The Strength We Need - Part 1 of 2

About the Lord know comes to you under the direction of Elder Lucero Bradley Junior will and share Bradley Junior inviting you to stay tuned for another message of God's sovereign and in and all is all in the in all and in all hello and have the opportunity to come your way. At the same time each week with a message from God's word, the true blistering private message will be a blessing to you would appreciate hearing from you are mailing address is Baptist Bible hour. Box 1737, Cincinnati, OH 45217, and I encourage you to visit our website at Baptist Bible hour.or like to make a donation for the broadcasts. You can do so there or of course my writing this.

We appreciate hearing from you and to know where you are receiving the program you sometimes feel weak, and you're physically weak get advice and when you need to take some exercise. You need to take more vitamins you need to eat better and do all that and still is an area of weakness that you feel like I need help when it comes to spiritual things remain often feel weak like our faith is not as strong as it ought be plagued with doubts and fears apprehension. We need strength because we are weak, subject this morning is the strength we need.

The apostle Paul was called into the third heaven, he could not tell whether he was in the body or out of the body, but he heard unspeakable words which it is not lawful for me, so this was obviously a most unique experience. Paul had received various visions along the way heard the Lord call his name and speak to them at the time of his salvation on the road to Damascus. It had other revelations but this was something far beyond all others caught up in the third heaven things revealed to him that no man could so with that in view, we take up there to read from second Corinthians chapter 12 verse seven and lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations that was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me last. I should be exalted above measure of the first thing we would observe.

Here is the pride is a problem, lest I be exalted above measure you imagine if somebody has gone to heaven and communicated directly with the Lord begin to feel very special.

That experience like somebody else's had become area of pride.

God's not going to use or bless any man who lifted up with pride. So although Paul was basically a humble man.

Yet in the weakness of his flesh there with the possibility of being lifted up officially God knew that Paul said in first Corinthians 15 nine for I am the least of the apostles and I don't think that was an insincere statement just trying to convince people that team had a humble thought of himself was genuine and sincere. I am the least of the possible many thousand wife thinks that that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God by the grace of God I am so I didn't take any credit to himself because of the amazing transformation in his life.

I am what I am by the grace of God. But even with this outlook. Even with this humble spirit that we read here Lord knew the weakness of the flashing hose. The weakness of our flesh far better than we know and he knew there was still the potential Paul could be exalted in God intended to use in using them. Either way, the preaching of the gospel and establishment of churches writing this so is going to deal with the matter now.

Paul had done remarkably well.

This experience had been 14 years earlier than what we're reading about here 14 years ago he'd been caught up in the third heaven and had these revelations given unto him but even with his current humble attitude.

There was the possibility of pride and God will deal with pride. Pride is always a problem, go to the Old Testament reading the book of Proverbs chapter 16 verse 18 pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall live encountered some hardy spirits on the way over the years I've sit down with people who said they had a problem and they wanted a solution.

We looked at Scripture. And here's what Scripture said about so I can agree with that. I don't want to take that course of action.

Hello this is my opinion. I want to read the Scriptures. I just can't go that route. Haughty spirit for person in the face of what Scripture says to say comfortable with that, follow that course of action. Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall in the book of Obadiah chapter 1 verse three Obadiah 13 the pride of thine heart have to see now that dwells in the clink of the rock, whose habitation is high, saith in his heart, who shall bring me down the ground. Pride your pride.

The pride of your heart have to see you and your soul lifted up picture saying who shall bring me that possible for anybody to remove me from my high station I have attained German and number we learn from this that pride itself can deceive us person may make the assumption got a lot of faults but I am humble to start bragging on your humility that you already lost back in the realm of broad out of the so here's one heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked who can know it can be deceived.

You can deceive yourself in concluding, I'm not proud while all the time you are and then we come to the New Testament in first Peter chapter 5 and the fifth verse.

Likewise, E younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. They all knew the subject one to another, and be clothed with humility becoming up with to select closure wearing have humility covering up for God resisted the proud and give us grace to the home. The very thought of having God resisting me is terrified. Life is challenging enough as you go through it feeling like I can depend on the Lord, call on him and he is my help. That gives us comfort and encourage but to think that I'm being resisted by God that he's rejecting all my prayers that is displeasing with all my efforts at specs alarm God resisted the pressure with pride is welling up in us, even when we've tried to overlook it. It's a serious problem.

He gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you to talk to people about their salvation.

When it became evident that they were full well I guess not all that man.

I think I'll be all right. I'm not concerned. I believe God will accept me what absolute being unaware of their own sin and the fact that a holy God demands perfection and none of us are even close to that.

Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God.

I talked to a lady one day at a store not far from the church year and I forget what all lit up the conversation but I finally asked the question you died today what you think would believe I'd be okay I believe I go to heaven.

I said why because is that I do the very best I can. Every day I try to do nice things I try to help elect commendable, but it will take you to him the fact Paul is we are all sinners. We've all seen come short of the glory of God were under condemnation under wrath and would suffer if it would not be for the grace of God. The only hope for any of us is the fact that Jesus Christ died for sinners, we come by faith rely upon him. Then we know where were going, but is not because were doing the best we can. Thank you for to me that I didn't know I was amazed to pick somebody, but it never shared with them the truth of the gospel.

So pride is a problem. Second thing we observed in this text is that suffering is the remedy God is dealing with Paul in a unique way. Second Corinthians 12 seven. And last I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to affect me, lest I should be exalted above measure this thing so the Lord thrice that it might depart from me, the messenger of Satan to buffet me this word buffet means it was being Paul of being constantly suffering the consequences of having this messenger of Satan to humble him suffering is the remedy for pride was the case of the possible.

That's understandable that he would pray for this thorn to be removed.

Think anyone of us who are forming the flash who were suffering needed divine help with whatever the struggle is whatever this burden on Karen relieving relieve me from take it away from.

In fact, in the original language. The word that is translated thorn indicates a state that was used in times of warfare drive into an enemy and to bring about the death that was used in days of persecution estate so this is no small thing. This is not just a small part of the flash that could be no more was appropriate for Paul to pray three times to remove the Jesus pray 3×20 said, let this cup pass from me, but Jesus also prayed, not my will finally be done. And as we pray, we should always pray in faith with expectation.

If you praying with an attitude, I would pray but I really don't think God will hear me.

I think this is an impossible situation. I don't really need to pray, but I'll do it because I know what to know where to pray in faith expecting the Lord to do great things Jesus calling to me and I will actually actually great and mighty things, which thou knowest not that of the spirit of expectation. We have when we pray, but the Lord spoke to Paul after these three requests and he doesn't directly speak to us today like you get the pole so we can't expect that when we have prayed three times or more. God's going to speak to us and say here now is the direction that things are going so we should continue praying Scripture says, pray without ceasing. Sophie pray three times for something and it does appear there's any kind of an answer. You don't pray without ceasing, and yet we are always ultimately to do exactly what Jesus did, said time will be done. We talked about in submission to God. When God doesn't answer the prayer in the way we had hoped part of the model prayer is that I will be done in earth as it is.

So while we are praying with strong desire and strong faith, which ultimately must bow in submission to the Lord's will so suffering was the remedy to be sure that Paul was not elevated in pride and would continue to be useful. How do we respond to suffering. Some become better blame God just doesn't seem fair.

Why don't have to go through this dark time.

Finally I have to have this pain is physical self.

I know a lot of people out there don't live well, as I do. They don't ever seem to have a problem here I am suffering distancing fair well find in the book of Psalms that there were those in olden times and had that kind of struggle but said when I went up to the house of God and realize the end of those that are going along with the problem.

I pretended I change my phone and my attitude so become bitter and blame God as though God made a mistake for bringing this troubling to your life is sinful and and then some dress give up.

I don't get any benefit out of the suffering which was intended by because they're discouraged or disheartened savers. No need for me to pray no need for me to try to move father and serve God.

I'm just being dragged down by March, but I just think of that passage. We looked at a number of times in James chapter 1 verse two my brethren counted all joy when you fall into divers temptations that summarize it will go on a little far. It's one thing to have to deal with the suffering. But thank God for counted all joy. I could mean that you say you love to suffer, I rejoice that are being taken to the hospital have to have surgery. I was not that you rejoicing, you rejoice in what is revealed in the rest of the patient and what God is doing. Knowing this is what you know. Here's what you can rejoice that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing but words don't look for the eject button get the situation. I thought to have a release of pain at all costs. Says you be patient let patience have her perfect work, that you may get the benefit of the lessons that you may be perfect, that you may be entire, complete, lacking nothing because in the trial that God has sent your way. There is a lesson to be learned so that standpoint, you can count it all joy of the questions that come to mind as we talk about suffering, it's a big subject, one that many people have very great difficulty with questions about 1%. Why would God and suffering to the life of the apostle Paul was a man that already suffered a lot. We read that he was shipwrecked.

We read that he was in great storms read that he was in prison when he read that he was the said not enough. Obviously God in his sovereignty knew Paul needed to suffer more so it was his purpose to use Paul and to keep him from sin. Pride is a sin, the idea is here deal with the tendency in our weakness in our flash to be lifted up in pride and so it was God's purpose to give even the thought of the flash God gave to and then somebody else? Why would God use the messenger of Satan seems strange to me. Well the fact is God himself, and he has the right learned his business to way he wants to. And if we don't understand it, we don't have the right to challenge or complain because HUD is God was sovereign in the matter. In Job's life when Satan came before the Lord and about this man, Joan. I believe that if you let me adding take away from a Ms. Richins times of prosperity you give up.

He will serve God's is all right.

I give you permission to go after can't take his life. And so in short order. Joan, who was a wealthy man lost it all is flux is hers. Everything that he had waived the two possession, and then quite strong, came and went down the house where his children were feasting and his 10 children were killed, renders time of suffering.

Job to the Lord giveth and the low-tech the way. Blessed be the name of the later time, even though he slay me, yet will I trust that I know as we go on the book of Job, we found that he wasn't in that frame of mind every day. He later had some deep question and was only when God came on the scene and spoke himself for several chapters Job humbled himself, saw himself as never seen himself before praying for his friend, and then God story that I heard a man preach one time that God had nothing to do with Job's trouble could you miss that the book of Job is he the God that everything God told Satan he could go after him.

God had a purpose in this. It was to demonstrate that even when Joe lost everything. He wouldn't give up on the Job's wife. She's at lunch Chris got but here's Joe in this dark time, even when his body was afflicted was in misery and pain still trust God. And so there was an example set a lesson set forth without reference to it in the New Testament God had a purpose that we even here today benefit reading experience of Joe and experience of Paul and God use the messenger of Satan to bring about these afflictions in a and is a lot to be learned from Job's experience on things clearly evident that Job was not suffering because of sin.

God was working in his life as a display of how he would remain faithful to God the most difficult of times over that we might learn that lesson in this message today learned that the strength we need snack, which Jesus promised when he says my grace to next week at the same time.

May the Lord richly bless you all and he is a Baptist Bible hour is come to you under the direction of Elder Lucero Bradley Junior address all mailed to the Baptist Bible hour Cincinnati, OH 45217. That's the Baptist Bible hour Cincinnati, OH 45217 and