What's Lacking in the Church Today

Introduction

Good evening and welcome back!

Tonight we want to look at the subject of "What is Lacking in the Church" of today.

We have lots of different ideas about what is lacking or what we need today.

Some say it is more money, more programs, to be more spiritual, more this, more that.

However, what the church is truly lacking is something that Luke hits on here in the first chapter of Acts.

And just thinking about the Book of Acts, we can really think of it as a continuation of the Gospel of Luke, full of instruction as well as a historical account of the first generation of the church.

In fact, in that first verse Luke addresses that in his former treatise, or "last book" he spoke about all that Jesus began both to do and teach and then in verse 2 , he says . . .

Acts 1:2 NIV84

until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

And then Luke continues to say in verse three that Jesus . . .

Acts 1:3 NIV84

After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

And then in verse 4 . . .

Acts 1:4 NIV84

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.

So, what Luke is doing in these first few verses is recapping the end of the Gospel of Luke and the:

(1) command of Christ to go to Jerusalem and wait on Him.

(2) that they would be baptized with the Holy Ghost.

And we know by reading the Gospel of Luke that the disciples did, in fact go to Jerusalem.

Luke 24:49–53 NIV84

I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

However, we only get a partial picture there of what had went on when they got to Jerusalem.

The Bible says that they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God.

However, in Jerusalem the praise and worship didn't continue forever.

The Gospel of John also records some of their activities when in Jerusalem, while they were "waiting on God."

John 21:1–3 NIV84

Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

So, there came a time, when the spiritual high began to wane and the disciples began to get just a little discouraged.

For 3 1/2 years they had walked with God, talked with God, saw all the miracles of God performed before their eyes, had all their needs met directly by God.

Now, here they are out in Jerusalem, waiting for God to do something and nothing had happened.

These men were just like us, they had families, they had responsibilities, so their focus had shifted from God to meeting their own needs.

They were fishermen, so Peter basically said, "the Lord's not here, I'm going fishing!" The rest said, "that sounds like a good idea, we'll go too."

And why not?

Their attitude had shifted 180% from saving the world to saving themselves.

They were not so much concerned about the souls of men at that point as they were about putting food on the table.

Also, they had stirred up quite a stink and needed to lay low a while to save their own skin as well.

After all, they had just seen Jesus crucified.

Things were so bad that Peter had denied Christ (3) times.

Furthermore, look at the precautions that were in place even when they gathered to worship.

John 20:19 NIV84

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”

And . . .

John 20:26 NIV84

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”

The doors were shut, but they were also locked.

They were worshipping in secret for fear of death by the Jews.

They had fear, and lacked the motivating factor to carry out the will of God.

It is the same motivating factor that is lacking in the church today.

So, what is that motivating factor?

That’s what we will get into tonight.

But first, let’s look at our Scripture focus.

Acts 1, starting in verse 1, Luke writes . . .

Scripture Focus

Acts 1:1–11 NIV84

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

The Motivating Factor

So, returning back to our scripture starting in verse 5 . . .

Acts 1:5 NIV84

For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Their motivating factor that is missing today in many churches is right there plain as day.

The Holy Spirit was the motivating factor that allowed these men to go from fishing in the darkness of night and worshipping in secret locked rooms to . . .

Acts 2:14–15 NIV84

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!

Peter, the one who denied Christ, stood up, in public, proclaiming the Gospel . . .

AND THE END OF THAT DISCOURSE . . .

Acts 2:36 NIV84

“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

Boldly proclaiming that it was them and their hatred that had crucified both the Lord and Christ (Messiah, Savior).

AND . . .

Acts 3:12–16 NIV84

When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE . . .

Acts 4:7–12 NIV84

They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

That motivating factor to stand up and do this, is not found in programs, preachers, money, or any of the stuff we have around us.

That motivating factor is the Holy Spirit.

He is where we draw our motivation from.

He is the driving force behind all we are and all we have and ever will do.

The church of today lacks that motivation.

The church of today lacks the Holy Spirit.

The reason is that the church of today, lacks the courage to take a stand and the drive to carry out Christ's purpose.

QUOTE: "The fringe church member cannot be fully counted on to take his place in the big battle for souls. These are the free-loaders: {wanting} gospel blessings without personal commitment."

This is where the church has found itself.

The church is weak, ineffective and the end result is the church being overtaken by fleshliness, worldliness, greed, idol worship, and materialism.

The Spirit has departed, so they try to drum up and invent their own!

IF WE WANT THE SPIRIT TO BE PRESENT IN OUR CHURCHES, THEN HE HAS TO FIRST BE PRESENT IN US!

The Holy Spirit doesn't inhabit the church building.

The Holy Spirit inhabits those who fill the church building.

The Mission

And, what happens if we fill the church up with Spirit led, Spirit filled Christians?

Then the Mission will be fulfilled.

And, what is the mission?

Acts 1:8 NIV84

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

We've already talked about the motivation or the "power" that we receive when the Holy Ghost comes, but part two of that verse reveals the mission.

The mission is simply this TO BE WITNESSES.

We are to be witnesses for Christ.

If we are going to be witnesses though, what are we a witness of?

The saving power of Jesus Christ.

We are to be sharing the gospel with others.

We are to be sharing our testimony with other people.

We do that in three ways:

(1) Words-The things we say.

(2) Deeds-The things we do for others.

(3) Actions-How we live our lives.

That is how we share the gospel and that should be the message that people get from us.

However, because the church is lacking the Holy Spirit, this is not the message that is being portrayed.

The message of today is this:

(1)We have a nice big fancy building.

(2)We have a big, angelic choir.

(3)We have this program or that program.

They may say, "Jesus loves you," but they never say "Jesus is way, the truth, and the life and nobody gets to heaven without accepting Him as Lord and Savior."

Nobody ever tells them they have to repent, that they have to be holy and acceptable to God.

Nobody tells them that "without holiness no man will see the Lord."

The true Gospel message is never portrayed, never told.

Reason?

Because their preachers are not preaching under the anointing of the Holy Ghost.

Their singing is not singing under the anointing of the Holy Ghost.

The teaching is not taught under the anointing of the Holy Ghost.

Their programs are their own and not anointed by God.

Nothing they do has the seal of God's approval on it, because it is their plan, not God's plan.

The Mission Field

However, when they get it, when we get it, there is more to it than just what goes on within the four walls of the church.

Verse 8 goes on . . .

Acts 1:8 NIV84

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

Jesus tells them that once they receive the power of the Holy Ghost, the "motivation" and are effective witnesses, or "sharers of the Gospel," they have to take it somewhere.

They have to GO.

They can't just sit around and expect the lost to come wandering in off the street.

They have to put action to it.

They have to put feet to their faith.

They have to go into Jerusalem and all of Judaea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

That circle of friends and family that you have some influence with.

That is your Samaria, that is your Judaea.

We just can't sit on it.

We have to be like Jeremiah . . .

Jeremiah 20:9 NIV84

But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.

Jeremiah tried to suppress the Word of the Lord.

He tried to sit on it and keep quiet.

But God's Word was like a fire shut up in his bones.

He couldn't contain it, no matter how hard he tried.

He had to get it out.

And like a fire, when the Holy Spirit is unleashed, He spreads.

We try so hard in ourselves to contain the Spirit, but we can't.

We can't control God, we can't contain God.

Let the Fire of God flow freely.

We have to allow the Holy Spirit to flow through us and be unleashed on this church, this community.

Altar/Challenge

What about it church?

Do we have the motivation?

Do we have the power, the fire?

Do we know the mission?

Are we fulfilling the Mission?

Do we want more of God?

Can we handle more of God?

Only we can decide.

Let’s pray . . .