AUGUST YOUR LIFE BY GOD’S ENABLING POWER: JESUS DID

AUGUST YOUR LIFE BY GOD’S ENABLING POWER: JESUS DID, AND SO DID THE FIRST AND EARLY APOSTLES AND FELLOW BELIEVERS! 

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the CALLED according to HIS PURPOSE . . .” Romans 8:28-30. 

The power of God is the enabling of God to accomplish His PURPOSE in your life. 
Hence, a PURPOSELESS lifestyle cannot receive God’s POWER to enable the actualisation of the set-out divine PURPOSE of God — in the individual — both for life and godliness, in Christ Jesus.  

“. . . 11 in whom also we have OBTAINED an inheritance, being PREDESTINATED according to the PURPOSE of him who worketh all things after the COUNSEL of his own will . . .” Ephesians 1:3-12. 

Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, lived for God’s given CAUSE and PURPOSE in humanity to accomplish God’s intent for humanity. And for that PURPOSE to be accomplished He was not only ANOINTED with the Holy Spirit, He was also EMPOWERED by the Holy Spirit to fulfil that PURPOSE under God. 1 John 3:8; John 18:37; Luke 4:1-2, 14. 

This indicates that Christ Jesus, in humanity, in order to fulfil God’s PURPOSE and to bear WITNESS of the Gospel truth, could only have accomplished it all by the given POWER of God for that purpose. John 18:37; John 5:31-33, 36-37; John 8:18; John 10:25. 

Just know today, for sure and assuredly, that God’s POWER is not GIVEN for NOTHING. It is for the PURPOSE of being a WITNESS of God to humanity in every capacity of doing life and living godly in Christ Jesus. These areas include, but are not limited to marriage, family, ministry, career, business, enterprise, relationships, leadership and such like. 

In all, it is about being God’s representative and ambassador with the message of reconciliation to humanity through every avenue of doing life and living godly in Christ Jesus. Acts 1:8; Matthew 24:14; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Ephesians 6:20. 

The disciples of Jesus Christ who became Apostles lived to bear WITNESS of the Gospel of God in Christ Jesus, by the enabling POWER of God in His grace that was bestowed upon them. Long before Christ Jesus had finished His earthly cause and purpose, He informed and assured them — and us today — of the promised POWER of God towards them and us today, which gives the enabling to fulfil God’s PURPOSE in humanity for all who come to Him. Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; Acts 4:33. 

In summary, one can say that the essence of God’s POWER in an individual Christian is to fulfil God’s PURPOSE in the individual, in order to ensure God’s BLESSEDNESS in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:28-30. 

Hence, if you seek, or are seeking after God’s enabling POWER in your life, ensure you have first resolved God’s PURPOSE for your life. Otherwise you will receive NOTHING from God, but the counterfeit, adulteration and falsehood — just as many who have been BEWITCHED into SORCERIES, like Simon of Acts 8:9-24, who went about claiming to be attributed with the great POWER of God, in self-denial and self-deception to himself and his followers. 

I hereby enjoin you to — AUGUST YOUR LIFE BY GOD’S ENABLING POWER IN CHRIST JESUS, as Jesus Christ DID experience in humanity, and as THE FIRST AND EARLY APOSTLES and FELLOW BELIEVERS in Christ Jesus DID experience. Amen.  

SCRIPTURAL THOUGHTS WORTH PONDERING IN CONTEXT: 

“How 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” Acts 10:38. 

“And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was LED by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. . . 14 And Jesus RETURNED IN THE POWER of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about . . . 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath ANOINTED me to preach the GOSPEL to the poor; he hath sent me to HEAL the brokenhearted, to PREACH deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 to preach the acceptable year of the Lord . . .” Luke 4:1-22. 

“Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this CAUSE came I into the world, that I should bear WITNESS unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice” John 18:37 (John 5:31-33, 36-37; John 8:18; John 10:25). 

“And, behold, I send the PROMISE of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with POWER from on high” Luke 24:49. 

“But ye shall receive POWER, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be WITNESSES unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” Acts 1:8. 

“And this GOSPEL of the kingdom shall be PREACHED in all the world for a WITNESS unto all nations; and then shall the end come” Matthew 24:14. 

“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: 27 and ye also shall bear WITNESS, because ye have been with me from the beginning” John 15:26-27. 

“Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; BUT SUCH AS I HAVE GIVE I THEE: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk” Acts 3:6. 

“And with great POWER gave the apostles WITNESS of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great GRACE was upon them all” Acts 4:33. 

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a WITNESS, to bear WITNESS of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear WITNESS of that Light . . . 15 John bare WITNESS of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me” John 1:6-8, 15. 

“And we know that ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER for good to them that love God, to them who are the CALLED according to his PURPOSE. 29 For whom he did FOREKNOW, he also did PREDESTINATE to be CONFORMED to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did PREDESTINATE, them he also CALLED: and whom he called, them he also JUSTIFIED: and whom he justified, them he also GLORIFIED” Romans 8:28-30. 

SUMMARY: 
The title of this message is “AUGUST YOUR LIFE BY GOD’S ENABLING POWER” — just as Jesus DID, and as THE FIRST AND EARLY APOSTLES and FELLOW BELIEVERS DID. 
This message links God’s POWER directly to God’s PURPOSE. Without PURPOSE, there can be no authentic POWER. 

KEY POINTS: 

1. GOD’S POWER IS PURPOSE-DRIVEN

• The power of God is the enabling of God to accomplish His PURPOSE in your life. 

• A PURPOSELESS lifestyle cannot receive God’s POWER to actualise the set-out divine PURPOSE of God — for life and godliness, in Christ Jesus. 

• “…11 in whom also we have OBTAINED an inheritance, being PREDESTINATED according to the PURPOSE of him who worketh all things after the COUNSEL of his own will…” Ephesians 1:3-12 

• “And we know that ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER for good to them that love God, to them who are the CALLED according to his PURPOSE…” Romans 8:28-30 

2. CHRIST JESUS IS OUR PATTERN

• Jesus Christ lived for God’s given CAUSE and PURPOSE in humanity. 

• He was not only ANOINTED with the Holy Spirit, He was also EMPOWERED by the Holy Spirit to fulfil that PURPOSE under God. 1 John 3:8; John 18:37; Luke 4:1-2, 14 

• He could only bear WITNESS of the Gospel truth by the given POWER of God for that purpose. John 18:37; John 5:31-33, 36-37; John 8:18; John 10:25 

• “How 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” Acts 10:38 

• “And Jesus RETURNED IN THE POWER of the Spirit into Galilee… The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath ANOINTED me to preach the GOSPEL…” Luke 4:1-22 

• “To this end was I born, and for this CAUSE came I into the world, that I should bear WITNESS unto the truth” John 18:37 

3. THE PURPOSE OF GOD’S POWER: TO BE A WITNESS

• God’s POWER is not GIVEN for NOTHING. It is for the PURPOSE of being a WITNESS of God to humanity in every area of life: marriage, family, ministry, career, business, enterprise, relationships, leadership and such like. 

• It is about being God’s representative and ambassador with the message of reconciliation. Acts 1:8; Matthew 24:14; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Ephesians 6:20 

• “But ye shall receive POWER, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be WITNESSES unto me…” Acts 1:8 

• “And this GOSPEL of the kingdom shall be PREACHED in all the world for a WITNESS unto all nations…” Matthew 24:14 

• “…he shall testify of me: and ye also shall bear WITNESS…” John 15:26-27 

4. THE APOSTLES’ EXPERIENCE

• The disciples who became Apostles lived to bear WITNESS by the enabling POWER of God in His grace. 

• Christ assured them of the promised POWER before He finished His earthly work. Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; Acts 4:33 

• “And, behold, I send the PROMISE of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with POWER from on high” Luke 24:49 

• “And with great POWER gave the apostles WITNESS of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great GRACE was upon them all” Acts 4:33 

• “Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; BUT SUCH AS I HAVE GIVE I THEE: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk” Acts 3:6 

5. THE DANGER OF POWER WITHOUT PURPOSE

• The essence of God’s POWER in a Christian is to fulfil God’s PURPOSE in the individual, to ensure God’s BLESSEDNESS in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:28-30 

• If you seek God’s enabling POWER without first resolving God’s PURPOSE, you will receive NOTHING from God but counterfeit, adulteration and falsehood. 

• Example: Simon of Acts 8:9-24, who claimed the great POWER of God in self-denial and self-deception. 

6. FINAL ENJOINMENT

I hereby enjoin you to — AUGUST YOUR LIFE BY GOD’S ENABLING POWER IN CHRIST JESUS, as Jesus Christ DID experience in humanity, and as THE FIRST AND EARLY APOSTLES and FELLOW BELIEVERS in Christ Jesus DID experience. Amen. 

IN ONE SENTENCE 

God’s enabling POWER is given solely to fulfil His PURPOSE through you as His WITNESS, and to walk in that power you must first align with His PURPOSE, following the pattern of Christ and the early Apostles who lived, ministered and witnessed by the Holy Spirit. 

REV. CHUKIE MORSI