12th Jun 16 – Preach by Chris Offord – ‘My old coat’

‘my life begins when I leave here’

His daughter Laila – told it differently ‘I know that my father, one of the things he was afraid of was death. He didn’t want to move on but we are not in control, obviously God is in control’

2 Corinthians Chapter 4

14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

The referendum. – on 23rd June the referendum presents us with 2 very different futures.

Another referendum.

  • Take on a view
  • Take on our responsibilities
  • considering issues & making choices
  • Weigh the facts, the outcomes and our participation.
  • Our is an in/out our referendum, and it all revolves around our bodies!!
  • Is it home or away regarding our bodies?

2 views

The 21st century view.

  • The body is probably the most thought about issue in the 21 century
  • fashion, 24 hour A&E, weight loss, weight gain promotions, skin care skin enhancements , facials, body enhancements, gymnasiums, sexual advice and intrigue, hair loss ideas.
  • Roman empire.
  • Selfie's, social media, beach ready bodies, celebrity followers,
  • Metrosexuals and yummys.. obsessed with appearance -
  • 40% of 2000 surveyed teenagers said they would seriously consider plastic surgery
  • 63% girls admitted they felt under pressure to lose weight
  • 7 out 10 felt a need to be perfect in looks
  • In 2012 in USA there were a quarter of million cosmetic surgical procedures on girls and boys between ages of 13 and 19.
  • BDD Body Dimorphic Disorder raging across USA, caused by social media. mental disorder characterized by an obsessive preoccupation that some aspect of one's own appearance.
  • 160,000 children stay at home each day avoiding school because of bullying much of it down to attacks on looks.
  • At least half of the suicides in children in this country is down to bullying, many of those 2200 undeserved deaths were image related issues.
  • A secular charity gave some antidote advice. ‘We need to spend less time focusing on what's on the outside, and more on looking within, to improve ourselves and our mental and physical health'

A Christian view.

Corinthian back story.

  • distractions and opposition to correct thinking
  • subtle and barely noticeable changes
  • behaviours
  • Rekindle ideas to get them back on track
  • forgiveness
  • his own weakness and theirs.... jars of clay
  • hard pressed on either side
  • Encourages
  • speaks directly and plainly

'by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every mans conscience in the sight of God' and even if the gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing'.

  • The word perishing is important in this letter
  • Examines and challenges the idea of a perishing body death for the believer and non believer.

1. Distinguishes between outward man and inward man 4:16 Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

  • Outward - perish
  • Inward - renewed daily , the soul, the spirit

2 Corinthians 5

5 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

2. Apostle did not consider his body to be himself (5;1) 5 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands

  • tent or tabernacle.
  • Frail and temporary.
  • Garment, clothed and to be put off.
  • Dissolved or destroyed

3. We become a disembodied spirit Building from God not built by human hands (5:1)

  • Spirit people clothed with mortal flesh
  • You meet them everyday
  • Put off mortal flesh
  • Enoch and Elijah
  • Pinch your neighbour
  • Spirit is renewed.
  • Unclothed or disembodied spirit
  • Condition of all saints who have departed
  • No man knows how inner spirit is connected
  • Where does it join
  • The materiel in which it is held is corruptible, clay
  • Hard for the world to grasp.
  • Not hard for the man who has been renewed by the spirit of god and made spiritually minded
  • Enter into building of god not raised by human hands - arnt we glad

4. A change in the disembodied state 5:2&3 meanwhile we groan longing to clothed with our heavenly dwelling because when we are clothed we will not be found naked’

  • different types of groaning.
  • the better is the clothed state not the naked state
  • He prefers clothed bodies with flesh and skin. After all he designed it that way.
  • Put on afresh
  • Spirit again clothed in flesh , it is the state God wants.
  • So we look forward to ‘Disembodied state’ & ‘re-clothed or bodied state’
  • Mortality swallowed up by life
  • The evidence, Jesus, Moses & Elijah, those who die and those who don’t

5. Waiting is tough 5;4 . 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life

  • Ecclesiastes chapter 12
  • A home in a foreign country
  • Not dwelling among our own people, but exiles
  • Not alone, we are amongst brothers and sister
  • our inheritance lies on the other side of Jordan
  • Mortality swallowed up

6.It is Gods purpose. 5:5 5 Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

  • His confidence came from gods work in his soul
  • e.g the stonemason or artist – god always completes
  • The devil can only deal with earthly flesh, it is his home.
  • Working upon me till he has worked me up to the perfect image
  • Paul says ‘he has prepared me for the same thing’
  • And has given us the spirit as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come 5:5
  • The deposit is part of the promise but with a garentee of growth expand into perfection

7.Confidence is needed. Always confident 5;6. Three principles

  • 1. At home in the body - temporary, on the move, frail lodging, camp bivouac or passenger travelling between continents
  • Not our home country
  • Kept from the new body by our father
  • But yet it is a home – thinking active mind, rules the body, spirit
  • much affection for are loath to quit it
  • We complain of infirmities in body but in no hurry to leave it
  • no haste to emigrate
  • Not a fitting home for us
  • The old tent
  • Not a worthy place for the child of a king
  • Physically decayed and spiritually alive
  • The spirit willing but the flesh weak
  • We are outgrowing the flesh and blood
  • Eg sea creatures breaking shells
  • Growingly in need of another abode
  • Passing through foreign land
  • Amongst people who do not speak our tong
  • They know not our customs
  • Understand nothing of the place to which we are going
  • Therefore cannot understand us
  • They think we are mad
  • 2. Away from the Lord 5;6
  • God keeps us from true home
  • Home is a place where one feels secure
  • House is our castle
  • where those appreciate your words
  • Here we dwell among enemies
  • But in heaven no such things
  • We long for the vision of love but it comes not as yet
  • This home of ours keeps us away from communion with God
  • Cannot see the lord and hear his voice as we should
  • At school waiting for the holiday
  • Workers in workshop not a home
  • Not at rest (it will not be found in this church)
  • faith anticipates the joys prepared above
  • 3. We live by faith not sight 5;7
  • We have neither fully or seen God, jesus or the HS
  • live by faith
  • Everything is on the testimony of gods word and the witness of his spirit
  • Not seen it all but had a taste of the now and not yet
  • We are going to a place not so much believe but behold
  • Not so much expect but enjoy
  • Faith exchanged for clearest sight

8.Our referendum. we are confident i say and prefer to be away from the body and at home with the lord 5;8

  • Our extra confidence .
  • body and soul remarried
  • world shrinks from thought of dying
  • Death can have no terrors for the man who understands its true condition
  • Paul prefers the state into which death casts him.
  • It is not that he prefers to be without a body , he already told us that in 5;4
  • He did not desire to be a disembodied spirit.
  • The mystics
  • No Paul called the body the temple of God and desired its perfection not destruction
  • Jesus did not redeem one half of man but the whole
  • Nothing left in enemies hands
  • Corruption puts on incorruption
  • Mortality puts on immortality
  • Those who have departed this life are still alive
  • Neither are they unconscious
  • Sight of lord through telescope
  • Disembodied you will not be able to throw a veil over your eyes as now
  • No more need of faith
  • That is for a time to come for now we walk by faith.
  • communicate with Jesus more sensibly than we do now
  • Now we speak by faith through the spirit
  • But in heaven we will actually speak to him in his immediate presence
  • And hear his voice while he personally speaks to us
  • Tried to imagine what heaven is like?
  • Here you have only touched the hem of his garment
  • Here we sip there we drink
  • Here eat daily scraps there the heavenly feast
  • If it gets rougher show even greater confidence

9. How do you decide for in or out. ‘So we make it our goal to please him 5;9

  • The word SO
  • Do not say how will i please my self or please my neighbour
  • Not by action alone but by motive
  • Much will displease him, which should displease you
  • Never accept anything in yourself that he would not accept
  • Walk in holiness..sin not against him
  • Clothe the naked, feed the hungry, teach the ignorant, visit the sick, look after the fatherless and widows
  • Do not let a day pass without pleasing him
  • Over and above church customs
  • Acts of love for him as holy acts
  • We do not need to break through customary walls to anoint His head,
  • Have not tears to wash his feet
  • judgement seat of christ 5;10
  • We are glad of this
  • He shall clear away all slander and misrepresentation
  • Let us not worry whether we are at home in the body or whether we are at home in Christ
  • Living or dying careful to please Jesus

Summary -