Part 2 - Power to Succeed
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
We aren’t wrong in acknowledging our weaknesses, but we are wrong when we fail to trust in the power of God…The Bible says it, we have no excuse for the “I can’t” attitude...
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
The Bible gives us a great response to the excuse of “I can’t do anything, I’m too weak; I just can’t...”
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
Paul accomplished a lot of things, but he also suffered for his “I CAN” attitude. “I CAN” makes a great man, and the Lord can help us do all the things we ought to do, not just what we want to do or like to do.
Without His help, we are doomed to fail!
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
I can imagine people warning Paul about some things - maybe the conversations went like this:
“They persecute Christians in that town!” His response was “I can do all things through Christ.”
“Paul, they beat, imprison, and kill Christians! Don’t go there!” His response, “I can do all things through Christ.”
“Paul, you have suffered from a shipwreck. How can you go on?” His response, “I can do all things through Christ.”
“Paul, what about your health problems?” The answer, “I can do all things through Christ.”
“What about loneliness, starvation, money problems, or thugs and robbers?” Paul’s reply, “I can do all things through Christ.”
This is our second subject in the series, “Truths That Transform” - and this truth shows us that Christ gives us the power we need for any testing, temptation, or challenge we will face in life.
We have a forever friend, Jesus Christ, and He is faithful to bring us through anything He brings us to!
Let’s look at this amazing truth one word or phrase at a time...
THE PURPOSE - “I”
THE PURPOSE - “I”
With this first word, we see it’s a very personal verse with a very personal promise!
Christ had a purpose when He inspired Paul to write this promise - It was communicate something to the recipients. Who are the recipients? WE ARE!
This purpose is for us! And the purpose is for us to see that we can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth us!
When you and I fail to experience victory in our spiritual battles, it’s most of the time because we aren’t making the promises of God personal to us. Let me put it this way - My pastor used to say that he didn’t have a problem believing God could do it for someone else, but his problem was believing God could do it for him! - I understand where he’s coming from because many times, I’m the same way.
So many times, we read the Bible, without claiming the promises within it’s pages as our own.
We aren’t an exception - I’m serving the same God that used Abraham, Noah, Elijah, Joshua, Moses, Ruth, Paul, and on and on and on.
Put your name in the place of “I” - “Johnathan” can do all things through Christ which strengthens him...
It’s a personal promise…that’s the purpose, next we see:
THE POSSIBILITY - “CAN”
THE POSSIBILITY - “CAN”
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
How often do we find ourselves in the Christian life NOT doing the things for God that we know we should?
How often do we fail to follow through on decisions we make?
This verse tells us that we have all the possibility to do all things through Christ. This tells me the reason we don’t do what we should is not because we CAN’T - it’s because we WON’T!
We might feel like we can’t have victory over our particular struggles. Whether it’s our thought life, or jealousy, or bitterness, or discontentment, or pride - we might feel like they have such a stronghold on us that it makes it impossible to have victory, but according to Philippians 4:13, we can have victory over these things!
Think about that word “CAN” - God CAN help us to overcome…He CAN help us to do all things…He CAN give us the strength we need.
It’s a tough pill to swallow tonight, but the truth is, when we don’t have these things, it’s because we won’t accept the possibility that God CAN...
We know now the purpose - “I”, and the possibility, “can”, let’s move on to:
THE PRACTICE - “DO”
THE PRACTICE - “DO”
It’s not enough to know the truth. You have to do your part by following the truth.
Put yourself in Noah’s shoes…Before the flood, the world had never seen rain, and God told Noah that water would come down from the sky and flood the whole earth. Then God told him to build a giant ark to save himself, his family, and all species of animals.
For 120 years, Noah builds this giant boat so that he and his family could be saved from a storm nobody had ever seen before. No doubt, crowds mocked him, rejected his pleas for them to join him - I know they did because in then end of it all, only he and his family were saved.
So what kept Noah from quitting? God told him to do it, and Noah knew he could do it because God wouldn’t tell him to do something he couldn’t do!
Think about Hosea. Hosea was told by God to marry a harlot. So he married Gomer, knowing that she wouldn’t be faithful to him. Every time she was unfaithful, Hosea remained faithful to the Lord by staying with her. You know what Hosea is a picture of? He’s a perfect picture of the love of God as he showed unconditional love to Gomer.
He could and probably was tempted to find a better wife, but he faithfully followed through with what God told him. How did he do this? God strengthened him!
God has called on you to accomplish something for Him, and you can do it! No matter what it is. But you must do your part by claiming this verse and depending on the strength of the Lord!
Here’s an important truth! Nothing happens with this verse until you DO something.
Let’s keep moving forward, we will see next:
THE PERSPECTIVE - “ALL THINGS”
THE PERSPECTIVE - “ALL THINGS”
Keep in mind that Paul is writing this from a jail cell!
10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.
11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
When Paul said DO… I can DO…I know it’s going to be upsetting to some, but he wasn’t playing basketball…
For Paul… as we see in the context… Paul meant HANDLE… I can handle
And the ALL THINGS Paul spoke of… that did not mean doing some difficult thing or accomplishing some monumental feat
ALL THINGS referred to “any and every situation” of verse 12
So…In context, what Paul was saying in verse 13 was the same thing he had been saying in verses 10, 11 and 12… I can handle/do any and all situation…
I can DO hungry or I can DO full…
I can DO free or I can DO prisoner…
I can DO lonely or I can DO friends…
I can DO naked or I can DO well-clothed…
THROUGH CHRIST… by His strength and with His help, I can DO whatever the circumstance.
This brings us to the next part:
THE POWER - “THROUGH CHRIST”
THE POWER - “THROUGH CHRIST”
If Christ isn’t part of your life, then this verse does not and can not apply to you!
If you haven’t accepted Christ as your Saviour, then you are denying yourself of the Almighty power of God!
If you haven’t trusted Chris as your personal Saviour, then don’t wait any longer, make today the day that you accept Christ. It’s only then that you’ll have access to His Almighty power!
God’s power is not an “it” or a “thing”, but it’s a person! Jesus Christ.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Through trials and tribulation in our lives, we see just how weak we are, but we see just how strong Christ is!
Lastly tonight, we see:
THE PROMISE - “WHICH STRENGTHENETH ME”
THE PROMISE - “WHICH STRENGTHENETH ME”
Christ will strengthen us - that’s the promise!
So how are we supposed to claim this verse? There’s a couple ways:
By desiring Him:
By desiring Him:
We have many voices that compete for our attention in this world, but we must always remember that God wants to be our chief desire…He doesn’t deserve to share a place with something else:
25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.
By putting your faith in Him:
By putting your faith in Him:
If we can trust God with our eternal destination, why can’t we trust Him with all aspects of our lives? Always remember, He’s capable of saving you from Hell, He can direct you in all things!
5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths.
By holding to Him:
By holding to Him:
We might not understand why God allows us to go through all the things He does, but we must never turn our backs on Him.
The way might be tough, the situation might seem too great to overcome, your discouragement might be more than you feel like you can bear, but God knows what He’s doing. He’s got a purpose for the hardships.
He won’t let you down, He loves you, so hold to Him. Cling to Him. Trust Him. Rest in Him!
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
I’m thinking of a story I heard one time about a poor farmer than worked hard all his life, but never had nothing. When he died, his property was found to be sitting on top of an absolute sea of oil.
He had a treasure he had never tapped into!
I’m wondering if that might be some of us tonight? We can do all things through Christ which strengthens us, but we just aren’t.
Are you content, are you saved, are you tapping into the well of His power tonight?