Whenever I Am Weak, then I Am Strong

Scripture Lessons: 2nd Corinthians 12: 1-10 and 2nd Samuel 5: 1-5, 9-10 Sermon Title: Whenever I Am Weak, then I Am Strong Preached on July 8, 2018 In the past two weeks, as is often the case, I have come to a better understanding of my personal failures and limitations. I had a meeting at Cool Beans Coffee Shop on the Square with David Eldridge, the pastor of Stone Bridge Church, and David wanted to introduce me to another pastor who was in there – it was pastor’s day at Cool Beans I guess. The other pastor that David wanted me to meet had just started at Roswell Street Baptist Church. I shook his hand, his name was Mark, and in the course of his introduction I suddenly realized that this was the very Mark who had been trying to get in touch with me. I had failed to return several of his messages. He had been emailing me to see if I might be interested in this new imitative he’s getting started. Has this ever happened to you? That the person you’ve been avoiding, either intentionally or unintentionally, is suddenly right in front of you? David said, “Mark, this is Joe Evans at First Presbyterian Church.” I added, “The guy who has failed to return your messages.” Then he said, “Don’t apologize. You’re not Jesus.” Isn’t that the best response? I’ve been thinking about how I might use that phrase, because it’s such a freeing reminder of the truth. Of course, I know I’m not Jesus. None of us are, but that truth doesn’t always keep us from trying to be perfect. In reality, we’re limited. Fallible and forgetful, but we don’t want to be. In fact, we’re often actively trying not to be. So, I’m grateful to this Mark, because he helped me to face the reality that I’m just me because I often want to be more than me. I want to be King David. Don’t you? In our 2nd Scripture Lesson from the book of 2nd Samuel, David’s accomplishments are listed: -David, who already had been embraced by the Southern Tribes, now unifies the nation by gaining the esteem of the north as well. -He made a covenant with the Elders of Israel. -Was anointed king. -He captured the ancient city of Jerusalem, established it as the City of David, then built it up. -Scripture also mentions that he does all this by the time he turned 30. -But here’s the main thing. In verse 10 we read: “And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts was with him.” With this simple verse it becomes clear why David was able to all these things by the time he turned 30. It was not because of his own strength that he became great, but because “the God of hosts was with him,” and should we continue to consider the reign of David, then future years will show that when he forgets this vital fact, when he fails to accept the limit of his power and instead, steps beyond to seize more than he has right to, his great story turns from victory to tragedy. The human condition is, that even the greatest of us are limited, and one of the beautiful gifts of our faith is to embrace our limits, not with resentment, but with gratitude. Paul said it like this in our first Scripture Lesson: “On my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses.” He then goes on to describe, without specific detail, the “thorn” which keeps him from being “too elated.” “Three times I appealed to the Lord about this [Paul wrote], that it would leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” “Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.” That’s a hard truth to accept, but it is truth. I recently heard a philosopher describe Superman. How the writers of this comic book ran out of stories to tell about him, that his popularity began to wane, until they introduced kryptonite, the mineral that zaps the super hero’s strength. Of course, we would all like to be super heroes: strong, fast, ageless, beautiful. The perfect mothers, the sole provider. We want to wake up early, exercise, walk the dog, feed the family, then go off into the world prim and proper, witty and informed, caring and concerned, and I know that’s true, because when we have the chance to project our image out onto the world, we show the Facebook Community, not the truth, but what we want the truth to be. Our children must make good grades, and make the cheerleading squad, and act in the school play, while attending to her grandparents, looking grownups in the eye, minding their manners and writing all thankyou notes no more than four days after her birthday party. That’s what many of us want from our children because we hold ourselves up to such high standards. Success in life demands rising to the high standards set by culture, but what about the moment when they run into their own Mark, who wrote them an email that they’ve failed to respond to for days or weeks. Will they rejoice in being reminded that they aren’t Jesus? And don’t have to be? Or will they promise to try harder to be perfect in the future? A requirement of having faith in God, is not having absolute faith in ourselves. That might sound strange, but if we could do it alone what need for God would there be? When Paul says: “Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong,” he is reiterating a point that he’s made several times before, that if we could be perfect, then what need would we have for God’s grace? If we could master human existence, going through life without making mistakes, or, if we could rise to every occasion without the need of God’s sustaining hand, then why believe? If perfection were ours, if holiness were something we could work for and eventually gain, if it were possible for us to rise to every challenge without ever falling or failing, then what did Christ die for? Therefore, we are better – far better – when we know our need, for then we can give thanks for our shepherd who supplies it. We are mighty – not when we are strong enough to do it ourselves, but when we must lean on the ever-lasting and almighty arms of our savior. When we remember our blindness, then we can give thanks to the one who opens our eyes. And when we know what we can’t do, then we can trust the one who can. Those children who grow up believing that it all rests on their shoulders – who forgot how to play and spend their vacations at the beach studying for the ACT – we worry about the pressure that they’re under but don’t know what to do about it, because we adults can be just as bad. We adults, who live into the lie, the idolatry that the future rests in our hands, are to be pitied for foolishly trying to carry a burden that already rests in our savior’s hands. Too often I try to carry it myself. After all, I am the new pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Marietta, GA. I’ve now been proud to call myself your pastor for nearly one year. This summer is the one-year anniversary, and daily I’m thankful to be here among you. To call myself your pastor, and being your pastor has its many perks. Sometimes I’m recognized by people I haven’t met. I was having breakfast at Come–N–Get It and the man at the register, who I’ve only met once or twice before, called me by name. “Thank you for your business Rev. Evans,” he said. This was an occasion for my head to expand. Only later did I realize that I was wearing a name tag. I’m still me, you see – and you’re still you. The struggle is to accept such limitations, and even to rejoice in them, for in recognizing what Christ does in our weakness, we are more fully Christian, and less failing superheroes. I’m sure that you’ve heard by now, that a Long-Range Planning Committee has been formed at our church, and that they have been meeting, organizing five task forces to strengthen our churches’ technology and communication, as well as our youth group, preschool, and Club 3:30 After School Program. They’ve focused on these areas because you, the congregation, talked more about these five areas than any other, for you know already that God is alive and at work in those places, and to be a stronger church means for us that we join God where God is already at work. We’ve adopted the statement: that First Presbyterian Church exists to change and transform lives with faith, hope, and love – and it sounds obvious, but it’s worth saying, that the transformation begins with us. That our lives are transformed, when we stop relying on ourselves for direction and guidance. When we stop trying to figure out what is right in our own minds, but instead rely on the teachings of Scripture to lead a life of faith. That our lives are transformed when we stop relying on ourselves to create a better future, but instead rejoice in the truth that God has been at work in our world, making earth as it is in heaven for in God is our hope. And we believe that God is transforming our lives with the gift of love. A God who loves us despite our weakness, a God who calls us to love each other despite our sins and shortcomings. What it all means is that “whenever I am weak, then I am strong,” because in my weakness I must depend, not on myself, but on my God. And when we think too highly of ourselves, we are fools. When we think too highly of ourselves, we are like children who don’t stop to thank the parents who put food on their plates and keep the lights on in the house. We sometimes live in the illusion of self-sufficiency but consider all that we don’t know – we can’t even cure the common cold. I’ve never seen where a hummingbird sleeps. Is it in a nest? Under a leaf? When we see only the strength of the one who looks back at us in the mirror, we fail to give thanks for the one who put the stars in the night sky. And we fail to rely on the one who is strong when we are weak. We must remember that whenever I am weak, then I am strong, for there is danger in relying too heavily on human strength. The strong keep going in their marriage while it falls apart, while the weak trust in a higher power and ask for help. The strong face hardship that they can’t see their way out of and break, while the weak call on the ever-present help in times of trouble and because they’ve called on God, they are more than conquerors. The strong see death as the end, but the weak sing their loud halleluiah even at the grave, giving thanks for the strength of Christ who carries us from death to new life. Who leads us out into an ever-changing world with faith, hope, and love. That’s the symbolism of the acolyte. The hardest job in a worship service is the job of the acolyte. It’s the only job that involves a flame in an old wooden building, so with the acolyte is the greatest potential for something to go badly wrong. But not only that, there are so many variables. The flame could go out on the wand. The wax from the wick can melt in the tube and won’t come out. Every once in a while, there won’t be enough oil in the candles, so they won’t light while everyone is watching. Plus, you have to lead the worship leaders into the sanctuary – walking first in line down the aisle in front of your church family. It’s a lot of pressure. Last Sunday some things went wrong. The light went out on the wand before Emma Grace could make it down to the front. Her dad and I had to run up with the lighter to get things going in the right direction again. But Emma Grace persevered you see. It was her first time to acolyte in the 11:00 service, and even though everyone was watching, she didn’t give up. She persevered, and when I think about life, isn’t perseverance more important than strength? Certainly, it’s more attainable than perfection. Knowing where to go for help matters more, because no mortal always knows the way. Having the courage to ask a question is more important in the grand scheme of things, because we all hit a point where we don’t have the answer. Perseverance then. Because of her perseverance, at the end of the service, Emma Grace took up the acolyte’s wand once again, and with it lit she lead us out of this sanctuary, reminding us that the light of Christ goes out into the world with us. We are not alone, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong, because Christ gives me strength. Amen.