A People who Possess the Fragrance of Jesus
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained
men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. 14And seeing the man who had been
healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 15But when they had commanded them to go
aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16saying, "What shall we do to these men? For,
indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and
we cannot deny it. (Acts 4:13-16)
I. GOD’S DESIRE FOR A PEOPLE WHO WALK IN APOSTOLIC AUTHORITY
A. Our “blessed hope” is the full establishment of the Kingdom of God over all the earth at the return of Jesus. At this
time, God will join together the earthly and heavenly realms together through the leadership of His Son.
B. Our present mandate is to be those who walk in the authority and power of God while we wait for the breaking in
of the Kingdom in fullness at the Second Coming.
11 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they
thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. 12Therefore He said: "A certain nobleman went into a far
country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. 13So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas,
and said to them, "Do business till I come.' (Luke 19:11-13)
12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these
he will do, because I go to My Father. (John 14:12)
8But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8)
C. The Kingdom was inaugurated at Jesus’ first coming it will be consummated at the second coming. In other words,
although the Kingdom will come fully in future it is already here in part.
D. It is important for the people of God to maintain the tension of living fully for God in the now while we wait for the
not yet.
E. God wants to demonstrate the coming Kingdom with power today through the lives of men and women who are
fully committed to Him and His ways.
8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the
unsearchable riches of Christ,…10to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church
to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places (Eph. 3:8-10)
F. As in the book of Acts, God wants to take a nameless and faceless generation and anoint them with His power that the
world will marvel at Jesus. These are those who may not have been trained in the schools of the world but have been
trained in “God’s School” of higher learning. Like Peter and John they will demonstrate the Kingdom and make Jesus
known through: Supernatural Boldness and Authority; Undeniable demonstrations of Kingdom Power; and; Fearlessness
in the face of Persecution
II. THEY WERE UNEDUCATED AND UNTRAINED MEN
A. Apostolic Christianity does not depend on the finest education that money can buy. The surprising thing about
Peter and John was that God had chosen weak vessels without any formal theological education and used them to turn
Jerusalem upside down.
B. Our best institutions and training programs cannot give us Kingdom Power
1. Moses was trained in the best that the world had to offer. He was known as the “Son of Pharaoh’s Daughter”
(Prince of Egypt) (Hebrews 11:24). He thought that He could deliver Israel by His own strength and wisdom. It took 40
years in the desert and an encounter with a burning bush to convince him otherwise.
2. Daniel received the best education in the world in His generation (Daniel 1:4) yet it was his interior life in God
that made him ten times wiser than all the wise men of Babylon.
C. Original definition of Theology – “Union with God in Prayer”
III. THEY REALIZED THEY HAD BEEN WITH JESUS
14Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in
every place. 15For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are
perishing. 16To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life.
And who is sufficient for these things? (2 Corinthians 2:14-16)
A. We are called to make Jesus known. God wants to manifest the life and love of His Son through us. God will not
manifest His life outside of partnership with His people. He wants us to be so intimate with Him that we carry His very
fragrance (character, ways and emotions) with us wherever we go.
B. People will either respond positively or negatively – but the name of Jesus will be made known either way and
men will be without excuse.
For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot
deny it (Acts 4:16)
C. The purpose of Kingdom Ministry is to exalt the King and His Kingdom, not to draw men to us or to build our
own kingdom.
D. Do people take note that we have been with Jesus?
And they realized that they had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13)
IV. WHO IS SUFFICIENT FOR THESE THINGS?
A. Without Him we can do nothing
4Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you
abide in Me. 5"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me
you can do nothing. (John 15:4-5)
B. Trying to make Jesus known in our own strength is noble but insufficient.
2"I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those
who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3and you have persevered and have patience, and
have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary. 4Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left
your first love. 5Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you
quickly and remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent. (Revelation 2:2-5)
C. The Temptation: to build the Kingdom in our own strength – the example of Peter
1. Peter was like many of us – he tried to be sufficient on his own. He wanted Jesus to be impressed by his own
strength and commitment.
2. Peter did not realize that human commitment alone is not enough – and when pressure came he denied Jesus.
3. Jesus re-instated Peter and told him that weak love was all he needed in order to succeed.
15 ..Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love (agape) Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes,
Lord; You know that I love (phileo) You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs." 16He said to him again a second time, "Simon,
son of Jonah, do you love (agape) Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love (phileo) You." He said to him,
"Tend My sheep." 17He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love (phileo) Me?" Peter was grieved
because He said to him the third time, "Do you love (phileo) Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You
know that I love (phileo)You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep. 18Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were
younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands,
and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish." 19This He spoke, signifying by what death he would
glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me." (John 21:15-19)
9And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
D. The Challenge: “Do you love me?” – Cultivating a life in God
1. Praying until we receive His power
49Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power
from on high. (Luke 24:49)
2. Praying in the Spirit at all times
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21keep yourselves in the
love of God (Jude 20)
3. Meditating on the Word
39And …Mary…sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 41And Jesus…said…. “one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen
that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:39-42)
4. Fasting to receive more of the Spirit
15And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the
days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. (Matthew 9:15)