The Purpose of God’s Power

The title of Pastor Nathan’s message this week was “The Purpose of God’s Power,”  and he raised two very interesting questions.  First, what is the purpose of God’s power?  Secondly, what marked the beginning of Jesus’ ministry?  Matthew 3:16-17 helps answer these important questions.  “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”  Until this moment when Jesus was baptized and anointed by the Holy Ghost, Jesus was still Jesus of Nazareth.  Up to this point, there was no power flowing through Jesus and no miracles, but it is later recorded in Acts 10:38 that “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”  

Pastor Nathan went on to explain that the Holy Ghost comes with a purpose, and He comes to accomplish something.  Jesus needed the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit.  How much more then, do we need the power and anointing of the Spirit in our lives.  Man always underestimates the power of God.  In John 3:1-2 Nicodemus recognized the power of God, “for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.”  The power of God was unmistakably on the life of Jesus after He received the anointing of the Holy Ghost.  (Luke 4:36, Hebrews 1:9)  In Ephesians 1:19-20 we read about the greatness of God’s power.  “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.”  As we celebrate Resurrection Sunday, it is interesting to note that God’s greatest power was on display when Jesus was raised from the dead.  It is also exciting to note that this exceeding great power has been given to the church so that the work that Jesus began to do can be continued through His body, the church.  Jesus still desires to heal, save, deliver, and set people free, but without the power of God none of this can be accomplished.  It is unmistakable that this world is still in desperate need of the power of God.  A church without the power and the anointing of the  Holy Spirit will be ineffective to reach the world for Christ and incapable of helping to set the captives free.  May we never reject the power of God.  (II Timothy 3:5)

How important is this resurrection life?  I Corinthians 15:13-19 (NLT) gives us a vivid picture of Christianity without the resurrection.  “ For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless, and you are still guilty of your sins.  In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.”

Praise God for the resurrection!  What a thrill to know that this exceeding great power has been given to the church today to carry on the ministry of Jesus.  May we never lose sight of the resurrection power and the anointing of the Holy Spirit still at work in the lives of people today!