Through Him Who Gives Me Strength Philippians 4:11-13, NIV I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Let us greet each other, saying, “The Lord Jesus is with us.” Let us greet each other one more time, saying, “The Lord Jesus loves you.” I would like to share the grace of God under the title, “Through Him Who Gives Me Strength” based on Philippians 4:11-13. Please repeat after me, “Through Him who gives me strength: Through Him who gives me strength.” In the course of our lives, we need to control our hearts. As Christians, we must be filled with joy and thanksgiving in the Lord at all times. Our thanksgiving will lead us to a blessed and victorious life full of God’s miracles. A few decades ago, a man with a very high position underwent a medical check-up because he was not feeling very well and extremely busy in preparation for the ‘88 Seoul Olympic Games. Liver cancer was found. He was totally shocked. Even though he was a heavy drinker, he had been so healthy that he rarely caught a cold. He was an accomplished athlete as well. He was a black belt wearer in Taekwondo and Hapkido martial arts. As soon as he heard he had liver cancer, he was deeply dismayed. Because of his fear of death, he was unable to guard his heart. His cancer spread quickly and he died 28 days after the check-up. His doctor said, “If he had not known that he had cancer, he would have lived at least a year longer. He was so shocked that his body immune system could not function properly. The cancer spread killing him quickly.” Therefore we need to guard our hearts. We should not be easily dismayed or hurt. We should not be timid. We should not be worried or restless over small things. We need to change after believing in Jesus. We must rejoice in the Lord. We must give thanks to the Lord at all times. We must march forward with active faith throughout our lives. We must have a positive attitude. Then God will pour His grace upon us. The Apostle Paul lived a life full of unspeakable hardship and sufferings. After meeting with the Lord Jesus, Paul traveled around all Asia Minor and Europe to preach the gospel. He was severely persecuted in his labor for the Lord. He built churches wherever he went so I am sure financial problems added to his many distresses. However, according to the Scriptures, Paul never complained or lamented in disappointment. Quite opposite, he gave thanks and praises to the Lord even when he was put in prison. What was the secret of Paul’s victorious life in a troublesome situation? In Philippians 4:13, he confesses, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” I can do everything through Him?Jesus Christ?who gives me strength. Even when there were countless problems and difficulties, even though he faced severe suffering, and even when people conspired against him, since he was in the Lord Jesus, Paul could claim victory over all the problems, overcoming them more than adequately. Therefore, as the children of God, we must dwell in the Lord who gives us strength. Then what should we do to live a life in the Lord? First, we must be content in all circumstances. Philippians 4:11 says, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Repeat after me, “I have learned to be content.” Hallelujah! Paul learned to be content in all circumstances. Even when he was surrounded by problems, even when he encountered various suffering, even when he was in pain, he was content. Since Paul was always content, God was with him and blessed him so that he could overcome all difficulties and gain victory. Paul built churches wherever he went. Through him, God solved many church problems, healed various diseases, and performed miracles. Before meeting the Lord Jesus, he had many things to be proud of. He had a good family background. He was a born Roman citizen, which was quite a privilege. He was very well educated at the most prestigious academic sect. He had a promising future since he was highly recognized by the Sanhedrin. Despite his background, after meeting with the Lord Jesus, he gave everything up and committed his whole life to the Lord. Consequently, many persecutions followed. Unspeakably severe trouble followed him. However, he overcame all these problems in the Lord and achieved great works of the Lord. Therefore, give thanks to the Lord in all circumstances. Praise the Lord all the time. Never complain or make a murmur. When complaining becomes a habit, it will be accompanied by endless problems, pain, and hopelessness. On the other hand, if we give thanks to the Lord even in times of trouble, He will turn the problems into blessings. Rev. Eun-Ho Kim, the Senior Pastor of Olympic Church, is a close friend of mine. He gave me his book, Like a Dream. I was impressed by reading the book. He started his church with only three members. Over the twenty years of building his church he went through very many difficult times. However, he had consistently held on to God, and today, he has 10,000 members in his church. He was the seventh child among eight children. When he pioneered a church he set three rules. 1. He would never bring people from the church he had served before. 2. He would not fill his church with his relatives. Since he has many brothers and sisters, if they all had come to his church, he was afraid he might trust them more than God. 3. He would not solicit anybody for financial help. He started his church with only three members; one adult and two students. Since his wife was a school teacher, they got a loan from a bank and rented a small space in a commercial building. It was very hard for him to pioneer a church. They had early prayer meetings but he spoke to an audience of one person: his wife. It was very painful but disciplinary. He often had no food. Since he made it a rule not to ask for anyone’s help, he only prayed to the Lord. At one point, Rev. Eun-Ho Kim had a chance to visit reviving churches in the United States. He went there and experienced the grace of the Holy Spirit. He started a strong Holy Spirit movement when he came back. I went to his church once. His church is a Presbyterian church but it is like a Full Gospel church. They pray fervently. Their praises and prayers are strong. His people were taught to hang on to God through prayers, and God blessed them. They did not complain or murmur but gave thanks to God in times of despair, giving praises and glory to God. His sermon is similar to Pastor Yonggi Cho’s. He urges his church members to live actively, positively, creatively, and productively. He delivers the four dimensional spiritual messages. His church members are greatly inspired and filled with the Holy Spirit. The Olympic Church started with three members but now it has more than 10,000 members after 20 years. Hallelujah! Let us give glory to God. Even though Rev. Kim had nothing to eat, he was content with the situation he was in. That is why God has blessed him and his church so much. 2 Timothy 6:6-8 says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” When we are content with what we have, when we are self-satisfied, it is as if we received all things already. Dr. David Soper, a Criminal Psychologist, wrote the following in his book, God Is Inescapable. “The basic difference between a prison and a monastery is the difference between griping and gratitude. Certainly this is true. Imprisoned criminals generally would spend their waking moments griping. Voluntarily self-imprisoned saints spend many of their waking moments offering thanks to God. When a criminal becomes a saint, a prison may become a monastery and when a saint gives up gratitude, a monastery may become a prison.” Wherever we are, our attitude toward the surroundings will change the surroundings. When we complain, it will turn out to be a prison of hopelessness. If we give thanks and rejoice, it will change into a blessed place. We must make up our minds, saying, “I will give thanks for the rest of my life. I will have a positive attitude. I will lead a meaningful and worthwhile life. I will not complain over small things or blame others.” Some people blame their parents for their misfortune, saying, “My parents did a lousy job in raising me.” Some people blame other people, saying, “I was deceived and betrayed by others.” People are apt to blame others. There are many people who are successful even though they were orphans. Therefore, instead of complaining about something that you do not have, march forward with faith, giving thanks to God for what you have. I want your life to be filled with absolute thanksgiving. When you give absolute thanks to God, He will bless you. When we give thanks to God even when we have problems, even when things are hopeless, even when we are in trouble, God will perform His miracles, turning our hopelessness into hope, sorrow into joy, and sickness into good health. Matthew Henry was a well-known Bible commentator. Once, while Henry was traveling by horseback on his preaching circuit, he was held up and robbed. That night he recorded the incident in his journal. He concluded the record with the following prayer: “I thank Thee first because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed and not I who robbed.” Hallelujah! He gave thanks to God because it was he who had been robbed not the other way around. His faith is admirable. Ordinary people would have said, “God, how can you do this to me? Why should I be robbed when I was on my preaching circuit? You should have punished him by hitting him with lightening or striking him with a heart attack. Why should I lose my possessions?” However, Matthew Henry was a servant of God with strong faith and gratitude. And, as such, he could give thanks to God even after he had been robbed. How much thanks do you give to God? When we look around, we can find so many things that God has given to us. Nonetheless, we have not thanked God enough for that. Instead we have complained and murmured, blaming and criticizing others. Now, let us put our old self and our past wrongdoings under the Cross. I pray that you will renew your heart. I urge you to make a resolution of your hearts and say to God, “Heavenly Father, I want to give thanks to You for the rest of my life.” Second, God delights in those who adjust themselves to every situation. Philippians 4:12 says, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Once we get used to more comfortable situations, we are likely to forget what it was like before. When a once poverty-stricken person becomes rich, he does not remember what it was like being poor. That is why he does not give something to the poor around him in charity. As true children of God, we should give thanks to God in all circumstances. We must give thanks to God even when there is no food to eat. We must give thanks to God when things go well and when things go wrong around us because all things will work together for our benefit and because God will be glorified through them. That is why we need to adjust ourselves to any situation. There was a lady who was the youngest child of an affluent family. She wanted to live independently so she left home. Soon she found out it was very hard to live on her own. One day she was washing her clothes in cold water on a cold winter day. That day she decided go back home, realizing that she could not do endure her independent life anymore. It is very hard to adjust ourselves to hard situations. However, as Christians, we need to give thanks to God in any situation. God will pour His grace and blessings on us through our thanksgiving. The life of the Apostle Paul was filled with sufferings. Paul speaks about his sufferings in 2 Corinthians 11:23-27. Scripture says, “Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.” Even though Paul was severely persecuted, he was content in all circumstances, giving praises and thanks to the Lord. Do not be afraid of sufferings. Do not fear the problems that come to you. Do not be intimidated because you have weak points. Even though Paul was a great Apostle and achieved great things, he also had weaknesses. He had a thorn in his flesh. He did not say what exactly the thorn was. Bible scholars have different opinions about it. Some scholars think that he might have had epilepsy. Other scholars think he had bad eyesight due to an eye disease. I also think that he had bad eyesight because he had been blinded by the strong light. I hope those who have bad eyesight will be comforted. Anyway, Paul could not read or write small letters. He could read big letters only. Three times he pleaded with the Lord to take it away from him. People may have criticized him, saying, “You say that you can raise the dead and heal the sick. Why can’t you heal your own disease?” So he pleaded with God, “Heavenly Father, remove the thorn away from me.” Even though he pleaded with the Lord three times, it was not taken away from him. Then the Lord said to him, in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul realized the meaning of the thorn on his flesh. He came to know that God allowed the thorn to be in his flesh so that he might not be arrogant?God wanted him to be humble and to understand greater grace of God. This is why Paul confesses in 1 Corinthians 12:9-10, “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. 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.” When we are weak, when we are broken, and when we are lowered, the Lord works strongly on us to accomplish His wonderful work. When we are weak, He comes into our lives and works great wonders with His strength. We must make a confession to the Lord, “I am nothing, Lord. I am weak and worthless. I leave all things to You. Work on me. Use me for Your glory.” Do not be proud of yourself when things go well and smooth. You should never take the credit, saying, “Things go well because I am so good.” Things go well because the Lord is with you. When things go bad, on the other hand, do not be dismayed. At such times, humble yourself and cling to the Lord more fervently so that all things work together for your benefit. Then good things will happen to you in the end. That is why Paul had absolutely positive faith about his weakness, overcoming all the difficulties. He was used by the Lord as a great Apostle throughout his life. Even if you have weakness, do not be dismayed by concentrating on it. Do not be tormented by the hurts from your past. You have been renewed. You are a new creation now. March forward with faith. God will be with you. When you are weak, when you are broken, the Lord works more strongly on you, accomplishing greater works, and receiving glory from you. Therefore, your weakness will be used as tools for God’s blessings to strengthen your faith and to make you more dedicated to God like Paul’s thorn. Pilgrim's Progress written by John Bunyan is the most successful allegory ever written, and it has been read by the largest number of people second only to the Bible. It is a novel of a Christian’s journey to the kingdom of heaven. This book inspired many people, leading many to the Lord. Do you know the background of the writing? John Bunyan was imprisoned for preaching without a license. He did not know when and if he would be freed. So he knelt down before the Lord and prayed, “Lord, it is too hard for me to be confined in prison. Please release me out of the prison.” One day he heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “My grace is sufficient for you.” He prayed more and he heard the voice the second time, “My grace is sufficient for you.” He prayed more and he heard the voice again the third time, “My grace is sufficient for you.” Since then Bunyan stopped complaining about his imprisonment. He did not blame others for his confinement. Believing that it was God’s will for him to be confined, he began writing Pilgrim’s Progress. God received great glory through this book. If he had been busy, preaching and meeting many people, he would not have had time to write a book. He was confined in a prison for 12 years during which time he had intimate fellowship with God. He wrote a masterpiece and gave glory to God through his work. We are always surrounded by suffering, trouble, poverty, and failure. It would be nicer if we do not have to go through them but they are there as long as we live in the flesh. Psalm 90:10 says, “The length of our days are seventy years?or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.” Even when you have problems, rejoice in the Lord and overcome all the problems by giving thanks to God. When you give thanks to God in times of hopelessness, your hopelessness will turn into marvelous blessing and hope. The prophet Habakkuk said a prayer of thanksgiving in times of despair. Habakkuk 3:17-18 says, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” He had practically nothing at all but he would rejoice in the Lord and he would be joyful in God his Savior! Colonel Harland Sanders was the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, the worldwide Franchise restaurants. His father died when he was 6. He lived with his mother and two younger brothers. He started working in a farm at the age of 10. When his mother remarried when he was 12, he dropped out of school, left home, and lived alone, working many jobs. When Colonel Harland Sanders retired at the age of 65, he had little to show for himself, except a $105 monthly Social Security pension check. He knew that he could not live on his pension. His career did not end there. He had a great dream in the Lord. He had developed his method of cooking chicken and he wanted to sell his recipe to restaurant owners. He bought a van, took his chicken recipe in hand, got behind the wheel of his van, and set out to make his fortune. He went to a restaurant and said, “I will give you my chicken recipe if you, in turn, give me a residual for every piece of chicken you sell?5 cents per chicken.” The restaurant owner thought Sanders was a little crazy and turned him down. He went to another restaurant and said, “I will give you my chicken recipe if you give me a royalty for it.” The restaurant owner rejected his offer, too. Do you know how many restaurants did he go to? The first 1008 sales calls Colonel Sanders made ended in rejection. Prospect number 1009 gave him his first “yes.” After two years of making daily sales calls, he signed up a total of five restaurants. But by 1963 the Colonel had 600 restaurants across the country. His business expanded rapidly and became a big enterprise, called Kentucky Fried Chicken, now having in excess of 30,000 franchise restaurants in more than 100 countries. Even though the sales made him a multi-millionaire, he continued to represent and promote KFC until his death in 1990. At the age of 65, when others would stop what they were doing, Colonel Sanders started a new business and did a great thing for the rest of his life. What a reversal! Even though Colonel Sander’s life began as an orphan, and did not show much success at 65, thereafter God blessed him so greatly after he became very successful. When you have the attitude to be content in all circumstances, God will lift you up. God will pour His blessings upon you. Your suffering will lead you to the blessings of God. Third, we need the life of power in the Lord in order to be blessed by God. Please repeat after me, “Life of power in the Lord.” I want to emphasize Philippians 4:13, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Paul could endure all the problems, pain, hunger, and hardships more than adequately because he was staying in the Lord, who gave him strength. It is true. We also can do everything in the Lord Jesus Christ who strengthens us. There is nothing we can do on our own. We cannot solve our own problems. We are bound to despair by looking at our weakness. Nevertheless, everything is possible in the Lord. The Apostle Paul emphasized the phrase “in the Lord” so often that he used this phrase more than 160 times in his epistles?in the Lord and in Christ. In the Lord and in Christ! Hallelujah! No matter what the circumstances, as long as we stay in the Lord, God will bless us. He will pour His grace upon us. A great spiritual leader and writer Henry Nouwen wrote in his book Here and Now: “Joy is not the same as happiness. We can be unhappy about many things, but joy can still be there because it comes from the knowledge of God’s love for us.” Hallelujah! Since we have the love of the Lord, we can rejoice in any depressing surroundings. We can give thanks to God. We can give glory to God. When we are in poverty, we may be dismayed because of our poverty. When we are in opulence, we may be arrogant because of our opulence. We must focus on the Lord whether we are in poverty or opulence because all things are possible in the Lord. Look unto the Lord. When we look unto the Lord, we will experience marvelous grace and blessings from the Lord. We will experience healing and forgiveness flowing like a river. When Peter saw Jesus walking on the water, he said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, tell me to come to You on the water.” Jesus said, “Come.” Then Peter walked on the water for the first time in human history. While walking on the water, he looked around and saw the violent storm. The moment he saw the wind, he was afraid and began to sink. Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him and said, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When we focus on the Lord Jesus, we can walk on the stormy water. We can walk on the water of hopelessness. We can walk on the water of disease. We can walk on the water of suffering. As long as we keep focusing on Jesus, nothing is impossible for us. All the problems will be resolved. The Lord will perform miracles for us. Look unto the Lord. March forward with faith in Him. Do not despair. When the Lord is with us, we can be more than conquerors of all the problems no matter what. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 says, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” Hallelujah! The Lord gives us the power to win. He helps us to overcome all the problems. We cannot solve our problems on our own. Since our suffering is so big, we sometimes cannot do anything but cry, unable to talk to people or to sleep at night. Even though we cannot do anything about it, even though we do not have the power to handle it - in the Lord, it is possible to overcome it. We are more than conquerors by the power and the help of the Lord. Be patient a little more. Endure a little bit more and march forward with faith. Never give up. Never step backward but march forward, fixing your eyes on the Lord. Then the Lord will perform miracles for you. We should not collapse in hopelessness just because we have problems in our lives. Instead of looking at the problems, we must look unto the Lord, saying, “Lord, it is too much for me to endure. Have mercy on me.” Never hold a grudge. Never complain. Never despair. Never indulge yourself in self-pity. Never say you cannot do it. Learn how to give thanks to the Lord even in times of suffering and learn how to be content in the Lord even in depressing situations. Then God will bless you. 2 Corinthians 9:8 says, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” The Lord is with us. The Lord Jesus, who is the Lord of lords and the King of kings, is with us. Never be dismayed. The Lord blesses us through His Word today. Inscribe Philippians 4:13 on your hearts, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Let us pray. Our Father of infinite love, grace, and mercy, we give thanks to You for the message, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Bless us so that we may be content in all circumstances, giving thanks to You throughout our lives. Help us to be more than conquerors with Your power. Make us your faithful servants. With gratitude, I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.