POWER
Acts 4
“With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them.”
The modern church is drawn to power, seeking to be more effective in both evangelism as well as in transformation and this particular narrative in Acts 3 and 4 is a compelling one. What is often missed, however, is the presence and role of the Holy Spirit.
Simply put, without the Holy Spirit the narrative would have been one of the sincere efforts of Christians in response to the situations they find themselves in. The writer clearly wants us to understand that it is the Holy Spirit that makes the difference.
The question then is how do we avail ourselves of the Holy Spirit’s power, now that we too have received the gift of the Holy Spirit in becoming the followers of Christ?
The answer must surely lie in chapter 2 when Peter told his audience, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call”, as well as the response of the church that formed that day: They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Simply put, you cannot expect to experience the fullness of God’s gift of the Holy Spirit if you are not yielded to the conditions for that gift (repentance and surrender) and if you do not follow through that surrender to devote yourself to God’s word (teaching), God’s people (fellowship), God’s Son (communion) and God’s presence (prayer).
What followed in chapter 3 and 4 showed the spiritual growth of the community as they responded to the challenges of their life in faith.
“Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.