2 Corinthians 4 – 5
Verses 4:7 & 8 talk about the people God uses:
7 But this beautiful treasure is contained in us—cracked pots made of earth and clay—so that the transcendent character of this power will be clearly seen as coming from God and not from us. 8 We are cracked and chipped from our afflictions on all sides, but we are not crushed by them. We are bewildered at times, but we do not give in to despair.
Granted not all Christians are crack pots, but some often wonder! I really love this analogy about how God uses imperfect people to show His glory. I think of the story of Samson where you had what appeared to be a perfect man, but he was heavily flawed on the inside. Over and over we have stories of the least likely people having God work through them.
Paul is a cracked pot; he was persecuting Christians and was going to destroy the church in Damascus when something happened along the road. God used him in a powerful way with all his problems. Make me have hope that all my cracks and flaws will be used some day to advance the kingdom in a powerful way.
Verse 5:13 makes me think how some must think coming into a “Night of Worship” at 12 Stone:
If we seem out of control or act like fanatics, it is for God. But if we act in a coherent and reasonable way, it is for you.
In normal services we are often reserved, but when the body gets together to worship without worry of alienating others it’s fun. I think if a non-believer were to walk into a church with people waving their hands, praying in tongues prostrate on the ground, they would leave laughing. But to the body this should be ok and normal, even if you are very reserved.
Verse 5:17 talks about the change in us:
Therefore, if anyone is united with the Anointed One, that person is a new creation. The old life is gone—and see—a new life has begun!
This is a verse paraphrased often when people are baptized and represents what really happens to our cracked pots from the inside. I think the greatest movie example of this was the end of Bogart’s film Treasure of Serra Madre. In the end they are packing their gold in non-descript bags covered in furs. The robbers assume they are making the furs seem more and dump the entire treasure on the road and take the furs. Often people may look at us on the surface and assume we are trash when there is worth about to bust out of burlap bags!!