ANSWERS TO LIFE’S PROBLEMS                                                 EAST BAY FELLOWSHIP

(Series, #2)                                                                                                                 May 13, 2007

THE PROBLEM OF POWER

TEXT: Luke 20:1-8

INTRODUCTION

· When we try to take control of the power that belongs to God in our lives we may feel a moment of triumph but we lose the real power.

1) WHERE DO WE HAVE POWER?

· For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."   Luke 7:8 (NIV)

· Common areas of power:

a. Family

b. Church

c. Work

d. Social

2) WHO GAVE US THIS POWER?

· "Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?" Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.”   John 19:10-11 (NIV)

· Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.   Matt 28:18 (NIV)

3) WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH THIS POWER?

· “I have now disposed of all my property to my family; there is one thing more I wish I could give them, and that is the Christian faith. If they have that, and I had not given them one shilling, they would be rich; and if they have not this, and I had given them all this world, they would be poor.    — Patrick Henry in his will

CONCLUSION

· The meaning of the Latin word “regula”, from which we get our English word “rule” is “trellis”, “a scaffolding that allows a plant to grow upward and reach toward the sun.”