[Announce Text] Please take your Bibles and turn with me to II Corinthians chapter twelve. I would like to thank each and every one for all of the calls, cards, emails, flowers, and, most of all, prayers surrounding the event of my brother’s death. Your efforts were a tremendous blessing to me and my family. And I would like to thank everyone who made the two-hour trek to be at the funeral. With the distance, I certainly would have understood if you weren’t there. But with that being said, your support was a great source of comfort and strength as I preached the service that night.
[Scripture Introduction] The scripture we are about to read likewise finds the Apostle Paul at a point in his life where he is experiencing great pain. Amazingly, Paul found that his pain came as a result of his great privilege. It was fourteen years earlier that Paul was “caught up to the third heaven…into paradise” by God and was able to see and hear the things which transpire there. Just so you understand what an awesome privilege this was, note the following; the Greek word for “paradise” only occurs two other times in the New Testament (Luke 23:43 and Revelation 2:7) and on both occasions it refers to the place where Christ lives with His Father. Furthermore, what Paul saw was so sacred that it could not be revealed to anyone else.
Yet, God knew the inherent risk in allowing Paul to witness such great things. With God knowing this, as always, He had a plan. This is where we pick up in our reading tonight.
[Reannounce and Read Text] If you have found your text and are able, I would like to ask that you please stand in honor to the reading of God’s holy Word. I’ll begin reading at verse seven and will continue through verse ten.
[Prayer for wisdom and anointing] Let’s pray.
[Illustration] There was once a little girl who found a cocoon hanging from a limb in the forest. She took it to her room and placed it in a jar, expecting one day to see a butterfly emerge. Some days later, she noticed that the butterfly within the cocoon was trying get out. There it was, struggling and trying to push its way out of the tight opening. In an effort to help the insect, the little girl took the limb and very carefully enlarged the opening in the cocoon. After that, the butterfly was able to easily exit. Unexpectedly though, the little girl noticed something strange. Instead of spreading two beautiful wings, the butterfly possessed two withered, shriveled, useless, ugly wings hanging by its side. The little girl wondered why? What God knows is that He designed the butterfly so that the tight opening of the cocoon would straighten and strengthen the wings of the butterfly. Without the pressure of the tight opening, the butterfly was robbed of the beauty of its wings, and more importantly, it was robbed of its ability to fly. The butterfly was condemned to a life of walking around on the ground.
[Introduction] Likewise, there have been some who have allowed the pain of life to destroy their faith in God [FCF]. One example is cable television mogul Ted Turner. Although he now calls Christianity “a religion for losers,” Turner testifies to a strict Christian upbringing and even considered becoming a missionary at one point in his life. The Atlanta Journal Constitution quoted him as saying that he was saved seven or eight times in his life, and USA Today reports that Turner has twice read the Bible cover to cover. Yet, Turner states that he became disenchanted with Christianity when despite his prayers that she would get well, his sister still died.
As hard as it is for us to admit it, we need the pressures and trials of life, if we are to develop into all that God has saved us to be. In our text, Paul tells us that it was the pain and the sufferings he endured that gave him power with God. What Paul endured can teach us a lot about the problems, suffering, and trials of our own lives. What we can learn here will give us the ability to rise above the ordinary Christian life. Just like the butterfly, [Proposition] we will find that the trials and the sufferings of life will refine and prepare us to take flight for the glory of God. This evening, if God will give me strength, I will be preaching a message entitled, “God’s Grace Amidst Life’s Pain.”
[Main Point 1] Before we get into the heart of the message, I want to quickly point out some particulars about life’s pain that is revealed in our text.
[Subpoint 1] Life’s pain can be perplexing.
Paul writes that his pain, or at least the cause of it, was “given” to him. One might ask, “What is perplexing about that?” I would answer, “Look who gave it!” The verb “was given” is a passive verb indicating that it was God who gave Paul the thorn which produced his suffering. If you allow that to sink in for a moment, you just might be perplexed.
Christians so often blame the devil for every suffering, but yet here, the Bible makes clear that at times God gives those things to us which cause pain in our lives. Many of our charismatic brothers and sisters attribute every suffering to the works of particular spirits. Many will pray prayers that claim power to bind the devil. Yet, my question is, “Why do they let him back out?” If they have bound him, why is there yet still suffering? Obviously, they must have let him out again!
I know I am being somewhat sarcastic, but you see my point here. Not every suffering can be ultimately attributed to the devil. That is perplexing to many because God has a reputation of being a loving, kind, merciful God and the devil is the one who causes every painful circumstance. Yet, God is still a sovereign God who sits on the throne and knows what we need in order to grow spiritually. This same God is the very one who not only allows the trials of life to come our way, but as Paul learned, He also at times even directs them to come our way.
[Subpoint 2] Life’s pain can be piercing.
Paul states that his pain is as a result of “a thorn in the flesh.” This “thorn” comes from the Greek word indicating a pointed piece of wood, or more literally, a stake to impale with. This pain that Paul was suffering with was a piercing pain. More specifically, Paul’s pain was a piercing physical pain. Similarly, the pain that we often face in life, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, can literally cut to the heart. Who here has never faced the pain of rejection? Or the pain of being stabbed in the back by one whom you thought was a friend? Maybe you have faced the pain of a serious illness or loss of a loved one? Could it be that you have faced the pain of your own failure? These things are extremely hurtful and sharply piercing.
[Subpoint 3] Life’s pain can be personal.
This thorn in the flesh was given specifically to Paul. He said, “lest I should be exalted.” He said, “there was given to me.” He said, “the messenger of Satan to buffet me.” Sure, the Bible tells us, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (I Cor. 10:13), but this pain was directed just for him. Likewise, the pain that we experience is unique to just us. There are times when someone will say, “I know what you are going through.” We know they are trying to help, but frankly, they can’t know. Your pain is just that – it’s yours. You must deal with it, because God has allowed it to come to you.
[Subpoint 4] Life’s pain can be persistent.
Finally, Paul declares that this pain is there to “buffet” him. The Greek word translated here as “buffet” is also found in I Corinthains 4:11 and Matthew 26:67. It literally means to strike with the fist. It is written using the present tense and active voice which denotes a continual pain. This was not a flu or strep bacteria or virus that, with a few antibiotics or medications, can be cured in just a few days. No, this was a physical suffering that would not go away.
[Illustration] My wife understands what it is like to be in persistent and continual pain. Five years ago she was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (a systemic auto-immune disorder) and rheumatoid arthritis. Each night when she sleeps, her muscles and joints tighten and become painfully stiff. When she attempts to get out of bed, she has a very difficult time standing. It is even more difficult attempting to walk each day. Every two months, she travels to Statesville and receives an IV injection of medication that takes about three hours to administer. On top of that, she takes numerous medications multiple times each day. Without these medical treatments, the pain would be unbearable, and she would not be able to function. Yet, even with all of these efforts, the best that can be accomplished is that the pain is diminished. It never fully subsides, and she is forced to bear it every day that she lives. For my wife, this pain is perplexing, piercing, personal, and persistent.
Now I know that wasn’t a very encouraging lead-in, but it is imperative that we acknowledge that all of life’s circumstances must pass through the hand of sovereignty. [Analytical Question] So understanding this, when we find ourselves amidst life’s trials, and the pain is very real, what does God want to reveal to us?
As we find in our text, Paul’s pain was for very specific purposes that God deemed necessary for Paul’s spiritual growth and well-being. Likewise, God “gives” us pain to bring us to the place spiritually that He knows is necessary for our continued well-being.
[Main Point 2] God often uses life’s pain to crush our pride.
In verse seven, we are informed that the thorn in Paul’s flesh was given in order to keep him humble. God knew the inherent risk in allowing Paul to witness the glories of heaven. No one else had been privileged to see what Paul had saw, and there was the very real possibility that Paul would use his privileged status with God to lift himself to an elevated position.
But God had a plan to combat this possibility. God gave Paul a thorn in the flesh so that he would not be “exalted above measure.” This literally means that God made sure that Paul didn’t become haughty. We do not know what he suffered with as scripture is silent concerning it, but it nevertheless caused Paul a great deal of pain.
[Analytical Question] Could it be that God has allowed pain in your life so that you will remain humble and fully dependent upon Him? Christ reminds us in John 15:5, “for without me ye can do nothing.”
[Illustration] During the Battle of the Wilderness in the Civil War, Union general John Sedgwick was inspecting his troops. At one point he came to a parapet, over which he gazed out in the direction of the enemy. His officers suggested that this was unwise and perhaps he ought to duck while passing the parapet. "Nonsense," snapped the general. "They couldn’t hit an elephant at this dist--." A moment later Sedgwick fell to the ground, fatally wounded.
[Application] If we are not careful, we can begin to think of ourselves more highly than we ought and in such a way that would rob God of His glory. It was Paul who advised Timothy against being lifted up with pride knowing that would cause Timothy to fall into the condemnation of the devil. Let us always remember that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.
God uses life’s pain to resist the development of a haughty spirit. As the Word teaches us, pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall (Ps. 16:18). Friends, God can see down the road. He knows where the potholes are that can cause great damage to our spiritual vehicles. He sees the ruts in the sidewalk that can cause us to trip and fall. Pride is just that. It is potholes and ruts in the road of life, and if those holes aren’t patched over or repaved, they can cause great damage.
So what does God do? He brings spiritual asphalt to fill in our ruts and potholes. But like the natural asphalt, it will not smooth over unless heated. Likewise, the spiritual holes of our lives, caused by pride, cannot be filled in unless the heat of life’s pain is present.
[Main Point 3] God often uses life’s pain to compel our prayers.
Verse eight shows that Paul’s trials drove him to his knees. The Bible says that he sought the Lord three times that God might heal his infirmity. I know that Paul was a praying man. He said so himself (Eph. 1:16; II Thes. 1:11), and he encourages everyone else to do so as well (I Thes. 5:17; I Tim. 2:8). But there was something different this time. Paul’s praying was more urgent. Isn’t it true that we pray for the sick, the afflicted, and the hurting? We pray for the missionary on the field, the preacher before he preaches, and little Johnny before the big test. But when it is us that is hurting, isn’t it true that we really seem to get more passionate in our praying?
Don’t let the fact that Paul only prayed three times about this malady fool you into thinking that this was just some casual praying. This wasn’t something added to the end of asking grace at the dinner table. No, this was serious, passionate, urgent praying. The KJV has recorded that Paul “besought” the Lord three times to remove the thorn. The word “besought” comes from the Greek word “parakaleo” which means to beg. This is the same word used in the Gospel of Mark when Jairus was pleading with Jesus to heal his daughter. It is rendered as “beseeching” in Mark 1:40 when speaking of the leper who begs Jesus to heal him. It is also used in Matthew 18:29 in recalling how a servant begged his master for mercy over a bill that he owed so that he would not be thrown into prison and separated from his family.
[Analytical Question] Think about it for a moment. How would you pray for your dying child? In what manner would you pray if you had a terrible and painful disease, or you were in danger of being cast into prison?
[Illustration] G. Campbell Morgan once recalled an exchange between the great English actor named William Charles Macready and a prominent preacher of the day. Seeking to understand why he couldn’t draw a crowd the magnitude of Macready, the preacher said, “I wish you would explain to me something.” "Well, what is it? I don’t know that I can explain anything to a preacher," said Macready. “What is the reason for the difference between you and me?” asked the preacher. “You are appearing before crowds night after night with fiction, and the crowds come wherever you go. I am preaching the essential and unchangeable truth, and I am not getting any crowd at all.” “This is quite simple,” replied Macready. “I can tell you the difference between us. I present my fiction as though it were truth. You present your truth as though it were fiction.”
[Application] The difference in the preacher and the actor was found in their passion. As is often the case, when the path of life is easy, we become dispassionate. We can forget just how much we need the Lord. Our devotional lives become slack, and we attempt to be self-sufficient. When this occurs, God pierces us by one of the thorns of life. Isn’t it amazing how, when the buffeting of life begins to land blow by blow, our passion and urgency quickly grows?
The truth is this: life’s pain will drive you to your knees! Now, understanding this truth, and coupling it with the fact that the Lord knows that we are more apt to seek Him when we hurt and/or have a need, isn’t it sensible to conclude that He will allow us to experience the suffering of life’s pain?
I am sure that for some here tonight, the Christian life is nothing more than an add on to your existence, and you are doing nothing except playing around with your faith. But, can I remind you that God is not going to continue to allow you to do that? Mark the words of this preacher, you will come to a place when you will hurt, and it is there that you will get serious with God!
[Main Point 4] God often uses life’s pain to change our perspective.
Paul began by acknowledging his pain, and then he began pleading for God to remove it. Somewhat surprisingly, God didn’t heal Paul. Here was the great Apostle who beforehand was able to speak blindness on Elymas (Acts 13:11), was able to heal the lame man in Lystra (Acts 14:10), was able to cast the demon from the damsel in Philippi (Acts 16:18), and was able to even raise Eutychus from the dead (Acts 20:10). Yet, now he is limited to asking God to remove his thorn in his flesh. However, God replied not with healing, but rather with information that would change forever how Paul looked at suffering. What did God say that so radically changed Paul’s perspective? “My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
From this moment on, Paul ceased to ask God for physical healing. Furthermore, he takes on an attitude of asking God to leave the thorn where it is. Paul’s entire attitude does an about face. Now, he is glad to have the thorn, because he understands that in his inability, God’s power and glory can be fully manifested through his life.
[Illustration] Fanny Crosby wrote more than 9,000 hymns, many of which are among the most popular throughout every Christian denomination. She even used various pen names so that the hymnals would not be filled with her name above all others. Remarkably, she had done so in spite of being physically blind since the age of six weeks.
A preacher once remarked to Crosby, "I think it is a great pity that the Master did not give you sight when he showered so many other gifts upon you." To which she responded, "Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition, it would have been that I was born blind? Because when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior."
[Application] Fanny Crosby had a unique perspective in regards to her thorn, and like Paul, she learned how to live victoriously even though God would not remove the obstacle. Instead of fighting the problem, seek God to understand how God can use the problem to bring Him glory. Let me give you one more example.
[Illustration] In Judges 16, we are told of a man of great physical strength. His name was Samson. But through his carelessness and callousness, God allowed his strength to be taken from him. He was bound, blinded, and broken by the Philistines. Although Samson had performed some awesome feats, he found himself helpless and ridiculed. Yet, it wasn’t until he was in this state that he finally realized that his great strength didn’t lie within him, but rather was given to him from without. With his perspective changed, we read that Samson sought God one final time to be endued with strength, and the Bible states that he was able to slay more Philistines utilizing God’s strength on this one occasion than he was ever able to do when relying on his own power.
[Application] There are moments when God will allow the pains of life to touch us so that we might see the greater potential. It is only in our weakness that we can claim the strength of God, and God brings life’s pain our way in order to deplete us. When we are finally emptied of ourselves, He can then empower us with His strength to do great things for His kingdom.
[Conclusion] It is God who sits on the circle of the earth, and it is God who can see all things. For every bit of suffering and pain that we face in life, God has ordained a purpose. The Holy Spirit revealed to Paul the purpose for his sufferings. We have it penned by Paul himself. However, we are also reminded of Job and his great suffering. Job was not privileged to know the reasoning for his sufferings and was left in the dark as to why he faced what he did. Yet, even if those trials caused his destruction, Job was going to trust in God.
Likewise, we can trust God and understand that God is working all things out for our good after the counsel of His perfect will. We must recognize that God has a purpose in allowing what we are going through. It is not so much a question of why, but rather a question of what. What God do you want me to learn in this? What God do you want to change through this? How God can I give you glory with this? Don’t allow pain to destroy your faith, but rather let it be that which allows God to fully manifest His strength in your life.
[Invitation] Can I ask you something tonight? What are your circumstances right now? Are you involved in a fiery trial? Are you in the dark as to why this has happened to you? Are you suffering pain because of it? As we have learned, God uses life’s pain to bring us where we need to be. Can I ask you one more question? Were you spiritually where you should have been when the trial began? You need to be absolutely honest here. If you won’t be honest, you’ll never understand the reasoning for your trial, and frankly, that can wipe out your faith.
Where are you now? Has your passion returned? Has that sense of urgency come back? Or are you still playing games with God? Can I remind you that God has brought you here today for this opportunity? You can be restored back to the place where God would have you. You can understand that God is using these circumstances to bring you to a place of great spiritual triumph. Are you willing to acknowledge His sovereignty and submit to His will? If you would be willing to do so, I would like to ask you to come. The altar is open. As our song leader and musicians come, would you please stand for a time of invitation?
