We Are the Church - Week 2: Power

I want to invite you to open your bibles and return with me to the book of Acts chapter 1 and 2. Last week, for those of you online and here that missed last weeks message. We begun a new series called, We are the Church. Its a phrase that reminds us that when the day of pentecost came, when the Holy Spirit showed up as we see in Acts chapter 2, the local church was born. And we learned last week, that the Holy Spirit gathers all kinds of people together. Not just the believers, but also the unbelievers.. if you recall, there were the believers of Jesus, the devout Jews, and those who sneered at them. In this gathering, as the Spirit draws people together, he seeks a response. Peter stood by faith, preached his first sermon, with the first line being, “They’re not drunk! It’s only 9:00 in the morning.” What an amazing first line to a sermon. Now, Peter goes on and preaches about Christ and he comes to this point at the end to which he finishes his sermon with this amazing point, if your wanting to follow along, you can see it for yourself in verse 36 where the Bible tells us, Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” The Bible continues to say, after hearing this, these people were cut to the heart. And Peter finishes his first sermon, by giving an altar call, saying to the people in verse 38, Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” And look with me in verse 40, “Be saved from this corrupt generation!” And in a moment, those who received this message were saved and baptized and we learn that 3,000 people were added to their numbers. Thats an amazing growth. Think about it for a moment. 120 people, seem drunk to others, they are off, they are different than the crowd, something is going on with them, and those looking upon them can only equate that to them being drunk. But yet, in the power of the Spirit, Peter stands up with the eleven behind him and he preaches this message pointing people to Jesus, and in a moment 3,000 souls say, I want that. I want what you have. Now that I know whats going on, I want what you have. And If you do the math, thats a 2500% increase in church attendance in one day. And now, get this.. if that were to happen right now. We would see roughly 250 people following us through that door to be baptized and to be a part of this fellowship. I dunno about you, But wouldn’t that be an amazing day!

And so, I want to take this moment and ask… what do we call this moment in church history? How do we define what these people were experiencing? Because, we do call this the beginning of the church. And in many of your bibles, I’m sure just like mine, the header to these paragraphs say something to the effect of this being, A generous and growing church. So, here is this word church and we look into verses 42 through 47, and I dunno about you, but I sense that theres a little difference to what we’ve been taught what the church is and how we think church should look like, verses what we’re noticing in these scriptures on how the early Christians experienced church. Because I would ask when it comes to this word church, how would you define it? In the midst of these verses we learned last week, lets ask the question… What genre of music were they listening to? What Bible translation were they using? What were they wearing? Did the apostles wear suits or jeans? Did they have pews or chairs? Did they wear robes or use hymnals? What liturgy did they follow? How big was the building? What programs did they have? How many small groups did they create from the 3,000 people? How do they define “Church?” Because When I read these verses, I see nothing about a building, rows, pews, robes, hymnals, bands, liturgy, etc. I see devotion. I see unity. I see joy. I see communion and prayer and compassion….. and I see my heart saying, I want that. But what do you call it? Well, in the Bible this word is called ekklesia. When Jesus said, “I will build my church”, he said, I will build“my Ekklesia” He was not talking about a building; He was talking about people: about YOU and me, when we gather, we’re a church. Some scholars believe that it was around 300ad when the word church was described as this German word “KIRCHE” which means lords house. The problem with this really bad translation is that church becomes about a place rather than a movement of people or gathering. It was tamed. Localized and Controlled by the people who controlled the building. But when Jesus says, I will build my church, he was simple meaning this movement was to be where people gathered together, and what did they believe? They believed in this one belief: that Jesus was the risen Christ, the son of the living God.

So, what does this movement look like? Well, turn with me to chapter 4 of the book of acts. As your turning there, let me set the scene. The church has just been born a couple chapters ago. Peter and John tell a lame man that money and gold they do not have, but they will give what they do have to the man who needs a miracle. They offer him Jesus, and guess what, the lame man is able to walk. But yet, not just walking but he begins to leap for joy into the temple. Making this huge scene, and of course, just like any group of people, whispering begins to happen and people begin to ask.. isn’t that the dude always begging outside of the gate called beautiful? What happens? When the people see the commotion with the lame man who’s holding onto Peter and John, they start running towards them… again, remember, the Holy Spirit draws people. And Peter and John give the gospel message of Jesus and a calling for what? For a decision. Theres this pattern, preach the gospel, offer a decision. By the time we get to acts 4, we have two reactions… the first one were told in verse 4 of chapter 4, that 5,000 people receive Jesus as their savior, and then there are some people who get pretty upset. They start to approach Peter and John. They pull them away from the crowds, put them in jail and the next day they bring them before the Sanhedrin and basically they are starting to make threats against them. They tell Peter and John, You can’t stand up and proclaim Jesus! And so they experienced persecution and suffering on a level that they had not experienced to this point. And I think… about these things.. Peter was known as a runaway when things got tough.. Right? Peter was always bold in the gospels until it came to associating with Jesus in his death. He was known to give in to the pressure of persecution. But what does he do in this moment, in chapter 4? He boldly proclaims the name of Jesus. And I live how he finishes his little sermonettee. In verse 12 it says, There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.”Now, what

Amazing! Such boldness. Like I picture Peter doing a mic drop in this moment and going boom! But u mention this because hear this…. What kind of super Christian does it take to do that? To stand I boldness in the Holy Spirit and proclaim Jesus… it takes just ordinary people like you and me.

Look with me in verse 13. Verse 13 says, this after Peter proclaims the gospel… When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus. Two things I want to speak into about this moment… the first thing is this: They were untrained and uneducated men. Untrained and uneducated meant they were ordinary people. Why are we here today? We’re here today because God is gracious to us. And so, hear what I am about to say with kindness and love, you and I are not that special. There is nothing in you or myself that makes us different than anyone else. Every single person in this room and listening online, are people who have fallen short of the glory of God. Everyone of us has been born of sin. We deserve to be separated from God, yet in our sin we’ve been reconciled unto him, through Jesus Christ. Brought together, by his grace and through the Spirit of God. And so, the church, is a movement of ordinary people saved by grace by an extraordinary God. And that goes against our whole existence, or at least from my experience, in what this world teaches us from the day we’re born that we need to be special to have any kind of meaning. To have a purpose in your life there must be something special about you. And we gravitate towards special people, and we make our life about mimicking how special they are. We make so much effort into becoming recognized, being the best, and having it all that we forget that being like the world is our demise. Because in the midst of the gospel, we can confirm Jesus words, And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? Peter and John were ordinary men, with an extraordinary person living within them. And so, in boldness, as ordinary men, as uneducated and untrained men, they stand up and proclaim the gospel.

The second thing about this movement, is the second part of this Scripture that is so important to understanding where their boldness came from… it says, When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus. How would you react if the people around you began seeing nothing but Jesus in you? What in your life do you want to be recognized for? Maybe its being the best sports player? Or the smartest, or prettiest, or strongest? Maybe its being the best mom, or wife, or husband or father. Maybe it’s being the best at your job or the best in school. We’re always told in our life to be the best at everything we do. I remember one time, I was working for Halliburton in Colorado, and I went in for my yearly review and I just knew this year I was going to get exceeded expectation. Within the year, I moved to Colorado, I took all the engineering classes they would offer, I worked the most, and put in the most overtime. I learned everything I needed to learn, and even created a new fluid solution that would save the company millions. I stepped into the office for my review, and this was what was written, “Matthew Waggoner met expectation.” I was devastated. I poured everything into this job to be the best. I created things no one else had ever created. And heres the thing, I was an uneducated and untrained guy doing the things that other people had gone to college for…. And they saw that as meeting expectation. Do you want to know what my manager told me… which was the only negative remark I got on my review… Written on my review were these words…. Matthew is an over zealous worker. My pursuit to be the best, to work the hardest, to make myself available was negatively seen as being to zealous for the company. Because being over zealous meant I was showing too much energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or objective.

What were Peter and John known for? This verse in acts 4 says, they were untrained and uneducated men, who had been with Jesus. Man, thats what I pray for. That when people see me, they don’t see Matthew, a pastor with extra-ordinary abilities and gifts at this or that. Wouldn’t it be awesome to be just known as a person who has been with Jesus. That, The Holy Spirit in us just oozes out of us, and we reflect, His character, and His life, in our life. And I believe this is the Christian life. A oneness with God. I think about Galatians 2:20, “I’ve been crucified with Christ. I no longer live. Christ lives in me,” and when that becomes a reality, then it will be evident to others around us. I think of Moses, when he came away from God's presence and his face was shining, and everyone who sees him knowns he’s been in God's presence. And so, in this moment, we’re seeing like a glow here. Something is different about Peter and John because they’ve been with Jesus because the spirit of Jesus is in them. And just think… just think for a moment… not only in them but the people coming to a saving relationship with Christ as well. Becoming a part of this movement, this fluid movement. This body. I pray, May that be said of you and me, that when we leave this building today, that people will be drawn to us because the Spirit is drawing people, and maybe we wont see a group come, like seeing 5,000 people being drawn to us in this instance, but what if, we left here today and went out to eat, and the waitress comes and somehow sees a difference in you. Maybe they witness some compassion or gentleness like no one else they are serving? Or maybe, you swing by Weis to grab some food for memorial day lunch tomorrow and you begin a conversation with someone in the check out line and the opportunity to say something about Jesus comes up. Maybe, they wonder to themselves, What makes this person so different? Why am I drawn to them? And within a conversation you go, im a christian.

What if the seeking the lost and growing the body of the church isn’t so dependent upon our church building programs. Because we can accomplish a lot without the Spirit of God. We don’t need the Holy Spirit for programs to keep people busy. We don't need the holy Spirit for witnessing to others, we have advertising for that. But what if, evangelism is others recognizing Jesus in you…. They’ve been with Jesus.

Because lets talk about that. What happens when ordinary men and woman who’s been spending time with an extra-ordinary God. The outcome is that they become witnesses. Think about this… Jesus promised the Spirit would come. If you recall, in Lukes gospel Jesus says, And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high.” This power… is the same power we witness when Jesus says in acts one verse 8… Think about how Jesus gives this instruction..… Not only will you receive power when the holy Spirit is upon you, but that power will be used so that you will become my witnesses. You’ve all heard me say it… What is the first gift you receive after coming to a saving relationship with Christ and receiving the Holy Spirit… the first gift you and I receive is our testimony. Its our testimony on what Jesus has done for us and in us. Now get this scene… In acts 1 when Jesus is telling them that this power to be witnesses is coming… what do you think was going on in their hearts? I mean, were just 50 days after the resurrection. Some were leaving, some were doubting, some had given up and walked away to go fishing, and Jesus has now brought the gang back together. And so, hear these words and put yourself in the same sandals of these witnesses. Jesus says, “All right, guys. Here’s the plan. We’re going to start right here in Jerusalem. Once you get this power of the Holy Spirit we’re beginning right here. The same place where they have just crucified me. The same place where the angry mob came to take me to an unfair trial. The same place where they killed me because of their selfish desires for power and control. And If you’re listening to Jesus say this, I can imagine all kinds of thoughts going off in my head… and most of them start like this.. what if… what if I get wrongly accused. What if, I get martyred for my faith. What if, they think of me in the same way as you, Jesus?… What if I fail? I think of Thomas wondering if he’d doubt again... I think of Peter, wondering if he’d fail again. I think of John wondering if he’s still the one Jesus loves. I think of any one of the 120 wondering if they will walk away discouraged or fail. I think of myself.. will the people in Montoursville believe me? Will I be able to take a gospel to a whole community. To reach the lost. How will I even do that? Who in the church I shepherd will be willing to go all out to reach the lost around us? How would we as a small church of 10-12 step out by faith and reach people who might already hate Christianity? We’re talking about lost people.. people who don’t know why we do what we do.. because we’ve been changed from the inside out. There were powerful men who hated Jesus in Jerusalem… But Jesus says, you will be my witness here in Jerusalem, and Judea and all of Samara, and to the ends of all the earth. And so hear this.. Jesus is saying, here’s the plan.. you’ll begin where they hate you, and go where you hate them, thats Samaria… before you’ll go where they do not know you.

I need to remind myself.. the power given to me is the power to testify of Him… And so, I want to urge you on this memorial weekend. Where you might be at gatherings with others… Will you see that as an opportunity to proclaim Jesus? Here’s what I want to call us to do this week. In light of what we’ve just seen in God’s Word and the movement that we are a part of as a church, a body of believers, I want to challenge you to invite somebody in your life who does not know Jesus to be here next Sunday. Would you do me a favor, would you bow your head and close your eyes with me… Right now, would you be willing to Start picturing their faces right now. Think of them…. Would you pray for them, and ask the Spirit to give you the opportunity, and the strength to talk to them, to reach out to them. Maybe to get a cup of coffee this week, or invite them around your table. Look for ways to share your testimony. Because thats the first gift you get when you recieve the Spirit of God… the power to tell others what he’s done for you. Lets pray…. *