Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Concentrating on v4
• 5000 men - no comment on the women or children
• Looking at some principles for the growth of the church
• Short prayer
• We all want to see growth
• Do we long for God to come and deal with this area?
• We are utterly reliant upon God
• Not us or our preaching
• This is encouraging
• This good God is in complete control
• Yet we have a part to play
• God uses weak and failed individuals
• Hebrews 11: a list of sinner and failure whom God gave faith and used to accomplish His purposes
• If we want to see growth - overview:
• We must be clear concerning the message that we proclaim
• We must preach the gospel
• We must be prepared to suffer
• We must never forgot the ministry of the Holy Spirit

We must be clear concerning the message that we proclaim

• It is a supernatural message
• The resurrection from the dead (v2)
• Jesus really did die, was really buried and really rose again
• Over 500 eye witnesses saw it (and died for it)
• The apostles perform a miracle
• They come across a man crippled from birth
• Peter told him to get up and walk (3:6-8)
• He was over 40 years old (v22)
• This healing mirrors our humanity - we are crippled in our sin
• Quote: "The world is such a bad place, you as might as well just have fun"
• Some plough all the efforts into family, career, religion, body, finding themselves
• Some can't see the point of it and take their lives
• Some do not see death as the end: being cryogenically frozen
• Do you know the Saviour?
• We need a supernatural message for this spiritual condition
• v10-12
• This message is centered in the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ
• This message must be personally applied

We must preach the gospel

• We must keep the first thing, the first thing - we must preach the gospel
• Imagine if someone who was disabled was miraculously healed
• This healing wasn't a means to an end
• It served the preaching of the gospel
• 3:11ff
• The apostles shared the faith with words
• Do we share our faith with words?
• We must show love and mercy but it must be followed by words
• Example
• We must know what we are about
• We all have a terminal illness - sin
• We may not share the truth with our first act of kindness - but we must share also
• Example
• Our care is important but our gospel is all important

We must be prepared to suffer

• Not a promotional advert - but no pain, no gain
• v3 - they were seized
• v18 - they told them not to preach
• v19 - they answered that they must obey God
• Threats went onto imprisonment 5:21 and then murder 7:58
• Christians have been persecuted throughout the ages
• Totalian: The blood of the martyrs is seed [the seed of the church]
• Col 1:24
• As Christians suffer the Church grows
• What impact would it have if we died to ourselves daily and took up our cross?
• The work of Christ is finished
• There are still those who need salvation
• We obey and suffer because we love Him
• Spurgeon: "Every Christian is a missionary or an imposter"
• Which one are you?

We must never forgot the ministry of the Holy Spirit

• He is promised to us
• Especially in times of persecution
• Especially when we stand for Him
• Eph 6:10
• Two evidences that the Holy Spirit was with them
• The Christians were given boldness (v7)
• The same Peter who crumbled in the Praetorium is the same Peter who stands before the religious elite
• Luke 21:12-15
• This is encouraging
• We must witness for God
• The apostles pray for boldness to speak God's word (v24-30)
• Quote: George Whitfield
• Jesus answered (v31)
• God's enemies were shut up and shown up
• v13 - they recognised they were uneducated, they recognised Jesus
• v14 - they could say nothing
• v15 - they were lost for an answer
• v16 - seeing is not believing
• v17 - they threatened them (as they had no other action)
• Nothing can stop the work of the Holy Spirit
• Do we believe that God can use me?
• Quote from Hudson Taylor
• We must reckon on God's power and presence with us
• Growth is God's prerogative

Closing Remarks