Devotedly Doing The Right Things: Keys To A Successful Church Series

DEVOTEDLY DOING THE RIGHT THINGS: KEYS TO A SUCCESSFUL CHURCH

Acts 2:42

INTRODUCTION:

1.) Two weeks ago was Pentecost Sunday.

A.) At that time, I spoke on that grand and glorious event two thousand years ago when the Spirit of God moved in a powerful manner to establish the church or Kingdom of God.

B.) Today I want us to pick up that same passage of Scripture and look at four things the church immediately started doing which led to great success and growth for Christ’s Church, the Kingdom of God.

C.) The early church was: devoted to the Apostles’ teaching, to fellowship with each other, the breaking of bread, and to prayer.

I. IT WAS A CHURCH DEVOTED TO THE APOSTLES’ TEACHING.

1.) The Old Covenant was fulfilled in Christ.

A.) When Jesus came into this world His purpose was to fulfill the Old Covenant.

aa.) Matthew 5:17

ab.) Apart from Jesus the Christ, no other person on the face of this planet has ever met and fulfilled the

requirements of the Old Covenant.

ac.) Under the Jewish dispensation, there were many sincere people who tried to obey the Law.

ad.) Yet with the exception of Jesus Christ, 100 percent of the human race has missed the mark.

ae.)The entire human population has not only sinned, but has sinned repeatedly and continually.

aea.) Even the best of mankind are unholy and wicked before the entirely perfect and Holy God who has

created all things including our very lives.

aec.) Jesus, and Jesus alone can stand before the presence of God without even the wickedness of one sinful act.

af.) Because of this, Jesus met and fulfilled the standard of God, and is able to institute the New Covenant.

2.) The Old Covenant was not only fulfilled, but cancelled with the cross.

A.) In those last few moments on the cross, Jesus looked up to heaven and with the authority of God Almighty, Jesus made the declaration “It is finished!”

aa.) Certainly in its immediate context Jesus was finished his mission for God in the suffering of the Cross.

ab.) At that time, Jesus was not merely speaking of his own life.

ac.) Jesus was also declaring that the Old Covenant had come to an end.

aca.) Certainly the Old Covenant is still in existence; it can still be found in our Old Testament Scriptures, even today.

.01) Even today there are those not believing Messiah has come to this earth.

.02) The Old Testament contains around 400 prophecies concerning the Messiah of God.

.002)With the exception of prophecies to be fulfilled at His second coming, Jesus has beyond the shadow of a doubt fulfilled every one of these prophecies.

B.) Those dying words of Jesus stating “It is Finished!” declared the covenant was finished.

ba.) That Old Covenant was nailed to the cross with Jesus.

bb.) Col. 2:13-14

bc.) In The Coming of God’s Kingdom: Matthew by Kay Arthur the author gave some background information from the first Century to the Word Jesus had uttered: “It is finished.”

bca.) According to her, the declaration that Jesus had made was the same one that would be made by a creditor when a person’s debt had been paid in full .

bcb.) When the final payment had been made on the debt, the creditor would write on the bill “It is finished” sign his name to the document, and nail it to the door of that person’s house, or display it in some public area.

bcc.) All who saw that document would know with certainty this person was no longer in the bondage of debt to this other person.

bcd.) The passage we had just read from Colossians described the law, and our debt of sin in the same way because of what Christ had accomplished on the cross.

3.) The New Covenant would be based on the Workings and Teachings of Christ.

A.) That day was a spiritual turning point for the salvation of mankind.

B.) From that day onward the question was no longer how good or how perfect I can be.

ba.) It was no longer can I become good enough to merit God’s forgiveness, while knowing our hearts condemn us as wicked and sinful.

bb.) The cross of Jesus Christ took the focus off of us, so that we could see what had always been the plan

of God for man’s redemption.

bba.) The Old covenant taught us what sin is, so that we could see our own wickedness.

bc.) As cruel as it might seem for God to have done that, the reality is that the law served it’s purpose.

bca.) The law was the schoolmaster to point us to Christ.

.01) Galatians 3:23-25

.001) KJV describes this as School master instead of Guardian.

.002) NAS goes the same idea with our Tutor.