The Power of God in the Lives of His People
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TITLE SLIDE
Power: Ability to do things, by virtue of strength, skill, resources, or authorization.
The Limited Power God Gives Creation
The Limited Power God Gives Creation
Animals have power, as is particularly evident in the wild ox, the horse, and the lion (, ; ).
There is power in wind and storm, thunder and lightning.
Power is given to men: physical strength (Jgs 16:5, 6), power to fight (Jgs 6:12), and the power to do good and the power to do harm (; ; Mi 2:1).
Rulers have God-given power and authority ().
The Bible also speaks of the power of angels () and of spiritual beings known as “principalities and powers.”
Certain powers are given to Satan (see ; ).
Sin, evil, and death are allowed to have some power over men (; ; ).
All of these, however, have only limited power and God is able to give his people strength to conquer all these powers when arrayed against them.
Power of God in the OT
Power of God in the OT
The ESV Study Bible Chapter 84
This is a psalm celebrating pilgrimage to Jerusalem in order to worship at the temple.
Power of God in the OT
Power of God in the OT
The ESV Study Bible Chapter 84
especially focuses on the delight of going to worship there. The purpose of singing this psalm is to cultivate that delight, to open the eyes and hearts of God’s people to the staggering privilege of being a welcome guest in God’s own house, and to write deep into their souls the conviction that wickedness offers no reward that can even remotely compare to the joy and pleasure of God’s house.
(SLIDES 2-14)
To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.
Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Selah
Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.
O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed!
For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!
To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.
Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Selah
Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.
O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed!
For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!
In the OT it is often said that by the power of God the weak are made strong. “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength” () so that they “go from strength to strength” (; see also ; ). We read in particular of his power being given to prophets (Mi 3:8) and kings (; ) and it is said that in an outstanding way power will be given to the Messiah (; ; Mi 5:4), but to all God’s people power is offered that they may live for him and serve him (). When we turn to the NT we read of the gospel itself as “the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith” (). “To all who received” Jesus Christ “who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God” (). In that life as children of God power is received from the Holy Spirit (), inner strength to live in his service (), power to be his witnesses (; ), power to endure suffering (2 Tm 1:8), power that enables for ministry (), power in the face of weakness (), power through prayer (), and power to be kept from evil (). Those who do great things in the service of Christ do not do them in their own strength (); he sent out his disciples confident only in the assurance that all things are under his authority and that they would have the power of his unfailing presence with them ().
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.
TITLE SLIDE (15)
In this song of Zion—the psalms that focus on Yahweh’s presence in the temple in Jerusalem—the psalmist emphasizes the joyful experience of the worshipers within the temple.
He opens by admiring Yahweh’s temple and then expresses joy in Yahweh.
The psalmist describes how Yahweh cares for His creatures by providing a place for all of them at the temple so that they might be blessed in their worship of God.
He develops the theme of blessing at the worship site by depicting how Yahweh enables all those who desire to worship Him to make their way to Zion, the temple mount.
He then alludes to the anointed ruler of Israel and asks that Yahweh help him.
The psalmist returns to the theme of blessing and emphasizes the joy that comes from being in the temple because of Yahweh’s generosity to those who are faithful to him.
GO FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH
SLIDE 16
They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.
The ESV Study Bible Chapter 84
they keep on finding new levels of strength for the journey
They keep on finding new levels of strength for the journey
TITLE SLIDE (17)
In the OT it is often said that by the power of God the weak are made strong.
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.
On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased.
Power given to prophets
But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin.
“He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength” () so that they “go from strength to strength” (; see also ; ). We read in particular of his power being given to prophets (Mi 3:8) and kings (; ) and it is said that in an outstanding way power will be given to the Messiah (; ; Mi 5:4), but to all God’s people power is offered that they may live for him and serve him ().
To all God’s people power is offered so they may live for him and serve him.
And now the Lord says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him— for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord, and my God has become my strength—
Power of God in the NT
Power of God in the NT
When we turn to the NT we read of the gospel itself as “the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith.”
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
“To all who received” Jesus Christ “who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.”
“To all who received” Jesus Christ “who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God” (). In that life as children of God power is received from the Holy Spirit (), inner strength to live in his service (), power to be his witnesses (; ), power to endure suffering (2 Tm 1:8), power that enables for ministry (), power in the face of weakness (), power through prayer (), and power to be kept from evil (). Those who do great things in the service of Christ do not do them in their own strength (); he sent out his disciples confident only in the assurance that all things are under his authority and that they would have the power of his unfailing presence with them ().
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
In that life as children of God power is received from the Holy Spirit.
And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.
Inner strength to live in his service:
that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
Power to be his witnesses
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Power to endure suffering
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,
Power in the face of weakness
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
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Power through prayer
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Power to be kept from evil
who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Power enables ministry
Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power.
Those who do great things in the service of Christ do not do them in their own strength.
And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?
Jesus sent out his disciples confident only in the assurance that all things are under his authority and that they would have the power of his unfailing presence with them.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
GO FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH
GO FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH
They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.
They keep on finding new levels of strength for the journey.