“God’s Power” Ephesians 1:19-23
God’s Power that raises…
God’s Power that brings us into Heaven…
God’s Power that exalts…
In a seminary missions class, Herbert Jackson told how, as a new missionary, he was assigned a car that would not start without a push. After pondering his problem, he devised a plan. He went to the school near his home, got permission to take some children out of class, and had them push his car off. As he made his rounds, he would either park on a hill or leave the engine running. He used this ingenious procedure for two years.
Ill health forced the Jackson family to leave, and a new missionary came to that station. When Jackson proudly began to explain his arrangement for getting the car started, the new man began looking under the hood. Before the explanation was complete, the new missionary interrupted, "Why, Dr. Jackson, I believe the only trouble is this loose cable." He gave the cable a twist, stepped into the car, pushed the switch, and to Jackson’s astonishment, the engine roared to life. For two years needless trouble had become routine. The power was there all the time. Only a loose connection kept Jackson from putting that power to work.
J.B. Phillips paraphrases Ephesians l:19-20, "How tremendous is the power available to us who believe in God." When we make firm our connection with God, his life and power flow through us.
Ernest B. Beevers.
Let examine God’s power demonstrated before us in today’s verses and available to us as we seek after God’s “good and perfect will” around us.
God’s Power that raises…
Ephes. 1:19(NIV)
and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength,
How is your life today?
Could it be said that your life demonstrates God’s power in your life?
What kind of power can we experience in God through Christ?
God tells us we can experience His incomparable power “huperballo, hoop-er-bal’-lo; Gk , which means to throw beyond the usual mark, to surpass our wildest expectation.
Do you expect God to surpass your wildest expectation of what He can do?
In your life…
In your family…
In your community…
“[Jesus Christ is] declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4).
“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Cor. 12:9).
Where are you seeking your power today?
Another aspect of God’s “dunamis”, Gk; which means force or power, by implication a miracle, is that it is “megas” Gk, meaning that it is very great or huge.
As great as all this may be the direction and purpose behind God’s power is even greater.
God’s power is “for us who believe”, are you experiencing God’s power in your life today?
Do you believe in God and His power available to those who believe?
God’s power that is able to raise you above any challenge that will ever be in your life.
God’s power that will carry you when you feel you have no energy left to carry yourself.
God’s power which we can pull around us when we feel isolated and alone.
God’s power by which we are even able to send Satan screaming away from us.
We need take full advantage of God’s power in our lives
God’s Power that brings us into Heaven
Ephes. 1:20 (NIV)
[20] which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms
This power that is towards us will one day allow us to be in the heavenly realm, just as God raised Christ and seated Him in the Heavenly realm.
God alone has the energeo, Gk, energy and might to be able to raise the dead.
“Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it” (Acts 2:23-24).
“But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; and killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses” (Acts 3:14-15).
“And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: Him God raised up the third day, and showed him openly; not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead” (Acts 10:39-41).
Amazing isn’t it, the power that you and I have working in and through us is the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
Having raised Jesus, God “seated him at his right hand”, in the Ancient Near East, to be seated in such a position meant you were the most trusted and powerful person in the Kingdom.
Have you trusted in the most powerful in God’s Kingdom?
“So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19).
“Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God” (Luke 22:69).
“The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins” (Acts 5:30-31).
God exalted Christ to prove that through Christ we also can be exalted.
“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2-3).
“For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Phil. 3:20-21).
“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” (Col. 3:4).
“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Rev. 22:14).
Will you allow Jesus’ power to come into your life?
God’s Power that exalts
Ephes. 1:21-23 (NIV)
far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. [22] And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, [23] which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
God exalted Christ that He might exalt all who believe on Him.
Do you walk as one who Christ desires greatly to exalt to the “heavenly realms”?
God exalted Jesus to rule and reign over all authority, above “all principality, and power, and might, and dominion.”
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth” (Phil. 2:9-10).
“Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above all fellows” (Hebrews 1:9).
“Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him” (1 Peter 3:22).
God demonstrated that He has the power to exalt us to rule and reign with Christ.
“His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew 25:23).
“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).
“Do ye not know that the saints shall judge [rule, hold authority over] the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?” (1 Cor. 6:2-3).
God additionally seeks to exalt the “ekklesia”.
This is a true picture of Christ and believers.
Christ lived and died for the Church and the Church lives in Christ.
We are indeed a body founded on Christ.
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
“So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another” (Romans 12:5).
“Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily, prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues” (1 Cor. 12:27-28).
Are you a member of the body today?
Is God’s power present in your life?
To experience God’s power toward His people, we must be His.
If you are a believer, then you will be raised with Christ to the heavenly realms and be exalted by Christ.
Of course we in the body must continue to do the will of God and let others know of His great love for them.
Let’s remember this as we…”Go ye therefore”
