NOTHING BUT GOD
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Passage: 2 Corinthians 1:8-10; 12:6-10
BIG IDEA: God's grace sustains and empowers us in our trials, transforming our weaknesses into opportunities for His strength to be revealed.
INTRODUCTION
Most of us spend our lives trying to add strength, build security, and protect comfort.
But Scripture teaches us something counterintuitive:
God often works by stripping before He strengthens.
Paul does not describe a season of victory before weakness—
He describes weakness as the pathway to victory.
In these two passages, Paul shows us two layers of stripping God uses in the life of His servants:
God strips us of self-sufficiency
God strips us of self-satisfaction
And both are acts of grace.
I. STRIPPED OF OUR SELF-SUFFICIENCY
I. STRIPPED OF OUR SELF-SUFFICIENCY
8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.
9 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,
IN DISTRESS
SEE THE SEVERITY OF THE SITUATION
Afflicted
Burdened excessively
Beyond strength
Despairing of life
PAUL EXPERIENCE SUFFERING
23 Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.
24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—
This was not inconvenience.
This was collapse-level pressure.
Paul is showing us something important:
God allowed circumstances that Paul could not manage.
Paul COULD NOT ESCAPE despair by determination.
He learned not to trust in himself but in God who raises the dead
LOOK AT VERSE 9 AGAIN
9 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,
God allows human resolve to fail so divine power can be trusted.
Cancer with poor prognosis
Heart failure, stroke, or aneurysm
ICU stay where survival is uncertain
GOD WILL USE THESE THINGS TO STRIP YOU OF YOUR
YOUR ABILITY
YOUR DIGNITY
YOUR STABILITY
YOUR SAFETY
YOUR CONTROL
YET, PAUL UNDERSTOOD THAT GOD IS ABLE
LOOK AT VERSE 10
10 who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,
PAUL POINTED TO THE WORK OF GOD
GOD PAST DELIVERANCE
PAUL’S PRESENT CONFIDENCE
AND
HIS FUTURE HOPE IN GOD
WHEN SELF-SUFFICIENCY DIES,
OUR TRUST SHIFTS TO THE GOD WHO RAISES THE DEAD
WHEN SELF-SUFFICIENCY DIES,
OUR HOPE IS ANCHORED IN GOD ALONE
WHEN SELF-SUFFICIENCY DIES,
WE LEARN NOT TO TRUST IN OURSELVES
WHEN SELF-SUFFICIENCY DIES
HOPE IN GOD THRIVES
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS
YOU DON’T NEED
DETERMINATION WITHOUT DEPENDANCE
YOU DON’T NEED
RESOLVE WITHOUT RELIANCE
A PATIENT IN CRITICAL CONDITION
DOES NOT SURVIVE BY DETERMINATION.
NO AMOUNT OF WILLPOWER CAN HEAL FAILING ORGANS
OR RESTORE LOST STRENGTH.
IN FACT, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS
DOCTORS DO IS PLACE THE PATIENT ON AN IV.
THAT IV IS A CONFESSION WITHOUT WORDS.
IT SAYS,
“I CANNOT SUPPLY WHAT I NEED TO LIVE.”
“LIFE MUST COME FROM OUTSIDE OF ME.”
THE MOMENT THAT IV IS CONNECTED, THE PATIENT STOPS TRYING TO
PRODUCE STRENGTH
AND STARTS RECEIVING IT.
FLUIDS FLOW IN.
MEDICATION FLOWS IN.
NOURISHMENT FLOWS IN.
AND LIFE IS SUSTAINED—NOT BECAUSE THE PATIENT IS STRONG,
BUT BECAUSE THE PATIENT IS DEPENDENT.
TRYING HARDER WOULD NOT HELP.
REFUSING THE IV WOULD BE FATAL.
LIFE CONTINUES ONLY WHEN DEPENDENCE REPLACES INDEPENDENCE
THIS IS EXACTLY HOW GOD WORKS IN OUR LIVES.
AS LONG AS WE BELIEVE WE CAN SUPPLY OUR OWN STRENGTH,
WE RESIST THE GRACE GOD WANTS TO GIVE.
BUT WHEN WE FINALLY ADMIT,
“I CANNOT CARRY THIS.”
“I CANNOT FIX THIS.”
“I CANNOT SUPPLY WHAT I NEED.”
GOD CONNECTS US TO HIMSELF.
GRACE BEGINS TO FLOW.
POWER BEGINS TO FLOW.
HOPE BEGINS TO FLOW.
NOT BECAUSE WE BECAME STRONGER—
BUT BECAUSE WE STOPPED PRETENDING WE WERE.
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS
WHEN SELF-SUFFICIENCY DIES, LIFE COMES FROM ANOTHER SOURCE.
But God doesn’t only strip what we trust in—
He also strips AWAY OUR COMFORTS.
II. STRIPPED OF OUR SELF-COMFORT
II. STRIPPED OF OUR SELF-COMFORT
6 For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me.
EXTRAORDINARY REVELATIONS & ENCOUNTERS
Direct encounter with the risen Christ
Saw and heard Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1–6; 22:6–10; 26:12–18)
Personal commissioning by Christ
Appointed as apostle to the Gentiles by Jesus Himself (Acts 26:16–18; Gal. 1:1)
Visions and revelations from the Lord
“Abundance of revelations” (2 Cor. 12:1
1 It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord:
Caught up to the third heaven / Paradise
Heard inexpressible words not lawful to utter (2 Cor. 12:2–4
2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—
4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
Direct instruction from the Lord
Received the gospel “not from man” but by revelation of Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:11–12)
Guided by visions for missionary direction
Macedonian vision (Acts 16:9–10)
EXTRAORDINARY MIRACLES & SIGNS
Performed extraordinary miracles
“God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul” (Acts 19:11)
Healing through contact items
Handkerchiefs and aprons brought healing (Acts 19:12)
Exorcism of demons
Cast out a spirit of divination (Acts 16:16–18)
Raised the dead
Eutychus raised to life (Acts 20:9–12)
Survived a deadly snake bite
No harm after a viper fastened on his hand (Acts 28:3–6)
Healed the sick on Malta
Healed Publius’ father and others (Acts 28:8–9)
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.
8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
Paul’s thorn was not sinful—it was uncomfortable
Paul prayed for relief, not rebellion
God did not remove the pain—He supplied grace
God’s goal is not our comfort, but our dependence and conformity to Christ (Rom. 8:29
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
TAKE PLEASURE IN THE
Personal Limitations of Life
Limitations (Weaknesses)
Relational Wounds of Life
Lacerations (Insults)
Situational Pressures of Life
Loads (Hardships)
Hostile Opposition in Life
Lashings (Persecutions)
Inescapable Constraints of Life
Locked Places (Difficulties)
Life Lesson:
Life sometimes corners us so only God can sustain us.
FRAIL THAT’S WHEN I’M FORTIFIED
When we cannot, God does
Grace carries what strength cannot
God meets us where we are weakest
Dependence unlocks divine power
Our lowest point becomes God’s strongest display
WHY? BECAUSE Isa. 40:29 SAYS
29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.
John 15:5 — “Apart from Me you can do nothing.”
Zechariah 4:6 — “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit.”
“Kept by the power of God through faith” (1 Pet. 1:5)
“The Lord is my strength” (Ps. 28:7)
CHRIST CHOSE
AGONY OVER ACCOMMODATION
CROSS OVER COMFORT
SUBMISSION OVER SOLACE
