The Four Pillars of Worship

How do we grow a new church?

How bad?

Acts 2:42–47 NLT

42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. 43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

Does you want people to come to know Christ?

How much?

Does Grace Empire want people to come to know Christ?

These are called the Four Pillars of Worship

How much?

:

I’m going to use an old school word here. Its a word thats not commonly used anymore and for some it has roots to a time forgotten. It harkens to an old school tent revival, to a time where preachers preached on wooden soap boxes in three piece suits. To a time of healings and miracles, and old fire and brimstone. To a time where preachers preached on sin, repentance, and eternal damnation. The word is revival. We need a revival.

How do we get there?

First off, it says that all the believers devoted themselves.

The word devoted comes from the greek work proskartereo which means “to be continually in.”

Acts 2:42 NLT

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

1. Continually learn from your pastors.

Acts 2:42 NLT

42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

Acts

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, ()

The word devoted

Acts 2:42

Acts never defines exactly what new believers were taught; but it does say that the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.

As pastors, we are committed to teaching you Scripture and are committed to doing it with as much intellectual integrity as possible. That means that we have to be reading and learning and pushing ourselves. We have to continually read and reread theology that we agree with and read and reread theology that we dont agree with, cause without understanding both sides of an argument, we are not thinking critically and not doing our due diligence as teachers.

But we are also committed to doing something that I believe is even more important than teaching you with words, but teaching you with how we live. It says in verse 43 that the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. Now I can’t promise signs and wonders, but I will can commit, or better yet, be devoted to, to continually stepping out in faith.

Story of stepping out in faith.

Your job is to choose to trust your pastors and choose to learn from us with an open heart. If you cannot see us as someone you can learn about Jesus from…then you cant grow here and neither can the church. We want you to grow. Learning to love Jesus more and become like him is paramount. It’s the whole objective.

2. Continually fellowship with people in your church.

Are we a one body?

Acts 2:42–47 NLT

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

Are we unified?

Acts 2:42

What is our church identity?

The

Is Grace Empire my church?

Are these people, my people?

Ephesians 4:3–6 NLT

Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.

​ NLT

Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.

Before we revival can happen, we need to decide to stand together.

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, ()

Before we revival can happen, we need to decide to stand together.

Before we revival can happen, we need to decide to stand together.

Communal Responsibility

Ezra 9:6–15 NLT

I prayed, “O my God, I am utterly ashamed; I blush to lift up my face to you. For our sins are piled higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached to the heavens. From the days of our ancestors until now, we have been steeped in sin. That is why we and our kings and our priests have been at the mercy of the pagan kings of the land. We have been killed, captured, robbed, and disgraced, just as we are today. “But now we have been given a brief moment of grace, for the Lord our God has allowed a few of us to survive as a remnant. He has given us security in this holy place. Our God has brightened our eyes and granted us some relief from our slavery. For we were slaves, but in his unfailing love our God did not abandon us in our slavery. Instead, he caused the kings of Persia to treat us favorably. He revived us so we could rebuild the Temple of our God and repair its ruins. He has given us a protective wall in Judah and Jerusalem. “And now, O our God, what can we say after all of this? For once again we have abandoned your commands! Your servants the prophets warned us when they said, ‘The land you are entering to possess is totally defiled by the detestable practices of the people living there. From one end to the other, the land is filled with corruption. Don’t let your daughters marry their sons! Don’t take their daughters as wives for your sons. Don’t ever promote the peace and prosperity of those nations. If you follow these instructions, you will be strong and will enjoy the good things the land produces, and you will leave this prosperity to your children forever.’ “Now we are being punished because of our wickedness and our great guilt. But we have actually been punished far less than we deserve, for you, our God, have allowed some of us to survive as a remnant. But even so, we are again breaking your commands and intermarrying with people who do these detestable things. Won’t your anger be enough to destroy us, so that even this little remnant no longer survives? O Lord, God of Israel, you are just. We come before you in our guilt as nothing but an escaped remnant, though in such a condition none of us can stand in your presence.”

Ezra 9:

2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

Jonah 3:6–10 NLT

When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes. Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city: “No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all. People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence. Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.” When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.

Ephesians 4:3–6 NLT

Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.

Ezra 9:6–15 NLT

I prayed, “O my God, I am utterly ashamed; I blush to lift up my face to you. For our sins are piled higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached to the heavens. From the days of our ancestors until now, we have been steeped in sin. That is why we and our kings and our priests have been at the mercy of the pagan kings of the land. We have been killed, captured, robbed, and disgraced, just as we are today. “But now we have been given a brief moment of grace, for the Lord our God has allowed a few of us to survive as a remnant. He has given us security in this holy place. Our God has brightened our eyes and granted us some relief from our slavery. For we were slaves, but in his unfailing love our God did not abandon us in our slavery. Instead, he caused the kings of Persia to treat us favorably. He revived us so we could rebuild the Temple of our God and repair its ruins. He has given us a protective wall in Judah and Jerusalem. “And now, O our God, what can we say after all of this? For once again we have abandoned your commands! Your servants the prophets warned us when they said, ‘The land you are entering to possess is totally defiled by the detestable practices of the people living there. From one end to the other, the land is filled with corruption. Don’t let your daughters marry their sons! Don’t take their daughters as wives for your sons. Don’t ever promote the peace and prosperity of those nations. If you follow these instructions, you will be strong and will enjoy the good things the land produces, and you will leave this prosperity to your children forever.’ “Now we are being punished because of our wickedness and our great guilt. But we have actually been punished far less than we deserve, for you, our God, have allowed some of us to survive as a remnant. But even so, we are again breaking your commands and intermarrying with people who do these detestable things. Won’t your anger be enough to destroy us, so that even this little remnant no longer survives? O Lord, God of Israel, you are just. We come before you in our guilt as nothing but an escaped remnant, though in such a condition none of us can stand in your presence.”

This is exactly how it sounds and I’m sure this wont surprise you. Fellowship isn’t just saying hello and hi to someone on Sundays. It’s more than just knowing someones name. Its knowing their life. Its choosing to let them in to your life and choosing to be in theirs. A church family doesn’t just happen. A church family takes time and work and effort. It’s done when you decide to open up your home, your time, your personal life, to someone else.

I’m not asking for us all to be best friends…but I am asking us to become friends.

3. Continually engage in the Lord’s Supper with your church.

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper) (b)

The Lord’s Supper continually reminds us of what our mission is; to go home.

Philippians 3:20 NLT

20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.

The Lord’s Supper is a way of grounding ourselves, reminding us to not get too attached to the things of this world because we are in transition. We get so caught up in running the rat race of life that we need constant reminding that there is more for us.

We need to be reminded that as citizens of heaven, we live for something more than just green paper. There is more to life than gold, glory, and girls.

1 Peter 2:11 NLT

11 Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.

4. Continually pray as a church community.

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. ()

I cannot begin to explain how important prayer is.

There are so many instances in the Old Testament, where the nation of Israel or the nation of Judah would stand together, agree together, and confess together their sins and the sins of their brothers and sisters.

2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT

14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

2 Chronicles 4:17 NLT

17 The king had them cast in clay molds in the Jordan Valley between Succoth and Zarethan.

The early church prayed three ways:

When they prayed at temple. (, , )

When they prayed together outside of temple. (; ; ).

(1:24; 4:24; 12:12).

When they prayed alone. (, )

What do I do now?

Four Challenges

Learn from your pastors - Come to church and engage. Ask questions. Apply what you learn.

Fellowship with other people - Invite someone over for dinner or go met them for coffee.

Lord’s Supper - Utilize the communion we provide every week to ground yourself.

Prayer - Pray everyday. Participate in 10 at 10.