Evangelist Herman E. Wesley III
LORD MAKE US A STRONG CHURCH
Acts 4:23-31 (NIV)
The Text
On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
" 'Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.
Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
INTRODUCTION
As the Lord has blessed each one of us to enter into a new year, 2010, I have been in prayer and have found myself very contemplative about the healthy and consistent spiritual growth of this congregation. Looking back over 2009, it is probably evident to all who seek to view things with a spiritual focus, that we have allowed our intensity to wane, our commitment to decrease, and our creativity to be compromised by a preoccupation with the things of this world, and a misappropriation of priorities. What’s really important. When I use the term, “misappropriation of priorities,” I simply mean that those of us who have been baptized into Christ did so willingly, not under physical threat or compulsion, other than that of the Holy Spirit. we voluntarily committed our lives to Christ, and, using a spiritual metaphor, put our hands to the plow. It is important to note here the words of Jesus, when He says in Luke 9:62:
"No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
As a matter of fact, The Word of God is clear on this subject of falling back into the pattern of the world being distasteful to God, for Peter writes to the early church in 2 Peter 2:20-22:
“If they (speaking of Christians) have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud."
And, so then, it is safe to conclude that the will of God is not that we would get in the church, and maintain the same lifestyle, values and actions that identified us before we were voluntarily and willingly baptized into Christ. We are to be witnesses to the world of Who Christ is, What Christ offers and Why a Life apart from Him is a life that is without power, and without hope and without promise.
No matter how high your bank account, how large your home, how prestigious your accomplishments, without Christ, your life is nothing!
No matter how big your heart, how generous your spirit, how deep your love, without Christ, your life is nothing! Are you hearing what I’m saying?
No matter how deep your thoughts and how profound your conclusions, without Christ your life is nothing!
And to have Christ in your life correctly dictates that you have a healthy, abiding, spirit-filled, cooperative and progressive relationship with His Church! His Church is important, His Church is necessary, and His Church is the vehicle where God shapes you and makes you and equips you and challenges you to serve!
What good is a father, who serves everyone outside his house, but won’t lift a finger to serve those in his house? What good is a mother, who nurtures the young in her community, but won’t nurture the young in her house? What good is a child, who shows respect and understanding, who takes directions from those in the street, but refuses to take directions from those who are called to care for them in their own house? God demands from us solid, consistent growth! He has given us spiritual leaders to assist us in this journey! He has sent His Son to provide hope, sacrificed His Son to provide redemption, and given His Son a seat on His Right Hand to give us power. God wants, indeed, God needs a strong church, and the prayer of NorthPointe in 2010 is, “Lord, Make Us A Strong Church!”
We don’t have to be a big church, but please, Lord, make us a Strong Church! We don’t have to be a rich church, but, please Lord, make us a Strong Church! We don’t have to be a popular church, but for Christ’s sake, Lord, please, please make us a Strong Church!
Strong in our Understanding! Strong in Our Commitment! Strong in our Declaration and Proclamation of the Gospel!
Let’s go to our selected text, and I want to give you a quick overview of what I see revealed there. Peter and John, both apostles of Jesus Christ, set in the church of Christ at Jerusalem, had been arrested. They were arrested because they were preaching Jesus, and the resurrection of the dead. They were arrested, because the opportunity to preach was gained when God, through his servants Peter and John, who were going about their typical routine, was given an opportunity to heal a man who sat by the temple gates, asking alms of the people as they went in. However, as a result of their preaching an unpopular message, many who heard them preach the word believed, (verse 4) and about five thousand men were added to their number, which means that now, because of the 3,000 in Acts 2, the church is numbering well over 8,000 members. Peter and John have been placed in jail, but were given an opportunity to stand before the Sanhedrin, which was a type of Supreme Court for the Jews. Before the Sanhedrin, they did not waver. They acknowledged the power of God, made manifest in the one who was healed. They then declared their intention to continue preaching Jesus, even in the face of opposition, for they understood, according to verse 12 of chapter 4, that the name of Jesus must be preached, “for there is none other name under heaven, given among men, by which we must be saved.” Point number one,
I. LORD, MAKE US A STRONG CHURCH IN OUR UNDERSTANDING.
Somehow, we must understand that the cause of Christ has to be made manifest to the world through our actions. I understand that Christ has no feet but mine. Christ has no hands but mine. Christ has no mouth but mine. Christ has no income or resources but mine. Now, am I being sacrilegious when I say this, for indeed, God says if I needed money, I wouldn't ask you! All the gold and silver in the mines is mine (Haggai 2:8). Again, if he were hungry, he declares in the 50th Psalm, I would not tell you! Why? Because every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills (verse 10).
What God says, contextually in Psalms 50, is that He doesn’t NEED our sacrifices to survive, but He desires them because they show our understanding of Who He is, and why He is worthy of our sacrifice.
My youngest son, Christian, loves french fries. He can eat them night and day, any meal, any time. Because I am aware of this, every now and then, I stop by McDonald’s and I get him some fries. When I get home, his face lights up, because Daddy got him some fries. I gladly give them to him, and every now and then I might say, “Christian, let me have a fry.”
Now, here’s where understanding comes in.
He can say, “sure Dad,” and bring me the fries, and let me get as much as I want. He can pull out A fry, and say, “Here, Dad.” Or he can exercise another option...”Dawg, Daddy....if you wanted some why didn’t you just get some?” Now, my question to this audience is this. Do I NEED that fry?
Let’s review.
I drove to McDonald’s. I stepped up to the counter and placed the order. I reached into my wallet and gave cash to the cashier. I drove home. I called him, and lovingly gave the fries to him. And now, watch this, all of this was done in the context of me thinking about Christian, and how happy he would be when he got this blessing. Surely he ought to not have a second thought about giving me a fry! I could have bought as many orders as my resources would have allowed, and brothers and sisters, God’s resources never run out...that’s why He says, “all the cattle is mine! All the gold is mine! All the silver is mine!” It’s not that God NEEDS you, but rather an understanding on your part, and on my part, that we ought to show a spirit of Thanksgiving and Appreciation for all that we have and all that we are and we ought to be willing to sacrifice what He gives us to His Glory!
Look at our spiritual kin-folk in our text!
Being threatened by folk who could actually do something, this was their response when they were told they couldn’t talk about Jesus anymore:
But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." After further threats they let them go.
To “obey you...rather than God!” What an understanding!
God says, “Be faithful.” (Revelation 2:10) Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. Are you obeying God?
God says, “Be diligent.” (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV) But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Are you obeying God? God says, “Be different.” (I Peter 2:9 KJV) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; Are you obeying God?
God says, “Walk like you got good sense, make good use of your time, know what I expect of you, and maintain the right spirit of thankfulness and submission in the church.” (Ephesians 5:15-21 NIV) Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. It’s the Lord’s will that you faithfully attend service, bible classes and that you are involved in those extra-curricular affairs of the church that are designed for your spiritual enrichment! It’s the Lord’s will that you support the work of the local church by being present and available for ministry, outreach and evangelism! It’s the Lord’s will that we interact with each other in such a way that we can, sincerely and empathetically, weep with those who weep, mourn with those who mourn and rejoice with those who rejoice. It’s the Lord’s will that we pray for one another, encourage one another, exhort one another and provoke each other to do good works! Do you understand what the will of the Lord is!? Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Are you obeying God?
God says, “I don’t know what to do with you...you ain’t on fire, you ain’t ice cold, you’re just lukewarm; not really bad, but not really good; not really in, but not really out; not really with me, but not really against me!” Let me assure you, saints of God, that’s not safe ground! (Revelation 3:15-16 NIV) Jesus says... I know your deeds, (Are you hearing what I’m saying NorthPointe? Jesus knows it all! I know your thoughts, I know your patterns, I know your psyche, I know your excuses, I know your hangups, I know your issues...) I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth! Coffee is best hot, and beer is best cold! Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about! Are you obeying God?
LORD, MAKE US A STRONG CHURCH IN OUR COMMITMENT.
The church is so important to Christ that He built it (Matthew 16:18):
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
The church is so important to Christ that he purchased it, or bought it, with His own blood (Acts 20:28):
Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
The church is so important to Christ that He is the Head of it (Ephesians 1:22-23):
And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
The church is so important to Christ that His relationship with the church is compared to a man’s relationship with his wife, and He’s coming back for it (Ephesians 5:22-32):
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
If we are to be a strong church, we MUST be a committed church!
Now fasten your seatbelts, because we are about to hit some turbulence...this plane ride is about to get bumpy, but I’ve already filed this flight plan with Jesus, and we got a good path ahead of us, but we gonna have to go through this here storm.... Brother and sisters of the NorthPointe Church. If you don’t want to be committed for yourself, think about your children. It is a biblical command; not a suggestion or spiritual advisement, but a biblical command, in Ephesians 6:1-4:
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
We, generally, want our children to do better than us, but we also want them to have a springboard, or starting point, by looking at our example, and imitating us. I am mighty afraid that if we don’t get a good understanding of how important commitment to Christ and His church is, the church we end up with tomorrow won’t be any stronger than the church we have today. Now, for some of you, what I just said doesn’t even matter, because you already know you’re not going to get any better, you’re not going to be any more committed...and you are going to pass that spiritual DNA, that spiritual geneticism, those spiritual traits, down to your children. Your children are gonna need Christ throughout their lives, and if you don’t press that now, you may very well regret it later.
If you understand the need to teach your child how to brush their teeth, how to comb their hair, how to wash their face...
If you understand the need to teach your child how to treat a woman, how to be honest, and how to work for a living...
you ought to understand that you need to teach your child:
how to serve the Lord, how to be faithful to the church and how to be committed to Biblical Principles.
You can’t half attend church, and expect your child to do better.
You can’t ignore what the preacher says and expect your child to do better.
You can’t come in late, week after week, and yet tell your child how they have to be on time for school, how you have to be on time for work, and yet your actions show that church is nothing more than a ritualistic exercise that really has no meaning because you come when you want to, as late as you want to, and you don;t actively participate but you are an “innocent bystander”, a spiritual spectator! There’s nothing innocent about that!
That child you have is a gift from God, and God wants a place in your child’s life!
Lil Wayne can’t save your child!
Mary J. Blige can’t save your child!
Drake can’t save your child!
Keri Hilson can’t save your child!
If your child can quote more rap than Bible, something is dreadfully wrong!
The Bible is right! Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. I’ve given you enough for today, and I will give you our last point next week and tie this together with our key text, that is LORD MAKE US STRONG IN OUR DECLARATION AND PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL. But let me admonish you today, NorthPointe, that I know things will get better. Wherever there is struggle, there comes victory. Wherever there is pain, there comes joy. Wherever there is strife, there comes unity. The Psalmist said it like this...Weeping May Endure for a Night, But Joy Cometh in the Morning.
CONCLUSION
LORD, MAKE US...THE POTTER AND THE CLAY. WE ARE BUT CLAY IN THE HANDS OF THE MIGHTY POTTER. INDIVIDUALLY. COLLECTIVELY. MAKE US. SHAPE US. BEAT US. MOLD US. UNTIL WE ARE WHAT YOU NEED US TO BE. HELP US TO REMAIN MALLEABLE. EASY TO WORK WITH. LET YOUR WILL BE DONE IN OUR LIVES, AND TEACH US, IN ALL THINGS, TO GLORIFY YOUR NAME. FOR YOU ARE WORTHY, LORD.
SO IT IS WRITTEN. SO LET IT BE DONE.
