Being a Vessel of Honor

Being a Vessel of Honor
II Timothy 2:19-26
August 9, 2026

This week we are continuing in the letter 2 Timothy where we see Paul charging Timothy to remind the church of core things.

He needs to remind them that they are called to a higher level. Last time we saw that they were called to present themselves as workman that are unashamed, accurately handling the word of truth, walking in integrity aligned with the word, not swayed by empty chatter and gossip.

Now Paul continues to teach them how this applies to their lives in being effective for God. He uses the picture of different types of vessels and that they have a choice what type of vessels they want to be.

That is our choice as well. God has a purpose and a plan, but we have the choice if we want to align with it and be used for His glory.

I.  Choose What Vessel You Want to Be

• There are few things as rewarding as being used of God for godly purpose in someone’s life; to lead someone to faith, to comfort someone who is in need, to change the direction of someone’s life. First, we should begin with a point of clarification.

A. God can use anyone

• God uses whoever He wishes to use to carry out His purposes and that even includes those who may not believe in God.
• In other words, God, in His sovereignty, will even use the ungodly.
• The scriptures are filled with examples:
  • Moses was used of God we know, but so was Pharaoh. He resisted the exodus of Israel from Egypt so that the greatness of God would be known. But notice that he repeatedly hardened His heart, setting himself up as god.
  • The evil Assyrian king, Sennacherib was used of the Lord to discipline the nation of Israel, but his arrogance cost him dearly.
  • Nebuchadnezzar was a Babylonian pagan, but he was called, “the servant of God.”
• The question is not if God can use you, but how will God use you? Will you be used as a godly vessel or as an ungodly one?
• Paul uses the analogy or example of vessels in a house.
• There are gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of clay; some to honor, and some to dishonor.

 Illus – We all have many things in our houses. Some things you display proudly and you want people to see them. But some things you hide in the cupboards when people come over. I know in our house there are beautiful pictures of our family that we love to display, or we have trinkets of our travels that we put out so people can see. Or something nice that you got as a gift that reminds you of someone. But then there are things that we hide. I was reminded of an item in our house. There’s a glass that we have that is quite a pretty glass. It was used when we had guests. But then one day someone in our house, I’m still not sure who used this glass to wash paint brushes in. The glass had the paint brushes with the dirty water in it for quite a while. After a while I discovered it, and put it in a dishwasher. The problem is that the paint had now stained the glass and no matter how many times I washed it, it could not be cleaned. So, this glass was moved from our cupboard where all the pretty glasses are, and it is now standing somewhere in a cupboard hidden away. This glass was stained by something because it was used for the function it wasn’t supposed to be used.

• And this became an example to me. God created us as vessels of honor. The moment that you came to Christ, he washed and cleansed you and He wants to use you as a vessel of honor. 

• The problem is that sometimes we get stained by the things of this world. And because of that stain we cannot be used in integrity and for glory. This has nothing to do with salvation. But it has to do with function and purpose. 

Illus – I was once called to a church, and in my heart of hearts I didn’t want to go to this church. Yet I had a friend who advised me not to miss what God maybe wants to do through us in that church. We started to pray about it. And as I was praying, God showed me a picture of gold and silver utensils. It was beautiful, but it was lying in a dark obscure place and there were cobwebs over it and it was dusty and dirty.

God told me that we had to go to that church because He wanted to do something new. There was a season coming wherein He was going to start taking off the cobwebs, polishing the ornaments, polishing the utensils to be usable for Him again. And we could see this happening as we were serving in that church and we had a role to play in it. As God was cleansing and purifying, setting people free from past hurts, bringing stability, bringing trust, restoring love, restoring purpose, restoring ministries.

B. Abstain from wickedness

• Now that you are His, you are called to abstain from wickedness.

• The enemy wants to fill your vessel with garbage. He wants to stain you and make you feel ashamed so that you cannot be used by God. If he can succeed in this in your life, he knows that he can make you ineffective for the kingdom of God. 

• But thank God that this is not hopeless or the end. 

Verse 21; therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things he will be a vessel for honor sanctified, useful to the master prepared for every good work. 

• Now this is where, as discussed last time, we need to rightly divide the word. If you don’t see this in context, it might seem like Paul is saying that you need to go into a lot of works to clean yourself again. 

• No, we know how we are cleansed. We are cleansed by the application of the blood of the lamb. We are cleansed when we come to God, ask for forgiveness, turn to Him, and accept Him as Lord and Savior. 

Illus – We see this spirit in David after he sinned with Batsheba…. 

Psalm 51:2,10, Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 

2 Samuel 12:20, So David arose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he came into the house of the Lord and worshiped.  

• This speaks of a heart condition. A turning around saying, ‘God I’m done feeling inept, not good enough, ashamed. I want to turn away from these things. I want to be cleansed of these things. I don’t want to be that glass, feeling ashamed, sitting somewhere in a dark cupboard. I want to be a vessel that is polished by your Spirit to be used for your glory.’

C. Flee from youthful lusts 

• And it is from this context that Paul then says in verse 22, ‘now flee from youthful lusts.’ 

• There is a fleeing that needs to happen. Yes, there are youthful lusts around us. And this doesn’t just speak to the youth. I have seen people in their 70s and 80s that are still hooked on youthful lust. 

• This has nothing to do with age. This has to do with the condition of the heart. Youthful lusts is a focus on the wrong things. It is many times equated to sexual lust, but it is more than that. 

Illus – When you’re young you think that if you can just have that Bentley or that Mercedes, or that mansion it will make you happy. So, gaining things becomes your purpose and focus. It’s youthful lusts that with wisdom and maturity should fade away, discerning what is truly of value. 

• Yet many people are still stuck in this. He says to flee from these youthful lusts.

II. Pursue Godly Things 

• Not only are we to flee from youthful lusts, but there is also a replacement that needs to happen. Be emptied, but then also filled. 

• Pursue the things that are eternal. Pursue righteousness, pursue being aligned with the character of God, that right standing that God sees you as. 

• In other words, pursue faith and strengthen your faith. 

• Pursue love. It doesn’t mean that you already have fullness of love; he says pursue having love. Pursue having fullness of love for and of God. Pursue having fullness of love for your fellow man. 

• Pursue peace. It doesn’t mean that you will always have perfect peace. He says pursue peace. 

• By the way you know how you have peace? 

Isaiah 26:3, The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You.

A. Pursue God’s agenda

• Paul then again refocuses them and us on one of the eternal end goals. 

• Verse 24 – 26 

• Don’t be quarrelsome, be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged. 

• This speaks of a maturity of heart that sees further and deeper than just the person standing in front of you. 

• Why is this important? What is the end goal? 

Verse 25 – With gentleness correcting those who are in opposition of the gospel, opposition of your faith, those who are not believing, so God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of truth. 

• Your heart, your way of acting towards them has the capacity and potential to bring them to repentance as they see truth so they can come to their senses and will escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. 

Illus – I recently met with one of our missionaries who shared with me how they engage with non-believers… 

• There are those who are held captive by Satan. But by us speaking the truth, loving with the love of God, being vessels of glory and honor, usable by the master, we have the capacity and the privilege to help set free those who are held captive against their will.

B. Be filled with God’s Glory 

• Personally, I’ve been praying that God will pour His Spirit out more in and through my life. I’ve been praying that I want to be a vessel filled with the glory of God, filled with the oil of the joy of gladness, filled with the presence of God. 

• Recently, as I was praying about this, God was challenging me. What are the cobwebs that you allowed into your life? What are those things filling this vessel of honor taking up space? 

• Hear me correctly; this is not about your salvation. It is not about God not living in you. This is a picture of a vessel being filled. See a vessel that is full cannot be filled with anything else. 

Illus- If I have a container full of old gunky motor oil, I don’t throw new clean fresh oil in with it. I first go dump out the old motor oil, before I can use this container to hold new fresh oil. 

• And I believe this is what God is calling us to. And this isn’t necessarily only sin. What are things, mindsets, insecurities, timidity, compromises, things that have snuck in that is inhibiting God to fill us with his fullness. What is filling your cup? 

• Here’s the beautiful thing about God’s Spirit. If we bring this to Him, He is able to cleanse us, dust us off, come shine us, pour out the oil of His presence so that we can be vessels of honor and glory, that the fullness of God can start to flow from within us. 

• That’s my heart’s desire. But you know what I’ve seen and experienced in my life? 

• There is a component to it of pressing in. 

Illus – I was praying the other day about a certain thing ,and sometimes we’re used to just saying a sentence once, or making a request once, and then leaving it at that and then if nothing happens, we just give over and say well this is just the way it is. 

• I was reminded of the parable that Jesus told of the woman that kept pressing in. 

Luke 18:1-8, Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’ ” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said; now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” 

• I’m not saying we need to just use a lot of words to bug God. 

• But there is a principle Jesus taught; ask and keep on asking, knock and keep on knocking, search and keep on searching. It has to do with how serious you are about this thing. 

Illus – As I was praying and I kept asking and kept praying, kept asking and kept praying, kept talking to God, He was revealing things to me and the more I’m pressing in the more He’s revealing and the more I’m pressing in the more He’s revealing and the more I’m pressing in the more He’s revealing. He’s talking to me and He’s showing me things. I’m praying and searching and confessing the truth, realigning, with God’s truth. 

I could feel him washing over me, cleansing, applying the oil and, I could feel my vessel being aligned more and more with God’s purposes and God’s plans and God’s thoughts as He is polishing and changing and making me a vessel of honor. Slowly but surely, I’m more and more seeing the reflection of Christ being reflected in this vessel of honor. 

• And I’m not fully there yet, because I’m not in heaven. But more and more God is stirring in me this hunger of being a polished vessel to be used for his Lord.
• What about you? Are you tired of just going through the motions? Are you tired of just barely spiritually scraping by and making it? Or are we called to be more than overcomers through Christ who loves us? 

• My prayer is that this will be the church we will be the people who say God we want to be vessels of honor that the glory of God can overflow through us. Stir revival in and through us.