Power to Serve

Matt. 28:18 - All power is given unto me in heaven and earth.

The first church didn't do anything truly worthwhile until they realized they didn't have the power to do anything.

Many people become discouraged because they are unable to see the application of scriptures in any church or the lives of "Christian" people.

First of all, we must understand we have no power, but God (Jesus Christ) will give us all the power we need.

1.       Luke 12:11-12 – “And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: 12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.”  God will indeed supply all our words, not only material necessities, but also the very words we should say.

2.       Notice who has the power to save – it is Jesus Christ.

a.       Acts 4:12 states, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” 

b.       John 5:28,29 states, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”  Believing is not the work of men, but the work of God in the hearts of men.

c.       John 6:44 – “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” 

d.       Lost people need Jesus to touch them with eternal life, just as saved people need Jesus to touch them so we will have power to do his will.

e.       Matthew 7:21-23 – “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”  Do you see all that these people do?  And yet, they are still lost!  Jesus is the only one that has power to save, heal, or do anything.  Human have no power at all. No power to do anything.

3.       Acts 3:1-8 – The man that sat at the gate Beautiful was healed by the power of God, not the words of Peter and John.

4.       Mark 3:1-5 – The man with the withered hand was healed by the power of God, not by his own power, strength, ability or will.

5.       John 1:11-13 states, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”  Do you see how we are saved by the power of God and not by our own power?  [1] [2]

How to serve God in power

1.   Knowledge

A.  John 4:24 - Worship God in spirit and truth.

B.   Hosea 4:6 - My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: and they don't understand.

C.   Churches are now doing what Israel did. and they don't understand.

2.   Love

A.  John 17:26 - The followers of Christ will understand what real love is. (Agape)

B.   True love causes us to understand the reason things happen.

1.   Heb. 2:9-12 - Jesus understood suffering because he was looking to the final result.

2.   Phil. 2:9-11 - God has highly exalted Christ, and He will exalt us.

a.   Jesus did not exalt Himself, but exalted His Father.  This is what we ought to do.

b.   Jesus publicly proclaimed that he could do nothing except by the power given to him by his Father.  This is what we ought to do.

c.   God exalted Jesus because of what he did.  God will also exalt us if we give all glory to God.

d.   God gives Jesus an everlasting kingdom.  God will allow us to have a part of the everlasting kingdom of Jesus, if we publicly and privately declare that all power comes from God.

C.   Heb. 12:1-3 - Let us be like Jesus, who endured all things because of that which was to come.

3.   Understanding. (The opening of the "divine mind", which is more than the "human mind" can comprehend.

A.  Luke 24:44-45 - Jesus opened their understanding. (more than a head knowledge)

1.   The events on the road to Emmaus.

a.   Luke 24:16 - Their eyes were holden that they should not know him.

b.   Luke 24:27 - Jesus explained all things from the time of Moses and the prophets until then.

c.   Luke 24:31 - Their eyes were opened and they had understanding.

d.   They went and told the apostles who were afraid.  (The apostles didn't believe.)

2.   The events with the apostles.

a.   Luke 24:36-37 - They were terrified.

b.   Luke 24:39,40 - The proof of his risen body.

c.   Luke 24:41-43 - The proof of eating.

d.   Luke 24:44 - The proof of scripture.

e.   The apostles didn't believe any of these proofs.

f.    The further proof of scripture.

1.   Christ opened their eyes.

2.   He started at the beginning and told them again everything, and they understood, spiritually.

4.   The result.

A.  Compare.

1.   Garden of Gethsemane, they went to sleep because they didn't understand: later they "turned the world upside down!"

2.   Peter denying Christ: then preaching on the day of Pentecost and 3,000 souls saved.

3.   II Kings 6:8-25 - Elisha's servants eyes opened when the king of Syria surrounded them, to see the angels of God protecting them.

4.   Psalms 103:7 - Ways or Acts of God?

5.   Exodus 19:1-20:21 - Moses and Israel.

a.   Ex. 19:23 - Moses believed God and expected Israel to also believe.  He was in for quite a shock, wasn't he?

b.   Ex. 20:18-21 - Israel didn't want to hear God speak, but Moses enjoyed it.

B.   Israel

1.   They were afraid.

2.   They thought they were going to die.

3.   They stood afar off.

4.   They were afraid for God to speak to them.

C.   Moses.

1.   He wasn't afraid of dying, because He believed God.

2.   Moses drew near to God in the thick darkness.

5.         We need to understand what the will of God is.