My Grace is Sufficient

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 9)

Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ amen.  The sermon text for the seventh Sunday after Pentecost is the epistle reading 2 Corinthians 12.  The Lord has called you to be part of the mission of the church. You have not been called to be prophets, apostles, or pastors but you are part of the priesthood of all believes. In your various vocations you are to confess the name of Christ, speak God’s Word, and share the Gospel.   It is the Lord’s desire to work through all of us, His church to bring the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ to all people.  The focus of all three of our readings is that mission of the church. The Lord has called all of us to be a part of that mission. 

Yet we are often afraid to do so.  We are often afraid to tell others about Christ.  We are often afraid to stand firm in God’s Word in this sinful world. In our three readings we see all sorts of examples of difficulties we might run into.  In our Old Testament reading God tells the prophet Ezekiel to proclaim His word to the people of Israel.  He goes on to tell Ezekiel that the people will be rebellious and stubborn. Who wants to deal with rebellious and stubborn people?  In our epistle reading Paul calls upon the Lord to give Him strength as He continued to preach the Gospel.  He describes some of the things that happened to him during His mission work.  He talked about facing insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.  Who wants to deal with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities?  In our Gospel reading Jesus went to His hometown and preached and taught the Word of God.  His friends and relatives took offense at Him.  Who wants to say something that our family members will take offense too?  God calls all of us to be a part of the mission of the church but we are often afraid to take part in that mission.

In our fear, we will be tempted to ignore that call that God gives us to be a Christian witness.  For example there will be the temptation to water down God’s Word so that it will be more acceptable to people.  There will always be that temptation to water down God’s Word so that it does not offend anyone.  In fear we will start saying things like this.  “Let’s stop talking about sin and repentance and hell.  Let’s downplay the message of Jesus having to die on the cross to save us from sin.  Let us not take Biblical doctrines so seriously.  We don’t want to get anyone mad.  We don’t want to challenge anyone.  Instead let us talk about ways that we can be successful in this life.  Let’s talk about positive thinking.  People will like that.  Let’s talk about God in the most generic way in order to avoid conflict.” Sadly many churches in our country have fallen for this temptation to water down the Word of God.  Many churches are not so interested in taking about sin or repentance.  There will be that temptation for all of us to water down the Word of God when we talk to people because we don’t want to offend them.

God calls us to be part of the church’s mission, but we are often afraid to take part in that mission.  When we have an opportunity to tell someone about Christ or to invite a family member or friend to church, we clam up.  We start to think things like this.  “I don’t know what to say.  Now is not the right time to bring it up.  I might say the wrong thing.  I don’t want to get anyone upset.”  There are many excuses that we use to say and do nothing. 

Yet the Lord does call us confess His name, speak His Word, and to share the Gospel.  It is our desire to do so yet we fear the difficulties we might face.  Paul faced all sorts of difficulties during His missionary journeys and so He called upon the name of the Lord for help.  The answer that the Lord gave to him is the same answer He gives to us.  “My grace is sufficient for you”.  That is the answer that Christ gives to us when we are afraid to do what is right.   That is the answer that Christ gives to us when we are afraid to be a part of the mission of the church. “My grace is sufficient for you”. 

God’s grace through His Son, Jesus Christ is all that we need.  Our Lord is very gracious to us indeed.  By grace, Jesus faced the wrath of God on the cross in our place.  By grace, Jesus suffered and died on that cross in order to bring us forgiveness.  By grace, our Lord rose from the dead to give to us the gift of eternal life.  By grace we have been given peace with God.  By grace we have been saved from hell.  By grace we have been placed in the kingdom of God.  By grace we have true hope and eternal joy.  By grace we have been blessed by the Lord.  It is through the Lord’s gracious heart that we have given both spiritual and earthly blessings.  When we are afraid to do what is right our Lord comes to us and tells us something very important.  “My grace is sufficient for you”.

It is by the Lord’s grace that we are given eternal salvation and it is by the Lord’s grace that we are sustained in this life.  When we are faced with the difficulties of being a Christian witness in this fallen world, when we face stubborn people, insults, or people taking offense we are reminded that the grace of our Lord Jesus is far more powerful.  The Lord has already defeated sin and death and won for us our salvation.  If He has done these things for us, He will certainly give us the strength to face some stubborn people or some family members that might take offense.  For the Lord has promised to stand with us to the very end.  Whenever we face the problems of this word our Lord comes to us and says something very important.  “My grace is sufficient for you.”

God first loved us through His Son, Jesus Christ and so we are moved to love God.  As His redeemed children we desire to do His will.  As Christians we do want to honor God’s name and love our neighbor.  It is God’s love for us that moves us to be a Christian witness.  It is God’s grace that moves us to be a part of the mission of the church.  Let us now go back to the three readings.  It is true Ezekiel would speak to stubborn people but what is also true is that he was armed with God’s Word.  When Jesus sent His disciples out into the mission field, He equipped them with all that they needed.  When Paul asked God to remove a thorn in the flesh that caused him weakness the Lord refused.  Instead the Lord reminded Paul that it is in our weakness that His strength is seen.  Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  It is a reminder to us all that it is in our weakness that we turn to the Lord.    

It is the Lord who is with us. It is the Lord who stands with us and works through us as we look for the chance to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with another person, to encourage a family member with the Word of God, to invite a friend to church.  The Lord stands with us and works through us as we live a life of word and deed being an example to our spouse, children, grandchildren, and to members of our community.  The Lord stands with us and works through us as we use the resources that He has given us to support the work of the church to proclaim the love of Jesus to the rest of the world.

Being a Christian witness is not always an easy thing to do in this fallen world.  But by the power of Jesus Christ we can indeed endure stubborn people, insults and family taking offense. The troubles of this world are nothing in comparison to the eternal treasures that we have been given.  The Lord will stand with us and work through us, giving us all that we need.  Remember the words of Jesus.  “My grace is sufficient for you”.    Amen.