A Force Of One

Intro: people like the thought of a one man wrecking crew. A guy that can take on 50 people all by themselves. Bruce Lee, just the name is synonymous with beating up people. Sylvester Stallone, Rambo, able to take on as many that come against him. Arnold Swartznagger, the terminator. And my favorite, Chuck Norris, a force of one. It doesn’t matter how many people come against Chuck, He will kick and punch until no one is left standing, he is a force of one.

In the Bible, we are given the name of one man, who was a force of one, His name is John the Baptist. This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible, a man sent from God.

A Force of One

John 1:6

There was a man sent from God, his name was John

Background: is this an incredible verse or what? John the Baptist had for a title, man sent from God. He was a force of one. He was so powerful in God, that all Jerusalem came out to hear him. And with mighty preaching and the power of God, he turned people to God. Even the religious leaders came out and were convicted of sin, and gave their hearts to God.

You may say, yeah, but John was a one in a million. But God has always raised people up to touch their generation. I want to encourage you, never limit what God can do in you or through you, He can make you a force of one. I would like to give you some stories of people who God used in mighty ways to touch their generation for Jesus Christ.

1. William Branham—his story is so full of miracles and power that you could never exhaust the wonderful things God did through this man’s ministry. Even though he fell into some error toward the end of his life, still hundreds of thousands of people were saved, healed, delivered and fill with God’s power through his ministry.

· I love how his ministry started, for those who feel like because you are a no-name in this world, have no connections that will help you climb the ladder of success in ministry, this story is to show that God’s favor is more important than man, and when God is your source, He will open doors that no one can shut.

William Branham had a visitation from the Lord and it was revealed to him that God’s power would be mighty in his life. The story goes that he visited a tent meeting in Indiana, which was a preacher’s conference. He had never done any public speaking in his life up to this time. To his amazement, the superintendent of the ministers came to the pulpit and said, God had given him a dream that a man named William Branham was to conduct the services and that all other speakers were cancelled for the week. William Branham stepped to the pulpit explaining he had never spoken before, but that God had revealed that he would be used in faith to heal the sick and carry a powerful anointing. As he spoke, the Spirit of God fell on that meeting, and people ran to the altars. This was the start of a ministry that would be worldwide in it’s reach for God.

II. Kathryn Kullman—talk about the odds being against you, here was a woman who was called by God during a time when woman preacher’s were not accepted by many people. She traveled with her sister and brother in law who was an evangelist. She noticed that even though he had a good message, the power of God seemed to be lacking in the services. She cried out to God for more and God told her to separate herself from them and launch out into ministry. So in the Midwest of America, she rented a small storefront building inviting people to come hear Kathryn Kullman preach, and experience the power of God. Of course there was a small response the first night, but when people were touched by God’s power in the altars, the next night many more showed up. It is recorded by the end of the week there wasn’t a building in the town that could hold all the people. Of course this same thing happened in every town in which she ministered, to the point that it took giant buildings to house her ministry.

Anyone who has read her life story finds some failures along the way, but it is undeniable that she carried one of the greatest ministries this nation has ever witnessed, she was a force of one.

III. Maria Woodworth-Etter- if you do not have a copy of the book Signs and Wonders, you are missing a great book on the ministry of this powerful woman of God. I will tell two stories on this powerful lady that shows you can be a force of one.