God's Power Train

Act 1:8 - But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

   These are some of the last words that Jesus spoke to his disciples before his ascension into heaven. This portion of scripture is part of what we call ‘The Great Commission’. After his resurrection Jesus had periodically appeared to the disciples and spoke to them. He even ate with them to prove that he was indeed physically resurrected. They were still not fully aware of what the plan of God was or what he was requiring of them and so they asked if this was the time that he would restore the kingdom to Israel. Jesus responded by saying that there were things that they did not need to know. Isn’t it interesting that those men are just like us? We are curious and we want to know all kinds of things but God wants us to focus on his specific instructions for us. We are to focus on his plan and destiny for our lives. There are many things that must be left with the Father; they are not for us to know, particularly, right now. Trust the Father, he knows best.

   Instead of looking for more knowledge or mere information, we are to receive power from God. This commission to go into the entire world and preach the gospel would be utterly impossible if it were not for the fact that the Holy Spirit has come to rest upon us and give us power. What is this power for? I believe it is, primarily, power to accomplish the Great Commission. It is a compelling and motivating power. It is power to be a witness. It is power to stand boldly and proclaim the resurrection, like the apostles did, to the very ones who crucified Jesus. It is power to overcome while facing violent opposition and intense persecution. It is power to speak the wisdom of God to the people of this world. It is power to pray, to sing, to rejoice and to love. It is power to lead others and to establish and build local churches, which should eventually become reproductive centers of power themselves. Thank God for this power! We have not just been commissioned and given the burden of responsibility but we have also been empowered to do the will of God. We are not alone. He is with us by the personal presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

   Have you and I received this power? If it has been received, are we utilizing it, have we applied it? Have we forgotten that we have this power? Have we been attempting to live this life by our own power? To receive means to deliberately take and grab hold of something. There is a giving of the power and there must also be a reception of the power. If you offer me something, I must reach out and take it from you for there to be an actual transaction. God is offering us power and there definitely is no power shortage with him. If there is no transfer or flow of power, then there must be something short-circuiting or hindering it on our part. Once I have received this power from God then I must also believe that I now have it; I am not powerless. I have something very real and even tangible from God that can be employed and applied to produce a result.

   Underneath that English word power is the Greek word from which we get our word dynamic. So, we have received dynamic power which is power that carries capability to produce change. It is dynamic power versus static power; it is not power for accumulation but, power for distribution; it is not power for storing but, power for pouring. God desires to pour out his power through us as we continue to proclaim the Gospel. Paul says elsewhere that the Gospel is the power of God which results in salvation. Power is meant to produce. We have power in our homes to heat the house, to cook meals and to light up the dark rooms. Power is not for status, it is for purpose. We have in our vehicles what is called the power train which generates power, via the engine, and delivers it to the surface of the road, via the transmission, drive shaft and wheels. In other words if we did not have a way for the power of the engine to be transferred to the wheels, we would not create any forward motion or progress; we would simply make a lot of noise burning fuel; that may explain a few of our church services. The mechanism that God uses to distribute his power to people is other people like you and me. We become conduits of power when we preach and pray and love and serve each other. God has given us his power which is to be delivered to the needs of this world, thus making an actual, practical and effective change and result; and that is where the rubber meets the road!