The Signs of Pentecost
12. The Apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade.
13. But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them.
14. Yet, more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord – crowds of both men and women.
15. As a result of the Apostles work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as they went by.
16. Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed.
Acts 5:12-16
The Sign of Growth
The religious leaders of Jerusalem were under the impression that the “Jesus Movement” would eventually lose its fervor and fade away. They thought that after Jesus had been crucified on a Roman cross, then the small band of uneducated Galileans would not be able to keep the followers of Christ together. Boy, were they wrong. After the visiting crowds at the festival of Pentecost had dissipated, the believers continued to grow through the Power of the Holy Spirit. There were also certain signs that started occurring. Unexplained miracles of healing were occurring, demon possessed people were being delivered, and there were reports of people turning from their sin to be “saved” through the Good News of Jesus. Rather than the followers of Jesus Christ dispersing and withering away, they were as powerful as ever. Rather than showing signs of defeat they were showing signs of life and vibrancy. What started off as a small group in the Upper Room had now turned into a daily mob of people gathering at the Temple in Solomon’s courtyard. What could this mean? Clearly, this meant that the Church of Jesus Christ was alive and well. It presented signs of development as each follower committed themselves to serving the Lord Jesus with all their heart, mind, and soul.
This leads us to question whether that same vibrancy and life is evident in the Church today? What are the signs of positive growth among Christ followers of this generation? Perhaps the critical question is whether the Church of today is showing signs of growth or decline in the midst of all the chaos in the world? Is the Church alive?
To help us answer these question, perhaps it would be worth the time to explore the purpose and meaning of signs. Believe it or not, most of the signage associated with the retail market dates back to the Song Dynasty in China, according to Wikipedia. While early Romans used signs to communicate routes and public announcements, it was the Chinese who used it to market goods and services. This gives a whole new perspective on the origin of “Made in China.”
The questions that we should ask beyond the retail level is whether the signs of the Church today are making an impact on the lives of people. What do these spiritual signs actually say and whether they mean anything to anyone anymore? The following quotes will lead us into this discussion as we see that there is such a thing as “lifestyle signage.” The way you and I live and think serves as a sign to others.
Albert Einstein – the true sign of knowledge is not intelligence but imagination.
Maria Montessori – the greatest sign of success for a teacher is to say, “the children are now working as if I am not here.“
Aesop (Aesop’s Fables) – Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.
Dr. Myles Munroe – The greatness of a man is measured by the way he treats the little man. Compassion for the weak is a sign of greatness.
Mark Twain – When your friends begin to flatter you as to how young you look, that is a sure sign that you are getting old.
Albert Calmus – The need to be right is a sign of a vulgar mind.
Billy Graham – To shed tears for self is a sign of weakness, but to shed tears for others is a sure sign of strength and compassion.
Based on these quotes, we can clearly see that signs don’t have to be placards, billboards, or flyers in order to demonstrate something. There is such a thing as “lifestyle signage” that gives others an opportunity to observe your actions and based on that to determine your character. While there are many who claim that they are filled with God’s Holy Spirit, we need to go further than the proclamation and ask whether or not there are actions to support such a claim. Unless there is evidence to support that someone has God in their life, a simple verbal statement or physical expression has no real merit. Anyone who claims they have God in their life but cannot demonstrate it by the way they live is guilty of false advertisement.
God’s Church on Display
The Apostles and leaders in the Church were living examples of what the Power of God could do. They demonstrated God or should I say, God was using them to demonstrate His powerful work in the Apostles. The Apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade … But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them.
First, let’s just clear up some confusion over where the sign should be placed. Most Christians show their sign of being Spirit-filled within the confines of the Church building or in an atmosphere that is dominated by other Christians. Many will boast about how they sing, worship, and enjoy the Lord while in a worship service. All that is well and good, but in economic terms, that is a waste of resources. If we are going to promote God’s program it must be demonstrated where there is the greatest needs. The early Church understood the close association of God’s Power and people’s needs. As a result of the Apostles work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as they went by … Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed. The signs were put to use to draw people to where the Power of God could reach them at their point of need. So the priority is to place the sign where it can meet the most needs. I was reading of a Church in Florida that asked their members to make donations to the Church rather than pay their bills. That was a Church that had their priorities mixed up. By the way, that Church asked donations for a political campaign. That is exactly the reason why the Church sign is messed up if it is not focused on the needs of people. Jesus command is that “we go into all the world and make disciples … teaching them … baptizing them … to observe all things that Jesus taught.”
This introduces us to the second priority of the Church sign; it must represent God’s work and not man’s. As a direct result of the Apostle’s work, it drew people to follow God. Yet, more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord – crowds of both men and women. Sadly, much of the effort of Church work in our day is about reputation building and eventually reaching “mega-Church” status. That attitude never crossed the minds of the Apostles. They were interested in one thing and one thing only: promoting Jesus to the highest place of honor.
As with natural displays, we must follow the same principles if our spiritual display is to make a difference in modern culture. Signs all serve the basic purpose of 1) identifying something, 2) advertising something, 3) directing something, or 4) demonstrating something. Our identity is solely and exclusively, Jesus Christ. Our advertisement is all about what we can do and should do to promote Jesus’s Word. Jesus said, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto Me.” He was lifted up on the Cross and now we must lift Jesus up in our every day lives. That’s real advertisement.
The third priority for the Church is to keep the sign clean. There is nothing more disgusting than to have a good message on a poorly kept sign. If the sign is not kept in a presentable fashion it will be more of a public nuisance than a helpful display. I don’t need to tell you of all the scandals, lies, thievery, and outright filth that has damaged the Church’s reputation. To make it really bad, the excuse we give is that we are not as bad as the Church down the street or across town. That’s not the point. The point is that we all represent Jesus Christ and when one fails we all fail. Our message of hope and Grace through Jesus Christ will mean nothing unless we present evidence that God is living among us. So how do we go about accomplishing that feat?
We mentioned the four purposes of the Church sign or sign of the believer. We identify Christ in our testimony. We advertise for Christ with our lifestyle. We direct people to Christ with our service of love. Lastly, we demonstrate Christ through the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in our life. Those last two purposes of directing and demonstrating has more to do with God working through us. The first two of identifying and advertising has to do with Christ working in us.
So how do we demonstrate God’s Power as a sign? How do we direct others to God’s saving Grace? I refer to the Apostle’s work and how they allowed God to work through them. They were ordinary people just like us, but they accomplished extraordinary results by God’s Holy Spirit. More and more people believed and were brought to the Lord – crowds of both men and women … As a result of the Apostles work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as they went by … Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed. It is evident that God’s Power was at work in the Apostles and all the believers in four distinct ways. God provided for their needs. He supplied the Apostles with the ability to perform the miraculous works. The Holy Spirit provided for the people and met their spiritual and physical needs with miracles and signs. Secondly, God protected the believers from harm. No one was able to hinder this work because it was from God. Some of them had been threatened, beaten, and even jailed, but they continued the work because God was with them. Third, God caused the work to progress at a rapid pace. In other words, God kept the work alive. We, the Church, have been called to this same great work of God so why should we lose our zeal? What ever you do in word or in deed, do it with all your heart as unto the Lord and not to men … knowing that it is of the Lord that we shall receive our reward. Let the work go on. That is a sign that God is working among us and with us. The fourth distinct way that God is moving with Power is in the Peace He provides. God gives His peace in the midst of the storm. God gives His peace to get us through the storm. And God gives His peace despite the storm. When we display God at work in our life, we say to the world that God is real, God is good, and God deserves all the praise.
God bless.