Suppose I take a match and drop it into a can of gasoline? Suddenly it would have a great release of energy. On the other hand I can take that same can of gasoline and put into the tank of a car and it can go through the course of gas lines and make its way into the carburetor and then it be injected into a cylinder of a car and soon it will meet a spark to turn an engine.
The gas could just remain in the can and become stale eventually losing its ability to burn. If the lid is left off of it, it will just evaporate or simply go away.
The power and holiness of God works in much this same way. When we accept the power of God in His church great things can and will happen.
Review – verses 1-11 Annanias and Saphira
Lets look at the power and perspective of the first church and attempt to model our church after this first church.
1. Supernatural Church Verse 12
a. Through the hands of the apostles
i. God’s will, will only take place when God’s people is in God’s will
1. We resist this statement all too often. It is imperative to understand that God desires great things to happen at the hands of His people.
2. God’s people need to put their hands to work for Him and not for themselves.
ii. The apostles could have sat back and made the statement “If God wants it to happen it will happen”
1. This is true but would it not be better to get the honor from God know that you were the one He wanted to do a job in the first place.
b. Many signs by their hands
i. óçìåῖïí [semeion /say•mi•on/]
ii. This was the outward evidence of the inner working.
1. The sign being accomplished was something seen that was the product of an inward power.
2. Because of the power of god living in the Apostles they were able to great sign.
3. This is possible even today
a. God brings things together at just the right time when His people are allowing Him to work in their lives.
4. Wonders
a. ôÝñáò [teras /ter•as/]
b. these were the signs that gripped people with awe.
c. When god saves a repentant sinner that is something to be in Awe over
c. Ask yourself this question
i. What are your hands doing that grips people with awe because of the signs you are doing in His name?
d. What about the church?
Not only was it supernatural
2. Another perspective for the church it was respected. Verse 13& 14
a. The end of verse 12 we find that they were united or in one accord.
b. The people had witnessed the half hearted witness of Annanias and saphira.
i. The people understood that the church of Jesus Christ demanded their all.
1. Verse 13 people were careful to join.
2. They joined on the merits of Christ living in them and doing a work through them.
c. The church was made up of authentic believers that desired a great work for God.
d. Verse 14 Luke makes certain that the credit was given where the credit was due
i. Added to the Lord
ii. The Body of Christ is the church
iii. The church is not the body of Christ
1. By this it is the people who have truly given themselves to god who make up the body of Christ.
Not only Supernatural and Respected it was
3. Authentic Verses 15-16
William Barclay
The way to spread Christianity is to be Christian… Jesus sends us out not to argue men into Christianity, Still less to threaten them into it, but to attract them to it; to live so that its fruits may be so wonderful that others will desire them for themselves.
a. It is easy to be drawn to churches that have great programs, Great speakers, size and beauty of the facilities.
b. The people in the early church was attracted to the church because God was working in and through His people and people wanted to be a part of it.
i. Simply put church was exciting.
ii. It was not a ho-hum doldrums of liturgical litany that was repetitive.
1. People moved where God was moving.
c. The example was shown here in the acts of healing.
i. People recognized that God was working in the life of Peter and the other disciples and they wanted to be a part of it.
1. they wanted what Peter had.
2. More over they wanted for those that they lived with and those that lived around them.
d. Make note it was not just the physically sick
i. They brought those tormented by unclean spirits.
ii. Any spirit other than the spirit of God living in your life is an unclean spirit.
iii. Simply put they brought people to Jesus for the cleansing power of his blood to purify them to righteousness.
Should the Lord Lead … Go back to the initial Illustration regarding the Gas in the gas can.
