How can weakness be a strength? It can when God uses our weakness to show His strength to us and to the world. We have to be willing to show others that we are weak, sinful and imperfect. When we do, God can use us to lead others to Him.

1. Strength in
Weakness
May 24, 2015

4. The Next 37 Days - Prayer
Thanksgiving prayer service
on May 31 @ 5:00 pm
Prayer Fast on June 13 @
8:00 am
24-hr prayer chain on
June 25
“One church family” prayer
on June 14 @ 8:30 & 10:15

5. The Next 37 Days - Fasting
Personal between you and
God
Consult your physician
Start with one meal (lunch?)
Proceed to a one-day fast
Three- & seven-day fast are
not for everyone…but may
be for you!

6. The Next 37 Days - Fasting
Set the date for your one
meal fast!
Set the date for your one day
fast!

7. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
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.

8. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
8 Concerning this thing I
pleaded with the Lord three
times that it might depart
from me.

9. 2Corinthians 12:7-10
9 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 upon me.

10. 2Corinthians 12:7-10
10 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.

11. Paul’s “Thorn”
• Pain in ear or head (Tertullian)
• Fleshly lusts (medieval
commentators)
• Stammering speech
(MacKnight)
• Malarial fever (Ramsay)
• Acute eye problems (Farrar and
others)

12. Paul’s “Thorn”
• Persecutions he suffered
Chrysostom said: “And so by the
“messenger of Satan,” he means
those who contend with and
fought against him, those that cast
him into prison, those that beat
him, that led him away to death;
for they did Satan’s business.
(Homilies 26)

13. Paul’s “Thorn”
• Why was the thorn given?

14. 2Corinthians 12:7
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.

15. Paul’s “Thorn”
• Why was the thorn given?
• Lest Paul be exalted above
measure
• To buffet him
• To keep him humble

16. Paul’s Revelations
• Damascus road (Acts 9)
• Jerusalem (Acts 22 & Acts 23)
• Troas (Acts 16)
• Corinth (Acts 18)
• Way to Rome (Acts 27)
• Vision of Paradise (2Cor. 12)

17. Paul’s “Thorn”
• Why was the thorn given?
• What was Paul’s reaction?
• Wanted to get rid of it!

18. 2 Corinthians 12:8
Concerning this thing I
pleaded with the Lord three
times that it might depart
from me.

19. Acts 4:13
Now when they saw the
boldness of Peter and John, and
perceived that they were
uneducated and untrained men,
they marveled. And they realized
that they had been with Jesus.

20. Strength in Weakness
• Our weaknesses keep us
humble

21. 1Peter 5:6
Therefore humble yourselves
under the mighty hand of
God, that He may exalt you in
due time.

22. Romans 12:3
For I say, through the grace given
to me, to everyone who is among
you, not to think of himself
more highly than he ought to
think, but to think soberly, as
God has dealt to each one a
measure of faith.

23. Strength in Weakness
Moses vs. Pharaoh (Exodus 3-14)
Gideon vs. Midian (Judges 6,7)
David vs. Goliath (1Samuel 17)
Peter and John (Acts 4:13)

24. Strength in Weakness
• Our weaknesses keep us
humble
• God’s power through
weakness shows us God is in
control, not us

25. Exodus 14:13,14
13 And Moses said to the people,
“Do not be afraid. Stand still, and
see the salvation of the LORD,
which He will accomplish for you
today. For the Egyptians whom you
see today, you shall see again no
more forever. 14 The LORD will fight
for you, and you shall hold your
peace.”

26. Matthew 8:23-27
23 Now when He got into a boat,
His disciples followed Him. 24 And
suddenly a great tempest arose
on the sea, so that the boat was
covered with the waves. But He
was asleep.

27. Matthew 8:23-27
25 Then His disciples came to Him
and awoke Him, saying, “Lord,
save us! We are perishing!” 26 But
He said to them, “Why are you
fearful, O you of little faith?” Then
He arose and rebuked the winds
and the sea, and there was a
great calm.

28. Matthew 8:23-27
27 So the men marveled, saying,
“Who can this be, that even the
winds and the sea obey Him?”

29. Strength in Weakness
• Our weaknesses keep us
humble
• God’s power through
weakness shows us God is in
control, not us
• Shows the world God’s
power

30. Joshua 2:8-11
8 Now before they lay down, she
came up to them on the roof, 9 and
said to the men: “I know that the
LORD has given you the land, that
the terror of you has fallen on us,
and that all the inhabitants of the
land are fainthearted because of
you.

31. Joshua 2:8-11
10 For we have heard how the LORD
dried up the water of the Red Sea
for you when you came out of
Egypt, and what you did to the two
kings of the Amorites who were on
the other side of the Jordan, Sihon
and Og, whom you utterly
destroyed.

32. Joshua 2:8-11
11 And as soon as we heard these
things, our hearts melted;
neither did there remain any
more courage in anyone because
of you, for the LORD your God, He
is God in heaven above and on
earth beneath.

33. Strength in Weakness
• Our weaknesses keep us
humble
• God’s power through
weakness shows us God is in
control, not us
• Shows the world God’s
power

34. Join us tonight for
Discipline of the
Believer