Sermon Guide
FORMED | SANCTIFICATION
Teaching Text
2 Corinthians 4:7-18
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, 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. 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. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 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.
Sermon Recap
This week, Pastor Suzy Silk continued our series on being Formed into the image of Christ with a teaching on affliction. Affliction is suffering that we undergo, often not of our own volition, but that the Holy Spirit can use to further His purposes in this world. The Bible tells us that while suffering is an inevitable part of this life, Jesus also suffered greatly for us so that we would not have to suffer forever. The goal of this life is to be transformed into the image of Jesus, the Suffering Servant, we need to understand not only the concept of affliction, but how to respond to it.
Affliction is unavoidable in the fallen world we live in. Jesus said that in this world, we will have trouble, and we see that even righteous men and women suffer. However, if our goal is to be like Jesus, we cannot flee from suffering, as affliction helps transform us out of the ways of this world and into His image. If we live as Christians, but never experience suffering, we miss out on part of Jesus' ministry. To be like Jesus, we must also be like Him in His affliction and death.
God uses affliction to transform us in several ways. First, God uses affliction to reveal and remove sin patterns in our lives. God disciplines us like a father so that we may share His holiness. Second, God uses affliction to realign our priorities to help us stop seeking comfort in this life and instead seek God’s glory. Third, God uses affliction to produce an enduring character in us. Paul tells us in Romans that we should rejoice in our suffering because suffering produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope. God can use affliction to transform us in powerful ways if we allow the Spirit to do His transformative work. Fourth, God uses affliction to bring further unity with Christ, which entails reenacting Jesus’ death and resurrection in our bodies.
Pastor Suzy explained that this transformation process also does not end with us. Instead, it enables us to further God’s purposes in the world by comforting others with the comfort we receive from Christ. It also enables us to live as witnesses for the Gospel through our suffering. God wants to pour His love and power out on the world, and He is able to do this through our response to Him in the midst of suffering.
Ultimately, we must choose how to respond to affliction. We can choose to flee and miss out on the transformative work that God wants to do in and through us, or we can choose to lean into transformation and intimacy. We can choose to allow His love and power to flow through us and to proclaim how we have seen God work in our lives. We can choose to reframe our suffering by fixing our eyes on His glory, other’s salvation, and our own future glory. If possible, we can even choose to rejoice in our suffering, knowing that whatever we may walk through is ultimately for Jesus’ glory and our own eternal glory, which will far outweigh the momentary troubles of this life.
If you missed this talk, you can watch it here today.
Discussion Questions
Connect
1. How are you experiencing God's comfort in this season?
Character
Ask someone to read 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 aloud. Then, ask the following questions:
1. What words, images, or phrases stand out to you in this passage?
2. What does this passage say about God's character in the midst of affliction?
Consider
1. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, the Lord says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Affliction furthers God's purpose in us by demonstrating that the only way we can endure is by God's power. What are opportunities in your life for greater dependence on God’s power in this season?
2. Jesus tells us that as His followers, we should expect affliction. Pastor Suzy highlighted four different ways to respond to affliction:
Lean into transformation and intimacy.
Let His power and love be evident in your life.
Fix your eyes on glory (God's glory, others salvation and glory, and our future glory).
If possible, rejoice in it.
With this in mind, which of these four actions feels easiest in your response to affliction? Which feels the most difficult?
3. Are there areas of your life where you have experienced God’s comfort in the midst of affliction? How might this allow you to extend comfort to others?
Cover
Is anyone in the group going through a season of affliction? Cover them in prayer by specifically leaning into one of God's purposes for affliction that Pastor Suzy highlighted.