Sermon Tone Analysis

How do we grow a new church?

How bad?

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.”

1. Continually learn from your pastors.

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?

Are we unified?

Acts 2:42

What is our church identity?

The

Is Grace Empire my church?

Are these people, my people?

​ 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:

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.

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.

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.

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.