God's Power Never Fails

God's Power Never Fails!

   "Now the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep.  And he said to me, "What do you see?" So I said, "I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps.  Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left."  So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, "What are these, my lord?"  Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord."  So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the Lord of hosts."  Zech 4:1-6 (NKJV)  [compare Rev. 11:1-6  Two olive trees: Moses & Elijah.]

 

   1. Think of the church as being on life support.

   "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."  Acts 1:8

   "And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness..... And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all."  Acts 4:31,33

   "So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.  We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit."  Eph 2:19-22 (NLT)

 

   2. Speaking to be understood

   Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:"  Acts 17:22-23

   Paul the Apostle looked out on a world which would be won for Christ.  To those who had no Bible background, Paul preached the gospel using their frame of reference.

   a) GOD is Creator of all.

   b) GOD is the giver of life.

   c) GOD wants everyone to seek Him.

   d) Repent - change your heart and life.

   e) GOD will judge the World.

   f) GOD raised Christ Jesus from the dead.

   "It makes a difference whether you see the body of flesh as a prison-house of the soul, or as the temple of the Holy Spirit."  Brinsmead

 

   3. God has a plan for each of us.

   "But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.  None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live.  Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?" says the Lord God, "and not that he should turn from his ways and live?"  Ezek 18:21-23

   "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."  John 3:16-17

   "God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God.  Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work."  Psalms 62:11-12

   a) By His power He can show both mercy and justice.

   "If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?  But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared."  Psalms 130:3-4

   "Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins." Heb 9:14 (NLT)