Essentials For A Powerful Church

Essentials for A Powerful Church

Acts 11:19-21

Leadership Board Meeting

June 10, 2003

Introduction

What does it mean to have a powerful church? What does a powerful church look like? Do we have a powerful church?

AC 11:19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

Body

I. The Laity must be involved

A. There were no apostles present

1. The church in Antioch did not have an Apostle working in its founding. The truth is that there was no official leadership present in any of this work. In fact, the church in Jerusalem did not even know this work was even taking place

2. The church in Antioch was born completely from the work of lay people. We don’t even know their names, only where they were from.

B. The work was done

1. The believers spoke of their faith

a.) This means to have a simple and personal conversation with someone

b.) These believers simply went into Antioch and shared with those they met what Jesus had done in their lives.

2. The believers told the reason for their faith

a.) The word “tell” means to proclaim or declare the Truth.

b.) These believers shared the Truth about Jesus and the good news that He rose from the dead for the forgiveness of sins

II. The shared must be impartial

A. The believers shared the Truth with everyone

1. One movement within the church was to only share the gospel with Jews

2. Those who founded the Antioch church made no such distinction. They shared the good news of Jesus with anyone and everyone that they came into contact with

B. There was power in their work

1. Jesus died for all people and God’s deep desire is that everyone come to know Jesus and have a relationship with Him

2. Revelation 22:17

III. The influence belonged to Jesus

A. The Hand of Christ

1. The same hand that hung the stars into place was with them. The same hand that formed the body of Adam and Eve was with them. The same hand that healed the lame, the blind, the deaf and demon possessed was with them. The same hand that was nailed to the cross was with them.

2. The hand of Jesus is powerful

a.) The hand of Jesus transforms lives

b.) The hand of Jesus gives strength to the weak

c.) The hand of Jesus gives courage to the timid

d.) The hand of Jesus gives hope to the hopeless

e.) The hand of Jesus gives life to the dead

B. The transformation that took place

1. The results were amazing

a.) A great number of people believed

b.) They turned to the Lord

2. Their work is our work

a.) The same results can happen here but we must do the work

b.) We need the hand of Christ to be with us