[0:00] Now, with the Lord's help, let us turn and consider the words we have in this chapter we've read together. In 2 Corinthians chapter 4, and again reading from verse 16 to the end of the chapter.
[0:19] Therefore, we do not lose heart, even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
[0:31] For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. For we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.
[0:47] For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. The Apostle Paul, as he writes to the Corinthians, he's aware that there are some who are trying to undermine his position.
[1:12] Some who are trying to put him into a bad light and saying that the people in the congregation of Corinth shouldn't listen to the directives, nor to the teaching given by the Apostle.
[1:33] These were people who were Jewish in sympathy, and they were very much against the gospel that the Apostle was preaching.
[1:45] And they made his life quite hard for him, and they caused him much pain. And in this particular chapter, he says that he is hard pressed on every side.
[2:01] This is from verse 8. Yet he is not crushed. We are perplexed, but not in despair. Persecuted, but not forsaken.
[2:13] Struck down, but not destroyed. There's a beast feeling that he is being attacked from all sides. In another place, he describes the experience he had in Ephesus, when those who were against him resembled wild beasts.
[2:33] He said, we fought with beasts on Ephesus. And there's a sense in which that opposition against the gospel is always there for the Church of Christ.
[2:47] Whether it be Paul the Apostle, or ministers of the gospel, or those who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, as Christians in the world, there will always be this element of opposition against us.
[3:01] The Lord Jesus himself says, in this world, you shall have tribulation. But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
[3:13] And there is that outward aspect to the tribulation that the people of God suffer. But also, of course, there is the inward aspect. And the Apostle Paul highlights this in Romans, chapter 7, where he says, I find within myself a law that is fighting against the law of my mind, and bringing me into subjection to the law of sin which is in my members.
[3:40] And he says, the good that I would, I do not. But the evil that I would not, that I do. O wretched man that I am. It is as if he is representing there the inward struggle of the Christian.
[3:55] And in this chapter in particular, the Apostle is talking about the outward opposition that he feels as a servant of Christ. But despite all that he is going through, he says, in verse 16, we do not lose heart.
[4:15] And there are three things I would like to highlight in relation to these last three verses. First of all, the way Paul describes himself in verse 16.
[4:26] He talks about himself on the one hand as the outward man who is perishing, and on the other hand, the inward man who is being renewed day by day.
[4:41] He is talking about himself as it were outwardly and inwardly. Secondly, he describes the affliction through which he is passing.
[4:52] He says, verse 17, and he says, our affliction is light. He's mentioned the way he's been hard pressed and crushed and perplexed and so on.
[5:05] But he says, it's a light affliction. When you compare it, he says, with the far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory that awaits us.
[5:18] That's the second point. And the third point, he tells us how he's able to look on things from that perspective.
[5:29] The afflictions being light and so on. How is he able to say that? Well, it says in verse 18 that his focus isn't on the things of this world.
[5:40] He says, we don't look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
[5:53] You may remember in the second epistle to Timothy in chapter 4, which is the last chapter of the scripture that Paul leaves with us before he is put to death.
[6:07] And he's there in prison in Rome. Amen. Amen. Amen.
[7:15] Amen. Amen.
[8:15] Amen. Amen.
[9:15] Amen. Amen. Amen.
[9:46] Amen. Amen.
[10:16] Amen. Amen.
[10:46] Amen. Amen.
[11:16] Amen. Amen.
[11:46] Amen. Amen.
[12:16] Amen. Amen.
[12:46] Amen. Amen.
[13:16] Amen. Amen.
[13:46] Amen. Amen.
[14:16] Amen. Amen.
[14:46] Amen. Amen.
[15:16] Amen. Amen.
[15:46] Amen. Amen.
[16:16] Amen. Amen.
[16:46] Amen. Amen.
[17:16] Amen. Amen.
[17:46] Amen. Amen.
[18:16] Amen. Amen.
[19:15] Amen. Amen.
[20:15] Amen. Amen.
[21:15] Amen. Amen.
[22:15] Amen. Amen.
[23:15] Amen. Amen.
[24:15] Amen. Amen.
[25:15] Amen. Amen.
[26:15] Amen. Amen.
[27:15] Amen. Amen.
[28:15] Amen. Amen.
[29:15] Amen. Amen.
[30:15] Amen. Amen.
[31:15] Amen. Amen.
[32:15] Amen. Amen.
[33:15] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
[33:26] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. 열심히 blends will happen. Amen.
[33:37] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you.