Traits of a Powerful Church pt 2
Acts • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 1 viewA powerful church is a church that puts the needs of others over personal possessions.
Notes
Transcript
What did we discover about the early church last week?
— praying church
— they were unified in prayer
— they were facing opposition
What was it that they asked for?
29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.
30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
Powerful evangelism requires the strength of the Holy Spirit!
Were they asking for a pastor or leader to be filled to do it?
— No —
— The strength of any church is found in the strength of its people. Churches sink or swim according to how their people engage the gospel.
— The Early Church was a powerhouse because it embraced the purity of the gospel!
What does Luke tell us next?
Acts 4:32 (NIV)
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.
I want you to see something here… look at what Paul says in 2 Cor 5:17
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
What did Christ pray for in John 17?
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,
21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—
What does it sound like Luke is telling us?
— that prayer had been answered (at least temporarily)
What is the evidence?
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.
A funny thing happens when we give ourselves to Jesus… Our values change.
“Two effects of [giving ourselves to] Jesus are that the heart is loosened in relationship to things and tightened in its relationship to people.” — — John Piper
Look at Acts 4:32-34
Acts 4:32–34 (NIV)
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.
33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all
34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales
Do you see what’s happening there?
— that is the core of this story.
— The “believers” lost their love for “things”, and strengthened their love for people.
— We cannot hold on to our “things” - our possessions - and draw closer to Christ. We WILL have to give one or the other up…
Matthew 6:24 (NIV)
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
“You cannot serve both God and possessions!”
What did Jesus say was the greatest commandment?
37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
Look at what it says right after that:
40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Genuine faith in God has two effects on us:
Unity
Sharing
What does that require?
— 100% commitment to the Lord.
— Everything we have must become His… Everything we are must become Him.
Look at verse 32
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.
What did they give to?
— the Church
— Each other
What did they give?
— everything
How did this commitment effect the Apostles?
— Acts 4:33
Acts 4:33 (NIV)
33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all
— They preached powerfully.
How did it effect the people?
— Acts 4:34
Acts 4:34 (NIV)
34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales
— there were no needy people…
WHY???
— their hearts were changed!
— They saw a need, they met it!
(story)
There was a pastor whose church was going through a building project. After several weeks in prayer for the finances to complete the project, the pastor came to the congregation one Sunday, and said:
“I have good news and bad news. The good news is, we have enough money to pay for the extension for the Church.”
“The bad news is, it’s still in your pockets.”
So many people in the church today, want to see the needs met… they want to see good work done… but they keep the money in their pockets!
The early church didn’t!!!
They saw a need, and they met it!
Maybe we don’t see God’s power,
maybe the walls don’t shake for us today,
because we have it to easy!
We don’t face opposition like those in the Early Church, or those in other countries do.
It’s to easy for us to keep our money in our pockets, and just let others deal with it.
It’s to easy for us to just pray our little “popcorn” prayers and go about our lives…
Maybe that’s why we don’t see God move in power today like He did back then…
We give our tithes, we say our prayers, but DO WE TRULY PRAY?!?
John Burton once wrote:
“I often say my prayers,
But do I ever pray?
And do the wishes of my heart,
Go with the words I say?
I may as well kneel down,
And worship gods of stone,
As offer to the Living God
A prayer of words alone.
For words without the heart,
The Lord will never hear.
Nor will He to those lips attend,
Whose prayers are not sincere.
Lord, show me what I need,
And teach me how to pray.
Nor let me ask thee for thy grace,
Not feeling what I say.”
We need to learn to Pray and to Give like the early church did.
Not for our own benefit, but for the benefit of the Gospel.
7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.