Brother Sparks began by reminding listeners that the Lord’s purpose for believers is to display His glory through their lives. This glory is displayed through spiritual wealth, strength, truth, and oneness. He then reminded the audience of the story of Gideon and his weakness which God used mightily for his purposes.

Brother Sparks then read a familiar passage from Philippians 2:5-11 about the mind of Christ. He explained that in this passage Paul analyzes the motives of Jesus’s incarnation and death on the cross. Jesus’s motive was jealousy for His Father’s name and the glory that was rightly due to Him. Just as Satan had said “I will” and sought to usurp God’s place, so Jesus said, “I will” go to the cross to glorify the Father. Brother Sparks urged believers, saying that there is a great need for this same “fierce jealousy” for the Lord’s name in believers today.

Brother Sparks went on to say that this motive of Christ-mindedness led to a “reckoning” and a counting of the cost. Jesus counted the cost of leaving His glory to come to earth to die. In the same way, Moses “counted the cost” of leaving the riches of Egypt to identify with God's people. Paul also "counted all things as loss" compared to knowing Christ. Just as these men, present-day believers also must count the cost of following Christ.

Brother Sparks continued by saying that after Jesus counted the cost, he “emptied himself” He did not come to earth as a superior being but as a man in the form of a bondservant. Similarly, Gideon had to be emptied of any glory that might be attributed to him so that God would receive all the praise. This principle of emptying applies to believers as well. We may not have glory in the same way Jesus did, but we still must empty ourselves of our own personal glory and allow God to receive the praise.

The speaker concluded by saying that the ground of the Lord’s presence and power is the “strength of weakness.” Just as the wind, water, and lightning find their way in the areas of least resistance, so the power of God is manifested in our weakness. Just as the Lord was with Gideon, so He will be with us, and His presence is all we need.

Outline of Main Points

The Lord desires to display His glory through His people (vv. 1-7)
Jesus’s motivation for the incarnation and death was jealousy for His Father’s name (vv. 8-20)
Believers must count the cost of following Jesus (vv. 21-36)
Believers must empty themselves of their own glory and allow God to receive the praise (vv. 37-48)
The ground of the Lord’s presence is the “strength of weakness” (vv. 49-56)

Loose Him and Let Him Go #4 of 4