Godly Sorrow Which Produces A Great JOY! (Sermon Audio)

This is the audio from the April 24, 2022 sermon, “Godly Sorrow”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: 2 Corinthians 7:2-16, Psalm 30:4-5

Sorrow tends to come to each of us from a variety of sources and for different purposes. While most of us would rather avoid sorrow, God says there is a kind of sorrow that, when allowed to do its work, produces a great . . .

Journey. 2 Corinthians 7:2-7, John 16:33
- I suspect that there are aspects of any journey we have undertaken that either haven’t gone exactly as planned, or we simply didn’t like what we went through. One of the keys to pressing on through the midst of sorrow is to realize our journey is taking us to a destination that is full of joy. The godly sorrow that we experience, and even the godly sorrow that we cause, can all be part of a great journey that helps us appreciate the goodness of God even in the midst of difficult times.
Obedience. 2 Corinthians 7:8-11, Jeremiah 42:6
- One of the primary differences between godly sorrow and the sorrow of the world is how we react. God’s desire for us in our experiences of sorrow is that we would respond with obedience. Paul acknowledges that he was one of the sources of sorrow for the Corinthians, but because that sorrow led to repentance Paul did not regret the things he had written. While there are times our sharing of God’s Word may bring sorrow into our life or into the lives of others, when our heart and motives are pure that sorrow ought to lead to a greater obedience.
You! 2 Corinthians 7:12-16, James 1:2-4
- I suspect that if I were to ask if you wanted to be mature and complete, your answer would either be that you thought you already were or that you would like to be. James tells us that we should consider it pure joy when we face trials (sorrows) of various kinds because the end result is that we would be made mature and complete. When our sorrow is lived out as godly sorrow, it changes you as it changes your journey, your obedience, and YOU!