GREAT GRACE IS GOD'S SUPPORT TO A PRAYERFUL
CHURCH
(ACTS 4:31-34) "And
when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together;
and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God
with boldness. 32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and
of one soul: neither said any [of them] that ought of the things which he
possessed was his own; but they had all things common. 33 And with great power
gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great
grace was upon them all. 34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for
as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices
of the things that were sold,"
Introduction:
We, the believers
of Christ, are saved by the grace of God and by the grace of God we will
continue to live in the bountiful grace of God prepared by God for us.
(2 CORINTIHIANS 12:9-10) "And he
said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect
in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that
the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in
infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for
Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."
I. UNITY
IN PRAYER WAS A NORMAL EXPERIENCE OF THE CHURCH
(ACTS 4:32) "And
the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither
said any [of them] that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but
they had all things common."
a. God support of
His grace by the perfect unity of the church. They were one of heart and soul
in the ministry of the Lord.
b. God was
touched and was pleased by the unity of the church.
(Psalms 133:1) "Behold,
how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"
c. Believers who
pray together naturally share a harmonious bond that removes selfish divisions.
d. True unity
creates a welcoming environment for God's power to move freely among the
brethren.
II.
SPIRIT-FILLED WAS A NORMAL EXPERIENCE OF THE CHURCH
a. The power of
the Holy Spirit moves in the midst of the church with great power.
(ACTS 4:33) "And
with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus: and great grace was upon them all."
b. The Holy
Spirit empower the Church in being effective and fruitful in fulfilling the
great commission of the Lord Jesus Christ.
(ACTS 1:8) "But ye
shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall
be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and
unto the uttermost part of the earth."
c. The Holy
Spirit guide and gives wisdom and knowledge to God's people to be effective in
serving the Lord.
(JOHN 16:13) "Howbeit
when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he
shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak:
and he will shew you things to come."
d. A
spirit-filled congregation relies daily on divine guidance rather than human
strength.
e. Spiritual
empowerment enables every member to participate actively in spreading the
gospel message.
III.
BOLDNESS TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST WAS A NORMAL EXPERIENCE
(ACTS 4:31) "And
when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together;
and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God
with boldness."
a. The boldness
of the Christians comes from the working and moving of the Holy Spirit in their
lives.
b. The disciples
Christ was known to be courageous and bold in preaching the gospel of Christ.
(ACTS 4:13) "Now
when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were
unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them,
that they had been with Jesus."
c. Prayer removes
fear and replaces it with holy confidence to share the truth.
d. Courageous
preaching draws the attention of the lost and points them directly to Christ.
IV.
FRUITFULNESS IN THE WORK OF THE LORD WAS A NORMAL EXPERIENCE
(ACTS 4:32) "And
the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither
said any [of them] that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but
they had all things common."
a. Fruitfulness
of the church was dynamic in growth because multitude of precious souls are
being saved.
(ACTS 6:7) "And
the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in
Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the
faith."
b. The Hands of
God was their normal experience in their Soulwinning and revival meeting. So
many souls being saved and Christians were totally revived.
(ACTS 11:20-22) "And
some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to
Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of
the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.
22 Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in
Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as
Antioch."
c. A prayerful
church continuously experiences spiritual growth and multiplication.
d. God's active
hand ensures that every soul-winning effort yields lasting fruit for His
kingdom.
V. GREAT
BLESSING WAS A NORMAL EXPERIENCE OF THE CHURCH
(ACTS 4:34) "Neither
was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands
or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,"
a. God supply all
the needs of the church. Jerusalem Church was very happy for Church members
that contribute to the needs of the Church.
(PSALMS 126:2-3) "Then
was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they
among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. 3 The LORD hath
done great things for us; whereof we are glad."
b. Generosity
among believers proves that God's grace transforms how people view material
possessions.
c. God honors a
self-less church by ensuring that no faithful member suffers lack.
Conclusion:
a. Great grace
acts as the ultimate divine support system for a church that remains devoted to
a lifestyle of prayer.
b. When believers
seek God together, they experience undeniable unity, spiritual power, holy
boldness, continuous fruitfulness, and abundant provision.
God bless you all!
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