What are you looking What are you looking at?at?

2 Corinthians 4:13-182 Corinthians 4:13-18

Dr. Lewis WinklerDr. Lewis Winkler

Distracted Distracted to Death!to Death!

What are you looking at?What are you looking at?

You may need to look at You may need to look at something or someone else.something or someone else.

What you see is what you get.What you see is what you get.

Noticing the Context: Verses 8-Noticing the Context: Verses 8-12:12:

• AFFLICTED, BUT NOT AFFLICTED, BUT NOT CRUSHEDCRUSHED

• PERPLEXED, BUT NOT PERPLEXED, BUT NOT DESPAIRINGDESPAIRING

• PERSECUTED, BUT NOT PERSECUTED, BUT NOT FORSAKENFORSAKEN

• STRUCK DOWN, BUT NOT STRUCK DOWN, BUT NOT DESTROYEDDESTROYED

• DELIVERED OVER TO DEATH, YET DELIVERED OVER TO DEATH, YET BRINGING BRINGING LIFELIFE TO OTHERS TO OTHERS

The Nature of The Nature of Our GospelOur Gospel (13- (13-15):15):

• The gospel is worth talking The gospel is worth talking about with everyone who will about with everyone who will listen.listen.

The Nature of The Nature of Our GospelOur Gospel (13- (13-15):15):

• We will be raised to eternal life We will be raised to eternal life in God.in God.

1 Corinthians 15:51-551 Corinthians 15:51-55

““Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changednot all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, —in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death is your victory? “Where, O death is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”Where, O death, is your sting?”

The Nature of The Nature of Our GospelOur Gospel (13- (13-15):15):

• The gospel is going forth in all The gospel is going forth in all of its saving power so that of its saving power so that others may know God, thank others may know God, thank Him for His grace, and so bring Him for His grace, and so bring more and more glory to His more and more glory to His name.name.

For Personal Reflection:For Personal Reflection:

• Do I really live my life in light of Do I really live my life in light of the gospel and the confident the gospel and the confident hope and expectation of being hope and expectation of being raised to eternal life in Christ?raised to eternal life in Christ?

We do not lose We do not lose heart . . . .heart . . . .• Because the gospel is the power Because the gospel is the power

of God to bring salvation to all of God to bring salvation to all who hear and believe.who hear and believe.

• Because God will raise us up Because God will raise us up with Christ to eternal life.with Christ to eternal life.

• Because we continue to have the Because we continue to have the right perspective.right perspective.

Studies in Contrast:Studies in Contrast:The Nature of The Nature of Our BeingOur Being

(16):(16):OUTER PERSONOUTER PERSON INNER PERSON INNER PERSON

Decaying Daily Renewed

1 Samuel 16:6-71 Samuel 16:6-7

““Samuel saw Eliab and thought, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.” But the here before the Lord.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his consider his appearance or his height . . . . The Lord does not height . . . . The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”the heart.”

1 Timothy 4:81 Timothy 4:8

““Train yourself to be godly. For Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some physical training is of some value, but godliness has value value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the for both the present life and the life to come.”life to come.”

Studies in Contrast:Studies in Contrast:The Nature of The Nature of Our Afflictions Our Afflictions

(17):(17):AFFLICTIONAFFLICTION GLORY GLORY

Momentary

Light

Eternal

Weighty

C. S. Lewis from “The Weight of C. S. Lewis from “The Weight of Glory”Glory”

“ “If we consider the unblushing If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards staggering nature of the rewards promised, it would seem that our promised, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures fooling about hearted creatures fooling about with drink and sex and ambition with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.the sea. We are far too easily We are far too easily pleased.pleased.““

Contrasting Visions of the “Good Contrasting Visions of the “Good Life”Life”

Contrasting Visions of the “Good Contrasting Visions of the “Good Life”Life”

““Run in such a way as to get the Run in such a way as to get the prize. . . They do it to get a prize. . . They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last do it to get a crown that will last forever.”forever.”

— —1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians 9:24-259:24-25

C. S. Lewis from “The Weight of C. S. Lewis from “The Weight of Glory”Glory”

““I read in a periodical the other day I read in a periodical the other day that the fundamental thing is how we that the fundamental thing is how we think of God. By God Himself, it is not! think of God. By God Himself, it is not! How God thinks of us is not only more How God thinks of us is not only more important, but infinitely more important, but infinitely more important. Indeed, how we think of important. Indeed, how we think of Him is of no importance except insofar Him is of no importance except insofar as it is related to how He thinks of us. as it is related to how He thinks of us. It is written that we shall ‘stand It is written that we shall ‘stand before’ Him, shall appear, shall be before’ Him, shall appear, shall be inspected. The promise of glory is the inspected. The promise of glory is the promise, almost incredible and only promise, almost incredible and only possible by the work of Christ, that possible by the work of Christ, that some of us, that any of us who really some of us, that any of us who really chooses, shall actually survive that chooses, shall actually survive that examination, shall find approval, shall examination, shall find approval, shall please God.”please God.”

For Personal Reflection:For Personal Reflection:

• What are you trying to get out of What are you trying to get out of this life? What are you striving this life? What are you striving for with all of your might?for with all of your might?

• Do you strive for the glory and Do you strive for the glory and praise of God or for the glory praise of God or for the glory and praise of men?and praise of men?

Studies in Contrast:Studies in Contrast:The Nature of The Nature of Our WorldOur World

(18):(18):SEENSEEN UNSEEN UNSEEN

EternalTemporal

““Ozymandias”Ozymandias”

I met a traveler from an antique landI met a traveler from an antique landWho said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stoneWho said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stoneStand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,

Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frownHalf sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frownAnd wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,Tell that its sculptor well those passions readTell that its sculptor well those passions readWhich yet survive, stamped on these lifeless Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless

things,things,The hand that mocked them and the heart that The hand that mocked them and the heart that

fed;fed;And on the pedestal these words appear:And on the pedestal these words appear:““My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:

Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”Nothing beside remains. Round the decayNothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bareOf that colossal wreck, boundless and bareThe lone and level sands stretch far awayThe lone and level sands stretch far away

by Percy Shelleyby Percy Shelley

Psalm 90:10, 12Psalm 90:10, 12

““The length of our days is The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty, if we seventy years—or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly they quickly pass, and we fly away. . . . Teach us to number away. . . . Teach us to number our days aright, that we may our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”gain a heart of wisdom.”

Conclusion and Conclusion and Application:Application:

What am I looking at right now in What am I looking at right now in my life?my life?

What am I focusing on to find What am I focusing on to find comfort and hope in the midst of comfort and hope in the midst of life’s challenges?life’s challenges?

My Own Story:My Own Story:

Coleman Coleman Hall Hall Student Student PresidentPresidentResidence Residence Hall Hiring Hall Hiring CommitteeCommittee

Fraternity Fraternity Chaplain and Chaplain and Inter-Inter-fraternity fraternity Council Council PresidentPresident

Homecoming CourtHomecoming Court

Psalm 121:1Psalm 121:1

““I lift up my eyes to the hills—I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”the Maker of heaven and earth.”