Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.—2 Corinthians 1:3–11

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.—2 Corinthians 12:7–10

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.—2 Corinthians 13:14

Introduction: Free in Christ to Confess Weakness

If you were to read my job description, you would see that two of the big categories are “vision” and “congregational care,” which basically means I’m supposed to prayerfully think through where the culture and mission of South Campus is going and how we make sure people are cared for well along that journey. This sermon is an attempt to bring both of those categories together.

My vision for the kind of place the South Campus will be is a place filled with people that confess that we are weak. And that kind of place will serve our mission, because the downcast, the broken, and the hurting with whom we share the gospel in our neighborhoods will be able to relate to people who admit they are weak and are trusting in a strong Savior.

And being that kind of place will help our congregational care because you will be willing to admit you are weak and need care.

So often, even as Christians, we have bought the cultural lie and even value of self-sufficiency. We have bought the Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest culture that filters everything and always shows a strong, happy, and carefully presented front. When most people ask us, “How are you doing?” The answer is almost inevitably a quick, Minnesota-nice, “Good.”

But, what do you do when you’re not “good?” What do you do when you’re full of doubts about what is next in life or even your faith? What do you do when the emotional pain won’t stop? What do you do when you are just worn out from parenting and want to give up? Or when your marriage is just really, really ugly? What do you do when you’re consumed with fear and anxiety? Or when you’re paralyzed by shame? Or maybe you just feel lonely or like your responsibilities are too much, but then you feel stupid because you don’t think your problems are as big as other people’s and you don’t think you should feel that way.

So, in this sermon I am praying that we might be set free in Christ to confess our weakness to God (he already knows it) and to each other. That from the depths of our souls we would know that we are not alone in our weakness, in fact, Christ knows our weakness and is a merciful High Priest and will move toward us in our weakness. And then, that we might begin to live out that mercy to others as we confess and then lean toward each other in our weakness, instead of live isolated lives of weariness and hiding our weakness. If we will do that, it will be the beginning of care for each other and this will be a safe place to welcome in the broken and the hurting looking for rest in Jesus.

What Is God Creating in Our Weakness? (2 Corinthians 1:8-11)

Now, each of these passages deserve a couple of their own sermons, but we’re just going to quickly look at the way Paul lays down this paradigm of weakness and God’s purposes in it throughout the book of 2 Corinthians.

For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.—2 Corinthians 1:8–11

So, what is God creating in the weakness of our suffering? God is creating dependent, prayerful people whose only hope is him. Do you see that? Paul “does not want them to be unaware” of his sufferings and of how he felt about it. Does that sound like you? “I just want people to know how much I’ve been suffering and how I am beyond my strength. I just want people to know that I didn’t want to go on another day. I just want people to know that I felt like I was carrying death around inside of me.”

When someone says, “How have you been?” when was the last time you said, “Oh, I’m just despairing of life itself.” Not exactly a Minnesota-nice conversation starter. Paul is an apostle and is feeling this way.

And, Paul wants them to know because of what he sees, God was creating in that moment. He says, “That was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” God is stripping Paul of everything to give him a deeper dependence on God. God is mercifully showing Paul his weakness so Paul will depend on Gods’ strength.

I remember one particular time of suffering in our lives when it just seemed like too much to bear. And my sinful bent is prone toward working harder or working longer to find solutions. But, in this particular situation, I couldn’t help. I was helpless. And I remember asking God, “You need to show me some of the good you’re apparently working in this situation.” That’s an arrogant prayer. And yet, God in his mercy, the next day, brought me to this passage. And he gently said to me, “I’m weaning your family off of self-sufficiency and bring you to deeper dependence on me. I am giving you more of me in this. More intimacy. More trust.” And it’s a lesson I’m still having to learn every day.

And here’s the thing—dependent people pray more. There’s no hope in themselves and so they have to ask for help. The facade of self-sufficiency has fallen and so they even begin to admit their weakness to others and ask others to pray with them. Right? You can’t see this any clearer than in children. I don’t know about your kids, but mine are not afraid to just ask and ask and ask for whatever their perceived need is in that moment. There’s no shame in their weakness for them.

So, if you feel weak and broken right now. If you are despairing of life itself, if you feel like you’re carrying this brokenness around with you, it is not a sign that God is far, but is likely a sign that God is trying to draw you near by weaning you off of any of your ultimate hope in yourself or others and bringing you to deeper dependence and intimacy with him. And if you feel weak and broken now, admit it to others and have them join you in carrying your burdens to the Lord in prayer. God means to create dependent, prayerful people in our weakness.

What Is God Displaying in Our Weakness? (2 Corinthians 4:7–18)

But, God is doing more than just teaching us dependence, he is displaying a deep truth about the gospel in these things.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.—2 Corinthians 4:7–12

In these weaknesses and sufferings, God is showing that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. And, I think that there is a specific kind of power being shown off here. If you were to read right before this, Paul has just gotten done talking about how God, in his power, shines the gospel into hearts to raise them from death to life. And then, for those in Christ, God doesn’t suddenly make us strong enough to do it on our own, instead Paul says, this resurrection power, this new life is in jars of clay. Weak, fragile vessels. Why? Because God is going to display over and over again his resurrection power in our lives.

As we are afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, struck down, and carrying around in the body the death of Jesus, but we are not crushed, forsaken, destroyed, and displaying the life of Jesus in our bodies, God is showing his resurrection power. All of these sufferings, these weaknesses, this fragileness is shouting the reality of death, and yet, our faith does not die.

As we continually experience weakness that seems like it should snuff out our faith, and as God continually meets us with new mercies every morning and sustains our faith, it shouts to the world that there is God who works life in death. There is a God who overcomes whatever the suffering and sinfulness of this world can throw at his people. There is a God who will not allow his people to ultimately be crushed. He will not forsake them. He will not let them be destroyed. He will sustain their faith. He will not put out a smoldering wick or break a bruised reed.

Christian, when you admit that you’re feeling afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down, when you admit your weakness, it gives God the canvas to then display in bright colors his very life-creating, life-sustaining, resurrecting power as your faith stays alive. But, being a picture of the resurrection power of God is not where the Christian hope ends. The Christian hope is in the fact that actual resurrection into the presence of God is coming.

So, this sustaining, resurrection power at work to keep your faith alive now is just a sample to encourage you that the real thing is coming soon. If you’ve ever been to Coldstone Creamery or any ice cream shop, they have these little sample spoons to try their flavors. And, while those samples are tasty (which is why my kids want to get 5 every time), it would be really disappointing if that’s where it ended. But as you taste the sample, you are looking forward to the reality that is coming in fuller measure. So, while God is showing resurrection power in our lives now, our hope is in the fact that it points to the true resurrection coming soon. 

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self his being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.—2 Corinthians 4:16–17

Let me encourage you in two ways: 

• We have not tasted in full yet. It’s only been a sample. But, in Christ, by his blood, and by the Spirit dwelling inside of us, as we are sustained in our sufferings, that is the guarantee, the promise, and therefore the hope of the Kingdom that is kept in heaven for us. It is coming. Soon. Our hope is not ultimately in faith that sustains us in a broken world. We are not masochists who long for more suffering. We are Christians, who long for Jesus and know he will sustain us through our sufferings and surely deliver us into his presence, where there is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore.
• You might be thinking, my weakness does not feel “light or momentary.” I would simply say to you right now … how full and forever must the glory be that is coming? And if you’re in Christ and he is sustaining you with his resurrection power now, then he will bring you to that full and forever glory.

So, God is using our lives of weakness as a canvas on which to display his resurrection power as he sustains our faith day to day, and God means for that to be the sample that makes us hope in the resurrection to full pleasures forevermore that is coming soon. So, we can admit our weakness because we know one day it will be swallowed up in wholeness. We admit our brokenness because one day it will be completely healed.

What Is Our Response in Our Weakness? (2 Corinthians 12:7–10) 

So, how then, should we respond to weakness? Paul says we should boast in it. Wave our hands in the air and say, “Hey look at me! I’m messy. I’m broken! I’m weak!” You can say that right after you tell people you’re despairing of life itself. You’ll be the most popular person at social gatherings. Listen to Paul:

A thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.—2 Corinthians 12:7–10 

Oh, how we can be tempted to pride. Isn’t that why you wouldn’t be popular at the social gathering? We all want to get together and pretend like we’ve all got it together and talk about how awesome life is. But, Paul says, God kept him from pride. And God will keep us from prideful self-sufficiency to make us dependent and show off his resurrection power. So, if we know those things, then how ought we respond? 

We boast gladly in our weaknesses. Because when we admit we cannot do it on our own, God’s power comes to sustain. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. The wording here says that Paul is “content” in these weaknesses. But, the right translation, I think, is “well pleased.” This is a strange pleasure isn’t it? A pleasure in weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. Who takes pleasure in being at the end of themselves?

My little boy does. Sometimes we go on walks as a family and recently we’ve been going on several walks in a new place where we get lost or don’t know how far we’ve gone. So, my two-year-old is just worn out by the end. Now, at that point, he’s not trying to tough it out to prove something to his parents. Instead, he says, “Go on your shoulders.” Which means that now I am going to have a little extra weight for the rest of the walk … but then he’ll often say, “Run, Daddy!” And when I begin to run, he just laughs and laughs with pleasure.

What a picture of our delight in God. Haven’t we, as Christians too often forgot the pure delight of glad dependence? Isn’t that what we felt when we first realized what God had done for us in Christ? “It’s all you! You saved me. You will sustain me. You’re strong. I’m weak. Oh, how I’m glad to fall into the arms of my Father, fully, freely, and forever because of Jesus.”

So let me ask again: Who takes pleasure in being at the end of themselves? Christians do. Why? Because we know that we are strongest not when we are walking on our own, but when our Father picks us up, puts us on his shoulders and runs with us. In fact, the longer we live life in Christ, the more we realize that God picking us up and carrying on his shoulders is really the only way we ever make it through a moment without throwing away our faith. We know that when we are weak, God’s power will come and sustain us, and then we are strong.

So, because we know God is at work in our weakness to make us dependent, to show off his resurrection power, and that he will surely sustain us until we see him face-to-face, we can boast in our weakness together. 

Application: Empowered by God to Comfort One Another
(2 Corinthians 13:11, 14) 

And perhaps most amazing is that as the blood-bought family of God, God means to grant his comfort and his restoration through other people. You need other believers. And they need you. Listen to how Paul ends this letter: 

Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another … The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.—2 Corinthians 13:11, 14

God means for us to restore and comfort one another. God means for his people to be the means of experiencing the continual grace of Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

So, we all have a part to play. We have a mutual care that is not only helpful but necessary. Sometimes we can think that this looks mysterious and highly individual, and there is no doubt that as you God to in the word and prayer in secret, your Father will remind you that the grace of Christ has cast your sins as far as the east is from the west and you stand forgiven in Christ, that you are fully known and fully loved by God because of Jesus, and that God is always with you by the Spirit—he will never leave you or forsake you. But, what if it’s supposed to be more than mysterious and individual. What if we are meant to taste these things very practically and in community?

What if you had other people in your life where you messed up and they extended you the very grace of Christ. What if you had other people that knew the worst about you and still moved toward you in the very love of God? What if you had other people that wouldn’t leave you or forsake you, but wanted to be with you and fellowship with you in the very presence of the Spirit? Wouldn’t you experience the very care of God in your dependence through the care of others? Wouldn’t you experience the resurrection power of God as people spoke words of life to you? 

What if Bethlehem South had a culture like that? Wouldn’t that be a welcome rest for the broken and weary and shamed in the world?

But, first, we must begin to boast in our weakness. We must confess our weakness to God and then to one another. And then we can move towards each other in unconditional, self-giving love that mirrors the self-giving love of the cross, confident that God will use that self-giving love to work his resurrection power in our blood-bought family. And confident that God will sustain our faith until the day we all see him face-to-face where our afflictions here will finally seem light and momentary compared to the glory that we experience in the presence of our King.