The Empowered Church

Intro

- Empowered illustration

o Usually means encouraging someone- given them the tools they need to get something done- often its used in helping people discover what already lies within them

o But the empowerment we are going to talk about this morning is very different

o Computer that isn’t plugged in

o Have you ever felt inadequate for a task?

- Acts picks up right where Luke’s gospel left off

o Wiersbe- "The Book of Acts is also the account of the work of the Holy Spirit in and throughthe church. The Gospel of Luke records what Jesus “began both to do and teach” in His human body, and the Book of Acts tells us what Jesus continued to do and teach through His spiritual body, the church."

o Acts is a continuation of the Gospel story and was written for the same purpose

§ Luke 1:4 so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed.

§ "convincing proofs"- involves conclusion, word communicates evidence from which there is no getting away- strong, irrefutable proofs

· Certainty of the resurrection- Jesus is alive

· Everything that follows is built off of this

· 1 Cor. 15:14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is in vain, and so is your faith.

· Rom. 10:9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

o Essential to salvation

- Christs followers have been given supernatural power to accomplish a God given mission together.

Our Mission- to be witnesses

A. To be witnesses (8)

1. Witness- Used 29 times in Acts

2. Courtroom- witness stand

3. Greek word we get martyr from

4. Luke 24:46-48 He also said to them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead the third day, 47 and repentance for forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.

5. We are witnesses in a different sense- although we did not see and hear what Jesus did, we can witness to his transformational power in our lives- we testify to the truth and power of the gospel

6. John 15:27 You also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

a. “Testimony”- our greatest method of sharing the Gospel is to tell others what God has done in our lives

B. To establish God’s Kingdom (3, 6)

1. This was what Jesus was instructing them about- the coming of the Kingdom

2. This is what we are to pray for- “Thy Kingdom come”

3. This is what the disciples had been waiting for

a. Their hopes were dashed when Jesus was crucified

b. But now that he is risen, they think, “Now is the time!”

c. So they ask Jesus in v. 6

d. But they don’t get the answer they are looking for

4. Don’t worry about the timing, focus on the task

a. I’m going to bring about the Kingdom through you!

b. Too many Christians are sitting around waiting for the world to change or for Jesus to return

(1) Or maybe neither- just wrapped up in living life

(2) But we are called to act!

c. I love the description of the disciples in vv. 9-11

(1) How often are we like that?

C. To the ends of the earth

1. V. 8- “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

a. An outline for the rest of the book

2. This is a prediction and a command

a. The disciples knew it was a command- 10:42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be the judge of the living and the dead.

b. Great Commission- Matt. 28:19-20 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

3. Who has God sent you to?

a. We might not be able to travel to the ends of the earth to share the gospel, and God doesn't call everyone to do that, but he has called you to reach someone!

b. Ionie in Paraguay-

c. would love to increase missions awareness and participation for this very reason

Our Power- the Holy Spirit

A. This has been God’s plan from the beginning

1. Jesus's earthly ministry was complete- now it continues with the Holy Spirit through the church

2. Jesus's followers knew this was coming, but I don't think they knew what it meant.

a. John the Baptist (Luke 3:16) John answered them all, “I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I am is coming. I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

b. Jesus himself (John 14:16-18) And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever. 17 He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you.

B. The church has power, not from men, but from God

1. Zechariah 4:6 So he answered me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by strength or by might, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord of Armies.

2. We cannot do what God has called us to do as individuals or the church if we are not empowered by the Holy Spirit

3. Illustration- child trying to open something- they don’t want help!- but all they have to do is ask

C. Whatever God calls us to do, he will also give us the power to do it

Our Team- the Church (12-14)

A. Unity

1. In a common mission

a. Setting aside differences

2. In prayer

a. These men and women (about 120) knew that they could not do this alone

b. They needed God’s help- they were most likely praying for the Spirit to come

c. We have the Spirit within us- we do not need to pray for his presence

d. But we must be in prayer- for him to work in and through us- for his work in the lives of those around us- for the strength to follow his leading

B. It is Necessary

1. Illustration- be a team player- there is no I in team

2. You cannot do what God has called you to do without the church

3. The empowered church is God’s means of accomplishing his will and establishing his Kingdom

a. This is why we believe in church membership- it’s not simply so you can vote on things- it’s the accountability and commitment to pursuing this mission together with a local body of believers

4. In Galatians we talked about the importance of the body of Christ and the local church

a. One of the primary reasons for the church is that together we can accomplish much for the spread of the gospel that we can on our own.

Conclusion

· I am excited to begin our study through Acts

· It is a story of the beginning and the growth of the church. It focuses on key individuals in that process (primarily the apostles, but not only them), but really it is the story of the Holy Spirit working in these men and women to establish and grow the church

· Acts is a story of how God used ordinary people in an extraordinary way to accomplish the spread of the gospel and the growth of the church

· And I pray that it challenges and motivates us to continue this mission-

So What?

· we are the church- this is our mission- we have been empowered by the Spirit, and we are called to do this together!