Weakness

2 Corinthians 11. Verse 16. I repeat. Let no 1 take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool.

So that I may do a little boasting. In this self confident boasting, I am not talking as the lord would, but as a fool. Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast. You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise. In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face.

To my shame, I admit that we were too weak for that. But I whatever anyone else dares to boast about, I am speaking as a fool, I also dare to boast about Are they Hebrews? So am I? Are they Israelites? So am I?

Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I? Are they servants of Christ? I am out of my mind to talk like this. I am more.

I have worked much harder, being imprisoned more frequently, being flogged more severely, and being exposed to death again and again. 5 times, I recede from the Jews the 40 lashes minus 1. 3 times, I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones. 3 times, I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea.

I have been constantly on the move. I have been danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from gentiles, in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea, and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep. I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without foods. I have been cold and naked.

Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn. If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The god and father of the lord Jesus who is to be prayed forever knows that I am not lying.

In Damascus, the governor under King Aritas had the city of the Damascus guarded in order to arrest me, but I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands. I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the lord. I know a man in Christ who 14 years ago was caught up to the third heaven, whether it was in the body or out of the body, I do not know. God knows.

And I know that this man, whether in the body, or apart from the body, I do not know, but god knows. Was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no 1 is permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no 1 will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say.

Or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me. 3 times, I pleaded with the law to take it away from me. But he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me.

That is why for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses in insults, in hardships, in persecutions in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Thank you very much, Rory. And, as usual, if you could keep that passage open in front of you, that would be that would be great. My name is Tom Sweitman.

I'm the assistant, pastor here at the church, and, whether you're here for the first time or whether you are a member, then you're very, very welcome. To have you with us. As Rory said, this is a series that we've been doing in this letter of 2 Corinthians, and, as you know, if you've been around, we haven't been working our way through the entire book from start to finish, as we normally might do with a bible book, but instead we have been thinking about this theme of weakness. We've been looking at how Paul talks about weakness in the Christian life, how it's not something to be afraid of and rejected, but rather something to be embraced. And we've looked at how weakness relates to the Christian life in terms of suffering and in terms of ministry and in terms of responding to the truth.

And this is Paul's basic concluding argument. This is where he's been driving. This is 1 last final defense of his, his apostolic ministry. And, we're gonna be seeing what he says about weakness again. Before we do, let's bow our heads and pray together.

The Psalmer says teach me lord the way of your decrees that I may follow it to the end. Give me understanding so that I might keep your law and obey it with all my heart. Direct me lord in the path of your commands. Or there I find delight. Turn my heart towards your statutes and not towards selfish gain.

Turn my eyes away from worthless things. Preserve my life according to your word. And so father we pray that you would Do those things for us this morning. We pray that you might be our teacher, teaching us your decrees. We pray that you might be our guide guiding us into the path of your commands.

We pray that you might give us understanding, not just so that we know more stuff. But so that we can keep your law and obey it with all our hearts. Help us to delight in these words that preserve our very lives, and we ask it in Jesus' name. Oh, man. 1 of the most, famous stories from the ancient world, is the story of medusa.

And, with many of these stories, lots of them, there are different versions of the story that you can find. And 1 of them that I was looking at this week claims that to begin with medusa was a great beauty. She was a stunner. In every way, and she lived in the great city of Athens. But medusa had a problem, and her problem was with boasting.

Every single day, she would walk around the city commenting on her wonderful appearance. 1 day, she would go to the miller just to tell him that her skin was more beautiful than fresh, white snow. The next day she would go to the shoemaker just in order to tell him that her hair was brighter than the Mediterranean sun. The next day, she would get up, wondering what to do, and then she would go and visit the Blacksmith in order to tell him that her eyes were greener than the A GNC. She spent hours every day looking in the mirror boasting of her beauty to herself and to anyone who was willing to listen.

But then 1 day she went to the parthenon, which was the greatest temple in all of Greece, and in the parthenon were statues of all the Greek gods. And although she was there to worship, and she was supposed to be there to offer incense and sacrifices and all that sort of thing. She couldn't help but notice how much more beautiful she was than all the other gods. My goodness, she would say, aren't they ordinary? I've never noticed before just how ordinary these objects of worship are.

If anyone deserves a temple, well, It's me. Who would not want to bathe in my beauty as they came to worship? Who would not want to be surrounded by my face as they were offering their sacrifices. But then As she was dreaming of this new medusa centered temple, she saw a reflection in the bronze doors of the parthenon. But instead of herself, looking back at her was the reflection of the goddess Athena.

The goddess of wisdom, and she was not happy. In fact, she was sick of medusa. A vanity and her pride, and her boasting. And the reason that she appeared was not to compliment her or plan this new temple with her, it was to condemn her. And then came the famous punishment.

Her beautiful hair brighter than the Mediterranean sun began thickening and wriggling between her fingers as every single lock turned itself into a serpent. Her eyes that were as green as the a GMC, became sunken and cold. Her skin, which was as fresh as newly laid white snow, became gray and hard. And from then on, everyone who looked into her eyes would be turned to stone. Never again would people look at her commenting on her beauty, instead they would die.

At the sight of her because she was so foul. And I think when you get to the end of this particular version, The moral lesson isn't hard to discern. Bewhere, vein, boasting. And what's interesting is just how true and relevant that moral lesson is here in 20 19 England, just as it was in ancient Greece. In fact, I would guess This is a universally unattractive quality.

I don't imagine there is a single culture on earth where medusa like vein boasting is something that is aspired to and celebrated. We know, don't we we we shrink from it. It's cringy. It's embarrassing. We don't like seeing it others, and we hate it when we see it in ourselves.

Surely, no culture likes this kind of boaster. No culture that is with perhaps 1 exception. Corinth in the first century. They seem to love it. When the congregation met these super apostles, who we've talked about in previous weeks, these medusa like characters, these men with abilities, strong men, powerful in the pulpit, men who had achieved great things for god.

Wow. They were impressed. Most people would be turned off by them, but not the Corinthians, they would sit there, wide eyes, open mouths, drinking it all in. Who needs Paul and his weakness and his gospel of suffering and his thorns. Then you've got these princes.

Riding into town with all their glory. Like medusa in the ancient world, they were big on vein boasting. And so here we are at the end of this letter, and that is the situation that confronts us. Many of the Corinthians had responded well to Paul's difficult letter, his severe letter. We learned about that last week.

But it seems that alongside this 1 opponent of chapter 7, there is still a group of these teachers lurking around. And sadly, some of the Corinthians are still under their enslaving spell. They love to be with the vain boosters. And so in chapter 11 and chapter 12, Paul is launching 1 last defense of his ministry. This is 1 last defense of who he is and his apostolic gospel, and it's 1 last attack upon these teachers.

Just look back to verse 12 of chapter 11. Which works to introduce our section today. Paul says I will keep on doing what I am doing. In order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us. In the things they boast about.

That is his purpose here to cut the ground out from under these teachers and to remind them who he really is. And as we're gonna see, he will stop at nothing in order to make his point. Even if it means becoming like them, in order to expose them. Even if he has to argue in the way that they argue, in order to show what a sham, their authority, and their gospel is. And so the first point that I want us to consider this morning is this How to boast like a superstar apostle?

How to boast like a superstar apostle? Have a look at verse 16. A chapter 11. I repeat. This is something that he's been doing since the start of chapter 11.

I repeat, let no 1 take me for a fall, but if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fall. So that I might do a little boasting. In this self confident boasting, I am not talking as the lord would, but as a fool, Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast. So before he's ready to get into this worldly superstar boasting, he gives a little disclaimer. Okay?

Before I get into this, I just wanna say something up front. I am about to speak in a way which the lord would not approve of. Literally, it's not after the lord. In other words, this is not a method that he would have adopted. If the lord Jesus was here, he would not have boasted in this way.

And obviously, this was gonna be a very uncomfortable way of arguing for him because you may have noticed 3 times in this section, he says, I cannot believe I'm doing this. I am I am out of my mind. I am a fool to talk like this. When I speak like this, I'm cringing because I know my lord and he would never talk in this way. This is foolish stuff I'm doing.

But I'm doing it in order to expose these superstars. So there's just a disclaimer. Okay? Now let me begin to no. Actually, not now.

1 more thing to say says, Paul, 1 other part of my display. It is coming I am gonna start boasting in the way that you like. I'm just about to start, but first, 1 of the quick thing to say. Verse 19, this is all part of his build up, you see. You gladly put up with fools since you were so wise.

In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs, which is another way of saying somebody who exalts themselves. Or slaps you in the face. To my shame, I admit we were too weak for that. Now, that is brutal what he's doing here. Because he's saying, look, before I get going and I'm gonna get going in a minute, okay, think about this situation.

Think about this think about the situation that you are in. These superstars who you love, enslave you. They take advantage of you. They even abuse you physically, and I think that's not a metaphor. I think that is what they were doing.

They were physically abusing them, and you think that's a sign of their strength. You think that's evidence that they're strong men. What a strange situation this is, isn't it? They wormed their way in, they claimed to be friends of the gospel, but in reality, they were exploiting you. They pretended to be on-site, but in reality, they were taking advantage of you with their powerful words and their manipulative ways.

And so to be in their presence, was like taking a drug of some kind. It made you feel high and special and important, and it gave you an experience. It was euphoric to take this drug and be with them. But consider the after effects enslaving. And so with massive irony, Paul says, I was too weak for that.

If you believe a genuine apostle is identified by tyranny and greed, then I'm a failure. I failed. If you think an apostle should be beating you, exploiting you, abusing you, then you're right. We're not the real deal. I'm afraid.

We've we failed. We were too weak to be like that with you. But just so you know, I could have been like that. I could have come with those tactics. I could have boasted in that way.

I could have exploited you as they exploited I'm a fool to talk in this way. I don't even really mean it, but that's the truth. I was too weak for that. We could have come in that way. And so with that, let's look at this vein boasting in verse 21.

Whatever anyone else dares to boast about, I am speaking as a fool. I also dare to boast about. Are they Hebrews? So am I? Are they Israelites?

So am I? Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I? Are they servants of Christ? I am out of my mind to talk like this.

I am more. If you want somebody with religious pedigree, you won't get better than me. Hebrew, so am I. Israelite? So am I?

Child of Abraham, me too. Servant of Christ can't believe I'm saying this. I am more. Or literally, I am a better 1. Are they servants of Christ?

I'm a better 1. So how do you wanna judge me? Religious backgrounds? Nationalality, ancestors, service of Christ, whichever category you put me in whichever boxing ring I'm in, I punch harder. You want religious pedigree?

So this is really striking, isn't it? What he's doing here? Because actually in other places, Paul totally condemns comparing the servants of Christ. In 1 Corinthians, he says you are foolish to compare the servants of Christ. Oh, well, I was following a policy.

I was baptized by Paul. I've following Jesus. He says, don't do don't compare the servants of Christ in that way. But now, this situation has forced him into it. They serve Christ.

I'm a better 1. And to be honest, he's just getting going with this vein boasting. Have a look at chapter 12 1 to 7 where he swings back round and argues again in the same way. I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the lord.

I know a man in Christ who 14 years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body, I do not know. God knows. And I know that this man, whether in the body or apart from the body, I do not know, but god knows, was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no 1 is permitted to tell. So at this point, you can almost hear the church responding, can't you?

Well, Paul, we know that stuff about you. We know you've got a great religious pedigree. That's true. No one's questioning that, Paul. But these guys have had religious experiences.

They don't go on about the body so much and the the suffering and the thorns They've been taken up. They've seen things. They've had visions and experiences and words of wisdom and dreams, and they've been out of the body, not in the body. They've been out of the body. Paul says, alright then?

So that's the ring you wanna put me in now. I can put those gloves on. And once again, let's see who punches harder. Because although in chapter 12, he uses a lot of third person language about this man in Christ. He is clearly talking about himself.

This was his own experience. Now again, he's obviously reluctant to talk about it. Because this boasting is so out of character so foolish, but there's no doubt this is an eyewitness testimony. The detail just gives him away. He was the man in Christ.

And although there's a lot of speculation about this, We're not really told an awful lot. It took place 14 years ago at the start of his ministry. He was taken up to the third heaven which is a Jewish Jewish expression for the heaven of heavens or the holy of holies, all of which is a kind of poetic way of saying He was taken into the presence of the lord. He doesn't know how it happened or in what state he was in Only god knows. And actually, he's not even willing to tell us what he heard in his spiritual experience.

Which is interesting, isn't it? I think we should be very suspicious of people who are very keen to tell all that they have heard and seen in these kind of spiritual experiences. According to Paul, there are some things which just shouldn't be shared. Why? Because they are not the measure of real spirituality.

We'll see that later on. Sorry that we're having to compete with this noise. I don't quite know what it is, but I'm just gonna have to elevate my The closer it gets to my head, I think I'm gonna have to shout louder and louder. Okay? So you're gonna have to forgive me.

It may not sound too bad at the back, but I'm willing to compete with these people. Okay. Keep going. Keep going. I will.

Okay. So you get the main point. This was a very rare and very special experience. Which he could boast about, but he doesn't. He doesn't.

And so if use Oh, a brief moment of respite there. Never mind. And so he's saying, if your super apostles Think experiences are the test of a true apostle. If that's the ring you wanna put me in, then I win all day long. This is not how the lord would speak.

I'm a fool for talking like this, and I don't want to draw attention to myself. I'm really not interested in doing that. But I will do whatever it takes to cut the ground out beneath these opponents. And to restore your confidence and your trust in my gospel and in my authority. So, that is the first point in this surprising, ironic way Paul boasts like a superstar.

But then in the second half of each section, he switches back and begins to boast in a more characteristically Paul like way. And he deliberately puts the both together in both 11 and 12. So firstly, how to boast like a superstar apostle? Secondly, this is how to boast like a Jesus Christ apostle. How to boast like a Jesus Christ apostle?

Let's turn back to the beginning of the book chapter 1 and verse 8. This is a verse we've looked at a number of times. Chapter 1 verse 8, we do not want you to be uninformed brothers and sisters about the troubles that we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure far beyond our ability to endure so that we despaired of life itself. Amazing words, isn't it?

And as we've seen, this was something the superstars were very critical of. They didn't think that anyone who suffered like this in the body could be an authentic messenger of Jesus Christ. They thought that an apostle should be a spiritual being who was free from the pains of ordinary life. But throughout this letter, Paul has not given into that criticism. He has been very, very open about his hardships and his weaknesses.

Why? Because he knows that if anything they authenticate him as Christ's apostle. He knows that they are proof positive Suffering for Jesus is a kind of evidence that he is like Jesus and united to Jesus. And so it's no surprise that he returns to this proper boasting in chapter 11 and 12. Just look how he suddenly switches in verse 22 of chapter 11.

Whatever anyone else dares to boast about, I'm speaking as a fool. I also dare to boast about. Are they Hebrews? So am I? Are they Israelites?

So am I? Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I? Are they servants of Christ? I'm out of my mind to talk like this.

I am a better 1. And what does a better 1 look like, Paul? Power, success. I have worked much harder. Been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again 5 times I received from the Jews, the 40 lashes minus 1.

And just to pause there, that alone is a staggeringly awful punishment. According to the Jewish law, 40 lashes was the maximum that a person could be given, the thinking being that otherwise we will go so far that they may be too deformed to return to society, or in fact they might die. So they kept it to 39 in order to stop themselves going too far. It was a way of sort of stopping themselves just in case we do the 40, but let's be clear. They could have gone for 5, couldn't they?

I mean, 39 It's only 1 less and it would have been shockingly bad. 3 times I was beaten with rods Once I was pelted with stones, 3 times I was shipwrecked. I mean, how unlucky can you get? 3 times I was shipwrecked and that is before acts 27, by the way. So this doesn't include Malta, so he at least had 4 by the end of his life.

I spent a night and a day in the open sea. I've been constantly on the move. I've been danger. I've been in danger from rivers. I don't know quite what that is about.

Imagine these rivers chasing him down the road. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from gentiles. In danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea, and in danger from false believers, just as bad as any physical punishment, isn't it? False believers. Who claim to be on-site, but are enemies.

I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep. I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food. I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily, the pressure of my concern for all the churches. And by the way, that is a concern that no super apostle would experience.

Because they take advantage, they exploit churches. They don't feel concern, except for themselves. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak, who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn if I must boast I will boast of the things that show my weakness. So you see Corinthians, I I can argue like a fool and win. But it's not my boast.

The things that I boast about are the things that show my weakness I mean, take this little story at the end of chapter 11. It's a strange story, isn't it? The god and father of our lord Jesus who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus, the governor under King Aritas had the city of the damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.

I mean, that is hardly impressive, is it? When he was being hunted for preaching Jesus, he was basically locked up in Damascus. The gates were being watched, people were on the lookout for him, and the only way he could escape was in a little old basket through the window. I mean, just imagine him coming in a basket It's pathetic, isn't it, really? No fighting, no swords, no breaking out of Damascus in glory.

Out of a window in a basket. But, hey, these are the things These are the things I mentioned, my frailty, my anxiety, my suffering, my battling with sin, as a servant of Christ, that is my boast. Why? Because those are the things which draw attention to Jesus. The reason these super apostles and you for tolerating them are so foolish is because in the end, it's all about them.

It's all about them, their power, their experience. How can they glorify the god and father of our lord Jesus Christ when they are so strong. So self sufficient. They don't need Jesus, but you see I do. I'm full of weakness physical, spiritual, weakness.

But praise be to God because when I am weak, Then the power of Christ is seen in me. Everything that I have, my life, my salvation, my ministry, I owe to him something we've reflected on several times in this series, isn't it? If we pretend that we're strong and pretend we don't battle, then we can't point people to Jesus because Jesus is unnecessary. That's how I live, and sadly I often do, then I don't need the cross for forgiveness. I don't need the righteousness of Jesus every day.

I don't need the empowering of his spirit to live for him. I don't need him. But if I boast in my weakness, which is more than just admitting they exist by the way, it means to draw attention to, to be open about in a sense to rejoice in Well, then we're in a good place because we're pointing people away from ourselves to Jesus Christ who is our strength in every way. That is how to boast, like a Jesus Christ apostle. And if we need further convincing, look what he does in chapter 12 verse 6.

Exactly the same way of arguing. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool because I would be speaking the truth, but I refrain so that no 1 will think of me more than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, In order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of satan to torment me. 3 times I pleaded with the lord to take it away from me, but he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you. For my power is made perfect in weakness.

And as you might imagine, just like just like the third heaven, people of all kinds of ideas about this thorn. I don't know how much ink has been spilt on identifying the thorn. Was it physical? Was it spiritual? Was it mental?

But again, it's just not clear. And so the point is we wouldn't do well to obsess about what is not in the text, we would do well to focus on what is. And here he says we have a man who had an incredible vision. He was taken up into the third heaven. He had a great religious upbringing to go with it.

And those things combined could have made him the most powerful apostle on the face of the earth. He could have been traveling around, exploiting the church, filling stadiums, getting money, flying around in private jets. There was real potential for Paul to go off the tracks into this kind of foolish boasting. And so the lord gave him a thorn, some kind of weakness to keep him from becoming conceited and proud and to keep him close to Jesus. To keep him boasting in Jesus.

That's how he sees it. Now, this was obviously an unpleasant experience for him, because he pleaded for it to be taken away. He pleaded 3 times. Lord, be done with it. Take it away from me, lord.

And it was obviously dangerous because he calls it a messenger of satan. In other words, Satan would want Paul to see this as an evidence of god's cruelty. Satan would want him to see this thorn as a reason to give up ministry, turn away from Jesus and maybe start boasting in himself. Satan wanted to use this thorn as an opportunity to tempt him. And so he calls it both from the lord and a messenger of Satan.

But in all of that, the Lord said, what? My grace is sufficient. I will uphold you. I will sustain you. And in your weakness, I will glorify my name.

I don't want people to hear you, Paul, and think that you are the Christ. I want them to see a child of god who is weak and yet strong because he's leaning on me. And therefore, I boast in that weakness. You see the real drive here. It's an amazing point he makes.

Satan wanted him to become miserable and bitter and into self boasting. God wanted him to be humble, full of faith. And into Jesus boasting. And who do you think won out in the end? Verse 9, Therefore, I will boast all the more bitterly.

Sadly, grumpily resentfully, gladly. And about what, Paul, what are you gonna gladly boast about your experiences, your mystical moments, your religious life, What are you so glad about? My weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me. I will boast in my weakness and how glad I am to be weak because then all glory goes to Christ. And so do you see in the lack In the end, the lack of clarity about this thorn is a good thing, isn't it?

The lack of clarity is a very good thing. Because you know what we would do, don't you? If we knew exactly what it was, you know what we would say. Okay? Can't apply to me then.

I haven't been whipped. This text isn't for me. I haven't had these spiritual battles, can't apply to me. Whatever Paul was facing, it's not what I'm facing. There's no way I can take the same comfort from this text because Paul didn't share my problems.

We're so good, aren't we? Wriggling out of passages in a pious way, but the Holy Spirit won't allow it. The reason we don't know exactly what this thorn is is so we can join Paul in true boasting and to take the same comfort that is on offer. I mean, let's think it through. Is there a single child of god in this room?

A single servant of Jesus Christ here today who cannot point to some kind of thorn in the flesh in their own lives. Whether it be visible or invisible, physical or mental, long lasting, or very new, is there a single person here without a thorn of some kind? And of course, like Paul, you've probably pleaded with the law to take it away. Can remember times when you've pleaded, lord I'd be better off without it. Take it away, and yet it remains.

1 day it will be gone, you you know that, don't you? 1 day, every thorn will be pulled up and burnt But for now, it remains. Why? Why? To keep us humble, to keep us close to Jesus, to keep us at the foot of the cross, to keep us boasting in the sacrifice of Christ, to keep us leaning on his strength, and therefore to keep us fruitful.

Now does that mean we stop pleading? Well, who wants a thorn in their side? No 1. In many ways, it's perfectly natural. To plead and want it to be gone, but we don't despair, and we don't give up, and we don't become bitter.

Because although in this case, Paul went unhealed, he was never abandoned. And so he boasted in that ongoing weakness because it kept him close to Christ. And so can I say if that is your situation, and to some extent, it will be all of ours, will you let the Holy Spirit minister to you through Paul's words here? Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness. So that Christ's power may rest on me.

That is why for Christ's sake, I delight in weakness. Do you see how we've moved in this series? We've gone from admitting weakness to boasting in weakness to delighting in weakness. And how is each of us gonna get there by realizing that when we are weak, then we are strong. Friends, whatever the thorn may be, spiritual battle, fierce, spiritual battle, physical, a combination of things.

The Holy Spirit of God wants to work humility and gladness in us. He wants to keep us leaning on Jesus and boasting in the name of our great god and savior. Whose power will then rest on us. And you see when we do that, we will join the Holy Spirit in his 1 great ambition, which is to magnify the sufficient strength of Jesus Christ. When I am weak, then I am strong.

Let's bow our heads. And pray together. Let's take a moment. Just to think about the things that we've read, maybe you wanna look back over some of those words and take this opportunity to pray to the god and father of our lord Jesus Christ. That is why for Christ's sake, I delight in weakness.

In insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties, for when I am weak, Then I am strong. Father god, we pray that you would help us not merely to acknowledge that we are weak in so many ways, but to delight in our weaknesses. Because when we are weak, you are strong. We pray that in all of our hardships and sufferings and difficulties, you would help us not to become bitter or resentful. Not to turn and curse you, but to draw ever closer to you, to lean on you.

And to see all of these hardships as an opportunity for the great lord Jesus Christ. To be lifted up and exalted in our lives. Help us we pray in Jesus' name. Our men.