The Real Church of Acts

Reference

The Book of Acts

Pastor Shannon Watterson continues on being the REAL body of a church based off the book of Acts.

I am thankful that Jesus the ruler of the world.

Last week I told you about what’s it’s like to allow Jesus to accomplish HIS ministry in and through us. It’s like standing on the edge of a diving board looking down to a pool without water and Jesus tells us to jump trusting that in the right time, He will provide the water.

This is what it’s like to be ministers in Jesus’ commission. We are called to jump before we feel qualified, funded, or able. He is the provider. Let me start with this verse today.

1 Corinthians 1: 9

God is faithful. We can trust Him.

The book of Acts is a roadmap of how God intends for the church to operate. We have examples of how the Spirit of God has moved in the past. Here’s what I think - if we study this we can build a community empowered by the Spirit of God to change our world. More than anything else I want people to be saved. I want people to know the Jesus who gave His life for them.

Let me tell you something before we get started in chapter 2 of Acts today. If you are saved, you have the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6: 19

Can you have part of Salvation? Can you have part of the Holy Spirit? No, both are a gift given by the father. Don’t pray for MORE of the Holy Spirit. You have all of Him.

The Holy Spirit resides in you, but you must decide if you’re going to allow Him to USE you in Jesus’ ministry. You can have the Holy Spirit and not walk in the power and gifting He brings. It’s a choice.

The real question is: If you have ALL of the Holy Spirit - does He have all of you? We can say no to Him.

Ephesians 4: 30

Paul was talking about living carnally even though believers have the Holy Spirit to guide, correct, and help us to overcome our sinful desires. But we can choose to ignore His voice.

The power of the Holy Spirit given on the day of Pentecost was a gift given to all believers to operate in spiritual gifts as we walk in faith. On that day we see a separate work of the Holy Spirit other than salvation - it’s a Baptism of Empowerment. And guess what, you can have that too if you CHOOSE to receive it each and every day.

Remember in Acts 1 we left the followers of Jesus in a room waiting, praying, and believing that the Holy Spirit was going to come to empower them to do the work of the ministry. We need to do the same. Operating in our own strength can have some results but NOT supernatural results.

Remember the gifts? These can only come by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12: 7-10

Word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues.

Can you have one of the gifts today and not the others? I have heard someone say, I believe in healing, but miracles are for the New Testament times. Here’s the biggie…I don’t believe in speaking in tongues, but I believe in salvation.

I have never given birth. I just want to clear that up today. I haven’t done it. I know what it is, I’ve seen it with my own eyes, but I can’t really know what it’s like to experience it because I haven’t done it! I’m real thankful for that too!

And guess what? If a person has never experienced this gift of Speaking in Tongues then they can’t discount the experience of another who has. I’ve been in multiple situations where the Spirit had a person stand up and give a word in an unknown tongue, but every time it was interpreted by another in the group. It was used to PRAISE God.

In fact, did you know that is the purpose? In Act’s 2 when the followers started speaking in tongues the interpretation was WORSHIP of Jesus!

It’s not funky - it’s a gift from the Spirit, just like healing, other miracles, and even faith! There are some points of order to determine whether or not it’s from the Lord which we will study more in depth as we move along.

Let’s get to the scripture:

Acts 2: 1-13

Why Wind and Fire?

When they were waiting, praying, and believing on the 10th day the Power of the Holy Spirit came like a mighty wind and fire. Why is this important? Well, it was confirmation that it was God. In the past God had used those two elements to confirm He was speaking, leading, or correcting his people.

In Wind:

– In Genesis 1:1-2, it is the Spirit of God as the breath/wind of God, blowing over the waters of the newly created earth. – In Genesis 2:7, it is the Spirit of God as the breath/wind of God, blowing life into newly created man. – In Ezekiel 37:9-10, it is the Spirit of God as the breath/wind of God, moving over the dry bones of Israel bringing them life and strength.

In Fire:

– In Exodus 3:2 God appeared to Moses in a burning bush. – In Deuteronomy 5:4 God spoke to the people from a fire on Mount Sinai – In Numbers 11:1-3 God used fire to punish people who had sinned.

So, in that room, there was no doubt that God was moving. They all knew it was the promise of Jesus fulfilled.

Here’s a question - do we need to pray until we hear a wind or see a fire? Well, yes!

Wind cannot be seen, but its effects can be felt and heard — just like the Holy Spirit. We cannot see Him, but we can feel the effects of His presence and His power.

Fire is like God’s judgement or conviction in our hearts. The Holy Spirit convicts and purifies us!

Do we need to pray until there is wind and fire? YES! This is the work of the Holy Spirit EVERY time the gifts are present. You will see the effects. It’s how we know it’s Him. People will be changed.

1 Thessalonians 5: 19-22

We can push away God’s Spirit for fear that it’s not for today, but we shouldn’t because in His presence people are changed. WE SHOULD test everything to confirm it is from God. We do that by His Word.

If someone stood up and gave a prophecy today that the World was Ending at 2pm then I would test that against the Word of God. Jesus clearly told us that know one knows the end of things. We’d throw out that “prophecy” not the person, and help them to know how wait, pray, and believe until they know they have been empowered by the Spirit.

After they were empowered by the Holy Spirit these people went out and spoke in tongues to the everyone who’d hear them. What did they say?

Acts 2: 11

Well , it was interpreted as praise and worship of God!

Empowered by the Spirit Peter stood up.

The Weak are Made Strong

Acts 2: 14

Peter is such a good example of the work of the Holy Spirit. Let’s take a closer look at his journey.

Matthew 16: 13-17

Peter had this knowledge that could have only come to Him from God’s Spirit that Jesus was the Messiah. He believed that Jesus was the Messiah. Peter was saved.

But He wasn’t empowered. He didn’t have that yet because Jesus hadn’t been resurrected. He was just a follower who knew the truth of who Jesus was. It was a saving knowledge, but he wasn’t empowered by the Holy Spirit.

In Luke 22 verses 54-62 we see that Peter denied knowing Jesus. Why? Because Jesus was on trial for His life and Peter had been with Jesus in the garden when he was arrested. Peter actually cut off the ear of the priests servant, remember? Jesus healed the ear so that Peter wouldn’t be arrested too. Now, when people started asking if he was “the guy” who was Jesus in the garden he denied Jesus. He was afraid of being arrested and crucified.

Peter KNEW that Jesus was the Messiah, but when the rubber hits the road he was weak.

Here’s a verse I can identify with so much:

Luke 22: 62

He was ashamed.

Jesus was crucified and three days later he was raised to Life again. He called for Peter, forgave him, and restored him as a true follower.

Now, this same weak man, was standing in Jerusalem SCREAMING the message that the people of that City had killed an innocent man!

Acts 22: 22-24

BOLDNESS! Instead of denying Jesus, now he was boldly proclaiming Jesus, no matter the personal cost. Why?

The Holy Spirit.

Let me ask you a question. Are you that bold? Or are you that weak? Which version of Peter are you? I think there are these two options.

There are some who acknowledge Jesus, but when pressure comes they crumble. There are others who are Filled with the Holy Spirit and nothing can stop them.