God is omnipotent – God of infinite power
- Psalms 93:4
- Psalms 147:5
- Job 26:14
- Jeremiah 32:17
- Isaiah 40:28
- God’s power does not change.
- God’s power is not bound by location or time.
- God’s power is always active.
- God’s limitless power is paired with God’s limitless goodness.
Four areas of power that the world glorifies:
Strength as power
- We idolise the physically strong and marginalise the weak. When we worship strength as the power it leads to intimidation and violence.
- Bible calls us to love God ‘with all our strength’.
- Bible calls us to look after ‘weak and vulnerable.
Beauty as power
- The beautiful has power that isn’t earned but given to them.
- Bible tells us that beauty is internal, it’s about the fruits of the spirit.
- Does all our effort go on external beauty or does it go on internal beauty, investing in growing our internal beauty as the bible says?
- Also, how do we treat others?
Wealth as power
- To be poor is to be powerless – money opens doors.
- Bible goes to great lengths to teach about wealth/money.
- Steward – wealth God has given us to elevate others.
Charisma as power
- Charismatic personality – this can easily shift from motivation to manipulation. Ideas and words have the power to create and power to destroy.
- When we talk to people about God’s love we need to make sure we point them to Jesus, not to ourselves.
- The bible tells us our words have power, life and death.
- Use our voice for the voiceless.
How does Jesus compare to the sources of power that the world worships:
- Jesus overpowered no one with physical power.
- Jesus was ordinary looking.
- Jesus didn’t possess great wealth or money.
- Jesus chose silence when accused.
Three ways in which God’s omnipotence and power intersect with us:
- The greatest power there is, is the transformation of the human heart.
- The power of God is at work in you, Ephesians 3:16-21
- How will you use your God given power?