Sermon Series Wrap-up: Despicable Me
As humans, we strive to always put our best feet forward. We know we have faults and weaknesses, but we seek to hide them. We don’t want others to see those aspects of who we are. This is particularly true for Christians. Most of us want to appear pious and righteous, and as a result, attempt to give off the impression that only good abounds in us. We all understand that this is just a facade. None of us is perfect. In this series, Pastor Pope makes the case for why we shouldn’t hide those weaknesses. Instead, we should make them obvious to everyone in an effort to use them to serve God.
Therefore I take pleasure in Infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. - II Corinthians 12:10Paul makes the argument that his weaknesses are what make him strong. That concept is something that is evident throughout Paul’s letters. Pastor Pope uses one particular narrative from Paul to illustrate the point. In II Corinthians, Paul tells of an experience he had where he went to Heaven. He saw wondrous things, but he realized that it would have been wrong for him to boast about that experience. He didn’t want people to confuse the greatness of what he experienced for his own greatness. Instead, he wanted people to understand that he was a flawed person and through those flaws, he was still able to serve and glorify God.
Still, the question stands, why would it be beneficial to boast in our weaknesses? Paul actually addresses that in the previous verse.
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. - II Corinthians 12:9The answer is pretty obvious there. God’s grace is great enough that it can make much out of all of us in spite of our weaknesses. God works in us to help us grow. However, people have to understand the depths we rose from to truly understand the greatness of what God accomplished. If we hide our weaknesses and shortcomings, those around us will never fully understand the magnitude of what God accomplishes in us.
Perhaps, sometimes, we simply do not understand how weak we are. Some of us make the mistake of believing that when we give our lives to God that we are instantly turned into good people. We believe that through our salvation, we automatically become righteous. That is not true. The Bible suggests that at our core, there is wickedness in us.
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it? - Jeremiah 17:9Not only is there wickedness in our heart, but sometimes we’re not even aware of it and don’t understand it. We want God to work in our lives, but if we’re not honest about where we need the work, we won’t be open to the change we need. As Pastor Pope notes, when we come to God, we are given a new heart, but if we are not careful, we will fill our new hearts with the same old wickedness. That’s not what we want. Instead, we need to open our hearts to God, so that he can do his work. The Jeremiah passage continues:
I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings. - Jeremiah 17:10God is able to see into us and work with us as is appropriate. He will test us in a way that reveals the truth to us and reward us based on the fruit we bear. That test could be difficult and result in struggle for us, but we should be happy with those struggles.
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. - James 1:2-3God will test our hearts so that we are not deceived by our hearts. Instead, we will know the truth of our hearts and find the path forward for the improvement of our hearts. Once our hearts have been revealed to us, we should understand our vulnerabilities. When we know about our vulnerabilities, we are put in a position where we can use those vulnerabilities in a way that may help others.
When people do show their vulnerabilities in an effort to help those around them, sometimes we believe that if their struggles are different from our struggles, they cannot understand or help us. That also is not true. We all are sinners, and there is commonality in our sins. We all might have slightly different struggles, but we all struggle. Pastor Pope gives the example of the love of money as being an area where almost everyone struggles. The Bible tells us that the love of money is evil and that people should rejoice in a lack of wealth. Those with money should learn to humble themselves.
Ultimately, humility is the key to everything Pastor Pope discussed in the series. We are all despicable in our own way. It takes humility to acknowledge that. It takes humility to let God help us with our shortcomings. It takes humility for us to put our shortcomings on display, so that they can be used for the benefit of others. There is no shame in our imperfections as long as we are putting ourselves in a position to move past them. It is only after we’ve accepted the less than flattering truth of who we are that we can become something much better and bring God glory in the process.
Chris Lawyer
Sermons by Pastor Everett Pope
The Despicable Me
The Despicable Me 2
The Despicable Me 3
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