You are never too……..to see God’s Awesomeness
2 Corinthians 12: 7-10
Text Scripture:
2 Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
Intro:
During the past week my friend, Aaron McCollough of www.Freshfireministries.com and I were kicking around ideas on sermons. This morning I preached the message “My God is An Awesome God” as God had given it to me. The following message is what God gave Aaron. With his permission I am posting it as it continues the My God is Awesome theme.
In the text scripture, 2nd Corinthians 12: 7-10, we see several things:
1. Paul was either at or near the height of his earthly Spiritual understanding/grasps of God
a. (Vs. 7 teaches he had received an, “abundance of revelations.”)
2. God “gave” (Not inflicted upon him) a “Thorn in the Flesh” to keep him humble
a. (Vs. 7, “There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.”)
3. Because God knew it was for his good, no amount of praying was going to remove it!
a. (Vs. 8, “8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.)
Then the Lord gives Paul some reassurances that we need to hear today!
1. He told him, “My grace is sufficient for thee…” (And guess what. When God declares something sufficient – it is sufficient!)
2. Then God reassures him that His …“strength is made perfect in weakness!”)
Then, in verses 9 & 10, Paul gives us the correct response to his life situation: “… Most gladly (Attitude!) therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
Are you getting what Paul is teaching us through this scripture today?
• He is saying, the more Spiritual you become, the more likely troubles will come your way
• But don’t blame satan for all of them!
• Sometimes – God sends them – to keep you dependent upon Him!
• But he is saying – when troubles come your way – (and haven’t we all had them?) - be happy – ‘cause God uses your troubles, your trials, your infirmities, and your weaknesses, to show Himself strong in your life!
• And he is teaching us to face our life situations with joy and assurance that the things that happen to us will only make us stronger and better!
Paul taught this same principle in his first letter to the Christians at Corinth when he said in 1st Corinthians 1:27 – 29, “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.”
And in Psalms 33:8, the Psalmist said it this way, “Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.”
And I’m here to testify to all that will hear today, that regardless of what we may be going through; our God is an Awesome God!”
I want you to pick out somebody around you, look at them, and say, “I don’t know about your god, but my God, an Awesome God!” (I didn’t hear you! Louder!)
My God is so awesome that he told Paul: I love you so much that I am going to send a Thorn in the Flesh to keep you from getting too big for your britches – but don’t worry – MY GRACE IS SUFFICENT FOR YOU – AND THIS WEAKNESS I AM SENDING - WILL MAKE ME STRONG IN YOU!
And Paul rejoiced in his infirmity!
How awesome is that?
And I am here to tell you today that there is no situation we can face as God’s Children that He cannot/will not show His awesomeness!
I want you to know today that, as with Paul, our “life situations” cannot negate the “awesomeness” of God!
I want to call some witnesses before you today to testify to the “awesomeness” of God:
In life:
1: You’re never too OLD for God to show Himself Awesome
Psalms 92:12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;
15 To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
• Abraham was 100 when Isaac was born - and his wife was Sari was in her nineties – would have said, “My God is an Awesome God!”
• Moses & Aaron were 80 & 83 when they spoke to Pharaoh (Exodus 7:7) would have said, “My God is an Awesome God!”
• Joshua led the conquest of Cannan during the last thirty years of his life! He lived to be 110. (Joshua 24:29) Caleb was also involved in the conquest in his eighties! (Joshua 14: 6-11) would have said, “My God is an Awesome God!”
• Zacharias and Elizabeth (Parents of John the Baptist) were barren and were “well advanced in years” (Luke 1:7) would have said, “My God is an Awesome God!”
• Simeon & Anna: Two elderly people who were in the temple and the Holy Ghost revealed to them that they would not die until they saw Jesus would have said, “My God is an Awesome God!”
Age does not degrade the awesomeness of God!
In life:
1: You’re never too OLD for God to show Himself Awesome
2: You’re Never too YOUNG for God to show Himself Awesome
Daniel and his friends were most likely teenagers when they sat at the King's table
• Daniel: How did you find God to be when you spent the night in the Lion’s Den? “Awesome!”
• Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego, how did you find God to be in the fiery furnace? “Awesome!”
In life:
1: You’re never too OLD for God to show Himself Awesome
2: You’re Never too YOUNG for God to show Himself Awesome
3: You’re Never too SICK for God to Show Himself Awesome
• Hezekiah was near death and God gave him 15 more years
• Woman with the Issue of Blood
• Ten Lepers
• Hezekiah, what word would you sue to describe God? “Awesome!”
• Woman with the Issue of Blood, what word comes to your mind to describe God? “Awesome!”
• You Lepers, what do you say about God? “Awesome!”
In life:
1: You’re never too OLD for God to show Himself Awesome
2: You’re Never too YOUNG for God to show Himself Awesome
3: You’re Never too SICK for God to Show Himself Awesome
4: You’re Never too POOR for God to Show Himself Awesome
• Believe it or not, King David is one of the first homeless people in the Bible – He lived in caves, he was a vagabond king before he became king of Israel!
• Widow with Two Mites!
In life:
1: You’re never too OLD for God to show Himself Awesome
2: You’re Never too YOUNG for God to show Himself Awesome
3: You’re Never too SICK for God to Show Himself Awesome
4: You’re Never too POOR for God to Show Himself Awesome
5: You’re Never too SINFUL for God to Show Himself Awesome
• Rahab the harlot took in the spies and saved Israel
• The Woman Taken in the very Act of Adultery – Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more!”
In life:
1: You’re never too OLD for God to show Himself Awesome
2: You’re Never too YOUNG for God to show Himself Awesome
3: You’re Never too SICK for God to Show Himself Awesome
4: You’re Never too POOR for God to Show Himself Awesome
5: You’re Never too SINFUL for God to Show Himself Awesome
6: You’re Never too OUTNUMBERED for God to Show Himself Awesome
Elijah and his servant – mountains filled with the chariots of God
2 Kings 6:15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
Elijah and the Fire Calling Down contest – Prophets of the Groves and the Prophets of baal. And One Elijah!
Elijah? “Awesome!”
1: You’re never too OLD for God to show Himself Awesome
2: You’re Never too YOUNG for God to show Himself Awesome
3: You’re Never too SICK for God to Show Himself Awesome
4: You’re Never too POOR for God to Show Himself Awesome
5: You’re Never too SINFUL for God to Show Himself Awesome
6: You’re Never too OUTNUMBERED for God to Show Himself Awesome
7: The Situation is Never too HOPELESS for God to Show Himself Awesome
I have already mentioned: Shadrack, Meshack, Abednego, & Daniel.
May I remind you of Moses at the Red Sea?
May I also remind you of a Thief on the Cross?
• Guilty as charged
• Live a life of crime
• Worthy of death
• Worthy of hell
• But with one request, God showed Himself Awesome!
• “Today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise!”
• These are just a few examples...
• So glory in your infirmities and weakness, Paul said. Because in our weakness, His strength is perfected. (2 Cor 12:9)
MY GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD!
Posted by permission of
Authored by Rev. Aaron Mccollough, Associaional Missionary for the Troup County Baptist Association, Lagrange, Ga also founder and president of freshfireministries.com
Preached by Henry Shellman @ First FWB Church Decatur, AL
