Power & Success
Gtcotr/ws090804
Key Scripture: John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
It was not until 1228 that Stephen Langton divided the bible into chapters. Then in 1448 the Old testament was subdivided into verses. Robert Stephanus divided the New Testament into verses in 1551. Presently there are 31,173 verses in the whole bible. The longest verse in the bible is found in Ester 8:9 and the shortest in the book of John, chapter 11, verse 35.
At times a thought continues from one verse to another or one chapter to another and at times one can find a new phrase introduced in the middle of one scripture verse and leaving off in the middle of another.
Allow me in this instance to connect a portion of two verses which complete a thought God wants us to consider tonight.
For the sake of context, I will first read through the passage in
2 Corinthians 2 (NLT)
17 You see, we are not like those hucksters—and there are many of them—who preach just to make money. We preach God’s message with sincerity and with Christ’s authority. And we know that the God who sent us is watching us.
3:1 ¶ Are we beginning again to tell you how good we are? Some people need to bring letters of recommendation with them or ask you to write letters of recommendation for them.
2 But the only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves! Your lives are a letter written in our hearts, and everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you.
3 Clearly, you are a letter from Christ prepared by us. It is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on stone, but on human hearts.
4 We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ.
5 It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting value by ourselves. Our only power and success come from God.
6 ¶ He is the one who has enabled us to represent his new covenant. This is a covenant, not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old way ends in death; in the new way, the Holy Spirit gives life.
The thought I want us to focus on is taken from two scriptures.
2 Corinthians 3:5b-6a
NLT - Our only power and success come from God. He is the one who has enabled us to represent his new covenant.
Many bible translators through the centuries have worked very diligently, with the tools they possessed, in earnest efforts to produce a version of the scriptures which was more easily readable and understandable to the population of their day. Others attempted studious works which they hoped would reflect the truest revelation of original intent of the sacred word. Not all translations are accurate and some can lead to doctrinal misinterpretations. Nonetheless, several studies and many translations can serve at times to help us better understand facets of words, phrases and thoughts and their shades of meanings as used in the bible. Lets look at this particular thought.
KJV - but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament;
NKJV - but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant,
NIV - but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—
NAS95 - but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant,
Reading these translations can give us a better grasp of this truth.
Our sufficiency, ability, competence, adequacy, power and success in service and ministry comes only from God who enables us to represent Him, serve Him and minister for Him.
I. Who Ministers for God? Those whom He enables. Who are they?
Psalms 24
3 ¶ Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully.
A. He who has
1. Clean hands (not sworn deceitfully)
2. Pure heart (not lifted up his soul to an idol)
B. What else?
1. Many people have clean hands and pure hearts
2. God told Elijah that there were 7000 in his day
* 1 Kings 19:18
C. So what made Elijah special?
II. 3 Key Ingredients to the Success & Power which comes from God
A. Clean Hands
B. Pure Heart
C. The Mantle
2 Kings
8 Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
9 ¶ And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?" Elisha said, "Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me."
10 So he said, "You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so."
11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!" So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces.
13 ¶ He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan.
14 Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, "Where is the LORD God of Elijah?" And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.
Elisha went from being a servant boy to the Prophet of God -
A prophet with immediate power and success
What did it?
III. The Mantle of God
A. Like Moses’ rod
B. Like David’s anointing
C. Like Joseph’s dream
D. Like Samson’s hair
E. Mary’s visitation
F. Paul’s Damascus road experience
G. Timothy’s prophecies
The evidence that God has:
Called
Equipped &
Positioned a person for the task at hand.
The evidence of God’s choice.
Not only does this truth apply to preachers, but it also applies to every Christian in each pursuit of life.
John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
IV. What Can We Do?
A. It is God who:
1. Calls us
2. Equips us
3. Positions us
B. It is our responsibility to maintain:
1. Clean hands
2. Pure heart
3. Willingness to be prepared for use
4. A heart to seize the opportunities God gives us
Our only power and success come from God. He is the one who has enabled us to represent his new covenant.
