Experience is often described as the best teacher a person will ever have in life, and considering what experience cost, it should be. Experience in general comprises knowledge of or skill in or observation of some things or some events gained through involvement in or exposure to that thing or event.
• In other words, when you experience something, you learn or should learn. When you experience something, your skills increase. When you go through an experience, something is gained because of your involvement and exposure to the experience.
• Do I need to make it a little clearer? Because of experience, I now know and have learned that I have to set my alarm clock for 5 a.m., to be at work by 9 a.m. Because of experience, my pay has increased on the job because I now have more skills and knowledge than I did when I first graduated from college. And because of experience, a small percentage of husbands have learned when and when not to talk or joke with their wives.
The history of the word experience is aligned closely with the concept of experiment, which involves a test or trial for the purpose of discovering something unknown or proving or disproving a principle. Experience is a form of knowledge acquired in only two ways—by doing and by being done.
• As a matter of fact, there is no way to get experience except through experience. Experience deserves respect, experience is a teacher, experience is a motivator, experience is a guide, experience is a mentor, experience matures some of us, and it will make a person better or bitter.
Take a moment to reflect on your life, what experiences have you been exposed to and been through? What knowledge have you gained from this teacher of life? Has your character grown in the soil of experience, with the fertilization of example, the moisture of desire, and the sunshine of satisfaction? I don’t know the answers to these questions when it comes to you, but one thing I do know is that all of us have had some thorny experiences.
We’re all familiar with thorns, those sharp and pointed protrusions found on some plants, bushes, and trees. Most commonly rose bushes, as pretty as its flowers are, its stems are full of thorns, and if you’re lucky enough to get stuck by a thorn, then you know that it’s very painful.
• And if you’re really fortunate to have a thorn break off into your skin, then you’ll experience irritation and suffering, but because you’re a maturing Christian, you won’t let that “word” slip out, the “word” you said when you hit your toe on the dresser years ago.
But, a thorny experience suggests that what we have experienced hasn’t always put a smile on our face. A thorny experience suggests that some of the experiences we’ve been exposed to and been through have been painful and heartbreaking. A thorny experience is an experience that sometimes make us want to throw in the towel, put our hands up in surrender, and let go of the rope of faith. Holla if you hear me if you’ve been through a thorny experience.
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The biblical pericope shares with us that Paul, who was a prisoner of Christ and a great messenger of the gospel, went through some thorny experiences throughout his ministry. At one time in his life before his conversion to Christianity, Paul himself had been a thorn in the church’s side, by persecuting those who proclaimed and accepted Jesus Christ. But now, Paul found himself on the other side of the fence caught in thorny experiences.
Paul was a great preacher who God converted on the Damascus road while he was on his way to persecute Christians. God used Paul in such a way that he became an icon for the early church. Paul planted more churches than any other preacher in history, he proclaimed the gospel with boldness, and at times he too was persecuted for doing the work of the Lord.
• Paul wrote at least 13 books in the New Testament, and went on several missionary trips. Paul worked hard for the Lord and made a great impact on the early church and Christianity. If Paul had thorny experiences with such an impressive spiritual resume, then what excludes us from going through thorny experiences?
I hate to be the bearer of bad news or the mailman who continues to deliver bills to your mailbox when money has already ran out before month, but we aren’t excluded from thorny experiences, therefore we need to understand what we’re going through.
• But before we get a better understanding of thorny experiences, we need to understand what was going on in the text. Not understanding the Word of God before it’s applied is like not knowing what the foot pedal and brakes are used for before driving a car, you’ll find yourself in a dangerous situation.
So can I teach for a moment? Paul had established a church in the Greek city of Corinth on his second missionary journey, but when Paul moved on, it was like church folk gone wild. I mean these church folk were challenging Paul’s authority as an apostle, whether he was qualified by God to lead others.
• They were misusing worship, going to court against one another, condoning immorality, denying that Jesus had risen from the dead, and fussing about all kinds of issues. So, Paul wrote a letter known as I Corinthians to deal with the church’s problems before everything fell apart.
Well, the first letter to the Corinthians did not settle all of the church’s problems, especially the questions concerning Paul’s authority. So, in great sorrow Paul wrote another letter known as II Corinthians, to establish his authority as one chosen by Christ to lead others in their faith. He also covered more practical matters, such as supporting believers in other parts of the country who had fallen on hard times. This was a very personal letter by Paul, because he loved his people but had been deeply wronged by them.
In the context of our text Paul felt obligated to respond to the criticisms of false preachers. I mean Paul had founded the church and had the responsibility to keep the church in line. The Corinthians were easily impressed by the resumes and articulate and persuasive speakers and false teachers.
• They believed and accepted doctrine that was different from the gospel they had already received from Paul. Paul really didn’t want to go there with the Corinthians, but for their sake he had to get on his soap box so that they could realize that his authority came from God.
• So, Paul began to boast, not out of arrogance, but in order to prove to the Corinthian church that he truly was an apostle of the Lord.
Listen to what Paul says, he said “These false preachers are charging you, but I serve you for free. I accepted contributions from other churches so that I could serve you at no cost. These false preachers say they’re Hebrews, so am I. They say they’re Israelites, so am I. They even say they’re descendants of Abraham, well so am I.
• They say they serve Christ, but I have served him more. I have worked harder, been put in jail more, been whipped so many times I lost count, and have faced death time and time again.
• Five different times the Jews gave me 39 lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked, and one of those times I was at sea all night and all day. I had to cross flooded rivers and fight off robbers.”
“My own people, the Jews, and the Gentiles sought to take my life. I’ve been hungry and thirsty, cold without enough to keep me warm. On top of all this I have the burden of how all these churches are getting along. I feel others weaknesses and burn with anger when someone struggles with sin. I even escaped through a window, lowered down in a basket when I was in Damascus because they were trying capture me.
• If this isn’t enough, I’ve received visions and revelations from the Lord. As a matter of fact, let me tell you about these visions and revelations. I knew a man (Paul talking about himself) 14 years ago who was caught up into the third heaven and into paradise, whether he was in the body or apart from the body, I do not know, but God does.
• Now, that is an experience worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I’ll only boast about my weakness.”
“I have plenty to boast about, but I’m not going to take it there. I don’t want anyone to think more highly of me than what they can actually see in my life and my message. I hope now you can see that I’m truly sent by God and not these false teachers.
• And even though I’ve received wonderful revelations from God, I was given a thorn in my flesh and a messenger from satan to torment me so that I wouldn’t get the big head.”
In the next several verses Paul is about to share his thorny experience, and if we want to learn about and understand our thorny experiences, then this is the part of the sermon where sit up and wake up.
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Before we examine the text, I believe it’s important to first understand God’s position in our thorny experiences. We need to know that God does not tempt us with evil. God is holy and pure. God will never test you with evil or place evil in front of you to trip you up.
• God is not out to get you, but He is there to lift you. He’s not going to harm you, but at times He does allow us to face trials and tribulations, but we can rest on the promise that God is our protector and He will not allow us to be destroyed.
• Just ask Job, satan was allowed to come after him, but God blessed Job more at the end of his thorny experience than he had been before he went through it. Satan can only do what God allows him to do, and every time we come out stronger than we were before the storm.
Now that we understand God’s position, in verse 7 Paul said there was given a thorn in his flesh, a messenger from satan to torment him so that he wouldn’t exalt himself. This wasn’t a literal thorn, but whatever Paul was suffering with caused him great pain as if he had a thorn in his flesh.
• And we don’t know what Paul was dealing with in this particular thorny experience, because he does not reveal that to us, but if you recall the impressive spiritual resume Paul had, to keep him from becoming conceited, God allowed satan to torment him with some hardship or temptation. Knowing this, the first principle we want to remember and take note of is that a thorny experience will humble you.
A little pride is ok, but we have to be very careful that we stay in our place. A person with true humility never has to be shown their place, because they’re always in it. Pride is tricky, because you don’t have to be a person who goes around bragging and boasting, but don’t you know that you can have prideful thoughts?
• Have you ever sat at a red light, and someone pulls along side of you in a car that’s old and in desperate need of a paint job? And of course you don’t say this out loud, but you think to yourself, “mmmm, that car is torn up!”
• That’s a prideful thought, because it’s no reason we have to acknowledge the condition of that person’s car. We don’t know what their situation is, and I’m sure in most cases they would love a newer car.
• You see it’s always those mental sins that trip us up; we’re always trying to watch those outward actions, while letting the inward thoughts slip by.
But there is nothing like a thorny experience that bring you down and humble you before the Lord. The Lord wants to use us, but he can’t use a person who thinks they’ve got it made. He can’t use someone who feels like they don’t have to answer to nobody.
• We don’t know whether Paul got out of line as far as pride goes, but it was definitely a possibility that he could, so the Lord allowed Paul to go through a thorny experience to keep him humble.
Have you ever wondered why you didn’t get that promotion when you’re more qualified than the person who did? Preachers, do you wonder why you always seem to stumble or stutter over some words no matter how long you studied your sermon?
• God just might be keeping you humble through these things, letting you know that it’s not you, but all about Him. God knows that some of us aren’t ready for some blessing, because if they came our way, there wouldn’t be enough space in the room to hold our egos.
Humility says, “It’s all about God.” When it’s all about Him, then we become willing vessels to be use in anyway God chooses to use us. So, a thorny experience opens the door to humility.
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And humbleness isn’t the only thing derived from a thorny experience, but a thorny experience will cause our communication with the Lord to increase. Verse 8 says Paul implored, in other words, he begged the Lord three times to remove his thorn. This isn’t to say that Paul wasn’t a praying man, but his thorny experience kept him before the Lord in prayer.
• Paul realized that the thorn caused by satan was becoming a hindrance to his ministry, so he appropriately responded by praying. It’s a good thing when we are compelled to communicate with the Lord, but it’s not so good when we only come to the Lord during thorny experiences.
• Paul gave us the godly instruction to pray without ceasing, if we are in constant communication with God daily, then that means we’ll pray in the good as well as the bad times.
But when we are going through a thorny experience, we should really seek the Lord for direction and guidance. Paul went to the Lord three times, and there is nothing wrong with being persistent in prayer, but there is something wrong if our persistence is based on a lack of faith in God.
• Our persistent prayer shows our concern over an issue. If you say, “Lord help,” but you continue to suffer and battle with a certain issue without seeing some kind of change, but never seek the Lord again concerning that issue, then one would wonder how serious are you in seeking the Lord’s help?
If you asked the Lord to help you forgive someone, but you can’t stop rolling your eyes whenever you see them, then you need to continue to seek the Lord until your change comes. If we really want to see a difference and want an answer from the Lord, then one-time incomplete sentence prayers aren’t going to cut it.
• Paul went to the Lord three times with the same concern, not that “three” is some type of magic number, but it shows that Paul was really concerned about this thorn and wanted the Lord to help.
• By Paul asking the Lord to remove his thorn, also shows that there isn’t anything wrong with being specific in prayer. Of course God already knows what you’re going to ask for, but when we’re specific in our praying, it helps us to identify answers to our prayers.
How many of us pray when going through a thorny experience? Or do you feel like you can make through on your own? When you seek the Lord when going through your suffering and pain, it shows your dependence on God, and not on your own abilities.
• I really don’t know what you all have been through in your lives, but one thing I do know is that a thorny experience, for a person who really needs and wants help, will cause you to communicate with the Lord more, and He’ll either remove your thorn or give you all you need to make it through.
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This is what brings us to our third principle, because a thorny experience is endured through the sufficient grace of the Lord. In verse 9, after Paul’s persistent prayers for the removal of his thorn, the Lord said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you.” In other words, “Paul I’m not going to remove your thorn, that’s the answer to your prayers, but here’s another answer that you weren’t expecting. I’m going to give you grace, not just any old grace, but my grace which is allllll you need in order to endure your thorny experience.
No matter what you’re going through, in my grace there is favor, my grace gives joy, my grace gives pleasure, in my grace you can delight, in my grace there is sweetness, in my grace there is love, and in my grace there is mercy. My grace is sufficient for you!”
I told you that God isn’t out to get us, if he doesn’t remove the thorn or the mountain; He has grace that will ease the pain and grace that will give us strength to climb the mountain. Let’s pause for praise identification.
Has anyone experienced the grace of God? You may be raising children by yourself, but God’s grace is sufficient. It’s been a long time, and you haven’t finished your degree yet, hang in there because God’s grace is all you need. The economy is changing, money getting tight, less money more month, but God’s grace will supply. Heartbroken, depressed and stressed, but God’s grace will heal.
• Whatever your thorny experience, God’s grace gives all believers the strength to bear temptations, trials, and difficulties. Just as Paul did, we should find comfort in knowing that we can endure any thorny experience, because there is constant availability of divine grace.
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Before I sit down and be happy all by myself, there is one more principle I want to share with you, a thorny experience illuminates and perfects God’s power in our weakness. The Lord didn’t only share with Paul that His grace was sufficient, but He also told Paul His power is made perfect in weakness.
• The weaker Paul’s thorn made him, the more God’s power was illuminated and made known to him. In a boxing match, which boxer is talked about the most? Of course the boxer who won the match, not the one who lost.
• The boxer who won skills, strength, and power is seen more than the boxer who loses; therefore power is illuminated and made perfect in weakness.
In a thorny experience, when we admit that we have no power to make it through, that’s when God’s power comes to the rescue, pick us up, and give us the strength to continue to move forward, why, because when we step back, God is able to display His power in our lives.
• If we do things on our own without the help of the Lord, when we try to fix our own situations, it’s like telling God we don’t need His power, and one thing about God, if you don’t need Him, he definitely won’t get in your way.
• But the more we step back and get out of the way in a thorny experience, the more God steps forward and display His power.
God’s power is overlooked when there is no adversity, and often taken for granted. This is why sometimes we’re allowed to go through thorny experiences, so that we will know greater is He that’s within me, than he that’s in the world. I have no problem being weak, if it really means that I’m strong in the Lord.
• When Paul finally understood this, he said, “I rather brag about my weakness, so that Christ’s power can dwell in me. I’m very happy in my weakness and very much content, because when I’m weak, then I’m strong.”
If Paul found contentment in his weakness and thorny experiences, we too should smile when we’re insulted, have peace in distresses, stand bold before persecutions, and persevere in difficulties for Christ’s sake, because when these things decrease me, God’s power increase me.
Only in Christ, are the weak made strong. Since this is the case, we should welcome thorny experiences. I like how James said it, count it all joy when you come against all kinds of test, trials, and troubles, because your endurance has a chance to grow.
• So let it grow, when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. Thorny experiences strengthen our character and let us know that we can face anything.
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I don’t know about you, but I’m now ready to face the next thorny experience with a new perspective, Christ’s perspective. David said in Psalm 34, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
I know what I’m about to say is an oxymoron, if you don’t know what that is see me after church, but when I combine what David said with the understanding of a thorny experience, I conclude that in Christ there are good afflictions, and Paul further backs that up in Romans 8:28, when he said, “All things work together for the good of them who love God and are called according to His purpose.” All things whether they’re good or bad, in the long run Christ will bring good out of evil.
I said I was going sit down and be happy, but a thorny experience will humble you, a thorny experience will increase our communication with the Lord, a thorny experience is endured through the sufficient grace of the Lord, and a thorny experience illuminates and perfects God’s power in our weakness.
To me, all that sounds good, so if you’re going through a thorny experience right now, put a smile on your face, and if about to go through a thorny experience, put a smile on your face, and if you just came out of a thorny experience, then you should be smiling right now.
Since we’re supposed to be Christ-like, Jesus is our best example of how to go through thorny experiences. He went through thorny experiences mentally, spiritually, and physically….
