Is it an insult to be called a Jar of Clay? It’s not the worst thing I’ve been called by a long way, but last week I had the pleasure of speaking three times on the same passage; 2 Corinthians 4, where Paul described himself that way. The deeper I dug into the passage, the more instructive and inspiring I found it in a world where sometimes we feel all too frail and inadequate and others are only too glad to affirm that picture.

Opponents – in the church –  were saying Paul was unimpressive and ugly, a rubbish speaker, manipulative, a deceiver, a false teacher, money grabbing (anyone would think he was trying to do ministry in the 21st century! If you want to see vociferous nastiness like this just google Rick Warren’s name – look what bloggers galore write about him, and the guy’s amazing!).

What was Paul’s response?

Well it wasn’t like mine. I’d step right up to defend myself on every point. I’ve done it before for sure, perhaps because we are taught to defend our image and self esteem at all costs. Now Paul does declare that he has nothing to hide, because integrity matters – but then he also shows that he’s got nothing to prove either. How?

They said, “You’re rubbish!” And we’d want to affirm our self worth etc. but Paul says the most surprising thing…

‘You’re right.’

You’re absolutely right.

‘…we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.’ 

Remember Paul described himself as being the ‘chief of sinners.’ He said at the start of this passage he only had any ministry at all because of the MERCY of God.

The God who puts his treasure not in the best china, but disposable containers.

The greek word he’s using for ‘earthen vessels’  (ostrakinos) denotes not a decorative item but a pot used for dishonourable things, the slop buckets, containers you wouldn’t let the guest see what was in it. The wheely bin.

Cheap, common, breakable, replaceable. Not essential but essentially valueless. The only value they had was the service they performed. Again, this may not build your self esteem!

Paul says, “We have this treasure in a waste basket, in a slop bucket.” In other words, ‘It’s not about me.’

Whole talks I’ve heard about this passage and blogs I read around it etc talk about being ‘cracked pots.’ There’s a problem with that.  It’s not in the text. It doesn’t say anything about the pots being cracked. I wonder whether we want to add that in because we want to make it about US again. The point is not about your cracks. Don’t make it about that.

The point is, the container is NOT the point. It’s what’s inside that matters.

We’re made to contain God! To be containers of God! In Ephesians it says God wants to put his FULLNESS in us. We’re made in his image to carry his glory! This sets us apart from everything else in the whole of creation! We’re meant to carry and contain GOD IN US. That’s why it’s accurate to describe anybody  living without God as living an EMPTY life. Don’t let them fool you. Jung said the world’s suffering “a neurosis of emptiness.” Whatever a person tries to eat, drink, sleep with, sniff, buy or sell to temporarily feel full, will never last or satisfy. They’re empty of what they were made to contain and sometimes some people feel that. Like hollow men and women, dressing up outward shells of busyness – inside resounds echoing emptiness.

Many of us have found that if you ask Jesus, he will give you life to the FULL (John 10:10). You will become a container for God’s glory.  Jars of clay don’t have to be pretty. They’re the most ordinary containers. But there’s something different about them. What? They don’t have TRASH in them but treasure!

That’s how it is with us Christ followers. We’re nothing special filled by Someone Awesome! We have HIM in us who is ‘the hope of glory.’ People may look at us and say, ‘Nothing special…’ But if they take a closer look maybe we can show them what we contain, because we’re containers for God. We’re made in His image to carry his glory! We shine His light! We are valuable – as containers. The treasure inside is priceless!

That’s why the Bible says the Lord didn’t choose many mighty or noble or wise people… (anyone else qualify ?). But it says He chose the lowly and weak, the humble, the despised, the ordinary.

So  they said to Paul…”Give up! Stop trying to make a difference! You’re RUBBISH! You’re weak, ugly and unimpressive, you’re a rubbish preacher, too ordinary, not clever, you didn’t go to the right schools to learn the rhetoric, you’re too old…”

He said, “I know, I know, I’ve gone to pot.” (groan!)

But there’s treasure in the pot.

And when Jesus came looking for containers of his glory and messengers for his message he didn’t chose the brightest, the bestest and the beautifullest!

He bypassed people who thought  they were wisest and wonderfullest; the kings and religious experts, powerful politicians and everyone who was so impressed with themselves. He called peasants, prostitutes and fishermen, tax collectors and so on – clay pots – who knew they were empty – to be filled with him and go for him and do what he wanted to do and what he would do if he was there, because where they went, HE IS!

I’ll also do some pull ups, but not as many as this guy – and he’s doing them on his 73rd birthday.

What’s your excuse?

Life’s full of challenges, there are hurdles in the race of life. How do we sustain?

Hebrews 12:1-3

This shows us how not to lose heart!

We have got so much surrounding us, that’s helping us on.

1) All Heaven is on your side!

Jesus is praying for you, interceding for you before the Father. Especially at the times when you fail and feel discouraged,

2) The heroes of faith – listed in chapter 11: the church Triumphant.
They did it! They made it! They kept going and crossed the line. And it wasn’t all glory days and perfect obedience

3) The church militant,

Those we are running with now. The way you run is critical to someone running alongside you. You are part of someone else’s crowd. How do you look when you look at you? The ministry of smiling.
Of hospitality.
Of rejoicing in your success.

Do you feel like giving up?
Sickness, debt, job loss?

The people around you need you to keep going.

They are in your crowd.
Look out.
See past the smile and ask a question and offer to pray.

Are there weights holding you back?
That’s why God put you in church!
To lift each other up.

Is there sin?
There’s a big difference between condemnation and conviction. Condemnation tells you you are out of the race with no way back. It’s from the devil.
Conviction says, ‘I want you restored to run again.’ He comes in one moment to free you.

You will finish well.

Remember Paula Radcliffe when she failed 3 miles out?

What do you think those around her said – you’ll run another day!!

6 things those who finish have..,

Network of friends
Honest & confessional
Persevered
Perspective
Intimate with Jesus
Willing to learn.

Run this race!

One of the emphases of Proverbs is the need for wisdom.
So much information – so little wisdom these days. People can be brilliant in one field and awfully foolish in other ways.
The wiser you get, the less confidence you’ll get the truth you need from the media.

Most people who go Overseas in mission end up going back to their own country – and end up influencing there.

So
Go into all the world!
2000 years on, how is that going?

5 different kinds of countries:

1) Massive Growth:
1 million more Christians a year in Brazil.
Exploding growth in S Korea
And China, church growth spreading from countryside to the cities. Philippines. Singapore.
Many nations – Global South.
This was not true 50 years ago!

We long for more here!

2) significant breakthroughs – but not great.
Algeria. Very little fruit visible for some missionaries
USA – lots of new movements, but some decline.

3) People think nothing’s happening – but it is.
Eg France. Spain. Small churches – but exciting work!

4) relatively strong church, but not sure of the way forward. Eg Britain!
There has been a great shift toward social action, incarnation. That costs hundred times more money – its all consuming. Wonderful. But you have to raise tons of money for that if you are not going to just do that & not stop proclaiming. We have to fight to keep the balance. To keep bringing the Word too.
If we are going to fight more we need a bigger army! We need more workers for the harvest! God is working in a variety of ways.
Number 1 controversy in missions? Muslim ‘insider movement.’ it’s just contextualised Christianity.

In Britain, the gospel is still strong! We should still be sending people, we are among the top nations of the world able to do so.

5) the nations with almost nothing of the gospel – waiting for a word.

Acts 20 is the mount everest of Acts.
Check it from vs 17.
Look at 20:20
20 20 vision = public and personal ministry.
Preach to many but don’t get too busy for the one. We should never get too busy to get to focus on individual people. Give time to someone who will never help us or return the favour. How can we not be concerned for the grieving and suffering. This is the fun generation.
We have to work. Because God has put a calling on our lives.
Vs 24. I consider my life nothing to me if only I may complete my race – i want to complete the task Jesus has given me: to proclaim the gospel.

In music in testimony in art in preaching…

Anytime you have the opportunity – do it. Listen to people, see what their attitude is to Christianity. Share the gospel.

We are not perfect – it’s a battle!

Words are very powerful. The whole of creation was made by the word of God! Destinies of men, women, families, nations and whole world has been determined by words.

Every major change or revolution has taken place as a result of men & women who used the power of their words.

Positively you have Martin Luther King Jr declaring, ‘I have a dream…’

OR – Adolf Hitler writes of Mein Kampf and his struggle ends up embroiling the whole world.

It’s said of Winston Churchhill’s words : He mobilised the English language and sent it into battle! “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender!”

In 1 Kings 17:1ff Elijah walked into the palace and said to King Ahab “there will be no rain in this land except at my word.” That’s a man who knows the power of his word. (Do you?)

In Numbers 22 we read of how Balaam was employed to curse the Israelites. Why? Because his words were known to be powerful.

The Patriarchs blessed or cursed their children – and generations after them and their words were released, they came to pass. Look at Genesis 48:14-16

Jesus spoke innumerable Blessings in the Sermon on the mount, and he also spoke to the fig tree which withered and died in Mark 11:12ff

Heb 11:3 (Amplified) By faith we understand that the worlds [during the successive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible.

Notice it said… FRAMED! The universe, Framed by words. your world is framed by your words.

“Words will Frame your life”. The words you listen to, the words you speak over yourself will frame or pattern your life!

Words are the construction tools for your life. More  than that, words are also the building materials for your life. For better or worse – your conversation is your advertisement. Every time you open your mouth, you let other people into your mind and heart. Words carry self-fulfilling power. Your words reveal who you are!

As the book that has been challenging me so much recently wraps up (and with it this short series of blog posts) A Tale of Three Kings briefly touches on King David’s son… Absalom – who after King Saul had died and David became the king he was anointed to be long, long, before – Absalom rose up in rebellion against his own father to set up a monument in his own honour and proclaim HIMSELF the King instead.

And if you read the story of Absalom you’ll see that he was a young man who was very gifted, very privileged. Handsome, talented  – he had it all. Lovely hair, too! One of his Dad’s favourites, and spoilt rotten as a result.

It’s a long story wherein David’s sin with Bathesheba ended up bringing along (eventually) all kinds of consequences. The story got more and more messy, violent and tragic than a  Christmas episode of Eastenders. Absalom killed his own brother, (some would say the circumstances were understandable) and then he went off into exile and sulked,then connived to get himself back near the palace – without repentance.

Instead, Absalom let the perceived injustice and the punishment he’d received fester away in his heart. He started to let that become hatred for his father, David. The poison filled his heart more and more.

But you’d never see that on the surface. He was very clever in the way he subtly undermined the authority over the nation.

¹ After this Absalom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him. ² And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate. And when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, “From what city are you?” And when he said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,” ³ Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no man designated by the king to hear you.” ⁴ Then Absalom would say, “Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.” ⁵ And whenever a man came near to pay homage to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. ⁶ Thus Absalom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

His words stole people’s hearts away, from legitimate, God-given authority – to himself. He woildn’t go alone, he had to gain a following.  That’s’ the spirit of Absalom. Revolt took place eventually, but as Gene Edwards says, ”Rebellion was in his heart for years.” 

We have to watch for it in the church. Sure I’ve seen Sauls throwing spears in churches and hurting people. I’m not excusing that and don’t wish to emulate it though I know it’s a pressure in messed up leaders to mess up others that way.

But I’ve seen even more heartache in churches rent asunder by Absaloms than Sauls. We have to watch it in our attitudes, in our hearts, in our words.

I’m continuing my study and comment on Gene Edward’s book, contrasting the life and leadership of King Saul, David and Absalom.

The final section of the book which focused on Absalom was similarly revealing. It’s not just the person at the top of an organisation who can ruin it! Again I could think of a variety of situations personally known to me where churches and ministries have been deeply undermined or even split by people – usually in a position of more junior leadership – purporting to just want to make room for their gift while (at first subtly then overtly) criticising a ‘control freak’ autocratic leader. The temptation then is to draw a sympathetic crowd to oneself which in turn stands against the appointed (ordained in a sense) leader.

I’m going to do another post on that, specifically – but before we look at Absalom’s symptoms, we have to check the root of the problem.

ROOTS

According to Edwards, the reason behind Absalom’s power play is that he really has the same spirit as Saul. That manifests itself most clearly as a prayer for power and influence from God, rather than an internal transformation by him.

“Many pray for the power of God…(under which hides) ambition, a craving for fame, the desire to be considered a spiritual giant… Prayer for power is the quick and short way, circumnavigating internal growth. There is a vast difference between the outward clothing of the Spirit’s power and the inward filling of the Spirit’s life.” (My emphasis).

The point he makes at the end here is, I think, something the Lord has been trying to speak to me as a New Year opens up. It’s about being satisfied with outward blessing and power from God, rather than what he really wants.

LOVE OR POWER?

It’s a theme underlined by Andrew Murray in that other book I keep returning to, ‘Absolute Surrender.’

Murray makes the point that (practically if not theologically) we can operate under an Old Testament understanding of the Holy Spirit – that He comes to bring revelation or power, and of course in the OT He didn’t live in people but came UPON them. “Now, many just want the Old Testament gift of power for work, but know very little of the New Testament gift of the indwelling Spirit, animating and renewing the whole life. When God gives the Holy Spirit, His great object is the formation of a holy character.”

He goes on to say, “Has it been our experience that the more we have of the Holy Spirit the more loving we become? In claiming the Holy Spirit we should make this the first object of our expectation. The Holy Spirit comes as a Spirit of love. Oh, if this were true in the Church how different her state would be!”

How often have I prayed for the Holy Spirit according to an OT understanding and not a NT reality?

‘More power.’ (yes!) but FIRST, ‘More Love!’

This (leap) year, for the next 366 days, please Lord, may you fill me with your Holy Spirit of LOVE. Come, Holy Spirit! I receive you. Teach me to love. Grow that fruit today. 

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 15,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 6 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

‘God has a university. It’s a small school. Few enroll, even fewer graduate. Very few indeed.God has this school because he does not have broken men. Instead He has several types of men. He has men who claim to be God’s authority…and aren’t; men who claim to be broken…and aren’t. And men who are God’s authority, but who are mad and unbroken. And he has regretfully, a spectroscopic mixture of everything in between. All of these He has in abundance; but broken men, hardly at all.

In God’s sacred school of submission and brokenness, why are there so few students? Because all who are in this school must suffer pain. And as you might guess, it is often the unbroken ruler (whom God sovereignly picks) who metes out the pain. David was once a student in this school, and Saul was God’s chosen way to crush David.

GENE EDWARDS, ‘A Tale of Three Kings.’

I followed a link from somewhere (maybe I heard Andy Stanley reference it?) and ended up downloading this amazing little book to my Kindle. It seems to be well known in the USA but perhaps less so here? It’s a gem. I read a lot of books this year but this one and Andrew Murray’s Absolute Surrender seem to have been the ones God really picked out for me.

If you’re a leader, or a follower – it’s a must read. If you’ve ever been hurt by people in church, especially by leaders, (people like me), read this – and pray for us, and do it better than us.

Written as a cautionary tale, the narrative style keeps on fooling one into recognising a bad guy- then seeing that it’s not him, or her, maybe it’s you!

The character studies of the ‘Three Kings’ are…

1) King David – the anointed and broken. He learned as the forgotten shepherd boy that he didn’t have to be top dog. God ‘went door to door in Israel’ looking for someone like that, who He could use, because he could trust him. But there was more breaking that needed to be done to him. He had to learn true submission. This took place through…

2) King Saul – the anointed unbroken. Gifted, charismatic, a ‘born leader.’ But he threw spears at people. As I read this I naturally thought of this leader and that I’d worked with. Then the Holy Spirit reminded me of how many times I’ve tried to pin people to the wall! ‘Kings claim the right to throw spears…‘ We do so to protect ourselves/ our position/ the truth as we see it etc. Problem? It turns you into a mad king. One can be simultaneously anointed and a mad king!

David had the opportunity to learn humility and brokenness in the school of pain under that mad king. How? By not throwing the spears back.

If you throw spears back, you’ll prove…”You are courageous. You stand for the right…You will not stand for injustice or unfair treatment. You are tough and can’t be pushed around. You are defender of the faith, keeper of the flame, detector of all heresy…all these attributes combine to prove that you are also a candidate for kingship… the Lord’s anointed. After the order of King Saul.”

But if you choose to be like David you’ll learn to dodge the spears instead. He stuck it out as long as he could; not moving on till God moved him on. If he’d not done this, he would have ended up as King Saul II! But in doing so ‘God cut king Saul out of HIS heart.’

And notice when David did leave, he didn’t try to take anyone with him. He didn’t split the kingdom. He left alone.

I think of two good friends who have confided in me similar stories of taking a ministry he took on, only to find the predecessor who invited them to the post, then refused to leave – until he had lined his own nest and badmouthed the new ‘incumbent.’ What do you do? They didn’t pick up spears, they didn’t defend themselves, and as a result they did not become Sauls but Davids, men I’m privileged to call friends. They will look back at those painful times and see that they were in ‘God’s small school’ – and did not fail the test. Now they’re prepared for greater things in the Kingdom.

The difficulty is you can’t judge whether anyone else is a Saul or a David. You can just decide for yourself, “I shall not practice the ways that cause kings to grow mad. I will not throw spears, nor will I allow hatred to grow in my heart.I will not avenge. I will not destroy the Lord’s anointed.”

Making that choice makes you a vessel God can use.

3) King Absalom. 

So much to chew over in this particular character deserves a post all of its own – I’ll get back to you!