Peter Barnes | 2 Corinthians 4:1, 16-18
SERMON NOTES
NOT LOSING HEART
Psalm 63; 2 Corinthians 4:1, 16-18
Why should a Christian not lose heart?
1. Because of God’s past mercies.
– 4:1; life could be tough for Paul (4:8-9; 11:24-28; Acts 18:9-11)
– John Newton had this text above his fireplace: And thou shalt remember that thou was a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee (Deut. 15:15).
2. Because of God’s present work.
– 4:16; the body decays but God continues to sanctify His people
– As a dying man in 1981, Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones had lost his powers of speech. His daughter, Elizabeth, pointed to 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, and the weak and frail man nodded with some vigour.
3. Because of God’s future promises.
– 4:17-18; Calvin: ‘If we look around us, a moment can seem a long time, but when we lift up our hearts heavenwards, a thousand years begin to be like a moment’.
– Rev.21:3-4; Rom.8:17-18