Final Sermon

Final Sermons Acts

Acts 2:42 – 47

The Life of the Local Church

Over the last few weeks, we have had a miniseries on 1 Corinthians which lead us into our spring series of What is a Healthy church. Today we will focus in on the life of a church body and with that being stated it is of course my last sermon to you. Highland has many wonderful things and many things still to remain battled in the spirit as does each of our souls, no church is perfect this side of heaven. In the life of the local church it is made up of the bride of Christ and this bride of Christ has a calling to each other. This calling to each other we will look at and my challenge to you is to consider Highland’s future, which maybe her closing down, merging with another church, or trying to survive until the money runs out or the last soul stands.

Your life together does not end if Highland’s season does; so what does your fellowship look like if Highland remains open or if the Lord closes her doors?

Main Point 1: Devoted to the truth of God

Biblical churches are devoted to the truth of God. This implies that all churches should diligently be aware of any teachers or Pastors they call to the church. Your Pastors not only need to meet the biblical character qualifications but also need to be well equipped with God’s word. I tell you this firsthand there are many churches today that have men in their pulpits that never went to seminary or trained officially under a Pastor but are rather self-taught. That is dangerous for any church to call a self-taught man. That man has not accountability to his studies other than what he perceived as corrected with out much fight back or critical examination of his doctrine.

When the Apostles appointed men, the first eleven were taught by Jesus himself as Paul came along, he spent his life under the teachers of the law and another 10 years after conversation in study of the Apostles before going on his missionary journey.

Biblical churches are governed by Pastors, not laity. Laity in the position of leadership is far different than laity in the position of teacher. I may also note, not all seminaries are created equal, not all churched trained Pastors have been taught by biblical Pastors. The church laity must also be aware of the doctrines of God, for the man they call to ministry could have a great heart for souls but is a terrible teacher of truth. This man needs to be removed. The sole duty of the Pastor is to teach the word of God and equip laity for the work of ministry.

The shepherding of the souls of Pastoral ministry is not mental health counseling, it is Pastoral which means teaching the word of God through conversation not throwing a self-discovery class to make one feel better. True Pastoral counsel is in the parishioner’s heart with the word of God causing conviction and repentance.

The nice guy Pastor won’t be able to do this, there people pleasers. They are fit for the work of Deacon, not minister.

Application:

For Highland in your next season, your devotion to the word of God matters, that is where you will find your strength. The Pastor you call needs to have more than character; they need to be teachers who have been taught the word of God. Your being shaped by every Pastor you call as you sit under his teaching. Just a child eats what mother cooks and may not remember the meal, the meal either nourish the child or does not. A child will eat Pizza and ice-cream every meal, but a good mother knows that chicken and broccoli is the far better meal.

The pastor who feeds pizza and ice-cream never has a congregation member upset with what they said, and usually that is the minister an unhealthy church desires. The one that will cater to the sheep instead of shepherding the sheep according to God’s word.

The pastor you need is the one who says no to ice-cream and gives you the pure word of God.

Main Point 2: Fellowship and devotion to Prayer

Biblical Churches are committed to the command of Hebrews 10:25 to assemble. This assembly together also extends outside of the Lord’s Day and the safety net of the four walls. A biblical church has a fellowship that is committed to each other’s lives and praying for each other.

Facebook is not fellowship, the meta-verse is fake, and memories are great but not the present.

Application:

Highland your fellowship I pray extends beyond the four walls of Highland in the present, I know you had events in the past but what about the present? I started small groups this year with the purpose of equipping you the members to learn to embrace each other outside the walls of the church and realty get to know each other. Some of you have not taken advantage of this and some of you had.

The ones that heard my call to extend your fellowship outside the four walls have reported back to me or my wife stating, I would not have known such member like I do if not for this group. I’ve really enjoyed our time together. This is the best group I’ve ever been a part of. These words are a joy to hear, because you took a risk to open your home and your heart to engage in fellowship around the word in prayer for each other. It’s not easy to say we don’t need the church building to be a church, we don’t need to the organization to be the church, and our fellowship is not tied to the church.

When the fellowship of the saints gets embraced outside the normal safe zones, fellowship grows deep.

Personal story:

The best times I have had this year and half as your Pastor was when I was received in your home or received you in mine. I remember going to Micki and Genes to enjoy their cats and fellowship. I remember sitting in Pete and Lindas home and leaving that night encouraged. Or going to Holly’s Birthday party last year, or the many ice-cream trips we took together. The night out on the town with Deb and Bob, playing a game of chess with Matthew. None of these happened in the church, sure the bible studies were great, but the heart of our congregation is when the fellowship extended away from the church.

In fact, I believe Highland the organization divides our body, because everyone past, present, future has had different thoughts about what Highland should be. Tom’s ministry has splits, Mike’s had issues, mine certainly has caused issues. Highland is a divided body when where in the building and playing survival. Our fellowship outside of here is the most beautiful picture of the bride of Christ. Friend’s close Highland and give the keys to someone else like John Mol; your fellowship will survive, in fact grow deeper.

If you see what I do, I see Highland as a church that needs to close for the health of the church body, I see her fellowship growing rich with embracing the health of a fresh congregation. Your numbers would multiple over night with Awaken church taking over, and your fellowship if it’s as real as the encounters I told you will thrive. The strength of the church is not only her pure doctrine, but her pure fellowship with each other.

Main Point 3: The Care of each other

The care of a biblical church is to provide for each other, spiritually and physically. The early church and much of the Eastern church today is persecuted but they know how care for each other. I don’t believe the Western church has this character. Much of our churches are segregated, the western idea of individualism carries heavy, and hiding weakness is considered strength when it’s really pride. There is pride at Highland much like there is pride in most of the western Christian families including my own.

We want to believe we take care of each other; we are Americans after all but if you dive deep how many neighbors do you really know? How of many of you would move into Pleasantville or sit down at the Dunkin doughnuts on main St. to care for someone when nothing else would be given to you? Is your time mainly spent in your own home, with your own family, pursuing your own recreations, occupations, religious duties? Most of us today would say 90 – 95% of my life is about me and my close network (which is most likely family)

In the Eastern and early church that was not the case and you can go study this on your own time, but Western culture even your every Sunday plus Wednesday Christian is very self-centered.

The challenge of care and denial of self is one in the west we must ask God to grant us repentance and to live out.

Main Point 4: To worship God and call others to the salvation of the Lord

Final Remarks *My transition*

A. Pursue Truth and repent of sin

Let scripture not tradition or desires be your authority. Let the Spriit of God through His word cause you repent where you need to repent, and cause you to stand for truth where you need to stand for truth.

B. Pursue rich fellowship even if the doors of the church close

Your fellowship if carried out outside of the four walls will be rich; if Highland stays open or closes (to which money will run out over time or the membership keeps decreasing as she has been for years.

C. Never stop pursuing mission

My Thanksgiving

A. For the good times of doing mission together

Walk for Life

Parent’s Night Out

Dinner for Life

The cookouts which some community members came too

B. Our time of prayer with and for each other

C. Our study of God’s word together

D. For being the first church, I was called to Pastor