Second Corinthians, chapters
10, 11, and 12, we're going to look at for a moment. The Apostle Paul had many enemies
outside the Church. We know that the Jewish leaders,
the religious leaders, the Pharisees and scribes and high priests,
they sought in every way they could to destroy this man, Paul. He was one of them at one time,
Saul of Tarsus, being educated at the feet of their greatest
teacher, Gamaliel, having himself been a Pharisee, a ruler of the
Jews, a member of the Sanhedrin. But God revealed the gospel.
He said, it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's
womb and called me by His to reveal his Son in me. And those
things I counted gain as a Pharisee, as a ruler of the Jews, became
lost that I might win Christ and be found in him. And these
men naturally despised him and hated him, these religious leaders. They sought to kill him. But
strange as it may seem, especially to us who love and appreciate
the ministry of God's prophets, and God's apostles, missionaries
and pastors. Strange as it may seem to us
who love these men and love God's word and love those who preach
the gospel, Paul had many enemies within the church. And some of
these men in the church, in the gospel, in the fellowship of
believers, tried to convince people that Paul was not an apostle.
They knew that he was not among the original twelve. They knew
that. They knew that he did not attend
to the ministry of our Lord when he walked this earth. They knew
that God called him later. And so they said, he's not an
apostle, not an apostle at all. He's not to be heard. And that's
what Paul is doing here in these three chapters, chapter 10, 11,
and 12. He's defending his apostleship. He's defending his ministry. He calls it foolishness. He calls it doubtless he shouldn't
do it. But God permitted it and God
gave him these words and he did. He says in verse 1 of chapter
12, it's not expedient for me doubtless to glory. That's not
expedient. I shouldn't be doing this. I
shouldn't have to, he said in verse 11. Listen, I've become
a fool in glory, in defending myself, in defending my apostleship. in defending my ministry. I've
become a fool in glorying, verse 11, but you've compelled me to
do it. These rumors and suggestions and these people who have declared
war against me in the Church, you've compelled me. You've compelled
me to defend my ministry. He said, look at the next line,
I ought to have been commended of you. You're the one that ought
to defend my ministry. You who have heard me, you who
have been taught by me, you who have heard the gospel from me,
you to whom I've been a faithful witness. You ought to defend
me against these fellows. I shouldn't have to defend myself.
You know, one day they asked our Lord, what are you preaching?
He said, ask them that heard me. They'll tell you what I'm
preaching. I shouldn't have to defend myself.
That's what Paul says here. But he did. In fact, if you'll
turn to Philippians chapter 1, he talks about some of these,
and they're brethren. He calls them brethren. The well-meaning
men may be tempted to follow their own meaning, but this is
what they did. Philippians 1, verse 14. Paul was in prison when he wrote
this. He said in Philippians 1, and many of the brethren in
the Lord, brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds,
by my imprisonment, my fetters, they are much more bold to speak
the word without fear. picture now, I'm up here in jail,
and out of their hair, and they're bolder, they're waxing bold preaching
the gospel. Listen, some indeed preach Christ
even in India. They ended the apostle. Why in
the world would they say he's not an apostle unless they ended
him, you see? Some preach out of India in strife,
but some with good will. One preaches Christ of contention,
not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds, but the
other of love, knowing that I'm set for the defense of the gospel.
So there are people preaching the gospel, and I become the
issue, he said. And some do it out of Indian
strife, some out of love, some out of contention, some out of
sincerity. But listen how he sums it up. What then doesn't
matter. Notwithstanding every way whether
they're preaching pretense or truth, they're preaching Christ.
They're preaching the gospel. Listen, and I therein do rejoice,
and I will rejoice. They may not rejoice in my ministry,
but I rejoice in theirs. They may not put their stamp
of approval on my preaching, but if they preach Christ, I'll
pray for them. I'll thank God for them. I'll commit them if they preach
Christ. And they did, or he wouldn't be saying this. They're preaching
Christ, may have a bad attitude, may have a bad attitude, and
may show discord among the brethren. But he said, if they're preaching
Christ, I'll pray for them. But he goes on and depends his
ministry. I'll show you this in chapter 10, verse 7 through
10. Listen to this, chapter 10, verse
7. He's defending his ministry here. Do you look on things after the
outward appearance? If any man trusts to himself
that he is Christ, he belongs to Christ, let him of himself
think this again, that as he is Christ, he belongs to Christ,
so do I, so do we belong to Christ. For though I should boast somewhat
more of our authority, which the Lord have given us for edification,
not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed, that I may not
seem as if I would terrify you by letters, for they say, his
letters say they are weighty and powerful. His bodily presence
is weak, his speech contemptible." They are talking about Paul the
Apostle here. His bodily presence is weak, his letters are weighty,
and his speech is contemptible. Look at chapter 11, verse 5. He says, I suppose, in chapter
11, verse 5, I suppose I was not a quip behind the chief apostle. The chief apostle. Though I be
rude in speech, that's what they've said, his speech is contemptible.
All right. Though I be rude in speech, not
in knowledge. But we've been throughly made
manifest among you in all things. My ministry, he said, has been
clearly vindicated in your presence. Let's look at verse, same chapter
11, verse 22. Are they Hebrews? Peter, James,
John, Matthew? Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham?
So am I. You see what he's doing? Is that
clear? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ?
I speak as a fool. He keeps saying, I shouldn't
be doing this. Isn't that interesting? He keeps saying, don't do this,
don't defend yourself. But he's having to do it because
he's an apostle, because they've got to listen to him. They're
not going to hear anybody else if they don't hear God's apostle
to the Gentiles. I speak as a fool. Are they ministers
of Christ? I am more. What do you mean by
that? I've labored more abundantly,
in labors more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in prisons
more frequent, in death more often. Of the Jews, five times
I received forty stripes, save one. Our Lord was scourged. Thirty-nine
stripes. Did you just read what Paul said?
Five times. Three times I was beaten with
rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I suffered shipwreck,
a night and a day I've been in the deep. In journeyings often,
in perils of water, perils of robbers, perils of my own countrymen,
perils of the heathen, perils of the city, perils of the wilderness,
perils of the sea, perils among false brethren, in weariness
and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst,
fastings often, cold and nakedness, and besides those things that
are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all
the churches that God put under the authority and auspices of
this apostle to the Gentiles. Now
one more, one more, chapter 12, verse 11. I am become a fool and glowing,
but you compel me. And that's what we have in this
chapter right here, chapter 12, the apostle Paul defending his
apostleship, defending his ministry in the face of these charges
and these attacks by men who say he's not an apostle. So that's
the way, I had to give you that background so you'd know what
he's saying here in verse 1. Now, it's not expedient for me,
doubtless to gloat, but now I've done it. I've defended my ministry. Now I'm going to come to visions.
and revelations. He said, I told you, I'm not
one whip behind the chief apostle in knowledge, in suffering, in
zeal, in success, but I'm going to come to something that some
of these other fellows can't talk about, and that's visions
and revelations. And this man, God favored him
with more visions and revelations than any other man of his For
example, his conversion on the road to Damascus was a personal
visit of God himself. This man was on the road to Damascus. He was going down there to kill
Christians, to haul them out of their homes and take them
to prison and kill them, if necessary. And suddenly he said, a light
shone from heaven. And he fell off his horse, blinded
by the light, and a voice came from heaven. Can you find this
anywhere else in the Word? God saving a sinner? So, why
persecutest thou me? Who art thou, Lord? I am Jesus
of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. Now, he said, brethren, that
happened to me. That's vigilant. That's revelation. And then,
when he was before, he went to Philippi. He planned to go to
Asia and preach, and the Holy Spirit said, Don't go to Asia.
He planned to go to Troas. Don't go to Troas. He planned
to go to that place where Lydia was from, Thyatira. He said,
Don't go there. And in the night, an angel of
God appeared to him and said, Paul. He gave him a vision of
a man from Macedonia. And he said, Paul, come over
here in Macedonia and help us. That's a vision, a revelation.
Stop, don't go here, don't go there, go to Macedonia. And then,
when he was about to leave Corinth, they declared war. This very
bunch of people here declared war on him back before the church
was established. And he was going to leave. And
the Lord came to him during the night and said, don't leave Corinth.
The Lord said, Paul, I have much people in this city. You stay
right here. Nothing's going to happen to
you. God told him that. That's visions. And he stayed
there 18 months preaching. And one time he was on board
the ship and being taken somewhere. And a storm arose and the wind
blew and the ship was in danger of sinking. And the old sailors,
they'd just thrown everything overboard they could throw overboard,
the light and the ship. And they said, yes, we're going
to have to get off, too, if we're going to save ourselves. Let's
leave this ship. He said, now, wait a minute. Don't anybody
leave this ship. There stood by me this night
the angel of God, whom I serve, whose I am. And he said to me,
the ship will be destroyed, but not one soul lost. Now brethren,
stay on board. If you want to live, stay on
board. And they did. That's revelation. Now, watch
this one. Chapter 12, verse 2. I knew a
man. I knew a man. Verse 3 said, I knew such a man.
I said that twice. I knew a man. He's talking about himself. Look
at verse 7. lest I should be exalted above measure, though
through the abundance of revelation there was given me a thorn in
the flesh." He's talking about himself. See, lest I be exalted
through this revelation. But this man is me. But he's
speaking in modesty. He's speaking in humility. He's
speaking of himself like John the Baptist. I'm a voice. Speaking
of himself like John the Apostle who said, I'm the Apostle Jesus
loved. I won't even write my name down.
But he said, I knew a man just like you. A man. I knew a man. A person like themselves. And then he says, this man's
in Christ. This wasn't just any man. This
was a man that was a son of God in Christ Jesus. This is a man
loved in Christ, and chosen in Christ, and redeemed in Christ,
and accepted in Christ, and holy in Christ. This man's in Christ. Whether in the body I cannot
tell, or whether out of the body. What he's saying here is, when
he was taken to heaven in this vision, he said, I really don't
know whether I was in the body like Elijah. Elijah was taken
to heaven in the body. The angels of God just scooped
him up in a chariot and took him to glory. And I suppose Enoch
went there in the body. He went out walking with God
one day and walked on into glory. The point is, in this experience,
I don't know whether I was in the body or whether my spirit
was taken up to heaven out of the body. I cannot tell. God knows. God knows. He says about 14 years ago. Now
I wonder when that was. A lot of people do. And I've
done some looking into it and I don't have the answer either.
But I wonder. He had a conversation with God
right after his conversion. Look at Acts 22. Let me show
you this. Let's look at this together.
Acts 22. Acts 22. He's talking here himself about
when Ananias visited him. Acts 22, remember, God sent Ananias
down there and Saul was sitting there blind. In verse 12 of chapter
22 of Acts, and one Ananias, a devout man according to the
law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,
came to me. And he stood and said to me,
Brother Saul, receive your sight. That's when he had his sight
restored. In the same hour I looked upon him, and he said, The God
of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his
will, and see that just one, and should hear the voice of
his mouth. For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what
thou hast seen and heard. And now, while tarryst thou,
arise and be baptized, wash away thy sins, calling on the name
of the Lord. And I was coming into Jerusalem, even while I
prayed in the temple, I was in a trance. And I saw him saying unto me,
Make haste and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will
not receive thy testimony concerning me. Who's talking to him here?
The Lord is. You make haste and get out of
Jerusalem, they're not going to receive your testimony concerning
me. And I said, Lord, They know that
I am prisoned and beaten in every synagogue, them that believe
in thee. And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed,
I also was standing by and consenting unto his death, and kept the
reign of them that slew him. And he said to me, God Almighty,
the Lord Jesus Christ said to me, Depart, I will send thee
far hence unto the Gentiles." Oh, the revelation! And he said,
I know a man, myself, whether in the body or out of the body,
I don't know. But by 14 years, above, more than 14 years ago. They go back to his conversion.
He said, I saw the Lord. An apostle must be one who saw
the Lord, who was taught by God the gospel. And Paul is one born
out of due time. It may be at this time. I know
some people feel like it was when he was stoned. And they
left him for dead. But anyway, let's go on here.
He said, such a woman, that person was called up to the third heaven.
What's the third heaven? Well, the first heaven is where
the birds fly. That's the first heaven. The second heaven is
where the stars are. All the planets and the stars
and galaxies, whatever they are, I think. But the third heaven
is where Christ is seated. the right hand of God. That's
paradise, that's the third heaven. And that's where he went, that's
where our Lord Jesus Christ said to, look at verse 4, he was caught
up in the paradise. Our Lord Jesus Christ said to
the thief, you remember the thief said, Lord remember me when you
come into your kingdom, today shalt thou be with me in paradise. That's the third heaven. And
this man, About 14 years ago or more, whether in the body
or out of the body, I don't know. God knows. I don't have to know. Such a man was caught up through
the third heaven into paradise, into the presence of God. And
then in verse 3 he repeats it. And I know such a man, whether
in the body or out of the body, I cannot tell. God knows how
he was caught up in the paradise. Why do you say that, Class? Why do you say in Galatians 1,
if any man preach any other gospel than the gospel I preached, let
him be accursed? I say it again, if any man preach
any other gospel than the gospel I preached, even if it's an angel,
let him be accursed. The Word of God says let every
testimony be established by the mouth of two or three Say it
twice, Paul. Say it twice for confirmation.
Say it twice. Our Lord said to Nicodemus, except
you be born again, you can't enter the kingdom of God. Except
a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Say it
twice. Say it for confirmation and say it for affirmation. Positively
declare. This man was caught up in the
paradise. This is not just a dream. This
happened, no doubt about it, for confirmation, for affirmation,
and then, say it twice, for admiration. Oh, think about it. I knew a man about 14 years ago. Whether in the body or out of
the body, I don't know. God knows. But this man was caught up into
the presence of God, into paradise. Now that's a revelation. And
listen to what he says here now. What did he say and what did
he hear? Well, I read some this week again about this, and I've
come to one conclusion. Let me read the verse. How that
he was caught up in the paradise and he heard unspeakable words. It's not lawful, the word is
possible for a man to utter. I've come to the conclusion it
would be too bold and too foolish. for me or you or anybody else
to try to speculate or reveal or talk about what Paul saw and
heard in the third heaven. If Paul who heard it found it
impossible to relate, why would I try it? If Paul who was there
found it impossible to explain, why in this world would I tackle
such a task? If Paul who saw it We could not
explain it, found it impossible to utter. Why would we even try?
But you know this same thing we experience all the time with
our loved ones. The things that God has shown
us through the Word. God who commanded
the light to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts to give
us the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ
Jesus. I've seen him in the Word. I've
heard him in the Word. I've seen his glory. Wouldn't
you like to tell your friends about it? Why don't you? They
don't believe me. It's impossible. Paul went to
the third heaven and couldn't come down here and tell us what
God showed him. He took us to Calvary, and I cannot tell people
the glory and beauty of Christ Jesus. They'll have to see it
themselves. Though he heard and saw these
things, yet at the present time he couldn't reveal them. And
that's what Paul said, I have not seen, ear hath not heard,
neither hath it entered the heart of man, the things God has prepared
for them that love him. But he's revealed them to us. He's revealed them to us. Look
at verse 5. Of such a one, of such a man, I will glory. This is what he's saying here,
now listen, of such mercies and blessings shown to me by my Lord,
I'm going to glory in that. I'm going to glory in the cross,
I'm going to glory in the gospel, I'm going to glory in his mercies
to me. Paul says, I'm going to glory in what he did for me.
It's like, I think Mary summed that up. Turn to Luke 1. Listen
to Luke 1. Turn over there and listen to
what Mary said, her song of thanksgiving. She's glorying, not in herself,
but in God's mercy to her. This is what Paul is saying,
of this man to whom God's been so good, I'm going to glory.
I'm going to glory in his goodness. Listen to Mary. Luke 1.46, Mary
said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, my spirit hath rejoiced
in God my Savior. He's regarded the lowest state
of his handmaid. Behold, from henceforth all generations
call me blessed. He is mighty, he has done great
things, and holy is his name. His mercy is on them that fear
him from generation to generation. I'm all glory in that. And that's
what Paul is saying here in verse 5. Of such a one, I will glory. Of such mercies and blessings,
I will glory. But look at the next line. But
of myself, I'll not glory. What God's done in me, and for
me, and to me, is not owing to anything in me. or from me, or
any merit or worthiness of mine, I'm going to glory in his gifts
and mercies and blessings, but not in myself. Can you do that? I believe you can. I know you
can. I know you can. Of myself I'll not glory, but,
look at the next line, but, I'll glory in my infirmities. What's
he saying? He's saying, if I glory in anything
pertaining to myself, if I glory in anything pertaining to myself,
I'll state this clearly, I have kept the faith, I have been faithful to the gospel
under the most difficult circumstances, and have laid up for me a crown
of righteousness. I'll glory in the ministry God
gave me. Now, you can do that. That's exactly what he said.
He told them about being taken to the third heaven, see things,
heard things not possible to others. Of such a one I'll glory,
I'll glory in his mercies, his blessings, his grace to me. But
of myself, I won't glory, because it's not owing to anything in
me. It's like David said, Who am I? And what is my people that
you've been so good to us? But in my infirmities, for the
gospel's sake, in my suffering for the gospel's sake, in my
faithfulness to the gospel, I will glory. I will glory. Because you see, the Lord is
pleased to use people. Look at verse 6. Though I would
desire to glory, I shall not be a fool, for I will say the
truth. But now forbear, lest any man
should think of me above that which he seeth me to be. or above
that which he heareth of me." Now, here is what Paul is saying
in that verse. The Lord is pleased to use men to accomplish his
purpose. He uses you, he uses me. He gives
men gifts, and he expects them to use them for his glory. He
gives men knowledge, he expects them to use it for his glory.
He opens doors for men to preach, he expects them to go through
those doors and preach that gospel, no matter the circumstances.
be faithful unto death, and I'll give you a crown of life. It's
required in the Spirit that he be faithful. And God blesses
those who are committed to his gospel, he blesses dedication,
he blesses sacrifice, he blesses faithfulness. You can't give
a cup of cold water in his name, in the name of a disciple, but
God doesn't take notice of it. He said that. So he uses me,
and he blesses faithfulness. God has no regard for idleness
and unfaithfulness. He blesses commitment. He does,
and that's what Paul is saying here. This dedicated servant
of God, sacrificial servant, he told us over there in chapter
11 the things he'd been through. That was for the gospel's sake. He said, I'm in prison now, but
the word of God's not bound. But I endure these things for
their next sake. that they may come to the knowledge
of Christ. Now verse 6, I'm going to paraphrase verse 6, this is
what he's saying. If I should, if I should desire
to boast in glory in the ministry God's given me and you, I would
not be a fool or a braggart, I'd be telling the truth. Though I desire the glory, I
shall not be a fool. If I tell the truth, I'm not
a fool, I'll say the truth. That's what he's saying. If I
should desire to boast in glory in this ministry God called me,
to which God called me, if I did and told you about the things
God has done wherever I've gone to preach, he said, I wouldn't
be bragging, I'd be telling the truth. But I'm going to abstain. Now forbearance. That's what
he's saying. Now I'm going to abstain. lest any man, so that
no one would form a higher estimate of me than what he himself sees
me to be, or hears from me." That's what that verse is saying.
It's accurate. Though I desire the glory in
the ministry of God, in the work of God, in the blessings of God,
I wouldn't be a faggot, I wouldn't be a fool, I'd be telling the
truth. If I recounted 50 years of ministry
here in this church, missionary work, people God saved, you and
I together have been faithful to the gospel, I wouldn't be
a bragger. I'd just tell him the truth.
Wouldn't that solve it? Tell him the truth. But he said,
I'm not going to do it. I won't do it. I'm not going
to do it. Unless somebody thinks of me above what he ought to.
And he's liable to. above what he sees me to be and
what he hears me to be. Now verse 7, give me time tonight
to deal with this, this is something special here. Now then, he says,
unless I should be exalted above measure through the abundance
of the revelations Lest I be exalted, lest I be
proud, lest I be lifted up, God took care of any tendency in
Paul to be proud or puffed up. Over his gifts, over his knowledge,
over his faithfulness, over his revelations, God took measures
to keep me from being proud. There was given to me a thorn
in the flesh. the messenger of Satan to buffet
me. And here's the reason, lest I
be exalted above measure. Lest I be proud. God gave me
a thorn in the flesh. Now let me say this right here.
Nearly everyone that I read and hear wants to speculate about
what this thorn is. In fact, one man had about that
much on what the thorn is. When he got through he said,
I don't know what it is. No one knows. And that's not
important. You know what's important? The
purpose for which it was given. And he said that twice. Lest
I be exalted above measure. Lest I be exalted above measure. He said it in verse 7 twice,
didn't he? Lest I be exalted. Lest old Paul be proud. and lifted
up with pride above measure through the abundance of the revelations.
There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of
Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. That's
the purpose. But I will tell you what I know
about the thorn, because this is important. Number one, it
was given to him by God. It was given to him. He didn't
accidentally run into it. He didn't get in the bad weather
and catch a cold. God Almighty ordered it, ordained
it, and gave it to him. He gave it to me. It wasn't an
accident. It wasn't accidentally acquired. It wasn't just something
that was there accidentally. It was given to him. Secondly,
it was a thorn, a splinter. If any of you have got an amplified
Bible, it says it's a splinter. A splinter is a little thing. It's not fatal. It's not going
to put him out of the ministry, but it sure irritates. You get
a splinter under your fingernail, just a little thing, but oh my
goodness, oh, how it hurts. It's real too. It's a thorn,
it's a little thing, it's a secret thing, only Paul knew. He never
saw fit to tell us. And thirdly, it's a very common
thing. A thorn grows in every field.
Whatever it was, it was a very little thing, it wasn't fatal,
it was irritating, it was real, it was secret, and yet it was
a very common thing. The thorns grow in every field.
And something else about it, it was a messenger of Satan.
God permitted Satan to be engaged in this thing. Now Satan can't
defeat the purpose of God, he can't delay the purpose of God,
he can't defer the purpose of God, but he sure can vex a believer
in God. He can vex him, he can trouble
him, and by God's permission, he can afflict him in body or
spirit. And this messenger, Satan, Paul
says, was sent to buffet me, to cause me pain and distress
and anguish in my flesh, but above all, to humble me. That's why God gave him. You
know, he said in verse 3, this is interesting, let me show you
something here. He said in verse 3, I knew a man, I knew such
a man, whether in the body or out of the body, I cannot tell,
God knows, he was caught up into paradise. Whether in the body
or out of the body, I don't know, he was caught up in paradise.
Well, when this thorn came, Paul knew one thing, he was in a body.
He was a man. That's what God's teaching him.
You're just a man, like everybody else. That's all you are. You're
just a man, like everybody else. When he was there, he might have
felt real angelic. Now, he feels really human. That
thorn brought him down. Wouldn't you say that? When he
was there, he must have felt very strong. But now, he feels
very weak. Up there, I'm just confident
the Apostle Paul felt really holy. He was in the presence
of the angels of God, but not here. He feels very ordinary. He feels very human. He feels very sinful. He said,
I find when I would do good, evil is present with me. I love the law of God. I delight
in the law of God, but I find another law in my members warring
against the law of my mind, bringing me into captivity to the law
of sin and death. Oh, wretched man that I am! Wait
a minute now, is this the same fellow that was up in Glory?
Same fellow. See what I'm saying? Same fellow. Is this the fellow that saw and
heard things that nobody else has ever heard or saw? Yup. This
is a very human being here with a thorn in his flesh. And God gave it to him, lest
he be exalted above nature, lest he be lifted up, lest he think
he's anything, he's nothing, nothing. What was the effect
of this? Verse 8, for this thing I besought
the Lord three times, it might depart from me, it drove him
to prayer. I tell you, anything is a blessing if it drives us
to prayer. Anything is a blessing if it
increases our desire and our need to pray, to seek God's help. I tell you another thing, it
revealed his total dependence on the grace of God and the power
of God. The Lord said to me, my grace is sufficient for you.
Yours is not sufficient, but mine is. It taught him that the
Lord's grace and strength is never more appreciated are glorified
then we realize and when we realize our weakness. Most gladly, look at that verse
9, God said my grace is sufficient, my strength is made perfect in
weakness and so most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities. I don't want to be lifted up.
I detest pride. I detest boasting. I glory in
my infirmities and weakness, that the power of Christ might
rest on me." And this made him a blessing
to others. Bob went back and read that verse 29. Look at verse 29, chapter 11.
This man says, who's weak that I'm not weak? Who's offended
that I burn not for him, heal for him, understand his conflict
and sorrow. This thorn in the flesh drove
this man to pray, drove this man to his knees, and drove this
man to understand his own weakness and infirmities and afflictions,
and drove him to sympathize with folks like him. You know what
Richard Baxter said one time? Lord, let me know my weakness
that I might be a blessing to others. Because in their weakness,
they never feel uncomfortable in the presence of my weakness.
Have you ever felt uncomfortable around a religious person? I've
been in the company of religious people that I wanted to leave
just as fast as I got there. They make me uncomfortable. They
intimidate me. You have to talk about all that they are and think
and know and experience and felt and all this sort of thing. But
I'm not uncomfortable in your presence. Because you're a sinner
just like me. See what he's saying? Weakness
never feels uncomfortable in the presence of weakness. So
Paul said, you're weak, I am too. I am too. I am too. God, that's the effect
of that thorn. So his conclusion, and this is
mine, in verse 10, Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities,
in thorns, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecution,
in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I'm weak, then am I
strong. But now there are areas, listen
to me, this is vital, I've got to give you this. There are areas
where this scripture does not apply. When I'm weak, then am
I strong. There are areas where it does
not apply. When I'm weak in doctrine, that doesn't make me strong.
When I'm weak in doctrine. Man, weak in doctrine is not
strong. Take heed to yourself and to your doctrine. When I'm
weak in prayer, it won't make me strong. You have not because
you ask not. I must, I don't, I'm going to
say what I don't pray like I ought to, then I'm strong. Oh no, I'm
not either now. That's a misnomer. I'm weak in
prayer, I'm not strong. When I'm weak in study, that can't make me strong. Paul
said to Timothy, till I come you give attention to reading.
Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that need not
be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Read the word
of God, study the word of God, worship God. When I'm weak in
study, that doesn't make me strong. When I'm weak in faith, that
doesn't make me strong. When I'm weak in love for others,
that doesn't make me strong. When I'm weak in character, that
doesn't make me strong. But what's he talking about here,
when I'm weak, then am I strong? Here it is. I'm weak before the
majesty of God. When I consider the power and
majesty of God, what is man? The third, mindfully. Weak before the majesty of God.
David sat before the Lord and cried, Lord, who am I? Who am
I? I'm weak before the holiness
of God. The more I see the holiness of God, the more corrupt I envision
myself. My righteousness has become filthy
rags the more I see His holiness. I'm weak before the holiness
of God. We're weak before the word of God. We know in part. We prophesy in part. We see through
a glass dimly. Let's face it, Lord, teach me.
Just a child, teach me. When a man thinks he knows, he
doesn't know anything like he ought to know. We're weak before
the Word. Oh, that I might grow in grace
and the knowledge of Christ. When I'm weak, though, when I
realize that, I'm strong. I'm weak before trials and afflictions.
I need His grace. He said to Paul, my grace is
sufficient, yours is not. But mine is. And when I realize
mine is not, I lean on his. I'm weak before my responsibilities. Paul talked about preaching the
gospel. You know what he said? Who in the world is sufficient
for this? Who's sufficient for these things?
I found something Spurgeon wrote. I read it many years ago, just
drug it out the other day. Listen. Charles Spurgeon, I guess
one of the greatest preachers, he said for many years, my own
preaching was so exceedingly painful to me because of the
fears which beset me before entering the pulpit. Paul, I could say, Lord, I come
in weakness and fear and trembling. And often my dread in facing
my own congregation has been so overwhelming, fear and trembling,
in approaching the pulpit. So I wrote to my dear old grandfather,
who was a minister of God before me, and I told him about this,
of the things that troubled me before preaching, how I was overwhelmed
with mental emotion, how trembling fears gripped my heart. And I
wanted him to help me. And my grandfather wrote back
and said, son, I've been preaching the word of God 60 years, and
I still feel the same tremblings and fears that you described.
Be content to have it so when you're weak. Before his majesty,
his power, his words, his glory, then you're strong. But remember, if this weakness
and trembling and emotions go away, your strength will go with
it. And if you're ever able to walk
in that pulpit and preach and think nothing of it, if you're
ever able to teach the Word of God and think nothing of it,
the people that hear you will think nothing of it too. And
God will do nothing with it. That's what we're talking about,
Johnny. I'm weak. And when I am, I'm strong. And I'll tell you one other place
that I expect to be weak unless God gives me the grace. And that's
when it comes time to die. That's right. It's not an easy
journey. Sometimes. Sometimes. So we're weak. Thank God we are,
but his grace is sufficient. Let's call this message around
the thorn in the flesh. All right, let's sing a hymn
and we'll be dismissed.