GROW in Community

GROW IN GOD RECAP

Starts with a personal relationship with God -- recognizing your need for Jesus and repenting from walking in rebellion against God to following Him.

Grow in Knowing Jesus

Grow in Worship

Sunday morning worship gathering is the primary place where we worship, open His Word, and grow in know Him. No matter where you are in your faith journey -- exploring, new, mature -- Sunday is a place to encounter and Grow in God

NEXT STEPS - GROW IN GOD

What we are walking through the month of August is not just merely answering the question of what a disciple of Jesus Christ at North Henry looks like and does; it's not just the framework in which we will do ministry...it is also a pathway/roadmap to leading people in next steps of obedience in their faith

SALVATION - people start having a relationship with God and following Him

Guests and Regular Attenders - finding a local place to Grow in God (knowing Jesus and worshipping Him)

Baptism - symbolically identifying with Christ and His Body

Deciding to commit to belong in a local church

PRIORITIZING

As we Grow in God, in grow in understanding and wanting what God wants for us. His will becomes our Will. His priorities becomes our priorities.

God desired for us to know Him, but not to know Him alone, but with others....

GROW IN COMMUNITY

GOD'S DESIRES

God designed us to follow Him together, not alone.

We grow in our relationship with God as we walk alongside other believers in unity and encouragement.

And that commitment is made through meaningful church membership

HOW DOES ONE BECOME A MEMBER AT NORTH HENRY?

Make your desire known: you do not have to come down to the front here after the message when we sing the last song.

You can and I am always glad to talk and pray with you, but I will also want more depth conversation than during an invitation.

You can talk to me, one of the pastors, a small group leader, anyone out front near our connections desk...also can mark on one of the cards in the pew in front of you "Find belonging here at NHBC", so we can follow up with you one next steps to belonging here as a church member

Discovering Membership Class

You can better know and understand who we are as a church, what we believe, how we operate and seek to do ministry, our history...

See if this truly is the place God is leading you to join to Grow in God

Shifting from a Sunday evening to Sunday morning at 9:30am (4 week class) that will start at the end of this month, so be listening and looking in the coming weeks for more information

Talk with a Pastor

we want to not just know names and faces, but God's transformative work in your life and how we can best minister and care for you.

Affirmation of Church Body at Church Family Conference

These are the next steps to become a member here at North Henry. But being a church member is not like being a member of a country club, organization, household, or costco....there is much more to meaningful church membership as we seek to GROW in Community....and thats what we find in our passage today in Acts 2:42-47

BIBLE PASSAGE

Acts 2:42-47 (CSB)

A Generous and Growing Church

42: They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.

43: Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. 44: Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. 45: They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46: Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, 47: praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

LUKE DESCRIBED A BIBLICAL CHURCH

Luke described what a Biblical church really looks like (not just in the first century, but in every century until Jesus' second coming)

1 - GROW IN GOD TOGETHER (v.42)

FIRST AND FOUNDATIONALLY

First and foundationally, the church is devoted to gathering and studying Scripture.

Devotion to the Word to Grow in knowing Jesus together

A biblical church is marked by the right teaching of God's Word

Look at text before - there were thousands of new converts who needed to understand how Peter linked OT text with the ministry of Jesus

Same for us, need to understand all of Scripture pointing to Christ, our need for Him, and His desire for us.

Our goal to Grow in Community is for us to look more like Jesus; we do that by pointing one another to Jesus.

We also point one another to the fact that we are all united in Christ (Eph 4:1-6)

BIBLE PASSAGE

Ephesians 4:1-6 (CSB)

Unity and Diversity in the Body of Christ

1: Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to live worthy of the calling you have received, 2: with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3: making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4: There is one body and one Spirit  — just as you were called to one hope at your calling —  5: one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6: one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

WE ARE UNIFIED IN ONE THING

We are all unified by one thing and one thing only: Jesus Christ .... anything else is either superficial or can always change.

What we see here in the text in Acts is not just devotion to Grow in God Together...there is a devotion to one another. Devotion to GROW BY BELONGING TO ONE ANOTHER

2 - GROW BY BELONGING TO ONE ANOTHER - UNITY (vv.44-46)

LUKE EXPLAINS WHAT THIS ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE

*Engaged in fellowship

Believers fulfill Jesus' words in John 13:34-35

BIBLE PASSAGE

John 13:34-35 (CSB)

34: “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. 35: By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

THEY ENJOYED BEING TOGETHER

They enjoyed being together (joy in the body) -- not religious elite, but common people

Devoted to regular fellowship with one another -- in the temple, at one another's homes (v.46)

They enjoyed being around one another and praising God with each other (v.47)

JOINED IN BREAKING BREAD

Two Ways of seeing this:

Lord's Supper - as a body of believers they obeyed Christ command to "do this in remembrance of me"; a memorial of Christ death on the cross to pay the debt of our sins

Lord's Supper is a practice that we as believers do that unifies the body by refocusing on Christ and not ourselves

Likely was a full meal

In first and second century church, the observance of the Lord's Supper was not just during a service, but was the beginning part of a full meal

This phrase in v.42 & 46 also describes Christians fellowshipping together at meal time...so they were baptists (haha)

DEVOTED TO PRAYER

Devoted to making Christ the center of their lives and not themselves.

That is what prayer is, talking with God in submission to Him and His will.

HOW BEST CAN WE GROW IN COMMUNITY?

How to best love one another, know and care for the needs of each other, and study further God's Word is small groups.

Small groups provide a practical, life-on-life setting where we can apply God's Word and together GROW in COMMUNITY

CONNECTION GROUPS / SMALL GROUPS / SUNDAY SCHOOL

I know many of us will be habit call Sunday morning small groups "Sunday school" and that's fine, its like its been engrained in us.

Because the purpose of the smaller group is life-on-life discipleship. That as a group you are sharing life together.

Not just seeing and meeting with each other on Sunday morning...but do life together (act like and follow thru with what we proclaim about the blessing of belonging to a local body of believers)

Do life together...go to each other's homes, study God's Word and pray together, talk about the gospel with one another, fellowship with one another not just here on this campus.

Since we seek to Grow in Community by Growing in God Together and in Belonging....we are renaming Connection Groups ---- GROW Groups

2.5 - Connection Groups ----> GROW Groups

LEARN TO LIVE WITH ONE ANOTHER

We see in Acts the body daily meeting and fellowshipping together to Grow in God (hearing Apostles teaching, fellowship, eating together, prayer) in homes and the temple.

It also conveys what Paul says in Colossians 3:12-17 on how we should live together with one another:

BIBLE PASSAGE

Colossians 3:12-17 (CSB)

The Christian Life

12: Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 13: bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. 14: Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15: And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful. 16: Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17: And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

LEARN TO LIVE AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER - "SOLD POSSESSIONS AND MADE SURE EVERYBODY HAD PLENTY" V.44-46

Live with one another

People want to make this about selling possessions and giving to anyone around, but this was done within the context of the body of believers. The church first cares for its people.

This wasn't forced; it was completely voluntary and discretionary, driven not from trying to be a good person or simply helping someone out; it was an outpour/overflow of worship and gratitude towards God and how He has blessed us individually.

All these, they Grew in God together (Growing in knowing Jesus together and Growing in Worship together)...they had grateful hearts towards God

Gratitude to God for salvation, and out of gratitude we live a lifestyle of worship to God

Worship marked by grateful hearts desiring the same thing God desires -- that Christ be preeminent in every part of our lives; and out of that we begin to apply God's Word

Worship is applying God's Word. And as we seek to GROW in COMMUNITY...we seek to GROW IN OBEDIENCE TOGETHER

3 - GROW IN OBEDIENCE TOGETHER (vv. 42, 44-45)

OUR GOAL ANYTIME WE READ, STUDY GOD'S WORD AND FELLOWSHIP TOGETHER

Our goal is that anytime we read and study God's Word together, we should expect and anticipate to apply the truth and commands of the text to our lives

When we study Scripture...if we are not moved to act then we aren't seeking what God desires -- life change and Christ in our life -- , then we are just seeking brain knowledge and check marking our chart of goodness

Growing in obedience together is the driver of small groups -- life-on-life discipleship, application driven discussion of God's Word

When we seek to apply God's Word together, we grow in accountability.

With accountability, we seek to sharpen one another and point one another to Christ (not judge and call one another out...bc again we should speak all truth in humility and love)

As we grow in obedience and accountability to obedience with one another...we align our priorities and desires with God's priorities and desires

DO YOU PRIORITIZE WHAT GOD PRIORITIZES? (V.42, 46-47)

New school year...so new schedules, new activities...Before your weekends start getting over run or your week getting overrun (or maybe it already has), I want you to ask yourself...what do you want your kids or others to learn and see you model for using time purposefully?

Do you show through your actions and priorities that being with the local body of believers to be discipled, equipped, care and pray for one another is a priority...or is it just when it is convenient?

NOT HAMMERING "YOU NEED TO BE IN CHURCH"

This is not hammering over the head "you need to be in church"...because that is just action; but let's look at the heart:

what do you prioritize?

Is it the same as what God prioritizes?

Why do you feel like you do or don't want to commit to actively gathering with the local body of believers -- studying God's Word with one another, sharing life with one another, caring for one another?

CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

Church membership is not a membership like a country club or other clubs, organizations, or household.... it is a commitment, a covenant between you and this body and this body and you --- that you will pour in to disciple others (Grow in God) and that the body help you (Grow in God)...so then we both Grow in God together

LUKE PRESUPPOSES ACTIVE PARTICIPATION (V.46-47)

Church was marked by faithful attendance (meeting together daily in the temple courts and homes)

They prayed, gave, ate, and rejoiced together...they were present with one another

In order to Grow in Community, you must be present in the community of believers

Church s not just a place you come to, it is the body that seeks to Grow in God together.

***It is not a place of passivity, but of intentional action...intentional worship

LORD GROWS HIS CHURCH

What happens to believers who worship (gratitude for God and study His Word), they work (where life application is practiced)...and then they witness for the Lord by a life overflowing of gratitude that is visible transformation --- the Lord grows the church.

The Lord uses us in this in that as we Grow in God together, belonging to one another, and in obedience...we desire for others to join us on the journey. We GROW BY INVITING OTHERS IN.

4 - GROW BY INVITING OTHERS IN (v.47)

V.47 - "EVERY DAY THE LORD ADDED TO THEIR NUMBER THOSE WHO WERE BEING SAVED"

The Lord added. Them being the church by Growing in God together as a Christ-following community reached out for others to know the truth of Christ and walk with Him with us..

Don't miss the order -- first godly relationship with each other, then growth

**Remember, this was not just a few people or a large group...this was over 3 thousand people all over the city...that requires intentionality

INVITE OTHERS IN

Invite others that as believers to find belonging in a local body of believers.

Should not just invite people to church, but to grow together in Christ in the committed relationship between an individual member and the church body

No one is excluded based on anything other than whether they are a disciple of Jesus or not

CONCLUSION

This is what a healthy, biblical church looks like

This is how we should seek to live together and model

***We want to foster an atmosphere here at North Henry that so exuberates Christ that it in itself is drawing and transformative in leading others to Christ

END - END

If you desire to find belonging and become a member here at North Henry or you would like to find a GROW Group to be a part of...we would love to talk with you and connect you with a small group for you to Grow in God with others. Me and some from our connections team will be out at the connect desk if you would like to know more.