Great Expectations

Theme: The Believer’s Identity

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:1-21

Objectives: (From the D6 Fusion Sunday School Lesson book)

Know: Christ has given us the privilege of representing Him and sharing the message of reconciliation, even as we long for our home in Heaven.

Think: I allow the fact that I represent Christ to guide all I do.

Do: Live as Christ’s representative to the world, sharing the message of reconciliation.

B1 2 Corinthians 5:1-10,

C1 How does this verse give us comfort: 2 Corinthians 5:1 GNB92 For we know that when this tent we live in—our body here on earth—is torn down, God will have a house in heaven for us to live in, a home he himself has made, which will last forever.

C2 What wonderful hope is for Christians who die?

C3 Are we going to be a disembodied soul floating around in the sky?

C4 What are some differences between our current body and the new one?

D1

Our body
Old	New
Made with hands	Not made with hands
From earth (dirt)	From God
Not eternal	Eternal
On earth	In heaven
Physical	Spirit

D2 What is the difference between the Christian’s new body and the nonbeliever?

E1 Philippians 3:21 GNB He will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious body, using that power by which he is able to bring all things under his rule.

E2 This verse speaks of the resurrection body but somethings are similar: 1 Corinthians 15:42 GW That is how it will be when the dead come back to life. When the body is planted, it decays. When it comes back to life, it cannot decay.

E3 What else can you think of?

C5 What is our guarantee for the new life, body, home, and fellowship to come?

C6 We have never seen heaven, so how do we know there is one?

D1 It is most reasonable.

D2 Jesus existed in history.

D3 The Gospels record eyewitness testimony of Jesus’s ministry.

D4 It is most reasonable that Jesus is who He says He is—God.

D5 He states there is a heaven, so it is most reasonable that heaven exists.

F1 Matthew 5:34 GNB But now I tell you: do not use any vow when you make a promise. Do not swear by heaven, for it is God's throne.

F2 John 6:33 GNB For the bread that God gives is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.

F3 John 17:1 GNB After Jesus finished saying this, he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your Son, so that the Son may give glory to you.

C7 What hope does this verse give you? 2 Corinthians 5:8 GNB We are full of courage and would much prefer to leave our home in the body and be at home with the Lord.

C8 2 Corinthians 5:9 NKJV Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. Why should we try to please God?

C9 The Bema Seat in 2 Corinthians 5:10 refers to the judgement of Christians what we have done or not done. This is right after the Rapture. For more information, see here. Compare: 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 NKJV For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

B2 2 Corinthians 5:11-18,

C1 What does terror of the Lord refer to? Why would that motivate Paul? Why should that motivate you and me?

C2 2 Corinthians 5:12, why would character (heart) be of greater importance than appearance? Why do many people judge character by appearance?

C3 2 Corinthians 5:13, why do many people think the Christian’s lifestyle is insane? Name some of the rules in these verses.

D1 Ephesians 4:14-15 WEB that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ.

D2 Ephesians 4:26-28 WEB ”Be angry, and don’t sin.” Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath, neither give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need.

D3 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 WEL 14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what does righteousness have in common with unrighteousness. What fellowship is there between light and darkness? 15 What harmony does Christ have with Satan? What does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What does the Temple of God have in agreement with idols? For you are the Temple of the Living God, just as God has said, "I will live in them and walk in them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 17 "So then come out from among them. Be separate," says the Lord, "and do not touch [what is] unclean, then I will accept you, 18 “And I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters," says the Lord Almighty.

C4 2 Corinthians 5:14, for how many people did Jesus die for? Remember, the Bible must be understood and interpreted in its plain, normal sense. Compare: Romans 6:1-8 HCSB What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way of life. For if we have been joined with Him in the likeness of His death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of His resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that sin’s dominion over the body may be abolished, so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, since a person who has died is freed from sin’s claims. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him.

C5 2 Corinthians 5:15, how many might live? Is it all or some? What would make the difference?

C6 2 Corinthians 5:16, should we treat some people better than others? A comment from J. C. Ryle on Luke 11:27-32 is worth reading: We are all naturally inclined to attach great importance to a religion of sight, and sense, and touch, and eye, and ear. We love a sensuous, tangible, material Christianity, far better than one of faith. And we need reminding that seeing is not always believing. Thousands saw Christ continually, while He was on earth, and yet clung to their sins. Even His brethren at one time "did not believe in him." (Joh 7:5.) A mere fleshly knowledge of Christ saves no one. The words of Paul are very instructive: "Though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more." (2Co 5:16.) We are to worship Christ in spirit and truth, not flesh and experience (John 4:23 NKJV But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him).

C7 2 Corinthians 5:17,

D1 How perfect was God’s first creation (as in Genesis 1-2)? (Everything was pronounced good. God, so to speak, took His books of standards out and checked everything, and everything was perfect).

D2 How about God’s new creation in a believer?

D3 If all is new, what should our attitude be about God’s ways?

D4 How do we know if all things are new?

E1 For ourselves, we can read and study 1 John.

E2 For others it is more difficult, because their thoughts, desires, words, and deeds must be the same in private as they are in public. This is one reason that if a spouse (usually wife) reports abuse or children report molestation, it must be believed and acted on. Most of these are crimes against society and MUST be reported to law enforcement. This would also be true for pastoral abuse as: 3 John 1:9-11 GW I wrote a letter to the congregation. But Diotrephes, who loves to be in charge, won't accept us. 10 For this reason, when I come I will bring up what he's doing. He's not satisfied with saying malicious things about us. He also refuses to accept the believers we send as guests. He even tries to stop others who want to accept them and attempts to throw those people out of the congregation. 11 Dear friend, never imitate evil, but imitate good. The person who does good is from God. The person who does evil has never seen God.

E3 We need integrity, not transparency, for integrity refers to the incorruptibility and honesty of a person’s character, while transparency can be lied about and turned against another person so as to abuse them.

E4 Also these differences in thoughts, desires, words, and deeds: Galatians 5:19-26 WEL Now the works of the flesh are obvious; they are adultery, sexual sin, moral corruption, unrestrained lust, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, strife, provoking jealousy, hot anger, pushing to be first, selfish scheming, dissensions, heresy, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, wild partying, and so on, about which I have told you before, and as I have also told you in the past that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24 Those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be longing for empty praise, irritating one another, and envying one another.

C8 2 Corinthians 5:18-20,

D1 Who has done all the steps leading to salvation and creating the new person?

D2 Do we deserve any credit? (NO!)

D3 Through whom did God restore fellowship of sinners after they believed the Gospel?

C9 2 Corinthians 5:21,

D1 When the Lord Jesus died, because of sin, whose sins were they?

E1 Isaiah 53:6 NLT - All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all.

E2 1 Peter 2:24 NLT - He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.

E3 John 1:29 WEB The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

E4 1 John 2:2 NKJV And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

E5 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 NKJV Now all things [are] of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

D2 How does God consider believers righteous?

E1 We sinned, and God must punish us for sin.

E2 God wants all to be saved, forgiven, and new creations.

E3 Either we can be punished or someone else.

E4 The Lord Jesus took the punishment for us.

E5 Since all our sin has been punished, we now are righteous.

E6 It is all of God!

E7 Rejoice!

B3 Next week:

C1 Growing in holiness

C2 Theme: The Believer’s Testimony

C3 Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 6:1-7:1