When It Doesn’t Get Better
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Sermon by Rick Crandall
McClendon Baptist Church - July 8, 2007
*Have you ever been in a situation where there was nothing you could do to make it better?
-No matter how hard you tried, how much you spent, how much you argued, how much you pleaded, how much you prayed -- It just didn’t get better.
*One day you will be in a situation like that. What should we do when it doesn’t get better? The Apostle Paul can show us, because he found himself in a situation like this. In vs. 7, he called it “a thorn in the flesh.” We really don’t know what it was, but Paul’s thorn was probably some kind of physical problem. Some have guessed epilepsy, trouble with his eyes, or recurring fever from malaria.
*Bill Bouknight says that a thorn “is whatever causes you pain or frustration or sadness.” They “come in all shapes and sizes: migraine headaches, bad backs, arthritis, depression, anxiety spells, shingles, an unhappy marriage, an impossible boss, a child on drugs, and on and on.” (1)
*Maxie Dunnam wrote that “we all have thorns in the flesh. ‘Some are thorns of grief -- for the pointless death of a child, a husband, a wife. Others are thorns of betrayal.
*A thorn can be a divorce, long past, that still poisons the blood-stream of our lives. A thorn can be a child we think has disgraced us, or one we think we have disgraced. A thorn can be any lapse of judgment or mistake . . .
*In this world there are things hoped for, and things stuck with. The thorns are what we are stuck with. We cannot extract them. All of them cause pain, the real pain that is associated with loss: Loss of health; loss of faith and hope, as when we somehow feel ‘unblessed’; loss of joy; loss of love; and certainly loss of power.’” (2)
*What are we going to do when it doesn’t get better? Paul shows us what to do.
1. First, stand on the truth that God has a reason.
*God has a reason. We can always know that God has a purpose for every trouble He allows in our lives. Paul got to see the purpose for his problem, and he shared it with us in vs. 7, when he said, “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.”
*The Apostle Paul certainly had an abundance of revelations. On the road to Damascus, Paul saw Jesus shining in glory brighter than the sun! And God chose Paul as His instrument to write more New Testament books than any other person. Paul certainly wrote 13 (possibly 14) of the 27 books in the New Testament.
*And here at the beginning of 2 Corin 12, Paul tells us about being caught up to heaven. Speaking about himself modestly in the 3rd person in vs. 3&4, Paul said, “And I know such a man whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows, how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”
*This abundance of revelation could easily have led Paul to be puffed up in his own mind or by other people. So God allowed his thorn in the flesh. There was a reason.
*Many times we don’t know why God allows us to suffer, but believers, we know that God loves us. And we know that He has a reason.
*King Duncan made a great point that applies to all suffering. Duncan said, “Let’s start with this: suffering destroys our illusions. This is a hard teaching, but stay with me. Suffering destroys our illusions. Most of us are under the illusion that our primary purpose in life is the pursuit of our own happiness. My life is all about me and my desires, me and my agenda, me and my self-actualization. Then something comes along that doesn’t fit in with our plan: a divorce, a diagnosis, a death, a disruption. And as our perfect self-centered world disintegrates right before our eyes, we wonder where to turn. It is then we realize that the world isn’t built around us and our desires. It is a beautiful world, a wonderful world, but it is not a world that caters to our every whim. (3)
*Pastor Paul Smith told of a young lady in his church who discovered part of God’s purpose for her suffering. She had developed cancer when she was very young. The disease left her unable to have children. But this young Christian responded to the heartbreak as believers often do -- with greater faith in God.
*She once told Pastor Smith, “I need that hole in my life to keep me focused on [God].” (4)
*We may not see things as clearly as she did, but we know that God has a reason. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Rom 8:28)
2. When it doesn’t get better: Stand on the truth that God has a reason. And keep praying until God tells you to stop.
*Most of the time God tells us to keep on praying. Don’t quit! Don’t lose hope. This is what Jesus taught us to do in Luke 11:5-10, when He said:
5. . . . “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves;
6. for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’;
7. and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’?
8. I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.
9. And I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
10. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
*Most of the time the Lord tells us to keep on praying. “Don’t lose heart,” He said in Luke 18. So in vs. 8, Paul passionately prayed and kept praying three times that his thorn would go away. But then in vs. 9, the Lord said, “My grace is sufficient for you.” That is a wonderful truth and a wonderful thing to hear, but at the same time, God was saying, “No,” and God was saying, “Enough.”
*There will be those rare times in life when God tells us to stop praying for something. For us it happened in 1989, when Mary’s dad was dying with lung cancer. PapPap lived with us most of that last year, and we started the year praying for his healing, but as the year wore on, our prayers shifted.
*And those last days when he was so sick in the hospital, and we knew that he was not going to get better in this world, we stopped praying for his healing and asked the Lord to mercifully take him home.
*There are times when the Lord will lead you to stop praying for something, but until He makes it crystal clear, you keep praying! Don’t give up! Don’t lose hope!
*Howard Hendricks is a very well known preacher and teacher in Dallas, Texas. He has been a mentor to both Chuck Swindoll and David Jeremiah.
*Howard was saved as a little boy, but his dad was not a Christian. Howard began to pray for his dad to get saved. His dad was a soldier, so he was especially concerned when Dad went into combat. Year after year he prayed with no visible result, but Howard kept on praying.
*Then one day someone gave one of Dr. Hendricks’ preaching tapes to another preacher named Butch Hardman. It was a sermon where Dr. Hendricks talked about his dad’s spiritual need. Butch also began to pray for Howard’s dad.
*Months later Butch went to a pastors’ conference in Philadelphia where Dr. Hendricks spoke. Then, back home in Arlington, VA, Butch was driving the church bus down the street. That’s when he saw a man standing on the corner. He looked a lot like Howard Hendricks. Could it possibly be?
*Butch backed the bus up, stopped, got off, went over to the man and asked, “Are you by any chance Howard Hendricks’ father?”
*He was! A cup of coffee was the start of a friendship appointed by God. Butch patiently endured the old soldier’s cigars -- and his endless collection of war stories. Before long he learned that Howard’s dad had terminal throat cancer.
*Months later Butch was at his hospital bedside and said, “Mr. Hendricks, I’ll be leaving shortly for a Holy Land trip. Instead of my listening to you tonight, would you let me tell you a story?” Butch then told him about Jesus and Nicodemus from John 3. He talked about being born again, and believing in Jesus. Butch invited Mr. Hendricks to receive Jesus as his own personal Savior, and he did!
*Then the old soldier got up out of bed, stood at attention, saluted with a smile and said, “Now I’m under a new Commander-in-Chief!” (5)
*How long had Dr. Hendricks been praying for his dad to get saved? 42 years! So don’t quit. Don’t give up! Don’t lose hope!
3. When it doesn’t get better: Keep praying until God tells you to stop. And slow down enough to listen to the Lord.
*Paul was listening carefully to the Lord. And when we listen, we will hear Him say the most wonderful, comforting things, like in vs. 9, “My Grace is sufficient for you.” Or as the New English Bible says, “My grace is all you need.”
*When we listen to the Lord, we will hear Him say things like: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:1-2)
*We will hear Him say, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. Whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. . .” (John 11:25-26)
*We will hear Him say, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt 11:28)
*When we slow down enough to listen to Jesus Christ, we will hear Him speak to us of love and forgiveness. We will hear Jesus speak to us about the eternal life we can have through Him because He died on the cross for us and rose again. We will hear Him speak to us of His grace that will carry us through every trouble in life.
*Pastor Bill Bouknight told the story of a special boy who had listened to the Lord, and how God spoke to Bill one day as he visited this boy.
*Listen to Bill’s testimony:
Years ago I visited a boy of about 12 in a facility for children with major medical problems. Tony was born with a spinal deformity; he was paralyzed from the waist down. Because of multiple surgeries he had spent lots of time in a body cast. More of his young life had been spent in institutions than at home. Tony had a handsome face and a quick smile. On the day that I visited Tony had been watching his beloved Clemson Tigers on TV just before I arrived. He was able to see the TV by looking through a mirror. We had a friendly chat. His morale was amazing. Then I suggested that we have a prayer. And just before I uttered the first word of the prayer, Tony said in a soft and very sincere voice, "God sure has been good to me."
Well, I tell you, I had trouble speaking. Those words caught me completely off-guard. Something in me wanted to cry out, "Are you kidding me, Tony? God been good to you? I can’t see how. Look at what you have had to endure!" But Someone greater and wiser whispered to me this message: "Bill, don’t be surprised at Tony’s words. I have been here with him night and day. Remember, he belongs to me. I love him even more than his parents do. I have been ‘gracing’ that boy." (1)
*God speaks. Through His Word and by His Spirit, God will speak to our hearts, if we will slow down enough to listen.
4. When it doesn’t get better: Slow down enough to listen to the Lord. And fully surrender your life to the Lord.
*We see Paul fully surrendered to the Lord in vs. 9&10. The Lord said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
*And Paul responded, “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.”
*Paul’s amazing strength came from a life that was fully surrendered to Jesus Christ. We are never more alive and free than when we fully surrender to Jesus. Put all of your hopes, dreams and problems in His hands, and you will find that His grace is sufficient for you.
*Rodney Buchanan talked about the rewards of this kind of faith, and said:
The reward is that we get to live life without fear. The reward is peace. The reward is the understanding that this is God’s world and he is in control. It results in joy and dancing. Someone in the universe loves us — in fact, the most important Person in the universe. The world has a purpose. We have a purpose. We have a destiny. We are valued by our Creator and cared for by him.
*He went on:
A father takes a hike with his one-year-old son who is in a carrier on his back. The hike leads around the perimeter of a lake. In spite of gathering clouds, father and son attack the rugged trail. Half way around the lake, it begins to rain. The father reaches back and pulls his son’s hood over his head, but unknown to the father, the child pushes it off. The rain comes down harder and the boy begins to cry. The wind is howling, the rain is pounding, thunder explodes in their ears and lightning flashes around them. By now the child is terrified and howling at the top of his lungs. So the father stops, takes his son out of the carrier and holds him close to his chest. He protects his head from the rain as best he can, but still the child screams in terror. The child only lives in the present moment. He has no idea that eventually the storm will end. As his fear continues to rise, the father whispers in his ears, “I love you, buddy. We’re gonna make it. I know the way home.” Over and over again he speaks words of assurance into his son’s ears: “I love you. We’re gonna make it. I know the way home.” The storm may be raging, but the Father is speaking words of assurance to us as he holds us close to his heart. (6)
*And we can fully surrender our lives to Him.
5. When it doesn’t get better: Fully surrender your life to the Lord. And let Christ’s strength be shown through your problem.
*This is what Paul did with his thorn. In vs. 9, Paul heard the Lord say, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
*Jesus said, “My strength is ‘made perfect’ in weakness...” “My strength is ‘finished, fulfilled, completed for all to see...’”
*Therefore, Paul said, “Most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
*Paul let the Lord’s strength be revealed through his thorn, and we can do the same thing. We have seen that already in the lady who will never be able to have children, but told Pastor Paul Smith, “I need that hole in my life to keep me focused on [God].” We saw it in Bill Bouknight’s paralyzed, young friend Tony, who spent most of his life stuck in a hospital bed, but said, “God sure has been good to me.”
*We can let Christ’s strength be shown through our trials and tribulations. Joni Eareckson Tada has certainly proved that in our lifetime. Joni is an artist, author, and professional speaker. But she is also disabled, paralyzed from the neck down in a teenage diving accident. Joni has been confined to a wheelchair for many years, but she and her husband travel all over the world helping the handicapped, and sharing the gospel.
*Joni gave this testimony of a lunch with Christian author, Corrie ten Boom, after Corrie had also been paralyzed by a stroke. Listen to what Joni said:
I relive each moment of my visit with Corrie ten Boom (paralyzed by a stroke). I recall how our eyes met as we were fed our cucumber sandwiches. Helpless and for the most part dependent, I felt our mutual weakness. Yet I am certain neither of us had ever felt stronger. It makes me think of the Cross of Christ--a symbol of weakness and humiliation, yet at the same time, a symbol of victory and strength. ...
For a wheelchair may confine a body that is wasting away. But no wheelchair can confine the soul, ... the soul that is inwardly renewed day by day. For paralyzed people can walk with the Lord. Speechless people can talk with the Almighty. Sightless people can see Jesus. Deaf people can hear the Word of God. And those like Corrie, their minds shadowy and obscure, can have the very mind of Christ. (7)
Conclusion
*What should we do when it doesn’t get better?
-Stand on the truth that God has a reason.
-Keep praying until God tells you to stop.
-Slow down enough to listen to the Lord.
-Fully surrender your life to the Lord.
-And let Christ’s strength be shown through your problem.
1. Found in christianglobe.com sermon “Thorns and Roses” by Bill Bouknight - 2 Corin 12:2-10
2. Adapted from christianglobe.com sermon “If Only -- In Spite Of” by Maxie Dunnam - 2 Corin 12:1-10 - (Quoting William Sloan Coffin, _The Courage to Love_, page 24.)
3. Quote from christianglobe.com sermon “Redefining Life” by King Duncan - 2 Corin 12:1-10 - July 6, 2003
4. Paul Smith, Romans 8:28: God’s Plan For Our Good (Chicago: Moody Press, 2000), pp. 163-166. (Found in christianglobe.com sermon “Redefining Life” by King Duncan - 2 Corin 12:1-10 - July 6, 2003)
5. [Howard & Jeanne Hendricks. FootPrints. (Multnomah Press, 1981) pp. 16-19 - www.bible.org/illus/p-q/p-q-83.htm - No Prayer Is Ever Wasted…] - (Found in SermonCentral sermon “Ask, Seek and Knock” by John Hamby - Matt 7:7-11)
6. “What Is Faith?” - Sermon by Rodney Buchanan - Heb 10:35-11:1 - Mulberry St UMC - April 27, 2007
7. [When We Are Weak, We Are Strong, Citation: Joni Eareckson Tada, quoted in My Heart Sings. Christianity Today, Vol. 33, no. 1.] (Found in SermonCentral sermon “What? Are You Weak or Something?” by Todd Coget - 2 Corin 12:1-10)
