Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church,
located at 905 Yadkin Street in Kingsport, Tennessee, would
like to invite you to listen to a message of sovereign grace
by their pastor, Gabe Stoniker. And now, Pastor Gabe Stoniker. Our message today will come from
2 Corinthians chapter 12. And the text is in one verse,
verse 11, 2 Corinthians 12, verse 11. But the apostle Paul began
this chapter in verse one by saying, it is not expedient for
me doubtless to glory. It's not expedient for me to
glory. He said, I don't want a glory
in myself. That's how he started this chapter.
I don't want to glory in anything that pertains to me. But he said,
I will tell you what the Lord has done for me. And in me, I
don't want to glory in myself, but I'll tell you what the Lord
has done for me. I'll tell you how great things
the Lord has done for me. That's all any man can say. Any child of God can say. is how great things the Lord
has done for me. This is the chapter where the
apostle Paul said, I was caught up to the third heaven. God brought
me up into the third heaven. Paradise, he called it. He said,
I saw paradise. And he said, God spoke to me
directly. The Lord Jesus Christ spoke to
Paul directly. And he said, I heard words. I heard things that are not possible
for a man's mouth to utter. I can't repeat to you what I
heard while I was there. Directly from the mouth of the
Lord Jesus Christ. He spoke to me directly. And
he said, lest I should be lifted up with pride over all of the
revelations that were given to me, all of these visions and
revelations that God gave to me, lest I should be lifted up
with pride over that. He said, I received a thorn in
the flesh. And he said, I asked the Lord
to take that away from me three times, but the Lord would not
do it. All three times his answer to
me was, my grace is sufficient for you. My grace is sufficient. And Paul said, through that,
I have now learned through God, teaching me that, telling me
that through his word, I have now learned The end of verse
10 says that when I am weak, then am I strong? That's what he said. That's,
that was what God taught him through all of this. All of that glorious work that
God did for him, bringing him up into paradise and then giving
him a thorn in the flesh. He said, now I see that when
I'm weak, then am I strong? When I'm forced to find no confidence
in myself, how much confidence do you think that it would bring
to the flesh? If, if God caught us up into
heaven, if we went to heaven for a while and revealed mysteries
to us and revelations, how much confidence do you think that
would create in the flesh? Well, Paul said, I now learned,
I have learned, that when I find no confidence in myself, when
I find no confidence in my flesh, when I find myself in a place
where I cannot do anything but cry out to the Lord for help, I now realize that that is Him loving me, lovingly,
placing me in the strongest spiritual state that I could possibly be
in. I am never in a stronger spiritual
state. Then when I'm right there. Confidence
in the flesh. This is an important thing to
learn. Paul learned it. Maybe God will teach it to us
too. Confidence in the flesh. is the height of spiritual weakness. Confidence in the flesh. It's
the height of spiritual weakness. And absolutely no confidence
in the flesh. Is the height of spiritual strength? Spiritual strength. That's why
he said in verse 11, this is our text. He said, I am become
a fool in glorying. I don't like talking about my
flesh. That's what he's saying. He said, you have compelled me. For I ought to have been commended
of you. For in nothing am I behind the
very chiefest apostles. God gave me the same faith that
he's given them. This is what the apostle Paul
is saying. God gave me the same grace that he gave to them. God
gave me the same message that he gave to them. This is what he said that I hope
God will reveal to us and let us enter into and cause us to
say right along with him. He said at the end of verse 11,
Though I be nothing. God did all this for me, caught
me up to paradise, revealed all these things to me. He said,
my grace is sufficient for you. He said, I'm not a whip behind
the chief apostles. I have the same things. Though
I be nothing. That's how he ends it all. Though
I be nothing. All of these wonderful things,
though I be nothing. Now that catches my attention.
The word nothing that catches my attention. Through that word,
we're going to look at that word in the scripture. Through the
scriptures, I want us to see five things. I'd like for us
to see what man is. What man truly is. I'd like for
us to see what the end of man is. What does man have in store
for him? I'd like for us to see what the
only hope for man is. I'd like for us to see what the
good news for man is. And I'd like for us to see what
a redeemed man's cry in response is. All right, let's see what
man is. Turn with me if you would over
to Isaiah chapter 40. In Isaiah 40 verse 17 says, all
nations before him are as nothing. And they are counted to him less
than nothing. and vanity. Man puts such a high
value on himself. He puts such a high value on
himself, but what is man really? All of mankind, what, what man
believes to be the best man on earth. What is man really? Here's the answer. Nothing. Nothing. Verse 15 right here in Isaiah
40. Behold, the nations are as a
drop of a bucket. The nations are just a drop of
a bucket. And are counted as the small dust of the balance.
Just that leftover dust on the scales that doesn't even weigh
anything. Behold, he taketh up the isles,
the islands, as a very little thing, and Lebanon is not sufficient
to burn. Everyone is so proud of those
trees of Lebanon. He said they're not even sufficient
to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.
All nations before him are as nothing, and they are counted
to him less than nothing and vanity. We would have a right
view of ourselves before God, If we could ever just see our
nothingness, if we could ever enter into what nothings we are,
we would start to have a right view of ourselves before God.
Verse 23, right here in Isaiah 40, that bringeth the princes
to nothing. all of the princes of this earth. He said, they're nothing. He
went on to say in verse 23, he maketh the judges of the earth
as vanity. They're nothing. David said in Psalm 39, my age
is nothing. Job said, we know nothing. Nebuchadnezzar cried, All the
inhabitants of the earth are reputed is nothing. That's what man is. Nothing. Nothing. All right, well, if
man is nothing, what is the end of man? What does he have waiting
on him? If man is nothing and if man
has nothing, if man counts for nothing. If there's nothing good
in him, Nothing good about him, nothing
of any worth, nothing of any value. If his righteousness is
nothing. Scripture says all our righteousnesses
are filthy rags, nothing. If his works are nothing. Then
what is the end of man? Well, over in Matthew chapter
5. It says in Matthew 5 verse 13. you are the salt of the earth.
But if the salt have lost his savior, saber, wherewith shall
it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing
but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men. If something
that was created to be good loses that goodness, If it was created with worth
and with value, but it loses it all. It becomes ruined. It is good for nothing, but to
be cast out and trodden underfoot. And that's man. That's man. That is the end of man. That is the end of man. That's
what man has waiting on him. Because of man's fall into sin,
because man lost it all, he became nothing. He became nothing through the
fall of sin. And that's the only end that
man has waiting for him, nothing, nothing. Man is going to meet
God at all times, every day, men and women are going to meet
God. He says, no more, time on this earth is done. And he takes
the life and that life goes and stands before him. And at that
moment, every soul who goes without Christ realizes, I have nothing. I'm standing here with nothing.
I am nothing. I have nothing. I have nothing
to offer God. I have nothing that he finds
to be a sweet savor to him. And then they hear him say, and
they will hear him say, cast him or her out to be trodden
underfoot. Cast them out. Our Lord illustrated
this with a fig tree. Fig leaves represent man's works. Whenever you read the scripture
and you come across verses that talk about fig leaves, they spiritually
represent man's own works, man's own righteousness that he tries
to earn before God. That's what Adam and Eve covered
themselves with. They sinned against God and they
tried to cover themselves with their own works. fig leaves. And if you look at Matthew chapter
21, our Lord illustrated that very thing in verse 19, Matthew
21, verse 19, when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it
and found nothing there on, but leaves only no fruit, no, no,
nothing good produced. Only fig leaves and he said unto
the tree, let no fruit grow on the hence forward forever. And presently the fig tree withered
away. As man stands with his own works
before God. He stands there with nothing.
He's so proud of his own little tree that he has in his leaves,
but there's no good fruit on it. No good fruit. And every man or woman who stands
that way. Will be withered away. Alright,
well. Is there any hope for man? Does
man have any hope if if man is nothing? And can produce nothing,
has nothing of his own and his end. Is nothing but to be cast
out and trodden underfoot. What is the only hope that a
man or a woman has? John chapter six. If you look
with me at John six, it says in verse 39, this is the father's
will, which hath sent me. Christ is speaking. He said,
this is the father's will, which hath sent me that of all, which
he hath given me, I should lose nothing. He said, that's the
father's will of every soul he gave to me. His will is that
I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last
day. And this is the will of Him that sent me, that everyone
which seeth the Son and believeth on Him may have everlasting life,
and I will raise Him up at the last day." All of our hope lies
in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are at the mercy of
the Lord Jesus Christ. All of our hope is in His will
and in His work. Our hope is completely dependent
on Him. Totally. Totally dependent on
Him. Not losing us. That's our hope. That's my only hope is that He
won't lose me. The Father gave me to Him and
He won't lose me. That's my hope that he'll lose
nothing, but he'll raise all of his people up at the last
day. Our only hope is that he would condescend. And make himself
to be of no reputation. Do you know that's what the scripture
says about Christ? He made himself to be of no reputation,
nothing. Nothing. Our hope is that he
would make himself to be of no reputation. Stand in our place. Take what we deserve. Because we truly are nothing. And we're good for nothing but
to be trodden underfoot. Because of that, our only hope
is that he made himself to be nothing for us. and caused himself
to be trodden underfoot, trodden under the foot of God's wrath
for us in our place. That's our only hope. Well, did
he? Our hope is that he would do
that for us. Did he? Is there any good news
for a man who is nothing and he's owed nothing and outside
of this one hope has nothing. Is there any good news for a
man like that? Well, in Mark chapter 14, it says in Mark 14
verse 60, the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus
saying, answer is thou nothing. Our Lord stood on trial and he
was being questioned. And the high priest said, answer
is thou nothing? What is it which these witness
against thee? But he held his peace and answered
nothing. He answered nothing. In Mark
15 verse three says, the chief priest accused him of many things,
but he answered nothing. And Pilate asked him again saying,
answer is thou nothing? Behold, how many things they
witness against thee? But Jesus answered nothing. So that Pilate marveled. Pilate said to him, they're calling
you a liar. They're calling you a blasphemer.
They're calling you an enemy of God. You're about to die for this.
Pilate believed he was an innocent man. And Pilate said, you better
listen to me. You're about to die for this.
You're about to die for sins that you did not commit. The sins of others are being
laid on you. This is your only chance. You
better speak up. You better defend yourself. This
is your only chance. to cast all those sins away from
you and let those who committed them die in their own sins. You
better speak up, say the word, and the ones who this judgment
belongs to, they'll receive it on themselves. And he held his
peace and answered nothing. Nothing. That's the good news. What is man? Nothing. What is
the end of man? He's good for nothing but to
be cast out and trodden underfoot. What is the only hope for man?
That every soul that the father gave to the Lord Jesus Christ,
he would lose nothing. What is the good news for man?
It's that as Christ was standing there being tried in the sins
of his people, accused of the very sins his own people committed. He answered nothing. He answered
nothing. He was accused, he was judged,
he was sentenced. And he took it all the way to
the grave, to death. Bearing the burden of his people,
he held his peace and he answered nothing. He took it for them.
Now, what is our response to that? What's a child of God's
response to that? Over in Colossians chapter three,
verse one says, if you then be risen with Christ, seek those
things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand
of God, set your affection on things above and not on things
of the earth. Above, above. Verse 11 says, where there is
neither Jew, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor
uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ is
all and in all. The same man, the apostle Paul,
the same man who said, I be nothing, said, Christ is all. I am nothing. And Christ is all. He is all my salvation. He is
all my desire. He is all my hope. He is all
my happiness. He's all my comfort. He's all
my assurance. He's all my wisdom. He's all
my righteousness. He's all my sanctification. He's
all my redemption. The Lord Jesus Christ is all
I need. He's all I need. Now I want to
end this message by telling you a story. that a man named Charles
Spurgeon gave, and it's so appropriate for this subject. I'm nothing
and Christ is all. Charles Spurgeon gave this story
titled The Huckster, and it's written in his old English language,
but I believe this will be enjoyable to you. And this is his play. This is my play. I pray this
is all of ours. This man, Huckster Jack, was
a poor wicked fellow who had gone about from village to village
swearing, drinking, huckstering, and perhaps pilfering. That means
stealing. Some thought him half-witted,
but the story would show his wind to be sound enough. He heard
a poor woman sing somewhere. I'm a poor sinner and nothing
at all, but Jesus Christ is my all in all. He remembered the
words and what was better, he felt their sense. And he kept
on humming them to himself till God's good spirit engraved them
on his heart. So he assayed to join himself
unto the church. But the brethren looked suspiciously
at him and inquired, what is your experience? He said he had
no experience but this, I'm a poor sinner and nothing at all, but
Jesus Christ is my all in all." The good elders very properly
asked, are you converted? Have you been born again? And
Jack replied, I do not know much about these things, but I do
know and am sure of, I'm a poor sinner and nothing at all, but
Jesus Christ is my all in all. They put him back for a while
to try if he would grow in his knowledge, but he never went
an inch beyond the first standard. He knew what he did know, and
to that he held fast. I'm a poor sinner and nothing
at all, but Jesus Christ is my all in all. Well, they must take
him into the church. They could not well refuse a
man with such a confession of faith. And when he was in the
church walking with the brethren, he was happier than the rest
of them, at which they greatly marveled. And one said to him,
Brother Jack, don't you sometimes feel doubts and fears? Doubts,
he said? What do you mean? I never doubt
that I'm a poor sinner and nothing at all, for I have daily proofs
of it. And why should I doubt that Jesus
Christ is my all in all? For he says he is, and I must
believe him. Ah, well, said one, sometimes
I enjoy good frames and feelings and feel very happy, and then
I lose them and sink in spirit. Jack answered, I never get lower
than I am, for I'm down at the bottom, a poor sinner and nothing
at all. I cannot get lower than that,
can I? But I'm also at the top. For Jesus Christ is my all in
all. I cannot get higher than that,
can I? They tried him many ways with their blessed experience,
of which you and I have got cartloads, perhaps wagonloads, but he could
not be drawn out of his one firm position. They tried him with
their various attainments, depressions, anxieties, quibbles, and questions,
but still the huckster would not budge. He had bought the
truth and would not sell it. And so he stuck to, I'm a poor
sinner and nothing at all, but Jesus Christ is my all and in
all. That's the response of every
child of God. May God make that your response.
May he make that my response. Till next week, the Lord bless
his word. You have been listening to a message by Gabe Stoniker,
pastor of Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. If you would like a copy of this
message, or to hear other messages of sovereign grace, log on to
our website at ksgctn.org. If you would like to come and
worship with us, our service times are Sunday morning Bible
study at 10 o'clock a.m., worship at 10.45 a.m., and 6 o'clock
p.m., Wednesday evening at 7.30 p.m. Please tune in next week
for another message of God's free and sovereign grace.