Message topic: Power and understanding, do you need them?
Scripture text: Ephesians 1:15-23
Deacon Paul just mentioned to you what I am about to draw your attention to today, which of you can repeat what he said it is going to be? In any case I think it will be wise for me to repeat it anyway.
He said it is going to be power and understanding, do we need either of them? then from, where do we get them, and why do we need them? The biblical understanding of power relates primarily to God and his people: power is an inherent characteristic of God, and it is the result of his nature.
God’s kind of power is seen in His creation, and his inexplicable power is the only explanation for the virgin birth of Jesus: there are three levels of power realized in the Bible: imperial powers, the power of kings in the history of Israel, and the politics of the Messiah and politics of God among the people of God; all power belongs to God and He can use it in any situation or distribute it as He sees fit.
What is power and understanding? And who controls them? There has always been a lack of Power and understanding in the word of God; Paul gave this instruction to the Ephesians 4: 17-19, this I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart.
Would you like to be a person of power and understanding? Where would you want your source of power to come from? Would you want it to come from your source of riches? Your politics, or your education or from the one who controls all things?
Would you like to have power to communicate more with God, be motivated to have more love for your fellow men, more understanding of what God has instore for you and the power to do as He commands you? Are there anything that we can do so that others can see the power and understanding of God’s words in us?
Paul was a wonderful New Testament example of a man who was strong in the Lord: he overcame much opposition and hardship the result was a mighty ministry to God’s people and a mighty movement of God’s word. He was able to accomplish this because he believed God and obeyed his words, and God protected him.
God has always encourages his people to be strong and trust his power, as we find these words in Ephesians 6:10, finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
How can we understand and become strong, we have to put on the whole amour of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
We need to let the Holy Spirit have control of our lives so that He will strengthen us in times of temptation from the enemy of God.
We can find strength and courage to be strong to do the will of the Lord when we follow the instructions given to men of old who put their trust in the Lord and was able to accomplished the toast given to them such as Joshua.
When he was given the task of leadership of the Israelites after the death of Moses, these words came to him from the Lord which is recorded for us in (Joshua 1: 7.)
Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left that thou mayest prosper whither soever thou goest.
Joshua was given instructions what to do so as to get the Israelites from where they were when Moses was no more to the end of their intended journey, the land that was promised to then, the land of Cannan. What do we hope to inherit when we seek strength and power from God, when we put our trust in him as our God alone?
When we think of power and strength in todays world, it brings to mind authority, might, strength: in human relationship power is the authority one person holds over another, terms such as boss, president, sheriff, and even sexual harassment bring the picture of power to mind.
The image that exist among Christians concerning power” often depend upon the English translation of the bible with which we are familiar, the King James version often translate the word power as authority.
Today we do not have the voice of God speaking to us as He did in the days of Joshua: today we have the Holy spirit abiding in us through our Lord Jesus who says to us, in (Ezkiel 36: 26.)
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh: and I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgment and do them.
Let us be encourage with these words from Romans 8: 9-10. You are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness.
With this in mind, what is your answer to the question, what is the power that controls your spirit and mind? Is it the power of Christ who gave His life to redeem you from eternal death and an assurance of eternal life in the presence of the All- Mighty God forever? Or the words of the one who is a defeated liar?
As a child of God, how did you respond when He said to you, I will take your heart of stone out of your body and give you a heart of flesh where on I can write my laws.
We who are believers in Christ Jesus are the extension of those twelve who walked with him and have gotten this promise from Him which is found in (John 14: 27)
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid: do we have any reasons to ever doubt Jesus in any way?
Do we ever have any reasons to doubt Jesus in anything He has ever says to us? Is his peace abiding in us today as He says He is giving to us? How much of the peace of Jesus we display in our daily walk?
We are the light of Jesus to the world, can the world see Jesus through our daily action or conversations? Let us not talk about God’s omnipotence, what He is in himself, but lets reflect on the power of the spirit that he has imparted to us for the work of the ministry.
God’s power, the sort of power that dwells within every born-again believer and energizes his or her life and ministry is not the sort of things that you can touch or contain in a bottle, it is the very energy of life of God himself; it is the supernatural energy that emanates from God himself.
Of all the creatures of the world, man is the only one who has something of God in him: listen to (Genesis 2:7) the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life: and man became a living soul: that is why man has the power and understanding to do what no other creature can do, but God Himself only.