Powerlessness: Unbalanced & Unnecessary
Introduction: Think about this quote for a moment: "I’m not impressed with anyone’s life unless they have integrity. But I’m not happy with their life until they are dangerous!" Many believers have made it their primary goal in life to be well-respected citizens of their communities. Good character enables us to be solid contributors to society, but most of what is recognized as a "Christian" lifestyle can easily be accomplished by people who don’t even know God. Certainly, every believer should live a life that is respectful but there is more. It’s the "more" part that is so often lacking.
While character should be at the heart of our ministry, it is the power within us that revolutionizes the world around us. The world around us that is dying and going to hell is in desperate need of something more than just a bunch of nice people. They need people who have experienced the resurrection power of Jesus Christ in their own personal lives and have learned to put that power into action in order to to help others overcome.
We’re talking about two things here: character & power. Too many believers have placed their focus on character and allowed power to fall by the wayside. From a scriptural standpoint, you cannot separate the two because together they bring us to the only real issue: obedience. Consider the words of our Lord here:
Text: Acts 1:8
Introduction: The word used here is Power. The Greek word is dunamis from which we derive words such as dynamic or dynamite. This power being spoken of is actually a "divine enablement" - an ability from on high.
Let’s stop here and consider this obedience thing for a moment. Remember first that our reason for being here - why God created us in the first place - is to bring glory unto Himself - basically you and I are here to "impress God." Thus, we impress Him by obeying Him. We are commanded to live holy lives - thus the character or integrity part. But our text goes on to show us and the church of Acts illustrates it that we are also to have and utilize this power factor. Look at what Jesus said in Mt 10:7-8:
"As you go, preach this message: the kingdom of heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give."
We have been given a message to proclaim and the power to make it believable. So true obedience is living a life that is acceptable to God coupled with a life that puts His power into action. Thus, a believer without power is living an unbalanced and unnecessary lifestyle. Evangelist Mario Murillo in his book Fresh Fire puts it this way: "When I pick up a Bible, my focus is not on receiving an emotional healing or building my self esteem. I want to know where the trigger is and to fire it. When I read the Word, I want to apply it to the taking over of neighborhoods for God!"
So, I believe it is important that we begin by understanding the:
1. Purpose of the Power
A. Too many believe His power exists only to help us overcome sin.
1. Such an idea falls far short of the Father’s command to "become witnesses."
2. Why spend a lifetime attempting to overcome something that has already been defeated?
a. That battle has already been fought and won.
b. By constantly bringing up the old issues and battling with them, we actually impart new life into these dead issues.
B. The power is a divine enablement to fulfill His great commission given to all the church.
1. It is being clothed with God’s ability.
2. We have a tendancy to do only those things which we have the power within ourselves to do - so in case God doesn’t happen to show up we have nothing to try to explain away or be embarrassed about.
3. Power usage requires faith usage.
a. Believing in God’s word
b. Believing in God’s ability
c. Believing in God’s perfect timing
Application: The purpose of the power is to be witnesses - not show-offs - witnesses. The power of God to transform a sinful life is recognized when His ability to touch a physical life is displayed. Signs and wonders are pointers - they point to God’s ability to bring change.
Attaining this power is based upon our personal:
2. Pursuit of an Encounter
A. You must pursue after an encounter with the God of power to attain His power.
1. When I think about pursuit, I think about effort - putting something extra into it.
2. In 1 Ch 16:11, David instructs us to: "Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always."
3. In 1 Ch 22:19, David said: "Devote your heart and soul to seekign the Lord your God."
4. In Ps 34:10, David said: "The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing."
5. Psalm 105:4 says: "Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always."
6. David’s efforts of seeking after God paid off in tremendous ways - He continues to this day to be known as a man after God’s own heart.
B. At some point in our Christian walk, we must come to the place where we realize God is a whole lot bigger than we ever give Him credit for and thus we engage in a quest to discover more about this greatness.
c. This pursuit requires an inner passion for life-changing encounters with God over and over.
1. Don’t ever be content with past encounters.
2. Desire more and more of God and be willing to chase after Him with the intent of receiving more of Him.
Application: Power is released as we encounter the power Source. The more intimate we become with this Source, the more we will learn about His power and how to assimilate His power into our lives. Pursuing after God should never be taken lightly; rather, it should be a daily motivating factor in our lives.
The powerlessness of today’s Church is most attributable to our:
3. Prayerlessness
A. If we teach, preach and witness and nothing happens, we need to go back to the drawing board - our knees.
1. For too long now, the Church has attempted to justify its lack of power by creating new doctrine rather than crying out to God until the power fell.
2. The fear that grips the Church concerning the Holy Spirit is simply based upon our lack of praying through until we receive.
B. The Word must go forth in power.
1. Power is the realm of the Spirit.
2. Paul writes in 2 Co 3:6: "He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant - not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."
3. A powerless word is the letter not the Spirit.
4. If the gospel being proclaimed is powerless, it is because human wisdom has had its influence.
Application: The key to power is plugging into the power Source. Plugging in requires knee action. We must come to that place in our lives where we are no longer content with the status quo - I want more - more of God - more of His power - more of His enablement - more of His presence. Attaining this requires prayer - the one thing we lack most. Prayer is the gateway to power.
Conclusion: David said: "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for the living God." (Ps 42:1-2a). Remember the quote we opened with: "I’m not impressed with anyone’s life unless they have integrity. But I’m not happy with their life until they are dangerous!"? Until you and I become dangerous in this world because of His Spirit moving in us, we will remain no different than every other church on every other street corner. We must proceed into the "danger zone." We must become sick and tired of mediocrity. We must desire the power and presence of God in every part of our beings.
Powerlessness is unbalanced and unnecessary. As we come to understand the purpose behind God’s power is to enable us to carry out His desires in this world, we begin to develop a dangerous outlook. As we set out in hot pursuit after a fresh encounter with God, we begin to take on a dangerous attitude. As we get down on our knees, the place the battles are won anyway, we become dangerous people.
I do not want to fear Satan rather I want Satan to fear me. I want to be dangerous. I want to impress God as I become a menace to Satan’s domain because I have allowed God’s power to reign and rule in my life.
What about you? Are you ready to make a fresh commitment of yourself? Are you ready to become a menace, a danger to the realm of Satan? Step out and take a stand for this new walk. Commit yourself right now to living in the "danger zone" - it’s time we all become what God has ordained us to be - powerful through Christ who is our power Source.
