Man’s Extremity - God’s Opportunity

Pick our bibles up, wave them around, make Jesus glad, the devil mad, and let's say this together say heavenly Father, I'm grateful for live stream, especially a Wednesday night.

It's the right time for me to be refreshed in the Word of God.

Some of what I hear will be water for what I've already planted, and some will be seed that will bring forth a harvest.

In any case, I have the victory in Jesus' name.

Amen, amen.

All right, let's turn to our bibles, the second Corinthians, chapter 12.

2 Corinthians 12 · chapter mention

And we'll read a few verses here.

Verse starting with verse seven Paul's writing to the Corinthians, and he's and to us.

And he says in verse seven unless I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan, to buffet me lest I should be exalted above measure.

And for this thing I besought the Lord thrice, three times, that it might depart from me.

And he said unto me my grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities and reproaches and necessities, and persecutions and distresses, for Christ's sake, for when I am weak then I am strong.

And so tonight I want to bring a message entitled man's extremity, god's opportunity.

Man's extremity, god's opportunity.

So Paul is writing here to the Corinthians, and you know the Corinthian church had given place to other self-promoting ministries.

You know they were false teachers that were teaching another gospel, flowing in another spirit, speaking another Jesus, preaching another Jesus.

And so Paul testifies here of the price he paid for his revelations, that he taught them.

And he talks about the thorn in the flesh.

And you know I've heard it preached wrong numbers of times over the years.

People want to attach the wrong meaning to this word thorn in the flesh.

They think it means sickness, disease, poverty, that type of thing.

But he tells you clearly what it is it's the messenger of Satan, a thorn in the flesh, comma.

The messenger of Satan.

And so to buffet him, to harass him, demons stirring up trouble, you know, everywhere that Paul went there were people that would go ahead and come behind and all of that, and they would spread the word about him and persecuting.

Everywhere in the Bible that thorns in the flesh is mentioned, it's talking about people.

For instance I won't read all of them, numbers 33, 55 is one, joshua 23, 13 is another, judges 2, 3 is another.

So there's three witnesses right there, but I'll just give you numbers 33.

Moses warns the children of Israel.

He said if you do not drive out the inhabitants of your inheritance, you don't drive them out in the land.

They'll become pricks in your eyes and thorns in your side.

In other words, they're going to be your enemies and they're going to give you a lot of trouble.

So this is what he's talking about.

He's talking about people that are inflamed by demon powers that were giving him trouble.

And why were they given to him?

Did God give them those Thorns in the flesh?

No, the devil did it.

The devil was responsible and it was because, he said, of the abundance of Revelations.

You see, revelation is the basis on our faith.

Our faith is always built on revelation.

So when revelation is preached, your faith is built.

So if the devil can get somebody to stop preaching the word and and get them moved off of the revelation and get baptized, in all the trouble, he can stop them.

You know, I noticed here in the last few weeks I've been preaching a lot on the overcomer.

I've been talking about, you know, the power of Overcoming the power and encouragement you know I'm.

My aim is to give you ammunition to load in your gospel weapon, you know, to put the devil on the run, because people are suffering a lot of attacks, are suffering a lot of persecution.

They're suffering a lot of opposition right now.

And why?

Because we know the devil knows his time is short and he's come with great wrath.

So my heart is to give you the ammunition you need to counteract these things.

You know the devil always opposes Revelation.

You know Paul said in 1st Corinthians 16 9.

He said a great door and effectual is open under me and there are many adversaries.

You know he said in 1st Thessalonians 2 18.

He said you know, I wanted to come to you numerous times but Satan hindered me.

What?

What a statement that Satan hindered a Paul from visiting the Thessalonians.

So with every promotion, with every answered prayer, with every victory comes greater opposition.

And you know I like to put it this way the devil's a good counterpuncher.

You know, in a boxing match, you know, somebody can throw a good punch and land it, but a good counterpuncher, while that punch is being landed, they can throw their own punch.

And that's what the devil, he's a master at counterpunching.

You might, you might knock him down, but he in the, in the process, he's liable to throw a punch right back at you that you're not prepared for.

So you know, I like what Peter said.

1st Peter, chapter 4 thinking not strange, concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happened on you, but rejoice, see, that's what Paul was doing.

He said I listen, I gladly suffer these things because I know I'm on the winning side, I know they're temporary, I've got the power, I've got the authority to turn this thing around.

I'm not, I'm not the victim here.

So here he mentions this I basalt the Lord three times.

It was before he knew the answer.

You know, all the Bible is progressive revelation.

Paul didn't start out knowing what he began to teach here in the epistles.

He had to learn it.

He had to learn it by revelation, he had to learn it by experience.

And so when these people, the Jewish people, actually is who they were, they, they would come and and cause all kind of writing and gossip and trouble, and you know, they would stir up a hornet's nest for him.

And he said I prayed three times Lord, lord, take these thorns from me.

See, he didn't know that God had already given him the power.

See, god, god, god has already done everything he's ever gonna do about the devil.

That's a vain prayer to ask God to do anything else, because he sent Jesus to defeat Satan and he's given us the power.

So he could have said it this way this is, this is the way the Lord heard him praying that.

The Lord heard this.

Oh Lord, you forgot something.

Please come back down here and finish what you started and do something about these thorns.

Do something about this, these demons.

Do something about this persecution.

Do some listen.

He's done all he's ever gonna do.

It's up to us.

And so what did Jesus say in verse 9?

He said my grace is sufficient for me.

He said my grace is sufficient for thee because my strength is made perfect in your weakness.

Listen, listen to the, the Greek.

I'm gonna read, redo the Greek there his strength.

The word strength there means dunamis, it means supernatural power.

So what Jesus answered him?

He says my supernatural power is consummated and accomplished in your feebleness.

In other words, you know it.

You're not gonna get to take any credit for what's going on.

You've already got my power if you'll stand in me and in my power, you can defeat whatever is thrown at you.

See, praise God.

So he wasn't refusing.

He wasn't trying to tell Paul Well, buck up, son, you're just gonna have to suffer.

No, he didn't tell him, he just had to suffer.

He told him that he could overcome it.

And so man's extremity is God's opportunity.

No matter what you're going through, there's an opportunity for God to get glory as you overcome those things that are thrown at you.

And so, another way to look at his answer my grace is raised up as a barrier when you lean entirely on my promise through faith.

You know, grace is a barrier, grace is a shield.

Grace is something that will protect you when arrows are flying towards you.

Another way he could have answered him I already burned up those thorns.

So appropriate my grace for you through faith.

See, your faith is where it is.

I like Romans, chapter five, verse two.

That's worth turning over there.

It's just a few pages to the left, romans five, verse two.

And this will get you down the road when things are hot and heavy against you.

It says in Romans five, two we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

See, that's why Paul could rejoice in the tribulations and trouble, and all of that for Christ's sake.

What do you mean for Christ's sake?

Well, for the gospel sake, and we're all gonna suffer things for the gospel's sake.

But that doesn't mean we have to just bow to that suffering.

We can rise above it and get through it and turn it around, so there's nothing more that God can do about it.

We have access to this grace or to this barrier or this protection through faith, and faith is what you say out of your mouth.

Faith is what you believe in your heart.

Amen.

Man's extremity is God's opportunity when in we stand.

Think about that word stand.

Let's turn over to Ephesians, because the devil's trying to get you to fall.

He's trying to get you to get on the ground where you're vulnerable.

You know I mentioned this the other day about to be vigilant, be strong, be vigilant for your adversary, as a lion walking about seeking whom he made a vow.

Now, I was talking about the lion and how they get their prey on the ground.

They can't really do much with the prey until they finally weaken them enough to where they can get them on the ground.

Once they get the prey on the ground and off its feet, then, you know, it's just a matter of time, they're gonna choke out the prey, they're gonna cut off its oxygen and then they're gonna devour.

And so you know, we have to stand up against the devil's attack and we do it by tapping into God's grace.

Let's look at Ephesians, chapter six, verse 10.

Finally, my brother, be strong in the Lord.

See, it's not about you being determined, it's not about you being strong in yourself, it's not about you know, it's not about you.

It's being strong in the Lord, in other words, the idea that you're in Christ, that the devil hadn't attacked you.

He's attacked Christ.

Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.

That word power, there is the same word as strength, it's dunamis.

And so put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand.

See, there's that word where the word stand that you'll be able to stand against the wilds, the military strategies of the devil.

See, you're not gonna get down on the ground, you're not gonna lay down and let the devil devour you.

No, you're gonna stand up against him.

How do you do that?

Being strong in the Lord, being strong in the word, being strong in the spirit and knowing who you are in Christ and faith, to access this grace wherein we stand up.

We're not laying on the ground anymore Verse 12, where we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in the heavenlies.

So then, we should take upon you, wherefore take upon you, the whole armor of God, the entire armor of God that you may be able to withstand.

See, there's that word withstand, stand in the evil day and having done all to stand, stand therefore, see, notice the emphasis on stand, withstand, stand withstand.

That's exactly, you know, here Paul, in 2 Corinthians 12, he's asking God to do something he's already been given the authority to do.

God can't stand for you.

You're gonna have to do some standing, you're gonna have to do some believing, you're gonna have to do some appropriating amen.

And so you take on the whole armor of God.

Then you'll look like who you are, you're in Christ, you look just like Jesus looks.

And then it says in verse 18, praying always, with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, or we could say dialoguing.

You know, god, god's prayer is a dialogue.

We're not begging God to take something away from us.

We're finding out what is the strategy.

I'm standing against this evil and I'm not gonna give in.

What's the strategy I need to take?

See, that's part of the prayer, part of the armor of God is to keep you protected until you get the strategy to stand up against the military strategies of the enemy.

Amen.

You know, I recently gave that testimony about having been laid off from a job I had.

I was head of a remodeling company.

The owner decided to shut it down and I had.

You know, I was laid off, I had no money and my wife and I had 35, after we paid the bills out of that last paycheck we had $35 in tithes off of it.

We had $35 in the bank and I had been.

During that time I had been having a word called promotion.

I felt like this was a promotion in disguise.

That's how I called it, what I called it.

My wife got some encouragement the very next service from the Holy Ghost at Lakewood Church.

My pastor, john Osteen, prophesied over, built her up so she could get in agreement with me.

So we agreed and I really attracted back to get back in the home building business.

I'd been out a couple of years, several years, and so I sat down and I said now in the God you know, we're down to $35, and I wanna sit down here and I wanna pray about what can I do to get back in the home building business.

And I won't say the Holy Ghost gave me the plan.

I just started thinking, well, I could do something.

I could do a step one and then an intermediate step and then get into step two.

Be honest with you, I just didn't have $100,000 faith.

I knew it'd take a minimum of $100,000 in the bank to get back in the home building business.

First of all, the bank's gotta see that cash before they're gonna loan me any money.

Number two I don't have a history, a recent history.

My recent history's kinda bad.

So I'm thinking what can I do in the meantime?

Well, I could have this intermediate where I could deal with banks which I had done before and clean up some of their inventory that they owned, repair them, make them ready for sale.

Sales were starting to happen back then and there were lots of vacant houses and I just had this idea that I could go to a bank and I needed a minimum of $25,000.

That was my, and I said you know, we'll give $25 out of the $35 that we have in the bank in the offering and we'll believe, according to Deuteronomy 30, that God will make us 1,000 times more numerous than we had before.

So I was needing 1,000 full return.

And so I'm talking about now, I'm talking about praying with your prayer, armor.

See, I'd already resisted the devil about being discouraged.

I'd resisted the devil about being crushed, being laid off.

I didn't have a pretty party.

I prayed for my wife so she wouldn't have a pretty party.

And what's next?

Well, I need to find out.

What does God have for me?

How is he gonna, you know, how's he gonna get me out of this mess?

What's my steps to take?

So I sat down at my kitchen table and I made a list of things that I could do, and it took 20,.

I said you know what?

If I had 25,000 cash, I could go to a bank and say here I'm in business, john Griner Inc.

You do it.

You know, I'll fix up your vacant houses and I'll do it for costs plus 10% or something, and that would get my foot in the door with banks.

And after I've done that for a season, then I might be able to increase that money into where I could actually have a relationship with some banks and then I could get back in the home-building business.

My ultimate goal was get back in the home-building business.

So, step one, step two.

Now that was just my plan.

That was a plan.

I had to have something to go on.

I want you to hear carefully.

I mean, listen, we've got to have a prayer armor on, and prayer armor is to find out what the strategy is.

Prayer is not begging God to do something that we can do, amen.

So I said, all right, so we're gonna give that in the offering.

And so at Wednesday night service we wrote that $25 check and it's gone and now we've got $10 to our name.

That's kind of a serious situation to be in.

I mean, how long can we last, you know?

So I went to the Lord in prayer again, again not begging Him.

I said, okay, lord.

Now what's next?

How do I act?

My faith, how do I demonstrate that I have faith?

For this to happen I need step two.

Now I've put an offering in the offering $25.

I'm believing you for $25,000.

Glad I've agreed to that.

It's on its way.

Now, what I believe in for favors.

Someone's gonna give me you're giving.

It shall be given unto you Good measure, press down, shake it together, running over.

Shall men give unto your bosom?

Somebody somewhere is gonna give me $25,000 to get this done.

Now, what do I do next?

And the Holy Ghost gave me three names.

He said I want you to call these three men and ask them to agree with you in prayer for $25,000.

Now, you know this is.

You know that's the next day after I gave the offering, I mean in prayer.

God answered prayers, a dialogue, and in my I'm not saying I heard a voice.

I just, in my spirit, I heard these three men's names call them and ask them to agree.

I said, lord, I can't do that.

They're gonna think I'm trying to get the money from them.

They're gonna think I'm prophesying money out of their pocket.

I can't be asking people for money.

He said you're not asking them for money.

You're asking them to agree and tell them that I gave you their name and that they would have the faith to believe for that much money.

Not everybody has that much faith to believe for $25,000.

And I said okay, lord, see, I had my doubts, but I'll obey God and the first person I told them now listen, I'm not asking you for the money, I'm asking you for the agreement.

God told me that you wouldn't be intimidated by believing for $25,000.

And they had blessed that first person, man.

They kind of liked the idea that God thought about them in that way and they agreed with me.

Person number two agreed with me.

Same thing, person number three I got them on the phone and they wept.

They started crying over the phone.

Well, you come to my house.

My wife and I wanna pray.

Oh, I really witnessed it with this.

And to make a long story short, that man wound up being my partner, and not for $25,000.

In a matter of about a month, we had $100,000 in the bank and we started our home building firm together.

And I wasn't looking for a partner originally.

See, I was God's plan.

It wasn't my plan, but I tapped into God's plan.

I had a partner and we started building houses in West University Place, praise God.

So I'm talking about man's extremity is God's opportunity.

Listen, I was stretched all the way out.

I want you to know was I sweating bullets?

No, no, I wasn't.

I wouldn't allow myself to be nervous.

I wouldn't allow myself to be hopeless.

I wouldn't allow my.

Everything that came out of my mouth was the word of God, and I look back on those days and I'm telling you God came through, he'll come through for you.

So, whatever situation that you face, you know, remember, as I've been saying, the greater one lives in you.

He's in there First, john 4,4,.

Greater is he that's in you than he that's in the world.

He's in there to put you over.

He's in there to give you favor.

He's in there to give you a strategy on how to overcome every situation.

Because man's extremity, yeah, maybe you're all the way in your own strength, you're too weak to get anything done, but that's when God's power, that's when God's grace can come in and shield you and bring you into victory.

God's, you know, man's extremity is God's opportunity.

Amen, be encouraged tonight.

Don't let anybody, don't let any demon, don't let any situation intimidate you.

Praise God, let's lift our hands and receive Hallelujah.

Glory to God.