With God I Can

Sermon Text: Eph 3:16-21

16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. NKJV

Big Idea: Living life today as a Christian is a seemingly impossible task. As a Christian we are faced with the trials and testing on every side. No matter which way we turn there are obstacles that we must overcome. The early day disciples were facing persecution from the world around them but also from those who they once called friend. Jesus said in John 15:18-20 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. NIV.

As a disciple of Jesus living for Him means that you will face challenges that most will not experience. If you ae living as a committed disciple of Jesus, then trouble will come your way. Jesus told those early day disciple that after His ascension to watch and pray and they would receive the power of the Holy Spirit. When you became a Christian you were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit therefore you need to find your potential in Christ Jesus. With the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we are able to face more, do more, and live more for Jesus then we could ever on our own.

"The Christian hope is the hope which has seen everything and endured everything, and has still not despaired, because it believes in God. The Christian hope is not hope in the human spirit, in human goodness, in human endurance, in human achievement; the Christian hope is hope in the power of God.” (--William Barclay, The Letter to the Romans-Sermon Central)

Five Question Concerning Your Potential

1st What can you do without God?

What are your limitations with God?

What is your Potential through the Holy Spirit?

2nd What is Gods purpose for your life

3rd What can I do through the Power of God? Phil 4:13

Ps 139:13-16 Observations concerning Ps 139:13-16

13 For You formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my mother's womb.

14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,

And that my soul knows very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book, they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them.

NKJV

1. Gods is my Creator -Ps 139:13

2. God knows me better than my-self-Ps 139:14

3. God is the Author and Finisher of my life

4. God has equipped you for His purpose-Ps 139:16

5. God has given me the tools to accomplish His will-Ps 139:16

1st What can you do without God? John 15:5-6 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. NKJV

Jesus said that without Him you can do nothing. Think about these words we are completely powerless to do anything in our lives unless we have the power of God in our lives. Hid you ever try to root a plant. When I was in high school, I took two sweet potatoes and put them in a jar of water. One of the potatoes, soon the potato began to put out roots to absorb the moisture in the jar. But the other just sat there and eventually shriveled up and died. The other developed a long lengthy vine with bright green leaves. In the same way a person without being rooted in Jesus will shrivel away.

Consider what happen to David King of Israel in 2 Samuel 11, instead of being in the center of Gods will and leading his armies he stayed in Jerusalem. David’s failure leads him to adulterous relationship with Bathsheba, the death of Uriah her husband, death of a child born to David and Bathsheba and much more.