SERMON
Strength in Weakness
Being weak in grace is not a reason to be discouraged.
Sometimes weakness is recompensed with wisdom.
Proverbs 20:24:
“”There be four things that are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise”; the ants, conies, locusts and spiders.
How are they wise?
Verse 25: “The ants are a people not strong, yet they lay up for the time of want.
Verse 26 “The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks”.
Verse 27: “The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands”
Verse 28: “The spider takes hold with her hands, and is in kings’ chambers”.
For the Christian, providing in summer for a rainy day, building your house upon the Rock, joining with others, taking hold of the beams of the promises in the house of the King, is showing godly wisdom.
There are disadvantages of being a weak Christian:
He is more liable to fall, and have difficulty getting up again.
“Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way.” Heb 12:12.
He more easily loses sight of his comforts during testing times.
When the Lord spoke to the woman of Canaan, “It is not lawful to cast children’s bread before dogs”, she took advantage of the situation and said “Truth Lord, but the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the table.” She turned what seemed to be a hard saying from the Lord to her advantage. This was the sign of a strong faith.
But when the angel appeared to Manoah in Judges 13:22, he said to his wife: “We shall surely die, because we have seen God”. He used against himself the thing that was intended for his good.
He cannot glorify God as well as a strong Christian can.
“Whoso offers praise glorifies me.” Psalm 50:23. It is a hard thing for a weak Christian to praise God.
He does smaller things for God as compared to a stronger Christian.
He is more concerned about his own spiritual state than that of others.
A strong Christian is able to wait longer on God for the things he desires.
A strong Christian is helpful to others.
“We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak.” Romans 15:1
“Him that is weak in the faith receive ye.” Romans 14:1
A weak Christian is often offended with others.
But there is no reason to be discouraged.
Weakness does not exclude from mercy, but rather inclines God toward mercy for the weak Christian.
“Have mercy on me, O Lord for I am weak.” Psalm 6:2
Even though your graces are weak, if you have true grace you have the same share in the things of Christ as a strong Christian has.
The promises of God fall most thickly on those who are weak in their faith.
Jesus will not break the bruised reed, or quench the smoking flax.
There are more kisses and embraces of love from God our Father for the weak Christian than the stronger.
God shows His mercy to all His people through Christ as the High Priest, who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities.
1. He accepts our duties though they are mingled with weakness.
“I know your works (says Christ to the Church of Philadelphia) for you have a little strength, and have kept my word and have not denied my name.” Rev 3:8.
2. He does not over-drive those who are weak.
3. He sometimes yields to their desires.
Matt 9:18: “There came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay your hand on her, and she shall live. And Jesus arose and followed him.” The man’s faith was limited because he limited Jesus to time and place, but the Lord got up and went anyway.
Strong faith is commended by the Lord, but weak faith will be much encouraged by the condescending love of Christ.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit. Bless are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness. Bless are they that mourn.” Matthew 5.
If the Lord should ask us at any time why we are doubting, this is no reason to be discouraged. He does this not only to reprove us for our discouragement, but also to show that there is no reason for it.
In Matt 8:26 there was a great storm and the disciples were caught up in it. Jesus says “Why are you full of doubt, O ye of little faith?”
When Peter began to sink into the water when he got out of the boat to walk to Jesus, Jesus asked him “O thou of little faith, wherefore did you doubt?”
So it does not matter if you are weak or strong in your faith – whether you have a full assurance of your place with Christ or whether you are full of doubts and fears. The text holds true for you: He will make all grace abound toward you and enable you to do the work He has designed for you to do for Him.