Holy Spirit – He Creates Community
Sermon #5— He Creates Community
Main Verses: Acts 4:23-37
Romans 12:2 speaks of how believers are not to be conformed to the world but are to instead let God transform us. Our text this week illustrates how this principle played out in the past when the Jewish religious leaders attempted to silence God’s message. They responded with godly boldness. Their response shows how the Holy Spirit can produce amazing unity as we:
Focus on God’s Perfect Faithfulness
Instead of being overcome with fear when threatened, the early believers encouraged one another and focused on God’s faithfulness. A portion of their prayer came from Psalm 2 where they remembered God was sovereign and could care for them despite their bad situation. They remembered He was in control and was there for them.
Focus on God’s Powerful Mission
They not only focused on God, but on the opportunities, He had given them. Incredibly, instead of asking God to take away the challenges they faced, they asked Him to give them great boldness to share the message of His hope and love with others. The result was God showed up in such a powerful way that the building they were in literally shook. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and proclaimed God’s message to those who needed to know about Jesus and the hope He could give them.
Focus on God’s Profound Blessings
Instead of focusing on themselves and how awful things were, they viewed their world through the eyes of the Spirit. When that happens vs. 32 says they were “united in heart and mind.” Their perspective prompted them to share the message of Jesus boldly, and to experience amazing unity. The experience was so profound that the more well to do members of the church family began selling property and giving the proceeds to the church to be used to meet needs. This became so widespread that vs. 34 says there were no needy people in the Jerusalem church. This wasn’t an early version of communism; it was all voluntary and because it was prompted by the Spirit produced amazing unity in the early church.
Application:
- Examine your attitudes toward the Holy Spirit. Ask God to help you be more aware of the Spirit and how much you need His ministry is your life.
- Just as the early church was told to wait until the Holy Spirit came before leaving Jerusalem, believers today are to realize trying to do God’s work in our own power without God’s Spirit empowering us is foolish. Make a list of specific areas you need God’s power to make a significant impact.
- List several people God may want you to share His love with during the coming weeks. Ask Him to empower you, through the Holy Spirit to bear witness to the hope He has given you.