7-8-’01 EXPERIENCING GOD’S POWER
A. Armstrong
Thought for the day: “Those who yield their lives to God, experience his power.”
1 Pet 1:5
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
There is no work of God upon the earth without the Holy Spirit.
All things are accomplished by His power. Even when Jesus walked the earth, he went in the power of the Holy Ghost.
The Bible says….
John 3:34
34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
Every experience in God- every accomplishment for God is not without the Holy Ghost. So when we talk about experiencing the power of God, we naturally think of the work of the Holy Ghost.
Experiencing God’s power begins with salvation. It is a work of the Holy Spirit. And salvation is a powerful experience.
It is a heart changing - hope changing - life changing experience.
I know that as a child I experienced the power of God’s salvation and it was something I could never doubt.
When my children were little, I prayed for them to experience God as children and as young people.
I knew that if they did, they would not be able to altogether get away from it.
And I believe there are people today that have had that experience in their lives when they were younger, but are not serving God now - I don’t believe they have gotten away. I believe that God still deals with them and that they really down in their hearts [whether they admit it or not], know that God is real.
But it isn’t that experience alone that they have had that lets them know that God is real and they need him. I believe that the lives of born again Christians are a constant, powerful witness of the power of God.
I know that when I prayed for my children to know God when they were little, I got a heavy burden for them because I saw so many that were raised in the church leaving it just as soon as they were on their own.
So I ask God - ‘What can I do to know that my children will serve you?’ And he told me to keep them in church. To bring them all the time and TO LIVE MY LIFE FOR HIM.
Now I understand that better than I had at the time. He wanted me to show them the power of God in salvation and in all the things I would face in my life. Then they would know that he was able to save and keep them too.
When the world sees your life changed and you living a righteous life, it is a witness to the power of God. It tells them it is more than just a ‘phase’.
When my father first got saved, his relatives and friends said, ’This is just a phase he is going through.’ His life had been pretty wicked and they just couldn’t believe that God could change someone like him.
They may have started out by thinking this was just a phase, but they certainly at some point had to recognize that a real and lasting change had been accomplished in his life. That was 47 years ago, and he is still living for God.
That is a witness of the power of God unto salvation.
I know a man that [before he came to Christ himself], would hear that someone had come down to the alter and was suppose to have gotten saved.
Every time he see me after church, he would say, ‘Was
’so and so’ there?’ He was wondering if there was anything to their salvation. Or if there was anything that could KEEP a person.
Unfortunately, many times someone would come to the alter, claim salvation and in a few services they would be gone. And I am afraid he got the impression that there wasn’t any real keeping power to this salvation.
Too many people claim salvation that have no real change in their lives and it is a witness AGAINST the power of salvation instead of for it. One man said, ‘If you aren’t going to LIVE for God, don’t claim his name. It is a shame and reproach to Him and his church.’
So when this man finally came to God, he thought he would have to somehow change himself. He thought he would have to stand on his own power, so he had little faith that he could last.
But he found out about the power of salvation- that it is a life changing experience. It is the work of the Spirit and that is a work of power.
Remember the words of Paul…
Rom 1:16
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for IT IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION...
I love to hear people’s witness of their salvation experience. It blesses my spirit and confirms the fact that it is a powerful experience of God’s power.
So we experience the power of God in salvation.
Salvation is the beginning of our experience, but it is not suppose to be the end of it.
Heb 6:1
1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection;
I know that when we think about experiencing the power of God, the first thing that comes our mind is the infilling of the Holy Ghost. But the working of the Spirit is various. And all of his works are evidence of the power of God at work in us.
Gal 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
The Holy Spirit within us will [if we will yield ourselves unto him] grow these fruits in our lives.
I don’t believe that the fruits of the Spirit are necessarily things that are immediately automatic in our lives. I believe that we face some things in our lives in order that these fruits might be cultivated and flourish in us.
We know that we have to learn to yield to the Spirit to be a longsuffering person.
And in bad times we have to learn by the Spirit how to have joy, etc.
One thing we should take notice of is that these ‘fruits’ are against the nature of the unregenerate man. The unregenerage, [those not born again], are not subject to have these fruits cultivated in their lives. But the Bible tells us…
2 Pet 1:3-9
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
The Holy Ghost has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. The Holy Ghost at work in our lives should produce divine nature.
That is, power to enable us to do what fallen man’s nature does not do.
Such as; being reviled, reviling not again; turning the other cheek, loving your enemies; having joy in bad times; etc...
It goes on to say….
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
Now notice how Paul says ‘giving all diligence ADD to your faith.
And some of the things he says to add to our faith are fruits of the Spirit, such as temperance and love.
So though these things be a work of the Holy Spirit, it would be foolish to think that they will naturally be accomplished in your life without any effort on your part.
The Holy Ghost isn’t going to force you to be longsuffering. He will make you see your need to be. And he will help you to be. But you have to bring yourself into subjection to him; allow yourself to be led by him; and desire the fruit of him in you before it will be accomplished.
This is the work of the Holy Spirit preparing a bride for Christ.
Eph 5:27
27 [That he might present it to himself a glorious church,] not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
The true child of God will desire to have that work accomplished in their lives.
So we experience the power of God in making us holy.
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Next we will talk about another phase of experiencing God’s power.
There is power for gifts within the church.
It is these things we usually think of when we think of experiencing God’s power.
I would just like to say in the beginning of it that we must experience the power of his presence if we are going to have his power in our lives.
That the things we have already talked about are necessary if we want to experience His power in these things.
There are some things happening that appear on the surface to be great, but something isn’t right.
God works through clean vessels to do his work. His vessels are sanctified.
There will be a day when some will say ‘But Lord, haven’t we done many marvelous works in thy name?’ And he will say, ‘Depart from me ye that worked iniquity, I never knew you.’
But there is power in God that is experienced by his people. And there is nothing wrong with desiring that in our lives. Paul even said in speaking of the gifts of the Spirit, to desire the best gifts.
I believe that they are all important and have a place in the church. And that they are for the furtherance of the church [the kingdom of God].
In these last days, God is still pouring out his Spirit. He is still cleansing and sanctifying. He is still filling with power. He still heals. He still does miracles.
But as we stated before, if we want to experience His power, we must experience His presence. And as we do, he will make us vessels fit for use in the work of His kingdom.
If we want the power of God in our lives, then we must necessarily HAVE HIM in our lives. And then we must yield ourselves to the influence of His Spirit in our lives.
