HE WAS STRONG ON YOUR BEHALF
AUGUST 12 2001, am
MF Blume
2 Chronicles 16:9a For the eyes
of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself
strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.
Revelation 5:5-6 And one of the elders saith
unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David,
hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts,
and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having
seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth
into all the earth.
The eyes of the Lord are said to have LOOKED ALL OVER THE ENTIRE WORLD.
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And they looked for people.
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His eyes looked for anybody of any race, creed or tongue.
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The whole world.
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And He looked for people who had to be strong but could not.
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He looked for people who faced a situations wherein they could simply not
overcome.
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They could not prevail.
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And He looked to find people who possessed a particular quality before
He would help them.
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And this quality was in having a heart that was perfect towards Him.
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IOW, a heart that was not faking their love for Him, nor faking their relationship
with God.
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And what he wanted to do was SHOW HIMSELF STRONG ON THEIR BEHALF.
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What they had to do would be done BY HIM.
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Whatever He would do, it would be what was required of them, when they
could not do it, but had to do it.
In Revelation, we read that the Lion of Judah prevailed!
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He was strong.
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And His power overcame something.
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A battle was waged and He came out the winner.
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He overcame!
And we see Him this lion as a LAMB who was SLAIN, but is there STANDING.
We see the obvious when we read this phrase.
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That which was defeated, and was overcome was nothing other than DEATH
ITSELF.
Of all the battles you will ever face, there is one that you and I simply
do not have the power to conquer.
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They say money is power.
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But all the billions of dollars that a billionaire owns cannot stop the
same 25 cent bullet, that can kill a pauper, from killing him.
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The strongest man on earth cannot stop a heart attack from crippling him
for life or even ending his life.
Of all the various battles that people in various situations would never
be able to overcome, and which God's eyes saw and sought out in order for
Himself to be strong on their behalf, GOD TOOK THE ULTIMATE BATTLE AND
ILLUSTRATED HIS VICTORY OVER IT IN REV. 5.
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THERE WHERE WE READ THAT THOSE SEVEN EYES, THAT LOOK FOR THE WEAK WHO CANNOT
OVERCOME THEIR PROBLEMS, ARE ON A LAMB.
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AND THAT LAMB IS SEEN COMING AWAY FROM A BATTLE AND A WAR.
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AND THAT WAR IS THE ULTIMATE FIGHT THAT ANYBODY WILL EVER MEET.
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ITS THE WAR THAT NOBODY ON THEIR OWN CAN EVER WIN.
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While there may be battles that some cannot overcome, who need God to overcome
on their behalf, that perhaps others COULD overcome and not require God's
help.... EVERYONE cannot withstand this one.
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Again.,.. with the eyes that look for people who cannot win... Christ is
seen after BEING SLAIN AND RISING FROM A GRAVE in VICTORY OVER DEATH, HELL
AND THE GRAVE!
The key to the entire picture is that this lamb overcame DEATH and possessed
those seven eyes that are said to have been sent forth into all the earth.
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And when we look for a reference in the Bible for particular eyes that
are sent forth into all the earth, we find 2 Chronicles. 16:9.
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And 2 Chronicles. might have been written by someone who lived over one
thousand years before John was told to write Revelation 5:6, but God expressed
His eternal desire for the human race and meant for us to connect these
words written a millennium apart from one another, and tie the picture
together.
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He meant for us to realize that THAT LAMB'S VICTORY OVER DEATH WAS THE
PICTURE OF GOD HAVING SHOWN HIMSELF STRONG AND VICTORIOUS AGAINST DEATH
ON THE BEHALF OF THOSE WHO FACED IT AND COULD NOT DEFEAT IT THEMSELVES.
What we have in Revelation is the absolute ultimate grace of God to ever
possibly be required by a human being in order to defeat an otherwise absolutely
undefeatable foe.
No matter what battle you ever face in life, remember that God ALREADY
took the enemy of death THAT EVERY PERSON WILL SIMPLY HAVE TO FACE ONE
DAY OR OTHER, and already conquered it ON YOUR BEHALF!
What a powerful helper!
I say YOUR BEHALF, but I must digress.
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I have to say what the Bible said.
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He overcame DEATH on the behalf of those whose hearts are perfect towards
him!
All of us were appointed to meet death one day, -- before we were even
born.
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All of us therefore require God's kind of help in that situation.
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Some feel they are not evil enough to have to bother with church.
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But every single person has an appointment with the grim reaper.
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You cannot back out on it, and miss it purposely by mistake.
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And because of that EVERYONE NEEDS JESUS.
But only those whose hearts are perfect towards God will receive this help.
What does it mean to have one's heart perfect towards God?
2 Chronicles 31:20-21 And thus
did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and
right and truth before the LORD his God. And in every work that he began
in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments,
to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
2 Chronicles 15:12-14 And they entered into
a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart
and with all their soul; That whosoever would not seek the LORD God of
Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.
And they sware unto the LORD with a loud voice, and with shouting, and
with trumpets, and with cornets.
As you can see, it means total devotion to God!
PERFECT MEANS COMPLETE -- NOT HALFWAY.
Not this, "I'll go to church if it suits me, and I'll praise God if
I feel like it at any particular moment."
1 Kings 8:61 Let your heart
therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his
statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
1 Kings 11:4 For it came to pass, when Solomon
was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods:
and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was
the heart of David his father.
Other people can turn your heart away from God and you no longer have a
perfect heart towards God.
2 Kings 20:3-5 I beseech thee,
O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a
perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah
wept sore. And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the
middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, Turn
again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD,
the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears:
behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house
of the LORD.
God does wonders for those whose heart is perfect toward Him.
It is a serious thing and a very dedicated thing to say your heart is
perfect toward God.
1 Chronicles 28:9 And thou, Solomon
my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect
heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all
hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts:
if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he
will cast thee off for ever.
If it is not, then instead of helping us, God casts us away forever.
You GIVE when your heart is perfect.
1 Chronicles 29:9 Then the people
rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart
they offered willingly to the LORD: and David the king also rejoiced
with great joy.
2 Chronicles 25:2 And he did that which
was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.
You can even do what is right, but not with a perfect heart.
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Its like attending church and getting zealous in worship ONLY WHEN YOU
ARE IN TROUBLE.
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When your heart is perfect towards God you are zealous for God when trouble
is nowhere around, too.
Psalm 101:2-3 I will behave myself wisely
in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my
house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes:
I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
You do not put yourself in the places and positions where sinful events
and sights occur.
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You can be alone on the internet, and yet not look at the pornography that
is on there.
God can forgive and give us a clean and perfect heart.
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean
heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
We ought not simply ask forgiveness, but also ask for God to give us a
clean and perfect heart.
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If we can ask Him to give us a clean heart, then that means we can ask
Him to change us so that we would be complete in our Christian lives towards
Him, and not half-way.
God has exceeding great power toward us.
Ephesians 1:18-19 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,
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe,
according to the working of his mighty power,
Ephesians 3:16-21 That he would grant you,
according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by
his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;
that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with
all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And
to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled
with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding
abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that
worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout
all ages, world without end. Amen.
He is able to do all this.
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But it depends upon your heart, this morning.
He has SEVEN EYES that look everywhere to be STRONG on our behalf when
we are weak.
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And that is the reason He has SEVEN HORNS to accompany his SEVEN EYES.
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The power that He has with which He shows Himself STRONG, is ABSOLUTE PERFECT
POWER.
Its HIS PERFECT SIGHT that sees so perfectly that He sees the thoughts
and intents of our hearts, and HIS PERFECT POWER.
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But its our PERFECT HEART.
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And that simply means PERFECT DESIRE.
Matthew 6:20 But lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where
thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there
will your heart be also.
For Jesus to say that, we know we have the CHOICE where our hearts will
be!
Its not impossible for you to HAVE A PERFECT HEART.
You may not have perfect wisdom and perfect power, but you CAN HAVE
a perfect heart!
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ANYONE CAN!
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NOBODY IS EXEMPT FROM THAT.
Its all power for our sakes.
Its all wisdom for us!
Ephesians 1:7-8 In whom we have
redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the
riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and
prudence;
The Book of Ephesians speaks of redemption in verse 7.
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The first time that is ever mentioned in the Bible is in Exodus 6:6.
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And God redeemed Israel out of Egypt with a lamb.
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Ephesians takes redemption, first shown by a LAMB, and speaks of God's
ALL WISDOM in arranging that redemption.
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Ephesians says God showed us this all through Christ -- v. 5,
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In Christ we have redemption.
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All wisdom caused Him to abound with redemption and forgiveness IN CHRIST
-- v. 7
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And Revelation shows us a lamb with SEVEN EYES.
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ALL WISDOM or ALL UNDERSTANDING.
Seven eyes are on that lamb.
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That lamb had been slain and was standing up, alive.
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Its Jesus Christ resurrected.
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THROUGH THAT WORK, the FULL WISDOM of God was manifested FOR US.
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Because He loved Us.
Ephesians 1:19 speaks of the "exceeding greatness of His power" to usward...
or toward us... was exerted by God upon JESUS CHRIST.
Ephesians 1:19 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,
All of His wisdom and power was made known with His work UPON CHRIST.
And it was all because of His love for US!
Matthew 28:18-19 And Jesus came
and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in
earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Why say He has all power and then tell disciples to baptize everyone in
His name because of that?
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He said He has all power, so because of that go and baptize all nations
in my name.
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Romans 6: 3 tells us that when we are baptized into Him, we are baptized
into HIS DEATH.
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So this is once again the same picture as 2 Chronicles. 16:9 and Rev 5:6.
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ALL POWER is His and the ultimate expression of exerting that perfect power
on our behalf is by SQUASHING DEATH ON OUR BEHALF.
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And we do that by being baptized INTO HIS DEATH, because HE WAS SO VICTORIOUS
THAT HE ROSE FROM THAT DEATH.
Romans 6:4 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.
All the power of the FATHER was upon that SON.
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And it raised Him from the dead.
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And THAT power is the EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER TO USWARD, When
He raised Him from the dead and made Him sit in heavenly places far above
all enemies.
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THAT IS POWER!
Jesus said that all power in heaven and earth is given to Him.
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Its absolute full divine power upon a man.
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Why?
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Did God, who was made man, need that for Himself?
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No.
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FOR US!
He is strong on our behalf.
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He fought the battle for us.
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He did not have to fight for Himself.
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His death is for our deaths!
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He said, "You owed a tremendous debt of death. So I am going to pay
it on your behalf!"
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Think of a payment that could only be made by YOUR DEATH!
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Try as you might, there is absolutely no substitute in gold and silver.
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DEATH is the ONE AND ONLY option.
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That is an ULTIMATE PENALTY!
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And He takes this ultimate penalty and PAYS IT FOR YOU.
He showed Himself strong on OUR BEHALF.
He paid the bill on our behalf.
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That means we owed it but He paid it.
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So if DEATH was the penalty, then WE OWED DEATH, BUT HE DIED THAT DEATH.
But your heart is going to have to be perfect towards God.
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto
them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
So perfect that when this verse tells you what you ought to do, you're
not going to stop partway or halfway.
You're going ALL THE WAY!
After the lamb does the job FOR THE CHURCH, we read they worship like
there's no tomorrow.
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Folks, perfect hearts worship too!
Your HEART must turn to the Lord FULLY.
Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love
the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all
thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.