What Will This Treasure Do With Me?

SLIDE: Scripture 2 Corinthians 4:7

2 Corinthians 4:7 (NLT)

7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

SLIDE: Welcome

SLIDE: Title

Introduction

Hello Church! We are going to get an injection of truth today! Have you ever noticed that when some says, “I’m going to speak some truth to you,” it’s usually interpreted as something bad is coming? That’s not the case today! I certainly AM going to speak truth today, but don’t brace yourselves nor get defensive.

The truth of God is always for our healing and well-being. The truth sets us free; according to John 8:32. We need the truth of God because we live with so many half-truths or flat-out lies in our heads. The truth of God clears our windshield (so to speak) in order for us to see clearly and have the right expectations in life.

And here’s the truth I want to speak to you: you have the life of Jesus dwelling inside of you.

I’m speaking the truth to you. Does that truth sound bad or confrontational? It’s actually mind-blowing good news. You have the presence of the living Christ within you if you are a follower of Jesus. And furthermore, this life of Jesus does not leave you nor abandon you, even when you sin or make terrible mistakes in your human weakness.

You have the life of Jesus dwelling inside of you, and so do I. This is a beautiful truth to understand and to put into practice.

Today we’re looking at a passage in 2 Corinthians where Paul compares himself to a fragile, easily-broken jar of clay, and compares the presence of Jesus within Him to a beautiful treasure. Let’s go to the scripture.

ILLUSTRATION: Interweave Gene Stratton-Porter story.

Read 2 Corinthians 4:5-12

2 Corinthians 4:5–12 (NLT)

5 You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. 8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. 11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. 12 So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.

Main Teaching

I want to make three observations from this beautiful passage of scripture.

I want you to notice that there is no specific command to obey in these verses. These verses are descriptive, not prescriptive. Paul is describing what God is doing, and then describing how that’s playing out in the lives of disciples like himself.

SLIDE: Not a curse

1. God does not curse the darkness

The first observation I’d like to make pertains to the nature and character of God. Paul says, “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 displayed in the face of Christ” (1 COR 4:6).

---> ADVANCE

A. God shines his light into the darkness of our hearts

Rather than curse and condemn the darkness, God shines his light into the darkness. And not just the darkness of the world, God also shines his light…where? “In our hearts”! He shines his light into our own darkness.

“It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.”This saying has been attributed to various sources throughout history. Some say it came from Confucius, others say Eleanor Roosevelt. The origin is unclear. But one thing is clear, and that is, the saying is consistent with Scripture, especially these verses we’re reading today.

Instead of cursing the darkness in your heart, God shines his light into it.

Instead of cursing the darkness of the world, God sent his Son into the world to save it rather than condemn it (John 3:17).

ILLUSTRATION: Think about the lighthouse keeper who, during a terrible storm, worked hard throughout the night to make sure the light stayed on to guide ships safely to shore. Despite the darkness and danger, the keeper’s focus was on shining the light, not cursing the storm.

Remember! God does not curse the darkness. He shines the light of Christ into it.

---> ADVANCE

B. Jesus is Lord, Paul is a servant

“For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 COR 4:5).

Paul says that he preaches Jesus Christ as being “Lord,” and himself as a servant. The word, Lord, meant “absolute authority.”

To call Jesus “Lord” has serious consequences. In Paul’s day, only Caesar was called Lord. Caesar was the absolute authority in the Roman world, no one else. To call Jesus “Lord” meant you were proclaiming Jesus to have more authority than Caesar. This was treason.

Jesus is Lord, says Paul. What does Paul say about himself? He calls himself, “a servant for Jesus’ sake.”

Jesus is Lord, and Paul is a servant for Jesus’ sake. This is the right perspective. Friends, can you say that with integrity about your life and position? Is Jesus the Lord of your life, the one with absolute authority? And do you see yourself as a servant for Jesus’ sake? If so, you’re heading in the right direction! We need to cheer one another forward in this!

SLIDE: Jars of Clay

2. Treasure in jars of clay

Paul continues, “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” (2 COR 4:7-9).

---> ADVANCE

A. What will this treasure do with me?

When people win the lottery or inherit a large sum of money, what are usually the first two questions they are asked? Think about this for a second. If a friend of yours won $5 Million in the lottery, what are the first two questions you’d ask them?

You’d probably ask:

What are you going to do with all that money? And then….

Can I have some of it!??

Isn’t that right? Wouldn’t you want to know what they’re going to do with $5 Million? And wouldn’t you want to know if they’re going to share any with YOU?

Here’s the thing. Paul describes the presence of Christ in his life as a “treasure in a jar of clay.” Treasure is something valuable and priceless. This is how he thought of the presence of Christ.

In the kingdom of God, the question isn’t, “What will I do with this treasure?” But instead the question is reversed, “What will this treasure do with me?”

If you are a Christ follower, you have the presence of Christ in your life right now. You have the same treasure in a jar of clay. The jar of clay is symbolic of the fragility and meekness of human life. Our lives are basic and broken, but inside of us is a treasure beyond understanding: the presence of God.

The question isn’t, what will you do with Jesus? The question is, what is Jesus doing with you?

---> ADVANCE

B. Jesus is sustaining you

The image of a jar of clay is powerful. It represents something fragile and easily broken. Yet within this fragile vessel, there is a treasure of immense value. This treasure is the life of Jesus within us.

ILLUSTRATION: Have you ever heard of the Japanese art of Kintsugi, where broken pottery is repaired with gold, making the piece more beautiful and valuable than when it was whole? Like Kintsugi, God’s power and beauty are revealed through our brokenness and weaknesses, making us vessels of His grace and glory! (PASTOR: you can easily do an image search on Google for Kintsugi to see examples).

What was Jesus doing with Paul? Paul writes, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 COR 4:8-9).

SLIDE: Power of Jesus’ Resurrection

3. God demonstrates the power of Jesus’ resurrection through YOU and ME

Paul continues, “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 also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you” (2 COR 4:10-12).

The final observation I’d like to make is that God loves to demonstrate the power of Jesus’ resurrection through you and me!

The phrase “we always carry around in our body the death of Jesus,” means that as Christ-followers, we are to live in a way that reflects the sacrifice and suffering of Jesus. Jesus was willing to do the hard thing, the dangerous thing. And, since Jesus lives within us, He will lead us to endure hardships, sometimes persecution and criticism, and other trials in our walk with him.

The rest of that verse, which reads ”so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body," shows that when we endure hardship and suffering in a Christlike way — in ways that demonstrate love, courage, and faith — our endurance actually demonstrates the power of Jesus’ resurrection. The life of Jesus inside of us, which gives us hope and eternal life, actually becomes visible to others through the way we respond to and endure our hardships and trials. Isn’t that amazing!

God loves to demonstrate the power of Jesus’ resurrection through normal, average people like you and me! Jesus as Jesus died and was resurrected, we are called to die to our old sinful ways and destructive habits, and experience a true resurrection that brings us into new life. Our new life is characterized by self-giving love, humility, and courage.

Let me ask you: how do you endure hardship and suffering? This isn’t meant to make you feel guilty or bring you shame. But, when you endure suffering and hardship, is your life response marked by love, humility, and courage? If so, that is a witness to the world!

If your response to suffering and hardship is marked by selfishness, pride, a me-first attitude, or disregard for others, then that means Jesus has something better in store for you which you have not yet encountered.

Conclusion

We’ve encountered a lot of truth today!

SLIDE: Truth for Today...

The life of Jesus is dwelling inside of you

God does not curse the darkness, He shines his light

This treasure in your jar of clay is sustaining you

Enduring hardships and suffering with love, humility, and courage demonstrates the power of Jesus’ resurrection!

Which of these did you need to hear most? Which of these do you need to lean into today, embrace, and make your own today?

Let’s pray together.

Prayer: “Father, thank you that you shine the light of Christ into the darkness of our hearts. You give us hope beyond the hardships and trials of this life. Your presence is always with us. Help us to have the right expectations, that life isn’t always easy peaches and cream, but difficult and full of struggles. Thank you for being with us in our hardships, and that even our struggles are redeemed for good. Teach us today about your goodness and love. Amen.”