After The Resurrection Part 3 Series

After The Resurrection Part 3

Scriptures: Romans 12:2; Philippians 2:5-8; Acts 1:4-8; John 14:16-17; 26

Introduction:

This morning I will conclude this series I’ve titled “After the Resurrection”. To date I have shared with you that after the resurrections the first thing that was received was joy. The disciples upon experiencing a live and well Savior were filled with joy. The second thing that was given after the resurrection was forgiveness. Last week I used the story of Peter to share with you the depth of forgiveness that has been given to us through Jesus Christ. If you recall from last week, Peter had denied Christ three times and yet after Christ rose from the dead He ensured that Peter knew he was forgiven and more work was expected of him.

This morning I will focus on the final thing we received after the resurrection and that was power. Before I go into the heart of the message, I want to remind you of something that Paul said and I want you to keep this in mind as we go through this message. Paul said the following in Romans 12:2 and Philippians 2:5-8:

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal to God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:5-8

In order for you to grasp what I am going to share with you this morning, you must start thinking differently from the way you are thinking right now. You must start thinking as Christ thought so that you understand the difference between you and those who lived without the promise. When we read the Old Testament, they did not have a full understanding of who God was and they were not considered to be Children of God because that condition came through Christ. So we are empowered in a much mightier way than they and yet we live as if nothing has changed. This morning I want you to take a close look at who you are; what is available to you; and most important, how you will begin to operate in what God has given to in order to achieve His goal, not ours. Let the same mind that was in Christ abide within us through the Holy Spirit who was given to us to empower us. This is the promise of what would come after the resurrection. Let’s start with Jesus final words to His disciples.

I. Wait For The Promise

Acts 1:4-5, 8 records the following: “Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, ‘Which’, He said, ‘you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.….but you will receive power when the Holy spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

The Greek word for power as used in Acts 1:8 is dunamis. This word carries the meaning miraculous power or force. It also carries the meaning of having an “ability” that resides within a person. This is what I want you to focus on this morning. Many of us are walking around being beaten because we refuse to use the power that has been given to us through the Holy Spirit. Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they receive the promise of the Father. That promise was the Holy Spirit. Jesus said once they received the Holy Spirit they would receive power and this power would enable them to be witnesses for Him throughout the world. This is the same power that we have within us today – all we need to do is believe.

There is a song that Kenny Rogers sings titled “Coward of the County”. In this song there is a young man who was considered to be the coward of the county because he always walked away from trouble whenever he could. He was given this direction from his father who had died in prison. The final words his father had told him were “you did not have to fight to prove you’re a man.” So this young man was mistaken for a coward because of the promise that he had made to his father about walking away from trouble. One day while he was not home, a group of boys came to his home and raped his fiancée. When he came home and saw her, he went out looking for the boys who had done it. When he walked into the bar room the boys were not afraid of him. However, he had had enough. When he left the bar, there was not one of those boys standing for he had beaten all of them. He was not known as the coward of the county any longer.