Religion & Spirituality
Sermon Notes ABSENT, YET AT HOME 2 Corinthians 5:6-9When doing a Bible study you look for key words or phrases that are repeated. In our passage before us you find two phrases used twice. In verse 6 and 8 we are to be of good courage or confident. In those verses also notice that in verse 6 we are at home in the body and absent from the lord and in verse 8 we are absent from the body and at home with the Lord. The passage concludes Therefore we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. I. Confidence in the present: Paul was confident that this present existence involves separation from GodII. Confidence in Plan: Paul explained further by characterizing the Christian life as living by faith, not by sightIII. Confident in Potential: Paul was confident and would have preferred to leave his present body behind in order to be at home with the Lord.IV. Because Paul was confident in the potential, he was Confident in Purpose: In light of this confidence Paul had a goalA. To be well pleasing to Him1. Euarestos – eu well arestos pleasing This word is used several other places in the New Testament. Each of these references helps us better understand what it is that pleases the Lord.a. It is well pleasing to Him when we present our bodies to Him as living sacrifices Rom 12:1b. It is well pleasing to Him when we live so as to help others and avoid causing them to stumble Rom 14:18c. God is well pleased when His children separate themselves from the evil around them Eph 5:10d. God is well pleased when they bring their offerings to Him Phil 4:18e. He is pleased with saints who permit Jesus Christ to work out His perfect will in their lives Heb 13:20-21B. Whether at home or absent1. The people of God can be found in one of two places: either in heaven or on earth (Eph 3;15). None of them is in any intermediate place between earth and heaven. Believers on earth are at home in the body while believers who have died are absent from the body. Believers on earth are absent from the Lord while believers in heaven are present with the Lord. Either way they are at home, with their people. Here are the lessons we can learn from this passage. We can be confident in the present. Be at home in your present existence even though it involves separation from God. We are to be confident in the plan. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident in the Potential. It is real as we have the earnest of the Holy Spirit. We are confident in the purpose. Our ambition, our aim is to be well pleasing to Christ.