As we turn to God's word today let me tell you what I hope we'll learn this morning.  I hope you'll see that the difficulty, situation or circumstance you most pray God would change or remove from you life is the thing you most want to keep.  The situation that troubles you right now, the thing that pains you, that frustrates you, that which burdens you most and you wish it could be gotten rid of - I hope you'll see today that that is the thing you really want most to remain in your life. 

Now this may sound like a strange idea but it is a truth that comes to us from Scripture itself and it is found in 2 Corinthians 12:1-10:

"It is necessary to boast; nothing is to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.  I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows.  And I know that such a person--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows - was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat.  On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses.  But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth.  But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, even considering the exceptional character of the revelations.  Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated.  Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness. " So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.  Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong. " (2 Corinthians 12:1-10) (NRSV)

The church in Corinth is the most dysfunctional church that you can think of.  It is full of division - the rich Christians will not fully associate with the poor Christians.  It is full of pride - those with the more predominant spiritual gifts look down on those who had the less predominant gifts.  It lacks maturity, and it lacks love - it isn't one of the top ten New Testament mega-churches - it was not a place in which you and your family would want to worship.  They have all sorts of problems and one the big problems is a group of Bible teachers in the Corinthian church who love to boast about themselves.  They boast about their own teaching, their relationship with God, and about the revelations they have received from God. 

And in the process they say, "The apostle Paul is a nobody".  It is an accusation that I think Paul would not have minded very much, for he calls himself the least of all believers (Ephesians 3:8).  But the implication of their accusation is that because Paul is a nobody, his message is nothing.  And that got Paul steamed, for he had the best message that you and I have ever heard - it is a message of God's grace, his unmerited favour in the person of Jesus Christ. 

It was a message that Paul felt was worth defending.  So in order to defend his message, Paul is pressured into defending himself and his credentials.  And this is what we see him doing in 2 Corinthians.  Our text is linked with chapter 11 where he says, "Okay, those so-called super teachers are boasting about themselves and you want me to boast.   I'll do it, even though it is foolish" - he was willing to be a fool as long as the world knew about the grace of God - "So, I'll boast about myself but I'll boast about all the hardships I have suffered for Christ."  And he tells of all the hardships he has suffered for Christ in chapter 11:16-32.  And in chapter 12 he says, "If I really have to boast let me tell you about someone who had this amazing revelation of God."

He is obviously talking about himself but he uses the third person because he doesn't want to put himself forward, but only Christ.   He doesn't want to promote himself, but only Christ.  He says as much in verse 6 and 7 of our text.  He says, "I refrain from telling people about this because I don't want people to put me on a pedestal.  Even though the revelations are exceptional."

You can picture him saying this: "I know this man who 14 years ago (verse 2) had an amazing revelation of God.  The revelation was so overwhelming; I'm not sure if he was transported there bodily, or if it happened out of body (verse 3) - God's presence overshadowed everything.  He was in the very presence of God himself, in paradise, (verse 4) and he was told things that no mortal is permitted to repeat."  It was a revelation from God to Paul, not something he was to boast about to everyone he met. 

Paul could boast about those incredible instances but Paul says in verse 5, "If you really want me to boast, I will boast about my weaknesses.  I will boast about the things that burden me.  I will boast about the things that frustrate me.  I will boast about my weaknesses, not my strengths."

Now you don't hear that every day.  But like I've been telling you, we belong to a different kingdom, with a different set of rules, with a different set of thinking.  And here Paul says that he will boast about his weaknesses.  So with this as a background we come to the point in the text where Paul essentially says, "Now I have something to really boast to you about." 

Really? What is it?

"Let me boast about a thorn in my flesh."

We don't know what that thorn was.  A whole library has been written speculating what Paul's thorn was.  Some suggest it was a physical problem, like partial blindness, others suggest epilepsy or malaria.  Some suggest it was a emotional and spiritual difficulty, a moral issue that he could not overcome.  Others suggest it was a group of people - possibly the Corinthians themselves who were a constant drain on his energy and abilities.  We don't know what Paul's thorn was. 

But we do know that Paul says in verse 7 that it was "a messenger of Satan to torment me".  It was an evil experience that was meant to weaken him and render him powerless in his ability to proclaim the good news.  We also know that the thorn caused Paul real pain.  He went to the Lord three times in prayer appealing, pleading with the Lord to remove it.  Whatever it was it was persistent, painful, and humiliating. 

But in the midst of his prayers Paul learns that the thing that he wanted God to remove was the very thing he should hold on to and boast about. 

Why?

Because as he examined his life he discovered that the thorn was being used by God.  Yes, it was a messenger of Satan - with the purpose to weaken him and drive a wedge between himself and his heavenly father - but it was ultimately used by God for good. 

Isn't that the way God works?

We see it in the cross of Christ.  It was the worst deed in all of history.  It was accomplished with the help of wicked men (Acts 2:23).  Jesus calls it an hour when darkness reigned (Luke 22:53).  Yet we also read that Jesus was crucified according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God (Acts 2:23).  We know that God transformed that event to be a life-saving experience for you and me. 

And so with Paul's thorn in the flesh it was excruciatingly painful, but God transformed it for good.   What was the good that came out of this painful experience?

Well first he says in verse 7, "this thorn has kept me from being conceited.  It has kept me from being too elated.   Because of the thorn in my flesh, I have my two feet firmly planted on the ground.  I don't think more highly of myself than I ought. " It kept Paul grounded. 

And secondly he says, "this is why I'm going to boast in my weakness because it made me depend upon God.  My thorn in the flesh made me realize that I can't live life on my own.  I cannot do what I've been called to do on my own.  I have to depend on God."  And he says in verse 9, "I learned this about God - that His grace is sufficient for me, His power is made perfect in weakness."

We have discovered during the last number of weeks that grace means "God's unmerited favour".  We have discovered that we are saved by God's grace alone.  We need only to recognize that we cannot save ourselves, and that we need to depend fully on God and the sacrifice of His Son for our salvation.  We have looked at that particular dimension of God's grace - his unmerited favour in our salvation. 

But here is another dimension of God's grace - and that is His power at work in us to sustain us and enable us to continue on in the midst of life's difficulties.  God's grace is synonymous with God's power in this text.  And notice that the verse says that God's grace is sufficient.  It isn't too little; it isn't too much.  It is just what we need. 

But we must be brought to the place where we depend on God's power alone.  We need that realization for our salvation and we need that realization in our day-to-day life.  And that's why Paul says, "I will boast of my weaknesses.  For in them I am made to depend on God's power and not my own to accomplish what He has called me to do."  That is why he is able to say, "when I am weak then I am strong."  He is saying that in his weakness he is made to depend on God's power and His strength is able to shine through. 

And when people look at him they say, "How does Paul do all that he does?  How does Paul keep going, being stoned almost to death, being shipwrecked, danger from rivers, in danger in the wilderness, in danger in the city, in danger from his own people, in danger from bandits, in danger from sea and then he has that handicap - how does he do it?"  And the only answer is that God must be at work in his life.  God is real in his life and is doing something significant.  God was being glorified.  That's what Paul wanted - he didn't want his own self to be promoted, he wanted God to be promoted and so he said "If I have to boast then I will boast of my weakness, for when I am weak, I am strong in God's power."

The thorn in Paul's flesh kept him grounded, it kept him dependent on God's power. 

Do you see then? The circumstance, the situation, the pain which Paul pleaded with God to remove, became the very thing he needed to hold on to.  Because through it his understanding of God was deepened, his character was strengthened and his dependence upon God went far beyond what it might normally have been. 

Now what about you and me?  Is there a thorn in your flesh which you are asking God to remove?  Is there a circumstance you are pleading with God to change?  Is there a pain in your life that you are asking God to heal? Let me say that none of that is wrong.  God did not reprimand Paul for his prayer and there are several times when God did rescue him - from bandits, from shipwreck, from the wicked governor of Damascus when Paul escaped out of window in the wall in a basket.  You can be sure he was praying for safety all those times and God answered in the positive.  It is not wrong to pray for healing, or for circumstances to change for the better. 

But if the situation doesn't change, or the healing doesn't come, or if you are not taken out of the circumstance, can you see that that situation or circumstance is a means through which you are made to depend on God and you learn that God's grace is sufficient.  Through it you are made to depend on God and God is glorified in your life. 

We pray for sunshine, health, and wealth and good times - that's not bad, but can we pray daringly and ask God to give us enough trouble so that we are made to depend on Him.  We pray similarly for our children - "Lord keep them from harm, keep them from temptation, bless them and prosper them."  But dare we pray for our children, "Lord give them enough trouble that they are made to depend on you"?

What about us? Can you see the thorn in your flesh as something that you should hold on to?  Can you see it as a means through which you are made to depend on God and through which He is glorified?  For instance, some people here are dealing with a past that is painful and difficult.  You've repented of it and you've experienced God's grace and know that He has forgiven you completely.  But sometimes it just comes unexpectedly flooding into your memory - the shame of it, the pain of it and "I wish that could be erased."  It's like a thorn in the flesh. 

I wonder if God isn't saying to you, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness." And as you realize that, you come across someone who is going through the exact same temptation you did years ago and you are able to help.  You are able to steer that person in the path of wholeness.  And when that happens, you are made to catch your breath at the thrill of it - for you have witnessed how He is able to take something that is negative and make it a positive for the Kingdom of God.  You fall on your knees and thank God for your weakness because through that weakness you are made to depend on Him and then ministry happens and He is glorified. 

Maybe the thorn you should hold on to is a result of your past.  Or maybe your thorn is some present situation.  It may be a physical difficulty, it may be an emotional difficulty, it may even be a difficulty you have with one of your children.  I have told you a little about the journey Janet and I have been on with our son Mark.  You know how at age 3 he was diagnosed with autism.  I know it sounds like I'm being negative if I call Mark a thorn in the flesh, but that's because in our thinking, we see a thorn in the flesh as a negative rather than a positive.  We see it as something that should be gotten rid of.  But can you see your thorn as something to hold on to and even hold up to others with thanksgiving, for through that thorn you realize that God's grace is sufficient for you.  Having a child that is emotionally, physically and mentally delayed can cause you to do that.  Mark makes us depend on God in ways that we would not have otherwise.  We need His guidance, we need His provision, we need His wisdom for we cannot parent alone. 

So how about you?  Can you see your physical difficulty, or emotional difficulty, or whatever situation you face, as a means through which you are made to depend on God and as a result God is glorified in your life.  If you can see that and hold on to your thorn, then you will be able to say wholeheartedly with Paul, "When I am weak, then I am strong."

Copyright MBC and Tom Cullen - November 2001