Yearning For Home

Introduction

Ever Savior, walk beside me. Good morning. Good morning. All right. The fog may be out, but the volume can still be there. I hope you open your Bibles with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 this morning. When we begin the reading, we’ll actually start a few verses prior to chapter 5. But I want everyone to consider before we read this text about something and you’re in the entire spectrum of your life. I want you to pick out one thing that you just absolutely love. Whether it’s eating, whether it’s learning about baseball, whether it’s learning about football or purposely staying away from the television set when people are watching football or baseball. What is it that you love to do? Do you love to work with your hands?

Do you love to analyze with your mind? What is it that you love? I want to ask you, would somebody know that you love that? If you like to, for example, work with your hands and make things out of wood and be a carpenter of sorts. Would would people see some of your creations, maybe? Or if you’re like me and you’re a baseball nut of sorts, would you be able to call out past World Series winners and a bunch of other statistics that don’t matter for any reason? Or maybe is it shown by the amount of time you spend doing something, reading something, or if you’re into singing the time you spend researching good musicals, listening to music, watching television shows, even about music, or perhaps documentaries about how they come up with the ideas to get the music that they then sing that you then enjoy.

You see, when we love something, you absolutely positively spend all your time and energy going for it. So I’d invite you to look at chapter four of Second Corinthians and pick up the reading in verse sixteen, thinking about that type of effort, that type of commitment. So we do not lose heart, though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal in chapter five and verse one, for we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent we groan, being burdened, not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. Now watch carefully verses six through ten. So because of, we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord, for if we walk, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

1. We Are Always of Good Courage

So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Now, this morning I’d like to examine verses six through ten. And if you look at verse six, I hope you’re struck by two phrases there. The first one, so we are always of good courage, and then the explanation for that. We know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord. Now that sounds like a funny thing to be of good courage about, to know that we are away from the Lord, but then Paul gives the answer as you continue in to verse 7.

For we walk by faith, not by sight. What is our faith in? Verse 8. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we must make it our aim to please him. Now I added the word must there, but the idea of this good courage, walk by faith, not by sight, is you can know that despite all this momentary affliction spoken of at the end of chapter four and the beginning of chapter five, despite all of the heartaches, despite all of the downtrodden moments in this life, and man are there many. Despite all of that, there is an eternal weight of glory. Isn’t that what the Second Corinthians chapter 4 says?

Look at again at verse 17. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. Beyond all comparison. I like what he does there. Paul contrasts so strongly what God can do for you. Did you see it? It’s your light, momentary affliction, and the eternal weight of glory. Do you see the difference in the two? With God, you have it all in this life. Whether you have it all or you have none of it, there is light, momentary moments. It doesn’t matter if you lived a life of pampering or of comfort, or if you lived a life of severe affliction, Paul describes this life as light, momentary affliction. And in fact, he continues in the beginning of chapter 5.

2. In This Tent We Groan

Look at it. Look for the word groaning. Let’s see what that means in verse 1. For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan. Why? Longing to put on our heavenly dwelling. Verse 4. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened. I want to ask you something. How much comfort do you take in that if your earthly tent, if the things of this life, if you can turn me down just a little bit, please, up in the booth? How much joy, how much peace do you truly have as a follower of God that if everything in your life was destroyed?

That you would be okay. We don’t like things being destroyed. In fact, we like our stuff. We have our hobbies. We like money because it gives us peace of mind. What type of peace of mind is money offer? Fleeting. But let’s make no mistake, money is important in this life because without it, you have nothing. You can’t accumulate things in this life. And so the challenge then is what do you groan about? What do we have that could be destroyed? Perhaps it’s a life situation. Maybe you were born without parents. Maybe you remember a time when you were in a foster home. Maybe when you were at an adoption agency. Maybe that’s tough. Maybe you find it hard to say, where is God? Where is anyone for me when this happened?

I was abandoned. This is hard. But what about when you’re born with the proverbial silver spoon? And then when you get to be an adult, all of a sudden, that spoon’s no longer there, and something falls apart. What about when all that goes into your earthly tent is destroyed? Where is your faith? Where is your hope then? We talk about how character is not what you do when people are looking. It’s revealed by how you behave when no one is. My question to you is, where is your hope? And I tell you, it’s not shown in a church building, although you coming here is a sign of that faith. It’s a sign that you walk by faith, not by sight, because you’re investing your time here and now, and we’ll get to that later.

But when life is hard, when God has allowed, when God has not stepped in the way you think He has, and you say, God allowed this horrible thing to happen to me. Where is your faith? Where is your hope then? Is it as strong as Paul is writing it should be, knowing that God has promised us an eternal building? Because after all, wouldn’t we prefer a building from God than any building on this life? What type of person, whether Christian or otherwise, wouldn’t want a building made from an eternal being, compared to what they could build with their own hands? But we know that this is a problem. Why? I want to examine that groaning more. Look at the end of verse 1. About that building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, for in this tent, in this life, we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling.

3. This Is Our Temporary Home

What do you groan about this morning? And do you keep it into perspective? Because as we shoot on to verse six, please look with me and examine how dangerous hanging on to that groaning may be. So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord. I want to read you a song from country artist Carrie Underwood. It’s called Temporary Home. I want you to think when you go through your groanings, first of all, if you can match any of the stories here. And second of all, what you would think, where your faith would be. Would you be of good courage? As Paul says Christians would be. He doesn’t say they should be.

He says, We are of good courage. Who is? Christians. Who is? People who believe in God. Carrie Underwood sings. Little boy, six years old, a little too used to being alone. Another new mom and dad. Another school, another house that will never be home. When people ask him how he likes this place, he looks up and says with a smile upon his face. This is my temporary home. It’s not where I belong. Windows and rooms that I’m passing through. This is just a stop on the way to where I’m going. I’m not afraid, because I know this is my temporary home. Young mom on her own, she needs a little help, got nowhere to go. She’s looking for a job, looking for a way out, because a halfway house will never be a home.

At night she whispers to her baby girl, someday we’ll find our place here in this world. Going on to the last verse. Old man, hospital bed. The room is filled with people he knows. And he whispers, don’t cry for me. I’ll see you all someday. He looks up and says, I can see God’s face. This is my temporary home. It’s not where I belong. Windows and rooms that I’m passing through. This was just a stop on the way to where I’m going. I’m not afraid because I know this is my temporary home. Hope you can picture, particularly that last example. Someone perhaps on the verge of crossing into eternity. And they recognize with their spirit, they recognize with that faith that they have walked by, that they’re going to something greater.

But my question for us today is not about that, because I’m not preaching in a hospital. I’m preaching to a members, members of the church who are here and healthy this morning, at least to varying degrees. Do you have that faith today? Do you know that God is coming? The day of the Lord is coming, and are you of good courage this day? Are you at home in the body? We all are to a degree. The question is, do you agree that you are just away from the Lord for a time? Do you understand that this is our temporary home? Because if you do, if you understand that this is temporary, your life would reflect it. Just like with those hobbies. Just like with all those things you love to do, whether it’s working with your hands or doing things with your mind, you would know, and your life would reflect.

You want to go somewhere else. Have you ever been somewhere and desperately wanted to be anywhere else? I think of the DMV, for example. That’s a place where I never really want to be there. I just want to get in and out of there. Okay, as you think about while you’re at the DMV, what do you do for the most part? You read magazines, you think about where you’d rather be, which is anywhere. You bring something to do. Why? Because you would rather be doing that. My question is, do we do that with God? If you are of good courage, if you are walking by faith, what temporal investments are you making for your eternity? Are you choosing to walk by faith or by sight? And I’m telling you this morning, you can track it.

Several months ago, I think, and perhaps weeks ago, Mr. Jim Duke did a Wednesday night invitation on having a hot mic. Sometimes we catch whether it’s politicians or actors saying things that they don’t want recorded because someone’s snooping with a camera. And then it comes out for all the world to see, and Mr. Jim made a good point that as Christians, we kind of are always on a hot mic, particularly to God, if not being under the microscope of man. But I’d like to ask you this morning, if you were to examine your life and it was to be cast upon this screen, and in fact I have one of you up here. No, I’m just kidding. Everyone, I hope everyone got a little worried. If you are walking with good courage and you have walked by faith, not by sight, would you be afraid?

4. Where Your Treasure Is, There Your Heart Will Be

I gotta tell you, I would be a little bit afraid, and that’s in front of a group of people who are also sinful, at least at times. What about before our God? The God who promised us a building not made with hands? What about the God who offers us the eternal weight of glory? How are you depositing your time, your money, your opportunities in this life? Because after all, when we talk about homes, I can’t get out of a sermon without saying home is where the heart is. Look with me in Matthew chapter 6. In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus lays an unavoidable truth out for us here. In Matthew chapter 6 and verse 19, do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Where can the treasure be hidden? Christ says two places, on earth or with God. Where are you laying up your treasure? Think about your life this morning. Not do you recognize that there is a God, you’re here. Chances are you believe in God. Don’t think about am I mostly a good person? Because we should be doing that. The question is, where are you constantly, daily taking your courage in? Is it the things of this life, or is it the things of the eternal glory which is to come? And I tell you, it’s not speculation, it’s not wishful thinking. You can track this. Just like if you ever wanted to see how much time you spent doing something, what you would do is you’d write down in your planner, you’d say, for from 9 o’clock to 10 o’clock this morning, I spent one hour watching ESPN.

And after you go through the week, if you wanted to track your time watching ESPN, you could go back and add it all up. I’m asking you right now to think for yourself. So I’m going to give you a quick moment. This past week, what investments did you make for your treasure in heaven?

How much time did you spend investing in treasures in this life? Because if it’s outweighed severely, God knows. We have that hot mic on. Are you someone who can say, I am walking by faith, not by sight? Look at verse 8 back in 2 Corinthians chapter 5. Back in verse 8, Paul says, Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. You see, it’s critical that we all keep this in mind. Not because it’s just some eternal platitude, which it’s very important. Don’t let me undermine that. But because life can spiral if you don’t keep it at the forefront of your mind every single day. Let me talk, let me talk to you about treasure for a moment.

When you talk about treasure, you think about wealth, something that helps you get something. We have the ultimate treasure before us, brothers and sisters. How much time have you spent digging in? How much time have you spent searching the very mind of God? We claim to be of good courage. We want what God offers. Are you making a relationship with him? We think about a relationship in terms of prayer. What about your relationship and reading the words of God? Don’t we sometimes get discouraged that God doesn’t respond to us in our prayers? Perhaps with words like we ought, like we would like, like we would respond to someone else. His words are here. You want to know how God thinks, how he processes, how he deals with man?

5. Consider Your Ways

Read the book. Because people keep this in mind. The Israelites knew who God was. They had stories, they had law, they knew who he was, and they lost it, and they got wicked. They went way away to where God had to send them into captivity. How did it happen? Inch by inch. Day by day. Look with me in the book of Haggai. Look with me in the book of Haggai. Incredibly, even after they have been subjected to captivity. Upon their return to Jerusalem. Read with me what Haggai is struggling with in chapter one. Hope you’ll find Haggai in your old testaments here with me. Haggai chapter one, beginning in verse 2. Thus says the Lord of hosts, these people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.

Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet. Is it a time for you to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies in ruins? Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, consider your ways. You have sown much and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough. You drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourself, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. Thus says the Lord of hosts, consider your ways. I am beseeching each and every one of us this morning to consider your ways. Have you harvested little? Or have you harvested much? After all, we understand from the New Testament. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.

What’s going on in Haggai? They’ve let the temple of the Lord. They’ve let it stay where it’s at. They have not built it up. They haven’t put the honor first on God. And what happened? Yes, they delayed a little bit. There might have been some reasons, whether good or bad, and they delayed a little bit. But what’s the big problem? Why does God say, consider your ways? Look at verse 5. He says, Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, consider your ways, verse 6. You have sown much and harvested little. What does he say in verse 3? Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet. Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies in ruins?

Where is your priority? Because it’s known. Just like whether or not you can track, whether or not you’re of good courage, if you’re walking by faith, not by sight. Where is the Lord’s temple in your life? Have you been building it up and then you’re going to cover yourself on the side? Because after all, isn’t it Christ who says, be anxious for nothing? After all, he tells us that he will provide. Christ will take care of you. Do you trust him? Because sometimes that is the most difficult part of being a Christian is understanding that, yes, we are in this home, and yes, I get it, Greg. It’s a physical life, and I should be living for eternity, but I still have bills to pay now.

6. We Make It Our Aim to Please Him

I still need a house. I still need a car. What to do with that? You see, the answer is simple. That’s an excuse, just like any other misbehavior often comes with in our mind. You’ve created a false dichotomy. God doesn’t call us to ignore ourselves. He calls us to put him first and to trust him to help us with the rest. You see, if we turn to God, God is our ally. What can you not do? Consider your ways, O people. You have harvested little. Let’s make sure that we are harvesting the way God has encouraged us to. Now look back at 2 Corinthians chapter 5 for our final point this morning. What does this build to? What is Paul’s point? Why are they to be of good courage?

Why is it so important to walk by faith, not by sight? Well, obviously the temptation is to walk by sight. The temptation is to get caught up in groaning. But after all, what does it matter? Verse 9, he reaches a conclusion. So, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. Who? The God of heaven. It is our aim to please him. Why? Verse 10, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. But notice verse 9, we make it our aim to please him. Talked last Sunday morning about how death is coming. I haven’t softened on that stance, brothers and sisters, death is coming.

And every day that you live, you say, Well, I haven’t died. I’m telling you, you’re one day closer to death. But you also have one more day to please God. Consider your ways. How will you obey? And why is it so important to do it now? Why invest so much now? Because there’s the eternal weight of glory that is beyond all comparison to come. In 1 John chapter 3, if you look with me there, in 1 John chapter 3. John writes what the end goal of Christians should be. In 1 John chapter 3, beginning in verse 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is, and everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

That’s the goal. That’s the end game, to be holy, for God is holy. We are pressing on to spiritual holiness, to spiritual wealth, not because we want to be rich, but because we want to be with God. In verse 4, everyone who also everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. Look at verse 9. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him. And he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil. Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

Where are you moving towards this morning? I don’t know if you’ve ever stood still very long, but if you’re in a crowded place, it’s hard to stand still. And as Christ revealed in Matthew chapter six, and many other times, he consistently presents his listeners, whether they agreed with him or not, with two choices. To come to him. John 14, verse 15, if you love me, keep my commandments, or to lay up treasures on earth. What does he say in Matthew chapter 6 and verse 24? You cannot serve both God and mammon. How many pathways are there? There is the narrow way, and there is the broad way. That is just two ways to go. Which way have you been moving? Which way will you move? Consider your ways.

Conclusion

Recognize we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. And the question then is, what am I to be harvesting? Well, I can tell you there’s a million things you can be harvesting in this life. Souls. You can help out the needy. You can be a brother or sister in Christ. But most importantly, remember this as you go through the week, as you wake up in the morning, walk by faith, not by sight. Recognize as you wake up we answer to God. We need to walk by the things that are unseen, not the things which are seen. After all, which one of the two is the one that causes us to groan? We groan in our earthly tents, don’t we? We have pain and sorrow in this life, don’t we?

Choose life this day. Choose the spiritual life, the building of God that He offers made without hands. Consider your ways and walk by faith and not by sight. Please pray with me this morning. Our dear God, our most gracious and loving Heavenly Father, we praise you for your greatness. We praise you for your omnipotence, your glory, your kingship. O God, thank you for having mercy and love towards us. Thank you for the grace that you offered in sending your Son Jesus to come and die on the cross for our sins, giving us once and for all the blood that will wash away our sins. O God, help us to not be of little faith, but to be of a faith that grows, a faith that teaches, and a faith that sows for your kingdom.

Oh God, forgive us when we stumble. Help us to press ever on towards you, to be of good courage, to walk by faith, and to stand with the blood of Christ at the day of judgment, so that we can hear those great words. Enter in, thy good and faithful servant. We ask all this in your Son’s name. Amen. We’re now dismissed to Bible classes.