Church Sermon - July 27, 2003

DEALING WITH OPPOSITION

Rev. Mark F. Bartels

Old Testament Lesson; Ezekiel 2:1-5
Gospel Lesson; Mark 6:1-6
Sermon Text; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

I have this pillow with me up here, and before this sermon is over, some of you may be looking forward to using it!!! We all know what the purpose of a pillow is. A pillow has a very specific purpose. The purpose of a pillow is for you lay your head down on, for rest and slumber. At various times, people are very attracted to a pillow and at other times people aren’t. If I’ve just woken up for the day, am full of energy, and am raring to go to meet the adventures of the day, then a pillow is not very attractive to me at all. But, if I am weary, if I am exhausted from the labors and troubles of the day, if I have worked hard with my hands and am worn out, if I have been through an emotionally stressful day and I am emotionally exhausted, how inviting that pillow is for me. How I long to lay my head down there, in rest.

I know that this is absurd, but imagine that your salvation depended upon you laying your head down on this pillow for rest and slumber. And, imagine that I was responsible for your salvation. Imagine if I was responsible to get you to lay your head down on that pillow for rest and slumber so you could find salvation there. Would you think I was mean, if I brought all kinds of hardships and difficult labor into your life, causing you to be exhausted, day after day, after day? Would you think me mean, if I permitted all kinds of trouble and emotional distress to come into your life, so that by the end of the day you were exhausted and longed to lay your head down on that pillow? Would you consider me mean, if I did that? If you only looked at what I was doing, if you only looked at the hardships, the labor, and the difficulties, then you may consider me mean. But if you understood my purpose, my purpose to have you long to lay your head down on the pillow and find salvation there, then you would understand that everything I had done was only out of a heart of love and kindness for you.

We don’t find our salvation by laying our heads down on a pillow, but we do find our salvation here in the Word of God. The Word of God has a purpose.

The purpose of the Word of God is to bring comfort.

The purpose of the Word of God is to bring victory.

The purpose of the Word of God is to bring joy.

The purpose of the Word of God is to bring peace.

The purpose of the Word of God is to lift up the weary and the burdened.

God’s great goal for us is that we lay our head down to rest on the comfort that is found in the Word of God, that we lay our heads down in the peace and security that is given to us in Jesus Christ, our Savior, and in the Word of God.

But there are some people who don’t long for the peace and security that God’s Word gives. There are some people who don’t long for the joy and victory that is found in the Word of God. They think that they are already at peace with themselves. Why would I lay my head down to rest on the peace that is offered in scripture, when I already have peace with myself? They think that they have joy in themselves. Why would I find joy in something that scripture has to offer me, when I already have joy with myself?

Would you consider God mean? Would you consider God mean, if He would bring weariness into your life, so that you would long to lay your head down in the comfort that is found in the Word of God? Would you consider God mean, if He brought trials, troubles, tribulations, and "thorns in the flesh" into your life, so that you would see your own weakness and long to lay your head down on the strength that God Himself offers you, in Jesus Christ? Oh, if you look at the difficulties and hardships that we face, it may be easy to consider God mean. But when we consider the end, the purpose for which He brings hardships and trials in our lives, causing us to lay our heads down for rest in the promises of scripture, then we understand that God is only a God of love and peace, and seeks the best for us.

Today’s scripture reading talks about the trials, the afflictions, and troubles (or the "thorns in the flesh", as Paul calls them), that come into the life of a Christian. Did you know that Martin Luther once said this about afflictions?

"I didn’t even really know the Word of God,

until afflictions came into my life."

He also said,

"I consider that afflictions

are the greatest schoolmaster,

when it comes to the Word of God."

And, he even went so far as to say,

"I consider one Christian

who has gone through affliction,

to be worth more than 100 Christians

who have gone through no afflictions.

Because, that one Christian

who has gone through affliction,

has learned to find his comfort, security and peace

in the Word of God

and is able to go out and advise and council

those who need comfort and security in

the Word of God."

And, so in today’s scripture reading, St. Paul tells us about the afflictions, troubles and thorns in the flesh that come into our lives. First of all St. Paul tells us why, in some instances they happen. Look at how vulnerable he makes himself here. He says,

"To keep me from becoming conceited,

because of these surpassingly great revelations,

there was given me,

(given to me, as a gift)

a thorn in my flesh, to torment me."

Paul had accomplished great things for Jesus Christ. Paul was probably the greatest missionary that has ever lived on the face of this earth. And what great things he accomplished! Right before this scripture reading, Paul says, "I know a man, whether in the body or out of the body I don’t know (he was talking about himself), who was caught up to paradise and saw things that the human tongue is not able to utter."

Paul had been so honored by God, that he was the only living man who was caught up to Heaven itself, enabling him to see the very things in Heaven, things that he was not even able to utter to you and me.

Paul says, "To keep me from becoming conceited." The devil knows that we have sinful nature. Even the things that we accomplish for Jesus Christ, the great things that we may accomplish, the devil would love to take those accomplishments and turn them to our disadvantage. How easily it could have been, how easy it could have been for Paul, to look at himself and say,

"Look at what I have done.

Look at all the people I have won for Jesus Christ!

Look at how God must love me!

He has taken me,

the only person who has ever gone to Heaven.

How God must need me."

Paul could have trusted in his own strength, but then he would not have longed to lay his head down on the strength and comfort that are given in God’s Word.

The same can happen in our lives, with the things that we accomplish for Christ. For example, if Sunday after Sunday, the members of a congregation complimented their pastor saying, "That was a wonder sermon, Pastor!" It would be easy for Satan to take that compliment and work in sinful pride, causing the pastor to think, "What a great man I am. What great skills and abilities I have." That sinful pride would cause the pastor to trust in his own strength, rather than the strength of Jesus Christ.

Another example would be someone, such as a mother, who has witnessed to her little child, when that little one needed to be comforted by the Word of God. It would be easy for Satan, seeing that little one comforted, to take that accomplishment for Christ and say to that person, "Look at how wonderful you are. Look at how skilled you are, in comforting someone else." That sinful pride would cause that person, that mother, to trust in her own strength, rather than laying her head on the strength of Jesus.

And finally, another example is when we witness to a friend, bringing that friend to church. The devil can cause us to look, in pride, at our own accomplishment. "Look at what I did. Look at how I convinced that person to come to church. Look at how I brought that person to faith." Then we are trusting in our own accomplishments, our strength, rather than the strength that is given to us in scripture.

So, St. Paul says, "To keep me from becoming conceited (in other words, trusting in my own strength), because of the surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, to torment me." How often we find that repeated in the history of scripture. When someone has accomplished some great thing for Christ, following immediately on the heals of that accomplishment, is a trial, an affliction, a thorn in the flesh. Elijah called down fire from heaven, and fire came from heaven, burning up the altar and everything on it! What a great accomplishment for God. But, what followed immediately on the heals of that, was great affliction. Elijah had to run for his life, because Jezabel was pursuing him. He needed to trust in the strength of Christ, rather than his own.

John the Baptist, who may have been the greatest preacher who ever lived, is another example. Jesus said, "Of those born of woman, there is no one greater than John the Baptist." John the Baptist went before the Lord and he prepared the way for Jesus Christ. How effective and powerful he was! What immediately followed on the heals of that? Immediately on the heals of that came great affliction. John the Baptist was thrown in to prison and was ultimately beheaded. Certainly, he must have been driven to trust in the strength of Christ, rather than his own strength and ability.

Stephen, one of the first early New Testament disciples, was enabled by the Holy Spirit to go out and convince people that the scriptures were right and true, and that Jesus was their Savior. How effective he was! But, what followed immediately on the heals of that? Great trials and tribulation. Stephen was arrested and then he was stoned to death. There, he was brought to trust, not in his own strength and ability, but to lay his head to rest on what Jesus had done for him.

Paul. What great things he had accomplished, for the Great Commission! Then, taken to see Heaven itself! And yet, on the heals of that followed trail, after trial, tribulation after tribulation, and a thorn in his flesh. Paul was shipwrecked, three times. He was stoned. He was flogged. He was imprisoned. He was cold. He was hungry. He was naked. He was worried about the church. Great afflictions followed on the heals of the great accomplishments that Paul had carried out for Christ. Why? All so that Paul would not rest on his own strength or ability, but, bring his head to rest on what Jesus had done for him. He was hungry for the peace and comfort that could be found in one place alone, in Jesus Christ.

So, Paul says, "To keep me from becoming conceited, because of these exceedingly great revelations, there was given to me, (I was given) a thorn in my flesh, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me." You see what that thorn in the flesh did? It caused Paul to see how weak he was. It caused him to see how powerless he was, of his own might. He was not able to take that thorn in the flesh away. There was only one person he could go to, who had the strength and ability to give him comfort, hope, and peace. And so, he pleaded with the Lord, "Please Lord, help me." He placed his hope in the Lord.

What was the Lord’s answer to Paul? The Lord’s answer to Paul was no. "No, I am not going to take that thorn in the flesh away." In fact here is what the Lord said to Paul. "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Who is more comforted by the grace of God, than

someone who sees how weak they are,

someone who sees how undeserving they are,

someone who sees how powerless they are, someone who sees all the struggles in this life,

someone who turns to the grace of God in scripture.

Grace is a free, undeserved gift that God gives to us, out of His love for us. Who is more comforted, than someone who finds their sufficiency in the grace of God.

"My grace is sufficient for you,

for my power is made perfect

in your weakness."

Who finds more comfort in the Word of God, than someone who is troubled by weakness, by pain, by sorrow, by loss, by all kinds of troubles, laying their head down to rest in the Words of Jesus, who speaks in scripture. Who can find more comfort, peace and rest, than those who hear the voice of Jesus say,

"Come onto me,

all you who are weary and burdened and

I will give you rest."

In scripture, He gives us the rest, we long for. There in scripture, He tells us that He has taken every single one of our sins, no matter how great, no matter how mountainous, no matter how many times we have committed them, and He has taken them as His very own. God died to pay for those sins. God freely forgives us all of our sins. Who can find greater comfort and peace than that?

Who can find greater comfort and peace, than to lay their head on the rest that Jesus offers, when He offers victory, victory, over all of the troubles and trials in this world! Jesus offers us resurrection to eternal life! Who can find more peace, more comfort, and joy than that, when Jesus says,

"I have a home prepared for you in Heaven and

I am going to come and take you to be with me."

When we look at all that may happen to us in this life, who can find more peace, more comfort and joy than when we hear Jesus say,

Who can find more peace and comfort, than someone who may be lonely, alone in this world, and hear Jesus, God Himself, say,

"My strength is made perfect

in your weakness"

When we see our weakness, then we rely on God’s strength. And so, Paul said,

"Therefore I will boast all the more gladly

about my weakness.

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."

Who can say that, other than a Christian? Who can say that they delight in hardships, in troubles and weaknesses, other than a Christian? If we go forth into battle by our own strength, God does not go with us. But instead, we go forth into battle, knowing that we do not have any strength of our own and that we must rely on the strength of God.

That is how a boy could take a sling, and not with his own strength, but with the arm of God, could kill Goliath. That is how a man could take the jawbone of a donkey, and not by his own strength, but by the mighty of the arm of the LORD, could slay armies. That is how St. Paul could stand before kings and princes, and not by his own strength but by the strength of the arm of God, confess Jesus Christ. St. Paul could do that, despite what may come to him, be it death itself, for "when I am weak, then I am strong". It is then that I depend upon the arm of the Lord.

If your salvation depended upon you laying your head down on this pillow, would you think me mean if I caused weariness and hardship to come into your life, so you longed to lay your head down on that pillow? You would not think me mean, but you would see the loving purpose in that. Do you think God is mean, when He brings hardships, or when He allows thorns in the flesh? No, you would not think Him mean, but see His loving purpose in that. God is only causing you to long for the peace, the security, the victory, and the joy that is found here in scripture and to lay your head down to rest, finding your salvation.

Amen.

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