Weak > Strong

Good morning & Welcome to New Hope

We find ourselves this morning in week #2 of a series we’ve titled UPSIDE DOWN - A different way to live. The truth is that we allow external forces to enter in to our lives and determine how we live and who we become.

The culture in which we live will tell you that you’ve earned it, that you deserve it, and that there’s nothing wrong with wanting things your way. However, Jesus said the complete opposite! He told the disciples in that in order to follow Him you must Give up your own way, Take up your cross, and follow him. If you try and hang on to your life, you’ll lose it. But if you give up your life for the sake of Jesus and the Gospel, you will save it. It’s counter-cultural. It’s upside down. And it should be a different way of living that makes people take notice.

If you give it up you will save it; if you try to keep it you will lose it. It’s counter-cultural. It’s upside down. And it should be a different way of living that makes people take notice.

So this morning our passage is found in , beginning in verse 7. But as you get there, let me give you a little context.

Paul is writing this letter to the church in Corinth as a defense. In one sense he is defending himself. After planting the church, false teachers have made their way in and were challenging Pauls integrity & his authority as an apostle. They were claiming that his word couldn’t be trusted and that he hadn’t handled funds appropriately.

But in the other sense, if we know much about Paul, he’s not concerned with himself, but with the integrity of the gospel. He’s concerned that those new to the faith would be swayed and misled.

And so we pick up the letter in chapter 12 where we find Paul sharing an experience in his life where he got to take a trip to heaven - whether he was really there or it was a vision, regardless it was pretty amazing. So much so, that he says it was impossible to express in human words.

And if there was ever anything worth bragging about, it could have been this. But Paul says he’s not going to do it...

(NLT) So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.

Much debate has happened around this verse. What was this thing Paul speaks of to keep him from becoming proud?

The first thing we learn this morning is God uses suffering to humble us

If there is a character trait that the church needs more of, it is humility. For me, humility is the #1 Christian virtue. It’s what I think of most when I think of Jesus. If there was one person to ever have lived with reason to boast, or lack humility, it’s Jesus. But yet that’s what exuded from him. If there was ever someone else who lived that had reason to boast, it was Paul. The opposite of humility is selfishness or pride. So when we lack humility...

When we lack humility, we rob God of his glory

7even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.

We think of ourselves too much

We rob God of the glory he’s due because we’re sucking it all up

We cannot become more like Jesus

So Paul says, to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan.

Vast debate evolves around what was meant by this. The Greek word for thorn here is actually “stake”. The word for messenger is the Greek word for “angel” - an angel of satan.

Some of you may have heard definitions of what this specifically meant. What we can conclude is that whatever it was, was very painful, cause much suffering, and it seemed to be intermittent.

Some say a physical weakness in his body; some form of epilepsy; severe headaches; eye troubles; some form of recurrent malarial fever which haunted the coast of the eastern Mediterranean.

Whatever it was…Paul believed there was a purpose. And this suffering was to keep Paul humble and Jesus exalted. Even so, Paul was human like us.

(NLT) Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.

V.8 God is able to fix, but doesn’t always

Paul understood that God is able to fix, but doesn’t always - often times God has a diff plan

(NLT) Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.

God’s will is good, pleasing, & perfect

8Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. God’s will is good, pleasing, & perfect

(NLT) Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

God’s will is always good, pleasing, & perfect

The prayer of the 3 boys in the fire furnace (even if you don’t!)

2Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. The prayer of the 3 boys in the fire furnace (even if you don’t!)

we find the story of Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego in conflict with King Nebuchadnezzar. They would not worship King Neb’s gold statue he had created. Anyone who refuses will be thrown into the blazing furnace.

(NLT) Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you.

17If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.

They had come to terms with God’s plan being greater than theirs

18But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

(NLT) Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

God’s grace is enough. Period. End of story.

God’s grace is enough. Period. End of story.

(NLT) Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

(NLT)

We can’t miss that the focus of all of this is not on our weaknesses, but on God’s grace! If you get nothing else out of today’s message, I pray that you get that. We could spend the next several weeks talking about the topic of God’s grace - I suspect we will. But for now here’s what I’d like to share

9Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. We can’t miss that the focus of all of this is not on our weaknesses, but on God’s grace! If you get nothing else out of today’s message, I pray that you get that.

God’s grace is sufficient in weariness, in pain, in opposition, in slander

God’s grace is sufficient in failure, and in our fear

It is sufficient at the beginning of the Christian life, in the middle of the Christian life, and at the end.

No matter what we’re going through; No matter what we face - spiritual, physical, financial, relational, God’s grace is enough!

But if for a moment, we must speak of our weaknesses, what would/should we speak of? How about we look at what Paul references in the text. Because if we aren’t careful we can assume he is speaking of weaknesses as sinful behaviors; attitudes I can’t overcome; habits too difficult to kick. For example: Foul language, gossip, slander, excessive or overindulgence anything, greed, lust, pride, envy, slothfulness.

But if we must talk about it for a few minutes, let’s look at how Paul describes these weaknesses (tendency is to assume weaknesses are sinful behaviors; attitudes I can’t overcome; habits too difficult to kick).

But Paul speaks of; insults, hardships, persecutions, & difficulties.

insults -

hardships -

persecutions -

difficulties -

God’s power is NOT made perfect in our sinful behaviors

God’s power is perfect when I’m weak

Here’s the focus - grace - not on our weakness, but on God’s grace

(NLT) That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me

10That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me

Weakness > Strength; tells us to submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee (power to make the devil flee begins with submission)

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me

(NLT) For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

(NLT) For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

17For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

And so this morning it is our opportunity to reflect on these passages and connect them with action. All of us are facing something in our lives - a weakness - insults, hardships, persecutions, or difficulties. Might we be willing this morning as an act of faith and obedience to “take pleasure in our weaknesses. For when we are weak, then we are strong.”

Communion instructions...

May we be reminded this morning of Jesus’ words: My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”

May we be reminded this morning that God’s grace is all we need.

You may now eat the bread and drink the cup. Prayer