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Sunday 20 January 2002 - `Answer to Powerlessness'

(Summary of sermon by  Kjell Olsen)

Eph 1:19; Col 1:11

Some use the excuse of weakness for their sin, often citing Paul as example, where he said: "When I am weak, then I am strong" and "I therefore rejoice in my weakness" But his weakness was of the type that brought grace and strength from the Lord, and was not because of being overcome by sin.

Today in the world there is an obsession with power, e.g. in films, computer games and books. And yet, most walk in complete powerlessness.

You might even experience the powerlessness right now, where life is a drag and the Bible is tasteless to you. The image of Christ in your life is gone and you feel confused. If you look back on this week, and even yesterday, you know that you've failed as always. Your thoughts are not held captive in Christ, but they hold you captive. Your emotions are so strong that you eventually give in to their cravings and afterwards regret what you've done. Or, you have again become irritable. You find that your lips are loose regarding the things of this world, but zipped when it comes to the things of God. Eventually you find that your hope becomes very dim and you believe that this is the condition in which you will always remain. You fill this void of powerlessness with other things to make life more enjoyable.

This is not the life God wants you to have - it's an abnormal Christian life, even if those around you are in the same state.

I hope that this Word will create a true hope and craving for God's power in your life. May your eyes be opened (as is Paul's prayer) to the "exceeding greatness of His power". He is still as powerful as always to save, as we read in vs 21 & 22. He is far above all principalities and powers. And this power is centered in Jesus Christ alone.This power is for us who believe, by forsaking all sin and self and embracing the Gospel.

In 1933, shortly after the depression in America, there was a certain widow who struggled to make ends meet. Eventually she went to the insurance company and took an old insurance policy out and handed it to the clerk, saying: "Sir, I come to say that I am not able any more to pay this policy." The clerk looked at it and asked her: "What does your husband say about it?" She said, "he had passed away three years ago". Then he explained to her that this policy was her husband's, and now all that he and she had paid into it, was hers, when her husband died. "You will have more than enough money to live for the rest of your life", he said.
So too is this power in Christ available to us to live victoriously over sin and Satan.

Just look at the power of the Blood. Maybe you're defeated, because you don't make use of the power of the Blood. Either you actually stand condemned because of your sin, or you are accused by the enemy. And you stand weak and condemned, because you haven't used the power of the Blood. You don't know what it is to hide yourself in the power of the Blood. In stead of hiding in the Blood, you hide from the Blood.

There was a man condemned to death by a Spanish court, because he was caught in Spanish civil war. He was a citizen of both the USA and Britain. When these two countries heard of it, they tried various diplomatic ties to free the man, but it fell on deaf ears. As a last resort to save the man, the consuls from both countries went to the jail where the man was kept on the day he was to be shot. As he was taken to the firing squad, they wrapped him in a big flag of the stars and stripes of the USA and the flag of the Union Jack of Britain. Then they said to the firing squad: "Fire if you dare, but know that when you fire you fire at the USA and Britain, for you will shoot through their flags, and will bring the powers of two great nations on you." Everything was ready, but they did not fire a shot. They could not, because of the power of the USA and Britain, which those flags represented, in which the man was wrapped.

So you need to hide yourself in the Gospel, and be clothed in this power, then you cannot be touched by the world, sin or Satan.

Then there is the power of God's Word. You might be weak, because you know not the power of His Word. You are very familiar with the power of your lusts and anger, but you do not know the power of His Word. You are so zealous for other things and temporal power that you neglect God's Word.

We also have the power of fellowship with fellow believers. We find this power with other children of God, for where two or three of His children are gathered together in His Name, there He will be in their midst.

You might also be weak, because you know not the power of prayer. You do not have a prayer-life. James 5:16-18 says that the "effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man has much power".

The power of His Holy Spirit is an absolute necessity. If you do not know this power, all your weeping etc. will be in vain. We are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and we have no excuse if we are not. To be filled with His Spirit you need to let go of sin and wholly surrender to Christ. His Holy Spirit will not fill you, while you are clinging to your sin. If He expects obedience in a particular area in your life, you need to surrender.

And so we find that you need to abide in Him always, if you are to accomplish anything for Him.