Weak Made Strong – To Strengthen, Encourage and Build you up!
When we are young we believe we are invincible.
Throughout scripture we read about human weakness and God’s strength.
• Adam and Eve ate the apple they were told not to eat
• Jacob deceived his father to gain his brother’s blessing
• Samson surrendered his authority due to lust
• David committed adultery and then murder to cover his sin
• Jonah ran away from God
• Peter denied Jesus three times
• Thomas doubted the resurrection
• Paul had a “thorn in the flesh” he struggled with.
But in all of scripture we find the Goodness of God coming through and turning around
• Individuals from Peasants to Kings are given new hope and healed
• Families are reconciled
• Nations are destroyed and created!
My talk this morning focuses on two things that God wants Kingdom Life Church to know as we grow.
KINGDOM LIFE CHURCH NEEDS TO
a) Allow Christ’s Power to rest on you
b) Become a stronger Community
I believe that as we move into this we will experience a SHIFT in the Spiritual Realm that will place us on an accelerated path to revival both personally and as a community.
I also believe that God wants to use those who are HUMBLE and OBEDIENT!
Man called Peter Riordan on RTE Radio at weekend inspired me – humility was exceptional. Wife of 48 years became ill. He cared for her for two years until she died.
“People want to ask “why me”? You know I could give you a thousand reasons why me. Troubles come and I deserved it. Not that I’m that bad but you know what I mean!”
But instead of wallowing in the pain, this guy cares for others. He’s just been voted Ireland’s carer of the year! Now 82 years old he spends all his time helping people.
ALLOWING CHRIST’S POWER TO REST ON YOU
2 Corinthians 12 v 9-10
9 But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
First Point: Allowing Christ’s Power to Rest on you
This involves humbling ourselves before God.
It means acknowledging that He is the one who has all the power.
We claim no credit for anything but give glory to God daily.
We must be familiar with the floor!
God is everywhere but His presence can manifest itself in many ways.
The Holy Spirit comes to rest where Humility and Obedience are found. If you create the environment He will be here and He will be here in great power.
That is true PERSONALLY and CORPORATELY!
GIDEON
Judges 6 v 11-16
11 The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, ‘The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.’
13 ‘Pardon me, my lord,’ Gideon replied, ‘but if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, “Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?” But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.’
14 The LORD turned to him and said, ‘Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?’
15 ‘Pardon me, my lord,’ Gideon replied, ‘but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.’
16 The LORD answered, ‘I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.’
God Chose Gideon!
Deliverance arrived in the form of The Son of God Himself! Gideon had no hope and didn’t realise that God wanted to use Him.
God chose Gideon to demonstrate that He is all powerful. All he needs is a humble, obedient heart.
Gideon was the most humble of the most humble family in the most humble tribe in all Israel. He was also very aware of that!
However, Gideon was also a man with huge POTENTIAL – only God sees the real you.
Young lions aren’t aware that they’re going to grow into the King of Beasts! They flop around playing and then one day they notice massive claws and huge muscles developing. As Christians we can be unaware of our potential because we don’t know how big God is!
As we grow we should start to flex the muscles of the Spirit within us.
HOW?
• Study God’s word for yourself
• Pray in the Spirit and deepen your walk with Him
• Pray for spiritual gifts and use them
• Make room for the Prophetic in your life and in your meetings
Gideon proceeds to test God in a number of ways before he starts to trust a little bit.
Jump forward to Chapter 7 – The Midianites are back and camped in the valley. They will soon attack again.
Chapter 7 v 1-8
7 Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. 2 The LORD said to Gideon, ‘You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, “My own strength has saved me.” 3 Now announce to the army, “Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.”’ So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.
4 But the LORD said to Gideon, ‘There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, “This one shall go with you,” he shall go; but if I say, “This one shall not go with you,” he shall not go.’
5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, ‘Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.’ 6 Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.
7 The LORD said to Gideon, ‘With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.’ 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.
32000 was too many! God wants the glory! God deserves the glory! To God be the glory!
22000 didn’t fancy it! – God knew they were just there out of duty.
9700 were too focused on their own comfort – God knew they were too self-obsessed!
300 were looking out for the others above themselves. God saw those.
Those are the men God chooses.
YOU MUST BECOME A COMMUNITY that looks out for each other.
God can win with 300!
He looks at the heart.
QUESTION: Why are you here? Is it out of duty? Is it out of religious routine? Is it because it makes you feel better?
My point is that the best reason for being here this morning is to encourage one another.
To bless someone.
STRONG COMMUNITIES LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER.
“IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD!”
Let’s see what God does next!
Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. 9 During that night the LORD said to Gideon, ‘Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. 10 If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah11 and listen to what they are saying. Afterwards, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.’ So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. 12 The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.
13 Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. ‘I had a dream,’ he was saying. ‘A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.’
14 His friend responded, ‘This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.’
15 When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshipped. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, ‘Get up! The LORD has given the Midianite camp into your hands.’ 16 Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside.
17 ‘Watch me,’ he told them. ‘Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. 18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all round the camp blow yours and shout, “For the LORD and for Gideon.”’
19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. 20 The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, ‘A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!’ 21 While each man held his position round the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.
22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah towards Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites. 24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, ‘Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah.’
So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they seized the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. 25 They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan.
Do you see my point today?
ALLOWING CHRIST’S POWER TO REST ON US
In order for this to happen…
God wants us to be HUMBLE and OBEDIENT.
He wants us to be HOSTING HIS SPIRIT IN POWER.
People outside the church need to see His Power to heal and the supernatural.
And God is BUILDING A COMMUNITY here.
A COMMUNITY SUPPORTS AND LOOKS OUT FOR EACH OTHER.
That is so attractive to people. And it is what the church is supposed to be.
FAMILY – Most people lack positive relationships in their lives.
ACTION: Be someone who is humble and obedient to God
ACTION: Be someone who has Christ’s Power resting on them
ACTION: Be someone who builds community and is a good friend.
