SERMON: THE NICENE CREED #2: GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY

 

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

 

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Jeremiah 10:10-16

 

Jeremiah 10:10-16

New International Version

 

10 But the Lord is the true God;

    he is the living God, the eternal King.

When he is angry, the earth trembles;

    the nations cannot endure his wrath.

 

11 “Tell them this: ‘These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.’”

 

12 But God made the earth by his power;

    he founded the world by his wisdom

    and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.

13 When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar;

    he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth.

He sends lightning with the rain

    and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

 

14 Everyone is senseless and without knowledge;

    every goldsmith is shamed by his idols.

The images he makes are a fraud;

    they have no breath in them.

15 They are worthless, the objects of mockery;

    when their judgment comes, they will perish.

16 He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these,

    for he is the Maker of all things,

including Israel, the people of his inheritance—

    the Lord Almighty is his name.

 

            -- one day, this mother was walking through her living room and noticed her little girl intently engaged in drawing a picture on the floor -- she asked her what she was drawing -- the little girl said, "I'm drawing a picture of God" -- the mother said, "Honey, no one knows what God looks like" -- and the girl responded, "They will when I get done"

 

            -- this morning, we're continuing in our sermon series on the Nicene Creed – a synoptic look at who God is and what we believe as the people called by His name

 

            -- last week we talked about creeds -- about these statements of faith that the early church established for several purposes -- let me remind you what these major purposes were

            -- first, the creeds were definitive – creeds served to define who is a believer and who is not – by providing a concise statement of truths that the faith community agreed in, the creeds defined who and what the early church believed and stood for

            -- secondly, the creeds were confessional – by affirming that they believed the tenets of these creeds, the creeds became the standard of faith that all Christians and the church believed and adhered to -- these creeds provided the basic foundation of the church's faith and were unifying documents to confirm that all who belonged to that church believed in the same God and the same truths from Scripture

            -- and, finally, the creeds were normative -- they provided a framework for life -- One, it defines the faith by including what Christians believe and excluding what they do not -- Two, it establishes boundaries for conduct – giving individual Christians a reference and a standard, based on the Bible, that they could use to determine how they would live their lives in the midst of the pagan culture they found themselves in

            -- but, if you were to sum up these three purposes, the main reason these creeds were developed was for the same reason that little girl drew her picture -- the church wanted to show the world what God really looked like and to make sure they were not following the false gods presented by other religions or false teachers

 

            -- so, this morning, we’re going to look at the first section of the Nicene Creed – I printed it for you, so if you would follow along as I read that first section:

 

I believe in one God,

the Father almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all things visible and invisible.

 

II.  God the Father Almighty

            -- if you'll notice, this creed that defines who we are and what we believe begins with God – we see in this opening section the echo of the Shema, that we looked at last week and that we find in both the Old Testament and the New Testament – “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.”

            -- any statement of faith must start where this one does – as Rick Warren wrote in his book, "The Purpose-Driven Life," -- "It All Starts with God" -- and the very first line of the book says, "It's not about you” – it’s about Him

            -- “For Christians there is one God, but the one God is made up of three distinct Persons.  Through Jesus Christ, the oneness of God is revealed differently than in Judaism and Islam.  God’s oneness has a three-ness about it.”¹

            -- so, the Nicene Creed begins with a definitive statement – “I believe in one God” – and then goes on to expound on our belief in a triune God – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit

 

            -- you know, a lot of times, our churches tend to be more than Jesus-centric -- they become Jesus-exclusive -- Jesus becomes the only One we talk about and sing about and preach about -- I have friends who never read the Old Testament and who never preach from the Old Testament because they think it is not relevant – a few years ago, Andy Stanley, the nationally known pastor from Atlanta, was criticized for saying just that and focusing only on the New Testament

            -- people who focus solely on Jesus to the exclusion of the Father and the Spirit will proclaim, "We're New Testament Christians -- We're just all about Jesus"

            -- and while Jesus is our redeemer and our Savior, we should never forget that God is Trinity -- three persons in one Godhead -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- and we need all three persons of the Godhead -- all three members of the Trinity -- in our lives today

            -- the thing I want you to remember this morning is that the Trinity was not an invention of the early church – the Trinity was and has always been God – the Trinity was there in the beginning and will be there throughout all eternity

            -- in fact, if you look at the Creation story in Genesis 1, you can see all three members of the Godhead present – the writer of Genesis recognized that – and for that reason, we see God referred to in the Old Testament in many places as Elohim, which is a plural form used to refer to the Godhead and the entirety of the Divinity

            -- the Jews may not have fully understood the Trinity as we do today, but their concept of God was larger than we give them credit for – and I believe they recognized the presence of God in multiple persons based on their descriptions of Him in the Old Testament Scriptures

             

            -- so, the creed begins with “I Believe in One God” and goes on to affirm that we believe in the “Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, of all things visible and invisible” – in affirming this statement of belief in the creed, the Council of Nicaea was trying to convey to the church the need to worship and praise the Trinity, beginning with God the Father Almighty

-- as the Catholic Catechism teaches, “By calling God ‘Father,’ two main things are indicated:” that God is the first origin of everything and transcendent authority; and that he is at the same time goodness and loving care for all his children.”

-- so, He is our Father because He is our Creator and He is our Father because He loves us and cares for us and protects us

-- Jesus taught us to call God, “Our Father,” in the Lord’s prayer and He referred to God as His Father many times in the Scriptures – Jesus’ use of the term, “Father,” for God was not biological, but relational – He was not the Son because God was His biological Father – He was the Son in relation to God the Father Almighty in position

-- the Father is not older than the Son, for the Son was with God in the beginning and the Godhead has existed as three persons in One from infinity – so, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are relational terms that express how the Trinitarian Godhead exists and functions in relation to each other and to us

-- we’ll expand on this further in this study, when we get to the main reason why the Nicene Creed was formulated, which goes back to the Arian controversy I mentioned last week

 

            -- while we are certainly familiar with the concept of God the Father Almighty from Scripture, let's begin our study of the Nicene Creed by turning to this passage from Jeremiah where we read of the Father Almighty and His relationship to Israel and all Creation

-- just to give you the background of this passage, Jeremiah was a prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah right before it was taken into captivity to Babylon

            -- he began his ministry under the reign of King Josiah, the last good king of Judah -- and he watched as the nation began to backslide from the worship of One True God to the worship of idols

            -- the prophet Jeremiah came from a priestly line -- his father was actually Hilkiah, a High Priest -- but even though he came from this priestly line, God called Jeremiah to condemn the priests and the people of Judah because they had quit worshiping God with all their hearts and minds and soul and strength and were just giving Him lip-service – in fact, they had begun worshiping and putting their faith in idols more so than the God who created them and called them to be His chosen people

            -- so, God called Jeremiah to remind the people of Judah of who He was -- to remind them that He was their God -- their Father -- and their Creator – and that these idols they worshiped were nothing

 

            -- look back at verse 10-11

 

Jeremiah 10:10 But the Lord is the true God;

    he is the living God, the eternal King.

When he is angry, the earth trembles;

    the nations cannot endure his wrath.

 

11 “Tell them this: ‘These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.’”

 

 

            -- basically, what these verses are saying is “There is one true God – Yahweh – He is the living God – He is the eternal King – He is the Creator and Father of us all – He is the One and only God you should believe in”  

            -- ever since the death of King Josiah, the nation of Judah had started making and worshiping idols -- they had built altars to Baal throughout the land and on the high places -- and they had even gone so far as to sacrifice their children to these false Gods

            -- so, God is calling out to them through the prophet Jeremiah -- He is reminding them of who He is and warning them to come back to Him

            -- if you’ll notice, the word, “Lord,” in verse 10 is in all caps – that means that God is referring to Himself here as Yahweh, using the sacred name of God that He gave to Moses for the nation of Israel – so that, when He brought them out of the land of Egypt and into the Promised Land, they would know Him as their God and Father, and would worship Him as the One True God of Israel  

            -- He tells the people through Jeremiah, “I Am Yahweh, and these gods – these idols -- that you worship today are not real gods -- they didn't make the heavens and the earth -- they didn't bring you out of the land of Egypt with power -- they didn't make you into a great nation -- they will perish from the earth, but I will remain"

            -- He tells them that they have provoked His anger, for He is a jealous God who will not abide by anyone or anything taking the praise and glory and worship He deserves

            -- that is why Jeremiah mentions in the second part of verse 10 that when God is angry, the earth trembles – the nations cannot endure His wrath – as the Bible says, “it is fearsome thing to fall in the hands of the living God”

            -- the people in Israel had forgotten their most basic commandment – they had forgotten the Shema – they had forgotten God – and now He is reminding them of their unfaithfulness towards Him

 

            -- notice in verse 10 that it says that God is the true God -- Jesus said the same thing in the New Testament when He said, "I am the truth" -- if something is true, that means that it is fact -- it is the standard or ideal -- it is what all other things are measured against -- the opposite of truth is falsehood

            -- when God reminds the nation of Judah that He is the true God, He is reminding them that the idols that they have turned to and are worshiping are not real -- they are false -- they are the complete opposite of God and they can do nothing for the people

 

            -- this verse goes on to say that God is the living God -- He is alive -- He is not dead like the idols -- He wasn't made out of wood or hammered gold -- He is alive and the source of life -- as it says in Acts 17:28, "For in Him we live and move and have our being"

            -- finally, it says that He is the eternal King -- every single idol that was ever made has passed away -- every single idol that was ever made was made with perishable materials -- but God is not like an idol -- He was and is and ever shall be -- He was before time itself and has always existed and will always exist -- He is the true and living and eternal God – the Lord God Almighty

            -- with these verses, Jeremiah is calling the nation of Judah to come back to their faith -- Jeremiah says, "I believe in God" -- and calls them to do the same

 

            -- that is the purpose of the first clause of the Nicene Creed – to remind us of who God is and to lead us to affirm with the rest of the people of God that we believe in the One True God – the Father Almighty – Maker of Heaven and Earth

 

            -- verse 12

 

Jeremiah 10:12 But God made the earth by his power;

    he founded the world by his wisdom

    and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.

 

            -- skip down to verse 16 [read vs. 16]

 

Jeremiah 10:16 He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these,

    for he is the Maker of all things,

including Israel, the people of his inheritance—

    the Lord Almighty is his name.

 

            -- God's relationship to the people of Israel was unlike any relationship that the pagan nations around them had with their so-called gods -- for Israel, God wasn't just an impersonal god who resided in heaven and told them what to do and what not to do – a god who had to be placated and bargained with so it would work on their behalf and do good things for them and not send bad things their way

– that was not the God of Israel – that was not Yahweh – that was not how the nation of Israel knew Him – they knew God as their Father

 

            -- in 2 Samuel 7, God reminded David of this relationship that He planned for the nation of Israel -- "I will be his father, and he will be my son"

            -- and in Psalm 103 we read, "As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust"

            -- when we call God our Father, it is a reminder that God created us and loves us in a special way -- it is a reminder that we have a relationship with Him like no one else

            -- we owe Him our life and our love and our allegiance -- and He guides us and protects us and cares for us as an earthly father does the same for his children

 

            -- look back at verse 13-16

 

Jeremiah 10:13 When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar;

    he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth.

He sends lightning with the rain

    and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

 

14 Everyone is senseless and without knowledge;

    every goldsmith is shamed by his idols.

The images he makes are a fraud;

    they have no breath in them.

15 They are worthless, the objects of mockery;

    when their judgment comes, they will perish.

16 He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these,

    for he is the Maker of all things,

including Israel, the people of his inheritance—

    the Lord Almighty is his name.

 

            -- when we affirm that we believe in the Father Almighty, our use of the descriptor, “Almighty,” refers to the power and majesty of God – literally, "Almighty," means "all powerful" -- and it is a reminder that not only is God true and living and eternal -- not only is He our Father -- but He is all powerful -- there is nothing that God cannot do -- and there is nothing that He will not do for us because we are His children

            -- speaking of God's almighty power here, Jeremiah uses the image of a thunderstorm -- the thunder and the lightning -- the rain and the clouds

-- if you've ever been caught out in a thunderstorm, you understand why Jeremiah used this picture to convey the awesome power of God the Father Almighty -- there is nothing more powerful and more frightening than an uncontrolled storm

 

            -- I remember one time when I was hunting in central Florida and an afternoon thunderstorm caught me unaware -- I was sitting in a metal tree stand about 15 feet off the ground, when all of a sudden, I saw a flash of light and thunder rolled through the trees -- lightning was popping all around me and the thunder was deafening and the sky got as dark as night

            -- and I remember thinking to myself -- if I don't get out of here, I'm going to get killed -- I shimmied down that tree as fast as I could and beat a path for the truck -- all the way the lightning was just hitting around me and the thunder was just rolling and I was in fear for my life

 

            -- that's what Jeremiah is reminding us of here – God’s power is like that of an uncontrolled storm – He is all powerful -- He is great and greatly to be feared -- He is not like those idols that are senseless and without knowledge or power

-- He is not worthless like them, but He is worthy of our praise and our worship for He is Creator -- He is our Father -- He is our God -- and He is all powerful -- the Lord God Almighty

            -- the creed says, "I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth" -- it was by God's great power that He made heaven and earth -- when God spoke, the world was formed -- when God spoke, light was created -- when God spoke, the seas rolled away and the land was formed -- when God spoke, life came into existence

            -- Jeremiah is reminding the people of Judah what they are doing by worshiping idols -- your idols have no power, he says -- they are worthless and useless and inanimate – they are senseless and without knowledge – they are objects of mockery, so why do you worship them?

-- Our God is the Father Almighty -- our God is all powerful -- He has the power to create and the power to judge -- and if you refuse to turn back to Him, He will pour out His wrath and judgment on you – when judgment comes, you will perish along with these worthless idols you worship

 

-- our God is not like these idols, for He is the Maker of all things – He made Israel – the people of His inheritance – and the Lord Almighty is His name

 

-- and this is what we affirm when we proclaim together the first clause in the Nicene Creed:

 

I believe in one God,

the Father almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all things visible and invisible.

 

III.  Closing

            -- I once heard a story about this man who always fell asleep during the preacher’s sermon -- well, his wife had had enough of this – so on this particular Sunday morning, she was going to make sure that he stayed awake

            -- when she went to church, she took a large hair pin with her and put it in her Bible with the idea that if her husband nodded off, she was going to stick him with it and wake him up

            -- and sure enough, right in the middle of the sermon, the man nodded off -- It was just at the time that the preacher was trying to make a point in his message -- he asked the congregation, "Now who was it that made the heavens and the earth?"

            -- and as soon as he said it, the woman jabbed her husband with the hairpin -- He jumped up out of the pew and screamed, "GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY" -- The pastor said, "That’s right, Brother, that’s right"

 

            -- that is the take-home message from this passage in Jeremiah and of the first section of the Nicene Creed – there is one God and one God alone – He is a good God -- He is our Lord -- our Father -- our Creator and our Maker -- He is almighty -- all powerful -- and a loving and good Father to us all

            -- sometimes we need a poke in the side to remind us of this – whether that’s from an angry wife or from a prophet like Jeremiah -- and sometimes we just need to sit down and remind ourselves of why we are here and of what we proclaim to believe as followers of Jesus

            -- I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth -- and I hope that you do, too

            -- let us pray

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1 The Faith For Beginners : Understanding the Creeds, by Stephen k. Ray and R. Dennis Walters, Catholic Answers

SERMON: THE NICENE CREED #1: COURAGEOUS RESOLUTIONS

 

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

 

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Deuteronomy 6:4-9

 

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

 

            -- as we discussed last week, we are starting a new sermon series on the Nicene Creed – this year marks the 1700^th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, where the foundations of this creed were discussed and affirmed by the bishops of the early church

            -- this creed is the universal, accepted statement of faith by all Christians – it is accepted by the western churches, to include the Roman Catholic Church and the various Protestant churches, and by the eastern churches – the orthodox churches of Greece and Russia and areas east of Turkey

            -- and that is an amazing statement to make – although there are theological differences between the western and eastern churches and between the Catholics and the Protestant churches on various subjects – all of us agree that the Nicene Creed succinctly and correctly outlines what is the basis of our faith as Christians – whether we are Catholics, Protestants, or Eastern Orthodox

            -- in other words, we all agree that belief in the tenets of this creed define whether you are a true believer of Christ or not and whether your church or denomination are within the fold of the faith

            -- every true Christian – from North America to South America – across Europe and Asia and the other continents – all agree that the Nicene Creed is the true and valid statement of our faith – and this has been the case for 1700 years

            -- the Nicene Creed has been in its current form since 489 AD, with the only difference between the western and eastern churches being two words which were added in 489 AD, which the eastern church did not agree with but which does not change the basic statement of faith and which we’ll talk about later

            -- the point is that this creed defines for us who is a Christian and who is not based on immutable – unchanging – facts about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and their relationship to us

 

II.  Giving Credibility to Creeds

            -- let’s begin this sermon series by talking about creeds – what are they and what do they mean

 

            -- so, what is a creed? – how do we define that term?

            -- a creed is simply a formal statement of beliefs – a set of beliefs or goals or standards that guide someone’s actions or faith

            -- a concise, written statement of beliefs that outlines what a particular community or faith group believes in and uses to direct their theology, their worship, and their activities

            -- it is the foundation on which that church or that Christian life is built

            -- usually, as in the case of the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds, these statements of faith are written to clarify what is true and what is not true in order to push back against false teachings or heresies in the church

            -- in the case of the Nicene Creed, it was specifically written to counter a heresy being taught by a Bishop named Arius – he taught that Christ was not God from the beginning, but that Jesus was created by God the Father and exalted because of His obedience to the Father – this heresy is called Arianism, and the Council of Nicaea was originally called together to discuss this false teaching and to develop a statement of faith for the church that outlined what was true and biblical and what was not

            -- so, the creeds became the standard by which teachings and teachers could be measured – if what was being taught did not line up with the statement of faith in the creeds, then that teaching was condemned as a false teaching

  

            -- now with that said – even though I have told you that the entire Christian world accepts the tenets of the Nicene Creed as true and foundational statement of faith – you need to know that there are a lot of churches and denominations in our area who go to great lengths to say that they do not accept creeds – the Southern Baptist Church is one of those

-- as Chuck Warnock, a Southern Baptist pastor and blogger put it, "Baptists don’t believe in creeds.  We give no cred to the creed.  When it comes to the Apostles’ or the Nicene or any other creed, we just say, ‘No.’"

            -- and, as I mentioned last week, I have seen participants at the Walk to Emmaus or Chrysalis retreats refuse to say the Apostles’ Creed, which is recited as part of an early morning devotional service

-- and, as best as I can understand it, this is the reason why they take such a hard stance against creeds and against reciting them in their churches – it all goes back to the foundation of the Reformation movement by Luther in 1517 – as Luther pushed back against non-biblical teachings in the Roman Catholic Church, he stood on the doctrine of Sola Scriptura – Scripture Alone – the statement that the Bible is the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith, doctrine, and Christian living – and he called out the Catholic Church for introducing doctrines and teachings that were contrary to the Scriptures

-- we agree with the doctrine of Sola Scriptura – absolutely – without a doubt – the Bible is the supreme and final authority for our faiths – we stand on the Bible as the written word of God – and we affirm the truths that God reveals to us in His scriptures – that is foundational – that is something that all Protestant churches would agree with

-- so, the Baptists reject creeds like the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed because they are not found in the Bible – we can’t turn to a particular book or chapter or set of verses and find either the Apostles’ Creed or the Nicene Creed – they’re not in there in that form

-- and, since they’re not written in the Bible, the Baptists cry out, “Sola Scriptura – we reject these creeds and will not recite them or use them in our worship services”

-- however, they miss the point – they are right – these creeds are not Scripture – but they synopsize and summarize for us Scriptural truths – the foundational elements of our faith – they put together for us all the statements of faith and belief in one concise document – it basically summarizes the truth of Scripture into a small saying that someone can memorize and keep with them always

-- and that’s another reason why these creeds were written – remember that most people in the early days of the church were illiterate – they could not read or write – and there was limited access to the Scriptures – so, most people didn’t have a Bible of their own – and, even if they did, they wouldn’t have been able to read it

-- but these creeds were simple and short sayings that the people could learn and use as the basis of their faith – these statements were just short summaries of the truth that everyone could carry with them

-- and if they happened on someone preaching to them and heard someone like Arius making the statement that Jesus was created, they could remember the creed and say, “That’s not right” – that’s the purpose of the creed – and that’s why, for 1700 years, the entire Christian community from east to west has affirmed the tenets and truth of the Nicene Creed

-- and I’ll tell you this – even though Baptists may not say the creed – there is nothing in that creed that they disagree with – they believe just as we do – and the truths about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the Apostles’ and Nicene creeds are something that we all agree with and believe in – whether we recite these creeds in our churches or not

 

III.  Biblical Creeds -- An Example

            -- before we dive into our study of the different foundational truths in the Nicene Creed, I wanted to take a moment and look at several other creeds and statements of faith that we do find in the Bible and that predate both the Apostles’ and the Nicene Creeds

 

            -- one of the earliest statements of faith on record is from Deuteronomy chapter 6 – look back at this passage with me – verse 4-5

 

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

 

-- this is what is known as the Shema – it is Israel’s basic creed – their foundational statement of faith – dating all the way back to the days of Moses and still recited today during the Jewish morning prayers – we even read of Jesus saying the Shema in the New Testament

 

            -- how do we know this is a creed? – remember, I told you that the major purposes of a creed or statement of faith are:

 

            1.  to define who you are -- in other words, who does this creed apply to?

            2.  to outline what you believe -- to give the basic foundations of your faith

            3.  to direct how you will live and the things that you will do because of the truths in the creed

 

            -- we see all three of those purposes met here in the Shema

 

            -- first, it defines who they are -- "Hear O Israel" -- this is the statement of belief for the nation of Israel -- this is what makes them a nation -- this is what binds them together as a people -- this statement of faith is hinged around the belief that God had called Abraham to come out of the nation of Ur so that God could establish a great nation through him that would bless the whole world

            -- when this creed starts off with, "Hear O Israel," what it's saying is, "if you claim to be an Israelite -- if you want to live in Israel -- then you have to agree to this statement of faith"

 

            -- secondly, it outlines what they believe -- "Hear O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one."

            -- the Hebrew word that we translate as "LORD" -- all in capital letters -- in this verse is the divine name of God -- "Yahweh"

            -- there are other names in the Old Testament used for God such as Elohim and Adonai -- but the reason Yahweh is used in this creed is because this is the name that God gave Moses at the burning bush when Moses asked Him what His name was -- this is the name by which God is known to the nation of Israel    

            -- He gave this name to them alone and it signified the divine relationship that Israel had with their creator -- it defined Him as their "Father" -- and as the LORD their God

            -- next, this creed makes it clear that He is God alone -- it says, "The LORD is one" or "The LORD alone" -- this stood in vast contrast to all of the other nations around them -- no other nation had just one God

            -- all of the other nations -- the Egyptians -- the Canaanites -- the Edomites -- all of them worshiped a plurality of gods -- they worshiped many different gods

            -- but, here, Israel is making it known in this creed that they worship one God -- the true God -- the only God -- He is God alone -- and all of the other gods that the nations worship are nothing more than idols or false representations

            -- only Israel had a relationship with the one true God -- and He was Yahweh -- He was their Father and He was God alone

 

            -- finally, it implies a resolution of action -- while this statement does not say, "this is what you will do if you believe that the LORD is our God and the LORD is one," it does imply that this belief requires a change in thought, deed, and action

            -- verse 5 outlines the actions that an Israelite will do if they affirm the truth of that the Lord our God is One – they will love the LORD their God with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their strength" -- and then the passage goes on to reiterate all of the commands of God given to the nation of Israel to separate them from the world and to make them holy in God's eyes

            -- basically, when an Israelite stood up and recited this creed – the Shema -- in their worship, "Hear O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one" -- he was, in essence, also saying, "and because I believe this to be true, I will love Him with all my heart and soul and strength"

 

            -- verse 6-9

 

Deuteronomy 6:6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

 

            -- every Jew was taught the Shema – it was to become a part of them – they were to take it into their heart – to impress it on their children – to pass it on to the next generation – to talk about this truth and this great God and what He has done as they sit a home or walk along the road or when they get up

            -- they were to post the Shema on their doorframes and the gates to their houses – and they were to carry these words with them, wherever they went

            -- the Jews would take this Shema – this short scripture from here in Deuteronomy 6 and write it on a piece of paper – and then they would put that paper in a box called a phylactery that they would tie to their wrist or they would tie to their forehead – so they always carried this creed and this truth and this faith with them, wherever they went

 

            -- the Shema is one of the earliest creeds that we find in the Bible – but there are many more in both the Old Testament and the New Testament

            -- flip over to 1 Corinthians 15 and we’ll finish up by looking at a creed – a statement of faith -- for the New Testament church that we find in Paul's writings

           

            -- look with me at 1 Corinthians 15:1-2

 

1 Corinthians 15:1 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

 

            -- Paul begins this statement of faith by reminding the Corinthians up front about what it means -- he tells them, "this is the gospel -- this is the good news -- this is what I preached to you"

            -- he says that this message is where they have taken their stand and that they  must hold firmly to these truths and not let them go -- in other words, Paul is saying that this is their foundation -- this is the basis of their entire faith -- without this, their faith fails -- take away any part of this message, and their walls of faith crumble and they are lost

 

            -- verse 3a

 

1 Corinthians 15:3a For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance

 

-- once again he says this is the foundation – this is of first importance -- the basis of our faith -- everything else may be debated, but this gospel and this statement of faith cannot be debated – it must be accepted as true, or you are not a Christian

            -- there’s a lot of things in the church that we disagree about – it was a difference of opinion on theological issues that led the eastern and western churches to split – and it was difference in theological issues that led the Protestants to separate from the Roman Catholic Church

-- and one reason why we have a lot of different denominations and individual churches within the Protestant church today is because we think differently over various issues and matters in the church

-- most of these are debatable issues – they don’t matter in terms of our eternal salvation and what Christ did for us on the cross and in the resurrection – but they are areas where we disagree on lesser things and so we can debate those

-- does baptism have to be by immersion or can it be conducted in another form? – does the Bible say that God will only accept those who are immersed? – no – that’s a debatable issue that has caused separation among churches

-- right now, there are a lot of churches divided over the issue and role of women in ministry – once again, does the Bible specifically say that women can’t serve as pastors? – some churches think so, and so they separate from those who disagree

-- but those are debatable issues – they’re not foundational beliefs – and that is what Paul is getting at here in verse 3

-- these truths that I have given you are of first importance – these are non-debatable – you have to believe in these or you can’t be a Christian – that’s what makes this a creed and a foundational statement of faith

            -- years ago, Clay Crosse had a song out that said, "It all comes down to a Man dying on the cross and rising from the dead" -- and that's really all that matters

            -- and that’s what Paul is saying here -- "you can argue about many things -- but you can't argue about this -- if you are going to be a Christian, then you have to believe this"

 

            -- look at verse 3 again

 

1 Corinthians 15:3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures

 

            -- this is it -- the foundation of our faith given to us in a simple creed -- in a statement of faith that we must agree with and abide by if we are to be Christians

            -- the early Christians may not have had the Scriptures available – they may not have been able to read or write – but they could remember what Paul says here: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, He was buried, and He was raised on the third day”

            -- a short, succinct, and true foundational statement that everyone had to believe in if they were to call themselves a follower of Jesus

            -- look at how this short creed breaks down the doctrinal truths we find in the Bible:

 

            -- first, Paul makes it clear that Jesus was not just a man but that He was the Christ -- the Messiah -- the Anointed One of God who was sent to redeem the world from the curse of Adam and to bring forgiveness of sins and eternal life

 

            -- second, Paul says that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures -- in other words, man didn't make this up -- this isn't something that Paul and the other Apostles dreamed up after the fact -- this was preordained, predestined, prophesied in the Old Testament scriptures and fulfilled by Jesus on the cross of Calvary

            -- Paul is saying, "The Christ came to die for our sins" -- and if you don't believe it, look it up -- it's there in the Scriptures

 

            -- third, Jesus was buried and was resurrected on the third day according to the Scriptures -- once again, Paul is making it clear -- this is not something that we made up -- this happened and it was all part of God's plan from the very beginning -- Jesus died and He rose to bring forgiveness of sins, to redeem our souls, and to bring eternal life to all who would believe

 

            -- skip down to verse 11

 

1 Corinthians 15:11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

 

            -- Boom! – there it is – Paul says, “This is the truth – this is the gospel – this is the message that all the Apostles preach and teach – and this is what you are to believe”

            -- you don’t have to know every little intricacy of Scripture – you don’t have to understand the entire Old and New Testament to be saved – you only have to know and believe in this and put your faith in Jesus as the Christ who saves us

            -- that is what Paul is saying here – and that is the reason he gave the people this creed to learn and to know and to believe with all their heart – for in this creed, they find the truth of the gospel and the source of eternal life through Christ

 

IV.  Closing

            -- this week, we read in the news that the state of Texas has sent a bill to Governor Abbott for final signature that requires the posting of the Ten Commandments in every public elementary and secondary school in Texas

            -- but let me ask you this – why? – why did the legislators in Texas feel that the posting of the Ten Commandments was so important that they needed a law to make it happen? – what was the reason?

            -- Supporters argue that school kids need to see and know the Ten Commandments because they are core to U.S. history, along with other Christian teachings – as Robert Tuttle, a professor of Religion and Law at George Washington University, said, the intent of posting the Ten Commandments is to tell kids, “these are things you should read and obey”

            -- in a very real sense, then, the state of Texas is looking at the Ten Commandments as a creed that they want all their school children to know and follow throughout their adult lives

 

            -- and while we can debate the politics of posting the Ten Commandments or other creeds in our schools, the fact remains that creeds are important – for they teach us the foundational truths of our faith through a concise statement that is easy to understand, to memorize, and to share with others

            -- the Nicene Creed is but one of many creeds found in Christianity, but it is significant for the fact that it has stood the test of time and is still accepted today by Christians around the world and on every continent

            -- the basic foundations of Christianity that we read of in this creed remain the same today as they have throughout all recorded history

            -- this is our faith -- this is our belief -- this is our creed

 

            -- it defines who we are as a people -- we are Christians saved by grace and redeemed by the blood of Christ

            -- it outlines what we believe and stand on -- Christ has come, Christ has died, Christ has rose again

            -- and it implies an action on our part -- a resolve to not only live differently, but to be different -- to be new creations, filled with the Holy Spirit, and empowered to live our lives for Christ in this world as part of His Kingdom

 

            -- that is the purpose of a creed -- and so, for the next several weeks, we are going to study and examine the components of the Nicene Creed so that we are familiar with it – so that we know what it is that we believe as Christians and as the church of Christ on earth today

            -- with that, we’ll close in prayer and look forward in anticipation to this study of the foundational beliefs of our faith

 

            -- let's pray

SERMON: ROSES AND THORNS

 

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

 

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

 

2 Corinthians 12:1 I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. 3 And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— 4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. 5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. 6 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 is warranted by what I do or say, 7 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’d like to begin this morning by sharing with you the story of Thomas Hawkes – Hawkes lived in England in the 1500s and came from a respectable family – he served as a page at the court of King Edward VI, where he became known as a handsome young man with gentle manners who faithfully served the Lord – after some time in the court of King Edward, he entered the service of the lord of Oxford, where he remained for some time, being liked by all the household  -- Hawkes married and his wife shortly became pregnant – it seemed like everything was going well for Hawkes – but that all changed in a moment, when King Edward died

-- When King Edward died, the official religion in England changed from Protestant to Catholic – and protestants began to be in danger – having a position serving in the court of the leaders of the country, Hawkes was under pressure to change his faith from Protestant to Catholic – to avoid this, he left his position in Oxford and returned home, where his son was born

-- Hawkes did not want his son to be baptized by a Catholic priest and raised in the Catholic faith, so he put off the baptism for three weeks, seeking another way – when his enemies heard this, they had him brought before the magistrate and charged with being unsound in the faith because he would not allow his family to convert to Catholicism

-- he was sent to London and appeared before the bishop, who tried to get Hawkes to recant his faith – Hawkes refused, and was sent to prison in the Gatehouse of Westminster

-- after several more attempts at trying to get Hawkes to recant his faith and switch to Catholicism, Hawkes was sentenced to death as a heretic – in response, he announced to the court that he would rather suffer death than renounce his faith in the gospel

            -- waiting for his sentence to be carried out, Hawkes was allowed to be visited by several of his friends – one friend quietly spoke to him so that the guard would not hear – he said, "Thomas, I have to ask you a favor. I need to know if what the others say about the grace of God is true. Tomorrow, when they burn you at the stake, if the pain is tolerable and your mind is still at peace, lift your hands above your head. Do it right before you die. Thomas, I have to know."

– Hawkes replied to his friend, “I will -- by the help and grace of God” 

 

            -- On April 10, 1555, Hawkes was led out to be burned at the stake -- As he was chained to the stake, he spoke quietly and with great grace to the men who laid the wood --Then he closed his eyes and the fire was kindled -- Thomas continued to preach to those around him until the roar of the flames became so loud that his words could no longer be heard

-- The fire burned a long time, but Hawkes remained motionless -- His skin was burnt to a crisp and his fingers were gone -- Everyone watching believed that Hawkes was dead -- Suddenly, miraculously, Hawkes lifted his hands, still on fire, over his head. He reached them up to the living God and then, with great rejoicing, clapped them together three times.

-- Hawkes’ friends broke into shouts of praise and applause, for they had their answer --  

God’s grace was sufficient – Hawkes had shown them that the most terrible torments that man could design and that Satan could inspire could be endured in the glorious cause of Christ and his gospel -- that the comforts of Christ’s grace were able to lift the believing soul above anything that afflicted it

 

            -- I pray that none of us here ever have to go through what Thomas Hawkes did – that we are not subjected to persecutions that threaten our very lives – but while we may not be required to endure to the point of death like him, all of us experience hardships and trials in our lives that afflict us and that can cause us to doubt our faith – that has always been the experience of God’s people

            -- all you have to do is look at the Psalms to see an example of that -- the Psalms are filled with lament after lament as godly people cried out to God for answers for why they were suffering and in pain while the wicked appeared to thrive

– it’s a familiar lament -- we feel this, too – we experience this, too – we know this in our lives even today – it seems like the good suffer while the wicked prosper – and at times, we find ourselves asking if it’s worth it or not – that was the real question that Hawkes’ friends asked as he went to the flames – and that’s a question that crosses our minds, too, from time to time

 

            -- all of us know what it means to walk in heartache and pain – to walk through trials and temptations – to suffer through setbacks and adversity

            -- but what do we do when it seems like it’s too much – when it feels like evil is winning and the darkness is overcoming us – when the trials become too large and the storm overwhelms?

            -- that is what I want us to consider this morning as we look at an example from the apostle Paul’s life from this passage in 2 Corinthians 12

 

II.  Scripture Lesson (2 Corinthians 12:1-10)

            -- in this letter to the Christians in Corinth, Paul has been speaking out against the false apostles and teachers that were infiltrating the church – many false teachers had come into their gatherings and were introducing false gospels and false practices – and were causing the Christians there to doubt Paul’s leadership and authority as an apostle and to doubt the gospel of Christ that had been preached to them

            -- so, Paul points out to the church the difference between him and these false apostles – between him and these false teachers – to the point where he is forced to go against his nature and to boast about his accomplishments and his authority in the church

            -- here in chapter 12, Paul concludes his case against the false apostles and finishes up his argument that the grace of God was all that was required for salvation and sanctification – that anything else was a heresy

            -- so, let’s look back here and see what we can learn about standing firm in the faith in the midst of trials and the storms of life by looking at Paul’s example

 

            -- verse 1-4

 

2 Corinthians 12:1 I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. 3 And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— 4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.

 

            -- in these verses, Paul tells about a vision that he once received from the Lord – he says that it occurred fourteen years ago, which would have been shortly after his experience on the road to Damascus, when Paul was overwhelmed by the presence of Christ and came to receive Him as his Lord and Savior

            -- shortly after that, Paul was led into the wilderness of Arabia, where he ministered for some time before returning to Israel and being brought into the fellowship of the believers in Antioch

            -- he says here that he was caught up to the third heaven – just to remind you, the Israelites recognized three separate heavens in their understanding of creation – the first heaven was the atmosphere – the air around us – the air that we breathe – the second heaven was what we call space – the place where the stars and the planets reside – the place that we see at night when we look up into the sky – the third heaven was the place where God resides – and while they envisioned it as being beyond the atmosphere and beyond space, they recognized it as being the place where God lives and that it was a spiritual location

            -- somehow – and Paul himself is not even sure of how it happened – whether his body was carried to heaven or whether it was merely a vision that he was given – he was carried up to the third heaven – to the very throne room of God – where he was given a glimpse of heaven and heard inexpressible things that he was not permitted to share with anyone

 

            -- verse 5-7a

 

2 Corinthians 12:5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. 6 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 is warranted by what I do or say, 7a or because of these surpassingly great revelations.

 

            -- Paul shares this experience he had of being caught up to the third heaven and tells the Corinthians that he boasts about this simply to counter the claims of the false apostles and to prove his authority and his calling came from God Himself – this was something that no one else had ever experienced – and Paul was proud of that – which was a concern of his

            -- normally, Paul said, he would never boast about this experience he had – if he was to boast about anything, it would be his weaknesses, because through them God had made him into the person he had become – the apostle the church was familiar with

            -- he wants the Corinthians to judge him, and the authenticity of his message, based on what they know of him – not based on this vision or any of the great revelations that he had been given

            -- in other words, he is telling the Corinthians that they should judge between him and the false apostles – not based on their boasting of what they had done or what they had seen – but based on who they are and how their faith had been demonstrated to the Corinthians in their presence

            -- it’s a reminder to us that sometimes the people who boast the most about who they are or what they have done are not who they claim to be – that it’s the humble servant who never boasts who actually care the most and who has the most impact on our lives

 

            -- look back at the second part of verse 7b-10

 

2 Corinthians 12:7b 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.

 

            -- Paul had been given a great revelation – greater than anything anyone else had ever received – and that had to be hard for him

– something like that could lead to bragging and boasting and pride – it could lead someone to puff themselves up and think they were better than anyone else – we’ve seen that with politicians and with preachers – we’ve seen that in people at work – we’ve all experienced that – and we’ve all been tempted by that

-- and so, to keep Paul from becoming conceited – to keep Paul from becoming prideful and arrogant – God allowed Satan to afflict Paul with a thorn in his flesh – as Paul describes it here, “a messenger of Satan”

-- we don’t know what this thorn was – Paul never tells us explicitly in his writings – but we know it was some type of trial or temptation or adversity that caused Paul pain – either physical, emotional, or spiritual pain

-- some people, like Calvin, thought that Paul’s thorn was spiritual temptations – like the temptation to be prideful or arrogant – Luther thought it could be a temptation or the persecutions that Paul faced throughout his ministry – the Catholics say that it was sexual temptation – others say it was a physical malady – maybe a disfigurement or headaches or a speech impediment – some say it had to do with his eyesight, basing their guess on Galatians 6:11, where Paul writes, “See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand” – they say that Paul had to write large letters because he could not see well

-- I think it might have been an echo of Paul’s past – he says here that the thorn was a messenger of Satan, and I wonder if the pain he felt was when the messenger spoke past failures into his mind – reminding him of the many times he had failed God and had actively persecuted Christians, such as when he stood by as Stephen was stoned

-- we just don’t know – but it really doesn’t matter – the thorn could be anything, but we know that this thorn was specifically given to Paul by Satan to cripple and harm his ministry – to negatively affect his work on earth – to give him pain and to make him suffer

-- we all have thorns in our lives, too – and all our thorns are different – but the fact remains that our thorns, just like Paul’s, are painful to us – and cause us torment and suffering to the point where we can even doubt if we can go on

 

-- the word that is translated here as “thorn” can actually mean several different things – it can mean a thorn or a splinter – a minor inconvenience – but it can also mean a stake – like the stake that people were impaled on and tortured with

-- so, it could be that the thorn Paul is speaking of here in verse 7 affects him differently, at different times – sometimes, it is a minor irritant, like a splinter in our hands – while other times, it affects him greatly – to the point where he thinks he is going to die because of the pain and suffering from it

-- it was probably during three of those times when the thorn overwhelmed Paul and the suffering became too great that he cried out to the Lord to remove it from him – to take the pain away – to take the suffering and the trial and the persecution from him

-- but God chose to tell Paul, “No” – He refused to take the thorn away and instead told Paul that His grace was sufficient for him, for His power was made perfect in weakness

-- that is a promise from God that we can all take to heart when we are facing trials and adversity in our lives that seem too great to bear – those times when we cry out to God to take this pain from us – to heal us of our sickness – to remove the trial from our lives – and nothing happens – it is like God doesn’t hear or doesn’t respond – the trial just gets worse

-- it’s not that God has forgotten us or abandoned us – it’s that He is teaching us another aspect of His grace – rather than just taking away the pain or the trial, God is helping us learn to overcome the situation by depending on Him and Him alone – for it is in these times that life overwhelms us and that the storm seems too great, that we can’t do anything but rely on God for survival

-- as Jerry Bridges points out, “God never allows pain without a purpose in the lives of His children – He never allows Satan, nor circumstances, nor any ill-intending person to afflict us unless He uses that affliction for our good – God never wastes pain – He always causes it to work together for our ultimate good, the good of conforming us more to the likeness of His Son”

-- in this case, God used the thorn in Paul’s flesh to keep him from becoming conceited – to keep him from becoming arrogant and prideful – which would lead to greater and greater sin in his life

-- sometimes, pain is necessary for our own good

 

-- a few years ago, I tore a muscle in my leg and severed it from where it inserted onto the bone – I was unable to lift my leg more than a couple of inches – and I couldn’t pick up my leg and put it across my lap – which made putting on a shoe extremely difficult – and every time I moved my leg, it was painful

– the orthopedic doctor said there was nothing he could do for me – that surgery was not possible – that there were no pills or shots that would work -- I would have to live with the loss of that muscle the rest of my life

-- he said the only thing that might work to restore my physical ability was intensive physical therapy – that by doing that, I might train the other muscles to do what this torn muscle used to do – so, I started physical therapy – and it hurt

-- as they had me do various exercises and use different machines, it was painful – it hurt a lot – and when I complained they told me that the pain was necessary if I was to overcome the loss of that muscle

-- over time, the other muscles adapted and I have almost full range of motion again – but I will never forget the pain that I had to go through in order to reach that point

 

-- that’s what God is telling Paul here – the thorn in the flesh was not fun – it was painful – but it was necessary – and Paul had to learn to withstand the pain through God’s grace in order to grow and become mature or perfect in the faith

-- this aspect of grace that God speaks of in verse 9 is different from how we normally think of grace – normally, we think of grace as God’s unmerited favor to us through Christ whereby salvation and all other blessings are freely given to us – this understanding of grace focuses on God’s grace as the source of all blessings

-- but the grace that God tells us about here in verse 9 is referring to God’s divine assistance to us through the Holy Spirit – it focuses on God’s grace specifically as the work of the Holy Spirit within us – as He empowers us and enables us to overcome adversity and trials in our lives and as He transforms us into the people that God wants us to be
            -- as an act of grace, God left the thorn in Paul’s life so that Paul would experience the sufficiency of His grace and presence – He wanted Paul to learn to rely on Him in all situations – to lean continually on the Spirit for strength in times of need

-- this was a lesson that Paul took to heart – to the point where he boasted in his weaknesses and the trials that he faced, because he knew that he would experience God’s grace and providence through them – that in the weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties, Paul was made strong through the grace of God and the power of His Spirit

-- I’m sure it was not easy – I know it was not easy – I know it was painful – but having experienced God’s grace in this way led Paul to pen the promise that we read in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

-- the thorn – the trials – the difficulties – the persecutions – none of these were good – but God used them to make Paul better – just as He uses the trials and the struggles in our lives to make us better, too

 

-- so, how do we learn to find the roses among the thorns? – how do we reach the point where we can face any obstacle or adversity in our lives by trusting in God’s grace?

-- we reach that point when we surrender ourselves and stop trying to overcome these trials in our own strength but instead, we trust in God and depend on Him and Him alone

-- we reach that point when we recognize that we can’t, but God can – when we know that it is impossible for us, and that it is only possible in Him

-- when we move past self-sufficiency to God-sufficiency – to total dependence on God for everything in our lives

 

-- think about the example of the Israelites as God led them through the wilderness to the Promised Land – for forty years, the people wandered and suffered countless trials and adversity, which God allowed in their lives to bring them from self-sufficiency to the point of total dependence on Him

-- as Moses reminded the people in Deuteronomy 8:2-3, “Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

-- God humbled them -- He caused them to hunger -- He fed them with food they had never seen before – and in the process, He taught them that man lives only by the word that comes from God

-- that is how God uses the thorn in our lives – the trials and difficulties and adversities that come our way – to humble us and keep us from becoming conceited and prideful – to force us to depend on Him – to lead us into a relationship where we look to God for all that we need to survive

-- that is the lesson that Paul learned with his thorn in the flesh – and that is the lesson that we must all come to learn, too – that even though the thorns may be painful, God will ultimately work them for our good and bring blessings from them if we look to Him and Him alone for deliverance

 

-- We pray for lighter burdens when we ought to pray for stronger backs. -- We pray for an easier path when we ought to pray for tougher feet. -- We pray for fewer problems when we ought to pray for better solutions.

            -- with grace, comes the strength and power of God – with grace, comes healing and acceptance – with grace, we come to realize that God gives us what we lack and makes us into the people that He has called us to be – with grace, the Holy Spirit strengthens us and enables us to meet in a godly fashion whatever circumstances cross our paths

            -- Paul learned that God’s grace was sufficient for everything that he faced, and he praised God for his power and strength in his life – Paul’s experience and example in handling the thorns in his life proved his authority and calling as a true apostle from God and affirmed the truth of the gospel that he had preached to the Corinthians

 

III.  Closing

-- Rev. Don Berns was 33 when he experienced a severe thorn in his flesh -- he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease – and within a few short years, his voice became too weak to preach -- his body trembled uncontrollably -- and he faced having to retire from the ministry – he did not know what he was going to do

-- the doctors suggested an experimental operation, which gave him a dramatic, although temporary, return to active life – the trembling stopped and he reveled in the restored ability to preach, along with being able to surf and play tennis.

-- unfortunately, the results of the operation have waned – and his physical limitations are returning – but having gone through the experience, Don said, “In all things God does work for the good of those who love him. His power has been made perfect in my weakness. The Lord has now given me a ministry of being, rather than a ministry of doing. God’s primary concern for us, as whole persons, begins with our spiritual well-being so we can have a personal, trusting relationship with the One who created us and brings meaning to our lives.”¹

 

            -- thorns are going to grow in our lives – trials and difficulties and adversities are going to come – seasons of pain are going to be experienced – but when we face these times, we have a choice to make

            -- either we fight and struggle against the difficulties in our own strength and continue to only experience the thorns – or we turn to God in total submission – putting our faith solely in His ability to sustain us – in the sufficiency of His grace – and trust that He will work through the trials to bring good into our lives

            -- we have to learn to expect and to appropriate the grace that God offers us in times of trial – and we have to learn to rejoice in times of weakness, as the apostle Paul did, so that we can experience the goodness of God and the perfection of His power in our lives as He sees us through the storm to the other side

 

-- I want to leave you with this writing from an unknown Confederate soldier who spoke to the goodness of God after he had passed through the storm:

 

I asked God for strength that I might achieve.
I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.

I asked God for health that I might do greater things.
I was given infirmity that I might do better things.

I asked God for riches that I might be happy.
I was given poverty that I might be wise.

I asked for power that I might have the praise of men.
I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life.
I was given life that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I asked for.
But everything I had hoped for...
Almost despite myself my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am among all men most richly blessed.

 

            -- “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness”

 

            -- Let us pray

 

 

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1 Our Daily Bread Devotional, David C. McCasland