The First Church

Welcome & Background

Welcome & Personal Introduction

Lunch & Vision after the service

4 weeks into our Acts series entitled: Witnesses | A Study in the Book of Acts

Big Idea: The gospel will be proclaimed among all peoples through witnesses empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Normally I give a bit of background to bring everyone up to speed with where we are in the book but I wanted to change that up a little bit.

Invite Joey Howell out, who serve with StoryRunners, a ministry of CRU

Story is powerful way to communicate scripture and biblical truth throughout the word.

Joey was in Chad at the same time as our family using story-telling to communicate the gospel and I wanted you to have a taste of what that is like based on the first two chapters of Acts.

Have Joey share

PRAY

READ:

PRAY

Introduction

Today we are going to see ‘The Vital Signs of a Healthy Church.’

You drive around long enough and you will pass numerous churches. I’m thankful for the gospel-witness of churches that help people know and grow in their relationship with Jesus

Unfortunately though, not all churches are healthy. But how can you tell?

Doctor Visit

Vital signs: Heart rate, blood pressure, pulse, maybe some blood work

You read these numbers and have a general sense of overall health

Typically the advise I hear:

Exercise

Eat Healthier

I don’t always listen though - because it’s hard.

I like ice-cream and carbs and I don’t like vegetables or fruit

It’s too hot to run outside so I don’t exercise like I should

Church

Sometimes the same can be said about church

We’ll read a passage like the one we see at the end of Acts chapter 2 and we’ll say, man, I wish our church was like that.

As we’ll see, it takes devotion and overcoming challenges together. In reality though, we want it to be easy and given to us.

It’s like seeing that fit, in-shape person and wishing you looking like them but then going home and eating that bowl of ice-cream in front of the TV.

PRAY

Big Idea

God cultivates a community of Jesus followers who live on mission to love one another and proclaim the gospel.

God is the one who builds the church, it’s to him and for him but it is also by him.

We respond in love to one another and in proclaim to the world.

8 VITAL SIGNS OF A HEALTHY CHURCH

1 - 4 DEVOTION

Word means: persist obstinately in…; steadfast; implication of of continuing on despite difficulty

It means things aren’t allows easy. This is true of the first century church as well so we don’t think they had everything figured out and we are the only ones who struggle. In the book of Acts we will see this community:

Face resistance community and other religious leaders

People not feeling cared for and needs going unmet. People have their favorites or special clicks and they are on the outside

Jail, disobedience of believers, death

Disagreements that rupture working relationships between leaders that didn’t include doctrine, hard decisions,

People liking one leader over another, etc...

1 | Devotion to the Word

“Devoted themselves to the Apostles teaching...”

The diet of a healthy body of Christ is the Word of God, the Bible.

“You are what you eat.” - this is why my doctor always tells me to eat healthy and exercise.

The Apostle Paul encourages young pastors:

“Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching...” (1 Timothy 4:16)

“But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine...” ()

Jesus prayed for us during his time on earth and tells us that Jesus said, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth”

If you want to be changed, transformed, sanctified - You don’t need my opinions or that of another pastor

There is a danger and temptation that we can read and study what other people say about God but never talk with him directly. We never listen to what he says about himself.

Imagine if someone wanted to get to know you. They went and talked with your friends, family, co-workers but they never talked with you. In the end, they would know some thing about you, some true and some false, but they wouldn’t know you personally.

They same is true in our relationship with God.

Individual & Church Response

This is why we prefer to preach through books of the Bible the majority of the time.

We believe the central theme in all of Scripture is Jesus

We believe that “all of scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Then it goes on to say that God’s Word is made even more powerful with flashy graphics and hip themes.

That people will be transformed and moved by the spirit if you inject an emotional story and then summarize the passage in 3 points that start with the same letter.

It takes devotion and intentionality to devote ourselves to God’s Word as a church.

This is one of the reasons I love the scripture journals for our church.

Personally a Challenge

This is also a personal challenge as well

Our personal appetite

2 | Devotion to One Another

Now, we are eating healthy and have to add some exercise. - “Loving One Another”

Literally “Fellowship” - partnering together in life, interdependent relationships and connection with one another.

We are a family because we’ve been adopted into the same family:

“so that you may have fellowship with us, and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:3)

The Bible gives us several “one another” statements that help us understand how the gospel leads us into true biblical community.

Loaded statement: gospel and biblical community:

Gospel: “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another” ()

Gospel: “Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters” ()

Biblical Community: “The members would have the same concern for each other.” (); “Serve one another” (); “Carry one another’s burdens” (); “Be kind and compassionate” (); “Don’t lie to one another” (), “Encourage one another” ().

The list goes on and more can be found on the webpage.

This is what we mean by the word “Community,” these are biblical descriptions of fellowship and partnership. When we talk about becoming a ‘Partner’ here at CrossPointe this is what me mean.

You Are: Making a commitment to a church family, to people, not an organization or institution. You are saying that you desire to live out the “one another” statements here at CrossPointe. Your making a commitment to the people sitting next to you.

Partnership is Not: Just a membership to an organization like you might become a member at Sam’s Club, Costco, or BJs. That’s just business. Which store has the better brands, the better prices, closest to my house.

Sometimes people evaluate churches along the same lines. Who has better ______ ministry, etc.

True Partnership: is a commitment to the people inside a community that is rooted in God’s Word.

Devoted

Can I just remind us of the word devoted again.

This isn’t always easy.

I find that most people strongly desire receive the effects/benefits of biblical community yet make personal decisions that limit the reality. This could be a whole sermon in itself but I would ask you to consider: Do your personal decisions lead you to more deeply experience biblical community or do they isolate you from community?

3 | Devotion to Breaking Bread

“Breaking of Bread” is most likely a reference to the Lord’s Supper. In the early church this sacrament was likely enjoyed in the context of a meal.

At this time when the church was just forming it seems like people were eating together almost daily.

As the church grew, , tells us that the church celebrated ‘Communion’ once a week when they gathered together.

This is one of the reasons why we celebrate communion every week. We aren’t saying the scripture commands the practice and it does describe the practice.

EARS: The Apostles teaching, spoke to the ear of the disciples about Jesus

EYES: The Lord’s Table preached to the eyes, seeing and remembering Christ’s broken body and shed blood.

JESUS: is the Big E on the Eye chart. All that we are and everything we do must be about Jesus.

4 | Devotion to Prayer

Let me describe the prayer life of the early church in Acts

The Apostles as leaders were men dedicated to prayer (6:4)

The church practiced free and formal times of prayer.

Believers prayed together corporately.

They personally prayed without ceasing.

They prayed in the temple, in homes, as they walked along the road, as they encountered sick and afflicted, before they preached sermons, before they heard sermons, while they were being persecuted, in planned times of intense intercession over particular situations, as they offered thanks for their food, as they gave thanks to Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, as they praised God in song, as they offered up petitions for the Father to meet their daily needs.

WHY: Prayer helps remind us of our total dependence upon God

What we have now is because of God

Anything we gain and whatever the future holds is in the hands of God.

Prayerlessness exposes a self-reliant life

Prayerfulness encourages a God-reliant life

5 -8 Motivated by Awe - Response of Praise [Bookends]

MOTIVATION

“AWE” - profound respect, reverence, fear

Have you have stood at the edge of a great height and felt your stomach sink as your knees felt weak as if you would fall forward and over the edge?

This is how I imagine standing before God.

“came upon every soul” - individual response the combines with others for a collective expression.

RESPONSE

“PRAISING GOD” - the expression of awe is ultimately toward the praise of God.

LIVE IN RESPONSE TO THE GOSPEL

This is a description of what it means to live in response to the gospel.

We experience and see God’s undeserved forgiveness and love toward us through Jesus

We express undeserved forgiveness and love toward others

4 examples of how our AWE OF GOD is expressed toward other in PRAISE OF GOD

5 | Radical Generosity (Especially inside the church)

“selling possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as they had need.”

Extraordinary generosity, mercy

The Church didn’t abandon the idea of private property or ownership. This isn’t saying that people didn’t own their belongings and the simply shared everything. This is why stealing is wrong.

This is saying that people valued one another more than their belongings. They voluntarily gave up what rightfully belonged to them so they could help someone else.

This is especially true inside the church, among the community of believers - while also having expressions outside the church.

Sermon on each one of these 8 points

What does generosity look like in your life?

Is there any space in your monthly budget for others? What decision, sacrifices, or areas of self-denial might God lead you in so that you can share with those in need?

6 | Constant Interaction with One Another

“Day by day...”

The community of believers are gathering day by day

Relationship - meals - life

FB CP Community Connection

Nametags and Connection

Culture

Meet someone new during lunch today

Make an appointment to grab coffee, breakfast or lunch, or have a family over to your house.

7 | Gathering in in Large and Small Groups

“attending the temple together AND breaking bread in their homes...”

GATHERED - once a week for worship, word, prayer

They added 3,000 to their number on the first day. It would be impossible for everyone to gather in a home.

They same that it would be impossible for all 200+ of us to gather in someone’s home

Breaking bread and prayer

SCATTERED - during the week in each other’s homes.

this is why we have community groups and we gather on Sundays

Our community, our fellowship needs to extend beyond just our community groups.

8 | Daily Evangelism

“The Lord added to their number day by day”

Everyone Gathered together just once a week yet God was adding to their number day by day. This leads us to 2 conclusions:

People were individually sharing the gospel with others, in and through their smaller communities.

God is the one who draws people to himself and who builds his church. That is his work .

CHECKING OUR VITAL SIGNS

Individually AND Corporately

How to check a church’s vital signs. Are they healthy?

Love God

Devoted to the Word, sound doctrine, rooted in the Bible

In awe of God

Praising God

Jesus is and must always remain central. The christian life is not about what we do but what Jesus has done for us. We must remind ourselves and each other of this truth.

Do you live in response to the gospel ? Is it central to your life or is it just a separate compartment of your life?

Love One Another

Devoted to one another

Generosity (toward one another)

Time (with one another, gathered and scattered)

Live on Mission

Daily Evangelism

‘Declaring the mighty works of God

As God builds his church

Faithful to the task at hand: to be disciples of Jesus who make disciples of Jesus.

This is why we sum up our values as a church in 3 words, GOSPEL (Loving God/Word), COMMUNITY (Loving One Another), MISSION (Living on Mission).

Invite you to stay for lunch and join us as we talk more about our vision over lunch, sharing a meal, breaking bread together, and discuss what is looks like to live on mission together.