New Life at New Hope through God’s Resurrection Power
Pastor Glenn Newton Jan. 11, 2004
18 “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may
know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in
the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is
like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised
him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far
above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given,
not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things
under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23
which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” Eph. 1:
18-23
Last night I was up all night coughing and when I finally went to sleep, I was praying, God
help me to not be tired in the morning, because I have your good Word to share
tomorrow..... I woke up 8 minutes before the alarm this morning, raring to go... not
because I had enough sleep, but because I’m excited this morning about sharing the
message that Through the Resurrection Power of God that is at work in us.... He can take
that which is dead and make it alive again..... Do you believe that this morning?
This morning You do believe that what the Word of God says is True don’t You? Then
let’s live like it.
Martin Luther once was so depressed over a prolonged time that one day his wife
came downstairs wearing all black. Martin Luther said, “Who died?” She said, “God
has.” He said, “God hasn’t died.” To which she replied, “Well, live like it and act like it.”
(Preaching Today)
I want to remind you of what you committed to do last week. I put it you bullitins
underneath the prayer requests. The two things that we have committed to praying for in
our own lives and in the life of our church.
1. God help me to be 100% sold out to you in every area of my life.
2. God help me to love people the way that you do.
Friends if we will pray this prayer together and believe that God will bring it about in our
lives..... the message that you hear today will be unleashed in your life.... the resurrection
power of God can be turned loose in your life and it will affect everything you do, and
everyone you meet.
In our passage this morning... the apostle Paul is writing to the Christians in the church at
Ephesus and tells them that he has been praying that they would begin to be aware of the
exceptional and immeasurable greatness of the power which was at their disposal through
the resurrrection of Jesus Christ. And friends that what I want us to know today before
you leave this place, This same resurrection power is at our disposal today. We need to
know what God can do in our lives if we we would allow Him to release His awesome
resurrection power in us.
Let’s look at verse 18 this morning.
18 “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may
know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in
the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”
One of my most urgent prayers goes right along with what Paul is praying for this church
in Ephesus.... God help our young Christians, God help those of us who have known you
for a while .... God help all of us to see with “New Eyes” the richness of this hope that we
have in You...... God help us to realize the greatness of what You have done in our
lives.... God help us not to forget that you took that which was dead
Do you remember friends? Christians don’t forget...... You were dead in your sins... you
were lost to this world before God extended His Grace to you... and you found Christ.
Look at how Paul describes this to his readers in Eph. 2:1
EPH 2:1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used
to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of
the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also
lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and
following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of
wrath.”
Friends there was a time in our lives, when we belonged to the ruler of the kingdom of
the air, we belonged to the spirit of who is now at work in those who are disobedient......
Friends... do you understand what that means?
You were lost and on your way to Hell.... forever.
You were not only lost, but you were under the influence and control of Satan
himself.
If left in that position, you were marked as a object of God’s Holy wrath come
judgement day....
You do remember don’t you? How could you forget? Can you remember what if felt
like? Do you remember the day when you who were lost, without Hope, locked in a
prison of sin... Do you remember the day when you were set Free?
Do you remember the day when God’s Resurrection Power moved you from death
to life in an instant? Do you remember the day when God’s Resurrection Power Washed
Away your sins into abyss?
Friend if you don’t know if God has done this for you..... today can be your day of
spiritual resurrection... today can be your day where your eyes are opened to the reality of
God’s Resurrection power to defeat sin, to defeat Satan, to defeat all that comes against
us as Christians..... Christian, there is no reason to live in slavery to anything when you
have the Ressurection Power of God in your life.... don’t live below the blessings that God
wants to give you.... open the eyes of your heart and know the Hope that you have in
God.... it’s all there for you... Will you take hold of it?
Friends, do you realize what Today represents in our church?
We are experiencing in our church the Hand of God moving and working and bringing
New Hope, and New Life to our church... and It all comes through the Resurrection
Power that God gives to us.
Friends, seven years ago this great church, this great family of God was on death’s door.
We were sinking, we were just a few more people away from being extinct... Some of you
can remember. God placed in our heart New Hope for this church when we came
together.... God placed in my heart a dream......
The dream was of a church that not only talked about God’s Love, but showed it and
expressed it to each other, so all that came into our church would know that we really do
belong to Christ. When Shonna Gregory got up and testified a couple of weeks ago... do
you know what she thanked God for? A church that not only talked about God’s love,
but showed it and truely care for the lost people of our world..... The dream is becoming
a reality through the resurrection power of God in our church.....
The dream also was of a place where those people who didn’t seem to fit in, because of
whatever reason, would find a home, a family that would love them unconditionally, love
them right into the Kingdom.... Can I tell you that dream is being fullfilled everyweek, this
is who we are, isn’t it? A bunch of misfits...... I think God likes using misfits to astound
everyone around them... were a perfect fit don’t you think. It’s through the resurrection
power of God being unleashed within you and me that draws people to our church, and
helps us accomplish his will in their lives....
The dream is of a Holiness Church that holds high the standard of God’s Word and the life
that He has called us to Live. Friends we want people to know that God not only calls us
to Holy Living, but He will give us the Power and the strength to live Holy Lives when we
give God 100% of our lives, every area just like were praying.......
Can I tell you the Dream is going to continue to get bigger. So Christian, today you need
to understand and take hold of the Power that God has given to you through the
resurrected Christ who lives in you...... Everything you need, you can find in Christ... have
you found that to be true....?
That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ
when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly
realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that
can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God
placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for
the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every
way.”
God wants to work his mighty strength in you.... He wants to show the power of the
resurrection through your life..... are you allowing His power, His Son Jesus to shine
brightly in your life?
Having Resurrection power is power to live victoriously in our Christian life.
Gal. 2:20 says, 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ
lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me
and gave himself for me.”
There was a good friday service in Dampara Baptist Church, Chittagong, Bangladesh, and
the service was packed. Little children sat on the floor in the aisles and across the front of
the church. Rows of people stood in the back, craning their necks to see the crucifixion
scene as shown in the “Jesus” film. Weeping and gasps of unbelief could be heard in the
shocked hush as Jesus was crucified. As these people from Bangladesh watched, they
were feeling the agony of Jesus’ pain and the disappointment of the disciples. In that
emotional moment, one young boy in the croweded church suddenly cried out, “Do not be
afraid. He gets up again! I saw it before.” a small boy’s encouraging cry gave new hope
to the viewers of the film. “He is risen!” is the cry that gives new hope to all of us.
Does the risen Savior, who has been raised with Resurrection Power live in you today?
If so, live like it, and act like it.
If not, then today we can call upon the throne room of heaven, and God himself who is
here with us today through His Spirit, will answer our prayers, and you can be saved, you
life can be transformed, do you need new Hope today?
close.
