Healthy Church - Communication!
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COMMITMENT TO COMMUNICATING 2:42 & 47
A. Devotion 2:42
New International Reader’s Version. (1998). (1st ed., ). Zondervan.
Are you committed to communicating….oh yep we like to talk to people…we love to tell them about our day or our lunch we ate, we even tell them about the great places to shop – don’t we ladies….we even tell them about all the wonderful movies we’ve watched….but you know cause we’re in church what I’m going to ask you next….right – so do you tell others about the gospel as tells us to do.
A. Devotion 2:42d
The studied what the apostles taught. They shared life together. They broke bread and ate together. And they prayed.
Communicating is our first and foremost action of telling others about a GREAT GOD!!!!
1. Their devotion is equal in all directions, hence the reason why these characteristics are compounded together with the same word of devotion!
1. Their devotion is equal in all directions, hence the reason why these characteristics are compounded together with the same word of devotion!
2. The Church cannot pick and choose what characteristics they will be devoted to, we are simply to be devoted to them all!
I’ve told you – God has invested everything he has into you and I by sending his son, how’s that investment coming along?
B. Declaration 2:47
Who have you told about the Lord this past week?
They praised God. They were respected by all the people. Every day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.
New International Reader’s Version. (1998). (1st ed., ). Zondervan.
New International Reader’s Version. (1998). (1st ed., ). Zondervan.
1. The third thing this healthy Church was devoted to is communicating the joy of salvation!
A. They were Devoted
They not only knew the Word, but studied it.
a. Evangelism flowed out of their devotion!
I can know the Gospel – But you and I can’t live the Gospel until we’re telling others about the Gospel. We have to talk!!! We have to tell….
1. Their devotion was not only to those walking with them, but those along the way!! It covered the Word of the Lord, because they studied it
b. Their devotion was so powerful that they enjoyed the "favor of all the people…and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
2. This fourth area really has two directions of communicating:
2. They cared!!
3. They shared !!
a. "praising God" - prayer
b. "adding to the Church those who were being saved" - evangelism
4. The Church cannot pick and choose what characteristics they will be devoted to, we are simply to be devoted to them all!
4. The Church cannot pick and choose what characteristics they will be devoted to, we are simply to be devoted to them all!
B. They Declared the LORD!! 2:47
3. This last item reflects the Church's passion to speak to God and the world!
a. No doubt these are connected like fellowship - if it doesn't happen vertically, it is not likely to happen horizontally!
1. The third thing this healthy Church was devoted to is communicating the joy of salvation!
(1. A praying Church is an evangelizing Church!
a. Evangelism flowed out of their devotion!
b. Their devotion was so powerful that they enjoyed the "favor of all the people…and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
(2. An evangelizing Church is a praying Church!
2. This third area really has two directions of communicating:
b. The early Church was a praying Church, this fueled their evangelism!
a. "praising God" - prayer
c. The Church or Christian that has learned to speak to God will have no problem learning to speak to men!
I'd rather be able to pray than to be a great preacher; Jesus Christ never taught his disciples how to preach, but only how to pray. -- D. L. Moody, Leadership, Vol. 1, no. 1.
b. "adding to the Church those who were being saved" - evangelism
3. This item reflects the Church's passion to speak to God and the world!
4. A healthy Church evangelizes because it is in contact both with God and with people!
a. No doubt these are connected like fellowship - if it doesn't happen vertically, it is not likely to happen horizontally!
a. It can't help but share what it is all about!
b. As others witness the devotion and life of a healthy Church they are attracted to the Gospel and the Church!
1. A praying Church is an evangelizing Church.
2. An evangelizing Church is a praying Church!
5. The best form of evangelism is to be a healthy Church and to be healthy Christians!
b. The early Church was a praying Church, this fueled their evangelism!
a. We would need far fewer seminars on Church growth if we would heal the Church internally rather than just expend energy on external things!
c. The Church or Christian that has learned to speak to God will have no problem learning to speak to men!
b. If the early Church could be healthy without money, without buildings, without Gospel Publishing House, without Church growth experts, it can be healthy today to!
D.L. Moody once said : I'd rather be able to pray than to be a great preacher; Jesus Christ never taught his disciples how to preach, but only how to pray.
6. The four characteristics of a healthy Church are always within reach to those who are devoted to living them!
7. The healthy Church is a GLORIOUS CHURCH!
4. A healthy Church evangelizes because it is in contact both with God and with people!
8. LET US BE A GLORIOUS CHURCH!!!
a. It can't help but share what it is all about!
b. As others witness the devotion and life of a healthy Church they are attracted to the Gospel and the Church!
5. The best form of evangelism is to be a healthy Church and to be healthy Christians!
a. We would need far fewer seminars on Church growth if we would heal the Church internally rather than just expend energy on external things!
Scott came by the school the other day to teach the kids on how fence. It was amazing – he kept telling the students to stop wasting energy. To stop doing extra moves – simply do what is needed to finish the move. That made me think about how we might be thinking of sharing the Gospel…We might be trying to do so many fancy things – spouting off scripture or really trying to sound so well versed in the scripture we forget that a 5 year old or 10 year old doesn’t know all that much about the Bible yet when they hear the truth about Christ they fully understand.
Sometimes we dance when all we need to do is hold their hand and walk!!!
b. If the early Church could be healthy without money, without buildings, without Gospel Publishing House, without Church growth experts, it can be healthy today to!
6. The four characteristics of a healthy Church are always within reach to those who are devoted to living them!
7. The First Church was a Healthy Church – I think it’s time this church became a first church again!!