Texts: 1 Cor. 2:10(b)
– 16; 6:19 – 20
Introduction
The previous sermons
on this series dealt with asking the Lord to help change our bad attitudes of
complaining, criticising, coveting, doubting and impatience; and replace these
wrong attitudes with the right ones. Often people change when they encounter a
serious crisis or they change only temporarily. Christians however are expected
to be people who change easily and permanently Christians have the Holy Spirit
in them to enlighten their thoughts with spiritual truths and to empower them
for many purposes including changing our bad attitudes.
Acts
1:8 “You will receive power
when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”
1
Cor. 6:19 “Do you not know that
your body is the temple ....”
2
Tim. 1:7 “God has given us a
spirit of power”
Eph. 1:19 – 30 “... the power at work within us is the
power which raised Christ from the dead”
2 Cor. 4:7 “But
we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is
from God nad not from us.”
Why Do We Need God’s Power?
The 4 Cs.
We need God’s power to:
1. Change our attitudes and sinful ways
2. Cure our hurts and pains
3. Conquer temptations
4. Carry out God’s will
From the texts just read, Christians ought to be very strong
and powerful people! But the picture we see often of Christians in churches
today is one of weakness, sadness, depressed, exhausted and sadly, clinging on
to the wrong attitudes. So how can we be “spiritually and supernaturally” powerful people?
The
5 A’s of Availing God’s Power
1. Admit
that you are weak without God
Jesus said, “... apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5
2. Affirm
and welcome God’s Presence & Power
Knowing and acknowledging
our weakness we welcome the Lord who is our strength.
“Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always. Remember the wonders
He has done, His miracles, and judgments He pronounced.”
1 Chron 16:11-12
As the lyrics of the song
goes, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look
full in his wonderful face. And the things on earth will grow strangely dim
...”
Remembering and recalling
the wonderful things God has done encourage and lift us up and reminds us that
someone greater than us with inexhaustible power is near us.
3. Align
yourself to God’s Will
Sometimes we look for
God’s power for the wrong reasons. We should not expect God to contribute His
power for our wrong agenda. Jonah was a person who did not align with God’s
will and suffered judgment. We need to make sure we are travelling along the
same road God wants us to go before we can seek His help.
4. Ask
God for the Power you need
God is like our earthly
father who wants his children to ask for what they need. Therefore ask God in persistent
prayer.
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek
and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives;
the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Lk 11: 9 - 10
We need not be afraid to ask
if our motives are right and our objectives in line with God’s purposes for us
e.g. changing our wrong attitudes, serving, healing.
5. Act
out of obedience to God
Whatever you want to change or
do with God’s power, just do it after
going through steps 1 – 4. Just have faith and trust the Lord to provide the power
as you walk in obedience.
It does not matter whether you
feel the power or not. Power will come as in the account of the ten lepers (see
Luke 17:11-17). As they go, they were healed.
11 Now
on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and
Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy]
met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have
pity on us!” 14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as
they went, they were cleansed.
Walking in obedience is exercising
faith and faith pleases God as He empowers His children.
Where does this power comes from?
From the Lord
The Power of GRACE
SAVING, SUSTAINING, SANCTIFYING
But
he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in
weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my
weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
“I can do all this through him who gives me
strength.” Philippians 4:13
“If grace does not make
us different from other men, it is not the grace which God gives His elect.”
Charles
Spurgeon.