Under the leadership of the Holy Spirit this morning, we will be looking at something I believe is very critical and the Holy Spirit is concerned about. And we will be looking at The Platform of Power. That is our conversation this morning with the Holy Spirit. When we hear the word power, what readily comes to mind is energy. When you think of power, you think about electricity, and we think of how things are powered in our houses, and our offices and around us. So power is also synonymous to energy. And when we talk about power, it also talks about the ability behind something. So if we look at the bulbs we have in this room this morning, there is an ability that is behind them. So, the bulbs are not just radiating light, there is a reason why they are radiating light. Without that back up, these bulbs will not work. So the power behind the bulbs, is the ability or the energy that causes the bulbs to radiate light.
So, when we talk about power this morning, we will be talking about it from the context of energy or the ability behind a thing to work. This morning, we will be looking at several Scriptures, but I would love us to start from Luke 10. There is an interesting story there that will let us into what the Holy Spirit wants to converse with us this morning. I would have love to read from verse 1 down to 20, but because of our time, I will pick quickly. I will read verse 1 down to verse 3, then I would jump to verse 17-20. The Bible says:
"After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves."
I want us to pause a little bit there. The story here, Jesus appointed seventy and the Bible says He sent them. They were about to embark on a journey, they were about to go for an assignment for Jesus, meaning there was an assignment that God was sending them on. Because we know that Jesus is the express image of the invisible God. God was sending them on an assignment and verse two led us into the reason for the assignment. The reason for the assignment is that the harvest truly is great. So, God was sending them to an assignment for an harvest, because after He had appointed them, then He said to them. Because what He said to them in verse two helped us to understand the kind of assignment that He is giving to them. So, He stated the problem, He said "the harvest truly is great but the labourers are few, therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send down labourers into His harvest."
So, Number one, one of the things you must note is that the harvest was not theirs. If you check your Bible that Harvest is in is in capital letter H. The harvest is not theirs, the harvest is the Lords. That is why He said "pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest." So, the harvest is the Lords, and truly the harvest is great. So, the Lord's harvest is great, the Lord's assignment is great. But there is a need for labourers. And this is where they come in. And see what He said in verse 3, He said: "go your way, behold I send you." So, these people are sent. They are not going on their own assignment. They are not going on their own prerogative. It wasn't their own wish.
If you see verse one, it said "He sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go." So, it was His assignment, it was His schedule, it was according to His own plan, not theirs. And He said inverse 3, go your way, behold this is the manner in which I am sending you. I send you as lambs among wolves. It is figurative. What was Jesus saying to this people here? He said I Am sending you as lambs. We know that when we look at the two animals that Jesus used to describe the way He wants them to deliver their assignment, there is lamb and there is wolves. We know that lambs are domestic, lambs are gentle, we know wolves are wild. We know wolves are aggressive, we know wolves prey on other animals. We know lambs are gentle and feed on pasture. So, you will see that Jesus was not saying, I am sure we know that He is sending lambs. He is sending human beings . But He said I am sending you as lambs. What was His emphasis on?
I am sending you with the heart of a Lamb. I am not sending you with the heart of a wolf, I am sending you with the heart of a lamb but you will be working and existing in the midst of wolves. And He gave further instructions, but our emphasis here this morning is on that verse 3. What was Jesus saying there? Why was Jesus particular about how He sent them? He could just have allowed them to go, and do what they have to do. After all, He appointed them. He would have selected them Himself, and lay hands on them, and send them. But He was particular, He said go your way behold, look be careful about this, this is the rule of engagement. This assignment you are about to embark upon, this is the rule of the engagement. You must go as lambs in the midst of wolves. And that is the same thing God is saying to us this morning.
What kind of heart do we possess in leadership for the assignment that God has called us to lead for Him? Remember, it is His harvest; it is assignment, it is His people, not yours. How does God want you to relate with His people? How does God want you to carry out that assignment that He has commanded you to? How does God haven appointed you, wants you to deliver on that assignment? He said behold I send you as lambs in the midst of wolves. We are still going to read verse 17-19, but I want us to see John 7:37-39, we are still coming back to our Luke, but let us see John 7:37-39. The Bible says:
"On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."
See what Jesus said, He said, "anyone who thirst let Him come to Me, he who believes in me as the Scripture has said, out of his heart" not out of his mouth, not out of his body, but out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." So, also Jesus attesting to the fact that the heart is the source. For you to carry out the assignment that God has given to you, that assignment must be sourced in your heart. So, what Jesus is saying here is that it is not enough to do spiritual gymnastics, what is important here is your heart. Let us see Proverbs 4. It is important we build this background this morning so that we understand what Jesus is saying to us and what God requires of us. Proverbs 4:23. Says; "Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life." Keep your heart with everything that you have, that you possess. What is the reason? For out of it spring the issues of life. I love a translation that I read. It says; "for out of heart flows everything you do."
So, there is nothing you do that is not sourced in your heart. And Jesus while speaking to His disciples in Luke 10 made them understand, "I AM sending you with a heart", I am sending you with a kind of heart, not just any kind of heart but with a particular kind of heart and that is the heart of lambs. And you will see that even Jesus Himself, is being described as the lamb of God. So, I am sending you with my kind of heart. For you to be able to harvest as co labourers with God, this plenty harvest, you must have God's kind of heart. We are just building foundation so that we will understand that the Scripture emphasized on this so much.
Listen to Podcast: The Platform of Power
When David was praying He said, in Psalm 51, he said "create in me a pure heart, and renew a right spirit within me." Why did he pray that prayer? Because he knows it is only with his heart that he can produce, he can lead, he can do all that God requires him to do. We all see it and it is a classic example between king Saul and king David. When Saul's heart turned away from the Lord, God found for Himself another man. Your physical attributes are fantastic, they are good. But God is not concerned about your physical attributes.
You can be a six foot, tall dark and handsome. It is not a qualification for you to enter into the harvest of God. What qualifies you to labour in God's harvest is your heart. And the kind of heart that gives you access is the heart of a Lamb. So, it is not enough for you to say, "I have been born again, I am tongue talking, I am a child of God and you can even tattoo it on your body; Child of God." It is not enough. And that is why God was emphatic. Even though God gave Moses the 10 commandments written on the tablets of stones, He said a time is coming where I will write my law on the tablets of their heart. Because I realized when I wrote it on stone, they forgot. It did not change them. That is why God had to do away with the old and He brought the new. And what is in the new? God's laws are now written on the tablets of our hearts, that is how it is effective. Because everything flows from our hearts.
Matthew 5:8, you know we mention Psalms 51:10, David said create in me a pure heart and renew a right spirit within me. Matthew 5:8, when Jesus was giving the sermon on the mount, He said in verse 8; "blessed are the pure in heart" and this is very significant. "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." When you see God, what is left? Everything is okay. If you see others, blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called the sons of God. But verse 8, very profound. Jesus said "blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Himself" they will have access to God. The pure in heart.
In Psalm 34:18; it says the Lord is near, you know we read Matthew now, it says blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Now see Psalm 34:18, it says "the Lord is near to those who have a broken heart." The Lord is near, the Lord is close. The broken heart see God. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and save such that have a contrite spirit. The Lord is close. The broken heart has access to God. So, the broken hearted are near to God. And the pure in heart are blessed because they see God. So, God is so concerned about the heart. And He is not concerned about the heart in any state, but in the state of purity. In the state of yieldedness. Because a broken heart is a yielded heart. We are talking about the platform of power. The platform of power in any generation is the hearts of men. You want to do great things for God, get your heart right. It is not going to gym 5:00am that will make you useful to God.
It is not running sprint race 100metre dash, that makes you useful to God. You are able to access the harvest of God on the platform of a pure and a broken heart. That is what God is looking for. There are so many people that are praying for power and God is looking at their hearts and He knows it is not the heart that He can use. Because it is not about repetition of words, it is not in the length of prayers, it is not in fasting alone. Fasting should get your heart broken. It should not be a hunger strike. That is the platform in which God gives power. Can God trust your heart? God tried it with Saul and he disappointed God. God gave Saul power, and instead of Saul to honour God in his heart, he honoured the people above God. And He said I have found for myself David a man after my heart. He has My kind of heart. That is what God is looking for. You want to wield the power of God in your generation, it is your heart. It is not enough to declare 21days fasting and prayer. Can God trust your heart? The Bible says in Psalm that God looks down on the earth and He is looking for a man, He is not looking for a six foot tall man, He is not looking for a man with biceps, He is not looking for a man that has so much money. He is looking for a man that has the right heart.
A pure and a broken heart. That is what God is looking for. Because God will never turn away from a heart that is broken. A pure and a right heart God will never turn away. So, don't go to God when you know your heart is not settled. And that is why Jesus said He said before you enter the place of prayer, if you know your brother have sinned against you or you have a grudge against someone, go and settle it first. Sometimes we read these things and we just think it was just an admonition that He was just giving us that we should make sure that we don't get angry with one another. No! He is saying your heart must have a right heart that has the right posture before God. Because God will look away from your heart because it is not broken and it is not pure. You see God when your heart is pure.
God is near you when your heart is broken. So, God will give us His power, only on the platform that your heart is right. Not because you have decided to join Jesus in 40 days of fasting and prayers. Jesus fasted 40 days I fast 40 days. Was that how Jesus received the power? No! It was not just on the platform of fasting, He was fasting with a right heart. That is why the devil could come to Him and tempt Him, the Bible says He was tempted in every way yet without sin. He was not just a man that was just fasting and counting time. God is looking for a heart that will wield the power of God in this end time. And the heart that is right. I want us to see something, in Matthew 21, He said something very phenomenal there. He was speaking to the Pharisees in verse 15, it says; "But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David! they were indignant and said to Him, Do You hear what these are saying? And Jesus said to them, Yes. Have you never read, Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise."
The chief priest and scribes thought they could just use what the children were saying as an excuse, but Jesus was passing a message to them. He said see; have you never read? That out of the mouth of small children, because when you see a child, a normal child the heart is pure. You offend that child now, and you begin to play with him, he will forget. And Jesus was using children as an example of the kind of heart that God requires from us. It says out of the mouth of suckling and babes the Lord has perfected praise, He has ordained strength. That is the kind of heart God wants us to have. The heart of a Lamb. A lamb is a young sheep. He doesn't want you to have the heart of a sheep but that of a lamb, like that of a child. In Matthew 21, the children were singing hosanna to the son of David; innocently, they were perfecting the praise of God. And the scribes wanted to make a joke out of it. And He said have you not read? Have you not seen it in the Scriptures this is what God said? Out of the mouth of babes and suckling out of the mouth of infant babes, God has ordained praise.
And in this end time that we are in, the people that will lead the harvest of God, the people that will lead the agenda of God in this time and season, are men and women whose hearts are like that of the babes. And that is why so much will be happening in the church of Christ very soon. That we will receive small children leading revivals. Because God is not interested in your masters in theology, your doctorate in divinity, what God is interested in is your heart. There came a time when a particular man came to the disciples and He said you know what I love the way you are just demonstrating power, and he offered them money, and Peter said to him "let your money perish with you. Because you think you can buy the gift of God with money." It can't be bought. The platform for power is your heart.
You want to access the power of God, get your heart right. God is not interested in your money. You can sow one million dollars into the life of the man of God. If your heart is not right, you cannot attract and wield the power of God. Because it is only for the pure in heart and broken hearted. Joel 2, let us see the prophecy of God in Joel 2; also backing up this point that we raised. So much would be happening in this end time, God would be using small children, insignificant men and women in the eyes of men to do wonders.
Joel 2:28, it said: "And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, those small children whose hearts are pure and whose hearts are broken they shall prophesy. Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days." That is the word of the Lord. The platform of power in this time and season is the hearts of men. And God is looking down. God is looking down He is looking down at the hearts of men whose hearts are ready. I want us to read a Scripture in Psalm 24:3 , it says: "Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? . He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation."
Who will get close to God? Who will see God, he whose hands are clean, whose heart is pure, whose heart is broken. Those are those that see God, they are those that see the power of God at this time. Don't let any man lie to you, that sow into my life and receive power. If your heart is not right, pure or broken, you can't lead in Gods harvest, the platform of power is in the heart. And what God desires is the heart of a Lamb. I want us to go back to Luke 10 and I am going to conclude from that place. Luke 10 that we read earlier and now we are going to read from verse 17-20.
"Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name. Did you see power? They demonstrated power because they had the heart of a Lamb. And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless; this is a note of warning, this is a caution do not rejoice in this Don't be excited about the power, remember the platform in which you got it, don't be excited that you are demonstrating power alone that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
The kind of heart that can stage the power of God in this end time is the heart that puts God first, a heart that is eternity conscious. Jesus said what happened is wonderful, but don't be over excited, the reason why you should be excited is that your name is written in heaven, that eternity celebrates you, that God gives you a standing ovation and welcomes you and say "Welcome good and faithful servant." That is what should excite you. Not just that the blind eyes were open, not just that the dead rose, not just that the lame started walking, not just that there were miracles here and there signs and wonders be excited that your name is written in the book of life.
That book is real, the book of life, make sure your name is there. As you receive the power of God with a broken and a contrite heart, don't just be excited with the power; don't be carried away with the power, be conscious, be careful that your name is written in the book of life.
I believe you have been blessed!
