Sermon Tone Analysis

“Christ Our Power”

Ephesians 1:15-23

Several weeks ago now I preached a message “Christ Our Example”

As I have continued to think about that message and what Christ is to each of us, I decided that I would spend some more time in the coming weeks talking about that very subject.

What is Christ to you?

What does the Bible say about it?

And what can we infer from Scripture?

Just a few examples of what I may preach in the coming Wednesday evenings would be (as I already preached) He is our example, tonight I’ll be preaching He is our power (may take a couple weeks) our ransom, substitute, truth, way, life, light, the list could go on and on, but I think you get the point.

Just a quick recap reminder because it has been a few weeks.

Christ as Our Example showed us first and foremost that we must be willing to deny our flesh.

When we are able to do that the rest comes a little easier.

When we are already prepared to deny our flesh, it is easier to endure persecution, submit to authority, love each other even when each other seem to be unlovable, and forgive one another.

The problem most people face is a lack of humility, but Jesus showed us true humility but humbling Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross.

The result of that type of obedience and humility is exaltation.

While it is unlikely and of us will ever be able to obtain that level of humility, we can certainly strive for it day in and day out…

This evening I want to preach, “Christ Our Power”

As I already said, this one might take a couple evening to complete, but we will see where we end up.

So, this evening I want to start by reading Ephesians 1:15-23

PRAY

Paul says, I am praying for you that God Himself will give you wisdom and the revelation to know Him, the hope that He has called you to, the riches of His glorious inheritance in us, and an IMMEASURABLE POWER TOWARDS US, that comes to us through what He already did for and in Christ.

Long story short… CHRIST IS OUR POWER!!!

Ultimately, we saw Christ as our Example in the way the He lived and gave His life as a ransom for many.

We also saw His power in the way that He healed the lame, opened blind eyes, cleansed leper, cast out demons, and raised the dead, but in my mind the true revelation of power came in the resurrection.

I. THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION

Tim Keller is a renowned pastor.

He leads Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC.

He is a phenomenal writer, scholar, and preacher of the Word of God.

He shares a story that perfectly describes the Power of Christs Resurrection

A minister was in Italy, and there he saw the grave of a man who had died centuries before who was an unbeliever and completely against Christianity, but a little afraid of it too.

So the man had a huge stone slab put over his grave so he would not have to be raised from the dead in case there is a resurrection from the dead.

He had insignias put all over the slab saying, “I do not want to be raised from the dead.

I don’t believe in it.”

Evidently, when he was buried, an acorn must have fallen into the grave.

So a hundred years later the acorn had grown up through the grave and split that slab.

It was now a tall towering oak tree.

The minister looked at it and asked, “If an acorn, which has power of biological life in it, can split a slab of that magnitude, what can the acorn of God’s resurrection power do in a person’s life?”[1]

Keller continues by commenting:

The minute you decide to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord, the power of the Holy Spirit comes into your life.

It’s the power of the resurrection—the same thing that raised Jesus from the dead.…

Think of the things you see as immovable slabs in your life—your bitterness, your insecurity, your fears, your self-doubts.

Those things can be split and rolled off.

The more you know him, the more you grow into the power of the resurrection.[2]

The Power of Christs Resurrection gives us the power to die to ourselves daily, and be resurrected brand new.

It gives us the power to allow old things to pass away and let all things become new!

Paul acknowledged that knowing Christ and knowing the power of His resurrection, was a primary goal for himself, and it MUST be a primary goal for us!

It is the belief in Christs resurrection, and the hope of our own resurrection that our faith is founded on.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 that Christ is the firstfruits of the resurrection that gives us all the aforementioned hope that we can attain the same thing!

THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION

II.

THE POWER OF HIS GRACE

a. Saved BY GRACE!

b. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

c.

GRACE to live! Grace to Suffer! Grace to forgive as we have been forgiven...

THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION

THE POWER OF HIS GRACE

III.

THE POWER OF HIS SPIRIT

a. Ephesians 3:14-20

b.

THE SAME POWER THAT RAISED JESUS FROM THE GRAVE LIVES AND WORKS IN US AND THROUGH US.

c. It’s Through His Spirit that we can do GREATER WORKS!!!

THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION

THE POWER OF HIS GRACE

THE POWER OF HIS SPIRIT

IV.

THE POWER OF HIS PRESERVATION

a. 1 Peter 1:3-5

b.

John 10:27-28

THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION

THE POWER OF HIS GRACE

THE POWER OF HIS SPIRIT

THE POWER OF HIS PRESERVATION

V. THE POWER OF HIS LOVE

a. 2 Peter 1:3-8

2 Peter 1:3–8 (ESV)

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION

THE POWER OF HIS GRACE

THE POWER OF HIS SPIRIT

THE POWER OF HIS PRESERVATION

THE POWER OF HIS LOVE

VI.

THE POWER OF HIS MINISTRY

a. Acts 1:8

i.

He has given us a ministry and a mission to complete

b.

Acts 3:12

i.

Even though He gave us a ministry and a mission, it is ultimately HIS!!

VII.

THE POWER OF HIS STRENGTH

a. 2 Timothy 1:8-12

He guards us and gives us HIs strength.

VIII.

THE POWER OF HIS WORDS