SESSION THREE
WHAT IS THE
SOURCE OF YOUR EMPOWERMENT?
WHERE DOES YOUR POWERS COME FROM?
Self
John 15:5 … “for without Me(Christ) you can do
nothing”. How often
we live our lives in our own strength. We run around doing what ‘seems
good unto us’ and in the process we get exhausted, tired, stressed,
pressurized, weak, depressed and worn out. I heard someone make the following
statement: ‘Everything
we do in our own strengthen wears us down, everything we do through God’s
strength enables (encourages,
strengthens, builds us up) us!
God
Romans 8:11 And if the Spirit of Him Who raised
up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, [then] He Who raised up Christ Jesus from
the dead will also restore to life your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies through His Spirit Who
dwells in you.
With God, we have the capacity,
ability, endurance and perseverance to be able to really have an effect.
1 Corinthians 6:14 And God both raised the Lord
to life and will also raise us up by His power.
Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is
able to [carry out
His purpose and] do superabundantly,
far over and above all that we [dare] ask or
think [infinitely
beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams].
God’s power is at work within us.
He often uses what we are going through, to bring about His
purposes. We must not resist His working in
our lives, but we must embrace it. God’s power
wants to bring us through any current difficulties and challenges to a place
where He wants us to be. God has great things in store,
things that are super-abundant,
far above what we could ask or think.
2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given
to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of
Him who called us by glory and virtue.
We can only go so far in our own
strength. Sooner or later we will need HIS
POWER. Life can be like quicksand.
It can swallow us up and the devil wants this to happen. We can struggle and fight this in
our own strength and end up sinking even further. But when HIS POWER comes into play
we can overcome anything.
Ephesians 1:19 –20 And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and
unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as
demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ
when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places].
In a sense we have to come to the end of ourselves, to the point where we
realize that we need God totally. At this
point we get to a place of ‘desperate dependence’ as opposed to ‘partial
dependence’.
Christ
There is a song: ‘I HAVE NO POWER OF MY OWN’.
John 15:5 I
am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever
lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However,
apart from Me [cut
off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.
We have to stay vitally connected to God. Our strength flows from God
as we remain connected to Him. If we cut ourselves off we will last for a while, but
ultimately we will run out of strength. Often when people face
difficulty they get disappointed with God and become disillusioned and turn to
their own ways. We
must learn to hold onto God and realize we need Him and His power in our
lives to bring us out on top.
Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit’s job is to empower us Christians
to progress in our spiritual lives. Far too many Christians find themselves on a spiritual
treadmill. They’re working up a sweat with
religious activities but remain in the same place spiritually.
The song goes on: ‘I have no power of my own – Holy Spirit come and help to realize
that I have no power of my own!’
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the
Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all
Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Romans 8:11 And if the Spirit of Him Who raised
up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, [then] He Who raised up Christ Jesus from
the dead will also restore to life your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies through His Spirit Who
dwells in you.
- The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience … (Gal 5:22)
- If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Rom 8:14)
- Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (Gal 5:16)
- If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. (Gal 54:25)
- Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? (Gal 3:3)
The Holy Spirit makes this all
possible. It is for this reason that we so
desperately need the Holy Spirit. Before the
Holy Spirit fell on the disciples they were scared, timid and cowards (so much for their own strength) but after the Holy Spirit came upon
them they were bold, fearless and courageous even in the face of opposition and
threat! We need the Holy Spirit in every
aspect of our lives. We must invite Him and give Him
right of way in our lives. Some years
back Phil Driscoll wrote a song and the words went: “Welcome Holy Spirit. I am in Your presence; fill me with
Your power. Move inside
of me.” This needs to be our cry as well!
We are to walk by the Holy Spirit.
We are to be led by the Holy Spirit.
We are to live by the Holy Spirit.
We are put to death the deeds of the body by the Holy Spirit.
We are to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the means, the agent, and the power by
which spiritual progress happens.
HOW AM I EMPOWERED?
God’s Grace
2 Corinthians
12:9 – And he said unto me, My grace is
sufficient for thee: for my
strength is made perfect in weakness. Most
gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of
Christ may rest upon me.
Justification
John 8:11. “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more?
Repentance:
1Jn
1:9 But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be
trusted to forgive us and take our sins away.
Sanctification
Hosea14:9 The ways of the Lord is right, wise is he who
can discern. The
righteous will walk with them,
but the rebellious will stumble in them.
Romans 6:12 Therefore,
let us not allow this sin to remain in this body.
1Peter2:21 To
this you are called because Christ suffered for you leaving you an
example that you should follow His steps
Colossians
3:23, 24 Whatever
you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, and not for men since you know you will
receive inheritance from the Lord as reward. It
is therefore, the Lord Christ you are serving.
Titus
2:12 ESV Training us to
renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and
godly lives in the present age,
Salvation
Philippians
2:12–13 – “work out your own salvation
with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you both to
will and to work for his good pleasure.”
PREPARED FOR LIFE 