The Spirit’s Power | Spirit Filled Community, pt. 3

The Spirit’s Power | Spirit Filled Community, pt. 3

Before, we discuss the power of God, do we even need it in this day and age?  This is a question that is plaguing the American Church. Philip Jenkins observes the Churches in America:

“Mainline churches may offer healing services, or pray for a patient’s recovery, but direct religious intervention is rarely in prospect.  How many seminaries, even those with conservative or evangelical leanings, offer courses on spiritual healing, leave alone exorcism?”[1]

Jenkins adds that the modernization of the Church in Europe and America is to blame for all of the religious pluralism we are now seeing.

Postmoderns are grasping for anything spiritual in other religions

“The growing distance of the biblical worldview from the social and economic realities of the North drives Americans and Europeans to more esoteric types of religion even further removed from traditional Christianity.”[2]

Our secularized, philosophized, highly educated Church has driven our children into the cults in search of authentic spirituality and power.  That is why our study of Theology must be seen as more, as communion, as Doxology.  That is why we must cultivate an understanding not only of God, but of how He moves.  We are in desperate times, in dire need of an understanding, of a doctrine of the Power of God.

I want to review some ways God gives us supernatural power for the mission.

1. God gives us miraculous power, Luke 24.46-49

And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
And ye are witnesses of these things.
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.

Luke’s Commission uses the word dunamis for power, the explosive power of God

To be endued is literally to be clothed in. So we not only receive the power of God, we put it on spiritually. It may be said that the Spirit puts us on and uses us as the tool for His power. We are meant to walk in and live in the power of God.

2. the power to witness, 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.

From the passage, the Disciples did not understand what they were getting into. Jesus was about ready to unleash the power of God. The Holy Spirit (H.S.) was about to transform lowly fishermen into mighty world changers.

We are commissioned to reach the world. The power to witness is a promise. We are promised God’s ability to win the lost. The spoken Word of the Early Church (E.C.) was marked by the bold power of God.

3. the power must come from the Spirit

The Apostles had to wait for the promise of the Spirit.

If we want to have the power, we must wait for the Spirit and be led by the Spirit. We can’t do it on our own: our control vs. Spirit’s control. Throughout Acts we see the Spirit at the helm of the Church charting the course.

We’ll look a few Scriptures from Acts 1-5 that show us how the power of God was established in the Church.

These are well-loved Scriptures that hold many truths, but we’ll look at 7 truths about Holy Ghost power.

I. POWER FOR ALL, Acts 2.5-13

And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

All 120 in the Upper Room were filled (2.3-4).

Acts 2.6: every man heard them speak in his own language – about 13 languages.

Acts 2.7: all amazed and marveled

The Gospel is for all regardless of background. There were 3,000 saved that day (2.41).

The only limits on the Gospel are the limits we set.

The Gospel and the Spirit’s power is for all.

Speaking in tongues is available for all, a work of subsequence.

II. POWERFUL REPUTATION, Acts 2.43

And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

From the beginning the Church gets a reputation – wonders and signs.

The Church was known for miracles as much as it was for the teaching of the Apostles.

We pray and pray for a miracle, then it happens, and we think, “I can’t believe it!”

In the Early Church, miracles were common.

“The people did not see themselves living on two levels, one spiritual and one natural.  The Holy Spirit pervaded their whole lives.  Worship, fellowship with God, sharing in a practical way, evangelism, and miracles were all part of a unified experience in the Spirit.”[3]

III. POWERFUL ACTIVE WITNESS, Acts 3.1-10

Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
And all the people saw him walking and praising God:
And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.

The powerful witness of the Church is an active witness.

Actions speak louder than words.

5,000 come to Christ (4.3).

As we truly and authentically act in the Spirit, the world will take notice.

IV. POWERFUL PRAYER, Acts 4.29-31

They asked for power to speak the Word (4.29).

And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,

They asked for the miraculous power of God (4.30).

By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

V. POWERFUL REVERENCE, Acts 5.1-11

But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

This was an attack on the Church from within the Church

“This was the first step to the sort of political maneuvering that sometimes puts churches into the hands of unspiritual people.”[4]

This incident started a reverence both for God and the Church. “A striking feature of worship in the Bible is that people gathered in what we would only call a ‘holy expectancy.’”[5]

The Spirit’s power calls us to reverence Him, His power, and His people.

VI. POWERFUL EXPECTATION, Acts 5.12-16

The reputation of the Apostles increased (verses 12-13).

And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.
And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them.

Multitudes came to the Lord, from 3,000 to 5,000 to multitudes (verse 14).

And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)

Expectation increased (15-16).

Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.
There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.

Do we really expect God to move in our services, in our situations, in our lives?

Philip Jenkins explains a modern missions dilemma

“From the earliest days of the European missions, the promise of healing was at the heart of Christian successes.  Prospective converts were excited by biblical accounts of healing miracles, stories that the missionaries themselves were already treating with some embarrassment.  Fundamentally minded Europeans had no doubts about the reality of biblically recorded cures in apostolic times, but questioned whether miracles continued into the modern age.  Their converts, though, were quite willing to accept modern miracles.”[6]

“Although Western society struggles with belief in the supernatural, the opposite is true on the field: ‘For many new believers, stories of miracles and healing are so self-evidently crucial to the early Christian message that some suspicion must attach to any church that lacked these signs of power.’”[7]

Stanley Horton describes a similar level of expectancy in the E.C.

“Yet there is running throughout the Book [Acts] a new awareness of the Holy Spirit.  It came, not only from their initial Pentecostal experience, but from a daily consciousness of the presence, guidance, and fellowship of the Spirit and from many special manifestations of His power.”[8]

VII. POWER TO OVERCOME, Acts 5.17-20

Some of the Apostles are imprisoned (verses 17-18).

Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation,
And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.

The angel freed them and sent them back with a powerful message (verses 19-20).

But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,
Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.

Are you allowing the power of God to make you a witness?

If you are, the enemy cannot stop what God has planned for you.

pic credit: jaefrench | 01.03.17 | pixabay

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notes:

1. Philip Jenkins, The New Faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the Global South (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006), 185.
2. Ibid.
3. Stanley M. Horton, What the Bible Says About the Holy Spirit, Rev. ed. (Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 2005), 150.
4. Ibid., 151.
5. Richard J. Foster, Celebration Of Discipline: The Path To Spiritual Growth (New York, NY: HarperSanFrancisco, 1998), 161.
6. Philip Jenkins, The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity (New York: Oxford University Press, 2007), 145.
7. Ibid., 149.
8. Horton, 135.