The Power of God

Church, we have been on a journey and my prayer is that you have meditated on who God is, and why we worship. Today we are going to learn how to unleash God’s power in your life. In the past several weeks we have discussed that God wants to revel Himself to you through worship and knowing who God really is.

     Once we learn just who God is then worship becomes exciting and then and only then, will He unleash his awesome power in your life. Turn with me to

 Acts 2:1-21

1     When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues  as the Spirit enabled them.

5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine. ”

Peter Addresses the Crowd

14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17     “ ‘In the last days, God says,

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

your young men will see visions,

your old men will dream dreams.

18     Even on my servants, both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days,

and they will prophesy.

19     I will show wonders in the heaven above

and signs on the earth below,

blood and fire and billows of smoke.

20     The sun will be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood

before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

21     And everyone who calls

on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

Before we go on I want to show each of you a few things plus give a little history or brain candy. If you listen it will open up this whole sermon.

  On this day, the day of Pentecost was an annual feast, followed by the feast of the first fruits. Now it lasted 7 weeks or 49 days. It was also called the feast of weeks.

 The name Pentecost comes from the Greek-meaning- 50 because it was on the 50th day after the first fruits feast.

The words wind and fire are very significant to understanding our Gods true power.

V4 says the “They were filled with the Holy Spirit” and “the Spirit enabled them”. Now the word spirit translates to wind also meaning breath, all are nouns because they describe something, Spirit, wind and breath.

 Also Spirit, wind and breath are from the verb pne~o meaning to blow.

 v2 says “a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from Heaven” points to the power of the Holy Spirit blowing through the crowd.

V3 says “tongues of fire” which is a symbol of our Gods presence. In the O.T God reveled Himself in the form of fire or flames.

  Are you starting to understand what is happening here?

But on that day NO BELIVER was exempt from hearing the word of God, v3 says :fire separated and came to rest on each of them.

Now other religions speak of talking in tongues and always use this chapter to back up what they believe, well let read on. V4-12

4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues  as the Spirit enabled them.

5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

  There were thousands of people from all over and there over 12 to 20 different languages spoken there. When the Holy spirit came upon them they start to speak in a foreign tongue which simple means a foreign language, not a private God language, but a language for people to understand. People were hearing the Gospel in their native tongue. Now that’s power!!!!!! 

  God wants His word to be known to everyone. He gives every person a chance to receive the Holy Spirit. The Gift of Tongues was given to let everyone hear the gospel; it wasn’t a private language, that goes against what God was trying to do. (   Now do I believe that God can give us a gift of a private language? Yes!!!!! God can do whatever He wants He’s God, but that’s not what happened here). Our Gods power shinned like the sun on that day.

Now as you hear of our Gods power! What do you think about?

 Probably The 10 plagues of Egypt in the times of the Exodus.

The parting of the Red Sea.

The flood

The Ark

Sodom and Gomorrah

Samson

Moses

David and Goliath

God vs Bail

The virgin birth

Jesus

Healings

Death and the Resurrection and so on. We can come up with miracle after miracle this book is full of Gods power. And certainly everything mentioned is power beyond power. But Church Hear what I’m going to tell you!!!!!!

 IF THAT’S WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT WHEN I MENTION GODS POWER, YOU DO NOT KNOW GOD, YOU HAVE MISSED THE MARK .

( I want you to think deeper than that, I want you to not just read the bible but soak it in, adsorbed it. God wants you to dig and dig and then when you think you understand what you have read, then dig some more.)

      Jesus spoke on parables so the people who really wanted to know His word would ask questions and want to find out what He meant. He wanted us to think and be ready. Anybody can read the bible but not all understand the bible.

               Why are we so afraid to share our faith with someone from another religion, because we are scared they know more than us and we can not answer all their questions.

   I do not want you to miss the mark I want you to thirst for the living water, to dig into the word.

   I want to share with you today the true everlasting power of the almighty God. If this excites you say AMEN. I’m talking highest and most glorious power that our God can bestow on His people.!!!!!! I’m talking the power of the HOLY SPIRIT!!!!!!

1 Corintians 12:8-11

  8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,

  9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,

 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

These gifts Paul mentions have a purpose, They are not given for personal gain, but for the common good of the body of Christ, for building up each other. In this passage Paul list 9 gifts from the Holy Spirit.

1.  Wisdom- insight to doctrinal truth

2. Knowledge- Ability to apply doctrinal truth to your life.

3. Faith-Trust in God beyond most Christians.

4. Healing-To restore health.

5. Miraculous powers-exorcising demons or raising the dead.

6. Prophecy-to declare a message of God for His people.

7. Ability to distinguish between spirits-able to tell the word of God over satanic deceivers.

8. Tongues-ability to speak unlearned, living language.

9. Interpretation-ability to translate a unlearned and unknown language.

You see God wants to revel Himself to all of His people He has spiritual gifts He wants to bestow or give to each of us. He wants to fill us with the Holy Spirit which is the most powerful power God can give.

Acts 1:8

 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

 After Jesus resurrection, He remained on earth for 40 more days to minister to His disciples. He had already opened their minds to understand the O.T message about Himself.

Luke 24:45-48

45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.

46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,

47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

God wants us to understand the scripture so He can fill us with the Holy Spirit so we can have power to go out and do His will. Jesus knew that without understanding of the scripture, His disciples could not do God’s will effectively plus they could not defeat the enemy with out Gods power.

         V8 is saying the power of the church comes from the Holy Spirit and not from man.

Ordinary people were able to do extraordinary things, because the spirit of God was at work in their lives.

   The ministry of the Holy Spirit is not luxury, it is an absolute necessity.

We are all given the power to be a witness for God. While some of Gods people have a calling to evangelism. All Gods people are expected to be a witness and tell the lost about our Saviour.

     Witnessing for Christ takes as much spiritual power as performing miracles.

 Think of all the power that has never been demonstrated, The power of our God shows all other power to be power-less. Jesus Christ demonstrated the greatest power of all, the power to give His life as a ransom from many, for you and for me. That is nothing but power, glorious power.  The power to forgive our sins is the greatest power I could even imagine. Every day and every night you should praise God’s name for the power of reconciliation over our sins.

2 Corinthians 5:19

     19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation

That is the greatest act of power that has ever or will ever be demonstrated and witnessed.

Beloved!!!!!

Who alone has the power to reconcile the world unto Himself, not counting their trespasses (sin’s against them)?

Who alone has the power to be both just and justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus?( Rom 3:26)

Who alone has the power to forgive sins? (Mark 2:7)

Who alone has the power to reckon an ungodly man’s righteousness apart from works? ( Roman 4:5)

Who alone has the power to raise the dead to new life and then seat them in the heavenly places in Christ. ( Eph 2:5-6)

We all have blessings and more through the imaginable power of the cross of Jesus Christ.

  There is only one who has the power to forgive and give the gift of eternal life.

John 3:16

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,  that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

As we stand If you want that power, if you need that power, If the lord of Lords and the King of Kings is calling you to service, don’t wait you come today. If your looking for a church home we will love you like family. If you just need prayer you come down and we will pray today. Don’t let this day pass you by without answering God’s call on your life. As we sing you pray for me and I will pray for you.