Extending the kingdom of God

“For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power” (1 Cor. 4:20).

Do you want to know the power of the kingdom working in and through your life?  We can know that power when we are filled with the Spirit –when we are living under the control of and in dependence on the Holy Spirit.

During the Super Bowl last month there was a power outage that caused the lights in the stadium to go out. As a result, the players could not play the game until the power was restored and the lights were turned back on. The lights needed to be on not only so that the players could play the game to their fullest potential, but also so that fans could watch the game being played. After the power went out, it no longer mattered if the players and coaches knew the plays, it didn’t matter what the game plan was, it didn’t matter what strategies they developed, they couldn’t play the championship game unless the power was restored and the lights were turned back on.

If the church is going to extend God’s Kingdom the light and power of God must be manifested in the lives of believers as they faithfully proclaim the gospel of Christ. What the church needs today is not artificial lights that are dependent on man made power sources. Slick programs, high powered worship teams and a motivational talk may draw a crowd, but they will not build up the kingdom of God. The church needs the only power that can save and transformed lives—the power of the Holy Spirit.  It's been said that churches have been substituting dependence on the power of the Spirit with artificial means so long that if God removed the Holy Spirit they would continue doing what they've been doing and not even know the difference.

In 2 Corinthians 12: 9 we learn that the Apostle Paul was willing to pay any price "so that Christ's power may rest on me."  This was the cry of Paul's heart. "Jesus had told him that such power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor. 12:9). Weakness does not create power. But weakness drives us all the more to God, the source of all divine power. When we recognize how weak and insufficient we are, we call on God, cling to God, and make this the constant cry of our hearts" (Wesley L. Duewel).

Oh God, grant that your power may rest upon us to spread the glory of your name."