Let’s Plug into the Power

Acts 4:31-33
Acts 4:31-33 (ESV)
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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.
They Had Everything in Common
Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul,
32 

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.
I. Introduction
A. We Are All in Need of God’s Power
1. We need His power to live the Christian life
2. We Need His power to overcome the enemy of our
souls
3. We need His power to reach a lost world
B. All the Power We Need is Available to Us
1. We have the promise of power in the Great Commission
(Matt.28:18-20) 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All
authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded
you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
2. Paul longed for the power of the Resurrection (Phil. 3:10)
that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may
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share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death

3. The early church had power to change the world (Acts 17:6)
And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some
6 

of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who
have turned the world upside down have come here also
C. How Can God’s Great Power Be Ours?
II. Body
A. We Must Plug into the Power of Prayer (v.31)
And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered
31 

together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
1. “And when they had prayed?”
a. The place was shaken
b. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit
2. The message is clear: power comes through prayer
3. The disciples asked the Lord to teach them to pray
• (Luke 11:1) The Lord's Prayer
11 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished,
one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John
taught his disciples.”
a. We are well taught in many things:
organization, doctrine, teaching techniques
b. Too many are illiterates in the school of prayer
c. We learn to pray by asking big and expecting answers
4. Prayers brings the power of the Holy Spirit
5. Prayer brings boldness in telling others of Christ
B. We Must Plug into the Power of Love (v.32)
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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
1. “They were of one heart and one soul”
2. Christian fellowship in a church is built on love
3. All Christian effort is useless without love (1 Core.13)
a. Love forgives and breaks down barriers
b. Love looks for the best in our brothers and sisters
c. Love is considerate of others in the church
4. Love produces a passion for lost ones in the community
5. Love enables Christians to put away their differences
6. Love makes people more important than possessions
C. We Must Plug into the Power of Witnessing (v.33)
And with great power the apostles were giving their
33 

testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great

grace was upon them all.
1. “With great power gave the apostles witness”
a. These praying, loving people become power witnesses
b. They witnessed of the power of the cross and resurrection
2. Evangelism is the greatest need of our time
3. Churches languish because so few witness for Christ
4. Witnessing Christians are a powerful force of God
Conclusion
A. Consider the Accomplishments of the Early Church
1. Without our advantages, they put us to shame
2. They stressed the basics and won thousands to the Lord
B. We Must Get Back to the Basics of Christianity
C. Prayer, Love and Witnessing Will Shake the World for Christ