Feb 8, 2020 - His Grace Is Enough

you must know a guy by the name of Vance having her he was self-taught and what listens to me the greatest theologians was self-taught these were guys that devoured their Bible every day they got a concordance and they got ahold of the Holy Spirit and there's some of the most you know anointed guys I've ever read about and I'd like to read about real men of God you know I really do I love doing that but Vance have this North Carolina self taught just fiery guy my Chuck actually heard him once I said to chuck Dean a woman you know of course he said yeah he said I heard him once and anyway this is what he said before I before I share just want to read you a quote he had a lot of clothes but he said this is back in the 60s he said they're so cute imagine what he would say today the devil is not finding religion he's too smart for that he is producing a counterfeit Christianity so much like the real one that good Christians are afraid to speak out against it we all plainly told them the scriptures that in the last days men will not endure sound doctrine and will depart from the faith and heap to themselves teachers to tickle areas we live in an epidemic of this edge and popular preachers have developed ear tickling into a fine art so with that being said I'd like to share something with you look you know how I feel about studying the scripture I'm just amazed that nobody's ever taught how to study the Bible you know they just like open it up and they have a favorite verse from Philippians and I'm like do you know where Philippi is no no idea do you know who wrote the letter or pulled it do you know who the Philippians were and what was going on in Philip I do you know the year he wrote it do you know why he wrote it from do you know why he wrote it do you know what was the theme of the letter nothing but I know in Philippians 4:13 it says no you don't know what it says you can't know what it says you cannot understand a verse out of context it is impossible in fact not only will you not understand it but you will misunderstand that misinterpret it and do a total unjustice to the Bible and the rest of the Word of God and this is what we have today right people quoting scriptures and all that was an awesome verse what's going on in Isaiah 43 what was happening in that chapter who is the Lord speaks who is the Lord speaking as Isaiah speaking is God speaking through Isaiah who are the children of Israel about what you must you you're doing yourself a great disservice and doing God an even bigger one by not reading in context poison so I'm gonna share something with you today well kind of a little different in a way 2nd Corinthians that letter is a widely neglected letter by preachers you almost never hear anybody preach from first Corinthians all the time fees of course talks about the Bobby Messiah but part of the reason why is because the Epistle is difficult I'll grant you that it really is the letter is difficult the meaning of many verses are very obscure you know you got to realize Paul was a very very hard person to understand as his brilliance I don't know if you've ever spoken to a genius you know people say rabbi D is smart yeah I did pretty well in school and I did well on the SAT but no no I I have had friends that were geniuses they're hard to talk to they don't know how to talk simplistically just the vocabulary is hard it's hard to understand because they're so incredibly brilliant at the same time though you know true brilliance is being able to take some esoteric topics and make them very simple for even a five-year-old to understand that's the challenge Paul uses a great deal of satire and even sarcasm okay you might say sarcasm is not good sarcasm is very Jewish there's not a Jewish comedian in the universe that doesn't use sarcasm in fact it was a Jewish man that said I don't have to remember how can you see a speck in somebody's eye when you have a plank in yours remember that guy yeah he was very Jewish I was just told burned that yes I said you know there's actually Christians that think he converted that like he became a Christian well he's following himself I know that's like a slap in the face but no no he was Jewish he is Jewish and he's coming back Jewish it's very difficult than the letter to know when he's using SATs how you know of course I'm a Jew from New York I mean I'm gonna be sarcastic it's just the way it is you know and sometimes some people in the south they don't know when I'm being sarcastic and when I'm not so they kind of take me serious when I'm not being serious at all which is really sad it like breaks my heart that you didn't grow up with sarcasm you miss Talib it's really wonderful you know like if if you're struggling like if I was struggling to to open up and do one you said excuse me can I Lenny Han I said no I'm really enjoying the challenge that's and see somebody from the south to go oh okay he likes a challenge so it's hard to know when in this in this particular epistle when he's being sarcastic when he's not but what I personally love about this letter is it's intensely personal and the words are often the language of Paul's heart if you take this letter out you would not know Paul all the other letters of theological very theological Romans in Ephesians these the letters of theology you would not know who Paul is you would know where he stands theologically but you wouldn't know the person second Corinthians lets you in on the person and this was a very very very very special person the likes of which the earth has never seen his equal in second Corinthians we get such a look at Paul's heart and we feel something at least I do when I read that letter I feel the tremendous enthusiasm he had for the work of the Lord a lot of people thought Paul was arrogant they wrote him well when you get here we'll see what a big shot you are they wrote them that in Corinth there was full letters written to Corinth you know - we don't know but we know that in the letter he talks about another weapon that he wrote and so he wasn't arrogant about himself I promise you he wasn't he was a man of extreme humility but he was so overwhelmed by what God did for him that he could not be silenced he would boast about the Lord so enthused enthusiastic in feels in God he was so in God and God was so in him that you couldn't stop him and they thought that was arrogance but he was boasting in the Lord the great prophet Jeremiah said if you are wealthy don't boast in your wealth he's talking to spiritual people and if you are strong don't boast in your strength and if you are wise don't boast in your wisdom but if you have to boast boast that you know the Lord they misunderstood he was highly highly misunderstood like many a great men of God are because most people that are lukewarm have absolutely no spiritual discernment whatsoever and they're quick to profile and they're quick to judge and they're quick to critique so he had this unbelievable enthusiasm he couldn't get enough of it he couldn't get enough we also catch the sense of honor and glory he had for what he considered life's greatest calling look I think everybody's important teachers doctors and construction workers there was something very special about the calling of a man who wants to share the gospel with the world and he knew that was the greatest calling we also read in second Corinthians with amazement the suffering with which she endured the catalogue of his sufferings I don't look when you're stoned you're stoned they stone you to kill you when you beaten with Raja hung upside down and beaten with metal rods he was totally deformed there was there was no orthopedic surgeons and MRIs and CT scans for him it's totally deformed and we also experienced his extreme indignation yes there is a righteous indignation there would be people today you know nice well-intentioned Christians at least they act that way who would have said to Jesus himself when he was turning over the tables that's not very christ-like there is a time to sit at the table and there is a time to turn it over you just have to know your timing he had righteous extreme aching nation to his unscrupulous critics which he answered in second Corinthians I don't think without this letter we would know his heart of course it's filled with deep deep emotion in first Corinthians we have the great rob shoal he was a rabbi he studied under the rabbi's he studied under Gamaliel we read that in the New Testament kamalii Yale studied under Hillel one of the greatest rabbis in Judaism he was a rabbi and in 1st Corinthians we see the great Robshaw all the great rabbis saw with all his wonderful wonderful theology but in 2nd Corinthians we see the humble past the Paul who had a heart for people second to another and I thank God for second Corinthians one of my favorite one of my absolute favorites Paul first visited Corinth it was the capital of acacia which is southern Greece today in Acts chapter 18 it was during his second missionary journey of course you can read all about it which at 18 months year-and-a-half 2nd Corinthians was written when Paul heard from Titus that they were false teachers active in Corinth which broke his heart any true man of God when there's a false teaching it breaks our heart it's heart-wrenching that people could be hoodwinked even in Galatia who cut in on you who deceived you deception is so dangerous because it's so insidious that most people that are deceived don't realize that being deceived so he heard they were undermining his work I mean these were his little lambs man these were his babies and the wolves in sheep's clothing were coming in to attack and feed and he wasn't there and it was killing him they questioned his authority as a true servant of Yeshua that's what they do see that's what they do today politics today you don't hear about any reform or what's a politician's gonna do all they do is assassinate the character of their opponent and if you can assassinate their character then you won't listen anything they have to say so they were trying to assess in his character same old tricks nothing's new Under the Sun they were saying he's wrong he's teaching you incorrect that's not what it says did God really say the devil has been saying that since Genesis 3 and he got one to this and he wasn't worried about his character he was worried about his lambs so in chapter 12 a second Corinthians Paul has to support his Apostleship which killed him he had to he had to boast a little bit they killed him so he spoke about this great revelation remember the first six verses he said I knew a man do you know that man was of course it was but he wouldn't say was him that's how humble he was of course it was him you know these other people out there that are writing books about I went to heaven I went to hell Stephen unscriptural Paul said I went there and I heard things that I can't even repeat way too holy yet people run he looks about today say talked about this man who went to the third heavens God's dwelling place yeah the atmospheric heavens - Stella heavens and then third heavens talks about it they're not making it up he wished he didn't have to share it you have to go home and read that chapter and then read the whole letter if you if you wouldn't mind spending a little time with it but it was necessary had to do to the circumstances of the people being misled and hoodwinked by these false teachers who were infiltrating the congregation of Corinth with their false teacher now I'm telling you it is infiltrating everywhere I have some friends of the old-line 46 years their Baptist minister 46 years their father was a Baptist minister their grandfather and I tell them it's infiltrating it's infiltrating that that God just wants to bless you message just use the scriptures to see how you can improve your life everything's topical and it's all about me and mines and it's infiltrating some little some are already done they are done it's over but it's infiltrating an Olympic trait our movement too if we allow it the minute you start having membership and you start counting people the minute you start getting involved in who's giving what it's already infiltrated just to tell you I don't have membership here because I don't believe in it because the Bible didn't speak about it if you go to a church with his membership that might be their call if they think that's the right thing to do I don't question I'm talking about as the gatekeeper here what I do okay I don't know how many people are here I never know how many people are here I don't really care how many people here I have a message from God to share with whoever wants to hear it I don't know who gives what I couldn't tell you who tides here who doesn't I don't know do I have a right to know yes do I choose not to know yes yes I do it'll never be about that here never no I don't want people I don't want money I want God the section that we're going to talk about it's it's very rare max said to me dad how many scriptures usually I share like 40 or 50 I said before he said what he said Greg you got to be kidding me old test I said no no but the section begins in verse seven it's it's the most accurate description of the life of a servant Messiah the life of a servant of Messiah has its deep moments of deep humiliation he speaks about the time he was let down remember in Damascus when the Lord blinded his eyes and he met Aeneas and he met the congregation of a small congregation believers maybe a dozen people but they were looking to kill him right away and they let him down in the basket through the window of the wall and that was humiliating but he spoke about it most people don't like to speak about the humiliating moments they just speak about their highs so it's got some deep blows like the event at Damascus but it also has its mountaintop experiences like his amazing revelation he went to the third heavens man he said in the body out of the body I don't know it doesn't matter he went but normally normally I say normally not all the time this is an absolute principle but normally after a servant of the Lord has enjoyed one of these mountaintop experiences what do you think happens the Lord allows him will hard to suffer some thorn in the flesh why because they just want to stay on the mountain it's like they can't even hear God like God's trying to talk - Shh Shh be quiet I'm praising God I am God I'm trying to tell you something so this is this is what we have here let me read to you just the four verses okay second Corinthians chapter 12 verses 7 through 10 it goes like this therefore why is there therefore because he just talked about this great revelation he has so because of that great revelation therefore therefore to keep me from becoming overly proud I was given a thorn in my flesh a messenger from the adversary Satan to pound away at me so that I wouldn't grow conceited now I'm I'm just here to tell you you're not gonna hear a lot of these messages today in the year 2020 because these messages don't fill up seats all the baskets you're entitled to your opinion I'm entitled to mine I like the Word of God and I like to tell you what's real about being a servant of the Lord and not sugarcoating it's just not healthy because when when it hits the fan if you're not prepared for the reality of it you won't make it you won't make it well Rob I'll just keep praying that it doesn't hit the fan listen I used to ride motorcycles when you ride motorcycles it's not if you have an accident it's when and how bad and I've had a lot of friends that I'm not here with us today because it was a bad accident three times I begged now they asked two just prayed begged the Lord to take this thing away from me I think everybody can relate to that but he told me my grace is enough for you for my power is brought to perfection in weakness that is an absolute spiritual principle therefore I am very happy to boast about my weaknesses in order that the Messiah's pawel rest upon me yes I am well pleased with weaknesses insults hardships persecutions and difficulties endured on behalf of the Messiah but it is when I am weak that I'm strong so let's do what we always do break it down so we try to get some understanding harmony so we can understand what God is saying to us not how we can apply to our lives that's that's just the icing application is not interpretation the Bible is written so we understand its interpretation we can apply it but we can't skip over the interpretation and just get to the application that's the juicy stuff let's take a look at the first verse they have for to keep me from coming becoming overly proud I was given the phone in my flesh a messenger from the adversary to pound away at me so that I wouldn't grow conceited first of all I want to tell you I don't watch MMA although I did try to do it about five years ago which I had to have my head examined right at 55 years old but you know I used to compete and fight in full contact karate and it was you know it's always been a part of me you know I've always felt great about being able to protect berm protect my kids always feel very confident when I walked in the room if there was an altercation that I would be able to rise to the occasion silly I know I get it I don't know if it was part of being a man part of being Greg I don't know doesn't matter but I joined it and you know I have every everything is wrong with me now not only by the aneurysms which you got to be in an idiot to get kicked with an aneurysm right but shoulder back you name it because of all the things I did but I did watch one time I was with a friend in Atlanta and we went into a bar restaurant to grab some meat he was visiting me from New York and there was an MMA fight on and I saw at one point where the guy gets straddled have you seen this anybody it's okay you can admit it doesn't doesn't make you heathen and once the guy knows that he's in trouble a pound of him pound in talent to literally kill him this is this is what he's saying you know Paul lived in Tarsus they had the Roman games before the Greek games he lived in a Roman Roman Empire part of the Roman Empire modern-day Turkey Cilicia and he watched these games and he watched these athletes you know that's why why do you think he uses the language he uses in the Bible run the race fight the fight we don't wrestle against you might wonder oh is that where he got it from yes that's where he got it from he watched these great athletes and he watched how tenacious and how they were giving their life's blood for this silly wreath that they would get he thought wow only we could apply those principles in the faith and would be just as tenacious about the Lord so he says man it was pounding imagine that and the thorn that wasn't a messenger from the adversary he describes this thorn guys this thorn as a messenger from Satan now God is in control of all things that means either promotes it or permits it but nothing happens without his approval this might be hard to swallow but did not God allow a messenger of Satan to pound a job is this not the same principle he had given this message of Satan permission to pound away you know when people say God is love that's one part of God there's one part of him there's another part of him in the book of Revelation where the blood will be up to the horse's bridle so not too far so in one sense it represented an effort on Satan's part to hinder Paul in the work of the Lord he wanted to stop it but God is so much greater than Satan that God used the thorn to further the work of the Lord by keeping Paul humble now why would Paul become conceited everybody is a little narcissistic to an extent even those who are falsely humble which is an insidious form of arrogance oh I'm not so good I'm terrible oh you're great you just wanted hear that why would Paul become humble well first of all he had an encounter with Yeshua and he was commissioned personally and directly by him how many people have had that happen in their lives where they met him and he spoke directly to him in a vision fine doesn't matter you know he you got to realize some people even say well he made that up okay let me tell you about Paul okay he was a Jews Jew he was incredibly Torah proficient he was picked as one of all the Jewish boys in the Diaspora it's still like that today in some Jewish circles I have friends still very traditionally Jewish and they try to pick the best of the best to go to the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York the best of the best oh you're from Iowa yeah you're not gonna cut it so he was handpicked by gamellia to become his student Paul was the up and coming new knocking on the new Nicodemus he was gonna be Israel's teacher he was a powerhouse in the Jewish community you know how the Pharisees lived they had beautiful homes they had foot washers they had servants sounds like the White House anyway they were well taken care of he was well thought of who why would he make this up then to be persecuted by his own people and give up everything he had his notoriety his prowess his wealth you don't do that guys unless you're out of your mind so you had this personal encounter with Yeshua that's something a boast about his missionary journeys what incredibly fruitful planting congregations not huge ones there were no mega congregation small but all over Asia Minor he was also known as the apostle not apostle the apostle to the Gentiles as shamone keith was the apostle to the Jews as Yaakov James Yeshua's half-brother was the elder of the congregation Jerusalem the first messianic congregation he was the up he was going to take the message of the good news of Yeshua the Messiah to the nation's if it wasn't for Paul there would be no Gentile believers and add to the fact that he was so moved by the holy spirit to write half of the New Testament 13 epistles maybe 14 we don't know about Hebrews but that's half the books guys that's an incredible resume that's a lot to boast about right you meet a guy like that that's impressive right if you go out to lunch say and somebody sits down next and says I wrote half the New Testament okay they need psychiatric care however if it was 2,000 years ago and you were sitting with Paul it's legit so yes he could be conceited and all of us can be and most of us act like we're not so it was God's goal and allowing the messenger of Satan to pound away to keep Paul humble so we get this all-important spiritual principle in the first verse successful service for the Messiah depends on a weak servant you could have all the buzzes and whistles you could have the nicest sanctuary you could have the coolest praise and worship team it does not mean it's anointed not one bit it doesn't mean that it's not but it doesn't mean it is well what do people want today when we were up in Atlanta burning that night we felt like going for some good Asian food because there are none here its Americanized and it's just not Asian and so we found an authentic place when we went that was during the week there was a line and everybody in there was Asian what do you think that told us so you go to a church parking lots that's full and everything's happening they got hey they built a really cool coffee shop and a gym and you think they must have it going on all that glitters is not gold the weaker he was the more power of Messiah would accompany his preaching without a doubt make no mistake listen to me some of you that want to preach oh you could put something together well we have many motivational speakers out there who throw the cross in they just throw the cross in you know they're wonderful speakers they gift it yes they have a gift anointed by the raw negative negative when the Word of God has breathed upon it as a double-edged sword it does not condemn it does not comfort but it convicts every time when God breathes on his word it will convict every time and in your conviction you have one of two choices you can either go with that conviction or repent or you can get mad at the messenger those are only two choices all we can say for sure about the thorn and I say we anybody who's anybody spit theological is that it was some bodily trial bodily trial which God allowed to come into his life now you might say to me rabbi how can you say that we'll look at the next two verses and you'll see it three times I begged the Lord to take this thing away from me so as giant of a man as Paul was he didn't want it but he told me my grace is enough for you for my power is brought perfect in weakness now we have to look these words up in this original language you read the Old Testament you must look up the words in the Hebrew because when God says I blot out your sins in the Hebrew it means I exterminate them I obliterate them I assault them so blot isn't just a just like weakness weakness can mean a lot of things therefore I'm very happy to boast about my weaknesses in order that the massage Powell restaurant me so let's look up the word in the Greek the New Testaments written in Greek let's look up the original word okay it means infirmity of the body sickness ailment disease that's how we do we know what disease no and there's a reason for that gets it and I think it's pretty juicy some speculate it was an eye disease because somebody said in Galatians I'll give you my eyes I mean seriously that's how you came to that sparkling deduction of the same malaria malaria was obviously very prevalent as miserable some said it was migraine headaches don't ask me how they came up with this the precise nature of the thorn has been concealed we don't know and I think so that all afflicted souls throughout the ages may be encouraged and helped by pols unnamed yet very painful experience our trials may be different from poles but they should produce the same exercise and the same fruits three times Paul prayed he pleaded now I don't even think they were consecutive I think they was spread apart I don't think he prayed and God said no and he prayed and got to know and in prayer I don't think so I think over the course of this disease I don't know if it was a year part he begged beseeched Lord I'm doing your work I'm planning congregation I'm going on these missions I'm doing everything you're telling me am I am I in my sinless no but I'm sinning less I've responded to your call for God's sakes take it away from me it's miserable it's miserable when you're in pain it takes you to dark places guys very dark God answered Paul's prayer but not the way Paul had hoped in effect this is what I think God was saying and I'll quote I will not remove the phone pole but I will do something better I will give you grace to bear it and just remember Paul although I'm not giving you what you asked for I'm giving you what you need you want my power and strength to accompany your preaching don't you well the best way to have that happen is for you to be kept in a place of weakness this was God's repeated answer to Paul's thrice prayer and it continues to be God's answer to his suffering people throughout the world better than the removal of trials and sufferings is the presence of Yeshua in them and the assurance of the strength and enabling grace the Apostle is completely satisfied with the Lord's answer so he says I'm gladly boasting my weaknesses so that your shoe is power were rest on me so instead of complaining and grumbling about the thorn he would get down on his hands and knees and thank the lord for them he would gladly endure if the power of the Son of God would rest upon him look at the last verse yes I am well-pleased with weaknesses insults hardships persecutions in difficulties endured on behalf of the Messiah for this when I'm weak I'm strong naturally speaking and and this is a problem guys if you're a spiritual person if you're born again if the Word of God is written on your heart if you're filled with this spirit you can't naturally think it's poison it will bury you what does the Bible say about double-minded tossed by every wind of doctrine it will kill you because you know spiritually this is the principle but if you think naturally this principle makes no sense well pleased I'm thanking God for it I'm asking God friend I'm asking out to persecute me so that the gospel could flourish who does that in America it's so not natural it's unnatural but you're trying to be spiritual and finding spiritual principles and it's killing you and you're not growing in the Lord how can you take pleasure in weaknesses in sickness insult of salts on your character hardships those are disasters not you know my frigerator broke so some people that's a hardship my air conditioning went out that's not a disaster guys persecution torture and difficulties that's extreme affliction but the key to me of understanding this last verse is found in the expression on behalf of the Messiah we should be willing to endure in his cause and in the furtherance of his gospel things we which not ordinarily endure for ourselves or for the sake of our loved ones it is when we are conscious of our own weakness and nothingness that we most depend on the power of God and it is when we are thus cast on him in complete dependence that is power is manifested to us and we are truly strong you know I hate going up for those CT scans at Emory because it's a huge Imaging Center and I'm surrounded by people with cancer and brain tumors and strokes and I'm just surrounded by the sick of the sick of which I'm wonderful and I don't like sitting there it's kind of depressing I try to talk to people it's very depressing environment it just is and I just went to the bathroom I just said Lord hey David cried out to you he said can the dust praise you from Sheol and Hezekiah yes he showed his Treasury off and he made a mistake but he had great reform in Israel he did some great things and he cried out to you and he begged you and at 38 years old you were gonna take his life and you came 15 more years and Jobe a mighty man of God you said we're not gonna let the enemy take his life and so I was pleading for myself on behalf of Hezekiah and then I realized I'm know Hezekiah okay definitely no job so it was not that point I got on my knees in the bathroom and I said just as you saw the blood on the mercy seat everyone kipper then see the blood on me right now just give me a little bit more time I really love life I don't sit around and piss a Nolan like a lot of people do and complain about nonsense brokenness is is seen as weakness to the world even in the Christian faith broken this now is weak if you're not cool you know these cool churches that are popping up with the cool pastors and not broken they don't even know what brokenness is but brokenness is a sign of strength for the believer and so often we are reminded that God uses broken things it takes broken soil to produce a crop it takes broken clouds to give rain it takes broken grain to give bread it takes broken bread to give strength and it's a broken hallelujah that gives full of perfume Ron you got a tissue no the great theologians of the 1800s like a Charles Spurgeon talked about dry eyed Christianity it's an epidemic today when's the last time you came into a church and seeing everybody crying you got to tell a joke or warm-up with a song you know we need to have our hearts broken with the things that breaks God's heart at least we should be crying for the State of the Union we have no time for that Live Love less nonsense for a true believer of God spirit filled born-again believer all their times the left of course his life a gift you better believe it but there's a time to laugh a time to cry Paul's opponents argued that Paul suffered too much to be a spirit-filled apostle remember job's friends huh the original what do they say you must be in some disgusting sin look what's happening and what do we learn no no don't listen to people most people have no idea what they're talking about spiritually they have not sought the Lord they have not prayed and fasted they have not got down in their face they just have an opinion they said you suffering too much Paul you can't be a spirit-filled apostle that's what they said that's what his opponents came in the corn to go look at his life look at us look at what we're driving look at how we look you think it's new you think the prosperity gospel is new false teachers have been putting that out there forever too blessed to be stressed look at my life so Paul argued he argued with them that his weaknesses were the very means by which God and Messiah is made known to the world do you think if your life is so blessed and you're saying hallelujah I'm gonna be impressed by that I'm impressed by somebody where the walls are caving in on them they're helpless but not hopeless and still in their dying breath they say the Lord shall be praised that's impressive Paul suffering with Thanksgiving and contentment manifests the very resurrection power of the Spirit Paul's endurance and adversity and Messiah like behavior both made possible by the grace of God was the greatest display of God's presence God's power and God's glory in this fallen world no one likes to live in pain guys no one paul sought the lord three times to remove the source of pain from him he probably had good reasons why he should be pain-free I know I've had the same reasons the same reasons he could have a more effective ministry father I want to get to India again I want to get to Africa I want to do more stuff but every time I go something goes radically wrong he could reach more people with the gospel yes I think I kind of can he could glorify God even more right I've been delivered hallelujah god is great but the Lord was more concerned with the building of Paul's character and preventing pride instead of removing the problem God gave Paul overwhelming grace and compensating strength and Paul learned that God's powers made perfect in weakness the exact nature of Paul's thorn in the flesh is uncertain there's probably a good reason why we don't know I believe God wanted Paul's difficulty to be described in general enough terms to apply to any difficulty we may face now well the phone we struggle with today is physical or emotional spiritual or a combination thereof we can know that God has a purpose and that His grace is enough I tell people all the time there is no way on God's green earth that I would have even dreamed I'm not a visionary I had no vision Tibet tissue I still don't I'm sorry if you ask me the vision for the better issue I know I know pastors always tell you got to have a vision where there is no vision my people perish yes proverbs 21 29 18 and that vision is a Hebrew word that means close own which means divine communication that's my vision to hear from God not to set up a five year plan or a three year plan I don't even have a tomorrow plan guys I don't I don't and we thought we would come here we have burned that and I understand the Messianic world small congregations you know granola fruits flakes and nuts that's what we attract I get it cuz we're not mainstream we're weird you guys worshiping on Shabbat yeah I know what's stupid enough to do it the way Jesus did go figure but I know I get it we're weird right I know they all think we're weird God did say that he's looking for a people who would be weird we thought we'd have 24 people we didn't even think oh so what are you looking to have yeah we we never thought we'd I'm promise you ask my wife she's she'll shoot right from the hip she won't candy-coat chuckle nothing we weren't looking for any people we didn't want a building ministry all over the world the cat no an author what business why Ronnie I can't even read no this is all God's doing this is all choosing a weak vessel knowing my nothingness knowing well good I don't care what you think that I think of me I don't care I know you need to know your nothingness you need to know how little you are you need to know that God doesn't need you he allows you to work with him it's an honor and a privilege for you not for him you're saved by His grace just sanctified by His grace you're gonna be glorified by His grace it's all his doing it's not about you but if you're willing to be faithful and available and humble and teachable and willing to be turned and left when you want to go right to be willing not to have your way but his way he'll use you and you will be blown away by the power of God it will legitimatize his power his presence and the very glory you won't have to be convinced you won't have to just read scripture and recanted you will get on your hands and knees and know you are the Lord [Applause] let me leave you with three verses I'm not going to explain them I'm just gonna leave you with these Israel was going kind of through a bad time and this is what the Lord said this is what out enoy says he who created you Jacob he who formed you Israel don't be afraid for I have redeemed you I am calling you by your name you are mine when you pass through water I will be with you when you pass through rivers they will not overwhelm you when you walk through fire you will not be scorched the flame will not burn you for I am I don't know your God the Holy One of Israel your savior shabbat shalom let's stand together [Applause] I love you too I really appreciate all your prayers I know that most of them are very sacrificial I get letters from people all over the world that tell me they're praying every day and I believe them there's kids in India they give up food little kids five six years old that won't eat for a day or two it's unbelievable but your prayers are carrying me through you know I feel like whack-a-mole every time I come out of a hole and I feel like I'm gonna be able to to breathe a little bit I feel like I get whacked in the minute I get a head I get whacked but I get it I'm supposed to be broken I'm supposed to stay broken I just have to embrace it I haven't been able to embrace it I really haven't I remember when I got to the hospital in 2005 and I couldn't move I was in a wheelchair and I was on oxygen and I was crying and burning this or decribe and I said I can't protect you that's what was bothering me the most burden I had anxiety just with the kids in the front yard I said somebody goes to grab them I can't protect them for a man who was always so protecting it was killing me and it seems like God doesn't want me to have these natural strengths I've had and he wants me to stay weak and broken so you can breathe on me just pray that I embrace it pray that I'm like Paul and I say I'm well pleased with it because I'm not there yet but we're going in that direction and one day I hope to be a real man of God now I made a Lord bless you and keep you may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious on you and may the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you his peace in the name of the principle of peace you sure face my wrath you're annoyed for no Valletta [Music] [Music] I love you guys Salome

Channel: Getzel

Views: 4,523

Rating: 4.9053254 out of 5

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Id: sSCHAYOMbJM

Length: 53min 39sec (3219 seconds)

Published: Mon Feb 10 2020