Sermon Central
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The Gifts Of The Holy Spirit – The Gifts Of Power
Contributed by Imelda Mesa on Sep 27, 2022 (message contributor)
Summary: when we think of power in the context of God, we think of God's nature, character, and abilities to make the impossible possible, to make great things greater and grander. When we think of God's power, we think of the acts of God!
In a natural sense, when we think of power, we think of explosives; we think of something that can break a hard wall into tiny pieces. When we think of power, we think of natural abilities to create or influence something, either good or bad. But, when we think of power in the context of God, we think of God's nature, character, and abilities to make the impossible possible, to make great things greater and grander. When we think of God's power, we think of the acts of God! You know, and you know that the power of God is at work because there are manifestations of His wonder-working power, and they are God's gift. Paul mentioned 3: faith, gifts of healings, and working of miracles. These 3 are highly visible in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. And, He used all these to tell the world that the kingdom of God has come! He used them to get people’s attention to God! What did he do?
1. Water made wine in Cana – John 2:1–11
2. Paralytic healed in Capernaum – Matthew 9:1–8
3. Widow’s son raised in Nain – Luke 7:11–17
4. Jairus’ daughter raised from dead – Matthew 9:23
5. He gave Blind Bartimaeus His Sight - Mark 10:46-52
46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. Bartimaeus was so affected by what Jesus did powerfully that he became a follower of Christ. He got converted and, on that day, his life changed forever!
Brothers and sisters, the world needs not good ideologies and sound religion, not even a good social or political platform. What the world needs are evidence of God's wonder-working power that the world had experienced and witnessed in the ministry of Jesus Christ. This is why the Holy Spirit gives away these supernatural abilities to the church. And Jesus said to his disciples that we are to continue His works.
Someone said that “WORD-of-MOUTH” is still the best FORM of advertisement. I agree! We need the power of God back in the House! We need the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit take control! When they see a drug addict released from drugs, a struggling marriage recover from the verge of collapse, a single mum finds strength and recover from such a loss, or when a certified thief stops stealing because the power of God so impacted them; when they do see these manifestations, the world will flood the church. People will turn their back on the god of this world to the God of Israel!
What is needed for God to turn the great things into greater things is FAITH AND PRAYER. And faith in the context of 1 Cor 12:8 is a spiritual gift! The gift of faith knows no boundary when it comes to God’s power!
– "Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." JOHN 14:12-14
As believers, we all have faith in God! It is the faith that saved us. That too is a gift! We call it “saving faith.” Saving faith is God's mercy given to man so that he may acknowledge Jesus is Lord! Saving faith is the beginning. Everything starts here. It is the foundation!
Gift of Faith vs. Saving Faith
24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
