Four Marks of a Spirit-Filled Church

Summary

In Acts 3, Peter and John encounter a man who has been lame and marginalized his entire life, and their response reveals what a Spirit-filled church should look like. Rather than simply walking past him or offering a temporary solution, they see him, meet his deeper needs, bring him into the presence and community of God, and ultimately become witnesses to a transformed life. The church’s mission is not merely to preach a message but to embody the power of the Gospel—to grab the attention of the world by living differently, meet the physical and practical needs of those around us, connect people with the presence of God, and demonstrate through transformed lives that the Gospel is still changing people.

Outline

1. A Spirit-Filled Church Grabs the World’s Attention — Like Peter stopping to truly see the man everyone else ignored, the church must engage the people and struggles its community has learned to overlook.

2. A Spirit-Filled Church Lifts Others Up — The church demonstrates the Gospel by meeting real physical and practical needs, helping people move beyond mere survival toward flourishing.

3. A Spirit-Filled Church Brings People Into the Presence of God — Like Peter bringing the healed man into the Temple, the church invites people from the margins into the presence, community, and love of God.

4. A Spirit-Filled Church Witnesses Through Transformed Lives — The healed man’s changed life becomes an undeniable testimony to the power of Jesus, showing that the Gospel is most compelling when people can see its transformation in us.

5. A Spirit-Filled Church Lives the Cycle of Transformation — By grabbing attention, meeting needs, bringing people into God’s presence, and living transformed lives, the church continually demonstrates the power of the Gospel to its community.