Grosey's Messages

3 I don’t say this to condemn you, for I have already said that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together.
4 I have great confidence in you; I have great pride in you. I am filled with encouragement; I am overcome with joy in all our afflictions.
5 In fact, when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest. Instead, we were afflicted in every way: struggles on the outside, fears inside.
6 But God, who comforts the humble, comforted us by the coming of Titus,
7 and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort he received from you. He announced to us your deep longing, your sorrow, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.
8 For although I grieved you with my letter, I do not regret it—even though I did regret it since I saw that the letter grieved you, though only for a little while.
9 Now I am rejoicing, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance. For you were grieved as God willed, so that you didn’t experience any loss from us.
10 For godly grief produces a repentance not to be regretted and leading to salvation, but worldly grief produces death.
11 For consider how much diligence this very thing—this grieving as God wills—has produced in you: what a desire to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what deep longing, what zeal, what justice! In every way you have commended yourselves to be pure in this matter.
12 So even though I wrote to you, it was not because of the one who did wrong, or because of the one who was wronged, but in order that your diligence for us might be made plain to you in the sight of God.
13 For this reason we have been comforted. In addition to our comfort, we were made to rejoice even more over the joy Titus had, because his spirit was refreshed by all of you.
14 For if I have made any boast to him about you, I have not been embarrassed; but as I have spoken everything to you in truth, so our boasting to Titus has also turned out to be the truth.
15 And his affection toward you is even greater as he remembers the obedience of all of you, and how you received him with fear and trembling.
16 I rejoice that I have complete confidence in you.

2 Corinthians 7:3-11 WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE SHOULD WE BE?

“Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down” Song by The Carpenters.

Psychiatrist Scott Peck wrote Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult - once we truly understand and accept it - then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters. We must attest to the fact that life was never meant to be easy, and that it is nothing but a battlefield of problems. We can either moan about them or solve them. It is here that the vital role of discipline assumes significance.

In this passage Paul gives us four disciplines that can help us move the difficulties of our problems.

A. Acknowledge Your Anguish

5 In fact, when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest. Instead, we were afflicted in every way: struggles on the outside, fears inside.

1. Physical fatigue Paul wrote, “This body of ours had no rest.” Are you suffering physically today? Paul’s body was wracked with pain from frequent beatings and lack of sleep.

Why can’t a bicycle stand up without a kickstand? Because it’s two-tired.

2. Personal attacks Paul wrote, “We were harassed at every turn” Everywhere Paul went there were those who publicly and viciously opposed him. Have you ever been the target of angry words? It hurts doesn’t it? Abraham Lincoln once had to respond to the charge that he was twofaced. Never known as a handsome man Lincoln replied, “If I were two faced, would I be wearing this one?” I love his quote in response to his critics. He wrote: “If I care to listen to every criticism, let alone act on them, then this shop may as well be closed for all other businesses. I have learned to do my best, and if the end result is good then I do not care for any criticism, but if the end result is not good, then even the praise of ten angels would not make the difference.”

3. Outward conflicts Paul mentioned “conflicts on the outside.” This phrase applies to troubling circumstances over which we have no control. There are only two kinds of circumstances in life: Those that we can do something about and those that we can’t.

4. Inward fears Paul also mentions, “fears within.” There were times when Paul feared for his own life. Fear can paralyze you.

B. Be Aware Of Your Boosters

1. Turn to God FIRST when you’re in trouble

6 But God, who comforts the humble,
6 Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down,

(AMP) But God, Who comforts and encourages and refreshes and cheers the depressed and the sinking, comforted and encouraged and refreshed and cheered us by the arrival of Titus.

(ESV) But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus,

Psalm 40: I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

2. Look for joy IN the midst of trouble Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. 1 Thess 5: 16 Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

C. Commit To Church

1. Rely on Godly friends to strengthen you

When Paul was suffering, another way that God converted his trouble into joy was by sending his friend Titus to be with him. Paul wrote, “But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus.” (2 Corinthians 7:6) 6 But God, who comforts the humble, comforted us by the coming of Titus,

“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24)

2. Stay connected to your church family

Even with all the problems Paul had with the congregation at Corinth, he wrote, “I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged.” (2 Corinthians 7:4)

A Little Push and Pull

A little push when the road is steep May take one up the hill;

A little prayer when the clouds hang low May bring the soul a thrill;

A little lift when the load bears down May help one to succeed;

A little pull when the will slows down May help one gain his speed.

A little clasp from a hand that’s kind May lift from crushing care;

A little word from a voice that’s sweet May save one from despair;

A little smile when the heart is sad May bring a sunbeam in;

A loving word when the spirit droops May help one rise and win.

A little love for a soul that’s lost May help him seek God’s grace;

A little tear and a “God bless you” May brighten someone’s face;

A little deed from a Christian’s heart May bless a weary soul;

A little boost when the battle’s hard May take one to his goal. — Walter E. Isenhour

D. Deign To Be Disciplined

He announced to us your deep longing, your sorrow, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.
8 For although I grieved you with my letter, I do not regret it—even though I did regret it since I saw that the letter grieved you, though only for a little while.
9 Now I am rejoicing, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance. For you were grieved as God willed, so that you didn’t experience any loss from us.
10 For godly grief produces a repentance not to be regretted and leading to salvation, but worldly grief produces death.
The context of this passage is that Paul had written a harsh letter to the congregation at Corinth.

We don’t have this painful letter, but as a result of it, the members of the church repented.

How central a place in the Bible is the theme of repentance. Consider the Great Commission. It includes a command to preach repentance: "that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem" (Lk. 24:47). John Miller pointed out that, "This is the age of the Spirit, and the age of the Spirit is the age of repentance. This new day was introduced by John the Baptist and Jesus (Mk.1:4, 14,15). The apostolic message to the unconverted is a testimony of 'repentance towards God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ' (Acts 20:21). At Athens the sophisticated Greeks are told that this is a very special time in which they live. By raising Jesus from the dead, God has served notice to all men everywhere to repent because he has fixed a day for judging the world by this same man (Acts 17:30-31). The Spirit has the same message for the churches of Asia Minor. 'Be zealous and repent,' says Christ and the Spirit (Rev. 3:19).

"But most important of all it is at Pentecost that the power of the new age descends. Here we discover that the new order does not begin with an invitation to seek the Spirit first of all. Rather, men are commanded to repent for what they have done with Jesus. Then they are assured that they, too, will be filled with the Spirit of promise. Peter says: 'Repent, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit' (Acts 2:38, see also 3:19&20) [C. John Miller, "Repentance and the Twentieth Century Man", CLC, 1975, p.13).

So repentance is about turning right around, changing one's mind so that one's views, values, goals, and ways are changed and one's whole life is lived differently. The change is radical, both inwardly and outwardly; mind and judgment, will and affection, behaviour and life-style, motives and purposes, are all involved. Repenting means going in a new direction and living a new life. I

St. Anselm once cried out "Oh! sinner that I have been, I will spend all the rest of my life in repenting of my whole life!" And Rowland Hill, whom I think I might call St. Rowland, when he was near death, said he had one regret, and that was that a dear friend who had lived with him for sixty years would have to leave him at the gate of heaven. "That dear friend," said he, "is repentance; repentance has been with me all my life, and I think I shall drop a tear," said the good man, "as I go through the gates, to think that I can repent no more."

Repentance is Admitting you have sinned;

"'I will to-morrow, that I will, I will be sure to do it';
To-morrow comes, to-morrow goes, And still thou art 'to do it';
Thus, then, repentance is deferred from one day to another,
Until the day of death is one, And judgment is the other."

Repentance is Being Sorry for your failure;

Sir Elton John, who said: “It’s sad, so sad; It’s a sad, sad situation; And it’s getting more and more absurd; It’s sad, so sad; Why can’t we talk it over; Oh it seems to me; That sorry seems to be the hardest word.”

James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

“I walked a mile with Laughter; She chatted all the way; But I was none the wiser; For all she had to say. I walked a while with Sorrow; And not a word said she; But, oh, the things I learned; When Sorrow walked with me.”

Don’t confuse godly sorrow with the general sorrow that comes whenever we face the sadness

over the loss of someone or something we love.

Godly sorrow comes from internal realization of sin we have committed.

More than remorse.. Judas showed remorse but not repentance.. matt 27:1 When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: 2 And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. 3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. 5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

Esau shopwed remorse not repentance Hebrews 12 ¹⁴ Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Repentance is Changing your direction.

11 For consider how much diligence this very thing—this grieving as God wills—has produced in you: what a desire to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what deep longing, what zeal, what justice! In every way you have commended yourselves to be pure in this matter. 12 So even though I wrote to you, it was not because of the one who did wrong, or because of the one who was wronged, but in order that your diligence for us might be made plain to you in the sight of God. 13 For this reason we have been comforted.

Repentance is to leave The sins we loved before; And show that we in earnest grieve, By doing so no more.

When we experience godly sorrow, it doesn’t just cause us grief, it creates in us a distaste and

hatred for our sin. The Bible says, “See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what

earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm ...” (2 Corinthians 7:11 NIV)

Just saying "I'm sorry" is not enough for God either. The leaders of Israel, in the face of trouble brought on by their sin, thought that merely returning to prescribed sacrificial offerings would solve their problems. But God rejected that kind of "repentance." It was as fleeting as "a morning cloud" and "the early dew" that fades away with the first rays of sunlight (Hosea 6:4).

Merely saying "I'm sorry" is no different than the empty rituals of the Israelites. God said, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings" (v.6). He meant that repentance must result in a change of heart and a change in behavior. That's "godly sorrow"

Beyond grief over my sin and a hatred for my sin, godly sorrow also creates a desire in my heart to live a life of purity.

John Owen. In his book The Mortification of Sin in Believers he wrote: “Be killing sin; or sin will be killing you.” That’s still good advice today. Godly sorrow will not only make you grieve, it will make you hate sin, and it will create in you a desire to live a life of purity.

Luke 15:14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. 15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

You will be received. A model of this is found in a modern song.

Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Old Oak Tree"

Tie a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree It's been three long years. Do you still want me?
If I don't see a ribbon round the old oak tree I'll stay on the bus, forget about us, put the blame on me.
If I don't see a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree. Now the whole bus is cheering and I can't believe I see a hundred yellow ribbons 'round the old oak tree!"

The symbol became widely known in civilian life in the 1970s. It was the central theme of the popular song "Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Ole Oak Tree", Written by Irwin Levine and L. Russell Brown and recorded by Tony Orlando and Dawn among many others, as the sign a released convict requested from his wife or lover, to indicate that she still wanted him and that he would therefore be welcome to return home. He would be able to see it from the bus driving by their house, and would stay on the bus in the absence of the ribbon. He turned out to be very welcome: there were a hundred yellow ribbons. In October of 1971, newspaper columnist Pete Hamill wrote a piece for the New York Post called "Going Home." In it, college students on a bus trip to the beaches of Fort Lauderdale make friends with an ex-convict who is watching for a yellow handkerchief on a roadside oak.

# posted by Groseys messages @ 9:23 AM