate,
he called, and whom he called, he justified, whom he justified,
he glorified. And so when we get along in years
and get wearier the way and wearier the road and long to be with
Christ, that's normal. That's as it should be, because
that's why he saved us. Now is our salvation nearer than
the day we first believed? Paul or David said, one thing
have I desired of the Lord, one thing, that I may dwell in the
house of the Lord and behold the beauty of His tabernacle.
That's why God saved me. That's why we study this Word,
why we love this Word, and why we seek His face. And when He takes us away from
here, that'll be graduation. You young people going to school.
Why are you going to school? To graduate. You're not going
to stay in school all your life. You're going to graduate. You're
looking forward to graduating, finishing. And that's what the
people are getting white-headed and stoop-shouldered and weary. They're looking forward to graduation.
We're going to be like Him. That's right. Verse 6, Therefore
we are confident, confident. We're confident because we know
these things are true. You know, I said this morning,
and I want to repeat this, I'm never happy with the way I preach
the gospel. I always would like to do it
better, with more power, affection, and unction. I'm never satisfied
with the way I preach the gospel, but I am always completely satisfied
with the gospel I preach. Because I'm confident. That's
what Paul is saying here. I'm confident. And I say, and
willing rather to be absent from this body and present with the
Lord. And if we didn't have the gospel, we wouldn't be so anxious
to leave because we wouldn't be certain about our future.
And the reason we're certain about our future is we're certain
about our present. The reason I'm certain about
my home is because I'm certain about the one that built it. That's right. He can't fail.
And wherefore we labor, we strive, we desire that whether present
here on this earth or absent from this body, we'll be accepted
of Him. That's accepted in the blood. That's the essence of it, the
glory of it, and the beauty of it, and the joy of it, and the
confidence of it. We're going to be accepted of
Him, in Him and of Him. For we must all appear before
the judgment seat of Christ. that everyone may receive the
things done in the body according to that which he hath done, whether
it be good or bad." So, knowing therefore the terror of the Lord,
we persuade men. Paul says, I know something else.
I know his promise is true. I know his love is sure, unchangeable. I know his mercy is in Christ,
but I know his wrath is sure, too. I know he'll accept his
people in Christ and redeem them in Christ and receive them in
Christ, but I know something else. He's going to judge everybody
out of Christ. I know the terror of the Lord,
he said. I know something of his wrath. I know the fact that
he'll deal with rebels. And therefore, knowing that judgment
is just as certain as mercy, God couldn't lie about judgment
and be telling the truth about mercy. He said, He that believeth
on the Son hath life. He that believeth not the Son
shall not see life. He tells the truth about His
grace and the truth about His wrath. And Paul said, I know,
I'm confident of His mercy and I'm also confident of His wrath. So knowing the terror of God,
I persuade men. I persuade men to what? Believe
on Christ. Look to Christ. I persuade them. Salvation is only in the Savior. The other foundation can no man
lay than that which is laid, Christ the Lord. And he's able
to save all that come to God by him. He's able and willing. And in Christ there is no judgment. Being justified by faith, we
have peace with God. And there's therefore now no
condemnation to them who are in Christ. And you know what
he says in that next line? God knows I'm sincere. Listen,
we're made manifest unto God. Our hearts are open to God. I'm sincere and God knows it.
Telling you the truth and God knows it. This is the gospel. I'm confident of it, persuaded
of it. Seek no other object or goal
but your salvation in Christ. God knows that. Listen, and I
trust you do too. We're made manifest unto God,
and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences. He's saying
there, God knows I'm telling the truth, and I hope you do.
That's what he said. God knows I'm sincere, and I
hope you do. That's the apostle talking, and
we can repeat the same thing. Better be able to. We're not
playing games. For we commend not ourselves,
verse 12. We apostles are not praising
ourselves, he said, and boasting of our importance. We're nothing.
We commend not ourselves again unto you, but what we're doing
here is giving you an occasion to glory on our behalf that you
may have somewhat to answer people who glory in appearance. I defend
my gospel and I defend my ministry, he said, and I defend the truthfulness
of it, not to praise myself, but to give you an answer to
those who glory in appearance and not in heart. God looks on the heart. I thought
a moment ago, if you don't mind me, moving out into right field
or left field, either one for a moment. But as we sat here
and worshiped, read the Word quietly, John prayed, Mike and
Jonathan sang these beautiful hymns. They sat here and sang
that Sands of Time, quiet, everybody still. That's so contrary to
what's going on in religion today, with the jumping around and the
whooping and the arm-raving and the wow-ness. That's glowing in appearance. This is glowing in heart. Are you impressed with all this? You see, that's things people
see. That's a demonstration of the flesh outward. God looks
on the heart and He says, you be still and know that I'm God. You be still and know that I'm
God. God's in His holy temple, let all the earth keep silence
before Him. When you come to worship, Solomon
said, let your words be few. Very important. Worship. Somebody said verse 13, you remember
that fellow that told Paul he was crazy? One of those. He said, Paul, much learning
has made you mad. You're mad. Well, he said, verse
13, if we be beside ourselves, it's to God. If we be mad, as
some people say, through zeal and devotion to the gospel, and
some people called him mad. He said, whether we be mad, it's
under God, or whether we be calm and reserved, it's for your sake. It's for your cause. He said, I'll take whatever they
say about me. Some say we're crazy. Some say
we're sober. But whatever it is, it's for
God's glory and your good. For he says, here's my motivation,
the love of Christ. I'm not motivated by any other
cause. I'm not afraid of hell. I don't
desire reward. He said, I covet no man's silver
or gold. I'm not promoting a religious
cause or a religious denomination or a religious tradition. The
love of Christ constrains me. I love Christ. He loves me. That's
what our Lord said to Peter. Let's get it straight now, Peter,
before you go out as a pastor, preacher, evangelist, missionary,
before you go out to preach the gospel, I've got a question to
ask you. Do you love me? Yea, Lord. I love you. Then you feed my
lambs. Do you love me? Yea, Lord. You feed my sheep. Do you love me? You know everything. You know I love you. Then you
feed my sheep. You're qualified. to feed my
sheep if you love me. If you don't love me, you're
not a fit shepherd. For the love of Christ constrains
us because we thus judge if He died for all of us, then we were
all dead. And that He died for all of us,
all believers, that we which live should not live unto ourselves.
I'm not my own, I'm bought with a price. You are too. And we
should live unto Him that loved us and died for us and rose again. We belong to the King. We belong
to the King. We're His servants. And therefore,
verse 16, therefore, henceforth, when we
became His, know we no man after the flesh.
No man's position, no man's power, no human being's possessions,
no human being's intellect or heritage or strength or religion
or relationship impresses us or causes us to seek their approval. We know no man after the flesh
who belong to the Lord. We're his woman. We belong to
him. We're not going to be conformed
to this world. We're not going to be impressed
or influenced by the people of this world with their things
that appeal to this flesh. We just know no man after the
flesh. We're not for sale. Yea, though we have known Christ,
there was a man we admired. There was a man whom we knew
to be the wisest and the greatest and the strongest and the richest
and the holiest of all. We did esteem him. We did seek
his approval. We did seek his fellowship. We'd
go to any length or any cost to be admired of him and loved
of him. But that man was Christ. when
he walked this earth. He said, we've known Christ when
he was on this earth, yet in that way know we him no more. He's in glory. And our affection
is set on things above, not on things of this earth. And therefore,
if any man be in Christ, not in religion now, but in Christ,
a lot of folks in religion, And it brings certain changes. But
if any man be in Christ, not in religion, not in the church,
not in a religious movement, but in Christ, if any man be
in Christ by regeneration, by redeeming grace, by saving faith,
he is a new creature. He has a new heart. He has a
new nature. He has a new family. He has a
new walk. He's a new creature. And old
things, the old curse, the old condemnation, the old religious
righteousness, the old religious traditions, the old way of life,
the old companions, the old desires for worldly glory and worldly
fame, the old things have passed away. All things become new. And these things that are new,
all of them are of God. Gift of God by the grace of God.
Behold, he said, I make all things new. All things are of God in
creation, in providence, in salvation, especially in salvation. Who reconciled us? We were enemies. Turn over here to the book of
Ephesians, chapter 2. We were enemies. He reconciled
us. God was angry. We were children
of wrath, even as others, by nature. In Ephesians chapter
2, verse 12, at that time, oh my, that at that time you were
without Christ, without the Messiah or the promises of the Messiah.
You Gentiles, you were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel.
You were strangers from the covenants of promise. You had no hope and
without God in this world. But now in Christ, you who were
sometimes far off, are made now by the blood of Christ, reconciled. God is reconciled. God is not
angry. We are at peace with God. The
wrath of God has been removed by the Son. He reconciled us
to Himself. And He has given to us this ministry
of reconciliation. What is this ministry, this message
of reconciliation? Here it is, to which it means,
namely, this is it, that God was in Christ. Almighty God was
in Christ. God came to earth. God in human
flesh. That's the mystery of godliness.
God was in Christ. That's who Christ is, is God.
He said, He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. Unto us
a child is born, unto us a Son is given. His name is called
Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father. God was in Christ reconciling
the world of sinners to Himself, not imputing their trespasses,
their iniquities, their sins, their wickedness unto them. but
imputing them unto Christ. And he bore them in his body
and paid for them. And we're reconciled to God.
And he's committed to men. This word, this message, this
good news of reconciliation, God is reconciled. Now then,
listen to this. Now then, you know it takes two
to have a fight. God was angry with us because
we were angry with God. It takes two to fight. One can't
fight. It takes two. And we were children of wrath.
That doesn't mean just under His wrath, but that means we
were angry with God, too. We hated God. By nature, we hated
God. Not our God, but the God of the
Bible. That's who we hated. So Christ
came down here and made us holy and perfect
and righteous and without blame by His obedience and death and
righteousness. And God's reconciled. But though
we're children of God and God's reconciled and God loves us,
God loved old Saul of Tarsus, but Saul of Tarsus hated Christ.
Christ loved him, but he said, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Well, who are you? I don't even know you. I know
this. I hate that Jesus. He said, well,
I'm Jesus. Saul hated Jesus Christ. He had
religion, and he loved his traditions, and he loved his religion. He
loved his God, but he hated Christ. Christ didn't hate him. He reconciled
him. God loved him. But Saul had to
be reconciled. And that's what he's saying here.
Now then, verse 19. Now then, verse 20. We are his
ambassadors. What's an ambassador? One who's
sent. As though God did beseech you by us. If you hear from God,
you'll hear it through his word and through his preaching. We
pray you, in Christ's name, be ye reconciled to God. You lay down your shotgun, you
put up your sword, you stack your arms, you bow down, and
you say, He's my Lord and my Savior. You'll be reconciled. That's right. Why should I be
reconciled? Because, verse 21, for God the
Father made Him the Son to be sin for you and me, he knew no
sin, that we might be made, we sinners, the righteousness of
God in Christ. Believe him, receive him, bow
to him, be reconciled to God. That's the message that he's
given us, this message of reconciliation. God is reconciled. And there'll
come a time, if we belong to the Lord, there'll come a time
when we'll be reconciled. We'll stack our arms and we'll
surrender. And then when you do, you'll
say, what took me so long? Why'd I wait so long to be reconciled
to Him who's already reconciled to me by Christ? All right, let's
sing a hymn. Bring the date to a close.