# The Path to Strength travels through weakness

February 9, 2026

Turn your Bible, if you would, to 2 Corinthians chapter 12. I appreciate your faithfulness in being in church. God is proud of you. I’m glad you’re here too. Once you find 2 Corinthians chapter 12, if you would, look up here for just a bit at the strong, handsome pulpit. Amen. I didn’t go there. I didn’t do it. You thought I didn’t say that, you know.

Our theme this year is “Strong in the Lord.” We’re using Ephesians 6:10. Finally, my brother. If you know it, let’s say it out loud together. Let’s do that. Here we go.

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”

I want to say, put on the whole armor—that’s it, that verse, right? That’s it. All right. All right. I said, okay. All right. I haven’t learned it just on its own anyway. So that’s our theme, strong. And the first Sunday morning of the month where we’re focusing on that theme, “Strong in the Lord.”

We did so the first Sunday of the year, and we really just focused on that verse where we’re commanded to be strong in the Lord. We used David a lot. David went through so many things, but David really, at the end of the day, was a very strong man. He was a warrior. He was a king. He was a psalmist. He was a shepherd.

But today we’re going to get a little different angle. Here’s the title of it today: “The path—you can say the road, the road of the path—to strength travels through the city of weakness,” almost always. It’s kind of funny. We talk a lot of times about being weak, but then we’re supposed to be strong. How does that work together? We’re going to look at that just a little bit this morning. The path to strength travels through weakness.

So look, if you will, in 2 Corinthians chapter 12. We’re going to start in verse number seven. If you’re there, would you say, “Praise the Lord”? Good, good. And would you stand also, please, if you are able? Let’s stand if you would as we read God’s word just to show it respect.

In 2 Corinthians chapter 12, verse number 7, this is God speaking through Paul, Apostle Paul, and he says this: “Unless I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh.” We don’t know exactly what that was. Many think it was his eyesight. I tend to think that. I won’t get into it because I don’t know that. But some kind of a thorn in the flesh. Notice what it says: “The messenger of Satan to buffet me.” That kind of goes in line with what we talked about a couple Sunday mornings ago. God has a reason for allowing that in your life. He didn’t do it; He allows it. God didn’t do this thorn in the flesh; He allowed Satan, the messenger of Satan, see, to buffet me.

Let’s keep going here. “Lest I should be exalted above measure, for this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.” And he said unto me, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” Here it is. Watch this: “For my strength…” That’s supernatural strength. That’s more than you have, than I have—God’s supernatural, omnipotent, unlimited strength. “For my strength is made perfect in…” What’s the next word? Wow.

It kind of seems different than the world’s philosophy and the self-help books and all that’s out there. His strength is made perfect in weakness. Kind of different than the typical. God’s strength, His supernatural strength, is made perfect in weakness.

He goes on; this is pretty amazing, this next part. “Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities.” Pretty amazing. Weaknesses, if you will. “Most gladly, therefore, I’d rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Boy, I like the power of God in my life. Typically, that’s going to travel down the road of weakness. I think it’s a godly desire, but don’t take me too seriously, but be careful when you want that. There might be a lot of weakness involved in that.

But it says, “Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Therefore, I take pleasure—wow—I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake. “For when I am…” What’s the next word? Weak. “Then am I…” Strong? That’s strong in the Lord. But he says, “For when I am weak.” It’s not the typical, you know. “And when I’m weak, then am I strong.”

For just a bit, let’s talk about this thing. The road or the path to strength travels down through the city of weakness more often than not. For just a bit, let’s focus on that. Would you please? Let’s pray that God would speak to our hearts about it.

Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.

My mom always cringes when I tell these stories. Mom, you may want to put some earplugs in for a second here while I tell this story. I was maybe around 12, and I have an older brother and a younger brother. My older brother was probably around 13 or 14. He is a year older than me. It was a good day in our house because we got our first motorcycle. We thought we were cool, man. It was used. I think it was made before World War II, I’m not sure. But anybody ever have a Honda Trail 70? Come on, we got some of those. Brother Ted had those handlebars that came up and out like that. You just felt like you were riding cool. It was a little dirt bike, dirt bike, you know.

And yeah, it would be an antique today, literally. The thing is, at first, it wouldn’t crank by kicking it, probably the rings were worn out more. You had to push it for about four hours. Okay, maybe I exaggerate a little bit. Or if Dad or someone was home, you could pull it behind the car for a little bit. And then once it cranked, man, it ran. Woo! We were all that, you know.

So here’s the thing: once you got it cranked, you wanted to ride for a while. But there’s a problem. It took gasoline to run. Dad’s gone, whatever, and Mom’s here, there, yonder. We got to get some gas because we got this thing running. To get to the gas station, we’re on a Honda Trail 70, 12 and 14 years old. We would rather not end up in jail, amen, you know.

To get there, we’d have to ride down this dirt road in Florida. It’s like a sandy road. Sand on your two wheels, you’re just weaving back and forth, trying to stay afloat. That’s no problem; we like that. But there were major dogs on that dirt road. I’m talking major. I mean, they must have been at least six feet tall on all fours. Okay, I’m preaching, not telling the truth now, you know what I mean. But they were dogs, big and mean. We’re like, “Oh, man, we need gas. We’ve got this crazy thing running. We want to ride for a while. We want to get gas, but we got to go through the dogs.”

I never forget, if we would get past there without the dogs waking up, or your good ways past when they wake up and, oh, they take off—hey, we’re good, man, we’re past. So we got past them pretty good going to the gas station. My brother is driving; I’m on the back. I have the gas can. We got past them, no problem. They were sleeping good enough. But on the way back, they were ready for us. They’re just lined up.

It’s not fair. My brother’s driving because they’re chasing us, these dogs. My leg is closer to his mouth than his leg is, you know what I mean? Eat my brother. He tastes better, you know. Come on now. But here’s the key. Here’s the key. I don’t have to tell all this, but I got to tell it because it makes for a good story, and it’s true, too. Remember, we just got gas, and I got that gas can in my hand. His teeth are getting really close, and I like my legs the way they are. I know they’re chicken legs, I know all that, but I like them the way they are now. And boy, that mouth is right there. I got to be careful because we’re online, and all those animal abuse people. It was somehow accidentally on purpose. I don’t know how, but that gas can just kind of reached back and poured on his face somehow. Don’t tell anybody about that. Hey, it’s his face versus my leg. Come on now. Praise the Lord! That dog—whoa! We’re gone!

At least they got your listening. Some of your ladies are shaking your head at your preacher, man. What in the world? You would have did the same thing to spare your leg. Come on now. But every time they get gas, you’ve got to go by the dogs, if you will. And if you’re going to get God’s strength, perfect—His strength is made perfect in what? You have to ride by the dogs, if you will. And that’s never fun. Nobody likes it.

But Paul here—what happened in this Bible story? Paul, man, God’s blessing. God’s using him. He starts this chapter off, and he’s kind of using the third person here. He says, “I knew a man about 14 years ago,” and he said he had this revelation. He went up to heaven, the third heaven, and he heard things unspeakable. I think Paul was talking about himself, but he’s working out not being proud. He says later on God allowed that thorn in the flesh so he wouldn’t get proud, and then he wouldn’t get exalted above measure. He’s kind of doing this in the third person. It’s very interesting. If you go back 14 years ago, the timeline would add up. I think that was when he was stoned and dragged outside the city of Lystra, for they thought he was dead.

And he says this man, “Whether in the body or out of the body, I cannot tell.” You ever been around someone and they’re kind of hanging between death and life? I love reading about it; I’ve never experienced it, but I’d like to experience it one day. You hear these stories about people saying, “Hey, they’re laying, kind of in and out of it, about half dead.” And they’ll say, “I see Grandma,” or “I see the bright light.” I’ve heard about parents and their children that were saved in heaven, and I see so-and-so. I think that’s kind of what’s happening when Paul said he went up to the third heaven. It’s like Paul had experienced heaven for just a bit. He said this revelation was just amazing. The things I heard, I can’t tell you. By the way, when you get to heaven, you know, we have these five senses down here. In heaven, I wonder what the senses will be like. Maybe when someone talks, you don’t just hear, but maybe it goes through your body. Maybe it affects all five senses at one time. I’m not sure how that works, but we’ll be in heaven. Paul said the things he heard are unspeakable.

So here’s the thing: Paul says, “Man, this thing was amazing. I’m not just preaching and telling people about heaven; I’ve been there.” And that’s when God allowed the devil to bring this weakness into his life. God always has a purpose for allowing the things in your life. Paul said, “I know part of the reason for me, so I don’t get the fat head, so I don’t think I’m all that and get self-centered.” God didn’t want all that. So God allowed it, and Paul went to the Lord three major times, and he just pleaded, “Lord, please take this thing away.” I don’t know about you, but I’ve gone to the Lord and asked Him to take a lot of things away in my life. I’m sure you have too. And sometimes God says no. That’s what God told Paul. He said, “No, Paul, I have a reason for allowing that in your life. My grace is sufficient.” And then he makes that statement—an amazing statement right there in verse number nine. He says, “Hey, Paul, let me tell you a secret here. He says, ‘My strength’—supernatural strength—‘is made perfect.’” Now, “perfect” has to do with complete; it comes out into fruition in your life. It’s made perfect. God’s strength is shown through; it’s working in and through. It’s made perfect in weakness. God said, “Paul, if you want to get rid of the strength where My power is on you, you’re going to have to travel through the dogs.”

Friend, the great Christians of history have not always been the strongest and smartest and wisest—meaning, ladies, it has been those, more often than not, those that go through weakness. And yet through that weakness, God’s strength is made perfect. Then Paul makes that statement—an amazing statement there. That last verse we read, he says, “When I am weak, then am I strong.” I don’t necessarily like it, but more often than not, that’s God’s plan. We like God’s strength and His power, and I want that, like I know you want that. But friend, you travel through weakness.

Look, if you will, over in Acts chapter 7. Moses, that great leader, he’s an amazing man. He spoke with the Lord face to face. Amazing. He knew the Lord; nobody else knew the Lord like that. He would actually meet with the Lord on the mountain, and the glory of God would come down upon the mountain. Moses would come down off the mountain, and his face would be glowing; he had met with God. Just amazing, Moses. Of course, you know, Moses was the man to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt and across over into the promised land, the land flowing with milk and honey—that means land with ice cream in it, amen. Brother Steve Page told me before service, he said, “Pastor, I know what will make Sarah better.” I said, “What’s about to come? What’s this home remedy?” He said, “Ice cream.” I said, “That’s good advice right there, amen. Even if she doesn’t eat it, her dad probably will.” But anyway, Moses was the man to lead them into the promised land.

Moses, you know the story, was born and hid in that basket, then Pharaoh’s daughter found him, and he was raised in Pharaoh’s court. When he got around 40 years old, he really began to—I think he started to realize what he was supposed to do. He was Hebrew; he was supposed to lead them out. He kind of had it all figured out when he was 40. Acts tells us a little bit about what Moses was like at this point. Acts 7, he’s speaking back about Moses back then. Acts 7, look in verse number 22, would you please. Acts 7 and verse number 22.

The Bible there says, “And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.” Can I put that in our day and time? He had been to Harvard and Princeton and Yale, and he had all that—the best education you could find. And was mighty in… here’s interesting… mighty in what’s the next word? Words. I think he could just speak a whole lot. I do good to speak hillbilly English, amen. I can’t imagine some of these folks, Miss Maria, the bilingual—I’m doing good to do one language. But I think that’s what Moses was; he could just speak a whole lot.

Not only in words, he couldn’t just talk it, if you will. Notice what else it says there in verse number 22: “mighty in words and in deeds.” He wasn’t just—some people just talk it. They never do a thing. Don’t lift a finger, lazy as a hound dog, but they can talk it. Moses, he was mighty in words and deeds. I think maybe he had led some military campaigns; he was trained in it, but he was mighty in words and deeds. He was a powerful, strong, wise, talented young man at 40 years old.

Verse number 23: “And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian; for he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.”

Let’s jump down to verse number 29 for time’s sake. “Then fled Moses at that saying, and was a stranger in the land of Midian, where he begat two sons.” Here’s the thing: Moses was all that. He probably knew martial arts and all the rest of that—his mighty words and deeds. I think he got a little vision of what God wanted him to do. He knew he was supposed to deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt, and he was going to do it. He fell flat on his face and ran like a scared dog with its tail tucked between its legs, like it got gas poured on its face—right, that’s a joke. I hate having to tell you it’s a joke, but it did. Moses just fell.

You know the story. He went out there on the backside of the desert for how long? For 40 more years. Someone said it took him 40 years to realize he was somebody, then 40 more years to realize he was nobody.

At the end of those 40 years, when he’s 80 years old, he went to the Mount. He came to the burning bush. God was speaking. He said, “Well, that thing is burning, but it’s not burned up.” He went aside to see it, and God spoke to him and said, “Hey, Moses, all right. All that 40 years ago, you figured out what I want you to do, but you were trying to do it in your strength and your power and your might. And what all you are now, you’ve been kind of humbled, if you will; you’ve been weakened.”

God said, “Now I want to use you.” And you know what Moses said? “I can speak five different languages. I’m mighty in words.” Moses said, “I stutter.” I’m not trying to make fun of people that have that; I’m just giving what the text says he did. It’s a whole lot different than what he was 40 years earlier. By the way, they say a lot of times—not always, but a lot of times—that comes from trauma. I wonder how much trauma Moses had in his life. Moses was weak. He wasn’t mighty in words and deeds. It’s amazing; when God came to him that time, Moses had excuses. He said, “I can’t do it. I can’t even talk right. And nobody’s going to listen to me. Who am I to go to Pharaoh?” and on and on. And God says, “Yes, you’re weak. Now I’m ready to use you because the pathway to strength travels through weakness.”

Can I say something here? Don’t get defeated. Don’t get discouraged when you’re weak and you’re going through weakness. Hang on to this: you cannot get over there to God’s strength unless you travel down the road of weakness.

I think one of the strongest ladies I know of is a lady named Joni Erickson Tada. Anybody ever heard of her? Paralyzed. Dove in years ago when she was a young lady, broke her neck, paraplegic. Yet God is using her so greatly. She had a little program; the title of it was “The Wonder of Weakness.” I won’t go through it all, but I’ll just say this: she said, “Don’t feel shortchanged by your weakness.” You know, the Bible says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord: for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways.” God doesn’t work like mankind does. God’s path to strength usually travels down the road of weakness.

So hey, let me talk for just a bit here, all right? Look over at your neighbor if they’re sleeping; poke them in the eyeball or something like that. There you go, good, good, good. Don’t pick their nose; leave it alone now. But if we’re going to get there to strength, we travel through the city, or through the little part, or however long it may be—maybe a long part—of weakness. And you’ve got to travel through that. What do you do during the weakness time? Just a couple of thoughts, and we’re going to be done. Number one: Don’t quit during weakness. Paul didn’t quit.

He besought—I don’t know, but I think three times he besought. That means he begged. I think it was in seasons. Maybe he took a week. He said, “I’m clearing my calendar out for a couple of days. I’m going to go off somewhere. I’m going to fast, and I’m going to pray, and I’m going to seek God because this thing is buffeting me.” Buffeting doesn’t mean I’m stuffing my body, you know, where you eat all the time. It means buffeting was like when someone would take a fist and just pound somewhere. In other words, Paul says this thing is killing me, “the messenger of Satan to buffet me.” Three times he just—he went and got away from everybody, everything. I think you probably fasted during that time, and he said, “God, you’ve got to take this thing away. It’s killing me. I can’t function with it. I could do so much more for you, Lord, if I didn’t have it.”

You might think, “I would like for you to use me in this area, but you can’t use somebody with this problem in their life.” It kind of reminds you—have you ever been there? “Lord, you’ve got to do something about this. How on the world can I be and do what you want me to be and do when I have this issue in my life?” And God says, “No, no, that’s My plan for you to have that in your life.” He didn’t quit.

Friend, if you quit because of that major problem in your life—and we all have them—you’ll never know what God could do through you. Don’t quit. Paul didn’t quit. God used him so greatly to write 13, probably 14 books in the New Testament, to start 20-something churches. God used him greatly to get the gospel over to Europe. But it’s very interesting: at one point, he told the church of Corinth, “And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.” But he stayed going. Don’t quit, number one.

Number two: Are y’all with me out there? Accept your weakness. Stop fighting against it. God has allowed it. I’m not saying don’t pray anymore about it, but friend, you know what he says over there? Look in verse number 10. Look at verse number 10. Look at that. Look at what Paul says. Amazing to me what Paul says in verse number 9, right after God spoke to him—the red letter, if you have that red letter edition—right after that, he says, “Most gladly.” Wow, “most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory.” Verse number 10, he says, “Therefore I take pleasure.” Hey.

Stop fighting against those problems, that issue that God has allowed in your life, and accept it.

It was a good day when I said, “All right, Lord, I don’t like it, but I’m not going to have a right thumb.” I can’t hitchhike going that way. I can still hitchhike going this way. But I don’t like it. I’m missing a thumb and a finger over there. Nothing’s the same. It was dawning on me: my whole life is going to be different. It was a good day when I just said, “Lord, I accept it the best I can. Thank you for allowing this in my life.” It was a good day. Paul accepted it. I take pleasure; I rather glory in this weakness in my life. Accept it.

God’s got a reason for your old friends. God’s got a reason for your in-laws. God’s got a reason for your parents. God’s got a reason for that mental block you have. God’s got a reason for those things in your life. Accept it. Accept it. Accept it.

I say this: It’s okay to be weak sometimes. Yes, be strong, but you travel down the road of weakness. It’s okay to be weak sometimes. It’s all right. I love it over there when he left the 99 and went and got that one sheep, and he put that sheep on his shoulders, carrying the sheep. The Bible says, rejoicing. God likes to carry you. So accept it: “I’m weak.”

I heard a pastor who had been pastoring for years, a good guy. He said some of his best members—he wasn’t advocating divorce—but sometimes you go through divorce. It just kind of sobers you up to what’s really important in life. He says some of those people… So I’m saying, if you’ve been divorced, accept it. Okay. Life’s not over. God can still use you. God still wants to work through you. I’m saying accept where you’re at in life, whatever it may be—the thing that’s killing you, you can’t get arranged, you can’t get above financially—or accept it. This is where I’m at. God’s got a reason for that physical problem. Fanny Crosby was blind from the time she was six weeks old. She accepted it. She wrote thousands of hymns we sing in our song, but just accept it.

Number one, don’t quit. Number two, accept your weakness. Number three: Do right during your weakness. Job, Job, Job! Man, our kids are dead, you’ve lost—we’re bankrupt, we ain’t got no money, or hell’s going bad. Won’t you just curse God and die? Job said, “No, I’m not going to do it.”

Job wasn’t perfect, no, but he had some integrity. Do right during your weakness. Some people think, “Well, God won’t bless me, so I’m going to do whatever I want. I’m going to drink and go and say and be and do whatever I want to do.” And you’ll never see what God could do through your weakness. Do right. You’re not going to be perfect, but do right during your weakness. Andrew Murray said this, a great Christian years gone by. Andrew Murray said, “The Christian thinks his weakness is his greatest hindrance in his life and service to God, but God tells us that it’s the secret of strength and success.”

Number one, don’t quit. Number two, accept it. Number three, do right during your weakness. Number four: Don’t lose your faith in God. Don’t get the defeated mentality. You know, they had an aquarium with little fish in there, and they slid this little, bitty thin piece of glass down the middle of that aquarium, and the fish would try to swim over and get to the other side. It was so thin, they really couldn’t tell it was there, and they kept bumping their noses into that little thin glass. Their little noses got red, like our noses get when we have a cold and we’re blowing our nose all the time. After a while, those little fish just said, “I’m not going to go over there because there’s some kind of wall right there. I can’t really tell, but I keep bumping into that, and my nose has been broken four times. I’m not going over there anymore.” And they slid that little piece of glass out of there, and those fish stayed on each side.

Sometimes your weakness affects your faith, and you never go where God wants you to go. Don’t let it get your faith.

Look over in Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11. You know it, you know it, just probably better than I do, but it’s a Hall of Fame of Faith. These are the great Christians of the Old Testament, many of them. God used them greatly by faith—by faith, I think 16 times; by faith, five times through faith. Gideon and Moses and Abraham and Joseph—all these great Christians did so much for God through faith.

I want you to notice what it says here. The theme is faith. It starts off giving us a definition of faith. Hebrews 11 tells about faith. Look down in verse number 34, Hebrews 11 and verse number 34. If you’re there, would you say, “Hallelujah”? Good, good, good. You’re listening this morning. I’m impressed. Wow. I shall even come back more often. Brother Marty got you in line last week. I’m teasing with you; he did a good job preaching. Hebrews 11, look at verse number 34. He says right there, “Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword out of what?” Weakness were made what? Faith. What’s the theme of the whole chapter? Faith. Faith.

These folks didn’t lose faith that God’s still working. He’s got a reason for allowing this. He’s doing something. They kept their faith. Out of faith, they out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Faith—don’t lose your faith when you’re in a city of weakness.

We have a horse—not ours, it’s our neighbors’ right behind us. It used to be two horses, now just one. Larry and Ronda—Larry passed a couple of years ago, and Ronda is there. They are just sweet, sweet people. Ronda is a widow, and she can’t do what Larry used to do. There’s an electric fence going around that horse field, but I’ll be honest, that electric fence has not worked for years. Back in the day it worked. I forget when I had the joy of having the teenagers over to our house, and Zach Terry was standing close enough that I was able to grab a hold of him and then grab a hold of that fence. You know, some of you are country folk, but you know that thing gives you a jolt. He was like, “What the world hit me?” I really enjoyed that. He says, “Every time you see me, Pastor, you bring that up.” I said, “Yeah, probably always.” But that electric fence has not been on for years.

Now here’s the amazing thing: that horse is big. Horses are just like big old muscles. They can carry a man and a lady around forever. They’re strong and powerful. Yet that little electric fence—it hasn’t worked for years. Parts of that fence sometimes fall down, and we’ll rewire it up. It doesn’t work. But it just—it has gotten into its faith, if you will. If you let those times of weakness get your faith to the point where God can’t work, then you’re going to stay in the horse pasture and not travel to where God wants you to travel. Don’t let the times of weakness affect your faith. God’s working. He’s allowing these things for reasons. Out of weakness we’re made strong.

The theme is faith. We’re going to change gears. We’re going to move on here.

Look, if you will, back over in 2 Corinthians chapter 13. It’s amazing how God’s greatest works so often are done out of weakness. Back over there in 2 Corinthians, we’re in chapter 13. Look here for just a second, and we’ll get you the verse. Everybody look right here. Everybody look right here. Jesus has purchased salvation for every single person here, saved or lost. He purchased salvation for you. 1 John 2:2 says He sent the whole world. He purchased. He laid on Him the negative assault, Isaiah said. He purchased salvation. Now, it’s up to you if you want to receive it by faith or not, but it’s available. That’s why He could say He didn’t say, “Well, certain people.” No, He said, “Hey, for whosoever.” Because it’s available for all. The choice is up to you. But how did He purchase your salvation? How many here are saying, “I’m saved? I know I’m saved. I’ve called on Jesus to be my Savior”? Raise your hand this morning, just real quickly. You got your hand up. How did He purchase your salvation? Let’s look at it right here. 2 Corinthians 13. Look at verse number 4. 2 Corinthians 13, look in verse number 4.

“For though He, Jesus, was crucified through what?” Weakness. Your salvation was purchased through weakness. The greatest—so often the greatest works of God are done through weakness. “For though He was crucified through weakness, yet He liveth by the power of God.” You don’t get to the power of God unless you travel through the weakness. “We also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.”

Look over real quickly. You’re in Corinthians. Look in chapter 1 Corinthians 15. It’s a long chapter. It’s the resurrection chapter, the resurrected body chapter. If you’re a born-again Christian, 1 Corinthians 15 is a good chapter on what your body is going to be like in heaven.

Before we get there, let me entice you a little bit. How many of you are looking forward to having a brand new body one day? How many of you say it will be nice not to have any knee pain? How many of you say it’ll be nice not to have any autoimmune disease? It’ll be nice not to snore at nighttime, maybe. I don’t know. That would be a bother to someone. I thought it would be nice. How many think it would be nice not to have aches and pains every time you’ve been traveling for over an hour? You get out of that car and you just hurt. Anybody? Come on now. A brand new body! We’ll be able to run again. “Again” is the key word. If we want to—I don’t know if we want to—we can play football again. I wouldn’t play football nowadays; it hurts too much. A brand new body! Woo, boy, I’m looking forward to that. I’ll be able to run and hop and skip and jump. I’ll be able to talk proper English in heaven, whatever, amen. Whatever the language is there, heavenly language. We’ll still speak southern hillbilly up there. Come on now. My tongue won’t mess up all the time like it messes up down here. A new body. How are they going to get that new body? Look, if you will, in verse number 43. 1 Corinthians 15:43.

1 Corinthians 15:43: “It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in what?” Weakness. “It is raised in power.” I think about this often: someone can be the healthiest person, work out every day, go to the gym every other day, never eat any ice cream—shame on them. They eat broccoli all the time, vegetables all the time, no carbs, no sugar. It’s just healthy as healthy can be. They’re vegetarian, whatever. It doesn’t matter. They get about 80 or 90 years old, they’re going to get old and wrinkled up and can’t function, and they’re going to die. It doesn’t matter how big and strong they are; they are sown in weakness. The only way to get that brand new body that the Lord comes for is sown in weakness. God’s greatest works, more often than not—His strength, His power—it goes to weakness. So don’t get mad, don’t get bitter, don’t quit. Accept it. The Lord, all right, whatever you’d like to accomplish through my weakness, I’m going to stop fighting against it. I’m going to glory in my infirmities, my weakness.

Would you bow your heads and close your eyes? If you’re there, you say, “Preacher, all right, I’m going to accept it. I’m determining maybe not to quit. I’m going to, the best I can, keep going by faith and do right—not perfect, but I’m going to try to keep doing right. I’m going to keep serving. God spoke to my heart, preacher. I’m going to accept it. I’m going to keep doing right by faith. I’m going to believe in God; He’s got a reason.” God spoke to my heart about those things right there. If that’s you this morning, you slip your hand to the preacher: “That’s me, that’s me, that’s me. I accept that God’s got a reason for allowing these things in my life.” Many, many hands. Maybe to be someone else, I’m going to accept it. I’m going to give God my weakness. I’m just going to put it on. I’m going to accept it and ask Him to use me. Anybody else? God bless you. Oh, many, many hands. Thank you so very much. You can put your hands down.

Maybe you here this morning said, “He’s purchased salvation for me, but I’ve never accepted it by faith.” You’ve never been truly born again. You’ve never put your faith in Jesus alone. You believe He died on the cross and rose again, but you need to accept that by faith. Would you call on Him this morning right there where you are? Would you, first of all, thank Him for going through the weakness on the cross, and through that power He’s offering you? Would you tell Him, “Thank you for that now, Jesus. I accept that. Thank you for dying for me. I’m believing on You and You alone to give me a home in heaven. Would You save me? Help me to live for You now, Lord?” If you’re there in your seat, you say, “Preacher, I just asked Jesus to be my Savior. I just accepted that gift that He purchased for me. I just accepted Him and Him alone as my Savior.” Would you lift your hand up? “Preacher, I just prayed in my heart. I just prayed. Now Jesus is my Savior.” I like that. If you did it online, if you click below, we’ll send you a Bible. Congratulations on getting saved.

We’re going to stand in just a moment here. If God spoke to your heart, would you come to an old-fashioned altar as He leads and guides you? Maybe you need to come get baptized; let us know that. Maybe you want to join a Bible-believing church; you come let us know that. But let’s do some real serious business with God in the next few minutes. Let’s just say, “All right, Lord, I know you are allowing this. I know you have a purpose for this weakness. Now, Lord, take me through that. Help me to be strong, so Your strength will be made perfect through my individual weakness that you will allow out of my life.” Would you tell Him that? Let’s all stand, please. We’ll have a word of prayer. You be obedient to the Lord.

Father, thank You for Your goodness. Thank You that You tell us how to be strong. Lord, I don’t like the weakness, but I thank You for it. I know You have a reason. Lord, I do pray that we would travel through by faith and be able to say, like Paul, “When I am weak, then am I strong.” Thank You for it, Lord Jesus, and we pray. Amen.

Would you come as God calls? Would you come as the Lord leads you? Spend some time with Him, whether He’s standing there or whether it be at an altar, just come spend some time with Him. Tell Him, “Would Your strength be made perfect?” I’m telling Him, let Him know. “I’ve quit, Lord, in some areas. Forgive me. I’m going to get back in there for You.” Let Him hold that. I don’t want to be like that fish stuck on one side when God wants me to go further. I believe You, Lord. I’m not going to give up. You have a reason.

Original File: 2026-02-09 - Pastor Paul Chisgar ＂The Path to Strength travels through weakness＂ - Sunday AM 2⧸8⧸2026