1.15.23 - Embrace your Weakness

Justin Ashurst

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Intro/Welcome

Welcome

Good morning/evening

Good to be with you

upcoming plan:

stan alone today

Ben Kandt

church Potluck

start new series on “the story of the church”

Intro

Stand alone message today that I felt the Lord put on my heart.

I want to start by doing a little compare and contrast.

I’m going to show you a picture of two men

True Strength

Which one is the picture of strength?

[Picture of The Rock and John Piper]

Which one is the picture of strength?

Which one would you want in a dark alley in the middle of the night?

Which one would you want in a spiritual fight?

My Point is:

The world doesn’t measure strength in the same way God does.

We can have the World’s definition of strength or we can have the Lords definition of strength.

True Success

Or i could ask:

How do you measure success in you life? How do you define a successful life?

OUR WOLRD: money, status, acheivements, accolades, respect, wealth, friends — the American dream.

this is the Kingdom of this World — but in the Kingdom of God it is different.

Paul, then Saul, had many of those things:

Philippians 3:5–7 (ESV)

5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

But he goes on to say:

Philippians 3:7–10 (ESV)

7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—

10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.

Knowing Christ, sharing in His suffering and experiecing the power of his resurrection were the highest goals of Paul.

Not health, wealth and success

Today

I want to look at God’s definition of strength

True strength in weakness.

2 Cor 12:9-10.

In 2nd Cor 12:9-10 Paul said some of the most astounding things.

Namely, in the midst of trial and suffering God says to Him

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

It makes a nice coffee mug verse — but what does it actually mean?

Can we actually live that way?

What I want to show you today is that, like Paul

1. We all have weaknesses, but if we embrace them rather than try to escape them the power and presence of God can be manifested in our lives.

[When we embrace our weaknesses rather than escape them, the power and presence of God can be manifested in our lives.]

In other words, It is preciesely in our weaknesses and limitations that the power of God is manifested and the gospel can go forth.

Bible

We’ll be in 2 Cor 12:9-10 today.

Go there in your Bibles.

Let me pray

Pray

Isaiah 61:1–3 (ESV)

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

Text

Let’s look at our text.

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 (ESV)

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect/complete in weakness.”

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Comments:

Grace = favor, but also an animating power.

1 Corinthians 15:10 (ESV)

10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

2 Corinthians 5. God’s Power Is Made Perfect in Weakness (12:1–10)

God’s grace is not just the unmerited favor that saves us but a force that also sustains us throughout our lives.

Sufficient = enough, satisfied

will we have enough food to eat.

John 6:7 (ESV)

7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.”

Power = dunamai = dynamite

2 Corinthians 5. God’s Power Is Made Perfect in Weakness (12:1–10)

Paul is not speaking about power in general, but “the power of Christ” revealed in the crucifixion and resurrection

Perfect = completion, fulfilled

2 Corinthians 5. God’s Power Is Made Perfect in Weakness (12:1–10)

The verb “perfected” (teleitai) means “brought to completion” or “is made fully present.” The present tense indicates that it is not yet a finished product but that it is still in process of being made perfect

Paul is saying that God said to him

“my empowering presence (grace) will be enough (satifying/sufficient) for you b/c my power (dumani) is completed precisely in your weakness.”

This became true for Paul — so he says:

Paul’s Boasting

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 (ESV)

...Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me [may dwell in me (NASB)]

10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul says because this is true — I will boast all the more of my weaknesses that the power of Christ may rest in me.

1. rest = dwell, tabernacle.

John 1:14 (ESV)

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

2. Content = well thought, pleasing, delight

Matthew 3:17 (ESV)

17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Paul is saying,

“I will embrace my weaknesses so that God’s power may dwell in me and flow through me. Therefore I will welcome weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities because God will get the glory”

He uses FIVE words here that bascially cover anything.

“Weaknesses” - limitations, sickness

Physical, emotional, psychological/mental

“Insults” = disaster, damage, to injure

“hardships” = distress, pressure

“persecutions” = on the account of Jesus

“calamity” = troubles, difficulties, stressful circumstances

Bascially, Paul is saying whatever the world throws at you, God’s power can be manifested.

That is a great promise.

Reflect

2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

So let’s just reflect for a minute:

1. What is that for you?

What are you currently facing?

weaknesses, limitations, insults, hardships, persectusion, calamities.

2. Is God’s power flowing into and through your weaknesses?

Is God’s power being perfected in those areas of your life?

When we embrace our weaknesses rather than escape them, the power and presence of God can be manifested in our lives.

3. If not, then how do we get there?

to answer that, let’s look how Paul got there.

How did Paul get to this point? What is the pathway?

Context of 2 Cor 12.

[True Gospel Picture]

The context is 2 Cor 10-13.

Paul was defending his apostolic authority and minsitry against the so-called super-apostles.

But what he was really doing was defending the true Jesus, the true Spirit and the true Gospel.

Two Ways —

The way of the World — These Super Apostles

The way of Christ — the true apostles

1. The False Apostles

Who were the Super Apostles?

A. False Teachers

They preach another Jesus, another Spirit and a different Gospel

2 Corinthians 11:4 (ESV)

4 For if someone comes and

proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you

receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you

accept a different gospel from the one you accepted,

you put up with it readily enough.

False Jesus, False Spirits and False Gospels in our day:

1. Jesus of love only

2. Spirit of the Age/Pentecostal abuses

3. Prosperity Gospel

B. They were false apostles

2 Corinthians 11:13–15 (ESV)

13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

C. They were exploited the Church

They were men who were exploiting the church

Demonstrating worldly power and pomp to take money from believers

2 Corinthians 11:19–20 (ESV)

19 For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves!

20 For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face.

Skilled Orators

In that day, not unlike our own, there were skilled orators who would go and give speeches to entertain and charge money for it.

it was about entertainment, what is the newest idea?

Acts 17:21 (ESV)

21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

How eloquently can he speak? How well was it presented?

In short, these were men operating by the power of the World/the ways of the world.

swelling with pride and arrogance.

They were a danger to the church.

In our day

This could be aking to the propserity preaches of health, wealth and success.

Or it may just be the latest ‘ted talk’ or youtube video on the latest technique for self-help

Or the latest technology that promises peace, prosperity and health.

The way of these men was not the way of Christ

and isn’t a reflection of the true gospel.

2. The True Apostle

Paul gives a very different picture of a follower of Christ.

He does say he came with the marks of a true apostle:

A. True Teaching:

The True Jesus, the True Spirit and the True Gospel.

The True Gospel:

One of dying and rising.

Bad news before the good news

We live in a fallen and borken world b/c of sin, Jesus comes to restore all things by reconciling us to God the Father, dying for our sins and rising to give new life.

2 Corinthians 13:4 (ESV)

4 For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.

B. True Power

Signs and Wonders — miraculous works that accompany the gospel

2 Corinthians 12:12 (ESV)

12 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.

But not just that kind of power, but a power to suffer well, which is where he goes next.

C. Weaknesses, insults, persectuions, hardships and calamities

But Paul then boasts of another true sign of an apostle: “weaknesses, insults, persectuions, hardships and calamities”

which begins to answer our question.

How did Paul get to the point of welcoming weakness?

Paul had to go through it

We all want Pauline faith without Pauline Pain.

ex) Paul’s Persecutions:

2 Corinthians 11:23–30 (ESV)

23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.

24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;

26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers;

27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? 30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

Transition

This was Paul’s journey

These were paul’s “weaknesses, hardships, insults, persecutions, calamities”

So how did Paul do it?

how did he get to the point of welcoming hardship?

how did he get to the point of God’s power manifesting precisely through his weaknesses?

The First thing we saw was taht he held to the true Gospel and the True Jesus, and the True Spirit.

But there’s more here.

Paul’s Journey

1. PRIZE: Keep your Eye on the Prize (Heaven/Jesus)

Timeline: 2nd Cor written 55 AD so sometime in the early 40s — about 7-8 years after his conversion

2 Corinthians 12:1–4 (ESV)

1 I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.

2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago (41 AD) was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows.

3 And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.

Paul visited Heaven — Paradise

He saw things unimaginable.

head things we could not utter

This experience must have been completely amazing.

The point is — He knew where it was all going

to the New Heavens and New Earth

to be in the presence of Jesus forever and evert

don’t you think this motivated in the hard times?

It means that we have to keep our minds and hearts fixed on where it’s all going.

In the presence and glory of God forever and ever

With no pain, suffering, sickness, death

My Jounrey: Heaven by Randy Alcorn

Summer of 2021 I began reading this book and it changed me

“This life is the closest we will ever get to hell if we believe in Jesus, and this life is the closest people will ever get to heaven who do not believe in Jesus”

All the best parts of this would will be 10,000 magnified in the age to come.

the best music, art, technology, food, etc.

Modern NDE’s

Stories of those who have gone to heaven

These can be inspiring and fuel our imagination for Heaven

Randy Alcorn — again is helpful

Book: “Imagine Heaven” John Burke

Transition

The problem of course, as always is PRIDE

Paul is trying to avoid arrogance at all costs.

2 Corinthians 12:5–7 (ESV)

5 On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— 6 though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. 7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.

But God loved Paul so much that he permitted this ‘thorn in the flesh’ — this messenger of satan

to keep him humble

to keep him from conceit/pride/arrogance

to keep him from becoming self-absorbed in self-glory in the experiences and authority he had.

Does that sounds like God’s love?

The Thorn

This is hard to grapple with.

We don’t know the exact nature of this thorn in the flesh:

many think it was a physical weakness — like illness, or some kind of disability Paul recieved, perhaps b/c of all the persecution.

But we do know it was a messenger of satan

meaning some level of demonic activity

probably at least the voice of the enemy accusing Paul or reminding him of his weakness

So what does Paul do?

2. PRAYER: Battle in Prayer

2 Corinthians 12:8 (ESV)

8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.

Paul recoginzed the work/voice of the Enemy

Pleaded with the Lord

This is where the real battle is.

This ‘thorn’ may have been something physical

SPIRITUAL: but the demonic affliction — this was spiritual.

All the weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities — that’s hard

SPIRITUAL: but then comes the accusation, the lies of the enemy

This is where the real battle is:

It is a Spiritual War — it’s why Paul says at the beginning of this whole section:

2 Corinthians 10:3–6 (ESV)

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.

4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

How do we wage that war?

We battle in prayer!

We recognize the voice of the enemy (by the Word of God)

We talk to the Lord (prayer)

Ephesians 6:17–18 (ESV)

17 ...and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 1

8 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

And then, we do what God says.

3. POWER & PRESENCE: Recieve Grace

This brings us back to our text.

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 (ESV)

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul heard from the Lord

Recieve grace — my power and presence

Surrender control/understanding/power — Let God’s power and presence flow.

Part of the beauty of the gospel is that Jesus meets us in our suffering.

For he himself was crucified in weakness.

In Jesus we see both the pattern and the power of the gospel.

2 Corinthians 13:4 (ESV)

4 For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.

He goes on to tell them to examine yourselves — whether Christ is really in you

2 Corinthians 13:5 (ESV)

5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

Christ meets us in our suffering.

His presence is with us.

He will empower us. He will remind us.

He will work wonders through us.

If we surrender to Him and His purposes.

Summary

Paul learned humility and dependance on God through all of his “weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities”

and so can you.

[1/2 True Gospel PICTURE]

PRIZE: He kept his eye on the eternal PRIZE.

PRAYER: He battled in PRAYER.

POWER & PRESENCE: He let God’s power and presence flow through his weakness.

Embrace your Weaknesses

“We all want Pauline Faith without Pauline Pain.”

How about you? (How about me?)

Will you embrace your weaknesses/hardship rather than escape them, that God’s power and presence might be manifested in your life?

What are your weaknesses/limitations?

What are your insults?

What are your hardships?

What are your persecutions?

What are your calamities?

Will you learn to fight as Paul did?

Where do you need to battle with the enemy?

recognize the lies being spewed / the fiery darts of the enemy?

Are you battling in prayer?

With God and with others — a community of prayer is powerful thing.

Will you recieve what the Lord has for you?

Recieve his grace / his power and presence

Surrender your will / your control / your desires

let him work.

Closing Story:

one of the ways we can grow in embracing our weaknesses is by reading stories of other who have.

I can’t tell you how important and inspiring it has been for my own faith to read about the spiritual journeys of others.

oner powerful story of someone embracing their weakness that God’s power my flow be manifested is in Joni Erickson Tada.

Joni Erickson Tada

Joni (Johnny) became a quadriplegic after a diving accident when she was 17 years old. This vibrant effervescent teenager, one of the most popular and athletic kids in her school, was suddenly locked motionless in a medical frame for months on end.

My doctor said, "Joni, you're going to be paralyzed for the rest of your life, without use of your hands, your legs."

The first two years after her accident or brutal. At first Joni, held onto the hope that by sheer willpower would regain use of her arms and legs and eventually get married to her boyfriend. But then reality set in. She would not get better.

Joni slipped into a deep depression, even begging her best friend to help her commit suicide. She refused the story that God had permitted in her life. She wanted her old life back – serving his captain of the lacrosse team and riding a horse tumbleweed, in shows.

And I said, "God, I can't live like this. I won't live like this."

Because I couldn't hold razors or push pills down my throat, I knew I couldn't end my life physically, so I was tempted to end my life emotionally, mentally, spiritually.

I wanted to just lay in bed, tell my mother to turn off the lights and shut the door.

Finally, in the dark behind that closed door, I cried out,

"God, if I can't die then show me how to live."

Thankfully, God put Christian friends in my life who opened the Bible and showed me that

“God permits what he hates to accomplish that which he loves.”

He permits awful things like paralysis to bring forth “Christ in me” - the hope of glory.

My Christian friends helped me find purpose in that and I learned to give thanks even in the little things And with each bit of obedience, my faith grows, my perspective widens, the world gets bigger.

And eventually, I wheeled out of that dark bedroom and began to embrace life.

I discovered there's a world of other disabled people in dark bedrooms who, like me, need to embrace life and know God.

I started writing about this and speaking and before I knew it, my message gave birth to her ministry “Joni and friends” which would grow to have a worldwide impact.

For over 40 years this ministry has served hundreds of thousands of families with people affected by disabilities by meeting needs, delivering wheelchairs and other equipment, serving special needs families, and sharing the gospel and handing out over a hundred thousand bibles globally.

In 2017, she celebrated her 50th year in a wheelchair, which makes her one of the longest-living people in a wheelchair. The last few years have been particularly painful for her as she lived with a misplaced hip and scoliosis. Joni wrote this at her 50th anniversary:

“suffering keeps knocking me off my pedestal of pride… My displaced hip and scoliosis are sheep dogs that constantly snap at my heels, driving me down the road to Calvary, where I die to the sins Jesus died for. Sure, I have a long way to go before I am whom God destined me to be in glory, but, thankfully my paralysis keeps pushing me to “strive to reach for that heavenly prize” Philippians 3:14.

Hers is just one story among many thousands.

It is one story of how God’s power and presence can flow through someone who has embraced their weakness.

Imagine if you and I were to live like this.

Imagine if our churches were to live like this.

That is God’s call for us:

to embrace our weaknesses, limitations, hardships — that God’s power might be manifested

and His Gospel might go forth.

Let’s Pray

Extra

“I retched at the thought of living without a working body. I hated my paralysis so much I would drive my power wheelchair into walls, repeatedly banging them until they cracked. Early on, I found dark companions, who help me numb my depression, with scotch and cola. I wanted to just disappear. I wanted to die.

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