Intro: we all are familiar with signs, everyday signs are part of our lives. Stop signs, yield signs, speed limit signs, signs that advertise, signs that warn. During the 60’s people held up peace signs. There are protest signs, and at football games people hold up signs that show support of their team. Most churches have a sign out front that is used to announce up-coming events, or give important information, or maybe have an inspiring quote for the week. But more important than these signs: the church is suppose to have supernatural signs. As we read the book of Acts, we find the church didn’t start out as an organization, but a living, on fire organism with signs and wonders following the believers. Today, I want to encourage us as a church, to be the church of supernatural signs.
A CHURCH OF SUPERNATURAL SIGNS
ACTS 2:43
Background: an overview of the book of Acts clearly shows the disparity between the early church and the modern church. In church today appearance is more important than substance. Results are generally measured in buildings and finance, over souls and miracles. I desire for Bethel to be a church of supernatural signs and today we will look at the important signs of an Acts church.
I. Convicting Message—2:37—pricked in their heart—every preacher, every member should study the messages of Acts to see if the early message of the church and today’s message of the church are the same. I think it is clear that the message has been watered down, the message has been sapped of all it’s strength and power, and the message has been totally changed from it’s original origins.
a. the message is about Jesus—if our message is blessing and prosperity, if our message is about how many horses are there in Revelation, if our message is a deep theological hodgepodge of useless genealogies, then we have the wrong message. The message is about Jesus, about an old rugged cross, about blood that makes you white as snow, about strips that can heal your body, about Jesus being the only way to God.
b. The message is about change and repentance. The early message of the church was this: you put Jesus on the cross, your sin is why he had to die, repent of your terrible sins, get right with God, and be born again. That message still works today, if any message doesn’t ultimately point people to Calvary, it is the wrong message.
c. The message is about Messiah—Peter’s message, Stephen’s message, Phillip’s message and Paul’s message all were the same. That Jesus was the Son of God, Jesus was the Messiah that Israel was promised, that Jesus was crucified but no grave could hold his body down. That Jesus was coming back for his bride, the church, and you needed to be ready for that day.
Ill) Buell Pitts—preached four sermons everywhere he went. Salvation, Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Healing and Rapture. Thousands saved and filled with the Spirit. Why? Because that is the message of the church.
II. Total Commitment: 2:44-45 as we view the early church we see another important sign—totally committed Christians. They were all 100% for the Lord. They gave everything they had, they lived the life every day, there was no such thing as a week-end warrior, Jesus Christ was the continual thought of their lives.
a. they all had an obsessive, compulsive behavior. They walked Jesus, they talked Jesus, they breathed Jesus, they lived Jesus. It was all about him, 24/7—365.
b. They gave willingly, cheerfully to the work of God. They wanted the work to prosper, they wanted the message to spread, so they gave of their time, talent and abilities.
c. They worked harder for Jesus as Christians, than they did for the devil when they were lost. They were willing to suffer, be put down, they all had the sign for me to live is Christ to die is gain.
III. Unified Effort---46—one accord, singleness of heart—the early church was all about Christ and others. One of the greatest signs a church can have is the sign of unity, oneness in Jesus Christ.
a. in the early church the thought was; what can I do for the church, not what can the church do for me.
b. They all had the same goal and dream: to spread the gospel or good news into all the earth. Jesus had given the church the great commission, and everyone was on the same page.
c. from house to house—it wasn’t from service to service, it was a
daily experience. People were constantly sharing Christ, they
were constantly praising God, every meal turned into a
supernatural event.
IV. Supernatural Results—2:47—Lord added daily –a supernatural church is so exciting because people get saved inside the building and outside the building. They get saved on Sunday, but they get saved on Monday through Saturday. The Lord is continually adding to a supernatural church.
a. everyone shared Christ and everyone took part in the harvest. The model for church growth isn’t for the preacher to have the responsibility for the spiritual growth and life of the church, but everyone being a vessel that pours into others.
b. People got saved in the streets, in the homes, in the desert, on the sea, they got saved in every place that the message was sent.
c. In the last days the reaper will overtake the sower. God has promised for us, tremendous results, if you throw out the seeds, you will reap harvest.
V. Notable things—4:16—for the church to survive in this last hour, there must be notable things taking place in all of our lives. The church must have more life in it, than the world has death in it, and the life must overcome death for the church to prosper.
a. 5:15—Peter’s shadow—anointing must rest on our lives for notable things to take place. Every believer is to have signs following them everywhere they go.
b. 19:11-12—Paul’s handkerchiefs—healing, power and deliverance is the sign of the church. Paul had such a great anointing, he said, I didn’t come with excellent speeches or man-made wisdom, but in demonstrations of the Spirit of God.
c. power and miracles will get you noticed—when Peter and John
did this notable miracle, it got the attention of the city. If any of you want to help the cause of Christ, raise a few people from the dead, set a few people free from bondage, defeat the devil everywhere you go, and you will get the church of Jesus noticed.
VI. Intense Praise, Worship and Intercession—4:31, 16:25-26 another supernatural sign of the church is intensity. If there is one major difference in the early church and the modern church, it is in the area of intensity. The early believer worshipped the Lord with everything they had. They didn’t believe a little dab will do ya.
Ill) Jeannie Mayo—man slipped into dorm late one night, tried to get into her room, she screamed out, he ran off. God spoke to her at that moment and said, Jeannie when you want my anointing in your life as much as you wanted my protection in your life, you will walk in a greater anointing.
a. worship should never be on a timer—many times we get into such a hurried life and schedule, God gets put on a Master calendar.
b. If your prayer is done with a yawn and your worship is done with a nod, it won’t get the results you are hoping for: here is a key, if our worship means little to us, it will mean little to God.
VII. Angelic Assistance—5:19-20 another sign of the early church was angelic visitation, assistance and protection. In the modern church there has been a move away from expecting supernatural encounter, so supernatural encounter is often unheard of in the modern day church. I believe we will see angels, fight demons, and see spiritual warfare increase in the days ahead.
VIII. Dynamic Leadership—6:5-8 another sign of the early church was this: power isn’t reserved for a prophetic few—but God is willing to use the entire body of Christ.
a. take a good look at these early church leaders, they weren’t picked because of popularity or influence or social standing, they were selected because of faith, power, wonders and miracles.
b. We need to realize that the Old Testament God moved on one man at one place at one time: the Prophet of God. But now He pours out of His Spirit on all flesh. The power of God is available for every believer.
c. It doesn’t say call for the Pastor to lay hands on the sick so they will recover: it says call on the elders, ( spiritually mature Christians) and they can get results.
Ill) one of the great stories Doctor Rutland told was about the Mexico Bible college they had built. The very day before the dedication service they got terrible news. They said, even though all this land had passed the perk test, and we had water in our well, it is all run dry. They had drilled 5 other holes and found no water. Now they had a bible college with no water. An older lady who was a missionary working along side of Doctor Rutland prayed a strong prayer of faith. She said, God we need you to do something about this. She prayed, said; it is settled, let’s go eat. The next day at the ceremony they celebrated the opening with a well that was full of water. He said, that was 30 years ago and that well is serving the Bible College in Mexico today.
IX. Holy Spirit Impartation: 8:14-20 the next supernatural sign is that people get filled with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands. That the people of God can impart into others the power of God if they are thirsty for the infilling of God.
a. Simon wanted to buy this great gift, but Peter said, this isn’t on sale. It was such a tremendous thing to see: that people would receive the power of God, a new language from God, by the laying on of hands.
b. The first church was a Pentecostal church and the last church will be a Pentecostal church. Now I am not saying a denominational church, I am saying, the last day church will operate in Holy Spirit impartation.
c. The message of Paul and Barnabus that rocked the Jewish believers was this: the same Spirit that has been poured out on us, is now being poured out on the gentiles. This is God’s great revelation for the church: the Holy Spirit isn’t owned by the Jewish nation or the Gentile nation or the Pentecostal churches of America: the Holy Spirit is a wind that will blow where He wants to: on your sons and daughters, on this generation, the next generation and all generations: this is the promise of the Father.
X. Unstoppable ministry- Acts 28:30-31 I love these two verses because they are the last two verses of the book of Acts and there is no official ending. Every book that has ever been written has some form of an ending, but the book of the ministry of the Holy Spirit and church doesn’t end because it is still being written every day.
a. we are the chapter 29 generations.
b. Paul, the prisoner of the Lord, is still sharing Christ in Rome, people coming in and out of his house every day. The ministry of the church is unstoppable, that is a supernatural sign, heaven and earth shall pass away, but the Word will never pass away, Jesus will build His church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
c. Once in a while I will hear a television minister say, if you don’t send in your gift to this ministry this week, this ministry will be through. I have good news, even if a ministry comes to an end, His ministry will go on forever. Even if a church closes it’s doors, the Church of Jesus Christ will remain open. Of this kingdom there shall never be an end.
Close: David Wilkerson prophesied in his book: set your lips to the trumpet, that in America the denominational churches will close up at alarming rates. He wrote this book years ago and today in every denomination church closings are at an unprecedented high mark. But he stated that those churches that operate in the power of God will flourish even in the midst of Spiritual decline in America. I say, let’s be that supernatural church, let’s take the church outside the walls, let’s take the church into the homes, let’s take the church to the streets of the city.
My question today: do you want to be part of the modern church or the early church. Do you want to be the church on Sunday or the church of Jesus Christ. I want you to be part of something big, a church with supernatural signs.
