Class Lesson February 23, 2020

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

The boll weevil has not been kind to America. After it first migrated from Mexico in 1892, it quickly began to wreak havoc on one of the primary crops in America: cotton. Thanks to the boll weevil: 

• Cotton production dropped 50 percent within five years. 
• Land values dropped as local economies bottomed out. Unable to work, an estimated six million people, mostly African-American farm workers, migrated from the south to the north in what came to be called the Great Migration. 
• Losses were estimated at $23 billion.

Why would anyone honor the boll weevil? Yet that’s what the town of Enterprise, Alabama, did. Cotton was once king, but since the boll weevil was killing the industry, the farmers around Enterprise switched to other crops and found them to be more profitable. So they erected a monument in the pest’s honor. The boll weevil forced them to look in another direction, and that ultimately benefited them. 1

We don’t need to honor the pain points in our lives, but let’s consider how we can use those pain points as a way to honor the One who walks beside us.

THE POINT: 

Every part of life—including difficulties—is an opportunity to glorify God.

THE PASSAGE: 

2 Corinthians 4:7-18

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

2 Corinthians 4:7-11

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

“Treasure” is such an inviting word. We seek treasure. We prize the people or things we love as treasures. But what is the treasure to which Paul was referring? Based on the previous verses, Paul could be referring to his ministry or the gospel—“the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6). Considering that Paul’s life and ministry were totally wrapped up with the gospel, Paul’s treasure could be both. His treasure was what he possessed and proclaimed in Christ.

Paul seemed amazed that God would put this incredible treasure—the light and gospel of Christ—in human vessels that are as common and insignificant as “earthen vessels”—clay jars. During Paul’s time, clay jars were extremely common. Every family had lots of them in their home. They were fragile, but if one broke, you simply picked up another one. The importance of the clay jar was not in itself, but in what it carried. In a similar way, our bodies are fragile; we’re prone to “break.” Yet God uses us to be vessels of His glory and truth. The contrast between ourselves—these fragile earthen vessels—and the glory of God inside us causes others to be amazed with what they see in us: the light of Jesus.

DIGGING DEEPER EARTHEN VESSELS

Picturing himself as an ordinary, everyday utensil conveying an invaluable treasure is as striking an image as Paul’s picture of himself as a defeated but joyous prisoner marching in God’s triumphal procession (2:14). Such an image underscores his weakness. An earthen vessel is “quintessentially fragile,” prone to breakage, easily chipped and cracked. A breakable vessel offers no protection for the treasure (except from dust and water). The image therefore serves to emphasize the contrast between Paul’s own pitiful weakness and the great power of God.

Second, the image highlights Paul’s lowliness. He has in mind earthenware jars or, perhaps, the small, cheap pottery lamps. Neither were things of beauty. They lacked any outward luster in contrast to the treasure, and their cheapness would disguise the fact that they contained anything valuable at all. The contrast would emphasize the priceless value of the treasure compared to Paul’s relative worthlessness. What the earthen vessel contains is the only thing that gives it importance.

Third, the image highlights Paul’s expendability. Earthen vessels had no enduring value and were so cheap that when they were broken no one attempted to mend them. They simply discarded them. Broken glass was melted down to make new glass; an earthenware vessel, once hardened in a kiln, was nonrecyclable. Easily broken, they were also easily replaced and not worth repairing. But the vessel is essential. David Garland, 2 Corinthians, vol. 29, The New American Commentary, ed. E. Ray Clendenen (Nashville: B&H, 1999). WordSearch ed. 

The earthen vessel is different from the treasure, yet because of the treasure of Christ in our lives we are …

·       … “troubled on every side, yet not distressed.”

·       … “perplexed, but not in despair.”

·       … “persecuted, but not forsaken.”

·       … “cast down, but not destroyed.”

Whatever may happen to us bodily has no bearing on the life we have in Christ.

Paul and his traveling companions knew this by experience. They had endured much as they spread the light and glory of the gospel of Jesus. As they traveled, they were keenly aware they carried “in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.” Earlier, Paul had written to the Galatians: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me” (Gal. 2:20). They were troubled, perplexed, persecuted, and cast down in their bodies, but the resurrection and glory of Jesus was clearly evident and on full display.

Everything we do and say is a reflection of the gospel in us. Even when we face hardship and suffer, we still can reflect and glorify Jesus in our lives. We are merely earthen vessels, but we are carrying the world’s most important message everywhere we go.

Question 2: 

When have you seen someone glorify God when afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, or struck down?

2 Corinthians 4:12-15

12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you. 13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; 14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

We might wonder what good can come from pain and difficulties, but those moments of trial can and should be opportunities to point to Christ and offer Him thanks. We’re not thankful for the hardship itself but for what it accomplishes. Paul and his ministry team faced persecution and even death, but it was for the blessing and benefit of the people of Corinth. “So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” Paul endured all of his trials and adversity knowing it would benefit the people who would hear the gospel and trust in Jesus. It was because Paul was willing to suffer such hardship, that people were able to hear the gospel and find life!

The life Paul had in his mortal body was a gift from God and would be made manifest in his own future resurrection. When his physical body died, his life didn’t end. Paul endured because he had the knowledge of his own eternal life in Christ. “Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.” He could endure any hardship, because this short life is not all there is.

Paul could also endure any and all things because it benefited the Corinthians and all those he sought to reach. The result? “The abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.”

  

In May of 2004, our daughter Hadley was born premature. She weighed only 15½ ounces and was in mortal danger for weeks. We were terrified. We were scared of losing her. We were scared of having to care for this tiny, sickly little girl. Yet after 108 days, our little girl was well enough to go home. It was a hard road, but we are thankful how God worked. He used His church to rally around and support us. His Holy Spirit brought to us “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding” (Phil. 4:7).

We are thankful how God continues to use us because of what we endured. In the years since Hadley came home, we have been in touch with many parents in similar situations. We are thankful for the opportunities He has given us to come alongside others and give comfort and hope to them, as others gave hope and comfort to us.

Question 3: 

How can suffering lead to the spread of the gospel?

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Pain and suffering hit us all. It may be for a brief time, but for others, pain is something they’ve lived with for years. Many of us are walking through suffering right now. And if you aren’t aware of any hardship at the moment, just wait. It’ll come. Regardless of the source of our difficulties, we’re called to endure. Paul assured us, “For which cause we faint not,” and He gave us the reason.

Question 4: 

What keeps you from giving up when life gets hard?

The answer is largely in the verses we just examined. We endure because He has shown us mercy and grace. We endure because it draws us closer to God as we keep focused on Him. We endure because it displays the power of God and the life we have in Him.

We can also endure and not give up when we keep our suffering in perspective. From the viewpoint of our eternity with Christ, whatever we endure in this life is “our light affliction.” Even if we were to suffer for the rest of our earthly lives, that is a short span of time when compared with eternity.

The rewards of our eternity with Christ far outweigh the pain of the temporal. When we allow God to work in us, we find strength. We grow in Christ. “But though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” This truth then changes our focus from what we can see (the here and now) to what we can’t currently see (eternity).

Karen Alexander Doyel lives out this truth. She has fought cancer and survived. She lost her husband in a tragic accident when her sons were young adults. She is fighting cancer again and has survived in the face of all odds. Yet, she is more on fire to share the love of Christ now than ever before. How can that be? She feels so “free!” When I (Candace) encountered her at a women’s conference, it was clear she had lost weight. Her hair was still in the process of growing back, and she seemed fragile. In spite of appearances, she struck me as the strongest woman in the room. She had a fire in her belly to boldly proclaim Him to anyone who would listen. She was beautiful. Her outward body was weak—she had to sit down on a stool as her physical body faltered—but spiritually she was strong. Only God could do that. She is a living testimony that “though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”

We, too, can stand strong because a far greater glory awaits us in Christ.

Question 5: 

What are some practical ways we can develop a better focus on eternal things?

ENGAGE

Think of several instances of suffering that you or someone close to you have experienced. Then write words of praise to God demonstrating how each moment has drawn you close to Him.

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

LIVE IT OUT

How will you use your life to bring glory to God?

Pray. Ask God for help when you endure suffering. Ask Him to draw you closer to Him. Ask a few close friends to pray for you and remind you of God’s love for you.

Journal. One way to discover how God is at work is to use a journal to write down your prayers and observations. In time, you can look back at your writing to see what He taught you and how you have grown in Christ.

Share. Tell someone else of your experience with God during a time of difficulty or suffering. It’s your story to share. Look at it as a gift to someone who is suffering now. Pray and ask God to make you aware of any opportunities to use your story to encourage or help others.

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

Keep Your Eyes On Me

Click Here to Listen

Hope to see everyone this Sunday!

In His Love,

David & Susan

Teacher Notes:

Click Here to Watch

HOW CAN I HONOR GOD IN MY SUFFERING?

I Still Believe is a Christian film based on the life of singer-songwriter Jeremy Camp and his first wife, Melissa Lynn Henning-Camp, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer shortly before they married. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and died on February 5, 2001, when he was 23 and she was 21. "I Still Believe" was the first song he wrote after her death. The film is coming out in 2020. This is the true-life story of Christian music mega star Jeremy Camp and his remarkable journey of love and loss that proves there is always hope in midst of tragedy and that faith tested is only faith worth sharing.

So, in the spirit of the song I ask you all to finish the phrase. 

"I still believe..."

...in the good in people.

...children are our future.

...we all can make a difference!

...God loves us.

...in both a place called Hope and that shining city on the hill.

...Hillary should go to jail!!

...Keith Richards was replaced by a robot.

...this is the greatest country in the world!

...in marriage and family

...Lee Harvey Oswald did NOT act alone.

...in the power of prayer.

I still believe in Your faithfulness,

I still believe in Your truth,

I still believe in Your holy word 

Even when I don't see, I still believe

I still believe God brings good out of bad situations!

An elderly pastor was asked what’s the one question he had gotten over the years more than any other? His answer was, “why?”. He went on to say that the people asking the question were often experiencing some tragic suffering or watching someone they love endure misery. So many times, there’s really not a clear answer. The best I can do is to be emotionally present, compassionate, empathetic, and at the right time, try to redirect their focus from “why” something happened, to “how” they can use it to glorify God.

Jesus teaches us this very thing in John 9:1-3, “As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

There are at least four ways to glorify God in our suffering:

1. If there is sin in our life that has contributed to our suffering, we can glorify God by confessing it, repenting of it, and seeking to walk away from it.
2. While we are suffering, we can respond with love for God and godly character so other believers see our honesty about the grief and hope in the Lord.
3. Suffering provides an opportunity to witness to non-Christians who know us and see our faith revealed in our suffering as we walk with the Lord through our sorrow.
4. Suffering increases our ability to minister to others who are suffering with compassion, empathy, and understanding.

Now, you are probably thinking that in moments of pain, most of us tend to focus on getting rid of the pain. Our first thought isn’t usually, how can I honor God? But, when we step away from the pain and objectively see what we’re going through, we may see how our reactions to the pain and our belief toward whatever happened, actually reflects our trust—or lack of trust—in God. We live in a world focused on self. As believers, however, we are to point away from ourselves to the One we love and trust—even during the hard times.

This morning, Paul is going to give us 3 more ways we can honor God in our suffering:

2 Corinthians 4:7-11

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.

Paul reminds us here that we may think we are at the end of our rope, but we are never at the end of our hope.

We can honor God in our suffering:

I. By still believing in His faithfulness. Not giving up, no matter what!

What did Paul mean when he spoke of “treasure in jars of clay”? What are the jars of clay in reference to? In what ways are we like clay jars?

• Jars of clay / Earthen vessels were inexpensive and very breakable.
• Paul used these terms as symbols of the human body. Paul no doubt bore the scars of his persecutions, and that made his body look frail and weak.

What was Paul referring to as this treasure?

• The supremely valuable message of salvation in Jesus Christ has been entrusted by God to frail and fallible human beings (jars of clay). Paul’s focus was not on the perishable container but on its priceless contents – God’s power dwelling inside us.
• Though we are weak, God uses us to spread His Good News, and He gives us the power to do His work. Knowing this power is His, not ours, should keep us from pride and motivate us to keep daily contact with God – our power source.
• Our responsibility is to let people see God through us.

Paul was able to still believe when he was hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted and struck down, because God’s power and faithfulness insured him that he was not crushed, in despair, abandoned or destroyed.

• Despite being hard pressed – Paul was not crushed; he was able to continue doing what God had called him to do.
• He was perplexed – he did not see a way out but despite this, he was not in despair – he knew God would provide a way out.
• He was persecuted – yet knew God had not abandoned him.
• He was struck down – but was not destroyed – he still believed and kept going.

In each of these instances, God’s power triumphed over human weakness. God still works in that way today.

2 Corinthians 4:12-15

So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

“I believed, and therefore have I spoken” – Paul borrowed this phrase from Psalm 116:10. The psalmist had faced all kinds of hardships – even to the point of death – but he still trusted God to take care of him.

We can honor God in our suffering:

II. By still believing in His truth and giving thanks and praise for it.

• We might wonder what good can come from pain and difficulties, but those moments of trial can and should be opportunities to point to Christ and offer Him thanks. We’re not thankful for the hardship itself but for what it accomplishes – the spread of the gospel.

How can suffering lead to the spread of the gospel?

• The way we endure suffering becomes an opportunity for us to demonstrate our trust in God.
• Just as we identify with Christ in His suffering, we can identify with Him in His resurrection.
• Our suffering for Christ may be instrumental in leading others to know His marvelous grace in their own lives.
• All our situations in life can become opportunities for giving thanksgiving and praise to God.
• In all things, we are to seek God’s glory.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

It is easy to lose heart and quit. We all have faced problems in our life that have caused us to want to just walk away. But Paul says rather than giving up, concentrate on experiencing the inner strength from the Holy Spirit. Your very weakness allows the resurrection power of Christ to strengthen you moment by moment.

We can honor God in our suffering:

III. By still believing in His Holy Word and its promise.

What is the promise?

• A far greater glory awaits us with God in heaven. Paul had faced suffering, trials, and distress as he preached the Good News. But he knew that they would one day be over and he would obtain God’s rest and rewards. As we face trouble, its easy to focus on the pain rather than our ultimate goal. Just as athletes concentrate on the finish line and ignore their discomfort, we too must focus on the reward for our faith and the joy that lasts forever. No matter what happens to us in this life, we have the assurance of eternal life, when all suffering will end and all sorrow will flee away.
• We must keep our eyes on things that are eternal. When we get to heaven, our earthly problems will be insignificant. Our confidence of eternal life in heaven enables us to endure the sufferings of this world.

What are some practical ways we can develop a better focus on eternal things?

Every part of life – including difficulties – is an opportunity to still believe and glorify God.

Conclusion: If we are not careful, we can become so consumed by our difficulties, that we lose sight of everything else. In our despair, we see only what is around us. We become inwardly focused. We lose hope. We contribute nothing to the well-being of others. We may think God has forgotten us. And even if we think of Him, we may convince ourselves we have nothing to offer. Such was not Paul’s attitude toward the suffering he encountered because of his service to Christ. His difficult days were only another opportunity to display his faith, to praise God for hope, and to reflect on the greater glory that awaited him. We do well to emulate his thinking and his action. And we can do so because the power and ability available to Paul is still available to us though the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. As Christians, we have something beyond. Therefore, we need not grow weary or faint.