Sermon Tone Analysis

Speak briefly about Friday night and the fun that we had with the Nerf Dart Exchange!

Well, let me ask you something real quickly from last week’s message.

I don’t really want a show of hands, for this question, but rather, I just want to emphasize something from the message that I gave last week.

For those of you who you who were here and heard the message last week, how many of you have really put some deep thought into the matter of getting out of your comfort zones and stepping out in faith for the Kingdom of God?

I spoke last week about leaving the familiar places in our lives, leaving the comfort zones in our lives and walking in faith and serving the Lord.

I mentioned that we become so accustomed to the “status quo” in our lives, that we never feel compelled to move out in the unknown.

And even when we do, if we feel the least bit uncomfortable, we instinctively turn back and return to the our familiar places, our comfort zones.

That is, we have a “plan B”, to fall back on.

That was the reason for me telling behind the song, “Burn the Ships” by for King and Country, which was based upon the explorer who gave the order to burn his fleet, so that the crewmen had no where else to go, except forward and follow him into exploring the unknown regions of the new island!

I think that we all have, or like to have our “plan B”s, right?!

Who doesn’t like to think that if you step out a little into the unfamiliar places in life and try something new, and if it doesn’t work, you have the familiar and comfortable “plan B” option to fall back on?

Just like if I was still working in the secular world and practicing Physical Therapy as I used to, and I wanted to try a new job, with a new company, I would absolutely love it, if my existing employer would say to me like, “Hey Chris, it’s OK, go ahead and try out the new job, with the new company.

If you like it and it they turn out to be a better company and with better pay and benefits, then great!

We support that and want the best for you.

But, if you get there and it’s not what you thought it was going to be and you don’t really like the new job, we want you to know that your old job is going to be right here waiting for you, should you decide to come back.

We will be your “plan B”!’

I mean, come on, who wouldn’t want a fool proof offer like that?

Every time that you step out into the unknown and get nervous, you can ALWAYS just return to where you came from, with no chance of getting hurt and never having to face discomfort and various trials!

And that is why, large and in part, that I gave the message that I did last week.

Because you and I, as followers of Christ Jesus, were not called out of the familiar places and into the Kingdom of God, only to feel uncomfortable and uneasy and unsure, and turn tail and run back to our former life and its familiarities and comforts.

God doesn’t call us from the familiar into more familiarity!

He’ll challenge you and I to see if we will follow and trust in Him, or turn back and cling to the idols and things of our old life that were comfortable and familiar to us!

This is what we find in , where the Lord says,

The Lord calls us out of the world and its ways, and in doing so, He will to take us by the hand and lead us into the paths that He has for us and for our new lives in Him!

He wants our eyes focused upon Him and Him alone, at all times.

Just as He called Abraham out of his country and into a foreign land, with nothing familiar and nothing of comfort, so He has called us out of our familiar places in this world and into the kingdom!

That was the impetus for my message last week; getting out of the familiar and not looking back!

And as I gave the message last week, I closed it by mentioning to you that we have been blessed as a family here at Cumberland Worship Center, with this facility and the grounds that it sets on and its prime location.

This really is an excellent location where our building sets at and this facility is designed to host people and to share the gospel message, with the masses.

This place is going to become a beacon for the lost and the hurting, as the gospel message goes forth in truth and authority.

And the years of prayers and prophecies and hours of preparation that many have put into this church, are going to finally see everything come to fruition and glorify our great God and Savior!

And for this reason, I asked you last week to very prayerfully consider stepping out in faith and beginning to take ownership in your church here at CWC.

If there is an existing need within the building itself, or a need in serving in a department, then step up in ownership and meet the need.

And not half halfheartedly, but to the absolute best of your ability.

Because, the Bible says to you and I, that in everything that we do, whether we eat ,or drink, or whatever we do, we are to do everything to the glory of God!

And if this passage is talking about actions in our daily lives, then how much more do you think that it applies to our direct service to the Lord and His kingdom and watching over and taking care of the vessels/buildings that He has entrusted to us as part of our work in His kingdom?!

I’m not wanting to grow a church, there are already about 160 of those in this county.

I want to grow a family!

A family who takes pride in what God has entrusted to them and who comes together, every time that these doors are open, to worship our Lord and Savior and to proclaim His glory and excellence to the people all around this area.

I want the lost and the hurting of this area to hear and to know, that this building is now, “Freedom Central”.

Because, in this place the TRUTH is continually going to go forth in love and in authority and wherever people hear the TRUTH of the gospel message, the Bible says that they will become set FREE!

And whoever the Son sets FREE, shall be FREE indeed!

Amen?!

Please do not misunderstand what I am saying, about this place.

I am not saying that we are the only part of the Body of Christ in Cumberland County that is teaching the gospel truth.

And I am not saying that we are better than any of the other church buildings in this area, because I personally know several pastors in this area who teach the truth and who love the Lord with all of their hearts!

I also know of a lot of other brothers and sisters in Christ in this county, who attend other places that they call their church home and who are sold out to serving the Lord and serving in their church families!

But here’s the thing though, I wasn’t called to shepherd those other flocks!

This is where God has brought me and placed me as a shepherd and you are the body that He has entrusted to me!

And as long as God almighty allows me to serve this body, I will do so and do it according to the way that He designed it to be done; according to His Word!

Listen to this passage real quick and of how the first church operated.

says,

The original church body devoted themselves to the teachings of the leadership and to fellowship and to sharing in communion and to praying!

The people were like minded in the Lord and they were always looking after one another as brothers and sisters.

They were going to each other’s homes and sharing meals with glad hearts for one another and always PRAISING GOD!

And the Lord added to their numbers day by day, those who were being saved!

Who............who added to the number of those being saved according to this passage?

Was it the planning committee, or the deacons or the elders of the church?

Was it the pastor or ministerial board of the church?

Was it the finance committee and the trustees?

NO!!!!!!!

It was the Lord and the Lord only!

Some plant and some water, but it is always God who brings the increase!

Having said all of that, there is one part of the passage from , that I just read, that I want to focus on this morning.

And that one part is found within the opening sentence of the passage, that reads, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

The original body of Christ, His ekklesia, as it was called in the Greek, which was birthed on the day of Pentecost, had several traits which are absolutely necessary within the body of Christ today.

They were devoted to the teachings of the apostles and to fellowship with one another and to the taking of communion.

There were signs and wonders being done within the body through the apostles, as the people were meeting daily in each other’s homes to share meals, with grateful hearts and to continually praise God.

And, they were devoted together in PRAYER!

They were “devoted” together in prayer.

That word, “devoted”, as it used in the original Greek writings means, “to continue to do something with intense effort!

I know that I have talked off and on over the last half of this past year about the subject of PRAYER and I have said that we were going to move into a more dedicated service for, just PRAYER, in our Wednesday evening meetings, and that is exactly what we are going to do!

We are going to meet to PRAY!

How many of us here today, or those of you who are logged in and watching live, could say with assurance, that your prayer life to the Lord God, could be described as “devoted”.

That is, your prayer life to the Lord is something that you continue to do, with INTENSE EFFORT?!

I know that mine is not at that place right now!

The disciples of Jesus the Christ, knew very well, the importance of prayer, as they had witnessed the Lord, Himself, continually doing that very thing, DAILY and yes, with INTENSE EFFORT!

This is why you see PRAYER being at the forefront of the of the believer’s lives, coming out of the birth at Pentecost.

The continuum of prayer in the life of the disciples and the apostles was a must!

This is why you read of this same Greek word for “devoted” being used with reference to prayer in other places in the NT.

In , where the disciples chose seven other men to tend to the daily distribution of supplies for the needs of the widows, the disciples appointed this task to these seven other men, because, and I quote, “We will devote ourselves to PRAYER and to the ministry of the word.”

4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

To the church in Rome, the apostle Paul said in his epistle of Romans, chapter 12, that the believers must love one another, serve one another, as they serve the Lord.

That they must be fervent in spirit, rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation and be constant (DEVOTED) in PRAYER!

He said the same thing to the church in Colossae, in , where he said, “Continue steadfastly (devoted) in PRAYER, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.”

Further Instructions

And to the church in Ephesus, where Paul placed his beloved spiritual son Timothy in charge, Paul gave the same charge, by saying, “PRAY in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion.

Stay alert and be persistent in your PRAYERS for all believers everywhere.

And PRAY for me, too.

2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

19 And pray for me, too.

Prayer was the first thing that new church did when things happened, not as an after thought and not after the committee meetings were adjourning; PRAYER came first before any other thing!

In , we read of Peter and John being held in front of the religious leaders and questioned about their sharing of the gospel message and of their healing a man who had been lame for 40+ years at the temple area.

The Bible says that Peter and John were filled with boldness by Holy Spirit and would not back down to the threats of the leaders.

Upon being released, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them everything that had just happened.

Their first response to the amazing testimony of Peter and John, was not to get on social media and post and Tweet about the event, to draw publicity and get likes and hits on their church media page!

NO!

The Bible says, “And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God.”

24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God

They began PRAYING!