Growing for the Glory of God

2 Corinthians 4:15 September 15, 2024 Pastor Chris Oswald

Thesis Because the New Covenant in Christ carries surpassing glory, we should expect and make room for growth by expanding our sanctuary—pursuing this through faith rather than manipulation and sacrifice rather than comfort—so that more people can encounter the grace of God.

Series

Exodus

Type

Topical

Tone

pastoraldidacticcelebratory

Method

redemptive-historicalcanonicalapplicatory

What's in this sermon

The shape of the argument

32 units across exposition, application, illustration, theological claim, and conclusion. The pastor's argument is built from these moving parts.

Pastoral correction · unit #23

"Applies the manipulation-versus-miracles framework to all of life—marriage, parenting, ministry—then makes the leadership's first pledge: to pursue the expansion in a way that grows faith rather than forces outcomes. Commits to communication without manipulation and trust in God's sovereignty over results."

Doctrinal loci· 12 surfaced

Soteriology · 12 Ecclesiology · 11 Sanctification · 8 Christology · 6 Covenant Theology · 5 Doxology / Worship · 3 Eschatology · 3 Ethics / Moral Theology · 3 Pastoral Theology · 3 Pneumatology · 3 Bibliology · 2 Providence / Sovereignty · 2

Bible citations· 17

Theological claims· 9

Paul was not surprised by the macro-level growth of the gospel because his theology anticipated it. unit #3
Because Christ's atoning work inaugurated a covenant of far greater glory than Moses's, Paul expected—and we should expect—a corresponding level of gospel fruitfulness. unit #7
Christ's completed work and present reign mean that gospel fruitfulness is theologically inevitable, not surprising. unit #9
The purpose of the sanctuary expansion is to create space for grace to extend to more and more people, fulfilling 2 Corinthians 4:15. unit #12
The congregation's fellowship is a miraculous expression of grace that serves as compelling evidence for the gospel, so expanding the sanctuary creates more opportunities for people to encounter God's grace both in preaching and in community. unit #15
The sanctuary expansion aims not only at evangelism but also at providing space for Christians to be taught the doctrines of sovereign grace, which many believers come to understand only after conversion. unit #16
The expansion serves two purposes—evangelizing the lost and teaching Christians the doctrines of grace—both centered on the truth that salvation is entirely God's monergistic work, not human cooperation. unit #18
Paul avoided manipulative rhetoric because he wanted people's faith to rest on God's power rather than human wisdom, and because he preferred witnessing God's miraculous work to manufacturing counterfeit results. unit #22
The gospel has always advanced through sacrificial love that costs believers something, but no saint who has made such sacrifices has ever regretted it. unit #25

Quotations· 1

"But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace. And with his wounds, we are healed." — Isaiah (unit #7)

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0 · Oswald shifts the planned sermon topic from Exodus 20 to a shorter message addressing future plans for Providence Community Church, framing the change as a response to time constraints and an opportunity to address matters the congregation has been praying about

and kids we will come get you for the baptism afterward. Well we were supposed to be in Exodus this week, Exodus chapter 20, dealing with the fifth commandment of honoring our father and mother and that is in my opinion one of the most important texts of the whole Bible and I knew that we would be pressed for time. We're just getting started and it's 1040. We are not going to be able to have a full sermon today. So I thought instead we would just redeem this time by looking at a small passage and talking about some of the future things that many of us at Providence have been praying for for quite some time. So if you'd open your Bibles to the book of 2nd Corinthians chapter 4, I'm just going to give you a little sermonette this morning.

1 · Provides historical context for 2 Corinthians 4:15, explaining that Paul writes to a congregation emerging from self-imposed difficulty into repentance, and from this vantage point he can see God's glory spreading through the extension of grace to increasing numbers of people

2nd Corinthians chapter 4. Let me read verse 15 to begin with. Paul is writing to a church who has undergone a great amount of difficulty and much of that difficulty has been self-imposed. They have been stubborn against their best friends, against their best leaders, and against the very word of God. They have been puffed up and so forth and yet God won. Peace has settled in on Corinth. Truth has settled in on Corinth. There has been some repentance that has taken place and so Paul is in a position now not only in the church of Corinth but in other churches as well where he is uniquely able to see the glory of God spreading to more and more people. That's what he says in chapter 4 verse 15 of 2nd Corinthians. For it is all for your sake so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving to the glory of God.

2 · Demonstrates through Colossians 1 that Paul's experience of seeing gospel fruitfulness was not isolated to Corinth but extended to other churches, where the gospel was bearing fruit and increasing throughout the whole world

Paul is looking at a lot of the seeds that he planted coming to fruition and we see that in other passages. For instance in Colossians 1 he says this, we always thank God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ when we pray for you since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of truth the gospel which has come to you as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing as it also does among you since the day you heard it and understood the grace of truth, the grace of God of truth.

3 · Asserts that Paul's observation of widespread gospel growth was not unexpected because Paul's theology gave him a framework for anticipating such fruitfulness—this was the natural result of the superior covenant he was ministering

So Paul's in this position where he's actually able to see it's working guys, you know, he's actually beginning to see his ministry bear significant fruit not only in individuals but at a greater level like a kind of a macro level. And the one thing I think is important to understand is that this growth to Paul would not have been unsurprising. It would not have been surprising. This growth for Paul would not have been surprising.

4 · Bridges from Paul's theology to the sermon's hermeneutical framework, reminding the congregation (and visitors) that the Exodus series aims to show the Old Covenant pointing to something greater

We're walking through Exodus for those of you visiting us and one of the great challenges with the book of Exodus is to show that yes this is a covenant that points us to a greater covenant.

5 · Explains Paul's theological framework: he possessed categories for the world-transforming power of the gospel—uniting Jew and Gentile, eliminating social distinctions, destined to upend empires—because he understood the greatness of the covenant he was ministering

Paul's theology, we're going to look at a passage in chapter 3 of 2nd Corinthians in a minute, Paul's theology had a category for what was happening in the world. The gospel was changing everything. It was merging both Jew and Gentile. It was eliminating all of these caustic distinctions between class and gender and so on and so forth. It was uniting the people. It was spreading throughout the world. It was only a matter of time until it upended the Roman Empire and Israel. And I don't think he was surprised at all by that because he knew that the covenant he was ministering was indeed a great covenant.

6 · Reads and briefly annotates 2 Corinthians 3:7-18, Paul's extended comparison between Old and New Covenants, emphasizing that if the ministry of death came with glory, the ministry of the Spirit must have even greater glory, and that the Old Covenant's glory has been eclipsed by something permanent and surpassing

So you're in 2nd Corinthians 4, go back to chapter 3. Look at 2nd Corinthians chapter 3 verse 7 and listen to how Paul compares the Old Testament, the Old Covenant with the New Covenant. I thought this was relevant considering we'll go back to Exodus again next week. 2nd Corinthians 3 7. Now if the ministry of death carved in letters on stone came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses's face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, that's a covenant that was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. Indeed in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what has been brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. Since we have such a hope, we are very bold. Not like Moses who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites would not gaze on the outcome of that which was being brought to an end, but their minds were hardened and for this day, for to this day, when they read the old covenant, the same veil remains unlifted because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

7 · Synthesizes Paul's theological reasoning: because Christ's incarnation, perfect life, and atoning sacrifice opened a completely new level of glory, Paul expected fruitfulness commensurate with the superiority of the New Covenant

So theologically, here's where I think Paul was at, even as he began his ministry. He looked back at the Old Testament glory and said, Jesus Christ has come. A whole new world has opened up. A completely new level of fruitfulness and glory has emerged because God has put on flesh, lived a perfect life, lived a perfect life, and offered himself up as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. He calls the law the ministry of death. He calls the gospel the ministry of life. And he says, if there was glory associated with the ministry of death, how much more glory is there to be associated with the ministry of life? If there was some glory associated with Moses, how much more glory is there to be in the ministry of Jesus? I'm doing my best. I've been working on cracking Isaiah, really understanding the book of Isaiah. I've spent about a year studying it just privately. And one of the things that has emerged in my study is, is that chapter 53 stands as a division in many respects of God's whole purposes. Chapter 53, if you don't remember, is the passage that talks about Jesus as the suffering servant. This is one of the verses for Isaiah 53. But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace. And with his wounds, we are healed. That's 53. And when you turn the page over to chapter 54, you start reading things like this.

8 · Directly challenges the congregation with rhetorical questions, pressing them to embrace Christian optimism grounded in the incarnation and atonement

I mean, you can, we could talk about eschatology some other day, but you've got to explain to me why you're not an optimist. When the God of the universe came to earth, put on flesh and shed his precious blood for the sins of the world. You got to explain to me why that doesn't change everything. You got to explain to me why we don't live in hope now. I think we do. I think that's what Paul was saying. And I don't think Paul was surprised. When the whole world was turned upside down with the glory of God, God had come to earth. And he says it very clearly. He says in 2 Corinthians 3, Since we have this hope, we are very bold.

9 · Anchors the congregation's present position theologically: Christ's suffering opened the storehouses of God's riches, Christ is now reigning until all enemies are defeated, and therefore Paul's experience of fruitfulness was theologically expected

The truth is, is that the storehouses of God's riches have been opened up wide because of the sufferings of Christ. That is where we stand today. God came for us. He gave himself up for us and is right now seated at the right hand of the Father, reigning until all of his enemies are made his footstool. So Paul was seeing this success that was emerging from his ministry, and I do not believe he was surprised in the least.

10 · Pivots from theological foundation to practical application by identifying the leadership team's year-long discussions about the church's future, setting up the announcement of expansion plans

Well, I bring this passage up because over the last year, Dove, Cohen, myself, Doug, and Daryl, and John, and the two Noahs have been meeting and discussing just the future of Providence Community Church.

11 · Announces the leadership's decision to expand the sanctuary by 100 seats, frames it as the culmination of years of building improvements, uses video game metaphor to add levity, explains the physical changes planned, acknowledges the financial challenge, and signals a shift from volunteer-driven to professional execution to spare exhausted volunteers

As you know, over the last five or six years, we've done a lot of work on the building. You wouldn't recognize it, frankly, from maybe six, seven years ago. And we've really reached the point where this is kind of the last, for the video game generation, this is the final boss. This room, this room is the final boss. And so we have been working, and Jake Combs, my son-in-law, has helped with this. We've been working on imagining how we can add an additional hundred seats to this space. This space was originally built to go the full length of the room. This wall was not here. The ceiling was much more traditional. And we just have decided, like, we're just going to put this before you as we think it's time to add a hundred seats. We think it's time to add seats. It's not going to be a substantial financial burden, but it will be the biggest one we've undertaken as a church. We don't anticipate this taking very long. And good news, we are not planning on doing most of the work for the first time in six years. We kind of run some of those guys dry. They were, you know, Noah and the two Noahs and Hegarty were like, guys, like, I can't. I just can't anymore. We ran them ragged.

12 · Directly connects the sanctuary expansion to the sermon's main text, establishing that the purpose of adding seats is the theological aim of extending grace to more and more people as Paul envisions

So the aim, just to be clear, is to make room so that what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4.15 can come to pass, that more and more people will come to know the grace of God.

13 · Presents visual renderings of the proposed expansion, credits Jake Combs for the design work, explains the architectural changes, provides a cost estimate, and clarifies that this is information-sharing rather than a fundraising appeal

And we have some pictures, I think, in the slides. Yeah, there we go. These are all done by Jake. And thank you, Jake, for your work. And so this is what we would envision having done here. This would just expand that wall there and return the ceiling back to the original form it had before. And so this is the vision. And we're not going to get into talking about funds or anything like that, but we're not even going to ask for money today or anything like that. But we think this is probably, we have some relative confidence that this is within the ballpark of around $150,000 total to get this done. And so you'll be hearing more about this over the next several months.

14 · Frames the sermon's driving questions—right reasons and right method—and explains that Oswald required biblical justification for the expansion decision, not just pragmatic reasoning

But to me, the big thing is, hey, like, are we doing this for the right reasons? And are we going to do it the right way? So I really needed a text. I really needed a theological undergirding for why is this the time and so on and so forth.

15 · States the biblical warrant for expansion and makes a theological claim about the congregation's fellowship: that Providence's corporate life is itself a miraculous manifestation of grace that functions as apologetic evidence

And my text is this, what I read in 2 Corinthians 4.15, so that more and more people encounter the grace of God and that as they encounter the grace of God, thanksgiving abounds to the glory of God. Now, I think that our Sunday morning assemblies are special. I think that our fellowship adorns the gospel in a way that I am eager for all people who do not know Christ to come and experience. So I actually believe that making room for more and more people to be here is actually making room for more and more people to encounter the grace of God. Not only the grace of God as it's preached, but the grace of God as it's practiced. I think our fellowship is actually miraculous and I think it winds up being a kind of evidence that demands a verdict. And when people attend Providence for a length of time, they wind up usually thinking the same thing as well.

16 · Expands the vision to include not only evangelism but also theological formation—making room for Christians in Kansas City who need to be taught the doctrines of grace

So in part, this is about adding more seats so that more people can see who Jesus is as expressed not only in the preaching, not only in the singing, but just in our being together, just in the fellowship itself. And there's another piece of this as well. Not only are we thinking about those who don't know Christ, but we're also thinking about those who do. See, we live in a world that's a little different from Paul's in this respect. Right now, all over Kansas City, there are many, many people who know Christ, who have been saved, but who do not understand, really, the beauty of sovereign grace. Those are two different things. The one is, Jesus saves you. The other is, oh, he really saved me. Like, I had nothing to do with it. He really did everything, as Jesus says in the Gospels. I've chosen you, you've not chosen me. Many of us in this room have gone through these two experiences. We were saved, and later, we came to understand what grace really was.

17 · Addresses the current American church context of widespread congregational movement, frames it as God's sovereign work, and identifies a specific need: Christians in Kansas City who would flourish if taught Reformation soteriology—salvation by grace alone apart from works

And so, not only are we thinking about adding 100 seats so that we can have more people come who don't know Christ and hear the Gospel and see the Gospel lived out in our midst, but we're also thinking of the great number of people. I don't know if you've noticed, but the churches in America are in a great reshuffle. At the hand of the Lord, he's doing something, and he's moving people around, and we won't get into why and how and so on and so forth, but I will tell you this. There are many people, good people, Christian people, in Kansas City today whose great, whose thanksgiving would abound if they were taught what was taught for the last 500 years at least, since the Reformation, and that is, we are saved by grace alone and not of works, lest any man should boast.

18 · Synthesizes the dual evangelistic and catechetical vision, then uses an extended analogy to clarify the soteriological point: salvation is monergistic (God's work alone), not synergistic (cooperative effort)

So I see thanksgiving abounding in two ways. One, lost people coming to faith in Jesus Christ, and two, Christians just being taught what the Word says about grace and being instructed that they are the chief of sinners and that they have no room to boast and that it was Jesus. While they were still enemies, Jesus came and offered himself for them. You may have heard, and I'll just tell it quickly, we do not, the gospel is not, I was drowning in a lake and Jesus rode out in the rowboat and threw me a line and I grabbed hold of the line and together, he and me worked my salvation. The gospel is, I was dead in the lake. Jesus rode out, picked me up, put me into the boat and put new life into me and brought me back from the dead and brought me into new life with him, which is going to be symbolized in baptism here in a moment.

19 · Signals the conclusion of the expansion announcement and introduces two commitments the leadership is making to the congregation regarding how the process will be conducted

So that's the vision and just, we're about done. I just want to add two more things that we kind of pledge to you as we walk through this over what we think will probably be 12 months.

20 · Oswald shares personal experience with church fundraising campaigns that felt manipulative, expressing his distaste for such methods and his preference to see God work rather than manufacture results through human technique

And the first is just this. We do not want to do this in a manipulative or coercive way. I've been part of multi-million dollar building programs that made me feel icky. I was not the guy in charge of them. I was one of the guys executing them. I've been in charge of different campaigns and fundraising things. And I have just walked away from all of that thinking, man, I sure would prefer God just show up than me speak this into existence.

21 · Returns to 2 Corinthians 4 to establish Paul's methodological commitment: celebration of gospel growth only has value if it's God's work, not human manipulation

And I want you to look at the text because that's another reason why this text stands out to me. Look back at 2 Corinthians 4. Paul is celebrating in verse 15 that the gospel has gone to more and more people, grace to more and more people. He's celebrating that. But, you know, that's only awesome if it's not you who did it. If you manipulated your way to a thousand conversions or a hundred thousand dollars raised, who cares? Like, that's not fun. That's not exciting. That's not faith building. And so Paul made a commitment in his ministry and it was particularly true of the Corinthians or at least he felt like they needed to be reminded of it and that was I did not manipulate you. Look at verse 1 and 2 of 2 Corinthians. Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart, but we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways we refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.

22 · Articulates the theological rationale behind Paul's anti-manipulative stance: he wanted to see God work and ensure people's faith rested on divine power rather than human persuasion

Paul's not into tricking people or getting people into an emotional moment where they do X, Y, or Z. And you know why he's not into that? I mean, because he's honest for one thing. But you know what else? Paul loves to see God. And we all have a choice, by the way, just in life. We can either manufacture counterfeits or we can watch God do miraculous things. Those are our two options. In the first letter to the Corinthians, Paul said it more explicitly in chapter 2. When I came to you, brothers, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom, for I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. And my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in the demonstration of the spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

23 · Applies the manipulation-versus-miracles framework to all of life—marriage, parenting, ministry—then makes the leadership's first pledge: to pursue the expansion in a way that grows faith rather than forces outcomes

Friends, we are really always choosing between manipulation and miracles. In our marriages, in our parenting, in our ministries, we're always choosing. God's giving us a chance. We just have to walk in weakness and he'll show up for us or we can make it up and counterfeit it. And we're just making a commitment that we are not going to do that. We want to see God. But here's how I wrote it down. I think we need a bigger sanctuary. I know we need a bigger faith. So we want to do this in such a way that our faith grows. Whatever happens besides that is up to the Lord. So we just make a commitment to you to be communicative but not manipulative. If you don't hear about it for a long time, that's because you need to pray and we don't need to remind you over and over again. Let's just let God do what God's going to do.

24 · Introduces the second leadership pledge—honest acknowledgment that the expansion requires sacrifice—and grounds it in 2 Corinthians 4:8-12, where Paul explains that gospel advance happens through believers bearing Christ's death so that life manifests in others

And number two, we're almost done, is not only are we going to just be not manipulative, but we're also just going to be honest and say the only way this happens is through sacrifice. That's the only way it happens. That's the only way the gospel moves out into the world is through sacrifice. We see that in this text as well in verse 8 of chapter 4 of 2 Corinthians. Paul says, We are afflicted in every way but not crushed, perplexed but not driven to despair, persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed, always carrying in the life of the body of Jesus, life of the body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. Look at verse 12. So death is at work in us but life in you.

25 · States the principle explicitly—gospel advance requires sacrificial love where believers lay down their lives for others—and normalizes the cost while testifying that no saint has ever regretted such sacrifice

This is the only way the gospel moves. People lay down their lives for their friends. That's the way it works. And rather than hide that, why not just talk about it openly and say, Friends, this is how the gospel has advanced for thousands of years into the world by saints making sacrifices. And I will tell you that all those saints for all those years who've made sacrifices, none of them regret it. Right? But they did, it did cost them something. It did cost them something. We have to learn how to suffer for the sake of others. That's a big part of love is to suffer for the sake of others including others we don't even know yet.

26 · Closes the sermon proper by reading 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 and reframing the entire expansion project eschatologically: the visible sanctuary is transient, the invisible eternal realities are what matter

So I conclude with Paul's words again in chapter 4, We do not lose heart though our outer 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 comparison. 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. At the end of the day this isn't about having a nicer sanctuary where people won't be embarrassed to get married in it. It isn't at the end of the day about having 300 people instead of 200 people. It's not about those things. It's not about the visible. The visible is just a representation of something greater. What this ultimately is about is this great joy that we will all have in being united forever in eternity with Jesus and seeing that he gave us faith to serve him in ways that were scary to us in ways that were challenging to us and for us to look around at all the faces and say this was worth it Jesus you were worth it.

27 · Marks the end of the sermon and transitions to the communion service

And so with that we will end that discussion and I want to launch us into a conversation about the Lord's table.

28 · Transitions into communion with evangelistic invitation, using rhetorical questions to press the gospel on unbelievers present, then offers clear instruction: remain seated, speak to God, accept the gift, and report the decision afterward

We're here today because fundamentally Jesus Christ has promised to build his church and that the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Has it ever hit you that the God of the universe was born as an infant lived a perfect life for the express purpose of offering his perfect righteousness as a payment for your many sins? Has that ever hit you? What an amazing thing. Well if you're here today and that's not hit you I would just tell you straight up there is nothing required of you except to say to Jesus I gladly receive the gift you've given for me that I cannot pay on my own. And so I would just encourage you during this time of communion if you don't know Christ just stay in your seat and just do business with God and say I want to be saved in the way that these young men were talking about today and then come and talk to me and just let me know that God spoke to you today.

29 · Invites believers to participate in communion regardless of membership status, explaining that weekly communion serves as the congregation's anchor ensuring the gospel remains central despite variability in preaching or service elements

For the rest of you whether you're members here at Providence or not whether you are a regular attender or not we would encourage you to come and participate in the Lord's table with us. We do this every week so that we know that for sure whatever happens in the sermon whatever happens in the service we always wind up keeping the main thing the main thing. That God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. And this is given for you so that you may be assured that Jesus has indeed paid it all.

30 · Reads the institution narrative from 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, establishing the biblical warrant and meaning for the Lord's Supper

As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 11 or 1 Corinthians 11 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread and when he'd given thanks he broke it and said this is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance me. In the same way also he took the cup after supper saying this cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

31 · Opening communion prayer addressing Christ as creator and sustainer, asking the Holy Spirit to draw unbelievers to reconciliation through the cross, and reminding believers that salvation is entirely God's work

Father God we start this time of communion observation by celebrating the fact that you are the image of the invisible God Lord Jesus and that you you've created all things and hold all things together and that all things exist for you. Lord if anyone is here today floating out as their own little spiritual free agent not acting in conformity to you would you through your Holy Spirit kindly draw them to yourself so that they can be reconciled to you by the blood of your cross. And as the rest of us celebrate this time of communion let us understand that without your work without your care without your grace we would not be saved. Thank you Lord in Jesus name Amen.

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September 15 · This sermon

Growing for the Glory of God

Because the New Covenant in Christ carries surpassing glory, we should expect and make room for growth by expanding our sanctuary—pursuing this through faith rather than manipulation and sacrifice rather than comfort—so that more people can encounter the grace of God.

2 Corinthians 4:15

Earlier in the corpus · September 25, 2025

A prior sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:1-18

You preached this same passage — 6 2 Corinthians 4 citations in that earlier sermon. Worth re-reading before the next time this text comes around.

Take it further

Discuss · apply · pray

Small groups

6 discussion questions

In 2 Corinthians 4:15, Paul writes that grace is extending to more and more people so that thanksgiving will abound to the glory of God. Wha…

Daily readings

5-day reading plan

This week we walk through Paul's conviction that grace extends to more and more people—a conviction rooted in Christ's superior covenant, lived out without manipulation, and always purchased through sacrifice.

Prayer

For Grace to Extend to More and More

Father, we come before you in awe of the surpassing glory of the New Covenant made possible through Christ's atoning work. You have inaugura…

Family table

More People, More Grace

This prompt invites your family to think about what it means for a church to grow—not bigger for its own sake, but to make room for more peo…

Couples

Growing Together in Grace

What part of the sermon stirred your heart—either about Christ's surpassing glory, or about what it means that grace extends to more and mor…

Memorize

2 Corinthians 4:15

This verse is the theological anchor of the entire sermon—Paul's promise that grace will extend to more and more people is precisely what justifies the sanctuary expansion and grounds the congregation's bold hope in gospel fruitfulness. Memorizing it embeds the Reformation conviction that growth in the kingdom is God's work, not human manufacture, and that the ultimate aim of all expansion is the increase of thanksgiving to his glory.

Daily readings · Monday–Friday

5-day reading plan

Monday 2 Corinthians 3:7-18

Paul contrasts the glory of the old covenant—so bright that Moses had to veil his face—with the surpassing glory of the new covenant in Christ. If the lesser glory produced such visible power, how much more should we expect the glory of Christ's finished work to bear fruit in the world? This is not presumption but theology: the superior covenant produces superior fruitfulness.

Tuesday Colossians 1:3-6

Paul gives thanks for the Colossians' faith and love, and immediately locates them in a worldwide harvest: the gospel is bearing fruit and growing among all people. Notice: Paul does not treat growth as luck or happenstance. It is the expected signature of a gospel already victorious in Christ. When we see people turned to grace, we are seeing theology made visible.

Wednesday 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Paul came to Corinth not with eloquence or human persuasion, but with demonstration of the Spirit and power. He deliberately stripped away the tools of rhetoric precisely so that faith would depend on God alone. When we expand our sanctuary or advance the gospel, we must ask: are we trusting God's power, or are we leaning on our own ingenuity? The former builds faith; the latter builds only a crowd.

Thursday Isaiah 53:5

Christ's atoning death—the ultimate sacrifice—opened the way for grace to extend to all people. Every expansion of grace since then has been purchased by the sacrificial giving of believers. We do not expand because we are comfortable or because growth is cheap. We expand because the gospel itself was bought at infinite cost, and we are willing to pay what cost we can to see more people encounter that grace.

Friday 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

In the Lord's Supper, we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes—a proclamation not only of words but of a people gathered, known, and loved. This table is evidence of the gospel's power. When we expand our sanctuary, we are making more room for more people to experience this miracle: grace that transforms enemies into family, and turns strangers into beloved community.

Draft · pending review

Small-group discussion

6 questions for your group this week

In 2 Corinthians 4:15, Paul writes that grace is extending to more and more people so that thanksgiving will abound to the glory of God. What does Paul mean by 'grace extending to more and more people'—and why would that cause thanksgiving to abound rather than, say, cause anxiety or resentment?

2 Corinthians 4:15

→ When you think about your own conversion and growth as a Christian, where do you see grace that you didn't anticipate or create for yourself?
Chris argued that because Christ's atoning work inaugurated a covenant of far greater glory than the Old Covenant under Moses, we should expect—not be surprised by—gospel fruitfulness. How does the surpassing glory of Christ change what we ought to expect from the church's witness in the world?

2 Corinthians 3:7-18

→ Where in your own life have you been living as though the Old Covenant's limitations still apply, rather than the surpassing glory of the New Covenant?
Chris distinguished between two ways a church can grow: through manipulation (using clever marketing or emotional pressure to fill seats) or through trusting God. Why would Paul avoid manipulative rhetoric, and what's at stake spiritually when a church relies on human persuasion techniques instead of God's power?

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

→ Can you think of a time when you were tempted to manufacture a result instead of trusting God to do the work? What did you learn?
The sermon names a fallen condition: many Christians in Kansas City have never been taught the Reformation doctrine of salvation by grace alone. What difference would it make in a believer's life—in their gratitude, their humility, their witness—to deeply understand that salvation is entirely God's monergistic work, not a cooperation between God and human effort?
Chris said that gospel advance has always been costly—it requires sacrifice, not comfort. As you look at the expansion of Providence's sanctuary, what sacrifice is the leadership asking of the congregation, and what are you personally wrestling with in response to that call?

→ Can you think of a saint in Scripture or church history who made a costly sacrifice for gospel advance and never regretted it? What gave them the courage?
The ultimate purpose of expanding the sanctuary is not a nicer building but creating space for more people to encounter God's grace—both in preaching and in the congregation's fellowship. When you look at your small group or your church community, where do you see grace at work that would be 'miraculous evidence of the gospel' to someone who doesn't yet believe?

Colossians 1:3-6

Draft · pending review

Pray together this week

For Grace to Extend to More and More

Father, we come before you in awe of the surpassing glory of the New Covenant made possible through Christ's atoning work. You have inaugurated a covenant so far greater than what came before that we should expect—and long for—the gospel to advance and grace to extend to more and more people. We confess that we often live in smallness, settling for comfort rather than sacrifice, content with what we have rather than trusting you for what you desire to accomplish through us. Forgive us for the ways we have withheld our resources, our time, and our willingness to be inconvenienced in service of your kingdom (2 Corinthians 4:15).

We believe that the completion of Christ's work means gospel fruitfulness is not surprising but theologically inevitable. We believe that the fellowship we share—bound together across all the categories that divide the world—is miraculous evidence of your grace and power. As we move forward in expanding our sanctuary, grant us faith to trust in your provision rather than resort to manipulation, and grant us joy in the sacrifice this requires of us. We ask that you would use this space to bring more people into encounter with your grace in preaching and in community, and that many would come to understand the doctrines of sovereign grace that transform a life's thanksgiving (Colossians 1:3–6).

May we live in bold hope, expecting the world to be changed by the gospel. May our sacrifice be a witness to the reality of your power. And may our thanksgiving abound as we see your miraculous work unfold among us.

Draft · pending review

Couples · three questions over coffee

Growing Together in Grace

What part of the sermon stirred your heart—either about Christ's surpassing glory, or about what it means that grace extends to more and more people?
How does the vision of expanding our sanctuary to make room for more people encountering God's grace challenge or comfort you as a couple—and what sacrifice might that call us to make together?
What is one specific way you want to pray for Providence—either that God would draw new people to hear the gospel, or that he would deepen the understanding of grace in those already here?

Draft · pending review

Memory verse this week

2 Corinthians 4:15

For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

Why this verse: This verse is the theological anchor of the entire sermon—Paul's promise that grace will extend to more and more people is precisely what justifies the sanctuary expansion and grounds the congregation's bold hope in gospel fruitfulness. Memorizing it embeds the Reformation conviction that growth in the kingdom is God's work, not human manufacture, and that the ultimate aim of all expansion is the increase of thanksgiving to his glory.

Draft · pending review

Sunday-evening family table

More People, More Grace

For the parent

This prompt invites your family to think about what it means for a church to grow—not bigger for its own sake, but to make room for more people to encounter Jesus. Listen for how your kids think about generosity and sacrifice.

This morning, Pastor Chris talked about why our church is adding 100 seats to the sanctuary. He said it's not because we want a nicer building, but because we want more people to have a place to sit and hear about Jesus and be part of our church family. What does it cost someone to make room for more people? Can you think of a time when you gave something up so someone else could have space—at a table, in a game, in a group?

works for ages 6+ — younger kids can answer with simple examples; older kids and teens can reflect on deeper costs

Draft · pending review

Where this was preached

About the church

Providence Community Church

Lenexa, KS
Sundays · 10:00 AM
About us · What we believe

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# Providence Community Church

A church preaching expository sermons through the books of the Bible.

## Sermons
- [Ode to Sovereign Joy (Sermon Remix) (2024-08-19)](/ProvidenceLenexa/sermons/2024/08/ode-to-sovereign-joy-sermon-remix)
- [Verbal Vandalism & The Third Commandment (Exodus 20:7, 2024-09-01)](/ProvidenceLenexa/sermons/2024/09/verbal-vandalism-the-third-commandment)
- [Rest in a Busy World (Exodus 20:8-11, 2024-09-08)](/ProvidenceLenexa/sermons/2024/09/rest-in-a-busy-world)
- [Growing for the Glory of God (2 Corinthians 4:15, 2024-09-15)](/ProvidenceLenexa/sermons/2024/09/growing-for-the-glory-of-god)

## About
- [About the church](/about)
- [Plan a visit](/visit)

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