Experiencing the Power
Acts 1-2
Well, here we are at the beginning of another year.
The beginning of the New Year can be an exciting time and a scary time as well.
It can be exciting because the New Year offers an opportunity for a fresh start.
People start diets, they start working out, they get back on a budget, maybe there are even opportunities for a new job or a new role in your job. It can be a time to start things fresh with a new perspective.
On the other hand, as we start new things, where will they lead? Will we be able to accomplish what we are starting? That uncertainty of what the New Year holds can be scary.
I know for me, I can sense both of those feelings – excitement as well as some fear – at the same time.
God’s work at Hickory
I look back over the last year and see a year that God did some amazing things here at Hickory Creek.
He changed around and added new staff and what began as a year that I expected was just going to be a year that we were going to work at stabilizing our ministry, turned out to be a year of incredible growth and steps toward a new chapter in the Ministry of Hickory Creek!
The year ended up with us beginning a capital campaign as we saw continued growth and steps of faith leading us to take steps toward expanding our facilities.
Update on Building Plans
Just to give an update, after the campaign, we realized that we would not be able to accomplish all of the plans in this coming year, so we worked at reconfiguring the plans to fit into a more phased approach that would allow us to start this year. Our plan is to start this by June of this year.
I want to share what we have come up with, with you today.
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Here is the floor plan of our reconfigured design. It expands our current ministry space by more than 70%. I will tell you that our staff and our leadership like this plan even better than what we had before. We are still working out some details, but this is pretty close to our final design and our plan is to start the ministry facility phase this year and leave the sanctuary expansion to another phase.
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Here also is a view of the front elevation.
I hope to have more to show you in the next few weeks, but as I said, we are excited about where we are at and working to get started this year.
Transition
But even as we develop these plans and sense the Lord’s leading in this endeavor, and can feel excited about where we are going, I confess that it is still a bit scary for me.
I mean the logistics of having this constructed and continuing to do ministry are daunting. And even though we are in excellent financial position to be able to accomplish this, it is still scary moving forward on something with a cost of about $2 million dollars in this phase.
So it is exciting and scary at the same time.
Transition
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I wonder if these are the emotions that the disciples were feeling after Jesus’ ascension into heaven.
Imagine what must have been going through the disciples minds.
Jesus, the One that had been with you and leading you for the past years, whom you were able to see do some amazing things and because of Him, you were actually able to be part of some amazing healings! Remember when Jesus sent them out 2 by 2, they had the power to heal people!
It must have been an amazing time!
Then the one you believed to be the Messiah dies!
Wait a minute. This doesn’t fit what you thought was going to happen.
Confusion, disappointment, fear overtake you for several days and then you see the resurrected Christ!
No longer is it fear that has a grip on you, but now it is unbelievable Joy that has overtaken you as you see and interact with Jesus the Messiah!
You have encounters with Him during the next 40 days and then He is about to ascend into heaven taking on his role as Mediator and Intercessor for His people, but from your standpoint, He is leaving you again!
But right before He ascends into heaven, the Disciples have a question for the Lord. It is a question that is similar to a question that we sometimes have too.
Transition to text
Turn with me to Acts chapter 1.
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We are beginning a new series today in the book of Acts called The Church Unleashed.
I think this is going to be a great series for us as a church not only because we are embarking on some big things that are in front of us in seeking to see God’s Kingdom expanded, but also because I think we all face circumstances that can make us feel like the Disciples felt early on, both fearful and excited.
I believe they had these feelings as Christ ascended into heaven and they faced a future not knowing how they would be able to do what the Lord was calling them to do.
I think that now. “Lord, how are we going to be able to accomplish what we believe you are calling us to do?”
Well, let’s read in Acts 1 and see if there are things here that will help us in moving forward with the Lord’s call in our church and in our lives.
Acts 1 starts out with Luke giving the reason for his writing and says,
Acts 1:1-6
1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
6 So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
Ok, so the Disciples are with Jesus and he gives them some instruction. He is going to send them a gift and the disciples want to know if Jesus is going to finally fix things here on earth.
You see things were pretty messed up from the Disciples point of view. God’s people were ruled by the Romans and they want to know are you going to make things right, according to their view.
Apply
Don’t we think that same thing sometimes? Things are pretty messed up here God. We see apparent injustice happening all the time, we see
those who are evil seem to get away with their evil actions and
those who are innocent suffering.
God, are you at this time going to fix things?
Let’s take a look at how Jesus replied to this question that the disciples ask.
Acts 1:7-11
7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."
Ok, so the Apostles ask Jesus, are YOU going to fix things Jesus?
Jesus kind of shrugs it off and says Don’t worry about that right now.
Instead, he says, here is what I am going to do FOR you and here is what I want YOU to do.
What does He do for them?
He gives them Power through the Holy Spirit.
What does He want them to do?
Change the world!
In the midst of their desire to see God change things and their fear of Jesus departing from them, God gives them the Holy Spirit and the power that comes with them and wants them to go throughout the world being His witness and changing the world.
We see this power manifest itself on the day of Pentecost when we read in Acts 2 that the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit and they began speaking in tongues, speaking in their own language, but those who heard them speaking heard them in their own language. (Acts 2:1-11). And on that day, the church was unleashed upon the world!
It is amazing that when we read through Acts that Jesus starts with a band of simple, ordinary men with no formal education, and gives them power to alter the course of history!
Apply
Maybe you are sitting here today thinking that your life is useless, meaningless, like you can’t do anything. You feel like you can barely make a change in your own life let alone be used to change the world.
Well I have news for you.
God makes His power available to you to change the world
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How do we receive this power to be world changers?
Well, it is through the Holy Spirit that we are empowered to do the things that God calls us to do and we see a number of ways through this early part of the book of Acts that this power manifested in the disciples and what they did to receive this.
First and initially,
We receive His Power through Heart Belief
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As Acts 2 goes on, we see Peter preach the first sermon of the church.
He preaches a gospel message about who Jesus is and right after he preached, We read this in
Acts 2:37-41
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37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"
38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-for all whom the Lord our God will call."
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
Ok, so where in here does it say anything about believing? All I see is Peter telling those who ask what they should do to repent and be baptized.
What’s up with that?
Well, I would argue that heart belief is an active belief. When a person truly believes in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins, we see resulting actions from that real belief.
There is repentance, there is obedience to what the Lord wants us to do.
It says in this passage of Scripture that those who were baptized are the ones “who accepted his message” (v. 41). They believed what Peter was preaching about Jesus and followed in obedience.
It wasn’t the baptism that saved them, it was the heart belief that caused them to be baptized that saved them and empowered them with the Holy Spirit of God.
So we receive this power initially through a heart belief in Jesus Christ and are indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
Transition
But that is not the end. There are those who receive Christ and have the Holy Spirit and have received the power of the Holy Spirit who don’t act in accordance with that power…and their lives do not seem to have any impact on this world.
That is because while we initially receive this power through heart belief,
The power of the Holy Spirit to change the world is activated in our lives through certain actions and activities we see in the beginning of Acts, one of which is obedience.
We activate His power through Obedience
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This is what we see Peter instructing those who believed when he tells them to repent and be baptized.
Those who accepted his message were baptized, they followed in obedience.
Application
The problem in the church today is we want to disassociate belief and action.
If you want to live a life of powerfully being used by the Lord, it can’t be done.
James and Paul have the same teaching on this as we see Peter teaching here.
James says,
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James 2:17 - faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
Eph 2:10 - For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
If we are going to experience the power of the Holy Spirit and see that power work through us to change the world, then we have to obey.
Baptism
One of those first acts of obedience is baptism that we see throughout the book of acts.
I am sure there are those here today that have never been immerse baptized as a believer. Throughout the New Testament, baptism was done after someone believed and then they acted in obedience to that belief.
It was not done to someone when they were a baby as a decision made by their parents or any other. It was done as an act of obedience and in belief that Jesus died and resurrected and baptism was practical way of showing that belief and symbolizing your association with Christ and that you were changed and that the old person of who you were was dead and God had made you a new Creation!
We have an opportunity for baptism coming up on Saturday, January 24th after our evening service. If you have never been immerse baptized as a believer in Christ, then come and speak with me and I urge you to follow in obedience to the Lord’s commands so you can experience the power of God to change the world.
Transition
But we see that obedience is only one way that this power is activated.
We see also that
We activate His power through Corporate Prayer
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Acts 1:14 - They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
Acts 2:42d – they devoted themselves to…prayer
Notice that this isn’t just praying at home by yourself. This is corporate prayer. And while we can be filled up and drawn into deeper relationship with the Lord through our individual prayers, there is something different about Praying with a group.
When we come together in prayer and in agreement as a group, as a body, we are told that the power of the Lord is present in a unique way.
Paul tells us in
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1 Corinthians 5:4
When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present
There is power when we gather together in in the name of the Lord that is unique.
And as we gather together to pray in Jesus name, I believe there is a unique manifestation of the power of the Lord.
We see in the book of Acts his regular joining together to pray and powerful things happening.
Not only in these first 2 chapters, but in Acts 4 after Peter and John are released from the rulers, it says they
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“went back to their own people and … they raised their voices together in prayer to God… 31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. (Acts 4:23-24, 31)
There is power that is available only when we are in community praying together.
Apply
If we are going to be the church that God wants for us, we have to be praying together.
Monday evening ladies prayer group
Bible studies – corporate prayer is a component of every group.
Weekends – opportunities to pray for you and with you after each service
Transition
Ok so through obedience, and prayer we access the power of the Lord, but also
We Activate His Power through Bible Study
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Acts 2:42a - They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching
The believers would meet together and one of the things they would do is study the Apostles teachings.
You know what we call the Apostles teaching today? The New Testament.
These first century Christians were in Bible study together.
If we are going to have God’s power manifest in our lives we need to be studying God’s word together with some other believers.
And not just other believers, ideally it should be some other believers from your church. Not that others can’t participate, but
when we are joined in community together,
we grow in our bonds together
as we study God’s word together
and we become more effective together
and the Spirit’s power to affect change through us is increased.
It is through Bible studies with others that we get challenged in our own thinking.
Each one of us has biases. I am certain some of those biases are not based on the word of God. When we study with others, we get challenged in areas of thinking that we may hold and are forced to dig deeper into the word.
That is a good thing. The things we believe had better be true to God’s word or we need to change our thinking.
When we study alone however, we often will skate over areas of difficulty because of our biases. Not that we always will, but we have better chance of being challenged and sharpened by others than when studying just by ourselves.
As Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
We need to sharpen each other by being in Bible study together.
And finally, I believe
We Activate His Power through Christian Fellowship
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Acts 2:42-47
42 They devoted themselves …to the fellowship… 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common…Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
These first century Christians not only devoted themselves to Bible Study, but they devoted themselves to fellowship.
They hung out together
They met together
They ate together
And they enjoyed the favor of all the people. The world around them was being changed.
Fellowship is very important if we are going to be a people and a church that has the power to change the world
Being connected with other Christians in the body is vital to our growth and effectiveness to experience the power of God to change the world.
Conclusion
All of these things that help activate His power in your life are available through the church and through being part of a Bible study.
If you consider this church your home, but have never taken steps to join in membership, being baptized and committing to be part of the body here to do the work together, then I encourage you to take that step of faith. That obedience to the Lord will engage the power he makes available to you to be a world changer as part of the body.
And if you are not part of a Connection Group or Bible study, then you are in luck. We have sign up opportunities today.
Sign up for one of the numerous opportunities to be studying God’s word, to be praying together with God’s people, to be growing in fellowship with God’s people so you can activate the power available to you through the Holy Spirit.
But if you are here today and you have never received Jesus Christ as your Savior, believing in who He is and what He has done, then there is no power to activate in you. You first need to receive that power through receiving Christ.
You receive Christ by turning to Him from your sin and confessing your heart belief that Jesus is the Lord, God in the flesh and that you believe He died for your sins and resurrected from the dead.
Romans 10:9 - if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
If you have never received the power of God by receiving Christ as your Savior, then turn to Him now and confess your belief and receive the Holy Spirit and His power and take steps to activate that power through obedience, prayer, Bible study and Fellowship.
Let’s pray.
