2 CORINTHIANS 12:1-102005 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2005.

As we get into the Word this morning, we need to look back for a moment at chapter 11 and remember, what has Paul been talking about? He's been dealing with these false apostles, these guys who have come in after the Apostle Paul into the city of Corinth and they're boasting about themselves, commending themselves, telling everybody how wonderful they are and how they need to listen to them instead of the Apostle Paul. And they're leading them astray. In chapter 11, Paul deals very...

and pointedly with these false apostles, saying that they are preaching another Jesus, not the same Jesus that the Bible presents, but a different Jesus, a different gospel, that they're actually ministers of Satan and leading the Corinthians astray rather than closer to God through the things that they're sharing. And so the Apostle Paul, as he's been dealing with them, we understand last week we talked about the sufferings

Paul endured, the things that he went through. And Paul, in chapter 11, verses 16 through 19, shares with them that boasting is not a good thing, it's not profitable, it's not wise. That's what these false apostles are doing, and the Corinthians are receiving them.

And so Paul says, let me just pretend to be a fool for a moment, that I may boast to you for a moment, because that's who you receive, the fools who boast. And so he pretends to be a fool, acts as if he was a fool, so that he would be able to boast and to talk about the things that he has gone through and the things that God has done. Now, Paul's boasting was much different than

the way you or I might boast, and definitely different than the false apostles were boasting, because the false apostles were boasting about how great they were, commending themselves, lifting themselves up, and about their experiences, and how much they knew God, and how well they kept the law, and all the things that they did. But Paul boasted quite the opposite way.

He boasted, in fact, in verse 30 of chapter 11, he says, I'm only going to boast in the things which concern my infirmity, or literally it means the areas where I'm without strength, my weaknesses. That's what I will boast in. And so Paul lists there in verses 24 through 28 many of the weaknesses that he experienced and the hard times and trials that he went through. He was ungrateful.

whipped 39 times, five times. He was beaten with rods three times. He was shipwrecked three times as well. And on and on the list goes. The things that Paul went through and endured for the kingdom of God. Paul says, I'm going to boast. I'm going to pretend to be a fool for a moment. But...

I'm going to boast in my weaknesses, not in my strength, that God would be glorified. Now as we head into chapter 12, we'll be looking at verses 1 through 10 this morning, and what we'll learn here is Paul shares an experience that took place in his life, an experience of an awesome heavenly vision, but also a thorn in the flesh as a result of that. And what we learn from this passage, as we'll see, is the balance that God provides in our lives.

Have you ever noticed that after awesome victory in your life, there is often great trials? Maybe you've led someone to the Lord or come back from a retreat or done something, taught your first Bible study or shared a devotion or was able to minister to somebody at the hospital or your neighbor, your co-worker, something took place. There was great victory. Something happened that was just an awesome blessing. And then shortly thereafter, there was

more than likely a great trial that took place in your life as well. It often happens whether it be in the area of depression or emotions or people coming against you or cars breaking down or something of the sort that God has allowed something into your life to counteract in a sense the blessing and things that has been poured out. He has a way of balancing our lives. Those who accomplish much for God often suffer much for God.

He has a balance within our lives. Now there's some who teach, and there's many around who would be on TV or be behind a pulpit and say that Christians are not supposed to suffer. They say that you just need to claim it, believe it, name it, and you got it. And so you don't need to suffer anymore. They say that God doesn't want you to be suffering and going through trials. And if you are, it's because you don't have enough faith.

They say if you just had enough faith, you wouldn't have to have that broken foot or that illness or that disease or that injury or whatever the case may be. If you just had enough faith, you wouldn't have to experience that suffering.

That is utter and complete foolishness. Don't listen to those things because that is not what God's Word teaches. We will suffer in this life. Jesus promised it. But the good news is God keeps it balanced so that our suffering corresponds to His working in us and through us.

Our suffering corresponds to his revelation of himself to us. And that's why James in chapter 1 verses 2 through 4 says to count it all joy when you face trials and temptations. Consider it joy because God is doing a work in you. And so, yes, there's sufferings, but there's the corresponding balance of what he is doing in you and through that time of suffering and that trial.

Matthew chapter 5 verse 10, Jesus said, See the balance? Persecuted for righteousness sake, Jesus says they're blessed. Well, I've been persecuted. I don't usually feel blessed when I've been persecuted, you might say.

Well, he says, blessed are those who are persecuted because theirs is the kingdom of God. There's a balance that takes place. God has a way of balancing out our lives so that the suffering and the trials that we go through, he gives us enough of himself, enough grace that we would be able to carry on to go through and to be blessed. There's a balance. Too simplistic, we might think.

Now, it doesn't seem that it would be that simple. Yeah, there's suffering, but it doesn't always seem to relate to something that God's doing in my life. But if it's too simplistic in our hearts, then it means that we're not really believing His Word because that's the balance that the Bible presents.

We're not believing His Word. We're not living for eternity if we do not think that God revealing Himself to us is enough to balance out the sufferings within our life. Paul will reveal to us otherwise here in 2 Corinthians chapter 12. Let's read it together starting in verse 1. It says this,

It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who, fourteen years ago, whether in the body I do not know or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows. Such a one was caught up to the third heaven.

Verse 2.

Verse 7.

And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.

And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest in me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Let's pray. Heavenly Father,

Lord, we admit to you this morning that we are weak. Lord, as we sit here, we need to hear from you, God, and we cannot understand your word and what you're saying without your help. So, Lord, we ask that you would send your Holy Spirit to empower us, to minister to us, to speak to us. God, that we might understand what you're saying to our hearts. Lord, that we might be obedient to

to the call that you've put in our lives. Heavenly Father, speak to us now, we pray. Remove the distractions and things from our hearts, the things that would keep us from hearing what you want to say to us. And God, we ask that you would minister to us this morning. In Jesus' name, amen.

As we look at chapter 12, Paul starts out in verse 1 and he says, it's doubtless not profitable for me to boast. Now, he's been saying this all along. Boasting is foolishness, it's silliness, it's not profitable, it doesn't benefit, it's

It's not something that we should take part in. And so Paul reaffirms that. He says, it's doubtless not profitable for me to boast. He's still convinced it's not wise. It's something that's foolish to do. Why? Well, Paul says it's not profitable because it doesn't help him achieve his goal. It doesn't help him and...

spur him on in the direction that he wants to go. What's his goal? Where is he headed? Well, in Philippians chapter 3, he shares that with us. His goal, his purpose. Verse 10 says that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being conformed to his death. Paul says, boasting does not help me know God better. It doesn't improve my relationship with him. It might make me look good to people.

Because I'm boasting about these things. I might find more favor with people, but it does nothing for me in my relationship with God. It doesn't draw me close. In fact, it does more the other in pulling me away and getting me to focus on how great I am rather than how great is the Lord.

Now, he's going to finish what he started here, though. He started boasting about his infirmities and these things, and so he comes to this area of visions and revelations. Now, the false apostles were proclaiming and talking about their visions and revelations. You remember these were the Judaizers, those who were the legalistic Jews who believed

claim to be Christians and claim to have special revelation that you needed to hear from them what they had to say if you really wanted to be spiritual. And we talked about that a lot in chapter 11. Remember in Galatians chapter 1, Paul found it necessary to say, even if an angel appears to you and teaches you another gospel, let him be accursed.

The idea being that these guys, they were claiming that angels had appeared to them. They'd received visions and revelations, and that's why you needed to hear what they had to say and receive what they had to teach. That's why you had to follow them and not the Apostle Paul, because they had what you really needed to be saved, to be spiritual.

So Paul comes to this area and says, okay, let me talk about this for a moment. He was no stranger to visions and revelations. In Acts chapter 26, Paul describes his conversion experience and he refers to it as a vision that Jesus personally appeared to him in.

as a vision there on the road to Damascus when he was converted. Not only that, but we see it in Acts chapter 16 verse 9 as Paul is on a missionary journey and he gets a vision during the night with a man calling him to Macedonia, to the area of northern Greece that he might minister there. In Acts chapter 18 verse 9, we find another vision. Paul received a vision from the Lord where God told him not to be afraid but to continue to speak and not be silent. And that vision

coincidentally enough, took place in the city of Corinth when he was there the first time. And so he's there in Corinth, he receives a vision, and God tells him to keep on speaking, to not be quiet. He was no stranger to visions and revelations as well. Galatians chapter 1, verses 11 and 12, Paul describes how he was taught the things of the gospel, how he was taught the things that we often read here in the New Testament, the letters that he wrote. Where did he learn all that stuff?

Well, Galatians chapter 1, verses 11 and 12, Paul explains that he was taught the gospel by the revelation of Jesus Christ. Jesus himself taught the Apostle Paul the gospel message and the things that we read about. Often we wonder, man, all these mysteries and all these wonderful things and insight the Apostle Paul had, how did he get it? Well, he received it by revelation. Jesus Christ revealed it to him personally.

Now, Paul not being a stranger to these, he comes to deal with them, but he begins in verse 2 talking about this vision and he says, Paul begins talking about a man now.

Now, what man is he talking about? Some believe that he is truly talking about someone else, just some anonymous person. But according to the context and looking at verse 7, it's very apparent that Paul is talking about himself. He's referring to himself in the third person, but he is talking about an experience that took place in his life, a vision and revelation that he received.

So why is he talking in third person? Why is he? Is he just trying to confuse us? No, I don't believe that. What I do believe is he's talking in third person to make sure that he would not be misunderstood to be boasting. You know how it is. Letters, emails, those type of things, they do not communicate tone of voice, the stress we place on certain words, etc. And that makes a big difference. Oftentimes,

Things can be totally taken out of context or totally taken and misunderstood because the tone that we would have said it with is not how it came out whenever it was written down or read. Your tone makes a big difference in how things are understood. Could you imagine a nice romantic evening? You're at dinner with your husband or wife or one to be, hopefully, and it's candlelit dinner, it's a nice evening, and you say, I love you?

Has a question. Okay, that's not what they want to hear. Okay, I'm not sure if I love you or not. I don't know. But you say those same words a little bit differently and the total meaning is changed. And it's something that's comforting, that's encouraging, that you want to hear. I love you. That's different than I love you. Right? You understand the difference. Paul wanted to make sure. Okay, tone of voice, the words I use, nothing. I want to make sure, take every precaution.

that I'm not misunderstood to be boasting. That they wouldn't read in and Paul's saying here, well, I did this and I'm so great because I had this vision and I... Paul doesn't want it to be focused on himself. He's keeping the focus on God. And so he uses third person that even if he was misquoted, it wouldn't be taken as boasting to make sure that the message was clear, that they wouldn't misunderstand him. He wanted to keep the focus on God.

And so he says, I know a man, referring to himself, who 14 years ago, now 2 Corinthians was written probably about 57 or 58 AD, which puts this vision back to 43 or 44 AD. Now, if you look at the chronology of this, we're looking at Acts chapter 14 then, as Paul is on his first missionary journey.

about 14 years prior, and probably he was going through the regions of Galatia and so on and so forth. Now, as we look at Acts chapter 14, we also understand that that was the time, we looked at it very briefly last week, in verse 19 and 20 of Acts chapter 14, when the Jews in the city of Lystra became incensed against Paul and they stoned him with rocks again, but they drug him out of the city to be left for dead.

And it was at that time that many believe he received this vision, this revelation that he was referring to. Could be, could not be, but 14 years prior, Paul receives this revelation. Now, he doesn't know if he was there physically. He says, whether in the body, I do not know, or out of the body, I do not know, but God knows. So, the vision was real, but he wasn't sure if he was there physically or just spiritually or really what the case was. It was very real. He was there in the presence of God, but...

He says, God knows and that's enough. And going on, he says, such a one was caught up into the third heaven. That word caught up, you might be familiar with it. It's the Greek word harpazo. And it's the word that's used in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 talking about the rapture of the church. Paul got a sneak preview of the rapture. He was caught up into the third heaven, snatched or seized by force and he was taken into the third heaven. Now, what's the third heaven? Where is that at? What's he referring to? Well,

The scripture talks about different types of heavens. The first heaven, if you were to put it in those terms, it doesn't necessarily list them like this, but the first heaven would be the atmosphere, the sky that we know today. Genesis chapter 1 verse 20, God says, look, I created the birds, let them fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens. Where do the birds fly? Well, right here in our sky, in the atmosphere, what we know of as today.

Now, the second heavens, if you were to put it in those terms, would be the heavens of heavens, as referred to in the scripture. We see this in 1 Kings 8, verse 27, as Solomon has just finished constructing the temple. And he's built the temple, which was about the size of this building, a little bit bigger. He's built this temple and he recognizes God, the heavens of heavens,

cannot contain you. The heaven of heavens. What's the heaven of heavens? Well, that's the stuff beyond this atmosphere. That's what we call today outer space or the ends of the galaxy or the universe. The heaven of heavens referring to that beyond this atmosphere. Solomon says, that can't contain you. How can this little building contain you? Recognizing that his presence would be there but he wouldn't completely be there. It was just a place where they would go to meet with God.

But the third heaven, as Paul is referring to here, it's the only time it's really mentioned in Scripture, but we understand it to be where God dwells. Not the heavens in this world and in this atmosphere. Not the heavens beyond, the galaxies beyond, but the third heaven. The heaven of heavens is close, it's big, but it's not quite it. The third heaven is where the presence of God, the throne room of God. And Paul says in verse 3, I know such a man, whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know. God knows he was caught up.

into this heaven.

This third heaven. Taken there. In verse 3, he goes on and he says basically the same thing. Such a man, he was caught up in the body or out of the body, I don't know. God knows and that's what really matters. But in verse 4, he says how he was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible words which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Caught up into paradise. Making reference to the same thing, the third heaven that he made reference to before. The presence of God. Remember, Jesus on the cross made reference to

to paradise, to the thief next to him. And he said, today you will be with me in paradise. There in Luke chapter 23. Some will make a distinction between the paradise that Paul mentions here and the third heaven that he mentions in verse 2. There's a great technicality that you could kind of look into and get into, but really it's not important. Because Paul's point here is, I was taken into the presence of God. Taken into the throne room of God. Taken into heaven, to paradise.

And what happened there? Well, he was there, he's experiencing this great vision, taken there, and it says he heard inexpressible words, which are not lawful for a man to utter. I find it interesting that he says that he heard inexpressible words. Because most of the time when we think about visions, we refer to them or think of them in the

An idea of a vision, of seeing something. In fact, Revelation, the book of Revelation, the Apostle John, this great vision that he has, he uses the words, I saw, 34 times throughout the book. And so it was a vision that he saw and he kept describing the things that he saw. And Paul doesn't even delve into that. He doesn't talk about what he saw. He says, I heard inexpressible words.

I heard things that are not lawful or a better translation might be that are not possible for a man to utter. So what did he hear? Well, we don't know and we won't know until we get there because we're not able to understand it's not lawful or possible for him to utter them now.

In verse 5, Paul says, of such a one I will boast, yet of myself I will not boast except in my infirmities. He kind of leaves us hanging. I mean, it's kind of like, come on, Paul, give us, at least try to tell us what you heard a little bit or a piece, kind of a hint, you know, of something that you heard or something that you saw. Give us a little piece of it that we could try to understand or imagine what it was like. But Paul says, I'm not going to boast about such things. I'm

I'm not going to boast about what I heard or what I saw or anything like that. Only in my infirmities will I boast. Only where I am without strength and in my weaknesses, I'll boast in that and that's it. Nothing more.

In verse 6 he says, For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me. Why wouldn't he boast? Why wouldn't he talk about that vision? Why wouldn't he talk about the things? Well, first it was inexpressible. He wouldn't be able to. But the other reason, the other thing is he doesn't want to boast in those things. He wants to boast in infirmities. Why? Why?

I believe the New Living Translation in verse 6 gives us a good, accurate description of why the Apostle Paul would not boast. The New Living Version or Translation says, I have plenty to boast about and would be no fool in doing it because I would be telling the truth. But I won't do it. I don't want anyone to think more highly of me than what they can actually see in my life and my message. Paul says, look,

I want to keep the focus on God. If I were to boast, which I could if I wanted to, I suppose, if I were to boast, it wouldn't be foolish because I would be telling the truth. It's not like I would be making things up. Now, Paul is also at the same time implying that these super apostles, the visions and the things that they're talking about, they have made up. They're not telling the truth. It is foolish for them to boast because they're talking about things that are not true, that are not real.

They wanted to continually get the attention on themselves. They talked about these visions and revelations, how much you needed to hear about what they saw or heard. And Paul says, that's the point, that's the purpose, that's how you can tell their visions were not real, as we'll go on to see in a moment. But Paul says the opposite. I do have a lot I could share. I would be boasting and it would be the truth. But I don't want to boast. Because...

Even if it is the truth, I want people to focus on God and not on me. That is why it's not profitable to boast. Because I'm not trying to get people's attention on me. I'm trying to get people's attention on God. That's my goal. That's my purpose. I'm supposed to give God glory, not take it from Him.

And so Paul says, actions speak much louder than words. Let people make their decisions about me by how they see me live my life and the message they hear from me. Rather than me boasting about myself and commending myself and telling everybody how great I am and what I've seen, let them watch my life and see how these visions have affected my life and make their decisions and their conclusions that way. Not from me boasting and attracting attention to myself by what I've seen or what has happened to me.

Verse 7, And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan, to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. So here's Paul. He has this awesome revelation with words he can't express. It's not even possible for him to utter them. But remember what I said this portion was about? It's about the balance. Here comes the balance.

to keep me from being puffed up from this vision, from being exalted above measure, to keep me from glorifying myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me. Paul calls it a messenger of Satan. Now, Satan is a created being. He is a pawn in God's scheme of things. Not an opponent, really, but just a pawn. God uses him to accomplish his will and his purpose.

Remember Romans 8? It says, God works all things together for good, even...

God uses Satan and what he does for good. He allows this messenger of Satan to be delivered to Paul. This message that Satan is delivering to Paul, this thorn in the flesh, he allows it. Why? Well, to keep him from being puffed up, to keep him from being exalted above measure, to accomplish God's purpose in Paul's life, he allows this thorn in the flesh. What is this thorn in the flesh that Paul is referring to? What was actually going on and taking place within him? Why?

that caused him to share this? Or what was this thorn that he's referring to? Well, we don't know. We have no idea, really. There's many scholars who say many things, but not many of them have more substance than the other. Some say that it was malaria. There's a form of malaria that's common to the region of Galatia.

that is known for its excruciatingly painful headaches, incapacitating headaches. It would just knock you out because of the pain and the agony and it would come and go and it would stay with you for life. And so some say, well, it's probably malaria. And 14 years ago, he might have been passing through Galatia and so it very well could be that that is what he is referring to, this thorn in the flesh that he received.

Others say, well, it was probably an eye disease because the Galatians, when he was writing to them in Galatians chapter 4, Paul reminds them of how they were willing to pluck out their eyes and give them to Paul.

If that would have helped him. And so descriptions of the Apostle Paul describe him as always having pus or ooze coming out of his eyes. His eyes were always running in that sense. And so he was not pretty to look at. And the Galatians said, well, I wish we could just take out our eyes and give them to you if that would help.

And so maybe that was his thorn in the flesh. Others say that it was probably a person that followed him that was very annoying or really irritating or always causing problems for him or something else that we don't know. I know you're thinking that about the person next to you, but it's not true. That's not the thorn in the flesh. We don't know what this thorn was to the Apostle Paul, but we do know a little bit about this word that he used, which gives us a better idea

of what Paul is referring to. This word thorn, the only time it's used here in the New Testament is right here. But it can be translated thorn. However, usually in those days, they didn't use this word to describe thorns. This word was used

to describe a stake by which you would hold down a tent. The Bedouins who would be over there, who lived in tents and would wander from region to region, they're still around today and they live much the same way in Egypt.

Hopefully you'll be able to go to Israel with us in March and be able to see some of their tent stakes. But they're said to be 18 inches long. These stakes that they would use to keep their tents in the ground when the wind would come. That's the word that's used here. It's a tent stake. Or another translation, another way that this word was used, was to describe a stake that was used during torture or to impale someone, to run them through. So Paul...

changes the picture a little bit when he uses this word thorn. You know, we think of a rosebush and we kind of think like, ow, oh man, you know, I kind of got a little thorn in my flesh there, a little pain, a little irritation. It's not very comfortable. But Paul's saying, no, no, it's not a thorn. It's a torturing stake that I have in my life. It's a torturing stake in my flesh that's bugging me, that's coming against me. And that is

is what balanced out the vision that Paul had received. It wasn't just a slight irritation. You're like, oh, I broke a nail. Man, ow. It was something that was agonizing for him, torturous to him. Something very painful that the Apostle Paul was going through. Now you can imagine, as we look at chapter 11 and remember the list, man, the catalog of the sufferings that he went through. He wasn't a big sissy, right?

He endured a lot, but this was very painful to him. And so whatever it was, it was bad. It was not good. And the Apostle Paul in verse 9 says, "...concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me." Three times I came before the Lord and I said, Lord, please take this away from me. Let it depart from me. I don't want to go through this. I can't go through this. It's too painful. It's too hard.

And God says, yeah, but you've been stoned. You've been beaten with rods three times. You've been whipped 39 times, five times. Paul says, I know, but this is worse. This, I can't stand it. It's painful. It's hard. It's difficult.

He comes before the Lord three times. Why three? Well, we know that Jesus prayed three times to be kept from suffering as well. You remember that? Back in the garden, Matthew chapter 26, Jesus is there and he's looking, knowing that the cross is right before him and he goes three times before the Lord. Lord, if it's possible, if there's any other way, let this cup pass from me. This cup of suffering, this cross that I'm about to bear, the suffering that I'm going to go through, three times he went before the Lord.

and asked him to deliver him from it. So is three the right number then, when there's suffering in your life and suffering in my life? There's some who would teach that. If you pray more than three times, it's because you don't have a lot of faith. I don't believe that. And that's not what Paul is saying here. It's not Paul's point in this passage. In fact, Jesus taught quite the opposite.

Paul himself said, pray without ceasing. It's not that we are to pray three times, but do you know why Paul stopped after the third time?

If you look at verse 9, you'll find your answer. Because it says, And he said to me, Why did Paul stop after the third time? Because God answered him. Because God spoke to him. Because God gave him the answer to his prayer. It wasn't the answer he wanted, but it was the answer that God gave to the Apostle Paul. The importance of this is that

The important thing is not to pray a certain number of times, but to continue to pray until you receive the answer from God. He might take it away. That might be his response. He might bring you out of it. Or he might, like he said to the Apostle Paul, say, I'm going to get you through it. My grace is sufficient. I'll take care of you. Just endure. Continue on. The thorn in the flesh. Jesus, in Luke chapter 18, verses 1 through 8, tells the story of a persistent widow who

And she's a widow who continues to come to a judge. Now, in verse 1 of chapter 18, Jesus said that, well, it says he spoke a parable to them that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.

So the point of this parable that Jesus is teaching is that we ought to always pray and not lose heart. The parable is, this widow comes to the judge continually. Please, judge my case. I'm being treated unfairly. And the judge, being a wicked judge, had no care for her, didn't worry about her. She was a poor widow, couldn't offer him anything, couldn't bribe him, so forget her. I'm not going to judge your case.

But continually and over and over and over and over again, she comes to this judge and finally he says, man, if I don't judge this case, she's going to drive me crazy. She's going to drive me insane. I'm going to be wearied because of her continual coming to me. So let me judge her case. Let me take care of it. Not because I care about her. Not because I have anything to do with her. But just so she'll stop bugging me.

Now, Jesus says that not to tell us that that's how God feels towards us, but to give us the contrast. If a wicked judge, when a woman comes to him continually, continually, continually, finally will give in and judge her case, how much more our Heavenly Father, who loves us, who gave His Son to die on the cross, who Paul said, if He gave His Son, how much more will He give all the other things that we need? I mean, He didn't withhold His most precious thing, His Son.

How much more will he give us everything else, the little things that you and I need to get us through this life? And so Jesus gives us the contrast there. How much more God will provide for us? But the point is, the point of the parable was that we ought to always pray and not lose heart. Continue to pray in times of suffering, in the midst of suffering. Are you suffering this morning? Keep praying. Don't stop after the third time. Pray without ceasing until...

You receive the response from the Lord until He gives you instruction, direction, His answer for your situation. Verse 9, Paul goes on to say, He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you. My strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, most gladly, I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ...

may rest upon me. Paul stopped because God answered him. His answer wasn't necessarily what he wanted, but it was the answer that God wanted and what God wanted to do in his life. And so that's how we can know when to stop praying. When God takes us out of it, delivers us from it, or speaks to us about it and says, I'll get you through. My grace is sufficient for you. My strength is made perfect in weakness.

God essentially is speaking to Paul and he says, look, I know it's very painful and difficult, this thing that you're facing, that you're going through. But my grace I'm giving to you and by my grace I will provide for your every need.

You'll always have the strength that you need to do the things that I've called you to do. You'll always have enough strength to make it through, to carry you through, to help you bear the burdens, to ease the pain. You'll always have what you need because my strength will carry you because my strength is made perfect in weakness. Now, his strength is made perfect in weakness. It's important for us to know because we love to boast about our strength.

and not so much about our weaknesses. But Paul has learned, okay, if God's strength is made perfect in weakness, then he goes on to say, therefore most gladly I will boast in my infirmities, in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest in me. Paul says, okay, that's your answer, Lord? Then bring on the weakness. Bring it on. Give me more. Why? Well, that the power of Christ might rest upon me. Do you notice the balance?

His strength is made perfect in weakness. He says, the power of Christ may rest upon me. I boast rather in my weaknesses so that the power of Christ will be in my life. Do you want the power of Christ on your life? Do you want the power of God at work in your life? There's going to be a balance. The power of God and the weaknesses, the sufferings that we endure, that we go through. Because his strength is made perfect, perfected in our weaknesses.

It's important to know. It's important to understand. He doesn't say, my strength is made perfect in miracles. Or my strength is made perfect in healings. Or in wonders or amazement or even parting the Red Sea. That's not where my strength is perfected. That's not where my power is manifested. My power is manifested, my strength is perfected in weakness.

of the lives of my children, where I prove myself strong on their behalf, and I carry them through the things that they have to endure. My strength is made perfect in weakness. And so verse 10, Paul says, wow, therefore, I seek pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

So, in verse 9 he says, I'll boast rather in my infirmities. Most gladly I'll do that. Here in verse 10 he says, I'll take pleasure in infirmities. Now, we have to understand, Paul is not a sadistic person. He just doesn't enjoy pain. That's not the point of this passage. But the other side of that is he is not being fake either.

He's not just pretending to take pleasure in these things because he knows, you know, that's what a good Christian is supposed to do. I'll just smile and put on a happy face because that's how I'm supposed to be. I'm supposed to enjoy these things and God's going to carry me through. No, no. He's not pretending. It's not a fake thing. He's very serious. Because the focus, the purpose of his life is, I want God to be glorified. I want Christ to be exalted. I want people to know him. I want people to know him.

And Paul says, God's revealed to me. What he said was, the way that you are going to reveal me to people around you is through your weakness.

And through your sufferings. And it's through that, that my name will be known to those around you. That you'll be giving glory to me. That you'll be manifesting my power in your life. Through your weaknesses. Through your faults. Through your infirmities. Through your distresses and pains and reproaches and needs and all those things. Through those things, I will be glorified in your life. And so Paul, his life endeavor to bring glory to Christ says,

Okay, bring it on. Let it happen. Let the trials come. Let the pain come. Let the persecutions and distresses come. Because the most important thing to me is that Jesus Christ is glorified.

I'm not here to live for my own comfort, for my own glory, anything about me. I'm here because I want to bring glory to God. And if I'm to do that by suffering, by going through things, bring it on. I'll rejoice in that. I'll find pleasure in that because I'll know that God's strength is being made manifest, made perfect. He'll be getting the glory. He'll be working in my life. And so Paul says the conclusion, when I'm weak...

then I'm strong. Because His strength is made perfect in my weakness. So I'm strong.

When I'm strong, then in reality, that's when I'm weak. Because that's when I'm trusting in myself and relying in myself and looking to myself and that's not a good thing because I'm weak. And so when I'm weak, then I'm strong because I'm looking to Him and relying upon Him and trusting in Him and His strength is made perfect in weakness and so then I'm strong because of my weakness because I'm relying upon Him. But I'm weak in my strength because I'm relying upon myself. You got it? Rely upon the Lord. He's our strength. But when I'm weak,

Paul says, so I'll take pleasure in my infirmities because I want Christ to be known in my life. I want his power to be evident. I want his power to be made perfect in my life. Now as we look at this chapter 12, we know nothing about the revelation that Paul experienced. And we know almost nothing about the thorn that

In the flesh that he experienced. So, after 45 minutes, we still don't know anything. Isn't that great? What do we know? What is Paul talking about? Well, his point is not the content of the vision.

That's obvious because he didn't tell us about the content of the vision. So that's not his point. And his point isn't about what the thorn of the flesh really was. Because he didn't tell us what the thorn of the flesh really was. So what is the point? What is Paul saying? His point is very simple. God has a way of balancing things.

everything in our lives out. He balances our lives. The suffering and the glory. The suffering and the revelation. The suffering and the visions. The pain and the knowledge of Him. He balances it. Always, continually, there's a balance in our lives. Why is He bringing this up? Why is He making this point? Well, Paul has been using suffering as proof of a valid ministry.

He talked about that all in chapter 11. In fact, most of 2 Corinthians, he's talking about that. 2 Corinthians chapter 6, he uses the sufferings, the distresses, many of the words he uses here in verse 10, he uses them as proof marks of a minister.

He says, if you want to know if someone's a true minister of God, well, you can look at these things and it's suffering and pain and persecution and trials and turmoil and all these things. That's how you can know if someone is a valid minister. That's how you can tell if it's a valid, real, genuine ministry of the Lord. Suffering. Paul uses it as the proof of a valid ministry.

And so he brings this up as he's dealing with these false apostles because they claim to have so much revelation and vision. They claim to have these great super things and super spiritual things that you need to know that you can't be saved or you can't be spiritual without them. They have so much spiritual superiority, they claim. And Paul says, but there's a balance. You claim to have all these visions and all these high lofty things in the spirit, but where's the corresponding sufferings?

Because God balances our lives. The suffering with the blessing. And you say you have these great visions, these great revelations, but where is the suffering to go along with it? They couldn't be proved to be genuine apostles according to the marks that God gives. Because they weren't in it.

to glorify Christ. They were in it for their own gain. And as soon as it got uncomfortable, as soon as there came trial or turmoil or situations, they were out of there. They'd go on and deceive someone else because they were in it for their own gain and not for the glory of God. And so Paul says, you have these great things, but there's no balance. That's proof that the visions and the things that you say, they're not true. They didn't really happen in your life. There's not that balance.

You super apostles, you claim to have all these things. You claim to have these awesome ministries. So where's the marks of a minister in your life? We see this all throughout Scripture. You can look at all the biblical examples. People who were used by God mightily also experienced suffering and pain.

You can look at people today who are used by God. I look at people like John Corson, who lost his wife and lost his daughter, went through much suffering, much pain, but look how God is using him. There's a balance. God has blessed him.

God has given him intimate knowledge of him like you and I probably cannot imagine. Because of what he's gone through, the suffering, the pain, he's balanced his life. The same is true with Pastor Chuck Smith or missionaries who have given their lives, died to themselves, that they might spread the gospel message. There's many who suffer and endure hard things, great sufferings for the kingdom of God.

But we can rest assured, we can know God brings balance. Now, someone might ask, so since we're talking about this, Cherry, where's your marks? I don't have very many. I don't have many at all. In fact, I'm still getting them. I'll be experiencing them and you'll get to enjoy watching it.

Because God is not through with my life. And He will be revealing Himself to me. He will be using me to minister just as He'll be using you to minister. And so there will come trials and turmoil and hard times, suffering in my life. Because I want to live for the glory of God. And I want God to be glorified in my life. But that happens as He uses me, as He reveals Himself to me. There's going to be corresponding, balancing sufferings in my life.

Jesus said it as well. He said, look, if you want to find your life, you have to lose it. In order to save your life, you have to die to yourself. There's a balance. You want to know God, there's going to be suffering. You want to be used by God, there's going to be a balance to that as well. Paul received this great vision, this wonderful thing, the balance, the corresponding thorn in the flesh that he received. If you want to be effective in ministry,

There's going to be suffering. Now, I don't mean ministry as in, you know, you're supposed to start your own church. But as we've been talking about in 2 Corinthians, we're all involved in ministry. We're all called to the ministry of reconciliation. That's why God leaves us here. He could just rapture us up immediately after we get saved and spend eternity with us if that's what he wanted. But he leaves us here. Why? Well, because he wants to use us to reach others, to minister to others. He wants to use us

to draw others closer to Him and lead them into a relationship with Jesus Christ. We're all called in the ministry of reconciliation. That's why we're here. That's why we still exist. And if we want to be effective in this ministry, we need to understand there will be corresponding balancing sufferings in our life. It will be there. He balances things out. That's why Jesus, so often as people would come to follow Him, He would remind them, you need to count the class.

I'm going to divide father and mother into

son and daughter, brother and sister. I'm going to divide families. There's going to be hard times. Remember he told the one guy, hey, I don't even have a place to lay my head. There's going to be uncomfortable times and hard times and suffering. But you will be used by me. I will keep it balanced. I won't make you suffer more than you deserve or more than what I've given you strength to endure or more than I've revealed myself to you. There will be a balance, but it'll be through your weaknesses.

that I'll be manifesting myself and revealing myself to those around you. Turn with me to Luke chapter 16. Luke chapter 16, as we look at this idea of balance. Now, please, as we look at this, do not jump to conclusions. I'll tell you what I'm talking about at the end. Luke chapter 16, in verses 19 through 25, we find Jesus talking about

A man, a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus. Luke chapter 16, starting in verse 19, it says this,

There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores.

So it was that the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torment in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am tormented in this flame.

Verse 25, but Abraham said, son, remember that in your lifetime you received good things. And likewise, Lazarus received evil things. But now he is comforted and you are tormented. Now, the balance. I share this portion not to talk anything about money or riches or anything like that, but the balance.

Remember Jesus in Luke chapter 18 talked to the rich young ruler and said, it's very hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. Why is that? That it's so hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God? Well, because when you're poor, it's very easy to trust in God.

Because you don't have much else to trust in. There's nothing else to look to to rely upon. But when you have enough, when you have riches, then it's much easier to look

to yourself and to look to what you've accomplished and to look to your own strengths. And so it's hard. There's a balance. You have much in this life. You're very well off. Well, it's going to be more difficult to enter the kingdom of God. It's going to be more difficult to trust in God because there will always be that temptation to trust in yourself and what you can do and accomplish and what you have. But if you're poor, you don't have much in this life. Life's difficult. Life's hard. You don't know if you're going to make rent or pay the bills. It's much easier to trust in God.

Because he's what you have to rely on. See the balance that God places in the life. The same thing that Abraham shares with this guy. In your life, you had much. You fared sumptuously every day. And so now you're tormented. The balance. Not that he had to be tormented because he had much in this life. No, not at all.

but because he looked to himself and did not rely upon God. Lazarus, on the other hand, he didn't have anything. He was a poor beggar who was laid at his gate, couldn't do anything. The dogs licked his sores. He didn't have very much. He suffered much in this life, but he's comforted now, Abraham says, the balance that takes place. If you haven't made in this life, it's hard to enter the kingdom of God. It's hard to trust God.

to rely upon God. If you're poor in this life, it's very much easier to look to the Lord and trust in Him. Now you might be asking, what are you getting at? What's your point, Jerry? My point is this. God balances everything out. Christians who suffer have a far deeper relationship with God than those who do not. They do. Those who suffer, those who are persecuted for their faith, they

Those who follow God at the risk of their own lives have a much deeper relationship with God than those who do not. Paul says we draw close to Him in the fellowship of His suffering. And so there's a balance. Yes, you might suffer more, but you know God more. And again, if you think that's too simplistic, if you think that's not enough, then you don't believe God at His word. Then you're not living for eternity. Then you don't know the reality of what it means to know God.

Because it truly is a balance. God promises, I'll balance it out in this life. I'll give you the strength. My grace is sufficient. Everything you need, I'll carry you through. But not only that, reserved in heaven for you are eternal riches. Eternal riches. Things you can't even compare to or fathom because of what took place here on this earth.

You might be here this morning and you might be experiencing great things in the Lord. Blessings galore, great victory in your life, fruitful ministry, many blessings. That is wonderful. Praise God for it, but realize and understand, count the cost. If you're going to follow Jesus Christ, there's going to be balance in your life because it's not through your blessings that His strength is made known to those around you.

But it's through your weaknesses, through your infirmities, through my infirmities and weaknesses, where I fall short. His strength is made perfect in my weaknesses. There's going to be balance in my life so that his name could be glorified. Or you might be here this morning and you might be experiencing great suffering, hard times, persecution.

My encouragement to you is to run to Jesus. Pray continually. Don't stop after three times or even 30 times. Don't stop until he speaks to you, until you receive his response.

Because if you run to Jesus, not only will you be praying, but you achieve really what He wants to accomplish in you, and that is your time with Him, your relationship with Him. God has inexpressible words that it's not even possible to utter for those who run to Him in times of suffering and persecution, in times of trials, going through the fire.

He has inexpressible words, a revelation of himself that you won't even be able to describe to anybody, but it's enough to carry you through. It's exactly what you need to keep you going, to keep you enduring. His grace is sufficient for you. Are you suffering? Run to Jesus. Pray continually until he responds.

And then pray continually after that too. Spend time with Him. He has great things, inexpressible words for those who suffer. Things so wonderful they cannot be spoken yet. We won't understand them. You won't truly be able to share them with others. But one day we'll understand. Wow, the amazing things that God did. The question is for you and I this morning is this. Are you willing to

To not live for this life, but to live for the next one. Whether we're blessed or whether we're suffering. Because you can suffer and not run to Jesus and there's no benefit to you then.

The question is, are you willing to not live for this life, but to live for the next one? One last portion of scripture. I'll read it to you. 2 Corinthians 4, verses 16 through 18 says, Notice the balance? The outward man is perishing.

The inward man being renewed day by day. God brings balance in our lives. Verse 17, Paul says,

We're going through light and momentary afflictions. Now, if you look at the rest of 2 Corinthians 4, all the verses preceding it, you'll understand. He wasn't, again, you know, the prickling of the thorn. He was going through some tough times. But he says they're light and momentary afflictions. Why? Because God has brought balance into his life because he has run to God in this time of turmoil. And he says, look, God's bringing balance. He's carrying us through in this life. But not only that, he's bringing us through in this life.

He says it's working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Not only does He carry us through and balance out this life so that everything is balanced and is corresponding to the knowledge of Him that He's given to us and the revelation and the blessings. Not only that, but He's storing up for us things that we just can't even explain. They're more exceeding and eternal in the weight of glory.

So Paul says, I'm not living for the temporary, for the things that I can see here, for what I have and what I can feel, but the things that are not seen, the things that are eternal. That's my focus. That's what I'm looking to. In the meantime, I'm here. God has left me here to accomplish His ministry, the ministry of reconciliation. He's entrusted it to me, 2 Corinthians chapter 5. And so I'm going to do my best to make known God

to the people around me. And if it's through sufferings, if it's through persecution, God's going to balance it. He's going to give me everything I need, but I'm going to live for Him and for His glory and trust that He is going to take care of me. He's going to provide for me. He's promised His grace is sufficient, so I'm going to keep going and I'm going to look forward to entering in to eternity with Him where I won't have to suffer any longer and where I've

store it up, far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory because I've lived for Him, for His glory in this life, not for my glory, not for my comfort, but I lived to make Jesus known to those around me. The question is, are you willing to not live for this life, but for the next one? Let's pray. Heavenly Father, Lord, I do lift up

those who are suffering here in this place. Lord, those who are suffering, especially and specifically, Lord, in Louisiana and those who are affected by the hurricanes. God, I ask that in the time of suffering, that they would run to you, Jesus. That you would allow this time to draw them close to you and to dig them in deep into the knowledge of you. Lord Jesus, because we believe, your word says, you have inexpressible words.

You reveal yourself as we fellowship with you in your sufferings. And so God, I pray that you would help us to run to you in our times of trial and affliction. That we would have a deeper understanding and knowledge of you, Lord Jesus. That you might be revealed to those around us in our weaknesses. That your strength might be known and that you might get all the glory. Heavenly Father, we ask that you would do this work in our hearts. Lord, we thank you that you do balance everything out.

So, Lord, we ask for your grace, which is sufficient for us to carry us through. Lord, that we would run to you, that we would look to you, that we would trust in you, that you would carry us through. Lord, help us not to look to the things that are seen, the things that are temporary, but help us, Lord, to live for the eternal, to look at the things that are not seen, because that's the thing that lasts. That's the thing that's important. God, we ask that you would help us to make it our life endeavor to know you,

and to lead others around us into a deeper relationship with you, into the knowledge of you. God, I ask if there's anybody here that does not know you yet, has never been born again, that you would minister to their hearts, that you would draw them to you, Lord. Break down the walls and the things that keep us from you, Jesus. Draw us close to you because you're more wonderful than anything we can experience in this life. You're amazing, God, and we love you.

It's in your precious name we pray. Amen. We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.