Rsbc 4/10/05
Sunday A.M.
Series- The Sum & Substance of Christ
SUBJECT- “THE POWER OF CHRIST UPON ME”
TEXT: 2 COR 12-9-10
Into: Before I address you this morning on this subject, I would like to point out some things from Paul’s experiences in this chapter..
(1.) The visions of Paul: vs 1-3
It appears to me that Paul was defended his Apostolic office. The expedient means to bring together, so what he is saying that it is not his norm to defend himself, and if he was going to do it here it is...
The body of evidence is what he is building to. Here it is. I will share it with you since you seek proof of Christ in me...
(2.) The unspeakable words ...vs 4-6
These words that Paul heard no doubt were words meant either that he could not understand or words that were not communicably to others. Not where he heard these words... “Paradise” this word meaning “ Upper regions of heaven” the early church fathers wrote:
The upper regions of the heavens. According to the early church Fathers, the paradise in which our first parents dwelt before the fall still exists, neither on the earth or in the heavens, but above and beyond the world...
Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
(3.) The unremovable hindrance to Paul...vs 7
Some things in our life will never change we must move on with the help and the grace of the LORD. God often puts them in our life to keep us humble... not doubt this is what happen to PAUL... we all need it..
I.... “ THE GREAT NECESSITY HE REALIZES”... VS 9
Page # 2
God’s grace is sufficient..
I want us to do a little traveling in Paul’s life this morning at this point... Even though we know something it never hurts us to hear it again and again...God has many things in it for us..
1st... The grace of God sufficient to change this man... Acts 9-1-5
1 ¶ And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks
Little did Paul know at this point what impact he would have on the world and upon the people of GOD....
2nd. The grace of God sufficient to charge him...
Acts 9-6 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
3rd. The grace of God was sufficient to challenge Saul....Acts 9-11
And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
What a Challenge to Saul. All his life a Jew, from the tribe of Benjamin , a Pharisee, member of the religious ruling body of the Israelites.. Now this man was faced with a great challenge from a vision of The LORD. Change everything he had been taught, preach Christ as the Son of GOD and GOD the son and that he is the way the truth and the life.
4th. The grace of God was sufficient to protect him...Acts 9-23-30
23 ¶ And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:
24 But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.
25 Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.
Page # 3
26 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.
27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
28 And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.
29 And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.
30 Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.
In this service this morning the LORD’S grace is sufficient to save you and change you to challenge you, to protect you...
II... “THE NEED PROCLAIMED”...VS 9
The power of Christ to rest upon him.... Paul knew he could not make it without the provisions of the LORD in his life...
1st. Without me you can do nothing...
It was said of the blind man that Christ healed these words in his testimony for Christ...John 9:33 If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. This is what Christ taught his disciples and taught Paul in the vision...
John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
We are as useless as a car without gas, a sheep without water, a body without life, a trail without a Jury and a judge. We can do nothing at all. We cannot pray, we cannot have faith, we cannot preach, effectively.
Exodus 33:15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
Churches and preachers are powerless because the LORD is not with them. I did not say that they did not have a form of godliness but I said they had not the power of the LORD with them...
Page # 4
2nd. That with Christ he could do all things: Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
What a statement...
A. It was a statement of faith..Heb 11-1 Faith is the substance of things hope for and the evidence of things not seen..
B. It was a statement of personal understanding.... “Though Christ” Not one of us here this morning can accomplish anything without the LORD JESUS CHRIST..
2 Timothy 4:17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
In the first of this chapter Paul catalogues for Timothy some wonderful advise..2 Tim 4-1-16
What could he do?
Preach and that he did, he could start churches that he did, he could write and that he did, he could defend the faith before kings etc, and that he did. He could learn whatsoever state he was in, to be content, and that he did.
His name is mentioned 159 times in the bible. One hundred thirty nine times in the book of Acts either recorded his conversion, or his missionary work or his sermons, his trails no wonder he said he could all things through Christ...
Philippians 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Back to Pastor Duplechain's Sermon Outlines