A Life Of Power

Incomparably great power towards us who believe - Eph 1:15-22

his power that is at work within us - Eph 3:14-21

Mat 13:24-52

Power Defined

The ability to get things done

Know what you're supposed to do

business idea

Know how you're supposed to do it

business plan

Know who you're supposed to work with

Work faithfully

God's creation and man's stewardship - Gen 1:26-29; Gen 2:4-15

Rely on God's power - Philip 2:12-16; Philip 4:13; 2Pet 1:3-4

Prelude - Eph 1:1 - 3:13

Incomparably great power towards us who believe - Eph 1:15-22

Paul is writing as a prisoner

imprisoned in Rome c. 60 A.D.

a seemingly powerless situation

He writes about God's goals and God's power while in prison

Paul understood something that we also need to understand

The prison that held his body did not hold his ministry

He learned a lesson 5 years earlier - 2Cor 12:2-10

God's power is made perfect in weakness

God doesn't view hardships the way we do

God's manifold wisdom is being demonstrated to the universe

manifold (polupoikilos) - like a good movie weaves together plot points

my sufferings for you, which are your glory - Eph 3:13

prisoner of "Christ Jesus" for the sake of you gentiles

Who are you in prison for?

Who are you writing to?

Who are you visiting?

Who are you praying for?

Who have you been unable to escape?

God has established some serious goals for the Church

He redeemed us

He reconciled us to himself

He reconciled us to each other

He has formed us into the Church

This is why Paul is a prisoner for the sake of the gentiles - Eph 3:1

Paul's Prayer - Eph 3:14-21

Kneels before the Father

The Father is the source of our power - vs. 14

If you don't pray you don't have real power.

We spend time on things that we believe will benefit us

Kaplan preparation for SAT and other exams

Lamaze child birth classes

We miss out because we have a secular view of power

like naive people in a system run on bribery

The Father's family is named after him - vs. 15

we are all part of one family

our oneness is an essential part of God's plan for the universe

The Father calls the shots

Are we aligned with God's purposes?

Are we growing in obedience?

for our strengthening

glorious riches - this is just one of many things he could ask for

power comes from God through his Spirit who live within us

for Christ to be "at home" in our hearts - vs. 17

this happens by faith

for us to grasp the enormity of Christ's love - vs. 18

our salvation was a result of Christ's love

we need the ability to comprehend just how far that same love goes

it extends to our brothers and sisters

it extends to our neighbors

it extends to our enemies

it extends to people around the world

for us to know Christ's love

Alan Vincent - "He loves me!"

If you don't know Christ's love you can't operate in his power.

God's power is manifested when Christ's love flows through us

Speaking the truth in love to our brothers and sisters - Eph 4:15

Getting our minds off of ourselves and focusing on others

Forgiving

for us to be filled with all of God's fullness

To God be the glory!

He can do far more than we can ask or imagine

What he can do corresponds to our openness to his power

Glory in the church

We bring God glory by completing our assignments - John 17:4

Glory in Christ Jesus

Forever

A Life Of Power

Strength in Weakness

Paul - 2Cor 12:2-10

Gideon

Gideon - Judges 6-8

Background - Judges 6:1-10

Israel's unfaithfulness

Midianite oppression

Gideon's Encounter - Judges 6:11-24

Laboring in fear

Where are the miracles God did in the past?

Weakest member of the weakest clan

Struggling to believe

Get out of the boat like Peter - Mat 14:22-33

Gideon's Commitment - Judges 6:25-32

Make your possessions available to the Lord

Take a stand against idolatry

The Altar

No dressed stones - Ex 20:24-25

Sacrifice

Gideon's Gets Started - Judges 6:33-40

Holy Spirit empowerment - Judges 6:34

Trumpet - calling God's people to take up the fight

The Fleece - checking in with God

Gideon's Army - Judges 7:1-22

God reveals his intentions in stages

Downsizing for God's glory - releasing the excessively fearful

Downsizing for God's glory - releasing the careless

God sends encouragement in the night - Midianite dream

Victory

Broken jars

earthen vessels - we must be broken

Torches in their left hands

Revelation

Trumpets (shofars) in their right hands

sword hand

Sword of the Spirit - Word of God

Enemy defeated at the sound of the 300 trumpets

agreement

boldness

Ensuing Battle - Judges 7:23 - 8:21

The rest of Israel got involved after things were looking good

Succoth and Peniel hold back and receive punishment

Aftermath - Judges 8:22 -

Gideon refuses to rule

Gideon builds an ephod

Midian defeated forever

Forty years of peace

Gideon very fruitful

Israel returns to unfaithfulness

Rely on God's power - 2Cor 12:2-10; Philip 2:12-16; Philip 4:13; 2Pet 1:3-4

What We're Supposed to Do - Our Vision

Transform the way church is done

throughout the nation

one life group at a time!

Life Church is a growing community of Christians who:

Know and love God

Know and love each other

Take responsibility for keeping in touch with your life group

Take personal responsibility for the ministry and for your life group

Pray alone and with your prayer partners

Love one another - 1Cor 13; 1Pet 1:22; 1John 4:7 - 5:5

How can you love your brother/sister and not call him/her?

How can you love your brother/sister and not visit him/her?

What you don't do for "the least of these" you don't do for Jesus! - Mat 25:31-46

Has your love run cold? - Luke 24:12

Your brothers and sisters are wrapped presents from God lying under the Christmas tree - open them up!

Fulfill God's mission for our lives

Foundation in Jesus Christ - Mat 16:15-18

We are called to be like the tree of life - Ezek 47:1-12; Rev 22:1-2

We are fruitful - producing souls for Jesus

We heal our communities by offering them genuine community

How We're Supposed To Do It - Our Mission

Develop our relationship with God and one another through:

Meeting together on Sundays for worship and instruction

Meeting weekly in small groups (life groups) for fellowship, support, growth, and evangelism.

Life groups are to the celebration as rooms are to a house

You can't be in my house without being in a room

Basic Christian Community - Acts 2:41-47; Acts 4:31-37

Devoted themselves to:

apostolic teaching

fellowship

all together, everything in common,

selling possessions and goods, giving to meet needs

met every day in the temple courts

breaking of bread

prayer

Praising God

Experienced God's power

awe, wonders, and miraculous signs

favor of the people

daily growth

testified to the resurrection with great power

Living rich and balanced lives together.

Develop mature believers through:

Teaching godly habits.

Transforming godly habits into skills.

Turning skills into ministries.

Develop effective leaders who serve their brothers and sisters in humility.

Leadership - sees the goal clearly and actively helps people reach it.

Effective - succeeds in achieving the goal.

Expand God’s kingdom by winning people in our lives and in our communities to Jesus Christ.

Taking responsibility for the harvest - John 4:34-38

Taking responsibility for expanding your skills

Taking responsibility for working with other believers

Relational Evangelism

Strategic Evangelism

Our Objectives

Our Core Values

God's Word – We study God’s Word (the Holy Bible) and put it into practice

Prayer – We practice daily intimate fellowship with God through prayer

Worship – We practice staying in God’s presence through worship

Fellowship – We make fellowship a habit by meeting together regularly

Discipleship – We are faithful in discipleship

Agreement – We walk in agreement with our pastoral leadership and with one another

Serving – We are faithful in serving God, one another and the lost

Reflect on 2Cor 12:2-10 (repeated from last week)

Have you ever had to deal with a "thorn in the flesh"

What weaknesses are you facing in your life now?

Has God's power been made perfect (i.e. complete) in your weakness? If so, in what ways?

Have you ever boasted about your weaknesses in the way that Paul describes?

Reflect on Eph 3:14-21 (repeated from last week)

What have you dared to ask God for so far?

What have you dared to imagine so far?

Do you really believe that God can do immeasurably more than what you can ask or imagine? Have you ever experienced this?

Reflect on Judges 6:1-24

Are there any "Midianites" in your life that consume or destroy your "crops"? What are you doing about them?

Have you been giving away to someone or something else the worship, devotion, time, or resources that belong to God?

Has God ever told you to do something you didn't think you could do? How did you respond?

Has God ever told you he wanted to use you to rescue your family, your household, your community, or your nation? How did you respond?

Reflect on Mat 14:22-33

Have you ever wanted to walk over circumstances the way Jesus walked on the water?

Have you ever asked Jesus to enable you to do this? What did he say?

What would "getting out of the boat" look like in your life?

General Questions

Do you pray with someone from your Life Group on a weekly basis? If not, why not?

Have you ever helped to train someone in the Christian life?

Has someone that you've trained ever gone on to train others?

A Life Of Power (Part 3)

Pastor Rocklyn E. Clarke - Sunday July 30, 2006