Sermon Prepared by James McCullen
Email Preach Him with Dr. Jim
Share the Wonder Working Power
Acts 3:10-20

Introduction FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (BP) --
With the 21st century looming, the International Mission Board appointed its largest group ever of new missionaries -- 90 -- strongly indicating the agency's total active missionary force will eventually top the Bold Mission Thrust goal of 5,000 missionaries.

The Nov. 17 appointment service, held in conjunction with the Florida Baptist Convention, quickly pushed the IMB's total number of missionaries to 4,523. This will be the sixth consecutive year of record-setting appointments. This year's total is expected to exceed 700, including the largest number of career and associate missionaries ever to be sent out.

Since becoming IMB president five years ago, Jerry Rankin has presided over the appointment of more than 1,000 new career missionaries.

Rankin said no appointment service has touched him the way the Florida one did, not only because of size, but also because the Rankins' only daughter and son-in-law were in the group.

Wonder Working Power Is the Theme of our Lottie Moon Christmas Mission Offering this Year. The sermon is therefore titled Sharing the Wonder Working Power. In the text I see guidelines for sharing this power and there are:

1.    Sharing the . . Celebration for Wonder Working Power.

2.    Sharing the . . Clarification for Wonder Working Power.

3.    Sharing the . . Confession for the Wonder Working Power.

4.    Sharing the . . Contrition for Wonder Working Power.
 
 

A.    Celebrating the . . Apparent. v 10
10 and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to {beg} alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him

    1.    It was apparent to all this man's life had been changed.
    2.    An obvious testimony is never at the mercy of intellect.

Illustration
Troy and Melissa Haas were warned by the Kenya people. You can not live as nomads with the Turkana People. Even the Turkana's have trouble living their nomadic existence.

But no one has ever found a strategy to reach these people for Christ. So Troy the Haases with their daughter Rebecca live five days a week out with the Turkana. They people are surprised someone cares that much.

Application

The Haases have an apparent commitment. It is obvious to the Turkana People and to us. They want to share Wonderworking Power.

B.    Celebrating the . . Amazing. v 11
11 And while he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon, full of amazement.

    1.    The fact of a changed life causes amazement.
    2.    The Gospel has Wonder Working Power.

Illustration
Do you remember J. R. Duncan (a missionary to Germany from our church) sharing about one of the men in the church he pastors. The man was from Africa and said his dad was a witch doctor and on one occasion ask him and his brother if they had been praying to the Christians God.

They responded yes and were told they could not do that any more because it effected his power as a witch doctor.

Illustration
In the publication by our International Mission Board in November 1998 titled Wonder Working Power a story is shared about a lady named Jima. Jima says "
 

Application

Our Celebration of the wonder working power is that it does effect the power of all that is satanic. The Power of God Works Wonders we should share it.
 
 

A.    Clarifying the . . Power in Wonder Working Power v 12
        But when Peter saw {this} he replied to the people, "Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk?
    1.    Simon and John did not take Credit for the work of God.
    2.    The people were gazing at Simon and John.
    3.    This is the wrong way to look.
 

B.    Clarifying the . . Person in Wonder Working Power. v 13
        "The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, {the one} whom you delivered up, and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him.
    1.    It is God's Power through the Name of Jesus.

C.    Clarifying the . . Problem in Wonder Working Power. v 14
        "But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,
        1.    They were the problem.
        2.    We must communicate to people they are the problem.

Illustration
In a Charlie Brown cartoon Charlie is pronouncing what great things his hand will do. Lucy says your hands are full of dirt.

D.    Clarifying the . . Prominent in Wonder Working Power v 15
        but put to death the Prince of life, {the one} whom God raised from the dead, {a fact} to which we are witnesses.
 

Illustration
One New Year's Day, in the Tournament of Roses parade, a beautiful float suddenly sputtered and quit. It was out of gas. The whole parade was held up until someone could get a can of gas.

The amusing thing was this float represented the Standard Oil Company. With its vast oil resources, its truck was out of gas. God Came Near, Max Lucado, Multnomah Press, 1987, p. 95

Application

Jesus was a descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Israel had the power resource given through their ancestors.
 
 

A.    The Faith of the Confession. v 16 a

B.    The Focus of the Confession. v 16 b

C.    The Favor of the Confession. v 16 c

Illustration
Rodney "Gypsy" Smith trusted Christ in November, 1876. Reaffirmed his decision a few days later in a Methodist chapel. An old man asked if he had trusted Jesus and nothing else. The lad replied, "I cannot trust myself, for I am nothing. I cannot trust what I have, for I have nothing. I cannot trust what I know, for I know nothing." Family Journal, May 1985
 

Application

Simon told these people what confession brought this Wonder Working Power. We have the opportunity and responsibility to share to all Confession Must be made In Jesus Name.
 
 

A.    Contrition may Come Out of . . Ignorance. v 17
        "And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also.
 

B.    Contrition may Come Out Of . . Information. v 18
        "But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ should suffer, He has thus fulfilled.

C.    Contrition may Result In . . Repentance. v 19 a
        "Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, . . . "

Illustration
In the past several months I have had people come to me and tell me about their past life of sin. They felt remorse and contrition. They asked me if I felt they should continue in their positions in the church because there past sins had become obvious. I then told them of some of my past sins and asked if they thought I should continue as the pastor and they said of course. I then said your contrition obviously led you to repentance. That leads to forgiveness so go your way and do not make the same mistakes again.

D.    Contrition may Result in . . Refreshing.. v 19 b - 20
        ". . . in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you,

Illustration
In Warren Wiersbe's MEET YOURSELF IN THE PSALMS, he tells about a frontier town where a horse bolted and ran away with a wagon carrying a little boy. Seeing the child in danger, a young man risked his life to catch the horse and stop the wagon.

The child who was saved grew up to become a lawless man, and one day he stood before a judge to be sentenced for a serious crime. The prisoner recognized the judge as the man who, years before had saved his life; so he pled for mercy on the basis of that experience. But the words from the bench silenced his plea: "Young man, then I was your savior; today I am your judge, and I must sentence you to be hanged."

Application

We have Wonder working Power to Share. Some have never heard of the Savior. We can share with them while there is still time. We can Share:
 

The . . Celebration for Wonder Working Power.

The . . Clarification for Wonder Working Power.

The . . Confession for the Wonder Working Power.

The . . Contrition for Wonder Working Power.
 
 
 
 
 

We get the opportunity to share through our Christmas mission offering. I have some E-mails from some of our missionaries. Missionaries from Honduras say thanks for the new 4 wheel drive pick up truck that enables them to get to remote villages.
 

A missionary in Gaza says "thanks for your special gifts that provides funds so we can have the only ministry to deaf people in the entire country. I am pleased that we share with them in this ministry.
 
 

We can answer the call of God to go to a foreign mission field.
 

We can give additional gifts to support the work of missions.
 

We have 4,523 Career Missionaries. If we give a penny to each of them we would give a special gift of $45.23

We Have missionaries in 127 countries. If we give a dollar to each country we would give a special gift of $127.00

We have 41,000 churches could some give a penny to each church? That gift would amount to $410.00
 

I urge you to make a special gift to missions this Christmas.