Welcome to the Family Altar Daily Devotional Guide of The Presbyterian Church of Nigeria

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17TH 2025
TOPIC: TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS
BIBLE PASSAGE: 2 CORINTHIANS 4:1 -18

KEY VERSE:
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us – 2 Corinthians 4:7

The ministry of the Gospel is awesome and must be carried with utmost integrity. Paul conducted his ministry in a very respected way, devoid of deception and dishonesty. He manipulated no one like what we see in some pulpits today. a recent video on the internet, a young ‘excited’ Nigerian guest preacher, I guess, was stopped in his tracks and asked to leave the pulpit of a particular church by the pastor in charge, as he was about to ‘deceitfully’ push the congregants to donate huge sums of money under the supposed ‘instruction of the Holy Spirit’. One wonders,
then, if every ministration must end with fund raising by the preacher. Discerning church members are becoming weary of such money-minded preachers.

Everyone has to grasp and embrace the Goodnews that Jesus is both Lord and Saviour. It is very essential that sermons should exalt Christ and not the preacher. This is Paul’s model of preaching.

But sadly, many preachers in Africa today tend to promote themselves and their churches rather than Christ. Paul could preach Christ because God had made His Light shine through his heart, driving away his darkness and given him the knowledge of Christ.

The treasure in “jars of clay” contrasts the relative insignificance of the preacher, the bearer of the Gospel, with the priceless great worth and beauty of the Gospel itself. All of the power of the Gospel belongs to Christ and not the preacher. We must therefore, like Paul, regard the divine commission and privilege to preach the Gospel as more than compensating for all the trials we go through to keep true to our calling.

ACTION:
Preach Christ, not yourself.

PRAYER:
Pray that Christ will take the center stage of the preachers’ messages.