Latest / Providence Baptist Church - Sermons / Acts 2:41-47

Transcript

Acts 2:41-47 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

0:00
It's very good to be back and preaching today. I'm coming off a three-week preaching break, and I've been incredibly thankful for that for multiple reasons, which I've stated previously.
0:29
Please turn with me, if you will, in your copy of God's Word, Acts chapter 2, verses 41 through 47. Luke's account here follows the preaching of Peter on the day of Pentecost.
0:47
The great sermon that I would encourage you, if you're not familiar with, to go back and read. Peter answers the question, what is happening in this day of Pentecost?
0:56
These people filled with the Spirit are starting to speak in other languages, and they're telling about the mighty works of God.
1:04
And so he explains that, and then he goes on to give explanation to who Jesus Christ is and how to place believing faith in Him.
1:15
This is the beginning of the church.
1:20
It's an incredibly important text.
1:22
Because it's so important, I want to get your minds moving in the right direction before we read it together by presenting you with a couple of questions.
1:34
First question, what is the church?
1:41
What is the church?
1:42
I think that readily all of us could come up with some answer to that question.
1:48
Is it the right answer?
1:51
What immediately comes to your mind when I ask that question?
1:55
Is it a building?
1:57
Or a piece of property?
2:00
Borrowed, rented, or owned?
2:03
Is it a particular preacher?
2:05
Is it an event like a Sunday morning gathering?
2:10
Is it a business set with the task of marketing to you Christ?
2:17
Employing the means of the world to accomplish the ends of God?
2:23
We have, I believe, in our Christian culture, a lot of really bad examples of what a church is.
2:32
As we begin to look to the culture for those answers, I think we'll find that most of them will be wrong answers.
2:43
I've been saving the past about week and a half just some of the things that I get in the mail and by email,
2:52
marketing things that are sent to me.
2:55
And most of these, some, are just wrong.
3:00
Most of these are not, in and of themselves, wrong.
3:04
But just to give you some idea of the type of things that we as a church are inundated with,
3:11
catalogs to buy products.
3:14
There's lots and lots of them like this.
3:17
I'm not particularly picking on this one.
3:19
But when we received this, it still wasn't too late to order our Palm Sunday Palm Fronds, tied up and ready to go.
3:29
Or our John 316 hand fans.
3:33
We could get those shipped to us very quickly.
3:36
Another one with some adult coloring books for moms, which is a great gift for Mother's Day.
3:46
Pictures that say things, the teapot says things like,
3:50
all women are special, which I agree.
3:52
Or keep calm and color on.
3:54
A bookmark maybe that says a mother's love knows no boundaries.
4:03
Not to leave the men out for Father's Day.
4:06
Men, you could get a flashlight that says men who walk with God light the way.
4:11
About some advertising for church cleaning.
4:20
Also church building cleaning.
4:23
Lots of local services for that.
4:25
We've got a company that will do our VBS t-shirts for us.
4:29
Go ahead and get those ordered up.
4:31
Some conferences to keep me from being arrested for tax fraud,
4:36
which are always very scary.
4:41
Pastor Jen Wright is still in jail apparently.
4:45
From our own denomination,
4:48
emails about webisodes and blogs that include things,
4:53
some highlights from today's episode.
4:56
Your church worship facility will feel full to attendees when it's above 80% capacity.
5:02
From a conceptual point of view,
5:04
it's easier to deal with the too full problem than the too empty problem.
5:10
I did not take time out of my week to listen to this.
5:14
Or how about a webinar being offered on how to recruit and maintain volunteers.
5:19
Or another one on reaching and retaining church guests.
5:25
Seems Facebook and all its intelligence has learned that I'm a pastor somehow.
5:29
And I get ads after ads after ads for outreach strategy companies.
5:35
How to reach people via social media and get them to attend our fellowship together.
5:43
Two that especially grieve me close by.
5:46
A large church in our area.
5:49
Inviting pastors, lay people to a training to use a premarital and marriage counseling curriculum.
5:58
That has as its stated goals.
6:01
So let's watch what I'm saying.
6:03
This is a church in our area.
6:05
In our denomination.
6:07
Saying they'd like for us to come to a training to use this tool that they use.
6:10
This is what they're using to equip.
6:12
And these are the goals.
6:15
Explore strength and growth areas.
6:19
Strengthen communication skills.
6:22
Identify and manage major stressors.
6:24
Resolve conflict using the 10-step model.
6:29
Develop a more balanced relationship.
6:32
Explore family of origin issues.
6:35
Discuss financial planning and budgeting.
6:38
Establish personal, couple, and family goals.
6:42
Understand and appreciate personality differences.
6:45
All of these are good things to be done.
6:47
But I find it interesting that nowhere stated for the thrust of this curriculum.
6:52
And I looked.
6:53
And I looked very hard for it.
6:54
Because I don't want to misspeak on the matter.
6:55
All over their website.
6:57
Anywhere.
6:58
How do our marriages magnify the gospel?
7:01
How do we apply biblical principles and the disciplines of Christianity to our marriage?
7:08
How are we made competent for our sanctification in our marriages?
7:16
Another local within our denomination.
7:20
One that I spent part of my formative years at is going to serve as a satellite campus broadcasting something called the Global Leadership Summit.
7:31
It's put on by Willow Creek Church.
7:34
Bill Hyvel, as you may be familiar with, is the pastor there.
7:38
Since 1995, they've put on this leadership conference.
7:43
It's aimed at church leadership.
7:46
And they bring in leaders from around the world, both Christian and otherwise, to help pastors better lead their churches.
7:59
In an article online, I read the following, a 1993 survey of evangelical pastors by seven seminaries found that while they said their education had prepped them well in church history and theology, amen,
8:14
they felt undertrained in administration, management, and strategic planning.
8:21
Quote a pastor from Massachusetts,
8:23
In the 1950s, a pastor preached on Sundays, did weddings and funerals, and visited the sick.
8:30
He goes on to say,
8:31
I have almost 50 ministries that need to be put together, scheduled, organized, and led.
8:36
It's a different skill set.
8:39
What he's saying is, the Bible doesn't teach you how to do those things.
8:44
The article goes on to say,
8:45
Church conferences do little to address that need.
8:48
Most of them are pastors learning from pastors.
8:54
If you only hear preaching from the choir, you're never stretched.
8:59
You never see things from another perspective.
9:03
This year, the speakers there, Melinda Gates of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,
9:11
and T.D. Jakes, who is a known prosperity gospel preacher and a modalist,
9:16
meaning he denies the nature of the Trinity.
9:21
And this is being hosted in our denomination so that we can learn from the business world
9:26
how we're meant to lead churches.
9:29
That's just a little, that's a sampling, a small, small, small sampling.
9:32
I'm just going to get it out of my way.
9:33
I'm not mad at it.
9:34
I'm just getting it out of my way.
9:37
Well, I am mad at it, but all the same.
9:43
A second and closely related question.
9:46
What is the church?
9:48
How do we recognize the church?
9:50
What is the normative activity and quality of the church?
9:53
What are the marks of a church?
9:56
Is this a biblical church?
9:58
Is that a biblical church?
10:02
What do we base that off of?
10:04
You may ask some wrong questions, like does the church have a particular set of ministries?
10:10
Does the church have a particular style of music?
10:14
Does the church create separate environments for middle schoolers and high schoolers?
10:20
I think that was lost on most of you and I'm glad that it's to your benefit if that reference is lost on you.
10:28
Does it matter how I dress or what kind of hairstyle I have?
10:36
It's my hope this morning, at least in part, to answer those questions for you.
10:42
But how do you tackle such a task?
10:44
What is the church?
10:45
What are the marks?
10:46
What are the signs of a biblical church?
10:50
Many pastors will speak of a vision for what any particular church should look like.
10:58
But I don't believe that my innovation is of any value to you.
11:01
None whatsoever.
11:04
If I am to love you as an under-shepherd of our Lord Jesus Christ,
11:10
who's the head of the church,
11:12
he's given us a prescription for the church.
11:16
He has said what the church should look like and what it should be about.
11:22
And the only way I can do it is to draw you out of the popular culture to ancient truths.
11:30
To bring you back to the Scripture.
11:35
Beloved, I have nothing to offer you apart from the Word of God.
11:39
I will tell you that there are many men in our culture who are phenomenal communicators.
11:47
Boy, they can wrap you up and take you in and say very little, but capture your attention.
11:52
If I attempted to do that, if I tried to come up here and to preach each Sunday without humbling myself under the Word of God,
12:03
recognizing it as the absolute authority,
12:05
within a month I would run out of anecdotes and personal stories from my lives and metaphors.
12:12
I would just have to start rehashing them.
12:14
You could say it's the second Sunday of the month.
12:17
Nathan's probably going to tell such and such story.
12:21
I don't have anything to offer you apart from the Scripture.
12:25
There's a fairly lost doctrine about the Scripture,
12:29
which is the sufficiency of Scripture.
12:34
The sufficiency.
12:34
Defined by Wayne Grudem in his work entitled Systematic Theology,
12:40
the sufficiency of Scripture means that Scripture contained all the words of God
12:46
He intended His people to have at each stage of redemptive history.
12:51
So, as the Scripture was being written,
12:54
it contained within it everything that God intended His people to have for that stage in redemptive history.
13:01
We call that progressive revelation.
13:02
And that it now contains all the words of God we need for salvation,
13:09
for trusting Him perfectly,
13:11
and for obeying Him perfectly.
13:14
It's a closed canon.
13:15
It now contains everything that we need for these tasks.
13:20
The Scripture contains all that we need to know and to place believing faith
13:25
in the personal work of Jesus Christ
13:27
and to follow Him perfectly.
13:31
2 Timothy 3, 16 and 17.
13:35
I hope you're familiar with this passage.
13:38
It says,
13:39
all Scripture is breathed out by God.
13:44
The Scripture says in many places that God by His Spirit inspired the Word,
13:49
that He spoke into men who pinned what He said.
13:52
This is the only place that it's said differently,
13:54
and it's speaking of another place in that process.
13:57
It was inspired, but it was also expired by God.
14:02
And that is to say that He is the very source.
14:06
All Scripture is breathed out by God.
14:08
It's His book.
14:09
He authored it.
14:10
And it's profitable for teaching,
14:13
for reproof,
14:14
for correction,
14:15
and for training in righteousness.
14:17
It's profitable.
14:18
It's good for this,
14:19
for doing these varying activities that bring about righteousness.
14:22
And the result of that, in verse 17,
14:24
is that the man of God may be complete
14:27
and equipped
14:29
for
14:30
every
14:32
good work.
14:34
Not some good work.
14:35
Not a sampling of the good work that we're meant to do
14:38
as followers of Jesus Christ,
14:39
but that we would be equipped for
14:41
every
14:42
good work.
14:44
The Scriptures are sufficient for this.
14:46
We don't need to look beyond the Scripture
14:47
for that.
14:50
The way we define
14:51
and conduct ourselves as a church
14:53
is included in this.
14:55
Every good work.
14:56
It's included in that.
14:58
Necessarily.
14:58
It must be.
14:59
If we believe in the sufficientness of Scripture,
15:01
it
15:01
must be.
15:02
Now, I'm not saying that we don't
15:04
read other books.
15:05
I'm going to quote from a book
15:06
I've been reading
15:06
just this week again
15:08
to you.
15:09
I've got a library
15:10
full of books,
15:11
but they're only of any value
15:12
if they speak of
15:13
the Scripture.
15:15
If they help us
15:15
expound and understand
15:17
the Scripture.
15:20
The saints of old
15:21
called the sufficiency of Scripture
15:24
as it played out
15:25
in the life of the local church.
15:26
They called this
15:27
the regulative
15:28
principle.
15:30
The regulative principle
15:31
of the regulative principle.
15:33
John Calvin said this,
15:34
God disapproves
15:35
of all modes
15:36
of worship
15:37
not expressly
15:38
sanctioned
15:39
by His Word.
15:42
The Second London Baptist Confession,
15:44
1689,
15:45
a really great
15:46
Baptist confession.
15:47
A lot of
15:48
churches
15:49
like ours
15:50
with the same
15:51
soteriological
15:52
persuasion
15:52
use the Second London
15:54
Baptist Confession.
15:55
It says this,
15:56
the acceptable way
15:57
of worshiping
15:58
the true God
15:58
is instituted
16:00
by Himself
16:01
and so limited
16:03
by His own
16:04
revealed will
16:04
that He may not
16:05
be worshipped
16:06
according to the imagination
16:07
and devices
16:09
of men
16:09
nor the suggestions
16:11
of Satan
16:12
under any visible
16:14
representations
16:15
or any other way
16:17
not prescribed
16:18
in the Holy Scriptures.
16:22
Sufficiency of Scripture.
16:23
A good gauge
16:25
for us
16:26
as a church
16:27
as we carefully
16:28
and prayerfully
16:30
consider what
16:31
the Scriptures
16:31
teach us
16:32
about how to
16:33
conduct ourselves
16:34
as a church
16:35
is to ask
16:36
the question,
16:38
does our church
16:40
have a model
16:41
of ministry
16:42
that could exist
16:44
in any place
16:45
in the world
16:46
at any time
16:48
in history?
16:50
Do we do anything
16:52
that couldn't
16:54
be duplicated
16:55
in any place
16:56
in the world
16:56
at any time
16:57
in history?
16:58
Does our church
16:58
have a model
16:59
of ministry
16:59
that could exist
17:00
in any place
17:00
in the world
17:01
at any time
17:03
in history?
17:05
This means
17:05
that a follower
17:06
of Christ
17:07
from Iran
17:08
should be able
17:09
to come fellowship
17:10
with an American
17:11
congregation
17:12
this morning
17:12
and not
17:14
find him or herself
17:15
out of place.
17:17
Fly in
17:18
Sunday morning.
17:20
Hit the first place
17:21
that they can find
17:22
and not feel
17:23
entirely out of place
17:24
amongst those people.
17:26
This means that a
17:27
first century follower
17:28
of Christ
17:28
should be able
17:29
to come fellowship
17:30
with an American
17:30
congregation
17:31
this morning
17:31
and not find
17:32
him or herself
17:32
out of place.
17:35
Now I'm not
17:36
suggesting that all
17:37
churches should
17:38
look exactly
17:39
the same.
17:40
We're given
17:41
banks on the river,
17:41
we're given some
17:42
things in the Scripture
17:42
that are very,
17:43
very, very clear
17:44
and that's going
17:45
to express itself
17:46
in different ways.
17:48
For example,
17:50
Wes leads music
17:51
for us
17:51
and I don't know,
17:52
he's a little
17:53
folk rocky.
17:54
That's why we do
17:55
music in the way
17:56
we do music.
17:57
Not because we've
17:57
tailored it in a
17:58
certain way
17:58
or because God
17:59
has prescribed it
18:00
but we do sing
18:02
God-focused,
18:04
Christocentric songs
18:06
because the Scripture
18:06
does prescribe that.
18:08
We don't sing songs
18:09
about us
18:09
and songs that are
18:13
man-centered
18:13
because the Scripture
18:14
has us avoid
18:15
that type of singing
18:17
but the style
18:18
is inconsequential.
18:19
It may look different
18:20
and different places
18:20
so somebody may come
18:22
from Iran
18:23
or from the first century
18:24
and come and sit
18:25
and say,
18:25
I've never heard
18:26
this song.
18:27
This is an entirely
18:28
new song to me
18:29
but it's very similar
18:30
to the types of song
18:31
I may sing
18:32
in my church
18:34
at home,
18:36
country,
18:37
or time.
18:39
And not suggesting
18:40
that we must meet
18:41
in a straw and mud building
18:42
and gather
18:44
under the cover
18:44
of darkness.
18:46
Someone from Iran
18:46
would probably say,
18:48
it makes sense
18:48
that you meet at 1030
18:49
because you can.
18:51
We meet at 3 a.m.
18:52
because we can't meet
18:54
at 1030.
18:57
I would hope,
18:58
I think they would though,
18:59
walk into many of our churches
19:00
in America,
19:02
these two,
19:02
this time traveler
19:03
and this person from Iran,
19:04
and they would say,
19:05
why did they build
19:07
all of this?
19:10
Why are there so many spaces
19:12
being so unused?
19:16
Why are there fish tanks
19:18
in here?
19:20
How in the world
19:21
did they get a first century
19:23
Jewish village
19:24
inside this building?
19:27
What is the guy
19:28
on the stage
19:29
even talking about?
19:32
Why has he taken
19:33
his copy of God's Word
19:35
and cast it carelessly
19:36
onto a side table
19:38
and walked away from it?
19:39
Would they find a people
19:44
who love the Lord Jesus Christ
19:46
in the same way
19:47
that they do
19:48
and are about the work
19:49
of pursuing his ways
19:51
and his means?
19:53
Would they think
19:55
that we worship
19:56
Jesus
19:57
or ourselves?
20:00
Our entertainment,
20:01
our preferences,
20:03
our whims?
20:05
At best,
20:08
in many places
20:09
this morning,
20:10
the right God
20:11
is being worshipped,
20:12
but he's being worshipped
20:13
wrongly
20:14
out of ignorance,
20:17
out of an unbiblically
20:19
saturated ignorance.
20:21
At worst,
20:23
many people this morning
20:25
are worshipping
20:25
a God
20:26
of their own making,
20:29
worshipping themselves.
20:31
Beloved,
20:32
I will not have you
20:33
be ignorant
20:33
this morning.
20:36
The sufficiency
20:36
of Scripture
20:37
also means
20:37
that a follower
20:38
of Christ
20:38
from Iran
20:39
should be able
20:40
to come to fellowship
20:41
with our congregation
20:42
this morning
20:43
and not find him
20:44
or herself
20:45
out of place.
20:47
This should feel
20:48
normative to them.
20:50
It means that a
20:51
first century follower
20:52
of Christ
20:52
can time travel
20:53
and come fellowship
20:54
with our congregation
20:55
this morning
20:55
and not find him
20:56
or herself
20:58
out of place,
21:00
but rejoice
21:00
that God is doing
21:01
a work
21:01
amongst his church
21:03
in America.
21:05
So our text today,
21:07
Acts chapter 2,
21:09
beginning in verse 41.
21:11
Psalm.
21:18
Beloved,
21:19
this is God's word
21:20
to us.
21:22
It was written
21:22
for his glory
21:23
and our good.
21:25
We would all do well
21:26
to listen to it
21:27
this morning
21:27
in order to believe
21:28
its promises
21:29
and obey
21:30
its commands.
21:33
So those who received
21:35
his word,
21:36
Peter's word,
21:36
were baptized.
21:37
baptized.
21:38
And there were added
21:39
that day
21:39
about three thousand
21:40
souls.
21:42
And they devoted
21:42
themselves to the
21:43
apostles' teaching
21:44
and the fellowship,
21:46
to the breaking
21:46
of bread
21:47
and the prayers.
21:49
And awe came upon
21:50
every soul
21:51
and many wonders
21:52
and signs
21:53
were being done
21:53
through the apostles.
21:55
And all who believed
21:56
were together
21:57
and had all things
21:58
in common.
21:59
And they were selling
22:00
their possessions
22:01
and belongings
22:01
and distributing
22:02
the proceeds
22:03
to all
22:04
as any had need.
22:05
And day by day,
22:07
attending the temple
22:08
together and breaking
22:09
bread in their homes,
22:10
they received their food
22:11
with glad
22:12
and generous hearts,
22:14
praising God
22:15
and having favor
22:16
with all the people.
22:18
And the Lord
22:18
added to their number
22:19
day by day
22:21
those who were
22:22
being saved.
22:24
So,
22:26
what is
22:27
the church?
22:30
What is the church?
22:31
I've defined it
22:32
for you this morning
22:33
simply this way.
22:34
And there's more
22:35
complex answers to this.
22:37
Simply the community
22:38
of regenerate followers
22:41
of Jesus Christ
22:42
in all places
22:44
for all time.
22:45
So,
22:46
everyone who will
22:47
ever place
22:47
believing faith
22:49
in Jesus Christ
22:50
is the church,
22:52
capital C,
22:53
the global church.
22:56
Certainly,
22:57
that has
22:58
local expressions
23:00
of church.
23:02
again,
23:03
regenerate followers
23:04
of Jesus Christ.
23:06
Here we find
23:07
both the global
23:09
and local expression
23:10
at the same time.
23:11
It's the only time
23:12
in history
23:12
this will happen.
23:13
The church will soon
23:14
be scattered
23:14
as we read Luke's account
23:16
in Acts.
23:17
But right now,
23:17
it's both global
23:18
and local
23:20
expressions.
23:22
The church,
23:22
whether we are speaking
23:23
globally or locally,
23:24
whether for all time
23:25
or today,
23:26
is made
23:27
of true followers
23:29
of Jesus Christ.
23:32
Not merely people
23:33
who profess
23:34
to believe
23:35
in Jesus Christ.
23:36
While they may
23:37
fellowship with a church,
23:40
they may be
23:40
tears among
23:41
wheat.
23:43
But people who are
23:44
actually regenerate,
23:45
who have been given
23:46
the regenerating work
23:47
of the Spirit of God
23:48
in their life.
23:50
Regenerate followers
23:51
of Jesus Christ.
23:53
It's the gathering
23:54
of those people,
23:55
the ekklesia,
23:56
which is a really
23:57
simple word in the Greek.
23:58
It just means
23:58
gathering.
24:00
In Greek,
24:01
it could have been used
24:02
of any other type
24:03
of gathering
24:03
as well.
24:05
Just a gathering
24:07
of those
24:08
who believe
24:08
in Jesus Christ.
24:09
It's not a gathering
24:11
to events.
24:15
It's people gathered
24:15
around the event
24:17
of Jesus' life,
24:19
death,
24:20
resurrection,
24:21
ascension,
24:21
and now His
24:22
working in the world.
24:25
That is what
24:26
the church is.
24:27
Verse 41.
24:29
So those who received
24:29
His word were baptized.
24:31
And there were
24:31
out of that day
24:32
about 3,000 souls.
24:34
What word did they receive?
24:35
If you back up
24:36
to verse 38,
24:37
you see that Peter says,
24:38
Repent,
24:39
turn from your sin,
24:40
and be baptized,
24:41
every one of you,
24:42
in the name
24:42
of Jesus Christ
24:44
for the forgiveness
24:45
of your sins.
24:46
And you will receive
24:47
the gift
24:47
of the Holy Spirit.
24:49
Repent and believe
24:50
in the person and work
24:51
of Jesus Christ.
24:52
This is the word
24:53
that they received.
24:55
And this was the way
24:56
that they were to,
24:57
verse 40,
24:58
save themselves
24:59
from this crooked generation.
25:03
They responded in faith
25:04
to the gospel preaching
25:05
of Peter
25:06
because they had the gift
25:08
of the Holy Spirit.
25:10
Regeneration precedes faith.
25:12
It's given to us
25:13
as a gift
25:13
so that we cannot boast.
25:16
Right?
25:16
They had this regenerating work
25:18
that happened in them
25:19
and they believed
25:20
in the person
25:21
and work
25:22
of Jesus Christ.
25:23
These are regenerate people
25:25
who are about this activity
25:27
of the early church.
25:31
So how do we recognize the church?
25:34
The church is
25:35
in one way of answering it.
25:38
How do we recognize it?
25:39
What are some of the indicators,
25:40
the normative activity
25:41
and the quality,
25:42
the marks
25:43
of the church?
25:44
And there's three we can find here
25:46
together in the text.
25:48
Number one,
25:50
the Spirit-filled church's
25:52
devotion.
25:55
The Spirit-filled church's
25:56
devotion.
25:57
In verse 42,
26:00
and they devoted themselves
26:02
to a number of things.
26:05
Four things.
26:07
And they devoted themselves.
26:08
They collectively.
26:09
Not some devoted themselves to.
26:13
Some decided they were going to be
26:15
really sold out for Jesus.
26:17
And some decided
26:18
they were not.
26:19
They were just going to be
26:20
nominal Christians.
26:22
Fire insurance policy
26:23
in the back pocket.
26:24
I'm going to ride this out.
26:26
They, collectively,
26:27
were all devoted.
26:30
If you are regenerate,
26:32
you are part of the church,
26:33
and you are to be
26:35
devoted to these following things.
26:39
It's a commitment,
26:41
a firm commitment,
26:42
and you each have a part to play
26:43
and are each responsible
26:44
for your part.
26:47
To be devoted speaks of
26:50
constancy,
26:52
diligence,
26:54
firm commitment.
26:56
It means that it takes work.
26:59
It means that to be devoted
27:00
to the things we're going to talk about
27:01
here momentarily takes work.
27:03
You have to apply yourself
27:05
to these things.
27:07
And, beloved,
27:08
while we're talking about
27:09
the church broadly today,
27:12
the church is made of people,
27:14
primarily,
27:15
and you're one of those people,
27:16
I hope and pray.
27:18
So it means that you're to work
27:20
and to be devoted.
27:21
You must be disciplined
27:22
individually
27:23
so that we can be disciplined
27:27
corporately.
27:29
We can together be devoted
27:31
to these things.
27:33
So what are they devoted to?
27:35
They're devoted, number one,
27:36
to the apostles' teaching.
27:39
To the apostles' teaching.
27:40
So in this day,
27:42
this early church day,
27:43
the apostles are there
27:44
and they're beginning
27:44
to expound to them
27:45
the Old Testament Scriptures
27:47
as Peter's already done
27:48
in chapter 2.
27:50
They're explaining
27:51
all of the things
27:52
that they need to know
27:53
about Christ.
27:54
They're going to go on later,
27:56
these apostles,
27:56
to pin letters
27:57
to the churches.
27:58
These letters are canonized
27:59
into our Scripture today.
28:01
So we can understand this
28:03
for us as a devotion
28:04
to the truth,
28:06
the truth found
28:06
in the 66 canonized books
28:08
of the Bible.
28:09
Devotion to the truth
28:10
is foundational
28:12
for the definition
28:13
and health of the church.
28:16
Any people,
28:17
you're going to like this one,
28:19
it's bold,
28:19
any group of people
28:20
claiming to be a church
28:22
that are not devoted
28:24
to the truth of Scripture
28:25
is no church at all.
28:29
And any church
28:30
that doesn't continue
28:30
in that devotion
28:31
to the truth
28:32
of Scripture
28:33
will very quickly
28:34
become anemic
28:35
and die.
28:38
Beloved,
28:38
this is the problem
28:39
with so many
28:39
of our churches today.
28:41
It seems that you either
28:42
have churches
28:42
that are fizzling out
28:44
because they've traded
28:45
the truth of God
28:46
for the traditions
28:47
of men.
28:48
They're doing things
28:49
some way because
28:50
it's always the way
28:51
that they've done it
28:51
and there's no foundation
28:52
for it in the Scripture
28:53
itself.
28:54
Or they're innovating
28:55
themselves to a place
28:57
of cool
28:57
and attracting
28:58
a crowd.
29:00
Both are damaging.
29:03
They were devoted
29:03
to the apostles'
29:05
teaching.
29:06
They're also devoted
29:07
to the fellowship.
29:10
And there is so much
29:11
to be contained in here.
29:13
We have a schedule
29:14
for the book of Acts.
29:15
I was tempted
29:16
just to rewrite it all
29:17
this week
29:18
and park on this
29:18
for the next couple
29:20
of months.
29:22
They're devoted
29:22
to the fellowship,
29:23
the koinonia in Greek,
29:25
which is not merely
29:27
a potluck meal
29:29
after a service.
29:31
But it can include
29:32
a potluck meal
29:33
after the service.
29:35
Word carries the idea
29:36
of it with partnership
29:38
or sharing,
29:40
but specifically
29:41
in the things of life.
29:44
In the comings
29:45
and the goings
29:46
of life,
29:46
they were in partnership
29:48
with one another.
29:50
The details
29:52
of what koinonia
29:53
looks like
29:54
for a Bible-believing,
29:56
Bible-defined church
29:58
are expressed
29:59
in all of the
30:00
one another's
30:01
in the Bible.
30:02
And there are too many
30:03
for me to give them
30:04
to you this morning,
30:05
but just a few.
30:06
John 15, 12.
30:07
Jesus says,
30:07
this is my commandment
30:08
that you love
30:09
one another
30:10
as I have loved you.
30:12
Again,
30:13
Romans 12, 10.
30:14
Paul,
30:14
love one another
30:15
with brotherly affection.
30:17
Outdo one another
30:19
in showing honor.
30:21
Romans 6, 16.
30:22
Paul says,
30:22
greet one another
30:23
with a holy kiss.
30:25
And that was a practice
30:26
of showing someone
30:27
that they're a part
30:28
of your family.
30:29
You're part of our family.
30:30
We are a faith family
30:31
together.
30:32
Galatians 6, 2.
30:34
Bear one another's burdens
30:36
and so fulfill
30:37
the law of Christ.
30:39
Their devotion
30:40
to the fellowship
30:40
included discipleship.
30:43
It included counseling.
30:45
It included sharing meals together.
30:47
It included helping each other
30:49
with yard work.
30:50
It included all of these
30:51
types of things
30:52
that Christians
30:53
are meant to be drawn into
30:55
together
30:56
as the people of God.
30:58
Expansive meaning
30:59
the fellowship.
31:02
They were also devoted
31:04
to the breaking of bread.
31:07
And I think,
31:08
some will say this is referring
31:10
to meals taken together.
31:11
I'd like to put meals
31:12
in the fellowship.
31:13
I think that specifically,
31:14
Luke,
31:15
is referring to them
31:16
practicing
31:17
the ordinances.
31:19
This is them
31:20
practicing
31:21
the Lord's supper
31:22
together
31:22
as He had commanded
31:24
them to do.
31:26
I broaden that
31:27
to talk about the ordinances
31:28
because we saw in verse 41
31:29
that they were baptized.
31:32
They didn't need to be
31:33
as this early group of people
31:35
continually devoted
31:36
to baptism
31:36
because they had already
31:37
been baptized.
31:39
But they go on
31:40
to now be devoted
31:40
to this continuing
31:41
practice
31:43
of breaking bread
31:45
with one another.
31:46
Practicing the Lord's supper.
31:47
Remembering together
31:48
what Christ had done
31:49
on their behalf.
31:50
What He was doing
31:51
and what He had promised
31:52
to do.
31:54
They're celebrating that
31:55
collectively
31:56
together.
31:58
They were remembering
31:59
together
31:59
that their fellowship
32:00
was a divine reality.
32:03
It was something
32:03
that was accomplished
32:04
by the personal work
32:06
of Jesus Christ.
32:09
This is the continuation
32:10
of His ministry
32:11
on earth.
32:13
Do you think
32:15
about the church
32:16
in that way?
32:18
Do you merely
32:19
attend a church?
32:20
Or are you
32:21
in fellowship
32:23
with a group
32:24
of believers
32:25
because of what
32:25
Christ has done
32:26
on your behalf?
32:29
We have,
32:30
if we're in the faith,
32:31
the greatest
32:32
uniting commonality
32:34
between us.
32:36
We could come from
32:36
all various
32:37
different backgrounds.
32:39
We have Christ.
32:41
Christ.
32:42
We have community
32:43
and fellowship
32:44
together.
32:45
And the Lord's
32:45
supper is meant
32:45
to remind us
32:46
of that.
32:48
I'll read to you
32:49
from a little book
32:50
by a man named
32:51
Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
32:53
If you don't know
32:53
who he is,
32:54
please learn who he is.
32:56
You'll be encouraged
32:57
by him.
32:58
A little book
32:58
called Life Together.
32:59
He says,
33:00
I am a brother
33:01
to another person
33:03
through what Jesus
33:03
Christ did for me
33:05
and to me.
33:06
The other person
33:07
has become a brother
33:08
to me through
33:09
what Jesus Christ
33:11
did for him.
33:13
This fact that we
33:14
are brethren
33:15
only through Jesus
33:16
Christ is of
33:18
immeasurable
33:19
significance.
33:21
He pulls out
33:22
some significance
33:23
for us.
33:23
He says,
33:24
first,
33:24
that Christian
33:25
brotherhood
33:25
is not
33:26
an ideal
33:28
but a divine
33:29
reality.
33:30
It exists
33:31
already
33:32
because of what
33:32
Christ has accomplished.
33:34
Second,
33:34
that Christian
33:35
brotherhood
33:35
is a spiritual
33:37
and not a
33:39
psychic
33:39
reality.
33:40
By that he means
33:41
it's something
33:42
that exists
33:42
in spiritual places
33:44
and not necessarily
33:45
caught up in the way
33:46
we think or feel
33:47
about it
33:47
at any given time.
33:49
He goes on
33:50
to explain this
33:50
and he talks about
33:51
our feelings
33:53
and the things
33:53
that we want
33:54
to get from
33:55
Christian community
33:56
and he calls
33:57
those wish dreams.
33:58
So when you
33:58
hear a wish dream
33:59
that's what I'm
34:00
talking about.
34:00
He says,
34:00
every human
34:02
wish dream
34:03
that is injected
34:04
into the Christian
34:05
community
34:05
is a hindrance
34:07
to genuine
34:07
community
34:08
and must be
34:09
banished
34:09
if genuine
34:10
community
34:11
is to survive.
34:13
He who loves
34:14
his dream
34:15
of a community
34:15
more than the
34:16
Christian community
34:17
itself
34:18
becomes a
34:18
destroyer
34:19
of the latter
34:20
even though
34:21
his personal
34:22
intentions
34:23
may be ever so
34:23
honest
34:24
and earnest
34:25
and sacrificial.
34:27
Beloved,
34:28
do you know
34:28
people like this?
34:30
I think a lot
34:30
of you college
34:30
students may.
34:32
A person who's
34:32
always looking
34:33
for the perfect
34:33
church
34:34
make up of a
34:36
certain set
34:36
of somethings
34:37
that make them
34:38
feel a certain
34:39
something
34:40
to know that
34:41
they've finally
34:41
arrived at the
34:42
place
34:43
or those people
34:44
who will come
34:44
and commit
34:45
and only stay
34:46
for a while
34:46
and then they'll
34:47
go someplace else
34:47
and commit
34:48
and stay for a while
34:49
and they'll go
34:50
someplace else
34:50
and they give
34:51
so many
34:51
very many
34:52
very reasons
34:53
why
34:53
and fail to
34:54
recognize
34:55
that the
34:55
common denominator
34:56
in all of that
34:57
is them.
34:59
That's some
35:00
weird ideal
35:01
set up in their
35:01
mind for what
35:02
church must be
35:03
and they fail
35:04
to recognize
35:05
that it exists
35:06
because of
35:07
Christ
35:08
and we're doing
35:08
that together
35:09
when we take
35:10
the Lord's
35:10
Supper
35:10
every Sunday.
35:12
You may not
35:12
have known
35:13
that.
35:14
You are.
35:15
They're also
35:16
devoted to
35:16
the prayers.
35:19
Now the NASB
35:20
which is the
35:21
other translation
35:22
I enjoy
35:23
and appreciate
35:23
in equal measure
35:26
to the ESV
35:26
which I typically
35:27
preach from
35:27
doesn't include
35:28
the article
35:29
V.
35:29
It just says
35:30
prayer.
35:32
A little
35:32
interesting
35:32
when you
35:33
begin to
35:33
look around
35:34
and look
35:34
at the
35:34
original
35:35
language
35:35
that the
35:35
article's
35:35
not there
35:36
in the
35:36
original
35:37
language
35:37
either.
35:38
I think
35:39
a button
35:39
just made
35:39
that happen.
35:40
That's weird.
35:42
I think
35:43
that ESV
35:44
rendered it
35:44
this way
35:45
because of
35:45
the context
35:46
of them
35:47
collectively
35:48
being devoted
35:49
to
35:50
understanding
35:52
that it
35:52
was likely
35:52
referring
35:53
to
35:53
corporate
35:54
prayer.
35:55
So this
35:55
doesn't
35:56
diminish
35:57
the need
35:57
for personal
35:58
prayer
35:58
but here
35:59
we see
35:59
them
35:59
together
36:00
devoted
36:00
together
36:01
to
36:02
the
36:03
prayers.
36:04
So times
36:05
of corporate
36:06
prayer
36:06
I believe.
36:08
The vitality
36:09
of the church
36:10
depends on
36:11
this.
36:13
Acts 3.1
36:14
we see that
36:14
Peter and
36:15
John were
36:15
going up
36:15
to the
36:16
temple
36:16
at the
36:16
hour
36:17
of prayer.
36:18
So it
36:18
seemed to be
36:18
a practice
36:19
in this
36:19
day that
36:19
the church
36:20
was doing
36:20
that and
36:20
still
36:21
participating
36:21
in those
36:22
Jewish
36:23
times of
36:23
prayer that
36:24
were practiced
36:25
in that
36:26
day.
36:28
Do you
36:28
recognize
36:29
prayer is
36:29
necessary?
36:30
Do you
36:30
get that
36:32
the power
36:32
of God
36:33
is necessary
36:34
for the
36:35
work of
36:36
the church?
36:37
Have we
36:38
outgrown
36:39
our need
36:40
of these
36:41
things,
36:41
these devotions?
36:42
Have we
36:43
innovated
36:43
beyond the
36:44
necessity
36:44
of the
36:45
basics
36:45
Christian
36:46
living?
36:48
In some
36:49
places
36:49
it seems
36:50
to be
36:50
the case.
36:52
Some
36:53
churches
36:53
seem to
36:54
say we
36:56
don't need
36:56
the Bible.
36:57
We have
36:58
multimedia
36:58
presentations
36:59
and funny
37:00
quips,
37:02
movie scenes,
37:03
skits.
37:05
We don't
37:06
need fellowship
37:06
because we're
37:07
just all too
37:08
busy and
37:08
besides we
37:09
have social
37:10
media groups.
37:12
We don't
37:13
need to
37:13
empty ourselves
37:14
of our
37:14
individuality
37:15
for the
37:16
sake of
37:16
service
37:16
to the
37:16
whole.
37:18
We have
37:18
so many
37:19
varied
37:19
ministries
37:20
that I
37:21
can find
37:21
one that
37:21
meets my
37:22
needs and
37:22
my
37:23
conveniences.
37:25
We don't
37:26
need prayer.
37:27
We have
37:28
a website
37:28
and a
37:30
kiosk
37:31
sign
37:31
and a
37:32
window
37:32
sticker.
37:35
Some
37:35
churches
37:35
these days
37:36
seem to
37:37
be what
37:38
Todd
37:38
Friel
37:39
calls
37:39
silly
37:40
factories
37:41
because he's
37:42
unwilling to
37:42
call them
37:43
churches.
37:44
Let it
37:46
not be
37:46
so among
37:47
us.
37:49
Let us
37:50
be a
37:50
church
37:50
devoted
37:51
to the
37:52
scripture,
37:53
to partnering
37:54
in Christian
37:54
living together,
37:56
to gathering
37:56
regularly in
37:58
worshiping God
37:58
in observance
37:59
of the
38:00
Lord's
38:00
Supper,
38:01
and to
38:01
praying
38:02
individually
38:03
and corporately.
38:07
Their
38:07
spirit-filled
38:08
devotion,
38:10
secondly,
38:12
produced
38:12
spirit-filled
38:13
character.
38:15
Their
38:15
spirit-filled
38:16
devotion
38:16
produced
38:17
spirit-filled
38:17
Spirit-filled
38:17
character.
38:20
And I'm
38:20
going to
38:20
start speeding
38:21
up for you.
38:23
Spirit-filled
38:24
church's
38:25
character,
38:25
point number
38:26
two,
38:26
verses 43
38:27
through the
38:28
first part
38:29
of 47.
38:31
Notice
38:31
first that
38:33
they were
38:33
awe-inspired.
38:35
The beginning
38:35
of verse 43
38:35
says,
38:36
an awe
38:36
came upon
38:37
every soul.
38:38
They were
38:39
amazed
38:40
at the
38:40
work of
38:41
God
38:41
and the
38:43
people
38:43
of God.
38:45
Verse 43
38:45
goes on
38:45
and says,
38:46
and many
38:46
wonders and
38:47
signs were
38:47
being done
38:47
through the
38:48
apostles,
38:48
which certainly
38:49
fed the
38:49
awe,
38:50
but it
38:50
wasn't the
38:50
primary
38:50
thing.
38:51
Awe came
38:52
upon
38:52
every soul
38:53
and
38:54
miracles
38:55
were taking
38:56
place.
38:56
The
38:56
apostles
38:57
were doing
38:58
miracles.
38:59
So whether
38:59
or not you
38:59
think that
39:00
this is a
39:00
gift that's
39:01
still active
39:01
today or
39:02
that it's
39:02
not active
39:02
today,
39:03
you can
39:03
see that
39:04
as a
39:04
church,
39:05
we are
39:05
meant to be
39:06
enthralled
39:07
by the
39:07
work of
39:07
God
39:08
in the
39:08
people of
39:09
God.
39:10
If you
39:10
have witnessed
39:11
or been
39:12
part of
39:13
and believe
39:13
that possibly
39:14
miracles do
39:15
still happen
39:16
in these
39:17
evidencing
39:18
kind of
39:19
ways,
39:20
we have
39:21
to recognize
39:22
that the
39:22
greatest
39:23
miracle that
39:23
happens
39:24
ever is
39:25
that dead
39:26
hearts are
39:27
made alive.
39:29
People who
39:29
were once
39:30
enemies of
39:30
God have
39:30
now been
39:31
made His
39:32
friends and
39:32
this was
39:32
happening on
39:33
the regular
39:34
in their
39:35
day.
39:36
They were
39:36
awe-inspired.
39:38
They were
39:38
motivated by
39:40
the goodness
39:40
of God
39:41
to them
39:41
in Christ
39:42
and what
39:42
He was
39:42
doing in
39:43
the church.
39:45
They were
39:46
generous.
39:47
They were
39:47
generous.
39:49
It was
39:50
44-46.
39:52
They were
39:53
together.
39:54
They had
39:55
all things
39:55
in common.
39:56
They were
39:56
selling
39:56
possessions
39:57
and belongings
39:58
and distributing
39:58
proceeds to
39:59
all as
39:59
any had
39:59
need.
40:00
Day by
40:01
day,
40:01
they were
40:02
together,
40:02
attending
40:03
temple
40:03
together.
40:04
Before the
40:05
Jews prohibited
40:06
them from
40:06
doing so,
40:06
and they're
40:07
breaking
40:07
bread in
40:08
their
40:08
homes,
40:10
Lord's
40:10
Supper,
40:11
and they're
40:11
receiving
40:11
their
40:12
food.
40:15
We live
40:16
in an
40:16
interesting
40:16
political
40:16
climate
40:17
right now
40:17
where many
40:17
socialist
40:19
arguments are
40:20
being made.
40:21
This is not
40:22
an argument
40:22
for that.
40:24
It's not a
40:25
government
40:25
reigning over
40:27
them in this.
40:28
This is a
40:28
compulsion that's
40:29
being brought
40:29
about by the
40:31
Spirit of God
40:32
in their
40:32
hearts.
40:32
So,
40:33
beloved,
40:33
I'm not
40:34
absolving you
40:34
from caring
40:35
about other
40:36
people.
40:36
What I'm
40:37
saying is you
40:37
need to
40:37
press it up.
40:39
We need to
40:39
be more
40:39
generous as
40:40
the people
40:41
of God.
40:42
I'd just
40:43
rather do so
40:43
personally to
40:44
my neighbor,
40:45
not through
40:45
a program.
40:47
They were
40:47
generous.
40:48
This is being
40:49
generated in
40:50
them by the
40:50
Spirit of
40:50
God.
40:52
They were
40:52
joyful.
40:54
Last part of
40:55
verse 46,
40:56
they're doing
40:56
all this with
40:57
glad and with
40:59
generous hearts.
41:01
First part of
41:01
47,
41:02
they were
41:02
praising God.
41:05
They were
41:05
joyful.
41:06
They were
41:06
filled with
41:07
joy.
41:07
They were
41:07
glad,
41:08
generous.
41:08
NASB again
41:09
renders that
41:10
they were
41:10
sincere.
41:12
They had
41:12
sincerity of
41:14
heart,
41:14
which is to
41:14
say simplicity
41:16
of heart.
41:18
They weren't
41:19
divided.
41:20
They weren't
41:20
pulled in
41:20
multiple
41:21
directions.
41:22
They were
41:23
glad and
41:25
joyful and
41:25
focused on
41:26
the Lord,
41:27
praising God,
41:28
offering up
41:28
praise to
41:29
His name for
41:29
all that He
41:29
was doing
41:30
in their
41:31
midst.
41:32
So that was
41:33
second.
41:33
The Spirit-filled
41:34
church's
41:34
character.
41:34
And lastly,
41:36
and thirdly,
41:37
the Spirit-filled
41:37
church's
41:38
effect.
41:41
These are all
41:41
things that we
41:42
should be able
41:42
to observe
41:43
in the church
41:44
of God.
41:45
And beloved,
41:45
these are
41:45
indicators.
41:46
These are
41:46
litmus tests.
41:48
These are
41:48
barometers to
41:49
us.
41:51
These things
41:51
exist in the
41:52
life of our
41:52
congregation.
41:53
If not,
41:54
we need to
41:54
be really
41:55
looking at
41:55
why.
41:56
Why do
41:56
they not
41:56
exist?
41:57
Are we
41:57
not
41:58
regenerate?
41:59
Are we
42:00
not devoted?
42:01
Are we not
42:02
Spirit-filled?
42:03
These are the
42:03
things that are
42:03
happening as a
42:04
result of
42:05
this.
42:05
The last part
42:06
of verse 47,
42:08
you'll see that
42:09
they were
42:10
attractive.
42:12
They were
42:13
having favor
42:14
with all
42:14
the people.
42:16
And this is
42:17
going to come
42:17
and go.
42:17
We're going to
42:18
get just a
42:18
couple chapters
42:18
later in the
42:19
book of Acts,
42:19
and a great deal
42:20
of persecution
42:21
is going to
42:21
come to the
42:22
church.
42:23
They're not
42:23
going to be
42:24
quite so
42:24
favorable any
42:26
longer.
42:26
together.
42:27
But the
42:27
thing that
42:27
we need to
42:27
learn from
42:28
this is
42:29
whether or
42:30
not people
42:30
hate the
42:31
message that
42:31
we preach,
42:32
they ought to
42:33
consider the
42:33
world better
42:34
for us being
42:34
here.
42:36
Your boss
42:38
should appreciate
42:39
the fact that
42:40
you work for
42:40
him or her.
42:43
Your professors
42:43
should feel that
42:44
way.
42:46
I had a lot
42:47
of professors
42:47
that did not
42:48
agree I was
42:49
a sociology
42:49
major with
42:50
my world
42:51
view at all.
42:51
I hope that
42:52
they all
42:52
appreciated the
42:54
work I did in
42:54
their classes and
42:55
the way I
42:55
made my
42:56
case.
42:57
They were
42:58
attractive.
42:59
People were
42:59
drawn who
43:01
were gods to
43:02
the church of
43:02
God.
43:04
And they were
43:04
multiplied.
43:06
And they were
43:06
multiplied.
43:08
And the
43:08
Lord added to
43:09
their number,
43:11
day by day,
43:13
those who
43:13
were being
43:13
saved.
43:16
Now,
43:17
church, I
43:17
have made the
43:18
argument before
43:18
that we could
43:19
possibly live in
43:21
a time like
43:22
Jeremiah lived
43:23
in, labored
43:24
his whole life
43:24
as a prophet
43:25
of God, saw
43:26
we think maybe
43:27
possibly a
43:29
convert, one
43:31
person who
43:31
turned from the
43:32
sin of Israel
43:32
and back to
43:34
God.
43:36
I think that
43:37
when I've done
43:38
that, I've used
43:39
it as a cop
43:39
out ultimately.
43:41
Oh, we're
43:42
doing the work
43:42
of God, we're
43:43
doing the work
43:43
of God, we're
43:43
doing the work
43:44
of God.
43:44
God just isn't
43:45
blessing it yet.
43:47
We're persevering
43:48
in faithfulness.
43:49
We need to be
43:50
doing this thing.
43:53
I think we
43:54
need to really
43:54
to consider
43:55
whether or not
43:55
we're doing
43:56
the work of
43:56
God if we're
43:57
not seeing
43:57
people added
43:58
to our
44:00
number.
44:01
And we
44:02
as a church
44:03
have had the
44:03
benefit, the
44:04
joy of
44:05
receiving so
44:06
many college
44:06
students across
44:07
the years.
44:09
Hear me,
44:09
college students,
44:10
we're really
44:10
thankful that
44:10
you're here.
44:12
Having people
44:13
who have come
44:15
out of churches
44:15
that are entirely
44:16
unbiblical and
44:17
see that at
44:18
least in some
44:19
ways we're
44:19
getting it a
44:20
little more
44:20
right.
44:21
I said that
44:21
with a great
44:22
deal of
44:22
humility,
44:23
we're
44:24
attempting,
44:24
we're pressing
44:25
at being a
44:25
biblical church
44:26
together and
44:27
I'm so
44:27
thankful for
44:28
you who have
44:29
transitioned over
44:30
and are helping
44:30
us build
44:31
together a
44:32
church for the
44:33
glory of God.
44:34
This is good.
44:34
This is a good
44:35
thing.
44:35
We don't want to
44:35
stop doing that.
44:36
We don't want to
44:37
stop being a
44:37
place where
44:38
college students
44:39
can come up
44:39
and have a
44:40
church up here
44:41
as they begin
44:42
to reestablish a
44:43
different home for
44:43
their time in
44:45
college.
44:45
college.
44:46
We don't want
44:47
to stop taking
44:47
in people who
44:49
have been wronged
44:53
by unbiblical
44:54
models of
44:55
church and
44:56
serving them and
44:57
loving on them and
44:58
growing them in the
44:59
truth.
44:59
We don't want to
45:00
stop doing that.
45:02
I think we're
45:03
really missing the
45:03
point if we're not
45:04
growing through
45:04
conversion.
45:06
And that troubles
45:07
me.
45:08
And I think as a
45:08
church, it's easy
45:09
for us to be excited
45:10
each year because we
45:11
get a little bit
45:12
bigger.
45:12
because there's
45:14
another recruit of
45:15
college freshmen
45:16
that come around
45:17
and they come here
45:18
and it feels like
45:19
stuff's happening.
45:20
Things are happening.
45:21
Things are happening.
45:24
I want to hear,
45:25
Sunday morning I
45:26
want you to come up
45:26
to me and don't
45:27
ask me where the
45:28
paper towels are
45:28
stored and say,
45:30
guess what?
45:32
I've been preaching
45:33
the gospel to my
45:34
roommate and he
45:35
came to faith in
45:36
Christ.
45:37
I think he'll be
45:38
here next Sunday.
45:38
I couldn't get him
45:39
here today.
45:39
Or here he is.
45:41
And our community
45:42
outreach groups as
45:42
we're being
45:43
accountable to one
45:44
another and we're
45:44
trying to press
45:44
at each other to be
45:45
sharing our faith
45:46
constantly, that
45:46
people are converted.
45:48
We're preaching the
45:48
gospel to them.
45:49
It could be that
45:50
we're not preaching
45:50
the gospel.
45:51
It could be that
45:51
we're preaching
45:51
some version of
45:52
the gospel.
45:52
We're preaching
45:53
the gospel to
45:53
them and they're
45:54
converting to faith
45:55
in Jesus Christ and
45:56
they're beginning to
45:57
come around and
45:57
we're adding in
45:58
that way.
46:00
We can praise God
46:01
for his regenerative
46:02
work in the lives
46:04
of his church.
46:07
They were
46:07
multiplied.
46:10
They were
46:10
multiplied.
46:12
So the local
46:14
church is a
46:16
community of
46:17
regenerate followers
46:18
of Jesus Christ
46:19
who are devoted to
46:20
the scripture,
46:22
to living together
46:23
on mission,
46:25
to celebrating our
46:26
oneness in the
46:28
Lord,
46:29
and to prayer.
46:30
And it is
46:31
characterized by
46:32
its worship of
46:32
God,
46:33
its generosity,
46:34
and its joy,
46:36
which makes it,
46:38
by God's work,
46:39
attractive,
46:40
and growing.
46:44
Has this been your
46:45
understanding of the
46:46
church?
46:48
Has your
46:49
understanding of
46:50
church been defined
46:50
by the popular
46:51
church culture or by
46:52
the truth of God?
46:55
Do you recognize
46:56
that you have an
46:57
important role to
46:59
play in the life
47:00
of a biblical
47:01
church?
47:02
church?
47:03
In what ways have
47:04
you failed at
47:05
this?
47:08
How much do you
47:09
repent of those
47:10
failures?
47:13
In closing,
47:14
I'll read to you a
47:15
David Platt quote.
47:17
It's on the front of
47:17
your bulletin if you'd
47:18
like to see it.
47:19
You and I can
47:24
choose to continue
47:25
with business as
47:26
usual in the
47:27
Christian life and
47:28
in the church as a
47:29
whole, enjoying
47:30
success based on the
47:32
standards defined by
47:34
the culture around
47:35
us.
47:36
Or, we could take
47:38
an honest look at
47:39
the Jesus of the
47:40
Bible and dare to
47:41
ask what the
47:42
consequences might
47:43
be if we really
47:44
believed Him and
47:47
really obeyed Him.
47:48
Let's pray
47:49
together.