POWER WITHIN

Ephesians 3:20

²⁰ Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

Def. Power - (dynamis). n. fem. power, demonstration of power; display of divine, supernatural ability. The core idea of this term is the ability to do something.

I.                   WE ARE NOT POWERLESS

A.    God wants us to know the power available to us

Ephesians 1:17-19

¹⁷ That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, ¹⁸ the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power

B.    God wants our faith to be in the power of God

1 Corinthians 2:5

⁴ And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in a demonstration of the Spirit and of power  ⁵ that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

1 Corinthians 4:19

¹⁹ But I will come to you shortly if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power.

C.     The Kingdom of God is power

1 Corinthians 4:20

²⁰ For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.

1 Thessalonians 1:5

⁵ For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.

2 Timothy 3:5

⁵ Having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

2 Corinthians 13:4

⁴ For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.

II.               WE MUST LEARN TO USE WHAT WE HAVE

I want to introduce three important words to you:

A.    Position

This is what we have been given in Christ. Since we been given position, we have access to it.

Ephesians 1:20-21

²⁰ Which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

Ephesians 2:4-6

⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Our position is in heavenly places in Christ, far above all principality and power. But it’s not enough to have the position - we must activate it by faith.

B.    Activation

Acts 16:16-18

¹⁶ Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” ¹⁸ And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.

Paul had authority the first day encountered the spirit, but he tolerated it because He did not activate his position or authority sooner. Our position and authority must be activated.

C.     Manifestation

Acts 3:1-10

Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. ² And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; ³ who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. ⁴ And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” ⁵ So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶ Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” ⁷ And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. ⁸ So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. ⁹ And all the people saw him walking and praising God. ¹⁰ Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Acts 4:5-13

⁵ And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, ⁶ as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. ⁷ And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” ⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: ⁹ If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, ¹⁰ let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. ¹¹ This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ ¹² Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” ¹³ Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.

Manifestation is what we are desiring. We don’t want to be satisfied with the position. We want to activate our position so we see manifestation. As I talk about power, we have to remember that we must activate it by faith and with words for power to manifest.

III.             OUR POWER

A.    Power over Satan

Luke 10:18, 19

¹⁸And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. ¹⁹ Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

ἐξουσία (exousia). n. fem. authority. This noun refers to the power or ability to do something, but can also describe the right to exercise authority or rule.

This is the authority to use power…

1. Power to Resist

James 4:7

⁷ Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

2. Power to Stand Against Spiritual Opposition

Ephesians 6:10-18

¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints

3. Power to Cast Out

Mark 16:17

^17 “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name, they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues.”

4. Power to Bind and Rebuke

Matthew 16:19

^19 “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Answer Key: Powerless; Kingdom, We Have, Power; Cast out

Levels of Leadership I

 There are levels of leadership. Each level of leadership is unique. There are lessons to be learned at each level in order to move up to the next level.

I. POSITION LEADER

People follow because they HAVE to. This is leadership based on RIGHTS.

A.    This is entry-level leadership. If you stay here and never rise above this level of leadership, then four things are going to happen:

1.  People are going to develop territorial rights.

2.  They will develop a necessity for protocols.

3.  A heavy emphasis on tradition will develop.

4.  An overemphasis on organizational charts will occur.

      B. Title indicates AUTHORITY to lead.

        C. There are distinct differences between a BOSS and a leader.

1.  A boss drives workers, a leader coaches them.

2.  A boss depends on authority, a leader on goodwill.

3.  A boss inspires fear, a leader inspires enthusiasm.

4.  A boss says “I,” a leader says “We”.

        D. Characteristics of a “POSITIONAL leader”

1.     Security is based on title, not talent.

2.     This level is often gained by appointment, and all other levels are gained by ability.

3.     People will not follow a positional leader beyond his stated authority.

4.     They do only what is required when it’s required and no more for a positional leader.

5.     Morale is always low under a positional leader.

       E.  Biblical Example of a Positional Leader

1 Kings 12:1-17

And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king…Then Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, ⁴ “Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.” ⁵ So he said to them, “Depart for three days, then come back to me.” And the people departed. ⁶ Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, “How do you advise me to answer these people?” ⁷ And they spoke to him, saying, “If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” ⁸ But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him… ¹² So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me the third day.” ¹³ Then the king answered the people roughly, and rejected the advice which the elders had given him; ¹⁴ and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!” ¹⁵ So the king did not listen to the people…¹⁶ Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying: “What share have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Now, see to your own house, O David!” So Israel departed to their tents. ¹⁷ But Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah.

 

        F.  Lessons that must be learned in order to move to the next level of

 leadership:

1.     Know your job thoroughly. You must know and understand not just your job description, but how it fits into the workable world

2.     Be aware of the history and the essence of the organization that you are a part

3.     Understand how the organization works

4.  Be a team player

5.   Accept responsibility

6.   Do more than is expected of you

7.   Offer suggestions

8.   Learn to become more people focused

II.        PERMISSION LEADER

People follow because they WANT to. This is leadership based on RELATIONSHIPS.

Leadership is getting people to work for you when they don’t feel obligated.

Leadership starts in the heart, not in the head.

People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

A.    This is the SECOND level of leadership.

1.  This leader leads by relationships (the way people feel about you).

2.  The leader gives time energy and focus to the followers’ needs and desires.

3.  People development becomes more important than pecking order.

        B. Caution! You cannot skip a level on this five-fold ladder of leadership.

        C. Biblical Example of Permission Leadership

1 Kings 10:1-8

Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions. 2 She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. 3 So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for the king that he could not explain it to her. 4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 5 the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her. 6 Then she said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. 7 However I did not believe the words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard. 8 Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! 9 Blessed be the Lord your God, who delighted in you, setting you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord has loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.

           D. Lessons that must be learned at this stage in order to move to the next level of

           Leadership:

1. Love People

2. Make others more successful than you

3. See through other people’s eyes

4. Be concerned with people more than procedures

5. Do “win-win“or don’t do it at all

6. Include others on your journey

7. Deal with difficult people wisely

III.                 PRODUCTION LEADER

People follow because they appreciate what you do for the organization. This is leadership based on RESULTS.

A.    This is the THIRD level of leadership.

B.    Good things begin to happen at this level.

C.     Biblical Example of a Production Leader

     1 Samuel 17:45-53

45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcases of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”48 So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 49 Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it.And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52 Now the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell along the road to Shaaraim, even as far as Gath and Ekron. 53 Then the children of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their tents.

 

D.    Lessons that must be learned/added at this level to move to the next level of   leadership:

1. Initiate and except responsibility for growth

2. Develop and follow the statement of purpose

3. Develop accountability for results beginning with yourself

4. Know and do high return things

5. Communicate vision and strategy

6. Be a change agent and know timing

7. Make difficult decisions that make a statement

EAGLES VII

Solitude

Isaiah 40:28-31

²⁸ Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. ²⁹ He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might, He increases strength. ³⁰ Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, ³¹       But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Job 39:27-30

²⁷ Does the eagle mount up at your command, and make its nest on high? ²⁸On the rock it dwells and resides, on the crag of the rock and the stronghold. ²⁹   From there it spies out the prey; its eyes observe from afar. ³⁰ Its young ones suck up blood; and where the slain are, there it is.

Eagles fly alone at a high altitude and do not mix with sparrows or other smaller birds like geese. Birds of a feather flock together! No other bird goes to the height of the eagle. Eagles fly alone, never in a flock. 

The eagle delights in solitude because other birds are not able to fly as high, and the eagle itself flies high to spend quality time in solitude.

I.                   THE POWER OF SOLITUDE

A.    Makes our busy days more fruitful. If we begin each day with the Lord, setting our minds and hearts on Him and listening for His voice, He’ll guide us and make whatever we do more productive in service to Him.

B.    Repairs damage. After a hard day, when we just can’t handle anymore, a time of solitude with the Lord refuels us emotionally. All our troubles and anxieties are released, and we come away liberated and refreshed.

C.     Equips us to face the tough days. Time alone with the Lord enables us to face the trials, heartaches, and burdens of difficult days with calm confidence and assurance of His presence with us.

D.    Strips us of pride. In God’s presence, we begin to recognize His holiness, perfection, and power, and as a result, come to understand how lowly we are in comparison.

E.     Protects health. Stress affects our bodies and damages our health, but solitude with the Lord releases our anxiety, so we don’t have to suffer its harmful effects.

F.     Gives peace and joy. Times of solitude with God can still our hearts, quiet our spirits, and enable us to overcome, no matter what we’re facing in life.

G.    Produces greater trust in God. We rest in the knowledge that our heavenly Father will take care of us.

II.                THE PLACE OF SOLITUDE

A.     Jesus often visited this place

Mark 1:12

¹² Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. ¹³ And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

Mark 1:6

⁶ Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

Mark 1:35

³⁵Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

Mark 1:45

⁴⁵ However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

Mark 2:13

¹³ Then He went out again by the sea, and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them.

Mark 2:23

²³ Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain.

Luke 6:12-13

¹² Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. ¹³ And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them, He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:

Matthew 14:13

¹³ When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.

Mark 6:31-32

³¹ And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. ³² So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.

Matthew 14:23

²³ And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.

Mark 9:2

² Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.

John 7:10

¹⁰ But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. (Five days’ walk alone).

B.    He calls us to visit this place

Isaiah 30:15

¹⁵ For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” But you would not.

                        Psalm 46:10

¹⁰Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth!

III.             THE PATH OF SOLITUDE

Psalm 23:1-6

¹The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. ² He makes (causes) me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. ³He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. ⁴   Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. ⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. ⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

TIPS:

1.     Get alone with God daily

2.     Have a daily time in the Word

3.     Spend time journaling

4.     Plan several escapes throughout the day

5.     Practice the Sabbath Principle

Answer Key: Fruitful, damage, protect, visits