Welcome to Healing Scars with Pastor Burton,
the official podcast of Cross Christian Fellowship,
Route 66, in the heart of Albuquerque, New Mexico,
where Burton is the lead pastor. We're glad you're
here. Hey everybody, welcome back to the Sanctuary.
It's great to have you with us as always. So,
last time we met, we were taking a look at the
first half of 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and discussed
how we need to make sure That when we teach,
we're pointing the way to Jesus and not taking
credit for the things he's done. You know, it's
really easy to get caught up in things and say,
I did this and I did that. There are those who
still elevate themselves to the level of Christ
by saying, I did things because I live like Christ.
The fact of the matter is, it wasn't you and
it's not me. We're simply the tools that Jesus
uses to affect good in the world. Now, this week,
we're going to pick back up where we left off.
So let's jump right in and open our Bibles to
2 Corinthians 4, verse 7. And the word says,
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the excellence of the power may be of God
and not us. You see, here Paul is emphasizing
that we as frail and fallible humans have been
entrusted with the message of salvation in Jesus
Christ. Really, the most important message that
could ever be delivered to anyone on this earth,
right? However, we need to remember that the
value isn't in the earthen vessels. Or some translations
put it pots. Some even say jars of clay. These
earthen vessels, these jars, these are containers.
And they won't last a test of time. We are those
vessels. You and I are the vessels. Plain and
simple. And what is the value here? What's in
the vessels. That is what's of value. The real
value is what is inside. Not the vessel itself.
And what that is, is the priceless item that's
freely given to everybody in God's word and God's
power living within us. It is his message of
love, hope, mercy, and grace. God uses us, all
right? He uses us to spread his word. And at
some point, we're all going to pass away, right?
And his word will be carried in other vessels.
All the more reason why we need to make sure
that we're inviting people to join us for service
or Bible study or even just a meal where we can
make the introduction to Jesus. That's why we
need to invest in our youth and our kids, right?
So picking back up before I go on a rabbit trail
here, 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verses 8 through
12. Paul writes, We are hard -pressed on every
side, yet not crushed. We are perplexed, but
not in despair. persecuted, but not forsaken,
struck down, but not destroyed, always carrying
about in the body of the dying of the Lord Jesus,
that the life of Jesus also may be manifested
in our body. For we who live are always delivered
to death for Jesus' sake. that the life of Jesus
also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So,
then death is working in us, but life in you.
There's times that we're going to feel a struggle.
You know, the struggle's real, right? It's how
we say it these days. You know, these are those
moments when we're not sure we can even make
it any further. You know, you can't take another
step. And, you know, it's these points, you know,
we're not sure we could go any further. And I
want to remind you that even though it may feel
like you're at your wit's end, you know, you
are never truly at the end of your rope. God
is always present. God's always with us. And
because of Jesus and the Holy Spirit in you,
you always have hope. Yes, our bodies here on
earth are subject to aging, pain, sickness, sin,
and suffering. However, God doesn't leave us.
He doesn't abandon us. And because Christ has
already beaten death and gotten the victory over
it, we have eternal life through Him. He has
already promised it to us. Let's turn to John
14 now. So John 14, verses 1 through 4. So John
14, 1 through 4, Jesus says, Let not your heart
be troubled. You believe in God. Believe also
in me. In my Father's house are many mansions.
If it were not so, what I have told you, I go
to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare
a place for you, I will come again and receive
you to myself, that where I am there you may
be also. And where I go you know, and the way
you know. Jesus promised us, you know, he's promising
us that we are going to have a place with him
in the kingdom. So while we'll have to face and
deal with the issues here and now, in the big
picture, those things are all fleeting. All the
pain, the humiliation, the troubles, these are
all opportunities for us to let go and let Christ
work through us and shine His light into the
world. Remember what I said when we were getting
started today? It's not us. It's not our accomplishments.
While, yes, they are blessings in our lives,
it is still Christ at work in the world. Not
us. Did a hammer build a house on its own? Did
grain make bread on its own? Did water create
life and plants all on its own? No! Each and
every single one of these things are one of several
things that when combined with others in order
to do the task God intended them for. Right?
They're all just one of several things that are
combined with other things in order to do the
task God intended them for. Just like us. These
are blessings and gifts in their own right. Yes,
each and every single one of them. In every case,
though, things come together in God's will. And
any good that you do, any good that I do, is
the same thing. Blessings and gifts that have
come together to fulfill God's word. James 1,
verse 17, the word says, Every good gift and
every perfect gift is from above and comes down
from the Father of lights, with whom there is
no variation or shadow of turning. Let me remind
you, it's not about you. It is about God. In
and of ourselves, we are nothing. Absolutely
nothing. But with God in us, we are something
and someone. Amazing. And it's all because of
Him. There is no, I did it because I'm in Christ
and Christ is in me. It's not the force. It's
not the Schwartz. It's not the universe. It is
all God and His glory. Plain and simple. Going
back to our passage in 2 Corinthians, it's written
by Paul. Paul, he's a man of authority, yeah?
However, Paul is not somebody that anyone would
have considered a successful man from a worldly
perspective, even in his time. However, God,
God worked through him. And because of that work,
many souls have been reunited with the Father
in Jesus. And like him, we need to do the work
God has set. out for us. And we need to look
to Him for strength, especially when we feel
like we're at our weakest, those lowest points.
You're going to face the fire of all weapons
that Satan and his minister have working against
you. And that's just a fact. When you live for
Christ, Satan and his ministers are going to
take aim straight at you. But no matter how heavy
that barrage is, no matter how tough it is when
that enemy makes contact, that enemy cannot rob
you of the victory that has already been won
by Jesus. They can't. And they cannot destroy
what God has built in you. Let's turn back to
our reading now. So 2 Corinthians 4 verses 3
13 through 18, Paul writes. So 2 Corinthians
4, 13 through 18. And since we have the same
spirit of faith according to what is written,
I believed and therefore I spoke. We also believe
and therefore speak, knowing that he who raised
up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with
Jesus and will present us. Therefore, we do not
lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing,
yet the inward man is being renewed day by day
for our light affliction. which is but for a
moment, is working for us a far more exceeding
and eternal weight of glory. While we do not
look at the things which are seen, but the things
which are not seen. For the things which are
seen are temporary, but the things which are
not are eternal. You see, when things get hard,
it's easy to lose heart, isn't it? It's really
easy to just quit and walk away, just give up.
It's especially hard and hurtful when it comes
to relationships. So many people end marriages
or sleep around because things get hard. So they
quit. We go to work and things don't work out
the way we planned. Maybe we have an overbearing
boss. Extra work that's being piled on or work
that's not even in your skill set, that scope
of practice, that area of expertise. Long hours,
picking up that slack of others, but instead
confronting it and speaking up. People quit.
We need to be confronting it and speaking up.
These are times when, like Paul, we need to look
to the Holy Spirit for that inner strength that
He provides. Instead of giving up, we need to
learn to lean into our God, to lean into Jesus,
and renew our commitment to serving Him. Today's
pains are temporary. God's rewards for dealing
with them, are eternal. Don't allow your temporary
pain weakening you to the point that you forget
to look for Christ and His power and His strength,
which can and will carry you through. In the
Marine Corps, we have a saying. You've probably
heard this before because it's plastered in gyms
all over the place and we wear it on a lot of
our moto wear, our t -shirts and stuff. It says,
pain is weakness leaving the body. Jesus is telling
you, He will carry you through. When we carry
out what God has for us and proclaim Christ as
our Lord and Savior, life is going to face struggles.
Our life is going to face struggles constantly.
The struggle is real. However, God cares deeply
about these struggles. And we need to remember
we can't and we are not supposed to do everything
on our own. We are supposed to lean into him
and trust that he is going. to get us through.
That he's allowing certain things to happen so
that others can see his work. Ephesians 2 verses
8 through 9. So Ephesians 2, 8 through 9, the
word tells us, for by grace you have been saved
through faith and that not of yourselves. It
is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone
should boast. Again, it is about him. It is not
about you. Our suffering also allows us to let
down our guard so that He can mold our character.
Let me say it again. Our suffering allows us
to let down our guard so that He can mold our
character. God will mold our character. And we
have to let that guard down so that He can shape
us into the people that we are meant to be as
a new creation in Christ. We learn to persevere
and look beyond. the world in front of us, and
we look to find hope in Jesus. Sometimes our
pain is overwhelming, but it's not for nothing.
God is there. God loves you, and he will see
you through this, but you need to trust in him
and his ways. Paul faced pain, distress, trials,
tribulation, but he knew, just as each of us
knows, that it's not going to last forever. The
day is going to come that as believers who hold
true, we will be united with the Father in heaven
and will reap the eternal rewards He has for
us. We have to look Beyond this life, though,
we have to look to the eternal and focus on that.
We have to keep our eyes on the prize. And the
prize, let me tell you, is Jesus. Jesus who came,
took on your sin, paid that price for it on the
cross, in blood, died, and then rose again and
is coming back to break you from the bondage
of sin and prepare a place for you at the table
as a family. Plain and simple. Paul reminds us
that the day is coming when we will be united
in a place without pain, without sin, without
suffering, without sorrow. The day is drawing
closer and closer. So I have to ask you, are
you ready? Are you proclaiming the gospel of
Jesus to the world? Are you willing to trust
that Jesus has your back and endure just a little
more pain to share the light of Christ? with
the world. Let me tell you, you got this. And
Jesus will not let you fail in the mission he
has for you. All right, that's our time for this
episode. Guys, the live broadcast are going to
be coming back soon as well. Like I said, we
have that new soundboard plugged in and ready
to go. All right, so keep your prayer requests
coming. Keep your questions coming. You can find
us on the web and have a contact us via email
or even on Facebook at thecross66 .org or on
Facebook, like I said, just look up Cross Christian
Fellowship Route 66 right here in Albuquerque.
Remember, you are loved and you are blessed.
Now go and be the church. Until next time, take
care and God bless.