Prayer: Key to Becoming a Transforming Community A Special Anniversary Message Acts 4:23-47

KEY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE EARLY CHURCH AND TODAY’S CHURCH The Early Church was marked by spiritual vitality, power, and joy (Acts 2:42-43; 4:13, 33; 13:52).

The Vitality of the Early Church One of the most striking features in evangelism in the early days was the people who engaged in it. Communicating the faith was not regarded as the preserve of the very zealous or of the officially designated evangelist. Evangelism was the prerogative and the duty of every church member... What is more, this infectious enthusiasm on the part of such diverse people of differing ages, backgrounds, sex and culture was backed up by the quality of their lives. Their community life, though far from perfect... was nevertheless sufficiently different and impressive to attract notice, to invite curiosity, and to inspire discipleship in an age that was as pleasure-conscious, as materialistic and as devoid of serious purpose as our own, Paganism saw in early Christianity a quality of living, and supremely of dying, which could not be found elsewhere. - Michael Green

KEY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE EARLY CHURCH AND TODAY’S CHURCH The Early Church was marked by…  spiritual vitality, power, and joy (Acts 2:42-43; 4:13, 33; 13:52). What is the key difference?  It is a PRAYING Church vs. a PLAYING Church (i.e., 1 st century Church vs. 21 st century Church). CrossWay’s spiritual direction and vision for 2011:  We will seek to be a PRAYING church—corporately as well as individually.

HOW DO WE SEEK TO BECOME A PRAYING CHURCH? 1)Make prayer YOUR CENTRAL INITIATIVE—communally as well as individually. 23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God (vs.23-24a)

HOW DO WE SEEK TO BECOME A PRAYING CHURCH? 1)Make prayer YOUR CENTRAL INITIATIVE—communally as well as individually.  The FIRST THING they did after they heard about the persecution and threat was to turn to PRAYER TOGETHER as a spiritual community!  Prayer was central to their gatherings and lives.  Therefore, their prayerful church was a powerful church; while a prayerless church is a powerless church.

HOW DO WE SEEK TO BECOME A PRAYING CHURCH? 2) Center your prayers on acknowledging SOVEREIGN GOD rather than changing circumstances. "Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, "'Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed'— 27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. (vs.24b-28)

HOW DO WE SEEK TO BECOME A PRAYING CHURCH? 2) Center your prayers on acknowledging SOVEREIGN GOD rather than changing circumstances.  The FIRST THING they prayed was to acknowledge God’s sovereignty in all things—including their troublesome opposition!  To acknowledge God as the Sovereign means to submit to God’s will and BIG PICTURE as bond-slaves of God.  Therefore, they prayer was not short-sighted in quick fixes of circumstances but focused on trusting in God’s sovereign control.

HOW DO WE SEEK TO BECOME A PRAYING CHURCH? 3) Draw your STRENGTH AND POWER to do God’s will through prayer. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus." (vs.29-30)

HOW DO WE SEEK TO BECOME A PRAYING CHURCH? 3) Draw your STRENGTH AND POWER to do God’s will through prayer.  One thing they prayed in acknowledging God’s sovereignty was to ask for BOLDNESS to face more opposition!  We ought to have this mindset in prayer—to ask for strength and power to do what God desires and wills rather than changing circumstances.  This kind of prayer changes us—we become filled with God’s power and confidence/boldness.

HOW DO WE SEEK TO BECOME A PRAYING CHURCH? 4) Expect OPPOSITIONS AS WELL AS BLESSINGS as you take prayer seriously. 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. 32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. (vs.31-33)

HOW DO WE SEEK TO BECOME A PRAYING CHURCH? 4) Expect OPPOSITIONS AS WELL AS BLESSINGS as you take prayer seriously.  To completely surrender to God’s control means that we will experience God’s supernatural power through prayer.  In so doing, we are to expect oppositions as well as blessings.  The fourfold results/blessings were: [1] filling of the Spirit, [2] deeper unity, [3] sacrificial giving & sharing, and [4] great power & grace.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE 1.Be intentional in keeping PRAYER CENTRAL in your life and ministry.  Communally, this requires us to make prayer central to our gatherings.  Individually, this requires you to turn to prayer first before other remedies. 2.Seek GOD-CENTEREDNESS in your prayers.  Submit to God’s sovereign will and control.  Trust in God’s BIG PICTURE rather than in your own tunnel vision.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE 3.Learn to PRAY by praying and praying together with others.  Ask the Spirit to teach you to pray.  Spur one another by praying together regularly and strategically. 4.Turn your OBSTACLES OF PRAYER into tools for prayer (O. Hallesby).  Helplessness is actually a key to true prayer.  Doubt is NOT unbelief; hang on to Jesus to help you believe as you pray.

Helplessness and Doubt as Tools for Prayer Be not anxious because of your helplessness. Above all, do not let it prevent you from praying. Helplessness is the real secret and the impelling power of prayer. You should therefore rather try to thank God for the feeling of helplessness which He has given you. It is one of the greatest gifts which God can impart to us. For it is only when we are helpless that we open our hearts to Jesus and let Him help us in our distress, according to His grace and mercy... My doubting friend, your case is not as bad as you think it is. You have more than faith you think you have. You have faith enough to pray; you have faith enough to believe that you will be heard... What is the reason that such a weak, unstable and doubting faith could be heard and answered? Because it was characterized by the essence of living faith: it went to Jesus. It pleaded its distress before Him. It complained of its faith-distress by telling Jesus how full of doubt this faith was. - O. Hallesby