Be the Church....
Notes
Transcript
Introduction....
Introduction....
Let’s think about this thought...
What does it mean for you to be the “Church.”
The church isn’t the four walls, the pews and windows… This is the building the church meets in...
When we talk about East Stone Gap Baptist Church, this is what people generally thing off...
They think of a physical address, a building and property and the things we do...
But truthfully, all these things are a part of the church, they assist the church and help the church… but YOU… YOU are the church!
So lets think about this… what does that mean?
If you are the church, what does that mean? What does that mean to you and more importantly how does effect you and how does that affect the world around you.
So this morning I am going to go to the book of Acts and lets look at the life of the early church
Lets go to Acts chapter 2, and :9
1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
17 “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
18 even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
20 the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25 For David says concerning him,
“ ‘I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.
27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One see corruption.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,
“ ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
35 until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’
36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
:
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
and
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Now I know in the past we have looked at thiese passages, but I want us to take this and we are going to look at a few more and see if we can expand the idea of us being the church.
So lets begin and start with term church itself, what does it mean..
1. Defining Church...
1. Defining Church...
Consider this.. what does the term “church” mean, what is being said by Jesus when He uses the term church.
.Well if we start with the word itself we know that it occurs only three times in the Gospels, but several times in the other books of the New Testament..
The word “church” doesn't refer to a building or a physical place or property. No it speaks to members, it speaks to people
The Greek word for Church is Ekklesia, it means the called out ones, the assembly....
So literally we are the ones who have been called out of the the world, out of darkness and brought into the beautiful light of His glory. And we come together, working together, laboring together so that the will of God will be accomplished.
The very first place we see the word is in .
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Now there is some controversy over this verse, namely that the Catholic church translates it in a particular way that they say teaches that the Lord made Peter the head of the church and as such, they trace the office of the Pope ( the Holy See) all the way to the disciple named Peter.
Now when the Lord saw Peter, there was a confession of sorts, Jesus names him Cephas, meaning Peter.
42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).
Now the term Peter here, Petros, in the Greek means a small stone.. Not a large foundational rock… case in point...
And later on, in Jesus public ministry, we see that Peter will make a confession, in , Jesus will ask the disciples who do the people say that I am… and , Peter confesses Jesus as the Son of God, the Christ.
Jesus will ask the disciples who do the people say that I am… and , Peter confesses Jesus as the Son of God, the Christ. Peter has made the confession that Jesus in the Christ the Son of the Living God.
Already Peter has made the confession that Jesus in the Christ the Son of the Living God. And here, Jesus speaks of Peter, that he is Peter..literally a rock or stone… but it is a small one, meaning a part of...
Listen to Matthew 16:16
16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
And it is at this point that Jesus says refers again to Peter’s name, verse 18, that Peter is a stone while the word for Rock in verse 18 speaks of not a little stone but of a massive rock, a foundational stone...
Think about what Jesus said about the rock in Matthew 7:24-25
Remember
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
At this point, Jesus declares that God had revealed this truth to Peter. The word for “Peter,” Petros, means a small stone ().
At this point, Jesus declares that God had revealed this truth to Peter. The word for “Peter,” Petros, means a small stone (). Jesus used a play on words here with petra (“on this rock”) which means a foundation boulder, as in , when He described the rock upon which the wise man builds his house.
Jesus used a play on words here with petra (“on this rock”) which means a foundation boulder or stone, as in Matthew 7:24, 25 when He described the rock upon which the wise man builds his house.
At this point, Jesus declares that God had revealed this truth to Peter. The word for “Peter,” Petros, means a small stone (). Jesus used a play on words here with petra (“on this rock”) which means a foundation boulder, as in , when He described the rock upon which the wise man builds his house.
Peter himself uses the same imagery in his first epistle: the church is built of numerous small petros “living stones” () who, like Peter, confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and those confessions of faith are the bedrock of the church.
So the church is a mass or group of people, (petros) living stones laid upon a great foundation, Jesus and the apostles.
Peter himself uses the same imagery in his first epistle: the church is built of numerous small petros “living stones” () who, like Peter, confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and those confessions of faith are the bedrock of the church.
This truth is the definition of just who the church is… we are the church.
But lets move on and continue to un-cover what it means to be the church.
To be the church, it means...
2. Devoted to Teaching of the Word
2. Devoted to Teaching of the Word
From our passage in the book of Acts, we see that the church, these early believers were devoted it says to the teaching of the Apostles.
Now this may seem over simplified, but it was crucial for them to learn. They had to learn if they were going to navigate the course of this life successfully and not fall backwards into sin.
Look at
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Understand, at this course in time, they have the OT, the book of the Law, the History, and the Prophets, but the teaching that Jesus brought to His disciples and taught them was relatively new.
It was important that the Apostles pass on the truth of Jesus and what it meant for them to live as a child of God.
To teach the truth of His death, burial and resurrection., How the Old testament tied into all of these and their new life and witness in Him.
It was so important that the Bible tells us they devoted themselves… literally gave themselves to it…
The word “devoted” means they continued in it, in the sense of qualifying their life and actions.
Now think of this.... these are relatively new believers, they have not had the benefit of walking with Jesus for the last three and a half years. So they are immersing themselves in the teaching of Jesus … to make their lives better, but also ready to repeat and help others..
They made it their desire to know the word and be more like Jesus.
Friends, if we are going to be the church, we have to be devoted to the Word of God.
How can we expect to live and have fellowship with Him, if we do not know His Word.
We have far to many Christians in this world who do not know the Bible, they do not understand the key doctrines that are taught to them because they have not been devoted to the Word of God.
I will say it again, if we are going to be His church, His people we must be devoted to the word of God. Their is no time left to put it off, to procrastinate, we are living in the last days and we must do all we can for Him until that time comes… but we will not serve, live and let alone act like a Christian should if we do not know the Word of God.
Are you devoted to the word.
I always think of two passages the Psalmist has shared for us , and verse 105.
11 I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
The word is here for us to learn, to grow in and guide our actions at every turn.
But it is of no use to us if we do not sure it… like a medicine the Doctor gives us, it is of no use to us if we do not follow their orders and take the medicine as they have instructed.
The word must be in our lives so much that we are one with the Word.
The Word of God is important.
action
Now lets move forward....
3. The Church has to Continue with Fervency.
3. The Church has to Continue with Fervency.
Now consider this with me… The church has to push forward with the same passion and intensity as the first group of believers who called themselves the church did...
We must continue with fervency...
Ok, what are you saying preacher? We, the church all across this land, and that includes us… We do not have the same passion the early church did… shoot, we do not have the same passion as we used too...
Why do I say that… Oh Im gonna step on some toes ...
I say it because we are not as devoted to the Lord as we used to be, we are not passionate about Him or His House as we used to be..
I can remember 30 years ago, church was more than just Sunday morning… Sunday night and wed night were well attended.. Training Union, which was a discipleship program was full on Sunday evenings..
People had a hunger and thirst for the things of God..
Now i get excited if we have 15 on a Sunday or Wed night…
But sadly that has left us… And i think that is a sin of the American church. We have lost our first love… We are neither hot or cold.
Man if we were hot, what could God do in and through us…
The early church was devoted to each other and to the Lord...
If you jump back to the text you can see that the Scriptures tell us that not only did they devote themselves to the teaching of the Word, but also to the fellowship and the breaking of bread and to prayer..
I hope I will explain my thoughts well. there is a natural flow of ministry and blessings in our lives..
By that I mean we receive from the Lord and from others good things and that goes outwardly from us to others..
If you jump back to the text you can see that the Scriptures tell us that not only did they devote themselves to the teaching of the Word, but also to the fellowship and the breaking of bread and to prayer..
As these new believers lived together, as they intertwined their lives with one another, the Lord blessed them, the church grew and so did their personal lives, they grew in their faith.
There is the flow, we surrender ourselves to Jesus, devote ourselves to Him and we receive from Him. That receiving is blessed in several ways...
Look back at our text, verses 42-46
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,
When I look at the text, I want you to see this.. in their devotion they blessed each other, they did not forsake their time together, they were devoted to being together, a fellowship that that was accentuated the breaking of bread and prayer.
This meal here, the “breaking of bread” is a key term. It isn’t just a church dinner with good ole baptist fried chicken… no, the meal here is the participation in the Lord’s supper, the agape meal, a love meal where they remembered Him.
You know there is something beautiful about just being quiet and remembering His death, burial and resurrection. There is nothing more special in all the world.
Some of these people actually witnessed His death, His burial and yes His resurrection, can you imagine what it meant for them to gather and to just remember seeing Jesus and knowing what it was He has done for them… The redemption He has provided to all mankind. Wow is all I can say..
And here we are, two thousands years later, we still remember it. And in participating in this meal, the Lord’s Supper, we remember and proclaim His death, burial and resurrection until He returns.
It is a special action whereby we are encouraged to push forward and keep being the church until He comes again. But unless we love Him, this special action will have no meaning for us...
Where is our fervency church...
Now conisder this, the Lord’s Supper should
And then the devotion they held was tied to prayer. They were devoted to prayer.
Now this has a broad meaning here, for one thing verse 46 says each day they were in the Temple.
In and around the Temple there were special times just for prayer. And people would gather around the temple to pray. It was a time of worship and meeting with God. And of course they were praying at other times as well.
And for the early church they are meeting daily at the temple, they are teaching and preaching about the Kingdom of Heaven, about all that Jesus came and did while He was with them.
And they prayed.. Think about Peter getting arrested in , Herod has James killed and Peter arrested and will be killed after the passover and what did they, the church do.. they gathered and prayed..
5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.
And God heard.... Peter walked out of that jail cell that night...
And God heard.... Peter walked out of that jail cell that night...
We must be devoted to prayer my friends, prayer moves mountains and it allows us to see and hear the voice our great God has he directs us...
But it will mean nothing if we do not have some fire under us…
Consider this… Bible school will be here tomorrow, some might say, they have enough help…
Now one last thought today, and If we are going to be the church, we have to be different...
4. The Church has to Be Different...
4. The Church has to Be Different...
If the church (born again believers) is going to reach the others, we have to be different.
The Church has to extend itself to the World around Them...
What does that mean, being different…
It means we cannot dare to share the same attitudes and values that the world has, and it means we must endeavor to share Jesus at every turn...
Some Christians have this idea that they need to be like the world to reach the world, no.. the lost want to see us being real, just who we are supposed to be… So go to the world, but be Jesus in front of them,
But if we are going to be the church, we have to be different and push past the world.
But if we are going to be the church, we have to be different and push past the world.
Lets jump to this last passage today...
says
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
And it is right here that Peter reminds us why we can be different… why we can be the church.
A. Chosen People.... God loves us, and in that love He has brought us to himself and called us to walk differently.
God called you… He chose you in love. You are His child, hold your head up and act like it. live like it.
And then Peter says
B. Royal Priesthood… Listen you are Priests and as such you serve royalty, you serve the eternal and Almighty God of the Universe.
You are not a slave in this kingdom, you are His child and serve as a priest, helping bring others to the worship of Jesus who died for the sins of the world.
Then Peter tells us He is a Holy Nation
C. Holy Nation… this is to remind us that God has set us a part. We are not like the nations of the world, under the prince and power of the air, no we are a holy Nation, given to and devoted to the Lord God.
He has set us a part to make a difference in this world. we cannot do it sitting down and we cannot do it acting like and condoning the things of this world.
D. Listen to what he says.. a people.. a chosen people who belong to God. This truth is crucial. We are His. Peter says we are a people of His own possession.
Remember we were bought with a price...
Think of it like this… basket ball shoes have a little value, but if Michael Jordan wore them, if they were his and they were sold at action they would bring a steep price. All because of who they belonged too.
How do you belong too? If you have Jesus as your Savior, you belong to Him. You were bought with a price, you are not your own.
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
If we are going to be the church, we have to remember whose we are and what we are here for… For others to know Jesus.
1 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. 2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword, 3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.
6 Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. 8 And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. 11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”
12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. 15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” 16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place.
18 Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 19 And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.
20 Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. 21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. 22 And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
24 But the word of God increased and multiplied.
25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.
acts 12
Heart-Stirring Sermon Outlines 26. The Characteristics of a New Testament Church (Matthew 16:18)
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH
Matthew 16:18
There are people in this world who do not properly, correctly, or scripturally interpret the Church. Therefore, I would like to give some of the characteristics of the Church based on the Word of God.
I. The Church is an indestructible organization.
A. The Lord Jesus Christ declared that His Church was an indestructible organization: Matt. 16:18.
B. The Apostle Paul referred to the church as existing throughout all ages: Eph. 3:21.
II. The early church did not boast of its proud steeples.
A. There is not a reference to a church building in the New Testament.
B. The early church existed in caves and in dungeons. They existed in cellars and wherever they could find a place to meet.
III. The early church used no tricks of the flesh in order to attract.
A. They got along without a baseball team.
B. They got along without a basketball team.
C. They got along without a swimming pool.
D. They got along without the things that attracted the flesh, and God blessed them.
E. A church that wants to be blessed of God should pattern itself after the church of the New Testament if it expects the blessings of God to be poured out upon it.
IV. The early church was led by the Holy Spirit.
A. On the memorable first Pentecost, after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Lord’s people were filled with the Holy Spirit, and it was characteristic of them from that time to our present day: Acts 2:4.
B. The early church sent out Paul and Barnabas as missionaries because the Holy Spirit led them to do so: Acts 13:2.
V. The early church was a preaching church.
A. Simon Peter was a preacher who preached a message that was centered on the Word of God: Acts 2:14; 3:12; 4:8; 7:2; 8:4.
B. The early church preached the Word of God with boldness: Acts 4:31.
John R. Gilpin
