Renewed Day By Day

Minister: Rev. Olon M. Lindemood

February 4 and 5, 2012

2 Corinthians 4:7-18

Today's New International Version (TNIV)

⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

¹³ It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”^[a [3]^] Since we have that same spirit of^[b [4]^] faith, we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴ because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. ¹⁵ All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Listening to the inside/ not be confused / with

living on the outside!

Inside / faith… Outside / life

The scriptures just told us:   in faith, we become:

Pressed / not crushed

Perplexed / not in despair

Persecuted / not abandoned

Struck down / not destroyed

The World speaks of the stress that can crush a clay jar: The World names who fragile we become in our human frailty… listen to some quotes:

Danzae Pace ~ Stress is the trash of modern life - we all generate it but if you don't dispose of it properly, it will pile up and overtake your life ~
Yordan Yordanov ~ In most cases stress is the root cause of death; illnesses are just the wrap up ~
Yovko Bonev ~ Stress is not a reaction. Rather it is the price we pay for the "civilized" life we live which by the way is not civilized at all ~
Maureen Killoran ~ Stress is not what happens to us. It's our response TO what happens. And RESPONSE is something we can choose ~
Sara Paddison ~ Stress is inner biofeedback, signaling you that frequencies are fighting within your system. The purpose of stress isn't to hurt you, but to let you know it's time to go back to the heart and start loving ~
Author Unknown ~ Stress is when you wake up screaming and you realize you haven't fallen asleep yet ~

Friends:  are you

PRESSED? PERPLEXED? PERSECUTED? STRUCK DOWN?

STRESSED? 

What is troubling your spirit?  Global / national politics? Local politics / church politics? Change at home in live at work at church?  Change in the relationships around you?  Stress of children … stress of  parents?  Stress of finances? Stress of health?  Stress of mortality?

It is the way of living in human bodies!  Stress… But Jesus Christ came to offer salvation and grace to those who say yes!

The absolute power of God is unleashed in these frail human shells that we live in… you see they are like jars of clay…

                Clay jars… I once was given the most precious prize … my daughter Bonnie, crafted not a jar… but a dish … (or something resembling a dish) … I thought … I will keep this forever… I will cherish this for my whole life… Oops… It became dry … frail … powder!!!  Ouch ….

In the twelve steps … 2 and 3:   (YES THESE ARE ABOUT JESUS!)

 • Step 1 - We admitted we were powerless over our addiction - that our lives had become unmanageable

• Step 2 - Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity

• Step 3 - Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God

• Step 4 - Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves

• Step 5 - Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs

• Step 6 - Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character

• Step 7 - Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings

• Step 8 - Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all

• Step 9 - Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others

• Step 10 - Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it

• Step 11 - Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out

• Step 12 - Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs

Renewed Day by Day … That is the eternal joy of our souls.  That is the steady message of our scriptures.

Philippians 4: 4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

LIFE IN CHRIST HELPS US BE:

Not Crushed / Not in Despair / Not abandoned / Not Destroyed!   SALVATION!

Acts 2:

The Fellowship of the Believers

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

We offer the prayer that Jesus taught us on purpose …   “Give us this day our daily bread” …    To stress beyond this is not what the lord has in mind!  no more … PRESSED? PERPLEXED? PERSECUTED? STRUCK DOWN?        STRESSED? 

But into the majesty of the Lord do we go… “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen!

And in the living presence of Christ Jesus our Lord:

Not Crushed / Not in Despair / Not abandoned / Not Destroyed!   SALVATION!

⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.