THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF GOD IN THE GOSPEL
Selected passages
This week has been a blessing considering we have not had one of these for the past two summers. It was so nice to see, and hear life… running, singing, laughing, even screaming and learning about the power of the Gospel, throughout our building this week. What I find amazing is that all these blessing are grounded and turned back into praise towards our sovereign God. Our sovereign, all powerful God, who gave us this week to shine the light on His power and the power He imparts to those who are His. See! “power” is something not only that God has but something that He generously and abundantly gives to us. This is what we mean by the word impartation. Paul prays that we might know this power. “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” Eph 1:17-21
The power that indwells every born-again believer is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, and exalted Him to the right hand of the Father. “power” is a word from which we get “dynamite” It’s explosive upon impact! The same is true through the gospel and the keeping power of God in your life. God’s sustaining power and grace will always keep you and never let go. As an illustration of this power of God, Paul points to the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. We all know that dead people don’t come back to life.Yet the power of God not only raised Christ from the dead, but also seated Him in heavenly places, having dominion over everything.
The greatest position of power and authority! As Paul said “Every knee will bow before Him, because of this great power! This is the power of God working in you and in me, and for those who are called to His hope, and receiving His inheritance among His saints. The same power that raised Christ from the dead is the same power that sustains you throughout your Christian walk and throughout eternity.
Perhaps we, like the people in the church of Ephesus, needed to be reminded of God’s power through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Maybe you’re… Right at the start of your Christian journey heading home and you need to begin with that faith in the “power reminder” of Jesus Christ. Or maybe… Your love for God has been weakened by the things of this world and you need this reminder to be encouraged and strengthened. Either way! Be encouraged and reminded of this power that lives inside of you!
Our awesome God is gloriously
incomprehensible,
but He is also a personal
Spirit.
And Through His infinite love
and goodness, He has provided a way for us
to have an authentic, personal relationship with Him. God is eternal and He is not bound by the dimension of time. God is self-sufficient and all creation relies on God for existent and He does not need our help. God is infinite, unlike us; He has no limits or boundaries. He is not confined to the dimension of space. His love, holiness, mercy, grace and all His other qualities are unlimited. God is Truth, He revealed Himself to us in His Word. The Scriptures provide us with a clear description of what God is like and what is important to Him. God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent! And the opening verse for our first day of the Rocky Railroad was, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Phil 4:13
Paul knew what this verse meant personally, because the verse before this he says, “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” Phil 4:12. Paul knew what it was like to bountiful, and also to be in need; Paul knew what it meant to rest in Him for our strength. God’s power is what spoke all things into existence. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Gen 1:1
God
has the power to create anything from nothing (Ps. 33:6-9)
God
has power to deliver (Exod. 13:3)
God’s
creative power is beyond our comprehension (Job 38:1-11)
God
speaks and things happen (Ps. 29:3-9)
His
resurrection power is immeasurably great (Eph 1:19-20)
His
creation reflects His power (Ps. 19:1-4)
His
powerful word sustains everything (Heb. 1:3)
He
has power over death (Rev. 1:18)
No
one can challenge what God does (Dan. 4:35)
Reveals
Himself as the almighty God (Gen. 17:1)
This is the God we celebrated this week as Paul wrote, “But if Christ is in you,
although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who
raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies
through his Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:10-11
What we taught the kids this week was…
Jesus’ Power Helps Us Do Hard Things.
What does it mean to do hard things? To do things that will stretch you out of your comfort zone, maybe taking part in DVBS this week for the first time. Sharing the good news of the gospel with friends, family, co-workers, possibly a stranger. Seeking someone for forgiveness by humbling ourselves, over our pride, and admitting we can be wrong and not always right.mIt could even as simple as getting up Sunday morning and coming to church. Doing hard things require God’s power to get us through and not relying on ourselves to find it. Example of this power comes when God sent Ananias to confront the persecutor, Saul. Acts 9:10-19
Jesus’ Power Gives Us Hope.
The gospel produces hope within our heart as we live each day to its fullest for Jesus Christ. Paul shared the hope of God and the gospel when the 276 person were stranded on a broken boat because of a tremendous storm. Acts 27:21-44. Just like Paul, we are powerless in the storm, but this is where we lean in all the more to the hope we have in Christ. This world is full of trouble, storms and very turbulent at times, but it’s in these moments where God strengthens our hope all the more in Him. Why? Because our hope is in God, in Christ and in the Spirit of God that is working in you and me, Christian. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound (overflow) in hope.”
Romans 15:14
Jesus’ Power Helps Us Be Bold.
Jesus Himself set the standard to being bold in the gospels and this also expresses our trust in God. “So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" Heb 13:6. It was this truth that gave Peter and John the boldness to stand before the magistrates and the leadership of Rome. Acts 3:1-4:31. We must always be bold when it comes to the gospel and our confession. Even in a time that the gospel message is unpopular and no one else around you feels the same way. We must do as Hebrew writer said and what Peter said to the Sadducees and the magistrates. “But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard." Acts 4:19-20. When the Sadducees had time to think and threaten them. Peter and John were charged to not teach in this name again, and Peter says the most daring and bold statement in all of the early church. “We must obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:27
Jesus’ Power Lets Us Live Forever.
It’s because of Jesus’ death and resurrection that we can have eternal life. Our lives are but a vapor as James said here on earth, but eternity is forever. Every single image-bearer of God WILL spend an eternity upon eternity. It all depends on what side of the fence you spend eternity on. It’s in the gospels we see eternity is possible for sinners like you and me as we see with the thief on the cross, the forgiveness of sins. Luke 23:26-47. And in the following chapter we see Jesus’ power defeating the grave giving us a living hope for eternity with Him. Luke 24:5-7. Those who put their faith in trust in Christ alone through repentance have this powerful eternal promise. Romans 8:1-11
Getting to know the infinite power
of God can be
described as an experience in immensity.
His love for sinners and the salvation He provides truly surpasses all knowledge and we will be forever trying to get the foot hills of His presence to know Him more. According to the Bible it’s going to take a really long time! The bible calls it “eternity” but one thing for sure; it will be well worth it.
It’s because of the gospel and the forgiveness and the hope it produces in the child of God, that we extend that to others and especially those inside the body of Christ. With a genuine fellowship and a desire in seeking to outdo one another. Jesus gave us a Great Commandment for this reason before He went to the cross, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself…." Matt 22:37-40. This was displayed when Jesus washed the disciple’s nasty feet. “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” John 13:14-17
Jesus would even go on to say to His disciples, “These things I command you, so that you will love one another. John 15:12. In the early church we saw the standard of truth lived out. Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-35. Bible believing Christians caring and sticking together and supporting each other. This was the early church’s hope and fellowship and it is still true for today and tomorrow. Jesus gives us the power to love, comfort, care, and the ability to endure one another. Why? Because this what builds up our community and our relationships with one another and this glorifies God.
This is what we learned about all week! That it’s God’s power alone, that sustains us, gives us, the right amount for each moment in this life and into eternity. This is the power of God in one’s life. And if I could summarize all that we learned this week it would with King David, “Therefore David blessed the LORD in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: "Blessed are you, O LORD, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and You are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all. In Your hand are power and might, and in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise Your glorious name.” 1 Chron 29:10-13
The main thing I took for myself this week is that…..Our weakness is not a barrier to the power of God. Rather, recognizing our weakness, doubt, and even lack of faith is the basis for our turning to God, depending upon His power to work in us. Why? In this way, God receives all the glory He so greatly deserves. So, in your weakness, fear, doubt, pain and suffering, turn to Christ, who can give you the strength to endure. For as Paul said,” I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Phil 4:13
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