Cutting Deep 2025 Outline
Introduction
When there is a dramatic shift causing positive transformations in circumstances, perspectives, systems etc, we say there is a turning of the world upside down. This comes with a strong force of interferences, disruptions, upheavals, commotions and the shaking of the status quo. It overthrows Conventions and the forces behind the implementation of those conventions which end up being detrimental to practitioners. To be called therefore one ‘turning the world upside down’ is an acknowledgement of being a force to reckon with. Through Amphipolis and Apollonia apostle Paul and Silas arrived in Thessalonica and doing what they are used to doing everywhere they found themselves; fear gripped some members of the authorities in Thessalonica. This is what got some of the leaders accusing Paul and some of the believers of turning the world upside down. Acts 17:6 (KJV)
“And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;”
The huge question now is what at all did these men do that had so much capacity to turn the world upside down. What tools and what medium did these men accused of turning the world upside down engage to the producing of the kind of results that is found in the scripture. The answer to this question could be found in the very narrative of Scripture we are looking at. In the second and third verses we are told clearly what Paul and Silas engaged in that shook the worlds of many.
Acts 17:2-4 [2] “And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, [3] Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. [4] And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.”
From these scriptures we come to terms with the truth that the preaching of Jesus the Christ was the weapon Paul and Silas engaged to turn the worlds of many upside down. When Jesus Christ is properly preached according to the revelation of the mystery by the gospel (Rom 16:25) there are always some moving and shaking. There is something about Jesus and the Gospel of Jesus that makes all the difference in personal, corporate, societal lives.
When a person is equipped with the Gospel of Jesus Christ that person is such a spiritual magnate with capacity to accomplish any kind of thing that they are led to do. Such ones are not people that could easily be contested and succeed against because of the weight and potency of the Gospel they carry.
Jesus did not come for us just to live a religious life or just to escape this life to go to heaven. More than that He came to establish His kingdom and stamp His authority on His creation. The Christian life is not a waiting room for a future hope but a present possession for activation and utilization. He calls us to show us how to live, usher in His kingdom from within us and use us to turn the world upside down for Him. This is why we have to concern ourselves with how Jesus lived and how his life affects our lives today. Let us go into the study with this understanding to receive to impact our world.
Jesus So Far
We have so far learnt somethings about Jesus Christ that are summarized in the under mentioned points.
HE WAS (Pre-existence)
Micah 5:2 “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”
1 John 1:1 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;”
Jesus Christ must be known as He who was before the beginning with God and as God.
ALWAYS IN THE WORLD (Pre-incarnation)
John 1:10 “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.”
John 8:56 “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.”
These verses reveal that Jesus personally physically was in the world after creating it and must be known as such.
CAME INTO THE WORLD (Incarnated)
John 1:11 “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”
Luke 19:10 “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
John 12:46 “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.”
The scriptures here points to a personal tangible Jesus who came to manifest himself with a mission.
HE LEFT THE WORLD ALIVE (Post-Incarnation)
John 14:19 “Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.”
Hebrews 7:25 “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”
We see the ever-living nature of Jesus in these verses too, assuring us that even now He is alive.
Of all the periods that Jesus Christ expresses Himself it is His post incarnation that directly engages us requiring our participation with Him. We have to therefore know how useable and useful this era of His is and how it applies to us. We have already taken some points on the post incarnation life of Christ namely;
- Post incarnation affirms the Messianic identity of Jesus Christ
- Inspiring hope in the life of the believer today of a better end iii. Confident assurance of a secured future for believers
- The greatest advantage of the name of Jesus at his post-incarnation
- Back into the father to the advantage of the believer
- Enjoying the intercessory life of Christ
Christ’s preparation of the place for the believer. Additional to all these that have been mentioned are the following which are privileges that comes to the believer in this post incarnation life of Christ.
UNION WITH CHRIST
A central message of Christianity that highlights the believer’s state after getting saved in this dispensation is ‘being united with Jesus Christ’. This union is spiritual and highly deeply rooted in God that beats natural understanding. Being united with Christ has been a long-standing desire of God as expressed in several scriptures, John 14:23 “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” This got materialized when after His ascension and the Corinthian church was taught about whoever joins himself to the Lord, 1 Corinthians 6:17 “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.”
The following scriptures affirm this position even further;
2 Cor 13:5 “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”
Gal 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Gal 3:26-27 “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. [27] For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
Heb 3:14 “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end;”
NEW IDENTITY
Another of the deliverables we collect from the post incarnation life of Jesus Christ is the possession of a completely ‘New Identity’. The regenerative power of faith that engages spiritual engineering (Tit 3:5) incomprehensible to natural orientation brings about new birth. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 we read “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
The scripture here does not speak to a change of the old self as pertains to behavior and a set of dos and don’ts. It is fundamentally the introduction of the completely new form and substance as it pertains to the nature of the believer. Translated new here is the word ‘Kainos’ which means that which is recently made, fresh, unused, of recent origin, never worn in respect of form. It further means a new kind, without precedence, unheard of, uncommon, novelty, previously unknown regarding the substance. This is why we have said expressly that the Christian life is not a new start in life but a completely new life to start. Let’s look at how other scriptures enforce this fact;
John 1:11-13 [11] “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. [12] But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: [13] Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Eph 1:4-5 [4] “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: [5] Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,”
Eph 2:19 [19] “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;”
1Pet 2:9-10 [9] “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; [10] Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”
EMPOWERMENT FOR SERVICE
Another eternal verity of our day, in the post incarnation life of Christ is the empowerment of the believer for service. In the preparatory engagements towards His departure Jesus told the disciples how they will receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon them.
Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Among the numerous words that translates as power in the Bible is this one is from the Greek word ‘Dunamis’. In terms of its form the word means;
- Inherent Capacity
- Miraculous Ability
- Transformative strength iv. Mighty Works
- Uncommon Force
As regards its substance the word means additionally;
- Supernatural force
- Active one iii. Effective One
- One that is Capable of bringing significant change
- Ability that flows from the Unseen Realm to the seen realm.
It must be learnt therefore that this power that God gives is not just an idle potential but an active life that flows out divine outcomes.
JESUS AND ‘DUNAMIS’
The entirety of the life of Jesus was one of power (Dunamis) and its outcomes for all to see. Let us look through just some few instances.
Matt 13:54 “And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?”
Dunamis in words, to the astounding of all observers who knew His earthly background. The child of God has power (Dunamis) in the mouth like the one that gets God to act, Luke 8:23-25
Matt 14:1-2 [1] “At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, [2] And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.”
Dunamis is not just an idle potential waiting for a reactive opportunity but shows forth in carriers except it be ignorantly block.
Mark 5:30 “And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?”
Translated virtue in the scripture abandoned is the word Dunamis, this is what came out of Jesus when the woman with the issue of blood touched his garment. Power at work in the child of God is so active that even when you are not intentional it can come out of you as virtue. This is what Jesus manifested.
THE BELIEVER AND DUNAMIS
Luke 24:49 “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”
The believer has had a long standing promise of empowerment hanging on his head waiting for faith and manifestation.
2 Cor 12:9 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
Strength for weakness
Eph 1:16-21 [16] “Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; [17] That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: [18] The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,[19] And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, [20] Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, [21] Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:”
Eph 3:20-21 [20] “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, [21] Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”