Power of God (Ephesians 1:15-23)


People go to church for all sorts of different reasons, but not for the concern for God's Kingdom.
 
People are increasingly lazy and more selfish - this is why they prefer big churches. They can just come and go. They also like big churches because they can pick and choose who they hang out with. People also want the peace of mind that comes from thinking "How can a church get so big without God's help? This must be a church approved by God".
 
Church history, bible shows the exact opposite! The incorrect path was always the majority, and those who are proclaiming the truth were the minority.
 
Another thing is that the different churches all seem to have similar beliefs and teachings… they all say the name Jesus, they all confess that he is the Christ etc.
 
If the "core" belief of Christianity is mixed or diluted even a little bit, it will bring grave consequences! It's like two straight lines. If one line is even 0.001 degrees off, then at the start they seem like the same but after a while you see there is a stark difference, and it almost becomes a completely different religion.
 
Within "Christianity" there are people who believe the Jesus is a great man, a great teacher, but not the Son of God. In that case, they teach EVERYTHING very similar to other Christianity but just that one thing. To the majority of people it sounds the same.
 
Kevin example - my friends make fun of Christianity that sounds like it's Christianity and they believe it's Christianity but it isn't!! But if I correct them they say "what's the difference, it's all the same!"
 
All these churches with varying core beliefs use crosses and calls themselves churches. Even the Satanic church calls itself a "church" and they use Crosses (even though it's upside down). Like this, Satan always uses imitation to confuse us - ALWAYS.
 
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This is why it's so important to know the power of God.
 
After you know this, you will know what "assurance of salvation" is.
 
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We normally think of "power of God", as some sort of miracles, or visible powers like healing, driving out demons etc. Prophesy and speaking in tongues. Some people testify about the power of God because they quit smoking - they say it's the power of God.
 
Of course, everything in the world does move through the power of God. But if we limit His power to those things, then it's quite tame, it's not much.
 
You can see in the bible that even demons prophesy. Other religions show powers. That's not God's mighty powers.
 
<Read Verse 19>
 
The word that's been translated as "power" are 3 different Greek words to describe power, and it can be translated more like "A unique almighty power that surpasses all greatness". Paul is unable to eloquently articulate God's power with mere human words.
 
It's that kind of greatness --> would you use describe the power to quit smoking this way?
 
This kind of great power - why does the Apostle plead with God that believers will come to know this great power?
 
"Know" not "Get"
 
Before we get into what kind of power that is, first notice that Paul doesn't say "I pray you will receive this power". He says "I pray that you will know this power". It's a power already given to us.
 
"know his incomparably great power for us who believe"
 
It is also a power that is working:
 
 "that power is like the working of his mighty strength"
 
What's the point of power that does not work?
 
Do you know this? It's already given to us, and it is working in us.
 
Then what kind of power is it?
 
<Read Isaiah 40:12-28>
 
This is the power of God for us who believe. And this is the power that God has given to his believers. Paul is saying this is the power that we need to know!
 
As you can see in this passage that this is a "busy" power, this great, great power is constantly working on the stars, the mountains…. And this great power is working in us!
 
He is coming in us and doing the work of "re-creation", He is building a "new" creation! If this great power decides to come in us and do the work of this new creation, will He not succeed? Will He not complete it? Of course He will absolutely complete it.
 
 
Main Points
 
God first created all thing and then made Adam and Eve in His image. Gave them a perfect setting, nothing was lacking. They were unlimited and they even had deep fellowship with God even.
 
But man fell from that point. The relationship with God was broken - this is called death. The bible says about the fallen man "total depravity - total inability". Completely lost, unable to discern the spiritual things. Spiritually blind.
 
Because Man fell in this way, we are led to sin and darkness like moths to a flame.
 
<Read Romans 5:12> Death came to all.
 
<Read Jeremiah 13:23> It's impossible for us to not sin.
 
<Read Jeremiah17:9> What is most deceitful above all? Human heart
 
<Read 1Cor2:14> Those who belong to the physical cannot realise the things of God. They don't accept the things of the Holy Spirit.
 
<Read Romans 8:7> Hostile - enemies of God. And we CAN NOT (never) submit to God.
 
<Read Romans 1:28-32> This is us, this is you and me.
 
This is our true state, we are spiritually dead. So we must be punished. Why? Because God is a just God, who hates sin. What is the sentence for sin? What is the punishment for sin? Death.
 
We are to receive condemnation = "you are guilty". But to a select few He has chosen, He says to them "You are not guilty". 
 
He didn't just do this though… He sent His Son, as a man, to this earth. He then wrapped everyone who He wanted to save inside of that Son, and then condemned His son. "You are guilty". Then as punishment of that, He killed Him on the cross.
 
Then the perfect life of submission that Jesus lived, God gave that life over to us… and we are saved.
 
Now between us, when we tell this to unbelievers, they cannot find it understandable nor believable. That God sent His son 2000 years ago, who we've never seen, who died for us to save us….?
 
But you find it understandable and believable…...
 
The one who makes this possible is God, and this is by the power of God that Paul is talking about. The power that makes something impossible possible.
 
<Romans 1:16> "power of God" is what makes people believe. This is the gospel.
 
<Thessalonians 1:5> "not only with words, but with power, Holy Spirit and assurance"
 
Like this, we can discover the power of God in our very own salvation.
 
We were all dead. We could not understand nor seek the spiritual, but to those who are dead like that, but by His power He:
 
1. opened our eyes to the spiritual
2. Have interest in God's word
3. Makes us feel sorry for our sin
4. Makes us want to live in submission, and become more righteous
 
Are any of these possible by our own strength, our power?
 
Paul is saying "know this power that changes you!"
 
How did you come to know God? How did you come to believe in Him? One day you just decided it would be the right thing?
 
No, it was by the power of God to break your heart and see the saviour Christ as He ought to be seen.
 
That is the power of God who raises dead to life!
 
That God is WORKING in us to make us into a new creation. Let's have a look closely at what that working is within our lives.  How is God working?
 
<Read today's passage - Eph 1:20-22>
 
After Paul seeks us to know this great power of God, Paul gives an example of the working of this power.
 
What is that example? Raising Jesus from death. There are many examples of God's power in the bible - split the Red Sea, destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, great flood etc… Then why choose this one? Because when we think of power, we think of miracles and visible signs etc, Paul is emphasizing that the GREATEST miracle that has been borne by the power of God, the greatest illustration, greatest showing of God is that such a sinner as me, who was dead, has been brought into life!!
 
This is such an impossiblity, but the fact that this happened is the greatest miracle of all!
 
On this beautiful day, why are you sitting here? How did that happen? That's the miracle.
 
Paul wants us to know this power.
 
Which is why he continues the point in this letter…
 
<Ephesians 2:1-6>
 
He's saying the same power that raised the dead Jesus to life, and seated him on the throne next to God, is working in us exactly the same!!
 
So if this great power of God is working in us - how can it fail? It cannot fail.
 
<Philippians 1:6>
 
He who started it will finish it. Is God one who will just stop halfway? Give up? If He's started it, then it will go to the end!
 
 
That's what we call the assurance of salvation!!!
 
The evidence of God's salvation does not rest in me. "I" am NOT the standard of my salvation. You will find absolutely no assurance in looking at yourself. The evidence is in Him who does the work.
 
If you know who God is that is doing the work, then you can have assurance, even though you fail and you are in sin and you are weak.
 
This is why we must know God - not do for God. God never said you will not be saved because of your lack of diligence, God says "you will perish because you don't know me."
 
Assurance of salvation comes when you look towards God, and you continue to get to know Him who is doing the work of salvation, and you build TRUST.
 
Example - surgeon for your body.
 
When does the assurance of our salvation shake? When we look at ourselves…... When we rely on ourselves.
 
Because of pride we don't want to rely 100% on God - that's from our SIN! We want to add, to contribute. So we are very diligent…. in <X, Y, Z>. When we do all these things we actually feel better.
 
Think about it - when you've given a massive offering at church, you feel really good about it….!
 
We don't want to be 100% dependent, because we feel helpless. Like a patient who is completely dependent on a surgeon or doctor.....
 
But ultimately who will get the glory for the success of the operation in that situation?
 
So if your assurance of salvation is shaking, that means you don't know the power of God yet, and you're relying on yourself.
 
<Romans 8:38-39>
 
To those that God has decided to save, there is NOTHING that can come in the way of it.
 
This is why you can say "I have assurance and confidence in God's salvation".
 
<Galatians 2:20>
 
In this way the power of God is making you a new creation.
 
Think about yourself since you've heard the gospel a few years ago. You may think you are the same old, useless, selfish, sinful self… but other people will look at you and think you've changed a lot.
 
That's what this means… you realise that the changes that have happened in your life had nothing to do with you - in fact you weren't even aware/conscious of the changes, but there has been a change? It's because Jesus is living your life for you.
 
If Jesus is living your life for you, then how can you fall away and be forsaken halfway through?? Not possible.
 
 
Up and down -
 
Your habits and sinful nature will not go away (At least not quickly) and they will haunt you probably for the rest of your life. But at those times God is showing you that this is yourself. Your lazy self. You can't even get up 1 hour earlier in the morning if you wanted to - that's you!
 
But there are times when He makes you diligent in serving him and living your life - all those ups and downs are by grace.
 
But undoubtedly, we will be troubled and haunted by the nature of our flesh, our sinful and selfish nature for the rest of our lives.
 
<Romans 8:12-13>
 
You can see God asks us to try and overcome our physical nature - why? Because those things will continue to attack us.
 
 
Not only that, we also have an enemy. The powerful Satan is there to oppose us and attack us as well. This Satan is very powerful.
 
To the extent that Martin Luther felt the force and presence of Satan so clearly that he felt like he was right next to him……
 
This Satan is so powerful that even the archangel Michael could not dare to fight him:
 
<Jude1:9>
 
This is how powerful Satan is, and all this Satan is targeting day and night is you! How can you overcome that?
 
<1Peter 5:8>
<Ephesians 6:12>
 
All these are the authority levels of Satan. In this way Satan has these systems by  which to try and attack you!
 
How can you overcome Satan's attack? How can you overcome your sinful nature?
 
You need to rely on the power of God!
 
Which is why even the Apostle Paul kept saying, "I need God's grace every day! I need to know him every day", and he said he is going deeper into the mystery and the power of the gospel.
 
We need to continue to seek God's grace, which will be revealed as the power of God in your life. You are not seeking power, like you are seeking a super-power. You are seeking grace, and you rely on God's power, which is revealed as the working of your salvation, becoming a new creation day by day.
 
 
Freemasons, illuminati, completely controlling the world…… how can we survive that? How have we come to know Christ when the whole world is pursuing something else, and persecutes those like us? That is the power of God, WORKING His salvation in us. He is rescuing us day by day.
 
This power of salvation is within us. Paul is saying "Don't despair, don't you see that God's power of salvation is within you? Can't you see the greatness and the amazing power that God is showing in you? Then why are you shaking? So please know Him more, get to know him more!"
 
<1John 4:4>
 
Do you know how great God is who is in you? That's right, that's why you can overcome the world!
 
<2Peter 1:3>
 
Given us everything through knowledge of him!
 
<Jude 1:24>
 
See, it is the power of God (not me) that is keeping us from stumbling and presenting us before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy!
 
God's power is the power that is protecting us from our sinful, selfish nature, the attacks of Satan and the world, and savings us. The power of God's salvation.
 
If it is God doing everything, then do we do nothing?
 
<Philippians 2:12>
 
The way God wants to work is through us, by participation, by moving our arms and legs. He wants us to participate.
 
<Example> Just like a father who makes the child hold the wheel of the toy car together with him, and then afterwards praises the child for driving well! God wants to praise us at the end of our lives, to say well done, when it is him who's done it all. But he made us and treats us and respects us as a person, which is why He talks to us through His word - He gave us the bible!
 
So by His grace, He gives us the will, the wish, to obey and serve Him. But this will is not the same one as the one that wants a reward, a recognition. This will is not about me. The "will" that God gives is a thankful, humble, joyful will.
 
<Philippians 2:13>
 
So it is by His strength and His will, but it comes naturally when you rely on His grace. Seek him and this will happen.
 
Rely on the power of God, then you will have assurance in your salvation.