Embracing Weakness for an Unshakable Life - John Pereira

Embracing Weakness for an Unshakable Life 

- John Pereira 

Introduction: The Privilege of Hearing God’s Voice

• Hearing God’s voice is a privilege, as God speaks from His heart, revealing the condition of our own hearts.
• The scriptures allow identification with characters, enabling self-judgment and understanding of God’s principles for living.
• Instead of finding fault with the world, circumstances, or people, applying God’s principles allows God to intervene and help.
• Jehoshaphat’s life illustrates this, as he recognized his own neediness rather than blaming Ahab (2 Chronicles 20).

God’s Favor to the Humble: Mary’s Example

• Luke 1:46-53 records Mary’s statement: “My soul exalts the Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God my savior and he has had regard for the humble state of his born slave.”
• Mary did not claim humility but acknowledged her weak, helpless, and pathetic condition, saying, “I am so weak, helpless. I don’t know what befalls or what is in future.”
• God showed favor to her in her weakness, leading her to declare, “Behold, for from this time on all generation will count me blessed.”
• Mary recognized God’s principle: “For the mighty one has done great things for me and holy is his name and his mercy is upon generation after generation towards those who fear him.”
• God scatters the proud, brings down rulers, exalts the humble, fills the hungry, and sends the rich away empty-handed, demonstrating His commitment to the humble-hearted (Isaiah 57:15).

Believing as a Mark of Humility

• John 3:18 states, “He who believes in him is not judged. He who does not believe has been judged already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God.”
• Believing reflects the character of a humble person who trusts God out of weakness.
• Paul encouraged Timothy, acknowledging his timidity but affirming the advantage of weakness, as God helps the weak (2 Timothy 1:7).
• 2 Corinthians 12:10 states, “When I am weak I am strong,” a principle understood by men of God like Paul and Jesus.
• Pride, likened to a snake’s poison, leads to religiosity, as seen in Ahab and Saul, who acted as though they were righteous.

Personal Reflection on Pride and Acting

• I confess that before being born again, I was an actor, trying to impress people and seeking their approval.
• I fought for my reputation, wanting people to think well of me, as I lacked faith in God’s existence.
• Most people come to salvation in weakness, recognizing their corruption and crying out, as in Acts 2, “What shall we do now? I’m so filthy.”
• This moment of honesty, admitting corruption, is where faith is received and God helps the helpless.

The Danger of Loving Darkness

• John 3:19-20 states, “The light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than the light for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.”
• Darkness represents unbelief, prioritizing people’s opinions and seeking reputation, even in church, over God’s voice.
• Pretending, acting religious, and using religious language are deeds of evil that avoid exposure to God’s light.
• I believe most born-again believers initially came to the light, honestly confessing, “Oh, I’m so corrupt. Lord, will you please do something? I want to be pulled out of this pit of selfishness and pride.”

Practicing the Truth

• John 3:21 states, “But he who practices the truth,” meaning living honestly before God rather than people.
• Practicing the truth involves rejecting the desire to impress others and exposing oneself before God, saying, “I want to live before you. I had enough of it. I’m fed up with it.”
• Ahab’s acting stemmed from a lack of fear of God, while Mary noted that God helps those who fear Him, meaning those who are honest with God.
• Jehoshaphat learned from 2 Chronicles 18 to be honest, recognizing Ahab’s lack of fear and seeking Micaiah’s true prophecy.

Discerning True Voices

• Ahab surrounded himself with 400 prophets who praised him, likened to “certain people in historical courts, who always spoke favorably and praising the king.
• I question whether we prefer people who speak comfortably or those who speak uncomfortable truth.
• I recall asking Brother Ian for advice; initially, he was reserved, but when pressed, he shared truthful advice about something not being good, teaching me a principle.
• Godly people may not always speak truth upfront, knowing our fragility, but honest pursuit, like seeking Micaiah, yields truth.
• The purpose of gathering is not merely to enjoy songs or messages but to hear God speaking and practice truth in humility.

Embracing Weakness for an Unshakable Life

• Blaming others, such as a spouse, prevents an unshakable life; instead, recognize personal weakness, as Jehoshaphat did: “It’s me, something is not okay with me.”
• 2 Corinthians 12:10 records Paul’s statement: “Therefore I am well content with weakness with insults with distress with persecution with difficulties for Christ’s sake.”
• I believe God tests us through relationships or situations, urging us to stand in weakness without justifying or impressing others.
• Instead of shouting at a spouse or convincing others, pray, “Lord, will you stand with me in my weakness? I don’t want to justify.”
• Jesus never tried to convince anyone, living an unshakable life despite insults and persecution, as Paul did (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Faith and Humility in Silence

• Exodus 14:14 states, “If you keep silent, I’ll fight for you,” promising God’s intervention for those who remain humble and honest.
• An unshakable life avoids fighting personal battles with spouses, children, or bosses, relying on God’s redemption.
• Biblical figures like Abraham, Moses, David, Daniel, Noah, and Jacob experienced God’s intervention at their weakest points.
• Jesus lived in weakness, never justifying Himself, and God fought for Him, a model for believers.
• The one who fights lacks faith and humility, as these qualities go together (Zephaniah 3:12).

God’s Church and Prayer

• God is building a church of humble, weak, and helpless people, scattering the proud (Zephaniah 3:12).
• I pray, “Dear father, thank you for an excellent example of Jesus, example of Paul and many many godly ones who understood these principles and lived in humility.”
• I plead for the resurrection power to enter our lives, lifting us in every circumstance as we die to self.
• Without the Holy Spirit’s power, living an unshakable life is impossible; thus, I trust God to help us.

Bible References

• 2 Chronicles 20
• Luke 1:46-53
• Isaiah 57:15
• John 3:18-21
• 2 Timothy 1:7
• 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
• Acts 2
• 2 Chronicles 18
• Exodus 14:14
• Zephaniah 3:12

Description: The following notes are derived from the sermon delivered by Brother Suresh during the Christian Fellowship Church (CFC) Bangalore Sunday Church Service on April 27, 2025. The content is organized to preserve the original words, include all points, generalize non-personal statements, and reflect personal references as stated by the speaker. The notes are structured for clarity and publication quality, with accurate Bible references and life examples included. For More Information: Please visit https://www.cfcindia.com/