Sermon Outlines . Volume 02 | Issue 04

Our Long Home

By Ron Dunn

The following sermon outlines by Ron Dunn were taken from www.rondunn.com. © Ron Dunn, LifeStyle Ministries, 2001. Used by permission of LifeStyle Ministries. All rights to this material are reserved. Materials are not to be distributed to other web locations for retrieval, published in other media, or mirrored at other sites without written permission from LifeStyle Ministries.

OUR LONG HOME
2 Corinthians 5: l-10
By Ron Dunn

“For we KNOW that if the earthly tent. . . is torn down. . . we have a building from God.” Others may speculate but we know what will happen when we depart this life.

  1. WE HAVE THE CERTAINTY OF RESURRECTION AND TRANSFORMATION.
    Verse l-5: ‘Torn down: “literally,” dismantled.” Speaks of purpose and design. Our life is carefully dismantled by God, to move us to a different spot.

  2. WE HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT DEATH BEGINS A JOURNEY INTO THE REALM OF SIGHT. Verses 6, 7

  3. WE HAVE A COVENANT THAT DEATH PLACES US IN THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST. Verse 8

  4. WE HAVE THE CONFIRMATION OF THE SPIRIT’S PLEDGE. Verse 5. How, then, should we react to this knowledge?
    1. Be of good courage. Verses 6, 8.
    2. Prefer to be with Christ. Verse 8.
    3. Seek to please Christ. Verse 9. The issue is not, till we live or die, but will we be pleasing to Christ.

THE GOD OF ALL COMFORT
2 Corinthians 1: 3-7

  1. Suffering Teaches Us About God, Verse 3.
    1. The Father of Mercies, lit. “the pityings.”
    2. The God of ALL Comfort. The Father of Mercies indicates His feeling toward us, the God of all Comfort indicates His actions toward us.

  2. Suffering is an Essential Part of the Christian Life. Verses 4-6.

  3. Our Suffering is the Suffering of Christ. Verse 5. This gives a dignity to all affliction for the Christian.

  4. Our Suffering Never Outweighs God’s Comfort. Verse 5.

  5. Our Suffering Enables Us to Comfort Others. Verse 4.

STRENGTH OUT OF WEAKNESS
2 Corinthians 12:7-10

  1. ESTABLISH THE PRINCIPLE, “My strength is made perfect in your weakness.” To be strong in the Lord, we must become weak in ourselves.

  2. EXAMINE THE PROCESS. “There was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet (lit., beat with fists) me.”

  3. EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITIES.
    1. Door of usefulness open to all — even the weak.
    2. Victory in midst of suffering is possible.
    3. Power of Christ available — “That the power of Christ may rest upon me. “Rest”: like a tent spread over the ground.


  4. ENTER INTO THE PROVISION. “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities. . . . Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then am I strong.”