Introduction:
A. Sometimes the truth hurts, doesn’t it?
1. Here we see a horse who has just learned the truth about himself. With tears he writes: “Dear Diary, Today I found out that I am a horse.”
2. Here we see a doctor laying out the truth for his patient: “What fits your busy schedule better, exercising one hour a day, or being dead 24 hours a day?”
3. Here’s one more of a doctor helping his patient come to grips with the truth: “Yes, it’s remotely possible that earth’s gravity has increased, but I think there’s a much simpler explanation…”
B. Sometimes the truth hurts.
1. Sometimes we don’t want others to tell us the truth.
2. In 1 Kings 22, we are told the end of the story of Ahab, the wicked king of Israel.
a. Ahab was determined to go to war and had made an alliance with Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah.
b. Ahab gathered together his 400 pagan prophets and asked them if he should go to war.
c. They all answered, “Go, for the Lord will give you victory.”
d. Jehoshaphat was a bit suspicious of all those “yes” men, so he asked, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?”
e. Ahab replied, “There is one. His name is Micaiah, but he never has any good news for me.”
f. Micaiah was summoned, and he delivered God’s answer which was that God would not give them victory and that Ahab would die in the battle.
g. Ahab had Micaiah thrown in prison, and the two kings went into battle anyhow.
h. Ahab tried to beat the prophesy by going to war in a disguise, but a stray arrow struck him and he died in disgrace, just as Micaiah had predicted.
C. Let me repeat my opening statement: Sometimes the truth hurts.
1. We sometimes try to deceive ourselves about the truth.
2. Sometimes we try to deflect news we don’t want to hear.
3. That’s why we need people like Micaiah in our lives.
4. At times we need someone who cares about us enough to step forward and confront us about the truth and about changes that need to take place in our lives.
D. That’s precisely what Paul had to do with the Corinthians.
1. Paul had planted the church in Corinth and ministered there for 18 months.
2. After Paul had moved on from Corinth, his opponents moved in.
3. They infiltrated the church and started to drive a wedge between the church and Paul.
4. The opponents criticized both Paul and his message.
5. In an attempt to correct the situation, Paul made a quick visit which only made the situation worse and nearly broke his heart.
6. Paul then wrote a stern and severe letter and sent it to the Corinthians with Titus.
7. Although the ministry was going quite well in Troas, Paul was worried about Titus and the Corinthians’ reaction to his letter, so he set out to meet Titus and get the news as quickly as possible.
8. He met Titus somewhere in Macedonian and learned, to his great relief and overflowing joy, that the trouble was over, the breach had been healed and all was well again.
9. That’s the background of the events against which today’s passage must be understood.
E. Let’s work our way through today’s passage and learn some important lessons about godly sorrow and godly joy.
I. Understanding the Word
A. Paul begins this section with these words: Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds. (2 Cor. 7:2-4)
1. Here we see Paul defending himself.
2. He had been accused of terrible things by his opponents, and unfortunately, some of the Corinthians had believed his critics.
3. Paul can do no more in reply than appeal to his clear conscience and the Corinthians’ knowledge of his conduct, insisting that the charges are groundless.
4. As Paul defended himself, he didn’t want to accuse or condemn them, not at this point.
5. He wanted to reaffirm his love for them and his joy concerning them.
6. The Corinthians hold a permanent and secure place in Paul’s heart – he would gladly live or die with them.
7. At this point, Paul lavished them with praise – he spoke of his confidence, pride, and joy in them – all that resulted in his great encouragement.
B. Paul then rehearsed a little history with them: For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever. (2 Cor. 7:5-7)
1. Paul described how worried and hurt he was by the breech in their relationship.
2. But then he described the relief and joy that came to him from the Lord – all of it was based on Titus’ good treatment by the Corinthians, his safe return, and his report of their love for Paul.
3. All of this made his joy greater than ever.
4. Paul was a spiritual parent: his children had gone astray, they had rejected his place in their lives, he sent them a letter of correction in the hand of a trusted partner, and then he waited for their response.
5. We can appreciate the joy he felt when things turned out for the good.
C. Look at verses 8-13a: Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while—yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong or of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. By all this we are encouraged. (2 Cor. 7:8-13a)
1. As a spiritual father who disliked causing pain for whatever reason, Paul’s first reaction was to regret that he had written so stern a letter, and that they were hurt by it.
2. But that initial regret had disappeared because that temporary pain led to their sincere repentance.
3. Paul was aware that not everyone who feels bad when confronted follows through with repentance.
4. Paul gave us a concise and clear delineation of the difference between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow.
5. One is helpful, and the other is not. Godly sorrow leads to repentance and salvation, worldly sorrow does not.
6. The repentance of the Corinthians in response to their godly sorrow led to their being declared as innocent – meaning that their forgiveness left nothing left to lead to condemnation.
7. So just as their rebellion had caused Paul great pain, so their repentance has caused him great joy. He was so encouraged!
D. Paul concluded this section, saying: In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well. And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling. I am glad I can have complete confidence in you. (2 Cor. 7:13b-16)
1. Have you ever boasted about someone or something, and then worried that they would live up to your boasting?
a. Have you ever told someone how great a restaurant is, and then when they tell you they are going to eat there, you worry if they will have a good experience?
b. Or you tell someone how great a business person is, and then when they take their business there, you hold your breath to see how it turns out?
2. That’s what Paul was talking about here.
3. Paul had told Titus not to worry about his reception there at Corinth, that everything would go okay, and that the Corinthians would receive his corrective letter and repent.
4. Thankfully, it went as Paul had hoped, and he didn’t have to be embarrassed about the way it turned out.
5. It is encouraging when our confidence in others proves to be well-founded, and doesn’t end up backfiring on us.
6. So in the end, the Corinthians were pleased, Titus was pleased, Paul was pleased, and I’m sure God was pleased.
II. Applying the Word
A. What lessons can we learn and apply in our lives?
B. First of all, let me suggest that there is a need for strong, Christian relationships.
1. Last week we talked about the danger of being yoked to unbelievers, and there certainly is danger there.
2. But there is also great danger in not being yoked strongly enough to believers.
3. If we don’t make sure that we have strong, Christian relationships, then there will not be those close enough to know us and be able to correct us.
4. Nor will there be those close enough whom we will trust when they do correct us.
5. Proverbs 27:6 says: Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.
6. How can we develop strong, Christian relationships?
a. First, by being a regular participant in worship, Bible class and small groups.
b. Second, by spending time together in fellowship – meals, work projects, or trips.
c. Third, by spending time together in each other’s homes or doing things together away from congregational activities.
7. Developing strong, Christian relationships requires time and effort. It doesn’t happen accidentally.
C. Second, we learn that there is a need for strong, Christian rebuke.
1. The Corinthians were in the wrong and were moving away from the Lord, and someone needed to tell them so.
a. Because of his relationship with them, Paul was in the best position to do so.
2. There was another occasion, we are aware of, when Paul needed to rebuke someone, and that someone was the apostle Peter.
a. Peter had succumbed to the pressure of Jewish Christian leaders, and so he stopped fellowshipping with the Gentile Christians.
b. In Galatians 2:11, Paul wrote:: “When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was in the wrong.” How’s that for strong, Christian rebuke?
3. The most famous of all rebukes was the one that Nathan the prophet did with King David.
a. David was clearly wrong – adultery, murder, deception – it was an ugly situation.
b. God sent Nathan to confront David with his sin.
c. How does a person rebuke the King of Israel…God’s chosen King…a man after God’s own heart?
d. Very carefully! Right?
e. As you know, Nathan decided to approach David through the back door.
f. He told David a story about a man who had done terrible things, and when David’s anger burned against that man, Nathan set the hook – “You are the man!”
4. There is a real need for strong, Christian relationships that can make possible strong, Christian rebuke.
a. When we see a Christian brother or sister playing in the “dangerous street of sin,” we must sound the warning. We shouldn’t think: “I don’t want to offend them, or anger them.”
b. We must warn them of the danger and attempt to bring them to a place of safety.
5. None of this is easy.
a. Confrontation can be very scary for numerous reasons, but it is a needed service.
b. We need to hold each other accountable to our call as Christians.
6. Although there is no perfect way to correct a person that guarantees a good response, we should keep these things in mind.
a. First, we should try to be living as consistently as we can in our own lives.
– you remember Jesus’ words about taking out the plank from our own eyes before attempting to remove a speck from someone else’s eye?
b. Second, we should make sure that we are motivated by love and concern for the person.
c. Third, we should make the correction humbly, gently, but firmly, with lots of love and grace.
D. A third thing we learn is that there is a need for godly, tender hearts.
1. When we are approached by someone for correction, we really need to have a humble, godly, tender heart.
2. Proverbs 12:1 says: Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.
3. Proverbs 15:31 says: He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise.
4. When someone is attempting to carryout the very difficult task of confrontation, we need to be as open as possible to the life-giving words they may be bringing us.
5. They very well may be saving our spiritual lives.
6. When it is appropriate to do so, our godly, tender heart must then experience godly sorrow.
7. Over the years, I’ve heard people describe worldly sorrow as simply being sorry that we got caught and have to face the consequences of being caught.
a. That’s probably a pretty good definition.
8. Godly sorrow is very different from that.
a. Godly sorrow includes the deep grief of knowing that our attitudes and actions have harmed our relationship with God.
b. Godly sorrow is genuine remorse that leads to real change in a person’s way of life.
c. Look at some of the words Paul used to describe the characteristics of godly sorrow: alarm, indignation, earnestness and eagerness to make matters right.
9. When a person has a godly, tender heart they are ready to own up to their sin and to make a commitment to change.
10. When King David was confronted, he immediately confessed – “I have sinned against the Lord.”
11. Rather than spending our energy in denial or self-defense, we should be ready and willing to humbly confess our wrongdoing.
- Let’s end on a positive note:
E. A fourth thing we learn is that there is great joy in repentance and reconciliation.
1. I’m sure the Corinthians felt much better about the situation after they repented and were reconciled with the apostle Paul and with the Lord.
2. We see very clearly that Paul experienced great joy because of their repentance and reconciliation.
a. Eight times in today’s scripture section Paul used the words: encouraged, happy, delighted and joy.
b. He said that now after their reconciliation, his joy was greater than ever.
3. There is great joy in repentance and reconciliation.
4. Jesus told a series of three parables that point out the joy God experiences when someone repents and is reconciled to God. – the three stories are found in Luke 15.
a. The first story is about a shepherd who notices that one of his 100 sheep is missing.
1. That shepherd searched until he found the lost sheep.
2. When he found the lost sheep he called his friends and neighbors and told them to rejoice with him.
3. Jesus concluded that story with this statement: I tell you that in the same way there is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who do not need to repent. (Lk. 15:7)
b. The second story is about a woman who had 10 silver coins but lost one of them – the ten coins may have been a set that was part of some kind of piece of jewelry she received at her wedding.
1. That woman turned her house upside-down and cleaned it up until she found that coin.
2. When she found it she called her friends and neighbors and said, “Rejoice with me.”
3. Jesus said, “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Lk. 15:10)
c. The third and final story is about the father who had a son who took his inheritance and went to the far country and wasted the inheritance on wild and sinful living.
1. The boy struggled to find work, but found a job feeding pigs.
2. He was hungry and in such need, when he remembered how his father took very good care of their servants.
3. He decided to go home and ask his father to hire him as a slave, rather than as a son.
4. When the father saw the son coming home, he ran to him, threw his arms around him and kissed him
5. The father wouldn’t hear anything about his son becoming his slave.
6. He had the son clothed with the best robe, had a ring put on his finger and sandals on his feet.
7. Then the father killed the fattened calf and threw a party.
8. The father declared: “For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”
9. So they began to celebrate.
F. Yes, indeed, there is great joy in repentance and reconciliation.
1. That joy is experienced by us when things are made right between us and others.
2. That joy is experienced by us when things are made right between us and God.
3. And that joy is experienced by God and the host of heaven when sinners repent.
G. Is there any godly sorrow that you need to express today so that you can experience godly joy?
1. Let us all rejoice with each other and with God because God loves us and because we are saved by God’s grace through our faith in Jesus Christ.
2. Let us all keep each other on the straight and narrow, and when we go astray, let us do all that we can to call each other back to the worthy life.
3. Praise God that He welcomes us back with open arms when we repent and come home to Him!
4. If you need to come home to the Lord, won’t you come home as we stand and sing…
Resources:
Paul for Everyone, 2 Corinthians, Tom Wright, Westminster John Knox Press, 2003
2 Corinthians, The NIV Application Commentary, Scott J. Hafemann, Zondervan, 2000
2 Corinthians, John MacArthur, Nelson Impact, 2007
The Letters to the Corinthians, William Barclay, The Westminster Press, 1975
Be Encouraged, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Warren Wiersbe, Victor Books, 1989
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Murray J. Harris, Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein, Zondervan, 1976
“Godly Sorrow” Sermon by Steve Zeisler, SermonCentral.com
