A Great Treasure
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Introduction
Introduction
Good morning my friends, we find our self here again in the Lord’s house.
We have had a great week for Vacation Bible school, the weather was nice, the kids had a lot of fun, they learned a lot about Jesus, and they had a chance to see Jesus as we lived in front of these kids and loved them.
I want to say thank you to everyone who helped with Vacation Bible School, our director, those who helped with music, food, games and those who made sure the kids got from station to station safely and on time.
We certainly do appreciate all your hard work.
Truthfully, we could not do Vacation Bible School without you!!!
Now today I am going to a new text, and I want us to look at just all that God has done inside of us and the ministry each of you possess.
Now did you catch what I just said… there is a ministry inside of each of you.....
God has done something wonderful in your life, just as He did in each of the Apostles lives, we know that he is still calling people to come and serve..... Not as Apostles, but as ministers of the word in our world we live today.
So lets begin today...
Take your Bibles and lets go to 2 Corinthians chapter 4.
1 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Now, Paul is ministering to the people who are in Corinth, those believers in the New Testament church. But it has been hard and difficult, the people there have faced many challenges, especially from false teachers who have tried to lure people astray through their teaching and presence in their community.
In fact there is so much persecution, Paul has to defend the ministry God has called him to and His teaching.
So lets begin today… And lets start here...
Paul was thankful for His Ministry.....
1. Paul was thankful for His Ministry.....
1. Paul was thankful for His Ministry.....
Let me begin by saying this...... Paul was indeed happy to be used of God in such a wonderful and powerful way.
And honestly it wasn’t easy.. He had difficult days while serving the Lord in Asia, there was hardship and suffering...
8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.
@ Cor 1:8
In the midst of human frailties, His throne in the flesh and other difficulties along the way, Paul confesses life was hard. He pulls no punches there. He knew God would see him through it all.
And He was thankful....
Listen to what Paul says in verse 1
1 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.
The ministry given to him was from God, and this ministry is was result of God’s great mercy.
Now you might be wondering what Paul means here, what is he saying....
The very life Paul enjoyed and the ministry God has entrusted him with was the result of God’s great mercy.
If we look back to chapter 3, verse 6 - we see Paul’s confession about the ministry God had called him too.
6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Paul knew he didn’t deserve salvation or God’s calling on his life. But God loved him and desired to use Him..
Paul was thankful for this ministry...
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Four: Courage for the Conflict (2 Corinthians 4:1–5:8)
A discouraged Methodist preacher wrote to the great Scottish preacher, Alexander Whyte, to ask his counsel. Should he leave the ministry? “Never think of giving up preaching!” Whyte wrote to him. “The angels around the throne envy you your great work!”
In all that is being said here I can come to this conclusion, Just as God prepared Paul and used him for His purposes, for His glory. The Lord does the same in our lives. he calls us and uses us.
You have a ministry, a calling set before you.
At times, as we serve we feel discouraged , remember God loves you and it is by His great mercy that we are hear, that we are His and that He desires to use us.
Amen.
Be thankful for the work God has called you to do....
And then there is a second thought for you today...
2. The World is being Led Astray...
2. The World is being Led Astray...
If there is anything I feel I must continually remind you off today, it is this truth, we are living in a fallen and sinful world.
We see it and experience it every day, in a variety of forms.
This world has not been the same from the moment that Adam and Eve sinned against God, and honestly it continues to get worse and worse with each passing day. It is like the growth of a disease, every so spreading....
Why you might ask, why doesn’t it improve? Why doesn’t it change? Oh it will, but His day has not yet come…
The truth is simple, the devil is described as the prince and power of this age (, ) and He is not stopping, honestly he is trying to take as many people to hell as he can.... I believe that.
But as for today… The truth is simple, the devil is described as the prince and power of this age (, ) and He is not stopping, honestly he is trying to take as many people to hell as he can.... I believe that.
Lets go back to our text....
1 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
So consider what Paul is saying here....
A. I am not discouraged.... even though Paul has faced hardships and suffering for the sake of Christ, he is not discouraged…
Just as Paul confessed to those believers at Philippi, He could do all things in Christ, in His power, in His help and in His strength, they would have success.
B. Paul says I’m no cheater.... Paul said He refused to change the message to suit others… he would do nothing in a disgraceful or harmful way to the gospel message. He finished faithfully, the same way he lived in his life.
C. The Devil is at Work and People are Perishing… The phrase speaking about the gospel being veiled refers to what Paul spoke of in chapter 3.
The message of the Old Testament was delivered to Moses and Moses had spent so much time in the presence of God that when he came off the mountain, his face shone with the glory of God. His face glowed so brightly, the children of Israel did not want to look upon it, so that asked Moses to cover his face when in their presence.
So as the face of Moses (who brought God’s message to the people) was hidden from the Jews, so the gospel message of Jesus is hidden, or veiled to those who are perishing… So the gospel message of Jesus is veiled or hidden from those who are perishing, those whose eyes have been dimmed, lead astray by the deception of the Devil.
Frankly, the Devil wants as many people in hell as he can get, look at verse 4 again
4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
2 cor
The devil doesn't want people to see the light of the gospel, the wonderful message of God’s grace that can set the whole world free.. It is not that they cant see the truth, he has veiled the truth so that the lost, the children of perdition will not have the truth...
Look out beyond our walls today… the world has been mislead and not they are leading the world away… the message of the world is one of tolerance, acceptance, its not hurting anyone, love is love.....
The world is being led astray by the devil, by his minions, and we cannot afford to give any ground.... we have given to much already… stand firm and stand for Jesus my friends...
Let me ask you a question...
How do you feel?
How do you feel about what you believe and what you have given your approval too?
Don’t let the devil and the things of this world steal away what you know is right..... Hold fast to what is right...
And now lets look at another thought today....
3. God has Placed a Great Treasure in Us
3. God has Placed a Great Treasure in Us
Now consider the life saving, the life changing work that Christ has done in our lives…
It is really indescribable, He has saved us, forgiven up, cleaned us and recorded our name in the lamb’s book of life,
Do you ever stop and wonder about the work Christ has done in us? I do! I think about what He has done///
Do you ever stop and wonder about the work Christ has done in us? I do! I think about what He has done///
listen to what Paul describes in verse 7
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
He has placed something so wonderful in our lives. And it reveals one truth, God lovers us deeply, deeply enough to give yn
What is Paul referring too…?
Back in Paul’s day and like our times many years ago, people stored their wealth in vessels, perhaps to bury or hide their gold and silver, well… in Paul’s day the vessels were often earthen vessels or some type of hand made item…clay pots for example.
The type of vessel, well It wasn’t important, they were protecting it, saving it and keeping it for a future time.
The message is the same for what Paul is sharing in this message to the believers at Corinth.
God has stored in us, our earthly, our dirty vessels something so precious, the glories truth of His son, the forgiveness of sin and the blessing of His love… Salvation for the sinner is stored in us, and it is never lost, it is safe in us. And once saved the Holy Spirit fills us and walks with us as well.
And please know the earthen vessel, it is not special, it has no power, and we have no power, what God has done is all his work, we are blessed to be the recipients of God’s great love.
The recipients of HIs love, His works and the blessing of His Son,
But look at what Paul continues to say in this text....
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you.
Verse 8, shares with us the summary of Paul’s life and work in Christ. While he had served faithfully, had seen great things, Paul had also experienced suffering as well.
He says
Afflicted.. given punishment and suffering for the knowledge of and service to Jesus.
Perplexed but not in despair… He has the possibility of facing more and more suffering in his future but in His present condition, he is not hopeless, he is hard pressed right not but God is the one who is in control.
Forsaken - Not by God but some people have abandoned Paul because of the persecution he was facing..
Struck Down is a hunting term, like the giving in of the chase of a prey, but God took care of them and others… The early church suffered listen to the writers of Hebrews in chapter 11
35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
There was suffering in-store for these who identified with Christ, it was hard and at times led to death, but all suffering was worthwhile because of that wonderful treasure that God has placed in side of each of those in Christ Jesus.
But no my friends, while death might be illustrated in our physical life, Life is illustrated in Christ who loves us and has given us His life that we might live...
Remember Jesus said I have come that you might have life and have it to the fullest....
What are you thankfful for today?
Have you lived in a way that is worthy of the sacrifice of Jesus that was given to you?
Can the treasure you hold in your life, be given and seen to others.......
1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. 3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.
12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
The World is Led Astray
Remian faithful
1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. 3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.
12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
2 cor 3
1 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you.
13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.