Scriptures: Gal. 1:11-24; 1 Cor. 2:1-5; 1 Cor. 1:18,24; 1 Cor. 4:18-20; 2 Tim. 3:1-5,14-17;

SHOW THE POWER

March 4, 2012

Sermon in a sentence: The way I live must be a constant demonstration of the power of God at work in my life.

Scriptures: Gal. 1:11-24; 1 Cor. 2:1-5; 1 Cor. 1:18,24; 1 Cor. 4:18-20; 2 Tim. 3:1-5,14-17; 2 Cor. 4:7

We often speak of the impotence of the post-modern church with regard to seeing the power of God at work through signs, wonders and miracles, although to be honest, the Lord has never stopped working in these ways.

Jesus promised that after He left the earth, His church would do greater things than He had done (John 14:12) – a promise we interpret to mean the volume of miracles performed, since Jesus personally performed every type of miracle one can imagine. However, with the vast number of Spirit filled believers in the world today, the volume of miracles has certainly increased.

However, let’s look at another application of the way this word ‘power’ is used in the Epistles.

We begin with the story of a man named Saul. He was a highly educated, highly placed member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, as zealous a Christian hater as the world has ever known. He rehearses his history to the Galatians:

Galatians 1:11-24 (NASB) 11 For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; 14 and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions. 15 But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, was pleased 16 to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus. 18 Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord's brother. 20 (Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying.) 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ; 23 but only, they kept hearing, "He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy." 24 And they were glorifying God because of me.

Wherever Paul went, even before he spoke a word, a clear message was already being given. His life demonstrated a power that was undeniable – God’s power to change a life from sin to righteousness, from evil to good.

As he wrote his 1st letter to the Corinthian church, he reminded them of the realities of his ministry to them:

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (NASB) And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, 4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

Paul had a power that was based on nothing other than the life and death of Jesus Christ Himself – the power of the cross. This is a power that goes beyond serving oneself and enters into the realm of self-sacrifice and love – the greatest power one can have.

This is the other kind of power we are speaking about. The power of a changed life, based upon the power of the cross.

1 Corinthians 1:18,24 (NASB) For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

That which seemed so weak to the world was in fact the most awesome display of power in history. We will define this power as the power over self and “the flesh”: the ability to consistently act in accordance with God’s will and character, despite any obstacle or persecution.

So when Paul wrote of his next visit to Corinth, he told them what he would be looking for:

1 Corinthians 4:18-20 (NASB) Now some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant but their power. 20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power.

This was not to be a contest of who could perform the most miracles in the least amount of time with Olympic judges giving rulings on the ‘degree of difficulty’ of each miracle. Paul was speaking of the power of God demonstrated in the changed lives of Christian people. Clearly, the actions of the Corinthians were not demonstrating this change.

That is the key problem the 21st century church is faced with. It is not that we have a shortage of signs, wonders and miracles. It is that we have a shortage of the demonstration of the power of God in the lives of believers. The world is not seeing the power of a consistent godly change in many of our lives!

Paul describes to Timothy the type of thinks he should expect to see in his ministry:

2 Timothy 3:1-5,14-17 (NASB) But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.

This rather extensive description of the evils of the 1st century world sounds eerily familiar in the 21st century.

However, Paul did not leave Timothy in a hopeless situation. He told him how to overcome this evil age and in so doing also gave us the prescription for living in power!

14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

We have the power of the Spirit of God within us. It must be demonstrated in our lives for the world to see.

What is it that our friends and family say about us? Over the time of our Christian journey, is change evident? Is it clear to those who know us that we are different than we used to be, or would they use a terms like ‘hypocrite’ or ‘fake’ to describe us?

2 Corinthians 4:7 (NASB) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.

The power we display must be the power of God. It is not our own power. The power we live by is the power of God, not our own power. Our power is not shown by simply calling ourselves Christians. The world must consistently see the power of a changed life.