Remember Your Resources
II Corinthians 4:6-12
Purpose: To remind Christians of the great worth they have in Christ.
Aim: I want the listener to rejoice in what God enables us to do and be greatly encouraged to attempt great things for God.
INTRODUCTION: It is so easy to be unhappy with who we are. When we look at other people around us we don’t have to look far before we find people who are better looking than we are, or those who have winning personalities, or many others who are smarter or better educated, or those who have more money, or we may even secretly envy the husband or wife that someone else has.
Even beauty contestants will admit to being self-conscious about some physical feature that they wish were better.
The television, glamor magazines, movies, and romance novels are constantly confronting us with the “perfect” person. The media is always parading people before us who have better jobs, who have more talent, and who seem to live more exciting lives than we do, so that we can be left feeling cheated because of who we are.
This should not be true of a Christian. ✔ Except for our sin, God made us just the way we are. If we are not very careful, we can become guilty of blaming God for what He has done.
✔ Romans 9:20 . . . who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? (NAU)
Look at verse 7 of today’s text. An excellent example of a “jar of clay” (i.e. someone who wasn’t very attractive) is Paul because he had many weaknesses.
✔ Paul’s Weaknesses
✔ – Nervousness 1 Corinthians 2:3 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, (NAU)
✔ – An unimpressive appearance and a poor speaker 2 Corinthians 10:10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.” (NAU)
✔ – Physical ailments 2 Corinthians 12:7 Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! (NAU)
It’s easy to list the things we wish we had, or wish we were better at, instead let’s take a few minutes and think about what we do have in Christ.
I. What Does God Do for Me?
I may not be rich, famous, talented, good looking, smart, or exciting to be around, but I do have much more than most of the people who are rich, famous, talented, good looking, smart and exciting to be around. What are those things?
A. God loves me
Jesus boldly proclaimed: John 15:9 “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. (NAU)
Paul said that this love is beyond description. Ephesians 3:19 to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, . . . . (NAU) God love His own beyond description.
The Bible makes it clear that God’s love for His own is NOT based on anything that makes them attractive to Him. Ephesians 2:4-6 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (NAU)
The Bible also makes it clear that this love is reserved ONLY for those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ. John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. (NAU)
B. God owns me
Our human nature cringes at the idea that anyone has to right to tell us what to do, let alone being willing to have someone own us. But, there is great joy and contentment when a Christian understands that God owns him.
✔ Psalm 100:3 Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. (NAU)
God’s promise to own is us forever. This is important because God’s love for me would not have much meaning if it could change.
John 10:27-28 27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. (NAU)
John 15:16,19 16 “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you . . . . 19 . . . I chose you out of the world, . . . . (NAU)
C. God lives in me
1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? (NAU)
John 14:17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. (NAU)
D. God gives me eternal glory
2 Corinthians 4:17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, (NAU)
John 17:22 “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, . . .[i.e. the Holy Spirit] 24 “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, . . . (NAU) We posses God’s glory, but we haven’t seen it yet.
“The glory which You gave Me” is the glory of resurrection and ascension.[MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments (Jn 17:22). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.]
What a thrill it will be to actually see the awesome glory of God.
Revelation 4:3 and He who was sitting [on the throne] was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. (NAU) Revelation 4:5-6 5 Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; 6 and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; . . . (NAU) Revelation 4:11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” (NAU) Don’t you want to be there?
E. God gives me joy
1 Timothy 6:17 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. (NAU)
2 Chronicles 29:30 Moreover, King Hezekiah and the officials ordered the Levites to sing praises to the Lord with the words of David and Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with joy, and bowed down and worshiped. (NAU)
Psalm 105:43 And He brought forth His people with joy, His chosen ones with a joyful shout. (NAU)
John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. (NAU)
II. Who Am I in God?
It is important that we know WHO we are. We have many problems, and all of them are connected in someway to sin, but apart from our struggles with sin, we need to know exactly WHO we are.
A. I am exactly what God wants me to be
God did not make any mistakes in how he made you or me. Your basic personality, your looks, (except maybe for the food you dump into your body), your talents, your intelligence, and how long you will live, are all things that God gives you.
Psalm 139:14-16 14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; 16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. (NAU)
✔ When we complain about things about ourselves that we cannot change, we are accusing God of making mistakes.
God is always perfect. Deuteronomy 32:4 “The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He. (NAU)
Everything that God gives is good. James 1:17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. (NAU)
B. I am gifted to serve Him
1 Corinthians 12:7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (NAU)
1 Corinthians 12:11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. (NAU)
1 Corinthians 12:18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. (NAU)
God has given every Christian a unique blend of opportunities and talents that no one else has.
If God has given us gifts to serve Him with, then what exactly can we do for Him?
III. What Does God Enable Me to Do?
No matter how rich or poor, skinny or fat, handsome or ugly, smart or slow, you can (if you are a Christian) do at least four things.
A. I can spread salt
Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. (NAU)
I can live a life for Christ that restrains sin in others. Others should not feel comfortable using God’s name in vain in your presence. Your life should be a reminder to others around you that there is a righteous God.
I can also show those who are living a tasteless, pointless existence the flavor of God’s righteousness, so that they can become thirsty for God.
B. I can shine light
Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; (NAU)
We can shine light because it is God’s light. It doesn’t depend on how bright we are. Matthew 5:16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (NAU)
God has put His hand on us so we can declare to the world how great God is.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (NAU)
2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, 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. (NAU)
C. I can produce fruit
What fruit can we produce? Galatians 5:22-24 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (NAU) This is the Spirit’s fruit, not mine.
John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. (NAU) John 15:8 “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. (NAU)
D. I can plant seeds
Do you remember the story of Jack and the Beanstalk? Jack bought some magic beans that grew into the clouds overnight. He didn’t make the seeds grow, he just planted them. That is all that God asks us to do with His Word.
✔ We can’t make seeds grow, but we can plant them.
Psalm 126:6 He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. (NAU) There are no exceptions for the ugly or the stupid. Any believer can plant the seeds of God’s love and forgiveness in others.
1 Corinthians 3:6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. (NAU)
The seed that God has given us to plant is more powerful that the seeds that Jack planted. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (NAU)
I can also plant seeds of holiness in the lives of other Christians.
2 Timothy 2:2 The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. (NAU)
Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another. (NAU)
CONCLUSION: Do you sometimes feel like a worthless clay pot? Good! Now you are in a position where God can greatly use you. ✔ God will use you if you are willing to humble yourself and let Him have all the attention.
2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; (NAU)
Are you willing to be humiliated so that Christ can be exalted? 2 Corinthians 4:10-11 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (NAU)
✔ A humble sinner is in a better condition than a proud angel. Thomas Watson
[Thomas, I. (1996). The golden treasury of Puritan quotations. Includes index of authors. General index created by Christian Clasics Foundation. (electronic ed.). Simpsonville SC: Christian Classics Foundation.]
