Responding to Our Knowledge of God - Power

Introduction:

1. We’re continuing our new series today in our Worship Service: Reaching New Heights in Our Knowledge of God!

- our goal is to further APPLY the subject to our lives as an ABF, so we’ve entitle our ABF study: Responding to Our Knowledge of God

2. Remember the words if Daniel:

• Daniel 11:32 "…but the people who know their God will display strength and take action.”

- Christianity is a religion of action . . . we are to be doing what God wants us to do!

- this ties in with Paul’s words:

• Philippians 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death

‘know’ = knowledge based on personal experience (because of the interaction/relationship)

- not just an intellectual knowledge, but a PRACTICAL knowledge of God (a life of obedience, a attitude of hope, and high motivation for future service to demonstrate that faith in God and what you truly believe about Him!)

4. Keep in mind the purpose of our study:

* The purpose of our study:

1) to glorify God by with our praise of worship of Who He is

2) to put that knowledge into ACTION!

Input: What keeps us from putting our knowledge into action?

• Unbelief – lack of faith, or a wrong understanding of God
• Fear – we know what we should do but we’re afraid of failure, etc.

> even the fear of man can be ‘snare’ to the soul and keep you from doing God’s will!

• Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted.

Input: How does a person overcome fear?

• 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

- there is no greater example of love than God Himself!

I. Reaching New Heights in Our Knowledge of God’s POWER!

omnipotence = all-powerful

- that is (or was – depending on your ABF) the subject of our study in the worship service

* One of our goals in this study is to learn more about God . . . and His POWER so we will understand that He is ALL-POWERFUL and able to accomplish much in our lives!!

1) exercising our faith in a God Who is all-powerful!

2) proclaiming this truth of God’s power to others

3) modeling this confidence in our God who is all-powerful!

- each week, we’re going to be asking a set of questions for you to consider in the context of the specific aspect of God that is being presented in the Worship Service!

II. Responding to Our Knowledge of God’s Power

Q: Do you really believe that God is all-powerful?

- think about the words of Isaiah:

• Isa. 40:28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. 29 He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. 30 Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, 31 Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.
• What other passages communicate this attribute of God? [various answers]

2 Pet. 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

Look at what is communicated again and again in Exodus:

Exodus 13:3 Moses said to the people, "Remember this day in which you went out from Egypt, from the house of slavery; for by a powerful hand the LORD brought you out from this place. And nothing leavened shall be eaten.

Exodus 13:9 "And it shall serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder on your forehead, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt.

Exodus 13:14 "And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What is this?' then you shall say to him, 'With a powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.

Exodus13:16 "So it shall serve as a sign on your hand and as phylacteries on your forehead, for with a powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt."

Psalm 145:1 {A Psalm of Praise, of David.} I will extol You, my God, O King, And I will bless Your name forever and ever. 2 Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised, And His greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. 5 On the glorious splendor of Your majesty And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate. 6 Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts, And I will tell of Your greatness

Jer. 32:17 'Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You,

• What impact should this attribute have in the following areas: [various answers]
• Temptation to sin:

- 1 Cor. 10:13 – In His great power, God provides “a way of escape” when I’m tempted

- You know that God will help you and give you strength to over come it

• Facing Trials (suffering, illness, disappointments)

- When Jesus was on earth, He had the power to remove Himself from any and all suffering, but He chose not to exercise that power out of His great love for us.

Q: Do we trust in this powerful God? Or would we rather escape all suffering & disappointments at all costs?

Point: To be like Him, we must be willing to endure suffering, seeing His greater purpose!

• Conflicts with people:

- God is big enough to help you resolve issues/conflicts with others.

He outlines how to do this in Matt. 18 and other places.

If we saw how awesome and powerful He was, we wouldn’t doubt Him so much, and instead, in obedience to Him, we would act on His Word and seek to bring restitution to relationships

• Prayer Life:

- believing God is big enough to answer our prayers

• Time we are afraid (fearful):

* Go to Joshua 1 and read the 1:1-9 (Great verses – 3 x’s he was told to be courageous!)

• What are some examples in the Scripture of God revealing His power? [various answers]

(mention Creation, Flood, OT examples, NT miracles + RESURRECTION + Revelation and the end time events!

• In what ways does our church emphasize/model this quality? [various answers]

- willingness to trust God to help us build the FCC

- we believer God has the power to CHANGE lives (biblical counseling, salvation)

• In what ways do we as a church need to GROW in the way we emphasize/model this attribute? [various answers]

- think broader about our missions and future ministry opportunities – we not done!

• How can you emphasize this attribute to your family (spouse, children) and friends?

- when facing a trial or situation, ACT like you really believe God is all powerful!

- go outside at night and look up into the heavens and talk about the stars/planets, et.c

• How can we help each other grow in this quality?

- remind each other, share with others how God’s power has been demonstrated in changing your life

• What causes you to doubt God’s power?

- He doesn’t do what we think He should do and when we think He should do it – so we don’t get our way, and we don’t think God can do it

- the curse of sin leads us to doubt His power – we can’t fully comprehend it, we often reject it

IMPORTANT: A failure to focus on the RESURRECTION – the grandest demonstration of God’s power – to raise people from the dead!!

• Can you think of other O.T. examples of Israel failing to acknowledge God’s power?

- lack of faith to get the promised land (people are too big, etc.)

• KEY QUESTION: What impact should this attribute have on the following?
• Outreach: trust God to show His power to change a life
• Praise/Worship: He’s an awesome God, all powerful, that should encourage us to praise Him!
• Discipleship/Growth: - don’t quit, God will give you strength to face the day
• Serving (use of gifts/abilities): 2 Cor. 12:9-10 our weakness is perfected in the power of God
• One another ministry (Building Meaningful Relationships): God will give us strength to do the right thing, reaching out to other, not the easy thing – being comfortable!

Conclusion:

Q: Are you seeking to acknowledge God’s power in your life?

Q: In what ways does your knowledge of God’s omnipotence truly impact your actions/choices/thoughts?

Key Passage: Psalm 106:6-12

Psalm 106: 6 We have sinned like our fathers, We have committed iniquity, we have behaved wickedly. 7 Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; They did not remember Your abundant kindnesses, But rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea. 8 Nevertheless He saved them for the sake of His name, That He might make His power known. 9 Thus He rebuked the Red Sea and it dried up, And He led them through the deeps, as through the wilderness. 10 So He saved them from the hand of the one who hated them, And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. 11 The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left. 12 Then they believed His words; They sang His praise.