THE POWER OF GOD
Ephesians 1:18-19. "I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened,
so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious
inheritance in the saints, and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe.
He displayed this power in the working of His mighty strength."
What is
power?
Webster and Biblical
words for power
Definition of power
1: ability
to act or produce an effect
2: the ability to get extra-base hits
3: capacity
for being acted upon or undergoing an effect
4: legal
or official authority, capacity, or right
5: possession
of control, authority, or influence over others
6: one
having such power specifically: a sovereign state
Power = force multiplied by
speed (velocity) P = F × v.
The Hebrew
word for power is kowach: firm, vigor, might, strength, wealth
The Greek
word for power is dunamis : same as above, add an abundance
There is no
way to measure God’s power.
A simple example of power is a nail being
driven into wood with a hammer.
The Force is
the weight of the hammer acting on the nail.
The velocity
is the swing of the hammer
God never
defines His power
He shows us
His power by what He does.
Consider
God’s power acting in our bodies
There are 12
major systems in our bodies that have to function to make us well and sane
people,
These different body
systems include the skeletal, nervous, muscular, respiratory,
endocrine, immune, cardiovascular/circulatory, urinary, integumentary,
reproductive, and digestive systems.
All of these
systems require God’s Power. For
example, the human heart
Normal resting blood pressure, in an
adult is approximately 120 millimeters of mercury (16 kPa) systolic over 80
millimeters of mercury (11 kPa) diastolic, denoted as "120/80 mmHg".
A normal resting heart rate for adults ranges
from 60 to 100 beats per minute.
In 2020 the human population of the
world was 7.753 billion.
The God we serve regulates and keeps
track of each heart rate.
LIMITED
VIEW OF GOD’S POWER
Exodus
15:6-9
6 "Your
right hand, O Lord, was majestic in power.
Your right
hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy.
7 In the
greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you.
You
unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble.
8 By the
blast of your nostrils the waters piled up.
The surging
waters stood firm like a wall; the deep waters congealed in the heart of the
sea.
Verses 6-9
give us three limited views of God’s power acting on man.
The power is
in God’s right hand which presents a force to shatter the enemy
At God’s
speed
2nd
the force from God’s right-hand causes the enemy to fall at God’s speed
3rd
the power in God’s nostrils causes a blast at God’s speed to act on the water
Causing it to stand up creating dry land,
God’s power
cannot be defined in human terms, but here is what we know
THERE IS
POWER IN THE WORD OF GOD
Proverbs
24:5-6
A wise man
has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength;
6 for waging
war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers.
Whatever
knowledge and strength you have come from God
Daniel 2:23
I thank and
praise you, O God of my fathers:
You have
given me wisdom and power,
you have
made known to me what we asked of you,
NEVER
WITHOUT THE POWER OF GOD
1
Corinthians 5:4-5
When you are
assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the
power of our Lord Jesus is present,
God’s Power
is with us at all times. It can be
active in our lives, or passive in our lives if we are not doing anything
That bring
Him Glory
In actuality,
God’s power is working in us at all times. We are not aware of all the processes
that are going on
In our
bodies at all times.
WE ARE
MADE COMPLETE IN THE POWER OF JESUS
2 Peter
1:3-4
His divine
power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our
knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
Ephesians 3:19. "May you
experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then
you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes
from God."
WE CANNOT
QUESTION GOD’S POWER
In the
beginning, God created the heavens and the earth
God does not
tell how He created the Heavens and the earth
He does not
tell what process He uses to lay out the
universe
Job dared to
question the action of God regarding his condition.
Listen to
God’s response
Job 38:4-5
"Where
were you when I laid the earth's foundation?
Tell me, if
you understand.
5 Who marked
off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who
stretched a measuring line across it?
GOD’S
POWER IS ESSENTIAL
John 15:5-6
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If
a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me, you
can do nothing.
GOD’S
POWER IS CREATIVE
John 1:3
Through
him all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made.
GOD’S
POWER IS ETERNAL
John
10:28-30
I give them eternal life, and they shall never
perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them
to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30
I and the Father are one."
Romans 1:20
For since the creation of the world God's
invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly
seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
NIV
Ephesians
3:20-21
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more
than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
21 to him be glory in the church and Christ Jesus throughout all generations,
forever and ever! Amen.
GOD’S
POWER IS UNIVERSAL
John 6:40
For my Father's will is that everyone who
looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise
him up at the last day."
GOD’S
POWER IS DIRECTIONAL
Job 37:12-13
12 At his
direction they swirl around over the face of the whole earth
to do
whatever he commands them.
13 He brings
the clouds to punish men, or to water his earth and show his love.
GOD’S
POWER IS MIRACULOUS
1 Chronicles
16:12-13
Remember the wonders he has done, his
miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
Acts
19:11-12
11 God did
extraordinary miracles through Paul,
GOD’S
POWER IS INDEPENDENT
Revelation
22:13
13 I am the
Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
God’s power
is infused in every part of our bodies
Consider the
12 major systems of the body, they function without your participation
Philippians
4:13
I can do everything through him who gives me
strength.
GOD HAS
HEALING POWER
Matthew
9:21-22
She said to
herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed."
Jesus turned
and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has
healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.
GOD HAS
PROTECTION POWER
Psalms 5:11
But let all
who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your
protection over them,
GOD HAS
PROVISIONAL POWER
Psalms
132:15
I will bless
her with abundant provisions;
her poor
will I satisfy with food.
GOD’S
POWER IS UNLIMITED
Psalms 147:5-6
Great is our Lord and
mighty in power;
his understanding has no
limit.
6 The Lord sustains the
humble
but casts the wicked to
the ground.
SUMMARY
Power
is the very energy of the life of God himself. It is the supernatural
energy that emanates from God's being. (2) This supernatural and divine energy
or power quite literally fills and indwells the bodies and souls of every
born-again believer. God does not call upon us to speculate about the nature of
this power.
Power comes to all baptized believers in the form of the
Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8)
God gives power to all
mankind in the form of the spirit in man. The mind, the intellect, is the basis
of man's power. To His regenerated children, though, He gives an extra, realized
capacity to perform His will, just as He gives dunamis to
the angelic host to carry out its responsibilities (II Thessalonians 1:7). He equips us with
whatever we need to accomplish what He is working out.
If something needs to be
done for God's design to be realized, we can be sure that God has delegated the
power—the capacity, aptitude, authority, and active effectiveness—for it to be
done. (Forerunner Commentary)
Don’t limit God’s ability
to act in your life.
If you need something, ask
God.
He can do exceedingly more
than you can ask or imagine.
God wants to work His
Power in your life
God is like a power grid
You are extensions of
God’s Power Grid.
Who is connected to your
power grid?
In other words, who are
you influencing with the word of God?
How are you using God’s
power in your life?
Rev. M. Mitchell
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