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As a church, we bring our people through the Bible and in our most recent series, we are in the book of Second Corinthians and today we are looking at Second Corinthians Chapter 4, passage that we have just read.

On social media this week, I read about some broken pieces of utensils, a cup, a plate, a bowl, very ordinary stuff you would say, but do you know how much this breakage costs? Those of you who are kay poh like me, reading social media, you will realize it is not just 77 cents, or $77 even, it is $77 million dollars, 77 US million dollars. That's a lot of money because these jars, plates, bowls are antiques in a Taiwan Museum.

Well, something closer to home, however, would be this pot that I hear people buy from NTUC. Costs about 100 plus dollars, and after vouchers, they paid 50 over dollars for it. But the problem is when they started using this pot for cooking, it split right into two.

Well, this morning, we are talking about pots and jars. The apostle Paul says in Second Corinthians Chapter 4, about jars of clay. He's talking about himself. He's talking about his fellow laborers. He's saying that we could be likened to jars of clay.

He says, but we have this treasure in jars of clay. Jars, pottery, they are something very fragile, vulnerable, easily broken, and Paul is saying, we are like these jars, we are weak and vulnerable, fragile and apart from the grace of God, we would have been broken.

And he says, we are jars of clay, cheap stuff, common stuff, accessible stuff, inexpensive stuff. He says we are jars of clay, not fine china, or expensive ivory, we're just ordinary, nothing special group of people.

So Paul is describing himself in his lowliness of mind. I'm just an humble vessel for God's use. So in effect, Paul here is saying we, the servants of God are weak and lowly. That's a surprise!

That's a paradox in many people's mind, because we would have assumed that if you serve the King of kings, the Lord of lords, if you're serving God, you should be someone who should be treated like a VIP. You should be treated like a dignitary.

For example, if you are the Ambassador of the United States of America, wherever you go, you expected to be treated very, very well. Because you come from a very big and powerful nation, you would expect to be driven in the best limousines, go to the finest restaurants, stay in the most posh of hotels, because you serve the United States of America.

But, Paul says, when I serve the Kingdom of God, I'm not a vessel of fine china or expensive ivory, I'm a jar of clay, weak, vulnerable, humble and lowly.

Why? I, I thought you should be impressive and well treated but humble and lowly - why? Paul says, we have this treasure in jars of clay, we are jars of clay. Why, so that we can show or God can show that the surpassing, the abundant, the exceeding, the beyond measure power belongs to God and not to us. In other words, he's saying that our weakness is meant to glorify God.

Now for those of you who have joined us in the earlier weeks, you will remember another picture Paul gives, the triumphal procession that the apostles, the servants together with Paul, they are like prisoners of war, they are captives. And they are pulled along in this parade, so that everyone looking at the captives would say, wow, look at our general, he is so powerful, he's so capable that he conquered these captives.

In other words, the captives in the parade, though humiliated, they serve a purpose to glorify the general. And Paul says we the servants of the Lord Jesus Christ are humbled to glorify Jesus.

So he repeats this paradox, this irony, this surprise by saying, it is through our humility, humiliation, suffering and weakness that God's surpassing power may be shown and manifested more clearly.

This is a brilliant answer to the false teachers. The false teachers in Corinth, they call themselves probably, the super apostles. They pride themselves in their eloquence, in their charisma, in their impressive force of personality. They pride themselves with letters of recommendation.

They say, We are somebody, we are the super apostles. Look at Paul, he's weak, look at Paul, his bodily presence is weak. His speech is contemptible, he does not speak well. He doesn't have any letters of recommendation from Jerusalem. Look at Paul, how can he be the real deal?

Paul's response is, that's exactly what makes me the real deal. I'm a jar of clay, I'm exactly how God intended to be, so that God may be more glorified through humble vessels like me. This is God's style.

Man, when we choose our representatives, we choose impressive people. God, He chooses lowly people. That's not just true for service, but true for salvation. Remember, in First Corinthians Chapter 1, we learned that a year plus ago, God chooses the foolish in the world to shame the wise. He chooses what is weak in the world to shame the strong, we like to choose the strong and the wise.

God's style is different. He chooses the weak, the foolish. He chooses the low and the despised. Why? Why? So that no human being might boast in the presence of God. God is jealous for His glory and He will not share it with another. That's who our God is.

So Paul, brilliantly, responds to the accusation of the false teachers, the undermining of the false teachers by saying, You say I'm weak, that's right, because that's exactly how God uses or chooses people He uses.

So why jars of clay? Why weak, vulnerable, suffering men? To serve King, the King of kings? Answer - to show the surpassing, exceeding, beyond measure power of God.

Now, how does the jar of clay show the power of God? What does it look like? I think in this text, looking at its entirety of Chapter 4, I would suggest a few things for you.

[1] The Power of God to Save

Number one, I think the jars of clay show the power of God, to save. Now we live in the day where we may idolize some preachers. Oh, if Pastor so and so preaches in our congregation, if Pastor so and so preaches in the rally, many people will be saved.

Now, I, I think God does use clear preaching with conviction. He does use that. But I think it's very different and there's a line between trusting in God through a man and trusting in man himself.

We live in a day where we think that the power to save resides in the eloquence and the oratorical skills of a preacher. Just get this preacher and more people will come to faith. Is that really so? That's why I think God delights to use someone who perhaps couldn't speak as eloquently as the super apostles, so that if people are saved and if people's lives are changed, the surpassing power cannot be attributed to men but to God alone.

Paul has been talking about the power of God to save. He says in Chapter 3 and verse 5, some come to life in the Gospel, and he says, however, we are not sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God. It is God who enables us in ministries. I, I'm nothing special, I'm just a jar of clay.

He repeats this idea of God being the One saving anybody or enabling anyone to be saved when he speaks in verse 16. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. You know, when people hear the Bible, Bible is not difficult, let me say this. Bible in a sense, it's not difficult, I think mathematics more difficult.

I dare not even look at my son's mathematics worksheets, now in secondary school, I kind of avoid it. I can still help in primary school, but secondary school, I fear, because it's difficult.

Bible, not difficult. But why people don't understand the Bible. You know why? Why people when you read them the Scriptures, they don't quite get it? Well, because there is a spiritual blinding.

The smartest guy can read the Bible and say, I don't see anything. Why? They're blinded. And that veil can only be removed not by a great preacher. It can only, only be removed by the Lord, who is the Spirit, only the Spirit of the Lord can do that.

And if there's any change in anybody's life, Paul says it's because that comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. In Gospel Light, we are very clear about our mission - leading generations into a life changing relationship with Jesus Christ.

But we are very clear we don't do the changing. We do the leading, we do the pointing, we lead you to the only One who can change you and that is God Himself, His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And it is the Spirit who must change lives.

I can't change my life. I definitely won't change your life. But I hope to point you to my Savior who can change your life. And so it is also Paul who said, It is God who shines in our hearts, just like in the days of Genesis. Let there be light, and there was light. Let there be light in our hearts and there was light and only God can call light out of darkness.

So over and over again, Paul is saying, you know why anybody is saved and why anybody is changed. It's not me, it's God! It's God, it's God, it's God! Therefore it's quite alright that I am a jar of clay, so that the surpassing power of God is shown and manifested so clearly, to belong to God, and not to us.

Now, I, I need to rush on, but I just want to clarify one thing which is often troubling for people and it is the word treasure. What is the treasure here referring to? Clearly not money, huh, clearly not jewels.

Uh, we got to understand the word treasure from the context, from the surrounding verses. And just a verse before this, we read about the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. So the treasure could refer to Jesus and how through Jesus, we know God, because Jesus is the perfect image of God, perfect representation of God. So the treasure may be the knowledge of God through Jesus Christ.

Or if you back up two more verses, in verse 4, it will be the Gospel of the glory of Christ. The word Gospel means the message, the Good News of Jesus Christ. Paul could say, The treasure is the knowledge of Christ. Or Paul could say, The treasure is the, the possession of the message, the knowledge of the message that tells us about Jesus Christ.

Or if you're not already confused, I confuse you some more. Backup three more verses to verse 1, it could also mean the ministry. So grammatically and contextually, we cannot be specific, and I think it's quite impossible to nail down exactly what Paul is saying when he says treasure. But I think any of these options would not be unreasonable.

We have this treasure, we know Christ, we have this treasure, we have the Gospel of Christ, we have this treasure, we have the ministry of the Gospel of Christ. It could all work. But I think regardless of which option you would take up, his point is very clear. If anybody is saved, it's because of the surpassing power of God.

And therefore, Paul was used by God, not because Paul was particularly eloquent or very special, but because of God Himself. And that means you and I, we can be used by God.

Now when I say anyone, I'm not saying people who are not Christians. When I say anyone, it means any of His children, His followers, God can use anyone, you do not need to be particularly eloquent. You do not need to be someone who must graduate from Bible seminary, you do not need to be someone who has memorized the whole Bible.

I hope you know the Bible, but it is not as if without these things, I cannot serve God, God can use anybody. God delights to use the weak, and the foolish to confound the strong and the wise.

I was talking to a brother this week. And he was telling me last Christmas, actually back it up a little bit more. Even before Christmas, he started to befriend the various workers, cleaners in his condo. So he would say hi, he will make friends with them, understand them, speak with them.

And then near Christmas, he asked for permission from the MCST to gather all these workers because he wants to give them all a little Christmas present. And so they gathered, they gave him permission they gathered together, he gave them the little gifts, nothing very much he said, but he gave them gifts. And he shared with them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And you know what, Christmas is coming soon. And he says he wants to do this again.

Little things by ordinary people. And it is perfectly wonderful and beautiful, because if anyone will receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the power does not belong to the jar of clay, but to God Himself.

Yesterday, many Gospelighters went out into the neighborhood, Block 121A, to deliver necessities to needy homes. Loved the fact that our people, every single one, recognize that we can do our little part to bring the message of the Gospel, or at least create or build bridges, so that subsequently the message of the Gospel, may arrive in their homes.

So we had some very famous people there. Mr. Teo Chee Hian was there. But the famous people is not him lah, it's elder Jeff. Okay, anyway. And we also meet with other members of the parliament. And it was a simple project, together with various grassroots organizations here in Singapore, er here in Punggol, religious organizations here in Punggol.

And together we as friends, now, we don't all believe the same things, of course. The Christian faith is very exclusive and unique. We are not confusing that. But we are saying, as neighbors, as friends, let's together help the needy in our community.

Our goal, of course, is not just to give the physical material goods. Our goal is to hope one day we will earn the right to share with them the treasure in our hearts, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And any single one of us can do that. You don't have to be Mr. Seminary to do that.

We are having opportunities coming up, Kids Bible Camp, that's soon, we are thankful. I think we have 190 plus children joining us in this camp. That's a lot of kids. And who will be the ones sharing the Gospel. Oh, Pastor so and so, Reverend.. No, no, no.

Simple people, some of our younger preachers; some of you, who are wives, and teachers, engineers, you will be serving, you will be a vessel, you will carry to these kids, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And if anyone, one day comes to faith, we love it because we know that the power belongs to God and not to us.

Not just our Kids Bible Camp, but we have our youth camp coming up as well. I'm excited for the young people who would come and explore the Christian faith together. And we are also going to have block visits to our neighbors again, inviting them for our Christmas outreach event on the 24th of December. That's open for one and all. And we do all that because we believe every single one of us can shine the light of the Gospel.

This coming Saturday, we are having a little evangelism training for some of our people in the discipleship ministry, and I'm thankful for that. I'm always excited to see and to know and to help people who want to learn how to share the Gospel. Because they are, they, they at least believe that sharing of the Gospel is not reserved only for pastors or preachers, but all of us have a ministry, to share the Gospel.

The Great Commission was given to the apostles. And the apostles say, and the apostles understand this is something they have to entrust to their disciples and to their disciples, and to their disciples, unto the end of the age. That means all of us, properly discipled, properly following the Scriptures, properly following the Great Commission, are to be Gospel ministers, all of us. And God uses ordinary people.

After the first service, I had a chat with a lady. And it was it was wonderful, because she tells me, her family came from China, and from Beijing, which is very strict about no religion. So she has, the entire family has been raised with such a psyche, such a mindset, no religion.

But now I tell you, both parents are godly people, I know them. I have prayed together with them, I speak with them. Her brother is a wonderful young man too in the faith, herself as well serving as one of our leaders. So how did they come to faith?

Well, she told me, on her way, on their way from China to Singapore years ago, in the airplane, a lady sat beside her mom and the lady shared the Gospel with her. Her mom got saved, father got saved, the children got saved. I don't know who the lady is, probably an ordinary jar of clay like all of us.

And God uses this simple lady, and brought this wonderful family to the faith and to godliness. The surpassing power belongs to God, and not those. What power does a lady have to change an entire family? Nothing, but God has. And that is the absolute delight.

So the false teachers, the super apostles say, you must be like us. Paul says, No, God loves to use jars of clay. So, why jars of clay? Why weak humble people? Very simple, so that the power belongs to God. What kind of power, the power of God to save.

[2] The Power Of God To Suffer

Secondly, I know my time is running out. So let me be faster, huh. Secondly, the power of God not just to save but the power of God to suffer. God wants to demonstrate His power through His people in their sufferings. He does not choose people who are invulnerable or invincible to pain, to be His servants. He uses fragile, easily broken people who will go through sufferings. Now let's listen to his logic.

We are afflicted in every way but not crushed, perplexed but not driven to despair, persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed. Clearly, he's saying, we go through a lot, but we are never at an utter loss. That's the idea, isn't it? We, very jialat, but not until we die. That's basically what he's saying.

So he says we are afflicted, the word afflicted means to be pressed, to be pressured, to be squeezed. Then he says, though we are pressured, squeezed, and so on, we are not crushed. The word crushed means to be squeezed till without space. So it's more intense, we are squeezed but not absolutely not out of space.

He says perplexed but not driven to despair. Now in English is not so interesting. But in the Greek it is very interesting. Because the Greek word for perplex is aporeō, and the word for despair is the word exaporeō. So you understand that, we are aporeō, but not exaporeō, which means we are at a loss but not at utter loss.

It's an intensifier, we are persecuted but not forsaken. We are struck down but we are not put out, we are not destroyed. Paul is saying, we go through such sufferings and we must get this idea, he is not saying that God somehow adjusts our sufferings, titrates our sufferings, so that is just nice enough for you to, I can tahan on my own, I can bear it on my own.

No, no, no, no, no, don't get him, get me wrong. He's saying, God puts us through such severe afflictions, we are afflicted in every way. And we are always carrying, we are put through such severe sufferings. And if not for the enabling of God, we would have been absolutely destroyed.

So the fact that we today can carry on in life and godliness and ministry is so that you may see, it is the life of Jesus manifested in us, we carry about this body of death, we, we go through these sufferings, so that you may see the supernatural outworking of God through my life.

If that is not clear, he repeats himself, for we who live are always given over to death for Jesus' sake. These sufferings are for the sake of Jesus, we follow in his footsteps. And when we go through the footsteps, and God enables us, God makes clear and evident the life of Jesus in us.

So in short, I would say their weakness and sufferings, that's the death of or given over to death, is to show God's power, the life of Jesus through them.

But that's not all, verse 12. So death is at work in us, but life in you. So what we go through as sufferings, death in us, is not just that Jesus' life will be manifested through me, but it will also result in blessings for you, life in you.

Remember, Chapter 1, Paul says, thanks be to God, because when I suffer, and when I'm afflicted, it is for your comfort. Look at that. He's saying, When I suffer, it is for your comfort, because whatever I suffer, and whatever comfort I then receive from the Lord, I can use that same comfort to comfort you.

So Paul is thinking, I'm a jar of clay, vulnerable, weak, filled with sufferings, so that the life of Jesus may shine through and that produces spiritual blessings for you.

So we suffer like weak vessels, Paul says, jars of clay so that God's power and life may be seen in us and that may also result in spiritual blessings for you.

So why jars of clay, why vessels of weakness and suffering, so that the power of God may be supremely manifested in the salvation of souls and in the endurance of saints as they suffer.

It has not been an easy two years for many people because of COVID. And I understand, and I visited some of our brethren who have been stricken with cancer, not an easy journey whatsoever.

But one of the delights of my ministry and my privilege to get to know some of them is I wish you would join me. Uh, I wish you would join me in speaking with these brothers and sisters in Christ, because when you hear them, you want to give thanks to God, because they're not complaining or murmuring as if God is unfaithful.

But I see evidences of joy in the midst of suffering. I see evidences of faith, I see evidences of hope. And you know, these are the fruit of the Spirit.

These characterize the Kingdom of God. See, God's plan is not necessarily to immunize all of us from sufferings in this world. They who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. We live in a sin fallen world, whole of creation is groaning you know that, Romans 8, we're all awaiting that day of deliverance when Jesus comes and ushers us into a painless, sorrowless, illness free, death-free eternity.

But before that, we have said this, future glory present sufferings. People like to swap that around, huh. Or people like to think that the future glory is already here as if we will never go through any, Paul says no.

We go through that and when I meet with these brethren who go through that what is really encouraging is to see the fruit of the Spirit in their lives. And we need to give thanks to God for that.

So often we are filled with failures and bad news but the Good News is life change. The beautiful things that glorify God, are these fruit, that the Spirit alone bears. So, Peter says, so that the tested genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

There's something beautiful in the robustness of faith in the child of God; you can put it through fierce fire, it comes out as gold. And that will bring glory to God when Jesus returns.

So, the power of God is seen through Paul's life, in the conversion of the people around him, the people he ministers to. No one would say Paul, you're such a great guy, no, what a great God.

God's power is seen in the way Paul endures sufferings and still lives for the glory of God. Wow, the power of God to enable this man, the life of Jesus we can see.

Lastly, I think in this text, it tells me the power of God for Paul to speak, that's found in verse 13. Since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what has been written, I believe, and so I spoke we also believe and so we also speak.

Paul here turns to Psalm 116, and verse 10. He's referring to David, David was stricken with illness, God delivered him. And David recognized it was God who healed him, God who delivered him. And so he spoke out of faith, trusting God, giving thanks to His Name.

And Paul now says in a similar vein, are the same spirit or attitude or faith, we believe in Jesus, so we must speak. In other words, Paul is saying, you cannot keep me down. Uh, you cannot tell me not to preach. You can persecute me, you can attack me, you can reject me, you can try to kill me but because of faith, this message is brimming, overflowing in my life.

What I believe, I will also speak, you cannot keep me down. That's what Paul is saying. And so he says, Actually, earlier on, we already had this same concept in Chapter 3, where he says, since we have such a hope, since we have such a confident expectation of the glory that is to come, we are very bold.

The word bold here is not being brave. The bold here is being unreserved in your speech, we freely and confidently preach.

So, why is Paul so bold, because he knows something. The power of faith in Him, the power of God to give him this faith, to say, knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into His presence. You can kill me, you can attack me, you can maim me, you can murder me. But it doesn't matter, because I believe Christ, or God will raise me together with you and appear before His presence.

This is serious stuff, folks. Christianity is not about coming to church service on Sunday. Wow, very heavy rain ah, cannot go church ah. I'm going to die. Or I may die, but doesn't matter. I have the same spirit of faith and so I will speak. You can kill me for all you want, but I will still preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

And then he says, this is all for your good, for it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people, it may increase thanksgiving to the glory of God. The reason why I will speak, not only because I'm confident God will deliver me should I be killed? I'm going to be transformed, I'm going to be resurrected to eternal glory anyway, no problem.

But besides that, I preach because I know as more people hear the Gospel, more will be saved, more will give thanks and more will give glory to God, I serve for the greater glory of God. That's why I do what I do.

So we do not lose heart. We are not timid, we are not weakened, we will not fall back. And that brings us full circle to verse 1 where it says, therefore having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.

We do not lose heart in the ministry because we receive mercy to serve. We do not lose heart in the ministry because we have a majestic ministry, predicated on the New Covenant promises. We do not lose heart because multitudes would come to faith, and glory would turn to our God.

So, why jars of clay this morning, so that the power of God may be very clear. The power of God to save, and I hope today, Gospel Lighters, you will not say, I'm just a church attendee, I'm a retiree, I'm just a housewife, I do not know what to do in a church. I do not know how to serve God.

I say, please don't give yourself the excuse. God is not looking for fine china. God is not looking for expensive ivory, God is looking for jars of clay, full stop. He can use you, He wants to use you. Would you do that? So that as people receive the word from you, we all know that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

Why jars of clay, so that the power of God to enable His saints to suffer may be clear. You may be going through hardship, pains and sufferings, but God never wastes His pain. God is not forgetful, He's not neglectful. There is a purpose, why He goes, allows you to go through sufferings.

Many reasons in the Bible. But today we see one of the reasons, so that as we suffer well, glory goes to Him. And if you are a child of God, you are happy, that you can be counted worthy to suffer for His namesake. And the jars of clay, tells us that it is God's power to enable us to speak, to have that confidence in Him come what may, even if it costs my life, we will speak of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Before I end, I have a treasure for you. I'm a jar of clay, but I have a treasure for you. If you're new with us, first time with us, I say I have a wonderful treasure, all this world can never buy.

I have a wonderful treasure that even if you give up the whole world, you can never really exchange it for. The treasure is this ministry of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I was given this treasure 20 over years ago, it changed my life. It is still changing my life.

It has secured for me a glorious hope of eternal life, forgiveness of sins. And I hope that one day you will also receive this treasure. This treasure is the knowledge of God through Jesus Christ. This treasure is about how Jesus, God's Son came to die and to save you from your sins.

I hope you will receive this. I'm, I'm just a jar of clay and no glory to this man. But I hope you will be saved. And I hope Gospelighters, we will be praying for people to be saved. And I hope this church for many years and generations to come, would labor in such a way that all glory goes to Him.

I pray many of you will receive this gift. And I pray this church would say together with John the Baptist, as we always say, let Christ increase and may we decrease, we must decrease. The surpassing power of God. I will not share My glory with another, God says. Let's be a church like that. Let's bow for a word of prayer together.

Father, we thank You this morning for Your Word. So often we hide behind excuses and maybe deceptions that think that we must be somebody before we can serve You.

Thank You for the tremendous encouragement today, we are simply jars of clay. Oh yes we need to be a people who study Your Scriptures, who know the Gospel, who are familiar with truth. But, at the same time, we are tremendously encouraged, we do not really need to be the somebodies of this world's status.

But thank You we can simply be a witness. We can simply be that messenger and I pray Gospelighters today would pray to You and ask You to equip them, to enable them, to be that simple, but effective Gospel witness, to be that simple and effective jar of clay, to carry this treasure to many more lives.

I pray again for those who are going through hardships, that dear God, You will continue to grant Your enabling grace, so that as they carry the death of Jesus in their bodies, they will also manifest the life of Jesus. May joy, faith, hope, beautifully blossom in them so that when people look at their lives, huh, they can't but help, can't help but give glory alone to You.

May we be a church that will be fearless and unyielding and uncompromising in preaching the truth of the Bible. May we be willing, even to pay the price, because we have this firm and clear hope that You will raise us up one day in the presence of God.

Father, we pray for the treasure of the Gospel to be received by many hearts this morning. Be gracious to save. And if anybody is saved like that family on the airplane, we know then all glory is Yours alone. Thank You. We pray all this in Jesus Name. Amen.

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