Treasures in Jars of Clay

Treasures in Jars of Clay

I saw an article in the paper on Friday – a New York plumber found an old lottery ticket in his basement… he'd won $136million. His life was about to change. Can even you imagine what $136million means? I can't. Neither could he from the sound of it – he planned to do some travelling – in the woods around New York state!  Now I really hope you're not motivated by love of money, but just for a really brief moment let your mind wander – what would you do if you suddenly came into a really, really massive fortune?Now let me ask you – if I could absolutely guarantee the numbers of the next mega lottery jackpot, what would you give to me to get hold of those numbers? What would be too big a price to pay in advance for a massive pay out in the future? If there was a prize so rich it would radically change your life forever what would you give up to win it?

If it were me I'd give up food for a week, I'd walk from Land's End to John O'Groats – and back again, I'd do it three times and sleep in a ditch on the side of the road for $136 milllion! I'd hand over all my worldly possessions – why not, there's nothing I've got that's worth the least bit of $136 million. I'd live rough for a year – what's a year? I'd sacrifice myself on the altar of dignity too – I'd run naked through the streets for a $136 million, what's my dignity worth compared to what I could do with that kind of money. I'd do an awful lot for money like that - wouldn't you? What wouldn't you give up in exchange for a glorious new life of excessive wealth and privilege? What wouldn't you give to gain unimaginable treasures? That's essentially what our passage this morning is about – but we're not talking about the matter of a few trifling dollars, we're talking about eternal glory. Paul models for how to live for the glory to come, even though it costs him everything. The challenge Paul faces in this chapter is the challenge of holding onto his faith under fire... Paul was a man who suffered to the very extremes of what a human body can endure, but never lost heart. And in this chapter he sets out his thinking as a model for us – not that we should necessarily suffer as he has, but that we should be equipped with the mental and emotional tools he had so that we can endure whatever we face.

And what does he model of us? He models three things in this chapter:

He trusts God to work through his gospel

He rejoices in brokenness because it shows God's strength

He looks to the future glory to put our present suffering into eternal perspective.

So we're going to take each of those mindsets and make them our points this morning.

Trust God to work through his gospel

Did you see how this is what Paul is doing in verses 1-6?

Look at verse 1 with me:

Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.  Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

Notice the opening – 'we do not lose heart' – this is about how Paul holds on to the gospel without losing heart. If you were here two weeks ago you'll remember Paul talked about his ministry – the new covenant ministry of the Spirit; a ministry more glorious even than the ministry of Moses. It was more glorious because people actually changed – they changed into the likeness of God no less – because God worked in them by his spirit through the message of the gospel. And Paul doesn't lose heart because he has this ministry: because God is at work through his word by his Spirit to actually save and transform people Paul never wearies of the gospel, Paul never gives up. Instead, since the gospel is the way God changes people into his own likeness Paul labours to get it out there. To get the gospel out, nothing else, nothing less. God is working through the gospel, so Paul doesn't use tricks of the trade, not deception or slight of hand or anything else, just the gospel.

God is working through his gospel, so Paul mustn't water it down, dilute it or distort it, he has to tell the gospel. The power is in the gospel, not in Paul, so he daren't tamper with the gospel. Do you see how liberating this is? It's not up to Paul to save people, he doesn't need to argue them in to the kingdom; it's not on him if people reject it. The response is up to God. It's liberating. But it is on him if he doesn't pass the message on. So he's constrained by the gospel - he has to tell it truthfully, clearly, plainly. And what if some people don't believe? Well lots of people won't, in fact by nature none of us will (verse 3)

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

People won't believe because all of us are blinded by Satan so the truth just doesn't make sense; we're blind, we just can't see it, no matter how bright and wonderful it is. If you've ever tried to share the gospel with someone you'll know how true this is. You're trying to sell something so fantastic – God offers forgiveness and eternal life, and it's free … they should be biting your hand off! But people don't want to hear it: Satan's at work; they're blind, they can't see that it's any good. So should we be discouraged? How can anyone be saved? That's the thing remember, God is at work through the gospel. Through the gospel, by his Spirit, God destroys Satan's work: Satan blinds us, but God makes the light shine in our hearts (verse 5).

For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 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 the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Here is the glory of this ministry again – this is no less than a new act of creation – the creator God says again 'let there be light' and the blind eyes are made new and we can see. See how this helps: false apostles are trying to undo Paul's good work; Jewish enemies are trying to silence him; Roman rulers are twitchy about rebellion; trade unions stir up riots to defend their trade in idols. He has so many powerful enemies. And behind them all is Satan. How can he go on preaching and church planting when so much is stacked against him? He knows God's on his side. When he tells the gospel the God who spoke creation into being speaks life to the dead. Paul doesn't have to overcome his enemies. He doesn't have to argue and fight. He just has to get the message out and watch God's word do God's work.

It's a bit like Cragside: the first thing you notice when you visit is that the whole place is surrounded by lakes. That's because the power is in those lakes - water running out of the dams turns turbines that generate electricity to power the house (if you go check out the terminal room where massive metal panels conduct live current right next to a seat for the operator – not exactly health and safety!). Now that's all no big deal today, but this was the first house ever lit by electric power. Lord Armstrong was the genius we thank for that power. But he had no power of his own to turn on the lights – he certainly wasn't out the back peddling to turn the turbines. His genius was to find a power source and figure out how to tap into it. The power is those dams. Let the water out, get the turbines turning and there it is. Paul is Lord Armstrong – not the source of the power; but he knows the source, and he knows how to conduct it. The power is in the gospel. Telling the gospel releases God's power to save and to recreate us in his likeness. So Paul doesn't lose heart, he just makes sure that he doesn't get in the way, he trusts in God to work through his gospel. And we can do likewise. We may not be powerful and significant. But we have access to all the mighty creation power of God. Isn't that something? Simply by trusting God to work through his gospel.

That's point one – trust God to work through his gospel. But if it's all that why do Christians still hurt? If God's creation power is at work why is there so much brokenness and pain and confusion and mess? Well there is isn't there? Why? It's because God uses our weakness to reveal his strength. And that's what Paul goes on to show in verses 7-12.

Rejoice in Brokenness because it Shows God's Strength

Look at verse 7:

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

Clay jars were the disposable containers of the ancient world, the worthless Tesco olive oil jars if you like. And to be clear that's us in this verse: we're the containers, just clay jars. And I think Paul has Gideon in mind here. Remember Judges 7 how God made Gideon send away almost all of his soldiers so it would be obvious that it wasn't the army but God who saved them. Gideon gave the remaining 300 men a clay jar with a torch inside. In the dead of night they surrounded the enemy camp, raised a shout, blew on trumpets and broke the clay jars so the torch could be seen. And God threw their enemies into such confusion that they ran, hacking each other to pieces in their terror as they fled. And so God used 300 men to route an army of 135 000.

Do you see the dynamic that still holds for us today?

God's power is demonstrated in our weakness.

This treasure – the ministry of the gospel – is contained in clay jars. Why? Because God's making a point. He does it in order to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us! If God's work goes forward by super men then who's to say that it wasn't the charisma and genius of the men that made it happen? But when God's people are obviously weak and powerless, then we have to admit that it's not them, but God working through them. So Paul says (verse ).

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

Paul isn't overcoming, he isn't riding around on a wave of glory and wonder and continual success. No, he's staggering from one disaster to another. Flick over a couple of pages to chapter 11v23 (middle of the verse):

I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.  Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, – he was struck with stones until apparently dead, his body dragged out of town and dumped, but he survived, got right up and went on preaching! – three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,

Paul's a madman. All that happened – and there's more – and yet he keeps going preaching the gospel which causes all the trouble! Yes, and he'll boast about his weaknesses, because that's where God's power is seen. Remember Gideon and his clay jars? While the jar was intact, no one could see the torch inside. In fact that was the point, the jars concealed the light. The smashed the jar to reveal the light. It's the same for us – while we're sailing along merrily we don't even realise we need God. But when the storm hits and the water's coming over the side of the boat and we can see the whole thing going under, then we pray. We pray like we've never prayed. And that's when God reveals his mighty power. When we know we can't cope with anymore. That's when it becomes obvious – to us and to everyone else – that we need God. And when God carries us through, that's when we praise him. God's power shows at precisely the point when we stop coping, when our strength gives out.

And so God gets the glory. And Paul shows that it works because when we suffer for the gospel we embody the gospel. Look at 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 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.

Jesus suffered and died for us. When we suffer for him we're following in his steps. This is the transforming power of the gospel, we become like Jesus. This is precisely what Paul said the gospel would do isn't it – God works in us by his spirit to transform us into his likeness with ever-increasing glory (3.18).

Do you see it yet? When we suffer for Jesus we're growing into his likeness. So we show his glory. And this explains how Paul can do it, how he can keep going when it costs him so much – God sustains him. He is hard pressed on every side, but not crushed, perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed. Outside forces work to tear Paul to pieces, but inside the gospel works to give him strength – God's power showing through his weakness. And Paul says you can do it too. How often have you said to yourself that you just couldn't cope with another thing… and then something worse comes along! God sustains our faith then. In fact it's always God who sustains our faith, it's just most obvious in those moments. Paul has learnt to rejoice in those hardships – not that he loves the pain, but that those times make the gospel ever clearer to him, make God's power ever more glorious to him, make God's presence ever more obvious to him, and to everyone else.

So see the implication here – those times that we dread the most are actually doing us the most good, and giving power to our testimony. God's goodness and love and power and yes, glory, are most clear in just those times when we're broken and helpless. So don't lose heart, rejoice: the harder things get, the more we see God at work.
So Trust God to work through his gospel, and rejoice in weakness because that's when God's power is seen. And finally,

Look to Future Glory to put Our Present Suffering into Eternal perspective.

I would love to have a few days to unpack this point, what treasures there are for us here… Have a look at verse 16:

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Paul weighs it up in a metaphorical scale, and he says to us – you make the comparison – take up all the worst things that we go through and put them on one side, and on the other put the wonders of heaven, the glory that will be ours in Christ Jesus. How do they compare? The glory to come is so great, so solid, so real there is no comparison. Paul's troubles are immense, he's well past breaking point: he's hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted and struck down – these are not small things – but Paul weighs all that up and says 'light as a feather'! It's not light at all, but it is light by comparison with the weight of glory that is coming. Don't miss what Paul's saying: scales were used to weigh out the price. Paul's saying the price we pay now is infinitesimally small compared to the value of what we're going to receive in exchange. Yes, we pay a heavy price – God asks for everything. We to actually die to self. And when God comes to say I'll take that too' we're horrified – it's too much to ask of me God, don't ask me to pay that too.

But look what's on the other side of the scales: God shares with us all the riches of his own glory, we will actually reign with Christ, we will sit with him on the very throne of heaven. We exchange up our tatty, tawdry dreams for this life and God gives us glory so wonderful we can't even begin to imagine it. And as if that's not enough there's another comparison here. The price we pay here, the tough times we endure, the sacrifices we make – they might last a lifetime, but they'll only last a lifetime. And compared to eternity a lifetime is just the blink of an eye. I remember high school like it was yesterday. I remember primary school. I remember going to reception, it wasn't that long ago. 20 years, 30 years, 40 years, it just goes like that. The years go past and I wonder where they've gone. And my dreams are going to come to nothing at some point. Anything I refuse to give up will be taken from me in the end anyway. This life is short. But the glory God is saving up for me will never come to an end.

See here are the scales – weight it up for yourself. Are you willing to pay the price, or does the cost seem just too high for you?

Your life, all of it, everything you are, all you hold dear, your deepest dreams and hopes and loves, put it on this side. Could you pay it all over to God if he asked it of you? Is there anything that's too much, anything you just can't give up?

Before you answer look at the other side of the exchange: no matter what he takes away from you it will be outweighed a hundred times, a thousand times – it will be as nothing by comparison with the glory that God freely gives to you.

Make no mistake: when we meet God we won't be disappointed. We won't be thinking 'well this is alright, but I think I've been over charged'.

No, no, no – a thousand times no! The only disappointment we'll feel then will be the disappointment that we didn't go harder for God. We'd go to enormous lengths to secure a fortune, we'd give up comfort, dignity, possessions and so much more for the promise of wealth, how much more for the great shining treasure of eternal glory at God's right hand?

Can you pay the price? Can you endure the pain? Can you keep going when it gets costly? Yes you can, because God is working in you to make it possible. He works in us to strengthen us to follow Paul as Paul follows Jesus: to trust God to work through his gospel, rejoicing in brokenness because it shows God's strength; and looking to the future glory to put our present suffering into eternal perspective. So fix your eyes not on the things you're called to give up, but on the things God is giving you in their place – set your sights on what is unseen and will never pass away.

Let's pray.