Where Does Spiritual Strength Come From (slide 1)
Notes
Transcript
Joke
Joke
There were these two guys hiking, when they came upon an old abandoned mine shaft. Curious about it’s depth they picked up a rock and tossed it in waiting to hear it hit the bottom. They waited and they heard nothing. They picked up a bigger rock, tossed it in, and again heard nothing.
They searched the area for something larger and found an old railroad tie. With great difficulty, the two men carried it to the opening, and threw it in. While waiting for it to hit bottom, a goat suddenly darted between them and jumped into the hole.
They guys were still standing there with astonished looks on their faces from the action of the goat when a man walked up to them. He asked them if they had seen a goat anywhere in the area and they said that one had just jumped into the mine shaft in front of them! The man replied, “Oh no. That couldn’t be my goat, mine was tied to a railroad tie.”
Open
Open
It’s very easy for someone to know about something. To understand something. Especially if it is something you are interested in or passionate about. And to still not use it.
For instance. I understand mechanics. I understand how the automobile works. My father and I built my first car from scratch. If I drive down the road and hear a sound 9 out of 10 times I can tell what the sound is and how to fix it. And even though I know how to do a lot of mechanical work, even though I enjoy it. I usually only do it when I need to.
Imagine enjoying, loving something. Learning everything about it. Being an expert on it and not doing it. It’s a master mechanic that doesn’t work on cars. It’s a professional athlete that won’t play their sport. It’s a chef that won’t cook.
In the same way, It is also easy for a believer to know all about the Bible. To know about it’s moral standards, to know all the promises God put in there. To understand all the big ology words. Memorize big parts. To read all the warnings that God gives us. And still Not live by by them.
God didn’t just come to earth to leave us with the bare minimum He wants us to be complete, whole. He wants us to understand out true potential as Christians!
Paul is writing to the people of Ephesus from prison in our scripture this morning, He is about to give them all the answers they need and we need, to recognise the potential our father has for us.
The first 2 verses of our text set the the stage.
Paul’s Second Prayer (slide 2)
Paul’s Second Prayer (slide 2)
The beginning of Ephesians is Paul trying to get the believer to understand who Christ is as to help us understand the amazing unlimited resources we have in Him. The first prayer was a prayer that the people in Ephesus would be enlightened.
The Second half of Ephesians is Paul trying to get the believers to live by those truths! In this prayer that we will study today Paul is praying for enablement. The First prayer that Paul has is for the believer to know the power of God. The Second is for the believer to use it!
The definition of enablement is the action of giving someone the authority or means to do something. God has given us the authority, the means, and the power to do what we need to do. Emphasis on the word need. Everything that God has promised us. Everything that God has asked of us. He has enabled us to achieve it. The only thing holding us back from actually achieving that is us.
Look at the first 2 verses of our text.
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
Why is every family in heaven and earth named by the father. He created us all.
I Bow My Knees
While not unheard of, it was not normal for a jewish man to pray on his knees. Normally they would be standing. Yet Paul makes a specific point of saying that he is on his knees because that is how important this message is.
The act of kneeling was an act of utter desperation. By telling the people in Ephesus that he was on his knees before the father he was emploring them to know how desperate this message is important.
The act of bowing his knees was emphasizing to the people that in order to go forward and experience the power of God as was intended first and foremost we have to bow our hearts and submit ourselves fully to Him.
If you are reading this you can tell its a big deal. Paul at this point hopefully has their attention. This is important focus!! Now that he has their attention it is time to lay out how we can and should attain this strength.
Ephesians 3:16–19 (ESV)
that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Accepting Spiritual Strength (Slide 3)
Accepting Spiritual Strength (Slide 3)
Whether we like it or not our earthly bodies get older. They are temporary. The inner man is what is important.
When we think of power we think of Superpowers. Flight. Strength. Invulnerablity. That is not what we are talking about. That is not what is important. Spiritual strength is about the inner man.
What does that even mean?
Hebrews 5:12–14 (ESV) (slide 4)
For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
Our Spirit is controlled by God. If we get out of the way and do what we are supposed to do, pray, read the Bible, nourish our inner being. Then God is making our inner being grow and is strengthening it. When we yield to the will of the Father we grow. Our strength grows. We begin to succeed Spiritually.
You don’t have a baby, put it in it’s crib and hand it a sirloin?! You need to give a baby milk and let it grow.
The word Strengthened in verse 15
he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being
This is something that is done for you not something you do for yourself. Only God can give us the Spiritual strength that we need to fortify our inner selves. And the only way that this happens is when we get out of the way and allow God to strengthen us the way he knows will make us strongest.
2 Timothy 4:17 (ESV) (slide 5)
But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.
Paul writing again. God stood by me and strengthened me. Not I got stronger. Not I was able to do xy or z. No God gave me strength, and that strength gave me the ability to do His work.
I think we can see that God wants to strengthen us, but is that enough? It’s a crazy question yet you know that if you are honest with yourself at one time or another in your life you asked that question.
Staring up at the mountain. God says yes we say no.
Philippians 4:19 (ESV) (slide 6)
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
This means that not only is it enough, it is MORE than enough. God is saying that the mountain is completely climbable. Remember God isn’t holding back, we are.
Ok Andy you sold me. You are right. I want that Strength and power that God has promised. What do I do.
God gives us this by dwelling in us. At the moment we accept His gift of Salvation God is dwelling inside us.
When He ascended to Heaven God gave us the Spirit. The Spirit will fortify our inner being.
2 Corinthians 4:16 (ESV) (slide 7)
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.
The Spirit is working in us renewing us day by day.
Understanding Spiritual Strength (Slide 8)
Understanding Spiritual Strength (Slide 8)
The first step is accepting the fact that God has that strength for us and HE wants us to use it. The Second step is understanding that strength.
Paul says…
We may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,
We need to come to grips with the fact that we will NEVER be able to fully comprehend God. His love, his strength and power, his thoughts. They are so vast and big that they are beyond us as humans. But it should not stop us from trying to comprehend them.
Though I want to I will never a perfect preacher. I am sure I will make mistakes until the last day I am behind a pulpit. But that isn’t going to stop me from studying and working at being a perfect preacher. I will never be the perfect husband or father. Does that stop me from trying to be.
No, if whatever you are working toward is truly worth it than you work at it until it is perfect even if it is beyond your grasp.
In talking about God’s love, Pastor John McArthur says, (slide 9)
To comprehend what is the breadth and length and height and depth of love is to understand it in it’s fullness. Love goes in every direction and to the greatest distance. It goes wherever it is needed for as long as it is needed.
There is no end, no limit to the love and the Fullness of God. There is no extra room. It is perfect, complete.
No Christian should ever worry about being Spiritually inadequate when meeting the demands of life. God will supply out of His fullness all our needs.
If you believe that everything that I have told you is true. Then why are we not experiencing the full strength of the fullness of God in our lives?
Is it because we consider ourselves “good enough” I don’t mean I am good enough as a person. By good enough I mean 2nd place is good enough. An inch short on my measurement is good enough. A little pink while cooking a chicken is good enough.
Why limit ourselves as Christians? In any area of life why limit yourselves but especially as believers! I don’t want a Christian participation trophy. I want to run the race to the best of the ability that God has given me. I want to use every bit of strength and power God is offering me.
Paul finishes our scripture this morning by telling us why all of this is possible. by giving credit to the one who makes it all possible.
God’s Glory (slide 10)
God’s Glory (slide 10)
We have limits. It is important for us to recognize our limits. More importantly its important to remember how God overcomes our limits.
Ephesians 3:20–21 (ESV)
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
It is as if Paul is saying “I have told you what you need to succeed Spiritually. Now it’s time for one last reminder that God is in charge and deserves all the credit for making this a possible thing.”
Everything that Paul has just laid at the feet of the people at Ephesus he did knowing God is capable of making it all happen and oh so much more.
Paul has already told the people who God is.
Ephesians 1:20–21 (ESV) (slide 11)
that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
but do we recognize the true power of God.
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think,
Is God able to do it yes, but thats not enough
Is God able to do more than enough. Yes But it still isn’t enough.
Is God able to do way more, i mean a lot more than enough? Yes but it still isn’t enough.
God is able to do everything we can imagine plus more than we can even ask for or think of.
God ability to do what He promises in the life of a believer is more than our human minds can imagine. He has no limits. He has no end.
James 4:2 (ESV) (slide 12)
You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
By ourselves we just fall short. But we are never by ourselves. We always have God by us and through His power and His power alone are we able to serve him and defeat sin in our lives.
And he deserves all of the glory today, tomorrow, and forever.
Close
Close
I don’t know about you all but I fall very short when it comes to recognizing the power and strength of God. There has been times in my life where I can look back and see that I saw his power more. And When I saw it I was able to be the type of Christian that I felt God called me to be. Looking back I have a certain amount of pride that God was able to use me and I was able to listen.
If I were to compare the times that I listened and allowed God to use me without getting in the way compared to the times that I tried to rely on myself. I hang my head in shame.
Vacation…..
(slide 13) God’s box is full. It is full of HIs power. It is full of His strength. It is full of His grace. And he put a big shiny bow on the top of the that box, and He is looking at His children telling us it is for us.
Will you ask for it?
