WEBVTT 00:00:00.660 --> 00:00:03.240 Well, it is good to be back with you again. It's 00:00:03.240 --> 00:00:06.200 been about three years since I was here last 00:00:06.200 --> 00:00:10.279 so Number of faces have changed some of some 00:00:10.279 --> 00:00:12.880 of them are familiar some of them are new but 00:00:12.880 --> 00:00:16.699 it's good to be with you all again and to have 00:00:16.699 --> 00:00:20.579 the opportunity to come and Bring God's Word 00:00:20.579 --> 00:00:24.600 as I said to Ken earlier. I think it's the If 00:00:24.600 --> 00:00:27.780 my list is complete, I think it's the 50th time 00:00:27.780 --> 00:00:33.439 I've preached here since 1998, so it was much 00:00:33.439 --> 00:00:36.960 more frequent earlier on, but it is always good 00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:41.520 to come back and see what God is doing here in 00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:45.780 Annapolis among you all. So our text this morning 00:00:45.780 --> 00:00:52.140 is from Ephesians chapter 6. I'm going to read 00:00:52.320 --> 00:00:56.159 the passage from verse 10 through verse 20. It's 00:00:56.159 --> 00:00:59.020 a familiar passage to many of you, I'm sure. 00:01:00.060 --> 00:01:02.840 Our text for the sermon is only going to be verse 00:01:02.840 --> 00:01:05.579 10. We're not going to try and deal with the 00:01:05.579 --> 00:01:09.420 whole passage, but want to read it all to give 00:01:09.420 --> 00:01:15.200 us the context that verse 10 introduces. So here 00:01:15.200 --> 00:01:17.439 now the word of the Lord. Finally, my brethren, 00:01:18.060 --> 00:01:20.200 be strong in the Lord and in the power of his 00:01:20.200 --> 00:01:23.310 might. Put on the whole armor of God that you 00:01:23.310 --> 00:01:26.129 may be able to stand against the wiles of the 00:01:26.129 --> 00:01:29.689 devil For we do not wrestle against flesh and 00:01:29.689 --> 00:01:33.989 blood but against principalities Against powers 00:01:33.989 --> 00:01:37.189 against the rulers of the darkness of this age 00:01:37.189 --> 00:01:40.450 against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the 00:01:40.450 --> 00:01:43.650 heavenly places Therefore take up the whole armor 00:01:43.650 --> 00:01:47.430 of God that you may be able to withstand in the 00:01:47.430 --> 00:01:52.439 evil day and having done all to stand Stand therefore, 00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:55.659 having girded your waist with truth, having put 00:01:55.659 --> 00:01:59.239 on the breastplate of righteousness, and having 00:01:59.239 --> 00:02:01.980 shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel 00:02:01.980 --> 00:02:05.439 of peace. Above all, taking the shield of faith 00:02:05.439 --> 00:02:08.300 with which you will be able to quench all the 00:02:08.300 --> 00:02:11.699 fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet 00:02:11.699 --> 00:02:14.819 of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which 00:02:14.819 --> 00:02:18.599 is the Word of God. Praying always with all prayer 00:02:18.599 --> 00:02:21.900 and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful 00:02:21.900 --> 00:02:25.259 to this end with all perseverance and supplication 00:02:25.259 --> 00:02:28.979 for all the saints and for me that utterance 00:02:28.979 --> 00:02:32.219 may be given to me that I may open my mouth boldly 00:02:32.219 --> 00:02:35.680 to make known the mystery of the gospel for which 00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:39.800 I am an ambassador in chains that in it I may 00:02:39.800 --> 00:02:45.979 speak boldly as I ought to speak father bless 00:02:45.979 --> 00:02:49.740 your word as we study it together today cause 00:02:49.740 --> 00:02:52.560 it to take root deeply in our hearts and to strengthen 00:02:52.560 --> 00:02:57.520 us that we might serve you and glorify you in 00:02:57.520 --> 00:03:01.819 all that we do we ask this in Jesus name amen 00:03:01.819 --> 00:03:09.699 so I've always appreciated the writings of the 00:03:09.699 --> 00:03:14.960 Puritans their perspective on the Christian life 00:03:14.960 --> 00:03:20.969 their focus on doctrine and practice dedicated 00:03:20.969 --> 00:03:26.490 to the glory of God. One of the Puritan classics 00:03:26.490 --> 00:03:32.569 is a little book just under 1 ,200 pages long 00:03:32.569 --> 00:03:38.509 by William Gernal called The Christian in Complete 00:03:38.509 --> 00:03:43.719 Armor. Grinnell devoted this book to the exposition 00:03:43.719 --> 00:03:47.400 and application of the passage that we just read, 00:03:47.599 --> 00:03:53.219 Ephesians 6, 10 through 20. Spurgeon said about 00:03:53.219 --> 00:03:57.919 that book that he called it the best thought 00:03:57.919 --> 00:04:03.860 breeder in all our library. It was a source of 00:04:03.860 --> 00:04:08.000 inspiration and thoughts that encouraged him 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:13.199 in his preaching. and gave him much to work with. 00:04:14.439 --> 00:04:17.040 In typical Puritan fashion, if you're familiar 00:04:17.040 --> 00:04:20.720 with Puritan books, they never have a title like 00:04:20.720 --> 00:04:24.000 The Christian Incomplete Armor without having 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:30.819 a subtitle that essentially provides an outline 00:04:30.819 --> 00:04:35.300 of the contents of the whole book. So this is 00:04:35.300 --> 00:04:39.589 the subtitle for for the Christian incomplete 00:04:39.589 --> 00:04:43.970 armor a treatise of the Saints war against the 00:04:43.970 --> 00:04:48.129 devil wherein a discovery is made of that grand 00:04:48.129 --> 00:04:53.149 enemy of God and his people in his policies power 00:04:53.149 --> 00:04:56.750 seat of Empire wickedness and chief design he 00:04:56.750 --> 00:05:01.470 hath against the Saints a magazine opened a Mac 00:05:01.470 --> 00:05:03.689 not a magazine like this but a magazine like 00:05:03.689 --> 00:05:07.009 an arsenal kind of magazine, a magazine opened 00:05:07.009 --> 00:05:09.850 from whence the Christian is furnished with spiritual 00:05:09.850 --> 00:05:13.149 arms for the battle, helped on with his armor 00:05:13.149 --> 00:05:16.709 and taught the use of his weapon together with 00:05:16.709 --> 00:05:20.329 the happy issue of the whole war. That's the 00:05:20.329 --> 00:05:24.410 subtitle. Now we're not going to cover all of 00:05:24.410 --> 00:05:26.889 that because it took him 1200 pages to do it 00:05:26.889 --> 00:05:31.339 and I preached a version of this sermon Many 00:05:31.339 --> 00:05:34.019 years ago is the introduction to a series on 00:05:34.019 --> 00:05:37.680 that passage. I think it was, you know, 36 years 00:05:37.680 --> 00:05:39.860 ago or something like that. It was around 1990. 00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:44.259 Can't remember exactly. In it, I depended a lot 00:05:44.259 --> 00:05:47.360 on Gernel for much of the structure and content 00:05:47.360 --> 00:05:49.399 of the series, though I didn't quote from him 00:05:49.399 --> 00:05:53.699 frequently, because most people these days have 00:05:53.699 --> 00:05:58.860 difficulty with Puritan style and vocabulary. 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:04.699 So, I sifted and synthesized and adapted, but 00:06:04.699 --> 00:06:07.879 most of the essential ideas come from Gernel 00:06:07.879 --> 00:06:11.339 in one way or another. I'm in his debt for that 00:06:11.339 --> 00:06:15.019 and I cheerfully acknowledge that debt and consider 00:06:15.019 --> 00:06:20.420 it a reminder that we modern day Christians have 00:06:20.420 --> 00:06:23.579 not sprung up into maturity as the Church of 00:06:23.579 --> 00:06:27.370 Jesus Christ by ourselves. But we've built on 00:06:27.370 --> 00:06:29.689 the labors of faithful ministers of the Word 00:06:29.689 --> 00:06:34.290 throughout the history of the Church. So while 00:06:34.290 --> 00:06:37.550 a lot of the essential ideas and some of the 00:06:37.550 --> 00:06:41.990 structure comes from Gernel, I have updated his 00:06:41.990 --> 00:06:47.569 vocabulary and shortened his sentences a lot 00:06:47.569 --> 00:06:53.610 since reading that. Our text this morning is 00:06:53.610 --> 00:06:56.970 the first verse in the passage. Finally, be strong 00:06:56.970 --> 00:07:01.750 in the Lord and the power of His might. From 00:07:01.750 --> 00:07:04.569 this encouraging introduction to the Christian 00:07:04.569 --> 00:07:08.490 spiritual warfare come four propositions that 00:07:08.490 --> 00:07:11.930 I want us to consider this morning. First of 00:07:11.930 --> 00:07:15.769 all, you need courage and resolution to live 00:07:15.769 --> 00:07:21.810 as a Christian. Number two, your strength is 00:07:21.810 --> 00:07:26.680 in the Lord. Number three, you must labor to 00:07:26.680 --> 00:07:29.920 strengthen your faith based on the mighty power 00:07:29.920 --> 00:07:35.300 of God and number four you must sincerely believe 00:07:35.300 --> 00:07:39.040 that God's power is at work for your defense 00:07:39.040 --> 00:07:43.779 and help so let's examine each of these propositions 00:07:43.779 --> 00:07:50.459 this morning as they apply to our lives first 00:07:50.459 --> 00:07:58.959 all you need courage resolution, resolve, determination, 00:08:00.540 --> 00:08:04.720 whatever you want to call it, to live as a Christian. 00:08:06.199 --> 00:08:09.439 The differences between Christianity and its 00:08:09.439 --> 00:08:14.339 imitations are sometimes missed today. Christianity 00:08:14.339 --> 00:08:18.779 involves a total transformation of the person. 00:08:19.620 --> 00:08:24.240 It's not a mere profession. Not empty words not 00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:29.740 simply a set of rituals It's a new creation in 00:08:29.740 --> 00:08:34.779 Christ Jesus Jesus said you must be born again 00:08:34.779 --> 00:08:39.600 The Christian life begins with God giving you 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:42.159 a new heart so that you may believe the promises 00:08:42.159 --> 00:08:45.700 in his word and be justified by faith through 00:08:45.700 --> 00:08:51.129 the blood of Jesus Christ our Savior Your old 00:08:51.129 --> 00:08:55.009 man was crucified with him that the body of sin 00:08:55.009 --> 00:08:58.769 might be done away with so that you should no 00:08:58.769 --> 00:09:03.230 longer be slaves to sin. You now present yourselves 00:09:03.230 --> 00:09:05.909 to God as being alive from the dead and your 00:09:05.909 --> 00:09:09.850 members as instruments of righteousness, Paul 00:09:09.850 --> 00:09:15.029 says in Romans 6. Before you offered yourself 00:09:15.029 --> 00:09:19.500 in service to sin. Now you offer yourself as 00:09:19.500 --> 00:09:23.980 a living sacrifice to God, says Paul in Romans 00:09:23.980 --> 00:09:29.659 chapter 12. It takes courage and determination 00:09:29.659 --> 00:09:33.320 to live like that, to live as a Christian in 00:09:33.320 --> 00:09:38.820 a world filled with enemies. As Matthew Henry 00:09:38.820 --> 00:09:45.019 observed, is not our life a warfare? It is so. 00:09:45.240 --> 00:09:48.200 for we struggle with the common calamities of 00:09:48.200 --> 00:09:54.019 human life is not our religion much more a warfare 00:09:54.019 --> 00:09:58.279 it is so for we struggle with the opposition 00:09:58.279 --> 00:10:01.679 of the powers of darkness and with many enemies 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:05.200 who would keep us from God and heaven we have 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:08.659 enemies to fight against a captain to fight for 00:10:08.659 --> 00:10:12.779 a banner to fight under and certain rules of 00:10:12.779 --> 00:10:17.980 war by which we are to govern ourselves. Fighting 00:10:17.980 --> 00:10:22.559 against yourself, your old self, and the spiritual 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:27.720 forces of wickedness is hard work. Old habits 00:10:27.720 --> 00:10:31.519 die hard. Just when you think you've finished 00:10:31.519 --> 00:10:36.139 them off, they revive to ensnare you again. You're 00:10:36.139 --> 00:10:39.299 working diligently to control your tongue, and 00:10:39.299 --> 00:10:41.320 you're making progress with the Spirit's help, 00:10:41.340 --> 00:10:44.159 but just when you least expect it someone says 00:10:44.159 --> 00:10:47.679 something that sets you off and you blast away 00:10:47.679 --> 00:10:52.379 at them or you've made great progress in controlling 00:10:52.379 --> 00:10:55.740 your thought life when seemingly from nowhere 00:10:55.740 --> 00:10:59.799 evil imaginations flood your mind you're tempted 00:10:59.799 --> 00:11:04.100 to give up the fight but you cannot for the new 00:11:04.100 --> 00:11:08.179 life within you will not die You must have courage 00:11:08.179 --> 00:11:11.620 and determination to return to Christ for forgiveness 00:11:11.620 --> 00:11:17.259 and new strength to press on in the battle. You 00:11:17.259 --> 00:11:19.779 must have courage and determination to live as 00:11:19.779 --> 00:11:22.559 a Christian because that means being different 00:11:22.559 --> 00:11:28.379 from the world. Being set apart for Christ. You 00:11:28.379 --> 00:11:31.220 are not your own. You've been bought with the 00:11:31.220 --> 00:11:33.879 price with the precious blood of Jesus Christ 00:11:33.879 --> 00:11:38.129 says Peter in 1st Peter 1. You cannot live as 00:11:38.129 --> 00:11:41.529 the rest of the world lives, for you are in the 00:11:41.529 --> 00:11:45.049 world but not of it. Your citizenship is in heaven 00:11:45.049 --> 00:11:49.309 and you serve a different kingdom. For some, 00:11:49.830 --> 00:11:53.330 your old friends may mock your new lifestyle 00:11:53.330 --> 00:11:56.730 or seek to draw you back into your old ways, 00:11:57.409 --> 00:12:00.549 but by the grace of God you must not turn back. 00:12:01.230 --> 00:12:03.190 For no one who puts his hand to the plow and 00:12:03.190 --> 00:12:06.159 looks back is fit for service. in the kingdom 00:12:06.159 --> 00:12:10.980 of God said Jesus in Luke chapter 9 verse 62 00:12:10.980 --> 00:12:16.279 to have this kind of courage and determination 00:12:16.279 --> 00:12:21.559 you must know for whom and for what you fight 00:12:21.559 --> 00:12:25.860 unless you truly know Christ in a living and 00:12:25.860 --> 00:12:28.519 powerful way you you can't have the strength 00:12:28.519 --> 00:12:32.279 necessary unless you grasp the glory and the 00:12:32.279 --> 00:12:35.870 righteousness of God the majesty of his kingdom 00:12:35.870 --> 00:12:40.210 you will not have the kind of courage you need 00:12:40.210 --> 00:12:44.190 Your aim must be to serve Christ and him alone 00:12:44.190 --> 00:12:47.269 with the courage and determination of an Abraham 00:12:47.269 --> 00:12:51.529 Heading up the mountain prepared to sacrifice 00:12:51.529 --> 00:12:56.450 his only son to the glory of God To Christ you 00:12:56.450 --> 00:13:00.149 must go for courage to live as a Christian for 00:13:00.149 --> 00:13:02.809 you can do all things through Christ who strengthens 00:13:02.809 --> 00:13:07.820 you but apart from him you can do nothing this 00:13:07.820 --> 00:13:15.519 brings us to our second proposition your strength 00:13:15.519 --> 00:13:23.539 is in the Lord the truth of this proposition 00:13:23.539 --> 00:13:28.100 is revealed clearly in God's work of creation 00:13:28.100 --> 00:13:33.879 and redemption in God We live and move and have 00:13:33.879 --> 00:13:38.899 our being. In Christ all things hold together. 00:13:40.279 --> 00:13:42.879 Should he withdraw his provision of sun or rain, 00:13:42.919 --> 00:13:46.139 we would all perish. Should he alter his normal 00:13:46.139 --> 00:13:50.019 controls of the forces of nature, everything 00:13:50.019 --> 00:13:54.500 would fly apart. Without his providential care, 00:13:55.340 --> 00:14:00.279 we could not even exist. In God's program of 00:14:00.279 --> 00:14:02.879 redemption, He creates us anew by His Spirit 00:14:02.879 --> 00:14:06.740 because Christ has purchased us for Himself. 00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:11.279 Once He has given this life to us, He must sustain 00:14:11.279 --> 00:14:15.320 it within us. We are no more able to keep ourselves 00:14:15.320 --> 00:14:19.799 alive spiritually than we are physically. We 00:14:19.799 --> 00:14:24.149 cannot live the Christian life on our own. Jesus 00:14:24.149 --> 00:14:28.129 says in John 15, 5, I am the vine, you are the 00:14:28.129 --> 00:14:32.450 branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, 00:14:32.470 --> 00:14:36.529 bears much fruit. For without me, you can do 00:14:36.529 --> 00:14:40.169 nothing. Our spiritual nature needs spiritual 00:14:40.169 --> 00:14:42.889 strength, which can only come from the Lord. 00:14:44.250 --> 00:14:49.090 It's not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, 00:14:49.649 --> 00:14:55.159 says the Lord. I mean Zechariah chapter 4 verse 00:14:55.159 --> 00:14:59.299 6. The weakness of the saints in the face of 00:14:59.299 --> 00:15:03.559 indwelling sin and Satan's assaults underlines 00:15:03.559 --> 00:15:07.039 the fact that our strength must come from the 00:15:07.039 --> 00:15:12.220 Lord. Paul says in Romans chapter 7 verses 18 00:15:12.220 --> 00:15:15.679 through 25, For I know that in me, that is, in 00:15:15.679 --> 00:15:20.000 my flesh nothing good dwells. For to will is 00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:23.179 present with me. But how to perform what is good, 00:15:23.179 --> 00:15:27.440 I do not find. For the good that I will to do, 00:15:28.379 --> 00:15:33.820 I do not do. But the evil I will not to do, that 00:15:33.820 --> 00:15:37.779 I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, 00:15:38.320 --> 00:15:40.940 it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells 00:15:40.940 --> 00:15:44.100 in me. I find then a law that evil is present 00:15:44.100 --> 00:15:47.779 with me, the one who wills to do good. For I 00:15:47.779 --> 00:15:51.580 delight in the law of God according to the inward 00:15:51.580 --> 00:15:56.639 man. But I see another law in my members, warring 00:15:56.639 --> 00:15:59.379 against the law of my mind and bringing me into 00:15:59.379 --> 00:16:03.320 captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 00:16:03.960 --> 00:16:07.840 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me 00:16:07.840 --> 00:16:12.659 from this body of death? I thank God through 00:16:12.659 --> 00:16:18.720 Jesus Christ our Lord. Paul was a believer. Paul 00:16:18.720 --> 00:16:22.299 was an apostle. But even he could not depend 00:16:22.299 --> 00:16:27.460 on his own strength to deliver him Our hope is 00:16:27.460 --> 00:16:31.019 in the name of the Lord God has not made you 00:16:31.019 --> 00:16:35.080 self -sufficient and Left you alone to live out 00:16:35.080 --> 00:16:39.080 the life. He gave you But he taught you to pray 00:16:39.080 --> 00:16:43.690 give us this day our daily bread He's determined 00:16:43.690 --> 00:16:46.809 to meet our daily needs by personally supplying 00:16:46.809 --> 00:16:50.789 them as we come near to him and seek him in prayer 00:16:50.789 --> 00:16:55.250 God has chosen to make us dependent on his strength 00:16:55.250 --> 00:16:58.970 That he may demonstrate his love by his personal 00:16:58.970 --> 00:17:04.289 care for us and by making us dependent on A strength 00:17:04.289 --> 00:17:08.150 that is clearly not our own He's revealed his 00:17:08.150 --> 00:17:13.859 power and brought glory to himself You cannot 00:17:13.859 --> 00:17:16.920 say, God made me a Christian, but I've made myself 00:17:16.920 --> 00:17:23.220 strong. You must depend on him for power even 00:17:23.220 --> 00:17:26.660 to will and to act according to his good purpose. 00:17:27.299 --> 00:17:30.900 As Paul says in Philippians 2 .13. It is he who 00:17:30.900 --> 00:17:33.380 began this good work in you that must carry it 00:17:33.380 --> 00:17:37.819 on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 00:17:38.420 --> 00:17:43.250 Philippians 1 .6. So if then you must have courage 00:17:43.250 --> 00:17:46.450 and determination to live as a Christian and 00:17:46.450 --> 00:17:50.349 your strength is in the Lord Then you must labor 00:17:50.349 --> 00:17:53.329 to strengthen your faith based on the mighty 00:17:53.329 --> 00:17:58.390 power of God You can't strengthen your faith 00:17:58.390 --> 00:18:02.289 by force of will You know, it's not like you 00:18:02.289 --> 00:18:05.769 need to go back in a corner somewhere and sit 00:18:05.769 --> 00:18:08.930 and clench your teeth and tighten up your muscles 00:18:08.930 --> 00:18:10.990 and say I will, I will, I will, I will, I will 00:18:10.990 --> 00:18:15.670 have more faith. It's not the way it works. Faith 00:18:15.670 --> 00:18:18.670 is a gift of God and can only be strengthened 00:18:18.670 --> 00:18:22.349 by the means he's chosen to use to increase your 00:18:22.349 --> 00:18:26.309 faith. When Paul says be strong in the Lord and 00:18:26.309 --> 00:18:29.720 in the power of his might, He's pointing us to 00:18:29.720 --> 00:18:33.079 God's almighty power as the basis for greater 00:18:33.079 --> 00:18:36.720 faith. It's as if he were saying, remember the 00:18:36.720 --> 00:18:39.400 mighty displays of God's power that you've heard 00:18:39.400 --> 00:18:44.740 about in the Word. Remember creation. Remember 00:18:44.740 --> 00:18:48.480 the flood. Remember the ten plagues and the Red 00:18:48.480 --> 00:18:51.960 Sea. Remember the walls of Jericho and the sun 00:18:51.960 --> 00:18:55.960 standing still over Gibeon. Remember David and 00:18:55.960 --> 00:19:00.029 Goliath. Remember Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. 00:19:01.569 --> 00:19:05.430 Remember Daniel in the lion's den. Remember the 00:19:05.430 --> 00:19:10.230 incarnation. Remember the Gadarene demoniac set 00:19:10.230 --> 00:19:15.869 free. Remember the raising of Lazarus. Remember 00:19:15.869 --> 00:19:21.269 the empty tomb. And remember the testimonies. 00:19:21.849 --> 00:19:26.069 Who is this king of glory? The Lord. Strong. 00:19:27.210 --> 00:19:31.750 Mighty Psalm 24 yet their Redeemer is strong 00:19:31.750 --> 00:19:38.009 the Lord Almighty is his name Jeremiah 50 34 00:19:38.009 --> 00:19:41.769 God has also given us the sacrament of the Lord's 00:19:41.769 --> 00:19:44.869 Supper that will celebrate together shortly as 00:19:44.869 --> 00:19:47.950 a means of increasing our strength as we feed 00:19:47.950 --> 00:19:50.730 upon our Lord Jesus Christ through faith and 00:19:50.730 --> 00:19:56.039 Remember the grace given to us in his death resurrection. 00:19:57.180 --> 00:20:03.099 It's no easy task to strengthen your faith when 00:20:03.099 --> 00:20:08.500 you're confronted with temptation, yet this is 00:20:08.500 --> 00:20:12.319 when it's most necessary. It's then that you 00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:14.880 need the assurance that the almighty power of 00:20:14.880 --> 00:20:18.599 God is able to deliver you from any foe, whether 00:20:18.599 --> 00:20:23.079 within or without. It's then that you must lean 00:20:23.079 --> 00:20:26.880 upon the mighty power of God to give new vitality 00:20:26.880 --> 00:20:30.880 To your faith and bring the victory over temptation 00:20:30.880 --> 00:20:34.960 Then you must lay hold of the exceeding greatness 00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:38.259 of his power toward us who believe according 00:20:38.259 --> 00:20:41.359 to the working of his mighty power which he worked 00:20:41.359 --> 00:20:44.880 in Christ when he raised him from the dead and 00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:46.880 Seated him at his right hand in the heavenly 00:20:46.880 --> 00:20:52.440 places far above all principality power and might 00:20:52.440 --> 00:20:55.880 and dominion and every name that is named not 00:20:55.880 --> 00:20:59.819 only in this age but also in that which is to 00:20:59.819 --> 00:21:04.920 come Ephesians 1 19 to 21 Paul makes this point 00:21:04.920 --> 00:21:09.140 and as Paul prayed for the Ephesian Church that 00:21:09.140 --> 00:21:11.700 he would grant you according to the riches of 00:21:11.700 --> 00:21:15.819 his glory to be strengthened with might through 00:21:15.819 --> 00:21:21.920 his spirit in the inner man so we pray for ourselves, 00:21:22.559 --> 00:21:27.299 for the church today. If we lose sight of his 00:21:27.299 --> 00:21:33.839 power, defeat may seem inevitable and surrender 00:21:33.839 --> 00:21:39.180 desirable. But if our hearts are certain of his 00:21:39.180 --> 00:21:42.920 almighty power to dispel all his and our enemies, 00:21:43.700 --> 00:21:49.619 we will press the battle against the enemy. Finally, 00:21:50.410 --> 00:21:54.730 Fourth point, you must sincerely believe that 00:21:54.730 --> 00:22:00.410 God's power is at work for your defense and your 00:22:00.410 --> 00:22:08.109 help. You are kept by the power of God unto salvation. 00:22:10.210 --> 00:22:14.390 You are God's child if you are in Christ. Will 00:22:14.390 --> 00:22:18.410 your heavenly father allow his child to be destroyed 00:22:18.410 --> 00:22:23.890 by sin and Satan? God has loved you with an everlasting 00:22:23.890 --> 00:22:27.369 love so much so that He sent His Son to die in 00:22:27.369 --> 00:22:31.109 your place. Will He not now love you enough to 00:22:31.109 --> 00:22:35.930 exert His mighty power on your behalf? God's 00:22:35.930 --> 00:22:38.390 covenant promise declares that He will be your 00:22:38.390 --> 00:22:47.970 God and will deliver you. Will He now violate 00:22:47.970 --> 00:22:52.150 His own covenant promises by failing? to demonstrate 00:22:52.150 --> 00:22:56.609 His power on your behalf. Christ now intercedes 00:22:56.609 --> 00:22:59.630 for you in heaven, seated at the right hand of 00:22:59.630 --> 00:23:02.490 the Father as your great high priest. Will the 00:23:02.490 --> 00:23:06.269 Father no longer listen to the prayers of His 00:23:06.269 --> 00:23:10.549 beloved Son? If God be for us, Paul says in Romans 00:23:10.549 --> 00:23:16.329 8 .31, who can be against us? Can you say with 00:23:16.329 --> 00:23:22.730 Paul, for I am persuaded? that neither death 00:23:22.730 --> 00:23:28.509 nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers 00:23:28.509 --> 00:23:31.210 nor things present nor things to come nor height 00:23:31.210 --> 00:23:35.250 nor depth nor any other created thing shall be 00:23:35.250 --> 00:23:39.230 able to separate us from the love of God which 00:23:39.230 --> 00:23:45.769 is in Christ Jesus our Lord God's power is at 00:23:45.769 --> 00:23:49.799 work for your defense and help You must believe 00:23:49.799 --> 00:23:54.000 it and act upon it. You must not say you believe 00:23:54.000 --> 00:23:57.000 in God's power and then give up the fight and 00:23:57.000 --> 00:24:01.140 surrender to Satan and sin. You must, as the 00:24:01.140 --> 00:24:04.720 gospel song says, trust and obey. For there's 00:24:04.720 --> 00:24:08.579 no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust 00:24:08.579 --> 00:24:12.819 and obey. If you doubt God's power or willingness, 00:24:13.039 --> 00:24:16.980 you will not trust and obey. And when you stop 00:24:16.980 --> 00:24:21.779 trusting, you lose your comfort in Christ. Brothers 00:24:21.779 --> 00:24:25.380 and sisters, we must lean on God's almighty power 00:24:25.380 --> 00:24:29.900 to deliver us from our sins even when our conscience 00:24:29.900 --> 00:24:32.619 troubles us about the magnitude of our sins. 00:24:34.339 --> 00:24:37.039 You must lean on God's almighty power when you're 00:24:37.039 --> 00:24:40.700 struggling to overcome indwelling sin and temptations. 00:24:41.880 --> 00:24:45.359 You must lean on the almighty power of God when 00:24:45.359 --> 00:24:48.599 you're struggling with duties that far exceed 00:24:48.599 --> 00:24:54.380 your abilities to complete them. So this morning 00:24:54.380 --> 00:24:59.299 the good news is our strength is in the Lord. 00:25:02.180 --> 00:25:06.180 But what of those who are without Christ? If 00:25:06.180 --> 00:25:08.619 we who are born of the Spirit are so in need 00:25:08.619 --> 00:25:10.920 of His power, what of those who do not have the 00:25:10.920 --> 00:25:14.200 Spirit of Christ? They have no strength, no power 00:25:14.200 --> 00:25:17.339 to save themselves, no power to come to God on 00:25:17.339 --> 00:25:20.279 their own, no power to defeat Satan. They need 00:25:20.279 --> 00:25:24.339 Christ. Brothers and sisters, pray that God would 00:25:24.339 --> 00:25:26.779 save those you know who are in this condition. 00:25:28.819 --> 00:25:31.819 For apart from Christ, they're without hope. 00:25:33.180 --> 00:25:35.900 My friend, if you're here today without Christ, 00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:42.410 humble yourself. Cry out to Christ. to save you 00:25:42.410 --> 00:25:47.130 finally my brothers be strong in the Lord and 00:25:47.130 --> 00:25:51.130 in the power of his might remember that you need 00:25:51.130 --> 00:25:56.150 courage and resolution to live as Christian remember 00:25:56.150 --> 00:26:00.970 your strength is in the Lord remember you must 00:26:00.970 --> 00:26:04.089 labor to strengthen your faith based on the mighty 00:26:04.089 --> 00:26:08.890 power of God and remember that you must sincerely 00:26:08.890 --> 00:26:11.930 believe that God's power is at work for your 00:26:11.930 --> 00:26:18.869 defense and help. Psalmist says, God is our refuge 00:26:18.869 --> 00:26:23.829 and strength, a very present help in trouble. 00:26:24.910 --> 00:26:32.910 Our strength is in the Lord. Let's pray. Father, 00:26:32.930 --> 00:26:38.630 give us grace. Give us grace to believe these 00:26:38.630 --> 00:26:43.250 great and precious promises. Give us grace to 00:26:43.250 --> 00:26:48.769 look to you when we feel weak, when we feel tempted, 00:26:50.789 --> 00:26:55.910 when we feel despondent. Teach us to remember 00:26:55.910 --> 00:27:00.309 that our strength is in the Lord. Teach us to 00:27:00.309 --> 00:27:05.980 be strong in the Lord. and in the power of his 00:27:05.980 --> 00:27:11.660 might. Enable us to do this by your Holy Spirit 00:27:11.660 --> 00:27:15.759 as you dwell in us and empower us and as you 00:27:15.759 --> 00:27:18.819 continue that good work that you've begun in 00:27:18.819 --> 00:27:23.599 us until the day of Christ Jesus. We pray it 00:27:23.599 --> 00:27:25.740 in his name. Amen.