Transcript

Less than a week before Martin Burnham’s abduction by Muslim guerrillas on the Philippine island of Palawan in May 2001, the New Tribes missionary gave the devotional at a Wednesday evening service at Rose Hill Bible Church in his small hometown outside Wichita, Kansas.

Some of Burnham’s last words in the United States were also the last words of Jesus recorded in the Gospel of John, said Ralph Burnham, Martin’s uncle. “His very last words were, ‘Follow thou me,’” Ralph Burnham said, his voice choking up.

Ralph Burnham went on, “Martin not only spoke of following Him, but he took on that responsibility. Of course, at that time neither he nor any of us expected how far he was going to be required to go to. But he was willing to go.”

Martin Burnham, 42, kept that attitude throughout the 376 days he and his wife, Gracia, 43, were held captive by the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group.

Just before a Philippine military raid on the kidnappers that led to Martin’s death and Gracia’s freedom, the two huddled together in a hammock under a makeshift tent.

“Martin and Gracia had really been thinking that there would be a chance that they would not make it out alive,” said Martin’s brother, Doug, relying on a phone conversation with Gracia. “Martin said to Gracia, ‘The Bible says to serve the Lord with gladness. Let’s go out all the way. Let’s serve Him all the way with gladness.’”

The two then had a worship service and prayed in their hammock, recited Scripture verses to each other, and sang hymns. They then laid down to rest.

Shortly after this, the rescue assault began and bullets began to fly, bullets which punctured Gracia’s leg and Martin’s chest, injuring her and killing him.

Like the Apostle Paul, the reason this missionary couple was able to bear up under their affliction, face death and be willing to serve the Lord all the way w/ gladness, was by looking at things not seen, by living for the eternal, by focusing on Christ, by knowing that the Lord never leaves or forsakes us.

Charles Spurgeon once said: “Christians can rejoice even in the deepest distress; although trouble may surround them, they still sing; and, like many birds, they sing best in their cages. The waves may roll over them, but their souls soon rise to the surface and see the light of God’s countenance.

“They have a buoyancy about them which keeps their head always above the water, and helps them to sing amid the tempest, ‘God is with me still.’”

2 Corinthians 4:7 reads, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”

Paul says that “we have this treasure in earthen vessels.” The “treasure” Paul speaks of is the “glorious gospel of Christ” as he calls it in verse 4.

What we see from this is that in God’s eyes, the gospel of the grace of God that we stand for and proclaim, it is a treasure. It is of great value. We should view it the same way.

Through this treasure we find the forgiveness of all our sins, we find that we are declared right and righteous by God, and we are redeemed by the blood of Christ.

The gospel of God’s grace saves us from all our sins, seals us by the Holy Spirit, and seats us in Christ at God’s right hand in the heavenlies forever.

It is a treasure. We are rich in Christ because of it. And God wants us to spread the wealth! This “treasure,” this message has been committed to us, “earthen vessels,” fragile, clay vessels, to make known to this world in our lives and service for Christ.

Having trusted Christ as Savior, God has poured the treasure of His gospel for today into us, simple jars of clay, so we might through His help and strength pour it out to others, in sharing the good news with others.

An “earthen vessel” is an earthenware jar or a common clay pot. These are weak, fragile and brittle containers. This picture is meant to depict humanity in our weakness.

Paul saw himself for what he truly was, a weak and fragile man of clay, who had been entrusted with a treasure in his ministry to make known through the power of God.

It’s good to have a proper perspective on ourselves and our service. Paul shows here how each of us are weak, earthen vessels and it is by God working through us that we are enabled and empowered to carry out the gospel ministry for His glory.

It is God and His power working through us that produces any and all effects for good in the Lord’s work. The victory is the Lord’s in every way and He deserves the praise.

God has entrusted His message to earthen vessels, so that the excellency, the surpassing greatness of the power of the gospel of grace might be clearly seen to be of God, and not of us, who simply make known God’s good news.

God uses us and our efforts for Him even though we are weak, have faults, lose focus, stumble all over our words when we share it, and we make mistakes. But God uses this.

God uses common, fragile jars of clay to make known His message so there is no mistaking the source of the power of the saving gospel: that it is of God, and not of us.

Oswald Chambers once said: “God can achieve His purpose either through the absence of human power and resources, or the abandonment of reliance on them.”

“All through history God has chosen and used nobodies, because their unusual dependence on Him made possible the unique display of His power and grace.”

2 Corinthians 4:8-9: “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.”

Paul goes on here to show how God has demonstrated His power and presence in his weakness throughout his life and in the hardships of his ministry.

One commentator put these 2 verses this way: “We were sore pressed, but not hemmed in; at our wit’s end, but never at our hope’s end; pursued by men, but never abandoned by God; knocked down, but not knocked out.”

These statements by Paul show the trials of his ministry, but they also show God’s hand, His presence, guidance, mercy, and loving care in Paul’s life.

The demands of ministry had brought Paul into difficult circumstances and he shows here how sometimes he was “troubled on every side” or surrounded by trouble and being pressed hard by it emotionally.

But Paul says he was not “distressed” or he was not completely cornered. God didn’t allow his trouble to crush him or break him.

Paul says he was “perplexed,” or disoriented, confused, lost, he didn’t know which way to turn; he was unable to find a way out, not knowing where to go next.

But Paul says he was “not in despair,” or never at his wit’s end, because the Lord helped him and showed him the way and brought him out.

From emotional trouble in v. 8, he turns to physical trouble in v. 9 and Paul says he was “persecuted” or pursued, chased and harassed by enemies.

But Paul states he wasn’t “forsaken,” never alone, deserted, abandoned, or let down. God was always there. Like what Charles Spurgeon said, Paul too could say in all his trials: “God is with me still.”

Then Paul states that sometimes he was caught by his enemies and he was “cast down,” or physically cast down, struck to the ground.

But Paul says he was not “destroyed,” or he didn’t stay down, he got back up, with his strength and resolve renewed by the Lord.

Paul had come through many adversities, and he had experienced firsthand the power, presence, and grace of God in his life.

2 Corinthians 4:10-12: “Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.”

A man went to see his doctor in an acute state of anxiety. “Doctor,” he said, “you have to help me. I think something is seriously wrong with me. Everywhere I touch it hurts.

“I touch my head and it hurts. I touch my leg and it hurts. I touch my stomach and it hurts. I touch my chest and it hurts. You have to help me, Doc, everything hurts!” And the doctor proceeded to give him a complete examination.

After which the doctor said, “Mr. Smith, I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is there is nothing seriously wrong. The bad news is you have a broken finger.”

Everywhere Paul touched on his body it probably hurt. In II Cor. 11:23-25, Paul speaks of how he received: “stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned.”

Paul says here in verse 10 that he was “Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus.” And this speaks of how Paul was bearing real, physical marks from his sufferings for Christ.

His body bore the scars and marks from his persecution. Paul stated also in Gal. 6:17, “I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.”

Vance Havner once said, “We need men of the Cross, with the message of the Cross, bearing the marks of the Cross.” This was Paul’s testimony.

And Paul’s outward, physical, bodily marks were a constant proof of Christ’s life within him. Paul desired that Christ’s resurrection life would be made apparent and clear to others through what he endured for his Savior in making His gospel known.

Paul says “we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake.” Paul constantly exposed himself to death as he aggressively proclaimed the gospel. He did so in the face of persecution, so others would come to know Christ as their Savior.

And he says again in v. 11 that he was willing to face death so that by his life and his passionate ministry it would be a clear proof to others that Christ lives and that He lives in him, in his mortal flesh.

And Paul shows the fruit of his persecutions in v. 12 in making the gospel known. He shows that as a result of dying to self and constantly being exposed to physical death, he says, you Corinthians, you live, you have spiritual life, you have life eternal in Christ Jesus: “Death worketh in us, but life in you.”

2 Corinthians 4:13-14: “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; Knowing that He which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.”

Here Paul quotes David in Psalm 116:10, when he writes, “I believed, and therefore have I spoken.” And then Paul adds “we also believe, and therefore speak.”

Paul and David were both greatly afflicted in their lives (as Psalms shows with David), and Paul takes his stand with David and declares they had “the same spirit of faith.” And both of them, in spite of their affliction, believed, and therefore spoke.

As a result of what Paul believed, he spoke for Christ, even in the face of those who would mock him or even strike him to the ground. Because of what he believed and knew to be true, he’d get right back up and keep on telling others the truth.

And what Paul believed, and the basis for his confidence and boldness in his life, the reason Paul was willing to take all the suffering in his ministry, was his absolute conviction that “Christ lives.” Paul says we “know” this. Our faith is true, our hope is real.

Because He walked out of that tomb on the third day with power, having conquered sin and death, this fact caused Paul to always press forward in his ministry. He knew that none of his labors was ever in vain or empty or without meaning.

The reason Paul could willingly submit himself to affliction for Christ, and constantly expose himself to death is because Christ lives. And because He lives, it gives us purpose and what we do for Christ has meaning and will echo into eternity.

Because of Christ’s resurrection, he had hope of his own resurrection “by Jesus,” and he knew he had eternal life and so if he did die, he’d be with the Lord, which is far better!

And because Paul “believed” and “spoke” and proclaimed the gospel, the Corinthian church and their salvation were the fruit of this, so Paul also knew that in the resurrection, Christ would “present us with you.”

2 Corinthians 4:15-16: “For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”

Paul says that all the afflictions he endured in his ministry were for their benefit, that they might be saved and grow in the truth. And upon trusting Christ, and having been saved as a result of God’s abundant grace, Paul says thank God, not me.

And as God’s grace overflows toward us, and gives and gives and gives to us, Paul tells the Corinthians that our thanksgiving to God should “redound” or overflow in return, to the glory and praise of God.

Paul desired that “many” be reached so that many more might lift up their thanksgiving to God for His grace, i.e., that thanksgiving to God might overflow as the result of many being saved and many thanking God for it.

God’s grace is “abundant” and any and all who trust Christ will be saved by His grace. God’s grace is abundantly able to save all who believe.

Paul says “for which cause we faint not” in verse 16. The word “faint” here means to lose heart, to be discouraged, to give up.

What Paul is saying is, “We know the resurrection is true, we have real hope, and so even in spite of the hardships, we’re not disheartened, we’re not giving up, we’re not quitting, we’re always pressing forward, so more might be saved by God’s abundant grace and so they might offer thanksgiving to Him, and all of this is for His glory and praise.”

And Paul says he’s not giving up even if his outward man, his weak, frail earthen vessel is wearing down steadily day by day, as the result of his many sufferings, because his inward man was being spiritually renewed day by day at the same time.

Thus he was encouraged and motivated to continue on in his ministry, his resolve was invigorated. As Paul got older and his body weakened with age, he says his inner man and his faith grew stronger.

Through God’s Word, prayer, the experiences God had brought him through, and as he was living by faith in light of eternity and looking at things not seen Paul was spiritually renewed daily.

In this verse, the first part occurs whether we like it or not, the other part of this verse requires effort and discipline.

Our bodies are aging and wearing down steadily, but as we give ourselves to His Word, to prayer, to living by faith, hope and love, we too can be spiritually renewed and built up day by day in the inward man.

Corinthians 4:17-18: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Paul looked at his afflictions and ministry through the eye of faith and with an eternal perspective. And he constantly looked beyond his trials and adversities to glory, which sustained him in and through them.

As James M. Gray once said, “Who can mind the journey when the road leads home?”

This was Paul’s experience. In light of eternity, in verse 17, Paul saw his afflictions as “light” and “momentary” troubles.

While we usually look at our troubles from an earthly perspective as working against us, Paul says from an eternal perspective, they are actually working for us.

Looking at our trials from heaven’s point of view, looking forward 1 million years into eternity, if we were to look back at the trials in this life which seemed endless, like they’d never end, they will seem then as just a moment, just an instant.

Yet these MOMENTARY afflictions says Paul, work for us an ETERNAL weight of glory.
Again looking at our trials from heaven’s point of view, when we’re in eternity 1 million years, and if we were to look back at the afflictions of this life, which seemed too heavy to bear, they’ll seem then as light.

Yet these LIGHT afflictions says Paul, work for us a FAR MORE EXCEEDING WEIGHT of glory. We will be rewarded for our service to the Lord one day. There are eternal ramifications for how we allow the Lord to use our lives now. If we live for the Lord and serve Him, we’ll be eternally glad we did.

And any hardships we endure for Christ now, are just light and momentary when you look at them with an eternal perspective. And they work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory in heaven.

A. W. Tozer wrote this: “A real Christian is an odd number, anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen; talks everyday to someone he cannot see; expects to go to heaven on the virtue of another; empties himself in order to be full;

“admits he is wrong so he can be declared right; goes down in order to get up; is strongest when he is weakest; richest when he is poorest; happiest when he feels the worst. He dies so he can live; forsakes in order to have; gives away so he can keep; sees the invisible; hears the inaudible; and knows that which passeth knowledge.”

Paul says in verse 18 that he looked not “at the things which are seen.” The term “look” in the Greek means “to consider,” or “to keep in view.”

Paul says that he was not fixing his attention on the seen, the temporal, in his life and ministry. He wasn’t keeping his focus on his circumstances.

Rather his strength to endure thru his affliction and to faint not or never give up, came as he kept his spiritual eyes and attention fixed on things NOT seen, or on eternal things.

For us also, we gain a proper perspective of this life, spiritual strength and growth, and the renewal of the inner man as we keep our focus on the eternal, and on the eternal consequences of our lives and service for Christ (cf. Col. 3:1,2).

I Peter 1:8 says, “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.”

Most of all as we look at things not seen, we look to Christ our Savior and Lord, whom we have not seen (yet). We look to Him for the strength, guidance, and comfort we need in life and for Him to come at any moment to catch us away to glory.

The things which are seen are all passing away, they are temporal. God would have us focus on Christ and on the things of eternal value, because the things that no human eye has seen are the things that are lasting.

It’s been said that “Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of faith is to see what we believe.”

We walk by faith and not by sight, but one day, our faith will be sight, the things which are unseen will be seen, and we will see heaven, we will see that eternal weight of glory, and we will see our Savior face to face.