Sacred, Not Sensational

Introduction

The church that can’t worship must be entertained. -Attributed to A.W. Tozer

Often the heart of church can be lost, and when that is lost the awe and fear of God the church brings to the community is lost

Often in response to this the church finds themselves lost in man-made gimmicks to try to recapture the awe of true worship

But as long as they look for this awe in manmade gimmicks /programs they may find themselves entertained and engaged but in the busyness of church may never ever meet God

The awe of God, the awe of encountering God is not found in endless programs, but returning to the basics of church and that is the teaching of the word uncompromised

A Church Built on Solid Theology

The churches reputation was growing and people’s attention was getting caught

The early church was putting awe in people. Inspiring fear and respect, but also opposition

Why was this was happening

The obvious answer is God

God was blessing and guarding the growth of the church

I love the words of Gamaliel in verse 39

This was a group of believers walking in God’s will, and His plan for them was protected by Him

God used the church of Acts mightily

We still serve the same God today, if he desires to use Hurricane in a special way in Choctaw county, their is not a fire, a person, a natural disaster that can hinder God’s plan from going forward

Also the reason though the church was growing they were not afraid on standing on truth

They did not allow the opposition to shape how they preached, they let the word of God shape their teaching

Our reputation should be grounded in the word of God

That means staying in the word

Also good way to test theology (theology- It's our understanding of God based on the Bible and how that shapes our faith and life) is look at church history

The church has been around for two thousand years, the Bible has been the same the whole time

If the theology can be traced throughout the majority of church history likely it is fairly sound theology

Historic grounding – Church history offers a record of how faithful believers have understood Scripture over centuries. If a modern teaching contradicts clear, consistent teachings from early Christianity (e.g. the Trinity, the divinity of Christ, salvation by grace), that should raise a red flag.

Doctrinal safeguards – The early church councils (like Nicaea and Chalcedon) worked through major theological issues carefully and biblically. Their conclusions provide solid benchmarks for essential doctrines.

Avoiding novelty – As the saying goes, “If it’s new, it’s probably not true.” Comparing to history helps spot when a theology is driven by culture, trends, or personal agendas rather than Scripture.

Learning from past errors – Church history shows us theological mistakes (like legalism, Gnosticism, or prosperity gospel) and their consequences, helping us not repeat them.

Important cautions:

Church history is not infallible,Church history is a guide, not the final judge.

Context matters – Some theological developments came in response to issues of their time.

One example of testing bad theology, would be the Seeker-Sensitive Movement (Popuralized by Rick Warren Purpose Driven Life)

It is a theology system that makes church out to be a place of evangelism and not discipleship, it makes church into a place focused on the nonbeleiver rather than the believer

Acts 2:42 ESV

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Church documents from the first few hundred years, showed the early church would ask non-believers to leave before, baptism or the Lord’s supper occured

which showed the realized church was about discipleship not evangelism

In the Middle Ages church leaders writings again reflect the church service is about the believer and not the nonbeliever

You look a the revival movements of the 18th and 19th century, evangelism was happening outside the church walls while discipleship continued within the church

The great revivals were not about reforming church services, but was open air preaching beyond the church

Sound doctrine on the purpose of the church is: The church is not a museum for the saints, but rather a university for the saints. The church is not a hospital for sinners, but rather a field hospital for soldiers.

When we understand the doctrine of the church we become a better equipped to take spiritual medical care into the world

Willow Creek another church that took this movment about the same time as Warren in 2007 would come out and say that their members lacked depth because of this movment they followed

A church service should have a holiness and weightiness about it, it is not meant to have the feel of going to a religious TED talk

Respect

The world they were living in saw a church living boldly for the Gospel and uncompromising in the discipleship of its members , and one response to this life is seen in verse 13.

Remember this verse is following not long after the story of A & S

People saw the seriousness of doing the work of God and calling yourself a believer

These people would have been afraid of joining in the work out of a fear of being hypocritical, saying one thing but in their hearts having a different thing

One this is a reminder to us as believers to do self reflection to make sure our actions are rooted in a desire to see the divine kingdom grow, that our actions are not about us and they are not about Hurricane

What would be your response if God made it clear that his plan for the money we have raised for the parking lot was to go somewhere else beyond this church?

What would the following conversations reveal about your heart?

Secondly this response should serve as a warning to nonbelievers to not call yourself a Christian, Christian is not something to be done culturally

When you call yourself a Christian but live contrary to what a Christian is, you live in violation of the third commandment to not us the Lord’s name in vain

Believer when you live in a way contrary to the Bible and go about calling yourself a Christian you are misusing the name of God

People are going to take your actions and draw conclusions about God, rather accurate or inaccurate

This is why we strive to follow 1 Peter 1:15-16

1 Peter 1:13–16 ESV

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

What actions are you taking to be more holy?

What habits do you need to address?

Who do you need to apologize to?

Is their a coworker you acted ungodly in front of, who may not even noticed , that you need to go apologize to and explain why your character was contrary to God

Is their a child/grandchild you did not disciple well that you need to sit down with and apologize to for not discipling them in the Lord?

Do you need to have a conversation with your spouse on how you have acted contrary to what it means to be holy?

Are there limits on hobbies/habits/media that need to be put in place to keep your mind focused?

End everyday with asking the question of: Did my character today reflect the character of my Heavenly Father?

Do not settle with I am human I am gonna mess up, you are but that should bother you

Do not fall complacent with just a little sin in your life.

Kobe Bryant known for his “Mamba Mentality” got to be one of the greatest in basketball because he did not settle

He was known for doing things like practicing a fadeaway jump shot move hundreds of times just to shave a fraction of a second off

I’d break a move down to its bare essentials, then drill it relentlessly until it became muscle memory. I wasn’t just practicing—I was engineering reaction time.

Conclusion

1. Pursue Holiness Relentlessly

Just as Kobe mastered his craft, we are called to master our character.

Identify one sin or compromise and take steps to kill it this week.

2. Reverence Over Relevance

Don’t chase culture. Chase Christ. Holiness is what draws true awe.

3. Guard the Church’s Purpose

Church is primarily for the equipping of the saints—discipleship must not be sacrificed for entertainment or appeasement.

In youth ministry I always told parents I would never compromise discipleship at the sake of entertainment. As your pastor I will never compromise the discipleship from this pulpit for the sake of entertainment

4. Evaluate Your Witness

Ask: Is your life inviting people to know the real Christ—or misleading them with compromise?

Apologize where needed. Rebuild integrity.

“Did my character today reflect the character of my Heavenly Father?”