2 Corinthians 12:7-10 • The Path to Devine Strength
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Review & Overview
Review & Overview
1. Previous Study’s Review
1. Previous Study’s Review
In Chps.10-13: Paul deals with those who brought accusations against him because of his 1st letter that exposed their sins...
So far we’ve looked 3 accusations:
1. His Motive: you’re in the flesh...
2. His Authority: who do you think you are...
3. His Love: Paul you don’t love us... you don’t care for us... or you wouldn’t have written those things about us...
Paul answered this charge by comparing his love for them... to a father’s love for his children…
2. Current Study’s Overview
2. Current Study’s Overview
This brings us to chp.12: & the 4th accusation: Spiritual Experiences… They questioned his Spiritual Experiences: Read…
Here Paul turns from the Physical to the Spiritual… as he talks about his Spiritual Experiences in 3 ways:
1. Paul’s Vision vs. 1 - 6
2. Paul’s Humility Vs. 7-10
Pain Vs. 7
Prayer Vs. 8-9a
Principle Vs. 9b-10
1. Paul’s Humility Involves Pain Vs. 7
1. Paul’s Humility Involves Pain Vs. 7
1.1 Pain Results In Humility Vs. 7a & 7d
1.1 Pain Results In Humility Vs. 7a & 7d
When we have a spiritual experience… it’s easy to be proud… to be exalted above measure...
God has a way of taking care of that… Sometimes pain & suffering comes to make us humble…
1.2 What Pained Him? Vs. 7b
1.2 What Pained Him? Vs. 7b
Thorn: only here: don’t picture a little rose thorn… a sharp stake... the word speaks of a tent peg… 2 thoughts:
Personal attack: the Judaizers who came into the church, they were a pain for Paul…
Physical attack: an eye problem, Gal.6:11 wrote with large letters... Gal.4:15 plucked your own eyes...
11 See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand!
14 And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. 15 What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me.
1.3 Who Gave The Pain Vs. 7c
1.3 Who Gave The Pain Vs. 7c
Buffet: 5 times, to hit with a fist… yes, Satan was behind this attack… but God allowed it… like Job…
God is in total control of everything, amen?
11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,
Some say its because of sin in our life... that’s what the disciples thought John 9:1-3… not always...
1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.
2. Paul’s Humility Involves Prayer Vs. 8-9a
2. Paul’s Humility Involves Prayer Vs. 8-9a
2.1 The Request Vs. 8
2.1 The Request Vs. 8
There are those who say if you pray for something more than once you lack faith... Paul prayed 3 times… Matt.26:44 Jesus prayed the same prayer 3 times…
did He lack faith… no…
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
17 pray without ceasing,
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
Some say your still sick because your not praying hard enough… not true… God always answers our prayers, sometimes yes, no, wait & see…
His healing is according to His will…
11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
2.2 The Response Vs. 9a
2.2 The Response Vs. 9a
We need God’s Grace in every experience weather it’s: Paradise or Painful…
His Grace: is sufficient for salvation we know that, Eph.2:8-9, Rom.3:24 justified freely by grace...
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
But it doesn’t stop there… we need God’s Grace for every experience...
16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.
Acts 20:32 - Grace builds you up
Romans 1:5 - We received grace for obedience
Romans 5:2 - We stand on grace
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
And notice there in the middle of Vs. 9, God’s strength is made perfect in weakness.
His Strength: It’s not our strength or power... but His…
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;
6 So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.
3. Paul’s Humility Involves a Principle Vs. 9b-10
3. Paul’s Humility Involves a Principle Vs. 9b-10
Paul was boasting in his infirmities… in his weakness... 2 Cor.11:30, 12:5,
Paul knew that the power of Christ resting upon him came through his time of weakness & suffering…
So he was not relying on his own power or strength… he was not relying on his own sufficiency…
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
When we realize that... that is humility… & humility is the key in receiving God’s Grace...
1 Peter 5:5, James 4:6 God resists the proud but gives Grace to the Humble…
Charles Spurgeon Quote - The power of Christ will rest upon me. This is what the Christian wants— not exemption from weakness, but the power of Christ to rest upon him in his weakness.
Timothy Keller Quote - God's grace and love are shown most clearly when we are weak, failing, and unfaithful. The times we are most conscious of our weaknesses are the times we're most reliant on God's grace. It's in our weaknesses that His strength is made perfect.
ILLUSTRATION: Talk about Jonah and broken arm
ENDING…