2 Corinthians

[0:00] Seeking the Lord's help, I'd like your attention to the second epistle of Paul to the Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 9.

[0:13] The second epistle of Paul to the Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 9. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee.

[0:27] 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.

[0:47] And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee. My strength is made perfect in weakness.

[0:58] Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

[1:13] What a long way the apostle had come from the days of his life as a Pharisee.

[1:27] When he gloried in his own righteousness and walked in his own strength. He had been brought by the teaching of God to a different place.

[1:51] And truly we can say a better place. He had come to glory not in his own strength.

[2:08] Not in his own wisdom. Not in his own righteousness. But as he speaks here in his infirmities.

[2:20] It was the work of the Spirit of God teaching him in his heart. And he had gone to this place where the Lord had so worked in sanctification.

[2:41] For what a long path it had been to come here in the fullness of his heart. Most gladly therefore will I glory in mine infirmity.

[2:56] To walk beneath the cross. To take up his cross readily, affectionately, lovingly, willingly.

[3:13] To take up this thorn in the flesh. It is a remarkable word. Quite unique in scripture.

[3:26] The thorn in the flesh which the Lord had given him. Painful, crucifying. Divinely given, divinely ordered.

[3:39] Initially rejected. Now received in love. Into his soul. And we believe. An avenue.

[3:52] To fellowship with Christ in his sovereign. To walk in the crucifying sorrows of his dear Redeemer.

[4:05] And enter into that prayer which he uttered in his letter to the church at Philippi. That I might know him.

[4:15] The power of his resurrection. And the power of his resurrection. Having fellowship with him in his suffering. Being made conformable unto his death.

[4:27] The Lord orders the steps of his dear people. With love and mercy.

[4:40] That they might be brought nearer to him. Into closer union with him.

[4:51] God moves. God moves. In a mysterious way. Wrote Caper. His wonders to perform.

[5:03] You know. It wasn't long after Caper penned that precious hymn. So blessed in the hearts of the tried family of God.

[5:16] That he entered into ten years of great darkness. His thorn in the flesh. A weak and feeble mind.

[5:28] Brought down under great darkness and temptation. Yet we can see the grace of God. As the cloud was over him. The cloud ye so much dread.

[5:44] Are big with mercy. And shall break in blessings on your head. When we come to look at this word here tonight.

[5:58] That has rested in our hearts over many months now. Many times. It abides with us.

[6:10] Beauty of this word. And especially the opening central feature of it. My grace. Is sufficient for thee.

[6:23] How far. Has the Lord in your life. Had to stoop down in suffering sorrows.

[6:34] That his everlasting arms may reach. Right underneath you. Or ask yourself that question.

[6:45] When we look at this word. My grace. My grace. It refers. To the sufferings of Christ.

[6:57] His. Everlasting loving kindness. His willingness. To come here below. To suffer for his dear people. We read of God.

[7:12] It became him. In bringing many sons unto glory. To make the captain of their salvation.

[7:22] Perfect. Through suffering. The Lord's purpose is. To bring his. Dear people. To have a little sweet.

[7:34] Fellowship with him. Understanding. Of the path he walked. For them. But we will come. To the words before us now.

[7:49] Firstly. What is. To be noticed. Is the opening. Words of this. Text. He said unto me.

[8:01] A. Glorious. Divine. Principle. Of God's. Of God's. Working. That he.

[8:11] Speaks. To his dear people. My sheep. He said. When here on earth. Hear my voice. And I know them.

[8:23] Oh the. Solemnity. Of a religion. That never. Has heard. The voice of Christ. That knows. That knows. Nothing.

[8:33] Of the word of God. Spoken into the heart. That knows. Nothing. Of the still. Small voice of God. That Elijah knew in the cave. That knows.

[8:44] Nothing. Of its sacred authority. Beautiful words. Regarding. Elijah.

[8:55] The still. Small voice. Of God. Spoken. Into his heart. This. Dear apostle. Knew.

[9:06] The voice. Of God. He. Knew. The power of it. He knew. The life. That was in him. Saul.

[9:22] Saul. Why persecute. Is thou me. He never forgot it. Lord. What would thou have me to do.

[9:37] From that day onward. His ear. Was circumcised. And he knew. The voice of God. And we have.

[9:48] That lovely description. Of him. Which the Lord. Gave to Ananias. Behold. He prayeth. I have often thought of that. There is prayer.

[10:01] And there is prayer. There is that. Which reaches. The ear. Of the Lord God. Of Sabaoth. And there is that.

[10:12] Which does not come from the heart. And falls from the lips. Dead. But when the Lord said. Of his dear servant. Behold. He prayeth. What a seal we have.

[10:24] Of real prayer. That I would have you. This night. Consider. And. Remember.

[10:36] Look back. On your pathway. And ask yourself. Do you come. Spiritually. In your experience.

[10:47] Into the compass. Of the truth. Here. Tonight. And he said. Unto me. Think back. Tonight. To the times.

[11:00] And the seasons. And the spots. And the places. And the sweetness. And the power. And the life. And the savor.

[11:10] Of the word of God. Spoken into your heart. Here we have a book. What if it is yours?

[11:24] What if it is mine? Can you take me through this book? And show me the places. Which the Lord has used.

[11:35] To speak into your case. Into my need. Into my circumstances. Into your circumstances. And they are never to be forgotten places.

[11:46] Perhaps. Even tonight. They are marked. In your Bible. They are in mine. I have marked.

[11:59] Those places. And. Marked the place. And the year. And the spot. When I was a child.

[12:12] 10. 12. 13. I always went. To. The good Friday services. At Bournemouth. And the late pastor. Mr. Harvey Carr. Preached.

[12:24] Many people. Used to say. Ah. He always tells. The same story. Well you know. As a child. It didn't matter to me that. I like the story. I was only a child.

[12:35] But you know. I have never forgotten. Dear old Harvey Carr. Leaning over the pulpit. And saying. I took.

[12:46] My dear wife. To Sheffield. And I said to her. There. The Lord met with me. Oh. What can you say.

[12:57] I could take you to Leicester. And to certain streets. And places. And spots. And truly say. There.

[13:07] The Lord met with me. For it was in that city. That he met with me. And called me out of the world. Never to be forgotten time. And he said.

[13:22] Under me. But I do ask you this. Tonight. What has he said to you. What has he spoken to you.

[13:36] By way of what Peter calls. Exceeding. Great. And. Precious promises. Have you got one. One. You will need one.

[13:50] If you are to reach eternity. I've preached. Much lately. From the promise. He gave to. Moses.

[14:01] My presence. Shall go with thee. And I will give thee rest. Beautiful word. Given to him.

[14:13] Eternally. And the promise. That was given. To. His dear servant. Joshua. As I was with Moses.

[14:24] So will I be with thee. I will not leave thee. Nor forsake thee. All given. Precious.

[14:40] Are these blessed words. Spoken into the souls. Of God's dear people. When applied with. Light. And power.

[14:50] And life. They are given. For life. To be pleaded. They are given. They are given. They are given. In life.

[15:05] To be pleaded. At the mercy seat. Then God's dear church. Can come to that place. Where they. Can truly say.

[15:17] In prayer to him. Lord. Thou said. Oh. What have you got. Tonight.

[15:28] That you. Can truly. Bring to God. In that manner. And. Say to him. Lord. Thou said. I tell you this. You'll need it.

[15:40] The pathway. Is not going to grow. Easier. The cross. The thorn in the flesh. Is not going to grow. Lighter. Is not.

[15:52] Going to grow less. It's going to grow. Heavier. And he said. Under me. But we move on.

[16:04] My grace. Is sufficient. For thee. There's a beautiful word.

[16:18] In the psalm. Which is repeated. Again and again. And it's this. His mercy. Endureth forever. When we come.

[16:32] To consider this word. Tonight. And it's this part. Of the text. That has rested. With us. So much. My grace. Oh.

[16:45] What a beautiful. Word. That is. It's composed. Of two parts. The love. And. Mercy. Of God.

[16:58] We read of it. In the epistle of Paul. To the Romans. Being. Justified. Freely. By his grace. Through the redemption.

[17:12] That is in Christ Jesus. And the center of that. Is grace. The whole center. Of the.

[17:23] Work of God. Is his love. In sovereign grace. To his dear people. People. His. Arm of mercy.

[17:36] The. Scepter. That was extended. To Queen Esther. From a sovereign ruler. So. That. Scepter. Of grace. Is extended.

[17:47] To his dear. People. The. The lower. The. They. Feel. To have come. In their.

[17:57] Fallen. Condition. The. Viler. They. Feel. To be. The. Humbler. They're. Brought. The more. Broken.

[18:07] They are. The more. They're. Brought. Down. To. Know. Themselves. And. See. Themselves. As God. Sees. Them.

[18:19] The more. They. See. And. Feel. And. Know. The heinous. Nature. Of their. Sins. Will. They. Comprehend. The. Sacredness.

[18:30] And. The. Blessedness. Of. This. Grace. But. I believe. Never. Get. To the. Bottom. Of it. Beautiful. Truth.

[18:41] Here. Sufficient. The. Blackest. Deepest. Dye. Darkest.

[18:52] Sinner. Out. Of. Hell. Who. Lives. To. Feel. His. Need. Is. Welcome. To. The. Throne. Of. Grace.

[19:02] The. Saviour's. Blood. To. Pleased. Oh. I. Believe. That. The. More. Sin. Is. Known. And. Felt. The. More. The. Beauty. And.

[19:12] Blessedness. Of. This. Truth. Will. Be. Known. In. The. Heart. My. Grace. It. Extends. Down. And. I. Felt. Tonight. Underneath.

[19:27] Are. The. Everlasting. Arms. Annual.terrorism.cost. In. Peace. virользicot. Age. They. Live. After.

[19:37] Will. anniversary. Any. Of. God's. Mercy. Or. Love. Woahah. They. Are. The. Recipients. Are. In. Its. Drew. Sense.

[19:50] That. They. Are. Wari. of the least of His mercies. And it is on that account that in glory their anthem is as a direct consequence unto Him what He's done for them.

[20:20] How He's watched over them. How He has kept them. How He has taught them. How He has brought them.

[20:32] How He has carried them. Mids to all their unbelief and fears and rebellion and temptation and sorrows and self-pity yet underneath have been those arms deep, deep, deep down they have caught a glimpse at times of the sweetness and sacredness and savour of this precious truth.

[21:06] My grace is sufficient for Thee. It is a pathway that has to be walked out to be understood.

[21:27] It is a truth that we have to walk in. I have felt lately that the three men in the fire heated seven times hotter had to go that way in order to understand this word.

[21:47] and in the fire heated seven times hotter his death around them eternity before them then they knew what it was for Him to walk with them in that furnace.

[22:13] And there they entered in to the all-sufficiency of this grace. And the Lord is preparing His dear people for that solemn hour when they will pass through that last fiery furnace in the valley of the shadow of death then to prove and walk out the all-sufficiency of those everlasting arms underneath.

[22:44] And know the peace of God which passeth all understanding in a dying hour. We have seen it. I never forget standing at the dying bed of my late dear brother in the truth John Rayner.

[22:59] I saw it with my late wife peace on a dying bed John said to me I'm going to heaven and I know I am.

[23:14] Oh the grace sufficient to rejoice in a dying hour all fear taken away there in the presence of the mercy and love of God sweetly walked in under the shadow of his wings with the everlasting arms underneath he walked in the glory of that truth there is none like unto the God of Jeshurun who rideth upon the heaven in thy help and in his excellency upon the sky the eternal God is thy refuge there is a walking in it and a knowing of it and in it in the midst of the fiery furnace there is peace my grace is sufficient the Lord Jesus when he left his disciples and he speaks to his church in all future generations he said my peace

[24:15] I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you in the world ye shall have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world there is a walking in that peace there is a knowledge in this all sufficient grace of the peace of God which passeth all understanding there is rest in the arms of the eternal God Moses when he lay in the ark of the bulrushes was in the arms of his God and when the Lord put it into the heart of Pharaoh's daughter to care for him he was in the arms of his God and when he came to die he was in the same arms of his God watched over loved cared for proving the sufficiency of that grace when he walked in defiance and disobedience when he was in the chastening hand of his

[25:25] God when he was barred from entering the promised land when he stood on Pisgah the still the grace of God was sufficient oh how the Lord brings his dear people to that blessed place thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty they shall behold the land which is far off only one way through the all sufficiency of his grace and you know sinners need it and they feel to need it and they walk in the sweet knowledge of the precious nature of it and they value it and they return to it and they love it and they come to it again and again sovereign grace is not an offense in their ear they want a sovereign God to keep them and hold them they see the beauty and blessedness of an everlasting covenant the beautiful promise the

[26:37] Lord gave to Jeremiah yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love and therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee and and the lovely promise given to Ebed Melech thou shalt not fall by the sword but thy life would I give for a prayer unto thee because thou hast put thy trust in me saith the Lord a humble eunuch servant of the court yet loved of the king of kings one who felt a sweet union to the dear prophet Jeremiah my grace sovereign grace is sufficient for thee the power that lies here in God's grace unbreakable unchangeable unalterable that will gather his dear people to glory and as he said to

[27:44] Jeremiah I know the thoughts eternal thoughts that I think towards you thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end I am with thee Israel passing through the fire all the blessed truths that lie here my grace I will never leave thee nor forsake thee I say again we shall need it and then the Lord goes on in this word for it's not the end of it to his dear servant my grace is sufficient for thee perfect in weakness beautiful subject you know divine strength God's strength do you know anything of it the apostle says in another place

[28:50] I can do all things through Christ that strength in his me and I read tonight that catalogue of his suffering sorrows what a catalogue the solemn beatings that he passed through cast out for dead day and night in the deep and all the perils and suffering sorrows he passed through my strength is sufficient for thee I can do all things through Christ that strengthen his me you say I can't walk this way I can't carry this cross I can't bear this thorn in the flesh ah have you any evidence of the strength of God have you known it one secret word dropped into your soul one precious divine whisper in your ear one one sweet word of comfort in your soul one precious promise the

[30:09] Lord said to Abraham I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward what a promise oh what a strength and when the promises of God are spoken into the hearts of his dear children they're like Elijah they run before the chariot of Ahab in their strength and they know their weakness as Elijah did oh how we have in the scriptures the whole orbit of the experience of the dear saints of God and we see the Lord's dear servant the sweet psalmist of Israel going from the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want to murder and adultery and we see Elijah going from Carmel to falling before Jezebel and we see the extent of the grace of God that follows his dear church this all sufficient grace this strength made perfect in weakness as the psalmist is brought into the 51st psalm in confession and brokenness of contrition of heart broken and a contrite heart oh

[31:36] God thou art not despite all the strain confession contrition a broken heart and Elijah asking to have his life taken away and that beautiful word arise and eat the journey is too great for the grace of God do you know anything of it the Lord that has stooped to you perhaps in a time of great condemnation great weakness great fear great temptation and you have felt those everlasting arms about you and known the grace of your God with you my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness all the path of God's dear church abject weakness abject poverty

[32:45] Lord save or I perish said Peter as he sank on the waters and the Lord stretched forth his arm oh ye of little faith wherefore did she die the grace that was there and was felt in his heart blessedly felt oh look in your soul tonight and search your path spiritually do you understand this grace and do you know something of strength divine strength God God God given strength his presence made perfect in weakness your weakness your fear your temptation and his peace that passes all understanding my peace

[33:56] I give unto you it's divine it comes from God it's given to his dear people and they know the peace of God when the wagon came up the wagons came up and Jacob saw them he moved from that place all these things are against me to that place that beautiful place it's enough it's enough he bowed down under the sight of the grace of God he had lost sight of it but he was brought there sweetly to see the mercy of

[34:56] God and the hand of God oh how God's dear people often have to pass through long hard bitter affliction crucifying sorrows thorns in the flesh to come to this place it's enough to see the hand of their God in it and to have such a sweet entrance into the words that the Lord spoke to his dear servant the apostle my strength is made perfect in weakness now what was the effect upon the apostle Paul of the word of God spoken to him in his own soul it had a gracious effect when the Lord speaks in the hearts of his dear children there is an effect and we can see here tonight the gracious effect of the word of

[36:00] God in the soul of his dear servant no longer did he ask to have the thorn in the flesh removed there was a complete reversal now he was willing under the divine teaching and the power of the promise to take up his cross and to follow his master and we come to this remarkable word most gladly therefore will I glory oh it's a strong word you know the Lord Jesus Christ set his face as a flint to go to Jerusalem with desire have I desired to drink this cup with you before I suffer beautiful word all the love that was in those words with desire have I desired and it was the cup of suffering sorrow it was the cup which he said in

[37:28] Gethsemane's garden if it be possible let this cup pass from me this is the path that the apostle Paul came to most gladly therefore will I glory in mine infirmity to bow beneath the cross the weakness the pathway the thorn in the flesh which the Lord had given him that the power of Christ may rest upon me there is nothing in life's pathway more precious than this that we may walk in paths of such infirmity solely and alone that the power of

[38:36] Christ may rest upon us that we may be strengthened with all might in the inner man and it is a preparation for the valley of the shadow of death yea says the psalmist though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me thy rod and thy staff they comfort me thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies thou anointest my head with oil my cup runneth over surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever the power of Christ may rest upon me all it is to walk in his presence to know his strength to partake of the food that

[40:17] Elijah partook of that day when the Lord said arise and eat the journey is too great for thee and he went in the strength of it many days to Mount Horeb 40 days oh the strength of Christ the dear man of God had known that strength at Cherith he knew the provision at Zarephath he walked in the light of his countenance and in the answer of his prayers on Carmel ran before the chariot of Ahab in that same strength and he went to Horeb in it what do we know of the beauty of the truth arise and eat the journey is too great for thee most gladly therefore will I rather glory in mine infirmities that the power of

[41:21] Christ may rest upon me peu eyes see the king in his beauty and behold the land that is afar off the child of God walks out the footsteps of his master sorrows and afflictions and temptations are his law but in the way the strength of his God is sweetly known he proves him in experience to be faithful to his holy word and he walks in the beauty of that lovely word when most we need his helping hand this friend is always near with heaven and earth at his command he waits to answer prayer do you need him tonight do you need this precious strength what is your thorn in the flesh what is your cross what is your sorrow oh the grace when given sufficient grace all sufficient grace will enable you to come to the pathway with these words most gladly therefore will I rather glory in mine infirmities not have them taken away receive them into my bosom that in the midst of them the power of Christ may rest upon me that you may walk in the sweet experience of that blessed truth happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his health amen amen