It has been observed that too many in the church today put more emphasis on human influence than divine power. Often times, we focus more on who we know in Washington, D.C. or in city hall than we do on Who we know in heaven! Truly, we live in a day in which God’s people need to become "power hungry." Hungry to experience the power of God at work within our midst. Hungry to know that the work that is happening among us is not one that has been "worked up," but "prayed down!" Hungry to be part of something that cannot be explained in terms of men, but only in terms of GOD! Hungry to see divine power change people’s lives, including our own! In this Psalm, we are told about the power that God gives, as the Psalmist recounts how God demonstrated His power on Israel’s behalf. As we consider this Psalm today, I believe we can learn some important lessons about how we might experience God’s power among us. Let’s see what we are told here about the power God gives. We learn first about. . .
1. The Roots Of Spiritual Power - vs. 1-2
God does not bestow His power upon every person who requests it. Instead, we are told here that there are three principles which must be applied to our lives if we are going to experience the reality of God’s power at work in us.
A. Separation - v. 1
The key: Our Calling from God.
Everyone of us as a child of God are called to live a life that is separate and apart from the influence of this world. That’s what the Psalmist is saying when he mentions how the people were called to separate themselves from a people of foreign tongue. The point is not that the language of Egypt was sinful, but that the thoughts of the world of the Egyptians were counter to the thoughts of God.
A Christian is called to let his thinking be transformed according to the thoughts of God, not the thoughts of this world - “Do not conform any longer to the (thought) pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” - Romans 12:2a (NIV).
When we think as we ought, we are enabled to feel as we ought, which leads us to choose what we ought and, consequently, live as we ought.
A college freshman was giving her friend a tour of the college she at¬tended. They saw very little of the classrooms or the library as most of their time was spent observing the hot spots for finding men. She pointed out the various recreational sights in the area and the numerous places for eating out. When they returned to the dorm, the freshman reminded her visiting friend that they needed to be quiet because her roommates were studying. Before they entered the room she whispered to her friend, "All they do is study. Honestly, I don’t even know why they came to college."
Just like the college freshman had forgotten why she had gone to college, too many of God’s children have forgotten why God has given us His Word. If you want to experience the power of God at work in your life, focus on your calling to live a Christ-like life through renewing your mind according to the thoughts of God!
B. Sanctification - v. 2a
The key: Our Communion with God.
The statement here about the people being the sanctuary of God is a reference to God’s presence being in their midst. Likewise, God is present with His people today, but too often, God’s people do not live each day aware of His presence.
It is important that I live daily with an awareness of the fact that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit - that the Lord has taken up residence within my life! Living each day with an awareness of His presence with me will motivate me to live as I should for Christ. The key to living my life with a daily awareness of God’s presence is daily communion with Him.
“To keep God at the center of one’s life requires frequent renewal of power through prayer. But such renewal is not measured by the amount of time it takes, rather by the degree to which one is able even for a short time to have relaxed and unhurried communion with God. One can pray inwardly at any time and anywhere - in a subway or on an athletic field. But one prays best either alone or with understanding friends. To avoid neglecting to pray, it is best to have a time habit and a place habit. This is so important that it is worth great effort, in spite of the hurry of life and our lack of privacy.” – George Harkness
C. Surrender - v. 2b
The key: Our Commitment to God.
If we are to know much of the power of God at work in our lives, we must be willing to let the Lord’s desires for us have dominion over every aspect of our being! In other words, my commitment to Christ must have priority over my commitment to anything or anyone else!
“Christ is Lord, not you. This is the crucial step. If you slur this over, then nothing will come out right. And the step is simple. Everyone goes into the shrine of the heart and bends the knee to something; something has the place of supreme allegiance. Some bow the knee to what others will say. They look around before they act. They don’t act; they only react. Their god is public opinion. ‘Everybody does it,’ decides it for them. Others bend the knee to themselves. Self-interest is supreme. Their first reaction is: ‘How will that affect me?’ Their god is self. We could name others: money, sex, ambition, fear - any one of these may be the center of allegiance. Everybody bends the knee to something. If so, I choose Christ. I am not God: He is! I whisper the inner consent, the consent of abdication. He commands; I obey. From this moment I am free from self-domination; I choose Christ-domination. I let go at the center.” - E. Stanley Jones
“I believe that sin has effectively severed the spiritual spinal cord of the church and has left her tragi¬cally disabled. The Head is still speaking loud and clear, but the disoriented body cannot function to fulfill the divine assignment.” - Gary Frost
When we are seeking to live separated, sanctified, & surrendered lives, we will be in a position to be led by God and empowered by God.
2. The Results Of Spiritual Power - vs. 3-8
Once the above three principles are being applied in the lives of God’s people, then God’s power will be seen, as ...
A. Barriers are overcome - vs. 3-6
Just as the power of God went to work on Israel’s behalf, to enable them to enter into the land of promise, God’s power goes to work on behalf of His children today, who are willing to live separated, sanctified, & surrendered lives; to remove any barriers that might stand in the way of their knowing the greatness of God’s blessings or achieving great things for God’s glory!
There is a story to the effect that a certain society in South Africa once wrote to David Livingston, "Have you found a good road to where you are? If so, we want to know how to send other men to join you."
Livingston replied, "If you have men who will come ONLY if they know there is a good road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come even if there is no road at all.
Many today do not experience much of the power of God in their lives because they never attempt anything that requires the power of God! Instead, let’s be like William Carey, who said, "Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God."
As we seek to live separated, sanctified, surrendered lives for Christ, let’s expect God to enable us to overcome any obstacles that might stand in the way of our accomplishing great things for His glory!
B. Unbelievers are overwhelmed - v. 7
When God’s power goes to work, those in the world around us are shaken up, and sit up to take notice!
Former Allied Commander General John Galvin was once asked what it was like being in command of so many troops. He replied, "I feel like the director of a cemetery. I have a lot of people under me, but nobody listens."
Too many Christians are like that. They have people all around them who do not take them seriously because there is no evidence of the power of God at work in their lives. But when we see to live separated, sanctified, surrendered lives for Christ, all that changes.
“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”
- 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)
C. Believers are overjoyed - v. 8
The Psalmist refers to two experiences that Israel had with obtaining water from a rock. The first is mentioned in Exodus 17:1-7, where Moses was told to strike the rock. The second is mentioned in Numbers 20:1-13, where Moses was told to speak to the rock that he had stuck the time before. These two incidents where water was obtained from the rock at mount Horeb are mentioned by the Psalmist to illustrate why believers are overjoyed when God’s power is free to work in their lives. First, they are overjoyed . . .
1) At the power of God to redeem - v. 8a
The first time God produced water from the rock at mount Horeb, He had Moses strike it, which is a symbol of the work of Christ as redeemer - being struck down by our sin, for our sakes, at Calvary.
When the power of God is free to work through the lives of His people as a result of their living separated, sanctified, surrendered lives for Christ, unbelievers will be drawn to Jesus and be saved! Believers will be overjoyed at the power of God to redeem, and . . .
2) At the power of God to refresh - v. 8b
The second time that God produced water from the rock at mount Horeb, He told Moses to speak to it, a symbol of the work of Christ our refresher - how, once we know Him as redeemer, we can go to Him and speak to Him and through that communion be refreshed!
When God’s power is free to work within the lives of His people, unbelievers will be redeemed and God’s people will be refreshed; and all this is cause for rejoicing!
Conclusion:
Pastor Bruce Lampert tells of how he and his wife visited family in California. One morning they decided to drive to Mon-terey Bay, just south of San Francis¬co. It was the first time in my life I had ever seen the Pacific Ocean. I was captivated by its splendor.
That particular day, however, something was happening which marred the beauty of the silver waters washing onto white beaches. Slink¬ing, rotting oceanic vegetation was strewn all along the shore. The resi¬dents said it was an annual occur¬rence at that time of year. They called it "the ocean turning over." It is the ocean’s way of purifying and purging itself of unwanted matter and casting that refuse onto the beaches. It is a necessary phenomenon for the life of the ocean.
A church needs a time like that, too. It’s called revival.
Many attempts have been made to define revival, but perhaps it’s best understood as a "turning over." Re¬vival is a time to reevaluate your life, to consider what is and isn’t helpful. Most of all it’s a time to rid yourself of whatever is hindering you from full consecration to God. Heal revival comes when the rotten vestiges of our old sinful lives are washed up onto the shores of God’s altar. And renewal follows right behind.
