The Strength Hidden in Weakness

Well, for the second message today, the title is The Strength Hidden in Weakness. The strength hidden in weakness. And let's open our Bibles together and let's turn to 2 Corinthians 12 verses 7 through 10. This is where we're going to begin. 2 Corinthians 12 verses 7 through 10. And as you're finding your place, let me just express that there is a reason that we as the church come to this specific topic routinely in our public worship together. This whole topic, this whole notion of the strength hidden in weakness. And we come to this today because it's one of the most life-changing discoveries that a true Christian can make. That it is our weaknesses in them.

They are not an enemy to spiritual strength, but rather our weakness is actually a pathway to it. I'll repeat that. This is the life-changing discovery for each of us today. That it is our weaknesses, that they are not the enemy of spiritual strength. Rather, they are the pathway to it. You know, the world celebrates self-sufficiency, but God reveals a different truth. God reveals that His power shines brightest when we are at the end of ours.

And remarkably, we have recorded for us here the very moment in which the Apostle Paul comes to this very understanding, and he stops merely enduring weakness, and he begins to rejoice in it. And he's going to make this astonishing conclusion that we're about to read, and he's going to say, when I am weak, I am strong. Let's read those words together here. 2 Corinthians 12. We're going to begin in verse 7. We're going to be breaking into Paul's thoughts as he comes to that climatic conclusion here.

Paul says, 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, or so that, I be exalted above measure, that unless, concerning this thing, the thorn, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me." And the Lord's response, Paul says, and he said to me, "...my grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, Paul says, most gladly I'd rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. And then here it is, for when I am weak, then I am strong. Let's stop there. So let me ask this question, perhaps, you know, every true believer who has the ability to have a true self-analysis, every true believer that has a grasp on reality in their own personal circumstances, have asked, as they consider their inadequacies in juxtaposition to the desire to be effective for God, every true believer has asked this question, no doubt, and perhaps you've wondered, why didn't God make me different? Have you ever asked that question to yourself? Why didn't God, for example, give me a stronger body? Why didn't God, for example, give me a sharper, quicker mind? Have you ever asked yourself that? Why didn't God give me the ability to formulate words so that I can communicate better? If you're like me in any kind of discussion that's of a certain speed, I'll think of the most profound thing to say about two hours too late, you know?

Why didn't God provide me with a more outgoing personality?

Why didn't God give me more confidence, fewer struggles, thereby increasing my effectiveness for Him? Why didn't God give me fewer limitations? And along those same lines, you begin to look around upon others and the quiet thought, perhaps, if I were only more like Him or if I were only more like Her, then perhaps I could do a greater work for God. If I only had different gifts, frankly, if I only had any gifts at all, and perhaps without even realizing it, you've come to believe that your greatest thorn in serving God is the very thing that He has allowed to remain in your life. In other words, the very thing or the very things that hinder us or limit us in our effectiveness for God, they are the very things that God has chosen not to take away. But what if the issue is not with the thorn, but what if the issue is with your perspective and your understanding? In fact, what if the opposite's true? What if the weakness you have spent years asking God to remove? What if that weakness is the very thing that God intends to use toward His glory? What if the limitation, the handicap, if you will, that frustrates you, that impedes you? What if it's not standing in the way of God's purposes, but is actually part of it? Have you ever considered that? What if the very place where you feel inadequate is the very place that God desires to display His sufficiency? You see, one of the greatest mysteries of God's saving work is that He delights in choosing for Himself the most unlikely, the most unremarkable people on earth. Where throughout Scripture, it's you can't deny it, He repeatedly chooses the weak to accomplish His strongest work. Despite any kind of logical, common-sense strategy, God repeatedly chooses the ordinary to accomplish the extraordinary. We could go through the list for our men's discussion. We may touch on this.

God used stuttering Moses to confront Pharaoh of all people. God used a small shepherd boy to defeat a giant. God used fearful disciples to turn the world upside down with the gospel.

And let me give you even a little bit more deeper understanding with God utilizing weakness for His purpose. When God called the Apostle Paul here, who wrote these words that we're considering today, formerly Saul, God initially didn't find, by society's opinion, a weak man. No, He found a very strong man. He found a man in Saul initially who thought he was strong. And in fact, he was, by any measurable degrees, educated, trained, knowledgeable in Hebrew Scripture, brilliant mind, remarkable discipline. He was able to reason and persuade and debate at the highest levels of Jewish society. By human standards, Saul, who became Paul, had everything needed to become a great religious leader. But there was a problem. And the problem was this. In that condition, he would have easily looked at his accomplishments, his education, his abilities, and perhaps concluded that those things were the source of his effectiveness. And he believed that his own strength was sufficient. So with Paul, God had to begin a work in him where God didn't merely elevate Paul's strengths. He first had to reveal his weaknesses. So on the road to Damascus, the man that thought he could see clearly was struck blind. The man who believed he was serving God was shown that he was actually a persecutor, not only of God's people, but of Jesus Christ himself. The man who thought he was righteous was confronted with the depth of his own need for mercy and grace. And even after calling and conversion, God continued to do that work where Paul tells us that God allowed and that Paul was given a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet him continually. Day after day, Paul was reminded then that he was not self-sufficient. Day after day, he was reminded no amount of education, no amount of intellect, no amount of experience, no amount of natural ability could accomplish the work that God called for him to do. Why would God work, do the work to reveal the weakness in Paul? Why would he do that?

Well, I think very clearly it is because by revealing Paul's weakness and insufficiency to himself, God was preparing Paul to do a greater and far more useful work for him. God was teaching Paul that the power behind his ministry would never be Paul. It would always be Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. So, before Paul of God could use Paul to carry the message of salvation to the then known world, he first had to bring Paul to the place where he understood his own personal and complete dependence upon him, revealing and having Paul live in the reality of his weakness. That was the means by which Paul would be enabled to do the work that was before him. That was God's strategy. You see, God first revealed Paul's weakness so that Paul would learn where true strength would be found. You see how this is so counterintuitive. You see how this is so counterintuitive, so countercultural. Again, when God's call comes to a man or woman, it requires us to think differently, differently than how we've been brought up in this society. And it's all because when God does a work, it will never be built upon human strength. If it was, the watching world might admire the servant. But when God does a work through human weakness, then the glory is given to the proper supplier of that power. So God was not trying to diminish Paul. He was preparing him. So when Paul comes to this discovery here again, he writes one of the most profound statements in all of Scripture when he says, for when I am weak, then I am strong. So counterintuitive. And if you look at the world's psychology, it's the exact opposite. Look within yourself. Find the strength within yourself.

But this is the counter perspective you see. And this was such a remarkable journey for Paul to get to this perspective here. By the time we're getting to 2 Corinthians 12, Paul had been enduring such heavy physical, emotional burdens, relentless attacks by evil critics, false accusers. The strain was enormous upon him. The pain was real for Paul. And it is in that condition that Paul's eyes open to this new perspective that the strength then is hidden or it resides in weakness. And this is what Paul is looking to share with his readers at that time, his church at that time, and to you and I today as we read his words. And again, verse 10 just begins to give us a little understanding, pull back the curtain a little bit here in verse 10, of just the things that he was dealing with. You might have noticed he lists five of them. These are the five weaknesses that Paul was enduring. See if you can connect to any of these. I find it very relatable. The first one he mentions is infirmities. Second is reproaches. Third is needs. Fourth is persecutions. And fifth is distresses there. Let me give you the insight here. Infirmities, we know what that is. Those are physical weaknesses. So Paul was absolutely dealing with physical weakness. This is the Apostle Paul. This is a giant in Scripture. Reproaches, that means he was dealing with insults coming from others. You ever had to deal with that? Paul did. Needs, that's hardships. Essentially meaning you do not have the resources necessary to meet the needs in your life. That was Paul's condition he was in. Persecutions, being abused by others. And it has this connotation of unjustly. You ever been unjustly persecuted by others? I know you're relating to all of this. Finally, distresses. That's super interesting. This original word here deals with emotions, emotional distresses, anxiety, depression, a deep level of sadness. The Apostle Paul, this is what he was dealing with. The mighty, the scholar, the elite, Apostle Paul, able to speak of victory and power.

He begins by saying, well, brethren, I just want to let you know, these days I'm feeling incredibly weak. I've been dealing with a lot of insults, and I can't sleep at night. They just seem to roll around in my head. I don't have the resources, the financial resources, I don't have the energy resources to meet the needs of all that's before me. And persecutions, that's, I won't even get into that. So many lies out there, so many rumors, so many false accusations. Where do they come from? And so, frankly, with all of that, I've been dealing with a lot of anxiety. I can't sleep at night, you know. And so this, what we're discovering, this is a very personal letter by Paul here. He's revealing a little of himself here, and he's declaring here that for God's people to hear is that he is at this moment, he has come to an end of himself. He's come to an end. But, incredibly, these five things, and many more, he might say, which were meant to, which are meant to destroy me, they are actually the things that are going to make me, he says. That the very things that are going to make me. So, brethren, start thinking differently. We got to have a different perspective. We have to have a godly perspective here. And he's growing and building to this perspective, and he's trying to communicate it to us. He was incredibly buffeted on all sides.

It might be effective to take some of these words, some of these descriptors of these five things, and just really put some meat on the bones. I want to show you what he was dealing with here, leading up to this proclamation, this incredible proclamation. When I'm weak, I am strong. Let's just see if some of the things he was dealing with, and I think it'll be helpful for you to relate. Go back just a few chapters to 2 Corinthians 10, if you will. Beginning in verse 1. 2 Corinthians 10, verse 1. We see an example of some of the accusations that were kind of affecting him emotionally, no doubt. One of the things that they were putting on him and accusing him of is that he was a coward. He was a coward. Look at chapter 10, verse 1. We see this revealed in Paul's words here of what he was dealing with. So he's writing, he says, chapter 10, verse 1, Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, and look how he describes himself, who in presence am lowly among you, but in being absent and bold toward you. Okay, so let's just stop there for a moment. So when he was with them in their presence, he was very lowly. Perhaps we could say he was very timid, which is absolute in juxtaposition, absolute opposite when he was writing to them. So this was part of the accusations here. No doubt, when he arrived to them in person, they saw someone very different than what they may have imagined in the letters, you know, where they would have accused him. You know, Paul, wow, you are a big man when you're writing, you know, to us, but look at you. You're very lowly. You're a lowly person here. Where's the boldness in the letters? I don't know. You're very brave behind the pen. Kind of a cow word to me, they would have said. Next accusation, perhaps that we can extract from his letter here, is in verse 2, staying here in chapter 10, verse 2. They were saying he was sinful, so he was putting on a front that he was just some righteous man, but he was really simple. Verse 2, they said, well he said, I beg you that when I am present, I may not be bold with the confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, some who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. Let's stop there. That's exactly what they were saying. You're a hypocrite. What you're writing about and what you're talking about, we know you. You're living in sin. You're very fleshly. And he even says, I wish I could, I intend to be bold against these, but he was, of course, lowly, and he was feeling he didn't have the resources to stand up to these accusations and defend those that were with him. Oh, I'm sure he would say, oh, I wish I could be bold, but man, I'm feeling so low right now. All these accusations that were hypocrites here. Oh, Paul, we read about your moral demands. Is that what you're actually doing?

Such emotional distress you can imagine here. Another one was that they're not even educated enough. They're not even scholarly enough to be representing what they're representing. They're just kind of second class in their worthiness. Look, go down to verse 12. You know, Paul and his colleagues were coming into spaces that were just the elite of the elite. Verse 12, and so he says, for we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves, but they, measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise, he says. So he's getting a little backbone here, but it's still lowly. You know, he said, we're not going to commend ourselves with the likes of you intelligent men. You know, we dare not class ourselves with you who commend yourselves among yourselves.

Who are we? So he was feeling those accusations that he couldn't even, he didn't have the resources to stand toe to toe with some of the elites that were attacking him and questioning him and the group he was with here. Now, you're just second class. Paul, you and your men, you're just a joke. You're an absolute joke. Why don't you just keep walking? We're good with the letters. You don't need to write anymore, you know. I'm using a little conjecture, of course, but these were human beings. They experienced what we experienced today. So deep emotional distress, anxiety, vulnerability, even feeling like yourself, like you're, you start to believe it. I guess I might be a hypocrite. I shouldn't even be in these spaces. They could talk circles around me. Who am I? Maybe they're right. That could have been Paul's thinking. It probably was for a time, but he was just being buffeted here.

And so I think he is concerned with himself and making sure that they would think properly of himself. But I think the primary motivation was the many he was with and God's people who is protecting. Because he needed to not only come to the proper perspective for himself, but he needed to be able to teach this perspective so that when the insults come to them and these attacks, they'll know how to think about it. They'll have the right kind of proper perspective. So he says, I've faced these things, feeling timid and feeling exposed in the rumors that were sinful and fleshly and living.

You know, irregardless of myself, I'm worried about the people that I'm here to protect from these very things. So we have to have the right perspective here. And ultimately and counterintuitive, it is the perspective that we should boast in those weaknesses that were being put on full display, you see. And this is the perspective that Paul was coming to. This is the perspective that you and I must come to.

It will change everything in your life. And if you come to this perspective on the strength of Scripture, you will become more effective for God, no doubt. And he will be able to use you as that servant that has a proper perspective of their weaknesses and inadequacies. And we should boast in our weaknesses so that, Paul says, the power of Christ may rest upon us. That's the key. That's the summary to the whole message today. That's the summary of this letter here of Paul's.

And so, as Paul's growing into that perspective here, he gets a little wind and he begins to straighten his shoulders a little bit. And he begins to now take on and find strength in Christ to take on these enemies, these accusers. And he's going to meet them on their own terms here. And what is remarkable is that Paul decides himself to boast of all things.

He's going to boast, but in a different way, you see. So Paul's going to join them and begin to commend himself as they were, but he's not going to commend himself in his strength. He's going to flip the script, and he's now going to begin to boast in his weakness.

Remarkable! So it's such a remarkable technique here, such a remarkable perspective. Go forward to chapter 11, if you will, chapter 11. And look at verse 16, and we're going to read through verse 33 just to allow Paul's techniques and his strategy and this wonderful perspective to come on to full display here. So chapter 11, beginning in verse 16, here it is. Paul begins to say, verse 16, I say again, let no one thank me a fool, he says, if otherwise at least receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little.

So he says, you want to boast? Okay, let's boast. Let no one think me a fool, or at least receive me as a fool, that I may boast a little. And then verse 17, here we go. What I speak, he says, I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were foolishly in this confidence of boasting. So they're thinking he's coming along with them, and they're anticipating to hear the same type of words that they have been putting forth.

Verse 18, seeing that many boast according to the flesh. Well, I will also boast, he says, for you put up with fools gladly, since you yourselves are wise. For you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face. To our shame I say that we were too weak for that.

But in whatever anyone is bold, I speak foolishly, I am bold also. All right, here we go. Verse 22. Are they Hebrews, he says? Well, so am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? Well, so am I. Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool. I am more, he says.

And now we see, he begins the the full ramification of the perspective and the full moment of his boasting. And boy, this would have been a shock. They were not expecting this. I am more, he says, in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure. See, these aren't strengths you see here. In prisons, more frequently. In deaths, often. Are these strengths? No, these are weaknesses. Verse 24. From the Jews, five times I received forty stripes minus one. Let me think here. Yep, three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. A night and day I've been in the deep. In journeys often, in perils of the water, perils of robbers, perils of my own countrymen. In perils of the Gentiles, perils in the cities, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false brethren. In, verse 27, weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, there's his anxiety no doubt, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Besides other things, what comes upon me daily? My deep concern for the churches. Who is weak? I am not weak. Am I not weak? He says. Who was made to stumble, and do I not burn with indignation? Verse 30. If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity, my sickness. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.

In Damascus, the governor under Aretas, the king, was guarding the city of Democenes with the garrison, desiring to arrest me. But I was let down in a basket through the window in the wall and escaped from his hands. Let's stop there. So look at this. This is absolutely fascinating. You know, Paul had the credentials here in verse 22. He was a Hebrew, Israelite, the seed of Abraham. So if you want to talk heritage, I got it, he said. Are they ministers of Christ? Well, I'm going to speak as a fool here. He says, I am more. But it might not be the more you're thinking of, you know? Because I'm now going to explain to you the absolute hammering that I've taken through all these things.

I'm a fool. I am more. But I'm going to boast in how much I've had to labor. I've been flogged. I've been in prison, at death's door time and time again, running through all this list of weakness.

Why? Why? Well, he's moving toward verse 30 here. This is the climax. Verse 30, if I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity. I'm going to boast in my weakness. He says. Oh, and by the way, maybe some of you don't know this, but just in getting here, I had to squeeze through a little hole in the wall and they were coming to kill me. And thankfully, I was let down this basket. Boy, that was kind of humiliating, being let down that basket. But here I am, he says, in front of you.

And I escaped, he says. So we get the picture here. They're attacking him and saying, ah, Paul, you're weak. In person, you're nothing. You're a fraud. You're sinful. You're not of Christ.

And he stands up. Perhaps he couldn't stand all the way up. I'm sure he was a little bit stooped from all of the physical pain that he went through and weakness. But he stands as straight as he could here and makes sure they knew that he had to be lowered out of a window in a basket. That's kind of humiliating, you know. I want to make sure you know about that. I want to add that to my boasting, he says. So here I am, and I'm going to boast. You can consider me a fool with all of you, but I'm going to boast in my weakness. So brethren, you remember how we started. Paul is now having to consider his infirmities in a different way. As society is placing all those things and bringing all those things to his attention, and this is how he responds. He says, well let me tell you about my handicaps here. Of those things I will boast, he says. Why would he do this? Why would he do this? Why would he boast in these things? Because it is in all those weaknesses where the key to power is found, and he boasts in his weaknesses because it is those very things which are meant to destroy him if he'd allow it, or they will make him who God wants him to be. Have you considered today the possibility that your handicaps, your limitations, your weaknesses, far from being a deterrent to God's purposes, are the very things in which he will use for his glorious work? So why don't we boast in those things? You see. And it's all because in that acknowledgement in that acknowledgement, in that perspective, that is the invitation for the power of Christ to come and rest upon us. It's the story of the gospel. Think of the nature of this power that we receive. Think of the nature of where that power emerged. God looks down from heaven, determines he's going to send one to be the savior of all of humanity. Where does he send him? To bethel him. A nondescript little country, part of the country, back part of the woods. Born to a no-named individual in total obscurity, steps on the stage of human history. They say, isn't that Joseph's son? Isn't that Mary's son? Who does he think he is? Fraud, blasphemous, king? He's no king. Hell to the king. Where's your God that will save you? They said. And there his body is hanging from the stake. And all those onlookers would say, look at that pathetic picture of weakness. Whatever, what could ever come from that?

I mean, if you're going to be a savior and a king, you wouldn't have him in this picture of weakness dying on a stake, would you? You would have a champion. You would have a conqueror. He'd come in on a chariot, and he would show himself strong. But it ends with suffering and sacrifice. And there he was laid in a tomb, and the stone was rolled and sealed.

The ladies hurried to the tomb to show their final respects and honor to the deceased Jesus.

But all they would find is grave clothes. Why? Well, it's because the humbled, lowly, weakened servant had already been raised in all glory, power, and might.

And from the beaten, weakened condition there at his death, he now sits today on a glorious throne. And we await his triumphant and powerful return.

But all that originated from humble, lowly weakness.

But until his return, in the meantime, he's putting together a people for himself.

And who are the people, and what do they look like that he's putting together for himself?

Well, a little bit of a ragtag group, if you'll allow me to say. No offense.

The average congregation of God's gathered people. Some of the poorest state of people that you might gather together.

Lots of collective weakness. We could go around the room and take count. We don't have much glory today. Do we look strong and mighty? Have you felt weak in the last days? Do you feel yourself not up to the task?

Did you say this week that all the odds are weighted against you? And you feel inadequate to all that's before you?

Well, if you felt that way, perfect. Perfect. Because we all need to come to that end of ourselves. Because that is the invitation. That's the invitation for God to come to us, to send us his Son, through the power of the Holy Spirit, in all of his glory, and give us the strength to keep going. And it's not just the strength to persevere, but it's the strength to bring about the very saving of all the things. All of humanity. He's doing that through us. We are his representatives here on earth. And he sends us his power, that victorious power, emerged and coming out of humble weakness.

He sends that very victorious power to help us accomplish the very plan of salvation for the world, through us, in all of our weakness.

Well, as we begin to conclude, let's go back to where we began. 2 Corinthians 12, verse 7 through 10.

Here is the truth that the Apostle Paul discovered. It's the truth that we need to discover more and more each day. A remarkable perspective here. One of the most miraculous perspectives in all of the Bible. 2 Corinthians 12, verse 9 again, and Jesus said to him, Paul, my grace, my grace is sufficient for you. Paul, my strength is made perfect in weakness.

So, Paul, upon receiving this, this is our response as well. Where we say, therefore, most gladly, I will rather boast in my infirmities. So that, that power of my Savior, Jesus Christ, may rest upon me. And I'm going to, I'm going to grow into this perspective so much that I'm actually going to take pleasure in these infirmities because I know what they're working out in me. I take pleasure in them, all these things, because when I am weak, then I am strong. So, you know, brethren, weakness may be where the story begins, but it's not where the story ends. The story ends with a risen, victorious Jesus Christ resting amongst his people.

People made strong through him. A people accomplishing me a tremendous work through him. And so, yes, he, God the Father, Jesus Christ, get all the glory today. But one day they're going to share their glory with us, and oh, do we pray and hope and look for that return. So let's all grab on to this glorious perspective until the glorious day of his return, and may we discover all that is this, all that is the glorious strength hidden in weakness.