Gods Pattern of Empowerment
God’s Kingdom is predictable. It has spiritual laws, principles, patterns:
- Seek and you will find
- Forgive and you will be forgiven
- Believe and you will receive
- Give and it shall be given unto you
God has a spiritual pattern of Empowerment & Blessing that we ALL need to understand.
REVELATION—
Showing / Speaking / Matt. 13.16; 16.17
Peter is blessed because he has received revelation:
- Lk. 10:21-24 - Jesus reveals God’s character, will, direction, or guidance to little children (humble, teachable, willing to receive).
- Could be personal / corporate (we will bless families)
TRANSITION: The ot has no separate word meaning ‘obey.’ ‘Obey’ translates the Hebrew ‘to hear’ [1]
ACTION
(faith/belief)—Hearing/Doing – Lk. 11.28; Matt. 24.45-46
- We believe/ trust God – Abraham BELIEVED what God said We step out—OBEY – Jn. 13.17 “If you know these things, blessed are you IF* . . . you DO them.
- 1 Pt. 1.2; Rom. 1.5 – You have been chosen FOR OBEDIENCE to Christ & sprinkling
- Discern – what KIND of Action: sometimes for prayer. God may show you a fault, your action must be led of the Spirit, not your personality
e.g. Shy, you might ignore, shelve, tell someone else; Bold, you might confront . . .
- God ALWAYS responds to our obedience – Hab. 2.1-2; Gal. 3.5 - credited as righteousness * Until you obey, there is a gulf between you and God – Heb. 10.36-39
UNCTION— Enjoying /anointing
Empowerment – Jam.1:25
- Supernatural Results – Lk. 1.45
- power
- signs & wonders
Blessing
- Changed lives
- Evangelistic anointing
- love; compassion
- He empowers us: AFTER WE STEP OUT, not before –
- Leads to more revelation
REVELATION— This is a matter of Stewardship: Mk. 4.21-25; Lk. 8:18; 16.10 - Bible says: Faithful w/ a little gets more
Illustrate from:
NT - Simeon – Lk. 2.25-
v. 26 - Revelation – It had been revealed to him
v. 27 - Action – - Moved by the Spirit, he WENT . . .
v. 28-29 – Unction – blessed and ready to depart
v. 35 - Revelation – prophesies to Mary about her own soul
Where are you in the cycle of Blessing and Empowerment?
- Has He called you apart to HEAR from Him as He shares Himself or His will for you?
- Is He moving you to ACTION
- Has God called you to TRUST Him for something or to STEP OUT?
- Has He granted you UNCTION for the task or assignment ahead?
- Have you passed through all these and are ready to HEAR greater things?
[1] Achtemeier, P. J., Harper & Row, P., & Society of Biblical Literature. (1985). Harper's Bible dictionary. Includes index. (1st ed.). San Francisco: Harper & Row.