1. The Disciples :Right Focus on Power: Luke 10:17-24
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
This saying -attributed to Lord Acton an English Catholic historian, politician, and writer

2. Meaning
It’s an observation that a person's sense of morality tends to lessen as his or her power increases.
The Stanford Prison Experiment in Abuse of power

3. Need for Power in a Christian life
Jesus addresses the 70’ before he sends them out, in commissioning the them, Jesus pulled no punches, He made it clear that sharing the good news would be a challenging task.
In V 3 &10 Jesus said ‘ Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 1

4. The battle is Real
Jesus in prayer, saw a vision of Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Echoing the prophetic vision of the downfall of Satan Isa 14;
A heavenly reality which mirrored the earthly reality of the successes of the 70
Now having been hurled out of heaven to earth, Satan roams about roaring like a lion trying to depose God’s children. 1Peter5;8

5. Real battle 2
Ephesians 12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armour of God,

6. Kill Joy Jesus is No Kill joy when he says
20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.
Ministry success is wonderful, but it cannot compare to the eternal joys of calling the God of the universe our Father

7. Revelation given to babes
InV21 Jesus prays; ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children
God chooses the lowly things to reveal his purposes - Mary in Magnificat; ‘He has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.

8. The wisdom of simplicity
1 Cor ‘Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21
It is knowing Christ as personal Lord and saviour. And to do that requires not, earthly wisdom but heavenly grace.

9. Purpose of Power
Luke 4 ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me,    because he has anointed me    to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners     and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,
The Christian lives and works in that very same power .

10. Servant King
We follow in the footsteps of a servant king ,who, though God himself, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but humbled himself even to the death on the Cross
Jesus turns the idea of greatness upside down and tells his disciples that humility and childlike dependence on God ,are the path to salvation.

11. To the disciples who asked for the highest position at his side in glory
Mark 10;42-45;
You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,

12. Castodians of God’s Power
All believers in Jesus , are custodians of God’s power, commissioned to work with God in His power to bring forth his light into a dark world, to bring the gift of freedom to those who are bound. We have been given authority to turn around the injustices of this world with God’s justice and hopelessness with Hope in Christ. That should be the focus of our power.