Acts 2:41-47 - The Values and the Presence
Notes
Transcript
Intro -
What do you value?
Values drive every action / words we speak /
Behind every action and word we speak there is a value system.
Most of the time we are unaware of our own values
But everyone has them and they motivate all we do.
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I value family and experiences but I value Life more.
Story - Mesa Verde - Cliff dwellings / Scared driving up but family and exp /
Scared climbing up the cliff on ladders- but fam and Exp
Boys on leg / impress girl / Sorry boys your gonna die and I am not following.
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I grew up in Church all my life and I cannot count how many times I heard people pray for a fresh out-pouring of the HS.
Or how many times I heard people talk about getting back to the basic of the Acts church.
Yet, I have never heard a sermon on the values of the Acts church.
That is important!
Behind every action we take, every word we speak, there is a value system.
We may not be aware of them but all we do is based on our values
both good and bad.
I have realized, many want to experience what the Acts church experienced
But they don’t because they don’t have the same values!
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Today we are asking two questions.
Today we are asking two questions.
What were the values of the early church
What must we do to adopt and live from those same values?
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And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
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The 5 Active Values of the Acts Church
The 5 Active Values of the Acts Church
Worship - 47
Ministry - 45
Evangelism - 40-41
Fellowship - 46 - partnership, contribute, participate, share
Discipleship - 42 (Teaching, fellowship, communion, prayer)
These five Values are rooted in the heart, mission and vision of Jesus
These five Values are rooted in the heart, mission and vision of Jesus
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!
The Mission for the church -
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Matt
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
Matt
Worship - Love God with all
Ministry - Love neighbor as self
The Vision for the church
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Evangelism - Go
Discipleship
The prayer of Jesus for the church
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 17:
John 13:
Fellowship - partnership, sharing, contributing, participating community.
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There Are Three Emotional Needs of all Humans.
There Are Three Emotional Needs of all Humans.
Community
Purpose - Meaning
Freedom
It has been said humans need
CommunityPurposeFreedom
There is one more element
Worship
The Acts two model of church meets all three of those needs.
In worship of God we experience freedom.
In ministry to others, evangelism to the world and discipleship of believers we find purpose.
And in fellowship we find community.
God has designed the Church to be His instrument to meet the needs of the world!
God has designed the Church to be His instrument to meet the needs of the world!
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How Can We Make These Values Our Values?
How Can We Make These Values Our Values?
IT ALL STARTS WITH THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!
IT ALL STARTS WITH THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!
And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
These values are not natural to fallen man.
These are God Values
These are God Values
Loving, Selfless, Disciplined, Focussed on the other more than self.
We need to become a people who are consumed with the desire of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
We need to become a people who are consumed with the desire of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
We need a to create a culture of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
We need a to create a culture of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Mark Sayers said it like this,
“God is both the end and the means to the end.”
John Piper expressed the same sentiment when he wrote,
“God is most glorified when I am most satisfied in Him, and I am most satisfied in Him, when he is most glorified in me.
If we want to live out the values of God as individuals and as the church, we must seek Him above all and constantly.
He must become our greatest desire and longing.
As the deer pants for the water so my soul longs after thee.
Seek first the Kingdom of God (the King) and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.
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Finally, we must become a people who live in obedience to God!
Finally, we must become a people who live in obedience to God!
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
If you love me, you will obey me.
Some of you want the Kingdom with out the King.
Some of you want the Kingdom with out the King.
Maybe you want to experience Joy
Maybe you want true love
Maybe its financial security and freedom
Healing, social justice, simply to be right.
But in the end you are unwilling to really submit to Jesus as King over your entire life.
You’re caught in sin but refuse to call it sin because well, Jesus really didn’t mean it.
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Some of you want to see revival,
Some of you want to see revival,
an awakening of the church in America, an influx of unbelievers to the faith
but, when Jesus says go into all the world and make disciples, you say nah and move on to end times discussions.
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Some of you want to experience the power of the HS!
Some of you want to experience the power of the HS!
see God heal the sick, raise the dead, you want to experience the supernatural but,
when the Spirit tells you to pray for the person in the wheel chair at Hardee's, you pretend your def to God.
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Revival is coming, a new awakening is coming to America again, people you never imagined would believe in Jesus will pursue him with passion.
Revival is coming, a new awakening is coming to America again, people you never imagined would believe in Jesus will pursue him with passion.
The Church has to be ready -
We have to become a people who live out of the values of
Worship/ Ministry to the needy/ Evangelism/ Fellowship/ Discipleship
We start by being a people of the Presence of God
We start by being a people of the Presence of God
And we live in obedience to the King!
And we live in obedience to the King!
God is raising up His church in America Again.
And it will be centered on the original values of the first church.
Will we jump in or will we be left out?
I am in - The choice is yours.