“MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU” (Outline)
July 6, 2008 --
PENTECOST 8 --
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
INTRO: Last week studied God’s truly amazing grace. Very simply stated: God’s grace is God’s undeserved love. In our wickedness and in our rebellion we deserve only eternal punishment and separation from God. But does God treat us as our sins deserve? No! This is God’s grace – God’s undeserved love. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast”(EPHESIANS 2:8,9). In today’s text we hear about Paul boast-ing. Now Paul is not boasting about saving himself but about God’s saving grace. God’s assurance to Paul in our text is our theme.
“MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU”.
I. In weakness is God’s strength.
II. In weakness is godly boasting.
I. IN WEAKNESS IS GOD’S STRENGTH
A. Chapter 12 of 2 Corinthians opens describing a man who is given a wondrous vision of heaven.
1. Paul was not describing just another man but himself in those opening verses of chapter 12.
2. Verse 7a. Paul had seen and experienced a multitude of great revelations from God.
B. God did not want Paul to become proud or arrogant. Verse 7b speaks of the thorn in Paul’s flesh.
1. This thorn is not identified. At first, Paul considers the thorn “a messenger of Satan”.
2. Paul does not want to be tormented. It could have been a physical or spiritual thorn.
C. Paul’s solution to dealing with this thorn is prayer, verse 8. Paul pleads at least three times with God.
1. God’s answer came very clearly to Paul, no. Verse 9. God’s power is perfected in weakness.
2. The original has “sufficient for you is grace”. God’s undeserved love would satisfy Paul.
D. Now isn’t it really the very same for each one of us? In the weak things of this world there is found God’s great power. We are reminded that faith as small as a mustard seed is able to move mountains. God says something so small and weak can move that which is much bigger and sturdier. Such is the power of God. The gospels remind believers that to have a faith like a child is to possess saving faith. This childlike faith is true faith that is trusting and sure and bold. The smallness of a child-like faith is God’s strength. "O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger”(PSALM 8:2). From the lips of infants and children come the praises that are able to silence the enemies of God. In this seeming weakness is God’s great strength!
E. In our own weaknesses we experience the Lord’s strength. Each one of us may recall a time when we were weak yet the Lord was strong. We may have been physically sick and not so inspired to let our light shine with the joy of our salvation. Or may be there was a time of spiritual weakness when the devil came and tormented us with doubt and wondering. At the depth of our weaknesses we come to realize that there is no one who is able to help us and strengthen except God. In our weakness we discover God’s strength. We learn that we cannot help ourselves. “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength”(ISAIAH 40:29-30a). Everyone who hopes in the Lord will be strengthened by the power of God. This strength is God’s gift, at times physical but always spiritual.
F. In weakness there is God’s strength. The greatest weakness we have is that we are sinners. We cannot save ourselves. Eternal salvation is far too important to be trusted to our choice or our decision. No dif-ferent than our first parents, Adam and Eve, we would most certainly make the wrong choice. Thank God that he does not desert us in our weakness. “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly”(ROMANS 5:5,6). In our weakness Christ died for us. Sufficient for us is the grace of God. God’s undeserved love saves us.
“MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU”.
In our weakness is God’s divine, saving strength.
II. IN WEAKNESS IS GODLY BOASTING
A. You may recall that the apostle Paul led a very vigorous mission-oriented life.
1. God called Paul out of darkness into his light. Paul spent years spreading the gospel.
2. Paul traveled thousands of miles preaching Christ crucified and raised again.
3. Paul had little time to be distracted from his newfound great purpose for living.
B. Verse 9. Paul understood just how important God’s grace was in his life. In weakness Paul boasted.
1. Paul knew that on his own he had chosen a path of eternal damnation.
2. Paul was made weak in order to comprehend the Lord’s strength. Now Paul joyfully boasts.
C. The Lord answered Paul’s prayer with no. Yet, Paul rejoiced. Paul never gave up preaching.
1. From the beginning of his Christian preaching Paul was constantly opposed, verse 10.
2. Still Paul found delight in the fact that he was counted worthy to suffer for the Christ.
a. Weak – God is strong. b. Weak – God is fortress. c. God’s grace was enough for Paul
D. We may not consider ourselves to be like the apostle Paul. Therefore why we would boast in our weaknesses? The world does not boast about weakness. Our world boasts about strength and glory and honor—but not weakness. Today the Lord reminds us that our faith is strengthened in weakness. Truly when we are at our weakest we know and value the strength of our God. “These (trials) have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed”(1 PETER 1:7). Gold (considered so precious) is consumed by fire, but not faith. Trials prove our faith to be genuine and real.
E. When we face difficulties, trials, or even temptations we do not always need to cry out, “Why” or “Why me?” Instead be thankful that the Lord has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. Be thankful that the Lord is the one who makes us strong when we face difficulties. This is something to boast about. Our boasting is not a proud thing. Rather our believing boasting is a thankful reaction. “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service”(1 TIMOTHY 1:12). God gives us strength. God makes us faithful. We boast in weakness.
F. The Lord God Almighty is our personal strength. The Lord God Almighty is our personal rock. The Lord God Almighty is our only source of eternal salvation. Sufficient for us is God’s grace. God’s amazing grace is absolutely, positively all that we need ever – and for ever. The world loves to boast about its accomplishments. Many take pride in the wealth they have gathered. But by tomorrow one’s life could be ended. “‘…let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the LORD”(JEREMIAH 9:24). Boast that you know the Lord. Boast that the Lord knows you.
CONC.: God’s grace is his undeserved love for us sinners. God’s grace is simply amazing. God’s un-deserved love is absolutely, positively all that we need ever – and forever. “MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU”. In weakness the believer uncovers God’s strength. In weakness there is godly, thankful boasting for the strength of God that is ours. Paul’s prayer: “(Be) strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light”(COLOSSIANS 1:11,12). God has qualified you to share in his eternal inheritance. SUFFICIENT FOR YOU IS GOD’S GRACE! Boast in weakness, it is God’s strength. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
SERVICES: 1:00pm @ NCF Min.(Sat) / 12:00pm @ NCF Medium (Sun) / 9:30am @ Redeemer (Sun)
BIBLE STUDIES: TUES. -- 6:00pm (Min) + 7:30pm (Med) @ NCF /
10:55am @ Redeemer (Sun)
/ Sunday radio broadcast @ 9:05am on KQNK 106.7FM or 1530AM + www.kqnk.com
PENT. 8 readings:
ISAIAH 55:10,11;
ROMANS 8:8-15;
MATTHEW 13:1-9, 18-23;
(PSALM 65)
