Godly Sorrow Produces Repentance

In one paragraph

Pastor Russ preached from 2 Corinthians 7:8-13, centering on verse 10, on the last Sunday of 2023. His point was simple: sorrow is coming for all of us in the new year, but it can go one of two ways. Godly sorrow produces repentance and life; worldly sorrow produces death. Paul wrote at least four letters to the church at Corinth, and we only have two of them. To understand 2 Corinthians 7, you...

Read together

1. 2 Corinthians 7:8-13 the main passage for the sermon, centering on verse 10 about godly sorrow versus worldly sorrow
2. 1 Corinthians 5 cited to show Paul referenced an earlier letter and to explain the issue of known sin and church discipline in Corinth
3. 2 Corinthians 2 cited to show Paul wrote a severe letter instead of visiting, out of much affliction and tears
4. Romans 5:8 while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, used to illustrate Christ making the first step toward reconciliation
5. Acts 5 the story of Ananias and Sapphira dying for lying, used to illustrate the fear of God and the importance of the purity of the church
6. Revelation 21:4 God will wipe away every tear, no more death or sorrow or pain, used as hope for believers in the context of worldly sorrow producing death
7. Psalm 29 referenced as the source for the offertory song about ascribing glory to the Lord

Talk about it

1. Pastor Russ described at least four letters Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, each one responding to real problems in that community. What does it tell you about Paul's relationship with that church that he kept writing, kept showing up, even after painful visits and harsh letters?
2. Pastor Russ shared the story of his friend who died on December 22, a believer who could not get past an old pain and tried to self-medicate it for years. He said, 'If you don't deal with the pain in a godly way, it will eventually kill you.' What do you think keeps people from bringing that kind of pain to God instead of carrying it on their own?
3. The sermon centered on the idea that sorrow can go either way, toward repentance and life, or toward death, depending on how we respond to it. Can you think of a time, your own or someone you have observed, when pain pushed a person closer to God rather than further away?
4. Pastor Russ said his personal bucket list item for 2024 is to have nothing unresolved between himself and anyone else, and to go to people who have something against him. He referenced Romans 12, 'If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all people.' Where does that feel most difficult for you right now, and what makes giving up your percentage of the problem so hard?
5. The sermon closed with Revelation 21:4 and the promise that God will wipe away every tear. How does knowing that relational pain and sorrow are temporary change the way you think about doing the hard work of forgiveness and reconciliation now?