Power Through Weakness 3

2. The “Backward” Wisdom of God

3. The “Backward” Wisdom of God
“My thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord. As the heavens are
higher than the earth, so are my ways
higher than your ways and my thoughts
than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:8,9
God’s wisdom seems
“backward” to us because our
thinking is so backward!

4. Power and Weakness
CHRIST’S POWER FOR SALVATION
The only thing that
keeps us from
the power of salvation
is our self-confidence.

5. Power and Weakness
The Holy Roman Empire

6. Power and Weakness
What is the Church?
Why are we here?

7. Power and Weakness
CHRIST’S POWER FOR SERVICE
We proclaim him, admonishing and
teaching everyone with all wisdom, so
that we may present everyone perfect
in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling
with all his energy, which so powerfully
works in me.
Colossians 1:28,29

8. Power and Weakness
CHRIST’S POWER FOR SERVICE
Commitment to Christ &
Serving Others
Nourishment via
God’s Word,
Prayer & Fellowship
Difficulties

9. Power and Weakness
CHRIST’S POWER FOR SERVICE
To keep me from becoming conceited
because of these surpassingly great
revelations, there was given me a thorn
in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to
torment me. Three times I pleaded with
the Lord to take it away from me.
2 Corinthians 12:7,8

10. Power and Weakness
CHRIST’S POWER FOR SERVICE
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 about my
weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may
rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s
sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults,
in hardships, in persecutions, in
difficulties. For when I am weak, then I
am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9,10

11. Power and Weakness
CHRIST’S POWER FOR SERVICE
 Common “thorns”
○ DISTURBANCE
○ DARKNESS
○ DISAPPOINTMENT
○ INEQUALITY

12. The Story of Agnes

13. The Story of Agnes

14. Power and Weakness
CHRIST’S POWER FOR SERVICE
How are you
responding to God’s
current “thorns?”

15. Power and Weakness
Jars of Clay
7But we have this treasure in jars of
clay to show that this all-surpassing
power is from God and not from
us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side,
but not crushed; perplexed, but not in
despair; 9 persecuted, but not
abandoned; struck down, but not
destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:7-9

16. Power and Weakness
Jars of Clay
16Therefore we do not lose heart.
Though outwardly we are wasting
away, yet inwardly we are being
renewed day by day. 17 For our light
and momentary troubles are achieving
for us an eternal glory that far
outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes
not on what is seen, but on what is
unseen. For what is seen is temporary,
but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18