He Changed Everything - 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
How God Wants to Move in Power Through You
Have you ever met someone famous or influential and felt that electric energy in the room? There's something magnetic about people with talent and skill that draws us to them. Today, we'll explore how God wants to move through ordinary people like you with that same kind of power - not celebrity status, but spiritual power that changes lives and draws people to Jesus.
Why God Chooses Ordinary People
God doesn't need celebrities or people of great influence to accomplish His work. In fact, He prefers the ordinary. Think about Jesus' disciples - they were fishermen, tax collectors, and everyday laborers. Yet through these regular people filled with God's power, the entire landscape of our world changed.
If you're a follower of Jesus, God wants to make you someone others are drawn to. When He moves in power through you, you'll have opportunities to share the goodness, grace, and love of Jesus Christ with those around you.
Paul's Approach: Power Over Eloquence
The apostle Paul understood this principle deeply. Writing to the Corinthian church, he explained his ministry approach: "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power" (1 Corinthians 2:4-5).
This might seem surprising coming from Paul, who wrote half the New Testament. But his experience in Athens taught him something crucial: you can't argue someone into following Jesus. Human wisdom alone won't convince people to follow Christ.
The Athens Experience
Before arriving in Corinth, Paul had been in Athens - the center of human philosophy and learning. He was invited to speak at the Areopagus, where the greatest minds would debate and judge new ideas. Despite his intellectual presentation, the response was lukewarm.
Paul learned that God doesn't try to explain Himself using human standards. Instead, He shows through truth and action that He is who He says He is - specifically through displays of power.
Four Ways God Moves in Power Through Believers
1. Miraculous Power
God still moves in supernatural ways today. The early church experienced healing, signs, and wonders that couldn't be explained outside of the supernatural. While we live in a skeptical age, God continues to perform miracles when there's a receiving spirit of faith.
Stories of cancer disappearing overnight, holes in digestive tracts healing completely, and other unexplainable healings still happen today. The question isn't whether God can do miracles - it's whether we believe He will.
2. Power Through Perseverance
Paul described believers as "jars of clay" containing God's treasure. While clay jars normally shatter under pressure, believers demonstrate supernatural resilience: "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed" (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).
When life's difficulties come, and you choose to display peace instead of anxiety, love instead of bitterness, and joy instead of despair, God moves in power through you. People notice when someone faces tragedy yet maintains hope, and they want to know what makes the difference.
3. Power Through Generosity
The early church was known for their radical generosity: "No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had" (Acts 4:32). When believers stop seeing their possessions as "theirs" and start viewing themselves as stewards of God's resources, it creates a powerful witness.
This heart change - recognizing that everything belongs to God and we're just managing it for Him - leads to sacrificial giving that catches people's attention. When churches care for the needy in their communities, it demonstrates God's power in action.
4. Power Through Transformed Lives
The greatest tool in the church's arsenal is a single life changed by the Gospel. Your personal testimony - the story of who you were before Jesus and who you are now - carries incredible power because people can't argue with a transformed life.
You don't need a dramatic conversion story to have a powerful testimony. Whether you were delivered from addiction or simply learned to forgive instead of holding grudges, your story of transformation demonstrates God's power to change hearts and lives.
Looking for Impact Opportunities
God might use you to display His power today through ordinary circumstances. When you're having a difficult day but choose to look up and trust God's goodness, that's when a coworker might ask why you're not angry. That's your opportunity to share Jesus' name.
The key is looking for these moments and being ready to respond with the hope that's within you.
Life Application
This week, actively look for opportunities where God can move through you in power. Consider how you respond to difficulties - do you display the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience) even in challenging circumstances? Examine your attitude toward your possessions - are you holding them with open hands, ready to help those in need?
Most importantly, be prepared to share your story. Think about how Jesus has changed your life, even in seemingly small ways, and be ready to share that transformation with others.
Questions for Reflection:
How has God changed you since you began following Jesus, even in small ways?
When facing difficulties, do people see supernatural peace and hope in your response?
Are you viewing your possessions as tools God has given you to bless others?
What opportunities might God be placing in front of you this week to demonstrate His power through your life?
