Untitled Sermon

HAVE YOU EVER MADE A HUGE MISTAKE… A LIFE CHANGING ERROR?

A MISTAKE THAT YOU THINK YOU’LL NEVER RECOVER FROM…NOT MANY OF US IN HEAR CAN SAY THEY HAVE —- BUT THEY CAN THINK OF A TIME WHERE SOMETHING COULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT AND GONE THE WRONG WAY. WE’VE ALL MADE A MISTAKE OR TWO WHERE WE’VE GOTTEN LUCKY… AND WHAT COULD HAVE GONE WRONG DIDN’T… Marshal Gregory… HOWEVER … MADE A CHOICE ONE NIGHT… A MISTAKE AND HE WASN’T AS LUCKY. TAKE A LOOK…

I WANTED TO BEGIN TODAY… WITH THAT HEART WRENCHING VIDEO… BECAUSE I WANTED YOU TO FEEL THAT PAIN… THAT ANGUISH… OF THAT YOUNG MAN WHO HAD JUST KILLED TWO OF HIS FRIENDS AND SEVERELY INJURED ANOTHER… HE DID INTEND FOR THAT TO HAPPEN… BECAUSE HE DIDN’T UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WAS DOING WHEN HE GOT BEHIND THAT WHEEL… MAD AND DRUNK…

THAT PAIN AND THAT ANGUISH… THAT FEELING OF NEVER BEING ABLE TO CHANGE WHAT JUST HAPPENED IS WHERE WE FIND THE JEWISH PEOPLE IN OUR PASSAGE TODAY… ACTS CHAPTER 2…

THE JEWISH PEOPLE HAD JUST CRUCIFIED JESUS… MANY OF THEM WATCHED AS HE DIED ON THE CROSS AND WAS LOWERED TO HIS GRAVE. THEY DIDN’T KNOW OR UNDERSTAND AT THE TIME THE MAGNITUDE OF THIS UNTIL THE HOLY SPIRIT DESCENDED UPON THEM HERE IN CHAPTER TWO…

YOU SEE… HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAD GATHERED IN JERUSALEM FROM ALL OVER THE AREA… TO CELEBRATE SHAVOUT… OR PENTACOST. THIS FESTIVAL TOOK PLACE 50 DAYS FOLLOWING THE PASSOVER FEAST… SO BASICALLY WE ARE FINDING THEM 50 DAYS FOLLOWING THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST. DURING THIS FESTIVAL… THAT THE LORD SENT HIS HOLY SPIRIT AND WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED RIGHT… THE SPIRIT CAME DOWN… VERES FOUR All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.

SO THE HOLY SPIRIT ALLOWED THEM TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AMONGST THE CROWD… SOME ON LOOKERS THOUGHT THE PEOPLE WERE DRUNK… BUT PETER STOOD UP… PETER WHO HIMSELF DENIED FOLLOWING JESUS… AND SAID THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT DRUNK… THIS IS A SIGN FROM GOD… HE TOLD THEM WHAT JOEL… AND THE DAVID HAD PROPHESIED ABOUT … AND SAID LOOK YOU ALL SAW THE MIRACLES JESUS PREFORMED… AND DIRECTLY TELLS THEM… VERSE 23… THAT THEY PUT HIM TO DEATH…

23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.

PETER DIDN’T SUGAR COAT IT FOR THEM… HE SAID YOU ALL KILLED HIM… BUT HE IS NOT DEAD… BECAUSE THE LORD GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD… DAVID TOLD US GOD WOULD PUT A MAN ON HIS THROWN… AND JESUS WAS IT… JESUS IS LORD… HE IS GOD. AND FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE BIRTH OF JESUS… IT WAS CLEAR TO THEM WHO JESUS TRULY WAS… ARE YOU FOLLOWING… OUR PASSAGE FOR TODAY… COMES AT THAT REALIZATION… THAT OH NO WHAT HAVE WE DONE….AND YOU CAN SEE THAT ANGUISH IN THE FIRST VERSES OF TODAY’S PASSAGE…

LET’S READ IT STRAIGHT FROM THE TEXT… ACTS 2:37-47… THIS IS FROM THE N-I-V IT READS….

37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

CAN’T YOU JUST FEEL THEIR PAIN… WHAT HAVE WE DONE… HOW ARE WE GOING TO MAKE UP FOR THIS… THERE IS NO WAY WE CAN… AND LOOKING TO THE AUTHORITY … PETER AND THE APOSTLES… our version says said… but the original geek here epion (james help with pronunciation)…means pour our… to utter…. WHAT DO WE DO? and you can almost hear it in the voice.. they didn’t just say what do we do we do… they were like… “what do we do”

and here comes my favorite part…

38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

WHY IS THAT MY FAVORITE PART… BECAUSE peter doesn’t say well turn in your first born… give up your livelihoods… PAY A MILLION DOLLARS… he simply says repent and be baptized in the name and you will be gifted the holy spirit…A GIFT MIND YOU THEY JUST FELT AND SAW AS THEY WERE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME EVER… A GIFT THAT THEY KNEW WOULD BRING THEM UNBELIEVABLE POWER AND HOPE… AND ALL THEY HAD TO DO IS REPENT… WHICH I ALWAYS TELL THE KIDS IS TWO STEPS… ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS AND THEN CHANGING THEIR WAYS… THAT’S ALL THEY HAD TO DO TO… I CAN ASSURE YOU NOTHING ON THIS EARTH IS THAT EASY… AND THE GIFT WE ARE GIVEN IS UNMATCHED BY THE RICHES HERE ON EARTH AS WELL… AND ITS ALSO MY FAVORITE PART… BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE JUST KILLED THE LORD… THEY JUST PUT TO DEATH GOD’S ONLY SON… ALL HE WANTS IS FOR THEM TO ASK FOR FORGIVENESS AND CHANGE THEIR WAYS… THAT MAKES ME BELIEVE THAT NO ONE IS TOO FAR GONE TO BE SAVED… THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN KEEP YOU FROM GOD… EXCEPT YOU…

OK… THAT’S NOT EVEN THE PART I WANT TO PREACH ON…BUT IT WAS JUST TOO GOOD NOT TO POINT OUT… AND EVEN AFTER PETER TOLD PEOPLE ALL OF THIS… THAT JESUS WAS LORD AND THAT HE IS NOW SITTING AT GOD’S RIGHT HAND… AND THAT ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED… THERE WERE A FEW SLOW LEARNERS SO PETER CONTINUED TO PLEAD WITH THE CROWD…

VERSE 40… With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

AND THERE … WE SEE THE BEGINNING OF OUR FAITH OUR CHURCH… AND WHAT FOLLOWED IS WHAT I REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON TODAY… IT’S TITLED… THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE BELIEVERS… The Fellowship of the Believers

VERSE 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

SO LET’S GO BACK TO THE TITLE… THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE BELIEVERS… IT DOESN’T JUST SAY THE GATHERING OF BELIEVERS… AND IT COULD HAVE IF THEY WEREN’T A MOVEMENT… THEY WEREN’T JUST MEETING TOGETHER BECAUSE OF GOD…THEY WERE AS MEETING TOGETHER IN PURSUIT OF HIM…FELLOWSHIP ISN’T JUST GATHERING… ITS MEETING WITH A PURPOSE… AND THAT PURPOSE OF KINGDOM BUILDING… BUT IF YOU NOTICE… THIS PASSAGE DOESN’T TALK ABOUT THEM GOING OUT INTO THE WORLD AND TALKING TO OTHERS ABOUT GOD… WE SEE THEM PURSUING HIM WITH ALL OF THEIR BEING… THEY DEVOTED THEMSELVES TO A FEW THINGS… THE TEACHINGS… FELLOWSHIP… AND PRAYER…

THIS IS WHERE KINGDOM BUILDING BEGINS… RIGHT… IT BEGINS WITH BUILDING YOUR OWN FORTRESS… IT BEGINS WITH YOU DEVOTING YOUR LIFE TO THE WORDS IN THE BIBLE… YOU DEVOTING YOUR LIFE TO PRAYING EACH AND EVERY DAY… YOU DEVOTING YOUR LIFE TO COMING TOGETHER WITH YOUR FELLOW BELIEVERS AND GLEANING FROM ONE ANOTHER HOW TO NAVIGATE THIS WEIRD WORLD THROUGH A CHRISTIAN LENS…

TO ME… THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART… WE DON’T ALWAYS KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING RIGHT… GOSH… I SELDOM KNOW WHAT I’M DOING… I’M ALWAYS CALLING MY MOM FOR ADVICE AND ASSURANCE OF THE DECISIONS I’M MAKING AS A MOM ARE GOOD… BUT I DON’T JUST TALK WITH HER… I TALK WITH MY FELLOW BELIEVERS… WHY? BECAUSE GOD WILL USE THEM TO GET ME THROUGH WHAT EVER I’M GOING THROUGH… THEY WILL SPEAK LIFE INTO MY SITUATION WHERE IF I CONSULTED SOMEONE WHO MAY NOT BELIEVE IN GOD… MAY SPEAK DEATH OR DARKNESS… I’VE RECENTLY BEEN PUT IN A POSITION WHERE I HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO DO… I MEAN IT WAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE I LITERALLY COULDN’T SEE A GOOD OUTCOME… I CAN’T GO INTO DETAILS ABOUT IT WITHOUT CRYING OR OVER SHARING… BUT I SERIOUSLY WAS CRUMBLING… NOW YOU ALL KNOW I’M A CRYER… BUT MAN THIS DAY I COULDN’T EVEN THINK… AND COULDN’T BREATH I COULDN’T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT CRYING AND IT WAS UNCONTROLLABLE…

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I HAD… I HAD A COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS BEHIND ME… A FEW SAW ME IN MY UNCONTROLLED STATE AND I GOT THESE TEXT MESSAGES…

I GOT PRAYED OVER BY PASTOR SCOTT…

I TOLD ONE FRIEND ABOUT IT AND SHE WAS WILLING TO DO ANYTHING TO SIT AND JUST LISTEN…

THIS IS THE FELLOWSHIP I FEEL I SEE IN THIS PASSAGE OF ACTS… THE KINGDOM BUILDING I SEE HERE BY THE NEW BELIEVERS… 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. THEY WERE THERE FOR EACH OTHER… COUNSELING EACH OTHER ON THINGS OF THE BIBLE … BUT ALSO ON THINGS GOING ON IN THEIR WORLD… AND HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM…

I KNOW THE COUNSEL I MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN IF I SOUGHT IT IN A CORUPT WORLD IN MY SITUATION… AND I HATE TO THINK OF WHAT WOULD COME… IF I HAD WENT THAT ROUTE. THE BEST PART WAS AFTER ALL OF THESE PEOPLE POURED LIFE, LOVE AND LIGHT INTO IT… I FELT PEACE… IS MY SITUATION OVER NO… AM I STILL WORRIED ABOUT IT… A LITTLE BUT THEY REMINDED ME… TO CAST MY WORRIES ON HIM… THE LORD.

I DO THAT THROUGH PRAYER… ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE THINGS WE OFTEN FORGET IN OUR PURSUIT OF KINGDOM BUILDING… SOMEONE ONCE TOLD ME EVERYTHING SHOULD BEGIN AND END WITH PRAYER… AND MAN I THINK THE EARLY BELIEVERS GOT THAT… BUT ITS OFTEN ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT IS SO EASILY OVER LOOKED IN OUR BUSY LIVES OF TODAY… IF EVERYTHING SHOULD BEGIN AND END IN PRAYER… THAT MEANS WE SHOULD ALWAYS BEGIN AND END OUR DAY IN THAT FASHION… BUT HOW MANY OF YOU WAKE UP AND THE FIRST THING YOU DO IS THINK OF ALL THE THINGS YOU HAVE TO DO THAT DAY… OR BETTER YET… THINK ABOUT HOW LONG IT IS BEFORE YOU GET TO GO BACK TO SLEEP… WELL IMAGINE IF INSTEAD… YOUR FIRST THOUGHTS WERE PRAYERS TO THE LORD ABOUT HOW THANKFUL YOU ARE THAT YOU WOKE UP THAT DAY… AND THANKING HIM FOR THE SUN OR PRAYING ABOUT THOSE THINGS YOU HAVE TO DO… I BET THAT WOULD JUST CHANGE YOUR WHOLE OUTLOOK ON THE DAY… AND ENDING IT THE SAME WAY… INSTEAD OF LAYING AWAKE FOR HOURS STRESSING OVER WHAT EVER IT IS YOU DIDN’T GET DONE… OR NEED TO DO… OR THAT DECISIONS YOU MADE… GIVE IT TO GOD AND REST. MATTHEW 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

ITS NOT MISTAKE THAT LUKE.. THE AUTHOR OF THIS PASSAGE INCLUDED PRAYER AS SOMETHING NEW BELIEVERS DEVOTED THEIR LIVES TO… ALONG WITH THE TEACHINGS WHICH TODAY WOULD BE THE BIBLE… FELLOWSHIP… (WHICH WAS COMMUNITY WITH ONE ANOTHER)… AND THEn there WAS the breaking of bread.

while there is some dispute over what luke truly meant with the phrase breaking of the bread… some scholars believe this was the beginning of our tradition of communion. its clear these new believers were eating meals together and with the apostles… and you know around that table at some point… the apostles shared with them the story… of the last supper. matthew describes it in chapter 26…verse 6 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the[a] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

its not far fetch to think after the apostles spoke of this story… one evening the new believers made it a tradition… with it serving as a reminder of what they personally had done… but also a reminder of what they are doing… which was committing their lives to the kingdom… to their community…

and that’s what i want us to do now… i want us to take communion with the thought of commitment rather than remembrance today…when we take the sacraments let us be reminded of not only jesus’s sacrifice… but of our commitment to building a kingdom… through our devotion to the bible… to our community… and to prayer…

you may come forward and receive the sacraments… and we are going to take them together at our seats…

as we take together this bread… your body broken for us… we are committing our lives to you lord…

and as we take this blood… shed for our very sins… we are committing to live each day moving forward serving you with all our hearts… minds and souls…

before we depart today… i hope you understand that while the start of our faith…was spurred by an atrocity … took off due to repentance … was only kept going by the grace… of god… the last line of the passage says And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

it doesn’t say the apostles… added … it doesn’t say the new believers added… it said the lord added…

in a time when we see our church failing… people running from our churches in droves… when church leadership sits through meeting after meeting on how to grow our church we must remember… we… can only do so much… we can devout our lives to his word… we can devout our lives to prayer and we can devout our lives to fellowship… to community with one another… and then the lord… will add…