The Discipline of Deformity - 9 — Jack Hibbs

Ask you Lord that you'd bless this service and Lord What an amazing topic as we go through our disciplines of life series to come to this one I know the title of it's got maybe eyebrows kind of looking up and wondering what in the world is that all about but father.

It's something true to all of our hearts and I pray that you would Lord give me the ability to speak on things that are dear to my heart Lord because I have found out that they are dear to yours. And so we pray for your filling now in Jesus name and all God's people said Amen, grab your Bibles then Church and turn if you would to two locations number one Matthew chapter 28.

Matthew chapter 28 is the very theme. Verse of our series the disciplines of life and tonight. We're looking at the discipline of deformity. What does that mean deformity? The discipline of deformity and we are in Matthew chapter 28 and I want you to go there and then mark that spot put your finger there and while you're in route.

Just go right on over to mark chapter 7. Hold your finger there mark 7 and Matthew 28. And while you're turning there Tonight I'm going to be sharing with you a discipline that for me is the most meaningful in our entire series and This is a 31 part series here.

We are tonight in part 9 but tonight is the one to me that means the most important to me and. And this discipline has shaped my life and it's the root to Listen, it's the root to whatever if any influence I have had in your life or anyone else's life.

This is the reason why? Tonight. It means everything to me. I know the word deformity is something that we don't even want to even talk about. But it's something that I think all of us tonight will learn to Identify with.

The discipline of deformity. Matthew chapter 28 it begins with discipleship verse 18. Jesus came and spoke to them. Saying all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. That's a lot. Go therefore and make disciples students Followers of Jesus of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Teaching them that's what you do with disciples after you preach to them and they get converted. They come to Christ you teach them for the rest of their lives. Teaching them to observe all things that I've commanded you and behold.

I'm with you always. Even unto the end of the world. Is that a great word? Jesus is going to be with you and I all the way to the end of the world and So the discipline holds your finger and mark, but the discipline of deformity nothing else seems to cut more Deeply into the heart of a human being than if in fact you have or are suffering from a deformity and I'm gonna explain that in a minute, but it could be the deformity of doubt or of discouragement of Defamation maybe even of disease.

It could be a physical deformity and we'll talk a lot about that tonight and all those things have their powers, but none of them seem to be as powerful upon our very psyche and our soul and our Position in life when it comes to being a liberated Christian.

Than the deformity that brings you and I about to the place of living either a fearful or cautious life. It does have to it does in most cases deal with the deformity physically that affects us listen.

Emotionally you can have emotional Deformity and not affect you physically. There's a lot of people getting by in life that way. But if you have a physical deformity or a deformity that's manifested in a physical sense.

Then it often affects us emotionally and mentally and certainly spiritually. But again, there's nothing quite as painful as outward deformity because it causes a deep internal scar. Emotionally often mentally pain it affects how we act it affects how we function it affects how we live our lives and you and I can admit right down that when we see somebody going or living a life that they're having to drag through this life a deformity, maybe it's a Foot or an arm or a body part or whatever it is and they're just deformed and contorted.

There's a sense as Christians. I'm sure you agree with me. It's the Holy Spirit within us. We see them and the first thing that's upon our hearts is a deep Internal grieving of our soul that if we could in the instant We would fix them in a in a flash and how many times we've seen a situation like that and we prayed Oh God, if you just give me a little bit of encouragement, I'll go pray with them right now I'll I'll pray Lord touch them and heal them right now.

You know I'm talking about See somebody at the store or somebody at the beach or somebody out in about town and that you're just moved with compassion. Oh God, if you just give me the thumbs up because that's how I pray in my weakness.

Oh me a little faith, maybe God's telling me just don't even talk to me just go up there and pray for them but your heart is rent and then the next emotion that you have is to not look because you don't want to cause them to feel embarrassed and then at the Same time there's a little bit of comfort when you do look away isn't there.

I know this sounds ridiculous to put these two things together, but Last night on the news there was this big thing on the news and I could hear them I was in the kitchen getting some water or whatever and I could hear on the news about this animal abuse.

News story and as soon as I heard the word animal abuse, I don't want to hear that. I'll walk away I a child abuse I walk away. I can't deal with that God knows to keep me away from two types of people those who would abuse animals and those who would abuse a child because I fear the old Jack would be Resurrected in an instant and that person would be dead.

Because those things are defenseless and And what it was was they some kids in Russia strapped a donkey to a parachute and catapulted it up from a boat up into the sky and I Didn't watch it. I can't I heard about it and that was enough For me and sometimes when you look at somebody that's been injured hurt or deformed or crippled handicapped we would say Physically challenged we would now say in our modern age, which is all for us by the way.

It's it causes us feel bit to feel better when we say that. But the fact is down deep inside. There's a deformity and I want to say something tonight that that may shock you. But I believe because I'm an old guy now, you can't pull a fast one on me.

I'm telling you right now every one of us suffer with some form of deformity one way or another and It just comes down to how skilled we are at hiding it and camouflage units. Listen to this in Luke chapter 4 it's not gonna be on the screens jot it down.

I don't think just jot it down. Luke 4 16. It says so he Jesus came to Nazareth where he had grown up and As was his custom he went into the synagogue in the Sabbath day and he stood up to read and It was handed him the book of the prophet Isaiah and when he had opened the book he found the place where it was written.

Verse 18 Luke 4 Jesus said the Spirit of the Lord is upon me. This is your Jesus. He says the Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted to proclaim liberty to the captives and the recovery of sight to the blind to set at liberty those who are oppressed and to Proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and thank the Lord Jesus.

He stopped at that comma and his second coming he will pick up at that comma, by the way He stopped right there. It is the acceptable year of the Lord and he. Then the Bible says he closed the book and he gave it back to the attendant.

He sat down and the eyes of all those who are in the synagogue were fixed upon Jesus and he began to say to them today. This scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. In other words the ministry of Jesus is a ministry of healing.

Church of healing and you might be here tonight in your say. Well, I don't need any healing. I feel great. Listen down deep inside. You need healing as even as Christians tonight. We need a continuous healing from the Lord in our lives.

There's always something challenging our lives and maybe more now than ever before. I know America is suffering but honestly America is not suffering enough yet. There's no way we're suffering enough yet.

We're apparently gonna have to go through much more before it gets better because of this one thing and I pray you're different in this church but you've learned to cry out to God, but America is not crying out to God yet and Until we have leaders in politics in government and in the pulpits saying let's cry out to God.

Then we're not bad up bad enough off yet. It's not bad enough yet. And so it needs to get worse tragically. But all of those pressures could bring about a deformity of your heart and of your spirit but we talked even of more things than that and Mark chapter 7 your fingers there, right?

Mark chapter 7 verse 31 for those of you who know me. This is a very dear portion of Scripture for me in my life as we come to the discipline of deformity. You'll hear why if you don't know? Mark 7 31 again.

He Jesus departed from the region of Tyre and Sidon and He came through the midst of the region of the ten cities. That's what Decapolis means to the Sea of Galilee and Then they brought to him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech and they begged him and put his hand on Him and he took him note this verse 33.

He Jesus took the man aside from the multitude and he put his fingers in his ears that is the Lord Jesus put his fingers in the man's ears and then Jesus spat and Touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven Jesus sighed and said to him it papyrus that's Aramaic that is be opened and Immediately his ears were opened and the impediment of his tongue was loosed and he spoke plainly then he Jesus Commanded them those who witnessed it that they should tell no one.

But the more Jesus commanded them the more widely they proclaimed it that is called in my opinion godly disobedience. And they were astonished beyond measure and this is what they said. He has done all things.

Well, he makes both deaf to hear and the mute to speak. That's Jesus. Is that not awesome? I'll tell you how awesome that is. Point number one tonight in the discipline of deformity is this as a Christian?

It's my victorious reality. And when I put my it's because this message is coming from my heart you put your it's your Victorious reality. If you're a Christian tonight mark this down right now the life that you're walking through.

The cross that you're bearing the situation you're in right now is your victorious reality. He is with you in this moment what the world is guilty of is having made fun. About all those things that Now makes them feel bad when we talk about deformity the world used to poke fun at people who are deformed and now you know They feel bad about it.

So now they they change things around and they try to cover things up. The world doesn't know how to handle deformity or these What we call trials. I want to say a victorious reality here's what happens the world tries to redefine Those that are injured in this world and yet as a Christian I can tell you tonight the victorious reality is as a Christian we Learn to celebrate our weaknesses.

They are our true power when it comes to living life. The very thing that you and I thought was the great weakness and the great Handicap of our lives turns out to be the great victory that God brings through us in this life.

The very thing that is a scourge upon your life is the thing that God turns around and makes it a tremendous Powerful tool and I know that doesn't seem to make any sense in this world. Maybe for you it's a great sense of fear or inadequacy.

Maybe you're timid. Maybe it's the way that you were brought up. I don't know but the world is uncomfortable with the issue of Deformity because the world doesn't know how to handle it. It's beyond human scale.

Don't you think? Humanity struggles with handicaps and The first chance the world gets is to curse the very God for the handicap. They see even they though even though they don't believe in that God. That's because the world has not been able to deal with Deformity both among themselves or within themselves because without Jesus being on the throne of your life you guys you will be Absolutely befuddled in this life without him ruling this ailment whatever it might be but the reality is this that deformity and pain and sorrow are Converted.

God loves to change these things around in our lives. Listen again to mark 732 and they brought to him. Somebody brought to Jesus one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech. The word deaf and impediment in his speech the word in Greek means that there was a Chain tied around the man's tongue.

He couldn't speak. By the way The Greek word implies that he once was able to hear and speak and at some point in his life Something happened to him. Maybe he had it was young as a child had a fever. That's very prevalent because of the high fever.

He lost the ability to hear and speak very possibly. But whatever it is, he once had it now he lost it. But he's got friends and his friends bring him to Jesus and they want their friend healed. Is that not beautiful.

We need you and I need friends like this guy's got friends. Isn't that great? They probably woke up that morning. They said hey Jesus is coming to town. What what? Jesus is coming to tell Forget it you're coming with us.

We're taking you to Jesus. What a great friend. Where are we going? We're taking you to Jesus and They take the man. I wonder what he was thinking. What do you think was going on in his heart in mind you and I live in a post-perfect world the Garden of Eden was perfect and Now it's not.

Pain and suffering is the result of man's rejection of God not God's rejection of us Church. Pain and suffering came about because man starting with Adam and Eve they rejected God's leadership and by the way, you and I will suffer when we reject God's leadership because when you and I push away from him, we're gonna Experience pain.

He doesn't bring us on it necessarily. But when we push ourselves away, I Tell you what today was just a picture-perfect postcard day. Was it not? Compare that to last week last week you and I ran from shade to shade to building to car and We tried to wear as least amount of clothes as possible while we were doing it.

It was hot and you think about Rejecting God and pushing back from God. You know what that that's like when you reject God like Adam and Eve rejected rejected God. They push themselves away from his covering and you're out in the elements alone.

And then when something happens because you've run away from God. You have a tendency to shake your fist to God and say why is this happening to me? And God says I'm over here. Remember he said Adam, where are you and when we are away from him?

Mankind suffers deformity of all sorts in Isaiah 43 7. The Bible says everyone who is called by my name whom I have created for what my Glory, I have formed him. Yes I have made him bring out the blind people who have eyes and the deaf who have ears.

Well, you keep reading Isaiah 43. He's about to do something about it when Jesus came and said the kingdom of God is here. What did he do? He raised the dead. He opened the eyes of the blind. He caused those who were covered in leprosy to be made whole.

The kingdom of God was upon them. This is a victorious reality for us who are Christians now and I want to show you a clip here in a second. I want to just kind of preface it you guys can get it ready.

If you don't have cable TV or direct TV or whatever that then you're wasting your time at all. But there's there happens to be a phenomenon going on on TV. I think it's now the second most watch a third most watched program in the universe right now and That's the program of Glenn Beck.

He was fired from CNN. And then picked up by Fox. It was a stupidest decision CNN ever made. It was the smartest decision Fox ever made. But Glenn Beck was a major drug addict major his wife's Mormon and her Mormon friends began to do a Intervention on Glenn Beck and rescue him and So for a long time Glenn Beck has associated himself with Mormonism.

But if you're from Utah You would know that such a person who lives a certain way and says one thing about being a Mormon. They're called a Jack Mormon. We would say today of Christian would be a backslidden Christian or a carnal Christian.

But Glenn Beck would his only religious exposure was Mormonism until recently. And I happen to have been in Washington DC in May and sat down with David Barton and his wife and we were talking and getting ready for the Capitol tour and with Rick Green and we're just having a great time and I said, hey, what's with Beck?

And he said well, I've been spending a lot of time with Beck and He said Beck. Beck he said is in that beautiful place. He does not yet understand Christian ease. He doesn't know how to talk Christian, which is very sweet but if you listen to Beck, he's preaching the gospel on Fox News and He's people are saying he's gonna get fired for it.

He doesn't care anymore if he gets fired for it. But David Barton is discipling him. I can tell you that personally pray for David Barton and Glenn Beck. Glenn Beck. Glenn Beck is I Believe that Glenn Beck is born again, and he's finding out now that he's born again.

Because he doesn't know Christian ease and I really respect David Barton for handling this properly and David's protecting him and as they know David Barton's very much on his program now a lot if Comes on too early for you Tivo it and watch it later.

But this week Glenn Beck made an announcement and I think all of you need to see this in light of the Disciplines of deformity a couple of weeks ago. I went to the doctor.

Because of my eyes I can't focus my eyes and I went to the doctor and actually I went to lens crafters first and the lens crafters guy said Whoa? You might be going blind. I Go home and I said honey the lens crafters guy said So I went to the best doctor I could find while I could still go to the best doctor I can find.

And he did all kinds of tests and he said you have Macular dystrophy and I said is that that Jerry Lewis thing telethon that he does because I should have given more. And I said, what does that mean? And he said Well, it's kind of the full range.

You could go blind in the next year or. You might not. I Said did you just charge me a thousand dollars for knowing what I already knew my whole life. I mean, I think we know that it's three you might go blind someday.

You might not. You're a doctor like I'm a doctor, aren't you? I will tell you in fact Krista branch and her husband were in my office the day that I Had to go to the doctor and I was speaking to him last night.

I said so great to meet you and they said when we were in Europe. We were in your office a few weeks ago. I said really. It was very memorable. They said it was the day you had to go to the doctor and I said, oh, okay now I know cuz that whole day quite honestly, I know what my wife looks like.

I Know what my children look like. I have a great imagination. I know what color looks like. But I love to read and I thought to myself. I love you, too. And I thought to myself in that time. I'm too darn lazy to learn Braille.

But you know what what a blessing because I know God. After I stopped feeling sorry for myself on oh my gosh, I could go blind or not I truly came to a place that is the greatest blessing Lord if you need my eyes.

They're yours. They were yours the whole time. Anyway, thank you for letting me see as long as I have.

Now he made that announcement and the internet let up just lit up and Said Finally something good has happened in the news. Glenn Beck's going blind. Let the blind lead the blind. Did anybody tell him he was blind to begin with.

On and on they're ranting and Raving on the internet. People who just are beyond wicked in my opinion to gloat over someone else's difficulty that is one of the points regarding the reality of deformity is the sense that you don't have to have anyone else pick on you and Push you down regat regarding the things that bother you you already know painfully what those things are and you heard what Beck?

Just said Lord. These are your eyes. This is the guy that's he's just new to the faith. You can tell he's being discipled. Well. But this message is true for all of us. The victorious reality is Understanding who am I really?

I am a created image of the everlasting God. And now I've been born again by the Spirit of God through Jesus Christ. I Have a new life and that new life carries with it residuals of the old world and You and I have not left this world yet.

Church we are in route to heaven and we drag as it were Linus and Pigpen and Charlie Brown as they walk along. You ever seen those guys. She's kicking. Charlie's kicking a can. Snoopy's dancing in the background.

Linus has got his thumb in his blanket and there's Pigpen with the fumes Rising up. All of them have their residuals except Snoopy. He's the only guy that's got his act together in Charlie Brown, you know but you and I have these things and Tonight you can either be a victim and you can walk around Regarding the discipline of deformity and say oh, you know, oh my goodness.

Oh, whatever and you can just do that and You're actually More than handicapping yourself, but listen to this. It doesn't have to be like this first Chronicles 4 9. His name is Jabez remember him now.

Jabez was more honorable than his brothers and his mother called his name Jabez. Saying because I bore him in pain Jabez the name Jabez means grief sorrow. Disappointment to cause pain. Can you imagine being born that what's your name grief?

That was his name? His mom must have been a horrific Pregnancy and delivery and then he must have been you know, the Hebrews wait a while before they named their child. They watched their attitude and stuff and then they named their kid.

And she hey grief get over here. Because I bore him in pain and Jabez called on the God of Israel saying oh that you would bless me Indeed and enlarge my territory that your hand would be with me and that you would keep me from evil that I may not cause Pain, so God granted him his request.

What a great word God can change life and The Lord's on a mission to rescue humanity from itself and this thing of deformity. Has isn't it strange that just north of here about 30 miles? There are people no doubt statistically probably a vast majority of whatever surgical enhancements are taking place or taking place just 30 miles north of here in Hollywood in Malibu in Bel Air and People who look into a mirror because of their broken heart and they may not have Jesus in them they see this incredibly deformed life and what they do is that they go into a place in a in a circus as it were to be reshaped it and molded by new little gods with knives and fat and silicone and stuff to try to recreate a disparate broken life and.

And then the person comes out listen the person comes out and they look in the mirror and you go yikes and they go. All right. No, I'm sorry. I'm not. I'm not making fun. I'm just they go. Oh gosh. Wow.

I love it listen. They look different to us. They look weird to them. They're different and to them. There's someone else. There's someone new and the world is so desperate to find one thing that they can do and Little do they know that down deep inside.

It's God that changes the heart. Which in that results in changing a life in Isaiah 35 3 Strengthen the weak hands. This is what God says. He loves this strengthen the weak hands make firm the feeble knees.

Say to those who are fearful hearted be strong. Do not fear. Can I say that to some of you tonight be strong do not fear behold your God will come with vengeance hallelujah. With the recompense of God he will come and save you.

Then the eyes of the blind shall be open and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer and the tongue of the mute shall sing. This is our God Christian what a few days or a few moments.

Time makes where. Last Sunday and last Sunday night regarding the same young lady. We were praying for her. We feared it sounded as though her cancer was back here at this church and she had just got done battling cancer and and We prayed the family prayed.

I prayed with family members. We prayed and The tears are flowing and that down come on that down deep inside. You know what I'm talking about? There's that haunting grief that It's wrong and it's back and it's back with a vengeance this cancer and Then the word is found out this week since Sunday to today.

What is today's Wednesday and It's all good news. It was just scar tissue and everything's great. Well, hallelujah. Yes Hallelujah, but listen true and we thank God for that. In fact, I text the father of that family and I said stop what you're doing right now and make sure everybody Stops and gives God thanks in that household now for what for what he's done.

Here's the thing Would God be as great and as strong if the news would have been positive or positive cancer? It's supposed to be. He's still on the throne and what he does with his kids is the absolute best and he never asked for your opinion or mine.

Because we would give him the wrong counsel. God, I don't think this should happen to me. And he says to us little do you know? That through deformity Your life is built your strength and my name is glorified and others will come to know me and then we are gripped with the reality.

Is my Christianity that important to me that I can affect others for the kingdom of heaven forever? Or do we say no God? No, I Want my life to be just mine and I don't want to be put on display and I don't want to be a spectacle and I Don't want anybody to know.

I just want to cruise through this life easy. Listen, I believe God will answer your prayer. If you want to cruise through it lightly and easy I think he'll answer your prayer and Then there are those who apparently attend this church with the chutzpah and you say God have mine own way with me.

You guys are radicalized for Jesus and Things are happening. You got to admit things are happening. Number two as a Christian, it's my joyful Recognition my deformity is what do we mean by that? Again in Psalm 34 verse 1.

I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth really. Wow, I am a long way from being a big Christian. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord the humble shall hear of it and be glad.

Oh Magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from what all my Fears Romans 8 18. I consider that our present sufferings are not worthy Comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Paul has the right attitude. So joyful recognition you say pastor, you know, that's just great the disciplines of deformity what you're talking about you know fine, but You know It's one thing to talk about it's one thing to live it and that's why I told you that this particular Discipline is the most dear to my life and I'll give you some of the reasons why it was on March 31st 1991 I'll never forget it.

Lisa and I were at Mark and Mary's house. It was Easter Sunday evening. We had just had a little home Bible study Easter morning and all of a sudden I didn't feel so good in the lower regions of my anatomy my stomach started making noise in an instant and I felt like something had broke in a snap and I went home and I went into the bathroom and I'm not gonna get too graphic.

But I tell you what, I went into that bathroom and I wound up. Having intermittent breaks from the bathroom for about nine months. Nine months were you pregnant pastor Jack? Yeah, I Lost 22 pounds couldn't eat.

Went through every test they say well, you know, we think you've got this we think you've got that we think you've got the other and then of course they said, you know, you could have colon cancer and I remember like it was yesterday just sitting in the bathroom.

Just spending my time because that's where I lived. Looking out the window and the from the bathroom window of my house. You can see this tree blown in the wind. I'll never forget it and How much I appreciated like Beck was talking about.

The things you appreciate. The wind was blowing the trees and when they tell you, you know, you could have colon cancer. You start thinking and you appreciate everything you appreciate that. You know when it's real hot and you don't like it when you love it.

You love you'll love it when you're thinking I just want to live for my kids. And it took a long time and I was diagnosed with an incurable intestinal disease and I just went by the way a couple months ago to the doctor for another update exam and The doctor said listen, I gotta tell you something what?

He said I've got to write your insurance company a letter well. Why and he said because all of your scar tissue and all the stuff that's gone on all the inflammation inside your Intestines it's completely healed.

It's gone. It's perfect. It's like he said, I don't need to see you again for ten years. And he said in ten years it'll be a checkup because I this is amazing and listen for you young people just Envy yourself to death tonight.

He said you got a you got a colon of a 20 year old. And it's like yeah, man. I got a colon of a 20 year old. What do you do with that? You know, do you Twitter that you Twitter my colons 20 years old?

Look. But this is this is what got me through. I want to give it to you because I for nine months. This was my life and then the time after that again, I spare you the details, but it was horrible for some years Philippians 3 8 yet.

Indeed. I also count all things lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my lord. For whom I've suffered the loss of all things Paul knows how to deal with the discipline of deformity and Count them but rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in him not having my own righteousness Which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ the righteousness Which is from God by faith that I may know him here.

It is that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being conformed to his image. Nobody signs up to suffer. Nobody does that be honest. But when you are suffering you grab onto this verse and you say, thank you Lord.

Thank you God because I can know the power of your resurrection and the fellowship of your sufferings. What's happening in the midst of your pain? You're being conformed into his death. Little did I know that.

It was God blessing me Up until not too long ago. I Didn't know whenever I was speaking with you in Services guest speaking somewhere whatever I didn't know I would have 30 seconds to get to the bathroom.

You have no control and For years. I want to shout the glory to the Lord for years in front of you publicly. He sustained me. He's amazing. And what did he teach me through that little did I know that through the midst of it every time?

I'd walk away and go to get through one Sunday service after the next I would say thank you Lord for getting me through. Thank you Lord. Just one more service one more service. Come on Jesus and You know what?

I wouldn't change a thing. For that and the stuff that you're going through in this life. Trust me. No, don't trust me. Listen to me though. Trust God only. That whatever you're going through he is so on it.

He is so gonna get you through that thing. He has not abandoned you. He cannot abandon you. He can't do that. He can't leave you or forsake you. He cannot lie, so he'll never leave you. In 2nd Corinthians 12 7 the Bible says and lest Paul is speaking lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations a thorn in the flesh was given to me.

Listen to Paul embrace his victory and be joyful in the recognition of his deformity. A Thorn in the flesh was given to me. He makes it sound like it had chocolate on it with a rubber with a bow a red bow on top of it a Message a messenger of Satan to buffet me lest I'll be exalted above measure.

Paul saw the workers of Satan as an asset to His ministry. How cool is that? Oh Pastor I don't ever want to deal with a demon ever. Well, if you do God's put you in the place to take care of the situation.

So Paul says hey this God allowed all this stuff in my life to keep me humble. Concerning this thing I plead with the Lord three times. Paul asked God three times take it away from me. And he said to me my grace is sufficient for you for my strength is made perfect and weakness.

Therefore most gladly I will rather than boast in my infirmities that the power of God or Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in my infirmities. The discipline of deformity in the reproaches and needs and persecutions and distresses for Christ's sake for when I am weak that I'm strong.

Listen church, don't confuse some people do and I really. There's not much that really gets to me this in this context. But I tell you this does don't confuse my confidence in Jesus Christ for Confidence in my flesh or arrogance or pride, please.

Don't I Have to tell you something if you meet me at the store as many of you do. It's me and when I'm up here, I'm searching constantly. Lord fill me. Lord speak through me. Lord, don't let them remember anything about me.