All right, so in 2nd Corinthians chapter number 5 the part of the scripture
I really want to focus in there is it kind of that beginning half and begins in verse 1 it says
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved
We have a building of God and house made not with made not with hands eternal the heavens jump down to verse 6
Therefore we are always confident knowing that while we are yet at home in the body
We are absent from the Lord go to verse 8. He says we are confident I say
Willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present
with the Lord and the title of the sermon this morning is willing to be absent willing to be absent and
That title will make more sense near the end of the sermon
but I want to start out in the sermon here this morning is pointing out the fact that
That Paul here is expressing a great deal of confidence over about what is to come, you know
And that's a confidence that we all have, you know, if we're saved
We know that we're on our way to heaven that nothing can change that
That no matter what happens in this life
Jesus Christ has shed his blood for us that he has died for us that he was buried that he rose again
That we have put our faith in him and then we've received the free gift of salvation and nothing can separate us from the love
That is in Christ Jesus. That's the confidence that we have and that's the confidence here that Paul is expressing
He says we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved. We have a building of God
He's talking about the terrestrial body
Dissolving away and receiving that celestial body that that home for our spirit in heaven that is not made with heads
That is eternal in the heavens
it's not going to fade away and he says that we are always confident knowing this and he says in verse 8 again that we
Are confident that if we were to be absent from this body that if we were to die
That we would be immediately present with the body or excuse me, and we be immediately present with the Lord in that new body
And you see what this confidence does for Paul
If you would keep something there all morning and for 2nd Corinthians 5, we'll come back later a couple times this morning
But go back one chapter to 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 and you'll see what this confidence did with policy
This confidence ought to move us to do something this confidence that we have that we're saved that we're on our way to heaven
You know that should inspire us to serve God that should make us bold to serve the Lord
And that's what it did for Paul. If you look there in 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 look at verse 7
He said we have this treasure in earth and vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us
Look at verse 8. We are troubled on every side yet not distressed. We are perplexed but not in despair
Persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed
Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body
For we which are live are always delivered unto death for Jesus sake that the life of Jesus
Also might be made manifest in our mortal flesh so then that death work in us in us but life in you
He's saying look we're confident here. He has this confidence
Expressed there in 2nd Corinthians 5 that allows him to go and face these persecutions
That's why he's able to say in 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 that he's persecuted
But he's not he's not forsaken that he's cast down
But he's not destroyed that he's always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus
Look there in verse 13. He said we having the same spirit of faith as it is written
I believed and therefore have I spoken we also believe and therefore speak
Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall up shall raise up also us
Excuse me shall raise up all us also by Jesus and shall present us with you
So Paul is very confident here and he was so confident that he was willing to die. He was so sure that
The fact that he had a tabernacle in heaven a new body waiting for him that to be absent from the body was to be
Present with the Lord that he was willing to die. He was willing to suffer all these things
He said in verse 11 we which live are always delivered unto death
For Jesus sake that the life of Jesus also may be manifest in our flesh and he said he's always delivered
I mean persecution for Paul wasn't a maybe it wasn't some far-off thing that might happen one day
It was his life
I mean he lived a life of persecution we can go read the the latter half of Acts where Paul
Suffered great, you know suffered greatly for the Lord being beaten being stoned to death being whipped being imprisoned
I mean shipwrecked and you know at the sea for a night and a day. I mean he went through so many things
Suffering for Christ. Why was he able to go through that?
Because of the confidence that he had that if he were to die, he would be immediately present with the Lord
He was always delivered unto unto death, you know Paul he consistently knocked on death's door didn't he?
He was right there serving the Lord just constantly knocking on the death's door. They said speak no more in his name
They'd beat him they'd stone him. He'd pick himself up dust himself off and go to the next town
I mean he lived a life of persecution
And all he had to do if you think about it Paul could have spared all himself all of that
He didn't have to go through that he could have
Just made it all in what did he all he would have to do is just shut up
All he had to do was just say, you know what? You're right
I won't speak anymore in his name and just not said another word and he could have had a nice
Peaceful life with man. I'm sure God would have been pleased with them
They probably would have made it even worse for him, but humanly speaking. He could have just you know, clammed up and gone about his life
That's not what he did. He said there in verse 13
we having the same spirit of faith as it is written I believed and
Therefore have I spoken we also believe and therefore speak
Now it's that's an interesting quote and that's actually a quote from Psalms 116 if you turn over there
Psalms 116 he's saying we having the same spirit of faith the same spirit of faith as who as
The person who wrote Psalm 116 the person he's about to quote as it is written. I
Believed and therefore have I spoken and we also believe in therefore speak
You say we're the same we had the same spirit of faith as the guy that said I believed and therefore I have spoken
You're going to Psalm 116
You know Paul in regards to this life that he lived of always being persecuted being willing to die for the Lord's sake
You say why was he so able to do that? Well part of it was his confidence, you know
I mean the major part was the confidence they had that he was going to be with the Lord and
He knew that the best that the they could threaten him with was the
You know the worst they could threaten him with rather
Let me let me say that again the worst that they could threaten him with was the best that heaven had to offer
I mean think about it, you know
But the Bible says that we should not fear them which can destroy the body but fear much just can destroy the body and soul
in hell I
Mean the best the worst they can do is send you to heaven
Folks it reminds me that story of you know, brother Bill Rice an old-time preacher
You know this I don't know if this is just Baptist lore, you know, this is certainly within the realm of possibility
I'm sure it happened
But the story I heard the way it goes is he had God been at some meeting somewhere and he was preaching something and he was
Sitting down after the service and some guy who was disgruntled didn't like the things
he had to say came up to him and pulled the gun on him and
Said I'm gonna kill you for the things you say or something to that effect
And if the story goes that brother rice just looked him right back in the eye and said you threaten me with heaven
And that was the worst you got you're gonna shoot me and send me to glory
Well, you know, but that's that's the the spirit that Paul had that's the attitude that Paul had
that's the attitude we should all have is
This confidence that if the worst they can do to us is send us to heaven
And Paul quite frankly getting ahead of myself a little bit
I mean he almost seems like the type that was welcoming it like he was like, you know what?
I almost prefer to die and go to glory. We'll look at that a little bit
But he's saying here in 2nd Corinthians 4 that he has the same spirit of faith as
This is written. I believed and therefore also have I spoken and if you look there in Psalm 116 look at verse 7
the
psalmist writes return unto thy rest on my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee for I was
Delivered for thou has delivered my soul from death. So this sounds like a man who was going through some persecution
He was delivered from death. God delivered him mine eyes from tears
You know, he was going through some persecution. There was some grief in his life. There was some you know, he was he was being persecuted
Mine mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling people were trying to trip him up people were trying to cause him to stumble
And he goes on and says in verse 9. I will walk before the Lord and in the land of the living
I believed that therefore have I spoken
So the faith of the psalmist here is the same faith of Paul
That he they will serve the Lord in the face of adversity and that's the faith that we need to have I
Believe therefore I will speak
even unto death and
Trust that the Lord will deliver us
But if we perish we perish he goes on in verse 10 there if you look he says I believed therefore I have spoken
I was greatly afflicted
They couldn't shut him up. He was gonna go ahead and say what he had to say. I
Said in my haste all men are liars
Now when he says I said that in my haste, I don't think he's saying I was you know, I was hasty
I shouldn't have said that. No, he was quick to say all men are liars
That's what he's saying because that's a true statement
Let God be true in every man a liar. That's scripture
He said I you know, I was greatly afflicted but you know what all men are liars and he didn't hold back
What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?
I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of Lord
I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people
Precious in the sight of Lord is the death of his saints. Of course that last part. There's a very famous verse
but it's inferred here in this passage that what makes the the the death of a saint so precious isn't just the fact that they
Died, I mean we can all do that. All right. In fact, we're all gonna do that one day
But what makes it so precious is that he was willing to die
That they would will be willing to die in service to the Lord
That even when persecution came they were going to continue to serve God even if it cost them their neck
That's what makes it so precious. I mean, that's what he's saying here. I was greatly afflicted
I was greatly afflicted, but you know what? I will take the cup of the salvation. I will pay my vows
They're not gonna stop me from serving God, even though they afflict me have afflicted me, you know
I believe therefore I will speak you're not gonna shut me up. That's what he's saying here
And this confidence that he has like Paul the psalmist and Paul this confidence comes from faith
You know, it's something that we receive because of the fact that we have believed I believed therefore
I have spoken, you know
our faith should give us confidence our faith should not cause us to become timid or
Want to draw back or hide our light under a bushel. We should be bold with our faith and telling others about it
I believe therefore I have spoken
Go back to 2nd Corinthians chapter 5
2nd Corinthians chapter 5 he said in verse 6
Therefore we are always confident
Knowing that whilst we are at home in the body. We are absent from the Lord for we walk by faith and not by sight
Again that confidence comes through faith
The fact that you know, we don't we don't see heaven and we haven't been there
But we know we're going and
Therefore, you know, we walk by faith and not by sight and that walk is not us tiptoeing through life
You know being a Secret Service Christian
Being an under-the-radar Christian
That's it's a bold walk that pro that proclaims our faith that goes out and lets the world know
That we have believed and therefore we speak
That confidence comes through faith, but that confidence, you know is there to make us bold and that confidence also comes through the spirit
You know, this isn't I don't think I have to spend a lot of time convincing anybody in this room this morning
That's saying that they're on their way to heaven
Because you have the spirit in you and when we just read these words in the Bible
They speak to you and you know, this is the truth. That's the witness of the spirit that confidence comes through the spirit
He says in 2nd Corinthians 5 verse verse 5 there now
He that wrought for us the self same thing is God who has also given on us the earnest of the spirit
Therefore we are always confident what makes us confident the fact that we have the earnest of the spirit
We have the down payment of the spirit. We're sealed. We've been purchased by God
We know that we're on our way to heaven that should make us confident not bashful not shy
The Bible says go over to Romans chapter 8
It says in first let's in chapter 4 first let's only in chapter 4
But I would not have you ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleep that you sorrow not
You know, what is the confidence that we have as Christians is that if someone dies in the Lord
they've gone to be with God in heaven and
That should be a source of you know, great comfort to the Christian that we don't mourn as others
He says, yeah that you sorrow not even as others which have no hope, you know, some people pass on in this life
And it's a grief to people because we don't know where they went
But when a person dies even tragically even suddenly even unexpectedly, you know
I'm not saying it's gonna that that it's just you know, uh, you know a
You know a walk through the roses
It's still difficult. There's a lot of difficulties and grief mourning we understand
But you know what the edge is taken off the blunt isn't there though
The blunt trauma isn't there from the fact that if we that person died and we didn't know what they were saved or not
You know, what's the hope there?
But when that person's dies, you know, we have this hope that they've gone to be with with the Lord
Why because they have the earnest of the spirit that's what gives us that confidence the spirit
Says in Romans chapter 8 look at verse 16
It says the spirit bear itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God
That's why I don't need to spend a lot of time here convincing you that you're God's child
You know if you believed if you put your faith in Christ, you're born again. You just read that and you know, it's true and
That you have the witness within you and that's what's going to keep you
You know living for the Lord if you dwell in that and don't let yours your faith be shaken from that
And he said we are the children of God and if children then heirs
We're gonna go to heaven. We're gonna have an inheritance heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ
If so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified together
You know that inheritance is going to be made better by your suffering and that's why Paul embraced it
That's why Paul didn't didn't shy away from it. That's why Paul wasn't going to shut up
That's why Paul having believed was going to continue to speak
That by any means he might attain a better resurrection
Not attain the resurrection but a better one. Look the resurrections coming folks
If you're saved you're getting you're going
But some folks the resurrection is going to be better than others because of the reward that they will receive
That's what second Corinthians 5 goes on and teaches us if you would go back there second Corinthians chapter 5
See we have this confidence through the spirit and it's there to make us bold
We have this confidence by faith and I believe everybody has that
It's not it's not a difficult thing to have. I don't think there's anybody in the room that would say
Well, I'm not willing to die for the Lord
and of course
We never really know until we're put in that position and it's easy to talk and say that right
But I mean, let's give everybody the benefit of the doubt likely
Everyone would be willing to go through with that if they had to push came to shove we hope so
But you know what having that confidence is not enough to guarantee you
That you will that confidence is not enough to guarantee that we would endure what Paul endured
He says there in second Corinthians chapter 5 look at verse 6
Therefore we are always confident knowing that whilst we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord
For we walk by faith not by sight
We are confident I say and
Willing rather see what with Paul. It wasn't just he was confident. He was willing
He wasn't just sure that he was saved. He wasn't just sure that he was on his way to heaven
He wasn't he wasn't he was willing to go there
And he was willing to say yeah, go ahead destroy this body and he was like the Lord the same faith that the Lord had
Destroy this temple in the three days. I will raise it up
He that's the confidence that he had but he also had the willingness to go with it
Willing rather what to be absent from the body and to be present from the Lord
You see Paul's confidence is
What moved him to lay down his life if needed it was his confidence
But he that confidence gave him the willingness to be to be able to do that
If you go over to Philippians chapter 1 look at verse 23, this is a pretty famous passage
We see how willing Paul was I mean when I read it I start to scratch my head wonder maybe Paul
You know was more than willing. He it was actually his preference. In fact, that's what Philippians 1 tells us
He would rather have died and gone home to be with the Lord. That was his preference
That's how willing he was
to be absent from this body
He said in verse 23 in Philippines 1 23 for I am in a straight betwixt two
You know what he's talking about being a straight. He's caught, you know, like between a rock and a hard place
He's he's being pulled in two directions
He's stuck having a desire to depart. That was his desire
Saying look, I'm willing to be absent from the body. I'm not only confident. I'm willing rather
To be absent from the body
He says having a desire to part and to be which Christ which is far better and that's a true statement
You know, and that's not a knock on the Philippians or anybody else
To prefer the Lord's company over anybody else on earth. That's just a fact matter. We should all be able to say that
That you know what going to be with God is better than anything you can get down here. There's no fellowship sweener. There's no
There's no place you'd rather be than in heaven
and
Paul's so willing here that it was his preference to living he's saying I would rather depart and go and
The only thing that kept him here is the work that needed to be done. That's the only thing that kept him here
That's the only reason that stuck that God kept him around
look at verse 24 nevertheless to buy the flesh is more needful for you and
Having this confidence that I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for the furtherance and joy of faith
That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by coming my coming to you again
Saying look the only reason I'm sticking around here is not for me because I'd rather go I'm willing to be absent
That's my preference. But he's saying I'm gonna stick around for your sake because that's what's needful for the Philippian people
That's what that's what needful hey that folks no matter how willing we get to go that is why we're here
You know, we might be just ready to just Lord taking I'm ready. Let's let's just end it all, you know
Let's go. I'm not advocating anything. You know, we're we're not gonna roll out some kool-aid or things
You know, but I'm just saying hey if that if you get to that place like Paul did where you're just I'd rather go be
With the Lord understand this you still have a job to do. We still have work that it's others. That's why we're still here
Go back to 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 2nd Corinthians chapter 5
He said in 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 beginning in verse 6 again
Therefore we are always confident knowing that whilst we are at home in the body
We are absent from the Lord for we walk by faith and not by sight
We are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord
You know, that's and you know, that's the interesting this isn't Paul despairing of life, you know as he started in the beginning there
First Corinthians 5, you know
You got to take note of this. This isn't this macabre death wish that he has, you know
This wasn't because Paul is just so down in the dumps that he's ready to just off himself
he's saying
He's saying here that we would for verse 2 of second is 5 for this we groan earnestly
Desiring to be clothed upon with our house, which is from heaven. If so being a clothed we shall not be found naked
For we that are in this tap and angle do groan being burdened
Not that we would be unclothed. He's saying look it's not because I just want to get out of this this
You know sack of skin and go to heaven
He's saying not that we'd be unclothed but clothed upon his desire for was for what was to come
That's what why he wanted to go to heaven and that's what he's saying here. He's saying
You know, we're and we're willing to be absent and to be present with the Lord
It wasn't just I want to get out of this situation. It was I just would rather be with God
But he says in verse 9 wherefore we labor
That whether present or absent we may be accepted of him
He's saying that's the reason why we labor is that we can be accepted of him whether we're there with him or not
You know what that tells me is it's possible to not be accepted of the Lord. I'm not saying unsaved
We know we understand that I'm just saying that not everyone's gonna hear those words
Well done thou good and profitable servant enter thou in the joy of the Lord
Some people just keep me like well I made it
Thanks Lord, and he's say you're welcome. I'm glad you're here
You know and you can you can go over there and sweep the floor or something, you know, you're not gonna rule over ten cities
You're not gonna rule over five cities
Some people are gonna you know, shine brighter than others. They're gonna be given more responsibilities
So he's saying look we labor I'm sticking around here and I'm doing the work that whether I'm there or here
I'm gonna be accepted of the Lord
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that everyone may receive the things done in his body
According to the we've done whether it be good or bad again. This isn't talking about sin
This is talking about whether your works are going to be wood
Hey a stubble or gold silver and precious stone
That's the difference there and we're all gonna have a mix of both and I don't want to go into all of that this morning
But you see the confident person like Paul who's confident in the fact that when he's gonna go that he's going to heaven when he dies
That he desires to be with the Lord that that is his desire
That is his confidence that person is the one who puts in the work
that's how you can tell the person who really believes that they're on their way there and
It's this is very real to them
That they understand that they're gonna stand before the judgment seat of Christ one day and they're gonna have their works, you know
You know doled out to them
They're gonna receive reward or they're not they're gonna suffer loss or they're gonna receive the word. They understand that that's their focus
That's the person that puts in the work like Paul who is willing to labor that they would be accepted
And why is it that some people do more than others
Why does it seem like some people are more on fire for the Lord than other people?
Why is it some people are more faithful to serving God than other people?
And I scratch my head I think well, maybe it's because some people are just more willing to be absent
Some people it's like they're already there some people are just more willing to be absent and by that
I mean willing to be absent in the sense of not so caught up in the things of this life
Not so invested in the things of this life that it's as if they're they're willing to go
There's nothing holding them back other than the work of God
You see when we're willing to be absent from the body that really puts life in perspective
We get to the place to say look I'm willing to go and die for the Lord and that's if that's as well
I'm willing to do that that puts the rest of life in perspective
How are we gonna spend our time then if that's our if that's our attitude?
What are we gonna invest in if that's our attitude that I'm willing to be absent from this life?
But I'm not gonna let things you know get me caught up go over to Matthew chapter 6
Matthew chapter 6
I
See the confident person he's the one who's gonna put in the work the one who knows that
I'm on my way to heaven that there's a reward waiting for me
So I might as well get busy serving God because that's the only thing that's gonna matter in all of eternity
All the things that I do down here all the fun. I have all the work
I do all of that you know it's woodhaying stubble, and there's nothing inherently wrong with those things
They're not even sinful, and there's a time and place for him
But when we make our life all about just the pleasures and the cares of this life friend
We're missing out on the bigger picture, and we have to step back and ask ourselves
Are we really willing to be absent from the body or?
Will we get to heaven and say you know Lord?
I would have liked to stuck around because there's you know there's a few more weekends on the lake. I would have enjoyed
Where was it like Paul? All right? I would have stuck around if you wanted me to to do the work
He
Says in Matthew chapter 6 verse 31
Therefore take no thought saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink or with all shall we be clothed for after all these?
things do the Gentiles seek
For your heavenly Father knoweth what things you have need of
But seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be add unto you
Take no thought for the morrow for the morrow shall take thought for the things of the self
Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. What's he saying?
There's enough to worry about today to sit there and get don't get so caught up in tomorrow over to Matthew chapter 13
That's the perspective we have to have
That we're not going to get that that we're going to seek first the kingdom of God. I know this is a familiar passage
I know we heard that quoted all the time. We might even know it by heart
But is that the way we're living our life are we really seeking the things of God first are we putting them first in our life?
Are we seeking first the kingdom of God or are we are we more worried about what we're gonna eat now
I know we're Baptist and it's a struggle
But are we more worried about we're gonna eat or what we're gonna drink or we're gonna clothe are we worrying about these things?
More than what God would have us to do today
Are we more worried about that than the the evil of today the worries and the cares that are
That are going to be sufficient for today
Like there's enough to worry about today that it doesn't do any good to sit there and fret about tomorrow
Look at Matthew chapter 13 verse 21, of course, it's the parable of the sower very famous
And he talks about the fact that he goes out and he's so seen on different types of ground and we all know the story here
That that ground that the sea takes root and it brings forth different results in different types of ground, right?
And he says in verse 21 yet
He hath not rude himself but doerth for a while for in tribulation of persecution
Ariseth because of the word by and by and he is offended
So the one type of ground right is the rocky ground. He receives that scene on rocky soil. It takes root. It's there
It's not though
It's not the wayside where it doesn't even have a chance to get in there and germinate
It gets down in the soil and it's there but you know what?
It's too rocky and it doesn't have any root and by and by you know, he's offended when the persecution comes
You can't say that a Paul Paul certainly not that not type of that type of ground. He welcomed the persecution
I mean he knocked on death's door and he lived on persecutions porch folks. That's where he was
That was his life
He was not offended. He embraced it and he goes on it says in verse 22
he says he also that received seed among the thorns is he that here at the word and the in the care of this world and
The deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becometh unfruitful
But he that received the seed into good ground is he that here at the word and understandeth it
Which also beareth fruit and bringeth forth some in hundred fold some 60 and some 30
Look, they all heard the word. They all received it. But the last guy what did he do? He understood it. He embraced it
It was his he was like Paul. Look I'm confident of this
I'm so confident the fact that when I'm when I die, I'm gonna be with the Lord. I know what's coming
I'm so confident this that I'm even willing to be absent and
He's the one that got to work and he's the one that was bearing fruit
He's not the one that got caught up, you know worried about the persecution that might come got caught up worrying about all the cares
of this life
Notice the things that prevent people from bearing fruit in their life
You know, we would say the persecution
That's that's a big one, right?
And look a lot of us can make it through that a lot of us will stand by the man of God will stand for
The Word of God will proclaim our faith will will let the chips fall where the man will be there
And we'll be faithful and we'll make it through there. But you know, that's not the only thing that stops people from serving God a
Lot of times even the people that are willing to go through that the things that get them are the cares of this world and
the deceitfulness of riches
That's a big one
That's what the the second ground was there
He said the deceitfulness is of riches could choke the word and it become with unfulfilled
You know, what's interesting about that soil is there's nothing wrong with the soil
They both brought forth life, didn't they? It was good
It was a received that received in a good soil good soil doesn't yield anything
You know if it's got about a bunch of rocks and everything. Nothing's gonna grow there good or bad
The problem with this guy was not the soil. It's not the things
It wasn't the fact that things couldn't grow there is the fact that they let the wrong things grow
He allowed all these things other things to grow in it
He allowed the the deceitfulness of riches the cares of this world to choke the word in his life and he became unfruitful
So the point is this and really this is the thrust of the message this morning is that
If we are unwilling to separate from this life while we live
We're not going to accomplish all that we can for Christ
You know, we're not willing to be absent now
Even though that you know, we might live a long natural life died in a ripe old age in good health
If you're not willing to be absent from the body now
In spite of that fact, you're not going to accomplish everything you could for Christ
We could do so much more for God if we would just be willing to be absent
From the body be willing to be absent from everything that's trying to pull us away from serving God, you know
I'm gonna be absent from
Whatever else is going on. That's gonna take it was gonna take the time that I have for the Lord away
The things that want to you know, lure us away from serving God. Those are the things we need to be absent from in this life
Go over to Acts chapter 20 x chapter 20
And
He says in Acts chapter 20 verse 22 and now behold I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem
Not knowing the things that shall befall me there say that the Holy Ghost
Witnesseth in every city saying that bonds and afflictions abide me, but none of these things move me neither count
I might my life dear unto myself
that I may finish my course with joy and
The ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of grace
What was Paul's joy in his life? What was gonna bring Paul joy?
Was it gonna you know go him hanging out? Well at the bar or you know
Having all of his hobbies and everything else. No, that's not what his joy was. He said I might that I might finish my course
with joy and
The ministry which I have received the Lord to testify the gospel of grace of God the joy that he was going to have was
Going to come from the fact that he lived as he ran he ran the race and he finished his course
That he kept the faith that he didn't let the cares of this world creep in and choke out the word in his life
That he you know that he didn't allow persecution
To you know to sway him. He said, you know these things none of these things move me and I don't count my life dear
I think sometimes the problem we have as Christians is that
We think our time we think our time is our time
Look, it's not your time. I
Mean, I'm not saying we have to give every waking moment, you know to just knocking doors and reading our Bible
I understand God wants us to enjoy things in life
That this is the good of man to enjoy the fruit of his labor
There is that but when that becomes all of our life
Something's wrong
And he's saying look
The the he doesn't count his life dear unto himself because he understood something it's not his time
It's not his life and we've talked about this, you know recently you you're not your own
You're about with the price as the precious blood of a lamb without spot or wrinkle
You know, we've been we've been God has redeemed us unto himself. Ye are not your own the Bible says
So here's the question this morning are we willing to be absent
While we're present if that makes sense
Are we willing to be absent from the cares of this life all the things that are vying for our attention all the things?
That want to rob us of our reward in heaven. Are we willing to be absent from those things?
While we're here in this life to do the work of God. The answer is is in the works
You know, we could tell one another that we can say we are
But the works will do all the speaking for us
You know the works that we do or the works that we leave undone are going to answer that question of whether or not we
Were willing to be absent. Let's go ahead and pray