Theory or Practice

Mark 16:15–18 NKJV

15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

The title of my message is, [Theory or Practice].

Theory if defined, a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain a phenomena

Practice is defined, the actual application or use of an idea, belief, or method, as opposed to theories relating to it.

Life is full of theories, but the theories, ideas, or beliefs are not always put into practice. Then sometimes, when the theories are put into practice, we discover that our theory was correct or incorrect.

We experience this from childhood. Kids develop a lot of theories as to why their parents are wrong. When I was a child, I theorized that as an adult, I could eat whatever I want, buy whatever I want, and stay up as late as I want!

I tried putting those theories into practice, turns out I was wrong. I gained a little weight, had to go on a budget, and realized 9:00 pm looks a lot better then 1:00 am.

When Bekah and I dated and were engaged we had theories about marriage. Everyone kept saying, it is a major adjustment, and the first year can prove difficult.

My theory was, we went to the best premarital counselor. So we would never fight, perhaps disagree, but we will easily mesh two lives and personalities into one within a few weeks!

Turns our my theory was tested when put into practice.

Now, we are about to embark on parenthood. My theory is, our child will be perfect, sleep all the way through the night, never talk back, and heed all of our instructions!

Some parents are thinking, just wait until you put that theory into practice!

Sometimes our theories are right, then other times, when they are put into practice we find out we have room for improvement.

With this in mind, I want us to think back to what it was like to live in the New Testament era. With the coming of Christ, everything changed!

He came with a new theory of how God could communicate and work with humanity!

God’s plan was simple:

Jesus would die on the cross

Rise from the dead

Ascend to heaven

Send the Holy Spirit

and then use ordinary people like us to do extraordinary exploits for Him!

Jesus gave them everything they needed. He even promised:

Here was the theory, if the early church would go forward to extend the Kingdom of God, people would be saved, and baptized in water.

If they would believe in Jesus and His ability to work through them, they would have miraculous signs accompany them, take authority over the enemy, speak in tongues, and heal the sick!

Jesus gave this vision of the Church! Then He ascended to heaven and was gone. But remember, at this point, it was a theory. Jesus outlined a set of principles that He believed would work in and through people.

However, the early church had to put this theory into practice. They had to discover, would Jesus’ promise come to pass for them!

They practiced the theory on the day of Pentecost. We looked at this last night. In one day, 3000 people were saved, baptized in water, and filled with the Holy Spirit.

But, was God’s promise a one-time event or a new part of His plan for the church. They had to continue to put the theory into practice:

Acts 3— God used Peter and John healed the man outside of the Temple

Acts 4— persecution came, but God rescued Peter and John and the church had a prayer meeting that gave them boldness from heaven

Acts 5— Peter’s shadow was used to heal people

Acts 6-7— even under great persecution, the first martyr of the church Stephen had a supernatural vision of Jesus sitting at the right hand of God

Acts 8— a new people group, the Samaritans were saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit

Acts 9— the theory was tested on a man as corrupt and evil as Saul of Tarsus. But the theory worked when he was saved, empowered with the Spirit and used by God.

There are many other examples, but I want to stick with Paul tonight. He shows us how we can know about God and put what we know about Him into practice!

Paul depicts the type of people God desires. For we live in an era where there are plenty of theories about God, spirituality, or supernatural events.

Many people have heard about God, but to them, His name and power is only a theory. They have yet to see what He can do put into practice.

Therefore, we have a society of people who have yet to encounter raw power of God in their setting and context. Therefore, God is looking for people who will not just know about God, but will walk in the power He has available to us.

Turn with me to Acts 19. I want to look at Paul’s work in starting the church at Ephesus. There are three theories Paul practiced, and it showed the Ephesians what the ONLY God of the universe can accomplish.

These three theories are, [Power over Self], [Power over Sickness], and [Power over Satan].

Let’s begin

1. Power over Self

Acts 19:1–2 NKJV

1 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”

Sometimes one of the greatest obstacles to growth in God is SELF. If we are not careful, we can assume we know all there is to know, have experienced all there is to experienced, and can do all we ned to do on our own.

Here is the challenge of following Christ. Will we relinquish SELF and surrender to His saving power and His desire to work in and through us.

For is we hold onto SELF, we miss out on what God has for us. So the New Testament church had a theory, God can take over SELF when we surrender to Him and enable us to do what we could otherwise not do on our own.

They tested this theory of twenty-five years since Peter preached the first message on the Day of Pentecost.

Now, Paul arrives in the city of Ephesus and he meets twelve disciples. From the outside looking in they seemed to have everything one could want out of potential Christ-follower.

Yet they appeared to lack something. They seemed to {have good motives}, {with some understanding about the scriptures} and {about repentance}. Paul finally gets to what, or should I say, who is missing.

He questioned them, (had they received the Holy Spirit?) Literally, in the original language he asked, (having believed, did you receive the Holy Spirit?)

They were perplexed, they had never heard of the Holy Spirit. They were sincere in their faith, however there was more available for them.

Luke does not detail all that Paul told them. Paul might have told them his story. He was a man who had much knowledge. He could recite chapters upon chapters ABOUT God, but he did not know Him personally.

In his pride and arrogance, he thought he knew it all until one day God showed Himself to Paul. He was humbled as he was struck blind on the road to Damascus.

Then God led me to a man named Ananias who prayed for me:

Acts 9:17 NKJV

17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Perhaps he shared his testimony. Whatever he said, he convinced them of their need to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 19:6 NKJV

6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

After baptizing them, he laid his hands and they began to speak in tongues and prophecy.

So we see that the theory that people can relinquish power over self by receiving power from God through the Spirit proved to be true.

And let me add, the theory still remains true, God can give us power over self through the power of the Holy Spirit. Let’s look at another theory Paul practiced...

2. Power over Sickness

Acts 19:11–12 NKJV

11 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.

Here is another theory the New Testament church had, Jesus gives power over sickness! Jesus even promised, you will do greater works than me because I go to my Father and you will lay hands on the sick and they will recover.

They tried that theory and found it worked. God used Peter to heal people many times, even raising the dead. Paul had also healed people, even raising the dead.

But now he is at Ephesus, will the theory work? Will Jesus really show power over sickness in a place that is demonized and full of witchcraft.

God did, but notice that Luke explains Paul did UNUSUAL miracles. This does not mean that miracles were unusual, on the contrary, {miracles}, {healings}, {signs}, and {wonders} were a normal part of the early church.

What Luke meant was these particular miracles were unusual. In this instance, people would take the handkerchiefs or aprons of Paul and when they laid them on a sick or demon possessed person, the people were immediately healed.

This was not a ministry of Paul per se. He did not sell his handkerchiefs for a minimum donation. However, Luke indicates that Paul did not seem to mind that people did this.

-Once in Salem, I shared this scripture and felt prompted that we do this in our service. One of the girls took the handkerchief to her grandmother. The grandmother took it to her sister who was on dialysis and about to die. The lady was healed and lived another few years.

-Just recently my friend Isaac in Oklahoma told me that a couple came to them and asked them to pray over a handkerchief for their mother who was in a coma about to die in Maryland. They prayed and the daughter took the prayer cloth to her mother.

The mom had a turn around, it was such a miracle that they hospital did not charge them. The lady was able to go home to Jamaica and see her entire family one more time. When she returned home, she was ready to go to be with the Lord and promptly passed.

We theorize that God gives power over sickness, but does it work! When it is practiced in faith in Jesus’ name, absolutely!

Paul shows that twenty-five years after the Day of Pentecost, the theory of power over self through the Spirit was right, the theory of power of sickness through Jesus’ name was right, but what about the theory of...

3. Power over Satan

Acts 19:13–16 NKJV

13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. 15 And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” 16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Ephesus was a capitol of magicians and witchcraft. Demonic activity was the norm. There were people who tried to capitalize on this for financial gain.

Seven brothers, who were sons of a Jewish priest, would go to different towns and cast out demons for money.

They would itinerate, and when they learned of Paul they thought they had a new formula. They tried out their theory of casting out demons.

They {walked up to a demon possessed man}, and {declared, “we cast you out in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches.”}

This seems logical; they saw this work for Paul, (why couldn’t they do what Paul did?) Their theory of power of Satan did not work without the practice of a consistent walk with God.

They had the right words, but not the right relationship. Notice how the demon answered, Jesus I know, Paul I have heard of, but (who are you?)

Immediately, the one demon possessed man leapt on the seven brothers, and the brothers ran away naked.

(Why is this story important?)

We can {go to church}, {say the right words}, {act the right way}, but if we do not have a genuine born again relationship with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, we will never be able to do all that God called us to do.

Here is the theory. we can get so close to God that the enemy doesn’t have to ask, who are you?

He knows who we are. {Born again}, {Spirit-filled believers in Rolla, Missouri} who are, chosen, not forsaken, bought by the blood, and empowered with the Holy Spirit!

Therefore, we should nto fear the enemy. Oh, no. Satan should fear us. He should know we have power over Him because of our:

prayer life

consistency to God’s house

willingness to fast

and commitment to study God’s word

If we will live this way, we will possess power over Satan.

That is more than a theory, it is a promise! But it takes practice. Consistently drawing nearer to God.

Close:

Theory or practice.

Imagine how the New Testament would have looked if they knew the words of Jesus, but viewed them ONLY as a theory.

If the Apostles became theologians who only studied and compared Jesus’ words with that of the Old Testament.

Had the Apostles looked at Jesus’ promise and thought, we know it will work because Jesus said it will, but it makes us uncomfortable to practice such radical ideas.

Had the Apostles heard to Jesus and thought, sure, there is power for us, but He also said persecution is inevitable, so that seems too intense for us.

Had the Apostles realized that they might be mocked for speaking in tongues and questioned for their decision to walk in supernatural power, and determined it was worth their social standing and acceptance in society.

Then the New Testament church would have had a great theory, Jesus will save, baptize in the Spirit, heal, and deliver. But the theory would have meant nothing without a PRACTICE!

Thankfully the Apostles and the church leaders took a more radical approach.

The put the theory to the test and were filled with the Spirit, empowered to witness, led people to the Lord, healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out demons, and overcame attacks of the enemy.

Even though many of them died for their faith, it did not bother them, for they also believed that heaven was more than a theory and that Jesus return was more than a theory and when He came back they wanted Him to find them faithful and working!

And because God helped grow the New Testament church in a very evil environment, they turned the then known world upside down.

Yale University historian, Ramsay MacMullen explains why there was such growth of the New Testament church up though the 4th Century in the Roman Empire:

The manhandling of demons… made physically visible the superiority of the Christian’s patron Power over all others… emphasis on miraculous demonstration…head-on confrontation with supernatural beings inferior to God…”

But around the fourth century, things began to change. The fires of revival began to cool, and the church moved from practice to theory.

Yet in different generations, God would hear the cry of the remnant who would call out to Him for a revival, an awakening.

A people would have power over self, sickness, and Satan. But over time, the practices would return to theories.

Now, we live in an era where people have many theories about God, but is His word practiced and showed true?

Thousands of churches can recite:

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit; Born of the Virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate; Was crucified, dead and buried; He descended into Hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven; And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; The Holy Christian Church, the Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body; And the life everlasting. Amen

Pentecostal and Charismatic churches affirm that Jesus is:

Savior

Healer

Baptizer

Coming King

We can say we believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

But until the promises and work of God becomes a normative experience in the church, we have great theories, but they need practice!

For salvation felt like a theory, until Jesus saved me.

Spirit baptism might have sounded like a fanatical theory, until Jesus gave me the evidence of tongues

Healing over sickness appeared to be a good theory until Jesus took away my pain and healed my body

Victory of Satan seemed plausible theory, until I no weapon formed against me will prosper!

God help us and forgive us if we have great theories, but do not put them into practice.

But tonight, I hear the Spirit speaking, TRY THE THEORIES! Let me work in you with signs, wonders and miracles!