Enduring our Thorns in the Flesh

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Enduring our Thorns in the Flesh

• 2 Corinthians 127-10
• Twin City Fellowship
• Ryan Habbena

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The Context of 2 Corinthians 12

• 2 Corinthians 115-7
• For I consider myself not in the least inferior
  to the most eminent apostles. But even if I am
  unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in
  knowledge in fact, in every way we have made
  this evident to you in all things. Or did I
  commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might
  be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God
  to you without charge?

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The Thorn in the Flesh

• 2 Corinthians 127
• Because of the surpassing greatness of the
  revelations, for this reason, to keep me from
  exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in
  the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me--to
  keep me from exalting myself!

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What was Pauls Thorn in the Flesh?

• Eye Problems
• Pauls Adversaries
• Persecution
• Ear Problems
• Sexual Temptation
• Kidney Stones
• Gout
• Clubbed Feet

• Bad Looks
• A Literal Thorn
• Headaches
• Epilepsy
• Speech Impediment
• Bad Temper
• Depression
• Doubt

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The Sufficiency of Grace

• 2 Corinthians 128-9
• Concerning this I implored the Lord three times
  that it might leave me. And He has said to me,
  "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is
  perfected in weakness " Most gladly, therefore, I
  will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that
  the power of Christ may dwell in me.

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Delighting in Difficulties

• 2 Corinthians 1210
• Therefore I am well content with weaknesses,
  with insults, with distresses, with persecutions,
  with difficulties, for Christ's sake for when I
  am weak, then I am strong.

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5 Scriptural Pillars for Enduring Trials

• Hebrews 127-8
• It is for discipline that you endure God deals
  with you as with sons for what son is there whom
  his father does not discipline? But if you are
  without discipline, of which all have become
  partakers, then you are illegitimate children and
  not sons.

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1 No Trial Comes to YouUnless it is Allowed
By God

• Job 19-12
• Then Satan answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God
  for nothing? "Have You not made a hedge about him
  and his house and all that he has, on every side?
  You have blessed the work of his hands, and his
  possessions have increased in the land. "But put
  forth Your hand now and touch all that he has he
  will surely curse You to Your face." Then the
  LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is
  in your power, only do not put forth your hand on
  him." So Satan departed from the presence of the
  LORD

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2 - All Trials Have Their Parameters Set By God

• 1 Corinthians 1013 No temptation has overtaken
  you but such as is common to man and God is
  faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted
  beyond what you are able.
• 1 Peter 510 After you have suffered for a
  little while, the God of all grace, who called
  you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself
  perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

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3 Trials Are Used By God to Conform Us to the
Image of Christ

• Romans 828 And we know that God causes all
  things to work together for good to those who
  love God, to those who are called according to
  His purpose.
• Hebrews 1211 All discipline for the moment seems
  not to be joyful, but sorrowful yet to those who
  have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the
  peaceful fruit of righteousness.

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4 God Will Grant His ChildrenSufficient Grace
to Endure Trials

• 1 Corinthians 1013b
• God is faithful, who will not allow you to be
  tempted beyond what you are able, but with the
  temptation will provide the way of escape also,
  so that you will be able to endure it.
• James 511
• We count those blessed who endured You have
  heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the
  outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is
  full of compassion and is merciful.

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5 There Will Come A Time When God Brings All
Trials to an End

• Revelation 213-4 And I heard a loud voice from
  the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of
  God is among men, and He will dwell among them,
  and they shall be His people, and God Himself
  will be among them, and He will wipe away every
  tear from their eyes and there will no longer be
  any death there will no longer be any mourning,
  or crying, or pain the first things have passed
  away."