WEBVTT 00:00:10.560 --> 00:00:13.359 Very simple verse to memorize. 00:00:13.759 --> 00:00:18.800 It says, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his mind. 00:00:24.160 --> 00:00:28.160 Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his mind. 00:00:28.399 --> 00:00:46.560 I want to thank God so much for the elders here at Trinity Community Church for their vision and this opportunity they have given us to just release what God has given us and to grow in the gifts that the Lord has for us. 00:00:46.799 --> 00:00:58.159 And I also want to use this opportunity to thank Trinity Community Church for the love, great support you showed us during our time of grief. 00:00:58.320 --> 00:01:01.920 And your love made our pain bearable. 00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:05.200 So I want to take this opportunity and say thank you. 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:07.599 Thank you. 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:10.400 We feel the love so much, it's so deep. 00:01:10.879 --> 00:01:15.760 Says, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his mind. 00:01:16.400 --> 00:01:20.640 And the first thing he said, he said, finally. 00:01:21.200 --> 00:01:23.760 And Paul loves to use the word finally. 00:01:24.480 --> 00:01:28.480 And in the book of Philippians, he used finally twice. 00:01:29.120 --> 00:01:33.359 And I had a story about a boy who went to church with his mom. 00:01:33.519 --> 00:01:39.120 And there was a speaker speaking, and he said, finally, and he spoke for 30 minutes. 00:01:39.359 --> 00:01:42.879 And then he said, finally, and he spoke for another 30 minutes. 00:01:43.120 --> 00:01:46.799 So the boy asked the mom, Mom, what's the meaning of finally? 00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:50.959 He wasn't sure what finally meant. 00:01:51.359 --> 00:01:58.319 So what Paul meant by finally was he was going to address the final things. 00:01:58.480 --> 00:02:00.159 The finally means finally. 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:08.240 He's addressing some important things that as believers in Christ, we need to be equipped with. 00:02:08.319 --> 00:02:11.759 And I love the theme for this study, equipped to stand. 00:02:12.560 --> 00:02:16.719 And the teachings that he presented here is so important. 00:02:17.199 --> 00:02:20.879 But he started from somewhere before he got to finally. 00:02:21.120 --> 00:02:30.960 And I'm thankful so much for Trinity Community Church, how for eight months we've been delving into the book of Ephesians, and we've learned a lot. 00:02:31.199 --> 00:02:36.639 When I became born again, I was told that I'm in a warfare and I need to fight. 00:02:36.800 --> 00:02:45.360 And I knew that there was warfare going on because where I grew up in Ghana, you don't need to be told that there is warfare going on. 00:02:45.680 --> 00:02:50.879 Because sometimes I can be sleeping and you can literally feel that you're fighting with something. 00:02:51.759 --> 00:02:54.879 And so I knew there was something going on. 00:02:55.120 --> 00:02:58.560 But all that I was taught was to fight. 00:02:58.719 --> 00:03:06.960 So I wasn't really anchored in the truth of the gospel, my position in Christ, and all of that. 00:03:07.039 --> 00:03:20.719 But here at Trinity, the elders take their time and they've been teaching us where we stand in Christ and how we ought to walk in Christ and grow into Christ. 00:03:20.879 --> 00:03:31.680 So it's so important that we are anchored in the truth of the gospel, in the unsearchable riches of the gospel, even as we engage in warfare. 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:37.280 Tonight I want to share what being strong in the Lord is now. 00:03:37.599 --> 00:03:41.919 And then I'll move to what it actually means to be strong in the Lord. 00:03:42.240 --> 00:03:53.039 So, first of all, being strong in the Lord is not based on our physical or emotional state. 00:03:53.840 --> 00:04:02.400 So one can be physically weak and emotionally very weak, yet strong in the Lord. 00:04:02.719 --> 00:04:13.199 So being strong in the Lord is not an expression of our physical or emotional state, but an inward disposition based on our position in Christ. 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:28.480 And we all know that Paul, in time of his great weakness, he said, his grace, God said to him, My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. 00:04:28.959 --> 00:04:35.839 Another thing is that being strong in the Lord is not a denier of our of our state. 00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:11.600 It's good to be positive, but sometimes we may be going through something, but if you try to express it, they may say, Oh, you are not very strong in the Lord. 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:17.600 But being strong in the Lord is not denying our state, it's not denying what we are going through. 00:05:17.839 --> 00:05:20.000 Paul didn't deny his weakness. 00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:31.839 He said he was weak and he had a ton in the flesh that he was dealing with, and he prayed to God on three occasions that that weakness would be taken away. 00:05:31.920 --> 00:05:33.519 So he didn't deny it. 00:05:33.839 --> 00:05:39.120 And so being strong in God is not denying our weakness. 00:05:40.240 --> 00:05:46.959 Also, being strong in the Lord has nothing to do with our ability, our giftings, or personality. 00:05:49.360 --> 00:05:56.480 It is not based on our gifts or our ability or our personality. 00:05:56.879 --> 00:06:05.920 But what then is being strong in the Lord is number one, being strong in the Lord is the work of grace. 00:06:06.639 --> 00:06:11.600 Because without the grace of God, we cannot be strong in God. 00:06:11.759 --> 00:06:21.040 And I want us to read First Corinthians chapter 1, verse 26 to 31. 00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:25.439 This is Paul speaking here. 00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:42.399 Not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. 00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:50.480 But God has chosen the foolish, the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise. 00:06:50.879 --> 00:06:58.319 And God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are mighty. 00:06:59.199 --> 00:07:04.000 And the base things of the world, God has chosen. 00:07:05.279 --> 00:07:30.079 He has chosen the despised, the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence, but of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. 00:07:30.639 --> 00:07:36.959 That as it is written, he who glories, let him glory in the Lord. 00:07:37.360 --> 00:07:47.680 And so from this scripture, we know that it is not about our strength or our weak uh our ability, it is just the work of God's grace. 00:07:47.920 --> 00:07:49.040 God chose us. 00:07:49.279 --> 00:07:51.199 I love this word in Romans 5. 00:07:51.279 --> 00:07:56.000 He says, While we were weak, Christ died for the ungodly. 00:07:56.399 --> 00:07:59.120 God chose us even when we were weak. 00:07:59.360 --> 00:08:01.759 It is the work of his grace. 00:08:01.920 --> 00:08:07.279 And so being strong in the Lord is the work of the grace of God. 00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:13.519 And as I mentioned before, what God told Paul, his grace is sufficient. 00:08:15.040 --> 00:08:20.079 Being strong in the Lord flows from intimacy with God. 00:08:20.560 --> 00:08:28.240 And one of the verses that I love so much from the book of Daniel, chapter 30, chapter 11, verse 32, the B part. 00:08:28.399 --> 00:08:34.480 It says, The people who know their God, they shall be strong, and they will do exploits. 00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:44.879 And so being strong in the Lord, in the Greek word, it says in dunamo, it means we are growing, we are becoming something. 00:08:45.120 --> 00:08:49.039 It is not just a permanent state, it's growth. 00:08:49.279 --> 00:08:51.039 We are becoming strong. 00:08:51.360 --> 00:08:59.200 And so being strong in God flows from our intimacy with God. 00:08:59.440 --> 00:09:12.480 When we know God, when we love on God, when we fellowship with God and fellowship with the body of Christ, we are growing in our intimacy with God. 00:09:12.720 --> 00:09:16.480 And from that, he says that we will become strong. 00:09:16.799 --> 00:09:20.320 So it's based on our relationship with God. 00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:25.600 And Nehemiah said it, he said, the joy of the Lord is our strength. 00:09:25.840 --> 00:09:27.759 And how do we get joy? 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:29.919 It is the fruit of the spirit. 00:09:30.159 --> 00:09:37.360 And as we fellowship with God, he cultivates that spirit of joy that the world cannot explain. 00:09:37.840 --> 00:09:43.759 And so David, joy was so important to him in his prayer of repentance. 00:09:43.919 --> 00:09:46.559 He said, Restore the joy of salvation. 00:09:47.039 --> 00:09:52.720 Because he knew that when he loses the joy of God, the strength is gone. 00:09:53.679 --> 00:10:00.080 And the moment we have the joy of salvation, we have the strength of God. 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:08.879 And so tonight I pray that God will restore to us the joy of salvation in Jesus' name. 00:10:13.360 --> 00:10:17.360 Also, being strong in the Lord is abiding in Christ. 00:10:18.799 --> 00:10:20.639 We need to abide in him. 00:10:21.360 --> 00:10:23.840 Without him, we can do nothing. 00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:28.720 John, the Gospel of John, chapter 15, verse 4. 00:10:29.759 --> 00:10:31.039 We need to abide. 00:10:31.200 --> 00:10:34.720 As branches, we need to abide in the vine. 00:10:35.039 --> 00:10:40.000 And once we abide in him, we get our strength from him. 00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:50.240 And anytime I think about being strong in the Lord, when I was reflecting on this and I looked at David, I love David so much. 00:10:50.399 --> 00:10:52.879 And he was in a very difficult place. 00:10:53.039 --> 00:10:55.279 He was living in a place called Ziglach. 00:10:55.759 --> 00:11:01.279 And that place was given to him by King Archish of Gath. 00:11:01.679 --> 00:11:04.240 The Philistine came, gave him that place. 00:11:04.480 --> 00:11:14.720 When David was fleeing from Saul, Saul wanted to kill him, so David said, Well, if I go to the enemy's country, Saul will stop pursuing me. 00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:18.399 So he fled and went to the land of the Philistines. 00:11:18.639 --> 00:11:23.360 And truly, Saul didn't pursue him again until Saul died in battle. 00:11:23.679 --> 00:11:30.240 But the King Arkish gave David Ziglag, and Ziglag means winding. 00:11:30.960 --> 00:11:33.120 It's a place of winding. 00:11:33.360 --> 00:11:36.399 And it also means enveloped in grief. 00:11:36.879 --> 00:11:40.080 And so David lived in Ziglag for a while. 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:51.360 While he would go out and he would destroy the Philistine towns and destroy everything so that they won't go back and tell Akish that David has been destroying your people. 00:11:51.919 --> 00:11:55.360 So one time David went out and they came back. 00:11:55.519 --> 00:11:57.360 Many of us know the story. 00:11:57.679 --> 00:12:00.879 The city Ziglag was burned down. 00:12:01.919 --> 00:12:03.600 Nothing was left. 00:12:04.480 --> 00:12:16.639 And the men of David, about 600 mighty men who were with David, decided that they were going to stone him because they were blaming David for their predicament. 00:12:17.039 --> 00:12:18.960 Everybody was grieving for their children. 00:12:19.200 --> 00:12:22.559 Sons and daughters, wives are all gone. 00:12:23.120 --> 00:12:25.039 Where are you going to find the enemy? 00:12:25.120 --> 00:12:25.919 Who did this? 00:12:26.080 --> 00:12:27.679 They didn't know what to do. 00:12:27.919 --> 00:12:36.240 But in the midst of the difficulty, the Bible says, but David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. 00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:44.399 And when I when I was looking at the Hebrew word for strengthened, it means that he repaired himself. 00:12:48.720 --> 00:12:59.440 When all was against him, when his own people were against him, David decided that I'm just going to rest in God for a minute. 00:12:59.679 --> 00:13:02.320 I'm just going to seek the face of God. 00:13:02.639 --> 00:13:04.960 I'm just going to inquire of God. 00:13:05.759 --> 00:13:11.440 David, he said, The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? 00:13:11.759 --> 00:13:15.840 The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? 00:13:16.080 --> 00:13:23.679 He said, When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and they fell. 00:13:23.919 --> 00:13:27.440 Though one who should encamp against me, my heart will not fear. 00:13:27.679 --> 00:13:31.600 Though war should rise up against me, in this will I be confident. 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:35.759 One thing have I desired of the Lord, and that will I seek after. 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:45.600 That I will dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. 00:13:45.840 --> 00:13:50.240 For in times of trouble, he will hide me in his tabernacle. 00:13:50.480 --> 00:13:53.600 In the secret of his tabernacle, he will hide me. 00:13:53.840 --> 00:13:57.519 And David sought God and said, God, should I pursue the enemy? 00:13:57.679 --> 00:13:59.440 And God said, Pursue. 00:13:59.840 --> 00:14:04.720 And you will surely overtake, and without fail, you will recover all. 00:14:05.039 --> 00:14:07.360 And we all know the end of the story. 00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:11.360 David pursued, and David recovered. 00:14:11.600 --> 00:14:21.840 And David got the spoils, got the wives and the children, everything back because he prioritizes relationship with God. 00:14:22.559 --> 00:14:31.120 When we are hit with a circumstance that we don't know what to do, pause and reflect on God before you take a step. 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:42.320 Before we take a step, before we decide whether to go left or right, he says, your ear shall hear a word from behind saying, This is the way. 00:14:42.720 --> 00:14:43.759 Walk in it. 00:14:44.960 --> 00:14:48.080 When you turn to the left or when you turn to the right. 00:14:48.320 --> 00:14:50.879 And that is exactly what David did. 00:14:51.360 --> 00:14:55.120 And so be strong in the Lord. 00:14:55.600 --> 00:15:05.840 Let us be strong in our relationship with God, in our intimacy with God, in our fellowship with God, in our abiding in God. 00:15:06.559 --> 00:15:09.440 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. 00:15:09.679 --> 00:15:11.600 Colossians 3:16. 00:15:11.919 --> 00:15:16.799 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. 00:15:17.120 --> 00:15:27.360 Teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your heart to God. 00:15:27.600 --> 00:15:31.120 Being strong in the Lord is resting in his love. 00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:36.480 Our powerlessness and God's powerfulness can coexist. 00:15:37.440 --> 00:15:45.039 Our weakness and God's strength can coexist when grace is in operation. 00:15:45.840 --> 00:15:57.600 Paul was weak, but in his weakness, he had the assurance that God's strength will be made perfect and in his weakness. 00:15:57.919 --> 00:16:09.840 Tonight, I know that many of us are going through different situations, but I came with a word of encouragement that the Lord is our strength. 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:13.440 The joy of the Lord is our strength. 00:16:13.679 --> 00:16:16.720 Our abiding in Christ is our strength. 00:16:16.879 --> 00:16:19.279 It is not our own making. 00:16:19.840 --> 00:16:21.840 We have no power of our own. 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:24.879 There's this song in Ghana that I love so much. 00:16:25.200 --> 00:16:27.440 Said, I have no power of my own. 00:16:27.679 --> 00:16:30.639 I depend on you, Holy Spirit. 00:16:30.879 --> 00:16:32.960 I have no power of my own. 00:16:33.279 --> 00:16:39.039 Says that you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. 00:16:39.360 --> 00:16:45.120 And from there, from our relationship with God, we become strong. 00:16:45.360 --> 00:16:49.919 We become witnesses and we express the joy of God. 00:16:50.159 --> 00:16:54.080 And people ask us, wow, there's this something about you. 00:16:54.320 --> 00:16:59.679 There's this light in you that is from the relationship with God. 00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:12.319 It's only God that can supply that strength that we need to fight our battles, to face our enemies, to recover what the enemy took from us. 00:17:12.559 --> 00:17:13.680 Shall we pray? 00:17:14.400 --> 00:17:16.640 Dear Lord, we thank you so much. 00:17:17.200 --> 00:17:23.200 Your word says that we should be strong in you and in the power of your might. 00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:28.799 We acknowledge that we have no power of our own. 00:17:29.519 --> 00:17:31.599 We acknowledge that we need you. 00:17:32.079 --> 00:17:36.240 We acknowledge that, Lord, you are our strength. 00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:41.279 Father, we ask tonight that you fill us with your spirit. 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:48.400 You will empower us, oh God, so that we will be strengthened in our relationship with you. 00:17:48.559 --> 00:17:51.200 We will grow in our knowledge of you. 00:17:51.680 --> 00:17:55.440 We thank you so much for your work tonight in Jesus' name. 00:17:55.680 --> 00:17:56.319 Amen.