Synopsis of 10/22/23

Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NKJV 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. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 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. 10 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.

        I.            INTRODUCTION 

1. Revelation is powerful. We are all in a position to receive it. What God allows is for our development and not your demise.
2. Being consumed by what we go through on a daily basis, we miss knowing why we went through it. When life hurts, God meant it to bless us, not hurt us.
3. When it comes to thorns, we have asked God to take it away. We pleaded and struggled with God. God had to remind us that something was in it for us. It might not feel like it now, but what you ask God to move, might be designed to bring a blessing into your life. You might be thanking God for your thorn later on.
4. It helped you, though it hurt you. Remember Joseph? He was hurt by the pit, but the pit brought about his blessing.
5. Historical context of Paul:
   1. Paul was originally called Saul. He was born in Tarsus. This is modern day turkey. He was a zealous Pharisee which were those who held to the traditionalism of their ancestors. They were strict adherers to religious law.
   2. Paul studied under Gamaliel, a Jewish scholar. He was bilingual, knowing both Hebrew and Greek and had the ability to speak both fluently.
   3. Paul was persecutor of the church originally. At first Paul’s name was Saul. Saul spent the first part of life, persecuting Christian’s, until the road of Damascus experience. The Second half of his life, he was all about bringing about redemption. His name was changed to Paul. He spent the remainder of life, building up what he tore down.
   4. Paul experienced a lot for the sake of Christ. He wrote about a 3^rd of the New Testament. He is one of the best writers in the New Testament. He wrote things like, “I can do all things Christ…” or “Love is patient, love is kind…” or “The Fruit of the Spirit is…”. Amid his own persecution, Paul shares with the early church, he knew a man that had a vision. The man had a vision in the 3^rd heaven and he saw stuff he couldn’t speak of. He was able to see things that were unspeakable, things that no one was permitted to tell. Because of that revelation, there was given to Paul, a thorn in his flesh, so that he might not be
   5. You might not think there is much hardship associated with a thorn but consider this. It’s like getting a deep splinter. That splinter may be small, but it hurts so bad and like the man in the vision, you can’t get it out! Before long, that little bitty splinter will drive you nuts!
   6. Paul asked God to remove it 3 times and the Lord wouldn’t. God said that his grace was sufficient. In other words, God is saying, you will eventually see why the thorn is there and how it is helping you.

     II.            THE THORN WAS FOR YOUR PRIDE 

• The greater your spiritual encounter, the greater the need for your humility.
  • James 4:6 NKJVsays But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” – There is a tendency for all of us to become prideful.

1. Don’t Allow a Spiritual Encounter to Produce Spiritual Elitism
   Having spiritual encounters is wonderful, but understand Spiritual Elitism is having the attitude that you are superior to everyone when it comes to spiritual matters.
2. Don’t allow your spiritual encounter to turn you into one with Spiritual Elitism.
3. Different manifestations of Spiritual Elitism:
   1. Looking down on people.
   2. You expect special privileges.
      1. This is really when you think everyone is going to hell but you.

1. God Allows Thorns to Remind You of Your Human Condition 
2. Some people argue what the thorn that Paul was referring to might have been a condition. Others say the thorn was something medical. Some people say the thorn could have been a spiritual struggle. We don’t know what the thorn is. It does, however, give us an opportunity to see our issue in its place.
3. It’s good that God doesn’t put our thorn on blast. Our thorn reminds us that we are human flesh.
4. Our thorn reminds us of our need for God. No matter how influential you are, no matter how strong you think you are, you can’t deal with your thorn by yourself.

  III.            THE TRUTH ABOUT PRAYER 

·       Paul does what he knows. He talks to God about it. Prayer is the most effective when you are honest.

• We try to go through life like we have a “S” on our chest. We don’t want to be honest about our hurting. God said cast your cares on Him because he cares for you.

• Paul said he went to God 3 times, and He wouldn’t remove thorn. Why wouldn’t God remove it?

1. Just Because God Doesn’t Move, Doesn’t Mean He Didn’t Hear You 
2. God won’t always do what we want him to do. He gives us what we need and not what we want. There were times, when your children were young, and they kept asking you to do something for them. They kept asking over and over, because you didn’t act on it right away. You heard it, but you didn’t move on it, when they thought you should. In like manner, God might not respond or act right away. God knows the proper time to respond to us. He might not come when you want him to, but he is always on time.

1. Sometimes, No Is the Answer 
2. Why isn’t there a praise break, when the answer is “no”? There are times that God will say “no”.
3. You have to trust it, when God says no. No is part of the plan. If God says yes, it removes you from the development needed to take you where He is taking.
4. When you finally get where you are going, you will appreciate and see the need for the answer, no.
5. You ought to thank God for the “no”, because without it, you wouldn’t be where you are today.
6. Paul says if you are going to permit this, then there must be purpose in it. Therefore, he decided to glory in his infirmities.
   
   

   IV.            THE TESTIMONY IN HIS PROVISION 

• God says he won’t move it, but he will give us grace, because it is sufficient. Grace is giving you what you don’t deserve. Sufficient means enough. You don’t need grace and weed (substitute with whatever you use to cope), you just need grace. Grace is enough.

1. God’s Grace Will Get You Through This  
   
   
2. Why trying to fill your purpose, it is God’s grace that gets you through it. 1 Corinthians 15:10 NKJVsays But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 
   Grace gives us:
   1. Spiritual Endurance– This is the ability to stay in the race.
   2. Spiritual Enlightenment– It is about seeing your situation differently.
   3. Spiritual Expectancy – When I live by grace, we know God is going to give us above what we ask or think.
      
      
3. You Will Discover His Strength in Your Weakest Moments
4. There are moments where you have to throw it all on the line.
   1. Story– There was a young boy in water, and he was going under as if he was drowning. The lifeguard just stood there. The little boy kept fighting to stay up, but he kept going under. Finally, the little guy couldn’t fight any longer. He began sinking and then finally, the lifeguard went in after him. People asked the lifeguard why he waited so long to try and rescue the guy? The Lifeguard said as long as little guy was struggling, he couldn’t rescue him. He said he had to wait until he stopped struggling. – The takeaway from this is, Gods’ strength is perfect in our

    V.            THANKFUL IN THE MIDST OF THE PAIN 

• We will glory in it not when we come out, but while we are in the midst of it.
• The thorn is still there. God won’t remove it, but Paul says he will glory in it.
• Through this experience, Paul learned something. It was:
  
  
  

1. If God Allowed It, There Is a Blessing in It

1. We have to remember, if this hadn’t happened, then that couldn’t have happened. God works all things together for our good.
   
   
2. I Choose to Praise Him Rather Than Pout 
3. Some people spend their whole lives pouting with God. We don’t wait until the battle over to give God glory. We will give God glory now!
4. We have Pouters and then you have Praises.
   1. Story: Guy brings flowers to his wife, just because. With excitement, she reached in and pain rushed through her body. The thorns stuck into her finger. Now there is blood on the tissue paper.
   2. In this moment she has several choices.
      1. Reject the roses for the pain it has caused her.
      2. Fuss at her husband.
   3. Because she recognized the intent of the giver, she holds the roses by the stem and thanks him. She knew her husband wasn’t trying to hurt her.
   4. In life, God may give us a thorn and it may hurt. It might cause us to bleed, but He loves us. Can you do like the woman and hold God by the stem?