Introduction

Power is an interesting thing isn’t it? It’s all around us, it impacts our lives every single day, and yet at the same time - what is it? How do you accurately measure power? Can you get more of it? Can you lose it? And as it pertains to Christians… What exactly does it mean to live empowered by the Spirit?

As we continue on in our series Unhindered, I’m excited to tackle this idea of power and I’m looking forward to unpacking what on earth unhindered power could mean for followers of Jesus. The same Jesus who commanded legions of angels and yet humbled himself to the point of death and humiliation. His power was an otherworldly one. It was something that has never been seen before or after…

Even “Napoleon Bonaparte, the great military genius, looking back over his years of conquest, is reported to have said, ‘Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and I have built great empires. But upon what did they depend? They depended on force. But centuries ago Jesus started an empire that was built on love, and even to this day millions will die for him.”

The weapons, if you could call them that, of Christ were love, grace, mercy, and compassion. And He is arguably the most powerful person to have ever walked the earth.

The weapons, if you could call them that, of Christ were love, grace, mercy, and compassion. And He is arguably the most powerful person to have ever walked the earth.

Main Teaching

The main “power source” of Christians is the Holy Spirit. This, the least understood member of the triune Godhead, also happens to be the one that Jesus felt we needed even more than himself. In fact in John 16:7 He says, “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” Advocate is just one of the many names used to describe the Holy Spirit throughout the bible. Some others of note are;

Of all these names, which resonate with you the most? Which names have you heard before, and which are new to you? Would it surprise you to know that this isn’t an exhaustive list… The Holy Spirit is a multi-functional, multi-faceted wonder that is an imperative component to living an empowered and unhindered life in Christ.

Today we’re going to look at three specific areas where we see the strength of the Spirit come alive in the church. Living an unhindered life in step with the Spirit means we have, among many other things; strength to share, strength to persevere, and strength to love.

Strength to Share

When Jesus ascended into heaven He left the disciples with this command;

As you can see, Jesus promises his followers that they will receive power from the Holy Spirit, and that they will be empowered witnesses to his message in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth ... View this full sermon with PRO Premium