The 6^th Sunday after Trinity

SERMON

INI

Text: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

In Christ Jesus, without whom we can do nothing, but with whose strength we can do all things, dear fellow redeemed:

If I were to sit down and talk Vikings football with you, and were I to say that I had been up to the training camp and had seen a new defensive tackle working out in the weight tent—a man 5′ 6″ tall and 145 pounds, you would no doubt say, “Pastor, you must be mistaken!” A defensive tackle might be 6′ 6″ tall and weigh 345 pounds, but he would never be 5′ 6″ tall and weigh only 145 pounds. Someone that small would probably not be able to play professional football and certainly not at the position of defensive tackle. He just would not be strong enough!

We tend to think of strength in terms of shear size and force. That is true whether we are speaking of human beings or other things in nature. A strong man will generally be a big man. A strong horse will be a big horse. A strong storm will be a big storm. Yet, there are times when size and force do not necessarily mean the greatest strength. We would all agree that it takes greater strength at times to restrain the use of force, rather than to use it—to walk away from a fight, for instance, rather than to enter one. Consequently, while it may seem a bit unusual, we ought not be surprised by THE CHRISTIAN’S POWER PARADOX presented by the apostle Paul in our text: “WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN I AM STRONG!” For the child of God this paradox represents the reality of our lives. The apostle goes on to point out that God at times permits trials to enter our lives to demonstrate to us our weakness and to remove self-pride, for it is only when we understand our weakness and our dependence upon God’s grace that we will prove to be His effective servants and that Christ’s power will rest upon us!

I.

In the section of 2 Corinthians immediately preceding our text, the apostle Paul had been talking about the blessings he had received through God’s grace, including a very special revelation of heaven. He opens our text by saying, “And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’” We do not know what Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” was. Various Bible scholars have suggested many things ranging from epilepsy to deteriorating eyesight, but we simply cannot be certain. That which is certain, however, is that whatever it was, God permitted it to occur and continue in Paul’s life in spite of his prayers to have it removed. The apostle furthermore recognized that this “thorn” actually served a good purpose by keeping him humble and reminding him of his personal weakness, thereby removing any reason for self-pride.

How often do we not see this happen in the lives of other biblical figures? Think of Moses, who at age forty assumed that he would deliver the children of Israel only to find himself fleeing Egypt after committing murder. In the prime of his live and filled with self-pride, it took forty years of herding sheep in the wilderness of Sinai, before Moses came to recognize his own weakness and his pride in self had been removed, thereby preparing him to serve the Lord properly. Or think of Simon Peter boasting about how he would never deny Jesus, even should all the other disciples do so. Yet, we hear him later that same evening cursing, swearing, and claiming he had never known Jesus as the servants of the high priest began putting on the pressure. It was only after hearing the cock crowing and seeing the penetrating gaze of Jesus that Peter remembered his Lord’s warning and came bitterly to see and understand the extent of his personal weakness.

Dear friends—let us not be surprised if and when God permits trials to enter our lives to chasten us. The Bible certainly tells us that “whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives” (Hebrews 12:6). God’s desire is that we remain close to Him, rely upon Him, and remain faithful to Him. Yet, our sinful flesh all too often places entirely too much confidence in our own gifts and abilities. When we are young and strong, we so often believe ourselves to be invincible. We need no help. We can take care of ourselves. Then God permits an accident to occur, or a disease to strike, or we simply begin to age and our aura of invincibility is broken. Or we are quite successful in our chosen profession. We prosper materially, become wealthy, and our advice is sought after by many. We possess an illusion of power and importance, but such illusions are fleeting as economic downturns occur, or technologies change, or younger, smarter individuals suddenly appear and we are no longer in high demand.

We are mortal, and that means that in spite of everything we possess we are still limited and in reality quite weak. How often have not football careers ended with one play or lives been lost in only a matter of seconds? Think of the tragic incident involving the Vikings’ Corey Stringer, who died during training camp last year, or our own Michael Brenner, who lost his life in a motercycle accident just two weeks ago. THE CHRISTIAN’S POWER PARADOX is true—“WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN I AM STRONG!”

II.

In the end that ought not surprise or disturb us, dear friends, for it is only when we understand our weaknesses and our dependence upon God that we will prove to be His effective servants and that Christ’s power will rest upon us. Why was it that the apostle Paul was not upset and frustrated when God did not see fit to remove his “thorn in the flesh”? Why was it that he was able to accept and rejoice in God’s “grace”? It was because he recognized that God’s grace—that undeserved love which brought him into communion with God through Christ was his most important possession. Were it not for that grace, he would have remained in blind spiritual ignorance—living in rebellion against God and doomed to eternal death in hell. With that grace, however, the apostle obtained the precious forgiveness of God, was right with God, was welcomed into the family of God, was given a great and wonderful calling by God, and was destined to be with God throughout eternity. God’s grace permitted God to reveal His strength through Paul in spite of his inherent weakness. Consequently, the apostle was able to say with great conviction, “Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Consider the history of the apostle Paul as we learn of it in the book of Acts. We first see him as a violent oppressor of Christianity, responsible for the deaths of many Christians. On the way to Damascus, however, Paul is struck down by Jesus and is converted by the Lord Himself. For several days he remained blind and frightened, only to emerge a much stronger person—dependent upon and dedicated to his Savior. Think about one of the most famous of the stories of Paul’s Second Missionary Journey—the account of the conversion of the Jailor of Philippi. Paul and Silas were beaten unjustly and thrown into the deepest cell of the prison—surely placing them in a very weak situation. Yet, they were rescued when God caused an earthquake to open the prison doors, which led to direct contact with the jailor. This man was about to commit suicide, but his life was spared when Paul called out to him from the prison. His life was then claimed by Christ as Paul led him to know the power of Jesus Christ. In the midst of weakness the power of Christ shone clearly and led to the salvation not only of the jailor but of his entire family.

Dear friends, it is only when we understand our own weakness and our dependence upon God’s grace, that God can fully use us. To recognize our personal weaknesses is indeed humbling, but when understood in faith it also is enabling and empowering. The power of Jesus Christ is unlimited. Why would we want to continue to trust in ourselves and to rely upon our own limited resources, when we can enjoy the power of Jesus? Why continue to pretend that everything is alright, when it could be so much better?

God has called each of us to do a variety of tasks within each of our lives. We are husbands or wives, fathers or mothers, employers or employees, workers in the church. Each of these callings requires its own skills and abilities, so that responsibilities are fulfilled and blessings incurred. Dear friends, look to your Savior, depend upon your Savior, rejoice in your Savior, be empowered by your Savior. Jesus Christ will not fail to hear your prayers. He will not fail to help you fulfill your responsibilities. He will guide you and guard you. He will work all things together for your good, even as He has promised.

During the last four weeks we have had four funerals here at Immanuel. Mrs. Pasbrig died this past week having lived to be in her mid-eighties. Her death was not unexpected, for she has grown weaker and weaker during the past months. However, as she lay near death, let me assure you that she was strong—strong in her faith, which by the grace of God had conquered sin, Satan, and even death as it lay before her. When Mrs. Wills passed away as a result of cancer while only in her early seventies, she likewise in the midst of her physical weakness was filled with the strength of her Savior. She was ready and eager in her Lord to meet her Lord and rule with Him. What of Tom Schweim and Michael Brenner? Their sudden and unexpected deaths should remind us of the reality of our personal weakness and utter dependence upon our Savior God! King David once wrote: “LORD, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am. Indeed You have made my days as handbreaths, and my age is as nothing before You; certainly every man at his best state is but vapor” (Psalm 39:4-5).

In the end, dear friends, as you ponder our human condition and are drawn closer to your Savior, you will find that THE CHRISTIAN’S POWER PARADOX is the reality of our lives, even as it was for the apostle Paul: “WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN I AM STRONG!” May it ever be so to God’s glory and for our blessing. Amen.

Soli Dei Gloria!

—Pastor Paul D. Nolting