INTRODUCTION
A. Began Series “Accomplishing The Vision” March 1
1. “Offer God Your Best” – Mark 14:3-11
a. Saw the Principle that God will use Our Best to Accomplish His Purpose b. We must be available.
2. “Are You Robbing God” – Malachi 3:7-12
a. Reminded that God expects us to take care of his house
b. Saw the Principle of trusting God with all
c. His return to us will be “beyond our imagination”
3. “Victory in Disguise” – Joshua 8:1-7
a. Saw that “Closed Doors” are not times of defeat but victory in disguise
b. Saw from Joshua
1. God has a Plan – We must trust his hand
2. God has a Purpose – We must trust his heart
3. God has made a Promise – We must Seek him with our best
B. Today We End Series – Looking Where It Began – Acts 2
1. 1st Church began 2k years ago to grow, mature, and provide for those given
2. NHBC began 3 years ago to grow, mature, and provide to those given to us
3. 1st Church began with a small group of 120 and grew to over 15K
4. NHBC began with small group of 40 – Where will we end?
C. Peter’s 1st Church & 1st Sermon – His close
1. Read Acts 2:36 – “whom YOU crucified”
3. Read Acts 2:37 – “cut to the heart”
a. Convicted of their sins knowing Christ was the Savior
b. “What must we do?”
4. Read Acts 2:38 – “Repent & Be Baptized”
a. “Repent”- Realize your sin – Make a Turn – Trust Christ
b. “Baptized” – First step of obedience – Dead to sin – Alive in Chirst
c. “Gift of H.S.”
5. Read Acts 2:39 – “for all who are far off” – Applies to US
John 6:65 (NIV)
65 "No one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."
** Has God called you into conviction?
a. YOU PUT HIM THERE
b. Does it CUT YOU TO THE HEART?
c. Does it STILL cut us to the heart?
d. 37 – “what shall we do” – What are you asking today? Have you arrived?
6. Read Acts 2:40-41 – PETER’S VISION AND MISSION
a. Vs. 1:14 - Now what they prayed for has happened
- Every church must be bathed in prayer
b. Now they must grow, mature, and provide for those entrusted to them
c. That was their Vision and Their Purpose
D. Transition
1. It began with 120 in the Upper Room constantly praying for the new church.
2. Day of Pentecost arrives and Peter and the 11 go to church! Oh what a service!
3. The Holy Spirit began to anoint the place – READ 2.2-4
a. “blowing of a violent wind” – wasn’t the wind but the sound
b. “tongues of fire” resting on each – again wasn’t but appeared as though
c. “filled with H.S.” in other languages
4. What a beginning! The Holy Spirit was REIGNING
5. The Reign of the Spirit led to 4 practices necessary to “Accomplish the Vision” God gave to Peter.
6. The same 4 Practices Apply to Us Today
1. Teaching
2. Fellowship
3. Worship
4. Evangelism
READ ACTS 2:42-47
Before we get into the 4 Practices Necessary of a Vision Specific Church, let’s understand the underlying principle laid out in this passage:
READ VS 42a
42- “devoted themselves”
Literal reading:
- “they were continually devoting themselves to…”
- term sets up the characteristics of the church where the spirit reigns
Didn’t start at the moment they were saved and then stop. It continued!
I. VS. 42: “CONTINUALLY DEVOTED TO TEACHING”
These 3,000 baby Christians were continually devoting themselves to God’s Word!
A. Continually Devoted to the “Teaching of God’s Word”
1. Being filled with the Spirit and Being filled with God’s Word go together!
2. A hunger for God’s Word allows the Holy Spirit to fill ones life – if devoted
B. Colossians 3:16-17
1. “teach and admonish each other” – encourage, strengthen, and admonish
2. Notice the attitude of worship it describes – “sing with gratude in your heart”
3. “whatever you do… do it all in the name of Lord Jesus…giving thanks”
4. A LIFE CONTINUALLY DEVOTED TO GOD’S WORD THROUGH CHRIST
C. 1 Peter 2:2
1. “Like newborn babes, crave Spiritual milk so you may grow up”
2. One who is continually devoted to God’s Word – craving spiritual milk, will GROW UP!
D. APPLICATION
1. When the Spirit reigns, God’s people continually devote themselves to the study of His Word.
2. That is the 1st Characteristic
3. 2 Timothy 2:15
“do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the Word of God”
4. Don’t just be a Bible-Believing church, but allow the Holy Spirit to work in your life through continual devotion to be a Bible-Living Church!
II. CONTINUALLY DEVOTED TO “FELLOWSHIP”
Not only were they continually devoted to learning God’s Word but they continually devoted themselves to THE FELLOWSHIP.
READ VERSE 42 “to the fellowship”
A. Fellowship – “Koinonia”- “koin-on-ia”
1. 1st Occurrence: Did not exist before the giving of the HS at Pentecost.
2. Root means “commonness” or “commonality”
* Every time this word is used in the NT, it denotes some kind of sharing –sharing something with someone. Here in Acts, the emphasis of the word is on the giving of something.
READ VERSE 44-45
1. Does not mean that they sold everything they had (46 “broke bread in their houses”)
2. The early church rested on a mutual generosity and sharing in order to take care of each other needs.
3. TRUE fellowship cost something. Not punch and cookies!
B. Example of the Macedonian Church in 2 Cor 8
1. The believers in Corinth had been collecting money to help the poor in Jerusalem.
2. Paul in 1st Corinthians began to ask the Corinthians to set aside money each week for this purpose.
3. The Macedonian church was a very poor church and Paul had not intended to ask them for help.
4. 8.4 – they begged for the privilege of helping:
(literal) “sharing in this service ‘koinonia’ to the saints”.
5. 8.5 - “did not do as we expected” – they exceeded expectations.
6. Through their needs they were not able. But (vs. 5) in keeping with God’s will – they were able to “accomplish all things through Christ who gives me strength!” AND THEY DID
Fellowship – True Fellowship – Koinonia Cost Us Something!
III. CONTINUALLY DEVOTED TO “WORSHIP” – VS. 42
They were continually devoted to God’s Word, to The Fellowship, and to worship. This worship consisted of two Areas:
A. The Breaking of Bread
Whether or not The Lord’s Supper and/or the Love Feast is questionable.
1. The Love Feast was a meal provided to promote the principle of love among Christians.
2. The Lord’s Supper reminded each other of the love of Christ.
3. Both also go hand in hand with THE Fellowship – Koinonia
B. Prayer – Literal Reading is “The Prayers”
1. Not hit and miss but Continual Prayers
2. READ Phil 4:6-8
3. Are we continually devoted to the Prayers?
4. McGee “I’m afraid in the average church, prayer is the evident weakness which it should be it’s greatest asset.”
5. Right now pushing for new participates of CARELINE and a NEW Prayer TEAM and have receive NO INTEREST
6. Do we understand the importance of continual worship through the prayers of the people?
C. Worship of God Enabled God to Bless
1. Principle is Obvious
2. By their attitude of worshipping God with their best, God used them to accomplish His Plan for the church.
3. God was able to use their best to provide for their needs
4. Verses 43-46
IV. EVANGELISM
They were continually devoted to God’s Word through teaching, Fellowship, Worship, and finally EVANGELISM.
VERSE 47
A. Our Relation to the World is “IN” and not “OF”
1. We are in the world – not OF the world.
2. They praised God for all He had done
3. Received “favor” of all the people.
4. The LORD added to their number “daily”
B. It’s Not US that will grow this church – It is God Using US to Grow His Church
The church under the rule of the Holy Spirit is devoted to teaching, fellowship, and worship, and EVANGELISM flows forth as a result.
SUMMARY
What happens in the church where the Spirit Reigns?
1. When the Spirit reigns, believers relate to the Word – Teaching.
2. When the Spirit reigns, believers relate to Each Other – Koinonia
3. When the Spirit reigns, believers relate to God – Worship
4. When the Spirit reigns, believers relate to the World – Evangelism
That’s what God DID for the 3,000 and what He WANTED them to do for Him!
This is also what He wants to DO FOR US & what He wants US TO DO FOR HIM!
Verse 46 presents such a perfect picture of the Vision Specific Church!
Verse 47 shows the Result of the Vision Specific Church God’s Way
From ACTS 2:42 WE RECEIVED OUR VISION:
“Growing the Kingdom One At A Time”
To Accomplish that Vision, Our Mission –
OUR CONNECTION TO THE COMMUNITY OF FAITH IS:
1. Choosing Priorities as Prescribed by God
2. Casting Vision To All
3. Christ Centered in All Ministry
ARE WE A SPIRIT REIGNED CHURCH?
