2 Corinthians Ch4v7-16a - Cracked Pots

2 Corinthians chapter 4 from verse 17 to 16a.

2 Corinthians 4 · chapter mention

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But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

We are hard-pressed on every side but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed.

We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body.

So then, death is at work in us but life is at work in you.

It is written, I believed, therefore I have spoken.

Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak.

But because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself.

All this is for your benefit so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Therefore, we do not lose heart.

Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

Thank you.

Thanks, A.V.E.N.

Very much.

Just get myself adjusted here.

In your new sheet, you will also see there's a notice there about Munster Bible College.

So just a heads up for that.

You want to know and to learn more about how to read the Bible, how we should understand it.

It's a very practical, very helpful course.

So that's next weekend.

If you want to know more details, come and speak to me afterwards.

We'd be delighted to chat to you.

Well, our text this morning that we've just had read to us is a very heartfelt passage.

It's one where Paul is pouring out his soul, his heart to encourage the church.

So we're going to pray and ask that that's what the Lord would do for each one of us today,

that he would encourage us in our walk and in our life with him.

So let's pray.

Our Father God, we thank you that you know each one of us and you know us as a church.

You know our struggles.

You know our fears.

And you are able to build up and encourage us.

And so we ask that by the power of your spirit, you would take these words today

and encourage our hearts

for our good and for your glory.

Amen.

Well, it's just too hard.

I can't keep going.

I try my best,

but it seems I haven't got what it takes.

Do you ever feel like that?

Well, I do.

You know what it's like.

You share the good news about Jesus with your friend or your neighbor,

but they're just not interested.

Or you pray for years for your son or your daughter to come to faith in Christ,

but after all these years,

there still seems to be no sign of any turning whatsoever.

You need to read and pray with a fellow believer.

But it just seems they have no desire to change.

Embracing the gospel sharing life is really hard.

It's tough.

It's tough.

We ask ourselves the question,

why are there not more people coming to faith in Christ?

And if they do,

then why does it seem to take so long?

It's easy, isn't it,

to become discouraged and disheartened.

But God's word reminds us today that we do not need to lose heart.

Do you see it there in chapter 4, verse 1?

Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry,

the ministry of sharing the good news about Jesus,

we do not lose heart.

And then at verse 16,

as he gets to the end,

therefore,

we do not lose heart.

So how do we not lose heart?

That's the question we want to consider this morning.

How do we keep faithfully serving?

How do we keep on going

in our involvement in various ministries

and walking the Christian life

when everything says it's not working?

Well, there's three means of encouragement today.

Here's the first one.

God's power is displayed in our weakness.

God's power is displayed in our weakness.

Look at verse 7.

But we have this treasure

in jars of clay.

What's the treasure?

Well, the treasure

is the light-shining,

life-transforming

gospel of Christ.

It's there for us in verse 6.

For God,

who said,

let light shine out of darkness,

made his light

shine in our hearts

to give us the light

of the knowledge

of God's glory,

which is displayed

in the face of Christ.

Do you remember back in Genesis chapter 1?

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

At the very beginning,

as God created the world,

he spoke light

into the darkness.

Well, that very same power

that brought light

into the darkness,

that same God,

that same power

by the gospel

speaks into the darkness

of our life

to bring light

so that we can see

and understand

and know Jesus

for ourselves.

So, verse 7,

we have this treasure,

this life-transforming

gospel of Christ

in strong servants.

Is that what it says

in your Bible?

No, it doesn't.

We have this treasure

in jars of clay.

He's writing to us

to tell us

that we are to know

our weaknesses.

You see,

we're like a clay jar.

It's the equivalent

of our disposable

cardboard cups.

They don't last.

They fall apart.

Drop or bang

a clay jar

and it shatters

into a thousand pieces.

And we are

like jars of clay.

We're fragile.

We easily crack

and we break.

But God has chosen

to put the treasure,

the life-transforming

gospel of Christ

into weak vessels

like us.

Now that seems

absolutely crazy.

It's like transporting

water in a rusty bucket.

or like being asked

to carry

a Ming Chinese vase

in a wet brown paper bag.

Well, you know

what's going to happen.

It's going to end

in a mess.

Now, it's this weakness

that we all feel

that makes us want

to give up.

Why would God

entrust to people

like us

the glorious treasure?

into cracked,

broken people

to carry

his gospel.

Surely there are

other people,

better people

than me.

Well, he gives us

the reason.

The reason for

our weakness

is so that

God's power

would be displayed.

Look again

at verse 7.

we have this treasure

in jars of clay

to show that

this all-surpassing

power,

the power

of the gospel

that can transform

lives,

is from God

and not from us.

God delights

in taking

weak people

like us

and through us

to display

to the world

his glorious power.

In other words,

as we embrace

our weaknesses,

God's all-surpassing

power

is displayed

through us.

So what's that

going to look like

for us

on Monday morning?

Well,

verse 8

and verse 9

show us

what

God's power

is like

as it's displayed

through our

weak,

broken

lives.

look at

verse 8.

We are

hard-pressed

on every

side.

The pressures

and the

demands

of life,

of work,

and of family,

and neighbours,

and everything

else can squeeze

us so much

that we can

hardly breathe.

But by

God's

all-surpassing

power,

verse 8,

we are

not

crushed.

we are

perplexed,

verse 8,

we're

overcome

and we're

overwhelmed

with cares

and concerns

that we can

do nothing

about or

we can't

change.

But by

God's

all-surpassing

power,

we are

not

in despair.

Verse 9,

we can

be

persecuted,

isolated

by

colleagues,

opposed

by

friends,

misunderstood

by

family.

But by

God's

all-surpassing

power,

we are

not

abandoned.

End of

verse 9,

we are

struck down,

we can

go through

seasons of

darkness,

we can

face times

of depression,

destruction.

But by

God's

all-surpassing

power,

we are

not

destroyed.

We are

jars of

clay.

We feel

our

weaknesses.

We don't

have the

power to

change our

life,

never mind

anybody else's

life,

and we

don't have

the strength

to change

our

circumstances,

weaknesses.

But as

we embrace

our

weaknesses,

so God's

power is

put on

display to

a watching

world.

His

greatness

shines

through

our

cracked

and broken

lives.

Imagine

we were

cast back,

living in

the first

century.

It's a

world of

no electricity,

at night,

no switches

to turn on,

but you've

got a

candle,

and you

light the

candle,

but you

don't put

it into a

solid container

because to

do that,

there's nowhere

for the

light to

shine.

Instead,

you put the

light into

a fragile,

cracked,

clay

jar,

because it's

through those

very cracks

that the

light shines

through and

begins to

take effect

as it

goes into

the darkness.

Well,

God fills

fragile jars

like us

with his

power,

not to show

how strong

we are,

but to

shine the

light of

how powerful

and glorious

God is.

Embracing the

gospel life

is hard,

but God's

power is

displayed through

weak jars of

clay like us

so that

we do not

lose heart.

Be encouraged

today.

God's power

is displayed

through our

weakness.

Second,

Christ's

life is

revealed in

our suffering.

His life is

revealed in

our suffering.

Verse 10,

we always

carry around

in our

body the

death of

Jesus so

that the

life of

Jesus may

also be

revealed in

our bodies.

That little

phrase there

in verse 10,

the death of

Jesus,

is a reference

to all

the sufferings

of Jesus.

So as

Jesus walked

this earth,

he endured

much suffering,

but when he

went to the

cross, he

faced the

ultimate

suffering.

And if

we're followers

of Jesus,

we too

are going

to suffer.

Just have

a look back

to chapter

1,

verse 5.

It's

spelt out

to us

very clearly,

chapter 1,

verse 5.

For just

as we

share

abundantly

in the

sufferings

of Christ,

so also

our comfort

abounds

through Christ.

see there

the beginning,

just as we

share

abundantly

in the

sufferings

of Christ.

You see,

it's a

normal

experience

if we're

Christians.

We will

face

troubles

and

hardships.

In fact,

when Jesus

said to

his disciples,

take up

your cross

and follow

me,

it was an

invitation to

say,

come and

suffer with

me.

Come and

die with

me.

So back

in chapter

4,

verse 10,

it's

true.

If we

are

Christians,

we always

carry around

in our

body

the

sufferings

of

Jesus.

Now,

it's this

suffering,

it's this

struggle

in the

Christian

life that

makes us

want to

give up.

when we

suffer,

we want

to lose

heart.

But that's

not the

full

story.

You see,

God is

at work,

not just

in our

weaknesses,

but in

our

sufferings,

he reveals

life.

Christ

is seen

and life

is given.

It's like

being a

blood donor

or an

organ donor.

in some

sense,

the donor

suffers.

But through

it,

life is

given to

another.

Or a

mother who

is giving

birth to

a child.

It's

agony.

It's

painful.

But through

it comes

life.

Isn't

that what

verse 11

is telling

us?

For we

who are

alive are

always being

given over

to death

for Jesus'

sake,

so that

his life

may also

be revealed

in our

mortal body.

So then

death

is at work

in us,

but life

is at work

in you.

Isn't that

what we see

ultimately on

the cross

as Jesus

dies?

Through the

death of

Jesus

comes new

and eternal

life.

death,

his

sufferings

bring

salvation.

And so

as we

share the

gospel,

when we

feel hard

pressed and

perplexed,

and persecuted

and struck

down,

as we

suffer for

Christ and

his gospel,

we too

can say,

verse 12,

death is

at work

in us,

but life

is at work

in you.

You see,

ministry

life,

gospel

embracing

life,

is hard.

We give

of ourselves,

it takes

life

from us.

it's like

we die

a little

in all

that we

do,

in order

that life

may come

to others.

Embracing

the gospel

sharing

life is

hard,

but Christ's

life is

revealed

through

suffering

jars of

clay like

us,

so that

we do

not lose

heart.

Be

encouraged.

Third

then,

Christ's

power,

Christ's

life,

and

resurrection

hope is

proclaimed

in our

deaths.

Resurrection

hope is

proclaimed in

our deaths.

The reality

is,

is that we

will all

one day

die.

Our

fragile

and weak

bodies

will give

up.

no matter

how hard

we fight

against it,

the

sufferings

we

experience

are going

to end

in death.

Look at

verse 13.

It is

written,

I

believed,

therefore

I have

spoken.

Paul is

quoting

the

experience

of the

writer of

Psalm

116.

So,

if you'd

keep your

finger in

2nd

Corinthians,

let's go

back to

Psalm

116.

And see

why he's

quoting

the author

of Psalm

116.

116.

It seems

like death

is about

to take

the writer

of Psalm

116,

but he

is rescued

from

death.

Let's

pick it

up in

verse 1.

He says,

I love

the Lord,

for he

heard my

voice.

He heard

my cry

for mercy.

because he

turned his

ear to

me,

I will

call on

him as

long as

I live.

And here's

the experience,

the cords

of death

entangled

me.

The

anguish

of the

grave

came over

me.

I was

overcome

by distress

and sorrow,

and I

called on

the name

of the

Lord.

Lord,

save

me.

Verse

8.

For

you,

Lord,

have

delivered

me from

death,

my eyes

from tears,

my feet

from stumbling,

that I

may walk

before the

Lord in

the land

of the

living.

And here's

the verse

that he

quoted.

I trusted

in the

Lord when

I said,

or because

I believed,

I spoke,

I am

greatly

afflicted.

let's

go back

to

2nd

Corinthians.

You see,

as the

tentacles

of death

began to

take their

hold on

him,

he cries

out in

face,

Lord,

save

me.

In

his

affliction,

he trusted

in God

and he

was saved.

But one

day the

cords of

death are

going

to coil

around us

and we

have

hope

in the

midst

of death.

Look at

verse 13.

It is

written,

I

believed,

therefore I

have spoken.

Since we

have that

same spirit

of faith,

the same

faith that

the author

had in

the Psalms,

we also

believe and

therefore

speak.

Because we

know that

the one who

raised the

Lord Jesus

from the

dead will

also raise

us with

Jesus and

present us

with you

to himself.

you see,

life is

going to

end in

the grave.

But we

have a

saviour,

Jesus Christ,

who has

crushed

death to

death.

He has

gone to

the grave

for us

and has

defeated

death by

his

resurrection.

So with

confidence

and assurance

we can

now

proclaim,

we can

now speak

that though

we may

have been

afflicted,

though hard

times may

come,

verse 14,

we know

that the

one who

raised the

Lord Jesus

from the

dead will

also raise

us with

Jesus.

You see,

through our

death,

we are

proclaiming

life to

a world

that is

spiritually

dead.

Even

through our

death,

we are

proclaiming

that Jesus

has the

victory.

Our

death

proclaims

resurrection

hope.

It

preaches

life to

the world.

Embracing

gospel-sharing

life is

hard.

we face

the reality

of our

weaknesses,

we experience

the daily

effects of

our

suffering,

and one

day he's

saying that

the weaknesses

and the

sufferings

will come

together

and lead

to our

death.

But through

it all,

God is at

work for

our good

and for

his glory.

Look at the

way he

concludes in

verse 15.

Let's

read verse

15.

And all

of this,

all that we

go through,

all that we

face,

all this is

for your

benefit,

for your

good,

so that the

grace that

is reaching

more and

more people

may cause

thanksgiving to

overflow to

the glory of

God.

did you

see that in

the middle

of verse

15?

As we

go through

life with

all its

struggles and

trials,

as we

mosey along

as jars

of clay,

through us

God's

grace is

reaching

more and

more people.

Our

weaknesses,

our

suffering,

and our

death will

lead people

to know and

experience the

light shining,

life transforming

gospel of

grace.

grace.

But more

than that,

it is

glory giving.

As people

receive and

experience God's

grace, look

what it results

in, the end

of verse 15,

people may,

it will cause

people to

overflow in

thanksgiving to

the glory of

God.

Your life

and your

service for

Jesus and

his gospel

is not

insignificant.

It will

cause many,

many people

to give

glory to

God.

The world

will tell

you,

you're a

failure,

you're weak,

you have

nothing to

give,

you have

nothing to

say,

but it

is God's

power,

it is

God's

work.

Therefore,

look at

verse 16,

therefore,

in all our

weaknesses

and in all

our sufferings

and even

in our

deaths,

we do

not lose

heart.

His power

is on

display,

Christ's

life is

revealed,

and

resurrection

hope is

proclaimed.

So, my

brothers and

sisters,

to you

and to

me,

we say,

do not

lose heart.

God

is at

work.

Let's

pray.

Amen.

Lord God,

we thank

you for

the

encouragement

and reminder

through your

word to

us today.

That no

matter how

we are

feeling,

so often

we feel

that we

are pressed

on every

side.

We are

perplexed,

we are

struck down,

but we

can know

because of

God's power

we are not

crushed,

we are not

in despair,

we are not

abandoned,

we are not

destroyed,

we are

bringing the

light shining,

life transforming

gospel of

Christ.

God's

grace is

reaching more

and more,

and to

you be

all the

glory given.

Please

encourage us

to go on

serving in

the strength

that you

give us.

Thank you

for your

help to us

today.

In Jesus'

name,

Amen.

Amen.