SESSION ONE

WHAT IS SPIRITUAL POWER? What power do you possess?

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WHAT IS POWER TO YOU? What is it to possess power?

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WHY DO YOU WANT POWER? What are the benefits of it?

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WHAT IS THE ROOT MEANING OF EMPOWERMENT?
to walk, to live, to be, to become, to realize that you already are,

In Ephesians 4:1, “live” can actually be translated “walk,” as in the NASB. “Walk is frequently used in the New Testament to refer to daily conduct, day–by–day living.”

WHAT DOES EMPOWERMENT REALLY MEAN?

To allow

To authorized

To have the ability to

YOU NEED EMPOWERMENT FOR WHAT?

a. Empowered with a purpose

Philippians 2:13….for it is God  who  works  in  you, both to   will   and   to   work   for   his   good   pleasure”

b. Empowered to live

Jeremiah 30:17 he said “For I will restore health unto thee and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord;

c. Empowered to love

Ephesians 3:16-216 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. We’re expected to serve and bear fruit that glorifies our Father:  20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

see also John 15:1-8, 16

d. Empowered to Serve

We’re equipped to serve by our gifting from the Holy Spirit:

1 Corinthians 12:4-7 ESV Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

See also Romans 12:5 5, Ephesians 3:16-21

1  Peter  4:10   As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

e. Empowered to Fulfill a Mission

Matthew 5:16  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

f. Empowered to be like Christ

Matthew 28:18–20 – And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

g. Empowered to be hated

Matthew 5:10–12: Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

h. Empowered to be humble

Philippians 2:6–9 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name

 i. Empowered to a call

Ephesians 4:1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

j.  Empowered to act to change the world

Acts 1:8 – But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

k. Empowered to minister

1 Peter 4:10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

l. Empowered to become

Jeremiah 29:11–14 ESV  For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Being transformed into Christ’s image is another way of describing obedience.  And Paul says we are transformed into Christ’s image by beholding the glory of the Lord.  And it’s the Holy Spirit who enables us to behold the glory of the Lord. So the Spirit helps us obey by enabling us to see Jesus’ glory.

2 Corinthians 3:18 — And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

m. Empowered with grace

2 Cor. 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye __________ (your name), always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

n. Empowered to be fruits of the Spirit

Ephesian 5:8  For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. 9 for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth,

o. Empowered to connect and RE–connect

Colossians 2:18, 19 (NIV) Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19 They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

p. Empowered to die

Philippians 1:12 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. The living Jesus empowers us to die and His cross is the symbol of sacrifice and death. To live for Him is to die to ourselves and the world. As we move forward in our lives and become more like Jesus, we have to continually die to ourselves, in other words if we want to live an abundant life in the Lord we must abide in the cross.

q. Empowered to endure

2 Peter 1:3–4 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.

r. Empowered to receive salvation

Acts 4:12  And there is Salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved’. 

s. Empowered to receive eternal life

Isaiah 41:10–13 ESV Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

t. Empowered to fight

Luke 10:19 ESV Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.

u. Empowered to be bold

Matthew 10:20 ESV For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

v. Empowered to overcome temptation

1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

James 4:7 ESV Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

w. Empowered with abilities

Ephesians 4:11-12 ESV And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

THESE ARE SAMPLES OF WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN EACH ONE, REGARDLESS OF AGE, RACE, COLOR, GENDER, ECONOMIC STATUS, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AL ARE GIVEN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO ENJOY LIFE AT ITS FULLEST. YES, POSSESSING POWER COMES WITH GREAT RESPONSIBILITIES. WE MUST USE IT WISELY FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.