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00:00All right, let us go to Romans 5.
00:06Father, I set myself in agreement with the prayer that Elder Cole prayed earlier.
00:15In the name of the Lord Jesus, we receive it all, we have great expectancy, Father,
00:26that you are and will continue to move in our lives, and let's continue with the age
00:33of grace.
00:36Romans 5, find verse 1.
00:42Today we want to talk about what we have come into or inherited as a result of this grace
00:50that we are under.
00:53Romans 5, we're going to read verses 1 and verse 2.
01:04Verses 1 and 2.
01:05Remember, we are not under law, we are under grace.
01:08The dispensation or the administration of grace had been given to Paul the apostle to
01:15reveal to us, the church, his target audience, the Gentiles, but in the process of ministering
01:22to Gentiles, he also ministered to Jews as well.
01:26So again, we are under grace.
01:29The Bible tells us that the law came by way of Moses, but grace and truth by way of our
01:35Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.
01:38So again, as Paul stated in the 14th verse of Romans 6, we are under grace.
01:49Romans 5, 1 says, therefore, having been justified by faith, having been declared righteous
01:58by faith.
02:00Everyone say this with me.
02:01I am the righteousness of God.
02:06That's who you are.
02:08You cannot become any more righteous than you became the day you were born again.
02:14There's nothing you can do.
02:16There's no manner of living that can reduce or increase your righteousness because your
02:23righteousness does not rest on you and what it is that you do, but on Christ alone.
02:30And so as a result of Christ, 2 Corinthians 5, 21 says, now him, the father, or he, the
02:39father made him the son who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness
02:45of God.
02:47So the righteousness of God, the just, the declared righteous, that's who we are.
02:52It is a result of the grace of God and we receive it by faith.
02:58It says, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
03:02Christ through whom also more benefits also implies more benefits, more pluses, more gifts
03:16through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and rejoice
03:23in hope of the glory of God.
03:26Now we read about access and boldness and confidence in Ephesians 3, 12.
03:33This access is pretty much referring to the same thing except the focus is on the grace
03:40of God as opposed to specifically the throne of grace.
03:45We read Ephesians 3, 12.
03:47We read Hebrews 4, 16.
03:48We understand we have access with boldness and confidence to the throne of grace to obtain
03:53mercy and grace in time of need.
03:56And I don't know about you, but there are plenty of times in which I need grace.
04:04And as, as a result of, of the grace, I get some mercy too.
04:07I need it all.
04:09Whatever God has for me, not only do I need it all, but I receive it all by faith in the
04:15name of the Lord Jesus.
04:17But I, but I want us to focus on the details of this second verse, which say through whom
04:23also we have, there's that access again.
04:27We have the access by faith.
04:30Pay attention to this part in detail.
04:33We have access by faith into this grace in which we, what?
04:39In which we stand.
04:41We have access by faith into this grace in which we stand.
04:45My question, I have the same question.
04:49I already know the answer, but I still ask the question.
04:52Every single time I read verse two of Romans five, I ask God the same question, knowing
05:01the answer he's already directed me to, but I still have to ask.
05:06Because I'm always intrigued and I'm, and I'm constantly in awe of God.
05:12I have to ask this question, that if I'm already standing in the grace, why do I need
05:22access to it?
05:26I'm already in it.
05:29Do you need access to something you're already in?
05:32If you had a backstage pass at an event, it grants you access.
05:40The pass is, is particularly beneficial to you when you're not backstage in the sense
05:46that when you show it, it gives you the access.
05:50But if you've already utilized this pass to access backstage and you are now backstage,
05:57what other access is there?
06:01What else is there that you would need?
06:02So if I'm already in the grace of God, I'm in it.
06:06Why do I need to access it?
06:09Well, here's the reason.
06:12The grace of God or the aspect of God's grace that I'm standing in is saving grace.
06:20When I got born again, I entered into the grace of God.
06:25And as a result of the saving grace of God, I am now standing in his grace.
06:31But I'm here to tell you that there is more to the grace of God than just saving you.
06:38Once you get saved, you're now living a life as a new creature in Christ.
06:44You're gonna need grace for a number of other things.
06:48And so that access that Paul is talking about here in the second verse is accessing the
06:54other aspects of the grace of God.
06:57By faith, my confession of faith and my belief in my heart that Jesus is Lord and that God
07:04has raised him from the dead places me in the grace of God.
07:08Now I'm in, but that's saving grace.
07:12In order to successfully live this Christian life, I'm gonna need to be able to access
07:18other aspects of his grace as I'm living out my kingdom life.
07:23And so we'll see what that looks like here in 1 Peter chapter 4.
07:27Go to 1 Peter 4 and find verse 7.
07:331 Peter 4, 7.
07:39And we're gonna read one of my favorite Bible words.
07:461 Peter chapter 4, verse 7.
07:52Let me know when you're there.
07:57Okay.
08:00Peter writing to the church says, but the end of all things is at hand, therefore be
08:05serious and watchful in your prayers.
08:08This is almost 2,000 years ago when Peter said what?
08:10That the end of all things is at hand.
08:14Here we are almost 2,000 years removed from when he said that.
08:17So how much closer to the end must we be if way back then the end of all things was at
08:24hand?
08:25Therefore be what?
08:26Serious and watchful in your prayers.
08:28That means vigilant and sober minded.
08:32This is an above all things have what?
08:36Fervent love for one another because what will love do?
08:40It'll cover a multitude of sins.
08:44It'll cover.
08:46And this covering, you need to understand, this covering is not a cover up.
08:53It's a covering.
08:55The devil's in the cover up business.
08:58God's in the covering you business.
09:01The difference between the two.
09:04So love, agape, which is what God is, will do what?
09:10Will cover a multitude of sins.
09:12Literally in the Greek, it means to hinder the knowledge of a thing.
09:16Meaning what?
09:17It ain't everybody's right to know your business.
09:23The people that should know your business are the people that you've granted to know
09:26your business.
09:27And not everyone has a right or has earned the right to know your business.
09:32To hinder the knowledge of a thing.
09:34It's love that covers, again, not covers up, but covers a multitude of sins.
09:41Verse nine, be hospitable to one another without grumbling.
09:45Look at verse 10.
09:46As each one has received a gift, do what?
09:49Minister it to one another.
09:51So the gifts that we've received are not just for us, but so that we can minister these
09:57things to one another.
09:58And then look at what it says next.
10:00As good stewards of what?
10:02The manifold.
10:03Oh, look at that.
10:04Look.
10:05There's my word.
10:06Manifold.
10:07Which means what?
10:08Multi.
10:09Multi-layered.
10:10Multi-colored.
10:11Multi-textured.
10:12And the word is attached to the grace of God.
10:14So God's grace has many layers.
10:20God's grace has many colors.
10:22God's grace has many textures.
10:24So there's more to the grace of God than saving you.
10:29There's so much more, so many more aspects to God's grace.
10:35And in this life that I'm living as a believer, in this world system, I'm going to need to,
10:41by faith, access the other aspects of the grace of God in time of need.
10:47We're going to look at an example, the best example of it.
10:51Paul's going to literally show us what this looks like.
10:55Go to 2 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians chapter 12, find verse one, 2 Corinthians 12 and one.
11:08Now, we're going to read about Paul's thorn in the flesh.
11:12And even in 2024, there's a lot of misunderstanding about Paul's thorn in the flesh.
11:19Many will tell you that we don't know what the thorn is.
11:24Some will tell you that it was sickness sent by God to Paul to humble him.
11:33And where do we get that from?
11:35You don't get it from the 10 verses we're about to read.
11:38So it sounds to me like folk done just made stuff up.
11:41And because it sounds scriptural, maybe has a holy flavor to it, people buy into it.
11:49But all we have to do is let the word of God speak for himself.
11:55So first, let's completely eliminate.
12:00Now, mind you, I believe that Paul had to daily contend with his pride.
12:07I truly believe that.
12:09But he always took measures, right?
12:11I keep my body under so that I don't become disqualified.
12:16Paul constantly remained humble.
12:18He worked overtime at being humble so his pride wouldn't rise up.
12:22Because when he was known as Saul, the zealot, the Pharisee of Pharisees, oh, he was a very
12:27prideful man.
12:31So the devil still attempted to lord that pride over him, again, Paul, by faith and
12:37with the power of the Holy Spirit, worked hard at remaining humble.
12:41One of the main reasons that if you just read the scriptures, you'll find out that the thorn
12:47was not given to Paul to humble him is because Paul already came into the situation humbled.
12:54Look at the first verse.
12:55What does he say?
12:56It is doubtless.
12:59Let's just stop right there.
13:01He said it is doubtless.
13:03Nothing adds to it.
13:05Not profitable.
13:07So what's Paul saying?
13:08He's saying, I highly doubt.
13:12And on top of that, I won't gain anything from it.
13:15What is he talking about?
13:17It's doubtless, not profitable for me to boast.
13:21He opens up this conversation with us, letting us know it is doubtless for me to boast.
13:30It's not even profitable for me to boast.
13:34In other words, boasting is going to get me nowhere.
13:40What does he say next?
13:41He says, I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
13:47I know a man in Christ who 14 years ago, whether in the body, I don't know, or whether out
13:56of the body, I don't know.
13:59Let me tell you who does know.
14:01God knows.
14:03Such a one was caught up to the third heaven.
14:06Let's focus on a few things in this scripture.
14:08Number one, Paul says, I know a man.
14:11He says, I know a man.
14:12And he says, the experience that this man that I know had was either an in the body
14:19or out of the body experience.
14:21I don't know, but God does.
14:23He then says that this man was caught up to the what?
14:26The third heaven.
14:27That at least tells me there's a first and the second heaven.
14:33Third verse.
14:34What does that say?
14:35Third verse says, it says, and I know such a man again, whether in the body or out of
14:39the body, I don't know.
14:41God knows how he was caught up into.
14:43He now does not refer to it as the third heaven.
14:46He calls it paradise.
14:49And heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
14:54This paradise has only spoken of two other times in the New Testament.
14:58Actually, more specifically, one other time in the New Testament, in the book of Revelation,
15:04the other time during the gospel account of our Savior, Lord Jesus on the cross, everyone
15:09is familiar with the statement in which he said to the thief today, or assuredly, I say
15:16to you.
15:19And unfortunately, most people read that incorrectly.
15:22The way they read it is Jesus saying to the thief, assuredly, I say to you, today you'll
15:27be with me in paradise.
15:28That's not what Jesus was telling the thief.
15:30Jesus was saying, assuredly, I say to you today, you will be with me in paradise.
15:35And that paradise that he was referring to is where God is.
15:40This is the same paradise that Paul is speaking of.
15:42So Paul says the third heaven is also known as what?
15:46Paradise.
15:48Look at verse four.
15:49How he was caught up in the paradise, and what did he hear?
15:52He heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
15:57The word inexpressible means two things.
16:00Number one, unspeakable.
16:02Number two, unspeakable because of how sacred the words are.
16:07So when the scripture tells us that Paul is saying it's not lawful for a man to utter,
16:12Paul is telling us two things.
16:13For one, he's saying, I saw things that I cannot describe with my limited human vernacular.
16:20I don't know what words I could choose to describe what I've seen, but what else is
16:25Paul saying?
16:26Paul is also saying that when this man was caught up to paradise, he saw things that
16:31heaven did not authorize the earth to know.
16:36Because there are some things that belong in heaven, and there are some things that
16:39belong to God.
16:40Deuteronomy 29, 29 is very clear about that.
16:43The secret things belong to the Lord.
16:45That which has been revealed, it belongs to us.
16:49Now a long time ago, some angels got in trouble because they lusted after women, and they
16:54also gave secrets of heaven to men.
16:58They gave them things not lawful for them to utter.
17:04So Paul is referring to similar things.
17:07One, I saw things, I don't know how to explain them.
17:11I don't know how to articulate them.
17:13But he's also saying, I saw some things we ain't supposed to know.
17:21I submit to you, ladies and gentlemen, witchcraft was never supposed to be here.
17:29Witchcraft and fortune-telling and numbering the clouds and the practice of astrology,
17:36you know, all of these anti-God practices that sometimes require anti-God gatherings.
17:45That stuff was never supposed to be here.
17:48Interdimensional creatures that we commonly know as angels trained humans in these magical
17:54arts.
17:55It was never supposed to be.
17:56But it's here now, and the devil's been using it and running rampant with it.
18:00And because now on this side of Calvary, he knows that for the most part, it's pretty
18:04ugly and not really attractive to anyone.
18:07So he said, I'll just robe witchcraft now with gossip.
18:13I may not be able to get them to buy into the broom and the cauldron and the potions,
18:18but I can get them into buying, into being a busybody and meddling in other people's
18:22affairs.
18:23It's the same thing.
18:24According to the Bible, it is.
18:30Verse five, are you ready for this?
18:33Paul says, of such a one, he says, I'll boast.
18:37Meaning, I'll brag about this dude.
18:39He was caught up to heaven.
18:40He was caught up to paradise.
18:43Oh yeah, I'll boast about him.
18:46He says, but yet of myself, what?
18:49He says, I won't boast.
18:52He says, except in my infirmities.
18:57He says, I'm going to boast in my infirmities, and then he's going to show us what specifically
19:03you're to boast about in your infirmities or in your weaknesses.
19:10Look at verse six, again, for all of those who say that the thorn was given to Paul to
19:17humble him.
19:18Look at what he says here in verse six.
19:20For though I might desire to boast, I love his honesty.
19:25Oh, I might desire to brag.
19:28What does he say next?
19:29I will not be a fool, for I'll speak the truth, but I refrain, lest anyone should think of
19:38me above what he sees me to be.
19:40That's what you got to pay attention to.
19:41Look at what he says here.
19:43He says, I'll speak the truth, but I refrain.
19:46I refrain from boasting, lest you, the hearers of my boasting, do what?
19:51Think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me.
19:56Paul's saying, I don't want to give you any fuel to put me on a pedestal I don't deserve
20:01to be on in the first place.
20:04Again, Paul worked overtime at his humility.
20:09Hey, hey, hey, listen, some of us may have to, you see, thank you for your honesty, my
20:17sister.
20:18Some of us need to be honest.
20:20Some of us think we are really smart.
20:23Some of us think we are really good looking and have no problem letting other people know.
20:29Some of us have to work really hard at being humble.
20:36You got to work at it because know this, when it's all said and done, God resists the proud,
20:42gives grace to the humble.
20:44Are you still with me?
20:46Okay.
20:47Look at this seventh verse.
20:48Now watch what he says here.
20:49He says, and, oh, there's an and.
20:53There's an and.
20:55He says, and lest I should be exalted above measure.
20:59Paul, why are you talking about I?
21:01First you were talking about a man.
21:03Exactly.
21:05The man that he was talking about was himself.
21:07The whole purpose in wording it that way was for the purposes of remaining humble.
21:13You need to understand that Paul had all the carnal reasons in the world to be proud and
21:18to boast.
21:19I mean, think about it.
21:20He could have rode up on Peter at any time.
21:22You know, you walk with Jesus and I didn't, but I'm writing more of the Bible than you.
21:26You know that, right?
21:29You know, you saw the risen Lord, but he came to me by divine revelation and specifically
21:35called me to be his apostle to the Gentiles.
21:37Yeah, yeah.
21:38I know you're the apostle to the Jews, but again, I wrote more scripture than you.
21:42Oh, he had a lot to brag about.
21:45Tell me he didn't have a lot to brag about.
21:47Matter of fact, in, in, in his humility, because how many of you know that there's
21:51a scripture that says the first shall be last and the last shall be first.
21:55How many of you know that in a race, even though the last person across the finish line
22:01is the loser, they're also remembered.
22:05So, so, so Paul in first Corinthians 15, he starts writing about, he starts writing about
22:11all the eyewitnesses of the Lord Jesus, and he ends that list by saying this, and last
22:17of all, the least to be worthy to be called an apostle, I, Paul, saw the Lord.
22:26So in the natural, Paul had a lot to brag about.
22:31On top of the fact, the man was caught up to paradise.
22:37That right there.
22:38I don't care how impressive whatever you've done in your life sounds like, or happens
22:46to be, or is, I was with God in his house.
22:53So I don't care what you, what you bought, what you purchased, how good your company's
22:56doing.
22:57I was with God in his house.
23:00He had a lot to brag about.
23:03So he worked at it.
23:04What did he say?
23:05Thoughtless, not profitable, profitable for me to boast.
23:08He said, though I desire to brag, I will not be a fool on top of the fact that I don't
23:15need you thinking more highly of me than you ought to be thinking regarding me.
23:22And then on top of that, look at verse seven, he said, and less I should be what?
23:27See, the issue wasn't about being exalted.
23:30It was about being exalted above measure.
23:33He says what?
23:34By the abundance of the revelations, you do realize that Paul received abundance of revelations.
23:41When Paul would write for, I receive from the Lord.
23:45What was he saying?
23:46I received this by revelation.
23:48So he received abundant.
23:49Listen, Paul's the one that reveals the mystery of the church.
23:54So many doctrinal responsibilities were given to the dispensation of grace was given to
24:00Paul.
24:02Oh yeah.
24:03Abundance of revelations all day.
24:05He says, less I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations.
24:10He says a thorn in the flesh was given to me.
24:14Then he identifies what the thorn of the flesh was.
24:17It's very clear.
24:18The Bible says it right here.
24:19A messenger of Satan to do what?
24:23To buffet me, lest I what?
24:26Be exalted above measure.
24:28Notice what he doesn't say here.
24:29He doesn't say a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me.
24:36Lest I exalt myself above measure.
24:38He says that the thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me.
24:44Lest I be exalted above measure.
24:47What's he saying here?
24:48Well, first off, let's identify the thorn, which the scripture says is a messenger of
24:53Satan and the Greek word is Agalos, which means angel.
24:58So we could read it like this.
24:59A thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan.
25:02To do what?
25:03Well, we know what buffet means.
25:07Buffet means to strike violently in the face with blows.
25:15That's the natural meaning of this word.
25:17It's the same meaning when Paul says, I buffet my body.
25:21I buffet my, there's a perversion of it in Catholicism where they flog themselves.
25:27They'll beat themselves with the whip because for whatever reason, Catholicism espouses
25:34external practices to be right before God.
25:37But the only way you're right before God is with the internal change.
25:41There's nothing you can do externally on this side of Calvary that'll make you right before
25:44God.
25:47But I'm not going there.
25:50So I'm gonna stick with the buffet.
25:53Paul said, I buffet myself.
25:55Or he said what?
25:56He says, I take my body, I put it under and I keep it there.
26:00Sit boy, sit.
26:01I keep it there.
26:04That's what he means when he says I buffet my body.
26:06So now he's saying this, he's saying, he says a messenger, an angel of Satan was given to
26:11me to do what?
26:12To buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.
26:15Now watch this.
26:16Who would be the ones exalting Paul above measure?
26:19Everyone else who had known about his experience or heard about his experience.
26:24In other words, to say, yo, did you hear what happened to Paul?
26:28Well, what Paul is saying here is so that anyone who might be impressed with the fact
26:33that he went to the third heaven and would be so tempted to spread that news around and
26:39brag about Paul's experience.
26:41Paul says a messenger of Satan was given to me so that I wouldn't be exalted above measure.
26:46Meaning whoever spreads the story has to also include the violent blows to the face.
26:53You can't talk about me going to the third heaven without also talking about me having
26:57received a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan.
27:00And who gave him the thorn in the flesh?
27:02The devil did.
27:05The devil did.
27:07Satan gave Paul a messenger of Satan, gave him one of his angels to, to, in other words,
27:14what was the devil saying?
27:15Yeah, yeah, yeah.
27:16Everybody, everybody's going to be impressed about what Paul experienced, but they also
27:19going to have to talk about this thorn.
27:23You can't talk about Paul going to heaven without talking about the thorn.
27:27And if for one second you think you want to be like Paul and go see the third heaven also,
27:31no, the thorn comes with it.
27:33Let's see if you still want it then.
27:36Lest I what?
27:37Be exalted above measure.
27:39You still here?
27:41Okay.
27:43So let's do this.
27:44Let's do this.
27:46Before we read the solution to all of this in the next three verses, let's establish
27:52with more biblical evidence what a thorn is because, because again, there's so much misunderstanding
28:02about it, even though the scripture is clear.
28:07An angel, an angel has the ability to think and process and speak now, even though they
28:13are God's agents in there to do what he said.
28:15They can process, they can, they can learn, right?
28:18Angels learn.
28:19Remember we, we, the church are to reveal the manifold wisdom of God to them.
28:25We know they had the emotions because when Jesus was born, the heavenly host rejoiced.
28:29The Bible also says they desire to look into salvation, meaning what they want to know
28:34more about it.
28:35They want to have a better understanding of it.
28:38So, so angels are spiritual persons, aren't they?
28:43They have personality.
28:44Well, I submit to you that a thorn, now we may use this word for all kinds of other circumstances
28:50or other contexts, but I submit to you that thorns are people.
28:55Yeah, thorns are people.
28:58You got a thorn in your side, you got a thorn in your life.
29:01It's not an incident.
29:03The thorn is not an occurrence.
29:04The thorn is not a situation.
29:06The thorn is a person.
29:08If you want, if you want a thorn removed from your life, you got to remove a person from
29:12your life.
29:13A person got to go.
29:17And some thorns are easily identifiable.
29:23In other words, like, like, like when Jesus went to raise the daughter of Jairus from
29:29the bed from, from the dead and Jesus said, you three stay, the rest of y'all get out.
29:39Some thorns are easily, some, not so much, but just know if you have a thorn or thorns
29:45in your life, I'm not talking about issues.
29:47I'm not talking about challenge.
29:48I'm talking about thorns.
29:49If you've got a thorn in your life and that needs to be removed, because I don't know
29:52why anyone would want to live with a thorn, there's so much, so much we could preach on
30:01with that whole live with a thorn thing that it's so much, so much we could, we could talk
30:05about there.
30:07I don't think anyone just wants to willfully live with a thorn in their life.
30:11So if you want to remove a person has to be identified and they must be removed from your
30:17life.
30:18Let's, let's, let's utilize the scripture because again, the Bible will interpret itself.
30:24The word of God speaks for itself.
30:25So let's just go to the scriptures.
30:27Now all I'm about to do right now is I'm about to replicate my daddy.
30:31That's all I'm about to do the same, this same thorn in the flesh teaching.
30:36I got it from him and the three verses we're about to look at, I got them from him.
30:41No one, in my opinion, maybe I'm a little biased, but no one ever taught the thorn as
30:48well as my daddy.
30:50So I'm just going to follow, I'm just going to, I'm just going to follow his, his path
30:55with this one.
30:56Walk with me to numbers 33.
31:00And verse 50.
31:03And I'll let you all, you all figure this one out for me.
31:06Numbers 33, fine.
31:08Verse 50.
31:09The Bible does say out of the mouth of two or three right witnesses, let every word be.
31:17So if I give you a good two or three examples, then, then I think we're headed in the right
31:20direction.
31:21Wouldn't you say what we want to do is we want to, we want to use the Bible to prove
31:25the Bible.
31:26That's what we're going to do right now.
31:28So we already read about Paul's thorn, which the Bible calls a messenger of Satan or an
31:32angel of Satan.
31:35Let's see if we can, let's see if there are other scriptures that can back up that thorns
31:39have personality.
31:41Okay.
31:43Numbers 33 verse 50.
31:47Are you there?
31:48Outstanding.
31:49It says now the Lord spoke, spoke to who spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan
31:57across from Jericho saying this, how many times do we read in the old Testament?
32:02Now the Lord spoke to Moses to speak to Israel.
32:07And we have another example of it right here.
32:09The Lord spoke to who spoke to Moses and the plains of Moab across from the Jordan saying
32:13what speak to who the children of Israel and say to them, when you have crossed the Jordan
32:22into the land of Canaan, then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before
32:29you.
32:32You shall destroy all their engraved stones and destroy all their molded images and demolish
32:37all their high places.
32:40You shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land and dwell in it for I've given you the
32:44land to possess and you shall divide the land by lot as an inheritance among your families
32:50to the larger, you shall give a larger inheritance to the smaller, you shall give a smaller inheritance
32:56there.
32:57Everyone's inheritance shall be whatever falls to him by lot.
33:00You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers.
33:06But if you do not drive out the, the, the, what, no, no, my bad.
33:12Let me try that again.
33:14If you don't drive out the who would you, is anyone an inhabitant of the United States
33:23of America?
33:24Anyone?
33:25Are you a person?
33:27So then we can agree that inhabitants are persons.
33:30Inhabitants are people.
33:31Okay.
33:32So, so verse 55 says, what if you don't drive out the inhabitants of the land from before
33:37you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes
33:42and thorns in your sides.
33:45And they shall harass you.
33:47Oh, so thorns harass you in the land where you dwell.
33:51Moreover, it shall be that I will do to you as I thought to do to them.
33:55Oh, okay.
33:56All right, God, I'm, I'm hearing you.
33:59I'm hearing you.
34:00Let's, let's see if you have anything else to say about this.
34:03Go to Joshua 23, Joshua 23, Moses passed the rock to Joshua and he became the next
34:13leader of the congregation of the children of Israel.
34:18Well, guess what, guess what, guess what Joshua gets from the Lord also.
34:24Find verse, find verse one, Joshua 23 one, which reads what, now it came to pass a long
34:35time after the Lord had given rest to Israel from all their enemies roundabout that Joshua
34:44was old, advanced in age.
34:48And Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders, for their heads, for their judges
34:52and for their officers and said to them, what I am old.
35:00Joshua said, I'm old.
35:04Joshua didn't need anyone to tell him he was old.
35:06Joshua said, I'm old.
35:11Listen if you, if you, if you're old, meaning you're older, go on and embrace it.
35:17And there's a whole, listen, there's a whole lot of stuff you can get your kids to do,
35:20your grandkids to do and strangers to do.
35:23I'm old.
35:24I ain't doing that.
35:27Joshua said, I'm old.
35:30He said, I'm advanced in age.
35:31He says, you have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations because
35:41of you for the Lord your God is he who has fought for you.
35:44See I have divided to you by lot these nations that remain to be an inheritance for your
35:51tribes from the Jordan with all the nations that I have cut off as far as the great sea
35:57westward.
35:59The Lord your God will expel them.
36:01I'm sorry.
36:02Who's the them?
36:03Oh, the nations because he's been talking about nations up until this point.
36:08So if God is saying I will expel them, he must be talking about the nations.
36:13And if the nations be a them, then I wonder what makes up a nation is, is, is anyone a
36:21part of the nation that is known as America?
36:25Are you a people?
36:27Are you a persons?
36:29Oh, okay.
36:30So nations are people just like inhabitants are people.
36:34Okay.
36:35The Lord your God will expel them from before you and drive them out of your sight.
36:39So you shall possess their land, their land.
36:41So the land that belonged to the nations, you'll possess it.
36:45Uh, therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the
36:50law of Moses for us, the word of God, lest you turn aside from it to the right hand or
36:56to the left.
36:57And unless you go among these nations, those who remain among you, you shall not make mention
37:04of the name of their guides.
37:06Oh, if they have gods, they must be people nor cause anyone to swear by them.
37:12You shall not serve them nor bow down to them, but you shall hold fast to the Lord your God
37:18as you have done to this day.
37:21The Lord has driven out from before you great and strong nations, but as for you, no one
37:28has been able to stand against you to this day.
37:32One man of you shall chase a thousand for the Lord your God is he who fights for you
37:37as he promised you.
37:39Therefore take careful heed to yourselves that you love the Lord your God or else.
37:48This was God speaking to Joshua or God having spoken to Joshua and Joshua is saying, all
37:53right, I'm, I'm, I'm going to give you some, some, some last words that I got from God.
38:00And he says, what in verse 12 he says, or else if you indeed, or if indeed you do go
38:05back and cling to the remnant of these nations, these that remain among you and make marriages
38:11with them and go into them and they, to you, so nations definitely must be people.
38:18If you can marry them and I don't mean to be graphic, but it's the Bible that said at
38:23first, if you can go into them, those, those are people.
38:27Okay.
38:28All right.
38:29Verse 13, it says, no, for certain that the Lord, your God will no longer drive out these
38:35nations from before you, but they shall be snares and traps to you and scourges on your
38:41sides and thorns in your eyes until you perish from this good land, which the Lord, your
38:47God has given you.
38:50That's out of the mouth of two.
38:52Let's look at one more.
38:53It'll only be three verses.
38:55Look at judges chapter two, verse one.
39:01You're going to read verses one to three in judges and, and, and establish this Bible
39:08fact of what a thorn is.
39:12Are you there?
39:16It says, then the angel of the Lord, we were talking about this figure last week, pre-incarnate
39:23Christ.
39:24That's why you see that capital a there.
39:26The angel of the Lord.
39:27See, this is an angel, but notice what the angel says.
39:29It says the angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to back him and said, I led you, no
39:35God led.
39:36So for an angel to say, I led this angel must be some other than an angel.
39:41I led you from Egypt and brought you where to the land of which I swore to your fathers.
39:49And I said, I'll never break my covenant with you.
39:53And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land.
40:00You shall tear down their altars, but you have not obeyed my voice.
40:04Why have you done this?
40:06Verse three.
40:07He says, therefore, I also said, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall
40:10be what thorns in your side and their gods shall be a snare to you.
40:19Let's make our way back to second Corinthians 12.
40:21We have three examples in scripture of what a thorn is.
40:29A thorn is a person.
40:34If there's a thorn in your side, somebody got to go.
40:43And if you don't know to somebody, ask the spirit of God to reveal to somebody, or it
40:51could be a spiritual personality as well that needs to go.
40:56But thorns, thorns, see thorns can, thorns can speak.
41:01Thorns can think.
41:03Thorns can do because thorns are people.
41:05Thorns are persons, their personalities.
41:07So here we are now.
41:09Paul says what he says back to second Corinthians 12, he says, he says, less I be what less
41:15I be exalted above measure.
41:18This folk gets so excited about my story and they want to go bragging about dear old
41:22Paul.
41:23They're going to have to also talk about the thorn.
41:26They're going to also have to talk about the one that was given to me to buffet me.
41:32But then we get to verse eight, y'all ready for the good stuff.
41:37Remember now, remember, don't forget this before we get into these next three verses
41:41because this is where we'll spend the rest of our time.
41:43Before we get into these final three verses of second Corinthians 12, let's just go over
41:49Romans and Peter again.
41:52Remember, I have access by faith into this grace in which I stand.
41:58Again, ladies and gentlemen, the question is, if I'm already standing in the grace,
42:04why would I need to access it?
42:06Seems like it doesn't make any sense to me to access something I'm already in.
42:10I'm already in it.
42:12So what I'm in is via salvation.
42:15I'm experiencing the saving grace of God, but now I need some other flavors of his grace.
42:25I'm in the family now because of saving grace.
42:32Now I need to see the other colors of his grace.
42:34That's what Peter brings up, the what manifold grace of God.
42:38We're about to see the manifold grace of God right now.
42:43Verse eight, concerning this thing.
42:49Concerning what?
42:50The messenger of Satan, the thorn in the flesh.
42:56Concerning this thing, here's another myth we're gonna debunk right now.
43:04I've heard plenty of pastors preach that the Lord, I mean, Paul prayed to the Lord
43:10and the Lord didn't answer him.
43:12Yes, he did.
43:16We're about to read the answer.
43:17We're about to read it in a few seconds.
43:20He did answer him.
43:21Here we go.
43:22Verse eight, concerning this thing, again, what thing is that?
43:27The thorn.
43:29Concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord, how many times?
43:36Three times.
43:39Three times I pleaded with the Lord that it might depart from me.
43:44And some have the audacity to say, God didn't answer Paul.
43:49We're about to answer him right now.
43:52Here we go.
43:55Concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from
44:00me, verse nine, and he said to me, stop right there.
44:09It sounds like I'm about to get an answer.
44:10It sounds like Paul's about to get an answer.
44:13Now watch this.
44:14I'm gonna tell you what God doesn't say, but I still need you to know that it's an answer.
44:21See people need to be real specific with their word.
44:23Don't say God didn't answer Paul when God answered Paul.
44:27There were times, there were times in my life, in my past life, days in which I couldn't
44:36do a thing for myself because I relied on those two very important figures called parents.
44:44And there were times, maybe your parent never told you this, and it might not have been
44:50the answer you liked, but it was an answer.
44:55You ready for this?
44:56Cause this is revelatory.
44:57And I submit to you, parents, you need to still use this answer today.
45:00You ready for it?
45:01Here it is.
45:02Because I said so, which means what non-negotiable.
45:11There aren't any other terms to discuss because I said so.
45:20And some parents may have made statements like, I brought you into this world and I
45:26take you out.
45:28And no parent ever qualified what take you out meant.
45:32But because of how it sounded, you knew not to mess with mom or dad.
45:36Okay.
45:37All right.
45:38I got it.
45:39That's the answer.
45:41You understand that's an answer.
45:43I might've wanted yes.
45:46I didn't get yes, but I did get a response.
45:49I got an answer.
45:50Now the scripture here says regarding the thorn in the flesh, the Bible says that Paul
45:58pleaded with the Lord, literally in the Greek, it means pray.
46:04But not just pray.
46:06He says, he says three times, three times I invited you, God, the three times I called
46:12for you, God, I beseeched you, I begged of you, God.
46:17And God gave him an answer.
46:18Matter of fact, God gave him the best answer he could give him.
46:23Concerning this thing, I pleaded three times.
46:28And here's what the Lord said to me.
46:30He said, Hey, bro.
46:35My grace is sufficient for you.
46:42God said, what?
46:43He said, my grace is enough.
46:47In other words, God said, excuse me, sir, remember what you're standing in.
46:55Access the other aspects of it that you need in this time by faith.
47:01And how do I access anything by faith?
47:03First I have to say something.
47:06Because faith begins with my words, right?
47:09None of that, I hope or I wish, well, you know, God, if there's some time, if you can
47:20fit me in, if you're not too busy, no, faith folk are aggressive folk.
47:28Faith folk say stuff like this to God and we say it in a place of humility, but faith
47:33folk, if you're a faith person, you go to God and say, you know what you said, right?
47:39You know what you wrote, right?
47:42So I'm just saying what you said, Lord, I'm just giving you your words.
47:48Oh, cause there are those moments when a child says, but mommy, you said, but daddy, remember,
47:57remember when you said.
48:00And you know, a parent can't look like a liar before their child and you know, God
48:05don't play that.
48:08But here's the thing.
48:09God likes that.
48:10God said, yes.
48:11Right.
48:12Tell me what I said.
48:13What did I say?
48:14He wants to hear it.
48:15So, so, so faith that begins with my words.
48:18Well, well you said by his stripes, I'm healed.
48:21That's what you said.
48:24You also said you delivered me from the power of darkness.
48:26So I'm delivered.
48:27Hey y'all, I'm delivered.
48:29You're looking at a delivered man.
48:33You're looking at a heal.
48:34I'm, I'm forgiving.
48:35I'm, I'm forgiving.
48:36I'm, I'm anointed.
48:37I'm, I'm, I'm righteous.
48:40I'm giving God what he said.
48:42I'm telling God what he said about me.
48:45I'm just saying it back to him.
48:48So again, I'm standing in the great access.
48:53This is literally what God is saying.
48:55This is what he's saying to Paul.
48:56He's literally saying, Paul, my grace is sufficient for you.
49:04And then he says this, Oh, I love this part.
49:06He says, my strength.
49:14He said, he said, you want to really see me show out in your life?
49:19He said, be broken, be crushed.
49:25Be at whatever your rock bottom is, be, be, be, be hurting, be weak.
49:31Watch me show out.
49:32He's got to say, I know how to show out in other circumstances, but you want to really
49:36see me show out.
49:38Don't let me find you weak.
49:39Don't let me find you in need.
49:41Don't let me find you broken.
49:43Oh, I'm really showing up.
49:44If you access the grace, Oh, I'm about to show out.
49:49He just waiting for us to access by faith.
49:53He says, for my strength is made perfect in weaknesses.
49:57And then what does Paul say?
49:58Paul says, therefore, most gladly, I will rather boast in my infirmities.
50:06Are you, are you getting this?
50:08I will rather boast in my infirmities that what?
50:13That the power of Christ may rest upon me.
50:20Here's how he says it in Romans five, three.
50:22He says, we glory.
50:23That's another word for boast.
50:26He says, we glory in tribulations.
50:30See that's what I'm boasting.
50:31I'm boasting in the tribulation.
50:33Watch this.
50:34I'm not boasting or glorying for tribulations.
50:38I'm boasting and I'm glorying in, see, and it's not if I find myself in it's when I find
50:47myself in, when I find myself in my infirmity or in an infirmity, let's let's it's an infirmity.
50:54It's not mine.
50:55We're not going to take ownership of infirmities.
50:57When I find myself in an infirmity and in a tribulation, I'm boasting on God in that
51:05tribulation because when I'm weak, his strength is made perfect.
51:10Look at this.
51:11He says, he says, he says, therefore, most gladly, I will rather boast in my infirmities
51:16that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
51:20This relationship that we have with our savior.
51:24One of the benefits is that I get to have an exchange with him.
51:34I get to, I get to go to my savior and I get to say, I get to say, I don't want this drama
51:43anymore.
51:44Lord, would it be okay if, if you took the drama and I take your yoke?
51:53Since his yoke is light and easy.
51:59Verse 10.
52:00Now look at what Paul says here.
52:02He says, therefore I do what?
52:07Watch this.
52:08I don't take pleasure for infirmities.
52:12I take pleasure in them.
52:14Why do I take pleasure in them?
52:15Because when I'm in my infirmity by faith, I'll just access grace for infirmities.
52:23That's why his grace is sufficient for me.
52:26And I'll just access it with words of faith.
52:29I thank you father for grace, for these infirmities.
52:34I thank you for receiving.
52:36It's on me.
52:37He says, he says, therefore I take pleasure in infirmities.
52:42Why do I, says Paul, why do I take pleasure in infirmities?
52:46Because there's grace for infirmities.
52:49He then says, I take pleasure in reproaches, reproaches.
52:55That's, that's, that's, that's when, when, when, that's when someone does you wrong.
53:02They do you wrong.
53:04They try to, they try to poison your character with words.
53:09They try to, they try to assassinate your integrity.
53:13That's what these reproaches are.
53:15It's, it's hurt and harm towards you.
53:18And what does Paul say?
53:19He says, I take pleasure, not for the hurt, not for the reproaches, but I take pleasure
53:24in the reproaches because the God that's bigger than reproaches is in this reproach with me
53:30and his grace is available for these reproaches.
53:35He says, if I find myself in needs, he says, he says, he says, I'm somewhat okay with that
53:42because, because I'm not taking pleasure for the need, but I am taking pleasure in the
53:48need because there's grace for needs.
53:51If I find myself being persecuted, and, and, and here's a disclaimer, if you really want
53:57to be saved, know that the persecution is going to come with the salvation.
54:02If you really want to walk this thing out, if you really want to live this Christian
54:06life out, know that it comes with persecutions.
54:09And as I have said before, if you don't want to be persecuted, gone and die, because that's
54:18the only way as a child of God, you're as a, I'm talking about the true church, by the
54:25way, is the true church in this place.
54:26I'm talking about, I'm talking about the real church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
54:29Okay.
54:30If you're a part of the true church, they're going to persecute you.
54:34Jesus said it.
54:34They persecuted him, you know, they're going to persecute you.
54:37And Jesus even said, if, if, listen, if you leave all for my sake and the sake of the
54:42gospel, he says, oh, oh, you will receive manifold.
54:46He says, in this life, he says, and in the next, he says, but with persecutions.
54:51Persecution comes with the territory.
54:53Oh, and persecution is annoying.
54:55Oh, somewhat.
54:57I mean, the reproaches and the persecutions can go together.
55:00See, the reproach could be the hurt that comes from one person, while the persecution is
55:05the hurt that's coming from everywhere else.
55:07Specifically, the folk that don't know nothing about what they're talking about.
55:14You just, you just, I have never seen in this day and age that we live in, so many so-called
55:20Christians using their platforms to sin about other folks' sin.
55:30How are you going to expose sin with sin?
55:35How are you going to expose somebody's adultery with your witchcraft?
55:41Okay, so, so persecutions come with this life.
55:48And Paul says what?
55:49Paul says, when I find myself in persecutions, I'm not taking pleasure for persecutions,
55:55but I am taking pleasure in persecutions.
55:57Why?
55:58Because there's grace for your, there's grace for persecution.
56:03So what do I say?
56:04Thank you, father, for your grace, for these persecutions.
56:08It rests upon me.
56:10Distresses.
56:11That's the last thing he says in this list.
56:12He says, I'll take pleasure for distresses, but I do take pleasure in them.
56:16Why?
56:17Because there's grace for distresses.
56:19Now think about this.
56:20If there's a, if there's grace for distresses, and all I got to do is access the grace of
56:24God by faith, which begins with my words of faith, I receive, I receive your grace, father.
56:30I receive your grace for the stresses, for the distresses, for the reproaches, for the
56:36infirmities, for the persecutions, I specifically receive your grace for this specific thing.
56:43Now if there's grace for all of these things in this list, don't you think there's grace
56:47for everything else?
56:50And how do I access it?
56:53That's right.
56:54First, I have to remember, oh, that's right, I'm already in this grace.
56:57Now let me ask, oh, let me see, let me, let me access, uh, yeah, let me, uh, finances.
57:02Okay.
57:03Okay.
57:04There's finances.
57:05There's, I think finances, healing, and persecutions.
57:07Because there's grace for finances, healings, and persecutions, and anything else you need
57:11in this life.
57:13Anything that pertains to life and godliness, there is grace for it.
57:18And what does Paul then say here?
57:19Last part of verse 10, and we'll close, he says, he says, watch this, I take pleasure
57:23in these things for Christ's sake.
57:27For Christ's sake.
57:28Why?
57:29For when I am weak, then I'm strong.
57:35See, see, you didn't know that when you were at your lowest.
57:40When you're in the spirit, you're at your highest, so you just can't see it yet.
57:45What if we changed our approach when we get hit with this kind of stuff?
57:49I know that the natural response is to complain, it's, it's, it's, it's to gripe, it's to,
57:57it's to murmur about the situation, maybe worry about the situation, maybe talk up the
58:02situation.
58:03Let's stop doing that.
58:05Let's, let's assume, and we know how annoying these things can be, oh, but when we get hit
58:11with them, what if we, what if we change our posture?
58:13Oh, snap.
58:15Oh, oh, oh, oh, the devil, he done, he done tried it again.
58:20He, this dude trying to make me sick.
58:25He must know what's on the horizon.
58:29He may not know what it is specifically, but he knows something's coming for me, so that's
58:33why he's coming for me.
58:37He says, when I am weak, then I'm strong.
58:42So I don't see any weak people in this place, I only see strong folk.
58:49Even if your physical circumstances would be the dictionary definition of weak, I still
58:55see strong folk, because Paul said, when I'm weak, I'm strong.
59:01Why am I strong?
59:02Because when I'm weak, the power of Christ rests upon me.
59:05Amen.
59:06Father, we thank you for your word, it's life is true.
59:09It will not, it cannot return to you void, empty, vain, futile, useless.
59:17Rather it will, it will accomplish, because your word accomplishes, Father.
59:25Your word, your word prospers where you send it, and we thank you for your word having
59:29been sent today.
59:31We thank you for your word having been planted into our hearts this day.
59:34We thank you for your word prospering in our lives.