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Power on the Gospel

Filed under: Evangelism, Intimacy

Acts 2:37 “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart.” As I was reading this verse today I realized that this is what we are really talking about when we say “we want to see power on the gospel.” Peter was speaking to the multitudes that gathered when they all had apparantly heard the sound of something like a powerful wind. Then they were cut to the heart and 3,000 souls were added to the kingdom that day.

Where did this come from? How did Peter get this boldness and confidence before God? Was it the power that they recieved from an instantaneous moment when the spirit came on them in the upper room? Was it something more? I’d like to share my thoughts on this and am interested in what you have to say as well.

I do not believe that the power that was on the gospel at that gathering was due ONLY to the instantaneous enduing of power from on high that occured in Acts 2. I believe that was only part of it.

I want to walk this backwards in time a bit:

1. Unity (The Commanded Blessing)Acts 2:1 says “When the day of pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.”Which is to say being all in agreement, having one mind and purpose. We cannot be a lone wolf disconnected from believers and developing our theology in a vacuum, but must be in unity with a group of believers running the race together with like mind and purpose. Discord and strife are two deterrents to the Holy Spirit operating in power in a person’s life as well as the group or ministry as a whole.
2. Fervent and Persistant PrayerActs 1:14 says (speaking of all the disciples first entering the upper room to wait for the Holy Spirit) “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication.”Fervent and persistent prayer is integral in this process. And this was an obedient response to Jesus’ command to wait in Jerusalem. Also interesting to note is that Jesus didn’t say wait for 10 days or for 3 months… He just said … wait. So they were planning on being there for the long haul, no matter how long it took, because Jesus said it. How often we get tired of waiting in prayer and think it’s not working b/c what we were wanting hasn’t happened yet.
3. Intimacy with Jesus (through prayer)Acts 1:4, 8 Jesus says “wait for the promise of the Father,” “…you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”Jesus says to “wait” which means in prayer, and then you will recieve. He didn’t say immediately you will recieve, but to wait in prayer. We so often just want the alter call or the encounter that changes everything without the preparation that MUST come beforehand. I believe that is NOT how the Holy Spirit works and we MUST cultivate intimacy with Jesus, a lifestyle of prayer and fasting to prepare ourselves for the final outpouring of the Holy Spirit that is coming soon in the last days. But, I’m getting ahead of myself… so next point.
4. Revelation of the Knowledge of God (Jesus unfolding the scriptures, OPEN EYES)Luke 24:45,49 it says 45″And He opened their understanding that they might comprehend the Scriptures.”; 49″Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”To give the context of this in the verses before this, the 11 disciples were gathered together in a house after the death of Jesus. Then Jesus appeared in that room and began to speak to them and they were freaked out and thought He was a ghost or something, then Jesus let them touch His hands and side and stuff and they were still freaked out. So then Jesus said “give me something to eat” and then ate in front of them and THEN they were glad and rejoiced that He was alive.Ok, so Jesus is there and opens their understanding of the scriptures. He actually starts giving them revelation of the scriptures. Ok, so lets go a little further back and wrap this up with an overview…
5. The resurrected Jesus was intentional and busy for 40 days after His death connecting with people, establishing, strengthening and teaching them so that they would be fully prepared for the enduing of power that was to come. (Acts 1:3; 1 Cor. 15:4-8)

We want to contend for the power of God, but it will only come to those who are established in fervent love and a spirit of prayer. It’s not the instantaneous power of the Holy Spirit that brings confidence and power on the Gospel, but it is intimate love and an ongoing cultivation of intimacy with Jesus through a consistant, fervent and persistant life of prayer and giving ourselves to the word.

So what do you think? Am I missing anything? Was the power that was “endued to them from on high” the only factor that went into the power that followed on the gospel presented as well as the signs and wonders? Or was it a combination? I want to hear your thoughts on this so feel free to disagree or agree or add to this in any way shape or form.