How To Make An IMPACT
Acts 2:40-47
How To Make An I.M.P.A.C.T.
I. Introduction - The job of the church is not to impact the church, but to impact the world. It’s like a huddle in a football game. 67,000 people don’t pay $25.00 a ticket to watch the Titans huddle. What if you went to a Titans game and for 2 ½ hours you watched 11 men stand in a circle and talk? That’s not what you pay for!! 67,000 people pay $25 a ticket to see what difference the huddle makes. What they want to know is, having called the play in secret, does it work in public? The challenge for the church is not what we do when we call our Sunday morning huddle, but what we do when we break our huddle and head to our Sunday morning assignment. When Satan lines up against us, what difference does it make that we are Christians?
II. Investing in Others
A. Illustration – Coach invests in others, knowledge, plays, training, etc
B. Exegesis
1. Matthew 22:36-40 – The greatest commandment
2. 3000 were added to their number that day (41)
3. Selling their possessions and goods they gave to anyone as he had need (45)
C. Application – We need to invest in other through ministry
1. Sunday School
2. Giving to organizations who serve
3. Look around our community and find needs that we can meet
III. Maturing the Believers
A. Illustration - Football players have to lift weights and work out in order to get to where they want to be as an athlete
B. Exegesis
1. They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching (42)
2. Everyday they continued to meet together in the temple courts (46)
C. Application
1. Sunday School
2. Worship
3. Devotional time
IV. Praying for Power
A. Illustration– The huddle – time to concentrate on the playbook and the coaches plays
B. Exegesis - They devoted themselves to prayer (42)
C. Application
1. We need to be a church that prays individually
2. We also need to pray together
a) Wednesday night prayer meeting
b) We need a prayer group in our church
c) Men’s and women’s prayer breakfasts
V. Adoring Our God
A. Illustration – Cheerleaders – they get you excited about what is going on at the game
B. Exegesis
1. Everyone was filled with awe, fear (fobo~) (43)
2. Meeting in the temple courts (46)
3. Praising God (47)
C. Application
1. Worships throughout the week
2. Looks forward to the opportunity to worship with other believers
VI. Communicating the Gospel
A. Illustration – Scoreboard, programs, TV/Radio/newspaper, Watercooler
B. Exegesis
1. Save yourself (40)
2. Many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles (43)
3. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved (47)
C. Application
1. Personal evangelism
2. GROW
3. Evangelistic training
4. Programs – Revival, Fall festival
VII. Togetherness in Fellowship (41-42, 44)
A. Illustration - Tailgating
B. Exegesis
1. Baptized – identifying with the body of Christ (41)
2. 3000 were added to their number that day (41)
3. They devoted themselves (42)
a) The fellowship
b) to the breaking of bread
4. All the believers were together and had everything in common (44)
5. Everyday they met together in the temple courtyards (46)
6. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts (46)
C. Application
1. Hanging out after church
2. Being together outside of church
3. Potlucks and fun events
4. Accountability groups
VIII. Conclusion
A. The IMPACT occurs when you leave this church
B. We are now in the huddle and it is time to run the play
C. The doors of our church are the POINT OF IMPACT