Topic 5: I Can overcome my weaknesses

Introduction

- Sino rito ang me weakness?

- Tinanggap niyo na ba na dahil yan ang weakness niyo talagang dyan ka laging babaksak?
- Pag sinabi kasing weakness ang pagkakaintindi natin yan ang kahinaan natin and dyan lagi
ako nagkakasala.
- And most of the time feeling natin we cannot overcome our weaknesses and it will stay
forever.
- But is that what the bible really telling us?
- Yes it is true that all of us had weaknesses but it doesn't mean we cannot overcome it. Let us
look on Paul on his own weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:5-10 NIV

[5] I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my
weaknesses. [6] Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be
speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do
or say.

[7] 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. [8] Three times I pleaded
with the Lord to take it away from me. [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.

- Paul just received a great revelation that very few could ever experience. What is that? He was
brought into the presence of God in third heaven.

2 Corinthians 12:2-4 NIV

[2] I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it
was in the body or out of the body I do not know---God knows. [3] And I know that this man---
whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows--- [4] was caught up
to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.

- Though he is speaking on third person, but it is actually he himself is the one he was talking
about.
- God brought him to paradise. A very rare experience. He saw the most amazing things a man
could see. He heard things that it is not permitted to tell to anyone.
- Imagine the world of Avatar? I could imagine it it much more beautiful.
- Isipin mo ipasyal ka ng Diyos sa kanyang kaharian sa langit.
- How would you feel and how would you think of yourself?

- Knowing Paul, and how he described his achievements and accomplishment, he is an

Achiever! He wants to prove himself that he can do it!
- He himself tells his weakness. What are his weakness...

1. He is a conceited man

2 Corinthians 12:7 NIV

“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations,...”

- Conceited is having or showing an excessively high opinion of oneself. Yan si Paul

masyadong mataas ang tingin niya sa sarili niya.
- Bakit nga naman, because the truth is a man who make things happen and would
accomplished anything if he wants to.
- Now imagine the privilege of going to the paradise and heard and see great and wonderful
things that he is not allowed to speak.
- How many times though he try as much as possible to be humbled and not to boast of his
accomplishment but most of the time there are situation that demands to tell what he had
accomplish.
- Isipin mo ang struggle niya na magpigil lagi na huwag ipagmalaki ang sarili niya.

- Next weakness is his...

2. Thorn in the flesh

2 Corinthians 12:7-8 NIV

[7] 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. [8] Three times I pleaded
with the Lord to take it away from me.

- This thorn in the flesh of Paul is unidentified if this is really a problem on body, or a
temptation, or eye problem, or migraine. The bible does not specify what it is. But one this is
for sure...It torments him.
- This tormentor became a huge burden and problem for him that he actually pray to God three
times to remove it but God did not answer him.
- Imagine you are a man of God who heals and do miracles for so many time. Dami mong
ginawang himala at kahit sinong demonyo ang huamarap sa kanya kaya niyang palayasin.
Pero itong thorn in the flesh niya di niya kayang paalisin.
- Now Imagine Paul could be considered the greatest apostle of Jesus Christ and yet he had
weaknesses.
- But how did he overcome it, or how did he handle these weaknesses.

1. He totally rely on the grace and power of God

2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

[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.

- Knowing our weaknesses does not justify that we allow it to control us or do it because it is
our “weakness” kaya nga weakness kasi kahinaan.
- Kaya madalas natin sinasabi pasensya na kayo kasi yan ang weakness ko.
- The truth is “thru our weakness” it pushes us to heavily rely on the grace of God and on the
power of God.
- Kaya nga weakness kasi di mo kaya on your own, you need God's grace and God's power.
Kasi kung strenght mo yon then you don't need God at all.
- That means our weaknesses give us the opportunity to rely and experience his grace and
power so that we can fully say that it is not about my strenght or my power but of his grace
and power.
- So kung me weakness ka lalo mong kailang humingi ng Grace and Power ni God to overcome
it and the good news is this the more you rely on Him the more you overcome it!
- The more you try to overcome it on your own strength the more an mahihirapan ka.
- Paano ba gawin itong relying on God's grace and Power?

A. Confess that it is your weakness. Stop pretending na kaya mo on your own. Aminin mo na
gusto mo rin yong kasalanan o yong weakness na yan. Aminin mo na you are proud, you
have a lustful heart, na mas priority mo ang ibang bagay kesa sa Diyos. aminin mo na di ka
marunong magtiwala sa kanya. Kasi pag umamin ka doon ka pa lang mag start na humingi
talaga ng tulog sa Diyos.
B. Ask God's grace and power to overcome it. That is on a daily basis lalo na sa mga oras na
umaatake ang weakness. You anticipate the tempation or weakness and you pray for God's
grace and power even before na dumating yong temptation.
C. Remind yourself of God's word Katulad ni Paul he was instructed not to tell what he had
seen and heard and true enough he obeyed. Reminding ourselves daily on what God said and
commanded us would greatly help us to walk in his grace nad the power of God.

Next things that Paul did is...

2. He knew the purpose of God allowing his weakness to stay

2 Corinthians 12:10 NIV

[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.

- In his weakness, he is strong why? Because it remind him that it is about God's grace and
power.
- That he overcomes his weakness, because God him him the grace and the power to be strong
and overcome.
- If God removes our weakness, then we don't have any reason to rely on God's grace and
power.
- Our weakness proves that we alone is weak and nothing, but it also proves that God is in us.
- Kaya pala ang sabi niya... “I delight in weakness” hindi ibig sabihin natutuwa siya sa kahinaan
niya, but nagbibigay ito ng comfort sa kanya kasi doon pa lalo niyang nararanasan ang grace
and power of God.

Challenge.

- Lahat tayo may weakness pero hindi ito puedeng idahilan para magpatuloy tayong gawin yong
mga weaknesses natin.
- But this weakness push us to really rely on God's grace and Power.
- The truth about weakness is

The opportunity of God to prove that he ca give his grace and power to you
to overcome every weaknesses in your life and fulfill God's plan for you!

- Stop making excuses because of your weaknesses but rather use your weakness to prove that
God is with you!
- If you have weaknesses then you humble yourself and cry out for his grace and power!
- Start declaring to yourself that “I can overcome my weaknesses through God's grace and
power!