Vessel To Vessel

Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal; The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. 2 Timothy 2:19-21 KJV

2 Timothy 2:20 MSG In a well-furnished kitchen there are not only crystal goblets and silver platters, but waste cans and compost buckets-some containers used to serve fine meals, others to take out the garbage. Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guests for their blessing.

This is one of the greatest revelations of the Bible... God looks upon the church not just as members of his body, but also vessels.

This scripture reveals to us that there are vessels of honor, and vessels of dishonor. Or we could say vessels that serve high and worthy purposes, then there are those that are still vessels, but they serve a much lower or less noble purpose.

This scripture makes it clear that this is not simply a soveriegn choice and decision of God, that says... this is my vessel of honor, but this one can never be more than a vessel of dishonor for lower uses.

No, sir, it's just the opposite. The truth is, the vessel is the one who decides whether they will be a vessel of honor or dishonor.

Everything is created to fulfill a purpose. A vessel is created to contain something. To receive something, and to hold something.

But more than that, a vessel is not only created to receive, and contain, and hold something. But if the vessel doesn't go any farther than that, it hasn't fulfilled the full purpose for which it was created.

Because the purpose of the existence of a vessel, is to receive, and to hold or contain, but then to take what it has received, and what it contains, and to carry it to others.

To move it's contents from one place to another, to transfer what it contains, from the place that it received it's contents, to the place where the contents are needed.

Declare this with me: I am a vessel, chosen by God, to carry his glory, his presence, and his power. He has chosen me, and I choose him.

I choose to be a vessel of honor, to carry the excellency of the presence, and power, of the Holy Spirit.

Wait for the promise of the Father, which sayeth he, you have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, “meaning the anointing” and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. Acts 1:4-8

In our text, Jesus is getting ready to leave planet earth, he had walked in total obedience to his fathers will, and fulfilled his mission, and completed his assignment. Now he’s turning his work on earth over to his disciples, and apostles, and followers.

But Jesus knows that they cannot carry on his work without his power, so he commands them to wait for this power.

Behold I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high. Lu 24:49

To endue means to invest, to clothe, or put on. Power means ability, might, and strength, specifically power for performing miracles.

Jesus was saying: Don’t leave Jerusalem until the anointing comes upon you.

What is the anointing? The Anointing is the power of the Holy Ghost. The anointing is the supernatural might, and strength, and the ability of God to do the work of God.

Jesus knew that the only way we could continue his work on the earth was to be clothed upon and invested with, and empowered with, the supernatural ability, and power of God... and that power is the anointing.

Lu 4:18 says, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

The greatest need of the church in this hour is to have this same anointing, this same supernatural ability and power of God that was upon Jesus to be upon us.