LORD, PLEASE HEAR MY CRY
2 COR. 12:7-9
1. INTRODUCTION. EVERY NOW AND THEN WE FIND OURSELVES IN DIRE STRAIGHTS, AND THE BURDENS OF LIFE SEEM TO GET THE BEST OF US. STRUGGLES WILL ALWAYS FIND THEIR WAY INTO OUR LIVES. ALTHOUGH WE WILL WRESTLE WITH STRUGGLES, WE DON'T HAVE TO LET THE STRUGGLES GET THE BEST OF US.
2. THE TEXT. THE APOSTLE PAUL FINDS HIMSELF DEALING WITH A SITUATION THAT SEEMS TO BE GETTING THE BEST OF HIM.
a) HE HAS BEEN GIVEN A THORN IN THE FLESH, WHICH MEANS THAT HE WAS DEALING WITH SOME TYPE OF INFIRMITY.
b) THIS INFIRMITY WAS CAUSING PAUL A GREAT DEAL OF DISTRESS.
c) EVERY NOW AND THEN MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, LIFE WILL SEEM STRESSFUL.
d) NOTICE THAT PAUL DID NOT QUESTION GOD, NOR DID HE ASK THE QUESTION “WHY ME?”
e) WHENEVER WE FIND OURSELVES IN PROBLEMATIC SITUATIONS, WE SHOULD NOT ASK WHY ME, BUT HAVE FAITH IN GOD.
f) NOTICE WHAT PAUL DID, HE PRAYED. HE DID NOT HAVE A PITY PARTY, HE PRAYED!
g) HE DID NOT LOSE HIS MIND, BUT HE USED HIS MIND. HE PRAYED.
h) MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WHENEVER LIFE SEEMS TO BE GETTING THE BEST OF YOU, PRAY!!
3. THE RESPONSE.
a) THE LORD ANSWERED PAUL BY SAYING “MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR THEE: FOR MY STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS.”
b) PAUL ASKED FOR THE THORN TO BE REMOVED, BUT THE LORD DID NOT REMOVE IT.
c) THE QUESTION IS, WHY DIDN’T THE LORD REMOVE THE THORN?
d) THE ANSWER IS THAT THE LORD KNEW THAT PAUL WOULD BE BETTER WITH THE THORN THAN HE WOULD BE WITHOUT THE THORN.
e) MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT GOD DOES NOT ALWAYS ANSWER OUR PRAYERS THE WAY THAT WE WANT HIM TO, BUT HE ALWAYS ANSWERS IN A WAY THAT IS BEST FOR US. GOD WILL SAY YES, NO, AND WAIT!
f) THERE ARE SOMETHINGS IN LIFE THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO ACCEPT AND DEAL WITH.
g) YES, GOD CAN REMOVE ALL OF OUR BURDENS, BUT IF GOD ANSWERED ALL OF OUR PRAYERS THE WAY THAT WE WANTED HIM TO, THEN WE WOULD BE SPOILED!
h) I JUST STOPPED TO TELL SOMEBODY TODAY, THAT NO MATTER WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH, IF YOU TRUST IN GOD YOU CAN HANDLE IT.
4. WHAT DO WE DO WHEN IT LOOKS LIKE GOD IS NOT LISTENING?
a) KEEP PRAYING!
b) SOME TIMES WE HAVE TO USE THE FORMULA P-U-S-H (PRAY UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS).
c) I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN PRAYING AND WONDERING WHY GOD DOES NOT ANSWER YOUR PRAYER.
d) OUR PRAYER SHOULD BE LORD, GIVE ME THE STRENGTH TO ACCEPT YOUR WILL.
e) I KNOW THAT YOU FEEL LIKE GIVING UP SOMETIME, BUT KEEP ON PRAYING!
f) WE MUST COME TO GRIPS AND UNDERSTAND THE WILL OF GOD IN OUR SITUATIONS.
5. THE SUFFICIENCY OF HIS GRACE!
a) JESUS SAYS MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU.
b) GRACE IS THE FAVOR AND LOVE OF GOD IN ACTION.
c) HIS GRACE IS ABLE TO SUSTAIN US IN THE MIDST OF OUR INFIRMITIES.
d) HIS GRACE WILL GIVE US STRENGTH IN THE TIMES OF TROUBLE AND TURMOIL.
e) HIS GRACE WILL MAKE US VICTORIOUS OVER OUR VICISSITUDES.
f) HIS GRACE WILL UPHOLD US UNDER THE WEIGHT AND BONDAGE OF GLOOM, GRIEF, AND DESPAIR.
6. CONCLUSION/FOUR POINTS.
a) ONE, BEFORE TRUSTING ANYONE ELSE, TRUST GOD.
b) TWO, BE PERSISTENT! PAUL PRAYED THREE TIMES.
c) THREE, WAIT FOR THE RESPONSE.
d), FOUR, PRAISE HIM. PAUL PRAISED GOD, AND THAT’S WHAT WE MUST LEARN TO DO!
