Jars of Clay

Sunday, August 9th-Morning Service

Speaker: Clint Woolsey

"Jars of Clay"

Frogs in Cream

Two frogs fell into a can of cream,

Or so I’ve heard it told;

The sides of the can were shiny and steep,

The cream was deep and cold.

“Oh, what’s the use?” croaked Number 1,

“Tis fate; no help’s around,

Goodbye, my friends!  Goodbye, sad world!”

And, weeping still, he drowned.

But Number 2, of sterner stuff,

Dog-paddled in surprise,

The while he wiped his creamy face

And dried his creamy eyes.

“I’ll swim awhile, at least,” he said,

Or so I’ve heard he said;

“It really wouldn’t help the world

If one more frog were dead.”

An hour or two he kicked and swam,

Not once he stopped to mutter;

But kicked and kicked and swam and kicked,

Then hopped out, via butter!

Have you been drowning in your circumstances?

You feel like you have been left for dead?

It is easy to let our situation control our lives, but as Christians we need to realize our purpose.

When life on this earth gets us down; we need to remember what lies in store for us!

2 Corinthians 4 (New King James Version)

The Light of Christ’s Gospel

 1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.

As Christians we should not get discouraged too easily.

If we are doing what God has called us to, then we will reap a harvest when the time is right.

            Galatians 6:9 (New King James Version)  

            9 And let us not grow weary while doing good,  for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

We need to be careful of the example we set for others in the way we live our day to day lives.

People are watching us whether we like it or not.

They are watching to see how we conduct ourselves in various situations.

We have been to our whole lives that “we shouldn’t care what other people think”…well that is true to the degree that as long as we are living HOLY CHRISTIAN LIVES we shouln’t care what they think.

3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,

4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

To those who are not Christians the Word of God is just another book.

The Holy Spirit does not dwell within them so their minds have been veiled…they don’t see what we as Christians see.

5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.

Let me repeat that…

5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord…

When you tell someone your testimony, when you talk about the time you were healed, or the time you were spared from that accident…

REMEMBER WHOM YOU ARE PREACHING ABOUT…

You are talking about CHRIST JESUS THE LORD!

We need to get excited about what God does for us and we should want to tell everyone we meet!

Not so people can say “YOU sure were lucky!” or “You must have had a good doctor!”

NO!  When you tell people what God has done for you, you should tell them in such a way that they say “YOU SERVE AN AWESOME GOD!”

Then you can tell them how your God can become their God!

6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

The light of Christ should radiate out of our being.

Every word we speak, every move we make, every breath we breathe should glorify Jesus Christ!

Cast Down but Unconquered

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

You see, these earthly bodies have limitations.

They get struck down with sickness and disease.

They wear out and get old.

But we have a treasure in these old bodies in that the God in the form of the Holy Spirit can come and reside within us!

Through God we can overcome these limitations!

While these bodies may still grow old and still get sick we know that if God lives within our heart our soul will live forever with Him in Heaven!

What a glorious thought!

What a blessing to know that as Christians we don’t have to focus on the limitations of our “earthly vessels” but we can focus on our eternal souls!

This life isn’t easy!

Sometimes things come upon that we think we just cannot handle, but that’s when we can remind ourselves of what Paul wrote in the book of Romans:

            Romans 8:18 (New King James Version)

                18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

This world may chew you up and spit you out, but if Jesus Christ lives in your heart THIS WORLD CANNOT DESTROY YOU!

8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—

If Jesus Christ is your Savior you don’t have to worry!

You may feel the walls crumbling around you, but know that you will NOT be crushed!

You may not understand your circumstance, but know that God has everything in His hands!

You may be made fun of, mocked, or laughed at, but know that God will NEVER leave you!

You may be brought down to your knees and everything you have be taken from you, but know that by the grace of God YOU WILL NOT BE DESTROYED!

Those few verses should have us shouting GLORY TO GOD!

Although everything in our lives may be falling apart GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE and He will always be faithful!

HALLELUJAH!

Skip down to verse 16

Seeing the Invisible  

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

Church do not lose heart!

You may be sick, you may be tired, but know that God can renew your soul day by day!

Like the old hymns goes…

Great is Thy faithfulness,

Great is Thy faithfulness,

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided-

Great is Thy faithfulness,

Lord, unto me!

Oh what comfort and peace the words of that song bring to ones heart!

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

The worst disease this world has to give is but a “light affliction” in the eyes of God!

It is just a temporary thing!

Anything we have to suffer here does not compare to the glory that awaits us as Christians on the other side!

Our lives are short even when we live what “earthlings” call long lives!

The Bible tells us that our lives are but a vapor.  Here one moment and gone the next!

We should not focus on the things which are temporary, but we should concern ourselves with the things that are eternal!

So how is your soul this morning?

Are you good with God?

Which frog are you?

Are you ready to give up and die or are you going to go for a swim?

Do you live your life defeated by this world or do you have VICTORY  because Jesus Christ lives in your soul?

Let’s Pray…