I am sure by now you have been inundated by lots of election messages and I do not wish to add on to what has been said. Rather, I’d like us to pick up from last week when I shared with you the struggles we experience with sin coupled with feelings of condemnation as we struggle with obedience in our pursuit of holiness. We were comforted to know that first we are not alone in our struggles and second, there is grace for all of us. Today, I’d like us to continue with more or less the same theme of this journey of living a life worthy of the calling you have received. Eph 4:1
The passage of scripture in 2 Tim 2:20-21 is one of my favorite scriptures. We are all called to God’s kingdom. Like many, we heeded the invitation and we find ourselves in this large house. We are all God’s children. We are vessels of God to be used by Him. While all of us are fit for purpose, from this passage God reveals to us that we have different purposes. Some are for common use while others are for special use. Other translations use the words, “honor and dishonour, noble and ignoble”. Not quite easy to read. Yet we all belong in this house.
Years ago my friends and I wondered out loud what heaven would look like. As young minds a lot had been said to us concerning heaven; streets of gold, mansions, all round goodness. There are scriptures to confirm all these were accurate but we asked ourselves, if heaven is full of mansions, could there be slums in heaven? I mean there is always another side to the city. Jesus told His disciples that heaven has many mansions, other translations use the word rooms. He said He is going to prepare a place for us. (John 14:2). Think with me for a second, if God will judge all of us and reward each according to what he has done on earth (Rom 2:6), I wonder about the thief who repented next to Jesus and was promised paradise. What would he find waiting for him on the other side? His deeds were largely evil during his time on earth. He was just saved by a whisker and made it to the kingdom. Would he be in a mansion or would he be in a slum? Albeit in heaven? Just thinking…you see we were young minds full of imagination…a story for another day.
You may ask yourself? Is it pre-determined? Was I meant to be just a wooden vessel? A vessel of clay? Actually, in Jeremiah 18; we are all clay in the hands of the potter. Romans 9:21 even goes on to say; “ Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use? “ This alludes that it is God who determines who is for common use or special purpose. We have no role to play. Or do we? We must look at the bigger picture to understand. Israel, rather the Jews as a people, nation have been set apart as God’s nation. Jesus said, He came to His own people and they received Him not (John 1:11). He said he was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matt 15:24) so how did you and I come to the kingdom? Romans 9 and 10 says that because of the stubbornness of the Israelites, God grafted us in and sat us on the King’s table like Mephibosheth with full privileges. Paul gives us a chilling reminder that if God could do it to His special people, what makes us think He would not do it to us if we disobey? Peter exhorts us to be diligent and make our calling and election sure so that we may not fall. (2 Pet 1:10). He goes on to say we are now a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a chosen people.2 Peter 2:9. We have no excuse. Friends, we have a role to play.
This brings me to my point today. We have noble vessels and ignoble vessels. What sets you apart is determined by the works you do. What works? The work to cleanse yourself in other words, sanctify yourself. Moses and Joshua would commune with God face to face and not be consumed. Yet when the children of Israel requested to meet with God, they were requested to cleanse themselves for 3 days to be ready to meet with Him. Yet after doing so, they were not able to meet with Him and still were God’s children. We know that Moses put in the work. His resume is laid out in Heb 11:24-29. He denied himself the goodies of Egypt as a prince child to be identified with the sufferings of his people. This sacrifice set him apart. Our works go before us. When your work speaks for itself, don’t interrupt. (Henry J. Kaiser).What you do determines whether you are a special purpose vessel or just a common vessel. God’s word that dwells in us, is flawless. It is tested like silver and gold. Refined 7 times. Psalm 12:6. This is testing, this furnace is what refines us and repurposes us from clay works to special works. Do not fret at God’s furnace. We must be ready to go through the refiner’s fire to do good works just as Jesus went about doing good (Acts 10:38).
Brethren, don’t just be a common vessel. Let us strive to be used as vessels of honour. Fit for the master’s use. You know what you need to do. Is there a better way to encapsulate this than using the MSG translation of our theme verse 2 Tim 2:20
20-21In a well-furnished kitchen there are not only crystal goblets and silver platters, but waste cans and compost buckets—some containers used to serve fine meals, others to take out the garbage. Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guests for their blessing
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