In this sermon, the speaker focuses on 2 Corinthians 4:6 and discusses the concept of being earthen vessels for God's glory. He emphasizes that God chooses to use weak and imperfect vessels to display His power. The speaker shares a poem that describes the pressure and challenges faced by the apostle Paul, highlighting how Paul's response to these pressures communicated God's power to others. The sermon encourages listeners to allow God to break and mold them, so that His power can be manifested through their lives. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of applying these truths to our own lives and not just observing them objectively.

Let us bow our heads in prayer. Father, we look to Thee again. Thou art the source of every good and perfect gift. Every lasting blessing can only come from Thee. We do not want to deceive ourselves into thinking that we can ever get anything eternal or good from men. Lord, so we turn to Thee. We know that if we look to Thee we shall not be disappointed, as we can be if we look to men. O Lord, we pray that our eyes may be turned away from men towards Jesus. We might be like those on the Mount of Transfiguration who saw no man, saying, Jesus only. O Lord, we pray that Your word will be taken by Your Holy Spirit. And Lord, we pray that You will show us the beauty of Jesus in us. Help us to see that which is necessary for each of our lives. Grant that Thy Holy Spirit, Lord, will have free course to work as He likes this evening. We don't want to be a stumbling block anywhere in His way. We only want to be carried along by those rivers of living water that flow from Thy throne. Grant that they may flow abundantly this evening. O God, hear our prayer. Answer us above all that we can ask or think. For we ask in Jesus' name. We have been seeing these past four evenings some of the reasons why Paul had spiritual authority. And in the measure in which we seek to fulfill those very same things in our life, in the measure in which we follow in Paul's steps in these areas, in that measure, we shall also know spiritual authority in our life. For God is no respecter of persons. He does not prefer one above the other. And He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. And He honors them who honor Him. So we shouldn't forget this, that what we learn here is not merely for us to look at Paul's life objectively and stop there. But that we might seek to apply these truths to our own lives. The Bible says in James chapter 1 that God's word is like a mirror. And in a mirror I see my own face. I see the spots on it. I see the things that need to be washed away. But James says there are some people who just look at the mirror and see the spots on their faces and do nothing about them. They go away and forget all about what they saw in the mirror. They are people who hear the word and don't obey it. Now I believe that's one of the most, one of the greatest dangers in meetings like this. The possibility of our thinking that we have become spiritual because we have increased in knowledge. Now dear brothers and sisters, don't ever make that mistake to think that you have become more spiritual because you've got a little more Bible knowledge. Just because some passages in the Bible have become more living to you in these days, don't think that has made you more spiritual. That may have merely filled your head. It's obedience to God's word that makes a person spiritual. Not mere hearing. But after all, it's not looking at the mirror that's going to clean my face. I can come and look at that mirror and more and more light can be thrown upon that mirror and I see my face more and more clearly. But does that cleanse my face? Oh no. I need to take the soap and water and rub and clean it off. And so the Lord asks us to respond to what he shows us in his word. In 2 Corinthians chapter 4, I'd like you to turn for a moment please to what Paul says here, verse 6, following. 2 Corinthians 4.6 God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts to give the light and the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure not in golden vessels but in earthen vessels so that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. And no matter how much we pray that God will make our vessel golden, he will not. He keeps it earthen. He keeps it weak. He keeps it like an earthen vessel which can easily be cracked so that in ourselves we shall have nothing so that all the glory will be God's. Now Paul was an earthen vessel. I mentioned that in the beginning. I need to repeat it here because as we have gone along studying something about the reasons why God could commit his authority to Paul, we may begin to feel, well, he was a special type of person. No, he wasn't. He was an earthen vessel just like you and me. Till the end of his life, till his dying day, he was an earthen vessel. That earthen vessel never became golden. It was an earthen vessel easily crackable, easily breakable, no beauty, but containing the glory of God. Now, I feel that when Paul was writing this, perhaps he had in mind an incident that took place in the Old Testament. If you look, we don't have time to look at it right now, if you look at Judges chapter 7, you read there about a man called Gideon who was called by God to lead the army of Israel to fight against the Midianites and to overcome. And you know, Gideon collected an army of 32,000 people. God said, no, no, no, no. These people aren't too many. They're not all wholehearted. They all want to enjoy the blessings, but they don't really have a sense of responsibility towards fighting my battle. And so he weeded them out. Finally, out of that 32,000, there are about 300 left, one percent. And I often think, you know, when God sees great multitudes of Christians wanting to receive blessings, he knows their hearts. And he often finds that there's only about one percent out of 32,300 who really mean business with God, who are not playing with Christianity, who when they hear, they obey, who are wholehearted, who are not half for God and half for this world. 300 out of 32,000. One percent. And then Gideon got hold of these 300 people and they went out to fight the Midianites. But you know, in their hands they didn't have swords and spears. He asked them to carry an earthen vessel. And inside the earthen vessel was a light. A candle, perhaps. Anyway, some sort of lamp. Inside the earthen vessel. And when Paul speaks here in verse 6 of the light of the knowledge of the glory of God coming into us, and he says, we are earthen vessels. I think he had that in mind. Gideon's army. Wholehearted people. With this earthen vessel, with the light inside. The New Testament explanation of that is here in 2 Corinthians 4. This earthen vessel that we are containing the glory and power of the Almighty God. But, let me tell you something more. When Gideon's army went out to fight, Gideon said, you're going to shout the sword of the Lord and of Gideon. And, what are you going to do? You must crack these earthen vessels, break them, so that the light shines out. Now, before they broke them, the light was inside. Oh yeah. But nobody could see it. Imagine if you have an earthen vessel here. And I put a candle inside. Well, there's light inside. If you look carefully inside, you can see the light. But, sitting where you are, you won't be able to see much light, except a few glimmers that come out from the top. But, supposing I were to break that earthen vessel, then the light shines out. And, that's what God needs to do with our earthen vessel. He needs to break it. The light cannot shine out if you're not willing to be broken. And, I believe this is the reason why many Christians do not radiate light. They have the light, but it's inside the earthen vessel. They're not willing to be broken in their lives. They're not willing to take the cross and die to themselves. And, so the light, even though inside, doesn't shine out. Other people don't see the light. Other people can't come and light their candles that there's this candle, because this candle is way inside an earthen vessel, which refuses to be broken. And, people are more interested in showing others the beauty of the earthen vessel, rather than the beauty of the light within. Which are you more interested in? Getting other people to admire what a wonderful Christian you are, or to admire what a wonderful Savior you have. That's the difference between getting people to admire your earthen vessel, and getting people to see the light. Never mind what they think about the earthen vessel. Never mind if they think you're quite an idiot. Never mind if they think that you're not so smart, and you're not so clever. You can't crack jokes like all the others. Doesn't matter. The earthen vessel is valueless. It's only to be broken. If other people can only see the light shining out, you'd have fulfilled your ministry. Better than all those smart alecks in evangelical Christianity today, trying to show off what wonderful gifts they have. I tell you, they can't accomplish much for God. It's the breaking of the earthen vessel. Paul allowed his earthen vessel to be broken. He knew this truth. He knew this truth. Many Christians haven't learned it. And that's why when he says about this treasure in the earthen vessel, he goes on to say in 2 Corinthians 4, he speaks of the treasure, this light in the earthen vessel in verse 7. And then in verse 8 and 9, he speaks of the breaking of the earthen vessel. How God allowed that vessel to be broken so that the light would be shining out. He says, we are troubled on every side. Why? God is bringing pressure on the earthen vessel so that it cracks. So that the light shines out. We are troubled on every side, yet we are not distressed. We are perplexed. You know, some people give the impression that they never have any perplexity in their life. They're always 100% sure of God's guidance and God's will. Not Paul. He was perplexed sometimes. You know, one thing I like about the Apostle Paul, he was absolutely honest. He didn't pretend to have a Christianity which was a type of angelic type of life. You know, superhuman. He wasn't that. He had an earthen vessel because of which he was perplexed. Finding God's will, he'd be perplexed. He wouldn't know what to do. And he's honest enough to admit it. To whom? To people who were questioning his apostleship. Just think of that. He was writing this second letter to the Corinthians because there were people in Corinth questioning his apostleship. And one would think, if ever there's anyone you must hide these facts from, it's from people who question your apostleship. And yet, it was to those people he admits. He says, I was perplexed sometimes. But not in despair. Persecuted, but not forsaken. Caught down, but not destroyed. As J.B. Phillips translates that, knocked down, but not knocked out. That's wonderful, isn't it? From the boxing ring. Knocked down, but before the count of ten is up, he's on his feet again. Not knocked out in the fight against the devil. So Paul admits that there were times when he was knocked down, but he got up. Blessed are those Christians who know what it is to get up before the count of ten goes, and to keep fighting, and ultimately win. Ultimately, Paul won. Wonderful. Knocked down, but not knocked out. And he says, verse ten, always bearing about in our body the dying of the Lord Jesus. Always letting this earthen vessel be broken. This self-life. This flesh. Letting it be crucified. So that the light within can shine out. So that the life of Jesus can be seen by everybody. And not only seen by everybody, but you know, when Gideon's soldiers broke those earthen vessels and the light shone out, other people could come and light their candles as these people's candles. And so Paul says, not only does the light shine out, but also, verse twelve, as death works in us, life begins to work in you. This is the way of the spiritual ministry. Not merely by filling our heads with theological information in some Bible college, but by going into death. So that the light shines out, and other people receive life. And then he goes on to say, verse fifteen, all things are for your sakes. Verse sixteen, for which cause we faint not, for though the outward man perish, the inward man is renewed. I'd like to share a few thoughts this evening on this fact, that Paul was one who accepted suffering joyfully. He was one who accepted suffering joyfully, because he knew, that as God brought pressure upon his life, the glory of God would shine out. There would be authority in his life, and in his ministry. In second Corinthians six, notice verse four to eleven, in all things, approving ourselves as the ministers of God. In other words, as the margin says, commending ourselves to others as the servants of God. Now in the twentieth century, how is it usually that people think that one commends himself to others as a servant of God? Well, first of all, he must have a whole lot of degrees to impress people that he's, you know, a real wonderful servant of God. And then, of course, he must have so many jokes up his sleeve, which he can use very frequently to get at ease with the audience, and all these things, the tricks of the business world. But how did Paul commend himself as a servant of God? In much patience, in affliction, in necessity, in distress, in strife, in imprisonment, in tumult, in labors, watching, fasting, getting along with God and seeking Him in fasting and prayer. By pureness. Not just immaculately dressed on the outside, but clean on the inside. Paul knew that mattered more to God than whether there's a spot on my shirt. By knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness. Verse 8, by honor and dishonor. By evil report and good report. He didn't get a good report everywhere. Some places they gave him an evil report. Verse 9, as unknown and yet well known. Dying, behold, we live. Verse 10, as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich. You know, because he accepted suffering like this in his life, his heart was enlarged. Verse 11, Holy Corinthians. Our heart is enlarged. This is the way to have an enlarged heart. Spiritually. So that more of God's life can be contained within us. So that more of God's life can be communicated through us to others. If we accept suffering joyfully. 2 Corinthians 11. Paul says, verse 23, passage we just read, Are they servants of Christ? Oh well, I'm more. And let me tell you, again, he doesn't say, I've got more qualifications than them. He doesn't bring out all the recommendation letters he got from various places. He says, I'm better servant than them because, not because so many people came to hear me, you know, at that convention. So many people came forward to the altar. None of those things. He says in labors more abundant. He says, I got 195 stripes on my back. He didn't count the number of people who came to the altar. But he counted the stripes he got on his back. And he says, three times I was beaten with rods. And all those sufferings he went through. And then in chapter 12, verse 7, he speaks about the revelations he got and he says, lest I should be exalted about measure. God gave me a thorn in the flesh. There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan, to buffet me. I don't know what that thorn in the flesh was. But some people say it was an eye disease that Paul had. There are many indications in scripture which seem to indicate that Paul had eye disease. When he writes to the Galatians he says, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me when I was sick. Possibly because his own eyes were weak and sickly. He says, you see, with what a large letter I have written to you. Because he couldn't see so well. And you know when he reviled the high priest, he says, I did not know he was the high priest. Because Paul was short sighted. He was weak in his eyes. And this was a perpetual affliction to him. It was like a thorn in the flesh. And that's why he writes to the Corinthians in chapter, 2nd Corinthians 10, 10. He says, you people say that my bodily presence is repulsive. I'm not an attractive personality. He had suffering in his life. God allowed it. Paul calls it a thorn in the flesh. Now it's not a good thing to have a thorn in the flesh, we would say. But Paul says, it was given to me. It was God's gift to me. Now, it takes a great man to look at suffering as God's gift to me. To look at a thorn as a gift. If ye being evil know how to give good things to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give good things to them that ask him? One of the good things was a thorn. Paul recognized it as God's gift. He asked God three times to remove it, and God said no. And so he took that as a gift. As something which God has given me to keep me humble. To keep me low, so that I don't think too much of myself. You know, even Paul was in danger of Christ. And so he accepted this path of infirmity. And that's why he says in verse 9, Most gladly will I glory in my infirmities, my weaknesses, my sufferings, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. And it was thus that Paul had a ministry to other people. 2 Corinthians 1, verses 4 to 8, Paul says, God comforts me in all the tribulation I go through, so that I may be able to comfort others with the same comfort that God gives me in my tribulation. And then he gives an example of what happened to him in his experience in Asia. In verse 8 he says, We don't want you to be ignorant, brethren, that in Asia we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired of life. You know, Paul could have avoided suffering if he wanted. He didn't have to suffer, but he voluntarily chose a pathway of suffering. Because he knew that thereby his earthen vessel would be broken and the light would shine out. And I believe there's a message that we, in countries where there's no persecution like yours and mine, in this day when there's so much of ease and luxury, need to learn from Paul. If we do not know what it is to let God take us through suffering and tribulation, or if we murmur and complain when God takes us through those paths, we shall not have a ministry to others. What is the way by which we can have a spiritual ministry to other people? It is not merely by knowing the Bible. You know, I feel this is the mistake that a lot of theological seminaries make. People who go there often think that if only I can know the Bible well, I can preach to others and have a ministry. They study the Bible like a man goes to study chemistry or physics. You know, if a man wants to teach chemistry, what does he do? He goes to somebody who knows more chemistry than him in a college, studies there under his guidance and learns and learns, fills his head with knowledge of chemistry, gets a degree, then comes out and says, now I can teach chemistry to other people. But is that the way we minister God's Word? Some people think they can do it like that. They go into a college, and like that man learns chemistry, they learn the Bible, fill their heads with knowledge of the Bible, then get a degree and say, now we can teach the Bible to other people. That's not the way to be a minister of the New Testament. The way to be a minister of the New Testament is to let God lead you down the pathway of pressure, suffering, frustration, disappointment, despair. I would rather sit at the feet of a man who has been through frustration, who has faced problems, difficulties, trials, and suffering in his life, and who at the end of it all has said, Lord, I thank you for the frustration of my way so that I can learn your way. I'd rather sit at his feet than at the feet of a man who has got so many degrees after his name and so much knowledge, but who has not known what it is to have a ministry of life. This is the way of life. Paul says, God gave me a ministry when I went through that suffering. That's what he says in verse 4. God gave me a ministry of comforting and encouraging and exhorting when I was going through that. Thereby I have a ministry to others when they are in need. Let me read you a little poem. Pressed out of measure and pressed to all lengths, pressed so intensely it seems beyond strength, pressed in the body and pressed in the soul, pressed in the mind till the dark surges raw, pressed by my foes, sorely pressed by my friend, pressure on pressure till life nearly ends, pressed into knowing no helper but God, pressed into loving the staff and the rod, pressed into liberty where nothing clings, pressed into faith for impossible things, pressed into living a life in the Lord, pressed into living a Christ life outpoured. This is how it was with Paul. The more pressure came on the earthen vessel, the more the treasure within was communicated to other people. And this is the secret. The more you allow God to press and break your earthen vessel, the more the treasure within will be communicated to others by your life, by your words. Your words may be few, but they will go home like an arrow and it will be a ministry of life. If we allow God to take us along this pathway and we take it joyfully, whatever he sends into our life, like Job, who could say, blessed be the name of the Lord, he has given, he has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. And it says he worshipped God when he lost everything, when he went through that agony of suffering. And I believe this is the way of enlargement. This is why Paul, he says, I want to know more of the fellowship of his suffering. You know, in Philippians 3.10, he prays for three things. He says, I want to know the Lord more and I want to know the power of his resurrection more and I want to know the fellowship of his sufferings more. Now, a lot of Christians pray for power, but they don't pray that they will know more of the fellowship of Christ's suffering. Now, we may think that some persecution must come into this land if we are to suffer. You don't have to go to communist lands. You don't have to go to anti-Christian lands to be persecuted. The Bible says, in 2 Timothy 3, all those who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Everyone, anywhere, anytime, any generation, any century, if you determine that you're going to live a godly life, that you're not going to compromise, that you're going to speak the whole counsel of God without fear or favor, that you're going to live a separated life from the world and preach a separated life, that you're going to dress a little more modestly and not so worldly like everybody else, I tell you, you'll be mocked at, you'll be laughed at. But we don't want that persecution. We don't want it, because we are not living godly. We compromise. Evangelical Christianity today is so full of diplomats, all trying to say nice things to one another, don't want to offend anybody. But Paul was not like that. When he saw Peter in error, he confronted him. He was not going to beat around the bush. When the word of God, the truth of God was at stake, and one is going to be like that, one who's going to stand up for the truth, one who's not going to compromise, who will confront anybody, whether it be a bishop or an archbishop, confront him and say, like Jesus told Nicodemus, you must be born again. I tell you, he'll suffer persecution. Oh yes, but we are too diplomatic in our day. We've got the techniques of business salesmen in Christianity today, and so we don't suffer persecution, because we are not offending anybody. We are not disturbing people, we are not disturbing the devil, and so the devil doesn't disturb us. But all those who live godly in Christ Jesus, in any generation, whether it's in India or Singapore, will suffer persecution, and some of that persecution may come from some other believers who think your standards are too high, who think you should compromise a little bit, and say, don't be so rigid, brother. Don't be so sticky about these little things. But Paul was one who preached the whole counsel of God. He was a determined man. Nothing was going to stop him from fulfilling all of God's will in his life. And I tell you this, if you ask me what type of people God's looking for here in Singapore, he's not looking for sermon tasters, he's not looking for those who can assess sermons and find out whether that is a good sermon or a bad sermon. Oh, we are very good at that. But he's looking for people who will not compromise, who will stand up fearlessly, who will not respect the face of man, who don't want anything from other men, first of all, who don't want that honor, who don't want their money, who don't want anything, first of all, and therefore don't fear them, and who are determined to do all the will of God at any cost, who are determined to be separated from the world in their lives, in their homes, in their conversation, in their dress, in their behavior, in everything. God's looking for people like that. That's the hard way. And we all like to conform. We all like to conform to the standard of all the other believers around us. That's why we don't suffer. That's why we don't have any persecution. You see, suffering need not mean just always stripes on the back. It can be worse forms of persecution. Ostracism. People don't want you because you speak out against the evil and worldliness in their lives. That can be persecution. That can be a form of suffering. But we avoid it. And so we don't know enlargement in our life. When we preach, we are dishing out theological information, not life. God's looking for those who can say like Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3.6, God has made me an able minister of the New Testament, ministering not the letter that kills, but the spirit that gives life. God made me, he said. God made him because he was willing to follow and accept suffering when God sent him joyfully. Nothing could stop Paul. If you locked him up in prison, he'd be witnessing to the jailer and in a few days the jailer will be converted. He was like that. He couldn't sit in prison and say, oh, I can do nothing for God now. He redeemed the time even in prison, sat down and wrote epistles, letters, which have been a blessing to people all over the world for 20 centuries. He was like that. You could lock him up in prison or you could set him free. Nothing would disturb him. He'd always be serving God because suffering was something he accepted joyfully. You remember when he was locked up in the jail in Philippi. I tell you, that jailer in all his lifetime, he had never seen anything like this. Two people locked up in the stocks and at midnight they were singing and praising God. Praise the Lord, you locked us up in jail. Now, that jailer was surprised. These people have got a different type of life. They're not bothered whether you lock them up or beat them. They're always rejoicing. And soon he was converted. And that's why Paul could write to those same Christians in Philippi later on. Philippians 4, 4. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say unto you, rejoice always in any circumstance. And I'm sure when those Philippian Christians read that letter, that jailer would have got up and said, you know, I believe Paul means what he says because I saw him rejoicing when he was locked up in jail. You see, he never told other people what he hadn't experienced himself. Nothing could stop this man. In Acts chapter 20 we read, he says, The Holy Spirit witnesses to me that in every city I go there awake me bonds and afflictions. Acts 20, verse 23 and 24. But he says, none of these things disturb me. I'm not bothered whether people beat me or lock me up or whether there's danger to my life. I tell you, these believers who are always looking for security, that place is too dangerous. If I go there, there's some insecurity there. I tell you, these people can never serve God. But men like Paul, who are dwelling in the secret place of the Most High, here in the safest place in all the world, the center of the will of God, they have no fear. Suffering, persecution, they know that nothing can disturb them. They know that they cannot die till God's time has come. They know that they are immortal till their life's work is done. So they're not afraid of the communists and they're not afraid of cancer or TB or anything. Because they know that they're immortal till their life's work is done. No fear of suffering. Paul was like that. From his experience he could say all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. Not to every Christian. No, no, no, no. To them who love God, who are called according to His purpose, who have dedicated their lives to do His will. Not who have chosen any job that they like to make money for themselves and claim that promise all things work together for good. But they don't work together for good for you. But if you've dedicated your life to do the will of God, if you say, Lord, I have no ambition outside of your will for my life, and if it means suffering, I'll take suffering. If it means persecution, I'll take persecution. If it means that I'm ostracized and excommunicated from some churches perhaps because you preach the truth, I'll accept that also, Lord. God's looking for men like that and such people can claim that promise and it'll be real. The other people can just quote the verse. It won't be real in their lives. Paul was like that. He never pitied himself when he went through suffering. He knew it was working for his good. He says in 2 Corinthians 4, 17, Our light affliction. Let's look at that verse in closing. 2 Corinthians 4, verse 17. Our light affliction. Look what he calls light affliction. A hundred and ninety-five stripes on his back. Three times beaten with rod, stoned, cast out, shipwrecked. He says light affliction. It's hardly anything. Compare that with Christians who are complaining about this little thing and that little thing. God didn't give me a car like he gave that brother. That's suffering for them. Compare that with what Paul calls light affliction. A hundred and ninety-five stripes on my back. Nothing. And he says, which is but for a moment. You see, only 33 years. Just for a moment. Not too long. And he says that's working for me. What a wonderful thing when a man can say suffering works for me. It's my servant. Paul could say that. He made suffering work for him. An eternal weight of glory because he was looking. Verse 18. Not of the things on earth but of the things that are above. He knew that he was going to have a ministry thereby. And thus, Paul had authority in his life. He followed in the footsteps of Jesus about whom it was written. Mark these words. Wonderful words written about the Son of God. Hebrews 5a. Through suffering, Jesus learned obedience. Is there another pathway for us? Through suffering, he learned obedience. Or as the living Bible paraphrases it, he learned what it was to obey even when obedience meant suffering. Have you learned that yet? Have you learned what it is to take a stand for Jesus Christ when it means suffering? Maybe from your parents. Maybe from your relatives. Maybe from your friends. Maybe from your pastor. To take a stand for the Lord. To take a stand for all the truth of God, the whole counsel of God when obedience means suffering. A man who is willing to take that pathway in his life will know the authority of God for that suffering which he goes through will so enlarge his life that the rivers will flow through wider channels and mosques will be blessed. May the Lord teach us this lesson.