6 Attributes of a Spirit Filled Church

Acts 2:1-4

What is the church God desires?

God desires a church patterned after the Book of Acts Church.

The key to biblical church growth is described all throughout the book of acts.

If we are going to build a church the way God desires - It has to be scriptural.

As I study and read throughout the book of Acts - there are obvious traits that stand out.

What is Pentecost

Each and every one of the seven Jewish Feasts signifies an important aspect of God’s plan of redemption through Jesus Christ.

This important feast gets its name from the fact that it starts seven full weeks, or exactly 50 days, after the Feast of Firstfruits.

Since the Feast of Weeks was one of the “harvest feasts,” the Jews were commanded to “present an offering of new grain to the Lord” (Leviticus 23:16).

The Feast of Weeks takes place exactly 50 days after the Feast of Firstfruits.

Like other Jewish feasts, - Jesus was crucified as the “Passover Lamb” and rose from the grave at the Feast of Firstfruits. Following His resurrection, Jesus spent the next 40 days teaching His disciples before ascending to heaven (Acts 1).

The promised Holy Spirit arrived on the Day of Pentecost, remember that is just another name for the Feast of Weeks.

Acts 2 which we read earlier gives us the detailed account of the event.

This is fifty days after the resurrection of our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The disciples are there; they have been waiting; they have been praying, 120 of them.

And suddenly there’s the sound of a cyclone that fills the building.

Suddenly, an amazing thing happens on these 120. There is a flickering flame, or what appears to be a flame, dancing upon every head.

It was a tongue of fire. They opened their mouths and began to speak in foreign languages—languages that they had never learned.

The city was crowded, because the feast of “weeks”/Pentecost was a notable feast, and there were Jews there from all over the world.

Jews are present, a crowd of people.

Then the disciples testified of the Lord Jesus. Peter stood up and preached a magnificent sermon.

He gave an invitation, and three thousand souls were saved.

Someone put it this way: “When the Savior went up, the Spirit came down, the disciples went out, and the lost came in.” This was Pentecostal power.

Now, what is the significance of being filled with the Holy Ghost? What is the significance of the gift of the Holy Ghost? How does this impact the church

I want to mention 5 Attributes of a Spirit-Filled Church

Pentecost was the birth of the church.

120 men/women alike were gathered together in one mind, with one accord waiting for the promise of the father.

A Praying Church

The church did not become a church until it had prayed

It was born after a season of prayer

A church that is birthed and lives in the atmosphere of prayer will make a difference in this world

These disciples entered the upper room and began to pray with one accord

English Standard Version Chapter 1

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

Look at what the early church prayed for:

Empowerment of the Spirit

English Standard Version (Chapter 1)

4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

2. Boldness

English Standard Version (Chapter 4)

29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,

3. Sick

English Standard Version Chapter 28

8 It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him, healed him. 9 And when this had taken place, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured.

4. For it’s Leaders

English Standard Version Chapter 12

5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

5. Direction

English Standard Version Chapter 1

23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

A Unified Church

The greatest tools for evangelism is the unity of the Church?

Jesus prayed in John 17:21—He said, “O Lord, I pray for these that they all might be one as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”

One of the greatest testimonies to the deity of Christ is the unity that we have in Christ.

Where there is unity there is power

Where there is unity there is blessing

Where there is unity there is anointing

A commanded blessing is on the house when there is Unity

The early church touched the world because they were united as one and had all things common

There is power in agreement

English Standard Version Psalm 133

Behold, how good and pleasant it is

when brothers dwell in unity!

King James Version Chapter 4

3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

King James Version Chapter 1

10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

A Preaching Church

The scripture is clear - HOW SHALL THEY HEAR WITHOUT A PREACHER

The very first thing that was done after the infilling of the Holy Spirit was Peter standing up and PREACHED the word - 3,000 came to know christ

Stephen Preached

Paul Preached

I am not a life Coach

I am not a motivational speaker

I am not a World class communicator

I am not a Politician

I am not a Pulpit Puppeteer

I am called to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ - It is the Power of God Unto Salvation

I am Called to Preach the Birth, Life, Death, Burial, Resurrection of Jesus Christ

I preach on Sin, Righteousness, Coming Judgement, the Soon Return of Jesus

I preach on the infilling of the Holy Ghost

I preach on the 4 cardinal doctrines of the church - Salvation, Holy Spirit, Healing, Rapture

I preach concerning prayer, fasting, the family, the home

GOD GIVE US A PREACHER

I preach that there is a Heaven to gain and a Hell to be shun

The Attribute of a Spirit-Filled church is a PREACHING CHURCH

A Evangelistic Church

The early church could not be contained in the four walls of the upper room.

Nor could it be contained in the temple. They reached beyond that.

It was said that they turned the world upside down.

The early church took seriously the great commission’

The great commission is a command not a suggestion.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

We have a responsibility to be an evangelistic people and an evangelistic church

A Miracle-Working Church

There are many types of miracles, but i want to point out 3 today:

Salvation

On the birthday of the church, 3,000 were saved.

The greatest miracle of all is seeing souls saved from there sins

2. Healings

Many times throughout the book of Acts people were healed from all kinds of sicknesses and diseases.

Acts 3 - The Lame Walked

Acts 5 - they brought people out in the streets and they were healed in Peter’s shadow

Acts 8 - Paralyzed and lame walked

Acts 10 - Bed ridden got out of bed and walked

3. Casting out Devils

English Standard Version Chapter 8

4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. 5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. 6 And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was much joy in that city.

A Visionary Church

English Standard Version (Chapter 2)

17  “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,and your young men shall see visions,and your old men shall dream dreams;

The church of acts was a church of vision

The young men were men of vision and men of dreams

The church was vital because it had Vision.

The Bible says “without a vision the people perish”

Many churches are decaying because of vision impairment.

The Spirit-Filled church is always to be a church of vision.

Vision means prophetic vision, the act of seeing, the ability to see ahead.

Vision comes many ways:

In Acts 2 vision is pictured as a supernatural experience given by the Spirit of God that reveals something to you.

Proverbs 29 alludes to a revelation of where God is going to take us.

Habakkuk deals not only with prophetic vision but the act of seeing.

The ability to see what God desires of my life and His church

Habakkuk gives insight into how to fulfill the vision of God:

English Standard Version Chapter 2

2 And the LORD answered me:

“Write the vision;

make it plain on tablets,

so he may run who reads it.

3  For still the vision awaits its appointed time;

it hastens to the end—it will not lie.

If it seems slow, wait for it;

it will surely come; it will not delay.

Write the Vision plainly

As God gives it to you write it down

Others will Read it and Run with It

To fulfill His vision, God will put people with you to help accomplish His purpose.

The vision is not for your eyes only

It is for an Appointed Time

It’s all about God’s timing

He has to prepare us

He has to plant us

He has to partner us

It Will Come to Pass