Weak is the new strong

Brixham Community Church Podcast

https://youtu.be/xJ15pEqaaA8 Weak is the new strong I’ve heard a few phrases with ‘is the new’ inserted into them. It’s used to say something is the new fashion or has replaced something else. Fish is the new meat, hair is the new hat, brown is the new black, in this office, jeans and a t-shirt are the new business suit. Age 50 is the new 40. Paul McCartney said that meat-free is the new rock n roll! I prefer the old! When I started working four days a week at school instead of five, I loved Thursdays. Thursday was the new Friday. Today we will learn that for the Christian, weak is the new strong. But first, let’s lead into this from the context of some previous talks. Returning and rebuilding We have been looking at the first 6 chapters of Ezra which depict a returning remnant from Babylon rebuilding the altar and the temple under the governance of a man called Zerubbabel. We have seen that there has been opposition to the build. I have drawn parallels between the Old Testament temple and our New Testament understanding that our bodies, and the body of Christ are temples that are to be built up. Equally, there is an enemy at work to infiltrate, discourage and destroy the building of God’s kingdom. Thankfully Jesus keeps his promises, and one of those promises states clearly that I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Matthew 16:18. We are simply his co-labourers. Today I want us to focus in on one well-known line in the book of Zechariah which was delivered while the temple was still under construction: So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty. Zechariah 4:6 As the temple was being rebuilt, God had to remind his people that it was not by their own might, power or strength that the temple would be built, but by his Spirit. This might seem odd, as it was only a building project. Just bricks and mortar. But it was a spiritual building because it was God-ordained. And that meant that there would be an enemy. Opposition to the build The devil does not hinder the work of those who wish to build temples to their own gods, things in their own name, business built just to serve the money-god Mammon. But when we begin to build something that he has ordained, Satan is up in arms. Thus, when we build our own temple – our personal spiritual edification and growth, or the growth of the wider body – Satan will surely come against it. We know that there is a spiritual realm and that there are invisible forces at work. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesian 6:12 Precious Dust In the light of this we may feel pretty weak. And despite our victory in Christ and the fact that we are seated in heavenly places where God has put all things under his feet (Ephesians 1:22-23), in the natural we are pretty weak. After all, look where we came from: Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 The Hebrew for man is Adam but that word itself sounds like the word for ‘ground’. Man is but dust! Listen to these words from the Psalms: 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. Psalm 103:13-14 These are interesting ideas because I have not so long ago preached on poor self-esteem and the importance of seeing ourselves as God sees us. But the truth is, without him we are nothing. We are weak, he is strong. But we don’t have poor self-esteem. We may be weak but we are treasured, pursued, loved and cherished by a heroic heavenly father.