More Power

More Power

Mark 9:14-29

Introduction: Many get caught up in the desire for more money, more power, more influence, more prestige. Many who follow this pursuit profess to be dedicated Christians. What they fail to realize is that what they need and should desire most is more of the power of God in their lives. The Lyrics of one of today’s favorite praise songs are: More love, more power, more of you in my life." (©1999, Higher Praise, All rights reserved.) It is the heart cry of the need and desire for more power in the believer’s life. Without God’s power the church will have little if any impact on others. Why is it that some people don’t experience more power in their lives?

I. Most Believers are living Powerless Lives.

A. Mark 9:18 "And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples that they should cast it out, but they could not."

B. Many are anemic and weak, half-dead, often defeated, and without authority.

C. We see powerless Christians going through the motions of serving, claiming that they have a strong desire to have a closer and a deeper relationship with the Lord and serve Him, but are in reality half dead Christians.

D. Revelation 3:1 "To the messenger of the church in Sardis write; These things says the One having the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead."

E. The sad part is that many of these powerless Christians do not even realize their poverty.

F. Revelation 3:14-17 "And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: ’I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked"

G. Powerless Christians aren’t joyful Christians. Powerless Christians discredit the testimony of Christ and stagnate the growth of the church.

II. Power is available to all believers.

A. Mark 9:23 "Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes’."

B. Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

C. Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

D. We serve the same God who created the universe in seven days, who parted the Red Sea, who collapsed the walls of Jericho, who brought fire down on Mt. Carmel; the same Lord who fed five thousand with a but few loaves and fish, who raised Lazarus, who gave sight to the blind man, who raised from the dead after three days and nights in the tomb.

E. “Power accompanies salvation. If anyone is a child of God and shorn of power it is entirely the fault of himself, and never of God. Christ is the power of God, and if we have him in his fullness it is as natural for us to have power in the estimation of God as it is to breathe. Settle, then, first of all, the question as to whether he is yours. If so you have the accompaniment of power. Second, you shall receive power, the Holy Ghost coming upon you, and, since it can be proven that the Holy Ghost is in the world to make Christ real to every believer, it naturally follows that we may receive him and be filled with all the fullness’ of God. If, therefore, he has come, and we are still powerless, the fault is entirely our own. A young engineer was asked in examination the following question: "Suppose you had a steam pump constructed for a ship with everything in perfect order, and you should throw out the hose and no water would be drawn, what would you think might be the difficulty?" "I would think," said the student, "that there must be some defect in the pump." But," said the professor, "that is not admissible; for the supposition is that it is perfect." "Then, sir," said the student, "I should look over to see if the river had run dry." This is the position for us today. We have the promise of power, we have Christ, the Holy Ghost has come, and the reservoir is filled to overflowing. If we are without power it is because we have not appropriated what is our birthright privilege in Christ. ¬– J. Wilbur Chapan, "Present Day Parables."