Sermon: The Effective Working of His Mighty Power

Do you understand how God's power and Spirit is available to you and how you can activate it? God has promised to work effectively in our lives through His mighty power. He will never fail to do His part. Are you doing your part by responding to God every single day?

Presented by Lyle Welty
Cincinnati, Ohio - May 9, 2009 (54 minutes)

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Sermon Transcript

We live in a world and a universe where we are able to see physical examples of God's power in his creation. We sometimes call them powerful forces of nature. We may not always understand them, how exactly these forces work, but we know they are real because we see them, we can see their effects, and we see things happen as a result of these forces at work. One example would be the power of our sun, a giant ball of gases with nuclear reactions taking place consistently and constantly. The result is an outpouring of energy, light, and heat. It makes it possible for there to be life on the earth. A tremendous amount of power is generated there, an incredible power, and without the sun's power our planet would be dark, and frozen, and lifeless.

We are also familiar with a power that can be harnessed with water. Hydroelectric power we call it. Some of us may have had the opportunity to see a power plant where a dam perhaps is being used to generate electricity, like the Hoover Dam. The Hoover Dam, for example, generates more than 4 billion kilowatt hours of electricity. That should be enough to serve over a million people in a year.

Another example of God's power, the power involved in God's creation — a few years ago we were horrified at the destructive power of the tsunami in Southeast Asia. Before that took place I wasn't even sure how to spell tsunami. Now I think we all know how to spell it and the devastation that took place as a result of it.

And we are all familiar, of course, with the power of a severe tornado. Some of the members at this morning's service were talking about how they had been through, or very near, several tornadoes and the impression it left on their lives. So I think many of us are very familiar with it, hopefully not from personal experience. That might be a little too close for comfort. But we certainly have seen pictures, or TV coverage that would illustrate the kind of damage a tornado can do. Trees are often uprooted and thrown around, and cars are thrown around like small toys, and houses can even be lifted off their foundations, just sucked right up. I still get kind of an eerie feeling every time I see a picture of a tornado, a dark sky, and the strange funnel cloud involved. It still makes me very uncomfortable and makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck.

You may have heard on the evening news last night about the severe weather in parts of the Midwest, especially Illinois and Missouri. A number of tornadoes were spotted. They had wind gusts of 120 mph. According to the NBC News last night one elderly couple was actually sucked out of their car and flown up into the air, 100 feet in the air. I don't know if it was the same story viewed differently, but the internet this morning had a news item that said an elderly couple had been sucked out of their house by this tornado, thrown up into the air, thrown 75-100 feet. The man had a heart attack and died as a result, and the woman was hospitalized and her condition was not yet known. But there is a tremendous power involved in some of these horrific storms.

Recently I read an article that a scientist has been given a grant to work on tornado power as a future source of energy. He wants to build an atmospheric vortex engine. It would be a large cylinder with an open top, and he would build it near existing power plants. The excess heat, the wasted heat that would be generated by this power plant would be funneled into this funnel that he is creating and would create a tornado inside the cylinder that he would build. It would have an open top and could reach perhaps seven miles into the sky. It would be about 50 miles in diameter, but it would take the hot air from the power plant and mix that with very cold air, and of course the contrast between the two is so often what generates or begins these tornadoes. He said the tornado winds would then turn the turbines, which would produce electricity, and he feels it could increase the output of power plants by 40%. The article went on to say it is unlikely this manmade tornado would escape the cylinder. I especially like the term unlikely. That gives you such assurance — unlikely to escape the cylinder, but nonetheless I don't think I would care to live anyplace close by.

Powerful forces in God's physical creation I think are very real to us. They get our attention. We are impressed by that when we see manifestations of power. We see them, we believe them, and in many cases we fear them.

What about even greater power, a spiritual power, the power of God's Holy Spirit. Those of us who have been baptized and had our sins forgiven, those of us who have been given the gift of God's Holy Spirit, do we realize what kind of power God is making available to us? For those of us who are not yet baptized, I think it should be encouraging to realize that God's Spirit, while it is not yet in you, it can be with you to help you, to direct you, to influence your life, and that certainly is a marvelous blessing in itself. How real is the power that God's Holy Spirit makes available to us? It is easy for us to think, yes I have God's Holy Spirit, I have help from God. But I wonder how clearly we understand that Holy Spirit being, from God's description, a tremendous power. How aware are we from day to day that this power is in us and available to us? I hope it will be exciting to us, I hope it will be encouraging. I wonder if we understand or if we value it.

If you and I were to sit down and write a journal of our Christian life, if we were to write down how our life has been since we were converted and received God's Spirit, I wonder what we would write, and whether we would write something to the effect of how this power of God's Spirit has changed our lives. I wonder if that would be the focus of our description of our Christian lives.

It has been about three and one half weeks since the Last Day of Unleavened Bread, and it's about three weeks until we celebrate the next festival, the Day of Pentecost. And part of the meaning of the Day of Pentecost is the fact that God has made his Holy Spirit available to people who do repent, who are baptized, and who have had hands laid upon them to receive God's Holy Spirit. There is a link. There is a connection between the Days of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Pentecost, a very important link. The Days of Unleavened Bread reminds us, teach us that sin has got to be put out of our lives. We have got to stop sinning, change in that respect. We have to live obedient lives, righteous lives. We must change. And the Feast of Pentecost teaches us, of course, to make that change we need extra help. To make the changes that are necessary to become part of God's family we need help. We have to have extra power to make those changes, and that power is available, as Pentecost reminds us, because God now makes the Holy Spirit available to us. God's Holy Spirit should play a very important role in the life of every Christian, and the subject of God's power at work in our lives is a huge subject. I could give a whole series of sermons or Bible Studies on it.

In today's sermon we are going to narrow it down, and we will ask and answer one question. We will get into it as this sermon goes along. But hopefully we will leave services today better able to understand and appreciate the meaning of the Day of Pentecost and a reminder of what our responsibility is regarding God's Holy Spirit.

Let's begin by turning to Ephesians 1:15. I don't know how often you and I talk about what we pray about to other people, but Paul often did. He would mention in his letters that he was praying about these things, and he was praying about those things, these things he goes to God about. It is a lot of self disclosure which gives us a real insight into his thinking and his attitude and I always appreciate that. Here he wrote about and described some of his prayers for God's people.

Ephesians 1:15. Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.

No doubt Paul was concerned about the physical needs of God's people under his care, but here he is focusing not on the physical needs but focusing on the spiritual needs, the spiritual gifts that he wanted the brethren, God's people, to receive, gifts that God is very willing to give.

Verse 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, 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.

We come to Verse 19. This is especially the one we want to focus on today. And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.

Notice those words. Paul says the exceeding greatness of his power, his mighty power. It seems as though he is making a point, isn't he, a point of God's power that is available to us. He is emphasizing and teaching us that there is power involved here. This is the kind of power that God makes available. He describes it as exceeding and great power, mighty power. Perhaps we should ask the question. What kind of power do we need to change our minds from carnal thinking to spiritually mature thinking? What is involved? If we believe Paul he says what it takes is power. Mighty power. Exceedingly great power. In order for us to fulfill the purpose for which we were born, in order for us to enter the family of God, to fulfill the purpose of God reproducing himself in creating a family, power has to be involved in changing the way we think. And of course when we change the way we think we begin to change our attitudes and we begin to change our behavior. When behavior, attitude, and thinking are changed, then our character begins to change as well. He is saying in order for character to be built, in order for us to become like God, we have to become involved with using power. And he describes this in some detail. He realized in order for us to endure, to endure all the trials that a Christian is involved with, problems, discouraging situations and challenges, we need extra help. Because we could very easily become overwhelmed by this. It would be very easy for us to become discouraged and say this is too hard. But Paul is saying, no, no, you don't realize you have access to power. Unless we understand that and begin to utilize it, we can be overwhelmed. It is not talking about our own power, somehow generating our own willpower here. Later in the book of Ephesians Paul specifically says, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Paul is very outspoken about the fact that this is not self-generated power, something we generate in ourselves. This is something that has to come from an outside source to us. God actually and literally strengthens his people through a power that is not natural — it is supernatural — and we don't naturally have it.

Here is what one of the commentaries says about verse 19 we just read, about the exceeding greatness of his mighty power. It says:

"The final item Paul wants his readers to recognize is the enormous power of God. It is presented here as incomparably great. Literally it suggests that the conception (the concept) is thrown over into another sphere altogether. (It is not human and natural, this is supernatural, another sphere altogether.) This unimaginable potency or power is directed toward all who believe. Paul proceeds to collect all the synonyms he can lay hands on as he describes how the power of God functions according to the operation of the strength of his might."

Paul is grabbing every synonym he can think of to describe how enormous and unimaginable this power is.

Verse 20 goes on to reinforce this fact that the only way that we can become more converted and endure to the end and succeed as Christians, and become members of God's family, is through having access to and utilizing properly this mighty power of God. Otherwise, it is impossible. Christians won't make it.

Verse 20, referring to God's power, says:

Which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places.

This verse tells us something very important when we stop and look at it. God knows that we need access to not just a little power, a little help now and then, a little pat on the back, but the same power he describes, as was used to raise Jesus Christ from the dead. Do you have any idea how much power it would take to raise somebody from the dead? You probably realize that the best minds in science today can't do it. They have tried. They would love to be able to. But they can't bring somebody back to life. The best they have got is to freeze the body, hoping somewhere down in time they will find a way to thaw them out and be able to bring these people back to life, but right now all they can do is freeze a dead body. They cannot bring it back to life. And yet God is saying the power that is available to you, the power you need to change your life, is the same power I used to raise Christ from the dead. And when we understand, that is a lot of power, can you imagine raising, bringing back to life a body that was dead three days and three nights? And not only did God raise it back to life, but he changed it from physical to spiritual. So that Christ could manifest himself as a physical human being the same time he could travel faster than the speed of thought back to heaven to be glorified with God the Father. That is power. And that is written for us to understand and think about. Think about that kind of power God is making available to us.

So we really do have power to change if we know where it is, how to use it, and how to get it. We will understand and believe that God wants to make it available to us, that same mighty power. Not that we are going to go around raising people from the dead. We have that power to begin to change the way we think, and that is what is important, the power to become more converted.

What kind of power is required to change a carnal mind to a spiritually mature mind? According to Paul the same kind of power it took to raise Jesus Christ from the dead. That kind of power.

Let's go back to Verse 19 and pick up another point. We have seen that it referred to God's exceeding great power and his mighty power. What is not so obvious is the meaning of the word working. The last part of verse 19 says: according to the working of His mighty power.

Now I am not a Greek scholar by any means. But occasionally understanding the original word as it was inspired can give us a little better insight into what the point is. That is the case with this word working. If I am pronouncing it correctly, and if I am not Mr. Johnson will tell me but I will just ignore it anyway. It's not a problem. Pronunciation is not nearly as important as its meaning. I am teasing Mr. Johnson, of course.

Energiah is the Greek word. Here is what William Barclay says about energiah and its related roots. "It is quite clear to anyone that the Greek words have in them the root of our English word energy (energiah — energy.) In the New Testament these words are never used to describe any human power, always to describe the action of some power which is beyond the power of man and the power of this world. The whole tone of the Greek word energiah is effective action. Not simply action, but action which always results in the desired and proposed results. The idea is action which is strong and powerful, and above all effective."

So Paul is saying, God's Spirit is not only powerful, but it is effective. In the physical realm it is possible to have something that is powerful but it is not always effective. And perhaps a crude analogy would be, you can buy a powerful car. There are plenty to choose from. One would be a Shelby Mustang GT 500, 32 valves, supercharged V8 engine, 540 horsepower. A powerful car, very powerful. No one would question that. But how effective would it be with four flat tires? You see, humanly we can have something that is powerful but not effective. God's Spirit is being described as powerful but effective. His power is not like that car with four flat tires. It is not only mighty but its work is effective. It gets the job done. It produces what God has in mind for it to produce.

So verse 19 here in Ephesians chapter 1 gives us two reasons to be encouraged when we understand what God is talking about. One, God says his power is exceedingly great and mighty, phenomenal. Two, we can count on it to be effective. It will get the job done. It will accomplish what it was designed to accomplish.

Let's go ahead a few chapters to Ephesians 3:20. We will see another verse where God's power is said to work effectively in our lives. Ephesians 3:20. If we were to back up to verse 14, which I won't, I'll just paraphrase some of that, we would see that Paul is describing again the things he prayed about, the spiritual needs, spiritual gifts for God's people. He ends this section in verse 20 by saying this:

Ephesians 3:20. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. We are going to stop there for just a minute. Notice what it said — to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or even imagine, think. How is that possible? According to the power that works in us. So it is not just some power uninvolved with us. It is the power of God's Holy Spirit in us. The Greek word for works once again means works actively and effectively yet accomplishes God's purpose. And notice the verse ends by telling us the power of God that works effectively in us is that Holy Spirit that God gives us. That is what works actively and effectively. God the Father and Jesus Christ live in us through the power of God's Holy Spirit.

We have already touched on what it is like to have God's Holy Spirit, the power involved. It is intended to accomplish certain things. But let's go to 1 Samuel 10 where we see a classic, firsthand example of how that works. Sometimes an example is much more effective than just a long description. 1 Samuel 10. The Bible is full of accounts of miraculous power of God's Word. You probably could make a list yourself. For example, the very first chapter of the Bible, Genesis 1, we read that the powerful Spirit of God hovered over the waters that were covering the earth at that time and that power changed, separated the water from the dry land and made the earth habitable for human beings that God was about to create. That was done by God's Holy Spirit, the same Holy Spirit he gives to us. It changed the whole surface of the earth. Look at Judges. It talks about how the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon Samson, giving him the power to tear apart an attacking lion by his bare hands. That's pretty phenomenal. That's amazing. That's remarkable. That's an illustration of the power that God's Holy Spirit makes available, the things that can be accomplished. The book of Acts talks about God's Spirit and the power. There are numerous examples there of the Apostles and the servants of God performing signs and miracles, numerous miracles, remarkable miracles though God's Holy Spirit. But notice here 1 Samuel 10. Verse 1 mentions the fact about how Samuel was going to anoint Saul king of Israel. The next few verse list several things that were going to happen later that day after he was anointed king. But notice verse 5, 1 Samuel 10.

1 Samuel 10:5. After that you shall come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is. And it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a stringed instrument, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them; and they will be prophesying. Then the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. Another translation says, you will be changed into a different person.

Barnes Commentary referring to these verses (you will be turned into another man) says, "This is a remarkable expression that occurs nowhere else in the Bible."

Verse 9. So it was, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, that God gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day.

The power of God's Holy Spirit brought about a change in Saul's heart and mind. God's Holy Spirit can change people. It can change our attitude, motivation, behavior, character. Being changed into a different person is a good way of describing and summarizing the purpose for human life. That God wants to change us, change us from carnal, selfish individuals to loving, generous, obedient individuals who think differently. And respond differently. God's plan and purpose is to change us, change us from the way we were when he first called us. God gives us that power so we can be changed into a different person.

I remember a number of years ago we visited a fellow. His wife had been in the church for a number of years. He was an old crotchety individual. But he asked for a visit. And we went to visit him and he said, "I want to be baptized." The other minister and I kind of looked at each other and thought, okay. He said, "Any church that can change her is the right church." That wasn't exactly a compliment, you know, but it made the point. This woman he had been married to had changed over the years. The church had a positive effect on her. She was a different person. And he said, "Any church that can change her has got to be the right church." And he was later baptized. You see the point. He saw what God's Spirit can do. And that caught his attention. God does give us this power. He wants us to change, become different people. He wants us to think differently. This idea of becoming a different person is not just to become any different person — God wants us to become a certain different person. He wants us to become like Jesus Christ. That is who we are all supposed to become like.

Let's go back to Ephesians and go to chapter 4, verse 22. Paul is writing about our need to become a different person. He is writing to the folks in his day and saying, let's understand that we need to become different people. We are supposed to change once we are in the church, once we have God's Spirit. He is describing what should be taking place in our lives once we are in the church.

Ephesians 4:22. That you put off, concerning your former conduct, (the former conduct of the way we used to live and think and act and talk, putting off our former sinful habits) the old man (the old self) which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. We are to put that off and all of the habits which we have developed that are wrong habits, sinful habits that are not in line with God's truth, God's way of life. Let the power of God's Holy Spirit become the dominant power and not let sin be the stronger power in our lives.Verse 23. And be renewed (changed into a newer model of us) renewed in the spirit of your mind. And that you put on the new man (new self) which was created according to God — or I love the way another translation puts this — created to be like God — isn't that clear, put on the new man, the new self, which was created to be like God. That summarizes the whole thing. We are to become like God so we can become part of his family. The verse finishes by saying, in true righteousness and holiness.

We are supposed to be continually changing in our character to become like God. Sad to say, King Saul went the other direction. He slipped back into his old ways. He did not continue. But our goal is to be continually spiritually maturing. Some of the changes in our lives are very dramatic. As we referred to earlier, the man saw dramatic changes in his wife and liked what he saw. Many times there are dramatic things we change, we have to change, we need to. It is very apparent. Other changes, other things come much more slowly. They take time and effort. We need a long period of time and it has been a struggle to make some of those changes. This is common for all of us. It's not an easy matter to become like Jesus Christ. As we read, it takes the same power to become like God as it took to raise Jesus Christ from the dead. It takes a lot of power. If becoming God were easy, it would not require exceedingly great and mighty power. That is what God is making available to us. He is saying, use it. Hopefully we will never get tired of hearing about becoming like God, becoming like Jesus Christ. I hope that concept never becomes old hat or boring to us, of God reproducing himself. Talk about an astounding thing here, the implications are for all eternity.

I mentioned earlier in today's sermon that there is one critically important question that we would ask and answer. Here is the question. We have seen that God's purpose in giving us his Holy Spirit is so we can take on God's character, become like God. We see that God's power is incomparably great power. It works actively and effectively in our lives. But we know that is true because God tells us that, and we know God cannot lie. It has to be true. But the question is why is it that some Christians fail to grow, overcome, and change? Why does this process not work in the lives of some Christians, and why does it work better in some Christians than in others? We all have access to the same power, the same Holy Spirit, the same God. Why does it seem to work for some and not seem to work for others? We know both from experience and from the scriptures that God's power does not work effectively in every Christian life.

For example, in the parable of the pounds one of the servants that had been given God's Holy Spirit accomplished NOTHING with it. The other servants did grow and mature spiritually, but not all to the same degree. As a result some received a larger reward than others did.

The parable of the sower, even the seed that fell on the good ground, the good soil, did not produce equal results. Some produced 100 times what was sowed, planted; some 60 times more than was planted; and some 30 times more than was planted. And so the question of why God's powerful and effective Spirit doesn't work in some lives, or doesn't work as effectively in some Christians as it should is that God's Holy Spirit must be activated. It must be activated in order for it to work. We are familiar with something being activated, are we not? For example, if you receive a credit card and you want to be able to use it, typically with that credit card comes some instructions that say you have to call this toll free number. You call the number and you punch in a code or your credit card number and the voice on the other end will tell you now your credit card is activated and now you can begin using it. If we don't activate a credit card we can't use it. It is only a piece of plastic. We can buy nothing with it. It has to be activated first.

God's mighty and effective power also must be activated. And who does the activating? Actually, it is us. We do. It is our individual responsibility to activate the Spirit of God. And we do that by responding to God. That is how we activate it. We respond to God. Unlike the example of the credit card, activating God's Spirit by responding to him is not a one time thing. It is not that we just do it once and it is good for the next four years. We have to respond to God daily. It is an ongoing response. God always takes the first step. Did you notice that? He calls us. He opens our minds. He makes it possible for us to understand. He makes it possible for us to repent. He then offers his Holy Spirit. Then he prompts us by his spirit but we have to respond to it. God never forces anybody to respond to him. It is something we have to choose to do. We decide that for ourselves, whether to respond to God and the degree to which we do respond to God is a determining factor. The results of God's Spirit at work will vary according to how well and how much we respond.

Notice Philippians 2:12. A principle we are familiar with but I think it will help us understand as we go through this material. We will see that there must be a joint effort here between God and us. You notice we often use that term frequently, it's a joint effort, that God has his part and we have our part. We are coworkers with God, we often say, and that is true. That concept is very important for us to understand. It is not something God is doing on his own without us. It is not something we are doing on our own without God. It is a joint effort. It is an honor for us God would include us and work with us, but it is also sobering to realize we can either respond to God and activate his Spirit or we can fail to respond and limit the working of God's Holy Spirit in our lives.

Philippians 2:12. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. So we must work in order to activate God's Holy Spirit. Verse 13. For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

The word works in verse 13 is a Greek word we noted earlier meaning works actively and effectively. It is the word William Barclay says is never used in the New Testament to describe any human power or action. Go back to verse 12; take a look at verse 12.

We are told here to work. Work out your own salvation it says. The Greek word there for work is a different word than the one in verse 13. The word in verse 12 means to achieve by toil, by effort. It is an effort that human beings are able and capable of doing. We have the ability to do that part of it ourselves, the ability to work at something to accomplish it. So we have our part to do, and we can do it. God has his part to do. Together it makes a phenomenal team. It is important to realize that God works when we work. God works when we work. God's power is activated when we use our own power or efforts to respond to him. What kind of work can we do? What kind of power do we have? Well we can do the work of deciding or choosing each day to be wholehearted in our relationship with God. We can do that. We can put out that effort. We can accomplish that. We can be wholehearted. It takes not only a willing attitude for starts, but it also takes a measure of self control, self discipline.

Here is a quote from E.M. Gray. Maybe you're heard it before. "Successful people have the habit of doing things failures don't like to do. They (successful people) don't necessarily like doing them either, but their dislike is subordinated to the strength of their purpose." That's a good quote. It's true. Read it again.

Now I would guess that is probably written describing physical things, physical pursuits, physical goals. But when we stop and think about it, it also applies to spiritual goals as well. In order to respond to God in an ongoing, wholehearted, dedicated and committed way, it takes effort. It takes effort to do things we don't always feel like doing. Everything has to be subordinated to our purpose. Why was I born? Why am I here? God is reproducing himself. God is creating a family. I want to be part of that family. We have the strength of purpose. It has to be first in our minds keeping God and his kingdom first.

What other work can we do to respond to God to activate his Holy Spirit? We can do the work of choosing to make our number one priority each day pleasing, serving, and obeying God no matter what sacrifice it requires from us. We can do that. We can choose to do that. We can do the work of choosing how much time, attention, and effort we are going to devote to developing our relationship with God each day. Mr. Wasilkoff referred to that in the Bible Study. Yes we can. We can do the work of choosing how much time, attention, and effort we are going to devote to our relationship with God every day. We can do the work of deciding to pray each day. We can do the work of going to a private place. We can kneel down. We can talk to God. And we can also while we are there ask him to help us to respond to him. We can do the work of choosing to study the Bible every day. Have a plan for our Bible study. Put our hearts into it. Wanting to learn, wanting to be corrected by God's word. We can do the work of choosing to fast on a regular basis. We can determine to spend extra time praying, studying, and fasting, especially when we find ourselves slowing down, losing momentum, losing ground, going backward. Realize that we need to exert more energy. Because we realize we are losing excitement and enthusiasm, stagnating, and we can do something about it. We can do the work of resisting temptation, saying no, I won't look at that. I won't do that. Resisting temptation by obeying God. That requires a lot of effort on our part.

During the Days of Unleavened Bread Mr. Franks highlighted for us the fact that the Days of Unleavened Bread has two holy days. It is the only festival in God's plan that has two holy days, emphasizing the importance of our effort and our work to put sin out of our lives, become obedient to God. Our effort to live a Christian life. Point well taken.

These are just some examples of the ways we can work to respond to God as he works with us each day. These are basic things. There is nothing new here. The challenge is to apply them consistently and diligently. They are very basic. And yet someday each one of us will stand before the judgment seat of God to give an account of our lives and be rewarded. It is the application of these basics that will make all the difference. How well are we doing with the basics? How much more can we do?

The Bible is full of instruction to respond to God and to seek him. Notice the advice that King David gave to his son Solomon in 1 Chronicles 28:9. The New Testament is full of wonderful instruction but sometimes we read it so often that it loses some of its impact. Once in awhile we will find an Old Testament example or verse or two that makes the same point but in a very effective way. Here is one of them. 1 Chronicles 28:9. David is talking to Solomon and he said:

1 Chronicles 28:9. "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father. He is saying know, get to know well, God. It takes work and effort on our part to get to know God, to know him well enough that we do not just become familiar but we know how he thinks and functions, and how we can relate to him. And serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you. That's encouraging, that's a promise. If we seek God he will respond. But if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.

David was urging his son to respond to God, to seek him, to know him, to respond to him wholeheartedly.

Notice Psalms 27:7. Here we see David's insight about himself, how he responded to God. We many times remember David's mistakes, and they were significant. But it is important to also remember David's strong points. He was a man after God's own heart. He did a lot of things right. This is an outstanding example of how he responded to God. David wrote and said:

Psalms 27:7. Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When You said, "Seek My face," My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek."

Barnes Notes says this about this passage. "This passage is designed to note the state of mind or the disposition in regard to the commands of God. The commander precept was to seek God. The prompt purpose of the mind or heart of the psalmist, David, was that he would do it. He immediately complied with that command as it was a principle of his life. One of the steady promptings of his heart was that he would do what he was asked to do."

In regard to this attitude that David had of yielding and submitting to God, an interesting cycle develops, I think one worth looking at. Maybe you have seen it in your own life. The more we respond to God, the more actively God's Holy Spirit becomes a part of our life. When God's Spirit becomes more active and effective in our lives we bear more fruit, spiritual fruit. When we begin to see ourselves growing and maturing spiritually it becomes very exciting. It becomes encouraging and hopeful and motivates us to want to respond even more to God. This is a very positive cycle. We respond, God responds, that encourages us and we respond even more. It becomes a very healthy, a very uplifting, a very positive cycle, and we begin to make significant changes.

Let's go back to Ephesians 4. I want to pick up one final point here. Ephesians 4:15. We have been quite a bit today in the book of Ephesians. There is an awful lot being said here to Christians like us. In the verses leading up to verse 15 Paul had covered the role of the ministry in the church, and in verse 15 he gave instructions to all of us as individual members. He said:

Ephesians 4:15. But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— that is what our goal is, to grow up, to mature, to become like Jesus Christ who is the head of the church. 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working—did you notice that expression? There's that word again that in the Greek means working effectively, energiah, and that is how it is translated here, effective working. This is God's Spirit effectively working in the collective body of the church. Let's read verse 16 over again. From whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

My point in reading this is to remind us that our motivation for wanting God's mighty power to work effectively in our individual lives should not be selfish, should not have a selfish motivation. We are told here we should want God's Spirit to work effectively in our lives so that the whole church can be as the New Living Translation puts it healthy, and growing and full of love.

The Feast of Pentecost pictures the fact that God calls people. He is calling some now. He will call others later, but everybody will be called. He brings us together into a body. He is calling now the firstfruits into his body called the church. And God is training us individually for great things in the Kingdom of God. But he is also training and preparing us collectively, collectively as a church, like a team, like a family, to work together. Each of us has a responsibility to everyone else in the church, to those God is calling now to be part of the church, and certainly to those down the road who will be called later. Mr. Dick expounded that point in his sermon last Sabbath.

Let's be thankful once we understand a little more clearly how God's power and Spirit is available to us and how we can activate it, let's be thankful that God has promised to work effectively in our lives through his mighty power. He will never fail to do his part. Let's be sure we do our part. Let's be sure we do our part effectively, even more effectively than we have been, by responding to God every single day.