Rethink Church - Confident Faith
Rethink Church • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 5 viewsNotes
Transcript
Handout
Confident Faith
Confident Faith
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Confident Faith
Confident Faith
Promise of power also came the inevitable struggle
We a deep rooted system in place that does not want to be disturbed
Any one that tells you if your having troubles than your faith is an issue I would contend the opposite is true
We are standing in a world with very y clear lines -
Culture or Christ, World or the Word
Carpe Diem - seize the day - live it to fullest
Anyone can be extraordinary - who gives their life to Chirst
Acts 4
The Trial
Acts 4: 1-22
Peter and John just healed the lame man
Arrested - held over night
Put on trial
After they had Peter and John stand before them, they began to question them: “By what power or in what name have you done this?” Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders:
The Trial
Notice - Peter filled with the Holy Spirit
That’s where the power comes from
They were ready with an answer
But when they hand you over, don’t worry about how or what you are to speak. For you will be given what to say at that hour,
When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus.
uneducated and untrained - no credentials
Recognized they had been with Jesus
Can that be said of us?
Look how the early church responds
The Prayer
Acts 4:23-30
One of the best prayer in the bible
What the church didn’t pray for:
Safety -Comfort - Revenge
What the church did pray for:
Boldness - Use us more - Expecting signs and wonders
And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that your servants may speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand for healing, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
There was an urgency and unity
Are we praying urgently for His will to be done or Let your will be what I want
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Four: Persecution, Prayer, and Power (Acts 4:5–31)
“Do not pray for easy lives,” wrote Phillips Brooks. “Pray to be stronger men and women. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks.”
This is a prayer God did and will answer
The Answer To The Prayer
When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly.
The Answer To The Prayer
The house was shaken
They were filled with the Holy Spirit
This filling was response to their surrender
When was the last time you were shaken by God
Overwhelmed by His presence
Empowered to move out
The Result
When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly. Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common. With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them.
The Result
Boldness - Unity - Generous - Power - Grace
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Four: Persecution, Prayer, and Power (Acts 4:5–31)
we are reminded of Augustine’s wise words, “Pray as though everything depends on God, and work as though everything depended on you.”
Confident Faith
Confident Faith
We will never be the Acts Church
It was for that time
We can be Family Church
We can choose Christ over Culture
We can choose Word over the World
We can pray in unison for boldness not blessing
We will see God use us more
We will expect amazing things that only God can get credit for
How confident is your faith?
Can you say:
Peter and John answered them, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide; for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”