Experiencing Spiritual Breakthrough

On Sunday we took a break from our series through James to look into what Scripture teaches about experiencing spiritual breakthrough.

The Bible is a book filled with God’s mighty acts in history through the lives of people. However, not everyone in Scripture experienced God’s power in and through their lives. On Sunday we looked at several of the characteristics of the kind of people who experience the breakthrough power of God in their lives. The main idea was this: There is nothing God cannot do through a man or woman who is fully committed to him.

While this is certainly not an exhaustive list, these 4 characteristics mark those who experience God’s power in and through their lives.

1. Devotion- 2 Chron. 16:9 “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.”

• God is looking through the whole earth for the kind of devoted, committed people that he can entrust with his power.

2. Prayer- 2 Chron. 7:14 “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

• There is an intimate connection between humble, persevering, repentant prayer and the release of God’s supernatural power.

3. Power- Acts 1:4-5 “And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

• It is important to note that Jesus commanded his disciples to not go into ministry until they had an experience with God in which they were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Apart from being filled with God’s Spirit, we will only know what men can accomplish. When we are full of his Spirit, we will know what God can accomplish through us.

4. Action- 1 Cor. 3:5-6 ” What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”

• Each of these characteristics must lead to obedient action. Each of us has a unique assignment from God. Our calling is not to make miracles happen, but to be faithful to do what God has called us to do whether it is “planting” or “watering.” When we do what God calls us to do, he will “give the growth” and receive all the glory.