Resurrection Power

by Dr. Ken Matto

 

On Resurrection Sunday we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a time of great hope and joy for every believer because we too shall rise in resurrection if the Lord takes us in death before His soon return. For those who are still living on earth, they will witness His triumphant and awesome return. That day will be the consummation of the marriage between Christ and His bride, the church. It will be a day of rejoicing for the believer but will also herald the doom of millions of unbelievers.

 

Till we are safe on that beautiful shore, we have a grand responsibility left to us which is getting the gospel out to the whole world. The church of Jesus Christ has a tremendous wealth of believers to do just that. Many are waiting for their call from the church or are waiting for God to send a personal message. Well here it is! If you are a Christian with the heart for missions, view the world as your mission field but realize that you cannot reach the whole world, so work in the area where God has opened doors for you.

 

I am speaking of personal ministry. It is possible for you to reach the world by funding solid international ministries. I hope you do support them because they are vital for the completion of the Great Commission. With the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ on that first Sunday Sabbath came the fuel we need to perform our ministries. That fuel is "RESURRECTION POWER." We read in Ephesians 1:19-20:

 

(Eph 1:19-20 KJV) And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, {20} Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

 

I want to focus this issue on these verses because with Spring comes a new beginning for the flowers and the trees, and if you thought you were ill-equipped to witness, then God has a new beginning for you. If you are fearful to witness, and many are because this is natural, but want to witness what Christ has done in your life, then read on and see that because of Christ’s resurrection you have been fully equipped for the task of witnessing.

 

A word to single Christians. First of all shed the notion that you cannot be a witness because you are single. God has placed the same resurrection power in you that He has placed in married people. This resurrection power will give you the boldness in your witness. Do not wait to be asked before you minister, you have already been commanded. Single sister or brother, you have the fullness of God living within you and that power is lying dormant in you if you have not been active in ministry. Get ye up and go forth. Onward Christian Soldier! Let us now attend to our verses.

 

The power spoken in these verses is available to us today. This was not something which ended in the first century. Only the signs and wonders ended in the first century but the empowering resurrection power is for us today. There are five words in verse 19 I wish to explore to gain a better understanding of the scope of the power living in the believer.

 

(Eph 1:19 KJV) And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

 

Exceeding (huperballon)

This word tells us the power is above and beyond the human parameters we set for it. It means "surpassing." Many times we have the mistaken notion that we have no power for service but the reality of it is that we are actually suppressing the power of God within us. We have the Holy Spirit living in us which means the power of God dwells within us.

 

Greatness (megethos)

This is the only place in the New Testament this word is used. It means "immeasurable greatness." God’s power is infinite and if a Christian is sold out to God, they are able to tackle monumental tasks. This greatness is not just limited to public ministry like Pastor or Evangelist, it is to be drawn on for every type of ministry. The same power which created the world and universe dwells in every believer because of Calvary.

 

Power (dunameos)

This word means "might or ability." It tells us that God undergirds His children with the divine ability to perform their ministry in the strength of resurrection power. There is no need for anyone to shrink back from performing their ministry because the might of God backs it up.

 

Working (energeian)

This word relates to the working of divine power. Whenever you are involved in a ministry, God uses His divine power to confirm your ministry, not in signs or wonders, but with the ability to bear fruit to the glory of God. God enables all ministries which are done to the glory of God.

 

Mighty (kratous)

This word means "strength, dominion or authority." Whenever you are performing a ministry, you are doing it with the authority of God backing you up. Whether you teach the Bible or just hand someone a tract, you are doing it with authority because every word in the Bible is the authority of God. Because of Calvary, we have dominion over the kingdom of Satan which means that he cannot prevent a person from becoming saved if the person you are witnessing to is one of God’s elect.

 

All of this power is available to the Christian but God has placed a certain condition as a catalyst for invoking this resurrection power. We read in our verse two words which cannot be skipped over, "Who believe." These words come from the verb "pisteuo" which means "I believe, have faith in, be convinced of, trust, rely on and have confidence in." If we are going to have power in any ministry we undertake, it is to be done with unwavering faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in that He will sustain the undertaking with His power and that the outcome will be to the glory of God, even if we do not see that glory or understand the outcome.

 

If we attempt to start a ministry with the notion that it is going to fail, then do not even start your ministry. Going into spiritual battle with an attitude of a loser is to be defeated before the battle is engaged. During the closing months of World War 2, in December of 1944 the Germans had mounted a major winter offensive called the Battle of the Bulge. A great force had surrounded the town of Bastogne in Belgium which was defended by the 101st Airborne under the leadership of General A.C. McAuliffe. On December 22 the German commander sent an emissary to the Americans in Bastogne demanding their surrender. General McAuliffe gave his famous response, "NUTS." General Patton was so pleased that on December 27, Patton’s Third Army broke through and rescued the beleaguered 101st Airborne. The Germans did not retreat until January 14, 1945 when they saw that Bastogne was unconquerable.

 

General McAuliffe refused to surrender his troops and we can glean a mighty lesson from it. We should never start a campaign of spiritual warfare if we have plans to surrender at the first sign of opposition. The Bible tells us that we are going to have adversaries until the last day and Peter warns us of this in 1 Peter 4:1:

 

(1 Pet 4:1 KJV) Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

 

We need to set our minds on the plain fact that opposition will come. The plain truth is that if you are not facing opposition to your ministry, then something is wrong on your part. Satan does not attack what he endorses.

 

If you are facing adversity in your ministry then Isaiah 54:17 was written for you:

 

(Isa 54:17 KJV) No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

 

No weapon that is ever formed shall prevail over the Christian. This has a spiritual lesson for us since a Christian may be physically killed but what is in view here is our eternal life. God has granted us salvation which we can never lose. Nothing Satan comes against us with shall ever succeed. If we are killed, we go right into the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, therefore even physical death does not prosper over the believer.

 

What ever ministry you undertake, you are never alone and you are undergirded by the mighty hand of God. Christians need not fear doing ministry because of Calvary. Take a look at the three fold promise that God gives us:

 

(Rom 8:26 KJV) Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

 

(Rom 8:31 KJV) What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

 

(Rom 8:34 KJV) Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

 

Notice that God the Holy Spirit makes deep intercession for us, God the Father is for us, and God the Son makes intercession for us to the Father. So minister on in confidence knowing that the entire Trinity is working on your behalf to fulfill the ministry God has given you.

 

(Eph 2:10 KJV) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.  (4/22/01)

 

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