RLJ-896

WHERE IS THE POWER IN OUR LIVES?

Charles Thorell

October 26, 2003

When I look at the church of Jesus Christ, I find that there is one key factor missing that the early church had but has been lost to the modern day church.  We simply don’t have the power spoken of in Acts 1:8.  

Repentance + Obedience + Holiness = POWER

 REPENTANCE: feeling sorrow when the Holy Spirit points out your moral shortcomings.

Everybody by default in this world has sin in their lives. Romans 3:23; Exodus 20:1-17
John the Baptist preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Mark 1:1-8
Jesus didn’t come for the righteous person but the sinner. Mark 2:15-17
There is more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents… The angels in heaven rejoice in the salvation of a lost sinner. Luke 15:3-10
Repentance is a necessary in our lives. Luke 24:36-49

Repentance is where the Holy Spirit comes upon you so strongly that you must stop what you're doing and change immediately.  I have seen a lot of people get "saved" but few of them change.  It makes me wonder if they were really "saved" in the first place? Were they truly convicted by the Holy Spirit of their sins to the point where they cried out, "I need a change, I need God in my life, Jesus save me from my sins!" Matthew 7:13-20

OBEDIENCE: being submissive to God and willing to obey.

Jesus said that if we loved Him, we would want to keep his commandments. John 14:15
God’s commandments are not meant to be a burden to us. I John 5:3
Nowhere in the Bible can we find where God has something evil for us. Matthew 7:7-11

The true man or woman of God says “How close can I get to God?”  It’s not how close can I get to the edge before God corrects me.

HOLINESS: having moral excellence by following the example God has set for us.

We are called to be holy because that is the standard God has set for us.  I Peter 1:15-16
God wants us to be complete. Matthew 5:48; Luke 6:40
God desires that we give ourselves totally to him. Romans 12:1-2

POWER: God working through you.

Elijah I Kings 18:21-30
King Solomon II Chronicles 7:1-22

We need to imagine ourselves as power lines, useless and powerless by ourselves, but when the power of God flows through us we become powerful.

Where is the power of God in our lives?  If we don’t have it, why aren’t we striving for it?
Jesus never meant for His church to be powerless. Acts 1:8
Jesus wants His church to be a potent force to contend with Satan.
Do you have the desire to be used of God? Are you willing to do what it takes?

Repentance + Obedience + Holiness = POWER

You May Order The Cassette Tape or CD
Use Code RLJ-896