2 Corinthians chapter 4 from verse 17 to 16a.
!
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.