The Strong Church - 1

C – Weakness Caused by INACTIVITY

WORK (Do) the WORD – Exercise

Activity in terms of REVIVAL

Stage 1: Get Healed - reparation

Stage 2: Get FILLED = Eat Right – nutrition

Stage 3: Get FIT. – repetition

· Injury, strength through healing

· Hunger, strength through eating

· Inactivity, strength through doing

Spirit – use your HEART

Soul – use your HEAD

Body – Use your HANDS

THE PROBLEM

· Not doing what you need to do

· Not exercising your faith muscles, laying down in apathy, cynicism, and complaining

· Use it or lose it, parable of the faithful steward

Cannot run with the horses if you cannot keep up with the footmen

Jeremiah 12:5 (NLT)

5 “If racing against mere men makes you tired, how will you race against horses? If you stumble and fall on open ground, what will you do in the thickets near the Jordan?

The ANSWER

Strength - by use Heb 5:14

· Praisers get stronger by praising

· Teachers get stronger by teaching

· Believers get stronger by believing

1 Corinthians 9:24–27 (NLT)

24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!

25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.

26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.

27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

Develop a Strong Spirit, Soul, Body

What does strength look like?

· Strength to carry revival requires – determination

· Repetition – anyone can do anything once, but it takes strength to carry out the mission faithfully every day

· Get stronger, last longer

· What used to be difficult becomes easy

· Can carry more weight and carry it farther

· More stamina and endurance

· Hardly ever knocked down, quickly get back up

· Not easily shaken or pushed off course

· Move things out of the way vs being pushed around

· Don’t let small things bother you

· Momentum – keep moving forward

Areas of strength you can have

· Financial strength

· Martial strength

· Emotional strength

· Spiritual strength

· Personal strength

· Corporate strength

1 - Develop a Strong SPIRIT

= strength in POWER

Spirit- use your faith

Strengthened by tests, James chapter 1

Problems, adversity, challenges

University of adversity

Strong in PRAYER = BUILD up

A Strong Spirit is strong in PRAYER

build yourself up

Jude 20 (NLT)

20 But you, dear friends, must buildeach other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit,

Strong in WORD = by Teaching

Our Spirit is Strengthened by the WORD

Acts 20:32 (NLT)

32 “And now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself.

· We Grow UP strong by putting DOWN strong roots

· Rooted and grounded in the WORD!

Colossians 2:7 (NLT)

7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Acts 16:4–5 (NLT)

4 Then they went from town to town, instructing the believers to follow the decisions made by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem.

5 So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day.

Strong in SPIRITUAL GIFTS = by Speaking

Spirit strengthened by spiritual gifts

· Paul places a very high value on the gift of prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:1) because it is a gift that builds up the church (v.4) and can also have an impact on those who are ‘unbelievers’:

1 Corinthians 14:4 (NLT)

4 A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.

· “Strengthens” = builds up

· Religion keeps the church weak by denying

1 Corinthians 14:12 (NLT)

12 And the same is true for you. Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church.

Strong Gifts bring Strong revival

1 Corinthians 14:24–25 (NLT)

24 But if all of you are prophesying, and unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your meeting, they will be convicted of sin and judged by what you say.

25 As they listen, their secret thoughts will be exposed, and they will fall to their knees and worship God, declaring, “God is truly here among you.”

Strong in SPIRITUAL ARMOR = by Standing

able to stand

Ephesians 6:13 (NLT)

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

You can put OFF the enemy because you put ON the armor of God!

Strong in God’s WORD = by Studying

A Strong Spirit is strong in the WORD

Our faith is only as strong as the word that we can speak out

No word in, no word out

Built up by the WORD

Luke 2:52 (NLT)

52 Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.

Strong in FAITH = by Believing

A Strong Spirit is strong in FAITH

Exercise your faith

Use the faith God gave you!

Romans 4:20 (NLT)

20 Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God.

Kenneth Hagin devotional –

. . . According to your faith be it unto you. — MATTHEW 9:29

If you eat natural food regularly and get no exercise, you’ll gain nutrition but lose strength. Likewise, if you don’t exercise your faith, your “faith muscles” will be flabby.

Exercise your faith on the level where you are. Some Christians are beyond others in the development of their faith. As you feed and exercise your faith, it will grow. Remember, no one climbs a ladder by starting on the top rung!

Some people have become defeated because they tried to believe beyond their level of faith. They heard faith taught, and they tried to start at the top of the ladder. Because their faith wasn’t at that level, faith didn’t work for them, and they said, “That faith business doesn’t work. I tried it, but it doesn’t work.”

Faith will work for you as you exercise it. After awhile you’ll be able to believe God for things you never dreamed you could. According to your faith be it unto you. If your request is based on God’s Word, and you believe God to do it, God will do it.

Wherever you are in faith, keep your attitude right. Keep a positive attitude — and keep the switch of faith turned on. Keep believing God and using your faith.

Confession: According to my faith be it unto me. I am using my faith today. I am exercising my faith. I am putting my faith into practice. I see to it that my faith is always at work!

trial by fire