Church of the Nazarene – East Rockingham Campus
Grace is Greater Part 7
Grace is greater than weakness.
Today, we are concluding our Teaching series “Grace is Greater”
This series keys off a book by the same title, and it is written by Pastor and author Kyle Idleman.
Throughout this series, we want to be reminded of God’s grace in our lives. To understand that His grace is greater than any sin, any brokenness, any failure or regret in my life, and the lives of others around us. We want to experience that great grace in our own lives and see how that grace serves to change our world.
Wedon’twant everwantto forget God’s grace.
Today we want to experience the greatness of God’s grace in the places of our weakness.
While we do our best to hide our weakness, the bible says we should brag about it.
The pain we might be trying to hide, the limitation wecantget over, the suffering wedon’tunderstand. Those places might be the place God desires to do his greatest work.
2 Corinthians 12:5-7
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 one will think more of me than iswarrantedby what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore,in order tokeep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
As we get into 2 Corinthians Chapters 10 through 12, Paul is trying to set the record straight. Not to defend his reputation or his credentials, but to help people see the power of Jesus at work in his life.
Hedoesn’twant toenter intothe power game, or the one-upmanship that was going on. He has learned that the best place to experience God’s power, is in weakness.
2 Corinthians 12:7-8
or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore,in order tokeep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
The word for thorn here is not like a small briar, or the prickly’s on a blackberry bush or rose stem. The word thorn here is more like a spike or a spear. This was not a minor ache or pain, not even an inconvenience. Whatever it was, brought suffering into his life.
The bible never says what Paul was dealing with and Icanthelp but wonder if that was intentional.By not naming his thorn, he invites us to think about our thorn in this text.
2 Corinthians 12:8-9
Three 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.”ThereforeI will boastall the moregladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
Paul pleaded that it would go away, and the Lord said “Paul, I got you. I will be with you inthis,I will give you the strength you need. My grace isgraterthan your weakness. That was enough for Paul. He goes all in.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”ThereforeI will boastall the moregladly 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.
In just a few short verses, Paul completely flips the script on weakness. Rather than something to be photoshopped out, to be hid behind fake smiles. We are invited to see our weakness, even our pain, as an opportunity for the Lord to do his greatest work. To experience his grace in a whole new way.
When we begin to be honest about our limitations, when we trust the Lord to do his best, in our weakest places, we are no longer limited by our strength- we experience God’s power
God’s grace is abundant, powerful, and available for youin the midst ofyour weakness. No fake smile, no coached grinrequired.
This message for you today might just be the beginning of a journey.
A journey to stop denying or hiding your weakness. A Journey to seek help with a physical issue, or something going on in a relationship in your life.
For some of us, experiencing God’s grace in our weakness will mean that wehave tosurrender our idea of how God can work in a difficult place.
The promise of this scripture is that God’s grace is there for you IN the weakness, no matter what happens, he is strong enough.
His grace is greater.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”