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@READINGSPURGEON: 2 CORINTHIANS 1:5 (NPSP1S13)

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@ReadingSpurgeon: 2 Corinthians 1:5 – Consolation Proportionate to Spiritual Sufferings (NPSP1S13)

The next sermon of C. H. Spurgeon in the New Park Street Pulpit is on 2 Corinthians 1:5 – “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ.”

He has 4 headings:

I. The sufferings to be expected

Christian, expect trouble.  “There is no bed of down for you, there is no riding to heaven in a chariot. The rough way must be trodden, mountains must be climbed, rivers must be forded, dragons must be fought, giants must be slain, difficulties must be overcome, and great trials must be borne. It is not a smooth road to heaven, believe me.”

Reasons why you must endure trials are seen by look upwards, downwards, around you and within you.

When you look up and see “your heavenly Father, a pure and holy being, spotlessly just, perfect” and consider how one day you will be like him.  Do you think “it will be an easy thing for your heart to become as pure as God is?”

When you look downwards, you see “hell and its lions against you.”  Once you were “a servant of Satan and no king will willingly lose his subjects.  Do you think that Satan is pleased with you?”

When you look around you, you see that you are in a wicked world full of enemies.

Then when you look within you, there lies your original sin and corruption.  “If you had no devil to tempt you, you would tempt yourself.”

II. A distinction to be noticed

But we need to be clear about whether our sufferings are sufferings of Christ or not.  Many people have trials and troubles who are not God’s children.  “It is only when they are the suffering of Jesus that we may take comfort.”

It is when “you are called to endure harshness for the sake of the truth, then those are the sufferings of Christ.”  Take care that you sufferings are not your own sufferings.

III. A proportion to be experienced

“As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so the consolations of Christ abound.”  When we are most cast down, it is then that we are most lifted up by the consolation of Christ.

Why?

Because trials make more room for consolation: “The more our troubles humble, us, the more fit we are to receive comfort.  And God always give us comfort when we are most fit for it.”

Because trouble exercises our  graces: “The very exercises of our graces tend to make us more comfortable and happy.”

Because in our troubles we have the closest dealings with God: “When the barn is full, man can live without God.  When the purse is bursting with gold, we somehow can do without so much prayer.  But once take your gourds away, you want your God.”

IV. There is a person to be honoured

Who is to be honour? Jesus, for, as the text says, this is all by Jesus.  “For Jesus cheers me.  He is my consolation and my hope.”

So Christian…

If you are afraid of trouble, know that it “may never overtake you… and if it does come, strength will come with it.”

If you are in trouble, know that “as your troubles abound, so shall your consolation” so instead of being distressed about it, “rejoice in it” because “you will then honour God.”

And if you are almost driven to despair, know that “Christ is coming to your help… soon He will deliver you and fetch you out of all your perplexities.”

@READINGSPURGEON: 2 CORINTHIANS 3:17 (NPSP1S9)

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@ReadingSpurgeon: 2 Corinthians 3:17 – Spiritual Liberty (NPSP1S9)

The implication of the text of C. H. Spurgeon’s sermon – 2 Corinthians 3:17 – “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” – is that there was a time when we did not have spiritual liberty.

Once “all of us who now are free in Christ Jesus, were slaves of the devil, we were led captives at his will… we were slaves to our lusts and passions – slaves to sin.” But now “we are freed from sin, we are delivered from our tyrant… and we are free.”

What are we free from?  Spurgeon gives us 6 things.

I. The Bondage of Sin

There is no slavery more horrible than the bondage of sin, because when this burden is on his shoulder, he has “a burden too heavy for his soul to bear – a burden which will sink him forever in the depths of everlasting torment, unless he does escape from it.”

But the Christian is free and can say my “sin is washed away, my spirit is no more guilty, it is pure, it is holy, there no longer rests the frown of God upon me, but my Father smiles, I see His eyes – they are glancing love, I hear His voice – it is full of sweetness.  I am forgiven.  I am forgiven.  I am forgiven!”

II. The Penalty of Sin

“Eternal death – torment forever – that is the sad penalty of sin… There are some of you here who know right well that if you die hell is your portion… You cannot put yourselves among believers.  You are still without Christ.”

But the Christian, “you are free from the penalty of sin… Talk of the punishment of a believer!  there is not such a thing.”

“Jesus has suffered the punishment in my stead, and God would be unjust if He were to punish me again.  Christ has suffered once, and satisfied justice forever.  When conscience tells me I am a sinner, I tell conscience I stand in Christ’s place, and Christ stands in mine.”

III. The Guilt of Sin

“The Christian is positively not guilty any longer the moment he believes.”

What?

“He is a sinner as considered in himself, but in the person of Christ… he is made whiter than snow.” For Christ comes for his salvation and says, “I will stand where you are, I will be your substitute, I will be the sinner, all your guilt is to be imputed to Me.  I will die for it, I will suffer for it, I will have your sins.”  Then stripping Himself of His robes, He says, “There, put them on, you shall be considered as if you were Christ, you shall be the righteous one.  I will take your place, you take Mine.”

IV. The Dominion of Sin

The Christian is no longer a slave to sin.  “He does not sin because he is born of God, he does not live in uncleanness because he is an heir of immortality.” 

V. A Slavish Fear of Law

A Christian does not feel forced, like a slave, to do the works of the law.

“The greatest happiness of a Christian is to be holy.  It is no slavery to him.”  But how I wish I could live as I liked, because if I could, “I would, always live holily.”

VI. The Fear of Death

“Sudden death is sudden glory.”

Having shown what the believer is freed from, Spurgeon is closing points to some glorious things we are free to.

We are free to heaven’s charter (the Bible) – “there is not a promise, not a word in it, that is not yours.”

We are free to the throne of grace – “it is the privilege of a believer that he can always send a petition to the throne of God.”

We are free to enter into the city (to be baptised and approach the Lord’s Table) – “don’t remain outside the church any longer, for you have a right to come in.”

We are free to heaven – “when a Christian dies, he knows the open sesame that can open the gates of heaven.”

THE BIG READ – 2 CORINTHIANS

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At Banstead Community Church in The Big Read, which is our four year Bible Reading programme, we are reading 2 Corinthians in April.

Here’s a new overview talk on 2 Corinthians and the accompanying handout [the original version is HERE].

Download MP3

Download Handout

More talks in the The Big Read series can be found HERE.

(Photo: Freely)

KIDS TALK: 2 CORINTHIANS

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2 CorinthiansThe Big Read – 2 Corinthians

Powerpoint Pictures: Tree Trunk; Ant; Jelly; Bull; Baby; Chain; Hulk Hogan; Twig

Are the following things weak or strong? [Tree trunk; Ant; Jelly; Bull; Baby; Links in a Chain; Hulk Hogan; Twig; Jesus on the cross].

In 2 Corinthians, the apostle Paul is writing to the church in Corinth to warn them about a group he calls the ‘super-apostles’.  The super-apostles were false teachers who seemed to be very impressive compared to Paul.

But Paul tells the church that they shouldn’t listen to these ‘super-apostles’ because unlike him, they are not genuine apostles.

Paul says that he is a genuine apostle because his preaching is about Jesus and his ministry is like Jesus’ too, and that is why he seems to be weak and unimpressive.

Jesus appeared to be weak.  Paul said he was meek and gentle, he became poor, and he suffered and died.  To the world those who follow Jesus will appear to be weak too.

But things aren’t always what they seem.

Look at the picture.  What do you see? [An ice cream].  However things aren’t always what they seem, because in fact the picture is of a cupcake.

That’s true of Jesus in 2 Corinthians.  He appears to be weak but in fact He is actually really strong.  He can reconcile us to God, He bears our sin and makes us righteous, He is powerful enough to turn us into new creations:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Does this sound to you like someone who is weak?

And Jesus does all this as men and women who are weak preach the good news about Him who is strong.

As Paul writes to warn the church about the ‘super-apostles’, we see a Jesus who is strong and powerful even when He appears to be weak.

More talks from The Big Read for Kids can be found HERE.

THE BIG READ – JESUS IN 2 CORINTHIANS

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2 CorinthiansThis month at Banstead Community Church, we’re continuing with The Big Read and are reading through 2 Corinthians together as a local church.

Here’s an overview talk on 2 Corinthians I gave and the accompanying handout.

Download MP3

Download Handout

More talks in the The Big Read series can be found HERE.