Seeking once again the Lord's
help to give me the ability to speak to you, I would like you
to turn in the chapter that we read together, Ephesians chapter
6, and the text you'll find in verse 10. Finally, my brethren,
be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. The Apostle writing to the Ephesians,
the Apostle Paul writes to them regarding obviously the Lord
Jesus Christ and the great benefits and blessings that are to be
found in him and the great transformation of each one of them having received
the Word of God as truth and having believed upon the Lord
Jesus Christ and are following the Lord Jesus Christ. And he
comes then to this conclusion as he closes his letters, he
warns them of their great need to stop resting in their own
strength and in their own ability, in their own power, but to rest
and to trust in the strength of the Lord and in the power
of his might. He informs them of their of the
reason why they need to trust in the Lord for his strength
and for his power. It is because of the great enemy
of their souls, because of Satan and his legions of armies, because
of the rulers of the darkness of this world, and the wickedness
that is in high places. The apostle does never not paint
a picture of a rosy Christian life. He does not paint a picture
or give false promises that when you believe and trust in the
Lord Jesus Christ your life is going to be smooth, that your
life is going to be without problems, without difficulties, without
opposition. He tells us and he lays it out
very clearly right at the foundation of the church that those who
believe and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ will find out that
they are walking in an enemy's land. The Bible tells us that
by our nature we are people of the darkness, we are under the
power and influence of Satan and then when Christ works in
the heart by the power of his Holy Spirit under the preaching
of the Word of God or through the Word of God that those people
are brought out from that darkness and are placed into the kingdom
of light. The Lord Jesus tells us, he says
it is through much tribulation that you are going to enter into
the kingdom and one of the great evidences that you are saved
that Christ is your saviour, that the Holy Spirit is in you,
is that there is no peace within the heart, there is that constant
opposition and warfare. because as we've looked at before
there is that new nature fighting against that old nature and of
our own strength and of our own ability the scripture tells us
we will never succeed, we will never overcome those temptations,
we will never overcome that opposition but we are promised to receive
strength and power from outside of ourselves. That strength doesn't
come from us but it is the strength of God and the power of his might. Finally my brethren another thought
here is that the apostle never elevates himself to a position
higher than his brothers, higher than the church. He he calls himself a brother with
the fellow brethren. Think of the leaders of the day
They often elevate themselves above those who are underneath
them or even in the workplace we have bosses that are filled
with pride, they're very arrogant and they elevate themselves to
a high position but the Apostle Paul, the chosen of the Lord,
realises that he is a brother amongst the brethren. Finally
my brethren be strong in the Lord. The Lord's strength is
seen in the many wonders that he has done. His strength is
seen in creation. As we believe that God created
the world in six days by his word he spoke those things into
being and it was so. And all of God's creation he
declared it to be good. And we see his power and his
strength in bringing all those things together. And we see that
constant power day by day in the ongoing rolling out or the
workings of creation. We see the new days We see nights,
we see seasons, we see years. We look up into the planets and
we're able to see far more than the ancients could see and we're
able to look far into the solar systems and see the complex workings
of God in those solar systems and the galaxies. We see God's
strength and his power in holding all of those things together. As we read through the Old Testament
and the New Testament we see God's strength at work in the
lives of his people. how nothing could hinder his
plans, how nothing could stand in his way, and how he delivered
the ancient people from their enemies and from their oppositions. We see in in the Old Testament
as he brought them out of the land of Egypt. We see his strength
and his power dealing with all of the gods of Egypt. We see him parting the Red Sea
and his people going through on dry land. We see him providing
for them and dealing with them. and giving them water, we see
them being brought into the promised land, we see the walls of Jericho
just falling down and we see that land being divided and as
we go through the Old Testament we see the wonderful ways in
which God's power and his strength are displayed for his people,
for the encouragement of those of us who read the Word of God.
The Bible tells us that these things are done for an example.
That we may be strengthened by reading and meditating upon God's
Holy Word. And we see his strength in judgement
as he deals with the people in the times of Noah. how his creation
worked against mankind, how he ordered the rains and the floods
to come up from the earth. We see in Sodom and Gomorrah
his strength and his power displayed in the destruction of the cities
of the plain for those people who had rebelled against him. And so we see throughout the
scripture God's strength and God's power are displayed. The scripture tells us, as King
Nebuchadnezzar said, no man can stop his hand or say unto him,
what doest thou? He has that strength and he has
that power to do whatever he pleases. No human being and not
even Satan himself can resist the will of God. What God wills,
it will be done. whether it be in heaven or whether
it be in earth. And so God's power, God's strength
and his power are displayed through the whole of the scripture. In
looking at these two words, strength and power, one is if you think
of a weightlifter. Some weightlifters can, they
have a lot of strength and they can lift a lot. But they say
that power is the ability to do that quickly. Having strength
and power is to be able to lift a lot quickly. Think of a bulldozer. A bulldozer has a lot of strength
but also it has a lot of power. It pushes through the earth. Nothing can stand in its way
and God is like that. He is full of strength. and full of power and that word
which we looked at all those months ago that he is omnipotent,
that he is all powerful, that there is no limit to his strength,
there is no limit to his power but the greatest act and demonstration
of his power and his strength is seen in the work of salvation
through his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And in Ephesians
chapter 1 verse 19, from verse 19 it says, And what is the exceeding
greatness of his power, the unimaginable power, the exceeding greatness
of his power, to us, Ward, who believe? according to the working
of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised
him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the
heavenly places far above all principalities and powers and
might and dominion and to every name that is named not only in
the world but also in that which is to come he hath put all things
under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to
the church, which is his body, the fullness of him in that fulfilleth
all in all. And so his greatest demonstration
of his power and his strength is seen in the work of the Lord
Jesus Christ, that exceedingly greatness, exceeding greatness
of his power to us, Lord, who believe. according to the working
of his mighty power. We see that greatness of his
power seen in the virgin birth where Christ was conceived in the womb of the
Virgin Mary and that second person of the Trinity
put on flesh to live that life of holiness and obedience to
the law and how he died upon the cross and how he was raised
again this the third day. And so we see the exceeding greatness
of God's power in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And in
chapter 2 of the same book of Ephesians we see that that work,
that strength, that power was used to raise people, sinners,
from their dead condition and bring them into spiritual life. and that is experienced then
by those who are saved. And you hath he quickened who
were dead in trespasses and sins where in time past you walked
according to the course of this world according to the prince
of the power of the air the spirit that now worketh in the children
of disobedience. And so that same power that was
used to raise Christ that exceeding great power was used to raise
sinners to life. You may think that it's just
a small thing to make someone to believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ. You may think that it's just a matter of a thought process. the great power of salvation
that was at work to bring Christ from the dead, that same power
is used to raise a sinner from darkness to life, from deadness
to spiritual life. You has he quickened, made alive,
who are dead in trespasses and sins. And so What is the condition that we
were? Those who are in Christ are now
alive. Those who are outside of Christ,
the scripture says that they are dead in their sin. But those who have been made
alive, he has quickened them, he has made them alive by the
power of his spirit. the life of the Apostle Paul
he experienced the greatness of that power as he was on the
road seeking to persecute the Christians as he was on his way
to Damascus to bring to prison the believers the Lord Jesus
met him. And he experienced the great
power of God to transform him, to bring him from a dead condition
to an alive condition. A dead spiritual condition to
an alive condition. That transformation from the
kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. He experienced that
great strength and that great power of God. And as he journeyed in Acts 9,
he came near Damascus and suddenly there shone round about him a
light from heaven. And he fell to the earth and
heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou
me? And so the Lord Jesus Christ
dealt with him and transformed him. Before that time somebody
could have sat with the Apostle Paul and tried to reason with
him and explain to him that the Messiah had come and yet his
heart would have been so hard, his eyes blinded that he would
never have received that truth. And so God comes and breaks open
that hard heart, changes him in a moment. we don't think that it's only
for those types of people that are so rebellious that God has
to use such a great power. The scripture says that they
are all dead in sin and although some may be as it were far away
in sin, yet the scripture blankets them with one condition that
they are dead in trespasses and sins and they have to be made
alive by the Spirit of God, by the power of God which works
in them. And so Saul was dealt with quite
dramatically. As we looked at when Lydia was
baptized, the scripture says, Lydia, the Lord opened her heart
And then in the same chapter we have the jailer that he believed
on the Lord Jesus Christ and he would say but with the same
measure of power that although it was a gradual process yet
the mighty workings of God still had to deal with those people
as sinners and break open their hard hearts so that they may
receive the gospel of the Lord Jesus. Do not think because Paul
was almost an extremist that he had to be a greater measure
of power No we are all dead in trespasses and sins and it's
only the work of God that can bring about spiritual life. It is only God who can raise
from the dead. It is only God who can breathe
in spiritual life to bring a sinner to salvation, to bring a person
from darkness to light and it's only God can continue to keep
that person in that condition until they are received into
glory. And so it is these ones that
are being addressed. It is those who have experienced
that mighty work of God in their life
to bring them from darkness to light. Paul is including himself
in that number he is saying I am also a brother I was once an
alien I was once an orphan but by the grace of God I have been
brought into the body of the Lord Jesus Christ and I am now
one of your brethren and I'm speaking to all of those who
have experienced that great measure of power in their lives to bring
them from darkness to light. those who have been quickened,
those who were dead in their sin. It is only those that he
is writing to and encouraging them or commanding them to be
strong in the Lord. You see you cannot be strong
in the Lord if you don't know the Lord. It is to be strong in Christ in his spirit and it is only
those who have been brought from that darkness to the light, those
in the kingdom of God who are able to receive and to walk in
that power and strength of God. You see outside of that we are
under the power and influence of Satan. The scripture tells us we are
an enemy of God And we are walking in the darkness. We're not wrestling
against the against the wickedness of this world. We are a part
in that wickedness. It is only when we are translated,
transformed into the kingdom of God that we are able to receive
the strength of God and to be able to oppose the enemy. It's a hard thing isn't it to
think about. Though we may come to chapel
and that's good and we may be seeking after salvation and we
may have that true desire and the scripture says that those
who seek the Lord they will find him and those who are seeking
him it proves that there is an evidence that God is drawing
them to himself because they have a desire. Those who are
true enemies of God have no desire to be reconciled to God because
they are happy where they are and I wonder how we are today
are we happy where we are? Are we happy in the wickedness
of this world or do we have a true desire to seek after salvation
and to know the true power of God? Do we have that concern
to lay hold of the Lord Jesus Christ? Do we have that desire
to resist against temptation and sin? Do we want to overcome
the sins that are so rife in our minds and in our bodies?
And if we do so, well then surely that shows us that there is an
evidence of life. Why do we want to overcome sin? Why do we want
to overcome sin when the unbeliever rejoices and enjoys in sin? And so the believer or even the
one who has been worked on and begun that work on has a desire
to lay hold of the Lord Jesus and to receive a strength. And that strength comes from
the Lord. In Romans 8. It tells us there the condition
of those who have been saved, those who have been born again.
It says, there is therefore now no condemnation to them which
are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after
the spirit. And so we see there that though
the sin has been dealt with that sin's payment has been made yet
the scripture tells us we still fight against and resist that
sin which is in us and the Lord Jesus tells us in John 17 that
it is those who are in him that he is in them and they in him
and it is by that union that this strength is able to be applied
in Ephesians chapter 2 verses 5 and 6. It says even
when we were dead in sins he has quickened us together with
him by grace are you saved and has raised us up together and
made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And so there the apostle tells
us that the position has gone from being an enemy to being
a friend, to being in a united relationship with the Lord Jesus
Christ. They are in Christ. They are
in Christ. Finally, my brethren, be strong
in the Lord and in the power of his might. And so that strength
that the believer needs is not found in themselves, but it is
found in their united relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, that
they are in him and he is in them. It is not of their own
ability to persevere. It is not of their own strength
to conquer and overcome a besetting sin but it is in the strength
that is given to them, a supernatural strength that is found outside
of themselves. It is the Lord's strength. That same strength that created
the heaven and the earth. That same strength and power
that delivered the people of Israel out of Egypt and fed them
and kept them all of those years is that same strength and ability
that is able to keep the people of God and to watch over them. In Psalm 27 Verse 1 it says, The Lord is
my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the
strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? In chapter
28 in verse 7, The Lord is my strength and my shield, my heart
trusteth in him and I am helped, therefore my heart greatly rejoices. And with my song will I praise
him. The Lord is their strength and
he is their saving strength. He is the saving strength of
his anointed. And so even in the Old Testament
they're able to say that the Lord is their strength. As they
went forward into battle they understood that it was not them,
it was not their ability, their equipment, but it was the Lord
going before them and assisting them in their battle and in their
fight. And that came from their union
and their relationship with him. they were in him and he was in
them that their strength was found and so our strength as
believers It is not found in our ability and sometimes we prove that. We go forward in
our own strength. We think that we can accomplish
things in our own strength and our own ability. We think that
we have the intelligence or the knowledge to be able to deal
with certain things and God shows us. You don't. you need me for without me you
are nothing and so we prove by our failure to rely on this strength
that we need this strength. In 2nd Corinthians the apostle tells us there of
himself after he had been blessed the Lord gave
him a thorn in the flesh and he's given this a great promise
2 Corinthians 12. For this thing I besought the
Lord thrice that it might depart from me and he said my grace
is sufficient for thee my strength is perfected in weakness most
gladly therefore I would rather glory in my infirmities that
the power of Christ may rest upon me. And so the Lord gave
the apostle this thorn in the flesh and he asked the Lord to
remove it from him and yet the Lord had placed it there for
a specific reason, to humble him, to keep him in utter dependence
upon him. He says, my grace is enough for
you. and my strength is perfected
in weakness. Where you think that you are
weak, when you think that you are weak that is your best position. That is the way in which I am
going to be seen in your life. If someone is exceedingly good
at something we immediately attribute that to their so gifted they're
so clever they have such and such ability and we attribute
that gifting and that ability to them. The scripture tells
us that all of those giftings and abilities have been given
to them by God. God gives and he gives intellect,
he gives ability, he gives skill, he gives money, he gives expertise. All of those are resources that
the Lord gives to people and often we focus on those things
and we say he's done that because he's clever, he's done that because
he has that ability, he's done that because of that. and we
remove God. But the Bible tells us that those
things have been given to somebody so that God might be seen and
that those giftings may be used for the glory of God. But often when we look at people
and we see them in the church And we know that they don't have
an ability in that way and we see God using them in a way in which they naturally
wouldn't do what they wouldn't do. God is clearly seen. That his strength is made perfect
in the weakness of believers. so the apostle says I will glory
then in my weakness that the power of Christ may rest upon
me and when we think of ourselves as something it's like we are
filling our glasses and there's no room for anybody else but
the apostle says it's good that God has emptied me He's made
me see my weakness. He's made me see my inability
and he's done something to magnify that so it's seen more clearly.
And it's like he's emptied the glass. So I come to God and I'm
empty and I say, God, fill me. And so when God fills him, he
says, then is the power of Christ. It is seen that in my weakness,
that he glories in his infirmities, that the power of Christ may
rest upon him. And often when we look at ourselves,
we see our weaknesses and we want God to, you know, fix us
here, make us more like so and so, help us here. And sometimes
or often God says no. No, I've made you how you are. And you're going to stay like
that. You're going to stay having that thorn in the flesh so that
my grace is enough and that my glory is seen in your weakness
and that my strength is seen in your weakness. And so he says,
finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord. Empty yourself of
your own strength and rest upon God. Rest upon his strength. The stronger we think we are
the weaker we really are in spiritual matters. It's often been said
of Samson hasn't it that when we see pictures of Samson he's
drawn with big muscles and his strength is evident to be seen
by the pictures that are drawn. know God doesn't need big muscles
to enable people to live, lift big gates. He takes the foolish
and the weak things of this world to confuse and to confound the
wise and so Samson could have been a skinny little man. but
God gave him the ability to lift gates and to defeat armies. He doesn't need the external
physiques, but he equips the people for his service. In Ephesians, again, chapter
three, it tells us, verses 19, and 20 it says, and
to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge that you might
be filled with all the fullness of God now unto him that is able
to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think
according to the power that worketh in us. Unto him be glory in the
church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, the world without end. Amen. Unto him which is able
to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or
think. And that is the God that the believer rests in. That is
the God that the believer has the resources to accomplish the
will of God in their lives. He is able to do far more than
we can ask or even think. And so in your mind you think,
well God is going to work like this and like this and this is
how he's going to act here. And yet he acts in a way that
we cannot even imagine. His power and his thoughts are
such that the human mind cannot achieve or go to such high lengths
but that power that created heaven and earth it is The power that
works in us is far greater than the power that created heaven
and earth. It was a greater power that rose
Christ from the dead and accomplished that great work of salvation.
And it's a greater power that worked in you and I to bring
us from deadness to life. And that great power still works
in the people of God. And that God is able to do great
things. for them and even able to enable them to overcome
sin and temptation in their lives and to resist that great enemy
Satan in the battle that they do day by day. And so we need
this power. We need this strength. because
of the battle that we are in. We are to read on and we read
of the works of Satan and the need for the whole armour of
God and as the armour is different for the different types of battles
that people do the armour of God is specifically given because
of the type of warfare that the believers are in. and strength,
the strength of the Lord and the power of the Lord is needed
to hold this armour and to wear this armour and to walk out this
armour and to use the weapons of defence that has been given
to us. It cannot be worn and it cannot
be used in our own strength We cannot resist the operations
of Satan, the attacks of Satan in our own strength and ability
and if we do think we can then we will utterly fail. If we were not kept, as Peter
says, if we were not kept by the power of God In 1 Peter 1
verse 5 it says, who are kept by the power of God through faith
unto salvation ready to be revealed at the last time. Who are kept
by the power of God. If we were not kept by the power
of God we would not last one minute in battle with Satan and even
in battle with our own selves. such as the weakness of our flesh. We need to be kept by the Lord
Jesus Christ. We need to be enabled to draw
strength from the Lord and his power. And so that strength is
drawn from the Lord Jesus Christ day by day. If any of you have ever watched
a bumblebee or a honeybee and they go from flower to flower. We know that sometimes you find
them and they're worn out. They've crash landed somewhere
and they're worn out and they've got hungry. They haven't enough
sugar or nectar. And so you put them on the flower
and there they go and they drink, they feast until they are satisfied
and gain their strength and off they go. Well the believer is
like that. The believer needs to constantly
suck or draw from the Word of God to receive that nectar for
strength and if we neglect the reading of the Word of God and
prayer and fellowship and meditation of the scriptures we become like
that little bee. We fall down tired and we overcome
and we need to get back to the word and to be strengthened.
The Bible tells us doesn't it that man believers don't live
by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth
of God and so we need to be strengthened spiritually to enable us to overcome
the spiritual battles which we face day by day and if we're
not and if we're neglectful of spiritual things we will fall. We'll be like the bumblebee tired
and downcast and overcome if we look at the armor if that
armor is not fitted correctly if we are slack and the armor
is loose then it leaves openings for attack and so we are to be strong in
the Lord and the power of his might. And it's not just the
day-to-day cycle of reading the Bible like spinning of the wheels. It's to feed. It's to feed off
the word of God. It's not a McDonald's. It is
a meal to be sat down and to enjoy and feasted on and to be
thought over and to be blessed. The Word of God is not takeaway
food but a sit-down meal to be fed, to feed our never-dying
souls and then to be meditated over. If you've ever had a nice
meal it's talked about isn't it? It was a lovely meal. Did you like the potatoes? Did
you enjoy the meat? Did you like the gravy? Did you
like the pudding? And so it's thought about over
time. And so reading of the Word of
God is not a fast food, but it is a meditation upon the scriptures
that faith may draw strength from the beautiful promises of
the Word of God. And as the Christian life is
walked out, We receive strength for the day to enable us to do
the will of God and when we go outside of the will of God we
feel like that strength is drained from us and we're brought to
repentance and seek to be guided and directed and we feel that
the Lord has helped us and sometimes we don't even realise that we're
being strengthened. Sometimes it's a looking back
and we wonder well how did I get through that And it's only by
the sustaining hand of Almighty God. And maybe you today, you
have felt completely weak. You've felt that there is no
strength, that you have no strength, you have no ability. Well, what's
the reason? What is the reason for that?
Why is it that you feel in such a way? Is it because you have
neglected the means of grace that Christ has given that we
may be nourished and strengthened? Have you neglected the meditation
of the Word of God? Have you neglected, have I neglected
prayer? Have we neglected fellowship
and communion with these saints? Have we neglected communication
with our Lord Jesus Christ and Saviour? Are we walking outside
of the will of God? Do you know that you should be
doing this and yet you have hardened your heart and you have gone
that way? you're walking in rebellion to the Lord Jesus Christ. Have
you been committing some sin? Have you been walking contrary
to the word of God? Then you will expect to feel
no strength and no power. Are you using the word of God
as I said like a fast food? Just a quick ritual and then
you're gone. Or are you looking deeply into
the things of God and meditating upon them? In Isaiah 40. I thought about it yesterday
but Pauline brought it back to my mind at the door. Isaiah 40
from verse 29. He gives power to the faint and
to them that have no might he increases strength. Even the
youths, they shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall
utterly fall. But they that wait upon the Lord
shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings
as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not be faint. Where was their strength? It
was in the Lord. They waited on the Lord. and
the Lord renewed their strength. Day to day he strengthened them
to do impossible tasks, to do things which were against their
natural ability. They ran, they soared up into
the sky, they were not weary and they were not faint. May
the Lord enable us then as the people of God to draw from that
strength that we might overcome sin, that we might overcome temptation,
that we might gain the victory against the oppositions of Satan
but knowing that we are kept, ultimately we are kept by the
power of God through faith unto salvation. May the Lord add his
blessing. Amen. Our closing hymn is hymn number
745 from Gadsby's. When Jesus would his grace proclaim,
he calls the simple, blind, and lame to come and be his guest. Such simple folk the world despise,
yet simple folk have sharpest eyes and learn to walk the best. Hymn number 745 to the tune 709. He calls the simple blind and
deaf to come and be His guest. The simple folk are wild and
splite, yet simple folk have sharpest eyes. The year of Jesus' birth, of Jesus' birth,
and Jesus' life where childless care Oh, say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the
brave? In the land, my winter land. The joy of thee, thy power and
glory evermore proclaim. a little joy, bright, simple
joy. Dear Lord and Almighty God, we
pray that we may be enabled to draw of the strength of the Lord
Jesus Christ to enable us to go forth into battle against
the world, against self and against Satan. We pray that we each may
be granted that true victory that will come, that we may be
kept by thy power day by day and to be with Christ forever
for all eternity. Do dismiss us we pray with thy
blessing and do return us here this evening to worship thee. Now may the grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father with the fellowship
and communion of the Holy Spirit to be with us now and for evermore. Amen.