I read recently that the power of the sun produces more energy in one second than has been used in the history of the world.  Wow. The sun, at its current rate, will be able to burn for another thirty billion years.  That’s a lot of power.  But it’s not as great as the power of the Creator who made the sun.

This is what theologians call the omnipotence of God.  God is all-powerful. His power is unlimited.   He never gets tired.   Everything He does, He does easily.  Nothing is ever too hard or difficult. It’s easy for him to answer a prayer.  It’s just as easy for Him to create a universe.

“For nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37

The amazing thing is that God wants to empower you.

“I pray that you will begin to understand how incredibly great His power is to help those who believe Him the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead.”  Ephesians 1:20 (Living Bible)

Some will say, “It doesn’t work for me.”  You’re probably right.  Most believers don’t experience God’s power in their life.  They are just as defeated and hopeless as unbelievers.  How do you get get God’s power?”  2 Major Ways:

1.     Admit my lack of power. 

I admit that I don’t have it all together.  Our problem is that we think we’re omnipotent.  We think we’re God.  We think, “I can handle anything.  I can do everything.” If you don’t believe it, look at your schedule.  Who are you kidding?  If you burn the candle at both ends you’re not as bright as you think you are.  Admit your need for God’s power in your life.  You can’t do it all on your own.  You come out of high school as Joe Jock or Smart Sue believing you can take on everything. Then, later, you realize that you don’t have all power.  Stress, tension and frustration come as a result.  You cannot control everything.  You are not going to reach every goal you set in life on your own.  You’re not going to make as much money as you may have thought.  You are a human being.  You have weaknesses.

What do you do when you realize you are weak?  2 Corinthians 12:9-10 Paul says, “God said to me `Where there is weakness, My power is shown more completely.’  Therefore I have cheerfully made up my mind to be proud of my weaknesses, because they mean a deeper experience of Christ’s power.  For my very weakness makes me strong in Him!”  When you pretend to be self sufficient, you close off God’s power in your life.

When I think about the awesome task of communicating God’s truth on a weekly basis to so many different needs it is almost overwhelming to me at times.  I am intimidated by it and I feel very inadequate.  Then add to that the fact of the eternal implications of what is going on here on Sunday morning that lives are in the balance between heaven and hell!  And I add to that the sense of my own personal accountability to God that as the pastor, as I direct and lead this church, that God is going to hold me accountable for the direction this church takes.  I tremble inside sometimes when I think about that.  And sometimes the last place I’d like to be on Sunday morning is to come in here and try to minister God’s word to so many different kinds of needs.  But I have found, just like Paul, that in my greatest weakness that in my time of greatest fear and weakness, I am strong and that God pours the power into my life when I don’t have it in myself.  God’s power rests on my life.  I know that.  Not because of who I am because I’m not anybody special.  But His is and He says that anybody who will admit that he needs power, He gives power.

The second way to get God’s power is to…

2.     Act in Faith

The key to personal power in our life is faith.

Matthew 9:29 says, “According to your faith it will be done to you.”  If that is true, and it is, here’s two questions to consider:

What am I expecting God to do in my life?

What am I expecting God to do through my life?

He works according to faith.  Since God has unlimited power, we should not limit Him because of our expectations of Him. We limit what God can do in our lives by our belief.  God has given us dynamite power and we live smoke bomb lives.    Here are two more questions about your faith:

a.     What I am saying?   

The Bible says in the book of James that my tongue is the rudder of my life.  The way I talk to myself and others directs the course of my life.  The Bible says in Proverbs, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”  So what are you saying… about your marriage, about your job, about your health, about your finances, about your kids?  Many of you are waiting for God to do something and believing Him for a miracle but you negate it by the way you talk. “Yeah, I believe God is going to turn my marriage around.  But my marriage is the pitts!”  “Yeah, I’m praying that my kids will live for God, but my kids are hopeless!  “I want God to change my life and help me break those bad habits but it’s just the way I am!  I’m never going to change!”  What we say has power and reveals our faith.

b.     What am I doing?

You need to do those things you know are right even when you don’t feel like it.

Immaturity is living by your feelings.  Maturity is living by your commitments.  Faith is living by what God says.

You act as if, in advance.  So many people miss God’s blessing on their life.  “There is something I’d really like to do….  BUT I don’t think that I can do it.”  So you don’t!  And as a result you miss God’s power. If you don’t even act in faith you will never sense God’s power in your life.

When Joshua and the children of Israel came up to the Jordan river, the whole nation had to pass over the river in order to get into the Promised Land.  It was springtime and the banks of the Jordan were overflowing.  It was impossible.  God said to Joshua and the leaders of Israel, “Take the leaders and put them out in front of the people and tell them to walk into the river.  The leaders began to walk into the river.  They were probably thinking, “I’m not going to walk very much further!”  But look what happened.  The Bible says in Joshua 3, “When the priests put their feet in the water, the Jordan river stopped flowing” (vs. 15-16). They acted in faith and God released His power.

God wants you to take action even before you feel or see anything.  You act as if God is going to provide.   Give 10% of your income to God when you think you can’t afford to. Serve a need in His name when you think you don’t have time or energy.  And when you step out in advance then God sees your faith.

You can begin to live a different way today.  You can stop living on your own power and start living on God’s power, which is the solution to burn out and to that frustration and depression that creeps in on your life.

Would you pray this prayer in your heart?  “God, I admit that I need Your power. I admit that there are things that are just too hard for me. I’m tired a lot of the time.  Yet, Father, I believe nothing is too hard for You.  I want to start believing in faith that You will fill me with Your power this week and even this moment.  Help me to start speaking in faith.  Help me to guard my mouth and quit being negative and stop saying things that are and start saying things the way You see them — the way they could be.  By faith I’m going to start acting in faith this week.  Help me to love that person, not to wait for the feelings.  Help me to give and serve even when I don’t feel like it. I need your power Lord, In Jesus name, Amen.”

For more about the series God is, go to www.Ridgefellowship.com

Darrell