How To Get 3000 People Saved In One Day

B. The Public Was Stirred – They were brought to a realization of God and His power – how did that happen? By the signs and wonders being done by the apostles. I am not opposed to using programs and promotions to reach people, but most of such is needed because of the absence of the Holy Spirit upon the people that are doing God’s work – therefore we have substituted man made plans to take place of the Holy Spirit. That will never work. No one will ever get saved through a program – but by the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

This tells us that a spirit filled local church or a spirit filled family or even an individual can cause great things to take place in the name of the Lord.

The one main reason for today’s anemic condition is the lack of the fullness of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian and a local church. (Listen to me closely) When the pastor, the deacons, the S/S teachers, the song leader, the youth leader, the children’s leader are all filled with the Holy Spirit then great things will happen in that community. It can’t help but happen. This church in our text, didn’t dream up some new plan nor scheme wherewith to spread the Gospel, they just went everywhere stedfastly and preaching the Gospel. That’s where we are lacking today.

The fullness of the spirit does not mean that the building is filled with the spirit, but that the people are filled. When we go out witnessing on Tuesday and Thursday the only witness of the Spirit to those we are visiting is from we the individuals. If we are not filled with the Spirit then there will be no witness to those we visit. The reason we do not see very many saved, is we have no Holy Spirit power on our own lives that convicts the sinners.

It is said of J. Frank Norris – when he would enter a building people immediately came under conviction because of the overflow of his own fullness. The same was true with Charles Finney. The Holy Spirit does not dwell in auditoriums and houses, but in lives of spirit filled saints.

III. THEY HAD GREAT COMPASSION Vs. 45

45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.

When a person is filled with the Spirit of God he is not greedy. He has a totally different outlook on his possessions. A person full of the Holy Ghost realizes that Christ is all he needs. Jesus Christ is enough, and he/she does not make the things of this world of great value to their own satisfaction. I have known Baptists that were afraid of being filled with the Spirit, for fear God would require them to sell their possession and give it to the needy.

I’m not sure that today’s level of Christianity is any where near what these people did.

IV. THEY WERE FULL OF JOY Vs. 46-47

46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. (KJV)

Great joy comes when one is fully surrendered to the fullness and the power of the Lord. The reason we do not see nor experience great joy today is because we the membership are not totally surrendered to the will and work of God.