The Expository Word

5. Suffering, 2 Corinthians

May 16, 2023 Kimber Kauffman Season 97 Episode 95
The Expository Word
5. Suffering, 2 Corinthians
Show Notes Transcript

This message originally delivered on November 30, 1997 AM.

Kimber Kauffman:

We've considered last week and again this week. Why God allow sorrow, pain and suffering to come our way? Is there really a God who works all things together for good? There's a poem I learned years ago. It's one of those poems the first time I hurt, I said, I gotta memorize that. It's, it wasn't hard to do. But it goes like this. I've used it this church many times. But it goes like this. I walked a mile with pleasure. She chatted all the way, but left me none the wiser. For all she had to say. I walked a mile with sorrow. And Nair a word, said she, but oh, the things I learned from her. When sorrow walked with me. God does not waste our sorrows. That's a promise in the Scriptures. He doesn't waste, pain or suffering. He doesn't allow bad things to happen without a purpose. Let me read from this book called when God Weeps is Johnny Erickson taught his latest book, just let me read you a page or two. To set up the tone for this message as you keep your finger there in Second Samuel toy or Second Corinthians 12. Hardships press against, press up against God. They press us up against God. It's a universal truth we we learned in Sunday school song we are weak, but he is strong. That is what I saw that night in Africa she's talking about at night she was in Africa, our pastor friends spread wide his arms and beamed Welcome to our country where our God is bigger than your God. It was a happy heart. In fact, God always seems bigger to those who needed the most. And suffering is the tool he uses to help us need him more. So we know little facts like this. We know God better through suffering, that's quaint thought. But there again is the high school buddy who did not take God seriously until trouble hit, bagging a football scholarship to the University of Nebraska. Because of his sophomore year, he, he racked up his knee and had to have surgeries. And as a result, he now coaches, little boys in football, and his priorities are Bible study and prayer time. Or we get closer to God through trials, Another curiosity and I'm rather going quickly. But she says the couple down the street that was just a tad materialistic until he lost his job. And suddenly they weren't after so many materialistic things. But they they realized that the community college wasn't so bad for their Princeton bound daughter and God took care of them where they come to back to their feet. And so trials were good, wasn't that nice? And then of course, you discover God and heartbreak. The the 26 year old man whose girlfriend returns the engagement ring. He lets it sit on the dresser for months as a monument to his failed love. Instead, he pours himself into a young man down the street and makes a disciple of Jesus Christ. And two years later, while looking at a bookstore, he meets a honey blonde girl with a knockout smile. And they both enjoy horses. And so they ended up happily married, he wonders what would I have done if I'd never met this girl? And so we say, isn't that nice? Again, trails are good. We're Wait, God is strong. We'll buy that. But then listen to what she says. So why do we score and when we feel the crunch? Why do we keep asking why? A clue is hidden. In the questions we ask, Will I ever be happy again? And how is this fitting together for my good? The questions themselves are technical and me focused. Even when we hit upon good reasons why, like the Nebraska football player who got his priorities straightened or the materialistic couple who learned to get by with less or the guy who's paying left let led him to Miss Perfect. Even good reasons can be me focused. Suffering sure has helped me get my spiritual act together. I see how this trial was improving my character and prayer life. Think what I would have missed had it not been for that heartbreak. This tribulation has really strengthened my marriage. Notice all the me's. God notices them to me, she starts talking about a friend of hers that was one six foot three. And now he's in a wheelchair suffering from a terrible muscle disease. And slowly he's dying. And listen to what happens. Nighttime is no longer friendly. Shadows cash jerking, jagged, jagged shapes across the room. Gravity is his enemy as the weight of the air settles on his chest. Breathing is heavy labor and calling out as impossible. He needs to call out tonight. In the darkness and ant finds him the scout sins for others and they come first hundreds and then 1000s a noiseless Legion inches its way down the chimney across the floor, secretly crawling up his urine tube up and over into his bed. They fan out over the hills and valleys of John's blanket This is a true story, tunneling under an into his body. He is covered by black wriggling invasion. I'm across the ocean in England when the fax arrives at my hotel relaying the story. John's wife along with a nurse found him in the early morning with ants still in his hair, mouth and eyes. His skin was badly bitten and burned. Pray for him, the fax conveys, we've never seen him so depressed. I'm not the hotel when the message arrives, Johnny says, I'm speaking at a conference conveying the plight of disabled people. I'm speaking of God's mercy, and his protection over the weak and the vulnerable. I sit by the receptionist desk and want to read the facts a second time but can't my stomach is sick? John is a Christian. His God can see in the dark. Why the name of heaven? Why? God, who are you I almost want to say if you need to, John, you say the same. This isn't the story about torn ligaments on a football field. This isn't a polite refusal letter for financial aid, for instance. This isn't heartache over a return engagement ring. Now this is the suffering this toxic person down and ripping into his sanity. This is affliction spinning out of control. suffering like this would dripper draw me to God you would think it would push me away from him. Or we to assume suffering like this helps the person know God better. That's its purpose. To move us up a few notches closer to God. Is this God's idea of accomplishing something deep and profound in our lives? Is there anyone out there who can make sense of this? Who actually believes this? Then she goes into a story about the Apostle Paul and all his sufferings. And then she concludes after she reads Philippians 310 in the new English Bible, which says all I care for is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection and to share in his sufferings in growing conformity with his death. Listen, wait a minute, you say if the Apostle Paul is our prototype, you've got points to Paul to show us we can do the same does he? Or the God he represents have an inkling of the pain that I've endured? Does that God really know our pain? Has a husband walked out on him and left him a mountain of bills? Was he born with a facial scar that drew playground Thompson stairs? Has he grown and burned with longing for simple, sensual pleasures that I will never know again? Does God sit in his Iranian jail blindfolded and bewildered? Does he slowly freeze to death in January on New York sidewalk? Does he live with the memory of abused parents, incest or rape? Has he watched people he cherishes children for God's sake Twitch with torment and body and soul? Get real? Who is this God? I thought I knew who is this God who bids us crawl over broken glass just for the pleasure of his company. There there's pain and suffering in this fallen world in which we live. Some of us know more of it than others. But there are some myths that we have about pain and suffering. For instance, many people think that it's punishment. The disciples said to Jesus Lord who sinned this man or his parents, that this man should be born blind. That was the typical thinking of the day. If someone was born blind, well, the parents must have sinned. But Jesus said, No, that's not the case. This is done so that God might be glorified. Or we think that pain is only bad. It's always bad, we must get away from it. That's our pragmatic, comfortable world we live in. Or we say it's a sign of spiritual failure. That's what Job's friends did. Job, you must have failed, you had to have sinned job or these bad things wouldn't have happened to you. Or suffering and pain are incomparable with a God who is all loving and all powerful. We've referred to this before, but Rabbi Kushner wrote a book years ago which was took the world by storm and it says Why do bad things happen to good people and Rabbi Kushner said, after he lost his 14 year old boy to a terrible disease, he said this. It cannot be that God is all loving and all powerful. Because if he was all loving, and all powerful, bad things wouldn't happen. Like my 14 year old boy wouldn't have died. So he is all loving his rabbi Kushner is conclusion. He's all loving, but he is not all powerful. So he wants what's best, but he cannot do it because this world is out of his control. Now is that what the Bible says? Stop with Think with me as some verses which the Bible speaks concerning this liquid Peter writes, Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial, you are suffering as though something strange are happening to you. A Peter is talking to the people with real suffering, he says, Don't be surprised, as if something strange were happening. Paul writes to the Thessalonians. So when we could stand it no longer we thought it best to be left by ourselves and Athens, we sent Timothy who was our brother and God's fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you and your faith so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. Now, look at this, look at this, everybody, you know quite well that we were destined for them. In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you, you would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you will know, for this reason, when I could stand it no longer I sent to find out about your faith, I was afraid that in some way, the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless. Paul writes, there's his look, I was scared to death, that you guys were gonna fall because what is it that Jesus teaches in Matthew 13, he says, when troubles or afflictions or persecution arises, those who really are not planted in the good soil, they quickly fall away. And Paul says, I was scared to death, and I was panicked. So I sent Timothy to make sure you hadn't given up just because of persecution, and suffering. Paul later writes a verse that we all know the first half of it, we don't know the second half of it. And he says this, it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for him. Please get this it has been granted in the mercy of God's grace, not only that you might believe, but that you also would suffer for him. That's the call. It's not just a call to believe and go to heaven. It's a call to believe and suffer. This is what's taught in the scriptures, that look your friends, Philippians 310, as we already read this verse, this is the new international translation of it. I want to know Christ. But notice what Paul wants to know. And this is why Paul was Paul, this is why he he lives in a different league than many of us do. He says, I want to know Christ, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, becoming like him and his death. Look what he wants to know, we all want to know the power of his resurrection, we sort of stopped there. But look at the next, we would know the fellowship of sharing in the sufferings becoming like him and death. Wow. Wow. Sometimes I read the Bible, I must tell you and I wonder, do I know really much of the God of the Bible because my life has been kept so safe and secure, in so many ways. Well, we considered this friends last week. And I want to just remind you of it quickly as we move into this week's message that I just want to remind you about last week that we know that all things work for the good of those who love Him. For those who have been called according to His purpose, all things everything works together for those who love God. And then notice this one verses still stands out again this week, if you'll notice that there at the bottom, it says, for those whom God for new, He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of a son. That's the good, that's the good, the good is not happiness, the good is your conformity to the likeness of Christ. That's what the good is. That is why we can say like the psalmist, Before I was afflicted, I went astray. But now I will be your word. It was good for me to be afflicted. So I might learn you to crease, there is something about suffering and affliction that draws us into the arms of God, a God who cares for those who suffer, and cares to be close to those who are in trouble. And yes, there is always a purpose. God loves his people so much that he will never waste a sorrow or a pain. That is important. He will never waste a sorrow or pain. Now stop and think with that, even the kind that we stop and the ants crawling up in in your nose, you can't do anything about it. When you're already suffering from a terrible muscle disease. Could God even use that? That includes all things, my friends. And we considered last week 10 reasons and we changed it to 11 before the service ended. So we have 11 reasons as to why God allows problems, pain and suffering and heartache to come into your life. And let me just quickly review. Sometimes the believers will be afflicted with problems as a means of loving chastisement. When you become a Christian, you have a heavenly Father. Last Sunday night, we started that we'll finish it this Sunday night, God that Heavenly Father is serious about his job of being your heavenly Father. And you may not always be serious about being his son or daughter, but he's always serious about being your Father, and He will discipline you and chasten you, you see. Now other times God will trouble will bring trouble and as preventative medicine to keep believers from falling into temptation. Now, that's what we're gonna look at this week. In fact, I think I'll just punt on those other reasons, because we already sold them. And we'll save some time. And we'll just go ahead. Let's just look at this point again. Now you're in second Corinthians chapter 12. And please look at this again. At times God will bring trouble or suffering as preventative medicine to keep believers from falling into temptation. Now, did you ever stop and think about that? Did you ever stop instead of looking at suffering as something that is always bad, it's actually preventative medicine. That suffering trials, heartache, sorrow, pain of some sort, could come into your life, to help you over a problem, maybe of pride that can lead to you walking away from God. And God says, I don't want you walking away from me. So I'm going to send some troubles into your life. Just to stop and think about that. This is what Paul talks about. Now, I have you there and Second Corinthians 12, I myself, I'm not there. Let me catch up and get there. And look at Second Corinthians chapter 12. With me. And in case you don't have your Bibles with you, that is alright. Because I got the Scriptures with me somewhere here. And I will show them to show you to them. And let's consider what this passage talks about. It's a passage that many of you have read and heard of before, there's a little bit more that goes on here at the bottom. If I can get on there. I can't, I'll put it on there in a second. But notice what it says, as Paul is writing to the Corinthians starting with verse seven. liquidy says, to keep me from becoming conceited, because of the surpassingly, great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Now, in the first six verses, and actually in verse in chapters 1011 and 12, to understand the context, Paul is going up against some false teachers that are invading the church at Corinth, that were causing them tremendous problems, and they were boasting about the experiences that they had had with God. Paul says, I'm not going to boast about the experiences I had with God, even though I could, because I had some very big experiences with God. In fact, Paul did these exceedingly abundant revelations that he had in the book of Acts six different times it says, Paul had a vision in the book of Galatians. Three more times, he has visions. He's the guy that writes 13 of the 27 books in the New Testament. I mean, this is Paul, and certainly he has something that he can brag about something he can boast about. What I want you to see is, he says, There was a purpose here, the false teachers, they can brag if they want to, but I'm going to tell you something, I can't brag. Because here's what happened. In fact, the very opposite is true. God brought troubles into my life for the very purpose of keeping me from being haughty. That's what the word means, from carrying myself so heartily, to super razor exalt yourself is what the Greek word for conceited is. And please notice this, every other translation, but the NIV does this. And I'm really disappointed in the NIV. But in the NIV, it says, to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing great revelations, and then it ends with lest I be exalted above measure. In other words, the beginning and the end of verse seven, and every other translation has it right. The NIV for some reason, thinks one statement is enough when the Bible hasn't there twice. And the point is this. There's a definite purpose. The purpose of sorrow is humility. In other words, God wants humble people. God wants His people humble. And here he says, all look at this choice servant Paul, I've given him so many revelations, I've actually taken them up into heaven. Here's the guy that's gonna write 13 of the 27 books in New Testament, this guy could have a problem with pride. Usually asked Spurgeon one time, he said, Mr. Spurgeon, do you have a problem with pride? And Charles Spurgeon said, you see this wall of books. And there was a huge wall of books from the bottom of the floor to the top of the ceiling. And the man said, Yes, he says, every one of those books either I wrote, or it's written about me, now tell me do you think I have a problem with pride? And it is amazing to consider to think this in the life of Charles Spurgeon. Here was the greatest continuing revival in the history of the church since Pentecost, 40 years of continual week after week, salvation, and week after week, amazing growth and, and the Bible going out around the world from the London tabernacle. And guess what if you read the life of Spurgeon, continual depression, continual sorrows, continual problems in his life, so much somebody would say to his congregation, oh, I wish you would never have to face what I go through. It is so terrible. And there is something about a desire to be used by God and a desire to say, I really want God to use me. There is a there is a combination of Yes, He will use you and at the same time, he will keep you humble. God has an amazing way of doing that. He doesn't want brats running around. He doesn't want his Pete his children being brats running around. And so look at this to keep me from becoming conceited. Because of the surpassingly great revelations to get this everybody watch. There was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me. Now listen, as with Job, God allowed Satan to touch Paul, for the express purpose of keeping him humble. What was the beans that God used? As with job one day, there may have been a conversation concerning Paul. And God may have said, Have you considered my servant Paul? And no doubt Satan, if he was anything like he wasn't the book of Job would have said something like this. Does Paul serve you for not? Don't you realize that you've given him all that revelation? Yeah, my goodness, you've taken the guy to heaven. I mean, you've done all these miracles through him. His handkerchief could heal people, my goodness, who else who wouldn't serve you? I mean, that'd be pretty nice, wouldn't it if we just pull out a hankie and throw it around, and everybody got healed? It had my initials on it. You stop and think about this God, Satan was the immediate cause, but God was the overriding cos. In other words, God said to Satan, all right, do what you want Satan. And just like with Jove, you see the same thing. Now look at this, look at the purpose here, France, to keep me from becoming conceited. Notice the purpose. Every time you see trials in the Bible, you see the Hina clause, you see the purpose clause? You see, there's always a reason a sovereign purpose. And isn't it amazing? We don't like to think this way. But one of the reasons for trials is humility. God wants His people humble. Wow. So God says, All right, Satan have your way. So look at this principle we get right from the beginning of this verse. Sickness is not always the chastisement of God for personal acts of sin. Listen, sickness may at times serve to prevent sin. Isn't that interesting? Christians, like the disciples that walked with Jesus thought, Lord who sinned, this man or his parents? Jesus, no, no. See, it's not always that way. Sickness may be there to prevent sin. It also shows us it's not always the will of God to heal. Even the most spiritual believer, Paul was not healed of whatever this problem was, as you'll see in a minute, as you know, probably. So there was this messenger of Satan given a thorn in the flesh, a messenger saying, notice the way this problem is described, and by the way, everybody in their brother down through the ages of the Christian church knows what this answer is. And that is, what was this thorn in the flesh? What was this messenger of Satan that was sent to torment or buffet me and I've heard everything from it was his eyes to it was his wife. I've heard everything all right. There, every kind of imagination, every type of magical description, but I will say this, here's what we do know about the text, that this thing came from Satan. And the word messenger is the word Angelo's were 188 times it's used in 180 times that refers to angels. Now watch this. It is something like an angel from satan or a demon, a demon afflicting Paul, and very likely it is this that a person in leadership in the Corinthian church. In other words, one of these false teachers that was causing him all of these problems. He this demon possessed person was wrecking havoc and tearing up the church and especially attacking Paul. Now one of the reasons why it might be good to consider this to be a person rather than than a disease is because of the term torment or Buffett see the term tormentor Buffett there. Every time that word is used, it always refers to ill treatment from other people. For instance, this is the same word used of Christ and his torments on the cross as he was buffeted by the soldiers. And the Old Testament always uses this word to describe Israel's opponents. And so when he says there was a messenger of Satan, a thorn in the flesh, sent to Buffett, me or to torment me or to cause me some kind of problems. Let me just throw mine into the list. And I'm in I'm in with some scholars when I say this, but let me just say this is very likely a person or a group of people in the church that were there afflicting Paul and causing him trouble as he tried to minister to the Corinthians. But notice again, as he concludes, verse seven, this was there was a purpose lest I be exalted above measure. The assault was painful, but purposeful. God allowed Satan to bring the severe trouble in the church or into Paul's life, for the purpose of humbling Paul. Clearly, God did not want him to be proud. Really what the Bible says, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. You remember that? Six things that the Lord hit a seven are abomination unto him. What's the first thing he hates? haughty eyes, the self sufficient, proud. Look, what I have done attitude is not allowable in the Church of Jesus Christ. Humility is the virtue from which all other virtues grow. Even your faith, think about this, what causes someone's faith to grow humility, they see their own need, and they looked at Christ. And so it is from humility that all other virtues grow. And one of the things we've got to stop and realize is this, are you one of God's people? Has God blessed you in any way you've got to be assured that Allah equal to the blessing will come to you, humiliation will come sorrow will come failure into your life. Now let's look at verse eight. Let's move to the next verse. This is not a hard verse to understand. Let's read it though. Look at this. It doesn't take 48 scholars don't make us understand this. But look what he says in verse eight, three times, I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. There's the verse. And let me tell you what that means. You got it. You already got it three times he asked the Lord to take this problem away from him what problem that messenger of Satan that thorn in the flesh three times he asked the Lord to take it away. Now, two things I want you to notice. Number one, the word he uses here, I pleaded with the Lord, it's the word parka. Leto is the word for Holy Spirit, but it means to plead, Paul is longing for relief from this painful hindrance to his ministry. Here's Paul, the greatest missionary the church has ever known. And here he is in the situation at Corinth. And just like you saw when he writes to the Thessalonians, his heart is breaking at times concerned over the church. And God instead, instead sends a painful trial into his life, three different times pulses, Lord, and by the way, the way the article is before the word Lord here, he's referring to Jesus Christ. He looks to Jesus, he says, Lord, Jesus, would you please use your sovereign over demons, your sovereign over the forces of Hell, your sovereign over sickness and disease or trouble? Are these people? Would you please remove this problem? And he asked you the first time? And the answer was no. And he asked later on a second time, and the answer was no. And he asked her third time, and the answer was no. And Paul, had the same wisdom that Jesus had, when he was in the Garden of Gethsemane, he had the wisdom to stop asking. After three times. You remember Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane? How many times was it that Jesus asked the father to remove the cup from him? Three, isn't this interesting? Both had their request denied. Both were given grace to endure. Wow. Paul is longing for relief? The answer is no, no, no stop and really think about this. One of the greatest Christians ever deeply loved by God, given that everything he has is positive that the Lord needs to answer this prayer the way he wants it. And here's Paul, I mean, this is not some, you know, this is not Kim Coffman, or some three year old child. This is the apostle Paul, here's the greatest theologian the church ever had. He's determined, Lord, I will be better off the ministry will be better off if you'll take this away from me. No, Paul. Well, let me try it again. Lord, would you please take this problem from me? No, Paul? Well, no, Paul, no, don't no doubt this was not easy for him to understand. But like his Lord, he had the wisdom to stop it stop thinking thinking think of a bratty child who just keeps asking, Oh, you do it. I had to tell one of my daughters yesterday, I took her to the store. She asked him a certain certain such as this could happen. I said, No. She asked me for more times. When we got to the car, I said, You are not asked me a second time. If you ask me once, and I say no, you don't keep asking. That's being a brat. You don't do that. Well, you know what a lot of Christians are like that. And that is, you have been afflicted by God for the purpose of humility. God wants you to learn to live with that affliction, because his grace will be perfected and your weakness. But instead you don't look to that grace, you keep saying the only answer is for you to remove this trouble. And can I tell you some friends, you will stay immature. And you will stay confused, until you're willing to learn to live with the pain, the sorrow, the trouble, whatever it is that God brings into your life. Because God may want you constantly day after day looking to him for grace, looking to him for strength, looking to him for help. Well, we need to remember this. Now look at God's explanation. Nine A is God's explanation. We will notice what he says Three times I pleaded with the Lord and notice this answer. In nine ages. The first part of verse nine God gives the answer here it is. Don't Don't let familiarity breeds contempt here, please. May God give you the spirit of a child to look at this feel as if you're seeing it for the first time. And look here. My grace is sufficient for you. Remove the thorn No, but you have my promise, a continual supply of grace. In fact, the lexicon meaning here is this to be possessed with unfailing strength, to be strong to be satisfied to be contented? In other words, no, you're not going to have the pain, remove the thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan, this difficulty in your life, whatever it was, No, you want to have it removed, but here's the promise sufficient for the pain or the sorrow will be my grace. And you'll be able to have my grace that will match that trouble on a daily basis is when Paul said I die daily. So Paul talks about this is when Jesus says If man wants to be a follower of me, he must take up his cross and follow Me. You see, my power is made perfect in weakness. The weaker the human instruments, the more clearly God's grace shines forth. Do you remember what we read last week in chapter one of this book of Second Corinthians, he says, We were pressed beyond measure effects we were pressed so hard and so far that we really felt that we were beyond beyond measure that we despaired even of life hear you take the great Missionaries of God and you put them in such difficult situations that they think they're going to die and even then we find out that it is for a purpose. And that is the weaker the human instrument, the more clearly God's grace shines forth. Now we don't like this answer. I don't know about you, but do you like this answer? Are you really satisfied here? My grace is sufficient for you my power is made perfect in weakness. You still like saying Well thanks a lot You mean that what you how you want me to live? Week? Yep. That's it You know what I thought. I thought that when I was 39 years old, and became a Christian when I was 16. And been a pastor since I was 22. By the time I was 39, I'd had my act together. I thought by the time I was 39, I would have some pretty sound answers be pretty solidified be a solid rock. I find myself weaker than I've ever been. And I sometimes think we've got this whole thing backwards. We think that the Christian life is to grow stronger and stronger. And we're fighting against the very purpose of God is trying to make us weaker and weaker. Now I don't like this answer, but Paul did look at Paul's response. liquidy says nine be liquid. He says, Therefore, and Paul's heart fully trust God's explanation. Wow. Therefore I will boast I will glory I will rejoice with great delight with gladness about my weaknesses, my frailties, my evilness, my sickness, I will glory I will rejoice there'll be tremendous delight in my soul over this thorn in the flesh, this messenger of Satan, this thing that it makes me weak, I will be glad over that. Why? Because I love the pain. No, it's not because he loves the pain there because he loves the sorrow, no, not because of that. But he will rejoice in these things because he loves the power of Christ's arrest upon him. That is why he says look here, therefore I boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses. I rejoice in them with gladness, so that Christ's power may rest may abide upon me may come and dwell in the very interesting word rest only time this is found in any literature, and the Greek and it's very special, it means that the power of Christ may come in and dwell me in a special way. That is why for Christ's sake, and let's let's look at the rest of these verses. Just for Christ's sake. Look at this ID light in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, and persecutions, in difficulties for when I am weak, then I am strong. There are many people in this room. The reason you became a Christian is because God made you so weak that you finally turned to Christ. And there's people in this room that need to be humbled in God's not trying to hurt you. God's trying to save you from your own pride. And he brings difficulties and troubles and trials into your life. He'll break your heart for the very purpose of so you would know the power of Christ. Wow. Notice the five things that Paul delights in these things are amazing. Look what he says I therefore for Christ's sake, I will delight and look at this stuff or think about delighting in these things the world cannot understand this. Just a little By faith rejoice in this and say, well, there are some answers here. But the world can't understand it. But notice this idealized and weaknesses. That's infirmities, diseases, frailty, sickness, is the same word of Christ who takes our infirmities. That's the same word. Notice this he delights in insults. Now stop and think with me a second. Really, truly Stop and Think with me a second, this word insults, it means that it means listen to this the lexicon, meaning is this Listen, a wrong springing from insolence and injury coming from an affront or an insult. In other words, this this leads to the idea that these are people in the church that are Paul's thorn in the flesh, but still stop and think about this. someone insults you. Now, my friends, stop and think when Elizabeth Elliot writes the book, liberty, there is liberty and obedience. And when the Bible talks about freedom in Christ, this is the freedom that is our stuff and think about this. Your wife cannot insult you, your husband cannot insult you, your children cannot insult you, your boss cannot insults your your next door neighbors cannot insult you, your co workers cannot insult you. No one could even assault you or bring any kind of hurt to you springing from a wrong to hurt you for the purpose of trying to hurt you without God allowing it to make you weak. Stop and think about that the next time you argue with your spouse, no one can insult you without a sovereign God who works all things together for good. They'll allow that insult to be there for your purpose so that you would become weak and you may rest in the power of Christ. My goodness. You talk about a change perspective. Insults, insults. You mean that guy that purposely he's trying to hurt me? Yeah, even him. He's a he's a puppet in the hands of God. stop to think that hardships, calamities or distresses, persecutions. This is the same word that Paul by the way, is used to Paul in Acts Eight one when Paul persecuted the church is the same word found in that parable of the sower and Matthew 13. When it says because the persecutions they quickly fall away. And in difficulties this is anguish. Listen to this, this word difficulties you see it Listen, it's to be in a narrow place is to be in an extreme affliction. This is the kind of word that would include ants crawling up your nose, when you've got a muscle disease so you can't move to get anything off of you. It means to be pressed beyond measure. It means to be in total anguish and dire calamity. And look at this for when I am weak, then I am strong. Listen, when I am feeble when I'm without strength when I'm powerless when I'm sickly. That's when I'm strong. Wow. Paul did not take pleasure in the pain itself. But Paul rejoiced in the power of Christ. Wow. Some think about that. How opposite this is of the world, isn't it? The world says Be strong. Take Charge crush your enemies. The world says you can say things like this. I've had enough of that. I can't take it anymore. But you can't say that. Well, you're a Christian. Because God says well, who are you to tell me? Who are you, son? Who are you daughter to tell me how much you can take. I know just how much you need to be humble. You remember David when we started the life of David does anybody remember the story? of shimmy I cursing him? You remember David was having a pretty bad day. You remember that? His son had overtaken the kingdom and slept with all of his daughters or not his daughters his concubines? You remember that? And David was running and he was going up the hill. And you remember as he came around the town there was shimmy II who was one of the followers of Saul, you remember? And he came out and he cursed. He said you blankety blank. He was throwing rocks and dust on David and his men. He was cursing him. Do you remember? And David was there and you remember what Abishai said member Abishai the big mouth. And EBI says ever shy says King David. Just give me the word. Now take off this dead dog's head. Remember that? What this guy's a flea. He has no right to speak like that. Now this wasn't when David was having a good day where they're having to pray singing songs kills 1000s And David's his 10 1000s. This is when David was having a bad day as the heartbreaking day. And what was it that David says you'll learn something David understood this passage and it wasn't even written yet. You know what David says? No, the Lord has told him to curse me. Do you remember that? Stop and think about this. Friends. There is real freedom in understanding this. If our enemies come after us, God will not waste your time. God will never waste to sorrow. God will not put you in a trial or give you a pain or put a heartache into your life. steady without a purpose. It's true. That's very true. It brings pleasure to the heart of God. When you believe that you are when you are in the midst of a trial, instead of whining and complaining, instead of praying for months or years when God says no learn to be weak, but instead it brings pleasure the heart of God, when you live by faith. When you believe that in your pain, or in your heartbreak, or in your, in your sorrow, that there is, there is a way you can delight in that because it's turning you to God, it's forcing you to your knees. It's making you count trials, all joy. My friends, please know, there are messages that I preached many of them that are way beyond me. And this is one that's way beyond me, I don't know this message, I preach it a lot better than I practice it. But this is true, whether or not I practice it or not. One more time, please get this God will never waste a sorrow. But you can. You can. You can waste the sorrow. The Bible talks about trials that you must be trained by them. The Bible says, Learn all you can from these trials, the Bible says remain under don't run, stay there. So God can form you into the diamond. Remember, diamonds are just cold staying put under all the pressure. And so you stay there because God's working out a purpose in your life. And can I tell you friends, listen, and I'm gonna have to get this tonight. But tonight, I want to show you from the scriptures from Second Corinthians seven. And I'm not going to show you all now but I just want to show you there this there is there is worldly sorrow and there is godly sorrow. Listen, when I grew up, I grew up in a church that kept talking about worldliness and don't be worldly. But no one ever told me that you could have worldly sorrow. And my friends, you know, something will you will learn tonight that you can take sorrow or you can take trouble into your life the wrong way, and not learn from it. And guess what, you'll have to go through it again. And so, I want to say in closing this listen carefully. God uses people to walk with a limp. God wants you humble, and trusting maturity in Christianity, and growth means that you're more childlike. My brother in law is here this morning, at 430. This morning, got a call from his son. And they had their first grandchild at 430 this morning. And he said as he as the as his son called him and, and you know what he heard he heard the little Wally the baby this morning. And you know what that baby's doing? It's crying out. It's humble. It's looking for help and wants someone to pick them up, hold them, nurse them or something. Can I tell you when you study the church in Acts, you see a group of people just like that humble and dependent on the Lord. Listen, my friends, God wants you to walk with a limp. God wants you humble God loves brokenness. Real ministry comes out of humility and brokenness. God loves weak people, if he has to make the Apostle Paul weak, certainly he has to make us weak. He will share his power but not as glory. I can tell you, friends, this passage is so clear to me, my entire life has been like this, let me tell you that for the last 17 years. For 17 years, I've been a pastor. And I have as far as pastors go, I've really had it made. And I can tell you, there's been one window in my life, that there's been sunshine, and there's been conversions to Christ. And there's been growth in the church, and the lines keep going up. And all kinds of good things happen. And at the same time, and just think of this one little room I'm in. And here's this window with sunshine and blessing at the same time that window is open, there has been another window in my life. And then it is the cold blustery winter. And then it has come sorrow and trouble. And I have been so confused so much in my life. Because I keep saying, Well, one day it's like this and one day, it's like that. And when I'm starting to realize is this, it's both and it's not either or. And that is God has both of those windows open simultaneously at the same time, want to encourage us to keep going on and one to keep us humble and trusting to see that we've got a lot to learn. And God has that. May I remind you of the greatest evangelist of our day, Billy Graham and the story that I love to tell I probably told it three or four times here. But the story that Irwin Luther told me, the pastor of Moody Church when Billy Graham was in his office. And Bill he was so excited to see Billy Graham it is is his lifelong hero. Your Irwin Luther is one of my heroes. And he says there was my hero, Billy Graham, and he sat in my office I said, Oh Dr. Graham, I just got to tell you why everyone else was imitating Elvis. I was listening to your sermons over the radio and imitating you. I've got several of your messages memorized. everywhere I go people asked me to do the Billy Graham imitate Shouldn't and he says, Everyone Luther said, I felt like I should fall through the floor because I sold looked at Dr. Graham's look of disappointment and, and he bowed his head. And I said, Dr. Graham, Did I say something wrong? Did I offend you? He says Dr. Graham looked at me and said, Irwin, I have failed the Lord so miserably. No one should imitate me. People were knocking at the door. say we'd like having the president of United States that your office, knocking on the door, CVS wants to interview people magazine wants to interview. Dr. Graham went over to his associates the door and said, You tell them to wait, I need some time alone with my friend Irwin, before I speak. And he came back and he bowed down on his knees. And he put his head on the knees of Irwin looser. And he said, Oh, Irwin, so I'm going to go speak to 1000s of people and just a little bit. I can do nothing by myself. Please pray that God might use me. You see, Billy Graham, I don't know him personally, but he's had those two windows in his life. And all of you will have them in your life. And it's for the purpose of making you weak. Humility is the virtue which enhances and multiplies all other Christian virtues. Humility is the basis of our faith. Humility is essential. God loves you so much that he he wants you to grow in this virtue. So much. So listen, that he will even allow Satan to buffet you and torment you so you're not become conceited. Let's pray