God's Perfect Strength despite our weaknesses

Introduction

1 Corinthians 1:25–31 “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

Church, let me ask you this morning—have you ever felt too weak, too unqualified, too broken to be used by God? Have you ever looked at yourself and thought, “Surely God can’t use me—I don’t have the education, I don’t have the strength, I don’t have the pedigree”? That’s precisely where the power of this passage comes alive. Paul declares: “The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

The world celebrates strength, intellect, and status—but God delights in turning the tables. He chooses the weak to shame the strong, the foolish to confound the wise, the overlooked to silence the proud. Moses stuttered, Gideon hid, David was just a shepherd boy, Peter denied, Paul persecuted—and yet every one of them was chosen, transformed, and sent. This morning, I want you to see that your weakness is not disqualification—it is the very place where God’s strength is made perfect.

Foolishness of God

1 Corinthians 1:25–28 “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:”

Paul wrote these words to the church in Corinth, a wealthy, cosmopolitan city in Greece known for its trade, diversity, and moral corruption. The Corinthian believers were struggling with divisions, pride, and a tendency to elevate human wisdom and status. In that setting, Paul reminded them that the message of the cross—foolishness to the Greeks who prized philosophy, and a stumbling block to the Jews who demanded signs—was in fact the very wisdom and power of God. His point was clear: God deliberately chooses the weak, the lowly, and the despised so that no human being can boast, and all glory belongs to Christ.

Paul was a man, chosen by God, sent by Christ to do a work unto the Gentiles.

God poured into Paul. God gave Paul revelations. In 2 Corinthians 12:2–4, Paul describes a man (whom many scholars believe to be himself) being "caught up to the third heaven" and hearing "unspeakable words" that cannot be uttered. He says he doesn't know whether the experience was "in the body or out of the body," but that God knows.  

What Paul is talking about is revelation. Christ showed this man a true and unspeakable revelation. Now it is natural for man to yield to our flesh when we receive knowledge. I think of myself early into my ministry: “Pride comes before the fall, haughtiness before destruction.” People can become puffed up. There is an unfortunate parallel: the more educated you are, the more unteachable you become. I think of myself as a young soldier, trained and educated, ready to fight, and I was insufferable. I look back on my past and how I would think and act when I was puffed up, and I am so thankful that God humbled me. I am a servant of God, nothing more, and nothing less.

See, God chooses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. When we are at our lowest, God uses us. God uses the weak things to confound the mighty. Small miracles have a substantial impact on the lives of believers. Sometimes, it is the little things that edify us. I think of how the little foxes spoil the vine, but the minor blessings in our lives build us up, and confound the intellectual. I think about biblical scholars who have no fire for God but teach. I have seen too many scholars have too much academia and not enough Christlikeness.

I think of psychologists who desire to medicate their patients or doctors who want to do surgeries, and then a miracle happens. The doctors do not know what to say. They are baffled, but God has done work before them.

That word confound means [dishonor, disgrace; put to shame]. In other words, God uses the foolish and weak to dishonour and disgrace and put to shame those who call themselves mighty or wise.

I heard a great man of God say, “When you are unteachable, you potentially place yourself where you can no longer represent God.”

Charles Spurgeon says, “No matter how dear you are to God, if pride is harboured in your spirit, He will whip it out of you. They that go up in their own estimation must come down again by His discipline.”

I believe that when you call yourself wise, or you puff yourself up, you become unteachable in that moment, and the only course correction that can save you is correction from the Almighty. Most times, when I mess up, the Holy Spirit immediately convicts me.

There is a world of difference between a person with humility and wisdom opposed to an educated, prideful person. Make no mistake, God wants us to have wisdom. Of course God wants to pour wisdom into our live. We have wisdom books in the bible.

James 1:5 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

God will pour His wisdom into your life, if you just ask. You can have wisdom, but listen…

“A person who puffs themselves up and calls themselves wise is like a politician who makes grand promises but delivers nothing—full of words, empty of substance.”

Another way to look at it is, “Self‑proclaimed wisdom is like a politician’s speech—loud in promises, silent in results.”

Proverbs 3:7 “Be not wise in thine own eyes: Fear the Lord, and depart from evil.”

God uses vessels who are uneducated, who are rough around the edges, who may not look or sound like a traditional Christians, but have a hunger and thirst for God that puts to shame those around them.

God’s call

I think of those whom God has called to his service. I think about how “Many are called, few are chosen!” It is not the mighty warrios in the bible we tend to remember the most; it is the broken vessels made perfect in God’s strength.

I think of: Moses, who had a speech impediment, but was chosen by God to be His spokesman to the nation of Israel.

I think of: Gideon, who believed his clan was the weakest, and he was the least important in his family, yet God called him a “mighty man of valor.”

I think of: David, the shepherd, who by the strength of God slew a lion and a bear. I think of David, who picked a rock and slew a giant. I think of how God called him a “man after his own heart.”

I think of: Peter, who denied Christ three times, Christ asked him before His ascension, “Do you love me?” And Peter responds, “Yes,” and Christ says, “If you love me, Feed my sheep.”

I think of: Paul, who was initially Saul and a persecutor of the early Christian church, and he became one of the most prolific apostles in the New Testament.

His very words reveal that God's strength is made perfect in weakness! 2 Corinthians 12:9 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Paul prayed for deliverance of the thorn in his flesh that buffeted him, and Christ said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for thee!”

Illustration: There is a famous Japanese art called Kintsugi (literally “golden joinery”). It’s the practice of repairing broken pottery by filling the cracks with lacquer mixed with powdered gold. Instead of hiding the flaws, Kintsugi highlights them—transforming what was once broken into something more beautiful and valuable than before.

That is what God does in us. When our lives are shattered by sin, pain, or failure, He does not discard us—He redeems us. His grace fills the cracks, His mercy binds the broken pieces, and His Spirit fortifies the places of weakness. The scars do not disappear; they become testimonies of His healing power. Just as Kintsugi makes the vessel stronger and more radiant, God’s restoration makes us living witnesses that His strength is made perfect in weakness, and His glory shines brightest through our brokenness.

Fire: Church, let me tell you this - no matter how weak you think you are. God’s strength is sufficient for thee. No matter what you think is happening, God’s strength is sufficient for thee.

No matter the struggles you are facing, the infirmities that are beating you down, the illnesses that are sapping your strength, God’s trength is made perfect in weakness.

Whenever you think you are having a bad day, all you have to do is say, “Devil, you are a liar and the blood of the Lamb that overcame you, covers me!”

You say, “I am a child of God, and what you think is winning, in reality is you losing.”

Say “God’s strength is made perfect in weakness!”

I think of Jonah, who ran from God’s command, but was brought back to save the city of Nineveh. I think of Rahab, who was a prostitute but helped the spies of Israel at Jericho, and her lineage was included in the very lineage of Christ Jesus.

Let me ask you, church: What legacy are you leaving your children? What legacy are you leaving your grandchildren? Are you leaving a legacy of physical and spiritual struggles or a legacy of godliness, seeking the face of God, and seeing the devil flee from you?

1 Corinthians 1:29–31 “That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

If there is one thing I want to leave my family. If there is one thing I want this church to take heart in, it is that in the face of adversity, give glory to God!

He Will Tread Down Our Foes

Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.”

This Psalm was written during a time of overwhelming turmoil in Jerusalem. Scholars place this psalm during the Assyrian invasion of Judah during Hezekiah’s reign. Some scholars believe Hezekiah himself wrote this psalm.

1. God Is Our Refuge and Strength (v.1)

Refuge means a safe hiding place, strength means sustaining power.

When the world shakes, when fear rises, when enemies surround—God Himself is the shelter and the source.

Preaching line: “You don’t need a fortress built by men when you have the refuge of God!”

God is our refuge and strength; we all face circumstances we feel are more than we can handle. We all know the hollow, helpless feeling of being unable to change our situation. God’s strength is made perfect in weakness! There is no greater refuge than God. Not our armies, or castles, or military forts, bases, God is a very present help in trouble.

Preaching line: “You don’t need a fortress built by men when you have the refuge of God!”

Psalm 46:2–5 “Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

2. Fear Cannot Stand Where God Dwells (vv.2–5)

Even if the earth crumbles, mountains fall, and waters roar, the psalmist declares: “We will not fear.”

Why? Because “God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved.”

Preaching line: “Chaos may shake the nations, but it cannot shake the child of God who stands in His presence.”

God helps you conquer fear, even in the most catastrophic circumstances:

• sickness or injury

• the death of a loved one

• marriage problems

• rebellion or disobedience by our children

• loss or unavailability of employment

• problems or loss of a job

• conflicts with other people

• financial distress

• natural disasters or war

• persecution

Preaching line: “Chaos may shake the nations, but it cannot shake the child of God who stands in His presence.”

When serious problems occur in our lives, our first tendency can be to panic or fear. We might immediately become anxious, fretting over what may happen or what we will do. Realizing there is nothing we can do, our panic and fear might even increase.

Instead of fearing and fretting, we should remember that we do not face the situation alone, but with God’s presence and help. As believers, God’s Spirit lives within us. Therefore, He is always with us. When trouble attacks, we do not have to wait for God to arrive; He is already there.

Preaching line: “Chaos may shake the nations, but it cannot shake the child of God who stands in His presence.”

Psalm 46:4–5 “There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.”

Regardless of the challenge, God is in the midst; God shall help

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Php_4:13).

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2Ti_1:7).

He gives hope for a new day!

God protected His city around the clock. Right early is literally translated as the turning to or appearance of day, or (as we commonly say) the break of dawn. Cities in Old Testament times were often attacked at daybreak because they were especially vulnerable at this time.

“Chaos may shake the nations, but it cannot shake the child of God who stands in His presence.”

Psalm 121:4 “Behold, he that keepeth Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.”

Psalm 46:6–7 “The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: He uttered his voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.”

3. The Lord of Hosts Is With Us (vv.6–7)

Nations rage, kingdoms fall, but one voice from God melts the earth.

He is not distant—He is . The God of Jacob is our refuge.with us

Preaching line: “When the world is raging, remember this: the Lord of angel armies is standing by your side.”

Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

“When the world is raging, remember this: the Lord of angel armies is standing by your side.”

Psalm 60:12 “Through God we shall do valiantly: For he it is that shall tread down our enemies.”

Closing & Altar Call

Beloved, the message of the cross is still foolishness to the world, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. It is the grace of God. It is the mercy of God.

The world says you’re too weak, too broken, too ordinary—but God says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

I think of how Christ is our Bread of Life.

1. John 6:35

I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” Preaching punch: Christ alone satisfies the deepest hunger and thirst of the soul.

I think of how Christ is the Light of the world.

2. John 8:12

“I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” Preaching punch: Come out of the darkness—into the light of Christ that breaks every chain, guides every step, and shatters the strongholds in our life.

I think of how Christ is the Resurrection and the Life.

3. John 11:25–26

“I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” Preaching punch: At the altar, dead things come alive—hope, faith, joy, and eternal life in Christ.

Bread of Life → He satisfies.

Light of the World → He delivers from darkness.

Resurrection and Life → He raises what was dead.

Come to this altar and declare: “Lord, I am weak, but You are strong. I am foolish, but You are wise. I am nothing, but You are everything.” And watch as He pours His wisdom, His righteousness, His sanctification, and His redemption into your life.

This is your hour to trade weakness for strength, foolishness for wisdom, despair for hope. Come—cry out to Him, and let the power of Christ rest upon you.