OceanSide church of Christ

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SEEKING HIGHER GROUND

…in Strength (1)

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    Strength is a relative term that is measured and applied in many different ways.

1.        How much weight can a person lift?

2.       How many afflictions in life can a person endure?

3.       How many small children can an individual take care of?

4.       How many battles can a soldier withstand?

5.       How many challenges can a business owner overcome?

6.       How many important people does a person know?

7.       How many investment accounts does a person own?

 

B.      As Christians, God wants us to be strong.

1.        Verses:

a.       I Corinthians 16:13

 

Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

 

b.      Ephesians 6:10

 

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

 

2.       The strength that God wants us to possess does not lie in muscles, or numbers, or human intellect, or assets, or armies, or money.

3.       God exhorts us to have spiritual strength. 

 

C.     This strength springs from God.

1.        “The Lord is my strength and song…” (Moses, Exo. 15:2).

2.       “God is my strength and power…” (David, II Sam. 22:33).

3.       Several individuals of the past have said:  “The Lord is my strength.”

a.       David (Ps. 28:7)

b.      Jeremiah (Jer. 6:19)

c.       Habakkuk (Hab. 3:19)

4.       Ephesians 6:10

 

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

 

D.    This is the first of several lessons we will present on “Spiritual Strength.” 

1.        We will present some general lessons about the strength of God in this sermon.

2.       It is our hope that these general lessons will help us to appreciate the Lord’s strength even more.

 

I.             A STRENGTH THE WORLD DOES NOT ADMIRE OR DESIRE

 

A.    When we speak of the strength of God to the world, they neither admire it, or desire it. 

1.        They put their trust in other things.

a.       Wealth

b.      Armed forces

c.       Political parties

d.      Multitudes of people

e.       Human wisdom

2.       When you and I speak of the power of God to them, they oftentimes will despise it.

 

 

B.      Moses before Pharaoh

1.        Pharaoh of Egypt

a.       The world power of the day

b.      Sprawling kingdom

c.       Immense wealth

d.      Superb counsel

e.       Powerful army

2.       Moses appears before Pharaoh (Exo. 5:1)

 

And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.

 

3.       Pharaoh’s reaction (Exo. 5:2)

 

And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?  I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.

 

4.       Ten plagues later Pharaoh is finally convinced about the Lord’s power and commands Israel to leave Egypt.

5.       When Israel was released, the Lord established “The Feast of Unleavened Break” (Exo. 13:3-10).  Listen to the words of v. 9

 

And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the Lord’s law may be in thy mouth:  for with a strong hand hath the Lord brought thee out of Egypt.

 

C.     As we seek higher ground in strength, do not think that the world will look highly upon us.  They will mock and ridicule our efforts to rely upon the Almighty God.

 

II.           A STRENGTH THAT SHINES WHEN WE ARE WEAK

 

A.    God’s strength shines in its brilliance when man is weak.

 

B.      Noah’s ark

1.        Noah was given several instructions about how the ark was to be built.  Two stand out as we discuss this point.

a.       It was made of gopher wood (Gen. 6:14).

b.      It was pitched “within and without with pitch” (Gen. 6:14).

2.       The storm that came against that boat was powerful.

a.       “…all the fountains of the great deep” were broken up (Gen. 7:11).

b.      “…the windows of heaven were opened” (Gen. 7:11).

c.       “And rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights” (Gen. 7:12).

3.       Question:  Do you remember the ship and the storm in which Paul found himself?

a.       “And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest…” (Acts 27:18).

b.      “But when the fourteenth night was come…” (Acts 27:27).

c.       “…but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves” (Acts 27:41).

4.       When Noah and his family entered into the ark, they were committing themselves to the power of the God of heaven to save them. 

a.       Most humans know the story of Noah and the ark.

b.      There is a replica that has been built of the ark in Williamstown, KY. 

 

C.     Paul’s life (II Cor. 12:9-10)

 

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee:  for my strength is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon thee.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake:  for when I am weak, then am I strong.

III.         A STRENGTH THAT CONQUERS WHEN THE ODDS ARE AGAINST US

 

A.    Most of are deeply concerned about “the odds.”

1.        The odds of winning

2.       The odds of surviving

3.       The odds of being successful

 

B.      When it comes to fighting a battle, the logical thought is the large the army, the greater the odds of defeating the enemy.

 

C.     Gideon

1.        Gideon was the sixth judge in Israel.

2.       In Judges 7:1, Gideon pitched beside the well of Harod getting ready to do battle with the Midianites.  He began with an army of 32,000 men.

3.       The Lord purged the army of Gideon.

a.       The first purge left Gideon with 10,000 men.

b.      The second purge left Gideon with only 300 men (Judg. 7:6-7).

4.       The armies that had come against Gideon are described in Judges 7:12.

 

And the Midianites and Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.

 

5.       To make matters worse, the initial fighting instruments to be used by Gideon’s army was a pitcher, a lamp, a trumpet, and a shout.

6.       Judges 7:21-25 reveal the great victory that was achieved by Gideon and Israel that day.

 

D.    On another occasion, Jonathan, the son of Saul summed up this thought well (I Sam. 14:6).

 

And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armor, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised:  it may be that the Lord will work for us:  for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few.

 

IV.        A STRENGTH THAT CAN RESIST THE POWERS OF DARKNESS

 

A.    The strongest foe of God is the devil.

 

B.      We know that he is powerful because God’s Word constantly warns us about him (I John 5:19).

 

And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

 

1.        ASV:  the whole world lieth in the evil one

2.       NKJV:  the whole world lies under the sway of the evil one

3.       NASV & ESV:  the whole world lies under the power of the evil one

 

C.     The forces of God, however, can resist, withstand, and defeat the mighty forces of Satan.

1.        Jesus overcame the devil during the temptation in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1-11).

2.       Jesus was able to cast out demons during His earthly ministry.  In Mark 5:1-13, Jesus cast out legions of demons and sent them into the swine.

3.       Jesus soundly defeated the devil in His death and resurrection (Heb. 2:14).

 

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.

 

4.       In the Revelation, Satan and his forces are annihilated again.

a.       Revelation 17:14

These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them:  for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings:  and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

 

b.      Revelation 20:10

 

And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    Let’s stop and think about what we have said briefly.

1.        God is the source of strength for the Christian.

a.       A strength that the world will never admire or desire.

b.      A strength that shines when we are weak.

c.       A strength that conquers when the odds are against us.

d.      A strength that can resist the forces of darkness.

2.       Isn’t that a strength that intrigues you? 

Isn’t it a strength that you desire to have as a prevailing force in your life?

 

B.      As we close out 2021, let’s increase our desire to seek higher ground in the strength of the Lord.

 

C.     Psalm 71:16

 

I will go in the strength of the Lord God…