(Idea from an article by Sewell Hall)

Intro. Commonly heard lie today: "If you become a Christian, you will have no more problems. All happiness, bliss
A. Hear in "testimoniales"

B. This misconception affects our compassion towards others. It is thought that if you have problems, it is because you lack faith; just fess up, spit it out. This was the attitude of Job's friends!

C. Doesn't take into account that faithful Christians have always had struggles:

D. Let's study the case of Paul II Corinthians 12:7-10

I. Paul's situation (read II Cor. 12:7-10)
A. What was Paul's thorn? Don't know a lot of speculation - because he lacked faith? Of course that's not true!

B. Some things we do know about it:
1. painful
2. had bothered Paul for a long time
3. Paul couldn't get rid of it.

C. Some possibilites
1. Physical defect?
a. eyes? (Gal. 4:15; 6:11)
b. stomach? (Know Timothy had stomach problems. 1 Timothy 5:23)
c. headaches?
d. stutterer? (I Cor. 2:1) came not with excellence of speech
e. Sir William Ramsey - malaria?
2. Spiritual problem
a. strong temper, difficult to control? (know some)
b. remembered his days as a persecutor? (nightmares)
i. How would it be to see Stephen's death? - hear thump of rocks, brocken bones, moans?
ii. Beverly's dad and experiences en World War 2
c. concern for the churches (II Cor. 11:28)
3. Individuals who gave him problems?
a. Alexander the coppersmith (II Tim. 4:14)
b. rejection of his people, the Jews
D. Perhaps God didn't want Paul to specificy his thorn for a reason.
1. If it were specified, and not a thorn we have, we would have difficulty applying these principles to our own thorns.
2. Since unspecified, we more easily apply to whatever thorns we might have.

II. What are some thorns that we have?
A. Physical defects
1. crippled
2. paralyzed (Billy Crafts)
3. Weight
4. Visible defect
5. asma, cancer, blindness, deafness, MS, lupus, etc.

B. Emotional problems
1. abused as child: cannot trust others
2. Shyness: feel uncomfortable with other people
3. Deal with tragedies, death: brother who ran over a child, death of loved ones

C. Spiritual challenges
1. temper: Thinking of godly Christian in Ohio. Struggled all his life with his temper. Though he has controlled to a certain extent, it will always be challenge.
2. Christian man who confesses to having to deal with homosexual tendencies
3. Some temptations stronger for some people because of what has happened to them in the past.
4. We don't know what has influenced people to be the way they are:
a. can't justify sin
b. if knew influences, might be a little more understanding
c. Melvin Curry: story of young man who lost his mind while trying to save his brother from drowning

D. Problems with people
1. neighbors
2. work
3. school
4. family: children, spouse: hypercritical, constant put downs

E. Thorns are painful, discouraging, dfficult to get rid of

F. What is your thorn?

III. How did Paul treat his thorn?
A. Did not blame God for it (He called it a messenger of Satan.)
1. Job's tragedies were not from God but from Satan.
2. Much we don't understand about suffering and God's interevention. We do know...
a. Evil is from Satan
b. God often chooses not to intervene (we don't understand why He doesn't)
c. Hebrews 12 Sense in which God chastises us, allows us to suffer consequences of actions. I just don't know exactly how or why.
d. Some, because they don't understand these issues, reject their faith:
i. Why suffer? why no intervention?, what about people in Africa? denom?
3. Some things we do understand and our actions need to be based upon those things, not what we don't know.
We know...
a. Jesus Christ lived in first century!
b. His miracles seen by thousands of serious, sincere witnesses!
c. His teaching could only come from Divine hand!
d. Therefore we can trust Him and heavenly Father!
4. Therefore, when reach these points we don't understand, don't "throw out baby with the bathwater."
a. Trust
b. Like Paul: I don't understand thorn, don't know why God doesn't take it away
c. Won't blame him, and give up the only hope I have.

B. He worked to remove it
1. Prayed three times (doubt this means mere brief mention three times. Perhaps three days of prayer and fasting.)
a. Sometimes we need thorns to teach us how to pray.
2. Today, must work to remove our own thorns.
a. temper: constantly battle
b. brother w/ homosexual tendencies. Needs to avoid temptation
3. Shouldn't wallow in self pity or in anger
4. Above all else, we can pray

C. Accepted that he would have to live with it.
1. Our generation has the concept that every problem has an easy solution.
a. headache? take advil
b. money problems? P. Rizzuto, money store, debt consolidation loan
c. credit card
2. The idea of living with problem foreign to many.
a. marriage difficulties? give up, get divorce
b. poverty? government
3. Sometimes we're just going to have to live with thorns.
4. We can be happy in spite of them! Billy Crafts, one of the happiest men I've known in spite of being paralyzed.

D. Accept the blessings that come from them
1. Humility, look for strength from God.
2. John: When Eastern went bankrupt, said "this will help us to learn to trust more in God rather than Eastern."
3. If we look at thorns in this way: that can ultimately be a source of blessing and help us to go to heaven
That's all that matters!

E. Take pleasure in them! This is the toughest thing! Thanks that I am shy, have a temper, defect?
1. Requires trust, focus on blessings that can come from them.
2. We often don't understand what blessings can come from thorns now. Later we will see.

Concl. God doesn't promise us a life without problems. Sometimes problms are greater after becoming a Christian

B. Does promise inner strength to deal with them.

C. After 5 seconds in heaven, they will be as nothing!

D. Do you have God's help in dealing with the thorns of life?

E. If not, you can begin to seek Him. Romans 10:17; Acts 2:38