The Key To Walking In Power - Test Day - 100 Days Of Discipleship by Apostle Emmanuel Iren: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

The Purpose of Power Is Not Personal Advancement

When the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse becomes inevitable. A lot of people do not know the real purpose of power — and because they are not directing it toward the right end, they do not get the best out of it.

Mark 6:7 — "And he called the twelve to himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits." The sequence matters: he called them, gave them power, and immediately sent them out.

The real purpose of power is evangelism — to make Christ known.

There is a reason miracles are called signs. Signs point to something — or rather, to Someone. John 4:48 — "Except you see signs, you will not believe." The purpose of signs is to help people believe in Christ. The miracles are not the destination. They are the pointer.

The age we live in has produced a Christianity that is deeply self-centered. People want miracles to advance careers, secure jobs, solve personal problems. And even if God is willing to do those things, that is not the primary purpose of power. The power he gives is for witness — to serve the work of the kingdom, not to serve the ego.

Peter's Response to the Great Catch

When Jesus told Peter to cast his nets and Peter pulled in a net-breaking catch, Peter's response was not to station Jesus at the boat and use him as a fishing consultant for life. He dropped the nets and followed. Someone else might have thought: finally, I have the ultimate competitive advantage. Lord, should we drop the nets here or over there?

That is the kind of purpose many Christians assign to Jesus — a personal benefit engine. But Peter understood something different. The catch was a sign. The sign pointed to a call. He responded to the call.

The Secret of Why Ministers Grow Faster in the Things of the Spirit

Acts 1:8 — "You shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me."

It is for witnessing. Not to prove that you are anointed. Not to silence people who doubt you. It is to be a witness to the Lord.

Here is a secret worth sitting with: the reason people in ministry tend to demonstrate the power of God more consistently than others is because they are in service. They are deployed. The power finds expression because it is being used for the purpose it was given.

When a believer finds an avenue to serve the Lord — to be genuinely useful to the cause of the kingdom — they begin to grow in the things of God. Power follows purpose. Repurpose your perspective of power: stop asking what it can do for you, and start asking how it can be used to advance God and his cause on the earth. The results will surprise you.