Be The Church Week 5

                             2 Corinthians 5:1-10

Important Announcements!

Connect Group Leader Meeting - October 2nd at 5:00 pm @ STC in the small auditorium! Come be poured into and be encouraged!

Mark your calendar for October 16th! This is the day we will be having our Fall Festival. Connect Groups have a huge part to play in this. More details coming soon.

Talk with your group some more about doing a Missional Community Project!

If you need a list of ideas, contact Blake Hardiman or Ethan Floyd.

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Theme: Vs 1-10 Sometimes we fall into the misconception that following Jesus means we will not struggle. The truth is even when we follow Christ we will still find struggles and temptations! But Through times of struggle and temptations, we can trust in the hope that we have in Christ! 

A few things that Paul points out to us in chapters 5:1-10

1… An Eternal Home (Christian Hope) vs 1

A.. Christian Hope is Connected to faith and rooted in God’s Word

Our Hope isn’t always based on what we see, and isn’t rooted in our circumstances! Our hope is connected to our faith in Christ and it is rooted in God’s word! His word never fails! His word never changes! Circumstances do change. His word remains the same. 

B.. Faith allows us to fully trust God’s plan for our future vs 1-3

We don’t have to constantly worry about tomorrow! Our tomorrow is secure in Christ! Instead of running ragged worrying about what tomorrow is going to bring we can rest confident in our God because He is already there! He holds our future in His hand and there is nothing or no one that can take that away! 

C.. The Greatest joy for a Christian is what happens beyond the grave vs 4

You can't scare a Christian with death! Life on this earth is the closest thing to hell for the Christian. We have something to look forward to beyond the grave. Life with Jesus. 

How does this truth give you great hope in the midst of earthy hardships?

Does your life reflect that you have your hope and joy set on what happens beyond the grave?

If it is true that the greatest joy for a Christian happens beyond the grave, how does that change the way you face hardships here on this side of it?

2… An Earthly Tent (Our Reality)

Remember, Paul was a tent maker. This makes perfect sense why he would use this language to show us that the life we live in this body is temporary! It does not last forever. Let's be honest... no one likes to stay in a tent for long periods of time! In that same way, we have something better to look forward to in Christ.

We may have an eternal home as a Christian but we live in an earthly tent here on earth! How are we to live in the present? What are some things that will help us live the life God is calling us to live on earth?

A.. Realize struggling is a part of following Christ

God never promised that following him would be easy! God never promised that we wouldn’t struggle. God promises that challenges will come and tells us to endure them with patience and long-suffering!

Paul himself faced so much trouble as he followed Jesus. That's why he set his eyes on what’s to come! 

B.. Fully embrace the power of the Holy Spirit

God has given us His spirit “guaranteeing” what is to come!

This is the greatest gift and hope on the planet. God in us guides us through life!

We may live in an earthly tent but we have an eternal God who lives in us and who is a deposit guaranteeing what is to come.

C.. Walk by Faith instead of only talking by faith

It’s one thing to talk about faith and it’s another to live it out! 

It’s easy to say you’re walking by faith when everything is going well for you. It’s another thing when we walk by faith in the midst of fiery trials! 

Faith says - God even if you don’t answer our prayers you are still good and I will still be faithful to you! Faith stands firm even when you can't see the whole picture. Faith kicks in even when you can't see the whole picture! 

Have you ever believed in the misconception that following Jesus means everything is going to go well for you?

How does having the Holy Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing our faith change how we face adversity?

Paul says we walk by faith, not by sight!

What’s most true isn’t our circumstance but what’s most true is what God says about it! What’s most true is what God is using it for and He gets the last word.

Sight connects us to our situation but our faith connects us to God!

What are some practical examples of walking by faith, not by sight?

Has your faith ever kicked in when your eyes couldn’t see a way out?

3… Living by Faith 

A.. Our sight connects us to our situation but our faith connects us to Christ vs 6-7

Where is your faith?

Vs 7 says - We walk by faith and not by sight!

Paul says that as long as we are home in the body we are away from the lord. And as long as we are in this body we will go through things that aren't easy. And we would rather be with God than here in this tent. However, as long as we are here we will walk by faith, not by sight! 

B.. Faith allows us to show evidence of our confidence in God’s eternal plan for us

Paul was being questioned by the Corinthians and many of these so-called “super-apostles.” But in the midst of the questioning and the midst of his adversity His faith revealed his confidence in God’s eternal plan for him.

How does Pauls faith in God's eternal plan for his life in the midst of adversity challenge your faith personally?

Do you truly trust God’s plan for your life? Do you ever question it?

Can you remain faithful even when everyone around you isn’t? Give some examples of when this is hard to do.

C.. Death isn’t the end for followers of Christ Vs 8

The truth is that death isn’t the end for anyone! But for Christians, we have a great future to look forward to!

Vs 1 - An Eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands!

We will live forever and we will reign with Christ! 

Even when things are difficult and our reality isn’t fun we can rest in the fact that God holds our present and He holds our future! Be encouraged! 

Vs 10 says that 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, (tent) whether good or bad.

How does this encourage or challenge the way you are living in the present?