What wind is behind a bold and world-changing church? What is the secret to the kind of powerful move of God that we see in the book of Acts? Brett Younker has a message for our times straight out of the scriptures that answers these questions and more.
Scripture References
1.And Saul approved of their killing him.
The Church Persecuted and Scattered
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2.Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3.But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
23.On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24.When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25.You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
“ ‘Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?26.The kings of the earth rise up
and the rulers band together
against the Lord
and against his anointed one.4:26 That is, Messiah or Christ’4:26 Psalm 2:1,227.Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28.They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29.Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30.Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”31.After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
About the Contributor
Brett Younker is a pastor, worship leader, and songwriter at Passion City Church in Atlanta, Georgia. His heart is to help people see and know Jesus in a real way through preaching, teaching, music, or just hanging out. Over the last decade, Brett has helped carry the heart of Passion Music and the Passion Movement to the world, calling a generation to live for the glory of God. Brett has helped write many songs the Church is singing, including “Build My Life,” Fall Like Rain,” Christ Our King,” God, You’re So Good,” “Holy Ground,” “Worthy of Your Name,” and many others. He also hosts a podcast called Jesus Songs that explores the stories of some of the songs we sing each week in church. Brett and his wife, Aynsley, have three kids and a dog named Sgt Pepper. View more from the Contributor.