March 24, 2013

Amazing displays of the supernatural was clearly a main reason for the revival in the early church. God was working through the apostles in spectacular ways as stated for us in Acts 5:12-16.  But not everyone had the gift of healing & miracles, or a ministry of signs & wonders like the apostles did. So how did the early church help fuel the raging revival that was upon them?  By being a company of naturally super people.  The leaders were supernatural, and the people were naturally super.

In the person of Peter, we see both of these qualities. He was greatly anointed in miracles, but he was also a naturally super person.

From Acts 3, we see 7 ways how we can be a naturally super people for Jesus:

1. Have a faithful prayer life.   “going to the temple to pray” - Acts 3:1

>  it all starts with God.  Getting your personality aligned with God’s will transform you into a beautiful person.

2. We don’t need to be in church to move out in God.  “outside the temple” - Acts 3:3

>  Church is where God is!  If he moves, you move with him — at work, at the gas pump…

3. Seize the daily opportunities presented to us.  “look at us” - Acts 3:4

>  God creates divine set-ups in the flow of our daily lives to sow seed.  Seize those moments.

4. Give what you have.  “silver & gold, I don’t have, but what I do have” - Acts 3:6

>  We ALL having something to give…a smile, encouragement, hot apple pie; when attached with love, it works.

5. Walk in boldness.  “rise up and walk” - Acts 3:6

>  Why did God pour out the baptism of the Holy Spirit? So his children wouldn’t walk in fear.  The Holy Spirit is given to us to be bold & strategic.

6. Give the glory to God.  “why do you gaze at us” - Acts 3:12

> Never take the credit.  Always point people to Jesus.  He’s the way, the truth and the life. (Jn 14:6)

7. Have a heart that overflows with the gospel.  “have faith in Jesus” - Acts 3:16:

> What fills your heart?  News? Politics? Sports? Weather?  Let the overflow of your heart be the gospel.  We speak out of the abundance of our hearts (Lk 6:45)

This is not a “charismatic” viewpoint; it is a gospel viewpoint.  It’s part of the Kingdom message Jesus preached.  When you study the text closely, you find Jesus had several distinct reasons why all Christians should be baptized in the Holy Spirit.

And here’s the first reason:

it’s to grow closer to Him.

Do you desire to have a closer walk with Jesus?

To hear him more clearly?

To feel him more intimately?

There is not a single thing in your life that you’re excited about that you didn’t experience.  Passion and excitement comes through tangible, visceral experiences.  It’s how God wired us.  How much excitement can you feel about a meal if it is just by looking at the menu, and not actually tasting the food.

Do you know why the church is so dead?  Because they are lacking in their experience of God.

Do you know why people think the church is boring?  Because they’ve never experienced God.

Do you know why people rather run after the world than God?  Because they haven’t experienced the exceeding pleasure of knowing God.

The church is in need of a revival of enjoying the real God of heaven & earth.

This is what the baptism is about.  This is the first principle of the baptism: it helps us get closer to God.

“Jesus knew the baptism would reinforce intimacy with God because the apostle would ultimately be asked to give up their lives.”

The word “witness” in Acts 1:8 is actually the root word for martyr.  The biblical meaning of being a witness is not some glib, trite, happy-whappy,hollow-headed person grinning like they a fool.  It’s not just slapping a Christian bumper sticker on your car and saying; there I’m an Acts 1:8 “witness.”  No, the biblical meaning of witness means to be a martyr.  To be able to die for God if He asks for it.

Are you able to do that?

Would the apostles be able to do that?

Where would such strength, courage and devotion come from?

It can only come from love.

This is what the baptism of the Holy Spirit is about….making God so real, so close, so personal that we fall in love with him more and more.  As we experience God through the baptism we get excited about Him just like we do over hot apple pie; a warm, soft, chewy chocolate chip cookie, or sizzling steak.  I’m deliberately using food metaphors because Ps. 34:8 says “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”

Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones, called by some as the most powerful preacher of the 21st century, equated the baptism of the Holy Spirit with personal revival.   And indeed it is.  If you want closeness to God, if you want to know God’s heartbeat, if you want to experience his presence and love more dearly, then pray for God to baptize you in the Holy Spirit just like he did with the apostles.

It’s the Father’s delight to give it to you (Acts 1:4).

 

- Pastor Rich

 

1. Great power - Acts 4:33

The glory of God, while mysterious, foreboding, and breathtaking also manifests in very tangible ways.  As the first church was birthed in revival, we see several ways in which God’s glory showed itself.  In Acts 4:33, we see it coming forth in the power of preaching.  The apostles were anointed by the Holy Spirit to deliver the message of Jesus’ resurrection with great conviction.   Peter’s articulation of the gospel lead to 3000 being saved in 2:41, and then another 5000 saved in 4:4.  The glory of God was coming forth through stirring messages of proclamation.

2.  Great grace - Acts 4:33

While the leadership was under God’s hand in proclaiming the word, the church was under a mighty spirit of grace.  How did it express itself?  In selfless community living.  4:33 says there was not a needy person among them because all who had homes and land sold them to provide financing for the needs of the church.  Amazing.  Only the grace of God can turn our selfish center of gravity into a selfless center of giving.

3. Great fear - Acts 5:1-11

In one of the most sobering moments in the early days of the church, Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead by God for trying to buy influence in the church.  God’s glory cannot be shared, bought or brokered.  The revival could not be tainted or contaminated in anyway by money or influence peddling (i.e. akin to a political spirit), and Peter discerned the couple’s motives instantly (Acts 5:3).  As the church witnessed God’s judgment, great fear came upon the church (5:5, 5:11).  But instead of producing a quenching spirit, the church continued to explode as the purity of the revival was protected.

Listen to complete message here.