Sermon Tone Analysis

*More than Words*

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It is good to have everyone here this morning, and we would especially like to welcome our visitors.

If you are visiting with us, know that we are grateful for your presence and the opportunity to get to know you better.

In the book of Genesis, we learn how Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, and then ended up with Leah and another seven years of work to complete his obligation to Laban.

Well, we have a brother who has been working very hard for seven years – not for a wife, because he already has a wonderful supportive wife and a daughter.

This brother has been working toward his PhD.

This past Friday, Alex Williams successfully defended his doctoral dissertation, and now has his PhD in chemical engineering.

Alex also has 17 publications in which he was either the author or the co-author, and he also has two patents as a result of his work.

*¿**  *We congratulate Dr. Alex Williams, and his wife Becky and daughter Megen for this significant accomplishment, and we thank God for bringing this sweet family to us and strengthening them for these past seven years.

Would you please stand?

The Bible is filled, from cover to cover, with examples of God’s power.

In the Old Testament, God worked powerfully through his prophets and priests to bless and strengthen His people.

In the New Testament, God’s miraculous power was manifested in the apostles, and it served to strengthen, establish, and identify the church as the body of the Christ, the Son of God.

Though we understand that those special miraculous gifts ended at the death of the apostles, we need to remember that we still serve an awesome and powerful God.

Paul was apparently being challenged by some people in Corinth.

In 1 Corinthians 4, Paul states that he was hoping to visit the church at Corinth, and he would investigate these arrogant people to see what kind of power they had.

And then Paul made an important statement in verse 20.

He wrote:

*¿**   **“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.”*

Brothers and sisters, my prayer this morning, and the purpose of this lesson, is to remind all of us that the kingdom of God is not just so much talk.

It is not just a bunch of cleverly spoken words, or well coordinated stories.

The kingdom of God is filled with power, and our God is still a powerful God.

What does the New Testament have to say about power?

Is there power for us as Christians today?

If there is power for us, what does it do?

How does it work in our lives?

Let’s start by looking at who and what is powerful.

Please turn to 1 Corinthians 1:22.

Here Paul states:   *¿*

 

*1 Corinthians 1:22-23*

22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, */Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God/*.

Here we see that not only is God powerful, but Paul says that Christ is both the power of God and the wisdom of God.

God is powerful, and Jesus has God’s power as well.

The Greek word that is used here is /dunamis/, which means a natural or inherent power.

*¿**  *This word /dunamis/ is the origin of our word dynamite – we are not talking about a small amount of power, but rather an incredible amount of power.

Now please turn to Romans 15:13.

*¿**  *Here, Paul tells the Christians in Rome:

 

*Romans 15:13*

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, */so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit/*.

Paul tells these Christians that the Holy Spirit is powerful, and that it is by that power that their hope would overflow.

*¿**  *Who is powerful?

God is powerful, Paul describes Jesus Christ as the power of God, and the Holy Spirit has power.

What else does the New Testament say about power?

The message of Jesus, the good news of His death, burial, and resurrection – the gospel itself – also has power.

In fact, Paul explains the saving power of God in Romans 1:16:  *¿*

 

*Romans 1:16*

16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, */because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes/*: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

Paul told the Corinthian church the same thing in 1 Corinthians 1:18:  *¿*

 

*1 Corinthians 1:18*

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, */but to us who are being saved it is the power of God/*.

Later, in 2 Corinthians, Paul expands on this thought about the gospel, making it clear that the power of the gospel is not found in powerful men, but in a powerful God.

In 2 Corinthians 4:3, Paul says:  *¿*

*2 Corinthians 4:3-7*

3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” a made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

7 */But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us/*.

Paul tells the Corinthians that this all-surpassing power, the dynamite of the gospel, is from God, and does not originate in the clay jars of humankind.

For those of us who are Christians, it is the power of God through the good news of Jesus Christ, the gospel, which has saved us.

In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul said that he was weak, but that the Lord told him that “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

The power is the Lord’s, and is best seen when we recognize our own weaknesses.

Is God’s power still at work in Christians today?

Let’s see what Paul wrote to the Christians at Ephesus by turning to Ephesians 1:18-21:  *¿*

 

*Ephesians 1:18-21*

18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and */his incomparably great power for us who believe/*/.

*That power is like the working of his mighty strength*/, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

Paul actually prays that the eyes of these Christians’ hearts would be able to see God’s incomparably great power.

And he says that power is for us who believe – all Christians.

Paul also says that power is “like the working of his mighty strength.”

This phrase uses three other interesting Greek words that are worth noting.

*¿**  *The first is /energeia/, translated as “working” which refers to the superhuman power of God.

The next words, translated as “mighty strength”, “strength of his might”, or “mighty power” are from the Greek words /kratos/ and /ischus/, which together refer to the endowed and manifested power of God.

So, Paul is telling these Ephesian Christians, that this power, this Godly dynamite that is working in them, is like the superhuman, endowed, and manifest power of God.

That power which reached down to the grave, resurrected our Lord Jesus, and seated Him at God’s right hand, is the same power at work in your life and mine.

Paul stated in plainly in Ephesians 3:20, just a couple of chapters from where we were in Ephesians 1:  *¿*

*Ephesians 3:20-21*

20 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 in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!

Amen.

In concluding his letter to the Ephesians, Paul reminds them to remain strong in this endowed power of God.

In Ephesians 6:10, Paul writes:  *¿*

 

*Ephesians 6:10*

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his */mighty power/*.

*¿**  *So we have seen that God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit our powerful, that the power of God is brought into our lives through the gospel of Jesus Christ, and that this power is at work in New Testament Christians, and that we are to recognize that power.

But how does God’s power work in the lives of Christians today?

Let’s take a look at a few more passages, and the lesson will be yours.

First, let’s continue with our reading in Ephesians 6:10:  *¿*

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*Ephesians 6:10-18*

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the */powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms/*.

13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Paul tells the Ephesians that they need God’s power, because Christians have powerful spiritual enemies.

We need God’s power, His armor, to stand against these powerful enemies.

How do we put on this armor – what is it?

Let’s keep reading…  *¿*

 

 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.