SERIES: UNDERSTANDING POWER PRINCIPLES
THE POWER OF THE WORD - POWER PRINCIPLE FIVE
OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of this teachig you will be able to:
• Identify the source of the Word of power.
• Define the "rhema" and "logos" Words of God.
• Explain how Jesus met the challenge of Satan through the Word of power.
• Explain your responsibility for God's Word of power.
• Summarize the powerful purposes of God's Word.
• Explain why your own words are important in relation to spiritual power.
KEY VERSE:
For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. (Job 22.28)
INTRODUCTION
The Holy Bible is the written Word of the one true and living God. There is special power in these words of God: For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12) So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11) You will never receive the fullness of God's power until you experience the power of His Word.
THE SOURCE OF THE WORD
God is the source of power and of His written Word. This makes the Word of God powerful:
The Lord gave the Word: great was the company of those that published it.(Psalms 68:11)
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the Word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men,but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which effectually worketh also in youthat believe. (I Thessalonians 2:13)
God actually created the world by His Word:
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word ofGod, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.(Hebrews 11:3)
God created the heavens by His Word:
By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made. . .(Psalms 33:6)
God continues to uphold the world and all things as they are by the power of His Word:
Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person,and upholding all things by the Word of His power, when He had by Himselfpurged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.(Hebrews 1:3)
"RHEMA" AND "LOGOS"
There are two different Greek words used in the Bible for the Word of God. One of theseGreek words is "logos" and it refers to the total utterance of God. It is the completerevelation of what God has said.
The second word, "rhema," refers to a specific saying of God that applies specifically to aspecial situation. The total "logos" revelation of the Word of God is powerful, but when
God quickens a "rhema" word from His written Word, it is especially powerful. WhenGod quickens a "rhema"word, a verse you have read many times before suddenly takes onnew meaning. You can see how it applies to a specific situation you are facing.
The"rhema" Word gives you the answer, revelation, or comfort needed at the time.
THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS
The power of God was delegated to Jesus Christ but that power must be tested because strength increases under pressure. A major confrontation between the power of Jesus andthe power of Satan came early in the earthly ministry of Christ. Before proceeding withthis lesson, read about this encounter in Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12- 13; and Luke 4:1-13.
First, Satan tried to get Jesus to turn stones into bread. The power of Jesus which soonwas to turn water into wine surely could have turned stones into bread. But to do so inthis situation would have been acting independently of God and using His power forpersonal benefit.
Next, Satan tried to get Jesus to cast Himself down from the top of the temple todemonstrate His power. He even misapplied Scriptures to persuade Him it was all right todo so. In the third encounter, Satan tempted Jesus with the appeal of worldly power. Satan saidhe would give up all the kingdoms of the world if Jesus would worship him.
In each of these power struggles, Jesus met the challenge with the Word of God. Jesusquoted Scriptures applicable to the immediate situation. He used the "rhema" Word ofGod.
USING THE WORD OF POWER
It is not enough just to know there is power in the Word of God. To make it effective, that
Word must be applied as Jesus did. Jesus made it clear that the words He spoke were not His own. They were God's Words (John 3:34; 14:10,24; 17:8,14)
Jesus spoke God's Word with power:
And they were astonished at His doctrine: for His word was with power.(Luke 4:32)
And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What aWord is this. For with authority and power He commandeth the uncleanspirits, and they come out. (Luke 4:36)
• Jesus spoke the Word to a man with a withered hand and it was healed (Mark 3:1-5).
• He spoke the Word to a leper and he was cleansed (Matthew 8:2-3).
He said. . .
a. -"rise" to the impotent man at the pool (John 5:8)
b. -"see" to the blind (Luke 7:21)
c. -"come out" to demons (Matthew 9:32-33)
d. -"hear" to the deaf (Mark 7:32-35)
e. -"come forth" to the dead (John 11:44)
Jesus knew there was power in God's Word, but He also knew men must hear and respondto that Word in order for it to be effective. The words of Jesus, which were God's Words,were so powerful that they worked from a distance. Jesus did not even have to be presentat the scene of the problem. One man who had a sick servant said. . .
Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speakthe word only, and my servant shall be healed.And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, sobe it done unto thee. And His servant was healed in the selfsame hour.(Matthew 8:8,13)
This man believed in the power of God's Word. He knew it was so powerful it was not affected by time, place, or any other limitations of man. But to make it effective in his own life and situation, he had to claim it. He must apply the Word of God to receive the benefit of its power.
The early church used God's words of power. Paul said:
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. (I Corinthians 2:4,5) But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power. (I Corinthians 4:19)
THE POWER OF THE WORD
God is the power behind His Word:
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)
. . .I will hasten my word to perform it. (Jeremiah 1:12)
The Word of God gives great spiritual power:
For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
God honors His Word above His name:
I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. (Psalms 138:2)
THE PURPOSE OF THE WORD
What are the powerful purposes accomplished by God's Word? God's Word:
1. -Is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction: II Timothy 3:16-17
2. -Brings the born again experience: I Peter 1:23
3. -Brings eternal life, if we hear and believe it: John 5:24
4. -Causes spiritual Growth 1 peter 2;2
5. -Gives understanding to the simple: Psalms 119:130
6. -Gives peace psalms 119;165
7. -Brings healing: Psalms 107:20
8. -Cleanses: John 15:3; Ephesians 5:26
9. -Is used to cast out unclean spirits: Matthew 8:16; When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word,
10. - Is spirit and life: John 6:63
11. -Increases faith: Romans 10:17……faith comes by…
12. -Brings answered prayer: John 15:7……if you abide in me….
13. -Is the key to success: Joshua 1:8
14. -Is a weapon in the time of temptation: Matthew 4
15. -Brings blessings when it is kept and curses when it is not: Deuteronomy 28
16. -Gives assurance of salvation: I John 1:2-6
17. - Brings belief in the Gospel message: Acts 4:4
18. -Is the basis for eternal judgment: John 12:48
19. -Bears record of the truth of the Gospel: I John 5:7
20. -Sanctifies the believer: I Timothy 4:5
21. -Gives hope: Psalms 130:5; 119:49,81
22. -Keeps us from the path of the destroyer: Psalms 17:4
23. -Brings joy and rejoicing: Jeremiah 15:16
24. -Comforts: I Thessalonians 4:18, Psalms 119:50,52
25. -Brings spiritual nourishment: I Timothy 4:6
26. -Blesses, if we hear and keep it: Luke 11:28
27. -Converts the soul: Psalms 19:7
28. -Makes wise the simple: Psalms 19:7
29. -Enlightens: Psalms 19:8
30. -Warns: Psalms 19:11
31. -Brings great reward when kept: Psalms 19:11
32. -Permits access to Heaven: Revelation 22:14
33. -Brings the blessing of walking in righteousness: Psalms 119:1-3
34. -Makes us wiser than our enemies, teachers, and the ancients: Psalms 119:98-104
35. -Quickens: Psalms 119:25
36. -Strengthens: Psalms 119:28
37. -Is the basis of His mercy: Psalms 119:58
38. -Brings delight: Psalms 119:92
39. -Delivers: Psalms 119:170
40. – Is followed by miraculous signs and convinces people of the truth of the Gospel: Mark 16:20
THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE WORD
Because the Word of God is so powerful, believers have a responsibility to make it known to the world.
Example
The early Church assumed this responsibility for the Word of God.
a. They went everywhere preaching it (Acts 8:4; 12:24; 13:49).
b. They asked God for boldness to speak His Word (Acts 4:29,31).
c. The Word of God increased throughout the world because of their faithfulness (Acts 6:7; 19:20).
God confirms His Word with signs following. One cannot wait for the signs to precedethe Word. You have a responsibility for spreading this powerful Word to the world. Learn about your responsibility by studying the following Scriptures:
a. -God puts His Word in you so you can speak it to others: Deuteronomy 18:18-19;Isaiah 51:16; Jeremiah 1:9; 3:12; 5:14; 26:12; Ezekiel 2:7-8.
b. -If you are taught in God's Word, then you have a responsibility to teach others: Galatians 6:6
c. -You are to preach the Word throughout the world: Luke 24:47; Mark 16:15;II Timothy 4:2.
d. -You are not to speak your own words, but His words: Isaiah 58:13
e. -You are not to be ashamed of the Word: Mark 8:38
f. -You are to teach it to your children: Deuteronomy 6:6-9
YOUR OWN WORDS
The Holy Scriptures have divine power because they are the Words of the true and living God. But your own words are also powerful, especially when you speak God's Word.
You can overcome Satan through words:
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. (Revelation 12:11)
Confession by your mouth is part of salvation:
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thyheart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe inthine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouthconfession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:8-10)
Your tongue has the power to bring spiritual death or life as you minister to others:
Death and life are in the power of the tongue. . .(Proverbs 18:21)
You can snare yourself with your own words. You can get yourself into difficulties bywhat you say:
Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth; thou art taken with the wordsof thy mouth. (Proverbs 6:2)
Your words can prevent you from acknowledging the power of God:
Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: whois lord over us? (Psalms 12:4)
Satan uses the things you say to cause a breach in your spirit. A breach is an opening through which he can enter:
A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach inthe spirit. (Proverbs 15:4)
What you say affects your soul:
A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.(Proverbs 18:7)
Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.(Proverbs 21:23)
Your words affect your whole body:
And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity; so is the tongue among ourmembers, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course ofnature; and it is set on fire of hell. (James 3:6)
Your words affect your whole life:
He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life; but he that openeth wide his lipsshall have destruction. (Proverbs 13:3)
Believers prevent the flow of God's power in their lives through their own words. Theyspeak covetous, idol,and foolish words. They argue over commandments of men that turnpeople from the truth of the Gospel. They speak evil words about others, murmur,complain, boast, and lie. They speak words that cause division, words of cursing andbitterness.
Then they wonder why they are powerless.
Remember: The flow of God's power in your life is not only affected by the power of His
Word, it is affected by the power of your words.
FOR FURTHER STUDY
1. Read Genesis chapter l. Note the creative power in God's Word. Underline everyuse of the phrase "and God said."
2. Study more about the power of your own tongue in the Harvestime InternationalInstitute course, "Spiritual Strategies: A Manual Of Spiritual Warfare." Strategies forcontrolling your tongue are given in this course.
3. Jesus is actually called the Word of God in human form. Read John l.
4. The first record of God's Words being written down by man is found in Exodus20:1-17.
5. There are two major divisions to God's Word: The milk of the Word and the meatof the Word. The milk of the Word is basic truth easily understood. The meat ofthe word is the deeper teachings of God's Word which bring spiritual maturity.Read about these divisions in Hebrews 5:13-14 and I Peter 2:2.
Faith’s Confession.
2 Corinthians 4:13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak,
In this message I will be showing you biblical examples of persons who have walked in great levels of faith, simply because they understood this important faith principle.
What do you believe? Do you believe the promises of God and the wonderful things He has given to you through His covenant?
Do we often find ourselves speaking doubt and unbelief more than we find ourselves making faith declarations concerning what God is able to do for us?
A continuous pattern of confession of doubt and unbelief will never establish our faith. We must believe in God and His Word if our faith is to be established.
By making faith declarations or simply speaking that which we believe, we will find that it actually reinforcesour faith and releases it in a manner that gets results.
Mark 11:22-24 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. 23"For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
The key to having this kind of faith is the ability to discern the difference between faith and presumption. As we go through this message, I believe we will see the difference; and be able to apply this important principle to our own lives.
I. Building Assurance in our Hearts.
One of the major keys that we find in all of those who have gone before us as great heroes of the faith is that they were assured in their hearts of what God was able to do and perform.
Romans 4:20-21 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
Faith, belief and confession all work together. You must have all three of these elements working in your life for your faith to be released. We must be full convinced of what we believe before our faith can be released.
• There are many things God has made clear that belong to us.
• It’s a matter of knowing what God’s will is.
Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
II. Biblical Examples of Men of Faith.
1. The Example of Abraham.
God had established a covenant with Abraham of which was to be established through his son Isaac.
Genesis 17:21 "But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year."
When God told Abraham to go sacrifice his son, Isaac, Abraham was able to make the appropriate faith confessions that released his faith, because of his confidence and assurance in the covenant that God had previously established with him.
Genesis 22:5 And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you."
Genesis 22:8 And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering." So the two of them went together.
• Abraham believed and therefore he spoke.
2. The Example of Jonathan and His Armor Bearer.
This is the story of how Jonathan and his armor bearer took on the stronghold that was being held by the Philistines from which they were launching attacks daily upon the Israelites.
Jonathan decides to take action and begins with a confession that is based on what he believed the Lord was capable of.
1 Samuel 14:6 Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the LORD will work for us. For nothing restrains the LORD from saving by many or by few."
As He made a simple confession of faith and began to take action, his confession of faith developed to point that his faith is now a confession of invincibility.
1 Samuel 14:12Then the men of the garrison called to Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, "Come up to us, and we will show you something." Jonathan said to his armorbearer, "Come up after me, for the LORD has delivered them into the hand of Israel."
Romans 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
3. The Example of David.
David was able to make a strong confession of faith regarding the defeat of Goliath, because:
A. He too knew what God was able to do.
B. He had already experienced victory and the hand of God working on his behalf.
C. He saw the revelation of what was taking place in this situation and was able to understand what the will of the Lord was.
1 Samuel 17:26 Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, "What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"
1 Samuel 17:37 Moreover David said, "The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you!"
An important thing to bear in mind in David’s situation is that he did not step out in presumption against Goliath. He had a revelation of the situation, seeing it from God’s perspective.
He was able to go beyond God’s general promise and into the specific application for him through the personal revelation he was receiving through God’s Spirit. He was going from faith to faith.
• David believed and therefore he spoke.
III. Concluding Remarks – Making Faith Declarations.
We have been given many wonderful and precious promises in God’s Word that have been make available to us through the covenant the He has established with us. I believe God desires for us to declare these things continually so that our belief system will become stronger and stronger.
Psalms 66:16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, And I will declare what He has done for my soul.
Psalms 71:15 My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And Your salvation all the day, For I do not know their limits.
In our praise and worship before God, we should be continually confessing and declaring the power and the victory we have in Jesus Christ, the healing we have, the blessings and the wonderful inheritance we have in Him. He has given to us all things that pertain unto life and godliness.
2 Corinthians 4:13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak,
We must base our faith confessions on the covenant God has established with us, being fully convinced that what He has promised He is also able to perform. When God gives us confirmation to go on, we must speak it and go on. We must also be open to seeing the situation through God’s perspective and then making the appropriate confessions and finally we can make confessions according to unfilled prophecy in our lives. Remember, you have to be convinced, otherwise it is presumption.
Dr. Tg Badia
