Building the Church (12)
Building the Church • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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All Welcome
All Welcome
Good morning.
I hope all have had a great week. How did you see God move this past week?
WELCOME HOME!
A number of years ago, Newsweek magazine carried the story of the memorial service held for Hubert Humphrey, former vice-president of the United States. Hundreds of people came from all over the world to say good-bye to their old friend and colleague. But one person who came was shunned and ignored by virtually everyone there. Nobody would look at him, much less speak to him. That person was former president Richard Nixon. Not long before, he had gone through the shame and infamy of Watergate. He was back in Washington for the first time since his resignation from the presidency.
Then a very special thing happened, perhaps the only thing that could have made a difference and broken the ice. President Jimmy Carter, who was in the White House at that time, came into the room. Before he was seated, he saw Nixon over against the wall, all by himself. He went over to [him] as though he were greeting a family member, stuck out his hand to the former president, and smiled broadly. To the surprise of everyone there, the two of them embraced each...
Have you ever showed up somewhere where you knew no one and felt out of place?
Remember how it felt.
2 weeks ago we saw Gospel being opened to the Gentiles.
At this time in the church was still Jewish based
Some if not many were struggling to understand the relationship between Law and grace, Jews and Gentiles, and Israel and the Church.
These are two complete different types of people groups.
Not only in religion, but also culture.
This was all new, but we sometimes have this issue today.
Someone doesn’t look or dress like we think they should.
We want them to clean themselves up before we welcome them in.
If we are not careful of this it will cause divisions in the church today.
1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.
All Welcome
All Welcome
Today I want us to look at how we should respond to new believers and each other as we maintain the unity of the church.
Let’s pray.
The Right Response
2 weeks ago we saw the Gospel opened to the Gentiles through Peter going to the Roman Cornelius.
Peter was amazed to see this, but this was way out of the box for this new movement.
1 Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, 3 “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
This was crazy and against everything they had been taught and believed. They are still locked into what is unclean and clean.
RTemeber Peter felt the same at first, and admits it.
4 But Peter began and explained it to them in order: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. 6 Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air.
7 And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’
To have the right response we must have the right perspective
9 But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’
The Right Response
It is God who decides what and who is clean and unclean.
Peter saw the evidence:
15 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
17 If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?”
The first response is to accept them in
18 When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
The Right Response
When persecution hit Jerusalem, mainly through Saul, remember the believer were scattered.
as they went they were sharing the Gospel to only Jews in cities like Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch.
Except a few had a different approach.
19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus.
The Right Response
Antioch was the capital of Syria, and of all the Antioch's in this time the grandest.
Population of a half million - It attracted all kinds people and was a place where nearly all the gods on antiquity were worshiped.
What a perfect place to plant a church.
The next response is to encourage them to grow
22 The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
23 When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.
The Right Response
Barnabas lived up to his nickname son of encouragement.
He encouraged them through rejoicing not questioning.
He emphasized dedication and taught the Word
The impact was a city being reached and growing
He knew he needed help so he went and got Saul
25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
The Right Response
We need mature believers to partner with others to partner in ministry.
The word Christian had a stronger meaning back them than to day for most.
It wasn’t a title it was a life.
The Return Response
As we bless others, we receive blessings from them
27 Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius).
A famine was coming.
The Jerusalem church that lacked for nothing was now facing a great need.
29 So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea.
The ones who sent the encouragement and support was about to receive it back form the place they sent it too.
All Welcome
All Welcome
This is how the church works
Our doors are open to everyone.
We are part of something bigger and bound together by he same Grace.
The church is not a select circle of the immaculate, but a home where the outcast may come in. It is not a palace with gate attendants and challenging sentinels along the entrance-ways holding off at arm’s-length the stranger, but rather a hospital where the broken-hearted may be healed, and where all the weary and troubled may find rest and take counsel together.
-James H. Aughey (American minister during the Civil War)
We are all part of making sure we are being the church.
We accept, we encourage, we bless.
How can you do these three thing this next week
Next week Acts 12
Let’s pray.
