Sermons by Mike Blume

WALKING AS THOUGH GOD'S POWER TO RESURRECT AND ENTHRONE CHRIST IS TOWARDS US

April 1, 2012
MF Blume

Scripture Text:

Joshua 1:5-6 KJV There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. (6) Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.

Ephesians 6:10-13 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. (11) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (13) Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

By being IN CHRIST (in the Lord) we could not have a more perfect UNION with God, moreso than God said He’d be WITH Joshua.

We live too much like GOD IS NOT WITH US.

Recall that our blessings are in HEAVENLY REALMS, We are seated in heavenly places with Jesus, and we war against spirits in heavenly places.

(Ephesians 1:3 NIVUK) Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Eph 1:19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,

Eph. 2:5 (NIV) that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.

(Ephesians 6:12 NIVUK) 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.

Just as Israel's Exodus started with the blood of the lamb and their inclusion in that "death", Ephesians starts out talking about Christ’s DEATH which led to His resurrection, and the power to raise and enthrone Him IS WITH US.

(Ephesians 1:19-21 KJV) And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

Christ died and was raised above all principality and power.
·    God puts us in that place of Christ’s death and raises us up from there.

Christ is over the principalities that occupy our blessings in heavenly places.
·    And we were raised with him over these principalities.
·    But we must be strong IN THE LORD by being aware of these things, which is awareness of what is ours by BEING IN CHRIST.

How do we get INTO CHRIST?

1 Corinthians 12:13 KJV (13) For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Galatians 3:27 KJV For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Now that we are baptized into Christ, BE STRONG IN HIM. Know what you got INTO.

(Ephesians 6:10-12 KJV) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

We are trying to be strong in our own might and that disallows us from being strong IN HIS MIGHT.
Until we stop trying IN OUR MIGHT, we will not be strong IN HIS MIGHT.

Moses' error was doing what was right in his eyes.
·    Not even thinking the Lord might have a specific way to do things.
·    That is walking after the flesh.
·    We are in the position to succeed, but we need to be made aware of what hinders Him and what does not now that we are there.

Joshua 1: (11) Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it.

This is precisely the timeframe in which the gospel was fulfilled in Jesus for us by his death, burial and resurrection.
·    Getting the truths of what Paul taught about the death, burial and resurrection in our spirits is like enduring those three days, because it took three days for him to experience that.
·    So three days in the bible stands for however long it takes for you to get the revelation that God wants you to have about your death with Jesus, and your burial and resurrection.
·    It might take 2.5 years, or weeks, but when you get the revelation of what it took three days for Jesus to experience for you" it is spiritually as though you endured those three days finally.

It’s like saying WHEN YOU FINALLY UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF YOUR IDENTIFICATION WITH HIM IN HIS death, burial and resurrection, YOU PASS OVER!

Joshua was told to WALK on the ground.

Joshua 1:3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.

2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

After teaching us that we are OVER every principality in heavenly places, we are told this:

Ephesians 4:1 KJV I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

WALK OUT IN YOUR LIFE WHAT YOU NOW HAVE LEARNED about yourself.

WALKING IS LIVING LIKE IT IS TRUE now!

Read that the MIGHTY POWER of God that raised up Jesus and enthroned Him IS TOWARDS US…

Ephesians 1:17-20 KJV That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: (18) The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, (19) And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, (20) Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
…NOW,

Ephesians 6:10 KJV Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT
Is
HIS MIGHTY POWER of Eph 1:19
When you know that, you realize you overcome principalities with the same power that resurrected and enthroned JESUS!

BE STRONG IN THAT POWER now!
It is TOWARDS US!

When we do what is right in our own eyes, it is doing things in our own power.
~No reliance on God’s Spirit.
~Such people cannot be anointed.
But we receive revelation in Eph 1 that there is a POWER TOWARDS us that is the same exact power by which God raised up Jesus from death and enthroned Him.
~If that power raised Jesus from death, that would be enough!
~But it is more!
~He raised him and ENTHRONED HIM!
~That would have been enough, too.
~But still more!
~He raised him up and enthroned Him OVER EVERY NAME THAT IS NAMED.
The same heavenly places where our blessings are and where there are inhabitants in the form of principalities.
~But HE IS SEATED OVER THOSE PRINCIPALITIES in heavenly places and so are we WITH HIM!
~Therefore, we need to look at those principalities and let them know THAT WE KNOW we are seated over them WITH CHRIST!
~The combination of US WITH CHRIST is the key!
OUR FEET are important!

Luke 10:19 KJV Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Joshua 10:24 KJV And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.

The name “JOSHUA” is “JESUS” in Hebrew.

JESUS in His humanity was told to BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS.

Joshua 1:5-6 KJV There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. (6) Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.

And JESUS TELLS US:

Joshua 10:25 KJV And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.

OUR FEET ARE IMPORTANT.

Ephesians 6:14-15 KJV Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; (15) And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

After telling us to STAND, he refers to our feet and says our FEET must be shod with the preparation of the Gospel.

In other words, once you UNDERSTAND the revelation of the GOSPEL, HIS DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION, and how YOU are included in that, you are PREPARED IN SPIRIT TO WALK the walk AND make the STAND required to VICTORIOUS CHRISTIAN LIVING!

David Huff wrote a Song “ARE YOU GONNA STAND UP?”
In it he wrote the words, “THE WORD OF GOD IS ALWAYS RIGHT, NOW WE FIGHT.”
“PUT YOUR FOOT UPON THE DEVIL, KICK HIM DOWN!”

1 John 2:6 KJV He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

WALKING stands for LIVING.
Romans 6:4 KJV Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.