Restore week 3 manuscript

“The Purpose of Pain”

Illustration: Playing Basketball

7th to 12th grade

Twisting my ankles and jamming my finger

Talking with the coach

Turning in my uniform

The pain of rejection-

Not good enough

Over looked

Under valued

Comparison

"I remember feeling powerless—like there was no solution to the situation I was facing.

2 Questions to consider:

1. What do we do when God doesn’t take the pain away?

Do we feel . . .

Over looked

Under valued

2. When was the last time you thanked God for your weakness?

This question may feel strange.

We’re used to thanking God for His blessings, not our weaknesses.

But today’s passage reveals a deep truth: It’s in our weaknesses that Christ’s strength is made perfect.

[2Co 12:7-10 ESV] 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.

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

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.”

Opening . . .

Paul writes to the Corinthian church to defend his apostleship and address challenges, but here he speaks about a personal struggle—a "thorn in the flesh." Many have a variety of ideas as to what Paul’s thorn in the flesh could have been.

We don’t know exactly what this thorn was, but Paul describes it as a messenger of Satan, causing him great distress.

Paul prayed three times for God to remove it, yet God’s response was, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

God allowed this thorn for a purpose, not to harm Paul, but to reveal His power through Paul’s weakness.

“a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me”

"We all have our own ‘thorn in the flesh,’ don’t we? It could be an illness that won’t go away, a family relationship that’s broken, or a fear that constantly whispers lies to your heart.

We’ve all prayed for God to take something away—and sometimes, He doesn’t."

We don’t know exactly what this thorn was, but Paul describes it as a messenger of Satan, causing him great distress.

Paul prayed three times for God to remove it, yet God’s response was, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

God allowed this thorn for a purpose, not to harm Paul, but to humble him and reveal His power through Paul’s weakness.

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

How do you handle when God says “no”?

Most of us do not like hearing the answer no.

This would seem to be in contradiction to the teaching of Jesus.

[Jhn 14:13-14 ESV] 13 “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”

Did Paul not pray correctly?

Why was his prayer not answered in the way he requested when Jesus said, “if you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it?”

We must understand that the prayer of faith is surrendered to the sovereignty of the Father.

The teaching of Paul to the Corinthians and the teaching of Jesus are not contradictory but complimentary.

In other words, we pray in the name of Jesus by faith, and then rest in the sovereign provision of the Father as He understands.

God's "no" is never arbitrary but always purposeful, rooted in His knowledge of what we need for our spiritual growth.

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

How does God use pain to restore us?

Restoration often begins in our places of brokenness.

It is in our broken state that we are most acutely aware of our need for God's grace.

God's sufficient grace does not merely patch up the cracks; it remakes us, transforming our wounds into channels through which His love and power flow.

Paul’s pain didn’t vanish, but his perspective shifted.

Instead of seeing the thorn as an obstacle, he recognized it as a place for God’s power to flow through him.

"The ultimate example of weakness transformed into strength is Jesus on the cross.

The world saw His crucifixion as defeat, but it was the moment of His greatest victory.

In the same way, God may use our weakness to show His strength, not to break us, but to reveal His power in us."

We must admit; pain is a motivator.

Pain, though unpleasant, serves as a motivator.

It forces us to pause, reflect, and assess our lives.

Paul initially thought his thorn needed to be removed.

It is my belief that the sufficient grace of God led Paul to encounter his weakness through a different perspective.

It was God’s answer of no that required Paul to place his thorn in the flesh in God’s sufficient grace. As he did, the reality of God’s view came into place.

“For my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Secondly, God’s sufficient grace leads us to restoration through cooperation with His work in our lives.

God’s grace doesn’t just patch up our wounds; it transforms us.

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

Restoration requires us to cooperate with God’s work in our lives in three ways:

1. **Steps of Faith:**

Restoration comes as we take steps of faith.

God is responsible for His promises, but we are responsible for stepping into them.

2. **Choices that Align with God’s Will:**

Our steps must align with God’s Word.

Straying from His revealed will leads to sorrow, but obedience leads to restoration.

3. **Perseverance in Adversity:**

Restoration often comes through perseverance.

There are times when we must push through hardship, but there are also times when we must surrender to God’s sufficiency.

For many, the word perseverance brings images of gritting through the hardship.

There are many times when we are required to rise up in our determination; however, I believe that another view of perseverance reveals the sufficient grace of the Father.

“For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.”

“For the sake of Christ” . . .

The outcome of restoration is a life that testifies to the power of God.

This statement by Paul indicates that he viewed his trials and tribulations as a praise unto Jesus.

Our weaknesses provide opportunity for the strength of Christ to be witnessed by others.

How do we apply the lessons of Paul in our lives today?

1. **Pray by faith, but leave the results to God’s sovereignty.** Trust that God’s “no” may lead you to discover a deeper experience of His grace.

2. **When God says “no,” recognize it as an opportunity for Christ’s strength to be made perfect in your weakness.** Instead of running from weakness, lean into God’s sufficiency.

3. **Thank God for your weakness.** It’s counterintuitive, but like Paul, you may discover that it’s in your weakness that you are truly strong—because you’re experiencing the power of Christ.

Close . . .

I started out this morning with a story from High School.

I asked for something that was refused.

As a result, I turned in my uniform.

What I failed to see was that I could have become one of the best back up players for the team.

What I perceived as rejection could have been an opportunity to transform my connection with the team.

When God says “no,” don’t turn in your uniform.

Allow His no to become a yes in a way He sees that is better.

‌