Communion with Rev Randy Barrington

SERMON:    “The Right Person” 
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The right person for the job

• Now I want to talk a little about the title of this sermon, and what you might think when you hear these words.
• Now you might think about things like being strong enough, being educated enough, having enough drive or even personal talent.
• Well I want us all to get out of that train of thought for the morning, what if I told you that sometimes the right person for the job could be the person who is weak enough?

 
2 Corinthians 12:6 (ESV)6 though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me.

• Paul has just told about a revelation he has been given from God.

Read 2 Corinthians 12:1-5

• Paul doesn't want to boast about the fact that God chose to show him some special revelation.
• Paul is saying “if there is an actual need to boast then I will” But if I'm going to boast then you can be sure that I am going to tell you the truth.
• And he wants everyone to be sure that he did nothing special in this situation.
• And Paul always felt that if people were going to think well of him, then let it be not just what he said, but how he acted and lived.

 
2 Corinthians 12:7 (ESV)7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations,[a] a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.

• Now get this, Paul is given this great vision and immediately after this he is given a thorn. We don't actually know what the thorn is but we know it is a physical thing because Paul uses the term “flesh” the term Paul always uses to describe the body.
• Now you think that this would cause Paul to get mad or discouraged, but it doesn't.
• Paul somehow understands that this is there to help him from developing some kind of spiritual conceit.
• He knows this is from Satan, and he knows it is being allowed by God for his benefit.

 
2 Corinthians 12:8(ESV)8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.

• He knows why its there and it like he knows it was allowed by God, and it can only be removed by God.
• Do you understand the depth that Paul understands that God is omnipotent.
• We never hear about Going to a Doctor once, but he turns to God three times. Unlike so many that Jesus healed who said “the doctors can do nothing”.

 
2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)9 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.

• So God said no?
• No that's not what he said, what He (God) said was that there would always be enough grace allotted to Paul that he could be more than a conquer

 
Romans 8:35-37 (ESV)35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

• Even after he asked God three times to heal him and God said “no I won't take it away because it is serving a purpose, but I will give you all you will need to suffer it”.
• Do we trust that God's grace is big enough and power enough to get us through the struggles of our life?

 
 
2 Corinthians 12:10 (ESV)10 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.

• So Paul is content to be weak if it is for the purpose of showing the strength of God.
• Can we be that strong ? I mean strong enough to move forward leaning and trusting on God's strength?
• Just look at the things he says he will be content with, weaknesses.
•  Insults
•  hardships
• persecutions
• calamities.

 

• Now with the list I just read it is impossible togo through these type of situations without our weakness showing through.

 
So here are some questions to leave you with.

• Is God willing to work with people who are weak? Abraham doubted, Moses stuttered, John the Baptist was weird.
• Are we willing to be weak so god can be strong? The greatest example of this is Jesus.

 
Philippians 2:5-8 (ESV)5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,[a] 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,[b] 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,[c] being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

• Even though He was equal with god, He had God's power (omnipotent) He was willing to put all of it aside and allow Himself to be sacrificed for the sins of man. Because He allowed Himself to be that weak God in His strength raised Him back up again.

 
 
John 10:18 English Standard Version (ESV)18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

• So maybe God has picked you for a job. Maybe you feel that you are not the right person for that job.
• Maybe you feel that you are to weak in some areas, and maybe thats exactly why he picked you.