What Kind of Church?

EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH

Acts 1:6-26

Jesus was on earth for 40 days prior to His ascension. What did the disciples do during the 10 day time period before the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would not only apply the Salvation which Jesus had achieved by His death and resurrection but would empower and impel them to proclaim the gospel throughout the World. This reminds us that Salvation is a gift that is given to be shared.

Before the day of Pentecost, however, there was a time of waiting, for forty days between the resurrection and the ascension of Jesus, and for ten more days between the Ascension and Pentecost. Jesus instructions were very clear, and Luke repeats these for emphasis, first at the end of his Gospel and then at the beginning of Acts. ‘Stay in the city until you have been clothed with the power from on high.’ Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father has promised you. During the 50 day period however they were not inactive. Luke singles out four important events.

First, they received their commission. (Apparently Jesus two main topics of conversation between his resurrection and his ascension were the kingdom of God and the Spirit of God.) Note: Even though apparently the apostles were still dreaming of a political dominion, of the re-establishment of the monarchy, of Israel’s liberation from the yoke of Rome. In His response Jesus reverts back to the topic of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, the comforter.

Acts 1:8 ESV

8 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.”

The Kingdom of God is intentional in it’s Membership.

Notice that the apostles asked Jesus if He was about to restore Israel to her national independence and former glory. What Jesus gave them was so much greater, He gave them the promise of the Holy Spirit and His power.

The Kingdom of God is gradual in it’s expansion

Note: Notice that Jesus gives two replies to the continued questioning about the coming kingdom. 1st it is not for you to know the day or times of that the Father has set for the coming Kingdom. Secondly, even though they could not know they day or time they should know that they will receive the power of the Holy Spirit.

1:9-12

Second, they saw Christ go into heaven.

NOTE: Luke is the only gospel writer that includes the ascension in his account. Some over the centuries have questioned whether the actual ascension into the sky actually happened. However, the apostles definitely were looking up into the sky and were asked by the two angels who said to them, ‘Why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus will come back in the same way as you have seen him go into heaven. Most likely the reason for a visible ascension is so that his followers would have known that he was gone for good. During the 40 days he had kept appearing and disappearing. But now this interim period is over. This time His departure is final.

Third, they persevered together in prayer, presumably for the Spirit to come.

1:12-14

Note: They prayed for the Spirit to come. Their walk back to Jerusalem was only the kilometre permitted on the sabbath, it would not have taken them more than half an hour to return to Jerusalem. Luke tells how they occupied their time of waiting by staying continually at the temple, praising God, and in the Acts that in the room where they were lodging, ‘they all joined together in constant prayer’. It was therefore, a healthy combination of praise and continuous prayer. Constantly means to be ‘busy’ or ‘persistent’ in all activity.

Fourth, they replaced Judas with Matthias as the twelfth apostle.

Note: Luke draws our attention to one other aspect of business that needed to take place namely the appointment of another to replace Judas. The warrant for replacing Judas was fulfilled by the Old Testament Scripture. This was Peters conviction, which he expressed tot he believers: Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas.

Qualification for an Apostle: First, eyewitness of Christ’s resurrection; Second, to bear witness to the resurrection by which they are called; Third, apostolic appointment was made by the Lord Jesus Christ himself.

The Day of Pentecost Arrives

2:1-47

Without the Holy Spirit, Christian discipleship would be inconceivable, even impossible. There can be no life without the life-giver, no understanding without the Spirit of truth, no fellowship without the unity of the Spirit, no Christlikeness of character apart from his fruit, and no effective witness without his power. As a body without breath is a corpse, so the Church without the spirit would be dead.

They were all gathered together in one place

3 Phenomena Took Place

First, There came from heaven a sound like a rushing wind

Second, there appeared to them visibly what seemed like tongues of fire, which separated and came to rest on them.

Third, all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages.

WIND - FIRE -SPEACH

NOTE: They were all God-fearing Jews, they were all staying that is residing in Jerusalem. Yet they had not been born there; they came from the dispersion, from every nation under heaven. Luke lists five groupings, that move the minds eye from East to West. This was a completely international, multi-lingual crowd which gathered around 120 believers.

The speakers were known as Galileans, who had a reputation for being uncultured. They also had difficulty pronouncing gutturals and had the habit of swallowing syllables then speaking; so they were looked down upon by the people of Jerusalem. It is not surprising at the crowds reaction to such a display. Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, ‘What does this mean? Some, however, a minority who for some reason understood none of the languages, made fun of them and said, they are drunk.

First, it was not the result of intoxication.

Second, it was not a mistake or a miracle of hearing, in contrast to speaking.

Third, it was not the case of incoherent utterance.

Fourth, glossolalia on the day of Pentecost was a supernatural ability to speak in recognizable languages. Some think that these were Aramaic, Greek, and Latin.

NOTE: The only other apostle besides Peter to have more of their speeches recorded in Acts is Paul.

No one would pre-suppose that the entire message that Peter gave is recorded by Luke. In fact in verse forty Luke gives us a disclaimer that he went on exhorting them with many other words.

POURING OUT OF THE SPIRIT AS EVIDENCE OF THE LAST DAYS

vrs 16-21 Peter quotes quotes the Old Testament prophet Joel to explain the extraordinary phenomenon of Spirit-filled believers declaring God’s wonders in foreign languages is the fulfilment of Joel’s prophecy. Jesus inaugurated the last days or Messianic age, and that the final proof of this was the outpouring of the Spirit.

PETERS TESTIMONY TO JESUS (2:22-41)

Peter highlights, Christ’s life and ministry; His death (the death of Jesus is both a charge against wicked man that was used for the purpose of God); His resurrection (Peter uses Psalm 16 to the fulfillment of scripture in Christ); His Exaltation; and ultimately His Salvation.

NOTE: The crowds response to Peter’s sermon say’s it all.

Cut to the Heart: That is convicted of sin and stricken by their own guilty conscience, Peter’s hearers ask anxiously on bated breath and despair what they should do.

Peter replied that they must repent: completely changing their minds about Jesua and their attitude to him, and be baptised in his name, submitting to the humiliation of baptism, which Jews regarded as necessary for Gentile converts only, and submitting to it in the name of the very person they had previously rejected.

NOTE: Even though Peter does not specifically call on the crowd to believe, they evidently did so, since they are termed ‘believers’ in verse 44, and in any case repentance and faith involve each other, the turn from sin being impossible without the turning to God, and vise versa. However, it is important to notice that Peter stresses that every on the audience needed to repent and be baptized.

What kind of Church would you like?

You can have whatever kind of Church you want.

The best place to discover the Church that Christ wants is in the New Testament.

Here is the pattern for the best, most efficient Church it is possible to have.

Note: The Church in the New Testament never refers to a building or place. It always refers to a people: either the total number of believers who have every lived, or a local group of those believers.

Big Idea: If you want a better Church, be a better Christian.

Acts 2:41 ESV

41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Now this is phenomenal and sudden Church growth. Unlike anything we have ever seen in our lifetime. And it didn’t stop there. In a matter of months you have between five and ten thousand new believers. We also have to take into consideration that man of these new converts were from out of town, still hanging around after the passover many of whom left, within a matter of months. So, you have thousands of new believers to car for pastorally, and to lead in worship and some kind of body life, and to mobilize for missions.

There were no multi staffed Churches, with state of the art apps to help grow and disciple all of these new believers. Yet they continued to grow not only in numbers but spiritually. And the Lord added to their numbers daily those who were being saved.

Now look at the next verses.

Acts 2:42 ESV

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

So, here you have TEACHING, FELLOWSHIP, BREAKING OF BREAD, and PRAYERS.

NOTE: And they (thousands of new believers) devoted themselves, now how did they do this. The apostles teaching is not written down yet, there is no printing press. There are only eleven adults plus children to care for. And they “devoted themselves to the apostles teaching. And they shared their goods and their lives: they ate together and they prayed.

Notice that Luke is not groaning here and saying that growth is a pain in the neck and it would have been better to have slow growth and small problems to deal with. He reports this as a blessing and as the work of the Lord.

Acts 4:31–33 ESV

31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. 32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

First question I have is how did they manage This?

How did eleven apostles get their teaching effectively into the heads and hearts of ten thousand people? Notice the first parallel statement in verse 46 and 42: “And day by day, attending, devoting themselves......................... What does it look like for you to devote yourself to something.

Prayer Meeting Outlines 32. The Normal Church

God wants every church to be a “normal church.” What is normal? The dictionary says, “conforming to a standard.” God has given the standard of His church. When we compare the church in the book of Acts with our churches today, we fall so far short of God’s standard. There are so few normal or ideal churches today! Since the church is not normal, it fails to grow and win the lost to Christ! So, Satan leads many astray

SERMON ILLUSTRATION

Accepting Jesus Means Firing the Committee in Our Heart

You and I are not integrated, unified, whole persons. Our hearts are multi-divided. It's like we have a board room in every heart. Imagine: a big table, leather chairs, coffee, bottled water, and a whiteboard. A committee sits around the table in your heart. There is the social self, the private self, the work self, the sexual self, the recreational self, the religious self, and others. The committee is arguing and debating and voting, constantly agitated and upset. Rarely can they come to a unanimous, wholehearted decision. We tell ourselves we're this way because we're so busy with so many responsibilities. But the truth is that we're just divided, unfocused, hesitant, and unfree.

That kind of person can "accept Jesus" in two ways. One way is to invite him onto the committee. Give him a vote too. But then he becomes just one more complication. The other way to "accept Jesus" is to say to him, "My life isn't working. Please come in and fire my committee, every last one of them. I hand myself over to you. I am your responsibility now. Please run my whole life for me."

"Accepting Jesus" is not just adding Jesus. It is also subtracting the idols

1. Are you giving the minimum or maximum effort?

Maximum means the maximum fulfillment of the goals that God has for His Church.

What makes up a Church?

1)The people must give evidence that they are believers. (they were cut to the heart, and repented of sin)

2)The people must be baptized. (you must be baptized for the forgiveness of sin)

3)There must be regular assembling together for worship.

4)Our meetings must include the preaching of the word of God.

5)We must regularly celebrate the Lords supper.

6) We must go out and make disciples.

6)All of this must take place with qualified leadership. (Elders and Deacons)

Each Christian recognized the Church as Christ’s body: His bride, His building.

In every figure referring to the Church Christ is pre-eminent: Sheep, Shepherd; fold, door; servants, master etc.

The Church recognizes the authority of Jesus: also the authority of His divinely appointed apostles.

The members appreciate the price with which they were bought - the precious blood of Christ.

THROUGHOUT ACTS, WE SEE THAT THE PRESENCE OF THE SPIRIT IS THE DISTINGUISHING MARK OF TRUE CHRISTIANITY, IT MAKES A PERSON A CHRISTIAN.

We should’t stop at asking what makes up a Church we must also ask what makes the Church all it can be for the Glory of God.

Maximum Effort requires Daily devotion

ILLUSTRATION

Rock Climber Tenaciously Devoted to His Choices

In June 2017, 33-year-old rock climber Alex Honnold, scaled El Capitan. That’s a 3,000 foot granite rock in Yosemite national park, widely considered the most challenging wall in the world. He was the first person to make the climb “free solo"--with no equipment or ropes--at one point hanging from just his thumbs 1,000 feet above the ground. He lives most of the year out of a van, a lifestyle known as “dirtbagging," which he calls “an intentional choice to prioritize your vocation."

Honnold says, “I want to climb in the best places in the world, and that’s my focus. So I’m willing to give up having stability, having a shower, having whatever in order to climb the way that I want." He goes on to say, “I am probably more intentional with the way I live my life than virtually anybody. I have made clear choices about what I find value in, what risks I am willing to take. I am doing exactly what I love to do. It’s very easy for someone sitting on the couch at home to condemn it as crazy and stupid. But I can justify all my choices--can you say the same about your life?”

Honnold's commitment, especially his searching question, should challenge every follower of Jesus. Are we serving the greatest quest and the greatest Lord in the universe with the same amount of tenacity and devotion?

Devoted to Learning (Discipleship)

We do not get detailed instructions on how to organize the Church for pastoral care and worship and teaching to mobilization for ministry. However, the administrative burden to insure that all the new converts found homes and good teaching and pastoral support must have been immense, remembering that there were no phones or emails. And no clocks. We do know that the Spirit of God leads the people of God to submit to the Word of God. Imagine 3,000 students in your kindergarten class.

NOTE: Anti-intellectualism and the fullness of the Holy Spirit are incompatible, because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. We must also dispense with the idea that because we have the Holy Spirit He is the only teacher we needed, we have the picture of the early Christians sitting under the teaching authority of the apostles.

THE SPIRIT OF GOD LEADS THE PEOPLE OF GOD TO SUBMIT TO THE WORD OF GOD.

Devoted to fellowship

They were devoted to loving the Church.

The koinonia from koinos, ‘common’. This bears witness to the common life of the Church in two senses. First, it expresses what we share together. This is God himself, for our fellowship is with the Father and with the Son, Jesus Christ, and there is fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

Koinonia, also expresses what we share out together, what we give as well as what we receive. The word Koinonikos is the Greek word for generous. It is to this that Luke is specifically referring, because he goes on at once to describe the way in which the first Christians shared their possessions with one another: all the believers were together and had everything in common (koina). They gave to anyone who had a need. So, this can be a bit disturbing to our senses of belongings and posessions.

A few miles east of Jerusalem the Essene leaders of the Qumran community were committed to the common ownership of property. According to its Damascus rule all members of ‘the covenant’ community wherever they lived, were obligated to share their property with the poor, the needy, and the stranger, but the candidate for initiation into membership of the monastic community accepted a stricter discipline: ‘his property and earnings shall be handed over to the Bursar of the congregation...’ his property would then be merged...’. This arrangement, ‘bears a close resemblance to the custom adopted by the primitive Church of Jerusalem.

The Question for us today is: should we follow the same practice today?

At different times in Church history some have thought and done so. And I do not doubt that Jesus still calls some of his disciples, as he did the rich young ruler, to a life of total, voluntary poverty. However, neither Jesus nor his apostles forbid the private owning of property. It is important to note that even in Jerusalem the sharing of property and possessions was voluntary.

Devoted to Worship

They devoted themselves to the breaking of bread and to prayer

Their fellowship was expressed not only in caring for each other, but also in corporate worship. The context of this expression is in the Lords Supper as a part of a larger meal and prayer services and meetings. There are two aspects that are represented in the early Churches worship, it was both Formal and informal.

It took place both in the Temple courts and in their homes. I do not believe that they continued to participate in the sacrifices of the temple, for already they had begun to grasp that these had been fulfilled in the sacrifice of Christ.

Maximum effort requires daily growth

“Growth in Attention”

The apostles doctrine was true to God’s word! How are you continuing to grow in the knowledge of scripture?

“Growth in Attendance”

They were daily in the Temple. The Church was more to them than just a weekly event, or spot on the Calendar, or another social thing they did. The Church was a matter of life and death! Why do you think Jesus used the wedding ceremony to describe the Church and our relationship to himself? (the deepest most intimate of all human relationships is marriage.) Many in our culture see Church attendance as merely a request by God or suggestion.

“Growth in Affection”

They sold what they had and shared it with others, This love came from God to do this!

“Growth in Attitude”

They would rather obey God and suffer than obey men.

Acts 5:29 ESV

29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

TRANSITION

Authentic (Real) Christians are transformed by the Holy Spirit.

Consider a small child. Children say crazy things, and the younger they are they tend to be authentic or real somewhere along the way they stop being so real and authentic.

What changes that causes this innocence to dissipate? Some would call it the cares of the world, however, the hard reality is that it is a thing called sin. Once our lives are consumed with this desire to be someone other than we are created to be. We begin to follow the lie of the world and live as if we control our own fate and life. Now, many of us may look back at the innocent child stage and long to go back there but the reality is that we can never return to that stage of our lives again.

Jesus told Nicodemus that the only way to go back to the authentic real stage of our lives is to be born again.

2. What evidence does your life Give that God is real?

THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH WAS A GROWING CHURCH

It grew in the favor of the community.

It grew in grace.

It grew in numbers added, multiplied.

NOTE: They operated on a large scale increasing from 120 to 3,000 members in a one-day revival. Shortly afterward, the Church grew to five thousand members.

The Churches job is to live in such a way that people can see that God is real

The question is: What does that life look like? And the answer again and again in the NT is that it looks like good Christ. What in your life would make someone look at your good deeds and come to the conclusion that because of those things that they see in your life it compels them to want to praise and give God glory?

NOTE: Last week the raising of Lazarus was done for the benefit of those who were watching.

Ephesians 2:10 ESV

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

1 Peter 2:12 ESV

12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Churches are dying today simply because they are not doing anything that the world should look at and say: “Now there is a real Christian, there is real evidence that God is real and that he is glorious.” Many Churches have forgotten why they exist: namely, to do good deeds in the name of Jesus so that people will be moved to give God glory.

The world see’s a Church that cannot even get along among themselves. We get offended when someone does rub us the right way, or do things they way we think they should. We become self focused that it is about us and our feelings and our pride. When the world see’s this they do not see a people who have all things in common.

1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Matthew 5:16 ESV

16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

NOTE: When a Church forgets that it exists for others and for Gods glory alone, it becomes in-grown and self-satisfied and can go on year after year like a social club with a religious sign out front but no real heartbeat going on inside.

The Churches job is to glow in such a way that people can see that God is real.

The early believers changed the world.

Acts 17:6 ESV

6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,

IT WAS THE WORLD THAT CALLED CHRIST FOLLOWERS CHRISTIANS

Acts 11:26 ESV

26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

The Power of a Glowing Church

PETER AND JOHN, THOUGH THEY WERE UNEDUCATED FISHERMAN FROM GALILEE SHOWED CHRIST INSIDE OF THEM. THIS CAME AS A RESULT OF THE POWER OF PRAYER.

Acts 4:13 ESV

13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

The Prayer of a Glowing Church

THIS POWER OF THE SPIRIT CAUSED PEOPLE TO DO SOME SERIOUS THINKING. THE APOSTLES HAD THE POWER OF PERSUASION

Acts 26:28 ESV

28 And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?”

The Persuasion of a Glowing Church

The Churches job is to groan in such a way that people can see that God is real.

Crying for the Lost

Paul’s love for the non-Christian caused him to weep for the lost.

Acts 20:31 ESV

31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.

Concern for the Lost

The spirit intercedes for those who pray for the lost

Romans 8:26 ESV

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Compassion for the Lost

knowing the judgment of God, we should seek to lead the lost to the saving knowledge of Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:11 ESV

11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.

Romans 9:3 ESV

3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.

Jesus work is finished and now it is our job to complete the mission. Evangelism for the World. A Church is not really a Church if it does not have a heart for Evangelism. This goes against the very call of Christ on our lives.

FINISHING THE 29% OF WORLD EVANGELISM

In the year 1900 900 million people had little or no access to the gospel. Since that time that number has grown to 2.1 billion or 29% or the worlds population. By 2050 researches suggest that the number could grow to 2.7 billion.

Here’s the problem, only about 3% of the worlds missionary force are serving the 29%.

A holy urgency has caused many to re-study Scripture as a strategy manual—and has as a result revolutionized results among some UPGs. Sound motives fuel these efforts, including a deep love for Jesus; a joyful desire for all to have the chance to love and serve him; a holy concern to bring spiritual justice; and a commitment to obey Jesus’ command. The resulting radical methodological changes have resulted in amazing results reflected in the quantity and quality of disciples and churches.

The global book of Acts type Church planting movements in the past 15-20 years have moved to decrease this number. A movement is defined with the Church continues to reproduce to the fourth generation.

Jesus launched the Church movement in just three years. The numerical growth in these three years is undeniable. The movement that began in Acts brought assurance that all in each people group had the opportunity to hear the Gospel.

A movement born four years ago in India has over 7,000 congregations including some eighteenth generation churches.

One of the earliest movements began about 25 years ago in another part of India among the Bhojpuri language group. It has been audited several times by researchers. The latest audit shows at least 8 million baptized believers and approximately 200,000 congregations, which serve their community through literacy efforts, health education, etc.

Movements of several thousand congregations are growing in several continents in areas hostile to the news of Jesus.

A movement has emerged in the US among groups often ignored by existing churches.

CONCLUSION

The call is to reach the lost and preach the gospel to every creature, the church must be filled with the Spirit. Forms and rituals will not accomplish the Great Commission. Plans, programs, and even finances will not get the job done. As the Church is filled with the Spirit, we will reach the lost with the Gospel.

Will you the Church today to be the Christians that He has called you to be.

If you want a better Church then you need to become a better Christian for the Gospel of Christ. If you want to see the world reached with the Gospel of Christ you must be a better Christian for the world to see.

Mark 16:15 ESV

15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

Matthew 24:14 ESV

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Hold to Acts 1:8 that you have now received the power to be Christ’s witnesses to the very ends of the earth.