1 00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:13,680 We're starting from 2 Corinthians 4 verse one, and we 2 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:17,440 go down to five to chapter 5, verse 10. 3 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:21,120 And what we're going to do is I'm not going to read the whole 4 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:24,920 stretch of the passage. I will jump some verses. 5 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:28,600 I'll go right down to the end and then we'll walk our way back 6 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:34,000 up again into the main verse that talks about the jars of 7 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:37,800 clay. So we'll get right into it. 8 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:45,720 So we'll start reading. So what all I've got are just 9 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:48,640 pictures and some few lines. Nothing, nothing more. 10 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:52,760 And I will rely on every one of us to pick up our Bibles, 11 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:56,560 whether it is this one or the ones on your phone. 12 00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:57,840 And we're going to read together. 13 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:02,440 I have got actually the new Living Translation. 14 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:04,519 So that's what I'm going to be reading from. 15 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:09,200 Yeah, I just got this and it's been really interesting how much 16 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:12,400 difference it makes from reading this rather than reading on the 17 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:14,720 phone that yeah, it makes a whole lot of difference. 18 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:16,960 So that's where we're going to start from. 19 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:19,560 Last week Ben talked about the light. 20 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,200 He talked about Moses. He talked about how the light 21 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:26,560 was shining on Moses face and people couldn't see him. 22 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:30,680 So we're starting here. And he says, therefore, since 23 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:36,840 God in his mercy had given us this new way, we never give up. 24 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:42,880 We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. 25 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:47,640 We don't try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. 26 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:53,360 We tell the truth before God. And all who are honest knows 27 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:56,880 this. If the God, if the good news we 28 00:01:56,880 --> 00:02:01,680 preach is hidden beef behind the veil, it is hidden only from 29 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:05,680 people who are perishing. Satan, who is the God of this 30 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:10,800 world has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. 31 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:16,240 We're going to verse 6 all together, but I'll skip to verse 32 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:18,760 5. It says, you see, we don't go 33 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:21,320 around preaching about ourselves. 34 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:26,480 We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord and we ourselves are your 35 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:32,040 servants for Jesus sake, for God who said let there be light in 36 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:36,480 the in the darkness has made this light shine in our hearts 37 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:41,360 so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of 38 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:44,800 Jesus. And I'll put a bit more emphasis 39 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:50,520 on the verse 6 that says God who said let the light shine in the 40 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:54,960 darkness at the point of accepting Jesus as our Lord and 41 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:59,400 Saviour is the light is shown in our heart. 42 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:02,640 God has shown us a different way of living. 43 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:06,960 God has shown us a different standard of living and is giving 44 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:08,960 us that light. And that's the light that we've 45 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:13,240 got in our heart. And it's that light that we aim 46 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:17,680 every single moment, every single morning, every single 47 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:21,800 time with fellowship, every time we come to the church, every 48 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:23,840 time we meet with our Christian brothers. 49 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:27,000 And it's that light we aim to keep shining. 50 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:30,360 And we're hoping that that light of God, which He's got in our 51 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:33,480 hearts and every single time, does not die. 52 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:38,960 And what do we do is we fellowship, we pray, we love 53 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:42,240 Jesus, we study his Bible, we encourage one another. 54 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:46,320 And the whole aim of this is that God has given us that 55 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:49,400 light. Our faces are not veiled. 56 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:53,560 It means that we're not blind to what God is able to do. 57 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:57,840 But then we have troubles in this world, in this life that 58 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:01,640 wants to throw us here and throw us there. 59 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:06,600 But God said, I have given you that light and that light should 60 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,760 shine in your heart. So ignore all of that picture 61 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:11,920 there. And then the next one here is 62 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:14,200 just that. So we're going from, so it's 2 63 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:17,640 Corinthians 4. We're doing from verse 8 to 11 64 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:23,960 next. Sorry, it's not a very big slide 65 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:28,320 in itself, but hopefully we can arrive at a message that I'm 66 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:31,680 trying to preach out this morning. 67 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:41,200 So 8 to 11 says we are pressed on every side by troubles. 68 00:04:41,840 --> 00:04:45,560 And I think that if we have followed the service this 69 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:51,320 morning and you look at the theme of Andrea's prayers and 70 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:55,960 the theme behind Olympus prayers and skips prayer, it sort of 71 00:04:55,960 --> 00:05:01,040 resonates with what we're saying here is that even though God has 72 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:05,480 given us that light wants us to be strong and be bold in him and 73 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:08,800 walk with him. But Paul is saying we are 74 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:12,720 pressed on every side. We are not without our troubles. 75 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:15,360 We are not without our challenges. 76 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:19,880 We are pressed on every side, but we are not crushed. 77 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:24,960 And that's the testimony that God wants us to hold onto that 78 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:29,720 regardless of whatever life is throwing at us, we do understand 79 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:34,320 Jesus said in this life you will have troubles, but be of good 80 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:37,800 share because what? Because I have overcomed the 81 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:40,880 world and he's saying, well, we are pressed on every side, but 82 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:42,920 we're not crushed. And that's our testimony. 83 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,200 We are perplexed. Yes, we are anxious. 84 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:48,120 A few things will make us anxious here. 85 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:50,840 A few people are struggling with anxiety. 86 00:05:50,840 --> 00:05:53,240 A few people may be struggling with depression. 87 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:57,200 A few people may have 1001 thoughts running through their 88 00:05:57,200 --> 00:06:01,120 mind at every single moment. I go to work every day and it 89 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:05,320 might be the first few patients I see and you're thinking, why 90 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:07,840 is it that? But then we go back to it and we 91 00:06:07,840 --> 00:06:14,200 realise that God has given us his light and God and Paul is 92 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:19,720 saying we are perplexed but not driven to despair. 93 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:24,880 And that's the grace of God that holds us, that regardless of 94 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:28,160 whatever we go through in life, it might look like we might 95 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:32,520 crush under the weight of it. But he says we're not thrown. 96 00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:34,880 We're not jumping over the ledge, We're not jumping over 97 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:38,480 the edge. We are not driven to despair. 98 00:06:38,840 --> 00:06:41,800 We are haunted down, but never abandoned by God. 99 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:45,040 And then we look at the prayers this morning and he says, you 100 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:47,920 know, a whole lot of things are happening, but we know that the 101 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:51,440 light is inside of us. And the main testimony is that 102 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:56,080 God has got us. We are never abandoned by God. 103 00:06:56,360 --> 00:07:00,920 We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed through 104 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:04,760 sufferings. Our bodies continue to share in 105 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:11,000 the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may be seen in our 106 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:16,560 bodies. And through all of this, our 107 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:21,640 body, which is the temple with sicknesses, with everything it 108 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:25,160 says, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus. 109 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:31,720 But we know that this works life for us because whatever thing it 110 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:35,480 is on it that we're going through, yes, we have the body 111 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:39,640 and we have the spirit, but our body receives the bulk of it 112 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:43,320 all. And I'll go into the next one. 113 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:48,960 So that there is all the colours and all of that just shows what 114 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:52,640 our life may be, what my life may be, what your life may be. 115 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:55,040 And it's like we're going through the motions of it all 116 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:57,840 and we're saying, when is this going to end? 117 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:00,040 How am I going to live through this? 118 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:03,680 And as much as we try sometimes with everything that is going 119 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:06,720 on, we try to have a very beautiful life. 120 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:09,440 Sometimes, you know, we try out there. 121 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:11,720 I don't know, maybe. Well, I didn't, we didn't, we 122 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:16,240 didn't camp in in, in devoted. But I can imagine if it's a 123 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:20,360 windy day and you're trying to set up A and, and that's what 124 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:25,400 you've got at the end of the day anyway. 125 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:30,720 That looks like rubbish. But have you ever felt sometimes 126 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:36,559 that you're trying to grapple a whole lot of things at the same 127 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:38,240 time and it's not coming together? 128 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:43,000 Have you ever tried and felt like, well, maybe if I have 129 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:46,800 tentacles like the octopus, I could hold on to that and hold 130 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:50,040 on to that and hold on to that one and hold on to that one. 131 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:51,440 Yeah. And then maybe you're trying to 132 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:54,280 figure out your own life. And then someone from somewhere, 133 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:57,720 from a family, a friend is asking you and saying, can you 134 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:00,160 help me with this? Can you help me with that? 135 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:05,120 And it's saying sometimes even as much as we try, it may still 136 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:09,720 end up like that. But it's fine because what we 137 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:13,880 know is that we are never abandoned by God. 138 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:21,000 So in verse 16, Paul said that is why we never give up. 139 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:25,600 And that is why even though our bodies are failing. 140 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:29,680 And that is why even though we don't have that motivation to 141 00:09:29,680 --> 00:09:34,120 come to fellowship, to come to church on a Sunday, because we 142 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:37,760 know that God has got us. Because we know that even though 143 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:41,080 our lives are looking like rubbish and that's all we end up 144 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:45,400 with is that we know that God has got us. 145 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:51,920 Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every 146 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:55,560 single day. So even though we are struggling 147 00:09:55,560 --> 00:10:00,000 and it looks like it's not nice, and it looks like sometimes you 148 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:02,840 just want to wake up and break down and cry and do all of that, 149 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:05,960 and you're thinking, no one is going to understand me even if I 150 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:08,480 say it. And it's OK to look like that. 151 00:10:09,680 --> 00:10:12,920 But it says that even though we are dying on the inside, our 152 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:17,400 spirits are being renewed because God has got us. 153 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:24,640 And it will be nice sometimes to have something good, something 154 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:27,240 perfect. You know, you pitch up to camp 155 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:28,560 and so on, has set up your tents. 156 00:10:28,560 --> 00:10:30,080 That way it will be nice. Really. 157 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:33,160 You're thinking, yeah, what a beautiful life I've got. 158 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:36,680 But then the dangers of that is that if the person is not around 159 00:10:36,680 --> 00:10:38,480 to set it up the next time, what do you do? 160 00:10:39,680 --> 00:10:41,520 And you're thinking, yeah, how am I going to do that? 161 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:46,120 And it's natural. And it's OK for us to long for 162 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:50,320 something good. It's OK for us to say, God, I 163 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:54,680 just need a break. Just just just give me a break. 164 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:57,720 And it's normal. It's not, it's not, you know, 165 00:10:58,040 --> 00:11:01,080 for, for, for whatever thing it is, you know, it's OK. 166 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:04,600 And God is not going to say he's come again. 167 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:06,720 He's going to say come on in. Yeah. 168 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:09,640 And he says, and that's why he said, he says, come to me. 169 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:17,600 All who are laboured, all who are stressed, all who are 170 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:23,760 feeling low and despair. And he says, come to me and I 171 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:26,600 will give you rest. Ignore it. 172 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:29,280 Everything you've got, everything you're carrying. 173 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:33,080 And he says, take on me, my yoke. 174 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:37,680 And he says take on me, my own burden because it is lighter. 175 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:40,720 And sometimes we want this, you see. 176 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:50,640 So in verse in chapter 5, one to five, he says, for we know that 177 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:55,040 when this entry tent we're leaving is taking down, that is 178 00:11:55,360 --> 00:12:01,560 when we die and leave this earthly birdie, we will have a 179 00:12:01,560 --> 00:12:07,720 house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God, not by human 180 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:11,040 hands, because what we know is that whatever it is we're going 181 00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:13,320 through right now, they are temporary. 182 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:20,040 I can see, you know, it's it's amazing really when I feel like 183 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:23,920 sometimes this morning, for example, me and from maybe woke 184 00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:27,360 up tired and we felt like, oh God, not today again. 185 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:29,640 And I said, yeah, I'm doing set up today. 186 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:31,760 I said, yeah, I know I'm doing kids today. 187 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:34,960 And I thought, well, if only sometimes you could have a lie 188 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:38,160 in or maybe say, yeah, yeah, I don't want to come. 189 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:41,960 But it's amazing sometimes, regardless of how tired you are. 190 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:48,200 And Clem is walking through that door in his little steps, as 191 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:54,880 small and as fast as he thinks he's going, But it's that little 192 00:12:54,880 --> 00:12:59,320 steps. And Anne is there being pushed 193 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:01,520 here. And he says our bodies are 194 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:06,240 dying, but we know. But we know that we've got life, 195 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:11,000 but we know that God's got us. And I'm just going to skip to 196 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:13,600 the next one there. And he says, what if we get a 197 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:19,000 new body every seven years, maybe every two years or maybe 198 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:21,920 every one year? If we get a new body, it will be 199 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:24,840 nice, really, because sometimes we want to jump up. 200 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:27,080 I'm sure if we give Clem a new body, he's going to be happy. 201 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:29,960 He's probably going to be standing here and then singing. 202 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:34,160 But then what does Clem do every day or maybe every Sunday is 203 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:36,680 that he reads out the words to us, encourages us. 204 00:13:36,680 --> 00:13:39,800 And we hear a prayer from Anne and it encourages us and we hear 205 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:42,520 a prayer from everybody and it encourages the house. 206 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:45,120 We won't get a new body, will we? 207 00:13:45,560 --> 00:13:49,640 No, but we can have our spirits renewed every single day. 208 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:54,240 We can have God built up in us that even though our bodies are 209 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:59,640 dying, our spirits are growing and it's quite massive what the 210 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:06,120 Spirit of God in US can do so in six to 10, he says. 211 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:13,120 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as 212 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:17,680 we live in these bodies, we are not at home with the Lord. 213 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:21,640 For we leave by believing, not by seeing. 214 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:27,600 Yes, we are fully confident and we would rather be away from 215 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:30,440 these earthly bodies. I mean, sometimes you will feel 216 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:32,520 like my body, you know, my body's failing me. 217 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:37,600 I just want to go away. So it says. 218 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:43,640 So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our 219 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:48,000 goal is to please him. And that's the ultimate. 220 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:51,680 So whether or not our bodies are failing, whether or not the 221 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:56,080 troubles and the challenges and the illnesses and the mental 222 00:14:56,080 --> 00:14:59,880 health problems are weighing us down and, and, and, and we seem 223 00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:03,680 to be struggling. And he says that whether or not 224 00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:07,920 our goal is to please him. And it can seem like that 225 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:11,680 sometimes when you're trying to please God and it is normal. 226 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:14,200 It's like you're, you're, you're putting the whole of your 227 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:16,840 strength in it. You're trying and trying and, 228 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:19,440 and doing everything. And it looks like it's not 229 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:21,160 working. And so we're now we're 230 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:24,840 backtracking again into, so we're going back into four and 231 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:28,400 we're reading from verse 13 and we read to verse 17 again. 232 00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:37,280 And it says, even though in all of this, it says, but we and 233 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:41,720 Paul is saying, we will look at Paul's experiencing a bit and 234 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:45,800 we'll see how much thing he's gone through because Paul had a 235 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:48,520 lot of trials, had a lot of tribulation, and that's why he 236 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:51,320 could write this. But we have our own individual 237 00:15:51,320 --> 00:15:53,040 experiences. What what? 238 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:56,560 You know what he says, But we continue to preach because we 239 00:15:56,560 --> 00:16:02,800 have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said I 240 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:05,400 believe in God. I spoke, so I spoke. 241 00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:09,080 We know that God will raise Jesus, will also raise us with 242 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:12,520 him and present to us together with you. 243 00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:18,960 All of this is for your benefit as God's, as God's grace, which 244 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:23,080 is more and more people, there will be great Thanksgiving and 245 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:25,600 God will receive more and more glory. 246 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:30,000 So God is Paul is saying, you know, whatever things we're 247 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:33,160 going through, the trials and the tribulations that Paul had 248 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:34,520 to go through were quite immense. 249 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:37,640 But what was he doing is that he was taking the Scripture to 250 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:39,440 Corinth. He was taking the Scripture to 251 00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:41,240 Rome. He was taking, he was taking the 252 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:44,960 word of God to Galatia, to all of these little towns and little 253 00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:46,680 countries. And he's saying, yeah, it is 254 00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:48,800 hiring. It is overwhelming for 255 00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:50,960 everything I am doing. It is for your glory. 256 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:54,800 And he's saying for as more and more people hear the word of 257 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:58,960 God, they believe. And it can be the same way in 258 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:03,280 our Christian journey, that as much as we want to preach the 259 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:06,599 gospel, as much as we want to tell the next person in Asda, in 260 00:17:06,599 --> 00:17:10,000 ALDI, in Tesco about Jesus, sometimes we're not in the right 261 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:13,079 frame of mind to do it. And sometimes maybe we're 262 00:17:13,079 --> 00:17:14,720 scared. Sometimes we're tired from our 263 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:17,079 own troubles. But then we still continue 264 00:17:17,079 --> 00:17:21,480 because what we aim to do is that more and more people will 265 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:29,040 know about Jesus. For our present troubles are 266 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:35,800 small and won't last very long. And that's the consolation that 267 00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:37,480 we have. I'll take that again. 268 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:43,960 For our present troubles are small and won't last very long, 269 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:52,440 yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and 270 00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:56,240 will last forever. So it's like you put them on the 271 00:17:56,240 --> 00:17:59,800 pulley system and you've got a lever there, and then your 272 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:03,160 troubles are that way. But you know that what is 273 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:08,120 producing for you is a lot more way to thin than whatever it is 274 00:18:08,120 --> 00:18:16,120 that we're going through. And sometimes it feels like 275 00:18:16,120 --> 00:18:20,720 we're fighting the darkness around us and the whole depths 276 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:28,160 around us. But Paul had an experience in 277 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:32,880 Acts, so we're just going to go through to Acts 23, and I'll 278 00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:37,240 read that. I hope I've not missed what I 279 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:38,320 was going to read. Yeah. 280 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:42,320 So I'll paraphrase this boy, if we've got time to read this, 281 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:47,080 this just tells us about what our experiences are like and 282 00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:52,360 what God's promises through our experiences, what it assures of 283 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:59,920 us us of, and how God has made plans for us in our experiences. 284 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:07,120 So in Acts 23, and I won't read verse 11, but I'll start from 285 00:19:07,120 --> 00:19:13,000 verse 12, the next morning, a group of Jews got together and 286 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:18,000 bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they 287 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:23,120 had killed Paul. And it may look like maybe 288 00:19:23,120 --> 00:19:28,000 that's our life really, and that sometimes maybe, maybe, maybe 289 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:31,560 maybe, you know, as we're trying to keep strong, but then we have 290 00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:34,320 all of these challenges around us and it's thinking this is 291 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:37,080 going to kill me. But these guys have said to 292 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:40,080 themselves that no, no, no, we're not going to eat, We're 293 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:42,760 not going to drink. Our main aim, our main purpose 294 00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:45,120 in life is that we're going to kill Paul. 295 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:48,720 And that's their aim. They didn't have any other aim. 296 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:54,320 But if we look back at 11, which is just the night before, he 297 00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:58,200 says that night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, be 298 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:01,840 encouraged, Paul, just as you have been a witness to me here 299 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:06,840 in Jerusalem, you must preach the good news in Rome as well. 300 00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:11,680 If I had that testimony and there are some people down the 301 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:15,080 street clamouring and saying they're going to kill me, what 302 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:17,960 do you think Paul's mind will be like? 303 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:25,080 It's never going to happen. Because God said, because God 304 00:20:25,080 --> 00:20:27,400 said so it's not going to happen. 305 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:31,560 So even though they have a group of people, we don't know if 306 00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:36,080 there were 100 of 1000 or 500, even though they have said we're 307 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:38,200 not going to eat, we're not going to drink, we're not going 308 00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:40,920 to put on new clothes until we have killed Paul. 309 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:46,360 Yeah, they can clamour all they like, but God has said to Paul, 310 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:51,040 I've got a mission for you, I've got a task for you, I've got a 311 00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:54,720 duty for you. And that duty and that task 312 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:56,640 means that you're not going to die. 313 00:20:57,520 --> 00:21:01,520 You're going to go to Rome and you preach the good news and it 314 00:21:01,520 --> 00:21:05,360 doesn't matter what plans they make. 315 00:21:05,360 --> 00:21:07,920 And Paul is not thinking, God, how are you going to save me 316 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:11,320 from these people? Because if we read back, what he 317 00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:15,080 said is that, you know, God reviewed that to someone else 318 00:21:15,080 --> 00:21:19,080 and and and and he went ahead and told someone and who said, 319 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:22,040 yeah, we're going to save Paul. And that's what happens. 320 00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:26,840 And what that means for us is when God says, I know the 321 00:21:26,840 --> 00:21:31,000 thoughts I have towards you, you know, and when we look at all 322 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:34,160 his scriptures and his promises over our lives, and it looks 323 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:37,400 like whatever circumstances we're going through is going to 324 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:40,400 weigh us down and push us down and break us. 325 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:45,720 We look back at the scriptures and what God has said about you, 326 00:21:46,280 --> 00:21:49,160 about me, and we make it personal. 327 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:52,320 And that's where our courage starts from. 328 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:59,800 And so we go through all of these experiences in life, all 329 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:05,080 our trials, all our troubles, all our tribulations, and we 330 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:09,080 hold God side by side and say, walk with me. 331 00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:15,080 But this is what happens as we do so is that God puts His word 332 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:18,200 in US. And sometimes that word is for 333 00:22:18,200 --> 00:22:21,000 us. Sometimes God puts his word in 334 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:24,960 US to encourage us so that we can encourage someone else with 335 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:26,960 that word that He has given to us. 336 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:32,080 And so even though our flesh is breaking, even though we are 337 00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:36,520 weak, every morning God has to put his light in US. 338 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:40,600 And he says day by day, your promises to me, to you, to us is 339 00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:43,320 new. And God puts his light into us, 340 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:48,800 and that just freams out. And he says that yes, our body 341 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:53,560 may be failing, but our spirits are renewed every morning and 342 00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:55,640 like this, this is all I've got here. 343 00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:59,280 But this is an empty, well, I think it's a jar. 344 00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:02,720 And this is an empty jar made of clay. 345 00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:05,880 And it's been battered every single time you wash it. 346 00:23:06,120 --> 00:23:08,280 It's been battered every single time you put it in the 347 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:10,640 dishwasher. And maybe your toddler comes and 348 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:13,200 drop it on the floor and it's and it's got a chink there or 349 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:15,840 it's got a bit of a crack there. But what happens every day? 350 00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:19,880 So even though this gets old the more with fellowships with God, 351 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:24,400 this is what happens is that you've got a treasure that got 352 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:30,400 pours on the inside of this and that treasure is valid, but that 353 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:33,440 treasure does not need to stay in the cup. 354 00:23:35,120 --> 00:23:39,480 That treasure needs to go either in your belly, in my belly 355 00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:45,040 maybe, or into something else. And you can use that in the pot 356 00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:48,280 to cook or use it for something else. 357 00:23:49,360 --> 00:23:53,800 And that treasure goes into something else and even when it 358 00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:58,240 gets empty from the challenges of life and from the struggles 359 00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:01,280 of life. And he says that we can go back 360 00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:06,360 to God and get filled up again. Because what have we got there 361 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:11,640 is that we have got this treasure of God in ettin 362 00:24:12,040 --> 00:24:18,120 vessels, in you, in me. And that treasure is meant to 363 00:24:18,120 --> 00:24:21,720 flow out. And so when we come to church 364 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:27,120 this way and we're thinking, oh, God, not again today. 365 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:31,640 God from your personal experience has dropped the word 366 00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:36,240 in your heart, in my heart to encourage someone else. 367 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:42,480 And don't underestimate it, even if it's a prayer that says, God, 368 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:45,360 I thank you today because I've woken up. 369 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:50,560 What it does is that you have taken that treasure that God has 370 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:54,480 put on the inside of you through your personal experiences and 371 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:58,760 struggle, and you've poured it into someone else who may just 372 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:00,720 be sat next to you and doesn't know what they're going to do 373 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:03,840 next. And so it's encouraging 374 00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:08,840 ourselves that as we come to fellowship, it's that we pour 375 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:12,280 out that treasure that God has put on the inside of us. 376 00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:15,360 And it's pour it out because we've got we've, we've, we've 377 00:25:15,360 --> 00:25:19,600 got a whole lot that God has done for you and that God has 378 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:27,260 done for me. I'm just going to go back to 379 00:25:27,260 --> 00:25:34,420 Corinthians. We now have this light shining 380 00:25:34,420 --> 00:25:39,340 in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clays 381 00:25:39,820 --> 00:25:46,340 containing this great treasure. And So what we want to see every 382 00:25:46,580 --> 00:25:51,960 often is that because we know that God has given you a 383 00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:57,040 treasure, we're looking for ways that we as a church, as 384 00:25:57,040 --> 00:26:00,160 individuals, can release that treasure into someone else. 385 00:26:00,520 --> 00:26:03,480 And so when Skip stands out here and say Home group is going to 386 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:07,160 be at this place or that place, you've got something inside of 387 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:10,600 you that you need to share. You need to come to Home group. 388 00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:15,280 You need to let us see it. If you've got a song, if you've 389 00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:19,360 got a sermon through your struggles on your day-to-day 390 00:26:19,360 --> 00:26:23,600 basis and God has given you a word that encourages you, what 391 00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:27,560 it means is that he's put another treasure on your inside. 392 00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:31,480 Why not let us see it? Why not pour it out? 393 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:37,560 If you've got a prayer during the during worship, it's a 394 00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:39,320 treasure that God has given to you. 395 00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:43,520 Let's see it. Let's see it because we want to 396 00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:46,720 see it because you know what? The church exists primarily for 397 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:50,240 two closely correlated purpose. One, we want to come together 398 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:54,600 and worship God and work in his Kingdom and you know, and put 399 00:26:54,680 --> 00:26:57,240 and put treasures in his Kingdom like skippers been saying in the 400 00:26:57,240 --> 00:26:59,800 last three weeks and saying, you know, we need to give all. 401 00:26:59,920 --> 00:27:02,560 That's what we need to do. But the church also exists for 402 00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:06,920 one of the purpose, which is to serve the other two, to 403 00:27:06,920 --> 00:27:11,920 encourage one another, to build one another up in faith, to pray 404 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:16,520 with and for one another, to learn from one another and to 405 00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:21,040 set one another examples to follow, challenges to take up, 406 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:25,080 an urgent task to perform. And that's what the church is 407 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:28,640 for. And that's why God has given to 408 00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:33,480 you that treasure. And so we want to come together 409 00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:39,000 as a family and family shares. And family has got one or two 410 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:44,680 things they bring to the table. And so in the family setting, 411 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:47,200 someone is cleaning and the person is taking up the dishes. 412 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:50,760 And it's because we have our own capacity and capabilities in 413 00:27:50,760 --> 00:27:53,160 different ways. And it's the same way God has 414 00:27:53,160 --> 00:27:58,480 put that in US and he wants us to use it and to use it for his 415 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:01,600 Kingdom. And that's what we call 416 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:06,240 fellowship. And that's just what we call 417 00:28:06,240 --> 00:28:09,800 fellowship. Because if, if we do want a 418 00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:11,680 fellowship, then we have to share. 419 00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:18,840 And God has given something, there is something in you that 420 00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:22,400 you can share. And it's that treasure. 421 00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:28,160 And it's that treasure, really. And my prayer for us all is that 422 00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:35,600 we've got a beautiful church, but we want everybody to jump 423 00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:39,280 in. And so if you're not there yet, 424 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:43,600 if you're not jumping in, like Olympia said, like I said, you 425 00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:45,200 know, it started off really, really quite nice. 426 00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:48,880 But Olympia said, if you're not giving your role, if you're not 427 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:53,320 jumping in, it's time to jump in because you've got a whole lot 428 00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:55,840 you can share. Amen. 429 00:28:57,560 --> 00:28:58,880 There you go. We thank you. 430 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:04,440 You are an amazing father. You are a good, good father. 431 00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:08,800 And we know that that that, that that life has got its ups and 432 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:11,840 downs. It's got in different phases and 433 00:29:11,840 --> 00:29:16,680 we're all in different phases. We, we, we, we recognise this. 434 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:22,640 But above all, we know that you have got us and through as we 435 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:25,720 walk through life, we know that you have given to us things, 436 00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:30,600 treasures, blessings, words that we need to share. 437 00:29:30,920 --> 00:29:34,280 And God, we pray that as a church that we grow more in you 438 00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:38,040 and that fellowship with you grows more and more. 439 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:40,240 And then we're an open children, receptive. 440 00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:43,920 We just want to see you in our hearts, in our lives, even as we 441 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:47,360 fellowship together as one. God, I just pray for anyone who 442 00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:51,560 is struggling, who is going through a time of phase or the 443 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:54,640 other God, we just pray for strength for them or God in the 444 00:29:54,640 --> 00:29:57,160 name of Jesus, we pray. Oh God our Lord, you will give 445 00:29:57,160 --> 00:30:01,680 us strength as we walk with you through life. 446 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:03,480 Thank God. We just want to pray that even 447 00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:05,800 as we walk with you that you give us the strength and the 448 00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:09,720 courage to do business with you and to also grow in you, that 449 00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:14,200 the light that you have given to us will shine brighter and 450 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:17,320 brighter into everybody. Amen.