APEX REWIND

Introduction

- Introduce self, involvement in Calvary

- APEX was a great week where many decisions were made:

Lives were surrendered to God for the first time

People surrendered to full time ministry

People grew closer to God and to each other

Lives and ministries were changed - people that were going to Hell will now spend eternity with God

What happens now?

Where do we look for the answer?

Scripture

Use one word to describe scripture (Adam video)

So we’re looking to scripture for what comes next - what do we know about what we’re told to do?

Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

We are to worship God, and tell others about Him. How do we do that?

APEX is nothing but a spiritual high, unless it leads to growth of the church through individual commitment and communal action

Again, we look to scripture for answers; what did the people who Jesus told these things to do?

We’re going to be looking at Acts 2:37-47, where we see the beginning of the church

It spreads like a fire

First a recap.

Luke picks up following Jesus’ death and resurrection

Jesus appears to some people over 40 days

The last time Jesus is seen on earth is “The Ascension”

Acts 1:9-11 “And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.””

But not before Jesus gave them instruction

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

The disciples start making some early church decisions until the Day of Pentecost where the Holy Spirit came

Acts 2:1-4 “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

They were sharing the Gospel in each of the people’s language

Some people responded in surrender, others said they were just drunk

Acts 2:15 “For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.” (9:00am)

Peter gave a sermon verses 14-36

We pick up on people’s response: Acts 2:37 “Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?””

The people had heard and understood the Gospel, they had an APEX experience, and now wonder what do we do now?

This is where a lot of us are: we’ve surrendered to something at APEX, we know what we’re made to do, and we wonder what we do now?

APEX is nothing but a spiritual high, unless is leads to growth of the church through individual commitment and communal action

Individual Commitment

Communal Action

Growth of the Church

FIRST, Individual Commitment

Acts 2:38-41 “And Peter said to them, “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. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”

Have you ever been apart of a group project, and someone is just not commited to it?

ASL experience in high school

I was a hinderance to the group because I was not commited to the cause

My allegiance was not to what the group was all about, so I was not useful to them

Before you can be apart of the communal actions that the church take, you first have to make an individual commitment

What are the two individual commitments?

Repentance and baptism

What is Repentance?

2 Chronicles 7:14 “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin

When we turn from our sin and focus on God

What is baptism?

An outward declaration of a life surrendered to Christ

We spend the week of APEX walking you through this individual commitment so that lives will be surrendered and come home to take action

Who can still come up and say the full memory verse?

Romans 8:1–8 ESV

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

We are free!

Once we have made our Individual Commitment, there are Communal Action

You become apart of the church

THEN, Communal Action

3 traits of the church in this passage:

Devotion, Fellowship, and Signs

Devotion

Acts 2:42 “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

Teaching

Worship/Prayer

Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Growing closer to God, together

Fellowship

Acts 2:44-46 “And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,”

2 types of fellowship:

Temple

Church for others to see

Homes

Meeting personal needs, a picture of genuine fellowship

Signs

Acts 2:43 “And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.”

There were miracles being done through the apostles as signs of affirmation from God

The concept of salvation today is a miracle itself

The Gospel should be evident in us and there should be signs of a changed life

Priorities are different

How you treat others is different

The way you navigate through life is different

THEN, The Growth of the Church

Acts 2:47 “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

It was “the Lord”

The Spirit uses us for God’s glory, but it takes willingness and action from us

Challenge

Repent and be baptized

Be the church

Devote and grow together

Worship and pray together

Fellowship together while bringing others in

Be a light in the world to others