Resurrection-Powered

Transcript

Alright, thank you very much. And hello again my dear radio friend. How in the world are you? Are you doing Alright? Well, I’ve just been talking to the heavenly Father and asked Him to bless those who listen to these words. I ask Him to put His truth and His blessing and His love and His encouragement and His strength into to the things that are said, so that somehow you’ll be able to feel that well, you’ll say to yourself that was just for me. That’s the way we like to have it on God answered prayer. I’m so glad to be with you in these moments. They’re precious to me. The miles dropped away and it’s just as though I were sitting beside you at the kitchen table or riding with you as you go to work, or listening to you as you start to snore, (Laughs), when the day is over because some of you fall asleep with these, I was going to say dulcet tones, but I guess they’re not that, are they? Whatever is your lot in life and whatever time of the day it may be, beloved, I’m just glad we could be together. Aren’t you? Amen. Thank God for these precious privileged moments as we invest them in thinking about the inerrant, inspired, infallible, eternal Word of God, the Bible.

You and I have been looking at Ephesians 1 and Paul was talking about what he prayed for for these people at Ephesus. And he got around to the idea of the exceeding greatness of God’s power, “the power which he wrought in Christ,” said he, when he raised him from the dead. We call that resurrection power. Paul spoke of it in Philippians 3, “That I may know him and the power of his resurrection.” Resurrection power, available to the believer.

The Bible has a great deal to say about the whole concept of power. The prophet said in Micah 3, “I’m full of power by the spirit of the Lord.” And Zachariah said, “This is the word of the Lord, not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit saith the Lord of hosts.” And then our Lord Jesus says, as He began his ministry returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee. There went out of fame of him through all the region roundabout. Our savior said concerning the bestowment of the Holy Spirit of God on the day of Pentecost to the church., “Ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you. And ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

And though when the apostles themselves had been filled with the Spirit of God said with great power, the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. “Thou hast girded me with strength to battle,” said the sacred writer, “in that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people, And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.”

And then there’s a promise that you and I have often used. I know I have brought this promise to God in prayer many a time, “They that wait upon the Lord,” said Isaiah, “shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.” God says in answer to our prayers, “Fear thou not for I am with thee. Be not dismayed for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee. Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

Paul prayed that what he called his thorn in the flesh might be removed, but the answer came back, “He said unto me, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in your weakness’, most gladly therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” I actually take pleasure in infirmities, reproaches, necessities, persecutions, distresses for Christ’s sake, Paul says, “for when I am weak”, then through this all sufficient grace, “I’m strong.” God is our strength.

Well, see, I’ve just given you a little run down of some of the verses that refer to the power of God and to the way that power can work in human life. What then is he talking about in this matter of the power of the resurrection? God is able to deliver, He’s able to fulfill His promises. Romans 4, He’s able to make grace abound, 2 Corinthians 9, He’s able to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think, Ephesians 3, able to subdue all things, Philippians 3, able to guard our souls. 2 Timothy 1, able to save us to the outermost. Hebrew 7, able to keep us from falling. Jude 24, all these things about the power of God.

But Paul is saying, “Now I’m praying for you people in Ephesus that you may know the exceeding greatness of His power to us who believe. According to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead,” and he goes on to say what happened at that point. “Set him in his right hand far from above all principality and power and might and dominion. Every name that is named, put all things under his feet. Gave him to be head over all things of the church. And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins.”

What is the power of His resurrection? Well, the first thing is it makes you alive. You’re spiritually dead until you’re born again, spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. Look at Titus, what does Titus say here? Let’s go over to that book, shall we? Titus Philemon Hebrews James. Doctor Walter Wilson said his little girl came to him one time and said, “Daddy, I have a question for you. Why did Hebrews (he bruise) James? (Laughs) Well, Titus 3, he said, “We ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived.”

Serving different kinds of lust and pleasures. Living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But after the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to His mercy, He saved us. Spiritually dead, what is it? Foolishness, disobedience, being deceived, being enslaved. An atmosphere of your life that is characterized by malice and envy. Hate filled and hating one another, that is spiritual death. That’s what we’re talking about, resurrection from that kind of thing. That’s where it starts. Isn’t it? His power to us who believe, resurrection power you hath He raised, made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.

Now what else? Well, to see how this whole matter works, let’s take a look at the book of Acts for a moment and see what happened to these folk after the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The savior had told that the disciples “shall receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you: And ye shall be witnesses unto me.” Now they went on back after the angels had told them, “the same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as you’ve seen Him going to heaven.” Then returned they onto Jerusalem and they continued in prayer with about 120. These all continued “with one accord in prayer and supplication.’ The number of them had said were about 120.

So they’re in prayer waiting on God, and then in chapter 2 the, bestowment of the Holy Spirit of God, the day of Pentecost. Chapter 3, the story of what happened about the healing of the lame man and what ensued after that. Chapter 4, what happened after the imprisonment of James and so on. Now let me look at this with you, may I? This is after the resurrection, isn’t it? And we’re talking about what happened in people’s lives as a result of a resurrected Christ.

Well, I would think the first thing is the realization that you have to seek God to get anywhere. These all continued in prayer with one accord it said, they are all united in it, in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brethren. Something had happened with those half brothers you may say of our Lord. They were very skeptical in the Gospel record. He said with something of a snear, if you’re so great why don’t you go to Jerusalem and show yourself to people there.

And he said, “You go, my time has not yet come” because neither, it said did his brethren believed on Him. But now, something has happened and their whole attitude had been changed and they’re with the rest praying. The power of Christ’s resurrection draws me to my knees in seeking almighty God’s impact upon my life. I think that’s the start there. This is more than a casual ministerial or reference to prayer. We preachers preach periodically on the importance of prayer and so well we may.

But this more than just routine admonition, beloved, that you mustn’t forget to pray. The very essence — yeah, let’s nail this down in our thinking, shall we? The very essence of any significant impact you make concerning the resurrected Jesus is going to begin on your knees. Oh boy, I need to relearn that lesson every day. Don’t you get awfully busy and you think to yourself, “Oh, I should stop to pray,” and you think, “Oh, I’ll do it later on when things ease up.” Those of you who are homemakers, maybe you got 2, 3, or 4 little ones toddling around and underfoot. The saying is when they’re little they step on your toes and when they get big, they step on your heart. (Laughs) Boy.

Anyhow you’re busy, busy, busy and you don’t know what to do. And you think, oh, what am I going to — I should have a quite time with God. I guess I know something about that too. But I want you to know that if you and I are going to have any impact on this world concerning the resurrected Jesus. It’s going to begin on our knees, you have to seek God if you’re going to make an impact on the world around you. That starts in your home and extends to your community and to you school and to your job and to your whole area and then to your nation and the world. If you’re going to have any impact, it starts on your knees.

I asked a man in Brazil one time where he was having a tremendous ministry, so much so that the rest of the ministers were a little jealous of him actually. I said, “How is it that you are so successful?” He said, “I spent 30 days fasting and praying. I said to myself I’m not going back to the field from this furlough until God touches me and God did. And I came back and things began to happen.” Oh, to seek God for His touch day by day, let that be the beginning of resurrection power for you and me.

Father God, today oh may we find resurrection power in our lives as we wait on Thee. In Jesus name I pray this. Amen.

Till I meet you once again by way of radio, walk with the King today and be a blessing!