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Title: We have a valuable Treasure
Text: 2 Corinthians 4:7
If you use a cooking oil bottle when the oil is spent or finished, you can throw it away for recycle. When it is full you keep the bottle carefully
The value of a drink or cooking is not in the empty bottle, but it is in the contents, though the bottle helps it to be sellable. If you find the spilled oil on the ground, you can not use it. You can not drink a juice that is spilled on the ground. You need also need a clean and empty container.
The treasure that we have is not only in Apostles, and e.t.c. but it is in all true believers. We have the treasure of divine light, love, glory in earthen vessels. The treasure is in frail vessels. Every believer is a simple jar of clay. It can easily be broken.
It is the treasure that is within the jar that gives the vessel its value
Jar can be broken; but do not despise it when you see it down; its going through a process of purification to be usable once again. When you see someone down, please know that they are down but not out. They are a container to a valuable treasure.
David says Psalms 139:14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
Do not despise yourself; don’t look down upon yourself because you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You have got a treasure. You are indeed a valuable vessel of the Lord with a valuable treasure
In 2 Timothy 2:20 Paul says, But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
When God called Paul in Acts 9:15-16 he was already a vessel. He moved him from a murder to a valuable vessel. Glory be Jesus who is not a respecter of persons. Acts 9:15-16 15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake
The important thing about a vessel is that it should be clean, empty and available for service for it be usable.
Each of us must seek to be a vessel of honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work, according to 2 Timothy 2:21 which says, Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. 22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.
We are earthen vessels so that we might depend on God.
So that we focus on the treasure and not the vessel.
What is very important to note is that whenever we guard the treasure; we also guard the vessel. I would like encourage to guard the treasure of God in you. The Holy Spirit.
In 1 Corinthians 6:19 Paul says; Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.
Sometimes in our journey of life God permits trials, but he permits them God controls trials. God uses trials for His glory. Just like an empty bottle or plastic that is thrown away after use. It is thrown away in a gabbage bin because it is nolonger of good for use. It needs to go through a recycle process so that it can be used again for a better purpose.
I noted that most God’s giants had been weak men who did great things for God because they relied on Him being their strength. I can pick for example David. He did start as a star.
Sometimes God allows the vessels to be jarred/broken so that some the treasure will spill out and enrich others. I am telling you, your testimony is going to strengthen others.
In this theme verse there are important clues/paradoxes to take note of:
Earthen vessel; (Easy broken - This is a metaphor and it reflects our human bodies)
The Treasure in our hearts; (This is a metaphor to reflect the presence of Jesus, the Holy Spirit and The word of God)
The Power of God
When you see a container thrown somewhere in the street it is not good for use until it taken back for a recycle process with some specialist and cleaned after the cycling processes. Then that container truly is ready for use.
Let take plastics for example when they go for recycling process. They die to self. They are cleaned, molded and re-identified and then they are ready for use for a particular purpose.
The process that a vessel goes through when it’s being made/processes, is very rigorous. It is thorough. The stresses; the struggles; the pain that it faces are not imaginable for it to become good for use.
All of this happen in preparation for use. For it to be able contain and carry the valuable treasure that it has, it should go through all those rigorous processes.
Brethren it is very important to remain hopeful whilst we are going through many trials
How can we keep from giving up?
Ladies and gentlemen, lets have hope.
Hope does not disappoint
Joy, like any other attitude, can come and go. But Hope is a wonderful gift from God. Because Hope will bring you joy when you think there is no joy! Hope will help you to see the light in the darkness!
Sometimes we go through some staff that is challenging and inductively force us to lose hope
May the Lord help us to have hope in the midst of trials and storms; because hope will stand the test of time. Hope refuses to be discouraged. Storms will blow in and out of our lives but it is important to keep our hope. Brethren hope does not disappoint. Hope refreshes Isaiah 40:31
We must put ourselves in the places of hope where experiencing joy is a possibility.
Weeping May endure for a night but joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5 5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.
When Paul and Silas were in prison, they found there joy in prayer and praise. The bible say at midnight Paul and Silas started prayer and praising and all doors where opened. All chains were released.
When we are trapped in a tunnel of misery, hope points to the light at the end of the tunnel.
When we are overworked and exhausted, hope gives us a fresh energy.
When we are discouraged, hope lifts our spirits.
When we are tempted to quit, hope keeps us going.
When we lose our way and confusion blurs the destination, hope dulls the edge of panic.
When we struggle with disease or a lingering illness, hope helps us persevere beyond the pain.
Romans 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
When we fear the worst, hope brings reminders that God is Still in control.
When we find ourselves unemployed, hope tells us we still have a future.
When we are forced to sit back and wait, hope gives us the patience to trust.
When we feel rejected and abandoned, hope reminds us we’re not alone, God is with us through the Holy Spirit and we’ll make it.
When life hurts and dreams fade, nothing helps like hope
Hope gets us beyond grief.
Hope is different from a wish because a wish brings a flickering glimpse of joy but Hope brings full joy. Yes, it is good to wish but it is not good enough than it is to pure hope.
We have got hope like our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who rose again on the third day after His crucifixion and painful death on the cross. Death could not hold him down not even an inch
Hope does not disappoint. It gives breakthroughs. It adds to life.
Please note a ministry or life that costs nothing accomplishes nothing
The test of a true ministry is not stars but scars. The test of life is not stars but scars.
You hear Paul in Galatians 6:17 saying, From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
We should remember that we are privileged to have the treasure of the Gospel in our vessels of clay. Glory be Jesus.
Have Faith and Believe in our Lord Jesus Christ God through it all.
Be Focused: Be focused like Eagles…. When eagles fly and sore in storms, they don’t put their mind on the storm; but they decisvely put all their mind and eyes on target.
In fact eagles use less energy in storms to carry them. The momentum in each storms carries them whilst they going to their pursue target without delay.
We should have that Courage to know that we are overcomers. When the situation is telling us otherwise, just know that God is with you. You are an overcomer Rom 8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Jesus is indeed our Source of strength: Knowing that the power is his and not ours. This should keep us from pride and motivate us to keep daily contact with God our source of strength
God bless you. Stay safe. Hoping to meet you soon
Ps L T Mukumba