Perfected In Weakness - [2 Corinthians 12]

Bethlehem Bible Church iconBethlehem Bible Church

1 view

0 comments

00:00
Well, good morning. It is a blessing to be here.
00:06
Thank you for inviting me, and it's good to see Steve and Mike again from the old days out at Grace Church.
00:17
It's been a wonderful weekend up here and teaching at the Extension Center on an introduction to biblical counseling and then being here last night with the men, and just encouraging us again to be good leaders, good decision makers, following the scriptural principles.
00:36
And then this morning in Sunday school, thinking about pursuing Christ -like humility.
00:42
And now this morning, I want to think and draw your attention to the issue of ongoing painful trials.
00:51
Those things, when you get a cold like I have, I assume that in about a week or 10 days, it'll be gone.
01:02
But what about trials that don't go away after seven or 10 days, and they continue on, and may continue on your entire earthly life?
01:15
What about those? I can remember growing up, my parents were believers in Christ.
01:21
My dad was an excellent, godly man and leader in our home growing up. And one of the things they used to do is we would have family devotions.
01:31
And the four of us boys would sit there on the carpet, and my mom and dad would sit on the couch.
01:37
And then he would open up the scriptures, and he would read the stories of scripture. And my favorite ones were when
01:46
God came in in a powerful way and brought deliverance. Those strong, powerful deliverances, whether it was saving
01:56
Noah and his family through the ark, or the pharaoh and his army are chasing
02:02
Israel, and the Lord just wipes them out with the water, or the Syrians, 185 ,000, the angel of the
02:09
Lord, just, they're dead. Those were powerful deliverances.
02:14
And then even in the New Testament, with just the calming of the sea, or Peter's jail opens up, and Peter walks out.
02:22
But we would be amiss to think that that's the only way God operates in the scripture.
02:30
Watching TV, you think that's the only way he operates, with some of the speakers on TV.
02:40
But God is more powerful and more grand than the man who was tempted to just receive some glory through deliverance.
02:48
He also receives so much glory through giving grace to his children as they endure trials and learn to joyfully depend on him for strength.
03:01
Some of you sitting here today have experienced some sort of a deliverance by the
03:07
Lord's grace, whether it's been a health issue and God has sought to heal you, possibly quickly.
03:14
Some of you have been in a financial strait and God has sought to just provide all of your needs quickly, almost in a deliverance sort of way.
03:24
Some of you have been praying for someone that you knew that was unsaved and God graciously saved them quickly.
03:31
Those are those are wonderful times just to be thankful for God and how he operated in a deliverance sort of way.
03:40
Others of you are sitting here and you are suffering. It is painful, the trial that you are in and it's ongoing and it may be a financial situation, it may be a health issue, it may be someone dearly you dearly love, a family member who you've been praying for years that the
04:04
Lord might graciously save them and he has sought not to do that yet. These painful trials, what do you do?
04:13
How do you persevere? And that's the text this morning. I would like you to turn with me to 2nd
04:21
Corinthians chapter 12. 2nd Corinthians chapter 12. A little background here, the church at Corinth.
04:35
I can't think of another church that not only drove Paul to his knees but kept him there. There are visits and letters going back and forth to this church.
04:46
Now Paul sends Timothy and Timothy comes back with some bad news.
04:52
There are some false apostles or super apostles what Paul calls them in chapter 11 verse 5 and they're challenging
05:01
Paul on his apostleship. You could think of it as they're challenging him to a duel.
05:09
They're professing to be the apostles and they're saying Paul is not.
05:16
And now the weapon of choice by these false apostles is let's talk about experiences.
05:23
Apparently they brag on all of their experiences and Paul doesn't brag too much on his experiences.
05:29
He just continually boasts about Jesus and now the duel.
05:37
They're saying talk about your experiences. Prove it by your experiences that you're an apostle.
05:46
John Calvin said, it is though Paul said I should have preferred to be silent.
05:52
I should have preferred to keep the whole matter suppressed within my own mind but those persons will not allow me to.
06:01
Reluctantly here he goes. And I'd like you to follow along with me in the text this morning. I'm going to give you a little context.
06:07
We'll read a little bit more of the context and then I want to center in on verses 7 through 10 this morning.
06:14
Let's go up to verse 30 of chapter 11. Paul says, if I must boast
06:23
I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and father of the
06:29
Lord Jesus he is blessed forever knows that I am not lying. And at Damascus the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me but I was down I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.
06:46
I must go on boasting though there is nothing to be gained by it. I will go on to visions and revelations of the
06:53
Lord. I know a man in Christ who 14 years ago was caught up to the third heaven whether in the body or out of the body
07:01
I do not know God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise whether in the body or out of the body
07:08
I do not know God knows. And he heard things that cannot be told which man may not utter.
07:16
On behalf of this man I will boast but on my own behalf I will not boast except of my weaknesses. Though if I should wish to boast
07:24
I would not be a fool for I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me.
07:36
And then the text at hand this morning. So to keep me from being too elated by the surpassing greatness of the revelations a thorn was given me in the flesh a messenger of Satan to harass me to keep me from being too elated.
07:55
Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this that it should leave me but he said to me my grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness.
08:09
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
08:18
For the sake of Christ then I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.
08:29
For when I am weak then I am strong. Bow with me in prayer.
08:37
Lord we come before you this morning we would ask that Christ would be glorified in all of our worship this morning and even now we pray that you would help me in my weakness that Christ's strength would be made perfect help all those who are listening to listen having ears to hear that they would truly hear what the
09:05
Spirit says through your word. Lord I pray that we wouldn't just become more knowledgeable this morning but that we would seek to be doers of the word and not hearers only.
09:20
I pray by your spirit that we might be changed more into the likeness of Christ by being here this morning we pray this in Jesus name amen.
09:34
Well I would like us to consider in the face of an ongoing painful trial that's the context here five lessons that we can learn through this ongoing painful trial five lessons to help us be weak and to be kept weak that that's very key that we be weak and be kept weak as Christians so that Christ's strength is experienced and displayed all right just think about this be weak be kept weak so that Christ's strength can be experienced and displayed these five lessons
10:25
I pray will be an encouragement to you for those who experience some sort of a deliverance lately by God's grace you can rejoice in that but be very sensitive and compassionate to those sitting next to you who may be in this ongoing painful trial be an encouragement to them the first lesson
10:47
I like us to consider is in verse 7 and reads this way so to keep me from being too elated by the surpassing greatness of the revelations that I read earlier a thorn was given me in the flesh a messenger of Satan to harass me to keep me from being too elated the first lesson comes from that phrase by the surpassing greatness of the revelations the lesson is this we realize we must realize that God's goodness to us is the very soil in our lives that either pride or humility can grow in God's goodness to us is the soil that either pride or humility can grow in throughout
11:38
Scripture God would bless his people whether it's Israel or the church and inevitably you would see that God's people say this is wonderful we're eating we have homes we have a land and then what happens in Deuteronomy chapter 8 they forget
11:56
God and their heart heart becomes proud the very soil of blessing of God's goodness in their life which should germinate and grow humility instead can be that the soil that pride grows in and that's what's going on here
12:15
Paul has been extremely blessed to be called an apostle and then
12:23
God blesses him with taking him in the desert and teaching him and apparently that's when 14 years ago he says when he has these visions and these revelations things that he can't even utter what what an experience if you're gonna duel with false apostles what an experience now
12:43
Paul's kept this quiet for 14 years and in the soil of that goodness of God's grace in his life it doesn't say he was proud it doesn't say he was going to become proud it says to keep him from it we have to realize that again humility can grow and the soil of God's blessings in our lives is and pride can too
13:12
I want to go to the second lesson we have the soil here of God's goodness and it's still in the same verse so to keep me from to keep me from being too elated he says it twice less we miss it the first time to keep me from being too elated and then the very end to keep me from being too elated the second lesson is
13:40
God always has the perfect remedy always has the perfect remedy to guard us from our potential uselessness and fruitlessness as a child of God he knows we're what we're about to encounter what we are about to encompass in our pride possibly and he always has the perfect remedy and it's one of love and care for our lives
14:09
Simon Kistemaker says Paul knows that not Satan but God is in control here if Satan had his wish he would have preferred the
14:23
Apostle Paul to be proud because when you're proud you become useless and fruitless if Satan Satan did not want to have the messenger of his to afflict
14:37
Paul he wanted Paul to become proud and then would be useless God is in control of this one and he has the perfect remedy to keep
14:47
Paul from becoming proud Psalm 119 the psalmist says in verse 71 it was good for me that I was afflicted that I may learn your statues
14:58
Jeremiah says in Lamentations 332 he says though he causes grief yet he will show compassion according to the multitude of his mercies for he does not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men
15:17
I don't want to go too much in depth here many of you already have a good grasp of this but God's remedy the fact that God's in control and his remedy flows out of the fact that he is always always the remote cause of trials that are allowed in our life always it's always for his holy purposes
15:42
Jeremiah says again in Lamentations 3 is it not from the mouth of the Most High that woe and well -being proceed
15:53
God's remedy also employs immediate causes close at hand causes and when
16:05
God does that and he is he's always the remote cause but when he is using immediate people or circumstances he will use both righteous and unrighteous agents he'll use
16:19
Satan as he did in Job's life here he's going to use a messenger of Satan and Paul's life again it's not the first time
16:30
God uses unrighteous agents he did that to Joseph with his brothers when
16:38
Joseph said you meant it for evil but God has meant this for good they were the immediate causes the brothers
16:43
God was the remote cause always for his good and holy purposes God will set aside your temporary happiness for a greater good he will set aside your temporary happiness for a greater good now the timing of this remedy
17:06
I find interesting the way the text reads is that 14 years ago
17:13
Paul had these wonderful revelations where he was taken up to the heavens and the timing says when this was given to me this thorn it seems to suggest even through different commentators that God nipped this thing in the bud that this may have been an affliction in Paul's life that goes back 14 years right at the time he was given these revelations to keep him humble because he didn't go through Israel as a new apostle remember the disciples were were a bit apprehensive about Paul he didn't go and start talking about all his revelations and visions and out there in the desert with the
17:56
Lord he didn't even talk about this this is the first time we haven't mentioned it may be from the text the past tense that when this was given to him whatever this messenger was dates back many years
18:15
God may have nipped this in the bud to keep Paul humble throughout his ministry literally it says this messenger of Satan struck struck him with a fist
18:28
Buffett literally strike him with a fist one commentator says a thorn or some other object that pierces
18:36
Paul's flesh and injures him it appears to mean a very physical pain that Paul was experiencing
18:42
Paul did not choose this this was not self -inflicted God sent this into Paul's life to keep him from becoming proud and then useless now what is this thorn
18:57
I was looking through some suggestions throughout church history
19:04
I came across 16 suggestions of what this thorn is it's obvious God doesn't want us to know what the thorn is something well based on the context it might mean this but some
19:18
I'll just read real fast I misery headaches malaria the sciatica the painful condition of the hip or thigh ear trouble rheumatism malta fever leprosy some nervous disorder epilepsy speech impediment personal enemies a literal punishment by a demon some believe it was a demon possessed teachers there in Corinth then some monks thought he had that Paul had a lust problem so 16 different suggestions on what it is
19:54
I don't think it's important to know what it is as much as this was extremely painful and it was ongoing and he wasn't being delivered from it and I think that's where we can receive the application to our lives when we go through these kind of trials reminds me of Richard Baxter the
20:14
Puritan pastor who was told at age 31 he only had a few months left to live
20:20
Richard Baxter a pastor and kid a mister in England he says this about himself at age 21 he said from 21 on I seldom had an hour free from pain his entire life was spent battling sickness he was harassed by a constant cough frequent nosebleeds migraine headaches digestive ailments kidney stones gallstones he was a virtual museum of diseases and that was in the era before painkillers so age 31 the doctor said you're gonna die in a few months lung problem so put your house in order he was single at the time he took a lot of paper with him went out into a farm country and he started to study heaven since he was going to be there in a few months and he wrote and he wrote everything the
21:20
Bible had to say about heaven 500 pages it was it was published it's called the
21:28
Saints everlasting rest when he finished apparently the the air and the
21:34
Lord working in his own lungs he didn't die in three months he lived till he was 76 years old and he wrote over a hundred and forty books his conclusion after studying heaven was this if a
21:58
Christian's mind is not in heaven he will be of no earthly good if a
22:06
Christian's mind is not in heaven setting his mind on things above he will be of no earthly good and we think about affliction
22:19
Spurgeon says this if we were placed in a glass case we would not grow if we were never injured there would be no forgiving grace without suffering we would not have patience we grow in grace only when the stormy winds of trials below hold the world loose but firmly grip the invisible things of God he says it's possible that God might use you to scatter his seed with a hand that's never been wounded but he will not use you to minister to the broken hearted under trials until they've made you tender and sensitive your present painful experience is a necessary preparation for something that will give you tenfold joy he says the rule of the kingdom is this no battle no crown no conflict no conquest there are no fair weather soldiers in God's army we must go through trials this whole area of this
23:47
God's remedy don't question why focus on who it is that is designed this and sovereignly chose it in your life at this time find comfort in who
24:05
God is don't try to be answering all of the questions like Job did so you have the realization about the soil of goodness or pride can grow in it you have
24:20
God's perfect remedy always to prevent us from being useless or fruitless brings us to the third lesson the most common natural and understandable response to a painful trial is to request deliverance when you are in a painful trial is the most natural thing to say
24:37
Lord please if there's any other way take this from me Paul praise this it's common it's a natural to do
24:47
I find it interesting he's persistent at least three times he pleads who else did this three times pled
24:59
Lord Father if there's any other way let this cup pass from me
25:05
Jesus did and I find it interesting that Paul didn't go and pray to the father here he prayed right to Jesus he pulled it he pled with the
25:17
Lord the Lord Jesus Paul was not faulted in this passage for asking for deliverance and I don't believe you will be faulted for praying
25:32
Lord if there is a way if it would please you take this from me we naturally think that we will be more useful and fruitful if we didn't have this thorn but just the opposite is true so this request for deliverance is a very natural thing to ask for I just want to encourage you with that so I've been praying the deliverance thing
26:02
I've been pled three times maybe like 3 ,000 well that takes us to the fourth lesson often
26:11
God's reply to our petitions may be that ongoing dependence not deliverance but ongoing dependence is his good acceptable and perfect will for your life and you need to look at verse 9 on this but he said to me literally word order sufficient sufficient is my grace for you for my power is made perfect in weakness
26:48
God's reason for this reply to Paul and I would suggest maybe for you in an ongoing trial that you're in might be that you need to be weak and be kept weak is there a danger of us becoming proud absolutely we have to be weak and be kept weak so that Christ's strength may be experienced and displayed
27:16
Jameson Fawcett Brown and their commentary says this the
27:21
Lord more needs our weakness than our strength our strength is often his rival
27:31
I think about that in our in our own strength becomes his rival our weakness becomes his servant drawing on his resources and showing forth his glory you know
27:50
I thought if you wanted to paint someone's portrait if I were going to paint your portrait on a canvas what
28:00
I would not want to do is paint some elaborate background right
28:07
I don't want to take it if I want people to see you your face the background will be subdued if you have a real busy background a person might look past your portrait and look at all the background and go out look at that look at that scenery and the same goes when the
28:29
Lord is working in our life who he wants to be seen in our life is not you it is not me we're the backdrop that's what he's saying here who the father wants to be seen in each of his children's life is
28:46
Jesus and to do that means be weak and be kept weak so that Christ's power his strength is seen
28:59
Philip Hughes says this verse right here this verse 9 is the summit of the entire epistle from this vantage point through Paul's weakness
29:16
Christ's efficient grace the entire range of Paul's apostleship is seen in focus you can see his calling his conversion his weakness his trials his labors his conquests and his exaltations all fall into place as the splendor of the sun lights up and transfigures the dark ravines of a great mountain so the grace of God transfuses and triumphs over and even through what is least impressive in the
29:45
Apostles Constitution all is of grace the glory belongs to the
29:52
Lord alone and his divine power is supreme God's grace is always sufficient for the place you are in that might be something that you could say around your home there's always grace for the place tomorrow there's enough trouble for tomorrow isn't there don't take on tomorrow's trouble there'll be enough trouble tomorrow right there's there's trouble today and God's grace is sufficient for the place today tomorrow
30:28
God will grace you with a sufficient grace for tomorrow you don't need new and improved grace you don't need grace plus there's not something going to be advertised that's better than God's grace it's totally sufficient to help you where you're at I thought about deliverance and dependence the difference between a quick deliverance from God and ongoing dependence here are some of the things
30:58
I was just trying to compare them putting them side -by -side when God delivers it just brings immediate relief
31:04
Christ's power is seen mostly externally it's often spectacular it's easy to sing praises isn't it isn't it easy
31:18
Miriam at the you know there goes the Egyptians well let's sing a song that'd be really good right about now that's pretty easy to do but what about ongoing painful trials and dependence then you find
31:35
Christ like character that's formed you rarely see
31:41
Christ like character formed in quick deliverances it's ongoing painful trials that bring the the perseverance and patience with people the power of Christ is not just seen externally like in a deliverance it's seen internally people are saying how are you holding up how can you rejoice in the situation that you're in it's supernatural to sing songs during a painful ongoing trial isn't it easy to see him and sing them in a deliverance hard to sing them when you're in the midst of a very difficult time and others will see
32:30
Christ in you well moving on to from the reply now
32:41
God doesn't speak to us today you can almost assume that if you've been asking Lord for deliverance and deliverance and deliverance and it hasn't come you might need to be thinking what the
32:53
Lord wants in your life is dependence and they'll be asking everybody everybody everybody pray for deliverance at prayer meetings but asking people please pray that you would be faithful and depending upon Christ in your weakness that his strength would be made perfect the fifth lesson is our resolve you find it in verses 9 and 10 when
33:22
Paul says therefore I will well you can circle that those two words
33:27
I will that's language of resolution you find it in the
33:34
Psalms psalmist or boy they're being attacked and whoever that the psalmist is that's writing they're under attack it's difficult times and then you find the psalmist say but I will give thanks
33:45
I will praise I will take joy I will exalt the
33:51
Lord yeah but they don't feel like it it's language of resolution you don't change by feeling like it you can say
34:02
I should I should praise God I need to other say
34:08
I should you usually never find change going on until you find language of resolution by God's grace
34:17
I will language of resolution and here you have Paul saying therefore based on that I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me for the sake of Christ not for my sake he's not in asceticism for the sake of Christ then
34:40
I am content and he gives a whole list of things with weaknesses with insults and hardships and persecutions and calamities for when
34:52
I am weak then I am strong this is for Christ's sake
35:01
Charles Hodges writes those who think they can change their own hearts and atone for their own sins subdue the power of evil in their own might who feel able to sustain themselves under affliction
35:17
God leaves to their own resources but when they feel and acknowledge their weakness he communicates to them divine strength dr.
35:34
MacArthur says it's when only when believers are out of answers confidence and strength you're just depleted with nowhere else to turn but to God now they are in a position to be most effective no one in the kingdom of God is too weak to experience
35:54
God's power but many are too confident in their own strength I remember hearing a
36:04
Johnny Erickson Tata when she said that she had it to accept first she was seeking to cope with her her swimming diving accident and now she's gonna be a quadriplegic she just had to she was trying to figure out how to cope with life even as a
36:20
Christian and then she said I but the Lord didn't want me just to stay coping you know we're more than conquerors not copers and she said
36:31
I needed to then accept this was God's plan and will in my life
36:37
I needed to accept it and she said I thought I arrived at that I thought that was the end but there was another peak to climb and she said
36:47
I needed to learn to embrace it with joy that's what
36:53
Paul's saying here I will more gladly you know his resolve is
36:58
I will I will accept this more gladly that doesn't mean that that you're just saying old old joy in in the in the actual circumstance but your joy is in Christ and what he's accomplishing
37:17
I think maybe there are those who are fighting it mad at God mad at other people why hasn't he brought deliverance you may need to ask instead
37:31
I don't think I've become content with it and gladly embracing it so that when
37:38
I'm weak and I'm kept weak Christ's strength can be made perfect I want to offer some applications here in closing some things to think through in your own life how it applies the first you say well
37:54
I got all kinds of trouble in my life and it's ongoing it might mean you're unsaved the scriptures say many are the sorrows of the unsaved in Psalm 16 for the way of the transgressor is hard Proverbs 13 it might mean that if you don't even have a relationship with Jesus Christ through his life death burial and resurrection you've never trusted in Christ alone for your salvation and repented of your sins that might mean that it's a good place to start next you might want to consider is this trial this ongoing trial in my life maybe not a trial but discipline there may be in your life and you don't have to go looking around digging around what might it be very obvious maybe you're holding on to some sin in your life and it's become a real pet to you and you're trying to love
39:08
God on one hand but kind of hold on to the bail in the other hand and it might be that God is bringing chastisement that you might repent of that and come back to Christ totally and fully in your walk right
39:27
I mean that that's two places at least start and for those who say no I'm a child of God I truly trust in Christ alone and there's nothing that I know in my mind that the
39:39
Spirit of God is is you know there's there's definitely I can't think of anything surely
39:45
I'm still a sinner and in process of becoming more like Christ but nothing that I'm really holding on to against God's revealed will then
39:55
I want you to think through these lessons God has blessed you you said well not me anything above hell is a blessing right anything above hell is a blessing we've all been blessed is there a danger of you becoming proud and forgetting
40:14
God in the soil of his goodness in your life is there a danger of you becoming proud self -confident examine how you might be eclipsing
40:29
God's glory by your attitude and actions we can do that we can eclipse
40:36
God's glory by our unrighteous actions and attitudes with this trial get upset angry we're not thankful and we're with people we always talk about our trial rather than take an interest in loving them are you withdrawing are you withdrawing from God's people trying to pull away from any kind of social activities and around God's people you're saying
41:01
I'm so miserable I don't want to be around people who are happy that's unrighteous response another application is evaluate what you're asking other people to pray for is it only please pray that God will take this away or is it that's fine if you want to pray that but also pray for God's grace in my life so that Christ is seen in my weakness another application is determine how this ongoing trial can make you more like Jesus what does
41:45
Jesus want to do in this trial in your life to make you more like himself so I don't know boy it's pretty painful you realize that Jesus was called a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief how in the world are we supposed to become like Jesus if we don't want any sorrow or grief in our life we like Philippians 310 at least the first few parts of it oh that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and most leave off the rest because it talks about and the fellowship of his sufferings hard to become like Jesus unless you become acquainted with sorrow and grief another application is discover what specific promises that you can meditate on at this time to strengthen your hope in Christ get some promises
42:50
I'll give you a couple just some references Romans 818 now there's one you want to hold on to like a rope when you feel like you're sinking
43:03
Romans 818 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that's to be revealed to us what you're going through is a speck and light of eternity it's a vapor and it'll be gone tomorrow when you get when you're in heaven for 10 ,000 years you'll look back and say why was
43:28
I so caught up with that trial another one is 2nd
43:35
Corinthians 4 16 through 18 again that momentary affliction brings an eternal weight of glory when we're looking at things that are unseen rather than things that are seen focus on Christ's return first Peter 113 set your hope on on his his soon return the
44:03
Thessalonians eagerly waited it every day verse 10 of chapter 1 of 1st
44:09
Thessalonians they they turned from idols to serve the true and living God and to eagerly wait for the Lord's return but they weren't passive they were very diligent in their life but they focused on Christ's return then ask yourself this another application in the midst of your suffering how can you encourage others in the midst of your your suffering how can you encourage others that's
44:41
Paul we say that's Jesus but that's
44:47
Paul going through all kinds of suffering in his life and if it's true that he had this thorn in the flesh most of his ministry if possible he's either in prison
44:57
I mean there's something going on in his life that is difficult and what's he doing writing letters to churches encouraging other people praying he says who's weak then
45:07
I'm not weak focus on Christ and other people that's the mindset of humility
45:16
I want to close with just this verse as we think through again these lessons to be learned here the just about the soil of God's goodness realize pride can grow there also humility can grow there by God's grace
45:40
God has a perfect remedy to prevent you from becoming useless and fruitless and you can request
45:47
Lord please deliver me but his reply might be no deliverance dependence and then you have to have a resolve by God's grace that you gladly embrace your weakness so that Christ's strength can be made manifest in your life close your eyes if you will with me and I just want to read this verse think about this as we close
46:22
Paul says this earlier in the same letter we have this treasure in earth and vessels to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us and then he writes to the
46:38
Ephesians now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think according to the power at work within us to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever.