Convictions - By Word, Prayer and Service

How to...

The internet is full of how to guides. Youtube how to suggestions:

How to draw

tie a tie

to basic

solve a rubik’s cube

make slime

cake it

whistle with your fingers

build a house in minecraft

curl your hair with a straightener

draw a unicorn

In your own life you’ll know there’s a difference between been told what to do and how to do it.

Build a house vs this is how to build it, with plans, drawings, and then practical instructions on carry out the work, hammering, sawing, framing and whatever else it is builders do.

Our Convictions

1. Jesus Christ is head of the Church

2. And he has sent us to make disciples

3. By word, prayer and service

4. Supported by fruitful godly leaders

5. God being our provider, and us stewards of his gifts.

We know from the last 2 weeks that Jesus is in charge. That he created the world, and sustains the world. That he died for the church. And his power and authority rests on the church as we seek to be his witnesses in the world. He will protect and guard the church as it goes about its mission. We have nothing to fear with Jesus as our King.

We know that Jesus has given us one job. To be a disciple making body. That is we are to grow followers of Jesus, who make other followers of Jesus.

So how should we go about the task of disciple making? Our third conviction is that in fact Jesus not only calls us to make disciples, but he’s actually given us some hints on how we should go about doing that. And in fact, one of the best places we see that is in the book of Acts, where Jesus’ disciples actually put into practice the disciple making mandate. There are of course cultural applications in the way they do it, but we can see some key ideas that drive what they do and likewise should drive us.

Let’s take our first reading from Acts 2:42-47

No need to read

Acts 2:42–47 NIV

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Here we get a picture of the disciples firstly being devoted to what?

Acts 2:42

Acts 2:42 NIV

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

The Apostles teaching - Word

That is they devoted themselves to the word. The church was committed to learn more about their faith.

We no longer have the apostles, but we do have their teaching which has come down to us in the New Testament. John Stott says:

The Message of Acts a. It Was a Learning Church

A Spirit-filled church is a New Testament church, in the sense that it studies and submits to New Testament instruction. The Spirit of God leads the people of God to submit to the Word of God.

To fellowship - Service

We’re not talking about cups of tea and pot luck dinners when we’re talking about fellowship here.

Instead, what we see here is the deep commitment of the church to one another. This fellowship, or deep commitment arises out of their fellowship or unity with God.

When John speaks of fellowship in his letter he says:

1 John 1:3 NIV

3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

This fellowship is that idea you’ve no doubt experienced if you’re a Christian, where you can meet someone for the first time, and when you find out they are a Christian it can and often does lead to a deep connection. Most clearly seen when you meet a Christian from another culture. My Cambodian brothers and sisters in Christ and I spent limited time together and live extremely different lives. Yet we share this deep fellowship. A common bond that unite us.

Fellowship is also close related to generosity.

I don’t like to give Greek lessons to often as I’m a poor Greek scholar myself. However it’s interesting to note:

The Message of Acts b. It Was a Loving Church

fellowship (koinōnia). Koinōnia (from koinos, ‘common’)

The Message of Acts b. It Was a Loving Church

koinōnia also expresses what we share out together, what we give as well as what we receive. Koinōnia is the word Paul used for the collection he was organizing among the Greek churches, and koinonikos is the Greek word for ‘generous’

And it is radical generosity that is described in verses Acts 2:44-45. (See John Stot’s commentary on The Message of Acts for a discussion about whether we should sell everything and live together as Christians in communes).

This radical generosity, I think is a lived example of the kind of acts of service we’re called to as Christians who make disciples. And it’s not just to other Christians, in fact these acts of service are I think the early church applying the great commandment of Jesus to “love your neighbour”.

Matthew 22:37–40 NIV

37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

We are called to generous acts of service to our neighbours. We do that first to each other in the church, and then our love overflows into the wider community as our neighbours see our love in action and experience our love.

What does it look like for you to service your brother or sister in our church family?

What does it look like for you to serve your neighbour in the wider community? Next door, at work, in your local club?

Breaking of bread and Prayer - Prayer

We are called to make disciples as a worshipping church.

Worship in the temple courts and in their homes. Acts 2:46.

There was a larger and smaller aspect to their worship.

Their worship involved expressing their fellowship through the sharing of the lords supper, but also no doubt sharing a larger meal too.

Above all, they were constantly at prayer. And God was constantly at work.

We need to be a praying people.

How can you put prayer on the map in both your life and as a memebr of this church?

Two best books on prayer:

A Praying Life - Paul Miller

Prayer - Tim Keller

Note: These actions served the church as it witnessed to the world. To the disciple making cause!

Acts 2:47 NIV

47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Word, prayer and service. It was how they fueled themselves for the disciple making task. The fruit of these core tasks was disciple making disciples!

We see this “how to” pattern of. word, prayer and service again in our second reading from Acts 6.

Don’t read

Acts 6:1–7 NIV

1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” 5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

They are having issues in the fellowship/service deparment. People are being overlooked in the distribution of food (v1).

This is a big problem. And the really big problem is that it has the potential to distract the apostles from the task of what? Verses 2 and 4.

Acts 6:2 NIV

2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.

Acts 6:4 NIV

4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

So the church needs to raise up and train new leaders in order to keep word, prayer and service… the life blood of disciple making on the go.

And that’s what it does.

They choose seven men (v3) who get about the job of serving the church. And what’s the result?

Verse 7

Acts 6:7 NIV

7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

The gospel spreads and the church grows, even amongst the religous Jewish priests!

Agan we see how word, prayer and service grow the church, not just spiritually as individual Christians, but numerically as well.

On these two occassions in the book of acts we see that as the church focuses on preaching the good news of Jesus, of learning more about Him. As it devotes itself to prayer and as it rejoices in humble service of both its members and it’s neighbours… the church grows as people come into the kingdom. Word, prayer and service are in action!

How can we make disciples by word prayer and service?

Word

Personal bible reading

Small Group bible study

One on one reading with a friend, especially one who doesn’t know Jesus

Go deeper, Ridley or Moore Theological Certificate. Ask me about some reading you can do.

If you’re confident at all this. Train someone else how to do it.

Prayer

I’m praying for a bubbling up of prayer in this parish.

No matter how good we get at our strategy. No matter how much we believe our convictions. No matter how many resources we deploy… Only God can change hearts. Only God can bring growth. Let’s be uncesasing in our asking.

I need to focus on helping you do this better. I need those of you who are gifted in this area to just start praying, and teaching others to pray.

Start prayer triplets.

Service

It’s great to read in the Pastoral Care report about how our church has been serving one another.

I love hearing about how you’re looking after each other when one of you is sick

We can keep on doing this.

I love the way we serve our neighbours through things like Playgroup and the welfare fund.

What’s God calling us to do next in this area? What neighbours is he placing on your heart a burden for?

The ministers in Clarence for example got together a couple of weeks ago and wondering what it might look like for us to collectively offer shelter for those struggling with housing affordability and availability.

Likewise we’re thinking and praying about how the churches of Clarence can get on board collectively with Neighbour Day. A council led event early next year to help connect people to others in their street. This ought to be right up our ally.

Personally, I’ve been starting to think about how I could more meaningfully engage with people on this street.