Hello Fello Clay Pot - Study 3/1/12
Hello Fellow Clay Pot
When I was growing up, we lived close to a big market that convened every eight days. Merchants from far and wide traveled to bring their goods to be sold. People will also come from far and near to buy on this day. One of things we loved to watch as kids were the clay pot makers/merchants. Either on the bicycles or on their heads, they will stack the pots on top each other. You wondered how they do it and keep them steady. Once in a while, they will stumble and the unthinkable happens. You will see all the clay pots shatter into pieces. Usually nothing is left and this poor woman or man would just turn back in disappointment heading back home. All the hard work for many months in making the clay pots and the income for that period was gone in seconds.
In answering the Corinthians and in defense of his ministry, Paul uses this profound picture of us being clay pots/vessels in which God pours into and out the greatest treasure on earth – the knowledge of God which is eternal life. As we will see in this study, unlike the clay pots carried by the merchants, Paul tells the Corinthians, “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed” 2 Corinthians 4:8. How come we are different and not crushed? Listen to apostle Paul, 7 “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.[b] This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves” vs. 7.
We are fragile clay pots but yet not crushed by troubles because God is at work holding the balance. Without him, we will shatter into pieces from pressures and daily use. Do you and I regularly see ourselves as fragile vessels carrying God’s knowledge and presence? One obvious thing about jars/pots/vessels is that they do not exist just to contain whatever is poured into them. They exist to serve by being poured out. Imagine a fragile cup containing water and set on a dinner table. Every day, those sitting at the table to eat are so thirsty but the cup refuses to be picked up and drank from. Have we become the un-yielding drinking cups? Are we just satisfied with containing the water (claiming knowing God) but those around us are dying of thirst?
May God help us live and declare like Apostle Paul who said, 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” (vs.11-12). Has our suffering resulted to eternal life for any one? Life is not really about us but about what God is doing in and through us including our “momentary” sufferings. Yes, in the midst of the suffering, it is sometimes unbearable. Let’s hang in there for God’s glory as He shows His power and might in our weaknesses.
2 Corinthians 4 (NLT)
1 Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way,[a] we never give up. 2 We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.
3 If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. 4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
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.[b] 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.
13 But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.”[c] 14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus,[d] will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. 15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.
16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are[e] being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. The “New Way” or the ministry of grace given to Apostle Paul and us. God has given us something better than the old covenant of the Law. We have been given new life by the Spirit through grace and faith in Jesus Christ. “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Because of the source and origination of our new lives in Christ, we do not “loose heart” or faint. The God who calls us supplies the strength necessary to persevere.
2. This new life though free to us but at high cost to Christ, also comes with responsibility. Paul names what is expected of us. “We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this” vs.2. What have you and I renounced? For Paul, no shameful deeds that will embarrass our Savior, no tricks or distortion of truth for personal gain as practiced by the false teachers. People should see evidence of the new life in us as Paul would say, “old things have passed away all things have become new”. Easier said than done except by the power of the Holy Spirit. May we honestly take stock and ask God to deliver us from “shameful and secret” ways of life.
3. Is the gospel hidden? Only to those who have not believed. Paul is answering those who said that his teachings were hard to understand. The “god of this age or world” Satan (who you will be happy to know is not the god of our next glorious world) has blinded the eyes and minds of the unbelieving. Satan does not care for our loved ones and friends who are yet to believe in Jesus. We must therefore plead on their behalf that God will restrain Satan and remove the veil/blindness from their minds as He did for us. This is the best prayer we can pray for the unbelieving in Christ. We must pray first before speaking to them about Christ otherwise we are wasting our time and efforts. Lord, please remove the blindness from ….. (please name as many as you know) so as to see you. Amen
4. The clay pot was used to hide treasures in those days. Because it is carrying the greatest treasure, it is not to attract attention to itself. Paul says, “We do not preach ourselves or about ourselves” “We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord”. We are servants and servants point to the Master or Lord. Who are you preaching about or who is your life pointing to? Sometimes I see in me things that are not pointing to Christ but to “me incorporated”. May God help us reflect His image.
5. If you have not said these words, “I can’t take it any more” you are likely still living in your own strength. Listen to Paul, “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”. This is the confession of a person who has hit the bottom and God and only God carried him up. God’s strength is shown in our weakness is the theme of this Letter. Let’s not fight it but own up and let go and let God take over. What is it that you are trying to stop from being “knocked down”? Let it be knocked down. Let God pick up the pieces. We cannot be destroyed nor abandoned by our Father. If God is for us, who can be against ? None. We look to and trust our “invisible” though real God and Father and not the troubles we see around us.
This weekend I spoke to some friends that are going through some very difficult and painful health problems. Folks, life pains are real so let’s not deny them. But Paul is saying even they kill us, they cannot be compared to the everlasting life and pleasure we would have in the next life. “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” vs.17. Compared to eternity, our present troubles (even if they last our earthly lives) cannot be compared to even a drop in all oceans of the world. Can this encourage you today? Do not “lose heart”. May God be glorified even in our troubles and headaches of this life!
Where is your present trouble – in your marriage, children, extended family, school, coworkers, money or health? We all have it in most of these areas. Let’s cry out to God for help without hesitation. You and I will not be crushed. Amen. Hello fellow clay pot, hang in there. I know you are fragile, but you won’t be crushed.
Please find someone who has been “knocked down” by life pressures and help him/her get up again.
When I was growing up, we lived close to a big market that convened every eight days. Merchants from far and wide traveled to bring their goods to be sold. People will also come from far and near to buy on this day. One of things we loved to watch as kids were the clay pot makers/merchants. Either on the bicycles or on their heads, they will stack the pots on top each other. You wondered how they do it and keep them steady. Once in a while, they will stumble and the unthinkable happens. You will see all the clay pots shatter into pieces. Usually nothing is left and this poor woman or man would just turn back in disappointment heading back home. All the hard work for many months in making the clay pots and the income for that period was gone in seconds.
In answering the Corinthians and in defense of his ministry, Paul uses this profound picture of us being clay pots/vessels in which God pours into and out the greatest treasure on earth – the knowledge of God which is eternal life. As we will see in this study, unlike the clay pots carried by the merchants, Paul tells the Corinthians, “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed” 2 Corinthians 4:8. How come we are different and not crushed? Listen to apostle Paul, 7 “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.[b] This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves” vs. 7.
We are fragile clay pots but yet not crushed by troubles because God is at work holding the balance. Without him, we will shatter into pieces from pressures and daily use. Do you and I regularly see ourselves as fragile vessels carrying God’s knowledge and presence? One obvious thing about jars/pots/vessels is that they do not exist just to contain whatever is poured into them. They exist to serve by being poured out. Imagine a fragile cup containing water and set on a dinner table. Every day, those sitting at the table to eat are so thirsty but the cup refuses to be picked up and drank from. Have we become the un-yielding drinking cups? Are we just satisfied with containing the water (claiming knowing God) but those around us are dying of thirst?
May God help us live and declare like Apostle Paul who said, 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” (vs.11-12). Has our suffering resulted to eternal life for any one? Life is not really about us but about what God is doing in and through us including our “momentary” sufferings. Yes, in the midst of the suffering, it is sometimes unbearable. Let’s hang in there for God’s glory as He shows His power and might in our weaknesses.
2 Corinthians 4 (NLT)
1 Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way,[a] we never give up. 2 We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.
3 If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. 4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
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.[b] 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.
13 But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.”[c] 14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus,[d] will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. 15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.
16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are[e] being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. The “New Way” or the ministry of grace given to Apostle Paul and us. God has given us something better than the old covenant of the Law. We have been given new life by the Spirit through grace and faith in Jesus Christ. “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Because of the source and origination of our new lives in Christ, we do not “loose heart” or faint. The God who calls us supplies the strength necessary to persevere.
2. This new life though free to us but at high cost to Christ, also comes with responsibility. Paul names what is expected of us. “We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this” vs.2. What have you and I renounced? For Paul, no shameful deeds that will embarrass our Savior, no tricks or distortion of truth for personal gain as practiced by the false teachers. People should see evidence of the new life in us as Paul would say, “old things have passed away all things have become new”. Easier said than done except by the power of the Holy Spirit. May we honestly take stock and ask God to deliver us from “shameful and secret” ways of life.
3. Is the gospel hidden? Only to those who have not believed. Paul is answering those who said that his teachings were hard to understand. The “god of this age or world” Satan (who you will be happy to know is not the god of our next glorious world) has blinded the eyes and minds of the unbelieving. Satan does not care for our loved ones and friends who are yet to believe in Jesus. We must therefore plead on their behalf that God will restrain Satan and remove the veil/blindness from their minds as He did for us. This is the best prayer we can pray for the unbelieving in Christ. We must pray first before speaking to them about Christ otherwise we are wasting our time and efforts. Lord, please remove the blindness from ….. (please name as many as you know) so as to see you. Amen
4. The clay pot was used to hide treasures in those days. Because it is carrying the greatest treasure, it is not to attract attention to itself. Paul says, “We do not preach ourselves or about ourselves” “We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord”. We are servants and servants point to the Master or Lord. Who are you preaching about or who is your life pointing to? Sometimes I see in me things that are not pointing to Christ but to “me incorporated”. May God help us reflect His image.
5. If you have not said these words, “I can’t take it any more” you are likely still living in your own strength. Listen to Paul, “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”. This is the confession of a person who has hit the bottom and God and only God carried him up. God’s strength is shown in our weakness is the theme of this Letter. Let’s not fight it but own up and let go and let God take over. What is it that you are trying to stop from being “knocked down”? Let it be knocked down. Let God pick up the pieces. We cannot be destroyed nor abandoned by our Father. If God is for us, who can be against ? None. We look to and trust our “invisible” though real God and Father and not the troubles we see around us.
This weekend I spoke to some friends that are going through some very difficult and painful health problems. Folks, life pains are real so let’s not deny them. But Paul is saying even they kill us, they cannot be compared to the everlasting life and pleasure we would have in the next life. “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” vs.17. Compared to eternity, our present troubles (even if they last our earthly lives) cannot be compared to even a drop in all oceans of the world. Can this encourage you today? Do not “lose heart”. May God be glorified even in our troubles and headaches of this life!
Where is your present trouble – in your marriage, children, extended family, school, coworkers, money or health? We all have it in most of these areas. Let’s cry out to God for help without hesitation. You and I will not be crushed. Amen. Hello fellow clay pot, hang in there. I know you are fragile, but you won’t be crushed.
Please find someone who has been “knocked down” by life pressures and help him/her get up again.
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