Sermon Notes

“You Are Powerful”

By Parrish Lee

November 21^st, 2010

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Acts 17:13-23  …TO THE UNKNOWN GOD…

            That’s our Scripture thought for the day.  A little background here:  In the chapter before, Paul and Silas went to pray.  As they went to pray, they encountered a woman, shared with her, and baptized her family.  They continued on, and met with a woman that had a spirit of divination.  They cast the spirit out of her, which upset some gamblers that had been using her to get rich.  These gamblers then set up Paul and Silas, and had them thrown into prison.  So, in prison, late at night, Paul and Silas finally got the chance to pray.  That must have been some prayer.  There was an earthquake, and the prison doors were opened, and they had the chance to escape, but they didn’t.  The jailer wanted to know what was different about these men, and so they got a chance to share with him, and baptize his whole family.

            So, the men that had accused them came and released them from prison, and they went on to Thessalonica.  The Thessalonians didn’t want to hear what they were preaching, and ran them out of town.  They went to Berea.  When the Thessalonians heard that they were preaching in Berea, they came to Berea to stir up more trouble.  So, Paul and Silas went to Athens.  Now, in Athens they had statues for all kinds of gods, but they didn’t know the one true God.  They knew, though, that there were things beyond their understanding, so they erected this altar to ‘THE UNKNOWN GOD.’  And, as Apostle Paul said, “Him declare I unto you,” so do I join with him and say, “Him declare I unto you.”

            We’re living in a world today where just about anything you want to do, want to think, want to say, want to believe—if you look long enough you can find people that will support it.  In fact, it has become very popular to ostracize those who dare to believe and live for the Lord Jesus Christ.  I come to go on record before you today to say living for and with the Lord is more than worth anything the world might have to offer you in exchange.

            Now I’m going to need some help with this next part:  I need some young people to help me.  Can you name some of the books of the Bible?  What about some people in the Bible?  (Several children came up, and each named at least one book of the Bible, and at least one person in the Bible, and none of them named one that had been named previously.)  Our young people of Christian Fellowship Great Lakes.  A lot of credit goes to the parents and teachers of our ministry.

Mark 10:13-15            …suffer the little children, and forbid them not…

            Now I’m going to need some help from some older folk who can come and tell me one difference God has made in their lives from unsaved to saved.  (Several adults listed things like:  He gave me a tender heart, He changed my language, He allowed me to know Him, He took away my fear, He gave me a sound mind, He took away my bitterness, He took away my alcoholism, I went from being an atheist to being a believer in an instant, He gave me joy, and He gave me compassion.)

Isaiah 49:13-16           …Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands…

            Brother Parrish, what point are you trying to make?  Saints, we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:14).  He has formed us with His own hands, and He compares the love that He has extended to us to say that a mother will forget her baby before He will love us less.  I’m sure that if we asked the mothers here today to describe the love that they have for their babies, it would be awesome… God’s love is greater.

Ephesians 2:6           …and made us sit in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

             God has called us and made us to sit in Heavenly places—He has empowered us with this calling.  If you stop to think about what things are in Heaven, look at what you have:  righteousness, deliverance, healings—and the biggest one of all—SWEET COMMUNION WITH OUR GOD!!!

            And what else?  When the Lord Jesus rose, He said to those that follow Him, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost” (John 20:22).  So, brothers and sisters, look at what He’s done for us: 

1.  Before we were even born, He formed us with His precious hands. 

2.  He loves us with a love greater than the greatest love we know. 

3.  He made us to sit in Heavenly places. 

4.  And He gave us His Holy Ghost. 

 That’s some kind of God right there.

             Brother Chris Ulrich told me about this news item on TV where some preachers had “lost their faith” and decided that they were atheists.  You hear this and you can’t help but get a little fired up.  First of all, I want to know, when these men first believed, was it a beautiful thing to begin in the Lord? To thank Him for what He’s done for you? To see Him bless your life over and over again?  When you felt your faith starting to slip away, did you get down on your knees and ask God to restore the joy of your salvation?  If not, then it’s no wonder that you’re willing to go on national TV and talk of the mockery your life has become; to talk about how you want to maintain your integrity.  Integrity? In whose eyes?  Now you’re leading people astray; HOW HOT WILL HELL BE FOR YOU?

 Numbers 11:23-29      …would God that all the LORD’s people were prophets…

 God gives us of His Spirit to work with His ministry, His people; not to go off and give the world glory, or to fellowship with a bunch of atheists…  Share with people who don’t have Jesus; be friends with them, but not spiritual brothers and sisters.

 Revelations 22:16-17  And the Spirit and the bride say, Come…

                             Sermon notes by Pete Shepherd