The cowboy replied, “No, but I was bitten by a rattlesnake, and a horse kicked me in the ribs. That laid me up for a while.” The agent asked, “Weren’t those accidents?” The cowboy immediately replied, “No, they did it on purpose.”
Today I want to show you, from this passage of scripture, that God allows certain things to happen to us FOR a PURPOSE.
Often we do not understand the purpose and that is one reason why we call the Christian walk a walk of faith. We are thankful for the times God makes His purpose known, but often we simply have to trust in the sovereign God of heaven Who does what is best. We have to trust Him to help us in each situation.
There are things that happened to the apostle Paul that he did not fully understand, but he was convinced the sovereign God of heaven had a purpose in those things. Now we know that because of what Paul went through, God will be with us and use us to witness for Him no matter where we are.
Let me show you at least three things to consider about the difficulties of life that Paul faced. As we see how Paul faced those difficulties, may God help us learn to face our difficulties in the same way.
WHAT MADE THE APOSTLE PAUL SUCH AN OUTSTANDING CHRISTIAN?
Part of the answer can be found in this passage of scripture.
For example, we often gripe and complain about the difficulties we face, while Paul took pleasure in them. Let us look at...
I. PAUL’S PLEASURE
Look at 2 Cor. 12:10. Paul said, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses...”
If we stop there, we may wish to read this again because it seems that we may have misread it. But, once we read it again, we find we have not misread it.
WHY DOES THIS VERSE MAKE US DO A “DOUBLE TAKE?”
This verse, thus far, seems to be one of the most outlandish statements a person could make. But then we notice Paul clarifies why he takes “pleasure” in trials God sends his way.
Again, look at the list. Paul said he took “pleasure” in:
• Infirmities.
• Reproaches.
• Necessities.
• Persecutions.
• Distresses.
Those simply are not the usual kind of things people go around rejoicing in!
Illus: When was the last time you heard a Christian say, “I am getting old and feeble and I thank the Lord for this infirmity”?
This is why this verse makes us do a “double take.” We simply do not go around thanking God for misfortunes.
We do not boast in our WEAKNESSES. We boast in our STRENGTHS!
Paul sets an example for us in that he boasted in his WEAKNESS.
We can not help but ask, “Has Paul flipped?” No! It’s just that he knew something many Christians need to learn. In fact, if Paul heard some of the sermons we hear in some churches today, he would think the church had flipped for allowing such preaching.
Many so-called preachers we hear on television would tell us if we insisted on taking PLEASURE in those things, to send them a hundred dollars and they would pray for us because we have “flipped.”
They would tell us it is the will of God that we be exempt from all:
• Sickness.
• Difficulties.
• Persecutions.
• Hardships.
• Poverty.
Not only are we told we are exempt from these things, they would have us believe if we do suffer from any of these that IS A SURE SIGN THAT WE ARE OUT OF THE WILL OF GOD!
Listen, if these things are signs a Christian is out of the will of God, then Paul and all the other great Bible characters that we esteem so highly never were in the will of God. They went from one major catastrophe to the next.
We need to understand that, contrary to what many preachers would have us believe, GOD’S WORD MAKES IT ABSOLUTELY CLEAR, NO ONE IS EXEMPT FROM TRIALS OF LIFE. NO ONE!
Illus: It matters not how rich you may become, you will still have to contend with trials and problems.
Accepting the Lord as your Savior does not exempt you from life’s troubles. Again, the apostle Paul is considered to be one of the greatest Christians who has ever walked this earth, but his life was filled with persecutions, hardships, beatings, betrayals, stonings, being jailed, etc. God allowed him to face all these things.
Illus: Listen, don’t you suppose if God, the Father, would show favoritism, He surely would have favored one of His choice servants, like the apostle Paul?
But, God did not allow trials to come Paul’s way because HE DID NOT LOVE HIM. HE ALLOWED THEM BECAUSE HE DID LOVE HIM!
Paul knew God loved him and that the trials were for his good. That was why he said, in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
NOTICE THE INFIRMITIES PAUL TOOK PLEASURE IN. 2 Cor. 12:10, these were trials that came to Paul, “...for Christ’s sake...”
That is, there are some things that come into our lives that are misfortunes, and we certainly should not say, “I take pleasure in this misfortune!”
We all know of Christians who are angry with God because THEY GOT THEMSELVES into a DISTRESSFUL SITUATION and they want God, the Father, to bail them out.
We see this happen in families sometimes. Children will get into a mess and they cry to their parents to bail them out. Then comes a day when the child gets in so deep even the parents can not bail them out. THIS IS BAD PARENTING!
But listen, God does not do this with His children. IF YOU GET YOURSELF INTO A STEW, HE WILL LET YOU SIT THERE IN YOUR STEW! You got yourself into the situation.
Illus: Suppose a Christian goes out, uses no wisdom at all, and gets himself in debt. That is, he gets into debt that will take him the next 10 to 20 years of his life to get out of. Do you suppose he should take his hard-earned money week after week to pay his creditors and say, “I am suffering this poverty for the cause of Christ”?
Of course not! That person is suffering because he did not exercise any wisdom in the area of finances.
Paul took pleasure in his infirmities because the things that came his way had come as a result of his efforts to spread the gospel of Christ. The fact that what he was doing brought trials proved something. Let us look at...
II. PAUL’S PROOF
The tribulations Paul faced were proof that he WAS IN THE PERFECT WILL OF GOD.
We are being told by some preachers that being HEALTHY and WEALTHY is proof we are in God’s will.
Listen, if being healthy and wealthy was a sign a person was in God’s will, then people like Howard Stearn and other ungodly entertainers, according to those preachers, would be in God’s will. If health and wealth were signs of God’s blessing, then many of the most wicked people on earth would be in God’s will. HOW RIDICULOUS!
We can not judge any person’s level of spirituality by the measure of their blessings. Carnal man does this. Christians must not fall into that trap.
The PROOF of Paul’s being in God’s will was found in HIS TRIBULATIONS!
Look at 2 Cor. 12:12. We read, “Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.
Certainly the “...signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds...” were proof of Paul’s apostleship.
But notice something else he mentions. He speaks about PATIENCE.
Listen, it does not take ANY PATIENCE to serve the Lord when things are going great, but it takes a tremendous amount of patience to serve the Lord in DIFFICULT TIMES. That was why Paul took PLEASURE IN HIS INFIRMITIES. As everyone saw him being attacked by Satan, HE PATIENTLY SERVED THE LORD!
• He didn’t backslide like some do.
• He didn’t become discouraged and quit.
He patiently served the Lord during those trying times and that was the proof of his ministry.
In other words, the devil is not going to attack someone he knows is on his side. The devil does not attack the minister that is preaching lies, but he does attack the MAN OF GOD WHO REFUSES TO COMPROMISE WHAT THIS BIBLE TEACHES.
Paul took pleasure in his difficulties because they were the PROOF OF HIS APOSTLESHIP.
We have looked at Paul’s PLEASURE and PROOF. Now look at...
III. PAUL’S POWER
Look at 2 Cor. 12:7-9. We read, “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. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 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.”
Notice the last phrase. Why did Paul say he would glory in his infirmities? “...THAT THE POWER OF CHRIST MAY REST UPON ME.”
In other words,
• A doctor has need of sick people if he is going to use his skills to be of help.
• A banker has to have people without money if he is going to loan money.
• A restaurant owner has to have people WITHOUT food if he is going to sell them his food.
And, the Lord needs people who are WEAK if He is going to show HIS STRENGTH through them!
God can not give His strength to a man who is already strong. If He did there might be some doubt as to who the glory should go to.
But, the Lord will allow us to be placed in a position sometimes where we can not do anything except trust Him. That way, when God works things out, He receives the glory. And so, Paul said, 2 Cor. 12:10, “THEREFORE I TAKE PLEASURE IN INFIRMITIES, IN REPROACHES, IN NECESSITIES, IN PERSECUTIONS, IN DISTRESSES FOR CHRIST'S SAKE...”
Conclusion: I am sure some of you here are Christians and are going through trials you do not understand. You have faithfully served the Lord, now, all of a sudden, you are facing something you have no control over. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad because you are in a position where God can manifest His STRENGTH IN YOUR WEAKNESS!
I. PAUL’S PLEASURE.
II. PAUL’S PROOF
III. PAUL’S POWER
