Christ and His Church 42

Introduction

There are many expressions of church today:

mainline, traditional, contemporary, house church (Paul’s family), mega church, conservative, charismatic etc

Question for hot topics: Is the NA church failing? What does “success” look like for our church? How do we get there and what is needed from me as a church member?

While Acts doesn’t look to answer these questions, I want to use it and today’s passage as a jumping point to hopefully answering those questions as I see them

Recap

Today’s story

Read Acts 28:11-31

This is where the book ends

This is not the end of Paul’s life, nor the spreading of the gospel, nor the building of Christ’s church

Lets look at some of what we have learned along the way

I. The Power of the Gospel

A. The Gospel

Romans 1:16 ESV

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

This is ultimately what we are to be about, to the glory of God

We are to be gospel believing people, being transformed by that same gospel and that tell others the gospel so that the same may be for them

Paul in Romans 1 as well as throughout Acts laid this as the foundation.

Every aspect of the gospel is accomplished by the power of God through the gospel reality

The death, resurrection and ascension, bringing about a restored relationship to our creator, to the life that continues to be transformed until eternity comes through the power of God in the gospel.

And it comes to us through the work of the Holy Spirit so that we might believe

B. The Spirit

Romans 15:17–19 ESV

In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ;

We have seen this throughout Acts

Whether is was signs and wonders or the Spirit giving Paul the words to speak as he stood in front of enemies, authorities and rulers.

This same Spirit convicts the world according to John 16

And is the same power that works in and through us.

II. No Intentional Roadblocks

A. No Other Gospel

Galatians 1:6–9 ESV

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

Here I believe is one, probably the main failing of the NA church in a generally

We have opted for another gospel

I think it’s safe to say, that every church is preaching “a” gospel but they aren’t all the true gospel

How do we know?

If the gospel points to anything or anyone other than Jesus as the saviour it is a wrong gospel.

If the gospel makes it all about me instead of Christ

If the gospel makes promises the Scriptures never do

B. No Other Obstacle

The other part is we have established all sorts of obstacles to the gospel

Unfortunately, we have also gone the other way and watered down the gospel so that we compromise the true message

Remember Paul’s words in I Cor 9

1 Corinthians 9:22–23 ESV

To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

ie. a good Conscience before God and man

III. The Holy People of God

1 Peter 2:9 ESV

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

A. Chosen Race

race - people who are believed to belong to the same genetic stock - family

Galatians 3:28 ESV

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Unity in Christ is essential to our faith and the church

B. Royal Priesthood

i. Truly connected to God

ii. Worship God

iii. Stand between those who don’t know him and God

we are to be the ones whom, with our lives and words, call people to reconciliation with God

C. A Holy Nation

i. set apart

ii. Being set apart

We are to be growing into the people of God who live more and more set apart lives

Flesh - the continued affect of singul patterns in our lives from before Christ or out of our immaturity in him

Put off, put on

Conclusion

This is what we are to be about, not perfect in it but walking towards it.