Bro Koay Kheng Hin
There are two types of ceramah, one that offers free food and one that does not. It is all about political power and the most famous quotes is from Mao Tze-Tung - "Power comes front the barrel of a gun". Of course this man who is anti God got it all wrong. Today, the power lies in the ballot box so let us prayerfully do our duty.
This morning I want to draw you from this political charged atmosphere to a spiritual atmosphere, to draw you to look to Him and be more heavenly focused.
This morning I am talking about power. But not power drawn from human institutions but power that is divine, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:16-17
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written:“The righteous will live by faith.”
The Dunamis of the Gospel. That's my title for today's message.
I want you to note that Paul writes that "I am not ashamed of the Gospel". You may wonder why. It is because Paul minsters to people across the board. The gospel is not something natural for all to believe. The Jews slight at Him. How can a person crucified be a messiah? For death is a curse.
When he goes to the Gentiles, of which some are learned, asked, how can a person resurrect from the dead? But Paul knows the power of the gospel is salvation to those who believes. And Paul believes this.
This Dunamis is the inward Dunamis. Why, because there is also an outward Dunamis.
My brother got his diploma from bible school and when I told him there is an inward and outward Dunamis, he asked me biblical or not.
Paul saw the gospel of Jesus dying for the sins of men and women. In this gospel lies the pathway for men and women to come back to God. Paul was first and foremost thinking of a power that can make a person who is spiritually dead become spiritually alive. No other power can do that.
In that gospel God proclaim that He can give spiritual life and that the bones that are dead can become alive, and this is what we call born again.
Whatever power there is on earth is human and can only change events. But only one power can change life and bring life to bones. It is by the Holy Spirit that brings you the new life.
And that is what Paul calls the new man.
There is a Chinese proverbs that says it is easier to change an empire than to change a human character. It is impossible to change a man's character and the Chinese got it right. Paul as an example is not a humble man but he was humbled by the gospel of Jesus Christ.
That same power is at work sanctifying you and making you more and more holy. That inner Dunamis is not focusing on the power of human institutions but the power that gives you new spiritual life to free you from the bondage of sin, to help you pursue righteousness.
The work of the Holy Spirit is what caused you to accept him where the gospel became real to you.
John 8:32
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
The gospel lies in this word "Truth". It liberates you. Almost all of us succumb to sin because of lies. Truth allows you to have a life that is free from sin. A life God wants you to have.
This truth mentions the content of the gospel. The objective truth. But that is another element to the truth, where the letter needs to be energised and made alive to you. From logos to rhema.
That truth gives you salvation and new spiritual life which first and foremost gives peace in your life. Peace with God is what the new spiritual life is all about. New spiritual life can totally transforms you. That inward power of the gospel to change you. That power changes the human heart and no other power on earth can do that.
If you hear people who are saved, they often say, once I was like that. Now I am like that. When you have peace with God, you can have the peace of God.
Hebrews 2:3-4
how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
The word miracle in the Greek is the same word as Dunamis. It is the divine power of God to work miracles. A miracle is when God breaks into the natural realm and causes wonders, miracles and signs.
This is an outward Dunamis. It is an outward that is the miracle working power of God on you. This is to confirm and testify to the message of the gospel.
John 20:30-31
Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
You will find that these miracles were written that you may believe Jesus is a miracle working God. Miracles are always flowing from the compassion of Christ. When He heals you it is not a dis-compassionate work. He wants to heal you.
The most important fact of the healing is to lead you to Jesus Christ. It is not an end but a means to an end. They are a point of contact but not the point of focus. Do not focus on the miracles but the person who perform the miracle.
If our focus is on the healing, He will receive the miracle but not the healer. This is possible, you will realise there are people like that. When not well, they will do anything you ask to get his healing. Even the sinner's prayer. People like these who seek healing and not God will go to other temples to get his healing. That's his focus.
Luke 17:11-17
Ten Healed of Leprosy
11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”
14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him–and he was a Samaritan.
17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?
This story tells us that 10 received the outward Dunamis of God's miracle. Were they all healed? Yes. But only one came back.
But the inward Dunamis is the one that saves. The outward Dunamis is a means not an end. Spiritual maturity does not depend on the outward Dunamis. It is about a relationship with our Lord. It is striking the balance. The gospel call must emphasise the content of the bible and that you can have new life in Christ.
How does Jesus balances this outward and inward Dunamis?
John 9:5-8
While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
This is the outward Dunamis.
John 9:35-39
Spiritual Blindness
35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”
37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
And here Jesus talked about the working of the inner Dunamis.
John 11:43-45
When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
This outward Dunamis though powerful was already being prepared for by Jesus in verse 25.
John 11:25-26
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
The greatest miracle is that a man who is spiritually dead can cross over to spiritual life.
I was talking this morning at bible class about the church. And in the Protestant church there is the Pentecostal movement, you find the biggest growth of the church was then. The Pentecostal movement has a very strong outward Dunamis but they also had great emphasis on the inward Dunamis.
On the cross you will receive your biggest miracle. When I became a Christian, the very first question I asked was this. Why nothing happened? Then my brother asked me what did you think will happen. After he prayed for me and said it's finished, I was waiting for something to happen. I read the bible and like Paul, he was blinded by lightning. I was expecting something.
But my brother had wisdom and told me it's not for everyone, you are not Paul. But something did happen, and nothing can compare to that, I became spiritually alive.
Our faith rest in the person of Christ and in that comes the presence of God and in that presence will manifest the power of God. Those who seeks the outer Dunamis often never finds it but those who seeks the inward Dunamis often sees the outward Dunamis being manifested. Seek the Lord. The power that work in you, not just the outward.
To me, many of us do not realise that when you see all the turmoil around the world, you see the outward needs. The outward turmoil does not mean you cannot have inward peace. And there is only one power that can give you peace that surpasses all understanding.
My personal testimony is that I am like you with a lot of problems and obstacles. But I can attest to you that even when things are not well and smooth, you will experience the peace of God in the midst of everything and there you find a rest. That is the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is your spiritual heritage. In that salvation, you who are spiritually dead is made alive and that is the life of God in you. And that is something that money cannot buy. And there you will find a wonderful peace and in that you will find the outward Dunamis of God.
You may ask what is all this about? I am just trying to change your focus. If you have been focusing on the miracles that God does, focus instead on God. Focus on the God of miracles, not the miracles of
God you seek.
I conclude that it is the gospel of Jesus Christ, the only thing that has eternal value. Its greatest power is when you allow the person of Jesus Christ to be lifted up. The positive power of the gospel must come from above.
Paul actually says this very well. And it is my prayer that all of us can identify with Paul, I'm not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for everyone who believes.
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