Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled ‘The power of the Gospel’. Her main scripture was taken from the Book of Romans. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the POWER of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Romans 1:16). Apostle Paul said that he was not ashamed of the Gospel. Why? Because the Gospel is the power of God to save your soul. The Gospel is not talking ‘about’ the power of God, but IT IS THE POWER OF GOD!! It is God’s work!!! From beginning to the end, God works in us thru the Gospel. The Gospel is not just for evangelism. It is also for sanctification. We need the Gospel always, not only at the beginning, but to the end of the race.

Before ascending to heaven, the resurrected Christ said to His disciples: “You shall receive POWER when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).  In these two scriptures, (John 1:16; Acts 1:8) the word ‘power’ is the same. In Greek, it is the word ‘dunamis’. It means miraculous power or the miracle of God. This power comes from heaven, thru the Word of the Gospel of Christ, crucified and resurrected, and thru the Holy Spirit. This power is a miracle and it produces results. This power is always effectual, radical, and eternal! it is the only power able to change the hearts of men. Do you pray for a miracle? Then pray for a clearer revelation of the Gospel and be filled with the Holy Spirit! This is the secret of power from above! This is the ‘heavenly prescription’ of power written with the Blood of Jesus on the tablet of your soul. Believe it!     

How does God save? Thru the Cross of Calvary! God’s primary reason why He sent Jesus to die on the Cross it is because there was need to redeem His reputation. In the Garden of Eden, the devil made God a liar. Jesus died to prove that God is true! God is holy (He hates sin). God could not forgive men their sins. A sinner cannot enter heaven because he will pollute it! Somebody must die for sin: the sinner or a holy substitute! “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23).  Christ died to prove that God’s Word is true! He also died for us, to save us! Salvation is God’s plan and God’s work! That is why salvation is eternal and sure. Once you become saved, you cannot ‘lose’ your salvation! You may lose rewards and testimony but not your salvation! The basic principle of the Gospel is faith. You must believe in the Person of Jesus Christ and in His death for you! This is the doctrine of salvation in Christ: Because of His death, our salvation is eternal, final, and full! Everybody that is saved on earth, shall be glorified in heaven! This is called the doctrine of ‘the absolute security of our salvation’! It is God’s plan and action. The Gospel is not about what man has done, but what God has done! That is why salvation cannot be frustrated. God is in charge! Praise the Lord!

Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh said that the Resurrected Christ told His disciples (and to us, the believers): “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with POWER from on high” (Luke 24:49). The word ‘power’ is the same ‘Dunamis’. The command of the Lord was that the disciples should ‘tarry’ in the city (for us, it is Warri, Effurun, Nigeria). The word ‘tarry’ means to sit down, to settle in one spot. As we wait for the Holy Spirit to come afresh on us, we too need to ‘sit down’, have faith and wait. We should not be restless because of the cares of this world. The Holy Spirit and power cannot ‘land’ on restless people! The disciples were seated when the Holy Spirit came from heaven (Acts 2:1, 2). This position of sitting and waiting in faith is the same that Jesus commanded when He fed the multitude (Matthew 14:19, 20). Lesson: If you are restless, the miracle of supernatural provision cannot ‘locate’ you! Sit down!!!! The resurrected Christ tells us (the believers) that we now sit with Him on His throne, in heavenly places (Revelation 3:21; Ephesians 2:6). These places are royal thrones of authority and power in the presence of the Lamb of God! Lesson: child of God, the world calls you to go in many directions, to be anxious and restless. The call of sin is to distract you. In the name of Jesus, you need to quiet your soul and sit at His feet. That is the place of power, peace, and provision! The word ‘endued’ (with power from on high) means to be clothed. As you sit at the feet of Jesus and wait for the power of the Gospel to be revealed afresh to you, the Holy Spirit will place on you His mantle of grace, the garment of the imputed righteousness of Jesus. It is the royal wedding gown given by the Heavenly Bridegroom to His Beloved Bride, the Church. Our Lord died and shed His Blood to ‘clothe you with power from on high’. Jesus died for His Beloved Church. Oh, the Blood of Jesus… Glory to God! May revival come! Worship the Lord!