Untitled Sermon (6)

Acts 5:12–16 KJV 1900

12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch. 13 And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. 14 And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) 15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. 16 There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.

Acts

The making of a shadow

Intro: Begin by talking about the revival that the church was experiencing in the 5th chapter of Acts.

In the book of Acts there was great revival that was taking place in the church. A church that had started on the Day of Pentecost, in acts chapter 2, with 120 believers being filled with the Holy Ghost, and within just the matter of days the church had grown to thousands of believers.

In Peter and John are on the way to the temple when they encounter a lame man and the man is healed. In ACTS chatper 4,They begin to be threatened with persecution for preaching Jesus, yet in spite of the threats, they continue to preach and there is great outpouring of the Holy Ghost and great unity in the church.

acts chapter 5 begins with a husband and wife who decide to Lie to the Holy Ghost. They come declaring that they have sold their property and given everything to the church. First of all, there was no declaration that they had to sell their property and give it to the church…they did it because a man name Cyprus had sold all of his possessions and laid the money at the apostles feet…and they wanted to appear to be as holy as Cyprus. The issue wasn’t that they didn’t give all of the money…the issue was that they lied to the Holy Ghost and immediately, they were struck dead…this brought a great revival of reverence for both God and for the Apostles.

And it was here in the midst of this great reverent revival, that people begin to bring the sick multitude, hoping that at least the shadow of Simon Peter might fall upon them and they would be headed.

I believe that we are in a time that we need a shadow of anointing and Apostolic Authority to fall upon our communities! Our neighborhoods, our schools…our workplaces…where there is such a demonstration of the power of God that the shadow of anointed men and women of God brings healing and deliverance!

The physics of a shadow require three elements: or if I could say it this way…if there is going to be a shadow…these three elements must exist:

(one) there must be A source of light

(two) There must be A surface for the shadow to fall upon

(And lastly) there must be A solid object located between the light source and the object

1. The first thing that I want to talk about the surface.

In acts chapter 5 we find the Bible tells us that as more and more believers were added to the Lord, the community around them took notice. And they began to bring the sick into the streets. Vs. 16 tells us that they brought multitudes, those that were sick and vexed with unclean spirits.

Vs. 15 says that they brought them for one reason…that the shadow of Peter might fall upon them.

These hurting, sick and vexed by unclean spirits were the surface. They were the ones in need of the shadow to be cast upon them.

Can I tell you tonight, that around us there is a surface that is need of a shadow of healing and a shadow of deliverance to be cast upon them.

On March 1, Governor Larry Hogan signed an Executive Order declaring a State of Emergency in response to the heroin, opioid, and fentanyl crisis ravaging communities in Maryland.

Marriages being destroyed.

Violence, anger, racism, disease…there is an every expanding surface of those in need of Jesus.

2. The Source

In order for there to be a shadow, there must be a source of light! (turn on the light)

It doesn’t matter how great the surface is…if there is no source of light, there can be no shadow!

The prophet Isaiah foretold this source of light when he declared in

Isaiah 42:6 KJV 1900

6 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, And will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, And give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

The prophet Malachi also spoke of this source of light in

Malachi 4:2 KJV 1900

2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise With healing in his wings; And ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

And then in vs 12 Jesus himself declared who the source of Light is!

John 8:12 KJV 1900

12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Jesus is the light of the World!

What our broken, hurting, sick and helpless world needs is Jesus!

If we aren’t careful, we can begin to think that we are the source.

That the world needs more of us. More of our abilities. More programs. More man made solutions.

There was no greater man than John the Baptist.

Matthew 11:11 KJV 1900

11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Jesus said “Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist:”

Yet the writer of John declared in John chapter 1

John 1:6–9 KJV 1900

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

We are not the source…Jesus is the source! Jesus is the light!

3. The third thing that there must be in order for there to be a shadow, there must be a solid object

Some important elements of this crucial element. you can have the surface…a surface that very much needs the shadow of healing and deliverance.

The multitude gathered waiting for Simon to pass by, because they knew that Simon had substance.

You can have the source of light…and we do have the source…the greatest source…the only source…but if there is no solid object there will be no shadow.

1. There must be an object that is willing to be positioned between the source and the surface!

In the man that was immobilized by his sickness declares to Jesus

John 5:7 NKJV

7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”

Could God do it all by himself? Absolutely, but he has chosen to work through mankind.

he chose to operate through the laying on of the Apostles hands.

he chose to operate through the ministry of the Apostle Peter.

There must be a man! A woman! A church that will position itself between jesus and this lost and broken world!

2. The object must have substance

A opaque or transluscent object will not cast a shadow.

The more substance that the object has, the greater the shadow will be!

We need to strive to be people of God that have substance.

An invisible church isn’t helping our world!

A church that has a cotton candy consistency isn’t casting a shadow!

the magnitude of the shadow

Some would say that for there to be a greater shadow of healing and deliverance, we need Jesus to be bigger. I agree that Jesus needs to be lifted up…but Jesus is as great as he is going to get! in him there is no variable, nor turning…He is the same yesterday today and forever! The light isn’t going to get any brighter than He already is.

Some seem to think the answer is the church needs to get bigger…do more...

We think the answer is in us becoming better and greater…and in the sense of us having more substance that is true…but the answer isn’t in the church..or you and I become better and greater…better at meeting needs…better programs...

No…let me show you the most effective way to increase the magnitude of the shadow...

Get closer to the source of light!

Some have decided that they best way to cast a shadow on our world is just get as close to the world as we can…and you can do that…but we lose our ability to impact.

The answer is getting closer to Jesus!