WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.720 Well, Jeff, you know what's amazing today is how in 2 00:00:02.759 --> 00:00:04.519 the first century, how they knew there was going to 3 00:00:04.559 --> 00:00:06.200 be a band called Jars of Clay. 4 00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:07.440 That's pretty amazing. 5 00:00:07.599 --> 00:00:11.359 Yeah, and boy, that's a shout out from when the nineties. Yeah, 6 00:00:11.439 --> 00:00:13.199 and that was the last time you were cool. So 7 00:00:13.599 --> 00:00:16.160 he's Chris and I'm Jeff. I was never cool, and 8 00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:31.000 we're the Bible guys. Okay, fu man, I took a 9 00:00:31.039 --> 00:00:33.200 shot at you. I don't know why that was kind 10 00:00:33.200 --> 00:00:33.320 of me. 11 00:00:33.479 --> 00:00:35.240 Well, I've heard you say before though. 12 00:00:35.280 --> 00:00:37.200 It's a funny joke that just sort of comes out 13 00:00:37.240 --> 00:00:39.000 whenever the opportunity presents itself. 14 00:00:39.039 --> 00:00:39.640 Yeah, exactly. 15 00:00:39.640 --> 00:00:42.679 Well, it's we're both getting old, is what's happening right right? 16 00:00:42.920 --> 00:00:43.159 Yep. 17 00:00:43.840 --> 00:00:45.880 So it doesn't seem like it was that long ago 18 00:00:45.920 --> 00:00:47.240 that Jars of Clay was cool. 19 00:00:47.359 --> 00:00:47.719 I saw it. 20 00:00:47.840 --> 00:00:51.840 I saw a TikTok that said, when somebody says thirty 21 00:00:51.920 --> 00:00:55.759 years ago, he goes, I think of the nineteen seventies. 22 00:00:57.399 --> 00:00:59.399 But the reality is he goes, it was just before 23 00:00:59.399 --> 00:00:59.799 the turn of this. 24 00:01:00.920 --> 00:01:02.759 He goes in the nineties, and. 25 00:01:02.640 --> 00:01:04.239 He goes, I need to stop and take a nap. 26 00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:06.840 You know, we're just getting old, man. 27 00:01:07.480 --> 00:01:11.239 So you know, those of you that have been faithful listeners, 28 00:01:11.280 --> 00:01:14.439 you know that Chris and I really play close attention 29 00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:18.159 to the headlines, especially from trustworthy news sources like the 30 00:01:18.159 --> 00:01:22.959 Babylon be right, and if you don't know, the Babylon 31 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:25.920 b is a satire site and very funny. People seem 32 00:01:25.959 --> 00:01:29.040 to get confused by that. It's my favorite mainstream media. 33 00:01:29.200 --> 00:01:32.719 It's one of my favorite segments because it's such sophisticated humor. 34 00:01:32.920 --> 00:01:33.159 Yeah. 35 00:01:33.400 --> 00:01:37.680 So this one today, this article is all about the Book. 36 00:01:37.439 --> 00:01:38.400 Of First Corinthians. 37 00:01:38.519 --> 00:01:41.959 Yeah, and the premise is the headline is early church 38 00:01:42.040 --> 00:01:45.840 leaders excited for letter from Paul that probably says how 39 00:01:45.840 --> 00:01:48.200 good they're doing? Right, So they have not yet read 40 00:01:48.239 --> 00:01:50.920 the letter, right, and they're excited because they just got it. 41 00:01:50.840 --> 00:01:52.879 And the picture of some guy like they're all smiles 42 00:01:52.879 --> 00:01:54.120 and they're opening up a scroll. 43 00:01:54.359 --> 00:01:54.760 Yeah. 44 00:01:54.799 --> 00:01:57.280 So here it is corinth elders at the church in 45 00:01:57.319 --> 00:01:59.959 Corinth assembled their flock ahead of the Lord's Day excite 46 00:02:00.040 --> 00:02:01.680 did the read a letter that had been delivered on 47 00:02:01.719 --> 00:02:05.879 behalf of the apostle Paul. Church leadership was reportedly eager 48 00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:08.199 to have the contents of the letter read since it 49 00:02:08.240 --> 00:02:11.000 would probably say what a good job they were doing. 50 00:02:11.680 --> 00:02:13.400 Yeah, Paul totally loves us. 51 00:02:14.479 --> 00:02:18.240 Christmas, a church member told the unidentified courier who carried 52 00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:20.400 the letter all the way from Ephesus, I just knew 53 00:02:20.439 --> 00:02:22.840 he'd write us. I'm pretty sure we're best friends. I mean, 54 00:02:22.919 --> 00:02:25.199 he baptized me himself. I'm not like one of those 55 00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:29.479 dweebs who got baptized by Apollos. It's funny because Paul 56 00:02:29.520 --> 00:02:33.159 didn't baptize hardly anybody in Corinth. By the way, this 57 00:02:33.319 --> 00:02:36.680 is THEO who's part of Team Cephis admits he's especially 58 00:02:36.719 --> 00:02:38.960 excited to hear what Paul thinks of their various clubs 59 00:02:38.960 --> 00:02:40.479 and cliques that divide. 60 00:02:40.120 --> 00:02:41.719 The church up in fun ways. 61 00:02:42.039 --> 00:02:42.960 That's really good. 62 00:02:43.080 --> 00:02:45.520 We've gone to great lengths to encourage divisions so that 63 00:02:45.560 --> 00:02:47.319 each of us can worship God in our own way 64 00:02:47.360 --> 00:02:49.719 based on which teacher we follow, he said. 65 00:02:49.840 --> 00:02:51.479 I bet Paul is super impressed. 66 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:52.439 So good. 67 00:02:52.520 --> 00:02:55.439 The free spirited congregation is also expecting high marks for 68 00:02:55.439 --> 00:02:58.280 how they aren't super judgy and didn't yell at Steve 69 00:02:58.319 --> 00:03:00.680 when he started sleeping with his father's wife because that 70 00:03:00.680 --> 00:03:01.080 would have. 71 00:03:01.039 --> 00:03:02.360 Been mean that. 72 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:05.919 I guess you could say we've got this, said gayis 73 00:03:05.960 --> 00:03:08.680 a church member who was also baptized by Paul. I 74 00:03:08.680 --> 00:03:11.120 think this letter is going to be a real morale booster. 75 00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:14.560 At publishing times, some members of the Corinthian Church were 76 00:03:14.639 --> 00:03:16.639 arguing that the letter must be a forgery because it 77 00:03:16.680 --> 00:03:17.319 was so rude. 78 00:03:17.560 --> 00:03:20.360 That's so good, that's so good. 79 00:03:20.479 --> 00:03:23.120 Everything that they were proud of. Remember, because he all 80 00:03:23.159 --> 00:03:25.479 through the Book of first and you're even proud of this, 81 00:03:25.879 --> 00:03:27.879 right right, And then he'd have to smack him down 82 00:03:27.919 --> 00:03:29.560 and then so that's what this. 83 00:03:29.479 --> 00:03:32.159 Whole lot article is about. So very funny. 84 00:03:33.240 --> 00:03:35.919 All right, Well, we're jumping into chapter four today, yeah, 85 00:03:36.080 --> 00:03:38.639 and talking about this idea of jars of clay, which 86 00:03:38.680 --> 00:03:44.520 is just a fantastic description quite honestly, of how Christians 87 00:03:44.960 --> 00:03:48.280 function and serve and how God intends to do his 88 00:03:48.400 --> 00:03:50.280 work even with imperfect vessels. 89 00:03:50.280 --> 00:03:51.039 So here we go. 90 00:03:51.080 --> 00:03:55.120 We're just going to read Second Corinthians chapter four. He says, Therefore, 91 00:03:55.280 --> 00:03:58.080 since God in his mercy has given us this new way, 92 00:03:58.280 --> 00:04:01.159 we never give up. We reject to all shameful deeds 93 00:04:01.199 --> 00:04:04.000 and underhanded methods. We don't try to trick anyone or 94 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:06.759 destroy their word of God. We tell the truth before God, 95 00:04:06.800 --> 00:04:09.639 and all who are honest know this. If the good 96 00:04:09.680 --> 00:04:12.080 news we preach is hidden behind a veil, it's hidden 97 00:04:12.120 --> 00:04:14.719 only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the 98 00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:17.040 god of this world, has blinded the minds of those 99 00:04:17.040 --> 00:04:19.839 who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious 100 00:04:19.879 --> 00:04:22.759 light of the good news. They don't understand this message 101 00:04:22.800 --> 00:04:24.920 about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness 102 00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:28.639 of God. You see, we don't go around preaching about ourselves. 103 00:04:28.639 --> 00:04:31.000 We preach that Jesus Christ is the Lord, and we 104 00:04:31.040 --> 00:04:34.000 ourselves are your servants for jesus sake. For God, who 105 00:04:34.040 --> 00:04:36.600 said let there be light in the darkness, has made 106 00:04:36.680 --> 00:04:38.720 this light shine in our hearts so we could know 107 00:04:38.759 --> 00:04:40.959 the glory of God that is seen in the face 108 00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:44.519 of Jesus Christ. We know we have this. We now 109 00:04:44.600 --> 00:04:47.560 have this light shining in our hearts. But we ourselves 110 00:04:47.560 --> 00:04:51.120 are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This 111 00:04:51.199 --> 00:04:53.720 makes it clear that our great power is from God, 112 00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:58.240 not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, 113 00:04:58.439 --> 00:05:01.839 but we're not crushed, replexed, but not driven to despair. 114 00:05:02.120 --> 00:05:05.480 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We're 115 00:05:05.560 --> 00:05:08.800 knocked down, but we're not destroyed through suffering. Our bodies 116 00:05:08.839 --> 00:05:11.079 continue to share in the death of Jesus so that 117 00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:13.879 the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. Yes, 118 00:05:14.120 --> 00:05:17.199 we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, 119 00:05:17.560 --> 00:05:19.639 so that the life of Jesus will be evident in 120 00:05:19.680 --> 00:05:23.000 our dying bodies. So we live in the face of death. 121 00:05:23.040 --> 00:05:26.480 But this has resulted in eternal life for you. But 122 00:05:26.519 --> 00:05:28.839 we continue to preach because we have the same kind 123 00:05:28.879 --> 00:05:31.319 of faith as Psalma said when he said, I believe 124 00:05:31.360 --> 00:05:33.879 in God, so I spoke. We know that God, who 125 00:05:33.959 --> 00:05:36.759 raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus 126 00:05:36.759 --> 00:05:39.360 and present us to himself together with you. All of 127 00:05:39.399 --> 00:05:42.439 this is for your benefit. And as God's grace reaches 128 00:05:42.480 --> 00:05:45.199 more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving and 129 00:05:45.279 --> 00:05:48.279 God will receive more and more glory. That is why 130 00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:50.600 we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our 131 00:05:50.600 --> 00:05:53.519 spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles 132 00:05:53.519 --> 00:05:56.560 are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce 133 00:05:56.639 --> 00:05:59.360 for us a glory that vastly outweigh them and will 134 00:05:59.399 --> 00:06:01.879 last forever. So we don't look at the troubles we 135 00:06:01.879 --> 00:06:04.560 can see now, rather we fix our gaze on things 136 00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:07.399 that cannot be seen. For the things we see now 137 00:06:07.480 --> 00:06:10.199 will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see 138 00:06:10.399 --> 00:06:11.319 will last forever. 139 00:06:12.120 --> 00:06:12.920 Yeah, there it is. 140 00:06:14.120 --> 00:06:17.439 So it is pretty wonderful that Paul is able to, 141 00:06:17.759 --> 00:06:20.759 you know, use visual aids because I'm a visual aid guy. 142 00:06:22.040 --> 00:06:26.360 I love visuals and I love the comparisons. And you know, 143 00:06:26.600 --> 00:06:29.759 yesterday we talked about the veil. Paul used that as 144 00:06:29.759 --> 00:06:32.839 an illustration, and he refers back to it as well. 145 00:06:33.519 --> 00:06:33.959 But then he. 146 00:06:33.959 --> 00:06:36.600 Also sort of, you know, launches right into this idea 147 00:06:36.600 --> 00:06:40.360 of like it's we're jars of clay, and it's actually 148 00:06:40.360 --> 00:06:44.079 not us that are important or valuable. In fact, we 149 00:06:44.120 --> 00:06:46.720 are nothing more than just you know, everybody knew jars. 150 00:06:46.839 --> 00:06:48.519 You know, we know what jars of clay are. You 151 00:06:48.759 --> 00:06:50.959 Clay's made from the ground, and you know, they're a 152 00:06:51.079 --> 00:06:54.560 dime a dozen, and they break easily, and they're worth 153 00:06:54.720 --> 00:06:57.160 really hardly anything, and they're really common. 154 00:06:57.480 --> 00:06:58.240 But it's what you. 155 00:06:58.240 --> 00:07:00.800 Put in the jars of clay that has the potential 156 00:07:00.839 --> 00:07:01.759 to be very precious. 157 00:07:01.800 --> 00:07:04.279 The value is what's inside. 158 00:07:03.920 --> 00:07:05.839 Right, what's inside, And that's that's what he's saying. 159 00:07:06.120 --> 00:07:08.480 So Jesus is in us, the light of God is 160 00:07:08.480 --> 00:07:11.040 in us, the Gospel is in us, the power. 161 00:07:10.759 --> 00:07:11.560 Of God is in us. 162 00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:15.480 And then Paul also makes reference again about not having 163 00:07:15.519 --> 00:07:19.040 to boast about himself that it sort of connects to 164 00:07:19.319 --> 00:07:19.800 that further. 165 00:07:20.079 --> 00:07:22.240 You know, like, we're not we don't need. 166 00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:24.720 Letters of recommendation, right, We're not talking about the power 167 00:07:24.720 --> 00:07:26.959 in ourselves. We do not have to boast about ourselves 168 00:07:27.079 --> 00:07:30.360 because Jesus Christ is the one who's the power in us. 169 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:31.800 So it's really cool. 170 00:07:32.519 --> 00:07:35.959 Yeah, And the jars of clay concept, what he's trying 171 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:40.040 to explain is he's trying to be humble. And I 172 00:07:40.079 --> 00:07:44.680 think that this is important recognizing that apart from the message, 173 00:07:45.240 --> 00:07:49.959 this valuable message that he's carrying, he's nothing, Right, I'm 174 00:07:50.040 --> 00:07:52.759 just a jar of clay, as are all of us. 175 00:07:54.120 --> 00:07:57.720 Our importance doesn't come from ourselves. It comes from the 176 00:07:57.800 --> 00:08:00.959 importance of the fact that God has chosen to give 177 00:08:01.040 --> 00:08:04.360 value to us, right, And so the value is in 178 00:08:04.439 --> 00:08:06.639 God and in his message, in the good News, in 179 00:08:06.680 --> 00:08:10.279 the Gospel, in this mission that he's on. And I 180 00:08:10.279 --> 00:08:12.600 think it's kind of a sweet way to say it 181 00:08:12.639 --> 00:08:15.839 that Hey, I'm not perfect. That's what he's saying I'm 182 00:08:15.839 --> 00:08:17.600 not perfect, and neither are any of the rest of us. 183 00:08:18.800 --> 00:08:23.000 So these imperfect people are carrying this perfect message of God. 184 00:08:23.480 --> 00:08:27.839 And you know, oftentimes we'll see Christian people that we 185 00:08:27.879 --> 00:08:31.519 look up to or that you know, should be people 186 00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:34.480 of integrity, who have they trip up, or they fail 187 00:08:34.600 --> 00:08:39.399 or they fall. And sometimes people are tempted to reject 188 00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:42.279 the treasure of God's good news because this jar of 189 00:08:42.320 --> 00:08:45.519 Clay broke right. And I just try to keep that 190 00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:48.440 in perspective that, hey, you know, people around me will 191 00:08:48.480 --> 00:08:51.600 send even people that I look up to, are imperfect, 192 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:55.600 but that doesn't minimize the value of the great message 193 00:08:55.600 --> 00:08:56.399 of the truth of Christ. 194 00:08:57.039 --> 00:08:57.279 Yeah. 195 00:08:57.799 --> 00:09:02.159 It also reminds me of how I remember when I 196 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:05.759 was learning how to preach, and I do mean learning right. 197 00:09:05.799 --> 00:09:08.120 You have to get a bunch of reps right when 198 00:09:08.159 --> 00:09:12.159 you speak, And there's that This isn't a quantity versus, 199 00:09:12.639 --> 00:09:15.480 you know, like like more versus and a message aren't better. 200 00:09:15.799 --> 00:09:17.320 It's not more spiritual. 201 00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:20.919 As long as as long as everything you say points 202 00:09:21.159 --> 00:09:24.679 toward whatever scripture you do use, right, Like in other words, 203 00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:26.840 you can you can do one verse and then spend 204 00:09:26.840 --> 00:09:28.679 thirty minutes applying that verse. 205 00:09:28.759 --> 00:09:31.559 Yeah, the idea is to expose the meaning of the Yeah, yeah, yeah, 206 00:09:31.840 --> 00:09:34.000 But as long as the I guess what I'm saying 207 00:09:34.039 --> 00:09:37.080 is as long as the focus is God's word, not 208 00:09:37.159 --> 00:09:37.600 our words. 209 00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:40.799 Right, So it's not about the quantity of verses that 210 00:09:40.840 --> 00:09:44.919 you use. However, I remember when I was actually starting 211 00:09:44.919 --> 00:09:47.519 out and I was speaking, I would I would actually 212 00:09:47.519 --> 00:09:49.159 just get up there and I would just talk about 213 00:09:49.240 --> 00:09:51.879 myself and and uh, you know, because I'm a good 214 00:09:51.879 --> 00:09:54.480 storyteller and I know that, and so I tell stories 215 00:09:54.519 --> 00:09:57.519 and I've got people laughing and rolling and things, and 216 00:09:57.559 --> 00:09:59.519 then I sort of sprinkle some verses in there, you know, 217 00:10:00.120 --> 00:10:02.879 and it's and it's and it's actually when you can 218 00:10:02.919 --> 00:10:06.200 sort of sniff out, like it doesn't really sound like 219 00:10:06.240 --> 00:10:07.919 that was the heart of the verse. It sounds like 220 00:10:07.919 --> 00:10:10.120 you wanted to tell your story and you found a 221 00:10:10.240 --> 00:10:14.240 verse to loosely connect to make your story like spiritual. 222 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:15.879 Which is the temptation for most speakers. 223 00:10:15.960 --> 00:10:16.159 Yeah. 224 00:10:16.240 --> 00:10:18.399 Yeah, And so that's what I sort of used to 225 00:10:18.440 --> 00:10:22.639 do early, very early on. And I remember my my pastor, 226 00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:26.559 who was very you know, he was he was he 227 00:10:26.639 --> 00:10:28.919 just had a mindset that was always harping on me 228 00:10:29.399 --> 00:10:32.320 and uh, and he and he said brother Chris, which 229 00:10:32.360 --> 00:10:35.799 I just cringe, cringe when I hear it. But he says, 230 00:10:35.799 --> 00:10:38.559 he goes, brother Chris, he goes. God promises to. 231 00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:40.440 Bless his words, not yours. 232 00:10:41.159 --> 00:10:41.679 That's true. 233 00:10:41.840 --> 00:10:44.759 And I remember thinking, oh, man, that's true. 234 00:10:45.000 --> 00:10:48.720 That is something that he has given me and all 235 00:10:48.799 --> 00:10:53.080 his goofiness. That's one treasure that I took away from 236 00:10:53.080 --> 00:10:56.519 thinking like yeah, oh my goodness, like. 237 00:10:55.720 --> 00:10:58.919 Like forever more. That's got to be the focus, right. 238 00:10:59.080 --> 00:10:59.279 Yeah. 239 00:10:59.519 --> 00:11:03.960 So again in Romans, I think Romans clarify so much 240 00:11:03.960 --> 00:11:07.279 of what he says in First and Second Corinthians. In Romans, 241 00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:10.240 Paul says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the 242 00:11:10.240 --> 00:11:13.120 word of God. But he says, how will they ever 243 00:11:13.200 --> 00:11:14.159 hear without a preacher? 244 00:11:14.679 --> 00:11:14.919 Right? 245 00:11:15.159 --> 00:11:18.960 So there is this need for, you know, people to 246 00:11:19.080 --> 00:11:21.000 share the gospel. When he's talking about preacher, he's not 247 00:11:21.039 --> 00:11:23.639 talking about the paid preachers. He's talking about people who 248 00:11:23.679 --> 00:11:26.759 are willing to declare God's words, right, Right. So that's anybody. 249 00:11:26.840 --> 00:11:28.919 That's the engineer at the office who's sharing his faith 250 00:11:28.960 --> 00:11:32.440 with his friend. That's the mom standing in line waiting 251 00:11:32.440 --> 00:11:34.240 for her kids to get out of school and sharing 252 00:11:34.279 --> 00:11:36.600 the Gospel with her friend, you know, one of the 253 00:11:36.600 --> 00:11:39.519 other moms in there. It's just it's every day people 254 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:43.480 declaring God's words. But he says faith comes by hearing, 255 00:11:43.519 --> 00:11:45.639 hearing by the word of God. They need to hear 256 00:11:45.720 --> 00:11:49.159 from a preacher. So one of the things I try 257 00:11:49.159 --> 00:11:52.759 to keep in mind is there's my words, There's God's words. 258 00:11:52.960 --> 00:11:55.240 God's words will always come back or will never come 259 00:11:55.279 --> 00:11:58.039 back void mind might right, right, right. 260 00:11:58.279 --> 00:11:59.840 So I want. 261 00:11:59.720 --> 00:12:02.600 To to make sure that we're you know what, in 262 00:12:02.679 --> 00:12:04.440 Hebrews it says that the word of God is quick 263 00:12:04.480 --> 00:12:07.039 and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword. So 264 00:12:07.320 --> 00:12:09.519 if I'm going to stick any any words in, let's 265 00:12:09.519 --> 00:12:11.840 go ahead and stick God's words in more than my words, right, 266 00:12:11.879 --> 00:12:14.200 and let them do the cutting. I don't want my 267 00:12:14.240 --> 00:12:16.000 words to do the cutting. I want God's words to 268 00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:18.159 do the cutting on people's hearts and lives. And there's 269 00:12:18.200 --> 00:12:22.720 that that really find balance. So that's the concept. Is 270 00:12:22.720 --> 00:12:27.799 is my words or God's words clay pot words, right, 271 00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:30.720 or the gold treasure of the words of God? 272 00:12:30.840 --> 00:12:31.399 Right now? 273 00:12:31.440 --> 00:12:34.279 We carry them. We carry the one in the other right, 274 00:12:34.399 --> 00:12:37.960 And that's the amazing thing that God has decided for 275 00:12:38.120 --> 00:12:42.000 you and for me and for every one of our listeners. 276 00:12:41.679 --> 00:12:47.240 He's entrusting the treasure of his words in clay pots 277 00:12:47.480 --> 00:12:50.720 like all of us. And that's what an incredible privilege. 278 00:12:50.879 --> 00:12:51.080 You know. 279 00:12:51.399 --> 00:12:53.360 I love the fact that you talked about how we're 280 00:12:53.399 --> 00:12:55.919 all preachers. You know, it's a great reminder for all 281 00:12:55.960 --> 00:12:58.960 of us, you know, to be reminded of that. Like 282 00:13:00.159 --> 00:13:02.799 as Paul is talking about us being clay pots and 283 00:13:02.840 --> 00:13:05.440 he's talking about the treasure that we hold, we have 284 00:13:05.480 --> 00:13:06.360 to understand that. 285 00:13:06.279 --> 00:13:08.360 We are all pastors. 286 00:13:08.399 --> 00:13:10.279 We are you know, the Bible talks about in the 287 00:13:10.279 --> 00:13:12.799 Old in the New Testament, the priesthood of all believers, 288 00:13:13.240 --> 00:13:16.399 how we are gifted. And so you know, we're we're gifted. 289 00:13:16.720 --> 00:13:20.200 And the word pastor is not just a title. It 290 00:13:20.279 --> 00:13:23.080 is actually referred to as a spiritual gift, you know, 291 00:13:23.159 --> 00:13:26.279 the one who cares. And and so there's teachers, pastors, 292 00:13:26.279 --> 00:13:29.440 there's all sorts of gifts, and yeah, sometimes they can 293 00:13:29.519 --> 00:13:32.960 be titles, but more importantly, they're given to the believers 294 00:13:33.519 --> 00:13:36.960 as spiritual gifts. And there are just some people who 295 00:13:37.000 --> 00:13:40.039 have the gifts of teaching. They just do and and 296 00:13:40.159 --> 00:13:43.559 uh and and they're found all over the place. In fact, uh, 297 00:13:43.679 --> 00:13:46.720 you know, just recently one of our one of our 298 00:13:46.759 --> 00:13:51.000 pastor's wives spoke at our in La City campus for 299 00:13:51.039 --> 00:13:53.759 the church that we attend, and uh, and I had 300 00:13:53.759 --> 00:13:57.600 never heard her and she actually hardly ever speaks, apparently 301 00:13:57.879 --> 00:13:58.679 I found out later. 302 00:13:59.519 --> 00:14:00.840 But uh, but I actually. 303 00:14:00.600 --> 00:14:02.480 Looked at one of our guys and I said, I 304 00:14:02.519 --> 00:14:03.519 think your wife has. 305 00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:06.360 The gift of teaching. Like she's unbelievable. I'm like, how 306 00:14:06.399 --> 00:14:09.120 often does she teach? She's like, well, she doesn't teach 307 00:14:09.159 --> 00:14:12.039 on stage, but she sure does teach a lot, you know, 308 00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:12.919 off the stage. 309 00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:13.679 Right. 310 00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:15.600 So, and that's sort of the picture, isn't it. The 311 00:14:15.639 --> 00:14:16.799 picture is that you don't have to be on a 312 00:14:16.799 --> 00:14:17.440 stage to teach. 313 00:14:17.519 --> 00:14:18.720 That's right. Yeah, that's right. 314 00:14:18.799 --> 00:14:19.399 That's really cool. 315 00:14:19.559 --> 00:14:21.159 You don't have to be on stage to worship. You 316 00:14:21.159 --> 00:14:22.679 don't have to be on stage to serve. 317 00:14:22.919 --> 00:14:23.120 Right. 318 00:14:23.279 --> 00:14:26.679 Sometimes we kind of in the format of how we 319 00:14:26.759 --> 00:14:30.600 do Western church services, it kind of elevates the people 320 00:14:30.639 --> 00:14:32.799 that are standing on stage. But when we read the 321 00:14:32.840 --> 00:14:35.799 words that Paul's writing here, he's either talking about himself 322 00:14:35.919 --> 00:14:38.960 or he's talking about the entire church, right, He's not 323 00:14:39.000 --> 00:14:42.559 talking about just those preachers. And so then I love 324 00:14:42.600 --> 00:14:44.519 it as you as you move in then of course, 325 00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:48.919 there's this awareness that we carry this gospel, that there's 326 00:14:48.960 --> 00:14:52.440 a cost to it, and so he says, you know, 327 00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:56.080 we're pressed on every side by troubles, but we're not crushed. 328 00:14:56.320 --> 00:14:58.679 And you read that those whole next couple of verses. 329 00:14:58.720 --> 00:15:00.879 He's talking about the struggles, but we're not going to 330 00:15:00.879 --> 00:15:03.279 be overcome by those struggles. And I think it's a 331 00:15:03.320 --> 00:15:05.320 good reminder for us, especially those of us that are 332 00:15:05.320 --> 00:15:07.600 listening here in the US. We have, you know, thousands 333 00:15:07.639 --> 00:15:10.080 of listeners around the world, but those of us that 334 00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:13.720 are in the US sometimes we can feel like, man, 335 00:15:13.759 --> 00:15:17.080 the world is changing very quickly, and where Christianity used 336 00:15:17.080 --> 00:15:20.279 to be kind of very much mainstream and totally accepted, 337 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:24.960 now you know, there's this warfare, quite honest, spiritual warfare 338 00:15:25.000 --> 00:15:27.960 that's going on between light and darkness in our nation, 339 00:15:28.120 --> 00:15:31.000 and we're feeling marginalized and we're starting to feel oppressed. 340 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:33.720 The difference between our oppression and Paul's was, you know, 341 00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:38.039 the difference between being physically beaten for Paul and us 342 00:15:38.120 --> 00:15:42.799 being maybe mocked or minimized or whatever. And so if 343 00:15:42.840 --> 00:15:45.840 Paul can say who eventually winds up losing his head 344 00:15:45.879 --> 00:15:47.840 for the gospel literally gets a head cut off. If 345 00:15:47.879 --> 00:15:50.360 Paul can say we're pressed on every side by troubles, 346 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:53.679 but we're not crushed. We're perplexed, but not driven to despair, 347 00:15:54.080 --> 00:15:55.759 then you should be encouraged and say you don't have 348 00:15:55.799 --> 00:15:58.759 to either. Maybe there's something bigger and maybe God has 349 00:15:58.799 --> 00:16:03.440 a bigger plan agenda for you than just the freedoms 350 00:16:03.480 --> 00:16:05.600 that we enjoy. I think you should be a good 351 00:16:05.639 --> 00:16:08.559 steward of those freedoms. I think that you should devote 352 00:16:08.600 --> 00:16:11.519 right and all those kinds of things. But the hope 353 00:16:11.559 --> 00:16:15.120 of the world is not the politics of the world. 354 00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:17.120 And so Paul wasn't getting sucked into those things, saying, hey, 355 00:16:17.159 --> 00:16:19.720 there are consequences us sharing the gospel. Okay, I'm not 356 00:16:19.759 --> 00:16:22.120 going to stop sharing the gospel just because people don't 357 00:16:22.200 --> 00:16:22.519 like it. 358 00:16:23.320 --> 00:16:24.799 Because he said, you know, these. 359 00:16:24.639 --> 00:16:28.080 People are captivated by the God of this world, right, 360 00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:29.879 and we shouldn't be surprised by that. 361 00:16:31.440 --> 00:16:32.759 I love verse sixteen. 362 00:16:32.879 --> 00:16:35.919 I actually just quoted this verse, and I didn't realize 363 00:16:35.960 --> 00:16:38.799 as we were reading this chapter today that this is 364 00:16:38.840 --> 00:16:41.720 where actually this was. I just remembered it. But verse 365 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:44.200 sixteen says this is why we never give up. Of course, 366 00:16:44.240 --> 00:16:47.679 I love those sentiments, but it says, though our bodies 367 00:16:47.720 --> 00:16:51.360 are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For 368 00:16:51.440 --> 00:16:55.039 our present troubles are small, won't last very long. And 369 00:16:55.120 --> 00:16:59.399 so I actually quoted that to somebody who is dying. 370 00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:03.519 And I actually just went to a home. Somebody had 371 00:17:03.639 --> 00:17:05.680 reached out to me and said, hey, I have somebody 372 00:17:05.720 --> 00:17:08.480 who's put on hospice and they want to know if 373 00:17:08.480 --> 00:17:10.400 you want to come or you know, actually we want 374 00:17:10.440 --> 00:17:11.559 to know if you would. 375 00:17:11.400 --> 00:17:12.480 Come and pray with them. 376 00:17:13.200 --> 00:17:14.279 And I didn't. 377 00:17:14.319 --> 00:17:16.839 I didn't really know them, but they knew me, and 378 00:17:17.160 --> 00:17:19.200 I was their pastor for you know, ten or twelve 379 00:17:19.279 --> 00:17:21.839 years or so, and so that was the request of 380 00:17:21.839 --> 00:17:23.839 the family, so they reached out to me. So anyway, 381 00:17:23.880 --> 00:17:26.160 I went there and it was just one of those things. 382 00:17:26.559 --> 00:17:28.279 This verse came out of my mouth and I quoted 383 00:17:28.279 --> 00:17:31.000 it because what I realized was, even though this person 384 00:17:31.119 --> 00:17:35.960 was very physically frail, one of the things that I 385 00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:39.720 always ask somebody who's on their deathbed, People say, well, 386 00:17:39.960 --> 00:17:40.440 what would you. 387 00:17:40.440 --> 00:17:44.119 Say to somebody? And I think that I think, for some. 388 00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:46.519 Reason, I feel like one of my jobs is to 389 00:17:46.559 --> 00:17:48.440 talk about the things that nobody wants to talk about, 390 00:17:48.680 --> 00:17:50.880 right that's that's the job of the preacher sometimes, right. 391 00:17:51.319 --> 00:17:53.119 And so I walked in and I just said, so, 392 00:17:53.200 --> 00:17:55.559 let me ask you this question. I said, are you scared? 393 00:17:56.559 --> 00:17:57.519 Are you scared of dying? 394 00:17:58.079 --> 00:17:58.920 And you know? 395 00:17:58.960 --> 00:18:00.799 And then they just talked to me. And sometimes they'll 396 00:18:00.839 --> 00:18:03.000 say things that the family will say later on. Man, 397 00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:05.599 they've never talked about that ever. I've never once in 398 00:18:05.640 --> 00:18:08.279 their entire lives heard them talk about that. But I 399 00:18:08.279 --> 00:18:10.880 looked at this particular woman and I said, are you scared? 400 00:18:11.400 --> 00:18:14.640 I mean, just without even batting and eye. Nope, not 401 00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:17.599