Treasure in Jars of Clay
2nd Corinthians 4:3-7 - Victory Fellowship
August 11, 2024 - Rev. Roderick Grabski
I. Introduction: (lady lost her wedding ring on North Myrtle beach. Man found it.)
a. Hoxne Hoard, 1992; St. Albans Hoard, 2012
In 1992, a lost hammer led to an astonishing discovery in a farm field 106 miles northeast of London, near Hoxne, Suffolk, England. Eric Lawes, who was asked to find the missing tool with his metal detector, stumbled upon a trove of silver spoons, gold jewelry, and gold and silver coins instead. This chance find revealed the largest collection of late Roman gold and silver in Britain, comprising 569 gold coins (solidi), 14,272 silver coins, and various other items. Valued at £1.75 million in 1993, the Hoxne Hoard is now on display at the British Museum.
20 years later, In 2012, novice metal detectorist Westley Carrington ventured into a farm field (26 miles northwest of London) in Berkhamsted, England, armed with a beginner's metal detector. His discovery turned out to be one of the largest hoards of Roman gold coins ever uncovered in Great Britain—159 Roman Solidi from the late fourth century A.D., marking the end of Roman rule in Britain. These coins, far more valuable than typical Roman currency, provide valuable insights into this historical era. Displayed at the Verulamium Museum, they serve as a testament to Roman influence in the region.
b. Value of a Human Body: When we determine the value of a body based around just the chemical elements that make up a corpse, 99% of the mass of the human body consists of six elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus. They are worth about $576. All the other elements taken together are worth only about $9 more.
i. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget actually uses a value of 7 to 9 million dollars on a human life. The EPA uses $9.1 million and the FDA uses $7.9 million. The Department of Transportation uses $6 million.
c. What we are worth to Jesus. Matthew 10:29-31
II. Clay Jar Christians:
a. The real Treasure in us is Jesus Christ
b. We are the light of the world through the indwelling power of Christ.
c. While not all receive the message of the Good News, we shine a light of Hope to all who would believe.
d. Even after physical death, there is Hope.
i. We have eternal life in Christ
III. Conclusion:
God does His most important work with common ordinary persons and things.
PRAYER
SONG: God is in This Story
2nd Corinthians 4:3-7: NLT
3 If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. 4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.5 You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.