The Revelation of Weakness: The Way to Greatness and Power
I. THE REVELATION OF GODLY VOLUNTARY WEAKNESS
A. Paul received the revelation that godly weakness was the way to experience more of God’s power. Jesus promised
Paul that he would experience “strength made perfect” if he embraced weakness. Paul was not referring to moral
weakness, but weakness coming from godly choices.
7 Lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was
given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing
I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for
you, for My strength is made perfect in (voluntary) weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in
my (voluntary) infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest on me. (2 Corinthians 12:7-9)
B. Paul describes two types of godly weaknesses. First, those which are voluntary, including prayer, fasting, living
simply, serving and blessing enemies (Matthew 6:1-20). Second, those which are involuntary, including his thorn in the
flesh, persecution and reproach. When Paul boasts of his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), he is referring to both the
involuntary weakness of persecution and the voluntary weakness of the fasted lifestyle (2 Corinthians 11-12).
25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked 26…in perils
among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings
often, in cold and nakedness. (2 Corinthians 11:25-27)
II. FIVE EXPRESSIONS OF GODLY VOLUNTARY WEAKNESS (THE FASTED LIFESTYLE)
A. God chose godly voluntary weakness as the way to run His kingdom and defeat His enemies.
27 God has chosen the (so-called) foolish things of the world to put to shame the (so-called) wise, and God
has chosen the (so-called) weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are (so-called) mighty;
28 and the (so-called) base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen…29 that
no flesh should glory in His presence… 31 that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD."
(1 Corinthians 1:27-31)
B. The fasted lifestyle is a call to embrace voluntary weakness to experience more of God’s power and presence. I
refer to this as the “Sermon on the Mount Lifestyle.” What is this lifestyle? Jesus defined it as embracing godly attitudes
as seen in the 8 beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) as we give ourselves to prayer and the Word with fasting, giving, serving
and blessing our enemies (Matthew 6).
C. There are five types of “fasting” described in the Sermon on the Mount. We fast food, time, energy, money and
words. Matthew 6:1-18 describes the five main activities of the fasted lifestyle that correspond with these. They include
giving, serving, praying (with the Word), blessing our enemies and fasting food. Each is a form of fasting, in that we are
voluntarily embracing weakness, declaring to God that we derive our life and strength from Him.
D. In giving, we fast our money (financial strength). In serving and prayer, we are fasting our time and energy,
investing it in others and in intercession. In giving up food we are fasting our physical strength. And blessing our enemies
requires that we fast our words and reputation.
E. Fasting food is not primarily a call to hunger. The most challenging issue in fasting is the physical and emotional
weakness it produces, not the hunger (Psalm 109:24). We can’t function in the way we usually do. The fear of fasting is
worse than fasting itself.
F. Fasting in all five of these areas of our life is a gift that we embrace as our lifestyle. We must embrace “the fasted
lifestyle” that voluntarily subjects ourselves to the vulnerabilities and difficulties of fasting and prayer. No one graduates
from these to go on to the “deeper things” of God. It is in the very walking out of these five expressions, in the routine
and mundaneness of our everyday life, that we will reach the deepest places in intimacy with God.
III. WE NATURALLY DESIRE TO “FEEL STRONG” IN OUR NATURAL STRENGTHS
A. We must understand what God defines as strong and weak and how the world defines it. We naturally desire to
feel strong in two primary ways:
B. The way we view ourselves - to feel elements of confidence and/or uniqueness (superiority over others) in our
abilities, possessions (money) or position to establish our security and honor.
C. The way others view us – to know others feel respect for us, need us (feel inferior), or are willing to cooperate
with us (for their gain) related to our abilities, possessions (money) or position.
IV. PRIDE: BOASTING IN OUR OWN STRENGTH AND ABILITIES
A. In ages past, Lucifer possessed great beauty and it awakened pride in him instead of gratitude.
12 You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty…14 You were the anointed cherub…
you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. 15 You were
perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. 16 And you sinned;
therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; and I destroyed you, O covering cherub,
from the midst of the fiery stones. 17 "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your
wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground…” (Ezekiel 28:12-17)
B. One-third of all the angels of heaven (billions of angels) followed Lucifer in pride and thus, fell.
3 A fiery red dragon (Satan)…4 his tail drew a third of the stars of heaven (angels) and threw them to the
earth…9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan…he was cast to
the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:3-4, 9)
V. VOLUNTARY LOVE: THREE FACTORS IN GOD’S PLAN
A. Love is only love if it is freely offered to God. If there is not the option to say “no” then love does not exist. Love
requires real choices that include the freedom to choose against love. God does not want robotic automated worshipers
devoid of intimacy.
B. Adam and the angels who fell were initially innocent but were not “mature in love.” Maturity in love only exists when
the option to love is exercised and the option not to love is real. When the option to sin was presented, both Adam and
a third of the angels lost their innocence.
C. God is leading history in a way in which love and humility will flourish forever without violating our free will. God
established a plan in which voluntary love based on gratitude or boasting in God’s goodness would be established in
His people forever. He is leading His people by calling us to live in godly voluntary weakness that causes us to worship
God with gratitude and love.
23 “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man
glory in his riches; 24 but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the
LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says
the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
D. Our love and meekness in eternity is not automated by the resurrection but rather it is voluntary (real responses
flowing from gratitude). Awestruck affectionate gratitude is the eternal foundation from which the saints will offer loving
obedience to God. This is boasting in God.
E. We will not sin in heaven because God has established certain conditions through history so that we would forever
be voluntary lovers filled with gratitude and meekness.
F. Condition #1: our resurrected body will be without a sin nature. The absence of a sin nature did not keep Adam or
one-third of the angels from sinning. The remaining two-thirds of the angels who did not sin are not now on automatic
pilot, but they worship with an understanding of truth.
G. Condition #2: we will live in a new environment in the New Jerusalem. The fruit we eat, the water we drink and the
songs we sing will release God’s presence to continually renew us. We will see Jesus face to face. Adam and the angels
who sinned also saw God face to face. However, they did not behold Him as a Redeemer but only as a powerful King.
H. Condition #3: We will remember our history of sin and of God’s gracious redemption. We will see the scars in Jesus
hands forever. The result of knowing history is that we will be full of gratitude or will boast only in the Lord. Thus, we will
live with love based on gratitude.
I. The one who recognizes they have been forgiven is the one who loves God much.
47 I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven,
the same loves little." (Luke 7:47)
VI. GOD’S WISDOM: ESTABLISH HIS GOVERNMENT ON VOLUNTARY WEAKNESS (MEEKNESS)
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved
it is (the way to experience) the power of God. 21…It pleased God through the (so-called) foolishness of the
message preached to save (deliver, empower) those who believe…23 We preach Christ crucified, to the
Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called…Christ (is the only
way to experience) the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the (so-called) foolishness of
God is wiser than men, and the (so-called) weakness of God is stronger than men...27 God has chosen the
(so-called) foolish things of the world to put to shame the (so-called) wise, and God has chosen the
(so-called) weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are (so-called) mighty…29 that no
flesh should glory in His presence... 31 that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD."
(1 Corinthians 1:18-31)
A. Jesus embraced a life of weakness. The humility of God is one of the most amazing truths.
3 “He (the Father) said to me (Jesus), 'You are My servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.' 4 Then I said,
'I have labored in vain (from men’s point of view), I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; yet surely
my just reward is with the LORD." (Isaiah 49:3-4)
B. God triumphed over darkness by a human carpenter dying on a cross for others. Jesus triumphed over Satan as a
man in this fallen natural world (not as God who stayed in heaven, Philippians 2:6-11).
C. Jesus triumphed as a human carpenter not as a human king. Jesus triumphed by obeying in embracing weakness
not by asserting His power over others. Jesus triumphed by dying on earth not reigning over others (first coming). Jesus
triumphed by dying for others, not His own crimes.
D. This wisdom is seen in the way we initially receive our salvation (justification) and how we walk it out (sanctification).
We do not feel powerful in how we offer ourselves to God. We do not feel powerful in the way God answers our prayers
(His timing and location is mysterious).
E. Our prayers and lifestyle are offered in weakness but ascend in power. We will usually “feel” weak in our devotion,
obedience and service until we meet the Lord. Many assume that they should feel strong most of the time. We feel strong
in the sense of having faith or confidence (that is often without feeling) that the fasted lifestyle is God’s way forward. We
do not feel His manifest presence all the time nor the joy of our labors, but can feel confident that weakness is right.
F. It is very common to not feel God’s power in the act of our devotion, obedience or service.
G. The fasted lifestyle is so weak that anyone can do it, but it is so weak that few choose to.