First Corinthians chapter four,
I want to remind you about the picnic we'll be having next Saturday. That's always a very enjoyable
time. And just get out of here, I guess we'll eat somewhere around
twelve or one or twelve. Let's say twelve. Get here earlier.
Good time. First Corinthians four, I'd like
to read verses 18 through 21. I've entitled this message. Not
in word, but in power. Now, let's read this passage
of scripture together. Paul says, now some are puffed
up as though I would not come to you. Now, why does he say
that? The Corinthians had been criticizing Paul. Quite a number
of them had questioning his apostolic authority, questioning whether
God had really sent him. And they said his bodily presence
is weak and his speech is contemptible. Who wants to hear what he has
to say? They've been criticizing him. And I guess they thought,
well, he probably doesn't have the nerve to come here. Paul
says, yes, I do. Yes, I do. Some of you are puffed
up as though I would not come to you, but I will come to you
shortly. If the Lord will, isn't that
what we ought to say for everything? If the Lord will. And we'll know,
not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not
in word, but in power. Now, what do you want? Shall
I come unto you with a rod? And he's speaking of his apostolic
authority. You know, Paul had God-given
power to strike people blind. He did that when someone was
opposing him. It was one of the early gifts in the early church,
and he had what's called apostolic authority. I thought about this. I wonder, what if I had that
power? You'd be scared to death, wouldn't
you? I get you, but Paul had that power. And he said, what
do you want? Do you want me to come with a
rod or in love? And in the spirit. Of meekness. Some of you are puffed up, he
said. Swollen. Filled with overly inflated
views of yourself. Now, that's a common problem
among the sons of Adam and Eve. Some of you are swollen. You think I won't be coming to
you, but I will come to you shortly. If the Lord will, And I'm going
to know, I'm going to recognize, not the speech of them that are
puffed up. You see, puffed up people have a lot to say. And
he says, I'm not going to pay attention to what they say, even
if the words are supposedly right. I'm not so much interested in
what they say. I'm not going to know the speech
of them that are puffed up, but the power. The power. For the kingdom of
God, is not in word, but in power." Now, Paul lets us know that talk
can be so meaningless. He says, I'm not even interested
in what they have to say. I'm not going to know the speech,
but the power of them that are puffed up. You know, what you
say has meaning depending upon what the action behind it does. That's what determines whether
there's any meaning to it, the actions behind it. He said, now
I'm interested in the actions behind what is said, not just
what is said. For the kingdom of God is not
in word. It's not just in what somebody
says. It's not in verbiage. The kingdom of God is in power. And the first thing that comes
to my mind is what is meant by the kingdom of God. You know,
this phrase, the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom
of Christ is mentioned over 150 times in the New Testament. We just read opening this service,
seek ye the kingdom of God, seek ye first the kingdom of God. Everything else needs to be put
on the back burner. This is what is all important. It's not what's
most important. It's the only thing that is important.
You believe that? It's not first priority, it's
the only priority. And until it's the only priority,
it's no priority at all to him. Seek ye first the kingdom of
God. Now, what is meant by the kingdom
of God or the kingdom of Christ or the kingdom of heaven? We
read it over and over in the New Testament. Well, the word
kingdom has a... I looked this up in the dictionary,
by the Greek dictionary, and it gives both a general or abstract
meaning and a specific or a concrete meaning. First, it's general
meaning. King denotes sovereignty, royal
power, dominion. That's its general meaning, sovereignty,
power. And then it's specific meaning
or it's concrete meaning. A kingdom is the territory or
people over which a king rules. Now, in the kingdom of heaven,
we have the king. He's the king of kings, isn't
he? He's the Lord of lords. He truly
is the king. It's not an empty title to him.
He is the king. That means he rules. That means
he reigns. That means he is in control. You know, they're control freaks.
Every one of us had a little bit of that in us. Control freaks. You know how much you can control?
Not a thing. You and I don't have control
over anything. You know what? He has control over everything. He's the king. Now, where there's
a kingdom, the kingdom of heaven, there's the king and there's
the subjects of that king. We read in Revelation 17, 14
that he is the king of kings and lord of lords. And they who
are with him, that's talking about his subjects, they're called
and chosen and faithful. Now, wherever you have a king,
you have the subjects of that king. Now, the Lord Jesus Christ
is my king. The Lord knows whether I'm telling
the truth. But he is my king. He is the Lord of my life. So the kingdom of heaven is the
king and his subjects. Let me read a scripture that
tells you the territory over which he reigns. This is found
in Daniel chapter 4 verses 34 and 35. We read whose dominion
is an everlasting dominion and his kingdom is from generation
to generation and the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. And he doeth. according to his
will in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of
the earth. And none can say his name. None can stop him from
doing what he's going to do. We're saying to him, what doeth
thou? He giveth not account to any of his matters. The Lord
doesn't answer to you. He doesn't answer to me. Whatever
he does is right because he's the king. That's his kingdom. Now, the kingdom of God, the
king and his subjects, The territory over which he reigns, which is
everywhere, the kingdom of God is not in word. It's not simply
in speech. I'm talking about the kingdom
of God, what I'm saying is true, but you know, I can say the right
stuff and that doesn't mean I know anything truly about the kingdom
of God. The kingdom of God is not in
word, it's not in speech, but it is in power. Well, what's power mean? The kingdom of God is not in
word, it's not just in speech, but it's in power. What's power
mean? Well, the word power means the ability to produce results. That's all power means. The ability
to produce results. His kingdom is the place where
he exerts his omnipotence, his almighty power. Here's the way
to say it. With God, nothing shall be impossible. That's what the power of God
means. With God, nothing shall be impossible. His power knows
no limitations. It knows no boundaries. He is infinite in power. He is under no law. You know, we're governed by laws,
aren't we? Physical laws. You know something that's impossible
to take place? For an axe head to float in the water. Isn't
that impossible? I mean, physically it's impossible
for an axe head to float in the water. But when God wills it
to happen, you remember how Elisha had the axe head float in the
water? When God wills it to happen, it takes place. No Laws of physics restrain him.
I love what the disciples said once concerning the Lord Jesus
Christ. What manner of man is this that even the winds and
the sea obey him? God is all powerful. Christ is
all powerful. It's essential to obey him. What
would any of his attributes be without omnipotence? For instance, his wrath. Would
there be any reason to even fear his wrath if he didn't have the
power to execute his wrath? What about his sovereignty? What
would his sovereign will mean if he didn't have the power to
make sure his will comes to pass? What about his love? What would
his love be if he didn't have the power to save the objects
of his love? All of these attributes are meaningless
without this thing of almighty power. The kingdom of God is
not in word, but in power, and this power of God is seen essentially
in these three areas. First, His power is manifested
in creation. You know what He did when He
created the universe? He created something from nothing. There
was nothing there. I mean, how do you even define
nothing? There was a time when all there
was was God. There wasn't anything else. I can't conceive of that.
That concept goes beyond this puny little hymen of mine. But
there was a time when there was nothing but God. God said, let
there be light. There was light. He created something
from nothing. He brought the universe into
existence merely as an act of His own will. Now is that power
or what? Listen to this scripture, Romans
chapter 1, verse 20 says, the invisible things of Him from
the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood
by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead,
so that they are without excuse. He created something from nothing,
and only omnipotence can do that. Now, God's power is seen in creation. Secondly, God's power is seen
in providence. Now, what is providence? Providence
is everything that takes place in time. That's what providence
is. It's everything that takes place
in time. It's what God ordained in eternity. There's nothing
that happens by chance or luck or happenstance. Everything is
under His sovereign control and will. Everything. The lot, the
wise man said, is cast into the light. But the whole disposing
thereof is of the Lord. There's nothing that happens
by chance. Did God know you'd be here this morning? Well, of
course He did. Of course he did. It didn't take
him by surprise. Now, if he knew you would be here, was there
any way he wouldn't be here? No, it's because it's all his
purpose and plan. Nothing happens without him. He upholds all things, the scripture
says. It's talking about the Lord Jesus
Christ, Hebrews 1-3. He upholds all things by the
word of his power. And by him, all things consist. You know, I said this recently,
I guess I ought to say it again. We talk about providence. I think
it's interesting how when something good happens, we say, that's
a providential. That's providential. You know, when we say that, we
actually, I've said it, you've said it, something good happens,
oh boy, that was a little providential. When we say something like that,
we deny the meaning of providence in the first place. Everything
is providential. Everything. The good stuff, yeah.
The stuff where everything's just worked out, yeah. But the
bad stuff is, too, so to speak, the stuff we consider bad. It's
all providential. And he controls everything. The kingdom of God is not in
words, not just in wishful thinking, but it's in power. And it's most
especially seen, the power of God is most especially seen in
salvation. Now, remember, power is God's
ability to produce results. And his power is most clearly
displayed in salvation. Now when we talk about salvation,
where do we begin? Well, you begin with God. You
begin with His eternal purpose. You have to begin with divine
election and divine reprobation. God choosing who would be saved
and passing by the rest. That's where we've got to begin
when we talk about God's salvation. Turn with me for a moment to
Romans 9. Now, this is a demonstration
of the power of God. Paul, in this passage of scripture,
is talking about election, God's choice of his people. Did you
know God chose who would be saved? And if you're saved, it's because
he chose you to be saved. And the only hope you have is
his sovereign choice. Look in verse 11. for the children,
talking about the two twins, Jacob and Esau, being not yet
born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose
of God, according to election, might stand. Not of works, but
of him that calleth. It was said unto her, The elders
shall serve the younger, as it is written, Jacob have I loved,
God says, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? Is God unfair? To love Jacob
and hate Esau? God forbid, for he saith to Moses,
I'll have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I'll have compassion
on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. For the Scripture saith to Pharaoh,
this is somebody he didn't choose, he passed by. For the Scripture
saith unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised
thee up, that I might show my what? Power. in thee, and that my name might
be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore, hath he mercy
on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will, he hardens. And thou wilt say unto me, why
does he yet find fault? For who has resisted his will?
How can he hold me responsible if he has ordained everything,
and if he raises up one and sets down another? How can he hold
me responsible? Paul says, but nay, but old man, who are you
to reply against God? Since when do you have the authority
to sit in judgment over what God does? Shall the thing form,
say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? And we
just had Paul read this. Hath not the potter power over
the clay? Power over the clay? Of the same
lump to make one vessel into honor and another into dishonor.
What if God willing to show his wrath and to make his power known?
endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath, that it
did destruction, that he might make known the riches of his
glory on the vessels of mercy." Now, that's God's power. That's
what we begin with. When we think of God's salvation,
OK, we think of there in the beginning, but think of the power
that was manifested when God became flesh. Now, God is God
is. I don't even know what else.
God is. I mean, whatever it is. God is. He is. He said, I am that I am. And
the universe can't even contain Him. He holds the winds in His
fist, the scripture says. Oh, the awesome glory of the
infinite sovereign God. And yet the scripture says, in
Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead in a bottle of
power. Now, you want to talk about power.
that God became flesh. What about the
power of the virgin birth? You believe in the virgin birth?
Oh, of course I do. He didn't contract Adam's seed,
but he was born of a virgin. The Scripture says, the power
of the highest shall overshadow thee, and that holy thing which
is born of thee shall be called the Son of God. What power is
displayed in his incarnation, in his virgin birth, what power
is seen in the obedience of his life. You know, when I think
of the Lord Jesus Christ, I'm certainly impressed with his
miracles, aren't you? When he brought bread into existence
that was not there, that's impressive, isn't it? When he gave sight
to the blind, when he healed lepers, when he raised the dead,
those miracles show his mighty power. But you know something
that shows his mighty power even more? The obedience of His life. This
man never sinned. He obeyed God perfectly. Paul put it this way in Romans
1-4. He's declared to be the Son of God with power by the
Spirit of holiness. Not just because of the miracles
that he performed, that you could see His almighty power, but the
Spirit of holiness, the obedience of His life. is a manifestation
of the power of God. What power is seen in His death?
Now, is it any wonder if I die or you die? There's really nothing
impressive about that. We're weak, sinful flesh, and
there's nothing impressive at all about our death. But the
fact that Jesus Christ died, He's God. He's the God man. And he did die. You know, there's
such darkness that surrounds that. There's so much we don't
understand about that. How could the God-man die? I
don't know, but he did. They took him down from the cross. A lifeless corpse. Cold and dead. And that is amazing
to me that the Son of Life could die. And what about the accomplishments
of his death? You want to talk about Pilate.
You know what he accomplished by his death? When he said, it
is finished, the salvation of everybody he died for was signed,
sealed, and delivered. My sin was actually put away
to where, and this is true of every believer, because of his
death, I do not have any sin. You believe that? You believe
that his death actually accomplished that? That's why I don't believe
for a second that he died for every single individual, because
if he did, every single individual would be saved. Everybody he
died for must be saved because of the power of his blood. If he paid your sins, they're
paid for. That's the power. What about
the power of His resurrection? Think of the power God exerted
in raising Him from the dead. He was dead. There He is laying
in that tomb, dead and lifeless. Really? And all of a sudden,
He lives. He gave Himself life from the
dead. He wasn't talking about power. What about the power of
His ascension? When He ascended, the Scripture
says He led captivity captive. Oh, the power of that. the power of his ascension, the
power of his intercession. Right now, there is a man in glory who is
God, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he intercedes for me. He represents me. He owns my worthless name before
the Father. And you know, when He owns my
worthless name before the Father, my name ain't worthless anymore.
It's just as precious to the Father as the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ Himself. Now, that's how powerful His
intercession is. If he represents me, God sees
me as he sees his son. Now, is that powerful? What about
the power and the glory of his return when he returns with the
clouds with power and great glory? Oh, we're going to understand
something about power at that time, aren't we? Oh, the power
of the Lord Jesus Christ, and what power there is in the gospel.
Paul said in Romans 1 16, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of
Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone
that believes it. Now I want you to think about
this. Talk about the power of the gospel. The gospel does not need gimmicks. It does not need our special
methods and our special ways of trying to enhance it. It doesn't
need our special ability to present it. All we do is preach God's
gospel, preach the word. And in that message, there is
the very power of God in the salvation. I don't need to do
anything. All I need to do is preach the
word. It's up to God to take care of those. No, you're in
God's hands. He's the potter. You're the clay.
He has power and he takes his gospel and all what power is
in the gospel. I'm not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ for it's the power of God and salvation. Paul said
in 1 Corinthians 1, 17 and 18, Christ sent me not to baptize.
He didn't send me to gain converts or gain a following or build
a church. He didn't send me to baptize but to preach the gospel. Not with wisdom of words trying
to dress it up or make it more palatable to the flesh. He sent
me to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the
cross of Christ should be made in none effect. For the preaching
of the cross is to them to perish foolishness, but unto us which
are saved, it is what? The power of God. We preach Christ crucified. That's our message. Salvation
through a crucified Savior. We preach Christ crucified. Now
to the Jews it's a stumbling block. Why do I lead people to
sin if you think You're saved simply by what somebody else
does. And to the Greeks, the intellectuals, it's foolishness,
but to us which are saved, Christ the power of God. Now, when Paul makes this statement
in our text, the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power,
he is speaking specifically of the power of the kingdom of God
in the heart of a sinner. He said, I'm not interested in
what folks have to say. I'm interested in the power.
And he's talking about the power of God in the heart of a sinner. That's what he's talking about
specifically. Would you turn with me for a
moment to the book of Titus? Second Timothy, I'm sorry. Second
Timothy. Now, Paul warns us of those in
Second Timothy, chapter three, verse five, who have a form of
godliness. Now, a form is a form. I mean, you pour something into
a mold, it looks that way. It seems to pass the test. It's a form of godliness. It's
a form of our religion. Using soul seems the same. It's a lookalike. It's a cast. It's a lookalike.
They have a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof. Now, how do you go about denying
the power of godliness? Well, there's three ways you
can deny the power of godliness. First, you can deny the source of godliness.
What's the source of godliness? Who is the source of godliness?
You can answer that question. God is the source of godliness. You deny the source of godliness. When you deny God, you deny God
the Father in election, you deny God the Son in perfect redemption,
or if you deny God the Holy Spirit in his irresistible, invincible
grace, if you deny in any way those things, the work of the
triune God in salvation, you deny the power of Godliness.
You deny the power of Godliness by denying God. You deny the
power of Godliness when you deny the means of that power. What's
the means of that power? The gospel. the gospel. You don't need to hear the gospel
to be saved. Well, if God says you need to, it's the gospel
that's the power of God. Or you can deny the results of
that power, and that's the power of God in the heart. When he creates life, he puts
something there that was not there before. That's the mighty
power of God. His power in the hearts of those
who believe. The same power that was exerted
in raising Christ from the dead is exerted in the believer. Turn
with me to Ephesians chapter 1. Verse 18. The eyes of your understanding
being enlightened. that you may know what is the
hope of his calling. And what the riches of the glory
of his inheritance in the saints and what listen to this, what
is the exceeding greatness of his power to us who believe according
to the working of his mighty power, which he brought in Christ
when he raised him from the dead and set him his own right hand
in heaven and places. Now, what do you think about
this? The same power that was exerted in raising Christ from
the dead. That's power. We're there in
Ephesians 2, look what it says. You hath equipped, you hath equipped
who are dead in trespasses and sins. Where in times past you
walked according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in
the children of disobedience, above whom also We all had our
conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and the mind. And we were by nature
the children of wrath, just like everybody else. But God, who
is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us, even
when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ.
Now, is that power? When God gives a dead sinner
life, and this is what he's talking about, he's talking about the
power of the kingdom of God at the heart, that individual is
made to do what he absolutely has no strength or power or ability
or even will to do. He's made to believe. I give what it even means to
believe, but he does now. He's made to love God, but not
when he had no love for God. He had no love for the gospel.
He does now because it's the working of the mighty power of
God. He is enabled by divine grace to deny himself, that person
who's so precious to him. He's enabled to deny himself,
to take up his cross daily and follow the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, that's what the power of God does. It's not a weak thing.
It's a powerful thing. It causes you to do what is completely
beyond your ability to do. That's the power of God. And
if that's absent, God's power is absent. Isn't that so? The mighty power
of God, the kingdom of God in the heart. Paul said to the Thessalonians,
knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God, for our gospel
came not to you in word only, but in power, and in the Holy
Ghost, and in much assurance. That's not even talking about
assurance of personal salvation, but you are assured that this
is God's gospel. This is the truth. Now, that's
the power of God. Now, I'm going to close by asking
you a question. Do you believe the gospel? Let me make that as clear as
I can. Do you believe that Christ Jesus
is able to save you with no contribution from you at all? Do you believe that? You know, faith is essentially
believing his powers. As a matter of fact, the word
able is the verb form of the noun power. Remember Abraham? He staggered not at the promise
of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory
to God, being fully persuaded that what God had promised, he
was able also to perform. Do you have that same faith?
Do you believe that what God has promised, he's able to also
perform? What about those two blind fellows that came up to
the Lord and the Lord said, Do you believe I'm able to do this?
Do you believe that I have power, is what he's saying, to do this?
They said, Yes, Lord. Do you believe he's able? In 2 Timothy 1, 12, Paul said,
I know whom I have believed and I'm persuaded that he's able.
to keep what I've committed to him in that day. The only way
I know how to try to describe this thing of what he's committed
to him is that I believe he's able to keep what I've committed
to him. All my eggs are in one basket. It's what Jesus Christ did. is not enough to save me, I won't
be saved today. All my eggs are in that basket. And Paul said, I am persuaded
that all my eggs being in that basket, he is able to keep that
which I've committed against that day. Now, do you believe
that? Let me tell you something. You
know what caused you to believe that? The same power that raised
Jesus Christ from the dead. You are an object of omnipotence. The reason you actually believe
that is because of the almighty power of God. I turn to 2 Corinthians
chapter 8, and this is going to illustrate the power of God. Verse one, moreover, brethren.
We do you the way we want you to know about the grace of God
bestowed on the churches of Macedonia, how that in a great trial of
affliction. The abundance of their joy and
their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality,
their generosity, even in their deep poverty and trial. For to
their power now. Notice the word there is in italics,
it is their power, but whose power is it? It's God's power.
It's power. To their power, I bear record,
yea, and beyond their power, they were willing of themselves
without coercion, without restraint, without being pushed along the
path. They were willing of themselves.
I think of Psalm 110.3, Thy people shall be willing. in the day
of thy power. For to their power I bear them
record, beyond their power they were willing of themselves, praying
us with much entreaty that we should receive the gift, and
take upon us the fellowship of the ministering of the saints.
And this they did not as we hope, but they gave their own selves
to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God." Now there's the
power of God. They gave themselves to the Lord, and unto us by the
will of God. that we desired Titus, that as
he had begun, so he would finish in you the same grace also. Therefore,
as you abound in everything, in faith, and utterance, and
knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that
you abound in this grace also. I speak not by commandment, but
by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity
of your love. For you know the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ. That though he was rich, rich
in possession, rich in righteousness, rich in praise, rich in all things,
though he was rich, yet, for your sakes, he became poor. For your sakes. He became poor in praise. He
became poor in possessions. Most essentially, He became poor
in righteousness. On the cross, He was made to
be sin. How come, or what comes out of
this? That you, through His poverty,
might be rich. Now to every believer, that by
itself has the power to cause them to say, love so
amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all. That's the power of God. The kingdom of God It's not in
word. It's not just in what people
say. It is in power. Let's pray.