Remain Connected (June 20th, 2021)

Good morning. And what an encouragement. It is to see you here. Thank you for being here and Dad's Happy, Father's Day. I do not have a Father's Day sermon this morning. Just the way the preaching calendar worked out. I couldn't this one, but I do have a word of encouragement for you. Fathers this morning. Now is your time to shine.

Now is your time to shine. Our society has marks and demeans, fatherhood and popular culture for decades. Now if you want to know who's buffoon is a situation comedy, It's the dad. If you want to know who the overly violent, not syncing, heart and rash. Person is in the action movie. It's the man.

And recently, our society has not only marked the role of fatherhood and manhood in popular culture. But there is a growing number of intellectuals who mock fatherhood and masculinity The Atlantic magazine recently ran an article, the title of witches are fathers necessary. The New York Times ran an article, the title of which was what are fathers for. Article, one of the authors Hannah Rosen says, quote, I am not sure whether a child needs a father.

The Huffington Post wrote. A story called fathers are not needed. Friends, all that's wrong. It is a grotesque and self-defeating error. I agree with a recent president of the United States who said quote fathers are critical to the foundation of each family.

A recent president of the United States said, fathers are critical to the foundation of each family and he's on to something. You know why? Dad's, your boys need you.

Boys are born with no understanding of what it means to be a good and responsible, man. You must teach them.

Generally speaking boys are more wild and rambunctious than girls. You must show them what power under control looks like.

If you take the men, currently in prison serving time for violent crimes, they are not United by race or economic strata or geography. They are united by the fact that they did not grow up with a father.

Dad's we need you and we need you right now. Your boys need your, your girls need to

daughters are born with no idea of how a man is supposed to treat a woman. You must teach her.

Daughters without a father. Statistically speaking have many more relationships parents on speaking in code. Daughters without a father. Speaking statistically have many more relationships than my daughters, are grew up with a father, father's your sons and daughters, what they need, most a sense of security that, you know what's going on that? You're leading your family. Well,

first, I can't say all this without knowing that circumstances like death and divorce an illness, sometimes separate father's from their families. And I don't want to discourage families that don't have a father in them single moms. You're doing great. We love you. We support you. But I have two words of advice for you. Don't try to be your child's. Father you cannot you were never designed to be your child's father and number to remember, God himself has said that, he will be the father to the fatherless. And very often, he does that through a man who is not the biological father of the children but becomes a father figure, that's why we have that. Praise the father figure. earlier, I said that a former president of the United States his father's already credit are critical to the foundation of each family to know what former president that was

The Rock Obama. Who had no father in his wife, it can work single moms. But dad's now is our time. Now is our time to show a lost world. The masculinity is not toxic, it is vital. Dogs. This is your time to show a lost world. What masculine power looks like when it is under the influence of a graceful, God.

This is your time to show a lost world. What masculine power looks like when it is exercised in the service of the women and children around you.

Jobs. This is your time. To show a lost world. What masculine power looks like when it is focused on cherishing women and not consuming them.

Rise up dads. The contrast has never been stronger than it has never been deeper. This is your time,

And Happy Father's Day.

2 weeks ago.

I'm transitioning to a totally different topic now. Two weeks ago, we finished our sermon series on June. I was sharing with you that I think that our church in North American Church, it will be Deluge shortly by false teaching because the false teaching in the world is hitting a fever. And any other time in history, when the world is Deluge with error, some helpful non-believer will try to introduce a terror into the church to make us more relevant course. The opposite is exactly what happens is. If you told us that you told us that are like waterless clouds, Hidden reefs. And then in the end in the final sermon in that series, June told us for things to do and this series picks up three of those four things and builds a sermon on each. One of them in the temps to remember, the scriptures as individuals, we need high-quality daily opportunities to throw ourselves under the truth of the scriptures. This week we're going to be deepening tubes advice to prepare for fall. Teacher in false teachers by remaining connected Jude says remain connected. The Temptation will be to split apart. Don't do it. Remain connected. And our text is a very famous passage from Acts chapter 2, starting at verse 42. And as we go through this passage will $3. I will see that there are three sections to the passage route fruit. And recruit. We will find that the church was routed into things, and when it wrote itself in these three fruit naturally appeared in. Use that fruit in the church, that they didn't even try to have all day. And when they recruit to send his for his word forth to the world, so, let's talk about the route, which is exposed in verse 42, and they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching And the fellowship. Here we find the two Roots. One is the apostles teaching? This is a church that was rooted in the apostles teaching. By the way, I noticed that adjectives Apostles, that's necessary. The church was rooted in teaching The church was rooted in the apostles teaching, we are not rooted in teaching. Whatever wind of Doctrine happens to blow by, we are rooted in the scriptures. Route number one, by the way, this is so important. Last week, we talked about finding a high-quality daily opportunity for you to be in the scriptures parents. This is true for your children. You don't even have to wait till they can read from the moment. They can understand the rudiments of english-language, teach them scripture. And as they begin to read, give them their old Bibles and I noticed that Alicia. Our children tractor was heading over the summer Adventures 2021 parents. If you don't have these call Alicia email Alicia, she will get you a copy. This is a guide because devoted to the apostles teaching is not for adults. Only, we, as a church, want to seek this devotion in all age groups, But they were devoted themselves to leave Apostles teaching. The root here is not just teaching but it's the apostles teaching the next word and and is a conjunction. There is not one root but two and they are on the same level. They are equally important, just devote themselves to the apostles teaching, but to the fellowship,

Fellowship and noticed that this Fellowship expresses itself in two ways, the breaking of the bread which could refer to communion which we celebrated together last week, for two Hospitality. I encourage you as the

As the restrictions change and loosen be hospitable, help the church Stay Together by having people over to your home. Are going out there to be other going over to other people's homes. This Fellowship, the second route Express itself in the breaking of bread and prayers. Thank you, thank you for coming last. Wednesday. We had the highest attendance last Wednesday of any prayer meeting that I can remember. Thank you for being here. It is important. It is important that we build around these routes of the Apostles teaching, and of the fellowship noticed that they were devoted to these two routes, the word there is devoted. I did quite a bit of work in the in the Greek etymology of that word devoted.

It means Rock Solid. It means unquestioning But there's something else that it means that you're missing the light in the English that word devoted has a sense of constance tea to it. Remember the old Joker? The wife says to the man, you never tell me. You love me anymore. In the man says I told you on the day, we got married, if anything changes, I'll let you know. I thought constantly that's not damn, there's a sense to this word devoted as matter fact, most of the other translations, put the word continually in their the ESV. So devoted themselves the nasd says we don't need to be available for our pursuit of these two routes, the apostles teaching and to Fellowship the route, the route that they chose for their church, was the apostles teaching and fellowship and then the fruit The fruit just came about. That's the great thing about fruit. You know, how and what, how much time at Appletree spends thinking about growing apples. No time. It can't help but grow apples in apple tree when you get the root, right, you'll always get the fruit right. Can I see three fruits and all verse 43 and all came upon every soul. The first truth, the fear of the Lord Has this church devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, and the fellowship noticed that they were growing increasingly aware of God's, Eminence close.

Has been devoted themselves to the apostles teaching in the fellowship. They notice within their own church, a growing awareness of God's grace, he is Holy, we are sinners and we're still

route. Number one, the fear of the Lord. Number two. Friendship in the body. Notice verse 44 and all, who believed were together. This was their friends set. This was the people that meant the most to them. When they devoted themselves to the roots of the Apostles teaching, in the fellowship, they notice themselves, experiencing the forest, fear, the lord of being in, God's presence, but also they were together. They cared for one another.

That's why we work so hard to produce opportunities to be together. Next week will be doing church, just this way. There will be lawn chairs and there will be cars but after that in July will be moving in doors to us to service form at the first service will be at 10 a.m. and it'll be just what you think it's going to be for the month of July. But then we're going to repeat the service later in the day, probably 7 p.m. maybe 6 p.m. we will announce this and we will be watching you to broadcast except when it gets to the preaching about doctor. Carter's going to come back and preach live because we want to be together. That's why we're not ready to announce the dates yet, but it looks like it's going to be a July 11th. And August, 22nd, we're going to have outdoor worship.

Because we want opportunities to be together. That's why we have walking groups on Monday Wednesdays and Fridays cuz we want to be together. And that's why you need to take the initiative. we want to be together, we care for one another, but not only that we share And all who believed were together and had all things in common. the scripture speak about the book Believers selling their possessions and giving to those in need

You know, Karl Marx when he read. This passage said there's communism in the New Testament, your own New Testament. Preachers, communism here, they are keeping all things in common, that's communism.

Selling what you own and give it to people's names. That's communism, isn't it?

Friends this morning sermon is not about political divisions, but if this is, I just want to clarify, this is not communist and there's two important differences between Acts 2 and communism biscuits for voluntary. As matter fact in Acts chapter 5 Anderson ananias and Sapphira sell some land and give the money and they say it was all the money, but it wasn't all the money and they are cute. They are killed for lying to the Holy Spirit. But in there, Peter says, you didn't have to give all the money you could have given it to, this is Roland. Terry, this is not communism. This is not where the government mandates that this is a free-will offering and II different. It's not all possessions. In our own passage in verse 46, if he says that people were meeting in their homes, what was they had homes? They didn't sell them. There was still personal possessions, but there was gratitude, generosity people were willing to lower their life standard to improve the life standard of needy, brothers and sisters.

Frontiers a church that rooted themselves in the apostles teaching and in fellowship and noticed three fruit growing the first, the fear of the Lord, the second, the friendship in the body where they care Share and The Surge fruit is The Fellowship of the Saints.

Notice verse 46. And day by day attending the temple together. Here's a group that wants to be in church together as often as possible.

This isn't even notice it is. This is a church meeting together for one. Another up to love and good works. When you read through the book of Acts, you can really see that these people were into one another. Peter and John are arrested in Acts chapter 4 and they're put in prison and then they're released. And you know what, the first thing they did when they got for a release from prison is, How to shower?

They went to a restaurant and got a good meal. No, they didn't you read it? After 4 verse 23, the moment they got out of prison, they rushed to their friends at church. This is their best friends. They have Fellowship.

Friends. Covid has brought a lot of attention to a meeting together and not meeting together and I'm not here to comment on that this morning. I said everything I have to say at our town hall, but can I just be honest with you here for a second? Reinstituting church services, will not bring us together. We all know that we can be in church and not together and we can be together and not in church, the focus is the fellowship. The Fellowship of the Saints. Notice and it spilled out into Hospitality, they were breaking bread in their homes, verse 46.

And you know, when is church Devoted itself to the two routes, the Apostle teaching in the fellowship and noticed, these three fruits, the fear of the Lord, the friendship in the body, The Fellowship of the Saints, things begin to happen. They notice that they had glad and generous Hearts verse 46 and generous Hearts, it just happened. Apple trees don't try to grow apples in water. And apple tree not true self efforts but because they were routed where they should be rooted and they were experiencing the fruit that they should be experiencing and notice what these glad and generous Hearts did verse 47. They praise God.

You know, any John for Jesus is talking to the woman at the well, we pray here. They pray their what's right. Lord. And he says, the father is seeking those who will worship Him in spirit. And in truth, that's this church.

the apostles teaching, and in The Fellowship of the Saints, they have become the worshippers that the father is seeking,

Route. Fruit and recruit.

Verse 47 and the Lord added to their number day-by-day, those who were being saved. Friends is good for churches to have programs. It's good for us to have AV systems, these are all good, but remember this is not the work. These are just tools for the work. Our speakers are not the bait on the hook. We are the bait on the hook. when people see us, they will be irresistibly attractive because every human heart calls out for what Christ gives.

in the second century, there was a political leader who heard about the rapid growth of Christianity and he said, one of his most trusted advisors

Then they've already started aristides and he said, I don't know what happened to all these researches gets to know some Christians and this is the report baki's. This is a report he sent back in the second century.

Another Christians. Okay, by going about and seeking have found the truth,

for they know and trust in God, the maker of heaven and Earth who has no fellow they received those Commandments which they have engraved on their minds and they observe in Hope and expectation of the world to come

Levi, speaks about his own personal experiences with them, for this reason, they do not commit adultery or immorality. If they do not bear false witness, they do not, they do nor do they covet? What is not theirs, or father, and mother and do good to those who are their neighbors? Whenever they are Judges, they judge up Riley. They do not worship idols made in the image of man. Preston and make them their friends, animes Their wives. Okay, are as pure as virgins and their daughters are modest. Abstain from all unlawful, sexual contact and from impurity. House for their bondsman and bonds women and their children. If there are any vapor brothers without distinction friends, that's the ministry. That's the ministry that we don't even have to try for. That's the ministry that happens when we root in the apostles teaching and fellowship and experiencing the fruit, Reverence for God, the fear of the Lord, this friendship in the body, in The Fellowship of the Saints, God uses that to recruit.

Friends. This is the time for the church to arise and I'd like to ask you and lawn chairs to physically do that. Can we start stand for our last song?