Personal Growth

Good morning Church family! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

If this is your first time worshiping with us today, we have a special gift for you today! If you will fill out the card that you were given when you came in and drop it by our Next Steps desks on your way out, we will get you some East swag. If for some reason you weren’t given a card, they can be found in the back of the seats here or at the Next Steps desk when you leave.

How many of you will be honest and say you have set a New Years Resolution? Well, you are not alone! 2020 was such a flop of a year that one study I read said that new year goals and resolutions were up 15% over last year! 75% of the American population have made some sort of resolution or commitment for the new year.

46% are health related

37% are related to some other type of self-improvement

34% are related to money

24% Family

17% Love

16% Career

There were lots of other stats that were interesting to me, but the most intriguing was this one: 12.23% of all those with Resolutions don’t believe they have a shot at keeping it.

These are realistic people here aren’t they? Yeah, I got a resolution, but I don’t plan to keep it!

Today, I am actually asking you to make some commitments with us as a church. I have three that God has laid on my heart that are all found in the first 12 verses of Acts.

Acts 1:1–12 CSB

I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up, after he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After he had suffered, he also presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he had said this, he was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven.” Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a Sabbath day’s journey away.

PRAY

Beginning this week, we are starting this series called “Acts: Be the Church.” Today we are looking at the challenge to grow as a Christian and the next four weeks, we will be looking at ways we the church seek to help you take next steps in these ways. It will be fun, I promise!

Again, today we are looking at making 3 commitments together.

The first commitment we need to make is actually found in verse 1 of the passage.

Acts 1:1 CSB

I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach

Luke who wrote this letter to a cat named Theophilus is clueing us into something here. What is this “First narrative” he speaks of? (The Gospel according to Luke!)

And what does Luke say that letter was about? (all that Jesus began to do and teach)

You agree with that? Is Luke’s Gospel about the things Jesus did and the things Jesus taught?

ABSOLUTELY it is! From beginning to end, Luke has packed Jesus’ story in there. So, we can be quick to grab that idea and move on, right?

Wait wait wait.....

There is one word here that we should take note of: BEGAN

Why does Luke use that word? It’s almost as if he is saying that Jesus continues to do those things.But, Jesus isn’t on earth anymore. He died, was raised to life and ascends into heaven here in the first few verses. So, how can his actions and his teaching continue? Through his followers!

Luke insinuates that he is now writing a continuation of Jesus’ deeds and his teaching. HOW COOL IS THAT!?

And I love the simplicity of it! What is the purpose of the church in the book of Acts? To continue doing and teaching the things of Christ. And what is each person’s responsibility? The same thing!

Man, we have really overcomplicated our lives as American Christians in the 21st century! Luke is showing Theophilus that the Christian life is centered around those two things. And if he would focus on them, he would bring glory to God in the world!

My first question to you: do you view your purpose this simplistic? If you are like me, the list of your life looks much more jumbled and difficult than these two things. But we must refocus our eyes on doing the things that Jesus did and teaching others the things that Jesus taught. Amen?

That’s the first commitment I’m asking of you...

1. I will focus on what Christ DID and TAUGHT

Will you commit to that with me? How would it change the way you life and view your life?

The second commitment is found in verse 8.

Jesus is there with his Apostles and has just spent 40 days making sure people knew he was alive and teaching. And the time has come for him to return to the Father.

As he is about to leave, his disciples asked him a question...

Acts 1:6 CSB

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?”

The Savior who had been prophesied about had now beat death and what better thing to do than to whoop up on Rome and sit as the new king of Israel!

Jesus responds with a rebuke of sorts. He says...

Acts 1:7 CSB

He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.

Notice that he doesn’t say NO. But he doesn’t say yes. He just says, Quit thinking about stuff that you can’t even know the answer to! and then he says...

Acts 1:8 CSB

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Notice that his response to “Will you set the kingdom up here on earth now?” is “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.”

I have read and preached and studied this thing a ton and totally missed that connection til this week. But, we studied through the sermon on the mount so much at the end of 2020 that I see Kingdom language everywhere now! That was the point!

Jesus is showing them that the kingdom of God is not only coming one day but it is here and now too! And it gets ramped up big time with the indwelling of the Spirit of God that is about to happen!

Jesus lays out for them what he wants them to do once they are filled with the Spirit… he says...

Acts 1:8 CSB

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

We typically look at this as a geographic scope of the expansion of the church. As we study through the book of Acts this month, you will see that the church and its leaders follow this progression: The begin in Jerusalem which is where they are now. Then they spread out to all of Judea and Samaria around chapter 8. And then Paul begins to lead a mission movement that reaches all the way to Rome the capital of the world empire at the time, the ends of the earth.

Luke was recording the words of Jesus but also providing a map of the missionary movements of the church!

We believe this not only to be a command Jesus gave to his earliest followers, but to all those in the church, even today!

I believe when Jesus says “BE MY WITNESSES” in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the ends of the earth, he meant it for me too! He means for me to be involved in local missions right where I am, regional missions in the US and North America, and international missions to the farthest reaches of the globe and every where in between!

We as a church are developing a similar Acts 1:8 strategy for our missions this year. We actually want you to begin to pray with us as we ask God for who those partners and plans might be. We will talk and pray more specifically about those beginning in two weeks.

But for now, let me ask you as an individual: Do you realize that God is not from North Alabama? Jesus was not born in America? And we are not the only people that God loves and wants to save! Before we as a church can have the plans and partnerships in place, we need to organize our mission efforts for the foreseeable future, all of us need to fix our eyes on that which Christ asked us to!

As I’ve studied a lot of this and been asking God what would he have us to do this year as a church, this one statement keeps coming up and it is the second commitment I’m asking you to make with me today...

2. I will live for the GLORY OF GOD in US, our NEIGHBORS, and the NATIONS

Church, if we can get this statement ingrained in our hearts and minds in 2021, there is no ceiling to that which we might see God do!

There is one more thing to look at and it is this...

3. I will move FORWARD in expectation of CHRIST’S RETURN

My favorite part of this story is what happens after Jesus ascends into heaven. The Apostles are there and see it happen. Their Rabbi, their teacher, who they have just spent around 18 months or more learning from, spending countless hours with, was gone! For a long time, these guys had the SON OF GOD right beside them to help them make decisions and know what to do next. And now he was gone......

So what did they do?

Acts 1:9–10 CSB

After he had said this, he was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them.

They were just staring...

There was some amazement for sure. But what other emotions are going on? (fear, uncertainty, confusion)

They don’t know what to do! But listen to what these two men in white clothes said...

Acts 1:11 CSB

They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven.”

Quit looking up, they said. Look forward. He’s gone for now, but he is coming back one day! Look forward to that day! And what did they do?

Acts 1:12 CSB

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a Sabbath day’s journey away.

This is exactly what Jesus had told them to do before he ascended. He told them to go to Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit to come! Their Helper!

These men who were just staring into heaven confused or complacent are now being obedient in the little things.

Will you do the same in 2021? Or will you settle in where you are? Are you content with your spiritual level of growth?

This is an important question to wrestle with. What does it look like for you to MOVE FORWARD this year? In what ways do you need to grow in Christ?

Is it growing in your understanding of God’s Word?

Is it connecting with God through an ongoing prayer life?

Is it in your freedom to worship him through song?

Is it developing lasting, Christian friendships?

Is it finding someone to hold you accountable?

Is it learning to study the Bible with other people?

Is it sharing your faith?

Is it living on mission?

Is it discipling someone? Your children or another adult?

I would encourage you to think and pray through that list and ask God to help you grow in those areas.

But then, the next question is “What next steps can I take to set myself up to grow in Christ?” You can’t just pray for God to grow you in these ways without prayerfully taking some steps. Yes, he is God and he can grow you anyway, but his Word shows us that we can participate with him!

Today, I’ve asked you to make three New Year Commitments:

I will focus on what Christ DID and TAUGHT

I will live for the GLORY of GOD in US, our NEIGHBORS, and the NATIONS

I will move FORWARD in expectation of CHRIST’S RETURN

If you and I make these commitments in 2021, it’s gonna get real good! The baptisms we’ve seen and the growth of new families we have seen will be nothing compared to what God might do in us and through us!

I want to leave you with this question:

How are you asking God to grow you in 2021?

If you have never committed your life to Christ and followed through in baptism, we want to help you take that step this year too! Or if you want to talk about joining this church, we would love to do that as well! You can grab me up front during this last song or talk to one of our decision counselors at the back door. We want to help you take whatever your next step is!