Unstoppable: A Strength That Can't Be Stopped

Pray

Give Honor

Text: Philippians 4:13

Philippians 4:13 (KJV 1900)

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Beloved I would be lying if I told you that life did not have its fair share of agony and pain.

I’d be lying to you if I told you that life was full of bliss and happiness.

I’d be doing you a disservice if I told you that there was no such thing as a sleepless night. No such thing as hardship. No such thing as pain, or no such thing as suffering.

And while it is true that life does have its fair share of pain and agony.

It is equally true that we have the strength and the power to conquer anything life throws our way.

I believe it to be true that

it’s the enemy’s job to put problems and situations in our way

to stop us from getting to our purpose and to the plan that God has for our lives.

But the good news is, we serve a God who has given us a strength that can’t be stopped.

Our brother Paul in this text testifies about this unstoppable strength. He says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”

Paul at this point in his life is a prisoner in Rome writing to the church at Philippi. To thank them for their generosity and encourage them to live out their Christian faith.

Paul teaches the church a couple of things in this book.

He teaches them the value of having Joy in the midst of adversity. In chapter one

He teaches them to have Humility and Unity amongst each other. In chapter 2

He teaches them about their citizenship in heaven. In chapter 3

He teaches them about the power and prestige they have because of knowing Christ also in chapter 3.

and He closes this letter 4, Thanking them for their gifts.

It’s in the middle of chapter 4 that Paul brags about his contentment. He says that “I have learned to be content in every state that I am in.”

He says I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor

I’ve been full and I’ve been hungry.

I’ve been good and I’ve been bad.

But through it all, I’ve learned that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

This is a familiar text.

A text displayed everywhere for the world to see.

We see it on banners.

We see it as tattoos on people’s bodies.

Unbelievers quote it.

singers sing it

motivational speakers speak it.

and most people would believe that…in the context of their lives.

however, most don’t really understand what Paul was saying in this text.

Paul was not merely BOASTING about his accomplishments in ministry or bragging about his many churches.

Paul was not speaking from the context of being an eloquent writer

But Paul was speaking of his contentment in his situation.

This text is not merely about physical strength or material success.

This text is not merely a promise that if you believe in Christ, you are exempt from a life of.

No, this text is about spiritual resilience that comes from a relationship with Jesus.

And this text is tailored to teach us that with Jesus we have the power to push through life’s circumstances.

and the question becomes.

How is it that we are able to push through life’s circumstances?

Because we have

1. Unlimited Ability

Paul says I can do all things.

Now knowing the context of this text would make this seem like an oxymoronic statement.

Because how is it that you can do all things through Christ

when most of your story has been a story of Pain and agony?

You’re saying that you can do all things, but you are still in Jail.

You’re saying that you can do all things, yet you were knocked off of your high horse.

You’re saying that you can do all things, yet you were imprisoned

You’re saying that you can do all things, Yet you were snake bitten

You’re saying you can do all things, yet you were shipwrecked

I had to ask Paul, Paul, How is it Paul, you say to us you can do all things when your life has shown you nothing but bad things.

and Paul quickly hit me back and said

The bad things are the reason that made me believe I can do all things.

He says, I know I have unlimited ability not because of the way I thrived, but the way I survived.

He says I could’ve died being knocked off my high horse.

and When I was in prison, I cried out to God and the foundations shook and suddenly doors were opened, everyone got loosed and somebody got saved

When I was shipwrecked, the Lord spoke to me and said nobody was gone die, and we help on to broken pieces and lived.

People watched me get bit by a snake, but people also watched me survive the snake bite.

This means that everything that I went through was just a testament to why my ability is unlimited.

see the enemy thinks that the problems in your life limit your abilities in your life

But us overcoming reminds us that there is nothing or no one that can stop us from being who God called us to be.

This ALL THINGS is not tested in fruitfulness

this all things is tested in famine

and when you get in your mind that you can handle the bad stuff

you realize you can substain the good stuff.

We can do ALL THINGS.

Overcome- all things

start a business- all things

fix a marriage- all things

get over that sickness- all things

GET A PROMOTION- ALL THINGS

BE HEALED- ALL THIGHS

GROW-ALL THINGS

BUY INSTEAD OF RENT- ALL THINGS

OWN INSTEAD OF LEASE-ALL THINGS.

And because we can’t get stopped by NO-THING

We are reminded that we Can do ANYTHING

I CAN DO ALL THINGS.

YOUR PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCE IS NOT A TESTAMENT OF YOUR FUTURE POTENTIAL. YOU HAVE UNLIMITED ABILITY.

But the only way that I have the unlimited ability,

Is through our

UNMATCHED AUTHORITY

He says I can do all things, THROUGH CHRIST.

which means that a relationship with Christ, is our conduit for being to a strength that's unstoppable.

You see, the enemy works on his own authority.

But we operate on GOD’S AUTHORITY.

and God’s authority can not be matched.

So Paul is sying The only way that I was able to conquer what I was able to conquer is through the help of an authority that is unbeaten.

Our relationship with Jesus is a reminder of how powerful we really are.

THROUGH CHRIST-We overcame a pandemic-

THROUGH CHRIST-we overcame being jobless

THROUGH CHRIST-we overcame sickness

THROUGH CHRIST-we overcame a divorce

THROUGH CHRIST-we overcame money issues

THROUGH CHRIST-we overcame bad credit.

THROUGH CHRIST-we overcame depression

THROUGH CHRIST-we overcame low self-esteem

THROUGH CHRIST-we overcame loneliness

THROUGH CHRIST-we overcame racial injustice

THROUGH CHRIST-we overcame social injustice

THROUGH CHRIST-we overcame segregation

THROUGH CHRIST-we overcame jim crow

THROUGH CHRIST-we overcame daddy issues

THROUGH CHRIST-we overcame bullies

THROUGH CHRIST-we overcame bad grades

THROUGH CHRIST-We overcame church issues

THROUGH CHRIST-we overcame children's issues

THROUGH CHRIST-we overcame leadership issues

THROUGH CHRIST, WE HAVE THE POWER TO OVERCOME ANYTHING.

AND WHAT EVER THE ENEMY THROWS OUR WAY, JESUS HAS THE POWER TO THROW IT RIGHT BACK AT HIM.

PAULS SAYS THAT’S WHY I HAVE JOY BECAUSE I KNOW IT’S AN UNMATCHED AUTHORITY WHO HAS MY BACK.

The authority of God can not be matched.

God’s authority, partnered with my willingness, produces a power that’s unstoppable.

We have unlimited ability

Through God’s Unmatched authority.

Which causes

Unyielding Tenacity.

He says I can do all things, through Christ, who Strengthens ME.

So Paul was saying “The strength that I have, to overcome anything, is not a self-inflicted strength.

But through my relationship with Jesus Christ, The strength he has Is the strength he’s given me.

and That strength is a strength that can not be moved.

Damage this kind of reminds me of when I was playing football, you know damage you’ve seen this before.

We would have max-out days in football. and during those max-out days, you would have to lift as much weight as you possibly can

and I remember putting 500 pounds on the bar. and I had never hit it for one rep.

But I needed to push this 500 pounds because I wanted my numbers to look good.

So I get under the bar,

I close my eyes,

I lift the weight.

and that 500 felt like 200 It was the easiest rep I had ever done in my life.

Rev, I was perplexed

because I was never able to do this five hundred pounds.

but that day I all of a sudden was able to do it with ease!!!!

My brother and best friend Doodey who’s about 6’4- 400 pounds and the strongest person I know

Probably bench 650 easily,

pulled me off to the side and said you're welcome.

I said what do you mean “ I’m welcome.”

He said you didn’t realize but I was your spotter. Now a spotter is one who helps you pick the weight up off of the rack and grabs the weight if you can’t lift it to keep you from hurting yourself.

So he said I was your spotter.

So I helped you pick the bar up, but I never let the bar go.

so As you were pushing up this way

I was pulling up that way.

He said I couldn’t let you go out like that, so I used the strength I had to help you push the weight you needed to push.

and I believe when Paul was saying I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,

what he's saying is.

Sometimes in life you gonna have to push some weight,

You may have to push the weight of low self-esteem

you may have to push the weight of depression

You may even have to push the weight of sin.

but while you’re pushing this way,

I’m pulling that way.

So I will use my strength to help you with your weight.

is there anybody here,

I said what do you mean you’re welcome.