I Want To Know The Power of His Resurrection

This study continues Paul's proclamation in Phi 3:8-11.  Paul discovered and taught that a life in Christ required the knowledge and application of these points.  This study picks up in the second point.  All four are important to have a healthy and effective walk in this world.  

The Power of His Resurrection

Phi 3:8-11  But no, rather, I also count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them to be dung, so that I may win Christ  and be found in Him; not having my own righteousness, which is of the Law, but through the faith of Christ, the righteousness of God by faith,  that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable to His death;  if by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead.

My desire is simple: to KNOW and to BE like Jesus

To know:

1) HIM (Jesus)

2) the POWER of HIS resurrection

3) the FELLOWSHIP of HIS sufferings

To be:

4) made CONFORMABLE to HIS death

I Want To Know Him: (A Review of the Lessons of Jesus’ Life - The Gospels)

Heb 4:12-16  For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing apart of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight, but all things are naked and opened to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. 14  Since then we have a great High Priest who has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15  For we do not have a high priest who cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted just as we are, yet without sin. 16  Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Luk 2:21-35  … Behold, this One is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign spoken against 35  (yea, a sword shall pierce through your own soul also), so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

§ Jesus came to bring us back to the intended level of intimacy with God: heartfelt

§ Jesus chose to live a life of humility in order to secure for us a life of victory

§ Jesus loves when we spend time in Him

§ Just because you feel it is time to leave, doesn’t mean Jesus is behind it

§ Jesus will never be found for you among your family, you must find Him for yourself

§ Jesus is never lost to us; He is right where WE LEFT HIM

§ Jesus understands temptation (40 days no food!!!)

§ Jesus Overcame Source of Man’s Sinfulness (1 Jn 2:16)

§ We should seek shelter in the Grace of Jesus Christ

§ Jesus set the example for taking authority (over Satan) Eph 5:25

§ A time of seclusion and separation will always precede one stepping out in ministry

§ Jesus began His ministry at home.

§ Jesus desires our ministry to reflect who we are in HIM

§ Jesus commands that our ministry be submissive to the local authorities we find ourselves under (Family, Church, and State) unless they are demanding you to sin

§ Let the Lord guide you in what you will minister on and to whom your ministry will reach and for what the duration of your ministering will be.

§ We are to minister the full word of God, even if we know it will jeopardize our personal well being.

§ Jesus first recorded sermon consisted of 22 major points but had one central theme:  God looks past what is seen and judges the heart.

I Want To Know the Power of His Resurrection

To completely understand the power of His resurrection, we must first understand why He died and why He was resurrected

Why He Died

*The

Roman Road

Short version:

a) God cannot have anything to do with sin

b) The punishment for sin is eternal life in hell (spiritual death)

c) We are all guilty of sin

d) Sin can only be forgiven by a blood sacrifice of a flawless being (one with no sin else the blood is already tainted)

e) God loves us so much that He devised a plan from the beginning…

§  He would take on the form of man, walk this earth being subjected to every form of temptation man can conceive of, yet never sin.

§  This Man (His Son Jesus) would willingly shed His own blood as the once and for all sacrifice for all mankind

§  By believing in Jesus, we would be returned into proper right-standing with God

***Jesus had to die so that we could finally live

Why He Was Resurrected

Godà man…and gave man authority over the earth

Man willingly gives authority away to Satan through sin.

Jesus had to defeat more than just temptation, sickness, etc., He had to defeat death itself.  If the grave could hold Jesus…Satan still would have authority over us upon death.  Jesus’ resurrection (He resurrected Himself) defeated ALL of Satan's authority given to him by man

***Jesus did not do this all to take His authority back…Satan never had authority over God…only over man when man fell to sin.  Jesus death and resurrection was about given man back his authority over Satan.

The Power of His Resurrection:  The Work of the HOLY SPIRIT

Joh 20:21  Then Jesus said to them again, Peace to you. As My Father has sent Me, even so I send you. 22  And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. 23  Of whomever sins you remit, they are remitted to them. Of whomever sins you retain, they are retained.

Luk 24:44  And He said to them, These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms about Me. 45  And He opened their mind to understand the Scriptures. 46  And He said to them, So it is written, and so it was necessary for Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47  and that repentance and remission of sins should be proclaimed in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48  And you are witnesses of these things. 49  And behold, I send the promise of My father on you. But you sit in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high.

Act 1:1  Truly, O Theophilus, I made the first report as to all things that Jesus began both to do and teach 2  until the day He was taken up, having given directions to the apostles whom He chose, through the Holy Spirit; 3  to whom He also presented Himself living after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them through forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. 4  And having met with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to await the promise of the Father which you heard from Me. 5  For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now. 6  Then, indeed, these coming together, they asked Him, saying, Lord, do You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? 7  And He said to them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in His own authority. 8  But you shall receive power, the Holy Spirit coming upon you. And you shall be witnesses to Me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the end of the earth. 9  And saying these things, as they watched, He was taken up. And a cloud received Him out of their sight.

Act 1:12  Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount Of Olive Grove, which is a sabbath day's journey from Jerusalem. 13  And when they had come in, they went up into an upper room, where Peter and James, and John and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James; 14  these all were continuing with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit was and is a step of obedience for ministry preparation and operation

Jesus said “Receive…”

We must let go of our misgivings and uncomfortable experiences with improper applications of the Holy Spirit

Jesus said “Wait…”

We must stop prematurely stepping out without waiting for God to empower us in His time.

The Disciples OBEYED

We must first fully receive the power of the Holy Spirit as promised to us

We must then begin to wait upon the Lord to show us the manner in which He chooses for us to be empowered

We must pray while we wait with heartfelt passion with other believers agreeing together ready to receive.

The Empowerment of the Holy Spirit comes “Suddenly”

Act 2:1  And in the fulfilling of the day of Pentecost, they were all with one accord in one place. 2  And suddenly a sound came out of the heaven as borne along by the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.  3  And tongues as of fire appeared to them, being distributed; and it sat upon each of them. 4  And they were all filled of the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Receiving the Empowerment of the Holy Spirit is commanded by Jesus for being equipped for ministry

***The Holy Spirit leads and guides us where we should go as He wills…He gives us what to say when we need to say it.  Without His presence…who is directing us?

Not God (He lays out His plan)

To desire a relationship with Jesus and to accept His sacrifice for sin but refuse His gift to empower us to be effective seems irrational to me.  There is great contraversy concerning all the detail around the empowerment of the Holy Spirit ... that's for another day.  But we should each be seeking God for help, guidance, and wisdom concerning this part of the Godhead that He felt was vital for the progression and advancement of His church.