Many Signs and Wonders: Pointing People to Jesus

Luke sets Acts 5:12-16 inside the shock of Ananias and Sapphira, where great fear falls on the church and its neighbors, then shows “many signs and wonders” regularly done by the apostles. God becomes the clear actor: his power validates the gospel, not the apostles, not the crowd, not a brand. The text makes growth a byproduct of holiness, not the goal itself. If numbers become the point, the assembly turns into a terrible club. Jesus stays the sign. He is the direction and the destination, the one the church imitates in serving the sick, the addicted, and the confused.

God’s power confirms Christ’s cross and resurrection, not the healings as ends in themselves. The miracles say that death and sin have met their match. Peter’s shadow becomes a picture of a city crowding toward grace, yet the text says some “did not dare join them,” still holding them in high esteem. God’s presence awes and attracts at the same time. People watch from a distance. The claim to belong to Christ must look like something in the parking lot, at the bank, in the shop, at home, on the job.

The gospel insists that deliverance without Christ is empty. Sobriety without the Savior only clears a smoother runway into hell. God puts the emphasis back on Jesus, the risen one who sits at the right hand, working even when people are not faithful. Elijah and Elisha already modeled this pattern: signs never made heroes out of servants; signs made God known.

The church becomes the living sign. The building means nothing. The Spirit sends welders, farmers, bankers, and moms into the mission field when the doors open. Work done well, words spoken clean, anger laid down, enemies forgiven, and secret sins surrendered become markers that point past the church to Christ. The call to surrender stays urgent. Doubting hearts ask for one more sign, but the risen Lord still says, “Put your hand here.” The Spirit presses for a step today. The old self dies in stages as grace rewires desires, speech, and reactions. Baptism then tells the truth about that burial and new life. God keeps saving through his church until the day he calls it home.

Key Takeaways

• 1. God’s power confirms the gospel God validates the message about the cross and resurrection by works that only he can do. The point is not the spectacle or the healer’s reputation, but the Savior’s finished work. When power shows up, it says Jesus reigns over sin and death right now. If the sign does not point to him, it points nowhere worth going. [47:21]
• 2. The church is a living sign The people, not the building, carry Christ’s presence into streets, shops, and homes. Those who watch from a distance are weighing the claim by the life. Quiet faithfulness at work and at home can preach louder than a platform. When conduct matches confession, awe turns into questions and sometimes into faith. [56:32]
• 3. Deliverance without Christ is empty Freedom from a habit or a hurt means little if it never leads to Jesus. Moral cleanup can become a softer pillow on the way to judgment. The gospel offers more than relief; it offers a Lord who raises the dead to life. Real healing lands in worship, not in self-congratulation. [50:08]
• 4. God’s presence awes and attracts Holiness creates both hesitation and honor in onlookers. Awe keeps pretenders away and still draws the hungry near. Consistency under pressure, not the Instagram moment, carries weight. Reverence in God’s people makes space for repentance in those who are watching. [56:02]
• 5. Surrender now, take the next step The Spirit presses for obedience today, not after a long stall. God does the heavy lifting, but the open hands are on the believer. Small yeses stack into a road that leads farther than anyone planned. The journey belongs to those who answer when called. [75:27]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [37:42] - Setting Acts 5 in context
• [38:39] - Chasing signs and missing Jesus
• [41:25] - God’s power is not for fame
• [45:27] - Reading Acts 5:12-16
• [47:21] - Power that confirms the gospel
• [49:42] - Why healings exist at all
• [55:34] - Presence that awes and attracts
• [56:32] - People are watching from a distance
• [60:38] - Not a club, a church
• [63:08] - God keeps saving through his church
• [67:46] - Ordinary work as mission
• [70:14] - From signs to surrender
• [72:32] - Not a genie, but Lord
• [75:27] - Take the next step now
• [81:11] - Answering the call today
• [83:29] - Closing prayer and sending

1. What specific actions did the apostles perform in Acts 5:12-16, and what was the public response to their ministry?
2. Why do you think some people "did not dare join them" even though they held the apostles in high esteem (v. 13)?
3. According to the sermon, why do healings and miracles exist if their primary purpose isn’t just physical relief? [49:42]
4. How does the passage connect the apostles’ work to the growth of the church?

1. Why might miracles like healings point to Jesus’ authority over sin and death rather than just being ends in themselves? [47:21]
2. The sermon says, “Deliverance without Christ is empty.” How does this idea challenge common cultural views of self-improvement or moral reform? [50:08]
3. What does it mean for the church to be a “living sign,” and how does this contrast with treating church as a social club? [41:55]
4. How does the tension between people being awed by God’s presence yet hesitant to join the believers (v. 13) reflect human responses to holiness today?

1. In what areas of your daily life (work, home, community) could your actions more clearly reflect Christ’s presence to those “watching from a distance”? [56:32]
2. The sermon warns that “sobriety without the Savior” can lead to a false sense of security. Are there areas where you’ve prioritized external change over surrendering to Jesus? What step could you take today to address this? [50:08]
3. How can ordinary tasks (e.g., welding, banking, parenting) become opportunities to point others to Christ? What practical adjustments would this require? [01:05:14]
4. The Spirit calls for “small yeses” rather than waiting for grand gestures. What is one specific, immediate act of obedience you’ve been hesitating to take? [01:15:27]
5. Are there “secret sins” or unresolved conflicts in your life that, if surrendered, could become markers of God’s transforming power to others?
6. How can your group support one another in living as “living signs” of Christ in places where people might be skeptical or distant?
7. The sermon says, “God’s presence awes and attracts.” What habits or attitudes might need to change in your life to cultivate a reverence that draws others to ask questions about Jesus? [56:02]