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[Silence] [Silence] [Silence] Acclaim the Lord, all men on earth. Worship the Lord in gladness.

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Enter his presence with songs of exultation. [All] Know that the Lord is God. He has made us, and we are his own. His people, the flock with which he shepherds. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. [All] We thank you, Lord, for the Lord's good, that he is always with us, and that he is constantly with us. Amen.

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Let us pray. Almighty God, our Father, we thank you for the gift of this day. We thank you for the marvelous privilege of assembling in your house, which is called the House of Prayer. We pray that you would have mercy upon us and bless us, that we would be a channel used by your hand for the proclamation of your praise, your power.

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lead us into paths of righteousness, we pray, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen. Good morning and welcome to the worship of God. Let us greet one another this morning,

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shaking hands with the person that may be nearest. Now let us turn to hymn number 229, I Need Thee Every Hour. [MUSIC PLAYING]

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♪ God give thee every hour ♪ ♪ Most gracious Lord ♪ ♪ Until the morn's unborn ♪ ♪ Can kiss the moon ♪

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♪ God give thee all ♪ ♪ God give thee every hour ♪ ♪ I need Thee ♪ ♪ Oh, let me now my Savior ♪

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♪ My God, oh, do me ♪ ♪ I need Thee every hour ♪ ♪ Stay by me, O God ♪ ♪ In nations, in the power ♪

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♪ In our hearts ♪ ♪ I need thee, oh I need thee ♪ ♪ Every hour I need thee ♪ ♪ Oh, Christ, in our hearts ♪

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♪ You know I long to be with you ♪ ♪ I leave thee and behold ♪ ♪ In joy await ♪ ♪ I leave thee and know I ♪

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♪ Oh, I leave thee ♪ ♪ I leave thee, oh, I leave thee ♪ ♪ When will I meet thee ♪ ♪ Oh, bless me now my Savior ♪

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♪ My God, to thee ♪ [music] Our scripture lesson is found in the epistle to the Corinthians, the second epistle to Corinthians, the fourth chapter, the first ten verses.

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"Therefore, seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not, but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, not handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

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But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for

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Jesus' sake. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of

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God and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed. We are perplexed, but not in despair. Persecuted, but not forsaken.

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cast down but not destroyed, 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. Now is our time of prayer together. It is a time when we, as the family of God, as his people here at Ebenezer, make the pilgrimage

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to the heavenly throne. So as we respond to the altar call, we ask that you would gather for prayer. needs prayer. Prayer is the soul's sincere desire. Unuttered are expressed the motion of a hidden fire that trembles in the breast. More things are wrought through prayer than

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this world dreams of. He who loveth best, prayeth best. The disciples said to Jesus, "Lord, teach us how to pray. Let us bow our heads as we pray.

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Almighty God, our gracious Heavenly Father, in whom we live, move, and have being, we We bless your name for all of the gifts that nourish body and soul. We thank you for the privilege of worship, for the opportunity to call upon your name, and for the blessed fact that you have left us in the land of the living.

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We recognize that we do not deserve the many blessings that you have showered upon us, that all of us are sinful creatures and we fall short of your glory. None of us has attained into the high mark that you have set for us. Lack of faith, lack of uttermost surrender to you has kept us back.

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But as we stand here in your presence, we ask your forgiveness. We ask for another chance, and we pray that what we have done wrong, that you would cast it in the sea of forgetfulness where it will never rise again to testify against us in the judgment.

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We pray that you would purge our hearts. We pray that you would renew our strength. We pray that you would give us guidance for the perplexities that we encounter. Give us a sense of direction when we come to the crossroads and we find ourselves experiencing

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frustrations. Have mercy upon us. Bless all of the families that are assembled here. Now Lord, you know us one by one and you know the problems that we face and you know the

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The things that trouble us, you know us better than we know ourselves. So help us we pray and strengthen us not only individually with our peculiar situations and problems but we pray that you will strengthen us as your church. We pray that you would strengthen not only the Ebenezer family but we pray for your churches

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everywhere. We pray for our nation and for all of the peoples of this earth. Have mercy upon us, bless us, and use us, we pray, as your instruments this day and in the days ahead.

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We ask it all in the strong and perfect name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and our Lord. Amen. [MUSIC PLAYING] [Music]

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[Music] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [Music]

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[Music] [ Music ] [MUSIC] [ Music ]

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♪ I feel ♪ ♪ I was lost ♪ ♪ But now I'm found ♪ ♪ Was blind ♪

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♪ But now I see ♪ ♪ The praise that taught my heart to fear ♪ ♪ The praise my ears revealed ♪ ♪ The praises that brought me near ♪

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♪ That breaks the fear ♪ ♪ The awful night that's breaking ♪ ♪ I am the wind ♪ ♪ The strong and silent ♪

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♪ The help of heaven ♪ ♪ And the power of the Lord ♪ ♪ To save us all ♪ ♪ He saved us all ♪

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♪ And made us free ♪ ♪ May the Lord ♪ ♪ The Lord ♪ ♪ The Lord ♪

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♪ Is come ♪ ♪ To me ♪ ♪ His word ♪ ♪ I do ♪

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♪ See me ♪ ♪ He made ♪ ♪ And worship ♪ ♪ And worship me ♪

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♪ As long as I'm here to hold ♪ - Amen. Let us worship the Lord now in the dedication of our gifts. That every one of us give according to how the Lord

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prospered you. Our church is supported through tithes and offerings. The tithe is one-tenth of our possessions given to the Lord through the church. "He that giveth sparingly shall reap sparingly," saith the scripture. He that giveth bountifully shall reap bountifully, so let every person give according to how he or she has purposed in the heart.

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Let us pray. Gracious God, bless us as we share. Help us to share in the spirit of unselfishness and liberality. giving not grudgingly but happily,

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wishing that we had more to give, recognizing that everything we have is a trust from you in this spirit and in the spirit of love and sacrifice, Lord, so let us give in Jesus' name, amen.

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Amen. [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING]

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[MUSIC PLAYING] [music] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING]

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[Music] [Music] The Men's Day Committee will meet Tuesday this week, July 10th, at 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of the Church. Men's Day committee here at the church Tuesday 6 30 p.m

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Would like for the trustees that are present to remain for just a few moments following the benediction this morning Dr. Bueller Agnes Curry Jones lyric soprano will appear in a noon day recital at the Presbyterian Church on

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Thursday July 12 12 30 12 o'clock to 1230 and the cost is $1. You'll notice that announcement in the bulletin. The Pastor's appreciation service for the Reverend Lawrence Wicks is to be held next Sunday

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And the pastor is to deliver that message and we have to share in that service with the choir music ushers and so on So we urge all of you who possibly can to be with us at that time We're going to present our guest at this time. We'd like for you to stand as words of welcome Would be extended to you and remain standing

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Until This period is concluded. I have the name for James Sims of the Galilee Baptist Church of Austin Texas that right? All right. He is visiting here with Robert Grattan and family. Are there other persons

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Worshipping with us who visitors for whom I do not have cards. So would you stand? We're delighted to have you share with us brother Sims and we want to extend to you a warm welcome from the entire Ebeneezer family now with some person near brother Sims give him a warm handshake, please as an expression of our welcome Thank you so much

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There was a special announcement to be made by someone I don't brother Owens. All right At three o'clock this afternoon, sisters and brothers, we invite you to come and help us to show our pastor and Mrs. Griffin just how much we appreciate the 15 years of dedicated service they've given to Ebenezer.

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If you will come in large numbers and fill this edifice, we would appreciate it. Thank you very much. [Recess] [ Music ]

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♪ Keep your lips trimmed and burning ♪ ♪ Keep your lips trimmed and burning ♪ ♪ Keep your lips trimmed and burning ♪ ♪ The time is drawing nigh ♪

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♪ Keep your lips trimmed and burning ♪ ♪ Keep your lips trimmed and burning ♪ ♪ Keep your lips trimmed and burning ♪ ♪ The time is drawing nigh ♪

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♪ Till bring dawn is nearing ♪ ♪ Children don't get weary ♪ ♪ Children don't get weary ♪ ♪ 'Til your work is done ♪

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♪ Children don't get weary ♪ ♪ Children don't get weary ♪ ♪ Children don't get weary ♪ ♪ 'Til your work is done ♪

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♪ Christian journey soon be over ♪ ♪ Christian journey soon be over ♪ ♪ Christian journey soon be over ♪ ♪ The tide is drawing nigh ♪

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♪ Christian journey soon be over ♪ ♪ Christian journey soon be over ♪ ♪ Christian journey soon be over ♪ ♪ The tide is drawing nigh ♪

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♪ Keep your last trend in burning ♪ ♪ Keep your last trend in burning ♪ ♪ Keep your last trend in burning ♪ ♪ The tide is drawing nigh ♪

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♪ Keep your last trend in burning ♪ ♪ Keep your last trend in burning ♪ ♪ Keep your last trend in burning ♪ ♪ The tide is drawing nigh ♪

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♪ Keep your last trend in burning ♪ ♪ Keep your last trend in burning ♪ ♪ Keep your last trend in burning ♪ ♪ The time is drawing nigh ♪

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- Amen. Hear this word, recorded in the second epistle to the Corinthians, chapter four, verses seven through 10.

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We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed.

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We are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not forsaken, cast down but not destroyed, 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.

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The subject of the message, this treasure in earthen vessels. This treasure in earthen vessels. We have this treasure. What is the treasure, you may ask?

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This does not refer to a large bank account. It is not testimony concerning gold or diamond mines, oil wells, or any vast mineral deposits. It speaks of the unsearchable riches of God deposited for humankind in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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Although the author of these words has no material wealth, he speaks with clarity and and certainty, saying, "We have this treasure in earthen vessels." It is a word lifted from his second letter to the Christian community in Carthage. This particular epistle is called a severe letter because Paul has some rather hard things

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to say. In Corinth, Paul had been hurt, insulted, and slandered as never before or afterwards by any church. His appearance was under attack.

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His manner of dress was criticized. The way he looked in the pulpit did not satisfy many of his parishioners. His speech was considered dull and dry. He did not say what he had to say in a smooth and sweet way that was soothing to the ears

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of his listeners. In addition to all this, Paul's call to the ministry was under attack. ministerial credentials were unsatisfactory to certain members of the congregation, his license to preach and his ordination were severely questioned.

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And beside this Paul's honesty was under attack. The people said he is not what he claims to be. To them he was no more than a counterfeit, a camouflage, a jack-leg preacher masquerading as an apostle of Jesus Christ. And to this Paul responds saying we have this treasure in earthen vessels. What is the treasure? It is the

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gospel of Jesus Christ. That's the treasure. That's it. One of our spiritual puts it thusly, "Religion is a treasure I really do believe. Religion is a treasure I really do believe." The person entrusted with the gospel is like a man with a precious treasure. The treasure is contained in an earthen vessel which

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itself is weak and worthless. In ancient times the vessels that were commonly used were made of clay. They were often marred and broken. Many times there were valuable possessions which were to be kept and they were placed in these vessels. And it is this kind of analogy which Paul uses as he seeks to convey to

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the Corinthians the nature of his work and ministry when he says we have this treasure in earthen vessels. He speaks not only of himself but he speaks of the entire Christian community. He speaks not only for those who were associated with the Church of Jesus Christ in the first century but he speaks for those

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who are associated with the Church of Jesus Christ in all centuries to come. We have this treasure in earthen vessels. It is to call attention to the fact that the servants of God are not angels, they are not celestial beings, they are not heavenly vessels, they are earthly vessels. And so as he speaks concerning

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the treasure, he would have us understand that the treasure of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the task of communicating the gospel which is encumbered upon the entire Christian community is a treasure which is entrusted to earthen vessels. treasure invested, deposited within the human family. Human beings, frail, imperfect, lowly,

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weak, unimposing. So as he responds to the criticism which is leveled against him, he is saying that all of us as feeble and finite creatures of Jesus Christ, or creatures of God, that we are not fit, so to speak, if we were to look at our evaluation according to the standards of Jesus Christ, what God requires of his people.

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Ours is a situation in which we can say that it is the survival of the unfit. None of us is really fit to convey the gospel of Jesus Christ from the standpoint of being perfect creatures But we have a treasure which we are

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entrusted with in earthen vessels and These earthen vessels made of clay Are held by the divine hand Just as the vessel of clay

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is held by the human hand so We are in the hand of God and in the hand of God these vessels are filled.

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We may take and fill our cup with a particular potion and so it is that the contents of the vessel that are placed in the vessel

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that is placed in the hand of God that what is placed in that vessel is poured forth. It is to be poured forth in a life of commitment in a life of service in a life of sacrifice In a life that is completely in the service of Jesus Christ We have this treasure in earthen vessels

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And this Indicates also that the vessel is shaken there is a shaking of the vessel and And in the shaking of the vessel, the contents of the vessel are made all the more potent.

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They become all the more effective. It's sort of like when one would make coffee and it would be necessary to sort of stir it up in order for it to taste its best, to stir it up or any other solution that needs to be stirred up in order to be most effective. We have this treasure. It is in

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earthen vessels. And the Apostle goes on to say that this is because we may recognize the excellency of the power. The excellency of the power that would recognized as not being of us but of ourselves. If somehow we think that as servants of Jesus Christ that the power is in us, we missed the mark. But the

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treasure is placed in us as earthen vessels with all of our weaknesses, with all of our frailties, with all of our shortcomings, the treasure is deposited in us, God somehow puts the power of Jesus Christ in our lives that we may all the more recognize that what we do for him, with him, and through him is not

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of our own power but of his power. We have this treasure in earthen vessels that we may all the more recognize that the excellency of the power is not in us but in Jesus Christ. This is what Paul is saying. Sure you may look at my frailties, you may look at my shortcomings in the pulpit, you may look at all of the things

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regarding my credentials that you feel fall short, but he says remember we have this treasure in earthen vessels we are not celestial beings we are earthly beings and God has given us this treasure in earthen vessels now we are pressed on every side every side in other words we are troubled on every

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side there's trouble all around us but we have this treasure in earthen vessels troubled on every side. In other words there are wars without and there are fears within. Everywhere we look we are troubled. We are buffeted about like like a leaf upon the angry billows of the deep on every side. He goes on in

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that epistle to talk about the fact that I have been sentenced of the Jews to receive 40 stripes five times. I have been beaten with rods three times. I have been a night and a day adrift in the sea. I have been in danger from my own brethren, I've been in danger because of strangers, I have been hungry, I have been

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affected by many of the adverse circumstances of life, but in the midst of it all I'm able to say that we are troubled on every side. And in spite of of all of the troubles that are surrounding me in the work, he's able to say we have this treasure in earthen vessels, we are troubled on every side

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but not distressed. That the child of Jesus Christ, the person who is anchored in Jesus Christ, though the vessel somehow is shaken all up and the contents there may seem to be disturbed as they are shaken being troubled on every side that in the midst of it all that this is a vessel that is used for

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the glory of Jesus Christ. We are perplexed but not in despair. You know some people who who look at the Christian life and they think that a Christian never becomes perplexed, but we are earthen vessels. We accept Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior and we put our hand in the hand of God and we go

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forth trusting in his name, but we encounter circumstances and we become perplexed and we ask God why, why would you let this happen to me? We become perplexed and we look about us and we see many times that the evil seems to be prospering and we wonder why that the evil seems to be so strong so

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stubborn so stalwart and we wonder about God we become perplexed we don't really understand it all we don't understand why God permits certain things to happened to us. We are perplexed but not in despair. Paul didn't understand it. He was there in the first century and he was going about doing all that he could

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for the glory of Jesus Christ and he found many times that he didn't feel very well that he had a thorn in the flesh and and he wondered why God would permit him to be such a sickly creature when he was trying to do much for God. He couldn't understand that. He says we are perplexed. We really don't see it all now.

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Right now we sort of see through a glass darkly but we'll understand it better by and by. We are perplexed but not in despair. We are persecuted. He's talking about the Christian we are persecuted we are persecuted but not forsaken make no mistake about it but if one decides to live the Christian life if you really

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decide to live the Christian life Paul says that we are persecuted we are persecuted that means that we are pursued the hellhounds are always on our trail. It's like a hound after a rabbit. They're always on our trail. They never leave us alone. That was true of Jesus Christ as he went about doing good. He

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was persecuted. He was falsely accused. He was unjustly condemned. He was crucified. persecuted but not forsaken, we are cast down but not destroyed. In other words God permits us in this work he says to be cast down. In other words we're gonna fall down. That we're going to stumble and we're going to fall along the way

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but every time we fall that somehow in the midst of all of it we're able to get up. Don't say that we won't fall, but that we'll get up. And that's the gospel of the resurrection. That no matter how many times we fall to the ground, that we'll always in the spirit of Jesus Christ, we'll always get up.

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That's good news. That's good news. He said we're always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our body. In other words we have this treasure in earthen vessels that that we may bear in our body the marks of the Lord Jesus, his death, his

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suffering, that if we would be his followers we must be his sufferers and we have this treasure. Oh yes it's a treasure, it's a treasure. For in the midst of all of our perplexities, in the midst of all of our despondency, in the midst of all of our seeming defeats in the midst of it all we can say the Lord is good bless the Lord oh my soul and forget not all his benefits. We are always bearing about in the body the

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dying of the Lord Jesus that the life of the Lord Jesus may be made manifest in our flesh. What suffering? What suffering has been ours as a mark of our association with the Lord Jesus? Have you ever been misunderstood? Have you ever been perplexed? Have you ever felt cast down? Have you ever felt forsaken and left alone?

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Well, that's the life of the Lord Jesus, the cause of truth and righteousness. But the goodness of it all, the good news of it all, is that it's the treasure that we are given. It's a treasure. It's a blessed possession that God has somehow deposited in us, because in the midst of it all it is there to

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strengthen us and to keep us and the language is so beautiful here because he says we are troubled on every side and not distressed we are perplexed but not in despair we are persecuted but not forsaken we are cast down but not destroyed bearing the marks in the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. A treasure? Yes.

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In earthen vessels? Yes. Well, as a story in the New Testament concerning a woman who came to Jesus and she had a precious treasure. It was an alabaster box of perfume. It was precious, it was worth a great deal according to the values of that day, it was a great treasure. She came to Jesus and and she was considered a terrible

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woman by her contemporaries but when she had this precious treasure she brought it to Jesus and she broke the seal on it and as she broke the seal on it she poured it out and anointed Jesus with it, his body, his feet, and she wiped his feet with her hair and her tears that were there. She broke the seal, poured out that

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precious treasure. Well what does that say to us? It means that we must break the seal of our lives and somehow pour out the contents for Jesus Christ. Pour it out to somehow empty ourselves for Him and whatever is there, Lord, take it and use it. And to use it to your glory and the treasure that is given us in the gospel of Jesus Christ

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is a treasure of a cross, treasure of suffering, treasure of shame, treasure of sacrifice. But this treasure is given us that we may recognize that the excellency of the power, whatever power there is, is not in us, but in God. We may recognize that God is all powerful and whatever power that we need, God has it

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to equip us for the struggle. And Paul is saying that we may understand that no cross, no crown. No suffering, no victory. No cross, no crown, but he who somehow is identified with Jesus Christ in the bearing

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of the cross, who goes down in the grave and is buried there with him, who hides himself behind the cross that somehow is raised up and is permitted to wear the crown. Oh precious cross, oh glorious crown, oh resurrection day, the angels from the heavens come down and bear my soul away. This treasure, this treasure, not

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some earthly treasure, but this treasure that God has given us a treasure of love, a treasure of hope, it's a treasure of peace, it's a treasure of salvation and thanks be to God that we have it. You have it, I have it, all God's children got it. But it's in earthen vessels that we may recognize that the power is not in us

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but in Jesus Christ. We come now to the invitation, the time of dedication, time of commitment. Somehow we ought to let God speak to us and say have thine own way Lord, have thine own way. I know that the treasure is yours but you've deposited it in us and

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we have it, but you know we are feeble and we're frail and we want you to have your way in us. We ask you to come now. The door is open, the call is made, we ask you to come. Have thine own way Lord, let him have his way. [Music]

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♪ If I don't wait ♪ ♪ If I don't wait ♪ ♪ Now on the water ♪ ♪ I ain't gonna wait ♪

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[Music] ♪ I am waiting ♪ ♪ After my meal ♪ ♪ I am waiting ♪

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♪ Here then I see ♪ ♪ Have I gone way, no ♪ ♪ Have I gone way ♪ ♪ Search me I'm trying ♪

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♪ Back here today ♪ ♪ My dirt last fall ♪ ♪ Wash me just now ♪ ♪ As in my birth ♪

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♪ Only I bow ♪ [ Music ] ♪ Have my own way ♪ ♪ Hold on my dear ♪

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♪ As the years pass ♪ ♪ Fill me with life's spirit ♪ [Music] Let us pray.

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Lord God, our Father, we're so glad and so grateful that we have this treasure in earthen vessels that we may recognize our dependency upon you and we may be a testing to the fact that the power is not in us but it's in you. Help us to be channels of the power of your love and your grace.

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Grace, mercy, peace be with you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. [Music] [BLANK_AUDIO]