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This is a podcast for Enclave Community Church, located in Turlock, CA. Here you can listen to our latest sermons! Visit us online at enclavecc.com
[00:00:00] You're listening to the Enclave Community Church Podcast. For more information about Enclave, follow the links in the description. Enjoy this week's sermon from Carlton Mentz. Um, today's scripture is 2nd Corinthians, uh, 12 verses 1 through 9.
[00:00:25] I must go on boasting, though there is nothing to be gained by it. I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know I am a man in, I know a man in Christ who 14 years ago was caught up. to third heaven, whether in body or out of body. I do not know. God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise, whether in body or out of body.
[00:00:53] I do not know. God knows. And he heard these things that cannot be told, [00:01:00] which man may not utter. On behalf of this man, I will boast, but on my own behalf, I will not boast except of my weaknesses, though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth, but I refrain from it so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me.
[00:01:23] So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations a Thorn was given me in the flesh a message a messenger of Satan to harass me To keep me from becoming conceited three times I pleaded with the Lord about this that it should leave me But he said to me my grace is sufficient for you For my power is made perfect in weakness.
[00:01:51] Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Let's pray. [00:02:00] Dear God, thank you for this morning and for everyone you've brought here. Um, thank you for your word and that we can, um, Receive your message. I just pray for, um, Carlton's, um, sermon today and that you would open our, our minds and our hearts to hear from you.
[00:02:18] Thank you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
[00:02:25] Thank you, Shannon. A very good, very good job. And I want to thank others that are helping. Aiden's up there with the slides. Thank you. Good job, Aiden. And I see Judah. Oh, so thankful for these servants. And Jay up there. And Mark, thank you for your, your ministry and giving. Good job to you all. I want to thank you.
[00:02:49] Well, what a, what a beautiful looking crowd. I'm, I'm glad because then I don't feel you're going to eat me alive. It's just nice to [00:03:00] feel loved. But I'm so glad to be with you here. Uh, to, to, to be able to come and share with you. And pray with you. Uh, and. To trust that you today, I trust will experience the glory of God as His power and strength would rest upon you in your weakness, whatever weakness it may be, so that you will be convinced His grace is enough, His life and gifts to you.
[00:03:42] is enough to get you through whatever. Because that's what he was working on me this last year. As he took me through the adventure of cancer.
[00:03:59] And [00:04:00] I saw his glory. Uh, in ways that were not what I expected. But which I cannot help. But share what I saw and I heard. So I want to look at just to begin with, uh, what we've seen before. Andrew took us through it, uh, Acts chapter four. Um, there we saw Peter and John, they were taken before the Sanhedrin Supreme Court, and they were accused of preaching about Jesus, which they'd been told not to.
[00:04:35] All right. Uh, but Peter. Filled with the power and strength of Christ stood up before them and said, whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than God, you must judge for we cannot help. We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard. I like it in [00:05:00] the message paraphrase. They say we can't keep quiet about what we've seen and heard.
[00:05:05] And that's what I'm here. I can't keep quiet about what I've seen and heard because I want you to see it and hear it as well. So we're going to look at power and strength and weakness today. And, uh, we're going to just focus on the, the, uh, The last part of the Shannon's reading, though the beginning is important as well, Paul talks about the glories he saw that were amazing glories.
[00:05:36] He, he, he said he went to heaven. He can't describe it, but that's what he believes God did. And he saw his glory there. But then later he says, now, uh, I am, uh, being given this challenging weakness, which I asked God to take away. But he said, no. My grace is sufficient for you, for [00:06:00] my power is made perfect in weakness.
[00:06:06] And so the Apostle, uh, is now challenged to see, I believe, the glory of God in his weakness, not in his, not in the strength of seeing heaven. And so, um, he. It's for me and for this last year, uh, was a challenge to see in my weakness, uh, and believe me, uh, uh, I had never, uh, been so weak before, but it was important.
[00:06:39] for me to recognize how how the Lord was wanting me to live, uh, in his, in his power and strength in a way I'd never seen before. Okay. And, um, what I want to do is I want to talk about This, this verse, um, 12. 9 backwards. I want to talk about his power [00:07:00] being perfected before we talk about his grace sufficient, okay?
[00:07:03] But before we do that, I want to give you, uh, I want you to see a picture of me to give you an idea of just how weak God had taken me to. I think it's an age appropriate picture, alright? And, uh, this is me. Oop, let's back up. Back up to, uh, Slide number four. There it is. There, there I am. Uh, And, uh, This is, This is what God took me to.
[00:07:38] Um, uh, This is a birthday card my middle, my middle sister gave me last year. Right in the middle of this. And I looked at it and I go, That's me. That is me. That's a, it's a caricature, a very good caricature. I mean, it's accurate right down to the pull up diapers. Uh, the flatulence. [00:08:00] Um, the emaciated body, my glasses.
[00:08:05] No. Uh, this was, this was me. Uh, yeah, very much where God took me. But this is the place for the Lord wanted to show me power that is made complete in weakness. That's where we are next. Power is made complete in weakness. My slides got kind of mixed up. And so, uh, yeah, Aiden, bless his heart, he helped me get him back in order.
[00:08:36] And, and so, uh, I want us to, to take a moment to, uh, uh, just, I want to review with you what, what I went through last year. Um, It, uh, it began back in November of 2022, uh, actually it began before that. I'd had some back problems and pain and, uh, I then began to have some problems in my stomach and I thought [00:09:00] it was related to my back and I I just thought, well, I'm going to just wait and see if it goes away.
[00:09:05] Well, it didn't go away and it got worse and it got worse. And so that by the end of November, I couldn't even eat. I just couldn't eat. It was just something wrong. And so I ended up in the emergency room. And, uh, they did some tests, a CAT scan, and then, and pictures, and then they came back to us, Wendy and I, and they said, We've discovered a large tumor under your stomach.
[00:09:30] And I said, Wait, a large tumor? Yes, a large tumor. And I know when, when we heard that, it was a nine inch tumor. Uh, I was shocked. I mean, of course, you can't help it. And Wendy began to cry, and my wife doesn't cry. much, not at all. And so it suddenly we realized how serious this was. And, uh, I, I, uh, being overwhelmed, I was [00:10:00] thinking to myself, I'm dying.
[00:10:02] I'm dying. And it's interesting because in the, in that same instant, I sensed a voice present mocking me saying, yes, you are dying. And I knew that the enemy had come at the opportune time. To attack, but I'm here to tell you the beautiful, uh, moment, uh, that came right after that. And I've shared this with some of you, but I want to share it again, just that as I sensed that death was present, Jesus stood between me and death.
[00:10:36] I sensed he was nose to nose and that his voice, uh, very clearly, very succinctly said to me, don't listen to death. I have the victory, and I thought, I didn't make that up. I couldn't. I was thinking I'm dying. And suddenly I have this sense that there is a victory here. [00:11:00] My Lord is speaking victory to me.
[00:11:04] And then he just very gently and tenderly said, Do you believe? Do you believe? Of course, I thought, well, I've been a believer for over 50 years, and he says, no, no, no. I'm, I sensed him saying, do you believe today what I'm saying to you? And so there was the beginning challenge of, in my weakness, letting his power and strength help me to do what I just didn't feel I had it in me to do, to believe, to believe.
[00:11:32] And that's, folks, what I'm wanting to encourage you today. First and that it's really very simple. The Lord comes and just asked do you believe am I greater? To me it was are you am I greater than cancer? Well, I knew cancer was greater than me But Jesus wanted to know do you believe I'm greater than cancer?
[00:11:53] I remember when my father died It was so overwhelming, but the Lord then I remember spoke to me and said yes death took your [00:12:00] father, but I I took death and the Lord, and the Lord strengthened me then and now here again, he was saying, yes, yes, cancer is now come upon you, but I have, I have taken cancer. I heard his voice.
[00:12:20] You know, folks, I think that's, I want to say how important it is. I believe that we need to hear the father's voice. Remember Jesus in John chapter 10, verse 27, my sheep. Hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. Um, I think he wants us to hear his voice to his, his children. He wants us to hear his voice, uh, to help us in our unbelief.
[00:12:50] Um, and that's what I needed because I, I knew I was crying out, I believe, but then like in Mark chapter nine, verse 25, [00:13:00] uh, I was also joining the father who you remember that the, that he brought his son who is demon possessed to the disciples and they couldn't heal him. And, and then Jesus shows up and, um.
[00:13:15] And there, uh, he, he sees Jesus coming and he says to him, but if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us. And Jesus said to him, if you can, all things are possible for the one who believes. Immediately the father of the child cried out. I'm so glad he did. I'm so glad he cried out. I believe, but help me in my unbelief.
[00:13:40] Because that's what I sense was going on inside of me. A cry. Oh, a cry. Lord, I believe, but help me in my unbelief. This is so big. This is so overwhelming. And I believe the Lord acts instantly on any act of faith. That we, we offer him, even if it's just a [00:14:00] week, you know, a weak act of faith. Um, yeah, this was, this was such a challenging time because, um, I, I realized I was so out of control and, and I was at the mercy of everyone, but I suddenly begin to see the Lord's hand because, you know, it's, it's like when you cry out like that father, he cried out, help me in my unbelief instantly.
[00:14:24] Jesus. Raised up his son and in my life. I instantly begin to see the Lord work There in that hospital. I mean within three days They had me in the operating room and put a stint in my lower stomach to help open it up because the Tumor closed off my stomach and my kidney and so they opened up the stomach.
[00:14:46] They put a drain in my kidney And I was once again, uh, you know, not under the risk of my, my, my stomach perforating. They also, uh, diagnosed my cancer as, uh, uh, [00:15:00] non Hodgkin's lymphoma. And they begin my first treatment of chemo, all in three days. Uh, now Staffs, hospital staffs are great, but this looked like everything was hitting right on the mark.
[00:15:14] I sent something of the divine hand of my Father moving along, encouraging us and strengthening us. He was, uh, showing me that His grace is sufficient. Because I was seeing his power at work and I was hearing his voice. I can't help but tell that to you. I can't help but come here and say it was going on.
[00:15:42] I don't, I don't know how else to say it. It was just, I was just watching. You know, people have said, oh, you're an inspiration. I say, how could I be an inspiration? I was a sick man in a bed crying to God. But, uh, the Lord reminded me. They're watching me. [00:16:00] That kind of helped my ego, you know, and just kind of slow down there, boy.
[00:16:02] It's like, I'm doing this. And yes, I believe that's what I sense. People were watching God at work. At that time in my life and what I was what I was saying that was so exciting is that as my weakness seemed to increase the power of the Lord seemed to increase as well. It was kind of a, uh, and I think the scriptures are really clear about this.
[00:16:24] You know, and Paul says in Romans where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more, all the more. And what was so exciting is that in the moments of those weaknesses, I could sense his power continue to surge and that I believe he does that. For his people in even in the worst moments, he's even more present and more at work.
[00:16:44] And this was, this in a way was kind of exciting because I just kept, I kept looking forward to saying, okay, what's going to happen next? It's going to be bigger than what happened before. So as easy as he helped me see his power and strengths. [00:17:00] Which was being completed. Okay, he says it's perfected. That means it's completed.
[00:17:04] That means it's it's moving to Where he wants it to be so that not only we see it we hear it, but ultimately it will lead to him being Glorified. You see, the completion of his power is for his glory. That's what we were created for. We were created for his glory in his world. Well, in this world of sin, his glory is ignored, except when, I believe, it happens in the weakest of situations where it gets the world's attention.
[00:17:36] Where have we seen that before? Where have we really seen that happen in the best situation? At the cross. Right? Jesus, in his weakest, weakest moment is where the power of the Father worked in its greatest, greatest, [00:18:00] uh, I mean the words, I can't even think of the words, just the greatest, glorious, uh, revelation.
[00:18:06] That's what it is. It's a revelation. We can't, we cannot, you know, because the sins of all the world were dealt with and eternal life was made open. And I mean in the weakest point. His power was greatest and, and it's not something that we can, um, find, it's something that has to be revealed as we trust him to reveal it.
[00:18:35] This little sign I had, uh, during that time. God made me take it. I hate bling. This thing is full of glitter.
[00:18:48] I saw it and I go, that is not me. And the Lord said, buy it. So I did.
[00:18:58] And I, [00:19:00] I took it with me from hospital room to hospital room. And it's, and it was setting up across from my bed and when it got dark and hard the Lord would lift my eyes and I would see it. And he would say, do you believe, I, oh me, am I unbelieve. And he would work power, strength in such weak moments. I can't, I don't know.
[00:19:31] It's hard to describe. He was faithful and true, and he'll be that way for every one of us and whatever weakness we're facing. It doesn't matter what weakness. See, it's so good that Paul didn't tell us what the thorn was. There's a reason because that means we can replace our thorns with his thorn. What is it?
[00:19:51] What's the weakness? We cry out, God, take it away. Please, please. And the Lord says, I'm enough. My power and strength [00:20:00] is there. And it is working even more in your weakness than if you were not facing weakness. Do you believe? Is my grace enough? And so, um, I was seeing this. And it was, um, exciting because now the grace, I was beginning to see how his grace is sufficient.
[00:20:23] It's really sufficient in even the darkest, weakest moments. And the Lord's was working. So I went home, uh, at, at Thanksgiving and, uh, then went for my, uh, third and fourth chemo therapy. And I'm. trucking along and I'm feeling pretty good. And then suddenly, just before Christmas weekend, uh, Christmas was on the weekend last year, uh, I started feeling some pain in my lower, uh, gastrointestinal area.
[00:20:53] I'm using medical terms now, because I know them. I heard enough of them. Uh, so that [00:21:00] gastrointestinal area, and I'm thinking, okay, I don't want to wait as long as I did the first time. Because It wasn't good. So I ended up back in the ER, uh, and, uh, they hooked me up to the machines and tests and everything.
[00:21:18] And they said, well, that stint they put in, we think it's slipped and it could be obstructing your bowel. Oh, Merry Christmas. Um, because that's where I spent, uh, um.
[00:21:35] That, that, uh, that Christmas. Um, and there's a picture of me having Christmas. Yeah! Yay! What a At the ER room I got my, I got my, uh, Christmas tree. And yes, that's a hose up my nose. Uh, it went down into my stomach because when you have an obstructive bowel they want to make sure that your stomach is empty.
[00:21:58] Uh, and so [00:22:00] So I was spending the weekend with that. But the thing that was such a struggle was, is that, uh, guess where all the doctors want to be on Christmas weekend? At home. Uh, and so the gastrointestinal A surgeon was gone, and they thought I might need surgery, so they were trying to find another, this was a manual, so they were going to try and find another hospital with another surgeon.
[00:22:25] So they began to look. They went to Minesto, no room. They went to Davis, uh, no room. San Francisco, no room. Reno, Los Angeles, no room! I texted my middle, uh, my youngest sister. I said, boy, there's no room. And she goes, No room in the inn? Christmas, oh, sounds familiar. I said, that's funny, but not now.
[00:22:52] My sister, she's cute. She sent me that same card. Both my sisters are sending me that card to keep. That crazy [00:23:00] card. But anyways, um, And that was, that was interesting because the, uh, you know, Uh, the ER rooms have no window. They're like a cave. Like. A barn, like Christmas. And so it was an interesting experience in there waiting.
[00:23:19] And, uh, nothing was happening. Well, what's exciting about this is, again, in the weakness, the power and strength of the Lord is at work. Because He didn't want me to go anywhere. Because on that Monday, uh, as I was sitting in there waiting, this was the day after Christmas, in walked Dr. Jim Greenberg. And he asked me, what are you doing here?
[00:23:42] And I was shocked, how did he, how did he know I was here? I think, did you tell him, Kim, were you there? And, uh, you did, yes, you did, you said, you know, Carlton's here. And he looked on the list, Kim, uh, Kirkey, a nurse there. And he saw me, and he walked in, he knows me, I taught his kids in TC. And [00:24:00] he's asking me, what are you doing here?
[00:24:01] He says, waiting. He says, well, what's going on? Well, I think I got a blockage in my bowel. Okay, I'll get you a room and we'll start doing tests. And I'm going, what? Uh, if you're a surgeon at Emanuel, let's go, you get it right now. They found me a room. There were lots of rooms. I don't know what they were talking about.
[00:24:22] He got me a room. We got the tests. Um, And, uh, Um, And then, the day after Christmas that night, I'm in my Hospital room now, with a lovely view out the window into the patio. It was very nice accommodations. And I was thankful. But that night at midnight, as I lay there, again, I heard, I believe the Lord, and He said, I have caused this, that I might rescue you, and you might glorify me.[00:25:00]
[00:25:02] And I, I remember when I sensed I was receiving that, I, I didn't get upset that the Lord said I'm causing this. Because what I heard, what I really heard was, I'm going to rescue you. And you're going to glorify me. And I suddenly realized, Isn't that, isn't that most of the stories in the Bible? Oh, yes. He gets his people in a situation, in a weakness, and then suddenly he moves, rescues, and he's glorified.
[00:25:33] Just take, take your pick. Let's think about just the parting of the Red Sea. Alright? Yes. There he was. He led the, he led them, and Moses, to the edge of the Red Sea. Well then the Egyptian army comes up and traps them there. And they're in trouble and then he rescues them and they glorify him. I mean, you can just find any, just, just look at the [00:26:00] stories again and realize how God in setting up his people, you might say, wait, this, this sounds almost mean or, uh, heartless.
[00:26:12] No, no, no, no.
[00:26:17] It's love. Drawing us into deeper love and trust. That was, that was a thing that I found as I went from weakness to greater weakness to greater weakness. It was a, it was a Lord wanting to say, Do you believe my power and strength enough? Because it was always a sense of, okay, you got me through that, but this is a little bit too bigger.
[00:26:39] No, am I, am I greater? Am I, am I powerful enough? The Apostle. Helps us to remember that we must cry out in this weakness. Three times, he said, I pled. I cried. He says, take it away. And the Lord said, no, my grace is [00:27:00] sufficient. My power is made perfect in weakness. It's crazy faith, brothers and sisters. It's crazy.
[00:27:10] But he calls us, he draws us to cry out. And in that moment, in that very moment, he gives us the power and strength to believe and to see and hear him work. That's what I, that's what I pray that you can sense that, that he was doing in my life and he wants to do in your life. It's, it's, it was challenging.
[00:27:33] There was just delay after delay after delay, but God's in the delay. Have you heard that before? God's in the delays. Because it's, it's where he, he really wants us to recognize in that weakness he's going to act. He really, because, because how else is the world going to notice? You see, this is so important to our relationship to him and our witness to the world.
[00:27:59] That he [00:28:00] gets, if he, if he can get us through a weakness by his power and strength and his grace is enough for us, he'll be glorified and the world will notice. They wouldn't notice if our lives are just comfy and perfect and satisfying. I'm, I'm sorry. I know it's just like Paul, you know, you'll, you'll plead with him.
[00:28:22] Don't take away this weakness. So he did it. He did it. I, I had no blockage. I went home at Christmas, uh, later. And then, uh, in January I had my, uh, fourth chemo. And the day after that, it got worse.
[00:28:47] Lord, I'm weak enough. And it got worse. I experienced angina, which is like a heart attack. It feels like it, it's not, but it, oh. Well, that got me back in the ER for the third time. [00:29:00] God has an eye, has a way of getting me back in the ER. I mean, it took a long time the first time, but I got the, I got the message, uh, You know, I'm, I got smarter.
[00:29:11] And it's like, okay, go back in the er. Well, when they, when they went back in the er, the angina was just evidence of a low blood pressure, which was relating to the, the, the stints had slipped into my middle GI and now they were blocking the intestines and were soon to perforate through the intestines.
[00:29:36] It got worse. The weakness got bigger and the Lord's power and strength worked in even more miraculous ways, which is where I'm going to stop today. Because I'm going to come again in February and I want to share with you, uh, what he did through [00:30:00] that even weakest of weak points I've ever seen in my life as he saved my life a second time because I was near death at that time and how I would like to share with you how weakness is the way I, I'm looking forward to it because that was, that was the challenge of my life to recognize how weakness is the way.
[00:30:26] And in that way, uh, I, I, I saw how his grace was sufficient, his power and it was being perfected, and I, it was a win win situation, whether I died or I lived. Well, obviously I didn't die, you can see, though I have to admit I was a little excited about meeting Jesus, and he said, no, not now, oh, okay, I'll come back and see you folks.
[00:30:52] But here, I, I, I'm showing you, uh. The power and strength and the, [00:31:00] uh, that, that, uh, that he's given me as I've recognized, as I've seen and heard, Oh, marvelous, glorious work that he desires to do in all of us. Let's pray. Father, thank you so much. So, so much for, you're working beyond our understanding and, uh, we're lifting us in the weakest moment.
[00:31:26] Uh, in your power and strength to see, to see and hear your glory that the world may know. Oh, dear Jesus, help us, help us to cry out to you and trust you to do this. Uh, Lord, you, you, you say you can, and all things are possible, but Father, it is so hard. Help us in our unbelief. Thank you. And of course, Lord, thank you for letting us see your glory.
[00:31:54] May it be so. And for the sake of your name as well, we ask, amen. [00:32:00] We hope you enjoyed this week's sermon from Carlton Metz. At Enclave, our mission is to cultivate and empower disciples, fostering a deepening connection with God and with one another. Together, we joyfully encounter, embrace, and embody the transformative love of Jesus wherever his calling leads us.
[00:32:21] For more information about us, please follow the links in the description.
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