God's Power in Us
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Introduction
Introduction
The struggle to live called by God.
When I first read the bible I struggled with the thought of trying to be like Jesus, to live my life by his commands.
“If you love me, keep my commands.
Jesus is asking me to keep His commands, this is the proof that I love Him.
Think about this, have you ever read the Sermon on the mount?
He takes the command not to murder and says in order to live this you can’t even get angry. (Matt. 5:21)
He says that if I even look at another woman, I have committed adultery. (Matt. 5:27-28)
He says that I need to turn the other cheek when someone slaps me, and let them slap the other side. If someone wants to take the shirt off my back, I am to give them my coat too. (Matt. 38-40)
He tells me to love my enemies (Matt. 43-47)
He tells me to give to the poor, and when I do, do it quietly so you don’t get credit for what you have done. (Matt. 6:1-4)
He tells me not to worry. (Matt. 6:25-34)
These commands seem impossible to live!
2. Then I looked at His church.
a. I read the book of Acts, and saw the amazing things the church did.
b. They lived all of these commands, they had passion for others, they shared Christ with everyone.
c. The results were amazing, people were being saved.
d. But the modern church didn’t look anything like that!
Have you ever felt this way? Disappointed, and frustrated because you want to live your life for Christ, you want to live his commands, but they seem impossible?
How can the church possible live the commands of Jesus Christ? How will people know us by the evidence of his love, when we struggle to show love to one another?
The apostle Paul in our passage today is going to help us with these questions.
and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
The Greatness of God’s Power
The Greatness of God’s Power
Paul is convinced that God’s power is sufficient, it’s all we need to live our lives according to the calling we have received. Yet, he knows we need to be convinced. So he uses three events to prove it to us.
He raised Jesus from the dead
He made him sit at His right hand in the heavenly realms, giving him all authority, over all things.
He made Christ the head of the church, which is his body.
He Raised Jesus from the Dead
He Raised Jesus from the Dead
Death is not something we can avoid, it’s inevitable, no matter how hard we try not to die, it doesn’t work.
God did what no person, no human being can do. He raised Jesus from the dead. He beat death, by bringing Jesus back to life for good. This is something no one has ever experienced.
He Seated Him at His Right Hand, and Gave Him Power Over All Things
He Seated Him at His Right Hand, and Gave Him Power Over All Things
Go promoted Jesus to the place of supreme honor and executive authority.
Being seated at the right hand of the king is the highest place in the kingdom.
This fulfilled the messianic promise of Psalm 110:1
The Lord says to my lord:
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.”
God has placed all things under Christ, all things! This means that Jesus has authority over evil, over his enemies.
Paul is stressing that, at this very moment, Christ reigns in heaven as the King over all heavenly rulers, authorities, powers, and lords. The Lord Jesus is above all titles of power in this world and the next.
R.C Sproul
Through his death and resurrection Jesus became our victory.
Jesus is the Head of the Church, which is His body
Jesus is the Head of the Church, which is His body
Christ has been appointed from the foundation of the world to be the head of the church. God has given Jesus a body, which is the church.
The fullness of God dwells in Jesus and, since Jesus permeates the whole scope of his dominions, out of that fullness, he draws to himself the church. This means that the church participates in the blessing of being linked to the fullness of God.
Scripture makes it clear that the fullness of divine things dwells in Christ
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,
And that the church is his mystical body.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
The Church is the Fullness of Christ in this World
The Church is the Fullness of Christ in this World
We live our lives as the church in order to live our lives for Christ.
The Holy Spirit is the answer to our question of how are we possibly going to do this. We do it by the power of His Spirit, as a community of people who believe and are empowered by His Spirit
The Spirit in us is the benefit which we receive by being mystically united with Jesus in whom the fullness of all things dwells
R.C Sproul
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
The power of God dwells in us through his Spirit. God is literally living in us so that we can be Christ in this world!
This is the power that Paul is talking about, the incomparable great power for us who believe.
Big Idea: The power of God lives in us, the church which is the fullness of God. It’s the church that holds the power to change the world, and through Christ the church can show the world true love.