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chapter number 12 and of course this is a special service where it's our Thanksgiving dinner and so this is why this is set up this way. We have like a little Bible study little thing going on here. So I'll be preaching and then as soon as we're done preaching I'll be praying and I neglected to ask my wife for instructions as far as how we're going to get the food. So basically this is the way it's going to work. The food is over there. Go ahead and grab it after the service after the preaching and then just bring it back to your tables and have at it amen. We got three turkeys ham and a bunch of other stuff so we're looking forward to that all right. Now we're in second Corinthians chapter 12 I was debating whether to preach a Thanksgiving sermon or to just stick with the schedule. So I figured we just stick to the schedule because you guys already know hey we're supposed to be thankful amen. So and if you don't know now you know right look at verse number one of second Corinthians chapter number 12 it says it is not expedient for me doubtless to glory I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord I knew a man in Christ about 14 years ago whether in the body I cannot tell or whether out of the body I cannot tell God know it such and one caught up to the third heaven and I knew such a man whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God know it. Now I want you to focus on verse number one it says it is not expedient for me doubtless to glory and what is he referring to well he's referring to the visions and revelations of the Lord. Now if you look in chapter 11 and look at chapter 11 verse number 30 it says if I must needs glory I will glory in the things which concern mine and firmities there he jumps into verse number 12 or excuse me verse number one of chapter 12 it is not expedient for me doubtless to glory I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. Now I want you to look how those two tie in together okay the fact that he has infirmities along with the fact that he's going to come to visions and revelations of the Lord look at verse number two it says I knew a man in Christ above 14 years ago and let me just clarify that obviously I think it's clearly talking about the Apostle Paul and he's referring to himself and I believe that because in verse 24 of chapter 11 it talks about some of the things that he's gone through all right talk about being stoned and being under the persecution of false brethren and if you even study the ministry of the Apostle Paul you see many times he was either dead or close to being dead okay there's times when he was stoned and he was carried out in the city and everyone just thought he was dead and then everyone dispersed he gets up and goes to the next city and he preaches the gospel there in that city as well so I believe this is actually referring to himself and I don't think that's far-fetched to think that because there's many times when he was persecuted he was beaten he was he was stoned and so many things that happened to him physically that would have put him to in that state of death where he could actually see this look at verse 2 I knew a man in Christ about 14 years ago whether in the body I cannot tell whether out of the body I cannot tell God know it such a one caught up to the third heaven and I knew such a man whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God know it how that he was caught up into paradise and heard unspeakable words which is not lawful for a man to utter so there's a couple things that I want to clarify in this passage first and foremost is that the Apostle Paul was caught up into the third heaven okay now why is that important well simply for the fact that the third heaven in the Bible is referring to the place where God resides it's referring to the place where God dwells in the vastness of eternity now we know that clearly because the Bible says in Psalm 139 David speaking by inspiration of the Holy Ghost says if I ascend up into what heaven thou art there so what does that refer to that third heaven not only that the Bible tells us in Psalm 11 verse 4 the Lord is in his holy temple the Lord's throne is in heaven his eyes behold his eyelids tried the children of men Psalm 33 verse 13 says the Lord looketh from heaven he beholdeth all the sons of men so that third heavens referring to where God dwells then you have the second heaven what is that talking about well I believe that's where excuse me the first heaven is referring to the sky or what the Bible would also refer to as the firmament you see that over and over again in Genesis chapter number one that's referring to the sky where the birds dwell etc where they fly the second heaven would be referring to space go with me if you would to Isaiah chapter number 40 this is super basic why are we going over this well I'm gonna explain to you why we're going over this and why this is important just to know something as basic as all three heavens okay first heaven you got yourself the atmosphere of the firmament second heaven you have space third heaven is where God dwells in the vastness of eternity look at Isaiah 40 verse 22 it is he that sitteth on the pond the circle of the earth and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in that's that's obviously talking about space he stretches that out as the heavens that's that that is the second heaven that it's referring to now you say well I can clearly see that why are we going over that why is that important well because there's teachings out there because if you talk to these Nephilim believing book of Enoch heretics they'll tell you that there's not three heavens there's actually ten of them ten thank you very much for that lab that's how I feel when I when I hear about that as well I meant that there's ten heavens okay now I remember before I got saved when I was like 17 and I don't remember if YouTube was around back then you know what we used to do to try to get any kind of crazy information you just go to the library okay or you go to Barnes and Noble's and I remember going to Barnes and Noble's and there was a book called the book of Enoch and it intrigued me I wasn't I was unsaved I had heard about who Enoch was so I picked it up I bought it and I read just a few pages of it and I was like whoa this is crazy you know they talked about angels that had rebelled and joined Satan and had impregnated the daughters of men and how these you know these Giants were in the land 450 feet tall and how they're eating people and I was thinking to myself this is crazy that this really happened you know and if it happened why is it that this book is not within the Bible but not only that I remember reading it and hearing account reading accounts of Enoch talking about how there's different even compartments in heaven and specifically talking about that there is ten heavens now let me just start off by saying that the book of Enoch is not inspired okay and if you're in here you're like well I think there's some validation no it's not inspired in fact the only place you'll find the book of Enoch is in the Apocrypha okay there's a yeah but that was in the King James Bible 1611 yeah but you even know what Apocrypha means it means not inspired it means it's not genuine it's a fake it's a fraud so even when the King James translators put it within the 1611 of the King James Bible they labeled it Apocrypha means which means it's not genuine it's not inspired don't take this as inspired by God but what do you have today these YouTube Christians these Nephilim flat earth you know hollow earth you know reptilian book of Enoch believers they want to do want to believe everything but the Bible they want to believe these extra biblical revelations the book of Enoch is not inspired and they'll use the ignorance of people what Apocrypha even means to say what did you know that the book of Enoch is in the it was in the original 1611 it's in the Apocrypha but Apocrypha means it's not inspired okay get a dictionary and you'll find that out okay but it's filled with foolish heretical doctrines children there were 450 feet tall you know and another thing that they'll use to validate that it's from God or that it has validity is they'll say well you know Jude quoted the book of Enoch okay they'll say Jude quoted the book of Enoch let's go to Jude because I like the book of Jude I even like what Enoch said in the book of Jude it was a good it was a great sermon look what it says in Jude verse 13 raging waves of the seam foaming out their own shame this is talking about sodomites it's talking about reprobates wandering stars to whom is reserved the blackness of the darkness forever and Enoch also the seventh from Adam prophesied in the book of Enoch is that what it says it says prophesied of these saying behold the Lord cometh with 10,000 of his saints to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners has spoken against him so they'll take that and they'll say see it's quoting the book of Enoch no it's quoting Enoch it's not quoting the book of Enoch and you talk to anybody who's a proponent of the book of Enoch or you talk to anybody who even remotely believes this you know they'll tell you well you know yeah it's not inspired like for example the Catholics when you talk to them about this they'll say yeah it's not inspired but you know it did Jude did quote the book of Enoch I'm not saying it's inspired but it did quote no it didn't you see the book of Enoch came to light they found out about it they found it with the Dead Sea Scrolls in the 20th century and when they so just because you find the verse from Jude in the book of Enoch does not mean that Jude was quoting Enoch it just means someone later on inserted that quote from the book of Jude into the book of Enoch and say oh look you know Jude quoted it no you wrote it in there that's what that means you just transcribed it into that book to deceive people into thinking that there's extra biblical revelation that you know this book is should be you know considered as Canon and why do they remove it and look at all the YouTube clips that's all it talks about okay and look the book of Enoch is a very Catholic Bible or excuse me Catholic book should I say okay it's very Catholic in essence and I'm explained to you why so this is not valid and they'll tell you well you know how do you know there's not ten heavens well cuz the Bible doesn't talk about heaven four through ten yeah but it doesn't talk about heaven one through two either though yeah but here's the thing if the Bible mentions the third heaven you can ascertain based upon that that there is a first and a second one right but you cannot conclude and determine that there is heaven four through ten just because there's a three you can ascertain that there's one and two okay and there's nowhere in the Bible where it talks about these weird heavens now I'm gonna read to you what they believe are in these heavens just just so let's just have fun tonight okay just enjoy this for now okay because they describe what's within each and every one of these heavens and it's number one it's stupid number two it's ridiculous number three it's stupid again and number four it's Catholic so the first seven this is where the clouds stars snow and morning dew are located located atop the clouds inhabited by winged angels angels with wings now what does that sound like to you you know you go to the to these Catholic churches you go to the Vatican what do you see the paintings on the wall naked little babies with wings on top of clouds where do they get that from the book of Enoch that's what that comes from so they say that these angels who who have wings inhabit these clouds this is where the rulers and elders of the constellations reside here with 200 angels nearby is a great sea larger than any Earth's ocean while the heavenly storehouse for both snow and morning dew are located here they got the offer in the Bible I mean I mean don't you see that if you've not read your Bible cover to cover and you haven't seen that you haven't read your Bible yet no you know what it is it's not in the Bible this has come from the wicked imagination the inventors of evil things where they try to come up with these extra biblical revelations to validate this this fraudulent book so that's the first heaven second heaven prison of darkness death and despair a place of darkness where the angels of darkness who joined with Satan in his original rebellion have been imprisoned hanging from chains and awaiting judgment day okay so those angels who like started this whole rebellion where they went into the the daughters of men that that second heavens for you guys you know you get your own little place there third heaven is the mercy of paradise and justice of hell so this is the heaven that Paul the Apostle was referring to in second Corinthians chapter 12 now this is the interesting thing about this okay because they call this the third heaven it's paradise and what else is it it's hell what does that sound like to you this false doctrine of Abraham's bosom because what do they say about Abraham's bosom you have Abraham's bosom paradise slash prison this Christian purgatory okay where all the Old Testament Saints went and then Jesus when he died he went down there and he preached today hey guys you guys got to believe on me and then you know they're they're taking up and no one's in in in and a des anymore right that's what they'll say you know but they also say it's a second compartment of hell where this is where they get that get it from so these independent fundamental Baptist preachers who talk about and preach and believe this false doctrine of Abraham's bosom they're not getting it from their King James Bible they're getting it from the book of Enoch it says mercy of paradise justice of hell a paradise reserved for the good and the righteous consistent of a fragment orchard grove with the fiery golden tree of life in the center where the Lord rests when visiting that's where he goes when he's visiting um you know when he's preaching to the spirits in prison the roots to the tree of life extends downward to the Garden of Eden below and there are four different Springs flowing with milk honey wine and oil 300 singing angels tend to the garden in contrast the northern section is a terrible place of icy frozen oh man this is new so it's not only filled with fire you got a bunch of ice there as well to some people that's more like hell than an actual hell amen place of icy frozen darkness with a river of fire flowing through it how does that even work so there's ice and there's fire flowing through it and inhabited by fierce cruel angels with weapons who torture those sinners who have been condemned here so that's the third heaven okay here's the fourth one twelve gates of the Sun and the moon include the twelve gates and pathway of the moon and six Eastern gates and six Western gates of the Sun along with all its different pathways now this is it's pretty stupid all of it are stupid but that's really stupid then you have the fifth heaven giants of silence sadness and regret so this is for those you know those those giants who didn't abort you know I mean they were allowed to live you know that's not their fault there that these angels made a decision to go into the daughters of men so where do they go they go to the fifth one the fifth heaven it says a sad solemn place of silence and gloom filled with a countless number of gigantic human soldiers called Gregori who chose Satan as their prince and rejected the Lord of Light their faces are withered but they still remain capable of occasionally singing praises unto the Lord okay so they're just like man praise the Lord praise the Lord let the earth hear his voice that's what's going on here in the fifth heaven giants of silence sixth heaven archangels of the arts and sciences traditional home of seven different groups of angels who both rule over the stars keeping track of their motions as well as well as overseeing and managing their various governments on earth I don't even know what that has to do with arts and sciences they also keep records of everyone's good or bad deeds they're like Santa Claus is what they are right and keep careful watch over Earth's natural systems of life and death other inhabitants include six Phoenix's whoa six cherry BIMS six seraphims who with one voice sing song so other world so otherworldly they remain impossible to describe then you have the seventh heaven all right not the show all right maybe this is the show powers and dominions of fire and light an angelic realm of light and fire filled with the many different eternally loyal soldiers of the Lord including archangels virtues dominions powers and principalities also present are the otherworldly cherry BIMS seraphim thrones and other celestial beings with many eyes along with what they what the text calls nine regiments you don't find that in the Bible and so on and so forth eighth heaven okay this one's this one's interesting okay summer and winter of draw and snow so these angels they control the changes of different seasons all right causing either draw or rain on earth so what are they responsible for they're responsible for the global warming the for the climate change these are the angels that take care of these things okay so notice that God is not involved in any of this right it's all angels very Catholic the ninth heaven is the 12 secret mansions of the stars in the night consider the celestial homes of constellations which lie both above and behind the 12 groups of stars as seen in circular night sky above the earth and then the tenth heaven finally is where God dwells seen as the highest of heavens as well as the actual location of the Lord of the Lord God's mighty throne of judgment hey the book of Enoch man that's that's it that's legitimate isn't it I mean didn't when you go through these heavens don't you just see that all throughout the Bible no you don't cuz it's not there at all but people want to just be these social media experts these Instagram Facebook theology experts you know where they use everything but the Bible to prove this so-called book of Enoch and look you get into debates with these people on social media you offend them let up and down because they hold this truth is as if it's like gospel like the book of Enoch needs to be believed no only heretic churches believe in the book of Enoch okay so it's pure stupidity not valid at all it's a fraudulent book and it's no wonder because Satan's always done that okay Satan will take a phrase within the book that's not you can't compare with other portions of scriptures in the Bible and he'll indwell some reprobate to create a book to try to discredit the Bible we said well it's not really discred in the Bible it's it's saying that it's quoting the Bible no because what happens if you tell someone hey there's a book missing in the Bible then at that point people are like man what else is missing you know all right you know my Bibles incomplete no the Bible is complete all scripture is given by inspiration of God you're good to go with the King James Bible without the Apocrypha it's uninspired okay so the second thing I want to show you is that Paul refers to this third heaven as paradise okay which is a great proof text to debunk this whole thing of Abraham's bosom now as I mentioned before people hold to this doctrine of Abraham's bosom the Old Testament Saints you know Jean Kim for example he's not an Old Testament he's not a saint at all but Jean Kim for example believes that the Old Testament Saints had to believe but they also had to do works you know because there's so many scriptures in the Bible that tell you it's by faith alone by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ so what do these this dipsticks have to do they have to kind of skirt their way around and say well we're not saying it's not by faith in the Old Testament you just got to add it was by works also in the Old Testament so they have to have both no David Abraham these are people who are in the Old Testament who are saved by faith in fact the greatest proof that it's not by works is in Romans chapter 4 talking about David and Abraham now these same guys will say well these Old Testament Saints that were saved by faith and works they go to this magical place called paradise which they also call prison and what happens is you know they're there and until the coming of Christ he dies he doesn't go to hell to burn for our sins no he goes to this paradise which is Abraham's bosom the chest cavity of Abraham okay he goes there he preaches to them and they just all miraculously believed there and then he takes them up and no one's in Abraham's bosom any longer okay this is a stupid doctrine that has no validation within the Bible okay you know we said well yeah but Luke 16 talks about Abraham's bosom yeah it talks about Jesus bosom in the Gospels too the John leaned on Jesus bosom so is that another compartment so every time we hear about someone's bosom is that referring to like some holding place for for Saints no so how do you get that you know how is it that you interpret when someone's leaning on someone's bosom as being their literal bosom but when it comes to Abraham Luke 16 you know it's all of a sudden this this secret compartment this second compartment of hell located in the center of the earth it doesn't make any sense but here's the thing in the Bible in in 2nd Corinthians chapter number 12 he says he was caught up into paradise up you got to get your directions right they think the paradise is down where there is no verse in the Bible that says paradise is down it says it's up and the only times paradise is mentioned is of course 2nd Corinthians 12 Luke 23 in Revelation chapter 2 and they're all in reference to where God is right because in 2nd Corinthians 12 he says that he would come to revelations and visions of the Lord and then he talks about how he was caught up to the third heaven which is paradise that's where God is you have Luke 23 where it talks about Jesus telling the thief on the cross today that shall be with me in paradise you have revelations chapter 2 where it talks about the tree of life being in the midst of paradise where is God where God is so it's not the center of the earth second compartment hotel where people reside in for a short period of time and then vacate as soon as Jesus Christ comes back it's talking about heaven okay so just want to just reiterate that in case anyone was questioning what paradise was or Abraham's bosom was I think that's a great proof text to prove that's not what it is okay so why is the Apostle Paul glorying in his infirmities now the Bible I reread it already but 2nd Corinthians 11 30 says department if I must needs glory I will glory in the things which concern mine infirmities now the reason I believe he's glorying in his infirmities is because later on we'll see in the chapter he's talking about how God keeps him humble you know you know so he will not be exalted above measure why because of the revelations that are being given to him but why are these revelations being given to him because he's being humbled by the infirmities that he's experiencing okay look at verse number 5 says of such and one will I glory yet of myself I will not glory but in my infirmities for though I would desire to glory I shall not be a fool for I will say the truth but now I forbear lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be or that he heareth of me unless I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of revelations there was given to me a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me lest I should be exalted above measure so what is he saying here well you know Paul the Apostle wrote at least 14 books of the New Testament if you want to include the book of Hebrews I mean he's being used greatly right to do a great work for God he's created he started he's the he's the the catalyst for the great sowing movement and missions moving that we see in the Bible he's being given all these revelation so you know what the temptation is is to become proud okay the temptation is to become popped up why because knowledge puppeth up so put yourself in Paul's shoes he's learning all this doctrine from Jesus Christ himself he's being used of God to do great exploits for him and so there is a temptation because he's still human to become proud and look what is the application there well you know what we're all gonna be learning the Bible throughout our lifetime and in the new ifb guess what we have an amazing opportunity to learn doctrinal deep truths that we're not taught in the old ifb not because they're new doctrine but because the people were teaching we're not studying the Bible so are you teaching a new doctrine no it's not that we're teaching a new doctrine is this that you never taught it cuz you never study your Bible if you study the Bible you're gonna come across these deep truths as well you know the Bible is about practical application but it has deep doctrine as well that's what the Bible tells us it's the first Corinthians chapter number two that the Spirit of God searcheth all things yea the deep things of God so there are deep theological doctrines found within the Word of God we just have to dig it out we just have to work study ourselves to show a study to show ourself approve them to God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth that's what the old ifb lacked is actually studying the Bible to get these deep truths they wanted all inspiration no information we want both you know Sunday and Sunday night we preached on zeal hey we need inspiration but we need information as well but along with that information along with that revelation along with these teachings guess what the temptation comes to be proud and one thing we don't want our church to be as a proud popped up arrogant pompous church where it's like you know all this Bible you just think you're better than everyone else you're not better than anybody else you're better off amen you're better off than the old independent fundamental Baptist Church that you probably went to you're better off than most Christians who are not reading the Bible and learning these doctrines but you're not better than anybody else you know we have to see the knowledge that we've been given as a privilege and in fact a responsibility why because to whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required so before you get on your high horse of learning all these doctrines hey you better understand that you're a steward of those doctrines to whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required don't look down on some because they don't know the Bible if they were newly saved don't look down on someone if they don't know the doctrines that you know you know look don't even look down on somebody if it takes someone a while to understand these doctrines it took you one movie to learn some of these doctrines you know what for other people it's not gonna take that you know even for the people who came across these truths did not get it right away either so don't take for granted the work that other people are put in to learn these doctrines and to teach them unto you okay we need to make sure that we don't grow puffed up or proud or arrogant because of the doctrines we know and look if we are if we get to that point guess what God's gonna send a thorn in our flesh to make sure to humble us a thorn in the flesh and infirmity that will help you to realize hey you're not all that you're cracked up to be or do you think you're cracked up to be okay that's that's good amen now it's not pleasurable but it's good now with Paul what was this thorn in the flesh what was that we don't necessarily know we could just speculate that it maybe had to do with something in regards to his eyes because you've seen certain portions of the books that he wrote how he talks about the large of letter he wrote unto them you know many of the books that he actually wrote he spoke inspired by the Holy Ghost but it was transcribed by someone else and then later on you see in Galatians when he's writing to the to the people at Galatia you know he says yeah you know you would have plucked out your own eyes to give them unto me so it could be that maybe he had some sort of infirmity with his eyes that bothered him I don't know that's just speculation but whatever it was it was a thorn it was buffeting him and it was humbling him okay now the Bible tells us in Psalms 119 go to 1st Peter chapter number 2 Psalm 119 verse 71 says it is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes so what is that that's what we call what we talked about Sunday morning a trade-off if you want to learn the statutes sometimes it takes affliction and look you talk to anybody who's been saved for any length of time and they've been in church they've gone through trials and tribulations they'll tell you that the times they learned the Bible the most is actually when they went through a trial the times that they they they felt like they were learning the most that God was teaching them the Holy Spirit was teaching them the Word of God is when they were going through a hard affliction in a hard trial but here's the difference between people who go through afflictions and learn nothing and those who go through afflictions and learn something one wants to learn the other doesn't one goes to worldly means to comfort themselves one turns to the Word of God to comfort themselves one uses affliction as a means to get out of church the other uses affliction to propel them to learn the Bible and to live a life that's pleasing unto the Lord they use it as a means to say hey all things work together for good to them to love God to them there are called according to his purpose they take that verse and they live it out you see we're all gonna experience afflictions it's how you it's how you respond to those afflictions that will determine whether you learn the Bible whether you will gain these revelations and I'm not talking about extra biblical revelations I'm talking about revelations of the Word of God obviously okay look at first Peter chapter 2 verse 19 for this is thankworthy if a man for conscience toward God endure grief suffering wrongfully for what glory is it if when you be buffeted for your faults you shall take it patiently but if when you do well and suffer for it you take it patiently this is acceptable with God for even here on to where you called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that you should follow his steps who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth go to chapter 5 so we need to realize that we shouldn't run away from afflictions don't be a snowflake Christian that when the when the when a trial just peaks its head in your life that you just get out of church you stop reading the Bible you just throw in the towel you have no foundation if that's if that's you if you're endure for a while but then you just fall away as soon as persecution comes because of the word you know you need to get your roots a little deeper you need to start reading the Bible and stay in church look I was taught this and this is something that I've applied to my life and it's helped me throughout the 11 years that I've been saved someone told me this my father used to say this you're either coming out of a trial or you're in a trial or you're about to go into a trial and that's how you got to live life don't try to live life avoiding trials because if you live life avoiding trials when it comes it's gonna cause you to stumble you're gonna get away from God and guess what you're gonna set yourself back a couple years because here's what's gonna happen a couple years from now God obviously God's gonna chastise you and what's the purpose of that chastisement to get you back in the church he's gonna destroy your flesh to get you right with God to get you back in church and guess what now you gonna make up for lost time whereas if you go through a trial you go through an affliction you go through a temptation just stick it out just man up woman up or whatever and stay in church stay in the Bible pray your way through it do what you got to do to stay in church because once you come out of that trial you come out as gold okay too many quitters in the Christian life where you just throw in the towel for whatever reason the slightest persecution the slightest trial the slightest difficulty just gets him out of church you know don't be that type of Christian where you just quit at the drop of a hat look use tries to say okay well now it's time to really learn the Bible now it's time to pray now it's time to get close to God and and and really look at that fate and the day of adversity thy strength is small you know God's saying if you quit when it's hard you're weak I don't like it when people call me weak are you weak it's like I take that as a challenge okay look go through the trial weeping if you have to go through the trial bleeding if you have to but don't but go through it don't quit and most of the time when people quit it actually turns out worse for them it turns out worse why cuz now you're see when you're going through a trial at least you're going with God's favor because you're obeying God you're doing that which is pleasing unto the Lord but when you get out of church now you have the affliction but you also have God's affliction the double whammy okay so anyways look at first Peter 5 verse 4 says humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you and do time casting already care upon him for he care for you so here we see the command that God says hey you need to humble yourself and what is the result of that God will exalt you isn't that what God did to Paul I mean two thousand years later we're talking about it we're learning from him he's been used greatly of God he's been exalted why because he was humble so being exalted and learning doctrine learning the deep truths of God you know it comes with the price if you don't want to learn those things stay at the surface level of Christianity and you won't get anything done you won't become anything for God you just stay at base level churchgoer in the book of John and there's nothing wrong with the book of John but you know what there comes a point we have to move beyond that and we have to learn the Bible okay now go back to second Corinthians chapter number 12 so we see here that he's being humbled with the thorn in the flesh just as we see Christ obviously with the crown of thorns and he was buffeted just as Christ was buffeted he sought the Lord three times just as Christ did that and we pastor Anderson preached the message on there that was great and at the end of the day we do have to ask ourselves you know we're gonna be having we're gonna have a thorn in the flesh in our personal lives as well now let me say this is that well let's read verse 8 look at verse 8 for this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart for me and he said unto me my grace is sufficient for thee my for my strength is made perfect and weakness most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me therefore I take pleasure in infirmities and reproaches and necessities and persecutions and distresses for Christ's sake for when I am weak then am I strong now in verse 10 it says he takes pleasure in infirmities he's not referring to the fact he's a masochist okay he's like yeah that like pain man this is just gonna help me that's not what that's talking about he's saying that because he's basically talk about his perspective on trials he says look I'm gonna take pleasure in the infirmities why because I know it'll result in the power of Christ resting upon me and that goes along with the sermon on Sunday that we need to realize that when we go through a trial let's look at the trade-off that we're making for that that the power of Christ may rest upon us now here's the thing is that you know everyone's thorns are different though you know and it's not like well you know you have to have a certain amount of affliction is to get a certain amount of revelation it's really different for everyone okay for some people for some people it's a loss of a family member for others maybe you might it might be financial loss for others it may be the fact that your family just abandoned you because you became a Christian you were zealous for the things of God it's different for everyone you just got to know what it is and here's the thing it's not what it is it's not the thorn that's gonna get you those revelations these in the exaltation from God what is it it's how you respond to it that's what it that's what's gonna help you with that okay that's what's gonna allow you to result in being exalted by God is how you respond to it because why the afflictions are supposed to humble you but you know that unfortunately I've met a lot of people in the Christian life then when afflictions come to get bitter towards God you know they grow bitter towards the people who afflicted them they grow bitter towards God or they get bitter just towards life and they just lose all hope you know that's not what God wants God wants us to be strong he wants us to make sure that he uses these trials as a means to help us go forward now go to Psalms 119 and look the power of Christ resting upon us that's a good trade-off we need the power of Christ we need the power of God in our lives not just to preach the gospel not just to preach the Word of God boldly from the pulpit you need the power of Christ just to live life in general to be a good employee don't compartmentalize God and think you only need the power of God when you come to church you need it at home you need it so you can obey your husband amen you need it so you can love your wife you need it so you can raise your children you need it so you can make wise decisions in life we need to make sure that we keep this perspective right that we're always seeking the power of God in our personal life for everything from the biggest of issues in life to the smallest most minuscule events that take place we need the power of God in our life because look if we're not using the power of God that means you're leaning upon your own understanding that means you're trying to use your own wisdom your own ability aside from what God can do in your life to figure life out we need God's power in our lives but the way we get that is by affliction okay hey look obeying God's commands takes power as well you know courage right the Bible tells us in Joshua 1 7 only be thou strong and very courageous now what is he saying that about he's not talking about the enemies he says only be thou strong and very courageous that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law it takes courage to obey God why because sometimes you doubt right you doubt whether you could be the sole provider of your home you doubt whether you can you know fulfill what God tells you to do you doubt certain things if you can do them but you know what only be thou strong and very courageous right obey God you know if it seems far-fetched to you you know just tell God hey Lord I believe but help thou mine unbelief help me to be strong and very courageous to obey the commandments of God so look at Psalms 119 verse 92 and look this should be a good reason why you stay in the Bible why you stay in prayer and have all these spiritual disciplines it says unless thy law had been my delights I should have been perished in mine affliction that's a strong statement he said look unless I was in the Bible you know during that trial I would have perished in mine affliction I don't think he's talking about he would have died like physically died but perish like man I would have just been done with and let me just share this with you you know I've gone through some dark trials in my life as far as my Christian life is concerned and I can honestly say it was only the Bible that carried me through those times I remember times in my personal life where the trial felt like it just never ended where it went on for years and I remember thinking to myself is this ever gonna end there was like no I felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel it was just trial after trial affliction after affliction and it wasn't them like I was involved in sin it was just the Lord purges me is what he was doing he was just allowing me to go through these afflictions but you know what it did it drew me closer to the Bible because at that point that's all I had you see when I first got saved I cut off all relationships as far as my friends were concerned you know because my friends were just not good for me you know so what I did was when I got saved I heard preaching from the pulpit that said hey you know if your friends are unsaved you shouldn't be around your friends and my friends are bad we used to we used to do worldly things so you know what I did I erased all my numbers from my phone of my friends just in case if I was tempted during the trial that I wouldn't be able to call them and say hey come pick me up and then what I also did was I changed my number why so they Satan couldn't move them to call me so I was like burning bridges left and right and you know I'm thankful that I did because when I went through those trials and afflictions there was times when I was tempted to say man I just wish I had my friends but I couldn't do this so you know what I did instead I went to the Bible okay I just stayed in church you know I just murmured before the Lord you know of these trials and tribulations that were taking place in my personal life and but I'm thankful for it because you know what looking back at it I learned a lot looking back at it God made me stronger because of it through the infirmities and afflictions God allowed me to be stronger because of it and I learned a whole lot because of it and it really at the end of the day and help me to realize what's the most valuable thing in life my salvation the Bible prayer the Lord you know I'm talking about as a single this is these are the things that I learned you know soul when he was important the things of God and I live those years thinking you know what this is gonna be the rest of my life but you know what it was is just God using an affliction a terrible affliction my personal life to just teach me the Bible you know don't flee from afflictions one day you will suffer a heartbreak a terrible heartbreak that's gonna shatter you okay if you allow it to you need to prepare for that the worst time to try to prepare for it is when you're already going through it you know when you the worst time to start reading your Bible though I'm not saying don't do it but the worst time is when you're actually going through the trials like oh okay now I got to catch up on godliness cuz you know I don't know if God's judging me or whatever it may be but you know what if you're reading your Bible you go through a trial at least you know you're right with God at least you know that you're gonna be learning the things of God at least you know that God's carrying you through so what am I saying is you know unless the law is our delight we will perish in our affliction you know you will get out of church you will do things that displease the Lord and you actually and cure the wrath of God upon yourself because of that okay now go to 1st Corinthians chapter number one but just know this is that you know not to that extreme but you know God does want us to be afflicted in a sense to stay humble you know and that often happens when we don't humble ourselves so look if you learn something new if you get a Bible truth recognize it's not you it's the Holy Spirit that taught you you know if you come across a great truth if you're allowed to do a great exploit give the praise and credit to others those who have taught you you know why because therefore you can humble yourself and you won't have to worry about God humbling you sweeping the carpet from under you okay now why does God want us to remain humble because he wants us to be usable you know why he wants us to be usable so that when we accomplish something great for God who gets the glory God does you know if you're great and you're all these things all that in the bag of chips and a bag of Takis or whatever you eat you know you're gonna give yourself to glory everyone's gonna look at you say wow this person but you know what if you humble yourself God the people are gonna look at you and what are they gonna do glorify your father which is in heaven they're gonna give glory to God and that's what God wants God wants our lives to bring glory to him that does not happen when you're proud and puffed up and arrogant that happens as you basically give praise to others and recognize it's others responsible for your own personal success look apply that philosophy right humility is recognizing that other people are responsible for your own personal success okay obviously there's the element of discipline obviously there's the element of character and consistency on your part but when it comes down to it give praise to others for what they've taught you give praise to others for the truth that they've shown you that's humility okay look at the Bible says in 1st Corinthians 1 26 for you see you're calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty and base things of the world and things which are despised had God chosen yea and the things which are not to bring to not the things that are that no flesh should glory in his presence so you know why he uses the foolish the abase those things that are not wise the weak the despised all these things so he can get the glory you know if we're not careful we want to make sure that we're the wisest we're the strongest we are the most loved and not despised God can't use that because then he gets no glory but when you have someone like the new IFB amen who's the most despised you know all those churches with 20 people you know the most weak you know all of whatever they whatever criticisms they like to bring to the new IFB hey keep bringing it I'm glad that's what we are cuz that's what God uses to confound the wise you know the little church of 20 okay can confound the mega church of a thousand you know 500 and so winning any day why is that because we're nothing and because we're nothing God wants to use it so he gets all the glory so then when that mega church looks at us and say oh yeah that has to be God yeah you're right you know that means that the power of Christ is resting upon faith for Baptist Church of LA I mean how else do you explain two thousand souls over two thousand souls in a year that's a lot of stinking souls sorry to call them stinking but I'm just saying that's a lot of souls you know and it was before I mean now on Sunday we we had a hundred and one and praise God for that but we hit 2,000 before we hit a hundred and one consistently okay you know it was when we were a 60 but you know what it is it's the weak it's the despised who are who had the power of God resting on their lives you know that's what I want forget the mega church look where because if the mega church sees two thousand people say you know people think yeah well that's what it should be because there's a thousand five hundred you guys should actually see more people saved than that because you have 1,500 people in your church this should all be sowing getting their butts out there knocking on doors preaching the gospel but when you have a small church you know and getting those numbers guess what it's all God and if you're in if anybody asked me like how'd you guys do I'll be like this is God you know it's it's God's people who are just obeying God's commands but at the end of the day it's the power of God in their lives who are doing these things God brought these group of people together to do a great work in Omani and that's how we saw those numbers and it's the power of God resting upon our church hey I want the glory to go to God not to me I want the glory to go to God not to Pastor Anderson I want the glory to go to God not to you to God why so we can continue to be blessed by God so we can continue to have the power of God resting upon our church when is a power of God taken from our church when we start acting like Samson and thinking it's just us I will go at us other times is what he said right I will go out as other times and I will defeat the Philistines no you got whooped and you got your eyes plucked out why because the Spirit of God he wished not that the Spirit of God was was you know taken from him and a lot of churches they're just saying you know I will go out as other times and run the bus ministry I will go out as other times and do track drops and door hangers and all the shebang and she you know all this other stuff but at the end of the day they wish not that the Spirit of God has left that place because they're not depending on God anymore they're depending on these systems and these secular means of preaching the gospel you know lifestyle evangelism means that we don't see in the Bible to get the job done and therefore they're not seeing the numbers therefore they don't have the power of God resting upon their lives okay now we're out here go back to 2nd Corinthians chapter number 12 I chased that rabbit but I think it's necessary man we need the power of Christ upon our lives not just as a church but as individuals as well look at verse number 11 says I am become a fool and glorying you have compelled me for I ought to have been commended of you for nothing am I behind the very cheapest apostles though I be nothing now why is he saying this because in 1st Corinthians 15 he says at last of all was I seen excuse me and last of all he's speaking of Christ was seen of me also as of one born out of due time for I am the least of the apostles that I am NOT me to be called an apostle because I persecuted the Church of God so in 1st Corinthians 15 he says he's the least but in 2nd Corinthians chapter 12 he says for in nothing am I behind the very cheapest of apostles when 1st Corinthians 15 he says he's not the least why because he basically is working harder than anybody else Paul the Apostle worked harder than the other apostles but the reason he's saying that he's not behind the very cheapest of apostles though he'd be nothing is because by him were also done these signs and wonders that was done through the other apostles as well okay look at verse 12 is truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience and signs and wonders and mighty deeds so this is the reason he's saying this in verse 11 verse 12 don't miss this because he's saying look I'm become a fool in glory you have compelled me for I ought to have been commended of you he's like you should have like elevated me why for him nothing for him nothing am I behind the very cheapest apostles though I be nothing he goes you guys had an apostle start this church Paul the Apostle started the church at Corinth Paul the Apostle won these people to Christ Paul the Apostle preached the gospel unto them Paul the Apostle did the signs and wonders and the miracles and the mighty deeds and yet what do we see in 2nd Corinthians chapter 13 which we'll get into next week we see them rejecting Paul so even though he was the one who started this he had one of the apostles to actually start the church they're actually rejecting him for that and he's saying there look I'm nothing behind the very cheapest apostles I'm sorry if Peter didn't start this church or I'm sorry if John didn't start this church but you know I'm not I'm not worse than they are and what he's basically telling him is like hey be grateful so I'm trying to basically like like insert some sort of thankfulness in the sermon because this is like you know the eve of Thanksgiving so this is the way we can apply this is make sure you're thankful for that which God has given to you whether resources people churches any kind of resource that God has given to you to establish you in the faith be thankful for that and I mentioned on Sunday but it's worth mentioning it again you know when Pastor Anderson comes thank him don't just say hey Anderson by the way call him Pastor Anderson okay don't call him Steve don't call him man just say hey Pastor Anderson say I know I've said this before but I just want to thank you for starting this church here you know why because this is an answer to prayer for us amen came during I mean for such a time as this was this here and look tonight I'm gonna go around with the camera so get ready so I'm gonna ask you why are you thankful hopefully you won't be eating the turkey leg as I had you like well you know just give a reason to you so I can't think of anything then you're you're ungrateful because we can be thankful for a lot of things there's a lot of things to be thankful for I'm super thankful for this church I am forever indebted to Pastor Anderson and those who invested at the start of this church faithful about this church those people who didn't know us you know they were willing to go out on a limb and invest to start this church that should swell with up within you a heart of gratitude there's people in this church that found their wives in this church you know there's people who've gotten married in this church there's people that will get married in this church a member of the hike that's why he's got a smile from year to year amen hey always say well I haven't found a wife yet well you know what we're still in our second year okay there's more to come but hey you know what there's people you want the people to Christ here you've gotten right with God here you found your church family here you know life has improved abundantly because of it here never show a heart of no gratitude we ought to be thankful we ought to be characterized as just being thankful learn to teach your children to say thank you but teach yourself also to say thank you you know what I mean because where would we be I mean we're scrambling around trying to figure out what to do right they're like man should I move to Arizona Verity or just just YouTube Baptist Church or I got to figure something now I got to keep my mouth shut at my old church and you know I'm getting persecuted you go to your old church and it's just like you don't feel at home it's just like everyone's just like oh that's the Anderson I eat or whatever you know now you have a home you know and now you don't have to worry about you know saying post-trip you know you ain't got to worry about that stuff amen you don't got to worry about like hey man so you believe Sonoma can be saved or you believe it's a revolutionary doctrine you know like trying to like sneak around trying to find people who are just like you not anymore it's open here baby just talk about you could talk you could yell it from the housetops amen so what I'm saying here is that this Church of Corinth is just ungrateful you know and may it never be said of us that we would ever be ungrateful for that which other people have done to us and not just pastor Anderson I mean pastors in the movement you know I mean who've given us an example I mean when I first got saved I remember one of the first pastors to really just reach out to me was pastor Romero you know I'm thinking cuz here's the thing this church started kind of like during the tail end of Tyler Baker getting kicked out so any new guy that comes on the scene people are just like this guy you know infiltrator where are you from you know can I share I'm gonna share I'm gonna share about police right so I remember don't worry I'm not bitter towards you man I'm bitter towards you I'm just kidding we're at the park and like I remember both police and brother Chris brother please brother Chris came up and they're like so uh they're like so I saw that you're on the website there on Pacific and you're still working on staff there and I'm like oh yeah I got fired though you know they just haven't updated he's like all right all right you know but hey that's good that he was asking and by the way ask questions right and I gave everyone the liberty to ask questions but I remember pastor American came up to me at the post trip conference and he was just like man he welcomed me with open arms he was kind to me he's like come to my church you know come visit he was and I was just like dang this is pastor Romero you know he like this is cool but I'm thankful for that why because you know these are people that we look up to in the movement and they accepted us or whatever maybe you know another pastors have done the same thing they've reached out they've been very kind you know what what kind of heart I have for that I have a heart of gratitude you know why because I lost a lot of friends I lost friends I lost family I lost my church I lost my job I lost everything so when I lost it I gained all these new friends amen bunch of fag hating Christians that's my kind of Christian amen bunch of sodomite hating post-trip pre-wrath replacement theology sowning Baptist KJV Christians that's my breed right there you know I look forward to coming to church you know when I come through these doors and I see you man I'm grateful you know cuz cuz these are my brethren you know and so have a thankful heart be thankful and don't go overboard in a sense of just thank you like thank you for everything just thank you think but have a grateful heart where you just always giving thanks for all things for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you okay so let's see here let me finish up so we can eat just kidding look at verse 13 for what is it wherein you were inferior to other churches except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you forgive me this wrong verse 14 says behold the third time I am ready to come to you and I will not be burdensome to you for I seek not yours but you for the children not to not to lay up for the parents but the parents for the children and I will very gladly spend to be spent for you though the more abundantly I love you the less I be loved that's sad he's like man I'm willing to give it all for you you know but it seems like the more I give to you the less I'm loved but that's a good principle that when we're trying to love someone and they're not reciprocating that love you kind of need to move on why because we only have a capacity to love so much and I'm talking about it I'm talking about basic stuff like when you go out sowing and you're you're preaching about the love of God amen the gospel and they're just not willing to adhere we need to move on okay you know if you're trying to love someone and they're not reciprocating that love we just need to move on okay and he's saying there look I will very gladly spend to be spent for you though the more abundantly I love you the less I be loved but be it so I am not I did not burden you nevertheless being crafty I caught you with guile that I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you I desired Titus and with him I sent a brother did Titus make a gain of you walk me not in the same spirit walk me not in the same steps he's like I'm not trying to make money off of you when we take up when we're coming to take up the offering we're not coming with guile to try to take money from you to just spend it on our own means look what it says in verse number 19 again think he that that we excuse ourselves unto you we speak before God in Christ but we do all things dearly beloved for your edifying for I fear lest when I come I shall not find you such as I would and that I shall be found unto you such as you would not lest there be debates and beings wrath strives back bindings whispering swellings to most swellings referring to that mean puffed up unless when I come again my God will humble me among you and that I shall be well many which have sinned already and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication lasciviousness which they have committed so what's the gist of what we read here he's basically trying to validate his authority once again because we see that in chapter 13 we'll look at it next week that he's being rejected of them still he's as though he be as reprobates is referring to the fact that he's being rejected of the Corinthian Church there and we want to make sure that we never do that the only time we reject leadership is when leadership is heretical or they're disqualified they disqualify themselves and not willing to step down okay oh you shouldn't reject Doka you know he's just he just believes differently no he's a heretic he's a devil he doesn't even have sheep's clothing anymore it's just a full-blown wolf you know I mean and so we reject those who reject the Lord and we want to make sure that we still esteem those who are in leadership why because that's that's the order of the church there always has to be leadership in the church in order for that to take place amen so that's pretty much it let's bow your heads and have a word of prayer and we'll pray for the food as well let's pray follow me thank you so much for your word thank you for second Corinthians chapter 12 I pray God that you would continue to help us in this area and just thinking about Thanksgiving tomorrow help us to be just that to be thankful and and Lord if it's difficult for us to think about what we're thankful for help us to meditate upon the goodness of God the benefits that you've loaded us with with us daily salvation our families our brethren I mean the list can go on and on and on I pray God that you'd continue to cultivate within us a heart of gratitude bless the food and all there is to follow in Jesus name we pray amen