"Great Grace Was Upon Them
All"
The Lord spoke to me the following statement twice
over the past day: "Great Grace was upon them all....."
So, I went and looked up that statement:
Acts 4:33 And with great power gave the
apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was
upon them all.
24 Signs of the Lord's Habitation is being
built among us:
Acts 4:1 AND WHILE they [Peter and John] were talking
to the people, the high priests and the military commander of the temple and
the Sadducees came upon them, 2 Being vexed and indignant through and through
because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in [the case of] Jesus
the resurrection from the dead. 3 So they laid hands on them (arrested them)
and put them in prison until the following day, for it was already evening. 4
But many of those who heard the message believed (adhered to and trusted in and
relied on Jesus as the Christ). And their number grew and came to about 5,000.
1. Witnessing, preaching, and manifesting the Resurrection
Power of Jesus Christ
7 And they set the men in their midst and repeatedly
demanded, By what sort of power or by what kind of authority did [such people
as] you do this [healing]? 8 Then Peter, [because he was] filled with [and
controlled by] the Holy Spirit, said to them, Rulers of the people and
members of the council (the Sanhedrin), 9 If we are being put on trial [here]
today and examined concerning a good deed done to benefit a feeble (helpless)
cripple, by what means this man has been restored to health, 10 Let it be known
and understood by all of you, and by the whole house of Israel, that in the
name and through the power and authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Whom you
crucified, [but] Whom God raised from the dead, in Him and by means of Him this
man is standing here before you well and sound in body. 11 This [Jesus] is
the Stone which was despised and rejected by you, the builders, but which has
become the Head of the corner [the Cornerstone]. 12 And there is salvation
in and through no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among
men by and in which we must be saved. 13 Now when they saw the boldness and
unfettered eloquence of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned
and untrained in the schools [common men with no educational advantages], they
marveled; and they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 And since
they saw the man who had been cured standing there beside them, they could not
contradict the fact or say anything in opposition.18 [So] they summoned them
and imperatively instructed them not to converse in any way or teach at all in
or about the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied to them, Whether
it is right in the sight of God to listen to you and obey you rather than God,
you must decide (judge). 20 But we [ourselves] cannot help telling what we have
seen and heard.
2. Uncommon authority
3. Full of and controlled by the Holy Ghost
4. The Lord builds the House: He's the builder,
architect, and cornerstone
5. Boldness and transparency
6. A Living relationship with Christ
7. Extraordinary miracles
8. Strict obedience to God, no fear of man
23 After they were permitted to go, [the apostles]
returned to their own [company] and told all that the chief priests and elders
had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, lifted their voices together with
one united mind to God and said, O Sovereign Lord, You are He Who made
the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything that is in them, 25 Who by
the mouth of our forefather David, Your servant and child, said through the
Holy Spirit, Why did the heathen (Gentiles) become wanton and insolent and
rage, and the people imagine and study and plan vain (fruitless) things [that
will not succeed]? 26 The kings of the earth took their stand in array [for
attack] and the rulers were assembled and combined together against the Lord
and against His Anointed (Christ, the Messiah). 27 For in this city there actually met and
plotted together against Your holy Child and Servant Jesus, Whom You consecrated
by anointing, both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and peoples of
Israel, 28 To carry out all that Your hand and Your will and purpose had
predestined (predetermined) should occur.
9. A corporate united mind with Christ in prayer
together
10. Persecution and regional opposition to them
11. Knew they were in their predestined plan of God
for them
29 And now, Lord, observe their threats and grant to
Your bond servants [full freedom] to declare Your message fearlessly, 30 While
You stretch out Your hand to cure and to perform signs and wonders through the
authority and by the power of the name of Your holy Child and Servant Jesus. 31
And when they had prayed, the place in which they were assembled was shaken;
and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they continued to speak the
Word of God with freedom and boldness and courage.
12. Favor given to them for full freedom to minister
13. Signs and Wonders and power evangelism
14. The Glory shakes buildings and cities
32 Now the company of believers was of one heart and
soul, and not one of them claimed that anything which he possessed was
[exclusively] his own, but everything they had was in common and for the use of
all. 33 And with great strength and ability and power the apostles delivered
their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace
(loving-kindness and favor and goodwill) rested richly upon them all. 34 Nor
was there a destitute or needy person among them, for as many as were owners of
lands or houses proceeded to sell them, and one by one they brought (gave back)
the amount received from the sales.
15. Believers were of one heart and one soul in
relationship together
16. Liberal generosity/mutual sharing
17. No poverty among the believers
18. Great Grace was upon them all
NIV:
God’s grace was so powerfully at
work in them all
NASB:
Abundant grace was upon them all
GWT:
God’s abundant good will was
with all of them
GNT:
God poured rich blessings on them
all
DR
1899: Great grace was in them all
Acts 11:20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus
and Cyrene, who on returning to Antioch spoke to the Greeks also, proclaiming
[to them] the good news (the Gospel) about the Lord Jesus. 21 And the
presence of the Lord was with them with power, so that a great number [learned]
to believe (to adhere to and trust in and rely on the Lord) and turned and
surrendered themselves to Him. 22 The rumors of this came to the ears of
the church (assembly) in Jerusalem, and they
sent Barnabas to Antioch.
23 When he arrived and saw what grace (favor) God was bestowing upon them,
he was full of joy; and he continuously exhorted (warned, urged, and
encouraged) them all to cleave unto and remain faithful to and devoted to the
Lord with [resolute and steady] purpose of heart.
19. Lord's Presence among them in power
20. Mass salvations
21. Discipling, Teaching
Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me;
neither do I esteem my life dear to myself, if only I may finish my course with
joy and the ministry which I have obtained from [which was entrusted to me by]
the Lord Jesus, faithfully to attest to the good news (Gospel) of God's grace
(His unmerited favor, spiritual blessing, and mercy).
22. Radical unshakeable faith
23. Focused on the end result of their course
1 Timothy 1:14 And the grace (unmerited favor and
blessing) of our Lord [actually] flowed out superabundantly and beyond measure
for me, accompanied by faith and love that are [to be realized] in Christ
Jesus.
Ephesians 3:7 Of this [Gospel] I was made a minister
according to the gift of God's free grace (undeserved favor) which was bestowed
on me by the exercise (the working in all its effectiveness) of His power.
24. A superabundant flow in their lives, and outwardly
Get ready, start moving people! God is in His House!
Susan O'Marra
06-05-13
