BIG Days
Acts 2:41-47
http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/BIGDays.html
Our church has had many ‘big days’ over the years. Special promotions and theme days are a fun way to boost enthusiasm and attendance. We’ve had ‘baby day’, ‘old fashioned day’, ‘pack a pew Sunday’, and ‘Friend Day.’ And lately I’ve been trying to work on themes for our big month of August challenge. But you know, I don’t believe that’s what God wants us to do this time…because we are having big days right now! Usually churches encounter the summer slump, but this summer we’ve had people getting saved and joining the church almost every week, and more planned today! We’ve had revival meetings, but I’ll tell you what’s better is to have real revival, and I believe we’re in the midst of it right now!
This is a big day, but not like v. 41…that was a huge day [3,000 saved!]. We’re praying and watching for that day in the near future, but in the meanwhile, and afterward, to have days like v. 47 [the Lord adding to the church daily] is just fine!
Dynamics of a Great Church:
• A Converted Membership
v. 41/47 The LORD did it, it was genuine!
The lost are welcome, invited, even honored here, and…they’ll be instructed in their greatest need: how to be born again!
If you need to be saved, this is your big day…there’s no better day to be born again than today.
In v. 41 they got saved, then baptized [if Steve R. could submit to baptism, so can you!]
Converted membership…
• Constant Ministry
Notice what happened right after they got saved:
v. 42 That rings my bell…because the test of a great church is not just how many decisions are there, but are they continuing? Do they stick? Are they growing, developing? They CONTINUED! Not only were they baptized, but they were discipled, they became faithful, and began reaching others themselves. Fruit began growing on these new trees, and growth is the proof that you have been born again and that you are alive!
Adrian Rogers: “If nothing happened to you after you walked the aisle, then nothing happened to you WHEN you walked the aisle!”
We’re seeing big days…dozens are doing discipleship, and many more are just about to begin. It’s really happening here, and I want to make the case to you this morning that God is in this, and if He is in this place, you should be too!
A healthy ministry enjoys: [avoid being anemic!]
1. Ongoing Teaching*
v. 42 doctrine [lit. “teaching”]
1 Pet 2:2
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
It’s exciting seeing people wanting to learn, desiring preaching, laying aside excuses and making it a priority, setting aside the time, driving a distance, and showing their serious by making up what they miss online!
2. Fellowship*
v. 42 comes from Greek word Koinonia = to have in common
Fellowship is “2 fellows in the same ship!”
If a believer wants to be right w/ God and grow, they HAVE to be around other believers to encourage them…no coal can remain hot if it’s alone, away from other coals!
Ill.—man asked preacher: “Can you go to heaven w/out going to church?” He replied, “Sure, [man was about to congratulate him when he continued…] but why would you want to?”
I wouldn’t want to try to live the Christian life by myself! Too hard! Just because it’s possible doesn’t mean it’s probable, and it certainly wouldn’t be very enjoyable.
Joke—2 hicks in the field saw airplane over head, had never been on one…1st said, I’d hate to be way up yonder in that airplane/other said, yeah, but I’d hate to be up thar w/out it!
In scripture, believers are always pictured together as:
Sheep in a flock: if divided, they are an easy target for the roaming lion, Satan…he’s just looking for that one that says, I don’t need the flock” [that’s a baaaaad attitude!]
Soldiers in an army: cuz we’re in a war…and the safest place to be is in your unit, w/ your C/O…don’t get separated or you could be taken captive by the enemy!
We need fellowship! One thing I love about ours here is that the ground is level…cliques are a thing of the past, and by God’s grace and continuing efforts they should remain in the past…we’re open to the rich as well as the poor / educated, uneducated / cultured, uncultured / yard-saleing, good-willing and the Von Maur’s / blue-collar, white collar / you don’t have to be a big shot to come here, but if you are one, come on, you need Jesus, and you need fellowship! / you don’t have to be part of the upper crust [besides, the upper crust is just a bunch of crumbs held together by dough!]
Thank God for a church where the ground is level!
“Nobody is anybody but everybody is somebody!”
Obey your thirst…how much of God is enough for you? Small, medium, or large? AM, PM, Wed. nite, Sunday School! We need some people to step up to the next level and say, Super-size it, baby, I can’t get enough of my God / His Word / His people / doctrine / teaching / fellowship…
3. Prayer*
42b We can try education, we’ll see what education can do / science / technology / industry / programs / promotions…but try prayer and you’ll see what God can do!
Ill.—have devotions: Now your conversation with God is a 2 way street!
Prayer moves the hand that moves the world! We see later in Acts: The angel fetched Peter out of prison, but it was prayer fetched the angel.
Fellowship, teaching, prayer…
4. Participation*
v. 43-44 They didn’t sit back and let the apostles do it, they ALL got involved. Each one shouldered their part of the load, each according to their ability, they had all things common, each one was witnessing and inviting others to join them, each was in the rotation for nursery, kids’ ministries, each was at the work day, each one tithed and did their fair share!
Many churches are like a NFL football game…50k spectators who desperately need exercise watching 22 people work, who desperately need rest!
v. 45 This is not a mandate for the church, this was a temporary situation based on special circumstances. These 3,000 who just got saved were Jewish, and when they were born again, they would lose their jobs, be persecuted, be disowned by family members. Still today, when an orthodox Jew converts and is born again, becoming a Messianic Jew, the family has a ceremony like a funeral, declaring that one to be dead!
Their circumstances demanded sacrifice, and sometimes ours do! We all should do our part w/ the tithe! The bottom line on bringing on a great man to our staff like Bro. Mike will be the money…and so we’ve started a Bro. Mike fund you can specify offerings toward to help keep him on longer than one month. These are special times and they call for special measures!
All they had was at God’s disposal…how about you? Your time / talents / treasure?
A successful church must have converted membership/constant ministry…
• Continual multiplication
Acts 1:15
And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)
Acts 2:41
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. Acts 4:4
Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
Acts 6:7
And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
We’re about 120…do you wanna stay that way? Me neither. And I don’t believe God kept these doors open 6 years ago for no reason. I don’t believe He’s raised up this group gathered here today for no reason. I don’t believe He’s given us the pews behind you for no reason.
The foundation is laid, and the big days are upon us. The Lord is adding daily to the church, and we need some really big days to meet the challenge.
So, there are no themes for this challenge, but there are some goals:
• 10 people saved
• 10 people baptized
• 10 new disciplers
• 10 new families
• 10 more tithing units
• Everyone taking a step up
Some of those may be here today already, and many we’ll need to go out and bring in. How many believe we can realize these goals?
http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/BIGDays.html
