2 Corinthians 12:7-10 | Pastor Omar Santiago

Church Welcome and Missionary Gratitude

Buenos dias. Buenos dias. Dios bendiga, amada iglesia. God bless you, beloved church. Gracias por recibirnos con tanto amor y cariño. Thank you for receiving us with such joy and such love. Nos sentimos privilegiados de poder estar aquí.

We feel privileged to be here with you guys.

Antes de salir de Puerto Rico, nuestra iglesia tuvo una asamblea.

Before you guys came to Puerto Rico, it was more like a shadow or shade.

Y nuestra iglesia en esa asamblea.

Escribió una carta para ustedes. It's as if you guys coming was a letter to us.

Nuestra iglesia, our church,.

Les escribió también a ustedes una carta. Now it's like our church is writing a letter to you guys.

And I have from the assembly of our church de la asamblea. Our assembly has brought a letter here to read. And I want to read it in English so sorry for my English. Within Baptist Church, Tennessee, USA, around the days of June 8 to 20 of 2023, the First Baptist Church of Macau in Puerto Rico received with great joy the visit of Pastor Jeff Shipley, General Pastor of Wyden Baptist Church from Memphis.

Accompanied by a considerable number of members from his congregation who were on missionary trip. These brothers and sisters generously share with our congregation in Puerto Rico, both in our service and in our moments in which we greatly blessed.

For example, our church is doing some crucial work on the temple and our brothers and sisters from the Church of Tennessee,.

In union with our beloved pastor, offers us their help unconditionally.

Managing to complete some tasks that allow us to considerably advance the work that we need to do. In addition, sorry, in addition, in addition, they help our people individually with different needs in our community that, thanks to the missionary brothers and sisters from Tennessee, are so now solved.

The First Baptist Church of Humacao, Puerto Rico, and his general pastor, Omar Santiago Rivera, would like to extend our deepest thanks to Pastor Jeff and to his beloved church. From you, from you showing love to our community in Puerto Rico, and we pray to Almighty God to multiply in blessings and the help you gave us, given during your missionary visit.

Thank you, beloved brothers and sisters, and may God bless you. I have another thing that I want to share with you.

Yeah, they... I'm sorry. The members of his church signed at the bottom. The members of his church signed at the bottom. Oh, man, that's great. That's awesome. That's fantastic.

Thank you, Pastor. We have your arms, your logo over here, our logo.

Over here, and a huge hands. Give me a hug. Because we are brothers. Amen.

Amen. So you have that? Yeah. No, no. I'm just saying, do you need any help? For what? It's chair. Say Thursday for everybody. Thursday. How many is this? Three.

Normally, when we were working there, he said that we need to cut down three trees, but he can't say three trees. He normally says tree, trees. So we were trying to work on him. He's getting there. I am practicing my English.

You're doing great, man. Let's preach the word. Amen.

Opening Prayer and the Joy of God’s People

We are going to... If you can open your Bibles. Open your Bibles. In 2 Corinthians chapter 12. Verse 7 to 10. And leave it open because we are going to reflect on it. You can leave it open because we are going to read it later.

Yeah. We are going to read a little bit otherwise besides this. So keep your Bibles open there.

I want to pray. He's going to pray. Lord Jesus, thank you for your presence. To be where two or three are gathered together in your name, there I am in the midst of them. You're working in our lives and in our hearts.

You're working through difficulties and difficult situations that may confront us. We have to find you in that. Lord, our hearts tremble at your presence. Amen. We depend on putting your word and that in our hearts we only hear what you would have to say.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart.

Be acceptable in your sight, O God. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

There's not a linguistic form, there's not a language in which I could express the joy and the happiness that is in our hearts that you have accepted us here in the midst of you guys.

You are our brothers and sisters of Witten. The problem we have is not with any of you, it's with your pastor.

The fatty one. The fatty one. Because he always calls us Mexicans. Yeah, and being one of us. I pray for you guys because I know exactly what you're going through. It's marvelous to think about, it's glorious to think about that God in His omniscience had a plan to unite some marvelous Americans from a church in Memphis, Tennessee to some Puerto Ricans in the east of this little island.

Amen. It is true that God is glorious and marvelous. The Bible speaks of this when it says things that no eye has seen and no ear has heard that has never entered the heart of man. These are the things that God has prepared for those who love Him.

1 Corinthians 2. Thank you Pastor Jeff, Josiah, and John.

And all the team here.

For your love for us. Thank you beautiful people of Witten. We love you.

Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh and the Sufficiency of Grace

Okay, praying that the Lord will bring His word to His people. Read with me the following passage. This is 2 Corinthians 12. I'm going to read it in English. 2 Corinthians 12. 7 -10. This is Paul speaking.

Hear the word of the Lord. So to keep me from being conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given to me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me and to keep me from being conceited.

Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that He should leave me. But He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you. For my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I'll boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

For the sake of Christ then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. What a beautiful thing this second letter to Corinthians is that Paul wrote.

A lot of different things, a lot of different themes here in this letter. A lot of people say that in this letter the apostle is crying. That he is showing his true self in his ministry. But in his letters, in what he wrote, it's really God speaking directly to us in our hearts.

But also in this letter, you get to see a whole lot about the life of Paul, the apostle. Paul was an important man.

Not like Pastor Jeff. Tall, fat, and ugly. Some people say that Paul was weak and thin. Some people say that Paul may have been lame or couldn't walk well.

Some people think that Paul didn't have a powerful body, that he was a little bit disabled. But he still had a call from God. And God gave him a magnificent grace in order to help him share that with others.

Paul is the writer of at least half the New Testament. And look exactly at what Paul said in Philippians 3, 5, and 6. I'm circumcised on the 8th day from the lineage of Israel. I'm from the tribe of Benjamin.

I'm a Hebrew of Hebrews. And according to the law, I'm a Pharisee. I was a persecutor of the church. And by the righteousness, the justice, the righteousness that comes from the law, I was blameless. Blameless.

The next verse of this passage says all that I have achieved in my human ways it's trash. It's filth. In view of the surpassing knowledge of knowing Jesus Christ, my Lord. And I live for Him instead. Paul made a lot of churches.

And many people became believers through his ministry.

Paul preached the gospel in a lot of high places. He confronted religious leaders, political leaders, business leaders.

He was a powerful missionary. He did many various mission trips. And in the middle of them it was shown to him great fruit of his labor and great fruit of lives come to know the Lord. And he brought these lives to the feet of Jesus changed.

Wonders and miracles were done in the middle of his ministry in this Apostle Paul. A great man of God was Paul. And made a solid foundation for the Christian church.

A great instrument for God. But in this letter we see.

A broken and afflicted man. We see a regular simple guy. This letter shows us the trials and tribulations that confronted this apostle. Because the life of ministry means you're going to be confronted with a lot of different trials.

You can't call yourself a Christian without trials. You cannot live a life pleasing to God without trials and tribulations. You can't live the Christian life without your heart being poured out in front of the presence of God.

We need to find this in God. Find the reality of our simple humanity in front of a great God. A lot of people that are great servants of God Paul, it could be said of him, was obviously a great servant of God.

But here he's showing us his shortcomings. He's showing us that he's a broken man.

And all that seek God and find Him, just like Jacob did with the angel, will leave that way. It's evident that Paul received a special calling from God and had a lot of marvelous experiences because of that.

That changed his life. You can say that he was a persecutor of the church. So he was a persecutor of the church and then obviously later was changed to be a martyr for the church. Oh, imagine this. Well, you talked for five seconds.

Sorry, sorry. You have the lines over there.

Sorry, sorry. I'm ready, go ahead. This exactly happens when I translate Pastor Jeff. Except you're actually using real words, not made up words. Oh, yeah. Come on. This man was changed by the power of God.

And imagine this. A person can have all the confidence in the world to finish something. To achieve the law of God. But all that depends on the grace of God.

2 Corinthians chapter 4 says that we have this mission in clay pots.

That the excellence of power.

Should be known that it is from God and not from man. And imagine this. That we think as human beings that we're strong. That we're powerful. That we have the ability to do anything we want. And yet right now we are depending on God.

The experience with God gave Paul a large sense of security and independence. You might think someone like this would think that I don't need nobody. I've got everything I need. I've got theology. I've got miracles.

I have brought many people to Jesus. I get a lot of applause. But right now, no. Oh, I have a thorn. But right now I've got a thorn. Yeah. Experience gives me no more confidence if it's not in front of the presence of Almighty God.

Paul had great revelations and visions.

Visions given precisely by God. But that God that gave him the visions now is permitting thorns. Because God gives great abilities. Yeah, but not ones that we can use however we want to. That's right.

He and only He gets the glory. Amen. That was all the introduction by the way. Beloved Wynton, I want to share with you two things. Thorns are necessary. It's hard to learn this one. It's hard to learn this one.

And it's hard to work with the pride that's in our own lives. One author has said before about pride.

El orgullo se filtra sutilmente en el alma humana.

That pride filters into us subtly into our soul.

Y la termina gobernando de tal manera.

And rules and governs our souls in such a way.

Que la persona no se entera de su presencia.

The person doesn't even know it's there. That's right.

El orgullo es algo con lo cual estamos luchando constantemente.

Pride is something we are always and continuously fighting against.

Recuerdo en una ocasión que pertenecía a un equipo de pequeñas ligas. I remember one time I was playing for a little league team. Y jugamos un juego muy importante.

We were playing some very important games.

Y en ese juego jugué muy bien. And in this game I played great. Nuestro equipo ganó.

Our team won. Y yo decía gracias a mí. And it was all thanks to me.

Uno de los compañeros de equipo no fue el día en que ganamos. Okay, so one of my teammates that wasn't there that day empecé a decirle precisamente lo que habíamos ganado gracias a mi habilidad.

And I was letting him know that the reason that we won was because I was so great that day. Y mi papá que está aquí. My father was right next to me. Y me tomó por el brazo.

He grabbed my arm. Me llevó por la parte de atrás de los bleachers. Took me behind the bleachers.

Some of us have heard this story before. Me apretó el brazo.

Yeah, he grabbed my arm. Y me dijo Roberto Clemente nunca hubiera dicho eso que dijiste.

Roberto Clemente would have never said something like you just said. Quien ganó fue el equipo. The reason that you won is because of the team. That's right.

El orgullo se filtra en nuestra alma y en ocasiones no lo vemos. Pride filters into your soul without you even knowing it. Nuestro orgullo se entremezcla con nuestra necesidad de ser reconocidos.

Our pride comes in and makes us feel as if we have to get applause and be known and recognized by others.

Nuestro deseo de sobresalir Our desire should be that it leaves y demostrar de lo que somos hechos.

And demonstrate the great works. Our pride makes us think that we should be recognized for the great works that we are doing.

En el mundo en que vivimos. En el mundo en que vivimos. Donde todo el mundo quiere ser un influencer.

Yeah, where the entire world wants to be an influencer.

Una personalidad reconocida.

A personality a person that is known and well recognized.

Nos lleva a alardear de lo que tenemos y de lo que somos.

This, yeah, it makes us want to boast in what we have and who we are. El creyente. The believer, though. Reconoce que los aguijones son necesarios. The believer recognizes that thorns are necessary.

Pablo menciona que Dios Paul mentions that God Les dio las revelaciones y visiones.

The same God that gave him the revelations and the visions Permite que el Diablo, Satanás Now is permitting Satan, the devil Nos provoque aguijones en la vida. The same God that gave him the revelations and visions is now permitting Satan to give him the thorns in his flesh.

Dios usa al Diablo para sus propósitos. God is using.

God uses the devil to form and discipline us. No nos gusta. We may not like it. No lo queremos. We may not want it. Pero lo necesitamos. But that's what's going to happen and we need it. Amados míos. Beloved ones, my beloved ones.

Si hay algo que Dios desea es que nos parezcamos más a él.

Yeah, if God wants something for us, it's to make us more like him. Mateo 11 21, 29 dice. Matthew 11, 29 says.

Llevad mi yugo sobre vosotros Take my yoke upon you Y aprended de mí Que soy manso y humilde de corazón.

For I am gentle and lowly in heart and spirit. Y hallareis descanso para vuestras almas In doing this you will find rest for your souls.

Dios permite las pruebas y sufrimientos.

God allows trials and tribulations Para depender cada vez más de él. So that you will depend more and more each time on Jesus and not yourself. Mire como dice el verso de Mateo.

Look again at what Matthew just said. Debemos aprender de él que es manso y humilde.

We should learn from him who is humble and gentle.

Para poder alcanzar descanso a nuestra alma.

To find rest in our souls.

Cuando aprendemos a vivir en humildad y en sencillez de corazón.

When we learn to live in humility and sensibility and gentleness in heart.

Cuando aprendemos a depender de Dios.

When we learn to depend on God Then we will find rest that we are looking for Dios.

Todo lo creado depende de Dios All of creation depends on God. Todo depende de Dios It all depends on God. Nada de lo que existe existiría si no fuera porque Dios lo sustenta.

Nothing that exists has the right or ability to exist apart from him allowing it.

And sustaining it. Uno de los atributos de Dios One of the attributes of God. Se llama Aceidad. Es el atributo de Dios de que el se sustenta.

En sí mismo. This attribute means. Aceity means that God is self-sufficient. That he don't need nobody else or nothing else to exist. He is the only one who is self-sufficient.

Solo él es autosuficiente.

Only he is one who is auto existent self-sufficient. Hoy queremos nosotros tener esa misma capacidad. Yeah. We want to have that same ability. Pero así no funciona. But that's not going to work.

Hoy nosotros queremos sostenernos con nuestras propias capacidad y habilidades.

We want to sustain ourselves with our own abilities our own capabilities, our own powers. Nosotros necesitamos completamente de Dios We are completely in need of God. Y solo en él.

Nuestra alma puede estar en completa paz.

Only in him can our soul find the complete peace that it's looking for. Witten. Tu alma descansa en Dios. Is your soul resting in God Witten.

Tu alma está en paz con Dios hoy.

Is right now, Witten, is your soul at peace with God right now.

Hermanos, hermanas que quizás nos estás visitando.

Brothers and sisters and anyone who is visiting. No. He visto sus rostros anteriormente.

Where your. I didn't have the opportunity of seeing them.

Before. I've never seen your faces before, some of you. I've never seen your faces before.

Pero si te quiero compartir algo But I want to share something. Dios desea que tu alma descanse en él.

God desires that your soul rest in him Amen.

Solo en él podrás encontrar descanso Only in him. Los aguijones son necesarios Thorns are necessary. Santiago capítulo 1 versículo 2 al 4 dice de la siguiente manera.

James capítulo 1 versículo 2 al 4 dice de la siguiente manera Hermanos míos Tener por sumo gozo.

Consider it a great joy. Consider it a great joy. Cuando se encuentren en diversas pruebas When diverse Trials come upon you Sabiendo que la prueba de vuestra fe.

Knowing that the testing of your faith. Produce paciencia.

Produces patience. Mantenga la paciencia. Hacia su obra completa.

What patience has to do is complete work.

Para que seáis perfectos y cabales. Para que seáis perfectos y cabales. And then you will be perfect. Sin que falte os cosa alguna. Lacking nothing. Si el aguijón que enfrentas hoy. Si el aguijón que enfrentas hoy.

If the thorn that is confronting you today. If the thorn that is confronting you today.

Es para tu crecimiento espiritual.

Is actually for your spiritual growth. Dale gracias a Dios. Then give thanks to God for that. Dale gracias a Dios. If the thorn in front of you today is for your spiritual growth Give thanks to God today for that.

Podrás orar mil veces. For this type of thorn you could pray a thousand times Para que Dios lo quite. That he would take it away. Mira lo que dice el texto But what does the text say. Pablo había orado tres veces Paul pleaded three times with God.

Quita esto Señor. Get this away from me. God, take it away from me. Por favor Dios quítalo. Please God take this away from me.

Y Dios le habló a su corazón.

Y Dios le habló a su corazón And God hearing his heart.

Le dijo no te lo voy a quitar. Le dijo no te lo voy a quitar.

Said no, I'm not taking it away.

Bástate en mi gracia.

Because in me my grace is what you need. Because in me my grace is what you need.

Hay otras traducciones de la Biblia que dice. Hay otras traducciones de la Biblia que dice. En mi amor es suficiente para ti En mi amor es suficiente para ti. Another translation says.

My grace is sufficient for you Or my love is sufficient for you. Iglesia.

Church. Si el padre que nos ha dado a su hijo.

If the father can give up his son.

Si el padre que nos ha dado a su hijo No nos dará con él también todas las cosas que verdaderamente necesitemos.

God who gave up his son for you Will give you everything you need. If he gave up his son How will he not give you all these other things that you need. Descansa.

Rest. Permite que el aguijón Allow the thorn.

Te haga crecer espiritualmente Allow the thorn to change you And accept you the way God wants it to. Como Jesús As Jesus En el Gethsemane En el Gethsemane At Gethsemane Yeah Le pidió Quita de mí esta prueba And Jesus in Gethsemane asked the same thing If you remember He asked God take this away from me Pero no se haga como yo But not that my will.

Sino la tuya. But actually that your will be done. Díselo Señor como tú quiera Whatever you want Lord Señor como tú quieras.

God as you want it to be. Como tú quieras Señor.

Como tú quieras Como tú quieras En mi matrimonio, en mi trabajo In my work En mi matrimonio In my marriage En mi iglesia En toda mi vida.

Como tú quieras Señor. Your will, what you want be done.

Donde único descansara mi alma.

Only let my soul rest in you En ti In you.

Power in Weakness and Contentment in Christ

Amada Iglesia Beloved Church. El segundo punto que quiero compartir.

The second point I want to share with you. No. Don't worry it will be only two. Yeah okay. We're cutting out the last page. I see, keep going. Su poder En la debilidad His power In weakness, in your weakness.

Su poder En nuestra debilidad His power in our inability.

Pablo Hace una expresión impactante Paul does this Expression in an impactful way.

Porque soy débil Entonces soy fuerte Because when I am weak I am strong. Parece una Contradicción Es como una locura.

It doesn't make any sense to me. En la Biblia Podemos ver expresiones como que.

Contradictorias. In the Bible sometimes we can see expressions that appear to us As contradictory.

El que quiera ganar su vida la perderá.

Like when the Bible says whoever wants to Save his life must lose it.

Son contradicciones. That sounds like a contradiction. Es como el sacrificio vivo santo. Yeah like when the Bible says.

We're to offer a living.

Sacrifice. Es una contradicción. Iglesia. Es como Algo que no hace sentido Something that doesn't make sense. Pero cuando nos acercamos al corazón De Dios Cuando vemos la gloria De Dios Nos damos cuenta amados.

Then it makes sense to us And it gives us account for it. Que si hay poder En la debilidad If there is power And yes there is power in weaknesses.

El ser humano Se encuentra en un estado Incompleto fuera de Dios.

The human being Will find that he is Incomplete in a state.

Outside of God. Tenemos una naturaleza caída We are naturally fallen.

Y la expresión que vemos Habla de poder de Dios And the expression that we see Spoken here of is the power of God.

La omnipotencia de Dios The omnipotence of God. Contra.

La debilidad humana The omnipotence of God Versus the inability and weakness of man. Nunca te has sentido débil. Have you ever felt weak. Por ejemplo el pastor Jeff. Estuvo enfermo. Like pastor Jeff when he's sick.

Se sentía sin fuerza. Yeah, have you ever felt without power. Lo vi. Lo escuché en una llamada telefónica I was listening to a phone call. Que le hicimos a él That we made. Y se escuchaba. And when I listened to pastor Jeff on the phone What I heard was The, the, the, the.

No la voz de trompeta Que tiene ahora. It wasn't like a trumpet that was sounding like now. As loud as he is. Sin fuerza. Without power, without strength. Yo también He sentido esos momentos I've had moments like this before.

Me he sentido sin fuerza. I have felt without strength and weak before. Nunca has estado. Exhausto.

Have you ever been exhausted. Que no puedes más And you can't do no more. Quizás llegaste así hoy aquí. There's grace for that too. Quizás llegaste a este lugar Sin fuerza. Maybe in this place There's someone who's feeling that way right now.

Quiero decirte Que aquí está el poder de Dios para levantarte.

There's the power of God for that too. And for you.

Recuerdo cuando vino El huracán María a Puerto Rico.

I remember when Hurricane Maria Came to Puerto Rico.

Nosotros estuvimos nueve meses Sin servicio de energía eléctrica.

They were without. We were without power for nine months. From Puerto Rico when Maria came. Nine months.

Prender el generador eléctrico.

Turn on the Oh, and then I tried to turn on the electricity. Every day Every day Every day.

Cada día. You need to do it in English.

If I say it in Spanish Yo tengo que hacer esto. Yo tengo que hacer esto.

So, we get exhausted Se exhaustaron Exhausted Cuando vino el huracán Mientras estaba azotando El huracán.

During the hurricane when it came.

Por mi casa. Entró agua por todas las ventanas.

So, water was coming in through all the windows of my house. We have concrete houses there. It was like the water was coming in As if there were hoses in each window. And the water was pouring in through Into my bedroom And my daughter's bedrooms.

And I couldn't get rid of it. It wouldn't stop. Oh, I couldn't do anymore. I was trying to get all the water out of their rooms and my rooms. And I couldn't do anymore. I asked God for forgiveness. I was sitting on the stairs of my house Because I have a two story house.

I said, God, I can't do anymore. Oh, wow. Forgive me for not preparing better for this moment. There are storms that will come in our life that you are not ready for. Come on.

Maybe you are going through a storm like that today. Strong, hard, difficult. That says, I can't do anymore. But in that moment. Sitting on the stairs of my house.

I asked God for forgiveness. I asked God for strength. And in that moment And in that moment the storm started to stop.

And I started crying. Because there are storms in life That only can be overcome. Because there are storms in life That only can be overcome. That can't be overcome. Without prayer. You got to pray. We have to come before the presence of God.

We have to look for the face of God To seek after it. Sometimes you will find different books on this theme.

You want to look to psychology To fix this problem.

But there are problems. Where the only one you look after Is the only one that can fix the problem. The blood of Jesus Christ.

Do you know friend That our souls are searching For rest.

They are searching for strength and healing And there is only one In the human being confined That has everything that we could ever need. And the loving arms of the one Who stretched out his arms in Calvary And is continuing to stretch those Saints arms out to us in love Because he loves us.

Because he loves us. Paul is exhausted here. He was a minister A preacher A missionary An evangelist A great man of God But the one and only Paul The only one Paul could find rest in For his soul.

Was in the glorious presence of his God.

I don't believe you I will do.

Coming to the conclusion I will do. I heard you I just didn't believe you.

Coming to an end now. I am not like Pastor Jeff. Your people knew that he said. Three times finishing.

He says three times last thing right. Por amor a Cristo. Because of the love of Christ It gives me joy. The joy Even though there is miracles. For the sake of Christ I am content with weakness Insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities.

For when I am weak Then I am strong.

Beloved We are strong in Christ.

When we achieve his purpose We recognize the greatness of God And our fragility, our weakness. Beloved. Your beloved Savior Says to you Thorns are necessary In order to see the hand of God Working in you The glory of God Is always being rising even higher Because thorns are necessary.

Beloved church I want to proclaim And you can proclaim That there is power In the blood of Jesus Christ That there is power of God That there is God's power in our weaknesses.

I invite you. That on this day.

You tell the Lord These are my weaknesses. Help me in my weakness I would like to pray.

Lord thank you. Because your ways are higher Than our ways.

Because you have given us such a great salvation. Because the power of the gospel Is revealed by faith.

And this faith is in the Son of God. And in this day As your people.

We ask forgiveness For any time we've tried to do things By our own power.

When we've tried to show the world How great we are When we've tried To stand up In our own strength And we've forgotten To depend on you. Today we want That you reign In our lives Not merely As our Savior But as our Master Master Authority.

Curious. We ask you Lord. Those who are in this place Facing weaknesses Tears Shame That they can't do anymore. They can't go any further. That you would strengthen them In the power of your Spirit. Holy Spirit of God.

Third Person of the Holy Trinity. You who dwell in our hearts. You who live in the deepest part of our being. Lift your fire in our hearts To be able to fulfill your will. So that at the final trumpet.

That at that final trumpet sound.

We could rise to your presence And that we will receive the name that you have given us For power and to live forever in your presence. We ask this Father in the name of Jesus. Amen. Beloved Beloved brothers and sisters of Witten We love you with all of our hearts And I can't wait to see you next year.