1 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:10,840 In Bible, please to 2nd Corinthians chapter 4, the title 2 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:14,400 of tonight's message Treasures in Jars of Clay. 3 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:19,600 I don't know if you have in your possession at your house 4 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:23,240 something valuable stored in a surprising place. 5 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:28,560 I don't know. It'd be be odd for a jeweller to 6 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:31,280 wrap a diamond in a brown paper bag, wouldn't it? 7 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:34,240 You know, if they were to transport it from perhaps one 8 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:38,040 jewellery store to another that they owned and and there in a 9 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:42,280 brown paper bag would be a diamond, That would be strange. 10 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:46,000 Maybe a a grandmother might keep her inheritance money in a 11 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:50,640 biscuit tin. My brother Nat, when he was 12 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:54,320 working through high school into his uni days, kept all of his 13 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:56,920 cash. When he was paid that in his 14 00:00:56,920 --> 00:01:00,920 sock draw, that was where his valuable stuff. 15 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:05,880 My point is that sometimes the container is ordinary, right? 16 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:10,440 Even fragile, unimpressive. But what matters is the treasure 17 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:13,600 inside. So that's the picture that Paul 18 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:16,200 gives to us in Second Corinthians chapter 4. 19 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:20,920 Tonight he speaks of the glory of the gospel of of the the 20 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:23,680 wonderful blessing that ministry is for him. 21 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:27,440 Remember, it's been in question. And yet he is transferring this 22 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:30,280 on now to the people in Corinth to say that you hold this 23 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:33,480 treasure. And in holding this treasure, 24 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:35,960 understand that we are but jars of clay. 25 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:40,720 We are urban vessels indicative of the fragile kind of cracked, 26 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:43,600 unimpressive people that we truly are. 27 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:47,520 And yet we've been entrusted with the greatest treasure in 28 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:50,880 the universe, the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. 29 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:55,800 So again, this chapter Paul continues his defence of his 30 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:57,480 ministry. He's been attacked. 31 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:02,880 But it provides for us a window into the nature of what is all 32 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:05,480 Christian life. And witness for you and I you 33 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:10,199 might not think of it tonight, but you are as a Christian a 34 00:02:10,199 --> 00:02:14,080 minister of the gospel. I say well, I'm not a pastor, 35 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:16,840 I'm not a Sunday school teacher. I I don't lead in worship. 36 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:21,600 No, you are as a Christian wherever you go, a servant, a 37 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:25,400 minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ on to others. 38 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:29,080 You are his hands and feet. And so we're seeing that tonight 39 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:34,160 and what Paul reveals for us is both the cost and the glory of 40 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:37,840 following Jesus Christ. So our main points for us, if 41 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:41,720 you're the note taking to type tonight is that the ministry of 42 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:44,040 the gospel is revealed in verses one to six. 43 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:48,960 And then from verses 7 to 12. The weakness of the messenger. 44 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:52,960 That while we we bear the weight of this wonderful message of the 45 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:56,440 good news of Jesus Christ. We we need to fully understand 46 00:02:56,440 --> 00:03:00,040 and comprehend who we are in light of that, that it's nothing 47 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:04,160 of ourselves that nothing that we have done to earn or to merit 48 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:08,320 salvation and to be servants of Jesus Christ, but it's all by 49 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:11,720 his great grace upon us. And so there's a weakness, A 50 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:14,560 frailty that we possess in that. And then thirdly, for us, what 51 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:16,600 we'll see is the hope of the future. 52 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:20,560 Paul doesn't leave us going, you know, as as Debbie Downer's 53 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:21,680 right. Let me tell you what you are. 54 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:24,960 But now he reminds us of the blessed hope that we possess and 55 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:27,480 have in Jesus Christ. So I want to read the verses 56 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:31,200 first of all before us from one to six out of 2nd Corinthians 4. 57 00:03:31,640 --> 00:03:33,920 I'm reading again from the new King James Version. 58 00:03:33,920 --> 00:03:37,200 It says therefore, anytime you see a therefore, you know that 59 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:41,080 you need to go back to the previous at least paragraph, but 60 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:43,880 certainly, probably in this sense that the chapter before. 61 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:50,160 But since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do 62 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:53,400 not lose heart. We have renounced the hidden 63 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:59,000 things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the 64 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:03,680 word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, 65 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:06,680 commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of 66 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:09,600 God. But even if our gospel is vowed, 67 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:13,960 verse 3, it is vowed to those who are perishing, whose minds 68 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:17,839 the God little G of this age is blinded, who do not believe, 69 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,120 lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the 70 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:23,840 image of God should shine on them. 71 00:04:24,840 --> 00:04:29,760 We do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord and 72 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:32,040 ourselves your bond servants for Jesus sake. 73 00:04:32,840 --> 00:04:36,240 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, 74 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:39,320 who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge 75 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:42,720 of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 76 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:46,640 Paul begins with an encouragement here for you and I 77 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:49,080 in verse one. Therefore, having this ministry 78 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:52,120 by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 79 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:56,320 We must understand that the ministry that our service that 80 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:59,560 that we're entrusted, that we're blessed to be a part of, comes 81 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:03,720 because God is merciful to you and I Paul knows that his 82 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:08,920 apostle ship is undeserved and it's by the mercy that God has 83 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:13,080 bestowed and given to him, not anything that Paul has earned, 84 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:16,120 achieved nor accomplished. And Paul was a learned man. 85 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:21,640 Paul was again being attacked by a certain group of people within 86 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:25,640 the Corinthian church that were challenging the legitimacy of 87 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:29,960 Paul's apostleship and and the point of doing so was then to 88 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:33,080 try and invalidate all of the gospel that Paul had been 89 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:34,320 preaching. As a consequence. 90 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:37,800 You see, if they could question Paul and his character, then 91 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:41,960 they could invalidate the the words and the teachings of Paul 92 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:44,240 as he had been in Corinth and in the letters that he had written. 93 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:48,000 And so Paul is very mindful now to give a defence of the fact 94 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:50,560 that he is an apostle of Jesus Christ. 95 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:53,320 But effectively what Paul is doing here in verse one is 96 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:56,600 saying, I agree with you guys, my apostleship. 97 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:01,160 Well, it's not for the reasons that you say, but because of 98 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:04,960 God's mercy, that I've done nothing to deserve being called 99 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:08,560 an apostle of Jesus Christ. But I am nonetheless. 100 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:12,560 It's by the mercy of God that I am an apostle, that I have been 101 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:16,760 entrusted with the blessing of being a minister in this 102 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:18,160 ministry. I haven't earned it. 103 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:21,400 God's grace has been bestowed upon me. 104 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:25,160 And so this ministry is a blessing by the mercy of God. 105 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:29,240 Paul here in that statement, he declares, I know who I am. 106 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:32,160 You guys, you don't need to attack me. 107 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:35,400 You don't need to do that. And more importantly, I know who 108 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:40,000 God is. Ministry that I am about comes 109 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:43,960 through the mercy of God. You know, you and I, no 110 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:49,920 Christian, serve God out of any greatness on our own part, no 111 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:52,240 qualifications that we've obtained. 112 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:55,160 You know, it's not like God is so lucky, so fortunate to have 113 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:59,040 me on his team. You know what a blessing I am to 114 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:00,360 God. No, there's none of that. 115 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:04,760 And then likewise the flow on to you and I is, you know, you guys 116 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:08,760 are so blessed to have me as your pastor or, or me as your 117 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:11,640 Sunday school teacher or or me as your this or that. 118 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:17,040 None of us can lay claim to that and that's certainly not what 119 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:20,200 Paul has been boasting about. His boasting has always been 120 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:23,200 about the glory of God and the gospel and and the message 121 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:25,320 there. So you and I must remember that 122 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:29,440 any ministry that we're a part of is a mercy gift comes from 123 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:32,320 God. And so that truth should keep us 124 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:36,960 humble and grateful as we're ministers of the gospel of God. 125 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:40,600 Ministry is is by mercy, by the mercy of God. 126 00:07:40,840 --> 00:07:43,920 And then it's marked by honesty in verses 2 to 4. 127 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:49,440 Porous Paul is talking about the words spoken, the words written, 128 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:54,000 the gospel communicated to them and he's saying that I I 129 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:59,840 denounce any disgraceful underhanded ways of deception or 130 00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:03,800 manipulation that were prevalent in the day and in in the time of 131 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:07,280 which Paul was writing. There's been no deception on my 132 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:12,160 part, no distortion on my part in the message that I've given 133 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:14,240 to you. And and here what he's doing is 134 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:19,000 he's he's contrasting himself with very common practise in the 135 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:23,600 day in the 1st century Roman Empire of these itinerant, 136 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:27,240 typically false teachers that would travel around and and take 137 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:30,520 advantage of the early church gatherings and meetings. 138 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:34,000 And specifically in Corinth, people had come onto the scene 139 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:36,039 who are peddling the gospel for prophet. 140 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:41,240 Does that not sound familiar to today, you know, modern 141 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:47,280 Christendom, the way that people go around and and use the 142 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:50,760 blessing of the ministry of the gospel as a means to generate 143 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:55,840 profit for themselves. And here he's he's Speaking of 144 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:59,120 there was no craftiness, no adulteration of the truth, 145 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:03,200 meaning there was no tampering, no twisting or or manipulation 146 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:05,360 on my part of what I communicated to. 147 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:09,720 And the words here that are used where he speaks of adulteration 148 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:16,080 is a word typically used of a merchant back then who would 149 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:21,440 water down typically the wine that they would sell in order to 150 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:24,680 make more money. They would dilute it down, 151 00:09:24,680 --> 00:09:27,680 spread it further, but sell it at full price. 152 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:32,360 And Paul says, we're not diluting the truth of the 153 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:35,600 gospel. We're not watering down the 154 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:38,840 message. There's no compromise. 155 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:42,960 Paul believed in the power of the gospel message, 156 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:47,920 unadulterated, unfiltered, uncompromised, the truth of God. 157 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:51,160 In Romans one verse 16, he put it this way. 158 00:09:51,680 --> 00:09:55,600 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. 159 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:58,800 Why? For it is the power of God to 160 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:01,560 salvation for everyone who believes. 161 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:05,040 Paul believed that Paul lived that Paul taught that. 162 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:09,840 Paul writes that here and there was a temptation in Paul's day, 163 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:15,520 as we're seeing in our day, to try to make some of the things 164 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:20,560 that we read in the Bible a little more palatable to modern 165 00:10:20,560 --> 00:10:25,840 audiences and ears to compromise some of well, you know, well, 166 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:30,160 that's a bit harsh and and where God meant this said that rather 167 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:32,800 what what he actually means. And, you know, today we've 168 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:35,760 advanced and now we understand we've progressed And and people 169 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:39,800 say that, don't they? Or the other thing that people 170 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:45,960 do is, is they gravitate to what my my pastor in San Bernardino 171 00:10:45,960 --> 00:10:52,160 calls skyscraper sermons, where it's just story after story 172 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:55,320 after story after story. That was nice. 173 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:59,040 That was wonderful. How uplifted and and what what a 174 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:02,240 wonderful message. What what a wonderful talk that 175 00:11:02,240 --> 00:11:03,960 was that you gave. Oh, yeah. 176 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:05,680 What was it about? I don't know. 177 00:11:05,680 --> 00:11:10,600 But man, I, I laughed, I cried. It was so emotive how wonderful 178 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:13,280 it is. It's kind of very much appealing 179 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:17,320 to today's day and age as it was back in Paul's time where people 180 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:21,560 would philtre down, water down, adulterate the gospel message. 181 00:11:21,560 --> 00:11:23,920 Paul says. I'm not going to turn to any 182 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:28,200 gimmicks I haven't done in my preaching, in my writing, in my 183 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:31,560 communicating of the gospel. I'm not filtering down. 184 00:11:31,560 --> 00:11:34,920 I'm not trying to water down. But then it begged the question, 185 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:37,800 OK, Paul, if you're not doing that, then why isn't everybody 186 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:41,800 getting saved? If you're giving the truth of 187 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:45,760 the gospel and it's powerful, why isn't there an impact in 188 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:48,000 that way? So he addresses that in verses 3 189 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:51,400 and four. He acknowledges that in verse 3 190 00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:56,520 and 4, the gospel is veiled. To some it doesn't make sense. 191 00:11:56,520 --> 00:11:58,040 It's like that. They're blinded. 192 00:11:58,560 --> 00:12:03,840 It seems hidden or difficult to understand and I'm sure that you 193 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:07,400 can relate to that having shared the gospel with people and and 194 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:11,320 it's like they just draw a blank and they can't compute doesn't 195 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:15,240 seem to register what you know and what you know understand 196 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:17,800 understand through the illumination of the Holy Spirit 197 00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:20,880 being born again, but for them they're unregenerate. 198 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:23,960 They don't it it there. There's like a blindness to 199 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:27,800 them, a veil that's over them. So acknowledges that the gospel 200 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:30,440 has veiled to some why? Because he says Satan has 201 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:35,280 blinded their minds. The God little G of this world 202 00:12:35,280 --> 00:12:39,080 has done that. But the obstacle Paul 203 00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:41,960 distinguishes here is not the message. 204 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:43,840 They don't need to change the message. 205 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:46,320 That's not the reason why they're not believing the 206 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:48,640 obstacle. The reason that the the gospel 207 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:51,600 is not impacting is the heart is the heart. 208 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:57,360 Let me give you an illustration. Picture a blindfolded person 209 00:12:57,360 --> 00:13:04,000 looking at the sunset, right? The light shines, the sun is 210 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:06,640 setting, it's still there, but they cannot see for the 211 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:09,520 blindfold that is over their eyes. 212 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:13,360 And until that blindfold is removed, it doesn't change the 213 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:15,720 fact that the sun is shining its light. 214 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:18,320 That the glory, the splendour and how beautiful some of the 215 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:22,160 sunsets are where we live here doesn't change the fact that 216 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:25,200 it's there. But they cannot see it, cannot 217 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:27,240 realise it and enjoy it for them. 218 00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:32,520 So Paul, he's talking about the the gospel being one that I'm 219 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:36,520 I'm, I'm not disgraceful or underhanded in any ways in my 220 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:39,280 communication about it. I've I've been honest and clear 221 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:41,920 and truthful. There's been no, no filtering, 222 00:13:41,920 --> 00:13:45,400 no watering down of it. But some people still aren't 223 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:48,560 impacted by it because of the blindfold, the veil that's over 224 00:13:48,560 --> 00:13:50,720 them by the God little G of this world. 225 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:54,080 Then he he builds on this, that the gospel that we've given. 226 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:58,160 It's not about any human being. The glory shouldn't be bestowed 227 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:02,360 upon any particular individual, but it's all focused and and 228 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:05,280 central to giving glory to Jesus Christ. 229 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:09,760 Verse 5 and 6 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ 230 00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:13,640 Jesus the Lord and ourselves, your bondservants for Jesus 231 00:14:13,680 --> 00:14:16,880 sake. For it is the God who commanded 232 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:19,760 light to shine out of darkness going back to creation and how 233 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:24,440 it was that God spoke and light came out of nothing, out of 234 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:27,960 darkness in this form. That powerful God who has now 235 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:30,720 shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the 236 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:33,560 glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 237 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:37,120 This is what the gospel and ministry is all about. 238 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:42,800 Ministry is centred on Christ. What we proclaim, He says it's 239 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:45,440 not ourselves. It's not about Paul, not about 240 00:14:45,440 --> 00:14:48,280 how good I am, it's not about Apollo, it's not about how good 241 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:52,320 he is, nor about Peter, but it is about Jesus Christ as the 242 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:56,280 law. The gospel is never self 243 00:14:56,280 --> 00:15:00,120 promotion. It's always to be Christ 244 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:02,960 promotion. You know, God forbid, when 245 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:05,920 ministry ever becomes about the individual. 246 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:15,400 You know their name, their face, their celebrity status. 247 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:18,120 John the Baptist. Think of him. 248 00:15:18,760 --> 00:15:22,000 He had a a flourishing, thriving ministry going on. 249 00:15:23,360 --> 00:15:27,440 Crowds flocking, gathering, baptisms aplenty. 250 00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:31,080 The temptation would have been to start selling merchandise. 251 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:35,520 In today's day and age, get to John the Baptist T shirt get you 252 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:40,080 John the Baptist teachings and recordings and to broadcast over 253 00:15:40,080 --> 00:15:43,560 his socials and Instagram pages. How many baptisms took place 254 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:45,320 today? And here's what this Pharisee 255 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:46,680 said. And here's what that religious 256 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:49,080 leader said and let's do an interview and let's deal with 257 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:52,400 that and and promote John the Baptist name and his ministry 258 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:55,320 taking place. But what did John the Baptist 259 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:57,880 say when Jesus came onto the scene? 260 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:03,240 John the Baptist was very clear that I must decrease and he must 261 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:06,800 increase. It may be true of you and I in 262 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:10,800 every ministry that we're a a a participant in that we're called 263 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:13,840 to by God that we're we're mercifully blessed to be 264 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:16,680 involved in that. It never be about self 265 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:20,280 promotion, but always be about the promotion of Jesus Christ. 266 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:24,480 Name that the glory goes to him, but he is the light shining in 267 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:28,080 the darkness. So what Paul has been speaking, 268 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:31,040 it's the God who said let light shine out of darkness that has 269 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:34,680 shone into our hearts. The gospel starts with God, 270 00:16:35,440 --> 00:16:40,440 illuminates Jesus, is fulfilled and accomplished in Jesus, and 271 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:47,520 is to always be glorifying God. So tonight, how do you view your 272 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:54,920 ministry, whether preaching, whether parenting, whether your 273 00:16:54,920 --> 00:16:58,120 personal witness as you communicate with friends or with 274 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:01,960 neighbours? Do you understand it as a mercy 275 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:07,240 that you haven't earned, merited anything? 276 00:17:07,839 --> 00:17:14,000 But it's given by God that it requires integrity, honesty, no, 277 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:17,800 no conjuring, no manipulations, no craftiness. 278 00:17:18,440 --> 00:17:24,680 It doesn't need your help and cleverness and it must centre on 279 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:29,080 Jesus Christ. And so is the focus of your life 280 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:31,120 and words. Look at me, everybody. 281 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:36,280 All look at Jesus, everybody. It's his first point. 282 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:38,840 Moving on. Now he starts to really build on 283 00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:42,760 this in breaking down and recognising the weakness of the 284 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:46,040 messenger and himself included. Certainly verses 7 to 12, 285 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:51,440 there's this striking imagery where he contrasts the wonderful 286 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:56,000 treasure that we have in the Gospel, but it's found in you 287 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:59,040 and I as earthen vessels or jars of clay. 288 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:05,160 But we have this treasure in urban vessels, verse 7, that the 289 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:08,480 excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 290 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:11,960 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed. 291 00:18:13,120 --> 00:18:18,280 We are perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not 292 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:23,840 forsaken, struck down but not destroyed, always carrying about 293 00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:26,200 in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus. 294 00:18:26,520 --> 00:18:30,920 That the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 295 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:35,440 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus 296 00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:40,120 sake, but the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal 297 00:18:40,120 --> 00:18:43,120 flesh. So then death is working in us, 298 00:18:43,120 --> 00:18:49,240 but life in you. Going back to verse 7 as he 299 00:18:49,240 --> 00:18:52,720 focuses on these, these weak, these these earthen vessels, 300 00:18:53,360 --> 00:18:57,560 clay jars back in the time of Paul's writing again, 1st 301 00:18:57,560 --> 00:19:01,400 century Roman Empire, the ancient world were were cheap 302 00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:11,120 vessels, fragile, easily broken. And Paul says, guess what, 303 00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:16,800 that's us. We're a bunch of crackpots for 304 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:18,680 Jesus. This is the picture Paul 305 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:25,480 utilises of himself and of us. But he says Paul points out, God 306 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:30,200 deliberately uses these weak, these, these earthen vessels so 307 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:34,120 that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 308 00:19:34,120 --> 00:19:38,160 Let me give a an illustration that might be helpful. 309 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:44,640 I have a, a tin watering can at home that's lived a few years 310 00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:47,880 now in the shed starting to rust out and so on. 311 00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:52,320 And my primary use of it is to mix up the sea salt to fertilise 312 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:56,560 the plants. And as I do, I, I, you know, 313 00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:00,320 pour the mixture in, mix it up with the water and I'll carry it 314 00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:03,840 to the plant that I'm, you know, focusing that, that fertiliser 315 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:06,600 on. And on my way, it will leak out, 316 00:20:07,360 --> 00:20:09,480 you know, through the cracks onto the grass, onto the 317 00:20:09,480 --> 00:20:12,320 pavement and so on. But you know what? 318 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:18,240 When those plants have been watered and fertilised and you 319 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:21,520 know in in the days, weeks, months ahead where they begin to 320 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:24,960 look healthy. They begin to produce fruit. 321 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:28,480 That was the purpose of the fertiliser or to flower it. 322 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:32,360 It would be crazy of me to say in looking at at that health and 323 00:20:32,360 --> 00:20:36,360 looking at that fruit, wow, that watering can was amazing. 324 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:42,040 You know, and to go into the shed and open that up and praise 325 00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:45,640 the watering can for how wonderful those plants are now 326 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:48,440 looking. No, it's, it's when I look at 327 00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:51,000 those plants, oh, that that sea salt fertiliser did the trick. 328 00:20:51,880 --> 00:20:54,400 Yeah, that's usually what I say. I'll, I'll, I'll, you know, I'll 329 00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:57,920 put some more on, you know, you know, bit of time and such. 330 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:01,120 And look how those plants are now thriving and looking healthy 331 00:21:01,120 --> 00:21:03,840 and vigorous. So the the container, my point 332 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:05,320 is had nothing to do with it right. 333 00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:11,240 And likewise, you and I God's God's grace, the gospel it flow. 334 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:14,560 You know, he uses us. He's chosen for whatever reason. 335 00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:17,840 And when we studied through revelation the the angelic 336 00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:20,640 realm, they look at it and it blows their mind that God would 337 00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:26,360 choose you and I and yet he has these these weak, these earthen 338 00:21:26,360 --> 00:21:32,240 vessels entrusted the treasure of the gospel to us that in our 339 00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:35,880 frailty, despite our frailty, in our weakness, despite our, our 340 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:40,400 brokenness, our cracks our, our, our, our cheapness in many ways 341 00:21:41,120 --> 00:21:45,480 that the power of God so courses through us and blesses and 342 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:47,440 accomplishes his work for his glory. 343 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:51,480 And Paul builds on this imagery in verses 8 through tonight. 344 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:55,120 And again, we are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed 345 00:21:55,120 --> 00:21:59,320 and talks about his experience particularly then and he builds 346 00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:01,960 on it of of often being afflicted. 347 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:07,400 You know, his earthen vessel, feeling the pressure and the 348 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:11,880 weight of not only living life in this fallen world, but being 349 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:16,160 an apostle and a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ says I've 350 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:19,080 been afflicted, I've been perplexed, I've been persecuted, 351 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:22,960 I've been struck down, but by the grace of God, not crushed, 352 00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:29,800 not driven to despair, not forsaken, not destroyed, batted, 353 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:33,000 beaten, bruised, yes, broken, but I'm hanging in there. 354 00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:37,360 God is good, God is gracious, God is wonderful. 355 00:22:37,360 --> 00:22:42,120 So Paul is saying that whenever we go through hard times, 356 00:22:42,120 --> 00:22:47,280 whenever we experience the the frailty of our earthen vessels, 357 00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:52,440 there is opportunity for God's power to shine forth through the 358 00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:58,760 breaking of said vessels. No, brokenness in our lives is 359 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:03,640 sometimes and often times the means of God getting out of us 360 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:10,840 what he has put into us. It's ironic that most things in 361 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:15,120 the world lose their value once they're broken, and they become 362 00:23:15,120 --> 00:23:17,160 less valuable when they're cracked. 363 00:23:18,600 --> 00:23:24,600 But not so the Christian seems that brokenness enriches our 364 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:30,160 value for gospel ministry. God puts a premium, the Bible 365 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:34,160 indicates often on broken things, doesn't he, especially 366 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:39,800 on broken people. Psalm 51 verse 16 to 17 says, 367 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:44,720 for you do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it. 368 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:47,800 You do not delight in burnt offering. 369 00:23:49,120 --> 00:23:54,320 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a 370 00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:58,560 contrite heart. These are God you will not 371 00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:02,240 despise. Why is that? 372 00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:08,440 Well, brokenness in our lives. It leads to humility, doesn't 373 00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:13,920 it, as we understand who we are and it leads us to become 374 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:18,640 dependent upon God all the more because we're exhausted of any 375 00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:21,080 strength so called within us that we thought that we 376 00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:24,360 possessed. And and these brokenness leading 377 00:24:24,360 --> 00:24:27,680 to humility and dependency in particular, are two traits that 378 00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:31,080 are very attractive to God. You know, the Bible tells us 379 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:35,040 that he actually resists the proud, but gives grace to the 380 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:37,840 humble. Psalm 34, verse 18. 381 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:43,400 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and save, 382 00:24:43,400 --> 00:24:49,440 such as have a contrite spirit. Isaiah 57, verse 15 For thus 383 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:53,840 says the high and lofty one, who inhabits eternity, whose name is 384 00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:58,760 holy, I dwell in the high and holy place with him who has a 385 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:04,680 what contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the 386 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:08,160 humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. 387 00:25:09,520 --> 00:25:13,800 So Paul, he understood and he communicates this for them and 388 00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:18,120 for you and I tonight, that it takes weakness in order to have 389 00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:21,840 strength. And this is the place where we 390 00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:25,520 struggle because it's so contrary to our natural way of 391 00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:29,400 thinking and to the world's way of functioning and operating. 392 00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:32,640 And, and this is often what we don't like. 393 00:25:34,480 --> 00:25:38,160 We all want to see the power of God in our own lives, but we 394 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:41,960 want to come out of that experience untroubled. 395 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:47,040 We want the power of God to come through our lives, but we want 396 00:25:47,120 --> 00:25:51,880 like peaceful, calm kind of circumstances for that 397 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:55,880 experience to transpire. It's like we want to move 398 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:58,960 through life protected from all the dangers and all the 399 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:04,040 difficulties. A bit like a a ride at a theme 400 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:07,520 park that has a, a little adventure for us, a few little 401 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:09,920 ups and downs here and there, maybe a little frightened. 402 00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:12,920 Oh, that took my breath away. But we come out relatively 403 00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:17,480 untouched and unscathed. But you and I, I think we've 404 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:20,240 lived long enough on this planet that we know that's not how it 405 00:26:20,240 --> 00:26:24,040 works. Brokenness is a part of the 406 00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:27,440 Christian life, isn't it? A life that is certainly not a 407 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:32,560 theme park for entertainment, but brokenness. 408 00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:37,560 Life's difficulties, like Paul wrote, being hard pressed, being 409 00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:44,520 crushed, being persecuted, being struck down as a means through 410 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:50,240 which God's power is revealed and his power is manifested in 411 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:54,560 our weakness for this purpose, for his glory. 412 00:26:57,480 --> 00:26:59,640 We often don't get to choose either. 413 00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:02,640 You know, when it comes to brokenness in our lives. 414 00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:07,680 We'd love it sometimes if God could provide for us a menu of 415 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:13,320 options to pick from. But Christians can suffer in 416 00:27:13,320 --> 00:27:18,120 numerous ways, can't we? Yep, We've experienced 417 00:27:18,120 --> 00:27:21,160 brokenness in a in a number of varieties. 418 00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:27,440 We're not hidden away from life. We, like anyone else, encounter 419 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:30,920 problems of every sort. But here's what we do know 420 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:34,000 through the Bible and what it teaches us is that we don't go 421 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:40,480 through that experience alone. God is with us and God is 422 00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:43,200 revealed through us at those times. 423 00:27:44,040 --> 00:27:45,400 And that, and that is Paul's point here. 424 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:48,560 God's power is manifested in our weakness. 425 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:51,400 We we have this treasure in earthen vessels and, and we're 426 00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:55,680 pressed and we're crushed and we're persecuted and, and, and 427 00:27:55,680 --> 00:28:00,760 we're struck down, but we, we have the Lord in US and with us. 428 00:28:01,840 --> 00:28:04,120 And then he says suffering is real. 429 00:28:04,120 --> 00:28:05,680 God's sustaining power is greater. 430 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:08,840 But let me tell you of the result, the consequence of this 431 00:28:09,120 --> 00:28:13,480 in verses 11:50, death is at work in US, but it brings life 432 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:17,640 in you, particularly as recipients of this gospel 433 00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:20,360 message. And so in verse 10 he talks 434 00:28:20,360 --> 00:28:24,760 about how always carry the in his body, the dying of the Lord 435 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:29,560 Jesus that Jesus would be manifested and then concludes it 436 00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:32,080 in verse 12. So then death is working in us, 437 00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:36,920 but life in you. Paul carries, he says, the death 438 00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:45,120 of Jesus in his body, Speaking of a daily dying to self that he 439 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:52,280 knew very real, even facing literal death at times, but that 440 00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:57,280 it brought life on to others that his suffering was advancing 441 00:28:57,280 --> 00:29:00,840 the gospel. You know, we, we have so many 442 00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:04,520 other examples throughout Christendom over a Christian 443 00:29:04,520 --> 00:29:08,560 history of missionary stories of people who have experienced and 444 00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:12,160 and can testify of that truth that Paul declares for us in 445 00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:14,920 that that that no matter what was going on, even to the point 446 00:29:14,920 --> 00:29:19,080 of death, that God was able to work and that it brought life is 447 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:21,480 the power of gospel. And Jim Elliott's words, I think 448 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:24,840 ring true in that way. He said he is no fool who gives 449 00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:29,080 what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose, and he knew that 450 00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:32,080 all too well, having given his life in the missionary field. 451 00:29:33,320 --> 00:29:38,440 So tonight, as we conclude that second point, I don't know what 452 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:45,120 your brokenness in your earthen vessel you're encountering now, 453 00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:48,120 what weakness you're feeling burdened by tonight. 454 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:55,480 Don't think of it as disqualification, rather see it 455 00:29:55,480 --> 00:30:01,640 as a stage for God's power and grace to flow on out in trials. 456 00:30:01,640 --> 00:30:09,440 Then you can testify. Yes, I'm fragile, I'm weak, I'm 457 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:12,920 an urban vessel. I'm like a clay jar. 458 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:17,200 But you know, the treasure of Jesus Christ is shining through. 459 00:30:17,200 --> 00:30:21,000 And then he doesn't leave them there with that. 460 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:23,440 And he doesn't leave us tonight with that. 461 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:27,720 His final point is to declare the hope of the future that we 462 00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:31,480 have in verse 13 through to 18. He points us to that 463 00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:36,400 resurrection power and since we have the same spirit of faith. 464 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:40,280 Verse 13 according to what is written, I believed and 465 00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:42,320 therefore I spoke. He quotes David out of the 466 00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:44,080 Psalms and we'll get to that in a moment. 467 00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:49,920 We also believe and therefore speak knowing that verse 14. 468 00:30:50,560 --> 00:30:55,480 He who raised up the Lord Jesus. So if if God is powerful to do 469 00:30:55,480 --> 00:31:00,240 that, then let's have faith, let's have trust in this verse 470 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:06,040 14, that he will also raise up us with Jesus and will present 471 00:31:06,040 --> 00:31:10,280 us with you. This is our our end where it's 472 00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:14,280 all going for all things. Verse 15 are for your sakes. 473 00:31:14,280 --> 00:31:18,040 That grace having spread through the many may cause Thanksgiving 474 00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:22,080 to abound to the glory of God. Therefore, we do not lose heart. 475 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:27,720 Verse 16 even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward 476 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:31,560 man is being renewed day by day man, it's invigorating despite 477 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:34,400 what it might look like on the outside, the difficulties we're 478 00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:37,800 experiencing. Paul says trust me within I I am 479 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:41,440 I am so amazed at God's work and man. 480 00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:46,040 It's just nourishing my spirit for our light affliction. 481 00:31:46,040 --> 00:31:50,200 He calls it verse 17, which is but for a moment he had this 482 00:31:50,200 --> 00:31:55,720 wonderful perspective of of what he was experiencing now on life 483 00:31:55,720 --> 00:32:01,680 on earth compared to all of eternity is working for us a far 484 00:32:01,680 --> 00:32:04,200 more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 485 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:08,960 Or we do not look at the things which are seen verse 18, but at 486 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:12,400 the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen 487 00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:16,720 are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 488 00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:23,480 So again, for for us, Paul doesn't end with weakness, you 489 00:32:23,480 --> 00:32:27,440 know, the earthen vessels, but he promotes and reminds them of 490 00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:30,800 the wonderful hope for the future found in the resurrection 491 00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:33,520 of Jesus Christ and in the power of God to achieve that. 492 00:32:33,800 --> 00:32:36,640 And of the promises that God has given to you and I of what that 493 00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:39,200 then means for you and I for all of eternity. 494 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:42,280 And what Paul is experiencing in the here and now as a 495 00:32:42,280 --> 00:32:45,600 consequence of that truth. And he speaks first of all of 496 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:49,120 the faith in God who raises the dead of of that which 497 00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:52,640 invigorates him. He's he's quoting Psalm 116 498 00:32:52,640 --> 00:32:57,440 where he says I believed. And so I spoke and it's speaking 499 00:32:57,440 --> 00:32:59,760 there at a time in in David's life. 500 00:32:59,760 --> 00:33:05,440 If you were to turn to Psalm 116 and read that David was fearful 501 00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:10,920 of his life. And yet David is able to remind 502 00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:16,920 and and speaks out believing who God is and it stirs up within 503 00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:20,120 him a faith and a trust. No, this is who God is. 504 00:33:20,120 --> 00:33:22,800 And I believed. And as a consequence of a 505 00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:26,520 reminder of of who it is that God is, it stirred up within me 506 00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:30,400 a trust and a faith to now live for him in light of who God is. 507 00:33:31,240 --> 00:33:36,080 So I spoke, I lived it out as if it were true, as if it were real 508 00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:40,080 and invigorated it revived my life and living here and now. 509 00:33:40,680 --> 00:33:43,480 And so Paul says that's, that's my experience. 510 00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:46,440 And for you and I and, and the audience, certainly, he says 511 00:33:46,640 --> 00:33:51,640 belief and trust in God leads to a confidence to declare the 512 00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:55,200 gospel of God and to speak with conviction that the gospel is 513 00:33:55,200 --> 00:33:59,200 powerful, to not be ashamed of it and to boldly then continue 514 00:33:59,360 --> 00:34:03,400 in the ministry that God has called your eye to, no matter 515 00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:07,040 how difficult, no matter how broken, no matter how frown, no 516 00:34:07,040 --> 00:34:09,120 matter how weak you might be feeling. 517 00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:14,080 And the confidence again is not contrived, is not self 518 00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:16,960 generated. But based on this, the God who 519 00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:21,239 raised Jesus will also raise us with him. 520 00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:27,080 And if Jesus is alive, if God is powerful to accomplish that 521 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:30,120 greatest thing in defeating death and the grave, then God 522 00:34:30,120 --> 00:34:33,560 will in the same power fulfil that which he has promised to 523 00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:36,040 you. And I in the gospel believe it. 524 00:34:36,040 --> 00:34:42,639 Paul says, may it be true in your life and living So faith in 525 00:34:42,639 --> 00:34:47,120 the God who raises the dead. But then also he says, I want 526 00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:50,719 you to see purpose in suffering. In verse 15. 527 00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:54,040 He's not denying that suffering exists. 528 00:34:55,080 --> 00:34:58,560 And Paul's perspective was that the suffering that has come upon 529 00:34:58,560 --> 00:35:02,640 me and the suffering that might come upon you, Corinthians, and 530 00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:07,320 the suffering that might come upon you and I, he says it's all 531 00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:11,960 for your sake so that the gospel can go forth, that grace can 532 00:35:11,960 --> 00:35:16,840 extend to the glory of God. And it's a reminder to you. 533 00:35:16,840 --> 00:35:18,800 And I. And Paul has been big on this 534 00:35:18,800 --> 00:35:21,960 through First Corinthians and through Second Corinthians, 535 00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:27,440 excuse me, that suffering is not pointless, though at times in 536 00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:29,640 our lives we're wondering the purpose of it. 537 00:35:31,240 --> 00:35:32,760 Why me, God? Why us? 538 00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:37,920 Why this what Paul is Speaking of is, is understanding the 539 00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:41,520 purpose in the suffering and and it's it's been a a message 540 00:35:41,520 --> 00:35:43,280 communicated again and again and again. 541 00:35:43,600 --> 00:35:48,760 Suffering will come guaranteed. The Bible is is real on that, 542 00:35:48,760 --> 00:35:53,160 but don't waste it. It's purposeful. 543 00:35:55,640 --> 00:36:00,240 See it as a way that God is able to use you for his glory that 544 00:36:00,240 --> 00:36:02,560 would lead to Thanksgiving in your life. 545 00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:08,920 And that's a well, that's an attitude to have that again, 546 00:36:08,920 --> 00:36:12,200 can't be generated within ourselves, but must come through 547 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:15,200 the Holy Spirit within us illuminating God's word to the 548 00:36:15,200 --> 00:36:17,520 truth and the reality of that in in our living. 549 00:36:18,640 --> 00:36:23,880 And so continuing to to enhance this verses 16 through 18, he 550 00:36:23,880 --> 00:36:27,760 pulls out this perspective on affliction that he echoes in in 551 00:36:27,760 --> 00:36:32,880 his experience. We don't lose heart whilst our 552 00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:37,160 outer self, our earthen vessel, might be wasting away. 553 00:36:37,600 --> 00:36:41,360 I'm feeling it, the weight, the heaviness of this persecution, 554 00:36:41,360 --> 00:36:43,640 of this suffering. But our inner self is being 555 00:36:43,640 --> 00:36:47,080 renewed. And he calls the afflictions, 556 00:36:47,080 --> 00:36:49,440 the experience that he's going through light. 557 00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:55,160 Was Paul delusional? Was he just trying to, you know, 558 00:36:55,680 --> 00:36:58,600 claim something other than what reality is? 559 00:36:58,600 --> 00:37:01,080 And and you know, Paul, you're kidding yourself to say that 560 00:37:01,080 --> 00:37:04,280 your your suffering is light or is momentary. 561 00:37:04,440 --> 00:37:08,960 No, what Paul had was the right perspective about how our lives, 562 00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:11,880 though at the times and what we're going through, it seems 563 00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:16,040 like it's never going to end. He says compare it to eternity. 564 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:21,680 Understand that we are immortal, eternal beings, and that while 565 00:37:21,680 --> 00:37:24,880 these present sufferings are going on, there is an eternal 566 00:37:24,880 --> 00:37:29,080 weight of glory beyond comparison that lies ahead for 567 00:37:29,080 --> 00:37:31,520 you and I because of the resurrection power of Jesus 568 00:37:31,520 --> 00:37:35,120 Christ. Maybe an illustration might be 569 00:37:35,120 --> 00:37:41,440 helpful here of of imagining a scale on one side, weighing and 570 00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:43,760 putting all of your present sufferings. 571 00:37:45,080 --> 00:37:46,320 You know what you're going through. 572 00:37:46,320 --> 00:37:49,720 You know what you're experiencing, and yet on the 573 00:37:49,720 --> 00:37:53,000 other side of that scale put eternal glory. 574 00:37:54,960 --> 00:37:58,720 And what you'll see if you read and understand the Bible 575 00:37:58,720 --> 00:38:04,040 rightly, is that the eternal glory far outweighs anything 576 00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:06,360 that seems pressing in this moment. 577 00:38:07,640 --> 00:38:12,800 How do you frame your trials? Well, if you only see the 578 00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:15,720 present and what you're going through and are looking with 579 00:38:15,720 --> 00:38:18,560 your eyes at at the circumstances, at the situation, 580 00:38:18,560 --> 00:38:22,920 then despair is is easy. It's very natural. 581 00:38:23,960 --> 00:38:30,720 But if you see more of the eternal and hope is birthed 582 00:38:30,720 --> 00:38:39,560 within you, your spirit is renewed, you know, and as we age 583 00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:45,200 in this life and the body weakens as we find ourselves 584 00:38:45,200 --> 00:38:51,200 experiencing that, the spirit can grow stronger though, as our 585 00:38:51,200 --> 00:38:54,800 eternal destination is more and more insight and that weight of 586 00:38:54,800 --> 00:38:57,960 eternal glory. And for the younger here 587 00:38:57,960 --> 00:39:03,360 tonight, physically speaking, it might sound like, oh, it'll 588 00:39:03,360 --> 00:39:06,600 never happen to me, but may I encourage you to build your life 589 00:39:06,600 --> 00:39:11,400 on eternal things to prioritise the Kingdom of God. 590 00:39:12,040 --> 00:39:14,280 Seek you first his righteousness. 591 00:39:14,280 --> 00:39:20,560 Matthew 6 verse 33 says I'm not temporary glitter, not the 592 00:39:20,560 --> 00:39:24,160 appeals of this world that are fading and falling away because 593 00:39:24,720 --> 00:39:29,160 man time just rapidly flies by and before you know it, you'll 594 00:39:29,160 --> 00:39:32,120 find yourself looking in the mirror at an elderly version of 595 00:39:32,120 --> 00:39:36,680 yourself should the Lord tarry and you'll know all well that 596 00:39:36,680 --> 00:39:43,680 you are an earthen vessel. 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 gives us 597 00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:50,200 both realism, yes, and hope Realism that that ministry 598 00:39:50,200 --> 00:39:59,880 that's serving God is hard, that we are weak, but that suffering 599 00:40:00,560 --> 00:40:06,960 is part and parcel, is normal and the hope that is conveyed 600 00:40:06,960 --> 00:40:10,480 through this passage of. The gospel being this glorious, 601 00:40:10,480 --> 00:40:15,360 wonderful treasure, God works through our weakness, through 602 00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:20,080 our brokenness, and then we have a future that is certain. 603 00:40:21,680 --> 00:40:28,720 And so persevere in that. Don't lose heart. 604 00:40:29,880 --> 00:40:32,480 May God's mercy sustain your ministry. 605 00:40:33,920 --> 00:40:39,920 Proclaim, keep the focus on Jesus Christ, never yourself. 606 00:40:41,680 --> 00:40:45,960 You've probably all heard those, those Frankenstein testimonies 607 00:40:47,120 --> 00:40:49,800 where people will talk about what their life was like before 608 00:40:49,800 --> 00:40:53,080 Jesus Christ. You know, I know I used to be in 609 00:40:53,080 --> 00:40:56,520 bikie gangs and I used to do drugs and I used to do this and 610 00:40:56,520 --> 00:40:58,800 I used to do that. And man, I was a raging 611 00:40:58,800 --> 00:41:01,360 alcoholic. I was a this and then God saved 612 00:41:01,360 --> 00:41:05,120 me. And then that's kind of the end 613 00:41:06,400 --> 00:41:09,640 and no declaration of the transformative power of God at 614 00:41:09,640 --> 00:41:11,800 work in their lives. And it's almost like all the 615 00:41:11,800 --> 00:41:15,400 focus has been on, you know, the the earthiness of what I once 616 00:41:15,400 --> 00:41:18,600 was and so on. And that's been what the focus 617 00:41:18,600 --> 00:41:22,040 has been all about rather than upon the transformative power of 618 00:41:22,040 --> 00:41:25,600 God. You know, now, now I'm loving my 619 00:41:25,600 --> 00:41:29,720 wife and my family and God has just been a blessing and how how 620 00:41:29,720 --> 00:41:33,240 good and how merciful and how gracious and how wonderful and 621 00:41:33,240 --> 00:41:37,520 all the glory goes to him. May the promotion may may the 622 00:41:37,520 --> 00:41:42,400 focus be always about Christ. And then keep that perspective 623 00:41:42,400 --> 00:41:45,640 that whatever trials, whatever difficulty, whatever you're 624 00:41:45,640 --> 00:41:49,520 going through right now, could you say with Paul, that's a 625 00:41:49,840 --> 00:41:55,000 light momentary affliction that compared to eternity and the 626 00:41:55,000 --> 00:42:01,080 weight of glory that's held up like clay jars. 627 00:42:01,640 --> 00:42:10,360 We might be cracked, chipped, ordinary, plain, simple, but the 628 00:42:10,360 --> 00:42:17,440 treasure in US is Christ Jesus. And one day those cracks give 629 00:42:17,440 --> 00:42:23,400 way to glory. Paul, he didn't write as a a 630 00:42:23,800 --> 00:42:26,120 kindergartner in the school of suffering. 631 00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:31,680 He had an advanced graduate degree. 632 00:42:32,160 --> 00:42:36,120 He knew all about suffering, and he describes some of his 633 00:42:36,120 --> 00:42:37,600 suffering. We'll get to that later in 634 00:42:37,600 --> 00:42:42,640 Chapter 11, but he uses these terms about what he experienced 635 00:42:42,920 --> 00:42:47,560 in the suffering that I think probably all of us combined 636 00:42:47,560 --> 00:42:49,040 wouldn't be able to put our name to. 637 00:42:50,240 --> 00:42:57,880 He spoke of being striped, whipped, being imprisoned, being 638 00:42:57,880 --> 00:43:03,960 beaten, being stoned with rocks, being shipwrecked in perils of 639 00:43:03,960 --> 00:43:08,600 waters, experiencing the brutality of robbers in perils 640 00:43:08,600 --> 00:43:13,840 of my own countrymen, the Jews, in perils of the Gentiles, in 641 00:43:13,840 --> 00:43:18,800 perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the 642 00:43:18,800 --> 00:43:24,040 sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness and toil, 643 00:43:24,320 --> 00:43:28,560 in sleeplessness, often in hunger and thirst, in fastings, 644 00:43:28,560 --> 00:43:32,960 often in cold and nakedness. And those for Paul were just the 645 00:43:32,960 --> 00:43:35,880 physical sufferings that he experienced, the outward 646 00:43:35,880 --> 00:43:39,480 sufferings in his earthen vessel, let alone the spiritual 647 00:43:39,480 --> 00:43:43,920 burdens that he bore and the spiritual attacks that he faced. 648 00:43:44,680 --> 00:43:47,760 But all through it, what we see in Paul's writing and has 649 00:43:47,760 --> 00:43:49,600 emphasised for us tonight is this. 650 00:43:50,440 --> 00:43:56,040 Paul's confidence always was, always is, always will be in 651 00:43:56,200 --> 00:44:02,880 God. And so tonight is your 652 00:44:02,880 --> 00:44:08,280 confidence in God. What is in your vessel. 653 00:44:10,240 --> 00:44:15,680 I love that Old Testament story in the book of judges of Gideon 654 00:44:16,560 --> 00:44:21,040 coming against the overwhelming odds militarily Speaking of the 655 00:44:21,040 --> 00:44:24,280 Midianites. Remember that and how it was 656 00:44:24,280 --> 00:44:27,640 that Gideon was entrusted by God with the whole, you know, the 657 00:44:27,800 --> 00:44:32,360 the fleece testing first of all with the Jew, but OK now Gideon, 658 00:44:32,360 --> 00:44:36,360 you're going to lead now call to arms the people of of of Israel 659 00:44:36,360 --> 00:44:38,200 to come to fight against the Midianites. 660 00:44:38,200 --> 00:44:41,480 And as they they mustered and gathered together, God said not 661 00:44:41,480 --> 00:44:46,960 too many and filtered down and eventually there were just 300 662 00:44:48,040 --> 00:44:53,840 literally crackpots that God used for winning the victory. 663 00:44:54,600 --> 00:44:58,360 They were to break those vessels as they held those torches aloft 664 00:44:58,360 --> 00:45:03,240 and to shout out for for God and for Gideon and to break those 665 00:45:03,240 --> 00:45:06,440 vessels. And it causes confusion amongst 666 00:45:06,440 --> 00:45:08,120 the Midianites. And the victory was won. 667 00:45:09,520 --> 00:45:13,360 And God is able to take the simple, the foolish, the broken, 668 00:45:13,880 --> 00:45:18,800 the clay vessels, because the treasure is him and the power is 669 00:45:18,800 --> 00:45:22,280 him. So will you be emboldened on 670 00:45:22,280 --> 00:45:28,520 into this week at the very least to say, it's not about me, it's 671 00:45:28,520 --> 00:45:33,280 not about what I'm feeling, what I'm experiencing, but to God be 672 00:45:33,280 --> 00:45:39,160 the glory and I'll live and I'll and I'll trust him to just use 673 00:45:39,160 --> 00:45:42,880 me in ways that will honour him and the gospel will go forth. 674 00:45:43,040 --> 00:45:45,520 So let's pray for that. Lord, we thank you for this 675 00:45:45,520 --> 00:45:49,560 passage tonight and thank you for your people gathered here 676 00:45:49,560 --> 00:45:53,200 tonight in blistery, windy conditions. 677 00:45:53,200 --> 00:45:57,040 And, and maybe they're perhaps indicative of, of where our our 678 00:45:57,040 --> 00:46:00,440 souls or where our hearts are at right now with what's perhaps 679 00:46:00,440 --> 00:46:04,400 going on. Maybe this analogy of us being 680 00:46:05,360 --> 00:46:09,080 weak, broken clay vessels is ringing true with with some 681 00:46:09,080 --> 00:46:13,360 gathered here tonight. And so I pray that this message 682 00:46:13,360 --> 00:46:17,280 has been a powerful reminder of who you are, of what you have 683 00:46:17,280 --> 00:46:21,560 done, of what you are doing, of how you have chosen the foolish 684 00:46:21,560 --> 00:46:23,600 things of the world to confound the wise. 685 00:46:24,040 --> 00:46:29,040 That if we will trust you, if we will rest in your power, then 686 00:46:29,040 --> 00:46:31,720 God, the glory belongs to you and, and you will achieve and 687 00:46:31,720 --> 00:46:37,200 accomplish your purposes despite us in and through us. 688 00:46:38,400 --> 00:46:41,600 And so we again, we submit and we surrender ourselves to you 689 00:46:41,600 --> 00:46:45,560 and we pray, Lord God use us, not because there's anything 690 00:46:45,560 --> 00:46:48,800 special or particular in us, but that we're just simply going to 691 00:46:48,800 --> 00:46:52,960 be vessels ready for your use. We pray that you would get the 692 00:46:52,960 --> 00:46:57,040 glory, that you would get the honour in Jesus mighty name. 693 00:46:57,280 --> 00:46:59,560 And God's people said tonight, Amen. 694 00:47:00,040 --> 00:47:00,480 Amen.