Beyond Ourselves - Part 2

Love them to the intense podcast. It's outstanding for Tuesday, January 11 all Christian faith difficult to handle and in a variety of ways today have responding correctly to confusing circumstances reveals Jesus Christ as the source of your strength. There those experiences in life that are beyond our control beyond our strength to endure and if we don't know the key to that endurance. We will tumble and fall sooner or later, and I want you to turn to a passage of Scripture written by man who understood so very very well what it meant to be pushed to the limits of his strength and how to go beyond our human limits and endure and survive and trial over the most difficult circumstances in life. Second Corinthians chapter 1 verse eight. The list of these words that he uses he says if you notice in verse eight he says brethren of our affliction which means a crushing pressure.

This wasn't a bad cold or flu is about to hurt his feelings. He was in a situation where he was feeling crushed by the pressure of the circumstance he says which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively burdened, excessively means he was way down beyond his capacity he thought it was use in terms of a slow sinking ship. I ship that was gradually sinking. He said that's what I felt we were so burdened excessively. We were just thinking hundred pieces beyond our strength. That is when he examined his own limitations and Lucas to see what was happening to me is that this is going beyond my endurance beyond my strength these is beyond our strength to the fact that he says we even despaired of life and what he saying there is this from the looks of things where he was at the moment the sentence of death had Artie been passed upon he was expecting to die in this particular situation. Now there are many people who live in those circumstances every day and how they survive God's people how they survive.

Well, when you look at this patch of Scripture, yet also conclude this. And that is that the strength required to enable us to endure those circumstances beyond our human power and strength is available in the person of Jesus Christ that I know that may be a simplified statement that the power the energy required to enable us to face these things triumphantly and victoriously is to be found in Christ.

But it is licit if God did not strengthen others and empower us listen if the gospel of Jesus Christ doesn't deal with where I have to live in a practical way. There's something wrong with the book shut the thing up and walk out, but it is the adequacy and the sufficiency of the person of Jesus Christ to endure hardship, and the face difficulty and hardship and trials in criticism and rejection and all the rest. This is the living Christ. He's not a dead Savior. The tomb somewhere.

We have a living Christ and the power of the Lord Jesus Christ adequate and sufficient 2000 years ago is the same adequate living Christ that is available to you and me to face any trial, situation, difficulty, hardship, persecution, and keep moving in our progress in our growth in the Lord Jesus Christ is what Paul is talking when he said he's of the sentence of death was upon us. He said we were at the point of despair beyond our strength. He said even of life itself.

Look, if you will. And second, prisons 12 and I want us to notice a conflict what appears to be a conflict. You recall that Paul said in Ephesians chapter 6, he said, be strong in the Lord. He told him of the be strong in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ… Like a contradiction the one hand he's safe, be strong in the Lord, on the other hand, he says in second print is chapter 12.

Look at that. He says in verse five on behalf of such a man speaking of himself will boast that Omar Omar own behalf. I will not boast, except in regard to my weakness. He says you all and I will boast of.

He's not boast about my weaknesses, look in verse nine he said he discovered that God's grace is sufficient to and he said again in verse nine. Most grammar. Therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell in me, and verse 10 he says when we come strong know what kind of doubletalk is that I wait a minute Paul, on the one hand you commanding the strong in the Lord, on the other hand you saying that I love to be weak but does that make any sense until you understand his word policy pauses. Here's what I discovered is the most amazing thing he said, I have discovered that when I am weak and I get weaker and weaker and weaker and weaker and weaker and weaker pieces while I'm down here in my weakest moments he says here's what I discovered is in those moments I feel the greatest storage of this supernatural divine energy either intellectually either emotionally moral or spiritual, physical. He says he's is in that weakest moment of my life. That's when I get the biggest surge of the power of God working in my life. So he says here's what I discovered. I discovered instead of despising weakness and feeling out of control and helpless, which none of us like none of us like to feel out of control. No one wants to feel helpless. Nobody likes weakness on a like that in the morning about ill.

No one likes that. But you see his or Paul discover he's at his right discovered if I am willing to experience great weakness that I can experience great strength to the degree I am willing to be weak to the same degree. I am willing to experience strength which says I have to be able to prod problem because you see, no one likes to admit a week.

I'm frail BC. Today's world says be strong be beautiful be handsome.

The rich BBB. All of these things are what God says. The poor in spirit full of weakness. Humility in the world hates that they can't stand that they despise weakness in order God says he's is I love it. Now I don't like it very well to be honest, and probably you don't need of your honest none of us like to feel weak out of control helpless but when you and I learned that it is in those weakest moments when we cannot.

We're out of control. We can't do anything about it. That's when God is free to do his greatest work, and empowering and strengthening us.

That's when we become the most equipped the most enable the software to experience to do it no matter what the trial may be we can walk through it, not with a sad face not having a pity party. Not complaining and moaning and groaning, though sometimes were tempted to do that but he says no matter what's going on there is a power and strength available to the children of God.

And so Paul's on the one hand, be strong in the Lord, but a similar lunge of something is what I've learned. The prelude to great strength is great weakness. He says the introduction and introduction of your life into the greatest expressions of the power of God. It is always an introduction through the valley of weakness. So if you want those persons who can't stand rejection can't stand criticism case and conflict huge on the wrong family when you got in the family of God, because that's the way it is in this me the check to be crude and rude and obnoxious, but simply do not live the believer's life, and we are true the word of God deliver the word of God. We are going to be criticized. We going to be rejected going to be gossip about Donnie persecuted pain not don't understand the so what the issue is this not how people treat us but how we respond to the treatment and is resend the beginning.

For some people are destroyed, but in some people. They grow by we make the choice.

You see, you can't blame your circumstances on someone else's a woman so inserted on this and so uncertain on that I'm responsible to God for my reactions to the circumstances and how situations in life.

I may have to face and pauses.

I will tell you it doesn't make any difference if you push to the limit and beyond the limit.

He says it is make an image of you despairing in your abs.

The hopeless and helpless in the car, trapped. He says there is a way to endure to survive. Not having pity parties and complaining and wanting some of the feel sorry for you, triumphantly, victoriously, with a perfect abiding peace in your heart and that is the relying upon the Lord Jesus Christ to be your strength and totally your strength in that situation no matter what that of someone else and said that the Scripture somewhere along the way that I did make a big strong impression is made, we can say well you know this that the other about an inch case so that what the apostle Paul because he is a man who experience that now if you think about the character and the nature of the strength that he gives this and he says the strength that he gives to all of us whenever we are facing is unsurpassable is unsurpassable.

One of our problems is we won't. We somehow we can't believe that God would love us enough all that he's interested enough in you as a student in your classroom are you on your job to be genuinely interested after arming the focus is divine attention upon your circumstance and provide exactly what you need for that moment this day. That day the next day. The next week, next month, next year and to keep unit situation.

We say will God. Why you see this is the promise of God my God shall supply what all your need according to his riches in glory. Listen one of the riches of the grace of God for you and me is the power and the strength to live the face to endure to survive and to do so victoriously and triumphantly. God doesn't want you in the failing in the Christian life. We all do at times, but he wants us to learn the truth the know-how to walk through difficult and as we said before, the only reloads get thrown into most people just want you to give him a book given the passage preach a sermon got it know you have because I discovered in my own life.

Many truths that I learned at the log got that one down and then the Lord sends me a big test along the way and I realize no I don't have it down. I thought I learned no what I did is I heard it and understood it and I believe it, but then learned how I learned by getting thrown in the fire.

That's how you learned look, if you will, in Ephesians chapter 1, when Paul was writing there in his prayer of the Ephesian Christians is what he prayed for Ephesians chapter 1 he says in verse 18.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of his calling.

One of the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and he says he is my his no part of my prayer for you. He says I want you to experience and to know what is the surpassing greatness of his power toward us. You know what he saying he says the power that Almighty God. The strength that he makes available for his children is unsurpassable.

You know what that says that Satan cannot throw anything in your path. With all of his satanic power to match missing this Satan cannot throw anything in your path. With all of his satanic power to match the supernatural divine power available to the believer in the person of Jesus Christ. Satan's power can even begin to match it. This is on the surpassing power. Does that mean will be no tears, no it does mean that is that the mean will be no hurt, no sorrow, no heartache, no notice schedule does mean that all but it means through the tears through the heart ache for the suffering through the trial through the tribulation through the hurt rejection through all of these things further criticism. Through all of that you will be sustained and be able to endure. No matter what.

That is the grace of God that is the love of God that is the goodness of God, and it is available unsurpassable adequate, efficient available strength and power. God, which is the gift of God isn't something I had to beg and plead for isn't something after work up for he says that is the gift of God. When you receive Jesus, you got it and it comes in a very simple way how I get the strength and power least in my life. Acknowledging that I'm absolutely totally helpless God. If you don't do it. I give way won't work you have to do a lot I can do it the confession and acknowledgment of weakness and helplessness and we don't like to do that and even willing to say to someone.

I feel so weak and so an adequate. You see, listen to me carefully. Now you can tell God that in private but act strong in public and I don't think it works.

I think you have to say to someone. There was you. I think that there is a requirement of a humbling of ourselves to say I am inadequate. I am weak and got I can't listen weakness listen for the growing child of God. Weakness is inviting.

We understand the power of weakness. We understand the power of humility.

I don't mean some fake humbleness. I'm talking about genuinely relying upon him. The acknowledgment of her weakness and just sing him got I relying upon you. I cannot you if you don't do is not going to happen. And thirdly, simply believing that he'll do what he said. He says my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory when when I needed how long ever. How long outdated how much ever. How much on the you will know why God brings us to the point of weakness, you will know why God brings to the point of absolute helplessness.

His is a reason because he wants to bring us to the point that we have to absolutely totally rely upon him and my friend there is no greater expression of trust in God than the say father absolutely cannot.

If you don't is not going and what is their due. It acknowledges our weaknesses, their inadequacies we throw ourselves helplessly upon God, and we trust him to do and to be what he says he is doing what he says he will be now. I don't know what you're going through, but I know this, you have two ways to respond. You can respond by having a pity party. You can respond by bitterness, hostility and anger, resentment, you can respond by an unforgiving spirit. You can respond by getting Cindy go check out walk away walk out whatever you have to do.

That's one way, but here's what you lose, you lose the also indescribable experience of growing in your Christian life by leaps and bounds through the most difficult trying times of life, or you can respond by confessing, acknowledging your weakness.

Throwing yourself at the mercy of God, the goodness and love of God and trusting him his will happen, you will become richer in your understanding of the ways of God. And there's no wealth in the world to match that richer and your understanding of the ways of God. Listen, you will become stronger in your faith in the power of God stronger in your faith in the power of God that his powers absolute sufficient and you know what else will happen.

You will be overwhelmed in your heart at the way God expresses his love toward you covers you with love surround you with love undergirds you with love this loving God who walks with you and who envelops you and love the most difficult trying hurtful circumstances of life. He is this adequate loving Lord Jesus who walks by her side as well as lives on the inside.

I don't know about you but I'm telling you, I tried it both ways. The first way doesn't work you can do in your own strength and survive. And there's a better way. If you want to become rich in understanding the ways of God. If you want to become stronger in your faith in the power of God and if you want to become overwhelmed inexperience in the love of God the way to do it is technology weakness and helplessness. Throw yourself upon God rest in him and trust him to be in you and through you everything you need at this moment in your life and my friend no matter what your circumstance this I can absolutely assure you Jesus Christ, the son of God, who is your Savior.

If you have trusted him as your personal savior who dwells on the inside of you will release all the power and the strength necessary to enable you to face what you're facing, victoriously, triumphantly, with great joy. Through it all. Thank you for listening to part 211, beyond ourselves, and not by intense.org/45 years to join in celebrating 45 years of God's faithfulness to this ministry is back after the presentation of intense ministries