(This transcript was generated by AI. Apologies for any inacuracies)

Today we're going to talk a little bit about God's power at work within us.

The Bible says in Ephesians chapter 3 verse 20, it says, Now all glory to God who is able.

Everybody say able.

I've discovered that God is able if I am willing.

God is able when I believe that and I am willing to fall underneath his power and his authority.

He can do mighty and great things.

The Bible says God is able through his mighty power at work within us to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think of.

God's power is at work in those who are believers and that power that is at work in us, he desires to accomplish more than we can think of or imagine.

But if I'm going to allow that power to go to work, there's a few things I need to remind myself of.

And today I believe that God's power is here in this place.

I believe that God's power is available to anyone who is ready to receive it by faith.

I believe that God's power will begin to coach you in the plan that he has for your life.

I believe that God's power will gift you, will give you everything you need in order to accomplish the great things he's designed you for.

If you'll begin to unleash by faith that amazing power.

And so when we look in the book of Ephesians in chapter two, you know what?

We are reminded of a few things about how that power goes to work.

And so you may want to jot down a few notes, take a few notes and write down a few things.

But the first thing I wrote down is this, is you know what?

I am reminded that when God's power goes to work in me, I ain't who I used to be.

I ain't who I used to be.

Look at your neighbor and say, I ain't who I used to be.

Okay.

Quit worrying about proper grammar.

Just turn to the other neighbor and say, I ain't who I used to be.

The scripture declares when God's power goes to work in a person or a people's life, things change, things transform.

God's power changes us.

Look what it says in Ephesians chapter two, verses one through three, as the writer, Paul writes the church at Ephesus and reminds them about God's power.

He says, once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins, you used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil, the commander of the powers in the unseen world.

He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.

That's the spirit that is at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.

And the writer here reminds this church, he says, all of us used to live that way.

We weren't once we're in that position, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature, by our own, by our very nature, we were subject to God's anger, just like everyone else.

The sinful nature that humanity is born with is bent to be persuaded by the devil and his schemes.

The sinful nature that humanity is born with, you know, is easily persuaded by the devil and his lies and his schemes.

The sinful nature is distracted easily.

The sinful nature doesn't have a sense of life and purpose.

The sinful nature becomes a product of its surroundings by default.

It is driven by self-preservation, not by God's power at work within it.

And so understand the scripture says that we're born into a world that has sin in it.

And when we're born into this world as human beings, we have this nature that begins to be drawn to the things of this world and the schemes and the lies of the enemy.

But the Bible says that, you know what, we can overcome that by putting our faith in Jesus and what he did on a cross and his mighty power.

But the reality of it is this, is some of us, you know, in life, we don't have a sense of purpose.

We don't have a sense of value.

We don't have a sense of, of, you know, knowing that God is for us and not against us, no matter what the circumstances are.

And where this, where this begins to change is when we begin to plug in to God's mighty power.

So I want to illustrate today by simply saying what the writer is saying here is, you know what, all of us once were dead.

That doesn't mean that we weren't human beings, just like this drill is a drill, but this drill can't do what it's designed to do because it's disconnected from the power source.

In other words, this drill right here has to have something connected to it for it to operate properly, for it to be what it, what it's designed to be.

And human beings, without being connected to the power source, to the power of God can never accomplish the great and mighty things they're designed to accomplish until they are connected to this power source.

And that doesn't mean that you can't do some things.

That doesn't mean that, you know what, you can't be human, but what it does mean is you can't be human in the aspect that God created you to be and, and, and have a sense of, of joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

What it means is, is you just exist.

See, this drill is just existing right now.

Looks like a drill, smells like a drill.

It is a drill, but it's not a drill that is connected to the power source.

And the reality of it is that some of us, we look like a human, we smell like a human, but we're not being the human God created us to be because we're disconnected from the power source.

And so how do you connect to the power source?

Well, it continues here in this passage of scripture, and it begins to remind us that, you know what, we don't have to stay dead in our trespasses of sin or in this condition.

It reminds us that God has done something so that we can come out of, of a lifestyle of sin or being, being drawn to by our sinful nature.

And this happens by the power of God.

Look what it says in Ephesians two, continuing with verse four, it says, but God, though we were all once dead, like this drill, dead as a drill, it says, but God is so rich in his mercy.

And he loved us so much that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ Jesus from the dead.

He gave us life when he raised Christ Jesus from the dead.

He showed us love when Christ Jesus voluntarily nailed himself to a cross, but he gave us life when Christ Jesus came back from the dead.

He gives us a understanding of God's mighty power when he resurrected from a cruel cross that, you know what, he didn't deserve, but he did it anyway.

And he came back from the dead to prove that God has power over sin, over death, over the grave, over any situation, if God's power gets connected to it, it can resurrect and begin to accomplish great and mighty things.

The Bible goes on to say this, it says, it is only by God's grace, that word grace needs to be translated as unmerited favor, undeserved favor.

It is only by God's undeserved favor that you have been saved, that you have been rescued from the power of sin.

It goes on to say, for he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and he seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we were united with Christ Jesus.

So God, look what it says, there's a purpose in all this.

So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of his incredible wealth, of his grace and his kindness towards us.

It's shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

So Christ Jesus was raised, and because we put our faith in who God is, and that, you know what, he was able to take the sin of the world on his shoulders and defeat death and rise from a grave, the Bible says that is what begins to give us life.

It gives us a seat.

We become a trophy of God's grace.

We become a display for his great glory.

So it's God's love and God's power that allows us to begin to walk in God's purpose and become all he's designed us to be.

And so again, the way it works is simply this, is when this drill begins to be connected to the power source, and it's the power source that makes this drill functional.

Understand it's the power of God that makes you functional.

And the only way, you know what, you can receive the power of God is to believe that God, you know what, did what God said he would do.

He defeated death and rose from a grave through a perfect savior named Jesus.

But once you put your faith, your belief in that, you have access to the power.

And then as you access the power, you can begin to function and be what God's designed you to be.

But so many of us are not functioning in life because we're not connected to the power source.

God's power works out the old self, works in the new things so that we can be transformed and become the creature or the human he's designed us to be.

The question for all of us is if we want to see God do great and mighty things through the power at work in us, have we connected to the power source?

And the way you connect to the power source, it is crystal clear from scripture.

Jesus says, I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the father except through me.

And so we have to put our belief, our trust in who Jesus is and what he did on a cross.

And when we do, we have access, we have forgiveness of our sin, and then we have access to God's amazing power, God's power source.

And you know, why has God gifted us with his power?

It's so that we can function here on earth and do what he's designed us to do.

Let me say that again.

God gives you Holy Spirit horsepower so that you can function here on earth and be all he's designed you to be as a human being.

And so it is the power of a mighty God who begins to give me a sense of purpose, a sense of destiny, a sense of function.

You know, and again, when that power comes in us, what that power begins to do in our life is that power begins to sanctify us.

What does that word mean?

That means it sets us apart for something.

In other words, when God saves us, he saves us for a purpose, and then he begins to sanctify us, set us apart so we can fulfill that purpose and be all he has designed us to be.

God has gifted us with his power so we can overcome the desires of the sinful nature.

In other words, I don't have to be who I used to be.

I don't have to stay the same.

I ain't who I used to be.

I'm being changed into the likeness of Christ by the power of God at work in me to function and be all he's designed me to be.

And my friend, it is the most liberating and freeing thing you can ever receive in all of your life.

Because what the enemy wants you to do is to pursue the passions and the desires of your sinful nature.

And he will take you so far off course with your sinful nature that you'll end up in a place of desperation.

You'll end up in a place of dysfunction.

You'll end up in a place of depression.

You'll end up in a place of having no sense of life whatsoever.

And this is the reason God comes into our life because God don't want you to die in your sin.

God wants you to come alive in Christ Jesus so that you can become all he's designed you to be.

In other words, so many of people sit in churches all the time and they're waiting to get to heaven before they start functioning.

When heaven has already come to earth, my friends, and he has opened the gates to God's amazing power.

His name is Jesus.

He came from the heavenlies.

He came here to die on a cross so you and I could have a connection to the power source of life.

And the reality of it is when we get this connection, things begin to change.

We begin to work in the God design that he desired us to be.

We can begin to be a drill or whatever else a power tool that we are.

But we have to understand God's power is available to us and we're not who we used to be.

The second thing I wrote down about God's power at work in us is God's power at work in us begins to help me understand that I'm included.

So many people feel like they're not included because of, you know, maybe some ethnic diversity or maybe some challenge that they have in their life.

But God's power reminds me that I'm included and I have a purpose.

Look what the scripture says there in Ephesians chapter two, verse 10.

It is by faith, it is by God's grace through our faith that we're saved.

It says there in Ephesians 2, 7, 8, and 9, but it goes on to say, for we are God's masterpiece and he has created us anew in Christ Jesus.

He has created us anew in Christ Jesus through our belief in this power that's available to us so we can do the good things he planned long ago for us to do.

In other words, God had a purpose and a plan before you ever thought about putting faith in him.

And the Bible says God has a part for you to play as a human being, whether you are male or female, we are created.

The Bible says both male and female in God's likeness.

So we can be, you know, be human and begin to be who he's designed us to be.

But he has a master plan that he created long ago.

The enemy comes in, begins to derail that plan.

People begin to sin, begin to go in the wrong direction.

God sends his son, Jesus Christ, to show his incredible love on a cross, his amazing power through the resurrection.

And the Bible says, then those of us who put our faith in this Jesus, you know what?

We can become anew in Christ Jesus.

And the whole reason we become anew is so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

In other words, God has a plan for your life.

I don't care if you're a drill.

I don't care if you're a circular saw.

I don't care if you're a sawzall.

God has a unique plan for your life.

And the reality of it is these three tools right here have a different function, but they all exist for the same purpose.

And it's maybe to build something or cut something or drill something to build something greater than they can do by themselves.

Because if you start trying to use this sawzall as a drill, it don't work too good.

If you start trying to use this sawzall as a circular saw, it don't work too good.

But it's designed to do something different than the circular saw, the drill.

And you know what?

It even looks different.

Matter of fact, if you look at this sawzall, it's pretty nasty.

Because this sawzall has been out there on this campus down in holes, cutting pipe and all kinds of irrigation pipe and stuff all down in the mud and everything else.

Because this drill can't get down in there and do it.

And this circular saw can't do it.

But this sawzall can do something different than the drill and the circular saw.

And the reality is it operates by the same power source.

The power source, this battery has to be connected to the sawzall.

This is dead because it's not connected to the power source, the battery.

And again, it's the same power source.

It's the same God.

It's the same oneness of who he is that begins to make all of these different or all of our different parts function properly, just like the battery.

It's the same power source.

It makes all the parts function differently.

But I can tell you right now, if this drill is trying to be a sawzall, if this drill had a brain, it is miserable.

And if the drill is trying to function apart from the power source, it is miserable.

Because all it is is strife.

Go try to drill a hole with this whenever it doesn't have the power source.

You can probably drill a hole eventually by getting some other things and some wrenches and some all kinds of stuff and turning the drill bit or whatever else.

But it takes the power source to make it functional.

But this drill can't do the same thing.

It's unique.

And it's placed in the tool bag to accomplish a greater purpose.

In other words, it's not to function by itself.

It can function by itself.

But the reality of it is all of these tools in a tool bag with many more tools, you put them together and you can build something marvelous.

And the reality of it is, is we have to understand ourself in that manner that God has designed us uniquely to do something marvelous.

But the reality of it is, some of us ain't being marvelous because we're not connected to the power source.

We're connected to the powers and principalities in this world, the powers of the dark purpose.

And we're believing what they telling us we are instead of what God says we are.

And we're miserable because we're not connected to the Holy Spirit.

We're connected to something else.

And we feel like we don't have no purpose.

God begins to make you have a purpose in your heart.

He begins to make you understand there's something greater than you can do by yourself.

Remember, the sinful nature is about self-preservation.

But when God's power goes to work in you, it's more about, you know what?

No, it's about glorification of who God is.

As His power comes on my life and in my life and begins to work through my life, I can begin to do great and marvelous things.

You want to see God do infinitely more than you can imagine or think about?

Then begin to understand that you're not who you used to be.

Begin to understand that you were included in God's great plan.

And then the last thing I wrote down is God's power has the ability to bring us together.

This is so important.

It's only by God's power.

Yes, we can be brought together for lots of various reasons, but to function in this world properly and be the human that God's designed me to be, I can only begin to do that when I become a part of what God brings together.

In Ephesians 2, verses 19-22, the writer here, what he's doing, he's reminding the Gentiles and the Jews that God has come by His mighty power to break down walls between them because of their ethnicity difference.

Because of all of what it got, Jesus came to break those walls down so they could come together and accomplish something great.

And then he continues to write here.

He says, so now you Gentiles, you're no longer strangers and foreigners.

You're not foreigners and strangers anymore.

You are citizens along with God's, with all of God's holy people.

Understand the writer who's writing this letter.

He is a Jewish person.

And he's a Jewish person who has put his faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on a cross.

And he understands that he is connected to God almighty, not because he is Jewish, but because he is believed in the finished work of Jesus Christ and His power that He displayed as He was raised from the grave.

He says, it is Christ who connects me to God.

And he says, you know what?

Because you are outside of being Jewish, you're a Gentile.

That was all the other people.

He said, it's because of Christ you begin being connected to God and together, come on, we can accomplish great and mighty things.

He goes on to say this.

He says, he says, you were members of God's family, speaking to the Gentiles.

He says, together, everybody say together, together, we are His house.

And we're building the foundation of the apostles and the prophets and the cornerstone is Christ Jesus Himself.

We are carefully joined together in Him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord through Him.

You Gentiles, he's, he's, he's screaming out to all the people that, that thought they didn't belong.

He says, you Gentiles are also being made a part of this dwelling where God lives by spirit.

He's saying, you know what?

God's power does great things through us.

God's power brings us together and it takes these various gifts and it puts them together and begins to do incredible things through us together.

We're studying a book together right now, written by John Maxwell, who's kind of a leadership guy.

And John Maxwell wrote in his book, this is one of his laws of leadership.

He says, one is too small of a number for greatness.

In other words, if I want to see the great and mighty hand of God, it's not just going to be through me and myself and I, it's going to be through us putting our faith in the one together and God's going to show up in a powerful way.

It's not just one tribe, my friend.

It's not just one gender, it's both male and female.

It's not just one tongue.

It's not just one nation.

The Bible says that God calls us to make disciples, make students in all nations, every tribe, every tongue, and every nation.

Take this good news of who Jesus is to the world around us.

And you know what?

God is expending his power in and through people who understand it's because of what Jesus has done.

And that's what brings us together.

I'm very different on the outside than many of you.

I'm ugly and you're pretty.

But the reality of it is this, is I don't know how God's really wired all of you, but I know that God can take the wiring in you and the wiring in me and put it together and do something beautiful in the community where he's placed us.

But some of us refuse to get together with his body.

The Bible says Jesus is the head and we are the body.

And some of us are like, I don't like the way that arm functions and that arm looks.

And I don't know that I want to connect with that.

Well, if God called you to be the leg to my arm, then be that leg because Jesus is our head.

And let's see God do a great and mighty work in us and through us.

But if you let your differences destroy the work that God wants to do through you, you're totally missing the gospel.

The good news of who Jesus is.

Jesus came to save people from their sin.

You know what that means?

That means he fully forgives you.

He fully connects you for eternity to a real God in heaven.

But he came to save you from your sin.

And what that means is your sin no longer becomes the controlling factor in your life.

The Holy Spirit does.

And I can tell you right now, the Holy Spirit is a good teacher.

He's a good counselor.

He's a good coach.

He's the one that will guide you into all truth.

If you will begin to listen to him and he'll make you a part of something greater than yourself.

The reality of it is, is God's gift to you, my friend, to do a great and mighty thing.

And I don't know why you moved even to this area or why God's planted you where he has you planted.

But I do believe what God is doing in this world, he is doing through the local church.

It's his vehicle, where's potty slap your neighbor and say, we got to do it together.

Go ahead and tell them.

Know what it says?

I love Ephesians chapter one, chapter 23.

It says, the church is his body.

It is made full and complete by Christ in Christ alone.

It goes on to say, who feels all things everywhere with himself.

See, that's what Jesus is doing.

He gives us gifts to put together, to operate in the power that God gives us.

And whenever we begin to do that and we begin to function properly in the right roles, it says it's just a beautiful place that God begins to dwell and work in and work through.

I like to say it this way.

We want to be a city on a hill that shines the light of Christ in the people's heart.

That's who we want to be as a church.

I'm not just talking about the physical place.

The physical place I think has some significance and important.

I think it should be the most incredible place in any community.

The place where God's people reside and meet together.

It should be phenomenal.

It should be incredible.

It should be a breathtaking.

It should begin to shine the glory of the Lord.

But the reality of it is, is we have to carry that in our hearts.

And we have to care that, you know what, in our spirit as we walk out of this place and begin to leverage who God has made us to be in this world.

God's calling us to greater things.

God's calling, it says he wants to do more in you by his mighty power than you can think or imagine.

Let's get on board with his plan and let's see God do more in 2020 of four.

Come on church.

God, I thank you so much for sending your son Jesus to forgive us of our sin and save us so we can be brought in right relationship with you.

Jesus, I thank you for ascending to heaven and pouring out your spirit on men and women alike in this age.

And I pray today if no one, if there's one here today that has not put their faith in God's unmerited favor, his grace that he showed through Jesus, today would be the day of your salvation.

Maybe right where you're sitting today, you want to say something like this, God, today I turn away from my sin.

And today I put my trust in what Jesus did on that cross and through what he did in the resurrection.

And today I trust Christ as the one who forgives me and the one who empowers me to do what you've designed me to do.

Tell God today from this point forward, you're just going to walk by faith and trust him.

And tell God, just thank you for this gift.

My friend, there's nothing you can do to buy it.

There's nothing you can do to earn it.

All you can do is rest in what Jesus has done.

And my friend, I do believe if you said that prayer, according to the scripture, all of heaven stands in awe of another person that we've extended the good news of Jesus to stepping into God's family and becoming a part of his kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven.

So today we join all of heaven as we applaud what Jesus is doing in our hearts and in this place and in your hearts today.

It's in Jesus name we pray.

Amen.