powerful military force that is ready and able to defend us if we are attacked or if there's any
kind of warlike crisis. As individuals, we have education, technology, medicine, talented people
to provide us with at least some power to face almost any crisis. But in the face of this
coronavirus emergency, many people, many Americans have felt powerless. You may have. Sometimes I do.
And it's frustrating, isn't it? It's discouraging. Well, I have some good news this morning. On this
Easter Sunday morning, I want us to understand that God is in full control of everything. He is in full
control of this universe. God clearly demonstrated the unmatched greatness of His power when He raised
Jesus from the dead on that first Easter Sunday morning. It was a tremendous demonstration of the
mighty power of God. And I want you to listen to this. Take this to heart. God has made this same great
power available to us, you and me, as His people. In Ephesians chapter 1, Paul prays for Christians to have
both a knowledge of and experience with God's power. That's what we're going to look at this morning.
I want to invite you to open your Bible to Ephesians chapter 1. We're going to look at verses 16 through 23,
where Paul tells us about what and how he has prayed for these Christians. When we get to verse 19,
it just seems like Paul gets excited as he prays for them to experience God's power. And the reason I say
that is you look at verse 19, he just goes all out to emphasize the greatness of God's power. Let's look at
Ephesians chapter 1, beginning in verse 16. I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my
prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom
and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know
what is the hope to which He has called you. What are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints?
Now, let's pay close attention to how Paul describes God's power beginning in the next verse, verse 19.
And what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might,
that He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named,
not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And He put all things under His feet and gave Him as head
over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
The goal for us today as we look at this passage is the same as God's goal for the Ephesians,
to make sure that we have knowledge of and experience with God's great power.
The first thing I want us to consider is a question. Can you point to evidence of the unmatched greatness of God's power?
In other words, can you point to evidence of God's power in action?
Somewhere in history, in life, can you point to evidence of God's great power?
Well, Paul points out two powerful demonstrations that every Christian should be familiar with.
Let's look at it again. Number one, He raised Jesus from the dead.
That's the great demonstration of God's power that He is focusing on, that He's excited about,
and that we need to be excited about this morning.
Look at the verses again, verses 19 and 20.
The immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe,
according to the working of His great might,
that He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead.
When God the Father raised the Son from the dead,
it was the greatest demonstration of power in all of history.
Now think about it with me.
You know, most of you, if you're a Bible reader,
there are a handful or so places in the Bible
where someone was brought back from the dead.
Three weeks ago, we looked at a passage in John chapter 11
where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.
Now, what I want us to understand when Jesus raised Lazarus
and all the other times that someone was raised to life,
what the Scripture is describing is someone coming back to life
in the same body, the same person, condition that they were previously in.
It was really a restoration of the earthly life of the person who was raised.
For example, Lazarus.
He died again.
Every person that you read about other than Jesus,
people who died and Jesus or one of the prophets
or one of the apostles brought them back to life,
they died again.
And they were buried.
And their body is in a grave somewhere in this world right now.
But the resurrection of Jesus is totally different.
When God raised Jesus on that Sunday morning,
Jesus had a new, glorified, resurrected body
that will never experience pain, suffering, or death again.
You know, that's the kind of body that we as Christians
will receive one day when Jesus comes back to this earth.
We will receive a new, resurrected, glorified body
that will never suffer any kind of disease,
experience a crisis, never die again.
Think about this new body.
Think about it in terms of Jesus' new body.
After Jesus arose from the grave,
people saw Him.
They touched Him.
They heard Him speak.
Some people even saw Jesus cook fish over an open fire.
They saw Him eat.
Jesus appeared in bodily form
to over 500 people
in different locations
over a period of 40 days.
And His appearance, His presence, His power
made a difference in the lives of His disciples.
After His disciples saw Him,
the resurrected Jesus,
and later were filled with the Holy Spirit,
they were just radically changed.
Before His death and resurrection,
they deserted Him.
They ran away.
They were cowards.
But after the resurrection,
they boldly and publicly declared
that Jesus Christ is the risen Lord and Savior
of all who will believe in Him.
Many of those disciples,
tradition tells us,
died by execution
because they would not renounce their faith.
They would not in any way compromise
their commitment
to the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
God demonstrated His power
by raising Jesus from the dead.
But that's not all.
That's not where He stopped.
We also see that He exalted Jesus
to His right hand.
Look back again.
Those same scriptures.
The immeasurable greatness of His power
toward us who believe,
according to the working of His great might,
that He worked in Christ
when He raised Him from the dead,
and seated Him at His right hand
in the heavenly places.
The exaltation of Jesus
to the right hand of the Father
is also a tremendous demonstration
of God's power.
It also demonstrates the power
and the authority of Jesus
as He is seated
in that place of authority and power
there at God's right hand.
I want you to look at verses 21 and 22
because they describe
this authority and power
that Jesus now possesses.
And seated Him
in His right hand
in the heavenly places
far above all rule
and authority
and power
and dominion
and above every name
that is named
not only in this age
but also in the one to come.
And He put all things
under His feet
and gave Him as head
over all things
to the church.
Jesus Christ is alive right now.
He's at the Father's right hand.
He rules over everything
now.
And He will forever.
We saw last week
from Romans chapter 8
and verse 31
that something else
Jesus is doing right now,
He's interceding for us.
He's praying for us.
He's there
representing us
before the Father.
He's there on our behalf.
He is for us.
And then one day,
one day Jesus is going to leave
that position
at the Father's right hand
to return to this world
in what will be
at that time
the greatest demonstration
of power and authority
that the world
has ever seen.
Jesus will come back
to this world
one day.
Now let me ask you,
do you know,
do you have
absolute confidence
that Jesus Christ
was raised
from the dead,
that He is seated
at the right hand
of the Father,
and that all this
was done
by God's mighty power?
Do you know that?
Are you truly
worshiping
and praising
and talking
to your living
Lord
this morning?
This past week,
someone sent me
an article
about Dabo Swinney
where he was making
some comments
about the coronavirus,
but he also talked
about his faith
in Jesus Christ.
He was talking
about this special
time of year
about the resurrection
and about Easter.
He said one thing
that helps us
see something
about the greatness
of God's power.
I want to quote Dabo.
He said,
over 2,000 years ago,
we had a major
world crisis
going on.
God took something
that was evil
and turned it
into eternal good.
He was talking
about the death
of God's Son.
The death
of God's Son,
the Lord Jesus Christ
on the cross
was the worst
act of evil
that's ever
taken place
in the history
of the world.
But what we need
to understand
is that God
had determined
beforehand
to use it
to bring about
the greatest
good
in the history
of the world.
The salvation
of all
who will come
to Him
through faith
in Jesus.
I want to ask you,
do you have
a real relationship
with the risen
and exalted
Lord Jesus Christ?
Think about it.
Do you know Him?
Do you talk to Him?
Do you listen to Him?
Do you love Him?
Do you worship Him?
Is He really
your Lord
and your God?
Do you serve Him?
Do you seek
to please Him?
That's what we do
in a relationship
with Him
if we have one.
If you don't have
that kind of relationship,
I want to encourage you
to come to Him
right now.
There is absolutely
no better time
to come to Christ
in faith
than Easter Sunday.
I want to encourage you.
Turn from your sin.
Repent.
Change your mind.
Put your faith
in Jesus
that when He died
on the cross,
He was paying
the penalty
for your sin.
Surrender your life
to Him.
Honor Him
as your King
and your Lord.
The Scripture
tells us very
clearly,
plainly,
that whoever calls
on the name
of the Lord
will be saved.
And I want to encourage
you to do that
if you've never done so,
if you're not
truly
one with Christ.
It is vitally
important this morning
that we understand
the greatness
of God's power,
but knowledge
is not enough.
We need to
experience it.
Here's the second question,
second major question.
Can you point
to your personal
experience
of the unmatched
greatness
of God's power?
In other words,
how have you
experienced
God's power
in your life?
Do you realize
that the power
of God,
the power
that God
makes available
to us
is the same
power
that He
exerted
when He
brought Jesus
from the grave
and exalted
Him to His
right hand?
Look back
at verses 19
and 20
one more time
and let's look
at it in the
New Living
Translation.
I also
pray
that you
will understand
the incredible
greatness
of God's
power for
us
who believe
Him.
this is the
same mighty
power
that raised
Christ
from the
dead
and seated
Him
in the
place of
honor
at God's
right hand.
I want to
make something
very clear
about God's
power.
God makes
His power
available to
us
to accomplish
His
purpose
not our
own.
God does
not give us
power
to go on
an ego
trip.
God does
not give
us power
for selfish
or worldly
goals.
Most of
you know
that God's
overall goal
His ultimate
goal
is for us
to become
like Jesus.
That's what
He's working
in us
every day
in every
situation
to accomplish
if we're
Christians.
God wants
us as His
children to
grow spiritually
and to
develop
Christ-like
character.
And He
promises
us the
power to
be able to
do that,
to succeed
that.
You know
in the last
three chapters
of Ephesians,
chapters 4,
5,
and 6,
Paul describes
some of the
ways that
God wants
to exert
His power
in our
lives
and bring
about change
in us.
God does
not save
us with
the intent
of leaving
us as
we are.
When God
saves us,
He puts
His Spirit
in us
and He
works
in us
to change
the way
that we
think,
the way
that we
speak,
the way
that we
live,
the way
that we
interact
with people.
I want
you to
look at
some
examples
in Ephesians
4 through
6 of the
kind of
changes God
wants to
work in
us
through His
power.
First,
God will
empower us
to develop
humility,
gentleness,
and patience
according to
chapter 4
verse 2.
God works
in us,
enables us
with the
power,
if we'll
cooperate with
Him,
to develop
humility,
gentleness,
and patience.
God gives
us the
power to
use our
spiritual
gifts and
talents to
be a
blessing to
other people,
to help
other people,
to serve in
and through
our church,
to strengthen
the ministry
of our
church.
Are you
using your
gifts that
way?
Number
three,
God will
give us
the power
we need
to get
rid of
ungodly
behaviors,
things like
sexual
immorality,
greed,
lying,
anger,
rage,
even
alcohol
abuse.
We find
this in
Ephesians
chapter 4
verses 25
through
chapter 5
verse 18.
And these
are just
some of
the behaviors,
sinful
behaviors,
that God
will empower
us to
overcome.
Number
four,
God will
empower us
to live
godly
lives in
our homes
and develop
healthy
family
relationships.
There's an
extensive
passage,
Ephesians
5 verse 22
through chapter
6 verse 9,
where Paul
specifically
addresses
wives,
husbands,
fathers,
parents,
children.
God wants
our homes
to be
healthy.
He wants
the relationships
in our
home to
be loving.
He has
given us
instructions
on what
we need to
do, the
mindset, the
lifestyle we
need to be
involved in
in order to
make this
happen.
It's not
easy.
It's not
easy living
with other
people, is
it?
But God
will give
us the
power over
time to
gradually
grow and
become loving
husbands and
wives and
parents and
children.
Let's look at
one more.
God gives
us the
power to
resist
temptation and
overcome the
evil power and
influence of the
devil in any
demonic force.
That's in
Ephesians chapter
6,
specifically
verse 12.
I want you
to think.
Everything that
God calls us
to be and
do, he
supplies us
with the
power, the
ability to
do it.
Do you
really and
truly believe
that?
Well, the
answer is
found in the
way you are
using God's
power.
How have
you responded
to God's
offer of
power, to
his indwelling
spirit who
provides that
power?
Have you
responded with
doubt, with
denial, or
maybe with
delight?
Let's think
about it.
Have you
doubted God's
willingness to
work powerfully in
your life?
Have you
doubted it?
Some Christians
do.
Some Christians
really live like
they are
deists.
They're
practical
deists.
They believe
that God
created the
world.
They believe
that God
has saved
them.
I'm talking
about people
who really
and truly do
not expect
God to be
actively involved
in their life
on a daily
basis.
God.
They believe
in God.
They trust
Jesus as
their Lord
and Savior.
But the way
that they
live, the way
that they
think, they
really show
that they do
not expect
God to be
actively involved
in the details
of their life.
Let me ask
you, do you
expect God to
work His
power in
your life
on a regular
basis, on a
daily basis?
Now, some
people deny,
let me ask
you, have
you denied
God's
willingness to
work powerfully
in your life?
Some Christians
do that.
They may not
think about it
in these terms,
but some
Christians, just
as some people
in general in
the world, have
a victim
mentality.
They think
that they're
trapped in
some kind of
unhealthy or
even sinful
behavior, and
they can never
change.
Oh, they see
other people
have changed,
but in their
mind, they're
different.
Such things
have happened.
Certain people
have betrayed
them, hurt
them, and they
think they're
beyond hope
when it comes
to change.
When a
Christian thinks
like that, what
they're saying
is they don't
think God can
or will work
in their lives
to change
them.
So I want to
ask you, do
you really
believe, do you
have confidence
in the fact that
God can change
you?
God can
let me ask you
one more
question about
this.
Have you
delighted in
God's willingness
to work powerfully
in your life
by the way that
you cooperate
with Him, by the
way that you
seek to listen to
Him and obey
Him?
You know, that's
what we all
should be doing.
That's what God's
goal is for us,
to trust Him,
that He has the
power to change
us, and then to
obey Him as He
goes about changing
us through
primarily His
Word and His
Spirit.
You know, God
works in His
power in our
lives in all
kinds of ways,
really.
But the
primary ways are
through His
Word and His
Spirit.
You know, God's
Word, the Bible
that you have,
provides us with
everything that we
need in terms of
what we should
believe and how
we should live as
people who are
children of God,
who want to
please God.
So let me ask
you, are you
reading that Word
regularly?
Are you
obeying what
you read
faithfully?
God's Spirit
gives us the
desire and the
ability to obey
God's Word and
to please God in
the process.
We have that
desire.
We have the
responsibility as
Christians, indwelled
by the Spirit of
God, that's our
real power source,
He is our real
power source, we
have the
responsibility to
be sensitive to
His presence,
and then obedient
to His leadership.
And I want you to
think, keep in
mind, the Holy
Spirit will teach
and guide us most
clearly from what
He has already
given us in the
Scriptures that He
inspired men to
write.
And we can always
be sure that He
will never, the
Spirit will never
lead us to do
something that is
contrary to
Scripture.
before World War
II, there was a
small town in
Texas where a
school fire broke
out and took the
lives of 263
children.
Now, as you can
imagine, in a
small town, just
about every family
was touched, broken
broken by that
tragedy.
Well, during the
war, during World
War II, there was
no money, and the
town was not able to
rebuild their school.
But after the war was
over, the town did
rebuild, and they never
forgot the fire.
They were able to build a
new school that
featured what they
called the finest
sprinkler system in the
world because they were
determined a tragedy
like that would never
happen again.
Well, in the post-World War
II era, towns boomed, and
this little town had a lot
of growth to the point
that seven years after the
school was built, they had
to expand the school.
When they began adding a
new wing, they discovered
something that just floored
them, shocked them, they
could not believe.
Their world-class sprinkler
system had never been
connected to the water
line.
Can you imagine that?
A town, a group of people
who were so concerned for
the welfare of their
children that they
overlooked hooking up that
sprinkler system to the
water line.
That is a parable of how
many Christians fail to
hook up to, be sensitive to,
and obedient to the Spirit
of God, their source of
power who indwells them.
A lot of times we fail to
utilize God's awesome power
that He demonstrated by
raising Jesus and seating Him
at His right hand.
That's the kind of power that
a lot of times we ignore, that
we waste.
I want you to understand on
this Easter Sunday, God in
demonstrating His power by
bringing Jesus back from the
grave, exalting Him to His
right hand.
God wants to use that same
power in your life.
He wants to use it in a way in
you and through you that will
first of all bring glory to
Himself.
That will truly be a blessing to
other people.
And as you glorify God and
bless other people, you're going
to find that you're experiencing a
lot of joy and satisfaction.
It's going to be just a byproduct
for you.
I want to encourage you.
Think about this power.
It's available to you.
But do you want to experience?
Do you want to experience God's
power in your life to shape and
mold you into the likeness of His
Son?
If you do, trust Him.
Obey Him.
And be prepared to experience His
awesome power in your life every
day.
Let's pray together.
Father, we are people who are
powerless on our own.
When it comes to pleasing you and
living the life that you've called
us to live.
But Lord, we thank you that you have
supplied what we don't have.
Your great power.
Help us, Father, to desire it.
Help us, Father, to seek it.
And Father, as you speak through your
word and your spirit, help us to pay
attention.
Help us to listen to you.
Help us to obey you.
Help us to discipline ourselves to
listen and obey day by day,
situation by situation.
Father, on this Easter Sunday, we are
so thankful for the way you
demonstrated your power in raising
Jesus from the dead.
Asking Jesus from the dead.
We are so thankful for you.
Making Jesus from the dead.
Exalting Him to your right hand and
promising to send Him back to this
world one day where you will make
everything right and perfect.
But Lord, help us to not end this day
with just knowledge of your power or
even an appreciation of your power.
Help us, Father, to experience it by living lives that are sensitive to and obedient to your indwelling spirit.
Help us, Father, to truly be consciously aware of your presence and trust you and obey you,
even in the little details of our lives.
Thank you for this promise of power.
Help us, Father, to truly experience it every day.
And it's in Jesus' name we come. Amen.