Gospel Glory in Pots of Clay B

Secondly, he was certain that ministry was a mercy he says we have this ministry, as we received mercy. That is to say he never lost sight of the fact that this was an overwhelming mercy to allow him to treat this message seven tells us that after being locked stoned. He cried out, Lord. Do not hold this sin against them.

So with his last breath. He didn't curse his killers or call out for revenge.

He glorified Christ. Now you may never have to face that kind of persecution. But like Stephen you live in a culture filled with people and institutions and leaders that hate you. How can you prepare yourself for the suffering that will come because of your faith in Christ. Today's lesson on grace to you can help answer that. So join John MacArthur now as he continues his compelling new series that's airing for the first time we call it the world versus the kingdom of God join John now as he begins the lesson. As we come to the revelation of God and his word.

We are drawn back to second Corinthians chapter 4 second Corinthians chapter 4 we have been talking about the fact that there are two kingdoms in the world.

There are two rulers in the world there is the kingdom of light ruled by Christ who rules by the power of his spirit through his church by indwelling believers, and there is the kingdom of darkness ruled by Satan, who by his demons and human agents and by the influence that he has on the human heart rules the world is passing away.

Jesus said, my kingdom is not of this world. The kingdom of this world is evil and headed for hell. However, Jesus said, my kingdom is present in this world. It is the kingdom of righteousness and the folks in that kingdom were headed for heaven. That's the simple way to look at the world around you kingdom of darkness manifest by sin, kingdom of light manifest by righteousness. The kingdom of darkness ruled by Satan and all who are outside of Christ are in the kingdom of darkness and they follow their father the devil, who is a liar and a murderer kingdom of righteousness manifest in the church, the true church. The king is Christ, and he indwells every true believer. Why does the Lord leave us in the world.

We have been looking at that. It's an obvious answer all who are in the kingdom of light are commissioned to shine the light of the gospel into the darkness so that the Lord can redeem his elect people now as you look at second Corinthians 4. This becomes clear to us. If you look at verse three.

The apostle says if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, so they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. I just want to focus on that incredible statement the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, the light is just that that defines the light that we shine into the darkness. It is the light of the gospel, the good news of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God says it again down in verse six the one who has shone in our hearts has done so to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ the light is the gospel of Christ.

Christ is the very incarnation and image of God. That's why we're here and that's why he says in verse five we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus is Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus sake. So for us to shine the light means the light of the gospel, the good news of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. Acts 412 says there's no salvation in any other Romans 1017 says they can't be saved unless they hear the message concerning Christ. Unlike the preachers the Jeremiah address who preach the deceptions of their own mind who speak a vision from their own imagination. We do not preach ourselves, we preach Christ now necessarily when you're preaching Christ you're calling sinners to repent.

It is necessary if they are to receive the good news that they hear the bad news they don't want that. They love the darkness rather than the light they cherish their sins. They flaunt their sins, to 1° or another. Even Jesus said in John 77.

You hate me because I tell you, you deeds are evil, that is what generates the hostility and the hate because first of all, the dominating human sin is pride. People want to defend their goodness, their nobility, and when you unmask the wretchedness of their hearts. They are usually angry in the flesh there angry and apart from the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. They will remain angry in the face of opposition. Then the question is, in the face of hostility and in the face of persecution. How do we remain bold in proclaiming Christ, which means confronting sin while Paul answers that in this text as we saw last time you notice in verse one. He says at the end of the verse. We do not lose heart and then down in verse 16 he says it again. Therefore we do not lose heart soy sort of brackets the revelation here with this idea that he doesn't lose heart. Doesn't the fact he doesn't give up. He doesn't give in doesn't demonstrate cowardly flight. It doesn't give into evil.

He could actually come to the end of his life and did and he said I have fought the good fight, I have kept the faith. I finish the course. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord to give to me, but not to me only, but to all who love his appearing. All of us would want to come to the end of life and sat fought the good fight right. I kept the faith. I finish the course. How do you do that, realizing that the confrontation of sinners is going to result in hostility. Jesus said as I pointed out, if they hate you. Don't be surprised if they hated me the going to hate you, and they hated him to the point that they actually executed him in spite of all the good good that had never been seen in the history of humanity never will be seen again until Jesus comes to kill him anyway because he confronted their evil we have to recognize that that's a reality, and it cannot be avoided if you avoided you are defecting. If you avoid the confrontation with sin. You are defecting now is to be done with love and graciousness, mercy, the very kindness of God is extended in salvation to the center and we have to bring that message and that same fashion.

Now what Call lockdown on his spiritual responsibility, no matter how much persecution he received and how do you have that kind of courage. It comes from convictions comes from down inside related to the things that you believe that are nonnegotiable and we been looking at those that I just want to remind you of the first one the first thing that was a conviction, a certainty in Paul's mind was. He was certain about the superiority of the new covenant in verse one.

Since we have this ministry, what ministry is he talking about the one he just described in chapter 3 you go back to chapter 3 and you look for example at verse seven he describes the old covenant, the law is the ministry of death and letters engraved on stones it had glory so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face fading as it was if there was glory in the law, which only condemned how will the ministry of the Spirit failed to be even more with glory. For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory so he is saying that the new covenant in Christ has far more glory than the old covenant law. He had no this is important. He had no hesitation regarding the truth of the gospel for everything starts.

That's why we make such an issue out of you. Understanding the gospel.

You must understand that you must believe it.

You must understand its superiority and its absolute uniqueness and excellence. Paul had certainty about the superiority of the new covenant, from personal experience. He was passionate about making sure sinners heard the good news. Secondly, he was certain that ministry was a mercy he says we have this ministry, as we received mercy. That is to say he never lost sight of the fact that this was an overwhelming mercy to allow him to preach this message. This is not something that that you earned by your education. This is not something that you earned by your erudition. This isn't something you earn because you have a gift for speaking any of us who is ever been given the privilege of proclaiming the gospel knows it is a mercy, we preach a far better message than we can live but we also understand that if God couldn't use flawed people he can use anybody because were all flawed.

Paul never got over the mercy of putting them into the ministry. The third certainty in his life that we looked at last time was he was certain of the need for a pure heart and that's what he says in verse two we pronounce the things hidden because of shame. There's no secret life. There's no hidden life.

There's nothing to be discovered. Some men's sins follow after them. Paul says Paul had no fear of that no fear of that, no, no fear of a postmortem episode where the truth would come out because he had no hidden life of shame. He said his conscience was clear he was winning the spiritual battle on the inside and if you want to be useful to the Lord, you need to be a clean vessel and we saw fourthly that he was certain of the duty to accurately preach the word he says not walking in craftiness, or deceptiveness or adulterating the word of God, but rather by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God, not walking in craftiness, or adulterating the word. That's the negative but by manifestation of the truth.

That's the positive.

He was commending himself even to the unbelievers and in the sight of God that brings us to 1/5 point, Paul was certain that salvation is the sovereign work of God immediately in verse three he says and this is this is so helpful to us because were asking the question, so we have a pure life.

So we are faithful in handling the word of God, claiming the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. Why do we have results why we get the results we want.

Paul immediately says that even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The category of people who by nature are perishing, those who are perishing to them. He says in first Corinthians 118.

The gospel is foolishness. It is not understandable. First Corinthians 214 the natural man understands, not the things of God. There foolishness to him.

It's incomprehensible because the people in the category of the perishing, those who are on the way to hell are by definition dead in trespasses and sins. They have no mechanism to respond to the truth further or not. Not only are they perishing, but the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, the very category of perishing is a consistent as it is a consistency or a state of blindness, but he adds a kind of double blindness. The satanic kind of blindness so people can see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. So this is the this is the resistance we have that they resist us because they're offended they resist us because they are bound in death. They resist us because there satanically blinded. Romans 11 eight says God gave them a spirit of stupor eyes to not see not in ears to hear, not they can't see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

They can't comprehend. They are stone blind. How can the dead sinner the blind sinner believe for God said he's looking back to Genesis 13 let there be light light shall shine out of darkness, that's creative God spoke light into existence and creation and the one who said light shall shine out of darkness, is the one who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. How do you come to a correct understanding of the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ because God does a creative miracle, God shines in our hearts, light shall shine out of darkness, salvation is the light of Christ shining in the dark and hard for creative act. That's why segment is 517 says if any man be in Christ he is a new one creature you have been created your new creation.

What role does the sinner have the sinner.

The sinners role is to believe the repent and believe. Can an unaided sinner repent. No, that's why Paul says God has to grant repentance and unaided sinner believe. No, that's why you're saving by grace and that not of your selves. Even the faith is a gift of God. God gives you the gift of repentance and faith because he wills to give you life. So what are all these people doing trying to come up with mechanisms that are going to save people. There's only one way that people will ever be redeemed and taken out of their death and darkness and that is by a sovereign creative miracle of God which produces in them repentance and faith.

At the hearing of the gospel. So what do we do we preach not ourselves. We preach Jesus Christ as Lord but at least I can move on to one other point number six. We're just slaves. He ends verse six by saying we are doing loss or rather verse five we are doing loss.

We are slaves for Jesus sake were nothing more were nothing more than that were slaves who have been given the responsibility to deliver the truth. God does the saving that introduces us to the next conviction. This is conviction. Number six Paul was certain about his own insignificance.

He was certain about his own insignificance and that the contrast is is just extreme. He's been talking about the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. This grand phrase about deity, eternal glory. Many says in verse seven. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, clay pots, this is a startling contrast, the shining glory of the Majesty of God shining in the face of Jesus Christ. This is pure heavenly holy glory is fully aware of the unparalleled glory of God shining in the face of Christ and in the gospel is also fully aware this that he has no glory that he is a frail week common clay pot. That's what that means. This is the stark reality that you have to embrace you have to be certain of this, Christ is everything and you are nothing. You're not the reason anyone is redeemed, it is a priceless treasure in a cheap clay pot. Paul is acknowledging he's nothing.

Not defending himself of some great evangelist some great preacher some great teacher. He saying I'm just a clay pot. I have this treasure this new covenant gospel of glory in Australia can us a clay pot, cheap, and breakable, replaceable, valueless and ugly for clay pot use them to put a plant in filament dirt. But in ancient times.

Clay pots were used to bury valuables but your valuables in a clay pot.

Dig a hole and put it there. There were also used to remove the household waste. They were the garbage they were the receptacles of the sewage of the house very, very graphic language. The same word is used in second Timothy 220 there are vessels under honor and their vessels unto dishonor this. This vessel has no intrinsic value.

They accused Paul of being weak.

They said his speech is contemptible.

His personality is unimpressive and he agreed. He's a clay pot point of this is that the power of the glorious gospel is not the product of human genius or technique. It's not the container is the glory of the truth right were just week common plain fragile breakable dishonorable garbage buckets, but this amazing thing.

Our weakness does not prove fatal to the gospel because because the power doesn't depend on us. It doesn't depend on us, that depends completely on God go back to verse seven we have this treasure in earthen vessels clay pots so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from our selves the weaker the pot more powerfully gospel Paul was faithful to the end because he didn't overestimate himself so that he thought himself to deserve better than he got. He knew his ministry was a mercy.

He was concerned about the purity of his heart. He was concerned about the accuracy of his teaching and preaching he knew the results depended on God and he knew he was just a clay pot those of the. The convictions that sustained him to the end where he could say I've fought the good fight kept the faith.

Finish the course both bone prayer father we come again asking that you would do a work in our hearts that you would bring us before the shining blazing light of the glory of the gospel of Christ, we may see not just his glory is the image of God, but the glory of his grace, a glory that embraces us his glory is the image of God would have burned our students cinders. Even Moses couldn't look at the glory of God without disintegrating. But we can look at Christ and at the glory of his grace, because in that grace is forgiveness and access and the covering of righteousness. We want to be the people that you desire is to be. That's our only hearts desire disease, grace to you with John MacArthur.

Thanks for being with us.

Our current series is looking at the world versus the kingdom of God.

John is you close the message today Randel a list of convictions that we need to have about the gospel and you said Christians have a duty to proclaim the good news of Christ accurately that's kinda been the theme of your ministry. It's something you stress in almost every book you write how important is it to get the gospel right. Well, it should be obvious that if Satan is a deceiver, the point at which you would want to see people would not be anything other than the point at which salvation takes place right so Satan is always going to attack the gospel. I think your your naïve if you think that Satan is trying to abuse his powers, his formidable powers to to make the world worse know he's already got the whole world lying in his lap. What is trying to do with his deceptive powers is make the church ineffective and how do you do that you do that by undermining the gospel. You can oversimplify the gospel so there's no gospel at all. You can eliminate sin so that there is there's no real understanding of salvation. You can confuse faith and think faith is a human gift that you pull up from down deep inside of you be because it's hidden somewhere when in fact it's a gift from God. Is there so many ways to corrupt the gospel.

You can be wrong about understanding the death of Christ. The significance of his death and/or resurrection. Consequently, all of those elements of the gospel are always attacks ON whenever you write a book that engages the gospel you're always going to be having to clarify the aspects of the gospel that are essential for salvation. I said this to the years.

There is not enough gospel in some presentations to save anybody. There's not even enough gospel to make them know their lost and so we are always always refining our understanding of the gospel, it's not complicated but it has to be accurate and to help you with that. I want to mention the book that I mentioned couple of days ago nothing but the truth nothing but the truth is titled subtitle upholding the gospel in a doubting age. This will equip you for effective evangelism how to witness why you can trust the Bible how to pray for the lost.

This is why you're in the world being effective witness doesn't demand great speaking ability or big vocabulary, even a theological vocabulary. It does demand that you understand the central cruise of the gospel.

Nothing but the truth is available portably price for anyone who asked you can order one today, yes and friend, and often overlooked aspect of evangelism that this book covers is your attitude. How do you give the gospel in the right spirit. John's book nothing but the truth has answers you need. Order your copy today. Call 855 grace or go to GT Y.org evangelism can be one of the hardest aspects of the Christian life. But you can communicate the gospel accurately and without fear. John's book nothing but the truth shows you how to pick up a copy for yourself or to give to a friend call 855 grace or go to GT Y.and if you enjoyed today's lesson know that you can help us produce these broadcasts and bring solid Bible teaching to spiritually hungry listeners near and far. Your tax-deductible gift translates into verse by verse teaching in your community and others like it throughout most of the English-speaking and Spanish-speaking world to help connect God's people with biblical truth right where they are. Send your donation to grace to you. Box 4000 panorama city, CA 91412 or call us at 855 grace or go to GT Y.org now for John MacArthur on Phil Johnson.

Keep in mind, grace to television airs this Sunday on DirecTV channel 378. Check your local listings and be here next week when John continues his new study called the world versus the kingdom of God with another half hour of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time by grace to you