Sermon Tone Analysis

Clothed with Power

August 5, 2007

*Ephesians 3:14-21*

* *

God gives special power, extraordinary power, for the extraordinary challenges of an expanding witness to Christ.

We see this in Scripture.

Throughout Jesus’ ministry and beyond, He made promises to empower His people (that’s us) with the same resurrection power He had while on earth.

When Jesus came to earth 2000 years ago, He brought His power with Him.

When He left this earth, He gave His glorious power to us: First, He clothed us in power to be witnesses, as it states in Luke 24:48-49, /"You are witnesses . . .

but stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high."/

Power from on high will be essential for the expanding witness of world missions.

Let’s look at Acts 1:8, /"And you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth."/

This power Jesus speaks of – Holy Spirit power - is essential for the challenges of an ever expanding witness to Christ.

Let’s take a lok at the history of this power.

This extraordinary power fell upon the Christians at Pentecost.

It says in Acts 2:4 that they were /"filled with the Holy Spirit."

/And this Holy Spirit power, this unusual fullness came upon the church and its messengers again and again in the early church for the special challenges of witnessing for Christ.

First it was given to the Apostles.

As it says in Acts 4:8, "Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke" to the rulers of the people.

And they saw the boldness with which he spoke (v.

13).

Acts 4:31 emphasizes the dramatic signs which came with the infilling of this power – the power of the Holy Spirit: /"And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken and they were all filled with the Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness."/

In Acts 6:5,10, Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit and faith and the Jews could not withstand the wisdom with which he spoke.

This power God gives when we become believers is for our witness and our strength and ability to comprehend things of God.

If we are clothed with His power, we, like Stephen, will have extraordinary wisdom through the Spirit.

Do you have this power?

this wisdom to understand things of God?

If you do not, ask! God’s wisdom is available to all believers.

The “full” knowledge is waiting for us to access through this power we are clothed with.

Colossians 1:9-11 tells us more about this power: /“For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously “/

 The whole book of Acts testifies to the coming and the early work of the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 7:55, /"Stephen filled with Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God."/

And, in Acts 11:24, /“Barnabas was full of the Holy Spirit and faith; and a large company was added to the Lord.”/

And, Acts 13:9, /"Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at Elymas and said . .

."/

And not only the book of Acts, the letters of Paul talk of this same extraordinary power available to Christians.

Let’s look now at our key passage in Ephesians for this morning.

Here in Ephesians 3:16 Paul prays that /"according to the riches of his glory he might grant you to be strengthened (empowered!) with might through his Spirit in the inner man . .

." /And in verse 19 he prays that we would be /"filled with all the fullness of God."/

And in verse 21 he says that God /"by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think."/

In other words there is an extraordinary power available to believers, a power that can accomplish far more than we ordinarily think or imagine.

It comes by the Spirit.

It accords with the riches of God's glory.

It is the very fullness of God, as unimaginable as that sounds.

So, let’s read today’s Scripture.

It’s from Ephesians chapter 3 and verses 14 through 21: */“/*/For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever.

Amen.

“/

When God sovereignly pours that kind of power out on a church we call it revival.

And God's purpose in such a revival is that our witness to Christ will have more conviction, more courage, more wisdom, and more effect, so that God is greatly glorified as more and more people are reached and more and more people are added to the Lord’s kingdom.

Now the question is: what should we do?

Does the Bible teach us the way to seek this power, or the way to receive it?

The answer is yes and in the few minutes we have I want to show you four ways to seek this power.

*SCRIPTURE SPEAKS OF AT LEAST FOUR WAYS TO SEEK THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT*

*First, Immerse yourself in the Word of God, the Bible.*

It is almost certain that you will not be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit if you are not filled with the word of God.

Why do I think this?

1.

As we already saw, Acts 1:8 and Luke 24:48 teach that the power is given for effective witness.

And we witness primarily with the word of God.

There is no reason to think that God will ignite the powder of his Spirit if you don't load your rifle with the bullet of the Word.

The second reason I believe we need to seek power through God’s word is found in Luke 4:14 where it says that Jesus returned from the wilderness full of the Holy Spirit.

And how had he fought the devil with power in the wilderness?

Every time he was attacked he answered, /"It is written."/

And he quoted Scripture.

Jesus was full of the Spirit because he was full of the Word of God.

Another reason I know there’s power in the Word is found in what Jesus said about the words of God.

In John 6:63 Jesus said, /"It is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are Spirit and life."

/The words of Jesus are the voice and life-giving power of the Spirit.

If we don't hear his words, we don't receive his power.

In Ephesians 6:17 Paul says that we should put on the whole armor of God including the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

If you want the Spirit to come mightily upon you so that you can defeat the principalities and powers then you must take his sword, the word of God.

He will not fight without his sword.

It is our only offensive weapon against the enemy of our soul.

All other pieces of armor Paul mentions are defensive.

You want to fight this battle called life?

You need the sword – His Holy Word!

John affirms this truth, that our enemy can be defeated by the words of God.

Look at 1 John 2:14.

In it John says, /"I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have conquered the evil one."/

The Words of God are strong, powerful; they have conquered the most powerful enemy, Satan.

How?

The word of God abides in believers.

If you don't lay up the word of God within you, there will be no power, and no victory.

(See also Hebrews 4:12 and Jeremiah 23:29 and 2 Timothy 3:16 in your bulletin insert.)

If you want the power of the Holy Spirit in your life, if you are tired of being a weak replica of a Christian, then change your routine and immerse yourself in the Word of God.

Read it, think about it, memorize it, use it.

I remember reading about a seminary teacher who said he was ashamed when he saw Muslims memorizing page after page of the Koran while he tossed off his devotions with ten minutes of superficial reading.

The first way to seek the power of the Holy Spirit is to immerse yourself in the word of God.

*The second way to seek power is to believe the word of God*.

Let me be more specific.

Trust that God intends to do wonderful things for his glory through you because that is what the Bible teaches.

Be expectant that the Holy Spirit within you will give you power according to God's word.

Now why do I think that faith is the way to seek the power of the Holy Spirit?

2.1 In Galatians 3:5 Paul says, /"Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?"/

Answer: by the hearing with faith.

Hearing what?

The word of God.

The promises of God.

The good guidance of God.

For example, you change your routine and set aside an hour to be with God in the word before work.

You get alone and immerse yourself in the book of Ephesians for an hour.

The Lord impresses on your mind especially 1:12 that we who first hoped in Christ have destined and appointed to live for the praise of his glory.

And 3:20 that by the power at work in us he is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.