Sermon Central
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Strength To The Weak
Contributed by William R. Nabaza on May 31, 2015 (message contributor)
Summary: To prove that GOD alone can empower, enable, and increase our strength. Apart from GOD we all end up nothing and accomplishing nothing.
I. EXORDIUM:
Are you strong?
Yes because I'm weak. Joel 3:10
Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, I am strong [a warrior]!
II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:
Believers
III. OBJECTIVES:
To prove that GOD alone can empower, enable, and increase our strength. Apart from GOD we all end up nothing and accomplishing nothing.
IV. TEXT:
I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].
V. THESIS:
Praise, worship and thank You very much LORD JESUS for I am strong, empowered, with GODly abilities, strengthened with Your Power in me in Your Name.
VI. TITLE:
Strength to the weak
VII. EXPLICATION:
A. Author: Apostle Paul
B. Date written: 60 - 64 A.D.
C. Purpose: 3-fold purposes:
1. To express Paul's affection for the Philippian believers
2. To thank them for their gift
3. To encourage them to a lifestyle of unity, holiness and joy
D. To whom written: Philippian believers
E. Main theme: JESUS CHRIST
VIII. MAIN BODY:
A. I have strength for all things
"I have strength for all things"
Strengthen or "endunamoo" in Greek meaning:
1. to empower
Empower means:
a. to give authority, warrant or legal power to; to give a right to act
b. to establish by authority, as by usage, or public opinion
c. to give authority, credit or reputation to
2. to enable
Enable means:
a. to make able; to supply with power,physical or moral; to furnish with sufficient power or ability
b. to furnish with legal ability or competency; to authorize.
c. to furnish with competent knowledge or skill, and in general, with adequate means
3. increase in strength
4. make/be strong
Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.
I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.
If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.
Such is the reliance and confidence that we have through Christ toward and with reference to God.
Not that we are fit (qualified and sufficient in ability) of ourselves to form personal judgments or to claim or count anything as coming from us, but our power and ability and sufficiency are from God.
GOD has already authorized and furnished us with legal abilities or competencies so our abilities is not the same as a natural man's abilities because GOD is the Authorizing Factor, apart from GOD, even the most adequate person with ability can look nothing compared to us.
B. CHRIST empowered, not self-powered
"in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]"
But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!
So for the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities and distresses; for when I am weak [in human strength], then am I [truly] strong (able, powerful in divine strength).
May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality].
In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].
[We pray] that you may be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, [to exercise] every kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy,
IX. CONCLUSION:
Look at the proud; his soul is not straight or right within him, but the [rigidly] just and the [uncompromisingly] righteous man shall live by his faith and in his faithfulness.
