Treasure In Clay

What if the most honest thing you can say about yourself is also the most hopeful: “I’m a clay vessel”? We lean into the year’s theme, “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” and walk through 2 Corinthians 4 to uncover why God chooses ordinary, fragile people to carry an extraordinary treasure.

We talk about the “veiled gospel” and the reality of spiritual blindness, including how the “god of this world” keeps minds from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. From there, we shift to the simple but life-changing remedy: Jesus as the Light of the World. When His light shines into darkness, it brings freedom, clarity, and new life. That is why our message cannot be about self, platforms, or performance. We don’t preach ourselves. We point to Christ as Lord.

Then we bring it home with the promise and the challenge of “treasure in earthen vessels.” Our bodies are dust-born, our strength can fail, and the temptation is real to trust worldly resources, shiny security, or human reinforcement. But God’s design is better: His power shows up as unmistakably His, especially in weakness, endurance, and long obedience. If you need strength for the battle, patience for the long road, or courage to stop leaning on the world, this conversation will meet you there.

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Transcript

Welcome And Yearly Theme

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This conference will now be recorded.

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I'm glad to be a member of the kingdom along with my brothers and sisters. It is so wonderful to be under the grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I'm thinking about the theme for the year as we go to the building. We have it on the plaque up above us. What is the theme? Christ in you, the hope of glory. I think we will turn with me to 2 Corinthians, the fourth chapter. I want to elaborate a little bit more on the theme for the year. Do we understand uh Christ is in us? Uh listen. Listen carefully to scripture. You and I are clay vessels according to the Bible. When God created you and me, He created you and me from the dust of the ground.

Reading 2 Corinthians 4

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So we are known as a biblical phrase, we are earthen vessels. In 2 Corinthians chapter 4. I'm gonna read a few verses, seven verses, and then we're going to elaborate on uh the will of God given through this particular scripture. This Corinthian letter is written by the Apostle Paul. He says in the fourth chapter of 2 Corinthians, therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. We have renounced hidden things because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God, and even if our gospel be veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. But we do not preach ourselves the Christ Jesus as Lord and ourselves as your bond servants. For Jesus said, the God who said light shall shine out of darkness is the one who has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves. Tonight I'm reading from the new American Standard Translation of Scripture. We shall be looking at this message from Corinthians. It concerns our ministry message in ministry. We shall be meditating upon this message tonight, and I hope all who attending this class will understand your calling. We were called into the ministry of the gospel, but the treasure, you know, we have treasure, this treasure in earthen vessels. It tells us in verse seven, it says that we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that a surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves. As we look at this text tonight, use the mind that God has given each of us and ask Him to help us to understand the mystery of the gospel, which is Christ in you and me, the hope of glory. The enemy, we have an enemy fighting against each of us where we realize that I'm not the enemy of men's and women's soul wants to keep perishing people in spiritual blindness. But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds, notice carefully now, whose minds the God of this age has blinded, who do not believe. For in the gospel, it must

Why The Gospel Gets Veiled

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be believed. We believe initially, when you hear in the gospel, we believe that we must keep on believing. According to Second Corinthians, the fourth chapter, verses three through four. This counterfeit God is working on all unbelievers, even as he formerly did with us, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air. Ephesians 2:2. His influence is so extensive, he works through every system. The political system of this world, he works through that. The educational system and so forth within the unbelieving world. The primary purpose of Satan's blinding activities is to keep those in darkness from seeing God's light. That's the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, to shine on them. Into this dark, blinded world, we come with the message of light, the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. Only the light of Jesus can overcome spiritual man. Our Lord proclaimed this wonderful remedy when he said, I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.

Jesus As The Light Of Life

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When the light of Jesus shines into human beings' darkness, it brings liberating life from God. Paul was sent out with this great gospel. What did he want to do? What did he want to do with this gospel? Here it is, to open the eyes of, to open the eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God. That's why we uh preach the gospel, the word of God. It's very important. When the gospel is heard, one must uh surrender to the gospel in order to understand the benefits that comes from God through the gospel. We are also sent out as vessels of light. You are the light of the world. According to Matthew 5 14, all of us who have been called become the light in the world. We are light because Jesus, the true light, lives in and can shine through each of us. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk. This is to the Bible, walk as children of light. Ephesians 5 and verse 8. We can show forth the Lord in deed and in word as we follow Jesus. His glorious light shines through us as we speak of Jesus, we declare his glorious majesty. Remember, the light of the gospel is about the glory of Jesus, the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. Our message is not about us, for we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves as your servants. For Jesus' sake, we are but servants. He is our message, He is the Lord over all. Thus He is able to save from all the blind blinds and binds from all the blinds and binds. But do you understand tonight? This treasure we have is in earthen vessels. Let's try to understand the Bible. It's very important that we understand the Bible and I ask Christ to help us to better understand the Bible so that we might live by the truth of Scripture. The Bible tells us in Second Corinthians 4, verse 7, that we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. Understand,

Treasure In Earthen Vessels

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Lord help us. We saw as we studied the scripture, God has placed ordinary heavenly treasure in ordinary earthen vessels. You and I were created by God from the dust of the earth. You and I are earthen vessels. Our bodies made from the dust of the earth. Earthen. This is true of every person who has been redeemed by the blood of Christ. Praise God for redemption. God loved each of us, he showed us mercy, he redeemed us from iniquity. The Lord has arranged it this way so that the vessels, the vessels, now notice the vessels, the vessels are you and me. We must rely upon the treasure. He has put this treasure in earthen vessels. What treasure did he put in earthen vessels? Jesus Christ, not upon ourselves, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. Also, this arrangement is to bring attention to the glory of the Lord, not to the vessels. The Lord is the treasure in the clay pot of our redeemed humanity. Thank God for redemption. He is to be the excellent power in our lives. He is the one we are to trust in as our strength for daily living. When the battle grows fierce, sometimes it's going to be fierce, and being a Christian, these battles are going to be talking. Trust in the Lord. You have armed me with strength for the battle. That's what God has done to each of us. Understand that. Believe the scriptures. When we need patience or endurance, trust in the Lord. Strengthen with all might according to his glorious power. For all patience and long

Strength When Battles Get Fierce

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suffering, according to Colossians 1 and verse 11, when we need strength for our latter years, some of us are in our latter years. Trust in the Lord. The Lord has kept me alive. Caleb sent out by Moses, said, Lord has kept me alive. He says, Here I am this day, eighty-five years old. Yet I am as strong this day as I was on the day that Moses sent me. Joshua 14 and verses 10 through 11. Even in times of extreme personal weakness, his strength can be especially apparent. I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. But when I'm weak, then I'm strong. Praise God. This day I'm thankful personally for my what God has done for me. I can testify like Caleb. But let us listen. In 1973, brother Nathan Carter ordained me to the ministry, and in the ordination, I was to preach the word. I was to be instant in season, out of season, I was to exalt with all long suffering and doctrine. I took the charge, praise God. Here I am this day.

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Six.

A Lifelong Ministry Testimony

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We praise him for what he has done. I feel good. I'm strong. I keep going. Folk ask me, are you still driving? Yes. Are you still going? Yes. It's because of the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I depend upon Christ. All these years and now in my fifty, fifty some years of ministry, praise God for what He has done, preaching the gospel. I give Him the praise. The temptation is to trust our sturdy structure, or in those who claim to be able to strengthen or reinforce weak vessels. Our personal resources will fail, but the Lord who dwells in our hearts will not fail. Flesh, my flesh and my heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion

Warning Against Worldly Trust

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forever, according to Psalms 73 and verse 26. The world's system, with all of its impressive riches, calls us to place our confidence in their resources. The Lord warns us that such misplaced trust becomes our downfall. Woe to the rebellious children who go down to Egypt to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh. The strength of Pharaoh shall be your shame. Don't trust in the riches that are given in this world, all the shiny stuff, and all of the stuff that seem to bring, or we think brings us joy. But no, our joy is in the Lord. Testify, our joy is through the Holy Spirit that God has given each of us. We are glad for redemption. We praise God for what He has done. Keep praising Him. We are to trust the Lord to be our strength. The Lord is my strength and my shield, according to Psalms 28 and verse 7. Then we ought to give the Lord glory for the strength he supplies. Let me say that again. Then we ought to give the Lord glory for the strength he supplies. My heart trusted in him, and I am helped. Therefore, my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song, I praise him. Give me the Bible, holy message shining. May the Lord bless us this night, all of us, to continue and Remember, keep in mind that the treasure that resides in you and me is Christ. And God has chosen to put this treasure in earth and desoles in our bodies. Our bodies don't belong to us. Our bodies belong to Jesus Christ.

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Remember, praise God. Our Lord, the strength of our

Final Charge Prayer And Benediction

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life.

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Forgive us for relying upon ourselves and for looking worldly to worldly resources. We want to place our trust in Jesus, the treasure who lives within us. May all glory be unto him in his mighty name. We pray. Amen. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you vaultless before his presence with exceeding joy. That only wise God, our Savior, be glory in majesty, dominion, and power. Now and forever, let us all say, Amen.