This sermon discusses the concept of a 'thorn in the flesh' that God allows in our lives, exploring how it can be a personal struggle that affects our walk with God. It emphasizes the idea that what may be a challenge or weakness for one person is not necessarily the same for another, highlighting the need for understanding and compassion towards each other's struggles. The story of D.L. Moody is used to illustrate how even great individuals can face unique challenges that shape their faith and ministry.

Those monkeys and baboons one day got so upset with us that they decided, enough is enough, you know. And they chased us. We were running screaming. They rushed out and they even came out on the road to look at us and say, now don't come back, you know. Oh, but we didn't go back. We were really crazy. Children do wild and ridiculous things, but oh, it was fun. It was fun. And well, one day, me and my friends were running, and I, as usual, were in the front of the row, silly Billy, and I was running. Oh, and we were going through. And there was on this little path, I don't know how it got into the thicket, a little plank, a piece of wood with a nail through it, a rusted long nail. I don't know how that ever got that far. Nothing else was there but the big wild trees and things, you know. And here I was running, and my foot went on this nail with this plank. The blade went right through my foot, and the blood just squirted like a tap, you know. Well, I just fell down on my back, you know. And I screamed with my legs, very undignified. Oh, it was sore. What did my friends do? Helpful as they were at that age, they all just stood there screaming. Ah! Well, we all stood there screaming. That wasn't very good. In the end, they decided, because I wasn't going to stop bleeding or screaming, they decided they'd better do something. So they were very, one took this arm, the other took this leg, you know, four of them carrying me, very undignified. I was being run through. Ah! And they ran some more. Eventually, we got out of the thicket. About a mile of running, we got back to where they have a pharmacy. You people call a pharmacy. I can't believe what you've got. In our country, a pharmacy is where you get medicine. Not everything else in the world, like America. But we had a pharmacy, a chemist there, and the old chemist knew all the children. He was an old uncle, you know. And, well, they lay me on the table. He put me down. They had snapped the wood off, and there was the nail and the piece of wood left. But there I lay still crying. Oh! I was in a state. And he, of course, pulled this thing out and put antiseptic, anything to try and help it to stop and get it healed. But, you know, I couldn't walk. I had to be carried. There was no such a thing as standing or taking a step. I was finished with what went through my foot. I couldn't walk. I had to be literally carried or laid there, unable to get a step. But the thorn in the flesh is not like that. A thorn in the flesh that God allows, you can walk. You can walk. But you know it's hard. It's not easy to walk when there's a thorn in the flesh. Oh! You're conscious all the time. There's something that makes you have to walk carefully and slowly. You can't walk like you want to walk. You slow down. It's like a handicap. You're conscious all the time. This is difficult. This makes it difficult. This makes it hard to walk. It's hard for me to walk now with this thorn in. God! God! God in His wisdom that we don't have the slightest ability to even begin to reconcile apart from His Word and really thinking and allowing the Holy Spirit to give us revelation. He allows this to happen in every one of our lives. Every one of our lives. Why does God do that? Why does God do that? Now, we must take careful note. What to one person is a thorn in the flesh is not necessary to another person. That's why don't expect sympathy from anyone on earth concerning your thorn in the flesh. People will look at you and think you're absolutely weak or crazy. So don't even tell people about your thorn in the flesh. If you notice, Paul didn't name it. You dare not either. Most people won't identify. How can that be such a crippling thing to you? That you're so despaired. No! What to one person is a thorn... Do you know D.L. Moody? Moody was one of the five greatest soul winners in the history of the Church. Don't doubt that. One of the five greatest soul winners that ever lived in the history of the Church was D.L. Moody. Your D.L. Moody from America. He brought Scotland to God. John Knox brought Scotland away from Rome. But Moody brought Scotland to God as no other man in its history. Scotland began to seek God through Moody. Moody was amazing. They say one million people came to God through him without loudspeakers. But they're wrong, you know. That was far too conservative. Other books are written saying it cannot be the million like the original book ends up telling us of his biography. Approximately one million people came to Christ. He brought whole nations back to God. Brother, sister, Moody brought millions. I would say four million. As a conservative, that's not taking a chance. So don't just go by this one million. Moody was one of the greatest soul winners in the history. One man without radios, without loudspeakers, without televisions or videos to spread his ministry. One man! Four million people. Very conservative amount. Moody was turning the world upside down even in America. But now Moody, Moody what to one person is a thorn in the flesh is not to another and Moody proved that. One day D.L. Moody was walking in Chicago. Now Chicago knew who Moody was. Let me tell you something. Everyone knew in that city. He walked down the street with a president one day, you know, a president. And you know what made him walk away from the president? A drunk in the gutter. He left the side of the president never to be near that president again in his life. That wasn't to him what would have made it. He went down. He couldn't pass a soul that he so needed. He had this compassion knelt down in the gutter. Oh, no wonder God used Moody. No wonder God used Moody. All he saw was the soul, the need. Oh, God was good to him. Now Moody one day was walking down the street in Chicago. He had his old suit on and his old bowler hat. I don't know if you've seen the pictures of Moody with his old suit. I think he used the same suit most of his life. Once he put in a bit of weight anyway. Well, he was walking down the street now in Chicago. And Moody was doing something strange. He was looking down. Well, that's not a good thing for a Christian to do. You're supposed to look up, brother. But he was looking down. And here he was, this great soul winner stirring the whole world, becoming a household name across the world. And Moody was walking down the street now. And he was beginning to really worry. Something was really hurting and grieving him. Great concern. Do you know what it was? Nothing has gone wrong for two full weeks. Now he's worried about that. Well, I wish I could worry about that. Nothing has gone wrong. Two weeks, nothing's gone. Does it mean the devil isn't worried about me anymore? Oh, my, now he's really getting worried. The more he thinks he's going into darkness now. What's wrong with me? You know, he's getting heavy now. Suddenly, the devil had a very uncouth, hard, cruel man standing on the other side of the street who was full of sin. And he recognized Moody, and he shouted. As he was standing there by the tram stop, waiting for the tram with a whole lot of people, he sees Moody, and he shouts. Where is that mad man? There goes that mad fanatic. Moody, you fanatic. Oh, I would die. But he's screaming, you're a mad thing, you are. Bit of abusive language, I believe. He was a really uncouth man, screaming across the corner. Now, Moody was, looks at this man.