My Grace Sufficient - Part 1 of 2

You know I sure Bradley Junior welcoming you to another broadcast of the Baptist Bible. Indeed, we're passing through very very difficult times, something that nobody could never have anticipated. Think of the people who have died. The people who are still struggling with this virus. Numbers of people that have lost their jobs and are suffering financial reverses to a very great degree. Surely it makes us realize our weakness.

How fragile life is, how much we need the Lord and how we can rely upon his promises message today is entitled. My grace is sufficient that something we have to over time and time again, reassuring ourselves of what God declares in his word and making it a reality in our life as we trust him from day to day. I hope that you are right, let us know that you listen to the program.

Our address is the Baptist Bible. Our box 17 old 37th Cincinnati, OH 45217 of the times when the pressures of life become so great for you that you feel extremely difficult to carry on these pressures can come in a variety of ways. Sometimes we create our own problems because of our disobedience. The sin that we allow in our life. Sometimes these pressures are imposed on us maybe about the sins of other people about someone who has hardened us slanderous troubles come in many packages many forms, but the good news is there is help, there is divine help. There is grace sufficient for every trial that we might ever face. Then we talk about grace.

I realize that there are multitudes of people today who have no concept of the need of grace. Talk about salvation today would simply say I don't think I will let bad actor had somebody save me one time. I'll take my chances. Somebody says that I just think God's loving God. I don't think he'll ultimately punish anybody. So the concept of needing grace is lost in the minds of multitudes. We love to sing the hymn amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a rich like me. John Newton appreciated what grace is all about his life had been extremely corrupt. But God had rescued turning around transforming and so he was able to write beautifully about the grace of God than talking of these recent messages about various aspects of God's grace talked about is electing love with talk last time about his redeeming grace will next be talking about his calling grace.

Salvation is all of grace from start to finish. And if you want time to see yourself as a bankrupt center and there's no question what you need rice, you're totally incapable of saving or helping to save yourself want to talk to you about another aspect of grace talking about being saved by grace with course are talking about the unmerited favor of God, but grace is not only unmerited favor. It is God's assistance that he gives us the Holy Spirit.

My text to second Corinthians chapter 12 in verse nine, the apostle Paul is writing of his experience and he sent me, my grace is sufficient for the 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, my grace is sufficient in order to appreciate what Paul is here saying we have to understand, then the need of grace and the fact is we are prone to be self-sufficient. From the standpoint we're taught that from early childhood when children get the places they like to be waited on hand and foot. So even when they're of an age that they can attend to some matters. Mothers are saying you can do that yourself the day of being fat is over you can feed yourself. You can tie your own shoes.

You can pick up your own clothes and clean your room come as a starting surprise to some young folks, but that's a reality well.

All my life were being told that we are to be independent not to be relying on other people and there's an element of truth in that we can get to the place that we're shirking our own responsibilities and we need to be diligent and not slothful because my training and because of the instinct of our own human nature. We are prone to be independent to fall.

We go beyond and we fail to recognize that we are to be dependent upon God that's indicated here in this chapter. Second Corinthians, Paul says in the seventh verse and list I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me, affording the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. This man had a remarkable experience. He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees for leader and Jews religion is either was such that he thought he was doing God a favor to persecute the church, God struck him down on the Damascus Road. His life was immediately changed. He saw the light he heard a voice, God sent Ananias to preach doing. He rejoiced in the gospel.

The Lord told him directly so that I can go up to Jerusalem and consult with the other apostles, the Lord taught him directly is my perfected cleanup into the third heaven, he was able to see things. He was not even allowed to talk about. They can save a man like that could easily have been elevated in product you can say God is single me out. My experience is most astounding on record only my experience at the time the Lord struck me down and spoke to me.

But in the teaching that he's done by catching me up into the third heaven itself is ever experienced. You become arrogant you could become overbearing, considering himself to be superior to all of the other apostles. What we know about the apostle Paul. We see evidence that he was indeed a humble man but God certainly knew all about the servant that he knew the potential of the human nature and so in order to keep him humble.

The Lord gave him a thorn in the flesh is been all kinds of speculation about what that thorn is and when it's all said and done at all.

It is a speculation because he doesn't tell us so there's no need to analyze and discuss that whatever it was it was uncomfortable. It was painful got a thorn in your flanks, your first reaction is to get rid of it is not.

It works like pain.

I want to thorn removed. He describes it to this degree, the messenger of Satan to buffet me. The purpose of it was that I should not be exalted above measure.

God is going to use this to humble this great man so that he will be an effective servant see the tendency to be self-sufficient, started a long time ago. It started in the garden of Eden.

Genesis chapter 3. Satan is speaking to Eve and says in the fifth verse for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be open, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil and the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband and with her and he did eat. The thought here and, of course, the first questions what God said.

Secondly, he encourages her to become independent. Even if you partake of this fruit, you become as God.

God doesn't have your best interest at heart. He's been trying to hold you back. But if you partake of it you will be dependent upon God.

You will be asked God's you know good and evil, you will be in a higher position than you now occupy and so part of the motivation for ease partaking of the forbidden fruit was I going to be independent and officer that was motivation with Eve was deceived Eve really thought she was going to better her situation by yielding to this temptation, but with Adam's sin with his eyes open. He knew what the facts were, but he was exercising his will independently I'm not going to listen to what God says I'm not going to keep his commandment to take matters in our hands. I would be with my wife. I'm going to do what she has suggested God created man to be dependent upon documents, slothful not to be lazy not to be indifferent to shirk responsibility to be dependent upon. Paul said in acts chapter 17 in him we live and move and have our being in this way God designed that we must be dependent upon him.

We see in Israel's history. The constant tendency to be independent to be self-sufficient not to have to trust in the living God. Psalm 81 Psalm 81 verse nine, there's a little strange.

God be in the neither shall worship any strange God. I am the Lord thy God which will be out of the land of Egypt open my mouth wide and I will fill it was the very first commandment you not to have any other gods before me forces I don't want you worshiping any strange God the promise that one and I will fill it. Many lacking anything. Miss how I'm going to supply your need to open your mouth in expectation, read this verse I think about a nest of baby birds and all those mouth wide open waiting for the motherboard to bring that want to feed their eager they have expectation for China's open mouth wide and I will fill it but my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would not of me. So I gave them up under their own hearts, lust, and they walked in their own counsel's how many of you here today would have to say I'm guilty.

I've done many times in my life. What Israel is here described as doing God said, open your mouth and I'll fill it but rather I would not hearken to his voice. God then let you go your own way. You know, really the force plight that can befall us is for God, for time to leave us alone. We make a royal mess out of things when God leads us alone make up our mind were going our own way to do her own thing and the Lord says all right let you do it old. The sad consequences. He gave them up to their own hearts, lust, and they walked in their own counsel specs self-sufficiency meeting about his counsel. I don't need the counsel of God. I don't mean the law of God.

I don't mean the word of God. Remember in the period of Israel's history. When the judges were raining rather than the kings, the testimony of that day was that Everyman did that which was right in his own eyes, and there was absolute chaos. Some of the most heinous crimes that are described in the Scriptures are in the book of Judges Everyman doing what was right in his owner's we can be thankful that God established civil government, and if it were not for the concept of government to control corrupt sinful man. Anarchy and chaos would exist in our culture today because determination is seen all around us and sadly seen in us a desire to walk according to our own counsel. Many find today can anybody tell me anything children reach a point what my parents would tell me anything lives don't preach to me what the Bible says about being submissive.

My husband has been saying talk to me about me being involved in supporting the my wife and loving her. Even the difficult times because I'm the breadwinner not be enough. All these things just to walk according to my own counsel to seek God works to show us our need. He did that with Paul by giving him a thorn in the flesh something evidently, but he had to deal with everyday every day, seven days a week wherever he went, whatever he did yesterday with a thorn in the flesh, God has a way of showing us our need.

Deuteronomy chapter 8 verse 2000. Remember, all the way which the Lord thy God led the these 40 years in the wilderness to believe and to prove the Internet what was in Barnhart for that. I was keep his commandments are no God led his people in the wilderness to a place where they were absolutely shut up to his grace and mercy to sustain you think about here are over a million souls leaving behind the place they lived, as a people for 400 years there in the wilderness there without water there without brand survive, God brought them there so that dependence upon him was not optional. It was absolutely necessary to prove the humbling verse three and he humbled me and suffered the hunger and family with manna which thou knowest not. Neither did I father's nosy when he did feed the defendant was something with which they were not even acquainted. He gave them food that was rained down from heaven, so that they had to recognize this is not the result of our labor. This is not because were so creative that we figured out how to survive in the wilderness.

This is what God has provided that he might make Victor know that man does not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live and then verse 11 where talking now about when they would come in the land that he would bless them and give them that beautiful land toward which they had traveled aware that thou forget the Lord thy God and keeping his commandments and his judgments, and his statutes which I command you this day. Last, when thou hast eaten and are full, and has built goodly houses and dwell therein when the herds of my flocks multiply by silverback gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast, is multiplied Barnhart be lifted up, and I forget the Lord thy God, which brought the forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. He says now. Beware when you come into the land I give you land that flows with milk and honey I'm giving you the best land I'm fulfilling all the promises and covenants that I made with their fathers. Beware, let your heart be lifted up, lest you forget when you come in your living in beautiful houses and you're enjoying an abundant harvest in your drinking water out of whales that you did not being not forget I'm the one that has sustained you for 16 who fed Lee in the wilderness with manna. Fathers knew not that he might humbling that he might prove the to do the good F highlighter in thou say in Barnhart my power and mine might have gotten me this wealth. Many times, maybe have you been guilty of that you're enjoying a measure of prosperity today that you never thought possible in your younger years you never dreamed you have what you now have and how many times you sit back and take full credit for it, but I've been diligent in a hard worker.

I've been in the student saver been able to make wise investments. Look where I am.

How did you get there. How did you get there. It's only by the mercy of God. It's only by his grace. Beware lest you be lifted up and say my power and the might of Monahan have gotten me this wealth facet.

Remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth the power to get wealth gave you the body strong enough to get out of work every day. Who gave you the mind capable of reasoning in the RAM that has made you a success. It's God, that giveth the power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he swear under that father's God works to show us our need. You did that with Paul. He did that with Israel and we must come to see the insufficiency in our self signature.

I don't know about this sound little different than what I was taught at school.

Sounds a little different than what I read recently in a magazine article some professor say just the other day on an interview on television. Building one's self-esteem is absolutely crucial to their development.

You're saying that I will see my own insufficiency.

You see the difference is the self-esteem concept comes from human philosophy. What I'm preaching to you comes from the word of God. Our concern is not self-esteem Christ disdain keys to be esteemed above all else, Haiti's first he's foremost were to love the Lord our God with all our mind, heart and soul and strength see ourselves as insufficient. Second Chronicles chapter 20 in the third verse and Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah sometimes wonders fear person runs away instead of being drawn to the Lord in the midst of my fear I just give up. I don't think there's any help for me. But all that our fears might drive us to the Lord who is the one who alone can help us. Judah gathered themselves together to help the Lord, even out of all the cities verse six says the Lord our God of our fathers are not how God in heaven, and rulers knocked out over all the kingdoms of the evening. Monahan is not power and Mike so that none is able to withstand the art, not our God who just drive out the inhabitants of this land for my people Israel and gave the seed of Abraham by friend forever. Pray they heard that the enemy is attacking Jehoshaphat the leader, though he's afraid says we need to seek God and they come to ask help of the Lord and asking help the Lord there addressing him as a God of power. The sovereign God not now the God that does drive out the inhabitants of the land. Pray this prayer to inform God.

They pray this prayer to build their own faith to encourage them that they might believe God is able verse 12 all our God will thou not judge them for we have no might against this great company come up against us. Neither know we want to do, but our eyes upon the neck. Here is an absolute clear-cut confession of insufficiency, Lord, we don't want to do so well at some good leadership is.

How could the people have confidence in Jehoshaphat.

If he leaves them in this prayer, and admits Lord believe that I don't want to stand against enemy, but he says our eyes upon the we have no might or where willing from time to time to recognize that were kind of running out of steam were little discoveries were little disheartened but we are very reluctant to get to the point where we come humbly before God and say Lord I have exhausted all my resources. I have no might in fact I don't even have the ideas I don't know what to do.

I'm not witty but you know the Lord brings us there periodically because it's only there that we absolutely trust him by faith as long as we can figure out some little scheme. As long as we can determine about how we can fix our problem will be working at. We just resist whatever fiber is us coming to the place of absolute trash dependence upon the but God is glorified when we depend on God is most glorified when we are in the lighting work going elsewhere for help delighting in God we are saying that action. I do not believe that the help I need can be found in him. I'm willing to explore every other possibility. I'm willing to try every conceivable method rather than coming to the place of admitting I am weak. I have no ideas but by faith. I told him now. Those people in that day found the help they needed. In fact, God's answer to them was the battle is the Lord's, and on that occasion. While there were times that the people had to go forward in the battle and God enable them to win the victory in the old had to do was stand and see what God would do to provide the victory for the battle is the Lord's learned that his old preacher. I know that's true when it comes to the great conquest between good and evil. I know that as far as the spiritual warfare is concerned, we must put on the whole armor of God, and know that Jesus Christ is the captain of our salvation and he will win the final battle on the wall that understand the things I'm dealing with little frustration. Sometimes they're not so little, but the setbacks and reversals in the struggles of my own heart. I don't know that that applies to me. Does it into because that's the purpose of our message God brings us to the place we can see our insufficiency would go to the first part of this message. My grace is sufficient will be continuing with part two tomorrow.

I hope you will be tuning in. At that time, I would appreciate it if you take time to write this Baptist Bible hour box 17/37, Cincinnati, OH 45217.

Reach her at the same time tomorrow. The system share Bradley Junior beating you goodbye and they can't publish and in all