“The Kind of Church I Want to be Part of”
Doug good morning again. Today, we're in pop to We are family. So I'm going to church for the next few weeks. I want you to understand what a church is, and why it is good and biblical idea to belong to one. Not just hang out on Sundays, but I actually belong actually be a moving pop in the church. Today will be an ox to it's on page 855 of you two Bibles. If you want to open up to that we're going to have some other text to but it's going to be jumping around a little bit. So if you don't, if the words are going to be on the screen for the text that I read most of it. So today we're going to look to the second chapter of the book of Acts. And today's lesson is called the kind of church. I want to be a part of but I need to point out that I'm not talking about a perfect Church. someone said, If I actually found the perfect, it would no longer be perfect. Once I joined it, And that is so true. But each and every one of us. There is no perfect Church. In reality, I know, you know, there is no perfect church because there are no perfect people, but with that being said, we do not need to find the best. We need to, we need to find the best church with which to plant all lights. I will say this over and over again. If you don't feel like you can plug into this church you need to find another truck. You don't get many pastas on Sunday telling you to go find another church but I will because if I get it, I think if you can plug into the truck, if you don't feel like you can be a part of this church, you need to find a third that you can be a part of And I'm not afraid to say that because I think the everybody needs to find somewhere where they can call home, and they can find a family. See when it comes to to judge involvement. You only have a few options. You can neglect it. You you don't see it as a valuable commodity so you don't make it a priority. You say hi to church. No big deal. I don't need that. Cool. You can be a hopper. Is Rock The Hoppers? I'm all out of town. They Hawk from one ship to another church. You never charged and they go. I'm not happy. And I'm not happy, and I'm not happy and I'm like, You're the only common denominator. Everywhere you go, you're not happy.
That's what happens. R.
And there's lots of them, they come to church for six months and then they hook to another church for 6 months. But I've been doing it because they don't want you to know who they really are.
They're doing it because they don't want to plug in and they just want to show up. That's why big truck. He's a big by the way, because you can go into a big truck and not be noticed by anybody else so you can go to church. Pay, you have insurance on a Sunday and nobody even knows you exist. You can just hop in and right back out.
And then you can be a spectator.
You can attend but never commit. You can attend but never speak. If you can keep coming to church, but you don't want to join because then you'll have to be committed to the church. So, if I become a member then they're going to expect things out of me.
But don't you want to belong? That would be my answer to that. Don't you want to belong to something better than what you have already?
Whole wheat emblems. you see this category for the person that found it in perfect church, that says, by the way, and upon realization that he or she is in Perfect 2.
Jump in, with his or her full commitment. They got that time away, they should.
They are generous with their money because it's not that money. By the way, it's God's money. We don't have nothing that wasn't given to us first by God.
And they pray and they never look back.
They don't go. I wonder what it would have been like at this truck. All this s*** they pull in knowing that that surrounded by imperfect people and they they become part of the family. So, what does this example of the early church teach us about being that kind of church? That's headed in the right direction. Not a perfect charge, but it's going in the right direction.
A church is not a place. You go to, but a people to whom you belong.
That's why I think of you all as my family.
I think of you all as my family, if you called me up and asked me something, if I was capable of doing it, I would try and do it for you. Because you're my family. That's what families do. They stick together? They love each other. Even though sometimes with irritable And, and we not perfect. That's what we do.
So today we are talking about that kind of church. We want to be a part of breath with talking about a group of Follow The Believers in Christ that I believe, God wants me to join and Johnny Webb and you should join and Johnny with we're on a journey of faith. I'm not even there yet. None of us has crossed the line yet cuz we're all still breathing this app.
So, when we talk about the kind of church, I want to be a part of our Focus isn't on Perfection but Direction it's the church seeking to follow Christ. Is God calling me to join them for the journey.
because if you aren't all in, I don't understand. I actually don't understand if you know, all in, why you show up on Sundays? Cuz it's pointless.
That's what we're supposed to be doing was supposed to be a community of Believers growing together. We don't
We going to look at the example of the early church here. In Acts chapter 2, to learn what things should characterize a church that is headed in the right direction. So this is not about finding the right Church to be a part of But how we can contribute to making a picture. This church that God has called each and every one of us to you didn't show up here by accident today. You might think all I just coming to drive to Papa this show, my decision to come in August.
The reason you're here today is because God wanted you here.
He wants you here. So we can become part of the right kind of church. It did it isn't about going to church but it's about becoming the church. With two supposed to become the church. Cuz this is just a building this is just a building that this building could go away and one day it will
It won't be here, any longer, 100, 200 years from now. This building will be Dawn, 500 years from now, whatever. But the church, At people, we will always be together.
We are one in Christ.
2 verse 1, says, when the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. They were all together. If you want to know what a church, she's supposed to be like that. The book of Acts is where you want to go.
That is where the church is supposed to be. You see, we read about the church or not, we should be immediately impressed with that shoot, Unity. They had Unity from the get-go. One of the outstanding things is that one nuts. Did the early church at three things that contributed to that, Unity Be sure to come and commitment to the lordship of Christ. Christ. Jesus was the Lord. He wasn't just the savior. He was also the Lord. Luke 6:46. That's why do you call me? Lord, Lord, and not do what I tell you. see if I can, if I committed to the lordship of Christ, and I will do as he says
The wheels go round saying, yes, Jesus is Lord, but then we don't act like Jesus is Lord cuz we don't want to give up stuff in our life. We want to hold on to it. God is saying, I want you to give that up. I want all of you. Not just part of you. I don't want 10% of you. I want all of you. But that's not what we do.
We give him a portion of our life that is not what God asks. For Jesus doesn't say Kampala follow me. He says come follow me. What that mean to leave your old life behind and follow me? I'm going to be your director of your new life.
What was good about the first, the first date, they shared a common commitment to love one. Another 46/44 + 46.
That Jackie red.
Just described that commitment to one another. They committed that they were they was a church committed to being the church together. Which meant they were committed to doing this journey with God, together, not just me in on a Sunday. Not just showing up one day a week.
They were breaking bread together.
In that Holmes.
As well as that church.
Celebrity church, family. We find that the difference between the different Believers are different points along the road. You know, we're not all the same, we're not all the same maturity level right now.
We're not growing at the same pace. But we're all on the same Journey.
And the church that you should want to be a part of this one, where we they are committed to doing this journey together, no matter where you are.
And like I said, if you don't think this is for shirts that you can feel like you can grow in find that church.
And I'll see you in heaven.
But if you can't grow, hey, you need to find somewhere else to go because it's imperative for your life.
We don't Opus ask the same thing process, the things the same way.
That's why we don't grow at the same speed. We don't process it the same way. We don't look at it the same way. All of us and I have trouble. They're all of us have to be patient and loving This is what I struggle. I struggle being patient and loving.
I want to be patient and loving.
It's something that I personally have to bind with all the time.
But it's something that we need to work at. not just individually, but as a church,
Henry blackaby says this.
God speaks by spirit for his word and free prayer through circumstances and his true feelings out his purpose and his ways. And what is God? Most interested in. God is more interested in a growing in an intimate love relationship with him more than anything else in the world.
He wants you to have a relationship with him so you can have a relationship the same type of relationship with other people. You can if you don't have a relationship with God and it's a lot of us sitting in this room that don't really have a relationship with God. We say, we believe in God. Thank we. Love God. When was the last time? You spoke to God? When was the last time you listened to God?
If you're not read in the woods, you don't listening to him. Hey, let's go to church on Sunday and listen to the preacher Rumble for an hour.
You should be in the world, you should be speaking to him, you should be listening to him. All I truly believe one time in my life, he's done that, he will speak to you. I've heard the voice of God sitting in this church.
When he called me to be a pasta. The only time in my whole life, I have actually heard him verbally speak to me.
I have told you this is actually gave me a name for church and it wasn't this church is named Just so you know, so I could have to do some real good thinking of how I can make it Ministry. Inside these Church names. That name, it was crossing nails. Bible.
so, while I was sitting in the Pew over half, God spoke audibly to me so I believe God speaks audibly to you. But I also believe he speaks through other people, but most of the time, most of the time I would say, at least 95% of the time he speaks to you from this book. And if you're not reading this book, you're not listening to him. And if you're not listening to me, how are you supposed to chase? How am I supposed to become more patient? How am I supposed to become more loving? If I don't even have a relationship with the father who created me, That's the problem. We need to get this relationship, the vertical be right then the whole song to Malaysian ships will be right, but it's still lists relationships. Like this relationship is going to suck. Just Dance.
Well not everyone was on board. Initially everyone got on board, see not everybody showed up. 120 people showed up that was 500 people that see Jesus raise from the dead 120 people showed up cost.
But it wasn't long. Before. They all showed up, they all got on board, Co God requires if we would be used of him to fulfill, his calling is not that we be perfect. If that's what's holding you back. I'm never going to be perfect. If it's being perfect. Hold you back from serving God. That's a, that's a crappy Resort because you're not going to show them perfectly. Nobody has. We talked with imperfect people.
See, all he wants is to be if willing people that's all willing.
I'm here. Talking to you. I would not speak in front of my English teacher in school. that was only 10 people in my class cuz we were the lowest class and I couldn't pass in your I got a nap in English so you should have my spelling might be wrong sometimes because I wasn't very good at English but I will tell you this When they asked me to speak, this is one of the reasons in front of people I told the teacher. No. I spent more time looking into the classroom than in the classroom in English.
For five years.
I was always in the bottom class.
For the first three years. I was in English, in high school, the teacher with a magician and I would tell her not to be cheeky. Or she told me not to be cheeky. I would tell her not to be cocky. I know that it would be add outside what was Edwin outside and I would have to stand outside the class but she would ask me to read and I would say no, I'm not speaking in front of anybody.
But when God called me, he gave me a willingness. I had a willingness to do what he asked me to do.
And now I am now. You can't shut me up.
If only my English because she'll be that now she was like 80 when she taught me enough to if only my English teacher and I preached the sermon and she listen to she couldn't believe it was her brother. That was preaching.
Because she grew up with me. She knew who I was.
See this this prefold willingness of the early church, enable them to be one Accord. And if we are willing in the same way, we can move forward in Oneness and unity 2.
A truck. The adults the Lord. this is, this should have been really number one, but this is something that we have to be, you say When Peter stood up to speak on that day at Pentecost, he proceeded to preach a Jesus filled Jesus exalting message. Oh yeah. By the way, if you do choose to go to a different church and they don't mention Jesus in the sermon once, don't go back to that church. Please. Cuz if they don't talk about Jesus, they a truck.
See the early church was all about Jesus and the church, I want to be a part of and I hope you want to be a part of it. One where Jesus is pray, treat a friend. you see, that's why I say, I've said this my home ever since I'm inside I say I are used to say now. I say we exist to make much of Jesus. That's why on the sign that says we exist to make much of Jesus, because that's what I believe we exist to make much of Jesus. It's not about us. It's about him. An interesting enough if Eliza being filled with the Holy Spirit, we will be centered on Jesus and Jesus alone, the John 15:26 cuz this this is the Amplified version. But when the comforter counselor help with Advocate and excessive strengthener, standby comes. I like it. Cuz it says all the names and that is the Holy Spirit. Comes. I will send to you, the Father, the spirit of Truth, who comes proceeds from the father he himself will testify regarding me. So you can't help it if you really let the Holy Spirit, take over your life, you come help help but be Jesus centered.
She wanted me to look to Christ as our Shores. The source of our salvation. Most importantly, but also the source of our purpose in life. Did most of us, not most of us, but some of us only look to the point of salvation. Oh, God. Me out of that one. I'm saved. That's all I care about. I'm going to live my life. However, I want now because I'll take a spit of this. I'll take a bit of your salvation, but I don't want you to tell me how to live my life, but I would if it was me feeling like that, I'm not judging you, but if it was me feeling like that, I'll be on my knees praying to God to come into my heart because I would think I'm not saved.
If I go continue, living my life. However, I lived it before, I walked in these doors and nothing changed, I would have to question My salvation.
I don't say anybody is not saved or saved.
God will make that final judgment. But I would question my salvation if I was still living the same way today as I was living 20 years ago when I walked into this church.
See.
He is our all in. He is all we need. All we need in all circumstances. You going through something in life. Jesus is the answer. Take it to him. He will comfort, you. It's not going to make it easier. but he is back to comfort, you He is that to strengthen you. That promises. If you read your Bible, you would notice that God promises to us that he is all we need. Cole said it best for me to live is Christ.
I actually think pull it, the full life. I mean yeah he was beating up a phone a few dishes and up s***, right? Three times. But I think that's a pretty exciting full of life.
I mean and it was a quick hand and he got to see if you got to see God. Like it was head off, go I'm home. the rest of that versus for me to live is Christ. Death is gain.
We walk around like, we're scared to die.
It also means to glorify Christ in every motive of our life. Corinthians 10:31 says that show whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Anything you do. I can pick a lot of anything so I can put it on that. I'm not allowed to say in church that you do. As long as it's Godly, as long as it's okay, it's okay to do it for the glory of God. You should love your wife to the glory of God. If you like hiking, you should hike to the glory of God. Whatever you do. If you like to eat a nice ribeye, you should eat it to the glory of God. He made it. That's where we should first. Go, we should say, hey, this restaurant has a good State. We should take. While God made a good steak, can I get to eat it?
Sea, Ocean Spray.
Bus 23 and 24. So whatever may be your task work at it, how hot it Lie from the soul as something done for the Lord, not for man.
Knowing with all certainty that it is from the Lord. And not from man, that you will receive the inheritance, which is your real, the world. The one who you actually serving as the Lord Christ, the Messiah. So when you go to work, do it for the glory of God. Not for the paycheck to paycheck will come, but that's because you were doing it to the glory of God.
Do everything that you do. You shovel the snow on Thursday when it comes, do it to the glory of God. I'll pay somebody to do it to the glory of God.
it means that we resemble resemble Christ in all our goals, I want to be like Christ in the way I think in the way I feel and in the way I act,
That's why I think it's important to be a part of Church of people can say hey that's you know, acting very Godly right now. You're acting very christ-like right now. We supposed to hold each other accountable so we can you put your and grow in our face?
Please, I want my relationship with Christ to impact my head, my heart, and my hands.
1st Peter, 2:21 6. You have been called because Christ also suffered for you leaving. You an example so that you might follow in his step so that's going to be suffering on this right Road. It's not all perfect. I'm not telling you and I'll never be the person that send the pics. And if you do this, your life is going to be great, nothing's going to happen to you. Nobody's going to come your way. Cuz I don't believe that, I believe we living a sinful broken world, and still exist. That's why we have time cuz that's why people die.
That's why we link our broken system because it is broke. Not because I'm not because of, of, of the system because of an atom, he broke it. And if you would, I, you would have broke it.
We are too wild with Christ in a hope across central believer, will daily Embrace Christ assignment for that life. Do you everyday go? Take today? I'm going to live for Christ and it's happy to remain here as long as Christ is purpose for them. To fulfill my daughters have no more for me to do. He can take me home. Adopt today. After this message. Can you take me home? Sorry, honey, but he can take me home. I'm ready to go now.
I'm willing to go now because I'm I think as great my life is with my wife, I love my wife. But to be in the presence of Jesus, nothing could take that place. Nothing, that's how I live my life. Jesus is number one. And he will always be number one.
Philippians 1:23 says, I am hard-pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ for that is far better. Do you really do? You look at your lunch or hey, it would be better to die today. I mean, most people don't.
What is? I don't know about you. I'm going to be 53 this year. And that's super cold, but I hate to paint. I died. All of that, dog. All the pain and suffering that I see is gone. Familiar.
It is far better to die. God isn't finished with me yet. So why I'm here, I want to do his work, I want to be his, I want you to be his whatever you go in the world. We can have about the things of God. Got to attitude order, get to attitude. Ever since I've been a Christian, I'm on the two. That's how I look at everything. I get to seven. I get to give him the money that he gives me back to him.
I get to help people. I get the fridge.
I get to that's the attitude, you need. not that, you have to because you don't have to you get to There is no. 2. We're Christians. If you're fake, that's a dog to you, you're following the wrong religion. It's a, we get to be a part of his work.
You should know.
Which would describe your attitude. And if it is to talk to, if it is about 2, if you feel like when you give to the judge that you have to, then you need to examine your heart when you sure. You need to examine your heart. If it's I got to serve. If you do what you're doing in any aspect of your life and you say, I'll go to do that, then you need to examine yourself because you get to do that.
And finally, we want to be a church that regularly sees people added to God's kingdom. I've told you this many times that I want Calvary to be a church that, because we've existed having is full of Happiness. Fuller, because we existed.
God's bath is interested. We discover as we read through act, that God adds to his church and grows it for multiplication.
That's true. Search for multiplying his word.
At 12:24, but the word of God increased and multiplied. I'm okay, if we stay this small, I'm not really, but I believe. God cares about numbers, by the way. Do you know why? Because you wrote a book called numbers. So obviously, he cares about numbers. I was, he wouldn't wrote a book called numbers. God cares, about numbers and all the sleep. I don't know. Again, if you haven't noticed, the text with reading, he was talking about numbers when Jesus fed the 5000, he was joking. Very interested about numbers,
I mean as many people come to the church will come to the shirt. Just have about numbers obviously cuz it's a lot of them in the book. That's a lot of numbers in this book. Everything God does care about numbers.
See, how did the early church maintain such? A dynamic fellowship and thousands being part of it, though. Think about that. Thank you.
Thinking of power.
Baby doll. Load to church building suddenly pop up.
An app to 46 is it day by day attending the temples together and breaking bread in their homes. They received that food with glass and generous hearts.
They follow shipped together. Not just on a Sunday.
They don't, you know, one another's needs not just on a Sunday. How are we supposed to get to know each other if this is it? Stay with me in the temple courts and in their homes in small groups, it wasn't the same people meeting at the temple. And in the homes every day, but X believers who met each state in the temple at homes as they grew, they grew smaller. Another stomach that we would have to do. He bought, you have to do as you grow. You have to build up with you. That's why I don't like Fast growth. Because if we can mature, all the people in the church, they will be ready to have small groups. And help. Go to the church even bigger.
Because the truck gets it's a church gets bigger. It has to get smaller. Crystals has to be some intimacy that you can't just filled all the sheets and think that's good enough. You have to have a relationship because it's a relationship this way and it's a relationship this way.
And what that means is we have to become disciples. You know what being a disciple is Doing life together.
What did Jesus do when he was making disciples? He says come follow me and then all of his followers just followed him. Wherever he went. He went he went they He sat down by shutdown. That's what making disciples about that's why it's important to get together because you can learn from each other, we can learn from each other.
3, p.m. every time we get together is he is on a Sunday and every time we talk to each other after the offering How much how much intimacy is happening? None.
Exit 7 says and the word of God continue to increase and the number of disciples multiplied in Jerusalem. And the great, many of priests became obedient to the face. You see, the focus is the key to a truly, truly being a multi-generational church cuz that's what you need to be. You can't be all the same age. We need multi-generational people in there.
2nd Timothy 2:2 says, you have heard me Teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable Witnesses. Now, teach these truths to trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to the other this for Generations in that First generation discipleship. Jesus to Paul 2nd generation discipleship, Paul to Timothy generation, discipleship. Timothy to trustworthy people. People to others, we have to continue to make disciples. Every one of you has been a Christian, probably long enough to make disciples
See if we are truly to be a multi-generational church that we must be a multiplying chart a church that intentionally multiplies disciples multiplying disciples is how I can grow better. Cuz I'm not worried about bigger. That would be called things but I think we need to put in the work to grow better as people to get more mature and what we believe.
The perfect Church. I don't know who wrote this, but it's good. The perfect truck. I think that I shall never see a Chuck touch. It ought to be a church whose members, never stray, beyond the straight and narrow way. A church that has no empty. Who's pasta? Never has the blues a church? Deacons always think. And none is proud of all and all I meet my gosh, it's never pedal lies. I'll make complaint your criticized, I always sweet and kind and and to each other's faults a blind such perfect churches that maybe but none of them had known to me. So I will work and pray and plants to make my church. The best I can, that's all we can do. That is no perfect church, but don't you want the best church? You can make it cuz I do.
so this week, I want you to read the whole of Act 2 And pray about how God wants to you to make this church the right kind of church cuz it's not all up to me.
Shuttle up to you met. Robert asked if there was any stuff for the members, it actually states that you are to do stuff too.
It's not all about me. It's all about him.
And we do this because we all have family and families were together. Let us pray. They have any father we thank you that you are amazing. God. That you have put us right here. Every one of us came to church today because you wanted us to have this message of how to become A church. Not a perfect Church. But a church, it's on the right direction to direction that fully points towards you. I just left everybody up in this room to you, God and pray that we can unite and become one body for you and do your work and your will, in Jesus name, I pray. Amen.