Put on the Power

I was reading in Luke 23 last week and I came across a verse that I swear was not in there the last time I read from this chapter.  It is a verse where Jesus gives a great promise to his disciples.  Jesus promises power to His disciples in Luke 23:49. 


The word for power here is the work from which we derive the word dynamite.  Dynamite is a powerful thing.  It can be used to absolutely destroy some thing or to gently craft something.  The promised power that Jesus speaks of here comes from the Holy Spirit.  This power is the same power that had raised Jesus from the dead.  The disciples know the power of the Spirit in that are speaking to the risen Jesus even now.  Jesus promises this power to them.

There is an interesting way, though, that Jesus promises this power.  He say you will be clothed with power.  When I think of being clothed, my mind is immediately drawn to choice.  Each morning, we stand before our closet with one question on our mind, "What am I going to wear today?" Granted this question is easier to answer for some than others.  Either way, though, there is a choice that needs to be made.  We have to make the decision of what to wear.  I think this is at the heart of what Jesus is saying here.  Daily, we must make the decision to be clothed with the power of the Holy Spirit.  In essence we are making the decision to live according to our will or according to God's will.  Will I live today in my power or in the power of the Holy Spirit?  I must decide.

Consumed

From modernsurvivalblog,com

We are consumed by so many things.  We are consumed with desires to succeed.  We are consumed with desires to win.  We are consumed with fear.  We are consumed with the fear of failing.  We are consumed with consuming and being a consumer.  All of this consumption can be a bit overwhelming.  We strive for the next thing or the next best thing or the biggest thing.  We have our eyes focused on things that will eventually wear our, break or become obsolete.  What gives?  Yesterday I preached a message from Matthew 6, verses 31-33 specifically.  I am not going to rehash it all here, but I do want to delve into the heart of what Jesus warns us about here.  


Jesus says that we are not to be anxious for anything.  He notes in verse 31, specifically, what we eat, drink or wear.  Now that may seem like funny things for Jesus to point out, doesn't it?  Not really.  The things that Jesus points out are things that we consume and, conversely, consume us.  I made the statement yesterday that we will spend all of this energy trying to pursue the perfect meal, the perfect restaurant, the perfect pair of jeans or the perfect pair of shoes, all the while bypassing the perfect God.  We have become consumers and are consumed by the wrong things.  We are consumed by the temporary as opposed to the eternal.  We want more stuff but we don't want more God.  In essence, our stuff has become our god.  While we are consumed by a god, it is not the God that we need to be consumed by.


So the question is, how did we get here?  We reach the point of being consumed by becoming overwhelmed.  When we are overwhelmed by something we will either surrender to it or escape it.  When we surrender to it, that thing now consumes us.  We become so overwhelmed by it that we finally just give in to it.  If you think about the things that consume you, I think you will discover that you were first intrigued.  That intrigue led to becoming infatuated.  Infatuation leads to being overcome.  Being overcome leads to being overwhelmed.  When you are overwhelmed, you will either succumb or escape.  If you succumb then you will be consumed.  For those of us who are disciples of Jesus, this is exactly what leads us to a life of radical obedience to God.  If you follow the progression you will see the work of the Holy Spirit at each of these points in your life.  My hope is that as you were overwhelmed by the Spirit that you surrendered to Him and became fully consumed by Him.


Being consumed is not all together a bad thing, so long as you are consumed by the right things.  When you are consumed with the Holy Spirit, led by Jesus and being obedient to the call of your Heavenly Father, that is crashing into life.  CRASH ON!