Dear brothers and sisters, now let us turn our Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verses 1 to 10. 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verses 1 to 10. As always, please listen attentively. This is the living, this is the word of the living God. For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling. If indeed by putting it on, we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened. not that we would be unclothed, but that would be further clothed so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the spirit as a guarantee. So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage. We would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ so that each one may receive that what is due for what he has done in the body whether good or evil. Amen. May the Lord bless the reading of His Word. Dear brothers and sisters, man is a being with one foot in present and one foot in the future, isn't it? Isn't he? As we live in the moment, maybe not always, but most of the time, we think what will happen in the future, especially in the near future. As we work, we might find ourselves thinking about the next project we will start after we are done with this one. As we start preparing to finish the middle school, we start thinking about high school. As we start thinking about the high school, preparing for the high school, we already began to think about what will happen next. Am I going to college? Am I going to work? Am I going to start working? And when we began to work, we start planning about our future, the days of our retirement. This is one of the most unique characteristics that distinguish human beings from all other creatures. What is next and what should I do to achieve this goal? How should I be prepared for it? In fact, people worry so much about their future, that this anxiety can even prevent them from enjoying this particular moment, this moment, or being in that moment. A Roman poet who realized this said several thousand years ago, seize the moment, put very little trust in tomorrow. Or maybe some of you know as Carpe Diem, Because most of the people fill their thoughts with the future rather than the present time, and it deprives himself of the present moment. And Christians are the same. They are in this cycle as all human beings, thinking about the future, wondering what will happen next. But the most important difference that distinguishes Christians from all other people Christians know what happens in next, in future. Yes, you heard me right. Christians, you can see the future. And you don't need a special revelation for it or spend like 30 years at the monastery to find out about your future while praying. This future actually is no mystery to a Christian. In this passage we are going to look at closer today, our God not only reminds us again what kind of future awaits us, but also reminds us the assurance that He has given us and the source of our courage for the future. So let us look at our passage. closely with these two points, our heavenly home and our heavenly hope. Our heavenly home and our heavenly hope. Dear brothers and sisters, as we read these words, we can absolutely be sure of one thing. The person who longed for these promises that we read in 2 Corinthians 5, is the Paul himself, the writer of this passage. For Paul was one of the poorest, the most persecuted, and most despised, most slandered, the most worn out, and most afflicted of mortal men, yet a minister who lived in 1900s says this about Paul. If I had to point out happy lives, I would not hesitate to choose among the foremost the life of the Apostle Paul. whose life was Christ. So how people can say that Paul was the happiest? Isn't this the same Paul who almost tried to be killed every time when he entered the city, stayed in the open sea for many days, who was completely worn out and tired? Are we talking about the same Paul here? Dear brothers and sisters, yes, we are talking about the same pole because this pole clearly and completely understood a truth that many of us have not internalized today, have not fully grasped and accepted. The Lord Jesus has prepared us a better home and better bodies. He prepared us a better home and better bodies. This is why Paul writes in Faith to the Philippians in Philippians 1.23, for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. You might be thinking, Paul, how can death be a gain for you? Why would anyone want to die? Paul was one of the happiest person in the face of the earth because he knew that the death was not the end. It was the first day of a wonderful life. What could be worst thing that could happen to him except death? The worst thing was the first day of his new life in his wonderful home. This is why Paul could rejoice in every situation, even though he suffered every day. This is why Paul could rejoice, because he knew what an inheritance awaited him. If we as believers today understand and grasp this truth as Paul did, we too can rejoice in all circumstances. In 2 Corinthians chapter 5, Paul first speaks about our heavenly home, which is our first point today. Let us pay attention to the beginning of the first verse of chapter 5, for we know that. So the first verse of chapter 5 is a continuation of the previous sentence. So what is Paul talking about before that. So now let us please turn chapter 4, last three verses, 16 and 18. 2 Corinthians 4, 16 and 18, Paul writes this, so we do not lose heart. Though our utter self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all compression. As we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. And first verse, chapter 5, and he goes, say, for we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in heavens. So Paul was sure of and knew was that his tired, broken body will be renewed one day. And whenever Bible talks about death, I would like to take your attention, and I would like to make you to pay attention to this. Whenever the Bible talks about death, it always talks about life. Whenever the Bible talks about us to death, talks to us about death, its main person is to direct us to Jesus Christ, the giver of life. Yes, we will all die. But through that, we will obtain the eternal life. So thus, the Lord changes completely the idea of death, transforming death from a terrible demon into an angel. That is now nothing more than the removal of a worn-out re-intent in order to start living in a palace. As a pastor once said, Death is our birthday. When we say that the death is the last day, we are saying the wrong thing. For death is really the beginning of an eternal day. And can there be any sadness in that? Death is the burial of our iniquities and the resurrection of our good deeds. So this was the promise that Paul understood, internalized, and believed in his heart. The words of our Lord was ringing in His ears all the time. John 14, do not be troubled in your hearts. Believe in God and believe in Me. There is plenty of room in My Father's house. Otherwise, I would have told you, for I am going to prepare a place for you. So whenever Paul thought about that, he actually thought about this wonderful palace that he was going to leave, that was given to him through the death of his Savior, who gave His blood and body as a sin offering. So whenever he looked at the tent where he was living at that moment, he remembered God's promise, and he knew that. This is not a good place to live forever, because there is a better place. So he longed for the house of the Lord, and he wanted to live with his beloved Savior. This is why Paul was filled, was full of joy all the time. It's that simple. This is why he could go through the trials. But this is not a promise only for Paul. This is also a promise to all of you. Jesus Christ died and rose again so that you too can share this promise and you can move from your tents into your new homes. Have you internalized this knowledge as Paul had? Is that still a fearful and terrifying enemy for you? Do you still doubt what happens next? Dear Christians, you have a Savior who conquered death and you no longer need to be afraid of death. On the contrary, you can rejoice in the knowledge that in every situation you are even better than the victors because of your Savior. Having believed this, Paul tells us, verses 2, 3, and 4, how he longs to put on this new life promised by his Lord. Paul does not claim that our physical body is a demonic prison that imprisons our souls. No, for he does not want to be stripped, but he wants to put on a new body. He wants to put on still a physical body like his Savior. He knows that he will no longer live in a body held captive to sin. That's the difference. So he says this in 1 Corinthians 15, when the perishable puts on the imperishable and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, that is swallowed up in victory. So this is the Paul that Paul longs for, the heavenly body that our Lord Jesus put on when He raised from the dead. because he longs for a body that free of the chains of sin. For Paul knows that if he does not put on this body, if he remains naked, he will be ashamed in the judgment day, which means he will not be accountable for his sins and actions. So dear brothers and sisters, do you miss your heavenly bodies? Do you ever think about it? If people really desire something, they have a great longing until they get it. They wait impatiently for that day to come, constantly sharing this longing with others, this excitement with the people around them. Sometimes this longing is so great that, as Paul says, people can spend their days groaning moaning about it until they have what they desire. So do you find yourself longing, moaning, groaning for your heavenly bodies? There must be a burning desire for heaven in the heart of every believer who wants to be united with Christ, who saved them from death and sin and eternal punishment. Do you have such a longing in your heart? The most important reason underlying Paul's hope and desire, which we knew would be fulfilled, was the Lord Himself, who promised and assured of it. This is what we read in verse 5. If putting on heavenly bodies, like His Savior Jesus Christ, depended on Paul's action, on Paul's success, he knew that it wouldn't have been impossible. Paul confesses that in Romans 7, what a wretched man I am. Who will deliver me from this body that leads to death? Paul was clothed by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and that's the reason of his joy, because it is not to him He is not the guarantee of it. He is not the person that will earn it, because He knows that He can never earn it. Holy Spirit reminds us today's Paul assurance. We too, like Paul, will put our heavenly bodies because the Lord has assured of it. The Lord in His omnipotence will change our poor bodies and make them like His glorious body, Philippians 3, verse 21. Our assurance is the same with Paul. It is the Lord who will deliver us from these worn-out bodies. It is that our trying God is completely faithful. That's what we need to remember. So many times we describe our God as God is love. This is the first thing that comes to our mind. How do you describe God? God is love. But maybe God has a character that overshadows even His love. That is His faithfulness. His faithfulness. God always fulfills His promises. So, dear Christian, Your security is in our God who is faithful. So you can rejoice in every situation because our God who promises that is faithful and will do it. Starting from verse 6, we come to our sermon's second point, our heavenly hope, which Paul begins to explain more clearly, our source of hope. A Christian is always courageous because he knows that he will put on this heavenly body because the Lord has promised it. This courage is not a foolish courage. It is not death-defying. This courage gives Christian the strength to endure and live in the face of temporary problems, temporary trials of this world. This is why a man on his deathbed learn about his cancer and just learn about that he has a week to live. That's why he can comfort his wife and say, I will be in heaven, don't worry. A guy is about to die. And this is why a young believer can say with a smile on his face or her face, even when his carrier or her carrier is completely uncertain. This is why the person can say, God is good in all things. And maybe heard about polycarp. This is why when polycarp was about to be burned at the stake and heard that, only way to save his life is to curse God. in whom he believed. But he said, for 86 years I have been his servant and he has done me no harm. How can I not curse my king who saved me? And they burned him alive on a stake. These are the people who desired to put on their heavenly bodies. And this was the field that kept Paul going on and on from cities to cities. His heart was full of courage, risking his life to share the gospel. Paul's hope and his courage was that one day he would put that heavenly body instead of his earthly one. Paul did not foolishly throw away his life. No Christian can throw his life away. Because in this body, we are saved to do the will of God, as we are reminded this morning. That is why we live by faith, not by sight. So the compass of a believer is not that he can see with his eyes, but God cannot see with his eyes, but of whose presence he is sure of. The God who gives him the Holy Spirit and created everything, seeable and unseeable. Unfortunately, we do not have the pillar of cloud or fire like in the Old Testament times that the Lord guided His people in the desert, His people, Israelites. But perhaps we have a better treasure, a better guidance today. For example, we have the Spirit of truth, God the Spirit living in us. And we also have the Word of God, which is a lamp to our feet. to our path and light to our steps. So in one sense, we have much more than the Old Testament believers. When we look at Old Testament and see Israel as unfaithfulness even after so many miracles that they witnessed, we surprise, we shock. How can they do that? But when we behave like them, we actually failing even more spectacularly. So examine your heart, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not be found guilty." And verse 8 is almost as if Paul's word had come out of the depth of his heart. This weary man, the man, this man with the body ravaged by persecution, pours out his heart to Corinthians. He says, yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. Do you remember a similar passage that Paul makes a similar confession? Philippians 1, 23, Paul says, I desire to leave the world and be with Christ. It is far better. So, in short, Paul is not debating whether is it better to live in this world or is it better to live in the house of the Lord, because it is very, very clear what is better. And Paul messaged the church at Corinth and to all believers who have lived and will live in every age that the Lord equips His children so that we can live in this world with courage. and according to the will of the Lord. These promises we have in the Lord are not only for the future, but also for the present time. The Lord gives us courage to go through the trials of this world. We will not live according to what is invisible, but according to the Lord who is seen in heaven. So whether we live in this body or in heavenly bodies, we should always aim to do the will of God. But the question is, how can we do that? Well, first of all, we must learn the will of the Lord. So how can we learn? Dear brothers and sisters, Unfortunately, many of us are spending less and less time with the Bible. Today, how about your prayer lives? Are you praying only at the table or spending time with the Lord in secret? How will you discern the will of the Lord? How will you remember what the will of the Lord is unless you feed on the Word of the Lord, unless you spend time in prayer in the presence of the Lord? How will you claim to have relationship with the living God? This is how Paul speaks to believers in the last verses of our passage. Everyone will stand before the judgment. seed of our Christ. Our Lord will surely return to this world. And this is both our hope and our warning this evening. Everyone will give an account to the Lord Paul's reasons for this warning is very clear. In the next verse, you can look at verse 11, who knows what it means to fear the Lord, declares that the Lord will spare no one. In his first letter to Corinthians, chapter 3, Paul says this. Each one's work will become manifest, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. Dear brothers and sisters, when that day comes, God will be the one on the judgment seat, not us. It will be us who will give the account, not God. When you stand before the glory of the Lord, you will be only silent like the soul. who went to persecute Christians in Damascus and saw the Lord. What did he do? He just became silent. He said, Lord, I'm here. The glory of the Lord will give us all the answers we need. Therefore, you have this wonderful salvation from the Lord. Live knowing what the treasure you have. You have been called to live for the glory of the Lord. You have been called what to do that pleasing to the Lord. So do not live as if you are not called. There are two things will surely happen in the life of a believer. First, death. Second, life. A believer's death is the day when he or she will see the Lord. Of course, that will be always a horrible pain, especially for those who left behind, because that is an experience we should have never gone through. But Paul says, the last enemy be eliminated is death. So when the death is gone, we will see the Lord, we will live with the Lord in our new bodies, in our new homes because of the God of promise is faithful. So let us conclude our sermon with this short story. A little girl whose father had just died asked her mother where he is now. He is with Jesus, the mother replied. A few days later, The mother was talking to a friend and said, I am so sorry I lost my husband. The little girl hears her mother and, remembering the previous conversation, asks, Mom, can something be lost if you know where it is? No, of course not, says her mother. Then the little girl says, well then, how can he be lost? Father has gone to be with Jesus. This is how things that belong to Christ are, not lost but found by Christ. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen. Let us pray. Our King and our Father, our Creator, our Sustainer, You are our assurance, O Lord. We rejoice this evening to be reminded we have an amazing assurance for our future. Father, as we hear and read Your Word, We can only be thankful to You because You prepared us a wonderful salvation that one day we will leave with You in New Jerusalem. Help us to understand this. Help us to remember this in the time of trouble so we can find joy, we can find comfort in Your Word. We pray in Your name. Amen.