February 18, 2014
POWER UP
1 Corinthians 4:14-21
Alex Wilks
Central Truth
Believers, as part of the kingdom of God, are not to be known by their talk, but by the way they live by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Key Verse | 1 Corinthians 4:20
For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. (1 Corinthians 4:20)
1 Corinthians 4:14-21
14 I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 15 For though you have countless 1 4:15 Greek you have ten thousand guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16 I urge you, then, be imitators of me. 17 That is why I sent 2 4:17 Or am sending you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, 3 4:17 Some manuscripts add Jesus as I teach them everywhere in every church. 18 Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. 20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. 21 What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?
Dive Deeper | 1 Corinthians 4:14-21
I spent six weeks doing ministry in Thailand during the summer of 2013. I lived with a family that had taken in several girls who had been orphaned or affected by HIV/AIDS in some way. I have never been in a situation that required as much dependence on the Holy Spirit before my time with them.
One instance in particular I will never forget. In choosing to protect one of the girls from teasing, I upset another one. She reacted by giving me the cold shoulder for an entire day. I remember sitting at the dinner table and asking the Lord what to do. I was desperate to model Christlikeness but there was a serious language barrier. The Holy Spirit so clearly led my heart. I knew He wanted me to apologize and tell her that I loved her. Regardless of whether I was right or wrong, I knew what I needed to do. I sat down next to her that night and did exactly what the Spirit was prompting me to do. The next morning, I received the sweetest hug I've ever experienced.
This verse is a reminder from Paul to believers that we have been given the Holy Spirit. We are to live by His power. The Holy Spirit is sent to be our Helper (John 16:7), and the nature of a helper is action. Our Helper will lead us to action if we will listen. Through this action, the kingdom of God will be revealed to a lost and dying world. How awesome is it that we get the Holy Spirit as our Helper in this life, Jesus receives the glory (John 16:14), and the world sees a glimpse of God's power, majesty, and grace? With the Spirit's help, let's go be the hands and feet of Christ today.
Discussion Questions
1. Do you feel you know the Holy Spirit well enough to hear His voice? If yes, thank Him for the ways He leads you. If no, spend some time asking for help recognizing His voice.
2. Can you recall a time when you received clear prompting from the Holy Spirit? Did you act according to that prompting? What was the outcome? How would this have been different if you had relied on yourself to deal with the situation? Take time to thank the Lord for His gift of the Holy Spirit in your life.
3. In what ways can you demonstrate the power of the kingdom of God today?