Written by Jason Bentley, Lead Pastor, HighPoint Church, Seattle, WA, on Tuesday, 05 February 2008

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Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you…”

John 1:12 “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name”

One popular concept in today’s corporate, business world is the idea of empowerment. Perhaps as you peruse the inventory of leadership and management books at your local Barnes and Noble, you too read a plethora of rhetoric dealing with employees reaching personal potential and purpose. This, in a nutshell, is empowerment. The driving philosophy behind empowerment is to inspire and propel employees to greater productivity. In theory, a company with empowered employees will outperform traditional companies where the masses punch a clock and the hierarchy of upper level management rule from their ivory tower. However, all good leaders understand that empowerment does not happen by accident. It is a process.

Unfortunately for corporate America, even if this process is successful, the end result of their empowerment only produces motivated workers with a general “warm and fuzzy” feeling for the company. All they have is an internal awakening because it is self created. True empowerment is an internal awakening fueled by an outside source. It is spirit generated. This can only be found in the church. An empowered Microsoft or General Electric may decrease staff turnover or increase production but they cannot impact the world. That is why I believe the kingdom of God needs to fully grasp and seek empowerment more than anyone. The process of empowerment must begin with every believer!

One thing separates the church from the rest. We have a significant supernatural experience with God. The concept of empowerment discovered in the workplace certainly enhances natural ability but true empowerment produces supernatural ability. Therefore, the obvious first step in the process of empowerment is to receive the Holy Spirit. We must introduce the element of the spirit into our lives. The Holy Spirit is an outside source fueling and working in us. With it, we have the power to live a victorious life, to rise up from adversity, to be more than a conqueror, to resist temptation, to overcome doubt, fear, and depression, and to administer healing. Furthermore, when the Holy Spirit takes residence in our lives, it comes with extraordinary benefits. We produce fruits of the spirit which demonstrate improved character and gifts of the spirit which highlight improved abilities. However, full empowerment goes beyond just receiving the Holy Spirit.

Next, we must put the spirit into action. Do you remember a lesson from earth science class that talked about the difference between potential energy and kinetic energy? Potential energy contains great possibility and promise. It is the building up of what is necessary to produce a desired outcome. It is the roller coaster clicking up to the top of the hill. However, if that potential energy is not transferred into kinetic energy(energy in action,) it will not produce any effect. The roller coaster clicks all the way to the top where the stored up energy can be transferred into action. Kinetic energy sends the cars and their passengers on a thrilling ride. When we are filled with the spirit of God, he gives us potential power. This potential power remains inside of us but at some point we must put it into action. Think of all the Christians who just click up to the top of the hill but never transfer their potential power into action power. Peter and John approach the temple in Acts 3 full of potential power. However, the power required a transfer to make it effective. Verse six illustrates the apostles putting the power into action when they say “such as I have, give I thee.” They had to put the spirit into action. If we want to impact the world around us, we must do more than just talk about how great it is to be filled with the spirit of God. Unleash the power within you.

Another part to the process of empowerment is discovering identity. It is very important that you know who you are. The apostle John says that we have received power to become the sons of God. However, Satan continually works to undermine and confuse us in the area of identity. He displays this tactic in the very beginning when he approaches Eve. He encourages her to eat the fruit so she can become like God. The reality of the matter is that Eve was already like God. Genesis 1:26 says “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:” Eve does not fully understand her identity and therefore she fails. It is easier to fail when you don’t understand who you are. This is why Satan continually tests Jesus in the wilderness. The interaction of Satan and Jesus in the wilderness is as much a questioning of his identity as it is temptation. Notice that Satan prefaces every temptation with “if you are the son of God.” Satan is trying to find out if Jesus really knows who he is. Although Satan works to question and confuse your identity, God recognizes that it is just as important for you to have revelation of who you are as it is to have a revelation of who he is. When Jesus asked his disciples “whom do you say that I am,” Peter responds “you are the Christ, the son of the living God.” Look at how Jesus responds. He first says “You are Peter,” and then “whatever you bind and loose on earth will be done in heaven.” In other words, before you can engage in the work of the spirit, perform the miraculous, or fulfill your purpose, you must have a clear understanding of who you are. As the children of God, we have a very interesting relationship with God. It is a relationship of synergy. Synergy means that two things working and joined in harmony together, will be more effective than those things working individually. The sum is greater than the whole of the parts. The elements hydrogen and oxygen from the periodic table are perfect examples. Individually they are gasses but together they produce water. This is synergy. With this in mind, the believer needs God but God also needs the believer. Once in a while I hear a message proclaiming that “God doesn’t need you. God can do just fine himself. He doesn’t need anyone” but these are erroneous statements. God accomplishes his will through the church. He uses you and I to complete whatever needs done. We are the sons of God!! We are forever linked with him in a powerful synergistic relationship. You are important to God because we are in partnership and covenant with him. Without you, nothing would be accomplished in the kingdom.

Now we must identify with the church. Identification is simply associating with a cause greater than your own. When you identify with something, the big picture becomes more than an idea but something intimately involved with your life. No longer is it “that church” or “Pastor’s church” or “my parent’s church” but “my church” Abstract ideas become personal. It is “my God, my mission, my burden.” A degree of empowerment comes when we associate with the church and accept the will of God into our individual lives. Observe the concept of identification in the life of the apostle Peter. Around the Roman campfire, Peter stood weak, fearful, and powerless when he failed to identify his life with Jesus Christ. However, we find him full of power and boldness in the book of Acts when he proclaims allegiance and identifies himself with the Lord.

At this point, taking ownership of the field is vital.  In Genesis 33, after Jacob encountered God and received his change of name, one of the first things he does is purchase a field and take ownership of a tract of land. Jacob understands that in order for his change to be permanent he has to get his eyes off of himself. Shouldering responsibility for the field by developing, cultivating, and harvesting it was exactly what he needed to remain empowered. Accepting responsibility for the field that Jesus said was “white and ready for harvest” is crucial to our empowerment as Christians. Viktor Frankl made the following comment in Man’s Search for Meaning, “Freedom is only part of the story and half the truth. That is why I recommend that the statue of liberty on the east coast be supplanted by a statue of responsibility on the west coast.” Reaching the lost is our responsibility once we’re saved. A true life changing encounter with God will provoke us to take ownership of the field. It cant be our neighbors field, our brothers field, or our pastors field. When we take ownership it becomes MY field! I must reach MY neighborhood, MY family and friends, MY school, MY job. If I don’t work in MY field, souls will be lost. One sign of a weak Christian or a dying church is when people desire freedom of worship and freedom of spiritual gifts but also want freedom from responsibility. They want all the blessings and benefits of a relationship with God but want to be exempted from the soul winning mandate. Whether or not our church stands the test of time is determined by how we handle the responsibility of sharing our testimony and the gospel message. Dr. Edith Hamilton who wrote a number of college text books still used today and is considered an expert on the ancient world, said the following about the decline of Athens, Greece. “When the freedom they wished for most was the freedom from responsibility, then Athens ceased to be free and never was free again.” Freedom from the responsibility of the field will inevitably rob us of our empowerment and prove to be our destruction. Continually keep in mind that Jesus said “The harvest is plenteous, but the laborers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.”

Finally, the last part in the process of empowerment is to participate in the mission. Participation means to be involved, to commit to action, and to be productive. Jesus shared a principle straight out of a physics textbook long before that principle was ever discovered by scientists. He told his disciples “Freely ye have received, Freely give.” In other words, power is the rate at which energy is expended. In order to have power, you must give out and expend your time, expend your efforts, and expend your energy. Participate in the mission. When you commit to the call of God and get involved personally in the work of God, a divine source of power will propel you to success. The more you expend and invest, the more power you receive.

It takes an empowered church to possess our promises and change the world. Pursue the process of empowerment and nothing will be impossible.

Last update: Tuesday, 05 February 2008

Published in : NCO Blogs, Guest Blogs

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