An Impactful Church

Introduction

The video you just saw has been seen before by many here that enjoy that praise song, “Every Praise” by Hezekiah Walker. Hezekiah Walker is the Pastor of Love Fellowship Tabernacle in Brooklyn, NY. The scene of this musical rendering was in Centennial Olympic Park, a landmark in the city of Atlanta, GA. We term what we just witnessed as a flash mob response to the musical event.

From that scene and the people’s response, I want to ask you a question. In today’s society, even here in Montgomery , we will see an individual express them self in all manner of ways and we know at times bizarre ways, yet does not seem to have the impact. I ask you the question, how would one person’s actions impact you vs. the scene in Atlanta where 30-50 from Hezekiah Walker’s church participated in this musical rendering of “Every Praise.” I simply ask the question: does a group of people in one accord completing a task or mission have more impact than one who is isolated attempting to make a difference? Now by no means do not misunderstand the message. One is enough with God in it, but I am simply saying there is power in numbers.

As you ponder that thought, I want to share what motivates the message this morning and the text that we study.

Jane and I are going through the Bible together each morning in a devotional time of about 10 minutes simply by reading the next section of a chapter in the Bible in consecutive order. On Thursday of this week we read the text we will study this morning. Acts 5:12-16. The subtitle of the section we studied arrested my attention. In my NKJV, the subsection is entitled, “Continuing Power in the Church.”

Well, you might say, Brother Luke, I get that. You are reading about the birthing of the early church just three chapters after the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the people at Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4. The church was in its purest state. The people were huddled together and they had the ideal environment to stay strong in the power of the Holy Spirit wrapping them and meshing them together as a transformational body of believers for Christ. Let me tell you the word that struck me in that title, “continuing”, the “continuing power in the church.” The “continuing” is what caught my attention. We as a church and we ask individual Christians have times of a flash of light or revival, but what causes it to have a continuing impactful affect?

May I simply ask you the question this morning, do you want to be a part of an impactful church? When I saw that title, I immediately said that I want to pastor a church that has power to impact others. I want to be a part of a body of believers that oozes Christ from the pours of its being. Amen?

Scripture Reading

Listen to our text this morning:

Acts 5:12–16 NKJV

12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch. 13 Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. 14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. 16 Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Prayer

Message

The question that I want to address this morning is how can we be an impactful church? Furthermore, when I read the word “continuing”, the question quickly comes to mind is how do we have consistency? How do we overcome the times of hot and cold in the church when there are times the church is highly influential and other times we are just going through the motions. That is our mission today.

Some great theologians of yesteryear made these comments about the church and its impact.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer:

"The Church is the Church only when it exists for others... The Church must share in the secular problems of ordinary human life, not dominating, but helping and serving."

Charles Spurgeon:

"The power that is in the gospel does not lie in the eloquence of the preacher; otherwise, men would be converters of souls. Nor does it lie in the preacher's learning; otherwise, it would consist in the wisdom of men. We might preach until our tongues rotted, until we should exhaust our lungs and die, but never a soul would be converted unless there were the mysterious power going with it—the Holy Ghost changing the will of man."

Let’s address the question: how can the church have a continuance of the power of the Holy Spirit working among His people and bring about change to a lost world?

1. Signs of Supernatural Power

V. 12 “and through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people.”

May I remind you that the heading of the section is “continuing power in the church”, not continuing power of the church. The church is not powerful. It is the Holy Spirit at work in the lives of His people serving the Lord that administers His power to bring about transformation. Amen?

Matthew 16:18 “18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

Matthew 18:20 “20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.””

The power is found in the Holy Spirit and when two or three of us come together under the power of the HOly Spirit working in us, great things can happen for the kingdom.

Dearly beloved, the church and when I say the word church, I am speaking of us, this body of believers, not this building, are built on the foundation of Jesus Christ and His reign in our lives empowering us for His service.

A. Christians

“and through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done.”

Firstly, we see that great things happened through the apostles, God’s called disciples. I remind you that we are His disciples. Now I do understand that the apostles of that day were commissioned with gifts and powers that were unique to them. For example, we read in Matt 10:1.

Matthew 10:1 “1 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.”

In this scene we study this morning, yes, the apostles were gifted with unique gifts at that time in their respective ministry. And you might quickly surmise, Pastor, Mt Zion has not be ingifted with the same abilities the apostles had and I would agree.

But, when Jesus was standing among the apostles, but the remainder of the crowd, some 120 of his followers, He told them this:

Acts 1:8 “8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

Now do you know why I know that we have the same power founded in the Holy Spirit to be used of the Lord?

Do you remember that Stephen was one of the first deacons called by the church?

Acts 6:8 “8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.”

“through the hands”

Notice, that the mission was accomplished “through the hands.” Doing things with our hands represents, work and at times messy work. When we work with our hands we must go to where the work is.

Last night’s fellowship was a labor of love. Everyone pitched in and helped and I would deem our time a great success. When I am walking together with Garrett on the side putting away the recreational items and Garrett, one of our youth states “it was a great turn out” and at the other end of the spectrum, my wife riding home stated, “I was dreading the heat but it was a lot of fun.” I am encouraged. Great event? Yes. A decent amount of work on a hot day? Yes. Was God honored in our gathering? Amen and amen.

Acts 2:43 “43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.”

They were forming a pattern due to the gift the Lord bestowed upon them. They used their gifts for God’s glory. The miracles were a sign to point people to the saving power of Jesus Christ.

Acts 3:1–9 NKJV

1 Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; 3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. 4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” 5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” 7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God.

We may wonder why some seem to have such impact in winning others to Christ and some seemingly are null and void of impacting someone else. Why is that? I believe it totally has to do with who we give the glory to in the signs and wonders He offers up in our lives every day.

Acts 4:30 “30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.””

“Signs and Wonders”

That’s what I want to address next. Why signs and wonders? Signs and wonders are good English word equivalents to convey why the apostles used signs and wonders to impact the kingdom. The wonder of healing for example was used as a sign pointing people not to the power of the apostles, not the power of the church, but to the power of Christ reigning in the lives of His believers. God simply calls us to administer around the signs and wonders He performs before us to be used to bring glory to Him.

There are signs and wonders God uses every day if we respond to them in correct fashion. What is the correct fashion? Giving glory to God for His goodness and mercy and grace in our lives and sharing those miracles to others for His glory. We must all ask the question, why do we not see more miracles in our lives? The miracles we do have are signs and do we use them in the right fashion for His glory?

Heart Attack-Dr. Kwan or Dr. Fleming or do you give the glory to the Lord that worked through Dr. Kwan or Dr. Fleming to save you from your heart attack?

If you have a stellar day in the work place do you take credit or do you give credit to the Lord?

If you have an automobile accident and you flip the vehicle and come out without a scratch, do you give credit to the safety ratings of your Hyundai Sonata or do you thank the Lord for His watch care protecting you? The Lord provides signs and wonders in our lives everyday to use for His glory.

Ill. Ott Defoe

I challenged our people Wednesday night to formulate a testimony to share how you came to know Christ. Furthermore, everyone in here probably has some signs and wonders of how the Lord miraculously carried you through some difficult issues. Use those signs and wonders as a witness to the Lord’s goodness in your life.

B. Community

Also notice where the mission is accomplished, “among the people.” Yes, there was a central gathering place at that appointed time, Solomon’s porch, but the mission was accomplished among the people.

Matthew 28:19 “19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”

Go there means “as you go.” God wants you to share His signs and wonders in your life at your beauty shop, at the mechanic shop, at the bank, at the grocery store, in the workplace, and the list goes on.

C. Central Gathering Place

Note that there was a central place of gathering, Solomon’s porch. We come here a couple of times a week to be joined in a united fashion. We grow as one when we are together. We gain strength, encouragement, direction, training and the list goes on. We stay plugged into Jesus here as we love God and learn to love others.

We are all products of our environments and when we come together with the soul purpose of worshipping the one person audience of Jesus Christ and learning His truths, being involved in prayer, Bible study, our lives are affected by that than if we were not here.

Normally I would share the “do not”

Hebrews 10:25 “25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Psalm 89:5 “5 And the heavens will praise Your wonders, O Lord; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints.”

Psalm 89:7 “7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.”

Psalm 149:1 “1 Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, And His praise in the assembly of saints.”

Simply put, our time spent together in oneness of mission is contagious.

Our fire stays lit in the coals of Christians in Church

Solomon’s Porch or Portico

A colonnade on the east side of the temple where the early church gathered (John 10:23; Acts 3:11; 5:12).

It became a place of the early church to teach disciples.

This portico ran along the eastern wall of Herod’s temple in the court of the Gentiles. It had two rows of columns, while the colonnade on the south side (known as the Royal Portico) had four rows (Josephus, Jewish War 5.5.1; Antiquities 15.11.5; 20.9.7). The portico was the scene of Christ’s teaching at the Feast of Dedication (John 10:23), and Peter gave a sermon there after his healing of the lame man (Acts 3:11). The early church gathered and the apostles performed miracles there (Acts 5:12).

I think we need to consider something as we could consider this to be one of the first church locations they gathered. Note: The group that could enter the temple in the Gentile area was the largest sector. Anyone could come into the court of the Gentiles. Next, Jewish Women, then Jewish Men, then the High Priest. Furthermore, note the colonnade area was open, more inviting, more visible.

Buc-ee’s Ill. It’s grand. Church should give us the wow factor as we spend time with the Lord here.

We come here to be refueled for Jesus. We come to be fed. We come to find relief from the issues of this world-the restrooms. Yet, we do not reside here. Church is a filling station to continue on with His journey for us. Church is not the end result, it is the median or the operandi of what the Lord is working to accomplish in His people.

So, how do we become an impactful church? Share the signs and wonders of Christ in our lives and the miraculous change we have evidenced since He came into our lives.

Secondly, we see that to be an impactful church, we must have solidarity among our believers.

2. Solidarity of the Saints

“and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch.”

The question we quickly must ask is “what makes us all of one accord?” We have already shared about that in some aspect. They came together in a place to bond together.

A. Being Together

Acts 2:1 “1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.”

Acts 2:46 “46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,”

Peter and John had been put into a city jail in Jerusalem by Jewish leaders. He was addressed by elders, rulers, scribes, the captain of the temple, the officers of the jail and the sanhedrin. It must have been an intimidating sight. How easy would it have been to cave in. I did not sign up for this. What strengthened them for the mission?

WE see a culminating benefit when we come together spelled out in:

Acts 4:23–31 (NKJV)

23 And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 25 who by the mouth of Your servant David have said:

‘Why did the nations rage,

And the people plot vain things?

26 The kings of the earth took their stand,

And the rulers were gathered together

Against the Lord and against His Christ.’

27 “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. 29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”

31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

Their coming together in oneness brought about:

boldness

prayer

exposure to the Word-Ps 2:1-2.

Plan the Mission

Look at verse 13 with me:

Acts 5:13 “13 Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly.”

This is an amazing turn of events. What a transformation. Who is Dr. Luke referring to in this text when he says, “yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly.”

Luke was referring to Jews who were non-believers.

John 7:13 “13 However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.”

John 19:38 “38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus.”

John 20:19 “19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.””

The followers of Christ in their humanity feared the Jews as the Way was growing and it did not set well with the Jews. They ultimately crucified Jesus in their hatred. After Jesus’ resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit and the power that was exhibited in healing the sick and all manner of actions, now the Jews feared the early Christians.

Oh dearly beloved, oh that our government would fear Christians. Oh that the school would fear Christians, of that heathens would even come under conviction because of the reverential fear of a people that walk with God.

In our text this morning the people went out in oneness of the mission of Jesus and brought people far and wide to be healed.

Dearly beloved, when I say healing, I am speaking of all manner of healing. Not just physical healing, but spiritual healing as well. What caused the change in the Jews that were both fearful, yet reverential of the people?

3. Spread of Salvation

Acts 5:14–16 “14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. 16 Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.”

In one verse we read that certain non-believers dared to join them, but yet the people esteemed them highly. And then we read in verse 14, “and believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.”

Why is that? In one sense they saw the church meant business. The people of God did not take their faith lightly. Their faith was not compartmentalized religion where they tipped their religious hats every so often. They meant spiritual business. They were serious about the things of God and living a life of obedience to His will for their lives.

We see the church in its purest state and church discipline exercised in its most severe way.

In the verse preceding, we read where Ananias and Sapphira’s lives were taken from them from the Holy Spirit for lying about the amount of money they received for selling a piece of land to render the money over to the church.

Acts 5:1–5 (NKJV)

1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. 2 And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 4 While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”

5 Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things.

I believe I would be fair to say that today, if the Holy Spirit was as severe in His chastisement of His people as He was on the early church over unconfessed sins; that if we were addressed for our sins right now I do not believe one person in this congregation would walk out of here today alive.

I want to wrap this up. The people were one in Christ Jesus and they were so on fire for the Lord that they went out and spread the signs and wonders of Jesus and the miracle that had happened in their lives. They put hands to the mission and went out from Jerusalem and brought all the physical and spiritual sick that they could to be touched by the apostles for healing. And the Scripture states “they were all healed.”

In closing and making an application to this message. The early church shared the signs and wonders of a miraculous transformation of their former lives before they came to know Christ. The Solidarity of the Saints was the fact that they became pure before a Holy God, it was as Acts 5:5 stated, they recognized that the solidarity had to be with the Lord Himself in their sin, and not concerning whether they hide their sin from man, but the fact that when we do not live pure lives, we are lying to God. And because they did these things, the Gospel spread like wildfire. The church was impactful. Do you want to be that type of church? Do you want to be a part of that type of church?

Begin today of sharing the signs and wonders that Jesus performed on you, a sinner not worthy, but in the miracle of God, I have been made free.

Does your life reflect solidarity with the Saints? Are you committed to this body of believers? Are you here and engaged to the point that you are of one accord with the mission here? Is your life solid in that you are not living habitually a hypocritical life? Now let me share with you what I am not saying this morning.

“all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” even after salvation. What I am talking about is:

Do you have a sin area of your life that you have become desensitized to, do not care to correct it, you may not even acknowledge it and are in no way working on that area? Therein lies the problem in purity. The Lord wants us to acknowledge our sins, confess our sins to be forgiven, and commit to work on those problem areas of our lives.

3. What will result? The church will be impactful and God will use you to share the signs and wonders of Jesus.

What made them one? Everyone of that body of believers never forgot the inexpressible love offering Jesus offered in their stead for their sins committed. Jesus died in your place. If we have little ones, Jesus took the time out in your place. He paid the price for our sins. He loves you that much. Do you love Him? Have you ever accepted His gift of love for you?

Let us pray.