Christine is going to come and read for us now, thanks.
Okay, that's 2 Corinthians chapter 12 on page 1166, beginning at verse 1.
I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.
I know a man in Christ who 14 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.
And I know that this man, whether in the body or apart from the body, I do not know, but God knows,
was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.
I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.
Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth.
But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warrantied by what I do or say,
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.
Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me, but he said to me,
My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses,
so that Christ's power may rest on me.
That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses,
in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.
For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Thanks very much, Chris.
So keep your Bibles open, please, to 2 Corinthians 12.
There's pens and notes being passed around,
if you find that helpful to follow along,
or write down any questions you'd like to ask afterwards,
or chat through.
They're available.
Just put your hand up and one will be given to you.
As they're doing that, there's a little sheet at the back on the table.
Connor is going to be doing something rather strange.
Connor O'Neill.
Maybe that's not surprising, is it?
You can ask Connor what that is.
Really exciting.
And it's for compassion,
so you can just have a chat to Connor about that afterwards.
He'll be here next week as well,
if you don't get talking to him.
So, just to keep everybody together on the same page,
we've been going through a series
entitled Healing Through Suffering.
And this is the last in that series.
And I trust that this talk,
what we look at today,
is in some ways a summary.
It's bringing together all the different elements
that we've looked at over the last number of weeks
and bringing it together to conclusion.
So, a wonderful passage.
2 Corinthians 12.
Let's ask for God's help
as we look at it together.
Amen.
And God is able to bless you abundantly
so that in all things,
at all times,
having all that you need,
you will abound in every good work.
Father, we need you to bless us now
with your Holy Spirit
so that we may abound
in life
and in all that we do.
We need your grace.
We need your help.
So, help us.
Amen.
So, paradise
or thorns?
What would you prefer?
Enjoying an experience of heaven
or walking through the realities of suffering?
Well, I know what I would choose.
It's a bit of a no-brainer, isn't it?
Well, Paul, it seems,
the writer of this text,
has tasted both.
He had an experience of heaven.
Have a look at verse 2.
He says,
I know a man in Christ
who 14 years ago
was caught up
to the third heaven.
Well, it seems like
he's actually talking about
someone else.
He starts off by saying,
I know a man in Christ.
I know this guy.
But,
as we read on,
it becomes clear
that he's actually talking about
his own experience.
So, have a look down in verse 6.
He says,
even if I should choose to boast,
even if I should boast
about my experience of heaven,
I would not be a fool
because I would be speaking the truth.
But I refrain.
I'm not going to do it.
So, no one will think more of me
than is warranted
by what I do or say
or because of these
surpassingly great revelations.
So, this is Paul's experience.
But what's he actually experienced?
Well, look at the rest of verse 2.
He's talking about the third heaven.
We'll get to that in a minute.
He says,
whether it was in the body,
an out-of-body experience almost,
or of the body,
was it a vision in his mind?
He says,
I do not know.
It was so amazing.
I couldn't quite comprehend it all.
But God knows.
It was real.
It was tangible.
Verse 4.
I was caught up to paradise
and heard inexpressible things,
things that no one is permitted to tell.
It's as if God has taken the Apostle Paul
and given him a tour of paradise itself.
An experience of being in God's presence.
No words could describe the wonder
of all that he saw.
Can you imagine this?
Wouldn't you want to experience this?
taken into paradise
just for a moment of time,
escaping this world of all its struggles
and all its hardships.
How amazing that would be
to be basking in the beauty
and the brilliance of God.
Wouldn't you want that?
Well, paradise
was not his only experience.
There was also the reality
of thorns
or suffering.
Have a look down at verse 7,
the middle of verse 7.
Therefore,
in order to keep me from being conceited,
I was given a thorn
in my flesh.
I was given suffering.
A messenger of Satan
to torment me.
From paradise
to thorns.
From heaven
to suffering.
Paul faced the reality,
jump down to verse 10.
He describes what it was like.
Weaknesses,
insults,
hardships,
persecutions,
difficulties.
Now here's the surprise
as he kind of shows us
these two experiences.
He's telling us
that the thorns
were of greater value
than the vision of paradise.
How could that be?
How could the daily grind
of suffering
be of more value,
be worth to him
something far greater
than a moment's glimpse
of heaven?
Well, he tells us
in verse 9.
He said to me,
God 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.
I'm not going to boast
about the experience
of paradise,
but I'm going to boast
I'm going to tell you
all about my weaknesses
so that Christ's power
may rest
on me.
You see,
a one-off experience
of paradise,
as great as it may be,
lasts,
well,
just a moment.
But the daily pain
of thorns
leads to a continuous
experience of grace
and God's perfect power
in your life.
You see,
we learn more
and we grow more
through the thorns
of life.
Paul Mallard,
that's one of the,
the author of one of the books
we've been encouraging
people to read.
It was called
Invest Your Sufferings.
He put it
like this.
Suffering,
he says,
is the best
commentary
on God's character.
And pain
is the finest
exposition
of his excellencies.
We discover
more about
God's grace
when we come
to an end
in ourselves.
You will never
know that
God is all
you need
until God
is all
you have got.
You see,
the thorns
we experience
in life
pin us
to God
so that
we know
him,
love him,
and enjoy
him,
and know
in a deeper
way
the blessings
that he has
to give us.
So let's
see how
all this
is true.
We're going
to focus
our attention
on the last
few verses
of what we
read.
Okay,
how do we
know all
this is
true?
First,
God is
sovereign
over
our
thorns.
The thorns
that we
experience
in life
are all
under
God's
sovereign
loving
control.
Look at
verse 7
again.
Therefore,
in order
to keep
me from
being
conceited,
I was
given a
thorn in
my flesh,
a messenger
of Satan,
to torment
me.
Now,
of course,
it's not a
literal thorn
that he got
when he was
out picking
blackberries.
It was a
kind of
painful
suffering.
We're not
quite sure
what it
was.
It could
be physical,
it could
be an
illness or
a disability
he had.
It might
be spiritual,
a temptation
or a
struggle in
his life.
It could
have been
all the
opposition
and persecution
or a
combination
of the
whole lot.
Whatever
it was,
verse 7,
we're told
it caused
him torment.
It was
an ongoing
painful
experience.
But this
thorn
is not
a random
event
which God
has no
control over.
Look again
at what he
says in
verse 7.
He says,
I was
given
a thorn.
This is
something
from God.
Well,
you say,
hang on a
minute,
how can
it be
from God?
Did you
not read
what it
says?
Because it
says it's
a messenger
of Satan.
But it
is something
God has
allowed and
God is
in control
of.
Let's
have a look
more about
that.
Keep your
finger in
1 Corinthians
12 and
go back
to Job
chapter 1.
You remember
we looked
at Job
a few
weeks ago.
Job
chapter 1.
Job
was a
good and
faithful man
who suffered
terribly in
his life.
There were
many thorns
that he
experienced.
He lost
his financial
security.
All his
animals were
slaughtered or
taken away.
He lost
all his
children and
their wives
and husbands
in natural
disasters.
And he
lost his
health,
a terrible
skin disease.
One thorn
after another
he experienced.
Now the
story or
the account
of Job
tells us
how all
this suffering
came about.
Chapter 1
verse 8.
Then the
Lord said
to Satan
have you
considered my
servant Job?
Now isn't
that interesting?
It's God
who initiates
the conversation.
God comes
he says
Satan
you know
Job
have you
thought about
him?
There's
no one
like him
on earth.
He's
blameless
and upright
a man
who fears
God
and shuns
evil.
Well what's
Satan's
reply?
Well
does Job
fear God
for nothing?
Satan
replied
have you
put a hedge
around him
and his
household
and everything
he has?
Well I mean
you've blessed
him with the
works of his
hands so that
his flocks
and herds
are spread
out throughout
the land
but
you stretch
out your
hands and
strike every
thing he
has and
he will
surely
curse you
to your
face.
I mean
the only
reason why
Job is
following you
is because
you've
blessed him
so much
you remove
those blessings
and you'll
see what
happens.
Verse 12
the Lord
said to
Satan
very well
then
everything
he has
is in
your
power
but
there's
limits
on the
man himself
do not
lay
a finger
then
Satan
went out
from the
presence
of the
Lord
and if
we read
on we
see
there's
where the
suffering
starts
but let's
be clear
Satan
may bring
terrible
affliction
God
may allow
Satan
and give
him
permission
but it's
God
who is
in
control
Satan
needs
God's
permission
he can't
do anything
without
God
say so
in fact
the author
of Job
wants us
to see
that the
suffering
that Job
experienced
is
ultimately
from
God
go to
the very
end of
the book
of Job
chapter 42
right to
the very
end
where we
have a
conclusion
chapter 42
verse 11
have you got
it chapter 42
verse 11
all
Job's
brothers
and sisters
and everyone
who had
known him
before
came and
ate with
him in
his house
they
comforted
and
consoled
him
over
all the
trouble
the
Lord
had
brought
on
him
let's
go back
to
2nd
Corinthians
now I
think
what we've
just seen
in Job's
life
is what
we're seeing
in Paul's
life
God
is the
one
who is
ultimately
in
control
that
means
for us
nothing
happens
in your
life
without
God
say so
the
thorns
that you
experience
in life
the
illness
you may
struggle
with
the
heartache
of a
loss
of a
loved
one
the
pain
of our
disappointments
they're not
random chance
events
your life
is in the
sovereign
hands
of God
and
nothing
happens
without
his
say so
and if
God is
in supreme
control of
our life
and our
world
and all
that goes
on
then it
means he
is a
God
who not
only
helps
us
but
uses
it
all
for
good
purposes
so
second
God
uses
our
thorns
for
good
God
had
given to
Paul
an
experience
of
paradise
he had
had that
vision
but here
was the
danger
his
experience
the
visions
the
revelations
he had
could make
Paul proud
in other words
it could make
him self
reliant
where he
could
kind of
boast
about
himself
and go
well
because of
this
well I
don't
need
God
anymore
so he
tells us
in verse
seven
the middle
of verse
seven
therefore
in order
to keep
me
from being
conceited
to stop
me from
becoming
proud
I was
given
a thorn
in my
flesh
it's like
he's telling
us I
don't want
to become
so proud
in my
life
that I
think
that I
can go
through
life
without
God
so God
gives
to Paul
a thorn
in his
flesh
to keep
him from
becoming
self
sufficient
self
reliant
you see
most of
the time
we see
self
reliance
and
independence
as a
good thing
we celebrate
it
in the
well
known
poem
Invictus
do you
know that
poem
Invictus
is the
Latin
for
unconquered
listen to
how the
last
verse
goes
of that
famous
poem
it goes
like this
it matters
not how
straight
the gate
how
charged
with
punishments
the scroll
I am
the master
of my
fate
and I
am the
captain
of my
soul
but the
reality
is
we are
not
invincible
or
unconquerable
we do
not
control
our
destinies
and
suffering
reminds
us
of that
every
time
we
stand
around
the
grave
of a
loved
one
to
say
goodbye
we're
confronted
with the
fact
that I
am not
the
master
of my
fate
I'm
not
the
captain
of my
soul
now
this is
not saying
that suffering
is good
in and of
itself
and that
God
takes
pleasure
and delight
in seeing
the struggles
we go
through
but God
uses
the
thorns
for good
purposes
it
makes us
humble
it
helps
us
to
see
our
desperate
need
of
God
in
some
ways
our
thorns
our
suffering
make
us
like
a
little
child
dependent
on
their
parents
just
like
baby
Elodie
is
dependent
on
her
parents
can't
do
life
without
them
without
the
parents
she
won't
survive
and
in a
sense
that is
what
happens
with
us
the
thorns
we
experience
in
life
strips
away
our
independence
undermines
our
self
reliance
banishes
our
pride
and
drives
us
humbly
to
our
loving
saving
God
so
God
is
sovereign
over
our
thorns
God
uses
our
thorns
for
good
and
third
God
is
sufficient
in
our
thorns
our
natural
reaction
when we
suffer
is to
ask
God
to
take
it
away
isn't
that
our
first
response
to
suffering
and
it's
how
Paul
responded
to
look at
verse
eight
he
says
three
times
I
pleaded
with
the
Lord
to
take
it
away
from
me
now
I
know
many
of
you
have
been
there
crying
out
through
your
tears
shouting
in
frustration
to
God
groaning
in
your
hurts
Lord
take
it
away
please
heal
me
remove
this
thorn
and
some
of
you
pray
this
very
same
thing
for
your
loved
ones
as
you
watch
on
and
as
you
look
on
in
their
struggle
and
their
heartache
and
their
pain
you
cry
out
to
the
Lord
would
you
take
it
away
from
them
well
God
does
hear
and
God
does
answer
rather
than
remove
the
thorn
he
gives
grace
and
power
to
make
us
strong
if
you
have
ever
prayed
this
same
kind
of
prayer
to
God
and
ask
the
Lord
to
remove
that
thorn
in
your
life
and
it
is
still
there
listen
to
what
God
says
to
you
verse
nine
my
grace
is
sufficient
for
you
for
my
power
is
made
perfect
in
weakness
I
read
this
week
the
story
of
a
guy
called
Daniel
Ritchie
listen
to
what
he
says
it
goes
like
this
he
says
I
was
born
without
arms
that
is
the
best
way
to
summarize
my
story
I
stepped
into
suffering
at
birth
my
pain
almost
swallowed
me
but
Christ
showed
me
how
much
greater
he
was
I
used
to
think
that
being
born
without
arms
was
the
most
horrible
thing
that
could
ever
happen
to
a
person
in
Christ
he
has
helped
me
to
say
that
the
worst
and
the
most
painful
thing
that
has
ever
happened
to
me
is
also
the
best
thing
that
has
ever
happened
to
me
I
am
thankful
for
my
pain
all
of
the
frustration
that
has
come
with
it
has
reaped
a
bounty
that
I
never
could
have
produced
on
my
own
God
stepped
in
and
carried
me
along
in
my
weakness
letting
me
taste
his
grace
and
his
strength
and
love
in
new
ways
in
my
pain
he
has
magnified
so
many
of
his
attributes
in
a
mystery
that
we
will
always
struggle
to
understand
suffering
is
the
channel
or
the
conduit
through
which
grace
and
power
flow
to
us
from
God
suffering
is
the
channel
through
which
grace
and
power
flow
to
us
from
God
allows
the
thorn
to
remain
so
that
we
may
know
and
experience
Christ
in a
deeper
way
far
more
than a
temporary
glimpse
of
paradise
could
ever
give
you
see
the
place
of
healing
comes
when
we
no
longer
demand
that
God
remove
the
thorn
rather
we
humbly
come
and
ask
to
receive
of
his
grace
one
writer
put it
like
this
those
in
Christ
are
to
allow
the
thorns
to
pin
us
to
Christ
who
imparts
grace
to
the
sufferer
our
thorns
bind
us
to
Christ
so
we
never
lose
him
and
he
is
with
us
so
in
your
cancer
we
can
say
Christ
is
sufficient
in
our
disability
Christ
is
sufficient
in
our
battle
with
sin
Christ
is
sufficient
in
our
struggle
and
our
fight
with
suffering
Christ
is
sufficient
in
your
darkest
thoughts
Christ
will
sustain
you
in
your
greatest
fears
his
power
will
keep
you
look at
the end
of verse
nine
therefore
I
will
boast
all
the
more
gladly
about
my
weaknesses
so
that
Christ
power
might
rest
on
me
so
Christ
is
sovereign
over
our
thorns
he
uses
our
thorns
for
good
he
is
sufficient
in
our
thorns
and
then
God
exalts
Christ
through
our
thorns
you
see
as we
receive
God's
grace
and
are
strengthened
by
his
power
we
display
the
glory
of
Christ
that's
what
we've
been
thinking
about
this
morning
we
talked
about
it
earlier
God
blesses
you
abundantly
gives
you
all
that
you
need
in
all
things
and
at
all
times
all
that
you
need
but
we
receive
all
that
we
need
we
receive
God's
grace
and
his
power
so
that
we
might
display
the
glory
of
Christ
look
at
verse
10
he
says
that is
why
for
Christ's
sake
I
delight
in the
weaknesses
the
insults
the
hardships
the
persecutions
and
difficulties
for
Christ's
sake
you
see
the
sufferings
that
you
and
I
might
go
through
are
not
ultimately
about
me
it's
about
Christ
who
supplies
all
that
we
need
so
that
all
might
see
that
Christ
is
sufficient
I'm
going to
say that
again
because I
want us
to
grasp
it
the
sufferings
we
go
through
are
not
ultimately
about
me
and
my
life
it's
all
about
Christ
who
supplies
all
that
we
need
so
that
all
might
see
that
Christ
is
sufficient
Derek
Redmond
you might
know him
as an
athlete
was
running
in the
semifinals
of the
Barcelona
Olympics
and
as he
rounded
the
last
bend
he
fell
in
agony
unable
to
get
up
and
from
the
stands
this
man
came
running
onto
the
track
it
was
Derek's
father
he
came
to
his
son
lifted
him
to
his
feet
put
his
arm
underneath
his
son's
shoulders
and
they
began
to
walk
and
as
they
crossed
that
line
65,000
people
in that
stadium
rose
to their
feet
to
applaud
not
the
winner
of
the
race
nobody
knew
who
the
winner
was
on
that
day
not
the
athlete
who
was
carried
across
the
line
but
to
applaud
the
father
in
my
weakness
in
your
weakness
the
grace
of
Christ
comes
alongside
and
lifts
us
up
and
gets
underneath
our
shoulders
and
gives
us
his
power
so
that
the
grace
and
the
power
and
the
wonder
and
the
beauty
of
Christ
would
be
displayed
to
the
world
so
that
all
might
know
that
Christ
is
enough
in
your
struggles
in
our
sufferings
Christ
gets
the
applause
that
is
why
verse
10
for
Christ's
sake
for
his
glory
I
delight
in
weakness
it's
not a
forced
smile
or
jumping
around
with
joy
but
that
inner
deep
delight
that
when
I
am
weak
I
am
strong
people
will
see
grace
in
your
life
and
he
will
get
the
glory
what
we're
saying
here
is that
the
sufferings
we go
through
are not
about
me
and
they're
not
about
you
in
fact
the
thorns
in
our
flesh
point
beyond
us
to the
crown
of
thorns
that
pierced
Christ's
flesh
suffering
my
suffering
points
to
Christ's
suffering
the
one
who
received
the
thorn
of
judgment
for
me
so
that
grace
might
continually
and
forever
overflow
to
me
Christ
prayed
in the
garden
three
times
Lord
remove
this
cup
from
me
not
my
will
but
your
will
be
done
and
God
answered
that
prayer
and
grace
has
flowed
from
him
to
us
all
that
we
need
in
all
times
in
all
of
life
a
grace
that
is
so
sufficient
a
power
that
is
so
strong
it
will
keep
you
in
your
worst
days
of
sufferings
and
will
bring
you
to
paradise
itself
not
just
a
glimpse
or
a
moment
vision
of
paradise
but
eternal
joy
forever
and
forever
and
on
that
day
all
heaven
and
all
earth
will
join
in
unison
and
applaud
the
sufficient
grace
and
power
of
God
for
your
life
and
my
life
Christ
gets
the
glory
through
your
sufferings
and
people
will
see
in
your
life
that
Christ
is
sufficient
for
you
and
for
all
who
will
turn
to
him
applaud
him
he
deserves
it
let us
pray
father
we feel
the
tension
we
feel
the
wrestle
in
our
own
hearts
and
lives
to
understand
these
big
questions
of
thorns
and
suffering
that we
experience
but yet
in the
midst
of our
wrestle
and
struggle
we
have
come
to
see
that
you
are
sufficient
Christ
is
enough
we
praise
you
we
thank
you
today
that
you
do
not
leave
us
or
abandon
us
but
will
give
us
the
power
and
strength
that
we
need
to
ensure
that
we
will
go
from
this
life
into
our
eternal
destiny
that
can
never
be
changed
the
new
heaven
and
the
new
earth
we
look
forward
to
that
and
right
now
we
say
thank
you
for
your
grace
that
will
sustain
us
in
Jesus
name
we
pray
amen
we
are
going
to
sing
and
it's
a song
we
can
sing
in
response
Christ
is
my
reward
and
all
of
my
and
things
of
ity
for
immediate
life
to
love