Sermon Tone Analysis

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Power: Ability to do things, by virtue of strength, skill, resources, or authorization.

The Limited Power God Gives Creation

Animals have power, as is particularly evident in the wild ox, the horse, and the lion (, ; ).

There is power in wind and storm, thunder and lightning.

Power is given to men: physical strength (Jgs 16:5, 6), power to fight (Jgs 6:12), and the power to do good and the power to do harm (; ; Mi 2:1).

Rulers have God-given power and authority ().

The Bible also speaks of the power of angels () and of spiritual beings known as “principalities and powers.”

Certain powers are given to Satan (see ; ).

Sin, evil, and death are allowed to have some power over men (; ; ).

All of these, however, have only limited power and God is able to give his people strength to conquer all these powers when arrayed against them.

Power of God in the OT

This is a psalm celebrating pilgrimage to Jerusalem in order to worship at the temple.

Power of God in the OT

especially focuses on the delight of going to worship there.

The purpose of singing this psalm is to cultivate that delight, to open the eyes and hearts of God’s people to the staggering privilege of being a welcome guest in God’s own house, and to write deep into their souls the conviction that wickedness offers no reward that can even remotely compare to the joy and pleasure of God’s house.

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In the OT it is often said that by the power of God the weak are made strong.

“He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength” () so that they “go from strength to strength” (; see also ; ).

We read in particular of his power being given to prophets (Mi 3:8) and kings (; ) and it is said that in an outstanding way power will be given to the Messiah (; ; Mi 5:4), but to all God’s people power is offered that they may live for him and serve him ().

When we turn to the NT we read of the gospel itself as “the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith” ().

“To all who received” Jesus Christ “who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God” ().

In that life as children of God power is received from the Holy Spirit (), inner strength to live in his service (), power to be his witnesses (; ), power to endure suffering (2 Tm 1:8), power that enables for ministry (), power in the face of weakness (), power through prayer (), and power to be kept from evil ().

Those who do great things in the service of Christ do not do them in their own strength (); he sent out his disciples confident only in the assurance that all things are under his authority and that they would have the power of his unfailing presence with them ().

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In this song of Zion—the psalms that focus on Yahweh’s presence in the temple in Jerusalem—the psalmist emphasizes the joyful experience of the worshipers within the temple.

He opens by admiring Yahweh’s temple and then expresses joy in Yahweh.

The psalmist describes how Yahweh cares for His creatures by providing a place for all of them at the temple so that they might be blessed in their worship of God.

He develops the theme of blessing at the worship site by depicting how Yahweh enables all those who desire to worship Him to make their way to Zion, the temple mount.

He then alludes to the anointed ruler of Israel and asks that Yahweh help him.

The psalmist returns to the theme of blessing and emphasizes the joy that comes from being in the temple because of Yahweh’s generosity to those who are faithful to him.

GO FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH

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they keep on finding new levels of strength for the journey

They keep on finding new levels of strength for the journey

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In the OT it is often said that by the power of God the weak are made strong.

Power given to prophets

“He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength” () so that they “go from strength to strength” (; see also ; ).

We read in particular of his power being given to prophets (Mi 3:8) and kings (; ) and it is said that in an outstanding way power will be given to the Messiah (; ; Mi 5:4), but to all God’s people power is offered that they may live for him and serve him ().

To all God’s people power is offered so they may live for him and serve him.

Power of God in the NT

When we turn to the NT we read of the gospel itself as “the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith.”

“To all who received” Jesus Christ “who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.”

“To all who received” Jesus Christ “who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God” ().

In that life as children of God power is received from the Holy Spirit (), inner strength to live in his service (), power to be his witnesses (; ), power to endure suffering (2 Tm 1:8), power that enables for ministry (), power in the face of weakness (), power through prayer (), and power to be kept from evil ().

Those who do great things in the service of Christ do not do them in their own strength (); he sent out his disciples confident only in the assurance that all things are under his authority and that they would have the power of his unfailing presence with them ().

In that life as children of God power is received from the Holy Spirit.

Inner strength to live in his service:

Power to be his witnesses

Power to endure suffering

Power in the face of weakness

2

Power through prayer

Power to be kept from evil

Power enables ministry

Those who do great things in the service of Christ do not do them in their own strength.

Jesus sent out his disciples confident only in the assurance that all things are under his authority and that they would have the power of his unfailing presence with them.

GO FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH

They keep on finding new levels of strength for the journey.