• The Church As A China Cabinet

  Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 7, 2011 (message contributor)

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  Scripture:  1 Timothy 3:14-15

  Tags:  Church Purpose Of

THE CHURCH AS A CHINA CABINET

Bryan Wilkerson talks about a sterling silver tea set that a family member gave him and his wife as a reminder of her love for them. It’s quite old and beautifully made, and it sits on a stand in their dining room. There's only one problem: they can’t use it. The woman who gave it to them had it chemically coated so that it wouldn’t tarnish, and hot water will ruin the finish.

Then Wilkerson makes this comment: "God is not looking for sterling silver tea sets. He’s looking for rough-and-tumble clay pots--the kind that can be used everyday. He's looking for the kind of pots that don’t need to be tucked away in a china closet, but can be sent out into a crash-bang world, carrying within them the life of Christ. The church was never meant to be a china cabinet, where precious pieces could be safely stowed out of harm’s way. The church was meant to be a working kitchen, where well-worn pots are filled again and again to dispense their life-giving contents to a thirsty world."

(Bryan Wilkerson, Unbreakable? From a sermon by C. Philip Green, Close Encounter with God, 11/11/2010)