I. Introduction
--
turn in Bibles to 2 Corinthians 4:7-18
2 Corinthians 4:7-18 New
International Version (NIV)
7 But we have this treasure in
jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from
us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in
despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 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. 11 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. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in
you.
13 It is written: “I believed;
therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also
believe and therefore speak, 14 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. 15 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.
16 Therefore we do not lose
heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed
day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an
eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is
seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is
unseen is eternal.
--
in 2010, Laura Hillenbrand released a non-fiction book called “Unbroken: A
World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption” -- the true story
of Army officer Louie Zamperini, who survived a harrowing experience in World
War II and who went on to become an evangelist after his conversion at a Billy
Graham crusade in California
--
Zamperini had lived a hard life -- constantly in trouble with the law --
constantly doing things he shouldn’t -- his brother saw the path he was on and
saw how fast he could run, so he got him involved in long distance running -- the
running and the training taught Zamperini discipline, and helped curb his
wayward behavior -- he changed direction in life and focused on making himself
better -- going on to compete in the 1936 Olympics as part of the U.S. Olympic
Track and Field Team -- and enrolling in college, where he continued to run
track
--
not long after Zamperini graduated from college, World War II broke out -- and
Zamperini enlisted in the Army Air Corps as a Lieutenant, serving as a bombardier
on a B-24 bomber -- on one mission, Zamperini’s plane had mechanical problems
and crashed in the Pacific Ocean -- only he and two other crew members survived
-- they bailed out of the plane in inflatable rafts, and managed to survive for
47 days with little food or water before being captured by the Japanese and
being sent to a series of prisoner of war camps in Japan
--
Zamperini was subjected to constant harsh labor, punishment, and torture at the
camps -- when he refused to broadcast anti-American propaganda over the radio,
the guards would beat him and torture him -- they were constantly hurting the
prisoners and abusing them physically and mentally in an attempt to break their
will -- to cause them to surrender hope -- to make them just give up
--
on one occasion, the men were loading coal into barges, and Zamperini paused
during his work -- the guard, who had singled out Zamperini for punishment time
and time again, ordered Zamperini to lift a heavy beam onto his shoulders -- he
told the other guards to shoot Zamperini on the spot if he dropped it -- as the
other prisoners watched, Zamperini managed to put the heavy beam on his
shoulders and stand there, swaying in exhaustion -- and then, Zamperini did the
impossible -- as tired as he was -- as physically exhausted as he was -- he
lifted the beam and stood there with it lifted above his head until the sun set
and the guards told him to go back to the barracks -- Zamperini remained
unbroken despite all the Japanese had done to him
--
stories like this resonate with us -- we are drawn to them -- because they are
examples to us of courage, strength, perseverance, and hope in the midst of
difficulties -- they teach us how to be strong and courageous in our own lives
when we face trials and tribulations -- and their examples inspire us to keep
on keeping on even when all we want to do is quit and give up
--
2020 has been one of those years that has worn on a lot of people -- it has
been an unprecedented time in history -- characterized by trials and
tribulations that seemingly just won’t end
--
we began the year with the threat of war between the U.S. and Iran -- with the
impeachment of Donald Trump -- and the largest locust invasion in over 70
years, impacting Africa, the Middle East, and Asia -- we saw volcanoes, earthquakes,
floods, and avalanches across the globe -- we watched as wildfires in Australia
and in South America destroyed vast swaths of forested land and homes and towns
-- and all of this was before the global coronavirus pandemic exploded onto the
scene -- not to mention the riots and the lootings that began here over the
death of George Floyd and that have swept across the globe into other countries
--
and we’re only half-way through this year -- what more can happen? -- how much
more can we take? -- how can we keep going on?
--
we find the answers to those questions right here in God’s Word -- in the Apostle
Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, Paul tells us how we can remain
unbroken in a world that feels very much out of control
II. Scripture Lesson (2 Corinthians 4:7-18)
--
if you would, look back with me at 2 Corinthians 4, starting with verse 7 and
let’s see what God inspired Paul to write about situations such as these
--
verse 7-12
7 But we have this treasure in
jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from
us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in
despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 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. 11 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. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in
you.
--
Paul begins this section of his letter to the Corinthians by reminding them of
the treasure they hold in their hearts -- the all-surpassing power they possess
that comes from God and not themselves
--
this treasure Paul writes about is the power of the gospel -- God’s grace and
mercy made manifest in our lives through Jesus Christ -- it is the message of
salvation -- of justification -- and of sanctification -- it is God working in
us and through us to make us holy as He is holy -- to forgive us of our sins --
and to lead us into lives of righteousness and power through His grace -- it is
the power of God to help us live Kingdom lives here in this world now
--
Paul is trying to remind the Corinthians that they have within themselves the
very presence and power of the living God -- that although they walk in this
world, they are not part of this world -- they are part of the Kingdom of God
-- and they are empowered to live above the world and above the troubles of
this world through the grace of God within
--
that is what he means when he talks about the treasure being in jars of clay --
he’s referring to our bodies -- he says the treasure is within us -- it’s held
within these jars made of brittle clay that could easily break in times of
trials and tribulations, were it not for the treasure hidden inside
--
Paul’s point was that we can’t depend on ourselves or on other people or on the
Government when times get bad -- we have to trust and believe in the treasure
of God within us if we are to stand firm in these times we are now facing
--
Paul knew what he was talking about -- he’s not just a preacher telling a story
he read in a book or relating a theological principle he learned in seminary --
no, Paul knew what he was talking about because he had experienced trouble in
his life -- he knew trials and tribulations intimately
--
in Chapter 11, beginning at verse 25, Paul tells us of all the trials that he
had gone through since beginning his Christian ministry -- everything from being
beaten with whips and rods to being stoned and left for dead -- about being
shipwrecked and spending a night in the open ocean -- about going through his
journeys hungry and thirsty and cold -- about how he had been in danger from
Jews and Gentiles alike -- in danger from thieves and from false brothers
--
Paul wasn’t telling us all this to brag -- he was telling us this so that we
could trust his word -- because he knew what troubles looked like -- because he
had experienced them many times in his life -- and would continue to experience
them, even after he put pen to paper here for the Corinthians -- going to
prison and eventually being executed by the Emperor Nero -- we could believe
him when he told us the secret to withstanding these trials in our own lives
--
Paul was able to survive and strive through the storms of life -- not through
his own strength or character -- but solely through the treasure of God’s presence
in his life
--
that’s why Paul can write here in verses 8 and 9 that he was hard pressed, but
not crushed -- perplexed, but not in despair -- persecuted, but not abandoned
-- struck down, but not destroyed -- nothing phased Paul -- Paul was
unbreakable because he stood with God and in God’s power
--
that is the only way we can survive when trials and tribulations come our way
-- we must live by faith, because it is only by faith and trusting in God’s
treasure within us that we stand -- as Victor Frankl wrote, “A weak faith is
weakened by predicaments and catastrophes whereas a strong faith is
strengthened by them”
--
on Friday, I gave a tour of the base to some biologists from the state of Georgia
-- as we were riding around, I carried them by a forest stand that was very
sparse -- it only had a handful of trees left in it -- and you could tell they
were confused as to why the forest was in such bad shape
--
so, I told them we had just completed a timber thin, removing about half of the
trees in the stand so that the remaining trees would grow bigger -- when Tropical
Storm Irma came through with devastating wind and rain -- the soil became
saturated and when the winds hit, about 75% of the remaining trees toppled over,
unable to stand in the storm it faced
--
trees stand because of what you don’t see -- they need a strong root system
that goes deep to hold them up -- and the problem with the trees that were left
after our timber harvest was that they had never faced any storms before --
they had lived sheltered lives, protected by the trees around them -- and, so,
their roots had not grown deep
--
and when Irma hit them with all her force, they were unable to stand against
the wind and the rain and they toppled over
--
storms and trials and tribulations like we are experiencing this year are
necessary in the life of a Christian -- they build our faith and strengthen our
roots -- trials and troubles force us to rely on the treasure of God’s presence
hidden in our mortal frame -- and as we experience these trials and storms of
life, we grow stronger -- we learn to trust in God more and more -- our faith
grows -- and our character grows -- and we learn to face trials as Paul faced
them -- with courage and perseverance and strength
--
that is why God allows trials to come in our lives in the first place -- to
help us learn to trust in Him in all things -- Paul calls these trials here “the
death of Jesus,” alluding to the sufferings Jesus endured for us -- but just as
Jesus overcame on the cross and through the resurrection into new life again,
so we are made alive in Christ through faith so that we can bear up to trials
when them come our way
--
verse 13-18
13 It is written: “I believed;
therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also
believe and therefore speak, 14 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. 15 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.
16 Therefore we do not lose
heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed
day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an
eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is
seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is
unseen is eternal.
--
Paul writes here in verse 16, “we do not lose heart” -- we do not give up -- we
do not allow ourselves to be broken by the things of this world
--
yes, we might be wasting away on the outside -- we might be buffeted by winds
and rain and the storms of life -- but we do not lose heart -- we stand firm
and are being renewed daily by the presence of God within
--
we’ve been through a lot this year -- not only with because of the trials and
troubles that have affected the whole world, like the global coronavirus
pandemic and the riots and looting -- but all of us here have been through our
own personal storms -- times of trials and troubles in our own lives or in the
lives of our families and friends
--
sometimes, I look at what some people are going through and I wonder how they’re
making it -- I look at what we’re facing, and I wonder if we’re going to
survive
--
but then I remember the words of Paul when he reminds us that these trials and
troubles -- as great as they seem to us in the moment -- are just light and
momentary troubles that are working in us and through us to achieve for us an
eternal glory that far outweighs them all
--
we have to remember that although we are jars of clay -- fragile and perishable
items -- living in mortal bodies that are wasting away outwardly, especially
more so as we grow older -- we have within us a treasure that is eternal and
all powerful that gives us strength and courage and hope in times of trial
--
we have this all-surpassing power within us that not only gives us the power to
stand in the storm, but to grow and to become stronger and to become servants of
the living God, reaching out to others to tell them of God’s love and mercy and
grace and showing them with our lives what it means to live for God daily
--
our actions are the voice of our beliefs -- what we do in times of trials and
tribulations -- as Christians and as the church of Christ -- tells this world
what we truly believe about God
--
do we believe that God is all-powerful and can do all things through us? -- do
we trust in faith in the midst of the storm or only when the sun is shining?
--
Paul says to fix our eyes not on what we see, but what is unseen -- to look
past the clouds and the rain and the wind of the storms of life and to see the
sun that shines on the other side -- to see and know eternity in our hearts
--
he reminds us that what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal --
and it is there we find our life and our hope and our way
III. Closing
--
listening to the people around me, I hear the voice of failure creeping in --
everyone is getting tired of the storm -- it has just been blowing and blowing
and blowing all year, never letting up -- the trials and the tribulations just
keep coming
--
for a time, I think we were standing in our own strength -- depending on our
own ability to stand in the face of adversity -- but now, as time has gone on
-- as the storm and the trials continue -- the jars of clay are cracking --
people are losing strength and courage and hope
--
people are tired -- and they’re ready to quit -- that’s really what’s going on
with all the complaints about wearing masks or social distancing or any of the
other recommendations the Government is putting out -- people are tired of it
and just want it to go away -- if they put their head in the sand, then they
can pretend the danger is not there and just go on with their lives as if
nothing is happening
--
but God calls for us to not lose heart in the midst of the storms, whether they
are global pandemics or the personal storms we all face in our lives -- He
calls for us to surrender ourselves and our will and our strength so that we
might know His all-surpassing power that is the treasure within us
--
if we will stand firm in our faith and put our trust in Him, we can weather any
storm that might come our way -- and, in doing so, we will serve as a beacon of
hope -- a lighthouse of faith in a dark and stormy world
--
I have been praying for God to lift His hand from us -- to take away the plague
-- to take away the riots and the racism and the discord in our world -- to give
us a break from the natural disasters that we have been facing -- but I read a
quote by Philip Brooks that showed me I was praying for the wrong thing
--
Philip Brooks wrote that we should not pray for easy lives, but that we should
pray to be stronger people -- that we should not pray for tasks that are equal
to our strength, but for power equal to our tasks -- that by learning to trust
in the treasure in these jars of clay we would become miracles of God’s
presence in a world that yearns for hope
--
so, as we close in prayer today, let’s pray that God would use this storm of
2020 to make us better people -- stronger people -- more faithful people --
people who know Him and trust in Him in all things -- people who look past our
light and momentary troubles to the eternity that awaits and who share the good
news of God’s treasure with all those around us
--
let us pray
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