Empowered To Impact

Empowered To Impact

by Pastor Donny Granberry

Text: Acts 3:1-10 (read later)

Introduction

"One day a large male lion decided to make sure that all the other animals knew he was the master of the jungle so he went to the gazelle and roared, ’Who is the king of the jungle?’ Trembling, the gazelle answered, ’Why, you are, mighty lion.’

He went next to the zebra and roared, ’Who is the king of the jungle?’ Fearful, the zebra answered, ’Why, you are, mighty lion.’

Then he went to the monkey and roared, ’Who is the king of the jungle?’ Startled, the monkey answered, ’Why, you are oh mighty king!’

Finally, full of himself, he went to the elephant and roared, ’Who is the king of the jungle?’ The elephant reached out and grabbed the lion with his trunk, whirled him around in the air like a top, body slammed him to the ground several times, then he flattened him against large boulder.

The beaten, bruised, and battered lion struggled to his feet … he looked up at the elephant said — ’Look … just because you don’t know the answer doesn’t mean to have to take it so personally!’"

To the lion … the purpose of his power was to make sure everyone else knew he was king!

In the animal and human kingdom — power is often a tool of intimidation and subjugation … and for many that’s what the perks of power are all about — dominating, dictating and even destroying!

Listen Carefully —

Power in the kingdom of God has an entirely different purpose … the power Jesus promised and provided through the person of the Holy Spirit isn’t power to intimidate or impress … it’s power to impact!

Commentator Lloyd Olgivie puts it like this —

"The power of Pentecost is for people. What happened at Pentecost is for the paralysis of the world. The Holy Spirit, Christ in the present tense, is for the healing of people in the present age. The excitement and enthusiasm of the infilling of the Spirit was to create a people through whom the Lord could continue his ministry of restoration and healing. A new age was born, Christ was alive in his people, and they were now equipped to do what he had done and the greater things he promised — communicating his love and bringing people to him."

Don’t miss it; "The power of Pentecost is for people … it’s God’s answer for the paralysis of the world!"

[Here are the questions we need to ask ourselves]:

• Have I been filled with the person and power of the Holy Spirit?

• Has the filling with the nature and abilities of the Holy Spirit equipped me for ministering to people in need?

• Are the giftings of the Holy Spirit being used in my life to intimidate, impress or to impact?

In Acts 3 … we see the purpose of Pentecost lived out in the lives of the disciples … and by studying the ways the Holy Spirit worked in and through them — we discover the ways the Holy Spirit wants to work in and through us!

There are 3 questions we need to ask if we’re going to really understand and properly use the power Jesus promises his followers —

1. What Happened?

Let’s read it together — 3:1-10

[Luke, who was a doctor, offers a very detailed and descriptive analysis of this day in the life of the disciples … let’s walk back through his chart of events]:

Peter and John are on their way to the temple for afternoon prayers...

Their attention is riveted upon an incapacitated beggar that they had undoubtedly passed many times before ... but this day they can’t dismiss his calls or his need ... something, literally someone, directs them to stop and become agents of the miraculous in this man’s life!

Luke uses medical terminology to describe a man who was cripple from birth —

• The word translated ’feet’ is used only by Luke (Physician), and it’s found nowhere else in all of scripture but here!

• It’s a technical term? A medical term that refers to the ’base’ or ’heel’ of the foot?

• The term ’ankle’ or ’ankle-bones’ is again a medical term found only here in all of scripture ...

• Leaping up — is an ancient medical phrase which describes the suddenness of a socket coming into place ... the instantaneous healing of a joint!

Peter and John speak ’healing’ to the man, they reach for him ... he reaches for them ... and is instantaneously healed ... a man who has never walked in his life begins to leap and dance and praise God!

Crowds gathered in amazement as the crippled man they’d known for years was now miraculously healed!