Paul to the Corinthians. So 2nd Corinthians. You can turn there in your Bibles to 2nd Corinthians and we will read from chapter 12 and I want us to read from verse 1 through to verse 10. Though I will only be dealing with verse 7 through to verse 10. While you are turning there, let me remind you that we are having the Lord's table this afternoon, and I would encourage you, beloved, to come to the second service. It is a shorter service, but it is a service that is important. The Word of God is being broken, the bread of life has been broken, and we're looking at Christ, the bread of life that nourishes our souls. So I want to encourage you, we'll be looking at that from John chapter 6, verse 53 to verse 58. So please join us, come around the Lord's table and have fellowship with God's people and with the Lord. So 2 Corinthians chapter 12, and I want us to read from verse 1 through to verse 10, and I'm reading from the New King James. It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 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. And I know such a man, whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know, God knows, how he was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Verse five. Of such a one I will boast, yet Of myself I will not boast except in my infirmities. Although I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool. 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. 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. 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. 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. May God be pleased to bless the reading of his holy word. Please pray with me once again. Father, thank you that we can come to you as your people, as the sheep of your pasture. Thank you that we can lift our hearts to you in Jesus' name. Thank you that we can pray that your Holy Spirit would open our eyes and conform us more and more into the image of your Son. Oh Lord, we need your help now. We need to listen. We need to hear. We need you to teach us and conform us into your image. We pray that we would know truth in the inward man. Pray for your help now in Jesus name. Amen. So the title of my message this morning is For Christ's Sake, Power in perseverance. For Christ's sake, power in perseverance. And I have an outline again in the bulletin, so if you'd like to follow along, you're welcome to do so and make notes. So we've been looking at several passages out of 2 Corinthians, and we come to this passage, which I've often thought upon and meditated upon, and no doubt many of you have probably thought upon and been greatly encouraged by. But let's just give a little bit of a background, a bit of a context. We know that Paul had been writing to the Corinthians, and they were a people who were really taken up with the wisdom of the world in many ways, the wisdom of men. They were very enamored with speakers with those who preached in a very lofty manner. They were taken up by gifts and they had become very enamored with a group that were known to be super apostles. And these men were great orators. And they had begun to criticize the Apostle Paul's ministry. And on one occasion, they seem to have criticized the fact that Paul had desire to come and visit the Corinthians, but he had to change his plans due to some providential circumstances that were in the wisdom of God for their good and for Paul's good and for the glory of God. And so he was coming under a great deal of attack. They were saying that he was a man that doesn't keep his word. And he tells them that he desires to visit them. Although it may be that the visit that he has with them might be a painful visit, because they were a church that really seemed to be going astray. Paul warns them. He says to them that wisdom is not to be found in the arm of flesh. As gifted as men may be, They are often wayward and they often lead astray. And he's encouraging the Corinthians not to boast in the arm of flesh, not to boast in the wisdom of men, but in God's power working through weakness. And Paul contrasts the pride of the Corinthians with his own hardships and difficulties. Throughout the epistle, the second epistle, he does that. As a servant of Christ, the great difficulty he faced because of his ministry in Christ. But he is telling them, through sharing all of this, that in weakness, God's strength is made perfect. That it's in weakness that we discover that Christ really strengthens us. That he gives us perseverance, and he preserves us, and he gives us boldness in the gospel. Now these men who were in the midst of the Corinthian believers, who were enamoring them, who were capturing their minds, were very boastful. And Paul says, you know, if you want to boast, he does the same thing in Philippians when he's dealing with the Judaizers. When these Judaizers are talking about their pedigree, Paul is doing the same thing. He's saying, okay, if you want to boast, I know a man. And he speaks in the third person. And he actually says, it's not fruitful. It's not edifying for him to boast. But he says this, he says, I know a man in Christ who 14 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. These men speak of their experiences and of their gifts. Let me tell you of an experience. If it's about experiences, I know this man. And then he alludes to extraordinary revelation, verse four, how he was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. And what Paul is showing us is that if it is a bad experience, who could top his experience, being caught up into heaven, seeing God, hearing things that are not even utterable in In human language, verse 5 and 6, of such a one I will boast, yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities. So you see what Paul is saying. If you want to boast, we could boast, but I am not going to boast. in what experiences I've had. I'm going to boast rather in my weakness. For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool. To boast in such things is foolishness, 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. And so we come to these verses from verse 7. That provides the foundation of what Paul is teaching in verse 7 to 10. And where Paul emphasizes humility over self-exaltation. So, I have four points, beloved, from this text. And the first point I want to set before you is Paul speaks of trials that humble. Trials that humble. The Apostle Paul was called by God. He was God's appointed vessel. He was set aside. He was formerly a Pharisee. He had been given this unique ministry to the Gentile believers. But before he could take up that mantle for 14 years, God isolated him and God himself taught him the gospel. God had revealed to him as he studied the scriptures, glorious and marvelous truths that were mysteries that were hidden in the ages before and had now been revealed in Christ. Paul was blessed perhaps, perhaps beyond even what the other apostles were because he was one as late born. Remember he didn't have the experience of being with Jesus in the flesh. that the Lord had shown him things that no human tongue could describe, and that if anyone could boast, it was him because of this amazing heavenly experience. And you can imagine, especially in our day and age, how popular it would have been for the Apostle Paul to have written a book, been to heaven and back, or something like that. But Paul says, no, I'm not boasting in that. Verse 7, and lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelation, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. So let's think about these words in verse 7. Let's consider the phrase, a thorn was given. What do we see here? Paul speaks of difficulty and hardship that came upon him. Now what does he mean when he says, a thorn was given me? Well, the Greek word could be translated something like a splinter, a sharp persistent affliction. Annoying, persistent hardship was troubling Paul. Some have interpreted it as something that impaled him, although I think that's not a very good translation. I think it's something that pierced him, something like a splinter. And he speaks about this affliction. This is not the only place he's spoken about this affliction. He actually speaks about it to the church in Galatia. Remember in Galatians chapter 4 verse 13 to 14, Paul spoke about a physical ailment? This is what we read in Galatians 4, 13 to 14. You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first, 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. For I bear you witness that if possible you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me." That's interesting because theories about what the thorn in the flesh is abound. They abound. And some of them are pretty wild. But let me tell you, I think as we look at the testimony and the witness of Scripture, Paul clarifies what this is. Paul speaks about this. And I do definitely think this was a physical trial that was limiting his service. I think it's clear, some people have said this is a besetting sin. You don't get that anywhere in the text. So to me, it's clear this was not some besetting sin, some failure, moral failure on Paul's behalf, as some have suggested, but a trial, a hindrance, an impediment, a splinter or a thorn. But then he adds these words, a messenger of Satan to buffet or pummel me. Now that's interesting. Because there's a spiritual dynamic to what Paul is saying here. So there was this adversity. Not only was there this physical issue that he was struggling with, but there was this spiritual adversity that persists. I do think it was a physical limitation, but I do also think that he's adding here the fact that there was a spiritual impediment. Paul was constantly being dogged by the Judaizers who pursued him wherever he went. And I think perhaps the combination of the physical with the constant attacks and the attempt to undermine his ministry were a source of great sorrow and consternation. Now I come to that conclusion, beloved, because earlier on in 1 Corinthians, Paul says, We have written these things to you, brethren, so that you may not go beyond what is written. I think it's unhelpful to speculate on what it is without looking at the context. And I think these Jews and this physical ailment were these things that came together that caused great difficulty and persisted relentlessly to impede Paul's ministry, his life and his ministry. Whatever it was, whether it's his eyes or these detractors or both, and I think it's both, I believe God allowed it, and that's the key thing. God permitted it. He gave it to Paul, and Paul sees it in the hand of God. Now this is not unique to God's servants, right? If you were to think of another servant whom God permitted to be afflicted, who would your mind go to? More than likely it would go to Job. And you'd be right. Job chapter two, verse six to seven, we read this. And the Lord said to Satan, behold, he's in your hand, but spare his life. So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes. In these two things that Paul is speaking about, the thorn given to him and the messenger to Buffett, no matter how painful or difficult they were and humbling they were to Paul, something marvelous was happening through them. At the same time, Paul was being more fruitful and God's kingdom was still advancing. And God was teaching Paul a very important lesson, because what Paul was seeing is he was seeing the sovereign hand of God in it all. God was bringing these trials into Paul's life for his good. And you think about it, beloved, even Satan, what is he? He is a roaring lion seeking to devour the saints, but Satan is a chained lion. I love the picture of Pilgrim's Proverbs when Pilgrim has to go through that valley and the lions are there and only when he gets through he realizes these lions are chained. And that is true with Satan. He is a tool. He is an instrument in God's hand and God uses Satan, even Satan, for our good and for his glory. Now you think about it, what possible good could be gotten from God allowing Satan to hound and attack his choice servant? Well, the good is that it kept Paul humble. This is what he says, lest I be exalted. Lest I be exalted. What do we see here? We see humility. Humility cultivated in Paul's life as a result of this. Paul knew the flesh gets so puffed up and full of pride when God blesses it. He had been a Pharisee. He could boast. He knew how tempting it was to use his experience to promote himself or to silence his opponents. But he had to depend upon the gospel, beloved, and the cross. And think about that. How often is that not the case with us who've been walking with the Lord for longer, a longer period of time? We can often fall back on our experiences and we can think of ourselves as more mature than the rest, that we've got these special insights because we've been through more experiences in life or we've walked longer with the Lord. We can boast in those things. I think it's such a danger for us to use our experiences to fall back on our knowledge and our skills and our abilities rather than to depend upon the Holy Spirit and the gospel. You know, you look at people who have been the greatest servants of the church. They have been, in many instances, the most reluctant people. Spurgeon, when he was on his way thinking he was accompanying a man to go and preach the gospel, and the man turned around with shock and said to him, Sir, I'm not preaching, you are. And he didn't want to do it. I think it's a real red flag when people are, oh, use me, use me, I've got the gift, I've got the ability. That's a red flag. So the Lord may allow some difficulty, some trial, a thorn, a messenger of Satan to harass and trouble you, to keep you on your knees, clinging all the more to Christ and not resting in the flesh. And a messenger of Satan, what interesting words, a messenger of Satan. When you think of a messenger of Satan, what is that? I think of it as an alarm bell. Beware, danger. Satan is ready to pounce. This is a dangerous area. This is an area of presumption. Be careful. How often is it not, beloved, that when it comes to serving God, we tend to focus more on ourselves than on the Lord? So let me ask you, beloved, what thorn and splinter hinders you today? What is it that God has put in your life? What is it that God has made you realize, that God has used to make you realize your limitations? Has made you realize time and time again, I cannot trust my flesh. I cannot trust my own thinking. Time and time and again, like a splintered reed that has pierced your hand and has led you into trouble. And my question is, how do you face this buffeting? How do you face this nagging trial? Maybe it's in your job. Maybe it's in your environment. Maybe it's a family member. Maybe it's a child or a sibling. Do you wrestle and fight and grow bitter and strive in your flesh? Or are you learning day by day to rely on God, realizing that God is the one who is afflicting you to keep you humble? Do you realize how easy it is to be exalted in the flesh. And you understand something of that cry, lest I be exalted. Help me, Lord. And the next thing we see is Paul's cry for relief. Look at verse eight. Our Lord Jesus said, we are the branches, right? And he is the vine. And every branch that bears fruit, what does the Lord do? Does he leave it alone? No, he prunes it. He prunes it that it bears more fruit. And beloved pruning is painful. It's painful. Those cuts go deep. Sometimes, have you ever seen a vine pruned? It looks like a little stub in the ground. It looks like there's nothing left in it. We grew up, I mean, at least I spent some years in the winelands in Cape Town. And you can see when they've pruned the vines, it's like there's nothing left. I mean, they've just cut the whole thing away. And within a year, that's a luscious, fruitful vine bearing many grapes. God cuts deep because he knows. Beloved, nobody knows how to deal with our prideful flesh. God is a skillful surgeon who is able to take his word and use it as a scalpel that cuts between bone and marrow, soul and spirit. Can anyone tell where those two meet? This is what Paul testifies to. Look at his plea. He's cryfully, I pleaded with the Lord. He beseeched God. He entreats God. I pleaded with the Lord. This is a desperate thing. This is a persistent thing. There's real pain in Paul's life here. He's speaking about a real struggle, a real thorn, a splinter that pricks and burns and irritates and festers. The struggle was real and constant for Paul. Nevertheless, Paul learned that God is indeed the God of all comfort, who comforts us in our affliction. And when we approach him, what's gracious and wonderful about this text is he's not some distant monarch, but a loving father who sits on the throne of grace. He receives us. Hebrews 4, 6 says, let us therefore come boldly. To what? To what kind of throne, beloved? The throne of grace. that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. God did not answer Paul's prayer according to his request, right? Paul wanted him to answer in such a way. But God did not answer the way Paul wanted him to answer. God did not take the trial out of his life. But what God did do is he gave Paul everything he needed. He equipped him with everything he needed to endure that trial. God did what? God gave him grace. God gave him grace. And what we learn from Paul's struggle, beloved, and what you and I need to learn as we think about this, is that this trial was part of God's plan. Sometimes we're very focused on what's happening to us. More often than not, that's the case. And God has to train us to look further beyond our bounds and to realize something else is happening. There's a greater plan that's being executed here. You know, an example of that in the scriptures is when Moses had sinned against God. Remember, God had told him to go and speak to the rock and the water would come forth But what did Moses do? He was angry. He was angry with the people and he struck the rock. And because he did not hold God's name up as holy, God forbade him to enter into the land of Canaan. And Moses pleaded with God to give him entrance, but God would not. In fact, in Deuteronomy chapter three, verse 23 to 27, we have the intimate struggles of Moses with this, when we read, then I pleaded with the Lord at that time saying, O Lord God, you have begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what God is there in heaven or on earth, you can do anything like your works and your mighty deeds. I pray, let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains in Lebanon. But the Lord was angry with me on your account and would not listen to me. So the Lord said to me, enough of that. Speak no more to me of this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift your eyes towards the West and the North and the South and the East. Behold, behold it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan. That's a very painful and difficult situation for Moses failing. But just like Paul, Moses pleaded with God But Moses' request was denied. And Moses, though he was mightily used of the Lord, had to trust in God's plan. And you know what, beloved? Moses didn't see it at the time, but when we step back, what do we see in that plan? We see a wonderful gospel picture. Who led them into the land, the promised land? Who led them into Canaan? It was Joshua. And what do we read of Joshua in chapter four of Hebrews? That Joshua was pointing towards Christ, the one who would bring true rest. You see, Moses couldn't go into the land because Moses represented the law. And the law doesn't save. Christ saves. And Joshua was the one who would deliver them into the land. Christ is the one who delivers us from our sin and brings us into heaven. And so that's a small picture of how Moses in this little micro level is struggling with God. But when you step back and you see the picture, God's plan at work, God's perfect plan. Still, Paul pleaded three times. This was his persistent appeal. He pleaded with the Lord intensely. And he tells us he prayed earnestly on three separate occasions, pleading with God. Beloved, think of our Lord Jesus Christ. Three times our Lord pleaded in the garden of Gethsemane. Lord, let this cup pass from me. In Matthew 26, 39 to 44, he went to little father and fell on his face and prayed, saying, Oh, my father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will. Again, the second time he went away and prayed, saying, Oh, my father, If this cup cannot pass away from me unless I drink it, your will be done.' And he came and he found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. So he left them, went away again, and prayed a third time, saying the same words." I do not think that is coincidental. I think that lines up. I think that is in harmony with what happened to Christ. It's a picture of our Lord's perseverance, yielding, yielding to God's will. Paul was learning to yield to God's will. He was learning to trust God in his perfect plan. He prayed that the thorn might depart. He saw it in a negative way. He had a negative perspective. It was hard for Paul. I don't understand how this could help you, Lord. This seems to just be hindering me. But instead of it being taken away, Paul was learning the truth that God's ways are above our ways. And he was learning what Christ himself learned as a man. Remember Hebrews chapter 5? Our Savior learned obedience as a man. He was learning, lest a kernel of wheat fall to the ground and die, it abideth not. But if it dies, it produces much fruit. And Paul was learning. This is not about you, Paul. This is not about you, but about my glory. But let me move on. We see the trials and humble. We see this cry for relief. Verse 7, verse 8. And then I want you to notice this little phrase in verse 9a, the grace that sustains. The grace that sustains. Grace is a common word, right? People bandy it about all the time. Just the other day, I read something, I saw a bumper sticker, born in the USA, blessed to be born in the USA and southerned by the grace of God or something to that effect. People use the word grace in such empty, trivial ways. But the question is, what does grace really mean? Can we understand what it means? Grace means God's unmerited favor and goodness. It's God saving us. Grace is his undeserved, unreserved mercy. Someone said it this way, grace is like the ocean. It is always stretching out before us. And like the waves crashing on the beaches, it is always coming towards us. This is the grace of God towards his children. And here's something beautiful in this text. Paul writes these words that God had said to him, my grace is sufficient. What does that mean, sufficient beloved? It means that it's enough. But it's not just enough, it's more than enough. Grace sustains, it holds up. God's enabling power. Paul is saying, I asked God to take this trial away, but God gave me his enabling power. God's grace is greater than our trials. And beloved, the glorious thing about God's grace is that it continues in our lives long after the trial is gone. It is God's enabling power conforming us and transforming us into His image. And what's glorious about God's grace is there's no shortage of it. We can come to him again and again, moment by moment, second by second. This is the grace God gives us in Christ. That's why Christ in every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms belongs to us in Jesus Christ. That's why we make much of Jesus. Hebrews chapter four, verse 16 says, let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. More than anything, beloved, you need God's grace. More than anything, you need to understand that that trial, as painful as it is, is actually there for your good. And that you need the grace of God in your weakness. so that you understand that God is able to do through you immeasurably more than you can imagine or think of. That is why you need to be a man or a woman or a child of prayer. Laying hold of God, coming to the throne of grace. Oh beloved, that throne of grace is open to every child who loves Christ. And it is open 24 hours a day, every second of every day, it is open. We have this wonderful, glorious privilege of prayer, and yet we so seldom use it the way we should. We have access to God through Christ. That's why Paul can say in the first epistle that he wrote to the Corinthians in chapter 10, verse 13, no temptation has overtaken you. Except such as is common to man, but God is faithful. He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you're able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape that you may be able to bear it. I don't care who you are, doesn't matter what unique your trial is, doesn't matter how unique you might think your temptation is, or how unique you might think your sin is, grace is able to give you strength and ability to overcome. Either that or God is a liar. And every time you fall and you say, well, you know, it was my circumstances, or you know, I'm just struggling, you're making God out to be a liar. Be honest. and truthful about your struggle, and truthful about your sin, and acknowledge it as such, and appeal to the throne of grace, and you will find grace to help you in your time of need. That is a fact that is a biblical fact, beloved, and thousands of Christians who are standing on the gates and on the walls of heaven as a cloud of witness bear witness to that fact. The word Paul uses here about God's grace is that it is sufficient. And when he uses this word sufficient, it indicates limitless bounty. It's not just enough, it's abounding. Limitless bounty of God's provision to us in our very trials. James puts it in a different way, doesn't he? Although he doesn't mention grace, he describes the powerful effects of grace in our struggles. He says this in chapter 1 verse 2 to 4, My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Grace teaching you to wait upon God, teaching you to understand that He is perfect. And as you gaze upon His perfection, and as you lay a hold upon His perfection, and as you bring all your weakness and throw your weakness upon His perfection, what is happening? You are being made perfect. These trials that come to us and upon us, they have many different colors. They're various, they're varied. There is varied, as there are colors in the world. And what they do is they test our faith. They are like the levers which God uses to bring down His grace upon us. They teach us patience to trust Him under fire. And what do they do? They perfect us in faith. They make us complete. They make us realize that we lack nothing because everything has been given to us in Christ. If you think you lack something, beloved, take your eyes off of yourself and fix them on Jesus and believe on Him and walk with Him. But I want you to notice what Paul says here. Not only is grace sufficient to meet our every need, but he goes on and he talks about strength being made perfect. God's power perfects. Philippians 4.13 says, I can do all things. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. But before Paul could get to the point of saying that, of that constant realization, Paul had to go through many difficulties and hardships. He knew the trials of being blessed. with much, because those are trials too. And sometimes those are more dangerous trials. Because when we have much, we tend to hit cruise control, right? We tend to just think that everything's okay, and our prayer life seems to diminish, and we just seem to be cruising through life. He knows those trials. But He also knows those trials that come upon us in lean times. Because they can test our faith in different ways. In fact, he wrote this, for I have learned, Philippians 4. Before he could say, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, he says this, for I have learned. I have learned. I have been instructed. Christ has taught me, in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound, everywhere and in all things I have learned, both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. And then he says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Beloved, this is what Paul understood as he walked with Christ. The more and more he walked with Christ, the more and more he became convinced of this. He is weak and helpless and impotent and hopeless. And then he learned, my Savior, is more than powerful. He is more than sufficient in his power and his grace to meet my every need. And so beloved, what effect does that have on the apostle Paul? He puts no confidence in the flesh. But that was so contrary to the way of life he lived before as a Pharisee. Ephesians 3, 14-16, Paul prays, he says, That strength made perfect, beloved. What is it? How do we define it? It is the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the power of the Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. It is the power of every born again believer. It is the power that sustains us and keeps us and will present us before the Father spotless and without blemish. And I want you to notice something. I don't want you to miss this. What's so wonderful about Paul's description here is that he tells us that God met him and God instructed him by his word. God didn't allow him just to flail around and just shoot into the dark. God instructed him. Notice what he says in verse nine. Take a look at it. He says, and he said to me, and he said to me, God instructed him. God spoke to him. This was God's word to Paul. My grace is sufficient. Trust and believe me that my plan and purpose is perfect. It's perfect. And the language Paul uses here is in the perfect tense. What do I mean by that? Why is it important? Because he's stressing God's lasting promise of strength and power. for him and his trials. And what our brother, the apostle Paul is doing is he's bearing witness that there is no situation in which you cry out to God, in which he will not provide you the strength that you need. His word is true, beloved. God doesn't lie. God is not a man that he should change his mind. God has promised us in our weakness that as we cast ourselves upon him, as we bring our weakness to him, as we take his yoke upon us, that weakness will actually be turned into strength. This is God's firm word and he promises it to the Corinthians. And because all scripture is written for you, he promises it to you. Yes, it may not be written to you, but it's written for you. 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 27 to 29 says this, but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put the shame, to put to shame the wise. And God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty and the base things of the world and the things which are despised. God has chosen and the things which are not to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence. Beloved, we glory in the flesh. Even as Christians, we make so much of men. We make so much of their wisdom, and of their prowess, and of their intellect, and of their cleverness. And we ought not to. We ought not to be enamored by the so-called wisdom of men. Because it's foolishness, and God has chosen the foolish things to shame the wise. Now, let me ask you a question. As you think about this, do you believe? Do you believe it, beloved? Do you believe that God's grace is sufficient to meet all your trials? Because if you believe it, you would be acting upon it. Do you believe in the sufficiency of the gospel or is it Jesus plus this, Jesus plus that? Does the gospel bore you as you sit here and as you hear what I'm saying, are you thinking, well, pastor, if it was only that simple? Well, beloved, it is that simple. The problem is you have a hard, unbelieving heart and you are not trusting Christ. Let me ask you, let me ask you, where do you see God's power at work in your weakness? And let me ask you further, how do you cling to what God's promised when you're weak? Do you actually read your Bible? I hope you do. How could you even cling to Christ if you don't know the promises of God, if you don't understand how God deals with his people, if you don't walk with Christ through the gospels and in all the pages of scripture and see God meeting his people? Well, let me move on, beloved. Trials that humble, a cry for relief, grace that sustains, and then strength that triumphs. The last part of this text, take a look at it, where he says here in verse 9, B, he says, and he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, and here's verse B, for my strength is made perfect in weakness, therefore I must Therefore, most gladly, I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 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. In the light of what Paul has just said to us about the grace of God and God's strength in his weakness, how did that impact Paul's life? You know what they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. I'm sure you're familiar with that, friends. What did it look like? How did it manifest itself? Well, it was radical. It was pretty radical. Paul speaks about pleasures for Christ's sake. Most gladly, my trials have done what? Served Christ. My trials have served Christ. In my trials, they've brought me to Christ. They've enabled me to let hold of Christ and feed upon Christ. And I am able to minister in their power and their grace. Remember what James 1 verse 2 to 4 says, count it all joy when you fall into various trials. Now, beloved, trials in and of themselves. There's nothing magical. There's nothing, there's nothing wonderful about trials. Trials can be, they can be a really bad thing. But that can be a good thing, especially if we're walking with Christ and we're trusting in the Lord. You see, we cannot understand the things God brings our way if we don't lean on the arm of God, if we don't cling to Christ. We have to see that behind that frowning providence, God hides a smiling face. We have to understand the goodness of God. We have to believe that in spite of how bad things are, God remains good. Because if we don't, trials will destroy us. Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the test in your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Beloved, one thing is very clear about the trials that Paul was going through. As intense as they were, let us not doubt that they were intense, because in chapter 1 he said that we despaired even of life itself. They were that bad. This is not just some little irritation, some kind of frustration, some annoying person who was bothering Paul. No, his life was in danger. But his trials brought him closer to Christ. His trials caused him to cling to the Son of God. And he literally says, I am content. And for the sake of Christ I endure joyfully. Romans 8 verse 35 to 39. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? So tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword, as it is written, for your sake we are killed all day long. We are counted as sheep for slaughter. Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors. through Him who loved us, for I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Now that is true for you if you really love Jesus, if you really trust Him. But if you're not walking with Christ and you think that persecution is going to somehow make you love God more, you're in for a rude awakening. Our trials are sent to us by God to make us more dependent upon the Lord and to cling to Him in every way. And I want you to notice what Paul says, for Christ's sake, what he means is that the joy that Christ endured in suffering for us, for our souls to be united to Him, is a joy that comes from sharing in His glory as we suffer for His name's sake, when we love Him. and we're suffering because we love Him. Oh, beloved, what a blessing comes to those who trust in Him. In fact, Peter puts it this way. He says in 1 Peter 4, 13-14, On their part, He is blasphemed. but on your part he is glorified. Are you suffering for the sake of the gospel, beloved? Are you suffering because the decisions you make are based on your love for Christ and your desire to follow him? You know, this is what Paul and Barnabas experienced when they were beaten for Christ. They rejoiced and they were glad that they were counted worthy to suffer for their Lord. And I am talking about suffering in all different manners, beloved. It may be relationships. It may be the ire of your boss. It may be, it may be those who are close to you, who lift up the heel against you because you love Christ and you will not compromise. Matthew chapter five verse 11 says this, blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake. And you see what, Paul's words here, for Christ's sake, brings blessing and persecution. That's what Paul is saying. There's blessings and persecutions and trials when it's for Christ's sake, when it's because we love our Savior. But notice also what he says, I boast in infirmities. Now why does he say that? Well, you think about this. The first thing he says here is pleasure for Christ's sake, Our trials serve Christ. But the second thing he says here is, I boast in infirmities. What is he talking about? Well, he's telling us that weakness, our weakness, actually glorifies Christ. It glorifies Christ. He says, I will boast in my infirmities. And there's a future tense that's used here. And what he means by that, beloved, is this. Whatever God ordains, Whatever trials, whatever challenges I face, I will most gladly boast. Whatever future weakness, why? So that I may know more of God's power and triumph through it. Because when I come to my God with an empty hand, what do I receive? Fullness. Fullness. He fills me up. He fills the emptiness up. And when I come to him needy and naked and weak, as it were, what does he do? He sets my hunger. He clothes my nakedness. He fills me up. And so, beloved, this is why he says, I will most gladly boast. I will most gladly declare my dependence upon him. Our independence is our greatest. Hindrance, beloved. That's what Paul is saying. It's our greatest hindrance. We think it's the greatest thing about us. We're independent people. We're free thinkers. That's a good thing. And yet Paul is saying, no, no. When you come to Christ and you declare in every way your dependence upon him, Then you know His power. Then He sets you free. Then He teaches you how to think. Then He teaches you how to be free. 2 Corinthians chapter 7 verse 4 says this, Great is my boldness of speech toward you. Great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation. This is so contrary to our flesh. It's contrary. They struggle with us. None of us likes to show weakness. We dread it if people think we are weak. When people come over and they visit us, we want them to know that we've got it all together. Right? Ladies, you understand. The challenges when you have visitors. Well, I don't want them to think that I don't have my house together. Understand those challenges. And yet, beloved, the fact of the matter is that not, in many instances, a showing of pride, a showing of I can do it in my own strength. Paul rejoices in his weakness. The fact that he boasts in his trials reflects joy and weakness. But why? Because he says this. This is the lesson. When I am weak, then I am strong. Well, I'm weak and I'm strong. Most of us spend our whole lives trying to make up for our weaknesses. And most of us spend our whole lives trying to put this picture together that we've got it all together. And Paul says, no, we don't have it all together. Without Christ, we are a mess. We're ruined. We're hopeless. We're helpless. We're extremely flawed and broken people. But in Christ, we are made whole. You see, it's this jar of clay, beloved. It's cracked. It's a broken vessel. You can't hide that. But let the gospel shine through. Let the gospel shine through your weakness, through your brokenness. When we're resting in Christ, there is peace. And as long as we're striving in ourselves and in our flesh, there's turmoil, impotency, ineffectiveness, bitterness, frustration, unbelief, pride and anxiety. And we have need to learn these words from the Apostle Paul. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. It is only through Christ. It is only through Christ, my triumphs, my victories, my successes come through Christ. And they are so sweet to me and they are such a nourishment to my soul because they come as I am costing myself upon him as a weakling, as one who is impotent, as one who is naked, as one who is poor. But in Christ, I'm rich, not striving. but depending on him, not being independent. You know, Ephesians chapter six, verse 10, this is what the apostle says. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord. Be strong in the Lord. Now that may look like weakness to your friends. That may look like weakness to your neighbors, but it is the power of God. And it brings glory to God. And when they see the power of God manifest through you, guess what, beloved? They're going to ask you, where did you get that strength? How are you able to negotiate? How were you able to navigate those trials? How could you do it? And it brings glory to Christ, does it not? His power is Christ and it is mine as I abide in Him. It is in that strength that I can go forth and conquer Now I understand, beloved, Paul's words are paradoxical and they're jarring, but they're paradoxical and they're jarring for a reason. And he wants us to understand our contentment can never be found in boasting. Our contentment and our rest can never be found in making much of the flesh. And you know what, the problem with so much with making much of our flesh is that we keep doing it and we keep on doing it and we're building these sand castles and when trials really come along, those things are knocked down. And we realize that we really didn't have much to begin with. How many of us are not building with hay, straw and stubble? With our own wisdom, with our own machinations, with our own scheming. rather than trusting Christ, rather than being humbled and laying ourselves before him and letting him prove his power and his strength through our weakness. And we make much of weakness clinging to Christ's power. It is very transformative. In fact, it's the only thing that transforms us. You know what, beloved? When that is happening in our lives, we are filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Christ in you, the hope of glory. It has a way of loosening our attachments and our roots in this world. It makes a way of causing us to look to glory and look to Christ, to cry out, Lord come. We'll see these trials for what they are. We'll see them as the levers that God gives us to plead for grace, and we'll understand how powerful grace is, and how it causes us to find all our pleasures in Christ, even when those trials come, because it is in those trials that we will know the sweetness of our Savior, that we will know what the proverb says, that there is one that sticks closer than a brother, that we will understand, as Paul says in the last epistle he wrote in 2 Timothy, nobody stood with me, but the Lord stood with me. I must close. But beloved, how do you find contentment in weakness? For Christ, do you even think about it and contemplate it? What weakness can you boast in? When lost, have you felt and perceived the power of God through your weakness? Fouls humble us and they keep us dependent on God, don't they? as they should. Husbands, when you face pressures, you want to love your wife and yet you have many challenges, difficult relationships. Maybe it's your work, maybe it's the children. Cling to God's strength rather than your own meager strength. and weak human wisdom. And teach your children that the greatest and the safest place they can ever be is on their knees before God at the throne of grace. As you struggle with your kids, maybe they're disobedient and they're all disobedient and we have to wrangle with them and struggle with them. Show them in your life how you are relying upon God A true manhood doesn't come from some beating of chest and some bravado and some scheme that is out there. We can think manhood is just made up because we hunt and we do all these things. That's not manhood. It's not manhood. Manhood is walking with Christ. It's being humble. It's being dependent on the Lord. Confess your sins when you fell and you are weak and you blow it. Confess your sins and show them that you need grace as much as they do. And wives, let me just say this to you. Even in the midst of difficulties and challenges, submit to your husbands as unto the Lord. Submit to them. I think we can sometimes want to, wives can sometimes want to just take over because husbands have blown it. or they're weak or they're prone to laziness or whatever it is. Don't do that. Trust the Lord. Take your husband to the Lord and speak the gospel to him. Point him to Christ. And mothers, as you are shepherding your children, and you're frustrated, you're so frustrated, and you just, you've blown it again, you've lost your temper, you've just, you're just ready to be done with it. Don't give up. Let that trial, let that difficulty drive you into the arms of Jesus. Remember what Jesus said. Learn from me. Learn from me for I am humble and lowly in heart. The Lord knows the hearts of your children. The Lord knows the heart of your husband. And those who are not married. I don't know what trials you're going through. Trials of rejection perhaps, financial strain. pressure from your friends, cultural challenges. You need to cling to Christ. You need to let hold of the Lord Jesus. You need to let hold of him. You need to make his throne of grace a place that you go to again and again and again every day. Beloved, let us be laying hold of Christ. Let us be praying for him to teach us. Let us be depending upon the Spirit of God, costing ourselves upon him.