Sermon

Authentic Grace

October 5, 2019 St. Paul's Anglican Church Chatswood - Sermons

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It would be good if you grab a sermon's handout today
or actually grab a transcript because that may be helpful for you.
I actually forgot to do an English-only transcript,
so choose a simplified traditional.
They are all the same in the English part.
Have you or your family ever been to a treetop experience yet?
One that you do obstacles from high above ground,
you do flying forks, and you climb road nets.
We went a couple of years ago with a couple of other families.
While the youngest kids have their own little program,
little course to go through,
the older children join us to do the junior and adult course.
The term and condition says,
practitioner must be 10 years and older,
at least 1.4 meters tall,
and under 120 kilograms.
One adult must accompany a junior
to make sure they follow all the safety instructions
and get no exception to age, size, or weight.
So we start on the easier course,
and the course gets longer and harder as we approach lunch.
It was still a lot of fun,
and kids have a great time.
However, I noticed that every time
when I fly back to the platform,
the wheel will get so hard,
it will stop short,
about 10 to 20 meters away from the platform.
So I literally, the whole morning,
was doing this.
For the last, every course I've gone through.
And there is a weight limit
on the condition for entry for a very good reason.
Even though I'm under that weight limit,
I'm very close to it as well.
So while experiencing the challenge on top of the tree,
I have my weight and the gravity as my enemy,
which is very hard to overcome.
However,
the enemies that Paul is facing in 2 Corinthians
are beyond what we can imagine.
Paul is facing enemies from within and without,
from those that were his colleagues,
went to the same school with him,
pursued the same ideal with him
before he became a Christian.
People that are his kinsmen,
but now trace after him to destroy everything
he worked hard to build.
It started as soon as
he became a follower of Jesus.
What he mentioned in 2 Corinthians,
the last will of chapter 11,
would most likely be the same incident
that happened in Acts chapter 9,

Acts 9:22–25
verse 22 to 25.
Straight after he became a follower of Christ,
he was preaching about Jesus in Damascus.
And it says from verse 22,
Saul grew more and more powerful
and baffled the Jews living in Damascus
by proving that Jesus is a Messiah.
After many days had gone by,
there was a conspiracy among the Jews
who killed him.
But Saul learns of their plan.
Day and night,
they kept close watch on the city gate
in order to kill him.
But his followers took him by night
and lowered him in a basket
for an opening in the wall.
If you follow along Acts,
you will see the suffering Paul
go through for the sake of Christ.
In chapter 9, verse 26,
it says people are afraid of him,
not believing he really was a disciple.
And then,
just a couple of verses after that,
it says he speaks boldly
in the name of the Lord,
talk and debate with
Hanunistic Jews,
but they try to kill him.
And then I feel a chapter later
in Acts 13,
in verse 6,
it says,
in pathos,
faced with opposition
from false prophets and sorcerers.
And in the same chapter later on,
when he went to Poseidon's Antioch,
the Jews were filled with jealousy
of their popularity
and began to contradict
what Paul was saying
and heaps abuse on him.
The Jewish leaders incited
the God-feeling women of high standing
and the leading men of the city.
They stirred up persecution
against Paul and Barnabas
and expelled them from the region.
We go on in the next chapter,
in Iconium,
was a plot afoot
among both Gentiles and Jews,
together with the leaders
to mistreat them
and stone them.
And later in the same chapter
in verse 19,
in Nesra,
some Jews came from Antioch
and Iconium
and went to crowd over.
They stoned Paul
and dragged him outside the city,
thinking he was dead.
Next chapter,
Paul and Jew,
a very sharp disagreement
with the person
that was his mentor
and companion
and they parted the company.
A couple of chapters later
in chapter 17,
in Thessalonica,
some of the Jews
were pursued
and joined
Paul and Silas
as did a large number
of God-feeling Greeks
and quite a few prominent women.
But other Jews were jealous
so they ran off
some bad character
from the marketplace,
formed a mob
and started a riot
in the city.
Then later on,
when the Jews
in Thessalonica
learned that Paul
was preaching
the word of God
in Berea,
some of them
went there too,
agitating the crowds
and stirring them up.
And then,
the next chapter
in Corinth,
where this,
what we're looking at today,
the Jews
made a united attack
on Paul
and brought him
to a place of judgment.
And next chapter,
the silversmith
of Ephesus' idol
brought the whole city
into an uproar
against Paul.
From Paul
become a Christian
in chapter 9
to chapter 19,
it's roughly about
20 years
have passed.
as at chapter 19
is where Paul
written the letter
that we've seen today.
With all this
happening to Paul,
Paul keep on going,
telling people
about Jesus,
keep on being
an authentic follower
of Christ.
So I'd like to look
at three areas
to find out
why he can say,
what he said today
in chapter 12
of 2 Corinthians.
The three areas
that we look at
is not what you know,
but who you know.
How are your do
or say,
tell about you,
and what are you
feeling now?
Paul has shared
something very intimate
in chapter 12
of 2 Corinthians.
In a way,
it also seems
very strange.
Let's read it again
from verse 1.
2 Corinthians 1.
I must go on
boasting,
although there is
nothing to be gained.
I will go on
to visions
and revelations
from the Lord.
I know a man
in Christ
who 14 years ago
was called up
to the third heaven.
Whether he was
in the body
or out of the body,
I do not know.
God knows.
I know that this man,
whether in the body
or out of the body,
I don't know,
but God knows,
was caught up
to paradise
and heard
inexpressible things,
things that no one
is permitted to tell.
I will boast
about a man like that,
but I will not boast
about myself
except about
my weaknesses.
Paul,
in this passage,
seems to be talking
about himself,
but in a third-person way.
He kept this supernatural
experience and knowledge
for about 14 years
without telling anyone.
I think for a lot of us,
it's so natural for us
to be drawn
to all things
that are mysterious.
It gives us a sense
of adrenaline rush,
like watching horror movies.
We have a very strong
curiosity towards
things unknown
or not permitted,
especially
when we are much younger,
when our sense of fear
and self-protection
or preservation
were much weaker.
Have you ever wondered why?
From my observation,
it has a lot to do
with trying to prove
that we are capable
to be independent.
We believe
once we master
the unknown,
we somehow can
master life better.
We are well on our way
to master our own life,
which means
your life will get somewhere.
And when we think
we got it,
like most kids,
when they master
a new skill,
what would they do naturally?
They would say,
look at me,
look at me.
We like to show
what we know
or can do.
But Paul
held back
for 14 years
because even though
what he knows
and experiences
is so great,
that's not
the things
that he's chasing after
or wanted to boast about.
It's who he knows
that he values
and treasure
and want to tell people about.
in chapter 12,
verse 1,
Paul says,
those visions
and revelations
are from the Lord.
And repeating
the fact that
he does not know
it was
in the body
or apart
from the body
experience,
seems to point
to the fact
that they have
great experience,
but they are not
originated from him.
There are things
outside of him
beyond his control,
so it's not something
that he can plan
to master
or trace after.
Paul said
in 2 Corinthians 11,
31,
which is the chapter
before that,
that the God
and Father
of the Lord Jesus
knows what he is doing.
And twice
in our passage,
we say,
only God knows
what is going on
with him.
He seems very confident
that God knows him
and he puts himself
as a man
he knows
in Christ.
Where does he get
that sort of confidence?
I think he most likely
gets it from Jesus
because it was exactly
what Jesus prayed
for his followers
in John 17, 26.
Jesus said to God,
I have made you
known to them
and will continue
to make you known
in order
that the love
you have for me
may be in them
and that I myself
may be in them.
Paul is confident
that God knows him
because Jesus
is his mediator,
because Paul
is in Christ
and he knows Christ.
I don't think
I need to say
much about
the value
of knowing
the right person.
You'll find out
if you ever go
to Chayam Cha.
I always like
to go to
Yom Cha
with certain people
because we get
a table straight away.
There's no need
to get a number
and wait
because this person
is known
by all the captains,
all the waiters
and waitress
in the whole restaurant.
When it comes
to understanding
about Christianity,
it's important
to ask the right question,
not to get distracted
to chase after
some super spiritual
experience.
Our focus
in understanding
the Bible
is to know
who we should believe
and to be known
by him.
In 1131,
it says,
God and Father
of the Lord Jesus
is to be praised
forever.
Why is that so?
What does this verse
tell you
about the relationship
between Jesus
and God the Father?
Why do we call
Jesus the Lord?
Those are questions
we should be asking
when we read
God's Word
in the Bible.
If you are just
looking into
Christianity,
those are very helpful
questions to keep
in mind.
But if you are
a follower
of Jesus Christ,
no matter how long
you have been one,
it's even more
important for us
to ask why
we call
Jesus our Lord.
Who is Jesus
to you?
Who is God
to you?
The God
and Father
of the Lord Jesus
is to be praised
forever
because of the
gospel
that reveals
God's grace
to us.
God sent
his Son
into the world
to live a perfect
life,
die as a substitute
for sinners,
absorb the anger
of God,
take away
our guilt,
provide the gift
of right standing
before God,
and give
eternal joy
through faith
in the Lord
Jesus alone,
apart from any
words or
obedience on
our behalf.
This quote
is printed
in our handout
today because
it's so important.
I want you
to be able
to go and
revisit this quote
whenever you
can.
That is such
a great message
to be shared,
but very often
we confuse
the greatness
of the message
with the greatness
of the message
bearer,
the messenger.
We think
a great experience
and great knowledge
add value
to our life,
and when we
think God
would,
a voice inside
us would cry out
saying,
look at me,
look at me,
that Paul did not
boast about himself
or the great
spiritual experience.
He said in
verse 6
of chapter 12,
even if I
should choose
to boast,
I will not
be a fool
because I will
be speaking
the truth,
but I refrain
so no one
will think
more of me
than is warned
by what I do
or say,
or because of
this suppressing
great revelation.
Therefore,
in order to
keep me from
becoming conceited,
I was given
a thorn
in my flesh,
a message
of Satan
to torment me.
Paul said
he did not
want anyone
to think
more of him
than is warned
by what he
do or say,
or because of
this suppressing
great revelation.
Because we
want to build
a certain
perception
in others'
mind,
we want others
to think of us
or value us
in a certain
way.
We sometimes
talk ourselves
up,
or talk
ourselves
down.
We say
one thing
but we
go and
do others.
So,
it's what
you do
and say
really match
up.
If you
call yourself
a Christian,
are you
really living
out your
life as
a follower
of Christ?
Paul warns
us not
to do
things like
a fool,
even when
we are
boasting.
How does
a fool
live out
their life?
Well,
they will
always be
looking for
something to
gain.
or ask
him what
is in
it for
me.
A fool
definitely
cannot hold
on to
a suppressing
grace
revelation
for 14
years.
They will
tell things
that is not
permitted
if they
could make
others think
more of
them.
A fool
will not
be speaking
the truth
and will
not be
able to
refrain
themselves
from
becoming
conceited.
But who
can really
keep
oneself
from
becoming
conceited?
Who
can really
keep
themselves
from
chasing
after
fame
or
from
talking
themselves
up?
Even
Paul
said he
was
given
a thorn
in his
flesh
to keep
him
from
becoming
conceited,
a messenger
of Satan
to torment
him.
He was
given
some kind
of physical
suffering
to keep
him from
puffing
himself
up.
What is
your view
on
suffering?
Suffering
is such
a
mysterious
mystery
that we
could not
be able
to work
out within
our
lifetime.
We can
be suffering
for many
different
reasons.
One
person can
be suffering
because it's
a natural
occurrence of
their body
of being
a human
as they
are growing
and heading
towards a
grave.
I remember
a friend
telling me
that her
kid is
so sensitive
to pain
that as
they are
growing and
their body
are stretching,
they need
painkiller to
ease off
their discomfort.
Someone
can also
be suffering
as a
consequence
of being
foolish
or sinful,
disobedient
to God,
engaging in
behavior that
end up
hurting
themselves
and others.
As I
have mentioned
earlier,
we all
have a
natural
tendency
and
inclination
to be
independent
and be
a master
of our
life.
That in
itself is
nothing wrong
about it.
However,
as
theologian
J.I.
Parker
put it,
if we
allow it
to become
an energy
of irrational,
negative,
and rebellious
reaction to
God's call
and command,
allowing it
to become
a spirit
of fighting
God in
order to
play
God,
we are
committing
sinful
acts.
The root
of sin
is pride
and enmity
against God.
Sinful
acts is
expression
of a
willful
opposition
of the
fallen
heart
to God's
claim on
our life.
However,
suffering
can also
be a
way of
God
working in
our life
to build
us up,
to make
sure what
we do
and say
warren
how others
think of
us.
As a
case for
Paul,
having a
great
surprising
experience
of visiting
paradise
can lead
to pride,
which will
develop in
different kinds
of scenes.
So God
gave him
a thorn
in his flesh
to keep
him humbled
and to
build his
character.
what would
people normally
do with
suffering?
Some will
try to
run away.
Some will
try to
ignore it.
Some may
try to
suppress it
by painkillers
or other
means,
like my
friend
treating
her kid.
Some may
look at
suffering
and say
suffering
is a
proof
that God
does not
exist.
And even
if he
exists,
he's not
loving.
Because how
would a
loving God
allow so
much pain
to exist.
What we
do or
say about
suffering
tell us
what we
know or
do not
know about
God.
We can
allow pain
and suffering
to push
you away
from God
or we
can allow
pain and
suffering
to draw
you closer
to God
like what
it did
to Paul.
You
will read
on from
verse 8.
Paul said
three times
I pleaded
with the
Lord to
take it
away from
me.
But he
said to
him,
to me,
my grace
is sufficient
for you,
for my
power is
made perfect
in weakness.
It's not
clear how
long Paul
had been
living with
the thorn
in his
flesh.
The best
estimate
would be
about 14
years.
And the
way he
said that
the message
of Satan
to torment
him,
it seems
to be
indicating
it will
be
ongoing.
Even at
this point
of sharing
with the
Corinthian
church,
he's
feeling the
pain right
there and
then.
And that
feeling is
compounded by
what he's
already feeling
for the
Corinthian
church,
shown in
1129.
Who is
weak?
And I do
not feel
weak.
Who is
led into
sin?
And I
do not
inwardly
burn.
I feel
very
challenged
recently
with a
few
sufferings
of
departure
and
loss.
On top
of that,
with the
ongoing
unrest in
Hong Kong,
combined it
with being
confronted
about not
being impartial
about this
issue,
and even
being unloving
towards what's
happening in
Hong Kong or
towards the
protesters.
And I
come to be
reminded of
my often
very patronizing
superiority
feeling towards
people during
a refreshing
in college.
And then
remembering
about 25
years ago,
a sister
stopped me
right in the
middle of
conversation
to tell me
stop patronizing
her.
I
consider those
as my
thorn in
my flesh,
a reminder
of how
sinful I
am.
We have
not been
told what
exactly the
thorn is
referring to
in this
passage.
It's good
we haven't
known it
because then
we can
freely relate
to Paul in
whatever way
we can.
But we
are shown
in how to
deal with
it.
As he
feels the
torment of
the thorn
in his
flesh,
as he
feels the
indignation
within his
heart,
Paul
recalls he
pleaded
with the
Lord.
Three times
he pleaded
with God
to take
the thorn
away.
His pain
and suffering
did not
drive him
to frustration
or despair.
It
drew him
closer to
God.
What is
your feeling
now?
Try to
relate to
Paul's
feeling in
whatever way
you can.
God
did not
change
Paul's
feeling
towards
God.
They
did not
make
Paul
doubt
the
ability
of
God.
He
knows
God
can
heal
him.
He
is
confident
that
God
can,
so he
asked
for
help.
And
what did
God
say to
him?
My
grace
is sufficient
for you,
for my
power is
made perfect
in
weakness.
God has a much better and greater solution
for Paul's pain and suffering
His grace
His sufficient grace
So what is grace?
Grace is God giving us what we do not deserve
We deserve to be punished
but instead we got a gift of forgiveness
in a real life that's filled with joy
It is a gift because we cannot work for it or earn it
Grace means God is not angry with us
because His anger has been assaulted
by the price of Jesus' life paid on the cross
Christ lives a perfect obedience life
and dies as a substitute for sinners
to take away our guilt
Some have said grace
G-R-A-C-E
as God's riches
are fallible at Christ's expense
God's riches
are fallible at Christ's expense
God said
My grace is sufficient for you
for my power is made perfect in weakness
Insufficient for Paul and for us
because God knows us
He knows what we are going through
God knows what we are going through
in no matter what we are experiencing
within our body or out of our body
Insufficient because God's grace is never ending
He knows exactly how much suffering we need
to deal with our pride
so to stop us from being considered
And so others will think of us exactly
as what we do and say warrant
God's grace is sufficient
God's grace is sufficient
and God is powerful
so we can totally entrust ourselves to Him
and depend on Him
even at the time that He did not answer our plea
as we have asked
My true talk experience
had taught me a lesson of dependency
I was already tired from all the pooling
before lunch
and after lunch I think
why would I be able to do a couple more courses
you know
to make sure I get the full value
of what I pay for
So I come to this course
What do you need to do?
You swing over to a big net
and once you swing over there
you climb up
and then you just keep going
So you know
it looks easy
I'm still
I'm tired
but still okay
So I swing over
and what happened?
I was at the bottom of the net
and now it's like
pull and pull and pull
I just couldn't get up
whole body
just like
So after about
two to three minutes
which is the longest
two to three minutes
I have felt
I did what everyone would do
and did what the instruction tell me
Help!
I was dangling
waiting for help
and I have to keep apologizing
people would say
oh sorry
sorry
so they have to move on
to the next course
Then the staff come to help me
He was a young man
and he was built like
Tim Reed or Paul Powell
both are not here today
Built a bit like Jeff
Would you mind standing up?
Imagine a young man
about that size
come and rescue me
I was so helpless
and embarrassed
that at this point
any help I can get
to get out of here
I'll accept it
That poor man
had struggled a lot
to finally lower me
down to the ground
A nice tree top experience
had ended up
being a painful experience
because I did not see
myself as weak
And then I was humbled
I was rescued by someone
that seems weak
but know what he's doing
and willing to go through
the pain to set me free
First I say
but he said to me
My grace is sufficient for you
for my power
is made perfect
in weakness
Therefore
I will boast
all the more
gladly
about my weaknesses
so that Christ's power
may rest on me
That is why
for Christ's sake
I delight in weaknesses
in weaknesses
in weaknesses
Apparently we got a
weak battery as well
just dying
Paul is glad
that he can boast
about his weaknesses
He is glad
that God's power
is made perfect
in his weakness
and God's grace
is sufficient
and do not leave him wanting
It is for that reason
that he delights
in weaknesses
in insults
in hardship
in persecution
and in difficulties
He feels delighted
facing these things
that make us feel
cringing
when we hear it
How are we
to delight
in those things?
We'll be able
to delight in those things
by boasting
all the more
gladly
about our own weaknesses
He delights in them
because
when he faces them
he's facing them
for the sake of Christ
with Christ's power
rested on him
He delights in weakness
insults
hardship
persecution
and difficulties
was actually
what make him
strong
because when he
delights in them
God's perfect power
which is Christ's
perfect power
come rest on him
and he become
empowered
Poor at knowledge
he links God
He relies
He relies
only on God's
sufficient grace
to handle
the thorn
in his life
He values
his supernatural
experience
with the right
perspective
without putting them
over and above
God
and become
conceited
Whatever you're feeling
in life
right now
maybe some
sin
that keeps
occurring
maybe you find
it very hard
to make sense
of this
Jesus
who called
God
his father
maybe you're
experiencing
the torment
of Satan
in your life
maybe there
are a lot
of shame
that makes you
feel like
dangling
midair
go to God
plead
your case
with him
plead
your case
with the Lord
be glad
you can
experience
weakness
insult
hardship
persecution
difficulties
the way
to become
strong
in Christ
is not
by having
a lot
of great
spiritual
experience
the last
sentence
of the passage
should they say
for when I am
weak
then I am
strong
there is a
sequence of
events
we are
strong
when we
acknowledge
our weakness
when you
are willing
to admit
you are weak
you will be
strong
because when
we acknowledge
we need
God's strength
it can
displace
in us
Amen