Job 27: 11 "I will teach you about the power of God; the ways of the Almighty I will not conceal.
We have been talking about what the household holds? The key component of any household is people, and that it is the people of the household who create and carry a particular culture. We have reminded ourselves so far that God has called us to be a household of People with Purpose, and so at ECC we seek to create and carry a Culture of knowing why we do what we do and for whom we do it. (Mark 16:15) Also at ECC we aim to create and carry a culture where People of Potential are released into their God destiny. (1Cor 1:7)
We sometimes continue the use of “P” and say we are “People of Power,” this is not true we are People of a Powerful God.
We are Called to ….. Ephesians 6:10 …. be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Paul makes this point 2Cor 12: 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Today’s Christian media has produced a culture of spiritual superstars, portraying certain individuals as powerful men and women the world has never seen before. Paul had the same problem when referred to the “super apostles” 2Cor 9:11 Their message as today was look at me and not to the Lord.
God’s Word reveals that God is Omnipotent, the one and only all powerful almighty sovereign Lord. 1Samuel 2:2 "There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. (see also 2Chor 14:11)
There is no doubt as we read Scripture that God uses individuals, through whom His power is demonstrated, and He uses some more than others. (Note the times it says “The Spirit of the Lord Came Upon…” in Judges & Kings) However, there is a real danger, that we take our eyes off our Powerful God and put them on so called ‘powerful people.’
It is vital that God’s Household has an atmosphere where anything can happen, where all things are possible because there is no limit on what God can do. We don’t have to wait for a ‘spiritual superstar’ to come because the Lord God, Strong and Mighty, is here, let’s get excited about His presence with us.
Remember we create and sustain an atmosphere that becomes a culture, by what we carry in us.
How to Come to ECC so as to create an atmosphere of Power
1. Come under the Conviction of the Holy Spirit. Conviction means to be convinced not condemned. The convicting work of the Holy Spirit is not just to convince sinners of the Gospel but also to reveal the deep things of God to His People. (1Thessalonians 1:5) Romans 4:21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
2. Come ‘Expecting’ to Get. Not because you are selfish, but because it’s what God wants to do;
Matthew 11:28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
If in Pain you can Know His peace, If sick you can know his healing, If weak you can know His Strength In this place today.
Matthew 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
If battling with the enemy you can know His authority.
3. Come ‘Expecting’ to Give. You are God’s powerful instrument, God can use you, and God has anointed you. 2 Corinthians 1:21
The Holy Spirit has come to bring the Power of God to the Church. Having power is being able to do what others cannot do in the world. Only the Church / You can do His work with His power. If being a Pentecostal church is just about speaking in tongues and lively music then we are missing ‘Life in the Spirit’ and neglecting the powerful Gifts of the Spirit that are so vital for the Church to fulfil the mission of God in the World today.
Hebrews 2:4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
1Cor 14:12 …. try to excel in gifts that build up the church.
2 Peter 1:3 "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness."
A household’s atmosphere or culture should impact us and influence the kind of person we are outside of the household gatherings. How we nurture our child in the home we hope and pray will help them to live righteous lives in the big wide world. Proverbs 22:6
We are representatives of God’s Household when we are out there in the big world,
2 Corinthians 5:20 this does not mean we wear a God badge or t-shirt or even have a big smile all the time! As representatives we are send out to represent God. We therefore carry the culture of the ECC household with us where ever we go. The World knows we have a purpose, they know we can do in Jesus what we have never done before and they are present with the Power of God at work through us.
