INTRODUCTION
For the past few weeks we have been looking at a short series entitled, “Discovering the Champion in You.” I believe that all of God’s children are destined to be champions of the faith. Often times we don’t feel like we are, but the reality is, God has declared us more than conquerors in Christ Jesus by His doing.
We started off our series with a message entitled, “Maintaining a Winning Attitude”. We discovered that what separates a chump from a champion is attitude. And in order to maintain that winning attitude we need practice the “praise principle”, right praying, right thinking and right living.
Last week we said that in order to become a champion we needed to get into shape. We needed to become F.A.T. Christians. Not lazy and overweight, but faithful, available and teachable.
This morning we will continue our series with a message entitled, “Living in the Power Zone”.
ILLUS: In 1965 the Florida Gators football team was mediocre at best. Struggling in the heat and humidity of the deep south, the players were fighting a tougher opponent within themselves than they had ever fought on the gridiron – they had great difficulty finishing the game in champion-like form because they were dehydrated. So a team of University doctors developed a carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage that kept the team properly nourished throughout the game. Before the eyes of thousands of fans, the team’s second half performance improved and in 1967 won the Orange Bowl. As you may know this beverage is on every sideline around the globe keeping athletes performing at their best. Of course, this beverage is known as Gatorade.
Now you might be asking yourself, what does Gatorade have to do with living out my faith in Christ? The answer is simple. You see, Gatorade gave the Florida Gators an edge over their opponents – they had the advantage.
Christians have an advantage to living out the faith in champion-like fashion. What is it? It’s more like Who is it? He’s the Holy Spirit.
Gatorade asks athletes – is it in you? I’m asking you today – is the Holy Spirit in you? Are you living in the Power Zone of the Holy Spirit?
When I talk about the Power Zone, I’m talking about living in the empowerment of the Holy Spirit resurrection power – being Spirit-filled and fire baptized.
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” – Acts 1:8
GAINING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
But in order to live in the Power Zone we must first understand Who the Holy Spirit is and why God wants us to live and operate in the Power of His Might.
Many Christians today don’t acknowledge the Holy Spirit, much less live a life that is empowered by Him. The Holy Spirit has become a taboo topic within the church. We’d rather talk about a myriad of other things other than Spiritual Gifts, supernatural wonder working power and the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
The modern day Church has substituted the Holy Spirit for cappuccino machines and movie screens. In some churches, they have removed the alters where people would come and seek God’s forgiveness and empowerment in order to be less “churchy” and seeker sensitive. Why is this? It’s not that movie screens and things are bad, but I firmly believe that what the church is morphing into grieves the heart of God. The church is becoming a place where people can become entertained in Jesus name.
We need to realize that the Holy Spirit is the power behind the church today.
He was promised by God to empower all who would believe.
"And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.” – Joel 2:28-29
This is also the passage that Peter preached at Pentecost. But the bottom line is that God’s promises are not broken. God promised us His Spirit to live and empower us. This empowerment, this infilling, this baptism and the gifts of the Spirit did not die out with the Apostles. If it had, then God’s promise would have been broken.
Jesus didn’t want just any old believer walking the streets of Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost ends of the earth spreading the Gospel. He specifically told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
“Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." – Luke 29:49
God didn’t love the Apostles more than you and I. He didn’t brand them a special people and give them something He wouldn’t give us. We see in the book of Acts chapter 9 where Peter preached in a Roman soldier’s house, a man by the name of Cornelius. And as Peter was preaching the Spirit filled that place and all who were there began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
When the Apostle’s were martyred, did God revoke His Spirit’s empowerment from them? No. The empowerment of the Spirit wasn’t just for the first century church – it’s a promise and a gift of God to teach, guide and regenerate believers. If there’s ever a day we need Holy Spirit empowerment, it’s today.
GOD WANTS US TO LIVE IN THE POWER ZONE
Notice I said “live”. God wants us to dwell and remain in His sustaining power. The Power Zone isn’t a place to vacation or to visit. Although sadly that’s what it’s become.
If we are not walking day by day in the sustaining resurrection power of the Holy Spirit, then all we are becoming is church people. And then all we’re going to do is raise up a generation of church people who have never witnessed a true move of God.
I’m not talking about warm fuzzies and goose bumps at the alter. I’m talking about an old fashioned outpouring of the Holy Spirit of God where people’s lives are radically changed, people are healed, demons are sent away cowering like whipped puppies, cities and nations are awakened to a sense of repentance.
A church who is committed to living in the Power Zone will be identifiable. The Power Zone is what’s going to separate a real church from just another club and clique on the corner.
TO BE A CHAMPION IN THE POWER ZONE, WE’VE GOT TO WORK OUT
Any athlete needs to work out. And God has gifted Spirit-filled believers with a method of being built up.
“He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself” – 1 Corinthians 14:4
“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit” – Jude 1:20
For some reason speaking in tongues is very controversial within the Body of Christ. But this is the method and the means that God has given to us to build ourselves up in the faith.
We need to be built up. We can’t effectively run the race or fight the good fight if we’re not in the proper shape.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. I might not understand it, but I can hear it.
When I speak or pray in a tongue, it’s not me that’s praying but my spirit. When I came to Christ my spirit, the part of me that is created in the image and the likeness of God, was made alive by Christ.
And when that happened, the Holy Spirit linked up with my spirit. But when I was filled with the resurrection power, the Holy Spirit overflows in my life. And when I pray in the Spirit, I am speaking not unto man, but into God in a mystery.
“For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries”- 1 Corinthians 14:2
“For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays” – 1 Corinthians 14:14
Some people may get upset when you pray in tongues. But the reality is – I’m not talking to them anyway. I’m talking to God in a mystery. The devil doesn’t even know what I’m saying. This is a privileged line of communication between me and my Father. Only He can understand what we’re talking about.
I know something the devil doesn’t know. I’ve got some inside information. I’ve got the advantage. This is extremely important especially when we realize that we are fighting a war not against things we know and see, but against spiritual things we cannot see.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--
It’s time to do some warfare – and our firepower is prayer. But not just ordinary prayer – power zone prayer. We are fighting a battle on a plane and plateau that we don’t fully understand. But the Spirit does. And we pray in the Spirit, we are battling devils and demons, strongholds and hindrances to the advancement of our Lord’s Kingdom.
Paul tells us to stand – sometimes we wonder why we get tossed to and fro like a boat on stormy seas – it may be a result of not abiding in the Power Zone.
We’ve got to commit to live in and operate in Holy Spirit power. I can tell when I walk into a church who is living in the power zone. They don’t look around and count heads and brag about how many people they have in their church. Instead of asking how many people were at church, they ask how many people got saved today, how many people were healed, how many people were delivered?
When I talk to people, I can tell who’s living in the Power of the Holy Spirit. They are not self-centered and complainers.
When you operate in the Power Zone your perspective changes. It’s no longer about you, but about Jesus.
We’ve got to pack up and move out of the comfort zone and into the power zone.
Some of you have been living in the ghettos of death, damnation and depression
Your neighbors are guilt and shame
And you’ve been living a powerless existence
Much like a caterpillar you’re just inching your way through – trying not to get stepped on, crawling through other peoples mess as the dust is kicked in your face– then you’ve got to worry about being destroyed by the birds of the air.
But then God begins to woo you into a secret place.
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the wings of the Almighty” – Psalm 91:1
He cocoons you with His unfathomable love and something wonderful begins to take place in the power zone; a metamorphosis of sorts.
What was once an ugly creeping shell of person is transformed into a beautiful creature with wings to soar over all the stuff you had to crawl through.
But here’s what I believe the Lord wants us to get in our spirit. A butterfly can’t go back and become a caterpillar. In fact a butterfly can’t even think about how to be a caterpillar again. It’s been changed – forever!
That’s why we have to LIVE in the Power Zone. We’ve got to pull up our stakes and relocate to a new dwelling. We’ve got to totally uproot, cause we’re not going back.
WHEN YOU LIVE IN THE POWER ZONE, YOU CAN…
• …live in the promise of God
• …live in the power of God
• …live in the protection of God
• …walk by faith and not by sight
• … count it all joy when you enter into diverse temptations
• … know that my God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus
• … lay hands on the sick and they shall recover
• … walk in to the enemy’s camp and take back some things that rightfully belong to you
• … know if God be for me then who shall be against me
• … stake claim over your household and declare, “as for me and my house we will serve the Lord”
• …know you are seated in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus right now
• … know that the evil one, the devil, cannot touch you
• … tear down strongholds that have had a grip on your life
• … cause all hell to tremble with every step you take
• … see people released from the unyielding clutches of the enemy
• … be pressed but not crushed, persecuted, but not abandoned struck down but not destroyed
• … walk on serpents and scorpions and overcome all the power of the devil
• …have doors open for you that were once shut
CONCLUSION
Some of you need to make your way to this alter today. I mean run don’t walk down here to enter into the Power Zone.
Some of you need a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit,
Some of you need an initial filling of the Holy Spirit
Some of you may just need Jesus
I’m not talking about receiving a warm fuzzy, or goose bumps
I’m talking about resurrection power - a genuine encounter with God today
Men, you need to be living in the Power Zone to become the king, prophet and priest of your household
Ladies, where are God’s leading ladies this morning? Ladies you need to make a journey to the Power Zone this morning to walk victoriously, to be transformed into the virtuous woman – to be the heart of your husband and to allow your children to rise up and call you blessed.
Young people, you are the generation that Jesus is walking among. You will be the generation that will shake the nations for the Kingdom. But you won’t do it on your own strength and ability. Some of you are being lured by the desires of this world, but you need to abandon and forsake those snares and move into the Power Zone to receive Holy Spirit.
