Carry On Christians. Carry On! Series

Carry on Christians. Carry on!

Acts 2:41-47

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - June 30, 2013

*Have you ever been tempted to give up on church? Have you ever been tempted to just give up and quit? Listen to this testimony from Pastor Larry Overstreet:

*"The first Pastors Conference my wife and I attended was in 1969, and the speaker was Dr. Howard Sugden. He was the pastor of South Baptist Church in Lansing, Michigan for his entire ministry, from 1954 to 1991.

*During one of the question and answer times at the conference, he was asked, 'Pastor Sugden, have you ever been tempted to quit the ministry?' He paused just briefly. Then with a twinkle in his eye, said, 'Most every Monday.'" (1)

*When it comes to the church, sometimes we are going to be tempted to quit, and many people have. But here God's Word shows us that we need to carry on! We need to stick to it.

*The early church had this "stick-to-it" attitude. Verse 42 says: "And they CONTINUED STEADFASTLY in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers." Then vs. 46 says: "So CONTINUING daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart."

*They "continued." The idea is that the early Christians were constantly committed to persevere. They were constantly diligent with unwavering devotion. They carried on in every situation. And God wants us to carry on. Tonight's Scripture tells us how to do it.

1. First: Keep studying God's Word.

*Verse 42 tells us that the early church "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine." They stayed in the Word of God, and so should we!

[1] We should stay in God's Word first, because it had the power to save us.

*It was the Word of God that brought salvation to 3,000 people on the Day of Pentecost. Peter had preached the truth to them about Jesus Christ. We saw this back up in vs. 22-24, where Peter said:

22. "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know

23. Him, being delivered by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;

24. whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it."

*Then Peter told them how David had prophesied about Jesus in the Old Testament. And Peter got to the heart of the matter in vs. 32-38:

32. "This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.

33. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.

34. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand,

35. till I make Your enemies Your footstool.'''

36. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.''

37. Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?''

38. Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

*These 3,000 people were saved by the Word of God, and if you are saved today, so were you. How does it happen? Verses 32-38 showed us: We hear God's Word. We're touched by the Word. We turn to the Lord. We trust in the Lord. And we are transformed by the Lord.

*Now, since they were saved by the Word of God. They were bound and determined to stay in the Word of God. And we should be too!

[2] We should stay in God's Word, because it had the power to save us. And because it has the power to strengthen us.

*The Bible is God's source for our spiritual growth. In 1 Peter 2:1-2, the Apostle Peter put it this way:

1. Therefore, laying aside all malice, all guile, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,

2. as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,

*And listen to what King David said about God's Word in Psalm 19:7-11:

7. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;