Acts || Partnership
When you know where you want to go and what you want to accomplish, you take a look at those who have already done it. You find those who succeeded and set the precedence to find what worked, we learn from them.
You find the keys that unlocked what you are trying to find and live out. We can recognize today that we are in need of something, in need of transformation personally, boldness, unity, serving those who are in need, and alignment with one another under a common goal that doing something powerful. We can see that our community could use something they don’t even know is available to them.
We can see that our lives and our ministry need to do more than just coming and being but lives need to be changed, hope needs to be found, and something powerful needs to happen.
These are the things that the New Testament church needed too.
What happened to the disciples, the church, and how did they have such a rapid impact on Jerusalem and really the entire world at that time.
We’ve covered
PARTNERSHIP
Nothing that we will do or can do to make a difference today, can be done outside of our partnership with the Holy Spirit and with each other. Our effectiveness and impact on the lives around us will never occur based on what we can do ourselves, in our own strength, and in our own understanding. This is a partnership, this requires unity, and when those come together, the impact can change cities, nations, and our own community.
Acts 4:23-31
23 As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. 24 When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—25 you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying,
‘Why were the nations so angry?
Why did they waste their time with futile plans?
26 The kings of the earth prepared for battle;
the rulers gathered together
against the Lord
and against his Messiah.’
27 “In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. 28 But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will. 29 And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. 30 Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31 After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.
They prayed His promises - They turned back to His Word and what He had already spoke before. They weren’t praying new ideas or promises that hadn’t ever been spoken. They knew the promises, they knew the Word and they stood on those promises as they prayed.
So many times when we pray we are looking for something new, some new idea or revelation, but if will determine to just get into His book that is full of promises, then our prayers can be aligned with His Word and promises. Partnership with His promises in prayer will always brings results because it’s something He has already done and is doing.
They prayed for boldness instead of removal - Notice that their prayers weren’t to remove them from the persecution or trials but to give them boldness in the midst of them.
You will be shocked at how the Holy Spirit wants to strengthen you in the middle of your trial. Instead of praying for removal, let’s pray for boldness, endurance, and strength, and watch Him partner with you.
They prayed for signs and wonders - If you haven’t noticed, this is a constant theme throughout the New Testament church.
They understood that impacting unbelievers required the Power of the Holy Spirit to be at the forefront of everything they did.
Jesus had promised them greater things and they were standing on that promise.
Acts 4:32-37
32 All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. 33 The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. 34 There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them 35 and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.
36 For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. 37 He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles.
They were unified in mission - the purpose behind the community of believers in Acts was clear, to share Jesus. They “were of one heart and mind”.
They shared the gospel of Jesus and the compassion of Jesus by giving to those in need out of what they all brought together.
They were all in with all they had - it wasn’t about the houses, the land, or material things they sold but the attitude they had to give up everything in order to further the message of Jesus.
Acts 5:12-16
12 The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them. 14 Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord—crowds of both men and women. 15 As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. 16 Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed.
So many times we just wait for power to show up. Whether we think it or not, we expect power to come from and through someone else, it could never be us. Yes, Peter walked in power and was a leader in this movement, however, power was not just reserved to Peter and the apostles, miracles were being done through the church (not the building, the people).
The Holy Spirit desires to be in partnership with you, He wants to do miracles not just in you but through you.
Have you ever considered that miracles aren’t going to happen unless believers step up to pray for them, and partner with the Holy Spirit to allow the power to go through us as lives are changed and doubt is erased?
Testimony:
Pastor John Lindell from James River Church shared this testimony last night.
GOD performed a creative miracle last night at our Joplin campus:
Krissy Thompson was shot 3 times in 2015 by her husband and was in a coma for 2 months.
The power is that real and that tangible. The Holy Spirit longs to partner with you and flow through you as you pray for miracles.
It is critical that we know and understand that for the church to thrive and have the impact we are supposed to have as the church, partnership is required. He is asking us to partnership with Him through prayer, our possessions, and in His power.
When we pray His promises, our possessions become His (his all along but our perspective changes), and His power becomes ours. That’s the deal, that’s the partnership equation. That’s an equation that I want to be a part of.
You find the keys that unlocked what you are trying to find and live out. We can recognize today that we are in need of something, in need of transformation personally, boldness, unity, serving those who are in need, and alignment with one another under a common goal that doing something powerful. We can see that our community could use something they don’t even know is available to them.
We can see that our lives and our ministry need to do more than just coming and being but lives need to be changed, hope needs to be found, and something powerful needs to happen.
These are the things that the New Testament church needed too.
What happened to the disciples, the church, and how did they have such a rapid impact on Jerusalem and really the entire world at that time.
We’ve covered
- Promise
- Power
- People
PARTNERSHIP
Nothing that we will do or can do to make a difference today, can be done outside of our partnership with the Holy Spirit and with each other. Our effectiveness and impact on the lives around us will never occur based on what we can do ourselves, in our own strength, and in our own understanding. This is a partnership, this requires unity, and when those come together, the impact can change cities, nations, and our own community.
- PARTNERSHIP IN PRAYER
Acts 4:23-31
23 As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. 24 When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—25 you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying,
‘Why were the nations so angry?
Why did they waste their time with futile plans?
26 The kings of the earth prepared for battle;
the rulers gathered together
against the Lord
and against his Messiah.’
27 “In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. 28 But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will. 29 And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. 30 Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31 After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.
They prayed His promises - They turned back to His Word and what He had already spoke before. They weren’t praying new ideas or promises that hadn’t ever been spoken. They knew the promises, they knew the Word and they stood on those promises as they prayed.
So many times when we pray we are looking for something new, some new idea or revelation, but if will determine to just get into His book that is full of promises, then our prayers can be aligned with His Word and promises. Partnership with His promises in prayer will always brings results because it’s something He has already done and is doing.
They prayed for boldness instead of removal - Notice that their prayers weren’t to remove them from the persecution or trials but to give them boldness in the midst of them.
You will be shocked at how the Holy Spirit wants to strengthen you in the middle of your trial. Instead of praying for removal, let’s pray for boldness, endurance, and strength, and watch Him partner with you.
They prayed for signs and wonders - If you haven’t noticed, this is a constant theme throughout the New Testament church.
They understood that impacting unbelievers required the Power of the Holy Spirit to be at the forefront of everything they did.
Jesus had promised them greater things and they were standing on that promise.
- PARTNERSHIP IN POSSESSIONS
Acts 4:32-37
32 All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. 33 The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. 34 There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them 35 and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.
36 For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. 37 He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles.
They were unified in mission - the purpose behind the community of believers in Acts was clear, to share Jesus. They “were of one heart and mind”.
They shared the gospel of Jesus and the compassion of Jesus by giving to those in need out of what they all brought together.
They were all in with all they had - it wasn’t about the houses, the land, or material things they sold but the attitude they had to give up everything in order to further the message of Jesus.
- They were all in, no matter what it cost them and they we all in together, unified so that no one was without.
- PARTNERSHIP IN POWER
Acts 5:12-16
12 The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them. 14 Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord—crowds of both men and women. 15 As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. 16 Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed.
So many times we just wait for power to show up. Whether we think it or not, we expect power to come from and through someone else, it could never be us. Yes, Peter walked in power and was a leader in this movement, however, power was not just reserved to Peter and the apostles, miracles were being done through the church (not the building, the people).
The Holy Spirit desires to be in partnership with you, He wants to do miracles not just in you but through you.
Have you ever considered that miracles aren’t going to happen unless believers step up to pray for them, and partner with the Holy Spirit to allow the power to go through us as lives are changed and doubt is erased?
- Doubt in Jesus, doubt in His promises, doubt in His Word are immediately erased when His power is evident through miraculous signs and wonders.
Testimony:
Pastor John Lindell from James River Church shared this testimony last night.
GOD performed a creative miracle last night at our Joplin campus:
Krissy Thompson was shot 3 times in 2015 by her husband and was in a coma for 2 months.
- Her injuries included the need to have 3 toes amputated.
- When guest speaker, Pastor Bill Johnson, asked if anyone needed a creative miracle, Krissy responded that she had 3 toes amputated and Kelli, who serves on the prayer team, told her that the Lord wanted to grow her toes back tonight!
- Kelli began to command, in the name of Jesus, the toes to grow, bone to form and blood to flow – she also anointed every area where the toes had been amputated and could feel a pulse begin in those areas. The color began to change from gray to skin tone.
- All of the sudden Krissy said, “Are you kidding me!?” and they saw the toes begin to grow.
- Several other prayer team members joined in to pray with Kelli.
- Bone began to form where there was none before.
- As the ladies prayed for Krissy over the next 30 minutes, all 3 toes grew and were even longer than her original pinky toe she already had! Then a nail began to form on her toe and she got feeling back in all 3 toes!
- This morning all 3 toes are normal size.
- Kelli (the lady who prayed) is married to a medical doctor who today examined Krissy’s toes.
The power is that real and that tangible. The Holy Spirit longs to partner with you and flow through you as you pray for miracles.
It is critical that we know and understand that for the church to thrive and have the impact we are supposed to have as the church, partnership is required. He is asking us to partnership with Him through prayer, our possessions, and in His power.
When we pray His promises, our possessions become His (his all along but our perspective changes), and His power becomes ours. That’s the deal, that’s the partnership equation. That’s an equation that I want to be a part of.
Posted in Messages
Recent
Archive
2023
February