Weakness

So to Corinthians chapter 4, and we're going to hit read the whole chapter. Therefore, since through god's mercy, we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renowned secret and shameful ways We do not use deception nor do we distort the the word of god. On the contrary by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of god. 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 that displays the glory of Christ who is the image of god.

For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as a lord and ourselves as a as your servants for Jesus' sake. For god who said, let light shine out in shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us a light of the knowledge of god's glory displayed in the face of Christ. 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 quite for Jesus's 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. It is written I believed, therefore, I have spoken Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak because we know that the 1 who raised the lord Jesus from the dead we also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit so that the grace says reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of god. Therefore, we do not lose hearts though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly, we are being renewed day by day.

For our light and moments momentary troubles are achieving for us in eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. Since what since what is seen is temporary, the way it's unseen is eternal. Let's bow our heads and, begin with a prayer as we turn back to god's word. Father god, we thank you that you are our god.

We thank you that you are the god of light. And life and truth and that you reign forever. We thank you for your son Jesus Christ that he is lord. We thank you that he has risen from the dead, that he is coming back, that there is a weighty, eternal glorious home for all who will trust in him. And we pray father that just as you said, let there be light at the beginning, you would let there be light this morning.

As we open up your word, help us to understand and to love the truth that is here. We pray for our senior pastor Pete, knowing he's in Belarus. Just finished that camp and is now preaching this morning at Taras's Church. We pray that he might know your presence and your blessing upon him as he brings the word of God to that congregation. And so we ask these things in Jesus' name.

Amen. Here's a definition of the word paradox, paradox, a paradox, is a statement which appears to be absurd or contradictory but can be true or at least makes sense. So at first glance, a paradox is a statement which will look ridiculous. It's a contradiction. It doesn't make sense.

There's no way that can be true. But when you think a bit harder and you dig a little bit deeper, it may it may prove to be right. In George Orwell's book animal farm, which is all about communism. He gives a great example of a paradox. And he talks about these pigs who are beginning to rise up and take control of the farm.

They're the most intelligent and the the strongest in many ways. On the farm and they begin to rise up and take control and they become so power drunk in their new position that they make a whole load of new laws which all the other animals must submit to. Now at the start, the pigs when they were on their way up to power, they promised there would be equality and fairness all animals. We they champion fairness. We would all be equal on this farm.

Doesn't matter what kind of animal you are, but the more power they took the more corrupt they became. And in their final set of laws, which all animals had to comply with, This was their kind of ethical principle for the farm. All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. All animals are equal but some are more equal than others. On the face of it, it's an absurd statement, isn't it?

If all the animals are equal, then all the animals are equal, and yet we know exactly what he's getting at. It looks like a contradiction but it's not. He's pointing to a real truth. These rulers might claim that we're all equal but in reality, we know that the special privileges belong to them. All people are equal but some are more equal than others.

Or how about these? Less is more. It's a strange phrases, and it less is more. And yet we know what it means. You've got to be cruel to be kind.

Doesn't really make sense, does it? If you're gonna be cruel to some then be cruel. Being cruel is not being kind. But then sometimes we know that actually a harsh rebuke and something that might seem to be cruel is in the end a very kind act and good for somebody long term. So that's something of what a what a paradox is.

Now, why do I say that? Well, because I think if we fail to understand the word paradox, we won't be able to understand this passage, this letter, or even the gospel itself. Think about these words from chapter 12. When I am weak, then I am strong. No, either you're weak, or you're strong, either you're feeble, or you're tough.

Either you're a bit of a snowflake, a bit of a pushover, or you're robust, and you can endure and you're strong, which is it? Can't be weak and strong, but we know, don't we? It's a paradox. We were touching on it last week. He is both at the same time, Paul, weaken himself, absolutely, but strong in the grace of Christ Jesus.

Weak in the body, but strong in the spirit. And actually, that particular paradox is just mega important for understanding the Christian life. You see the Christian life is not a journey from weakness to strength. Bottom of the escalator, is conversion, weakness. Top of the escalator, mature, strong.

Now there's something in that but fundamentally we're not on a journey from weakness to strength. We are always both at the same time. Every single believer is a paradox always weaken themselves, always strong in Christ. And as I say, this whole idea is more important than just even this letter. It goes way beyond 2 Corinthians to the very heart of the gospel.

Consider consider the paradoxes in the gospel. We are comforted because Christ was afflicted on the cross. We are accepted because he was rejected. We live because he died we come into light because he went into darkness. It seems impossible, doesn't it that these things are both 1 and the same.

They're true at the same time, but it's not. It's a paradox. And so with all of that said and out the way, We come to chapter 4 of this amazing letter and just look what we find from verse 7 on. Jars of clay Great treasure, afflicted, not crushed, perplexed, not driven to despair, persecuted, not forsaken, struck down, not destroyed. Death of Jesus in our bodies, life of Jesus in our bodies.

Death is at work, life on display, wasting away, being renewed, light and momentary, eternal and weighty. Things that are seen things that are unseen, things that are temporary, things that are eternal. Everywhere you turn, there's a paradox It's how Paul describes his gospel. It's how he describes his life. It's how he describes his ministry.

And so as a way of breaking into this wonderful passage this morning, I want us to consider the 4 main paradigms boxes that we find here as a way of understanding it, and then we'll draw out some of the applications together from each 1. So the first point is this Jars of clay priceless message, jars of clay priceless message, and we'll begin 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. We have this treasure in jars of clay. Now, a jar of clay was about the most common item you could own.

So think of it like a mug. When you go to someone's house and you discover they've got a set of mugs, it's no great revelation. Is it? Yeah? They've got a set of mugs.

Oh, wow. You've got to set them up. You're in a mug. No, it's a common household item. Okay?

Not surprising. And just like a mug or a glass or a plate, jars of clay were fragile. So I I would be willing to bet that there isn't a single person in this room who at 1 stage hasn't been responsible for a chipped mug or a broken bowl or a broken plate. Yeah? It happens all the time.

That common as muck, everyone owns them, and they're fragile. And that is how Paul describes himself. He is the opposite of those super apostles that we heard about last week. They go on about their strength They boast in their pedigree and their experiences. They just weren't into jars of clay ministry they were into silver goblet ministry, silver goblet ministry.

They had shameful ways he says in verse 2, distorting the word of god. They preached themselves verse 5. This was not the life that Paul was called to. It was not the ministry that was his he was given. He did not preach himself.

He said, We have this treasure in jars of clay. That's us. That's what we are. We're jars of clay common and fragile. To show that this all surpassing power is from god and not from us.

But here's the paradox. He's a jar of clay, who is full of the most impressive treasure. This week, I was looking up the most expensive liquids in the world, and, it's no surprise to find that the perfume Chanel number 5 is up there. Which comes in at a cool, 26000 dollars per gallon. If you want a gallon of Chanel, I don't know how long that will keep you going.

But 26000 dollars. It's probably more than a year's worth, I would think, but it's it's pricey. Yeah. PRicy liquid. Human blood.

And insulin are also very, very pricey. But the real money is, you guessed it, or probably not, is in venom. In venom. Right at the top of the list is scorpion venom, which is useful for all treating all kinds of illnesses. It's It it's hot property in in this particular part of the world.

And just not this particular part of the world, but in the in the medicine part of the world, and just 1 gallon will set you back an eye watering 39000000 dollars. 39000000 dollars for a gallon of Scorpion. Venom. Now, I don't know how many scorpions you would need, in order to get a gallon of venom, and I don't think it's transported by the gallon. I mean, it would be odd to think of a truck going up and down the M 25 full of scorpion venom.

I don't think it's transported in that way. So this is an odd statistic stick. I I understand. But it, it will do for the purpose of this illustration. If you owned a liquid, that was worth 39000000 dollars per gallon, you would make sure it was kept in a suitable place.

I e not in a mug in your home. It would be locked away in a temperature controlled container that is suitable for that purpose. We know that instinctively, don't we? That the quality of the container should match the price of the liquid. And yet in Paul's mind, the opposite is true.

He is an ordinary jar of clay, but he contains A message that is so powerful and so precious it can quite literally raise the dead. Here's what he says about it in verse 4. The god of this age, that Satan has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ who is the image of God. For what we preach is not 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 god's glory displayed in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay. Now there are many sermons in those verses, but today we're just thinking about that paradox. Paul was weak, but his message was strong. And to show us how strong it really is, He takes us back to Genesis 1. Do you remember that moment in Genesis 1?

To begin with, the world is lifeless, and the universe is blind. The heavens and the earth had been created, but they couldn't see cause they were wrapped up in darkness. It was a blind universe until god spoke. These are the first words that God says in the Bible. Let there be light.

And with just 4 words, the darkness is banished, and the universe opened its eyes for the very first time. Now, if I was to stand in a dark room, I could say let there be light until I was blue in the face and nothing would happen. I could say let there be light. I could say it in a thousand different ways. Light, please.

Come on light, light, turn on now for me, light, please, but nothing would happen, and I would die trying. Why? Because my words doesn't contain eye opening, light bringing, life giving, power. But god's word does. And that's the point.

The gospel that we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as lord. Jesus Christ is god's appointed king He is the ruler of the cosmos, he is the judge of every man. He is the 1 who laid his life down on the cross for us. And when we look at him in the pages of scripture, we see the glory of god. But the problem is, by nature, we don't see it because like that early universe wrapped in darkness, by nature, we're blind.

The god of this age who is Satan has blinded the minds of every person so that they cannot see the glory of Christ left to themselves. We can hear about it. We can let it come into our ears. We can listen to it being preached, we can read it. Those things aren't the problem, but unless god says to us, Let there be light.

We will not see the glory of Christ. We'll learn the facts but we won't be attracted and drawn to his glory. And remember, it's not like we're the, we're the poor, we're the poor innocent people ready to believe that Satan got in the way. Now it's a paradox He blinded our minds, but we blinded ourselves just like the parable of the sower. We refused to listen and so Satan comes as the bird and takes the word away, both are true.

And so the point is If anyone, anywhere is to trust that Jesus Christ is lord, God must say Let there be light as the gospel is preached. He must say it. Otherwise, we will not see. We depend on the light giving word if we are going to have our hearts open to Christ. So you see what Paul is saying.

He is a jar of clay. Just a jar of clay. If you saw him in somebody's lovely glass cabinet. You wouldn't even look twice. Just be an ordinary household item.

Every home in corinth would have a jar of clay, but within him is the sort of message that removes darkness takes away blindness and enables people to see the glorious lord Jesus. We have this treasure in jars of clay, why to show that this all surpassing power is from god and not from us. Matthew Henry, a Bible commentator writes The ministers of the gospel are weak and frail creatures. They are mortal and soon broken into pieces. And god has so ordered it that the weaker the vessels are, the stronger his power may appear to be.

That the treasure itself should be valued the more. And that is why Paul is happy to be a jar of clay because that means that any fruit of his ministry Any soul saved, any church built can only be because the surpassing power of god has been at work in him. And that is something that we must pray for. I mean, if we're honest, we know, don't we? That our evangelistic efforts are like toddlers learning to walk.

They take a few steps and then they fall flat on their faces. We feel like that, don't we? But then look what god has done. Look at the church that he has built here. Look at the people that he has saved.

Look at the disciples that he has strengthened look at the ministries that he has given us. What is the explanation for all these things? The surpassing power of god. And the treasure of the gospel, doing its work through stumbling toddlers and jars of clay. And so, lord, make us aware of this paradox When we heard jars of clay, we do not lose heart because jars of clay contain a very mighty gospel.

Jars of clay precious message, the second paradox, always dying, bringing life Always dying, bringing life verse 8. 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 also be revealed in our mortal body.

So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. And these are strange images, aren't they? We carry around in our body the death of Jesus. Death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. What's he talking about?

Well, there are 2 separate ideas I think that he's drawing our attention to here. Firstly, he's saying that my weakness proves that I don't have much ministry ability on my own. I can't change your heart I can't make you grow. In ministry terms, I'm sort of dead. I'm unable to bring life by myself.

But that's alright because then when hearts are changed, when people do grow, it'll be very obvious to you that it wasn't me doing it. It was the life of Christ in me. It wasn't me able to produce you because I'm dead in myself, but there's a life of Christ that is animating me And therefore, any fruit of my ministry is because the life of Christ has been at work, even though I'm virtually dead. But secondly, and this ties in with last week, he's saying, look, as an apostle, I suffer a lot. I suffer a lot, but I don't despair.

And here's the reason why because the result of that suffering is eternal life for you. I'm dying every day. He says, I'm looking death in the face for Jesus' sake other words, I'm doing it for his glory, but I don't give up because I'm dying to bring you life. In Jesus Christ. So as an illustration, it's a little bit like donating an organ.

Don't know if you're on the organ registry or you're planning to donate an organ at any point. I don't think many people plan to donate organs, but maybe maybe you have. It's a little bit like that. Someone who's gonna donate an organ must face the knife. You must bear the cost.

You must go to sleep and in a way face death, but you don't despair. Why? Because it means life for those you love. Death is at work in you. Life is at work in them.

And of course, although Paul is talking about his unique role as an apostle here, there is a sense in which we can all expect that same pattern. Death at work in us, life at work in others. And of course, at the moment, at least in this country, we're unlikely to face the whips and the stones and the prisons, like Paul did, and we're unlikely to face some of the things our brothers and sisters go through all over the world and in a sense even mentioning our suffering in the same breath as theirs seems inappropriate, but we will all face hardships as we take the news of Jesus to others. Both to unbelievers but also as it was here to believers who were turning away. Rejection, being shunned from popular circles, a general feeling that you and your views don't belong with those friends anymore or in that office, even losing a job, even being turned on by your own flesh and blood.

If we are going to proclaim that Jesus Christ is lord spelling out what that means, We shouldn't be surprised if we find ourselves hard pressed on every side. And yet equally, we mustn't despair because we face those things in order to bring life giving resurrection news. To a dying world. We shoulder the weight. We stared death in the face.

In order to bring life. Dying all the time, bringing the life of Christ. That's the second thing. Thirdly, Tempted to be quiet, always speaking. Tempted to be quiet, always speaking.

If you could just flip back with me to Psalm a hundred and 16. This is a Psalm that lots of people attribute to David, but it doesn't actually give his name at the top. Psalm a hundred and 16. And when you get there, if you could go down to verse 3. That would be good.

This is the Psalm Paul is quoting here. Verse 3, the cords of death entangled me the anguish of the grave came over me. I was overcome by distress and sorrow, then I called on the name of the lord. Lord, save me. Down to 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.

I trusted in the lord when I said I am greatly afflicted. So there are some big similarities here when you think about it. Whatever this psalmist was facing He was on the very brink of death. He says the cords of death entangled me. He was looking death in the face just like Paul in many ways.

He was hard pressed on every side, but he didn't despair. He trusted the lord and he cried out. He spoke in his distress. Now, to be honest, he's not really talking about sharing the gospel in the same way that Paul is, but the point is when he went through affliction, when he stared death in the face, He believed, and he spoke. He believed, and he cried out.

Just like when Paul stared death in the face, he believed in god and he kept preaching. That's the key. In both of these cases, faith keeps speaking. Now let's go back with that in mind to 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 12, hopefully you kept a kept a finger there. Verse 12, 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 we speak. Because we know that the 1 who raised the lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with with Jesus and present us with you to himself. It was, both a sadness and a joy in many ways to take Ashox Funnel on Friday.

And 1 of the things that I was talking about there as we opened up 1 thessalonians chapter 4 was the certain hope that we can have that Jesus is risen and Ashoch will rise with Jesus. And it's so wonderful to be able to preach it because In many funerals, you might get a vague idea of that. Oh, we'll see him again some days. Looking down on us. Hopefully, we'll all be reunited 1 day, but it can't come with conviction in the same way that this can.

We can say with conviction Jesus Christ is risen and he will bring his people back with him. He will raise us from the dead, and so we speak. We believe, and so we speak. Everywhere you turn today, there is uncertainty. In what state will our country be after March the 20 ninth who who really knows.

The US government, although restarting has been shut down and probably will be shut down again soon. Around the world, things are even more unstable, politically, and socially, and if we're honest even in our own lives. We have our plans. We think we have an idea of what's gonna happen, but we don't know. Things are so unstable.

But here is certainty for us. No matter what happens, god will raise us from the dead just as god raised Jesus from the dead. That is more certain than the chair you sit on. It is more real than the clothes you are wearing it is wonderful news. Hard pressed on every side, dying every day If there was no resurrection, it would be a waste of time.

What a pointless, wasted, hard life. If Jesus is not risen, but if god raised Jesus from the dead, then god will raise me from the dead. He will raise you from the dead, and therefore we preach Jesus. Because we believe. Knowing that every hardship is worth it, for the glory to come.

Friends Jesus Christ is risen, and so we keep going. And we keep speaking. We are weak as jars of clay, but resurrection day is coming and that will be the day of the most incredible strength. And therefore, like David and like Paul, let's trust that promise and keep sharing Jesus. Tempted to be quiet speaking all the time.

That's the third paradox fourthly and lastly. Body fading away spirit being renewed. Body fading away spirit being renewed, and we'll pick up in verse 16. Therefore, we do not lose heart. It's exactly the same phrase as in verse 1.

These are the 2 bookends of the chapter, really, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly, we are wasting away, yet inwardly, we are being renewed day by day. The King James version puts it, though the outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day. Withering away yet bursting with life. It's like a butterfly.

Waiting inside a cocoon. If you've ever seen them, you know the cocoons are often very frail. The brownie grey, jars of clay, like, unattractive, fragile, but inside waits the most incredible, colorful life. And every day as it grows, the cocoon gets a little weaker, and the butterfly gets a little stronger. And so it is in the Christian life.

Every day getting weaker, every day being renewed, but it's not just about our physical bodies winding down and decaying like the cocoon. It's a contrast he's drawing here between the old dying nature, the sinful nature, and the new resurrection life. Every single day The old man gets a little weaker, the new man gets a little stronger. And that we might think that our progress in this area is very slow. And we don't see ourselves as colorful butterflies growing stronger as we approach resurrection day, we see ourselves more like fragile brown cocoons.

And there are seasons, of course, where we take a big downturn and we need to do some soul searching and repenting but taken as a whole, the Christian life is this paradox, a sinful, dying cocoon. And a holy resurrection butterfly waiting to spread its wings on the last day. And that is where Paul takes us right at the end in verse 17, For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. Just turn back with me briefly to chapter 1 and verse 8. Here's the startling verse that we looked at last week, verse 8.

We do not want you to be uninformed brothers and sisters about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure far beyond our ability to endure so that we despaired of life itself. So we might rightly ask Well, what's changed, Paul? Are they light and momentary or are they beyond your ability to endure these sufferings? It's only 4 chapters apart beyond my ability to endure light and momentary, which is it?

Which are they? Are they harder or they easy? And the answer is it depends what you're comparing it to. Was his whipping light? Was his opposition easy?

Was his pain? Trivial? No. Suffering in the Christian life as many of you will well know here is far from light. Paul made that clear in chapter 1.

And yet in chapter 4, When he compares it to the eternal weight of glory, when he compares it to resurrection life in the perfect world with the perfect savior, If those are the scales he's going to use, then the glory far outweighs them all. And remember that's Paul speaking. This is Paul speaking. He knew a thing or 2 about suffering. And he says, on this side, eternal glory is weighty.

This side my afflictions, light, and momentary. And so like him, we need to fix our eyes on the glory to come because friends, as we do that, it will have a bracing effect upon us. We will find that our hearts and minds are braced so that we won't be dragged down into despair. We will keep going, and we will keep preaching Jesus because glory is coming. Verse 18, so we fix our eyes, not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.

Since what is seen as temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. There is nothing like a good Christian paradox. Paul was a jar of clay, and so were we yet we contained the most precious treasure. He was dying every day, and so are we yet he was bringing a gospel of life. He was pressed into silence.

Faith made him speak. He was wasting away but like us, he was ever being made new. He was in the temporary, but he lived for the eternal. Let us embrace these paradoxes with open arms. Why?

So that we might not lose heart. Let's pray together. As usual a moment of quiet to give you an opportunity to reflect and to pray to our god. Father god, we thank you that so many of us here have heard you say let there be light. And that you have graciously shown us the light of the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ and that you have enabled us not only to see but to love the light and to come to Christ.

We thank you for your grace to us. We thank you lord that though we are jars of clay, we are ordinary, common, weak likely to break that you have put in us the most stunningly powerful gospel. And we pray that you would help us to keep sharing it, to keep going. Even in those times when we are hard pressed, when we're perplexed, we frankly don't know what to do. Help us to keep believing and therefore to keep preaching Jesus.

We thank you that there is a day coming when we will hear the sound of the lord Jesus and we will be risen into glorious resurrection bodies. There is nothing that is more certain and true than that moment in history. And again, because of that, help us to keep telling people that Jesus is risen. We pray father for brothers and sisters here who are suffering and feel that their troubles are very far from light and momentary. We pray that you would comfort them and help them to see the eternal scales, help them to fix their eyes on the weighty glory to come.

And therefore have strength to endure. And all of these things we ask for Jesus's sake and glory, amen.