January 7, 2018
Morning Worship
Text: Acts 4:30
Subject: Revive Us – Part 2
Title: Power in Community
As we strive to be the church that Jesus has called us to be I think sometimes we struggle with the idea. How in the world can we be that kind of church when we are surrounded by such a wicked society – one that doesn’t seem to want to have anything to do with God, much less respond to the name of Jesus. We get so concerned about what people will say if we stand up for biblical principles. And I kind of get it when people get upset at us because we are telling them things that they don’t want to hear because it might involve change on their part. But you know, the bible is the bible – the inspired word of God – and it doesn’t need you or me to defend it. It stands by itself. What is required of us is to stand in faith upon biblical principles and know that this word is true and that we have no reason to apologize for what it says about what is right and what is wrong.
Our responsibility is to become like the early church so that every time we come together we can expect God to show up in a powerful way. That is what we see as an example in the early church in the book of Acts. After being chastised by the Jewish ruling council Peter and John went and had a prayer meeting with other believers and when they prayed one thing jumps out at us. In Acts 4:30 (NIV2011)
30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
They were not concerned about themselves. They didn’t ask for protection or deliverance – they knew that was theirs. They prayed according to the words of Jesus. John 14:13 (NKJV)
13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
What made the early church such a source of power was this – when they came together they had one purpose and one mind. They were in agreement with what God’s purpose for the church was.
The prayer of agreement is one of the most powerful tools God has given us. It is a prayer that Jesus Himself guaranteed would bring results every time.
Jesus said, Matthew 18:19 (NKJV)
19 Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.
That is what the church is called to be. That when we call on the name of the Lord under the anointing and in agreement with one another there is no power that can stand against us.
Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV)
1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
I believe this is God’s word…
I believe it is for me…
I accept it as mine…
I will appropriate it to my life today…
How many times have I preached from this passage with the emphasis on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. And while that was the significant event of the day there is something that we may overlook if we aren’t careful and that is the power of unity that I believe opened the doors for that outpouring.
1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Two things I want you to look at here. First they were with one accord. The Greek word translated as one accord = homothumadon (hom-oth-oo-mad-on') adv.
1. unanimous
This is a compound word that comes from homou (hom-ou`) adv.
1. at the same place or time
and thumos (thoo-mos') n.
1. passion
Unanimous Passion – That is what the Lord has called us to be as a church. A church that is like minded headed in the same direction under the leadership of a Holy Spirit anointed pastor with people who are willing to step up and be involved in ministry and carry on the work that He has called the church to do – beat down the gates of hell – in power, with authority, in love and in unity.
Have you ever noticed on the Marquee outside of church, there is a visual of what the church is supposed to be?
Do you notice that on the line there is no beginning or end? I started with purpose at the top because I feel that the church has a distinct purpose – to evangelize the world, to provide a place where we can come together to worship, to be a place where you can learn and grow…
And we go from purpose to presence to passion and power. And that is how the early church started. They were homothumadon… unanamous in their passion for the things of God. And that passion brought the power and the power purpose and the purpose into His presence and it is an ongoing cycle for the church.
Turn to Acts 4. We see the prayer of the disciples after Peter and John were released.
30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
Can you see the purpose and passion in that prayer? And it resulted with presence and power.
Acts 4:30-31 (NIV2011)
30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
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.
The Unity of those believers as they prayed released God’s power and presence. When power and presence are seen in tangible ways revival comes in as it instills in us the purpose and passion we need as a church to release more of the power and presence.
That is God’s grace. The manifestation of His power and presence in our lives.
2 Corinthians 9:8 (NKJV)
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
Turn to Acts chapter 12.
Acts 12:1-5 (NIV2011)
1 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them.
2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.
3 When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread.
4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
Who was praying for Peter? How were they praying? We see that there was passion – the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
What can we expect to happen? Wednesday afternoon I came down with flu like symptoms and for the first time in over 16 years I cancelled a service because of my sickness. But listen, because of your prayer of faith by the time I went to bed at nine o’clock I was feeling better and when I woke up Thursday morning there were no symptoms. Must have been the 12 hour virus right? No! the Lord answered the prayers of the church on my behalf! What happens when the church is unified? God answers!
To show you the power of people who are unified one more time, let’s turn to Genesis 11.
Genesis 11:1-6 (NIV2011)
1 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.
2 As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.
3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar.
4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower the people were building.
6 The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.
If the people of the world had that kind of power because they were unified, what kind of power should a church that has the Holy Spirit be seeing? Oh come on… are you listening? There should be nothing that we can’t accomplish. There should be no power that could ever hold us back.
7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”
If they couldn’t understand one another then how could they be in agreement? We can understand one another because what we believe and agree on comes from the scriptures.
You are the church of the Living God. Hebrews 12:28-29 (NIV2011)
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,
29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”
There are two ways of being united -- one is by being frozen together (religion), and the other is by being melted together (faith). What Christians need is to be united in brotherly love, and then they may expect to have power.
Moody's Anecdotes, p. 53.
Communion:
We always read our communion verses from 1 Corinthians chapter 11 where Paul gives instructions for communion. And here we see instructions for continuing unity.
1 Corinthians 11:17-22 (NIV2011)
17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good.
18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it.
19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval.
20 So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat,
21 for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk.
22 Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!
1 Corinthians 11:27-30 (NIV2011)
27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.
29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.
30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.
1 Corinthians 11:23-24 (NIV2011)
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,
24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
1 Corinthians 11:24-25 (NIV2011)
24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
1 Corinthians 11:26 (NIV2011)
26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
There can be union without unity: tie two cats together by their tails and throw them over a clothesline.
