The Spirit’s Power 4.17.22
This weekend we celebrate the resurrection power of Jesus! Not even death could defeat Him. He is the way for us to have new life, new beginnings, new strength and new power. He and the power He has also needs to be the “center” of our life and ministry. Recently I read an article by Josh Dafferin entitled, “Evangelicals Have Been Getting Evangelism All Wrong, Seriously.” It was a good reminder, as Paul stated in 1 Cor. 2, that our message should not come through persuasive words or Hollywood style entertainment, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power!
It’s easy to attract big crowds with the “wow” factor of entertainment. But a more Biblical way to spread the Gospel is for each of us as Christ-followers to demonstrate His power in our daily lives. Yes, Jesus still performs extraordinary miracles but Dafferin points out that we can demonstrate the Spirit’s power in our life in ways that will open up effective sharing of the Gospel.
He suggests that as Christians we should have overflowing joy. Negativity will win political contests but when you cultivate the attitude of joy it’s a sign of a supernatural presence in your life. How about supernatural grace? Forgiveness can be one of the most powerful weapons in the world. Cheerful generosity and outspoken purity are two more ways for us to demonstrate that we have died to ourselves and said “yes” to Jesus. The final suggestion he has is to be open the spiritual gifts as listed in the Scripture. So often we think of these as gifts for our corporate gatherings but in reality, they are gifts for the marketplace.
Let’s celebrate the resurrection of Jesus but let’s intentionally incorporate these characteristics into our lives this week so that we are able to share the Gospel in a way that will show the world we have more to offer than “smoke and mirrors.”