Jesus founded his church in an atmosphere of expectancy!
Taught them to wake up everyday with this question in mind: What will God do today?

4 pillars of the early church

Built on an SUPERNATURAL EXPECTANCY
Built on AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY
Built on PRAYER & FASTING
Built on the PURE GOSPEL

1) That church expected the unexpected

“he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father”

Jn 14:12–14 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

Expectancy - the state of thinking or hoping that something, especially something pleasant, will happen or be the case

What did you come to church expecting today? What did you wake up believing God for?

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Expect nothing, and you’ll find it every time!

2) That church was naturally supernatural

28 Chapters… filled with 30 unique Signs, Wonders, Miracles

Christ Ascends to Heaven & Angelic Visitation (1:9)
Outpouring of the Holy Spirit with sound of wind, tongues of fire, and tongues (2:2-6)
Many signs and wonders done by the Apostles in Jerusalem (2:43)
Peter & John heal the lame man at the Temple gate (3:1-16)
Earthquake at a prayer meeting (4:31)
Ananias and Saphira lie and fall dead (5:5-11)
Apostles perform signs and wonders among the people (5:12)
Peter’s shadow heals the sick in the streets (5:15)
Multitudes from outside Jerusalem are healed and delivered (5:16)
Prison doors open for the Apostles (5:17-25)
Stephen works great signs and wonders (6:8)
Philip heals the crippled and possessed in Samaria (8:6-8, 13)
Philip snatched by the Spirit (8:39)
Saul struck blind on the road to Damascus (9:8-9)
Ananias lays hands on Saul, healed of his blindness (9:17-18)
Peter heals the paralytic Aeneas (9:33-35)
Peter raises Tabitha (9:36-42)
Peter released from prison by an angel (12:5-11)
Herod slain by an angel (12:23)
Paul temporarily blinds the sorcerer Elymas (13:9-12)
Miracles worked by Paul and Barnabas on mission journey (14:3)
Paul heals the lame man of Lystra (14:7-9)
Great signs and wonders done among the Gentiles (15:12)
Paul exorcises girl possessed of divining spirit (16:16-18)
Chains fall from Paul and Silas (16:25-30)
Miracles worked through handkerchiefs touched by Paul (19:11-12)
Paul raises Eutychus (20:9-12)
Paul shakes off viper from his arm (28:3-6)
Paul heals Publius’ father of dysentery (28:7-8)
Paul heals all the sick brought to him on Malta (28:9)

Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see.” ~ C. S. Lewis

The Gospel includes the supernatural. It is not a doctrine with wonders attached, as a sort of bonus, or the bell on a bicycle. It is itself comprehensive of wonders. That is what the FULL GOSPEL means. - REINHARD BONNKE

The early church didn’t question the supernatural, they expected it, assumed it. They were not quick to criticize the miracle, the only question was… by whose power

The reason for the Supernatural

- Supernatural Miracles validated the ministry of Jesus (Luke 4:14, 18–19; 7:22–23; Acts 2:22; 10:38–39; Heb 2:3b–4).
- Supernatural Miracles were a platform for preaching and evangelism for the Apostles (Acts 3:12; 5:12–16; 15:12), Stephen (Acts 6:8), and Philip (Acts 8:6, 13, 18).

8 Miracles of Peter
“many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles” (2:43)
Lame Man from birth (3:1–10)
Earthquake ends a Prayer meeting (4:31)
Curses Ananias and Sapphira (5:1–11)
Healing with a shadow (5:15)
Peter grants miraculous gifts through hands (8:17)
Raises Tabitha from the dead (9:40)
Peters chains loosed (12:7)

8 Miracles of Paul
Paul and Barnabas (the apostles) did many miracles and signs in Iconium (14:3–4)
Lame Man from birth (14:8–11)
Earthquake ends prayers sung to God (16:26)
Curses Elymas (13:8–12)
Healing with a handkerchief (19:12)
Paul grants miraculous gifts through hands (19:6)
Raises Eutychus from the dead (20:9–12)
Paul’s chains fell off (16:26)

It was important to Luke to present Paul as an apostle who had signs following him just as Peter did.

Mk 16:15–20 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.

Pursue Christ, Preach His Gospel, and the supernatural unexpected things follow as a consequence

3. If that church expected the unexpected, was naturally supernatural, shouldn’t this church be asking, “What Will God Do Today?"

Acts is 28 Chapters filled with 30 signs, wonders and miracles. 30 unexpected suddenly's of God. It has no conclusion. Why? Because the Holy Spirit is still working through the Church

Every day is filled with divine possibilities
- The Sustaining Grace of God
- The divine Suddenly's of God

Let us Expect the Unexpected

What will God do today?

UNITE714
Weekly Prayer
2 August through 8 August

“Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.” Matthew 18:19 (ESV)

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”John 17:20-21 (ESV)

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. Psalm 133:1-3 (ESV)

THE PRAYER
Heavenly Father, today we are praying in agreement with millions of believers from 179 nations. With one voice, we are asking You to eradicate COVID-19 and heal our lands from its ravages. Millions and millions of people around our world have lost jobs, educational opportunities, and the basic human interactions and relationships that help us connect with one another. Many people are struggling to simply obtain food in order to survive, while others are mourning the loss of loved ones. In a world permeated with hopelessness, You are the only answer.
Father, in the name of Your Son, Jesus, eradicate COVID-19 and heal the peoples of our world from its devastating effects.
We also ask You to continue the work of making us one. As our world is becoming increasingly fractured by social, generational, ethnic, and religious tensions, the unity of Your Church is even more essential. Purge our hearts from every form of bias and prejudice, so we can serve as ambassadors of reconciliation to our broken world.
Lord Jesus, make us one, even as You and Your Father are one.
Scripture promises a fresh release of the Holy Spirit’s anointing into the lives of Your people when they learn to live as one. We pray for local churches around the world to be freshly unified. Let them be filled with the presence and power of Your Holy Spirit to boldly proclaim your message of salvation.
Heavenly Father, in the power of the Holy Spirit, revive Your Church and save millions of people around the world.
Psalm 133 likens the unity of Your people to the dew of Mount Hermon. Even as the dew from this mountain enriches the climate of Israel, may Your people enrich the spiritual, social, and relational climate of their cities and nations. As we choose to pray, serve, love, and proclaim Your Word, make us the answer for a world permeated by fear, despair, and anger.
Father, in the name of Jesus transform our neighborhoods, cities, and nations–spiritually, socially, relationally, and morally.