They Became Fearless
David Wilkerson's sermon emphasizes the transformative power of the Holy Spirit in empowering believers to boldly preach the gospel and overcome prejudices.
David Wilkerson emphasizes that when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples, they became fearless and empowered to preach the gospel with conviction and authority. This led to a remarkable revival, with thousands being saved, including priests and Gentiles, as the Spirit directed their every action. The disciples overcame cultural prejudices through divine revelation, as seen in Peter's vision, which opened the door for the gospel to reach all nations. The sermon highlights the necessity of prayer and fasting to receive guidance from the Holy Spirit before taking action. Ultimately, the message is that true direction and power come from being in communion with God.
Text
When the Spirit fell upon His disciples, they became fearless. As they went forth to the temple to witness, the Holy Ghost made their words cutting, convicting -- as swords piercing the heart. They preached the gospel with power and authority because they had Holy Ghost fire within them.
Under this anointed preaching, in just a short time some five thousand people were saved. Even priests were converted. And further outpourings happened in nearby villages, in distant cities and even among Gentiles.
The best part of this unbelievable scene is that the church got all of its direction from the Holy Ghost. Nothing happened until the disciples had shut themselves in with the Lord and fasted and prayed. When they did this, the Spirit came and began to direct their every move.
Something else happened that was very important. The disciples were to take the gospel to every nation, every people, yet Jewish tradition forbade them even to touch the clothes of a Gentile. How were they supposed to bring the good news to people with whom they weren't even allowed to associate? It seemed to be an impossible command because even the Jewish converts held to these prejudices.
The widespread proclamation of the gospel began only when the Holy Ghost took over. The Spirit visited Peter during his daily prayer time on a rooftop: "The voice spake unto [Peter] again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common (unclean)" (Acts 10:15).
He told Peter, "Don't dare call unclean what I have sanctified and made clean. Now, go downstairs, because there are some Gentiles knocking on your door. I want you to go with them and preach to them about Jesus!"
The Holy Spirit had solved the prejudice problem overnight. He opened up the Gentile world to the gospel simply by speaking to His followers. It was all clearly directed from heaven!
The powerful first-century believers received all their marching orders from the Holy Ghost Himself: "So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed" (Acts 13:4). They never made a move until they first got alone with God and fasted and prayed. And the Holy Ghost answered them by giving clear direction!
Sermon Outline
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I
- The impact of the Holy Spirit on the disciples
- Fearlessness in preaching
- Power and authority in their words
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II
- The rapid growth of the church
- Conversions of thousands, including priests
- Outpourings in various regions
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III
- The importance of prayer and fasting
- Receiving direction from the Holy Spirit
- Preparation before action
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IV
- Overcoming prejudices against Gentiles
- The vision given to Peter
- The call to preach to all nations
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V
- The role of the Holy Spirit in guiding believers
- The necessity of divine direction
- Acts of the apostles as examples
Key Quotes
“When the Spirit fell upon His disciples, they became fearless.” — David Wilkerson
“The widespread proclamation of the gospel began only when the Holy Ghost took over.” — David Wilkerson
“So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed.” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- Seek the Holy Spirit's guidance through prayer and fasting before making decisions.
- Be open to overcoming personal prejudices in sharing the gospel with all people.
- Embrace the boldness that comes from the Holy Spirit to witness effectively.