God’s Dynamic Power
Selected Scriptures
1. How Do We Grow in Spiritual Power?
1st Power is attained through the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:8 (NIV)
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Power: Greek = dunamis
Acts 2:22 (NIV)
“Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles (dunamis), wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.”
Acts 3:12 (NIV)
When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power (dunamis) or godliness we had made this man walk?”
Acts 4:7 (NIV)
They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power (dunamis) or what name did you do this?”
Acts 4:33 (NIV)
With great power (dunamis) the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.
Acts 6:8 (NIV)
Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power (dunamis), did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people.
Acts 8:13 (NIV)
Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles (dunamis) he saw.
Acts 8:6–7 (NIV)
6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said.
7 With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed.
Acts 10:38 (NIV)
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power (dunamis), and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
Acts 19:11–12 (NIV)
11 God did extraordinary miracles (dunamis) through Paul,
12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
2nd Power Is Released When We Operate in the Love of Christ
Ephesians 3:16–20 (NIV)
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.
3rd Power Is the Result of Faith in the Name of Jesus
Acts 3:12, 16 (NIV)
12 When Peter saw this, he said: “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?
16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.”
Matthew 17:19–20 (NIV)
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
4th Power Is an Essential Part of Preaching the Gospel
1 Corinthians 2:4–5 (NIV)
4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,
5 so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.
Romans 15:18–19 (NIV)
18 I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done—
19 by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.
Matthew 10:7–8 (NIV)
7 As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’
8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
1 Corinthians 4:20 (NIV)
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.
