ACTS: The Church In Action
POWER EVANGELISM
Chapter Three


INTRODUCTION: The church in Acts was active; it spoke or rather the Holy Spirit spoke through it.  Everywhere the church preached signs and miracles followed.  The history of the church is filled with powerful sermons and purifying sufferings.  In the pages of the Book of Acts one sees the church as the visible expression of the invisible God.  All men and women are valued; the poor hear the gospel and are fed, the rich are called into accountability, and entire cities turn to Christ.


a church in action will:
  1. Continually seek to abide under the influence of the Holy Spirit (3:1-3)
    • Through faith in the finished work of Christ (John 15:7; Eph. 3:17)
    • Through prayer (Acts 3:1)
    • Through worship (Acts 2:47)
    • Through self-implantation of the Word (Acts 1:20; 2:17-21; 3:22-23)


    bless the lord, o my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases... - ps 102:2-3


  3. Continually seek to extend compassion to the overlooked (3:3-6)
    • Through practical expressions of love
      • The compassionate will always attract the needy
      • The compassionate will never be without spiritual offspring
    • Through faith working by love (Gal 5:6; Mt. 14:14)
  4. Continually seek the take bold, faith-filled steps to win their world
    • Through an action of faith.
      • A faith step is essential in seeing the miraculous; an inordinate desire for safety, security and comfort is a sure sign of emotional and spiritual immaturity.
      • Cultivate boldness.  The operation of God's gifts will occur when we stop passively waiting for something to happen and aggresively begin to respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
  5. Continually seek to direct all eyes on the power source Jesus and not on themselves (Acts 3:12; 14:8-20)
    • Mass evangelism has always been associated with spiritual gifts and miracles (Acts 2:1-11; 4:4; 8:6-7)
    • Power encounters bring the unsaved to a new level of awareness in making a decision for Christ (Jn. 14:11-12) 

      Peter's penniless state may have been a factor in his being close enough to god to execute this miracle.


    • Power encounters should not be a surprise rather they should be a normal part of a Church in action (Acts 3:12; 2 Tim. 3:5)
    • Power encounters have nothing to do with human power or human goodness (Acts 3:12; Matt. 7:21-23)
      • Miracles do not validate man's ministry they validate the ministry of Jesus.
      • Miracles motivated by compassion result in God being glorified.  Miracles motivated by pride result in a man being destroyed (Acts 8:18-23) 


    One dramatic healing is worth more than a million dollars of advertising


  6. Continually seek to call all the unsaved to (3:12-26)
    • Recal their personal rejection of Christ and guilt (Acts 3:1-18)
    • Realize the mercy and kindness of Jesus Christ (Acts 3:12-21)
    • Repent and receive the refreshing of His presence (Acts 3:19-21)
    • Remember the judgement that occurs upon those who refuse to follow Jesus Christ (Acts 3:20, 21)
every revival in the history of the modern world has been grounded in an explosion of prayer and evangelism - george barna