Message of the Week

The Little White Community Church

Scripture: II Cor. 5:1-10 May 12, 2024

Message: “Going Home!”     

by Pastor George Gnade

Intro.: 1. Last week we talked about our momentary trials in comparison to eternity’s values. We also talked about what is seen compared to what is not seen.

2. We are tempted by what is seen; God offers us things of far greater value that are unseen. But to receive these things of far greater value we must claim them in faith.

a. This faith is grounded in God’s Word. It is grounded in what God Himself has said.

b. People make promises that they do not keep. God’s promises last forever. His promises are great and precious, worth far more than the tempting pleasures of the flesh.

A. In today’s message, Paul continues to compare the temporal with the eternal. This time he zeroes in on the temporary nature of our bodies.  

1. He calls our bodies “earthly tents” that can easily be “destroyed.”  

a. If we have a choice, most people do not want to live in an earthly tent. Immigrants often have no choice. 

b. Some people like to go on vacation and live in a tent or a camper for the sake of variety. But that is usually a second home, a temporary one, to allow them to enjoy a lake or some resort area.

2. Abraham was an exception to the rule. God told him to go in faith to a land He would show him. In faith, Abraham obeyed. He lived in a tent the rest of his life.

a. In fact, he had to buy a piece of land where he could bury Sarah his wife. His descendants did not inherit the land until Moses brought them there 430 years later.

b. But in Hebrews 11: 9-10, it says: “By faith he made  his home in the promised land like a servant living in a foreign country;  he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to a city that had foundations whose builder and maker was God.”

c. Abraham never received it during this lifetime. But he would and will receive it in the world to come.

3. Paul is another good example. After he became a Christian, he traveled everywhere, living in a tent, while selling tents to others. Sadly, he even spent time living in prisons, not because he did wrong, but for the cause of Christ.  Why? Because he practiced what he preached, knowing God had something much better for him.

4. In faith, God wants us to believe and know in our hearts that He has better things for us too.  

a. These human bodies are like tents. If God is gracious to us, we may live 70 or more years. But they are temporary dwellings. 

b. These temporary dwellings are often marred by sickness or disease, by war or natural disasters. It is easy to become envious of others. But if you are a Christian, what you look like or what you have materially or where you live are nothing in comparison to what He has in store for you.

B. Consider the Lord Jesus Christ for a few minutes.

1. He was born in a stable, spent time as an immigrant in Egypt, and grew up in the humble town of Nazareth.  He lost his earthly father at a young age and spent time living as a humble carpenter.

a. Not only that, the Jews of His day were captives under the Roman Empire, often poor and over taxed and abused. He traveled and lived in tents most of his ministry. He died poor, rejected, abused, and crucified.

b. People used Him to get what they wanted, lied about Him to destroy Him, took a godly, innocent man and tortured Him in every conceivable way resulting in His death for you and me.

2. In Isaiah 52: 14– 53:3, it says at the time of His death: “His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and His form beyond human recognition…. He grew up … like a tender shoot, like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised and we esteemed Him not.”

3. Jesus didn’t come to earth because He was taking a wonderful vacation to just have fun. Nor did He ever complain about His problems. He came to serve His Father in heaven and to sacrifice Himself to pay the price for our sins. 

4. So whatever your “earthly tent” may look like, regard-less of your race and where you live or whatever problems you inherit, remember Jesus loves you and came to save you. This is all temporary! All Jesus asks of us is to believe in Him and acknowledge Him and live for Him. 

C. In exchange, consider what He promises to give us.

1. In II Cor. 5: 1, it says: “If the tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built with human hands.”

a. These bodies were never made to be permanent. Nor does it matter where you have or will spend your time down here. 

b. What matters is eternal. What matters is your faith in the One who loved us and gave Himself for us.

2. Your new spiritual body will be wonderful. Your new dwelling place will be permanent.

a. In II Cor. 5: 2, it says: “Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked… because we do not wish to be unclothed, but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life!”

b. Most scholars believe we are presently clothed in these mortal bodies. When we die, if we are Christians who love the Lord, we will be temporarily unclothed. By that I mean our spirits will be with Jesus while our earthly bodies will be in the grave.

c. But when Jesus comes again, our bodies will be raised up and instantly transformed into our new abiding eternal bodies, and our spirits will be reunited to our new spiritual bodies so we can live with Jesus forever.  That is when we will be “clothed” again. That will be our final and wonderful state, made to live with Jesus and those who love Him forever and ever.

In Conclusion: 1. Paul summarizes it this way. In II Cor. 5: 6-7, he writes: “Therefore, we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in these bodies we are away from the Lord. (During this time,) we live by faith and not by sight. But we are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from these bodies and be home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please Him.”

2. The moment we die down here, our spirits will go to be with the Lord up there where we live and reign with Him until He comes (Eph. 2:6).  Surely we are safe in the arms of Jesus until that happens.

3. But when Jesus returns and resurrects our human bodies (I Cor. 15:50-58), then we will live and reign with Him forever in our eternal home in our new spiritual bodies. That is the best and final state of the believer. That is when we will all be together and at home at last!