This morning, if you will, I'd
like for you to turn with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 4. When you've found your place
there, just put a marker or leave your Bible open to it. I have
some things that I'd like to say. The text is pretty much
self-explanatory. If you noticed in the epistles,
and I pointed that out last night with the therefore, this also
has some therefores in it. And so do all the epistles. And
so that Paul is building up to something, and then he states
it, and then he builds some more, and then he makes another statement.
So the statement does very little good unless you go back and kind
of see what he said before. I titled the message this morning,
Treasure in a Clay Pot. That's Paul's subject in 2 Corinthians
chapter 4. We've been going verse by verse
at home through these two letters that Paul wrote to the Corinthians,
and I'm persuaded that religion in general has totally missed
the message of these books. now i know that he speaks on
marriage and that he speaks on their misuse of the ordinances
and he speaks on a lot of different things the church was full of
problems but his subject throughout both epistles is the preeminence
of gospel preaching in the church he just keeps hammering on it
he spent in his first letter the first four chapters just
hammering on this thing of the preaching of the gospel, showing
to us that it's the very will of God that this be done. Now the apostle Paul taught in
the church at Corinth for nearly two years, during which time
many of the Jews and Gentiles were converted, and a small church
was formed there in Corinth. And then Paul left sometime,
some writers say he was there about a year and a half, others
say he was there a little bit longer, almost two years, But
after that time, Paul sailed to Syria, and while he was away,
false teachers crept in and began to cause all sorts of problems. They taught false doctrine. They
taught and promoted unscriptural practices in the church. And
the church fell into all kinds of divisions and factions and
misuse of the gifts and all of these other things. All kinds
of problems arose because the gospel was swept under the rug. It was swept under the rug. And
you mark it down where the gospel does not take preeminence in
the church, that church will begin to degrade. It'll start
going downhill. And it'll be filled with trouble
and dissension. The business This is what I want
to do and by doing this I'm hoping to encourage these two ministers
that are here this morning and to encourage myself and for you. But the business of the church
is preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. That's the business.
We used to periodically have Wednesday night business meetings.
Some of you who were in religion know what that was all about.
We discussed the old business which we didn't have any business
doing this business but we'd discuss it and then we'd discuss
the new business and then we'd vote on it. Whether we should
go this way or that way or do this or do that. And we called
that a business meeting. Later on I learned that the church
just has one business. It's old business ought to be
the same as it's new business. We just have one business and
that's the preaching of the gospel. If you do that, And you're faithful
to do that. You won't have to worry about
the harmony in the church, and you won't have to worry about
dissension, and you won't have to worry about marriages going
sour or anything else. You do this, you be faithful.
This is the only thing that's gonna change anything. For men
to hear from God. The church, the Bible said, is
the pillar and ground of the truth. And that truth emanates
from the person and work of Jesus Christ. You know what he said
to his disciples? I am the truth. You want to know
the truth? Study me. I am the truth. And the Holy Spirit is called
the spirit of truth. You know, we talk much, your
pastor prayed here a little while, that the spirit of God be with
us. Well, this spirit is called the
spirit of truth because his work in this world is to take the
things of Christ and show them unto you. That's why he's called
the spirit of Christ. When he's come, he don't speak
of himself. I hear people on the radio and
TV and they're talking about the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Spirit. When a man does that, he don't
know the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will not speak
of himself, but he'll take the things of mine, Christ said,
and he'll reveal them to you. And he'll convince you of them.
He's the Spirit of Christ. And there's nothing more important
to your soul or to the welfare of your children than the preaching
of the gospel of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer. Nothing
more important. It may not please them who have
itching ears, They've got an itch that needs
scratched, and the gospel's not it. It may not please your children. It may not. You might bring them
a nice quirm, and they don't want to sit still, and they don't
want to hear, and especially they get up to that teenage years,
and they just don't understand why they still have to go. We've
already heard everything you had to say, and I just don't
see why we have to go. Why don't you let us stay home? May not please your children,
and it certainly will not please the multitudes. But it pleased
God, and that's what the Bible said, through the foolishness
of preaching, to save them that believe. And the harmony of the
church must be maintained around gospel truth. This is what was
going on in Corinth. They wanted to introduce some
things in order to have a little more harmony and a little less
discord. They wanted to enter, if you
have harmony in a church, it's gonna have to be around the truth,
or it's not harmony. Our Lord turned to the Jews who
were converted, and he said, if you continue in my doctrine,
then are you my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth,
and the truth shall set you free. In 2 Corinthians chapter three
and verse 17, Paul said, The Lord is that spirit. The Lord
is that spirit. And where the spirit of the Lord
is, there's liberty. That is, the veil's been lifted.
The veil's been lifted. And with open face, you behold
as in a glass the glory of the Lord, and you're changed into
that same image from glory to glory by the spirit of the Lord. Now, before I get to my text,
I think it might be profitable establish at least this fact
you know the world's ignorant of gospel facts totally ignorant
lots of times I'll talk to somebody and they will have heard a message
or heard a part of a message or read a part of something that
I said and they'll begin to talk about election well I've never
heard such a thing never heard such a thing I don't doubt it
I didn't either when I was in religion Never did. This world's
ignorant of the facts of the gospel. And at the top of the
list, and this is all I have time for this morning, is the
fact of sin. The Apostle Paul paints a dark
picture of man. He tells us before he gets to
this text in four words what commentators have written volumes
about and still have not totally said everything that needs to
be said. Paul summed it up into four words. In Adam, all die. All die. In Christ, he said,
shall all be made alive. If Christ be not risen, our preaching's
in vain. It was the gift of the ascended
Christ. Your faith is vain, and we're yet in our sins. Every
single argument that I've ever heard or read by those who despise
the gospel is based on the assumption that man is not fallen, depraved,
and spiritually dead. Once that fact is established,
all those other arguments disappear. They all disappear. That's why
religious men think election is so unfair. They see election
as a doctrine that skips over some who otherwise might believe,
who otherwise would have desired salvation, but they can't have
it because election has eliminated them. That's not election. When you see man as he truly
is, a God-hating rebel, a sinner, through and through, a man swallowed
up by sin, a helpless, hopeless sinner, all of a sudden election
becomes an open door. No other way out. If God had
not reserved to himself a remnant, we'd be like Sodom and Gomorrah.
We'd just be ashes. That's all that would be left.
Well, apart from this knowledge of sin, election seems a little
unfair, don't it? Men are depraved, that's a fact. One of the greatest evidences
of man's depravity is his utter ignorance of it. Our Lord began
to talk to the Pharisees and tell them something about their
depravity, and they said, whoa, now, wait a minute, wait a minute,
we may not be born of fornication, not what they would see david
said he come for from the world speak a lot men and women are ignorant of
their depravity because it's all they've ever known all they've
ever known they were born that way they've never known anything
else one man said to me he said I've been to several churches
and I'm telling you right now I'm as good as any preacher I've
ever met I have no doubt No doubt about it. But let me tell you
something, that's like one maggot comparing himself to another
one. That's what that is. If you're gonna know your depravity,
you're gonna have to find the source. You're gonna have to
get out of this shell and look elsewhere to find your depravity. You have to go outside the source
to know it. Well, if the whole world lies
in wickedness, where can we go? Where can we go? Here's where you go. The infallible
testimony of God. By the offense of one judgment
came upon all men the condemnation. That's what God said. By one
man's sin entered into the world and death by sin and so death
passed upon all men for that all had sinned. By one man's
disobedience many were made sinners. In Romans chapter three, Paul
proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that both Jew and Gentile are
all understand under the judgment of it, the power of it, the influence
of it, the ignorance of it, and the deception of it, so that
even those who had the greatest advantage, that's how he begins
chapter three. He said so that even those who
had the greatest advantage were no better than those who had
none. Why? Why? Because, he said, I had before
proved that both Jew and Gentile are all under sin. Destruction
and misery is in their ways. The way of peace they've not
known. No fear of God before their eyes. Walking in darkness
and in the vanity of their minds, foiled by philosophy and vain
principalities, worldly principalities and powers, vain deceit, following
after ways that seem right unto them. Walking after the course
of this world in the prince of the power of the air, ignoring,
ignoring their own consciences until they become seared as with
a hot iron. Seeking rest on a bed too short
to lie on and trying to cover up with a blanket that's too
short. and leaves them exposed. Man is dead in trespasses and
sins. Man's depravity is a fact recorded
in the Word of God, and if you say you have no sin, you deceive
yourselves, and the truth is not in you. And if you say we
have not sinned, you've made God a liar. He said that's all
you are, sin. But if you really want to understand
depravity, look at how men treated the spotless, sinless Lord of
glory. Oh, my soul. He said, this is
the condemnation. You want to know what it is?
Here it is. Light came into the world and men loved darkness
rather than light. This place ought to be packed
wall to wall this morning. You know why it's not? Men love
darkness rather than light. That's exactly right. Now, I
said all that to say this. You're not gonna buttonhole a
man by the back door and argue him into the kingdom of God.
Man's dead, he's dead. You know, that thought never
arose in Ezekiel's mind when God said, what do you see out
there, Ezekiel? All I see is bones. Far as he could see, nothing
but bones. Wasn't any of them out there
still had flesh on them? Wasn't any of them out there
still wiggling around? Wasn't any of them out there
gasping for breath so that he might run out and revive him?
All he saw was bones, just bones, dead men's bones. Flesh, corrupted,
gone, blown away by the wind. If you're not gonna take a man
and feed him a little medicine and a milk and bring him back
to life, Nothing less than the powerful
working of the Spirit of God can do any man any good. If God
don't show up, if God doesn't accompany what I'm telling you
this morning, it's just gonna fall on the ground. It's just
words going out into the air. Except to be born again, you
cannot, cannot perceive the kingdom of God. And the Spirit of the
living God works in conjunction with the preaching of the gospel. This is what Paul's hammering
home to this church. He just keeps hammering home.
The only thing that can do a dead man any good is for the Spirit
of Christ to breathe life into his soul, to reveal to him the
things of Christ, to turn him from his ways and cause him to
look to the Lord Jesus Christ. Preachers can't do that. Takes
the Holy Spirit of God. But the Holy Spirit of God is
pleased to work in conjunction with the preacher. Else, why
would we run? I'd be like Moses when God told
him to go down to Egypt. He said, I don't want to go down
there. And the Lord said, Moses. He said, I never intended for
you to go alone. Surely I go with you. Surely
I go with you. 2 Corinthians 3, verses 5 and 6. Listen to this. Paul said, not
that we are sufficient of ourselves. You're not. You're not. I expect Don's been studying
close to 50 years now. Studying the things of God, looking
into the things. You're not sufficient for these
things. And I've known Larry for 30 years.
And I know he loves Christ. You're not sufficient for these
things. And I'm not either. And this was the Apostle Paul. This is a man through which God
wrote half the New Testament. And Paul said not that we are
sufficient of ourselves. Now listen to this. To think
anything of ourselves. but our sufficiency is of God. Now listen, who also hath made
us able ministers of the new covenant. Not of the letter,
but of the spirit, for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth
life. Able ministers of the new covenant. Able to open heavenly mysteries. Mysteries that the eye hath not
seen, ear hath not heard, neither have entered into the heart of
man. Never has. Never has. Able ministers of
the new covenant, able to open heavenly mysteries, able to cast
down imaginations, able to tear down strongholds, His ministers,
now listen to me, exceed the limitations of a man because
his ministers are accompanied with the Holy Spirit of God.
Ain't no way you can do what you do except the Spirit of God
accompany you. Nothing's gonna happen. Nothing's
gonna happen. Oh, we might impress somebody
with our clever ideas and things. Lots of ministers do. Cathedrals,
you can't even get the people all in them. But nothing spiritual's
gonna happen. No life's gonna be given. No
turn's gonna be made. Now listen to our text. I said
all that to say this. Therefore, seeing we have this
ministry, oh my soul, this ministry, this powerful, effectual, victorious
ministry. As we have received mercy, we
faint not. But we've renounced the hidden
things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness nor handling the
word of God deceitfully, not playing religious games. Oh,
with every eye closed and every head bowed. Would you raise your hand need
somebody to pray. I see that hand. I opened my
eyes and looked one time. I was just a little kid and didn't
know any better. I opened my eyes and looked around. There
wasn't no hand. That preacher was lying through his teeth.
I see that hand. I see that one. I'm looking around. Ain't nobody raising their hand.
That's religious games. Trying to get you down an aisle.
Well, when you get here, there's nothing up here but a flower
pot. Not going to do you any good. Not going to do you any
good to come up here. You're gonna have to get to Christ.
That's where you're gonna have to go. Not handling, not playing religious
games, not compromising the character of the living God to fill up
Jews. Not handling the word of God
deceitfully, snatching a little piece here and there. Henry said
one time, you can make the Bible say anything you want to. Judas
went out and hanged himself. Go ye and do likewise. You can take bits and pieces
and make the Bible say anything. It's not God's will for the innocent
to perish. Well, if it ain't, nobody's gonna
perish, because he's gonna do his will. But that's not what
that verse says. Paul said, we're not doing that
anymore. We've renounced those things. We know better than that.
But here it is. Now listen to this. But by manifestation
of the truth, commending ourselves unto every man's conscience in
the sight of God. I thought about this this morning.
I don't know why I should never re-read my notes because I start
rewriting every time I do. And that's what made me late
this morning. But I started thinking about this and I don't have any
accreditation. I don't have any diplomas. I
didn't even finish high school. I don't have anything to recommend
me. Paul did have some recommendations, but he understood better. I'll tell you what I have. I
have an understanding that was given to me through the preaching
of the gospel by the Holy Spirit of God. And I have God's divine
providence that put me in a church and gave me this station as a
preacher. And I have his providence that's opened doors just like
this one that I come preach. And I have his work in the hearts
of those who hear me preach. That's his confirmation. That's
my confirmation of my calling and I believe that's exactly
what Paul's saying here. He said, I just tell you the
truth Because I know this work is gonna be of the Spirit of
God, and I don't have to have a letter from you, and I don't
have to have a letter to you. God will take what I say and
write it on your heart. He'll write it on your heart.
And so I just preach the truth, and I wait on Him. And I commend
what I say to your own conscience. And if God moves on it, you'll
know whether or not I'm called of God. You'll know. You know how John explained the
ministry to those folks over in, I think it's 1 John 4? He
said, he that is of God, heareth of us. That's what he said. That's
the same thing Paul's saying here. Same thing. Paul opened his first letter
to the Corinthians, telling them that his testimony of Christ
was confirmed in them. They heard the gospel, God the
Holy Spirit convinced them of it, and they believed it, rejoiced
in it, and found rest for their souls. Now then, verse three, 2 Corinthians
chapter four. If our gospel be hid, it's hid
to them that are lost. in whom the God of this world
hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light
of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should
shine unto them." Now, is that talking about the living God,
or is that talking about Satan, who is the God of this world? He's the God which men worship
down here, who's not the living God. Both. Both. You see, the devil's God's devil.
He's God's devil. He's not just running around
here rampant doing things that God don't allow him to do. When
God sends a man strong delusion, what does he do? He sends him
down there to one of these false prophets and lets him listen
to it. He quits working on his heart and conscience and lets
that thing set in, lets him be deceived, lets him continue on
in his darkness. There's some who were lost in
the false. Now listen to me, who will never
be redeemed. They'll never be redeemed. No
provision was made for them, no covenant made, no surety chosen,
no savior sent, no providence arranged, no effectual calling
made. They were left to themselves in the influence of false religion
and given strong delusion to believe a lie and be damned. Oh, there's things that they
do to justify this. They receive not the love of
the truth, and go on and on and on. In their fallen nature, while
perishing under antichrist religion, the preaching of the gospel was
to them foolishness. While the Holy Ghost, through
the spoken word, was teaching others the truth and comparing
spiritual things with spiritual, the natural man, the natural
man, He wouldn't receive it. He wouldn't receive the thing.
He wouldn't receive the gospel. He wouldn't have it. He wouldn't receive this thing
of Holy Spirit regeneration. He wouldn't receive these things.
He received not the things of the Spirit of God. They were
foolishness. Their minds were blind. Now,
here's how men are saved. 2 Corinthians 4 verse 6. For God, who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. God's preachers preach what God
has commanded to shine in their own hearts, and what God has
shined in every God called preacher's heart is the glory of God manifested
in the face of Jesus Christ. This is the glory of God's sovereign
grace in Jesus Christ. Chosen in him, predestinated
unto the adoption of children by him, accepted in the beloved,
robed in his perfect righteousness. He arranged his providence for
us to hear. He sent us a preacher. He made
us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of enlightened saints.
This is God's redemptive glory and the brightness of the Father's
glory, and he alone can command it to shine. And when he does
and where he does, it shines. It shines. When God commanded
his light to shine out of darkness at the dawn of civilization,
I'm convinced it wasn't just a speck here and a speck there
and begin to grow. I think he flooded this world
with light. Peter said, we have a more sure
word of prophecy, whereunto you do well to take heed, as unto
a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn, and
the day star arise in your hearts. All right, now go back to my
text, and I'll wrap this thing up. 2 Corinthians chapter four,
verse seven. But we, that is preachers of
the gospel, had this treasure in earthen vessels, clay pots,
that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. Now, there are just a few things
you need to know about a pot. It's empty till you put something
in it. A pot can't fill itself. Has to be filled. Has to be filled. it and it's empty to you but
not many it just another flapper or if you put the rose of sharing the lily of the valley in that
part then you can take that part and you put it up front you can
take that part you put it out by the front door could you wonder
about c we have this creature it's like
you go down to jewelry store and they got this prized diamond
down there. They don't put a bunch of diamonds
around it. They put a black backdrop behind
it so the diamond sticks out. This is what God has done with
the preaching of the gospel. He's designed this in his wisdom
He takes this heavenly treasure, this treasure that He calls light,
around which He created all things and governs all things. All things
were not only by Him, but they're for Him. This heavenly treasure,
and He puts it in a clay pot. And everybody goes by and says,
oh, look at that pot. No, no they don't. They say,
wow, look what's in that pot. Look what's in that pot. God put his treasure in earthen
vessels, not to exalt the flowerpot, but to show the excellency of
the power of his spirit of grace. The spirit of God works in conjunction
with preaching of the gospel. Oh, may God be pleased to use
this pot and fill it with his treasure.