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The Great Power of God

Wayne Galloway
09/01/19 - Sunday Morning Worship

The Great Power of God

Eph. 1:19

 

Introduction:

 

1.  In Eph. 1 Paul rehearses some of the great things God has done for us in the Lord Jesus Christ.

     a.  He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing (3).

     b.  He chose us in Him (4).

     c.  He predestined us to adoption into His family (5).

     d.  He redeemed us through His blood (7).

     e.  He lavished us with the riches of His grace (7-8).

     f.  Made know to us the mystery of His will (9).

     g.  And granted us an inheritance (11).

2.  Then in verses 18ff Paul prays “that the eyes of our heart might be enlightened, so that we will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in us AND what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.

3.  It is to this great power that I would direct your attention today.

 

Discussion:

 

I.  God’s great power is incredibly obvious in the creation.

 

    A.  When the Bible opens with God creating the heavens and the earth we are awed by

          the description.

    B.  The experiences that we have with the creation intensify the awesomeness.  Ex.

         Daniel described the stars on his recent camping adventure in Canada.  Seeing the

         Milky Way, the northern lights and the stars appearing so close that you feel you

         could almost pluck them from the sky.

    C.  Whether we look out (at the universe) or in (at the smallest creation) the complexity

          of the design challenges our imagination.  An observer on our back porch noticed

          the humming birds feeding at the feeder.  “Do you realize they fly all the way to

          Mexico and Central America for the winter?”  They fly non-stop 500 miles across the

          Gulf of Mexico.  It takes 18-22 hours.  They can fly up to 60 mph.  Their heart rate is

          1,200 beats per minute.  Their wings flap 50-200 times per second.  Cannot walk or

          hop.

     D.  God designed it all and by His power speaks it into existence.

 

II.  God’s great power is demonstrated in the creation of His people (Isa. 43:1-7).

 

     A.  We read with interest the history of God’s people.

           1.  The call of Abraham.

           2.  The Exodus from Egypt.

            3.  The promises of a King to sit on the throne of David.

      B.  God created them (43:1, 6-7, 14-15).

      C.  He provided for them and through them added us to His family.

 

III.  God’s great power is demonstrated in Christ (Eph. 1:19ff).

 

      A.  Throughout the development of history God has been acting with His great power. 

           The creation of the nation of Israel was designed to led to the continued execution

           of His power in Christ.  This is what Peter was referring to in Acts 2:23.  The

           predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God was not only about the death of

           Christ upon the cross.  This was the culminating event of the plan as evidenced by

           Peter’s quotation of O.T. prophesies.

      B.  This is the point of Stephen’s sermon in Acts 7 as he rehearses the history of the

            nation of Israel leading up to the coming of Jesus and His execution as part of the

            plan of God to grant dominion to Him as king (Acts 7:56).

      C.  This was Paul’s point in Pisidian Antioch in Acts 13 as he too rehearses the history

            of Israel leading to Jesus.

      D.  God’s great power is evidenced in the resurrection of Jesus (Eph. 1:20).

      E.  God’s great power is evidenced in His seating Jesus at His own right hand (Eph.

            1:20).

             1.  He is above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that

                  is named.  Recently, in studies in Daniel, we have reflected on God’s raising up

                  Nebuchadnezzar the great Babylonian king, then the Medo-Persian empire with  

                  its kings, then Greece and then Rome.  But God is the sovereign king, the Most

                  High who rules over the affairs of men and sets up His kingdom (Dan. 2:44).

             2.  God has put all things in subjection to His king and He is head over all things to

                  the church (Eph. 1:22).

        F.  But there is an even more personal element in God’s great power.  He has raised

             us from the dead (Eph. 2:1-10).

             1.  The whole emphasis in Eph. 2:1-10 is on God’s power.

             2.  You were dead and we were too, but God . . . (1-7).

             3.  “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus” (10).

             4.  Col. 2:12 associates the time of His raising us with our baptism.  “Having been

                  buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through

                  faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.”

             5.  God’s great power to give life transforms our actions.

                   a.  We are created for good works (Eph. 2:10).

                   b.  Col. 3:1ff says, “If you have been raised up with Christ . . . consider the

                        members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, etc. and put on

                        compassion, kindness, humility, etc.

 

IV.  The great power of God gives us victory over the spiritual forces of wickedness (Eph. 6:10-12).

 

         A.  Our dependence is therefore upon the great power of God.

         B.  He is no less powerful in this victory than in the creation of the world.  If you stand

              in awe of the stars and the universe; if you stand in awe of a humming bird; then

              stand in awe of the magnificence of God’s power to give you life and to bring you

              to victory over the spiritual forces of wickedness.

         C.  Take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to resist.

               1.  Gird your loins with truth.

               2.  Put on the breastplate of righteousness.

               3.  Shod your feet with the gospel of peace.

               4.  Take up the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the

                    Spirit, which is the word of God.

          D.  Stand firm in the power of God.

 

Conclusion:

 

1.  Are you depending on the great power of God?

2.  Will you place your trust in Him?

3.  Paul has prayed for us that we might know the surpassing greatness of His power.