Power for Life.

The early church was born! The disciples had not only received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, they had also received the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Three thousand people had recently joined their ranks! God was doing incredible things and the most incredible thing was: HE WAS ADDING TO THEIR NUMBER DAILY. Acts 2:47

Acts 2:47 NIV

47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

That’s an incredible testimony! God was truly on the move!

Can you imagine what that might have looked like?

We have seen salvations take place right here at HWC. Throughout the years we have witnessed men, women, and children give their hearts to the Lord. That is awesome! But have we seen a DAILY addition to the kingdom of God here in the heartland? Have we seen this kind of amazing move in recent years or even… decades?

Consider what the early believers were doing. Acts 2:42-47 gives us a summary that details some of their regular activities.

They were devoted to the teaching of the Apostles - Discipleship

They were devoted to fellowship - community AND communion

They were devoted in giving - compassion

They were devoted to prayer and worship - seeking and honoring God.

This wasn’t some magic or secret formula to spiritual success… it was simply their NATURAL response to the what they had experienced in Jesus.

And because of this… God was moving in the hearts of those who did not know Him. Look again at the Acts 2:47. Before the Word says people were being saved… it said that the early church enjoyed the favor of ALL the people. The early church had a solid reputation - they lived and operated as the extension of Jesus’ ministry until He returns.

We need to get back to this… back to a day when God is adding to His kingdom daily those who are being saved.

And we have all we need to get there! God has given us ALL that we need.

First, He has given us His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus did ALL that was necessary for our relationship and fellowship with God to be restored.

Second, He has given us eternal life. Just as we are crucified with Christ, we are also resurrected with Christ. God, through Jesus, has removed our death sentence caused by sin and replaced it with a gift of eternal life!

Third, He has given us His Spirit to live in our hearts. The Holy Spirit works to lead us, guide us, direct us, convict us, help us, etc. As believers, we are now the temple that God’s presence dwells within!

Fourth, He has given us the baptism of the Spirit that empowers our witness. This outpouring of His Spirit is given that we may be His witnesses in our community, in our region, and all around the world!

God has given us ALL that we need for our ministry toolbox! The question is… are we willing to utilize the tools that God has given us?

I’m afraid that sometimes, when we talk about reaching the unreached within our communities, that we lock up and freeze because of misunderstanding of what real-life ministry looks like.

I think sometimes we get an image in our head of a street preacher on a corner or an evangelist talking to a crowd or even knocking on doors asking people if they know Jesus.

God can use these things… but more often than not, He uses a more subtle approach. He uses real-life opportunities to draw people back to Him.

Tonight, we are going to look at one of those opportunities detailed in Acts 3.

We know this story well, but I am going to take a different approach. Yes… a miracle takes place in the first few verses of Acts three… but there is another “miracle” present in the text we often overlook: The Miracle of Just doing Life.

Sounds a little… ordinary doesn’t it? Sounds less epic and more… routine. And yet… something INCREDIBLE results because of it.

With the tools God has given us, we can see God take ordinary, daily situations and turn them into life transforming experiences.

God can turn your trip to the grocery store… into a missions trip

God can turn your trip to the city park… into a family ministry.

God can turn your routine at work… into a proclamation of His Word.

The early church simply utilized the “tool box” God had given them for ministry and the results were clear!

God has given us all we need to live an empowered life… and to make a powerful difference for His kingdom. All we have to BE is followers of Christ. All we have to DO is look for opportunities.

We will quickly break down Acts 3 to see what I am talking about.

Peter and John… are going about their day and God drops an incredible opportunity in front of them. Would they act upon it by relying on the tools He had given them… or would they walk on by?

Acts 3:1–3 NIV

1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.

These two guys are going about their business… and they are given an opportunity. Chances are… they had seen this guy before.

The beggar was placed at this spot at this time EVERY DAY to beg.

It was a busy time of day. A lot of people would be present. This wasn’t the first time this man had been there.

This probably wasn’t Peter and John’s first encounter with this guy… but now they had been empowered by the Spirit for such a time as this.

Now empowered witnesses for Christ… they choose to engage. And we see three amazing things in operation.

Empowered Boldness.

The beggar had been brought to this place to do this one simple thing: to beg.

He was there in hopes that the people would give him enough resource to help him through the day.

His ability to survive was based solely on the compassion of others. Scripture made clear that this man had been lame from birth - he could not walk. In fact, He had to rely on others to carry him to this place so he could beg.

This was his life… it was all he had ever known. And there was no hope of a change. There was no earthly remedy for his condition.

He wasn’t a bad guy… he was simply doing all he could do to see tomorrow. Honestly, I don’t think many in the community really even gave this guy a second thought.

To some he might have been a nuisance. To others he may have looked like someone trying to take advantage of others. To some a charity case. But to God… He was MUCH MORE THAN THAT.

Do we know and understand tonight… that GOD VALUES EVERY SOUL WE ENCOUNTER ON A DAILY BASIS?

Maybe it is someone you run into at the gas station or someone you see at work. You don’t really know them well but you see them occasionally. Have you ever stopped to think that maybe… your routine run ins with this person/people are not happenstantial… but God trying to give you opportunity to reach them for Him?

God has given you all that you need… and maybe all that is holding you back is a lack of boldness. Look at what Peter and John do.

Acts 3:4–5 NIV

4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

At first, the man wanted their attention, but now, Peter and John call for his attention. And with this simple action, the man EXPECTED to get something from them.

And suddenly, a daily happening in the life of Peter, John, and the beggar turned into something else.

Peter and John acted in boldness. They didn’t accidently engage in this man’s need, they boldly jumped on the opportunity to minister to Him.

What is boldness? To be bold is to show or require a fearless daring spirit. But when it comes to our spiritual walk with God, I would offer this simple edit. To be bold is to show or require an EMPOWERED spirit.

Peter and John were not acting on their own accord. How do I know this? Because they could not offer the man what he was asking for which was money. If they couldn’t give him money, then why engage at all? What purpose would this encounter serve?

We have someone of far greater value than money to offer this world! We have someone who can do the impossible… someone who can move mountains… someone who can heal the blind and deliver the sinner. His name is Jesus!

Too often we stop at what we have to offer. “What can I do about ____________?” Our boldness is snuffed out before we begin to consider what the Lord can do!

Peter and John were emboldened by the Holy Spirit to engage… not to walk by, but to address the true need of the beggar at the gate called beautiful.

The Holy Spirit helps us to see in the Spirit what we might miss in the flesh. Again, this is not the first time they had seen this guy… but God helped them to see his true need this go around.

Peter and John experienced a new boldness that led them to engage.

Empowered Faith.

So far, the two men had called for and received the man’s attention. What they do next shows us a new level of faith in both of them.

Acts 3:6 NIV

6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

Whoa now… slow this thing down a bit. I want you to stop and consider something - consider how much faith it must have taken to command a man who had been lame from birth, to rise up and walk!

Let’s make this personal… Maybe you know someone who is blind and you tell them to see.

Maybe you know someone who is paralyzed and you tell them to walk.

Consider the faith it would take to speak to that situation and command that it be changed in Jesus’ name!

Because what is the fear? What is it that causes hesitation? “What if we pray for it… and it doesn’t happen? Then what?” Well, what if you pray for it and it DOES happen???

Peter and John display a level of faith that for most would appear to be off the charts… but is it really off the charts? Remember what Jesus said...

Matthew 17:20 NIV

20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

John 14:12 NIV

12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

Remember John’s words in 1 John 5:14-15

1 John 5:14–15 NIV

14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

And NEVER forget this truth about God and His abilities found in Ephesians 3:20-21

Ephesians 3:20–21 NIV

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

My point? we know GOD CAN… but our fear of GOD WON’T gets in the way of our faith. NO WHERE in the Bible do I see ANY SCRIPTURE that says God withholds from us His healing, His deliverance, His protection, His presence, etc. Instead, I see God described in Scripture as:

Jehovah Elohim - our creator

Jehovah Adonai - our master

Jehovah Jireh - our provider

Jehovah Nissi - our banner

Jehovah Rapha - our healer

Jehovah Rohi - our shepherd

Jehovah Tsidqenuw - our righteousness

And the list could go on and on! He is the God that can and will… not the God who can’t and won’t. We simply have to believe two important things:

One: God IS who the Bible says He is! These are but a few examples of who Scripture says our God is!

Two: God DOES what the Bible says He does! His promises are yes and amen!

The Holy Spirit helps move us beyond ourselves and the limitations of our flesh into a new realm of possibility! GOD IS STILL DOING GREAT THINGS! He simply needs a following of people who STILL believe that!

We need empowered faith… faith that moves us beyond any fear… faith that helps us remember what God is able to do!

Empowered Action.

This one is CRITICAL. Why?

So far, Peter and John, through boldness, got the attention of the man.

Next, they gave him instruction to get up and walk - something this man had NEVER DONE.

Lastly, they MOVED to action in line with the faith they displayed.

Acts 3:7–10 NIV

7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

They took the man by the hand and helped him up! The guys jumps up, begins to walk… then begins to praise! God had restored his legs!

AND… because he had been there day in and day out, people recognized this guy and couldn’t believe what they were seeing!

God was glorified through this amazing miracle! And ALL of this happened because two guys, going about their regular day… saw an opportunity to minister to someone and they pounced on it!

Reaching out their hand placed action to their faith. They didn’t just tell the guy to walk, they helped him get up and walk!

Faith requires action for it to be alive!

We can sit here and amen that statement till we are blue in the face but it won’t make any difference until we are willing to reach out to make the impossible a possibility. YOU CAN’T MAKE A LAME MAN WALK… but God can! YOU CAN’T HEAL YOUR SICK COWORKER… but God can! YOU CAN’T DELIVER YOUR LOST LOVED ONE… but GOD CAN!

All it might take is actively picking up the phone or simply saying something during your daily routine. God has given you the path you walk daily… and there are people along that path that needs His touch.

You might not have what that person is asking for specifically… but God knows what they truly need.

Faith comes alive when we put action behind it.

Closing

How many desire tonight for God to add to our number daily those who are being saved?

I believe it’s God’s desire to see this kind of growth all throughout the heartland. His desire is that no one would perish. ALL PEOPLE MATTER TO GOD.

And God has an army that He has deployed… a body of believers… workers for the harvest. We don’t have to go far to find the need, we simply need to be aware.

AND… we simply need to be empowered.

The Spirit of God helps to show us the value… of our daily routines. Specifically in the area of who we rub shoulders with. We are NOT here by accident. God has placed you where you are for such a time as this.

Never underestimate what God can do in a simple conversation. Never underestimate what a simple offer of prayer or invite to church could lead to. Simply obey the commission, and operate in the empowerment. GOD WILL DO THE REST.

We have a choice to make. If we are satisfied with church attendance across the nation in decline and people not knowing Jesus… then walk on by.

If you would rather keep your head down, go about your business, and not get involved then by all means, keep going through the motions, but don’t pretend to care about the kingdom of God.

That might seem harsh… but so is ignoring the needs of a dying and hurting generation. God isn’t asking you to give what you do not have… He is simply asking you to be available for Him to move through.

IF YOU WANT TO SEE GOD ADD TO THE NUMBER OF THE CHURCH DAILY… don’t merely ask God to bring the additional growth… pray for boldness, for faith, and for action. Pray for a Spirit empowerment that moves you to mission!

Every bit of the growth of the early church came through empowered believers engaging with people in their daily lives. They simply told “their world” about Jesus.

How informed is your world regarding Jesus? How commited are you to helping those in your world to become more informed about Jesus?

Are you willing to be bold? Are you willing to stand on faith? Are you willing to take action? Are you OPEN for the Spirit of God to EMPOWER you tonight?