How Can Our Church Survive and Thrive?
Acts 2:36-47
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Adapted from message preached at McClendon Baptist Church - Sept. 5, 2010
BACKGROUND & INTRODUCTION:
*Over the last few years, at least four Southern Baptist Churches around here have shut their doors forever. Five to ten more are in danger of dying in the next few years, unless there is a major turnaround.
*After the Southern Baptist Convention in 2008, I read more troubling news about Southern Baptist churches. “The Washington Post” and “USA Today” both had articles on recent declines in the SBC. After decades of growth, we reported losses in church membership and baptisms for the third year in a row. Baptisms were at a 20-year low in our convention.
*Outgoing SBC president Frank Page warned that within 20 years, more than half of Southern Baptist churches could die off unless things change.
-That means over 20,000 churches could close their doors. (1)
*The good news is that you and I have the power to help turn this situation around, if we will follow God’s plan for His church.
-How can we be the church God wants us to be?
-How can our church survive and thrive in the 21st century?
*To find out, let’s go back to the beginning.
-The church was born on the Day of Pentecost, 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and 10 days after the Lord went back up to Heaven.
*On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down in power, and the 120 believers flooded out into the street to proclaim the wonderful works of God.
-God miraculously gave them the power to speak in foreign languages, so people gathered from all over the world could hear the good news about Jesus.
*Then Peter began to preach, and the church exploded with new members.
-Acts 2 tells the story, and in this story we see how to be the church God wants us to be. Let’s read Acts 2:36-47.
*How can our church survive and thrive in the 21st century?
-The early church shows us how.
1. First: It’s by spreading the good news about Jesus.
*Peter reminds us of this in vs. 36 when he said: “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.’’
*Let them ALL know. Everybody needs to know:
-That Jesus is Lord!
-That He is the Savior of the world.
-That He died on the cross for our sins.
-And that He rose again from the dead.
*Then in vs. 37, everybody needs to know how to respond to Jesus: “Men and brothers. What shall we do?”
-Church, we need to speak and live so that people are compelled to ask us the same question: “What should we do about Jesus?”
*Peter had the answer in vs. 38&39:
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.”
39. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
*“Men and brothers. -- What shall we do?”
-Turn away from sin and selfishness, and turn to Jesus Christ.
-Put your trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins.
-Receive the gift of God’s Holy Spirit by receiving Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.
-Then be baptized and seek to follow Jesus in every other area of your life.
*That’s what God wants for us, for our children, for people all over our parish (county), and all over the world!
-Everybody needs to know, because God cares about everybody!
-And God wants you to help spread the good news.
*One of the best ways is simply to invite people to come to church with you.
-Studies of new church members show that the vast majority were moved to join a church because someone invited them. (2)
*I have really been blessed in my life.
-I have a wonderful family and wonderful friends.
-I have been able to serve the Lord for over 25 years.
-I got to go half-way around the world to tell people about Jesus.
-I got to lead my mother and my brother to the Lord.
-I have received countless other blessings.
-Best of all, I know Jesus as my Savior. And I am going to live forever in Heaven.
*And all of those blessings have come my way, because in 1975 Georgia Canterbury simply invited me to come to church.
-But she was really inviting me to come and meet Jesus.
-She was spreading the good news.
*Every Christian needs to help spread the good news, because everybody needs to know about Jesus. Even the youngest among us can help other people trust Jesus as Savior and Lord.
*Craig Hamlin tells about a missionary mom who talked to her children about the importance of sharing their faith with lost people.
-Then one day, ten-year old Ryan was playing race cars with his friends.
*After several minutes he came running into the house and yelled, “Mom, you’ve got to come quick. Isabelle wants to accept Jesus into her heart.”
*Mom was a little skeptical of the little girl’s sudden interest in spiritual things, and said, “Ryan, I thought you were playing race cars?” -- “We were, Mom, but our cars wrecked. The accident was real bad, so I asked Isabelle if she would go to heaven if she died. She said she didn’t know. I told her how, and she wants to ask Jesus into her heart.” (3)
*If ten-year-old Ryan can do it, so can we! Our church can survive and thrive by spreading the good news about Jesus.
2. But also by studying God’s Word.
*This is what the early church did in vs. 42: “They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
*“They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine.” -- They were consistent and conscientious about studying the Word of God.
-We must build our church on the Word of God!
-We must build our lives on the Word of God.
*There is a lifetime of spiritual food for us here in the Bible.
-And we never get to the end of needing more of His Word in our hearts.
*Dr. Eric Frykenberg was a faithful missionary to India. He spent over 50 years in Asia. One day someone asked him, “Dr. Frykenberg, what is the most difficult problem you ever faced?”
*Without hesitation, he answered, “It was when my heart would grow cold before God. When that happened, I knew I was too busy. I also knew it was time to get away. So I would take my Bible and go off to the hills alone. I’d open my Bible to Matthew 27, the story of the crucifixion. I would wrap my arms around the cross. And then, I’d be ready to go back to work.” (4)
*Church, we need to get in the Word, and wrap our hearts around the cross of Christ.
-We can survive and thrive as a church by studying God’s Word.
3. And by seeking more reverence for God.
*Vs. 43 tells us: “Then fear (i.e. Godly fear -- reverence) came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.”
*Psalm 111:10 tells us that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
-But today there is a spiritual famine of Godly fear.
*Can anybody have too much reverence for the Lord? -- Is there anyone here who thinks they have enough reverence for the Lord?
-We all need more reverence for God.
*In the early church Godly fear “came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.” The order in this verse is interesting to me. You would think that the order would be reversed: signs and wonders and then the fear.
*One good lesson for us here is this: The more reverence we have for God, the more we will see Him at work in our lives. The more reverence we have for God, the more we will see Him work in ways we never even expected.
*How can our church survive and thrive? -- By seeking more reverence for God.
4. And by sticking together.
*Notice how the early church stuck together in vs. 44-46:
44. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,
45. and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
46. 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,
*The early church stuck together with one heart and one mind, and that gave them great strength. God’s Word says as much in Ecclesiastes 4:12.
-Listen to it today from the New Living Translation: “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”
*God wants His people to stick together!
-The Apostle Paul made the same point in Phil 2:3-5, where he said:
3. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
4. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
5. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. . .
*How can our church survive and thrive? -- By sticking together.
5. And by sharing what God has given to us.
*It is inspirational to see how Christians in the early church shared with each other.
[1] In vs. 42, they shared their food and their fellowship: “They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
[2] In vs. 44&45, they also shared their time and their treasure.
44. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,
45. and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
*Understand that they were in a crisis situation here. There is no evidence that this was done in the other New Testament churches. In fact, the other churches later took up collections for the church at Jerusalem.
*But here you had a difficult and desperate situation. These people had come from all over the world for the Feast of Pentecost. They came expecting to soon go home, but when they got saved, many of them stayed. And persecution was just around the corner.
*The principle for us here is that as the Lord leads, we should generously help those who are in need.
*God wants all believers to be givers.
-Giving our time,
-Giving our talents.
-Giving our tithes and offerings.
*These early Christians shared their time and their treasure.
[3] In vs. 46, they also shared the joy of Jesus: “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.”
*That word “gladness” means they had exceeding great joy.
-The word picture is someone literally jumping for joy.
-These early Christians were overflowing with joy over all they had in Jesus Christ.
*Jim Kane said: “Joy is tuning in to what God is doing around you, seeing the world through his eyes, picking up on his delight in us as his children. Anyone can find happiness for a while. Happiness depends on what is happening to you. Joy is different; joy goes deeper. Joy is when your whole being sings because you have caught a glimpse of God at work. Joy can creep up on you and surprise you in unexpected places.” (5)
*Melvin Newland put it this way:
-“If you’re grumbling and complaining, if you’re not joyful in the Lord, it is probably a strong indication that you are not growing in the Lord.
*On the other hand, growing Christians are excited about what the Lord is doing.
-You know that He is coming again, and you’re excited about what He is going to do in His church between now and the time that He comes.
*And you’re excited about what He is going to do in your life and in your home, because growing Christians are joyful Christians.
-And growing Christians are willing Christians.
*The growing Christian says, ‘Sure, I’ll be an usher.
-Sure, I’ll help set up the chairs and tables.
-I’ll help clean up the kitchen. -- I’ll teach the class.
-I’ll be glad to do whatever needs to be done.’
*And whenever the offering plate comes, they contribute, not because their arms have been twisted.
-They give because they love God, and they’re growing in their faith.
-They give with a happy feeling because they’re part of the most important work on the face of the earth. (6)
*These early Christians shared their food and their fellowship.
-They shared their time and their treasure.
-They shared the joy of Jesus.
[4] But they also shared their prayers and their praise.
*We see the prayers in vs. 42. “They continued . . . in prayers.”
-And then in vs. 43, “fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.”
*Never underestimate the power of prayer.
-We may not have the apostles today, but we’ve got the same God!
-And He’s got the same power He’s always had!
*James Gilmour was a missionary to Mongolia who said: “Unprayed for, I feel like a diver at the bottom of a river with no connecting airline to the surface, -- or like a fireman [using] an empty hose on a burning building. With prayer, I feel like David facing Goliath.” (7)
*Remember how David felt when he faced Goliath? -- In 1 Samuel 17: 45-46, David told the giant: “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. -This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand.”
*That missionary said: “With prayer, I feel like David facing Goliath.”
-That’s the way we want to feel. -- So we need to pray for each other.
*And don’t miss the praise down in vs. 47. There they were “praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
*It is amazing to see all that these early Christians shared with each other.
-They shared their food and their fellowship.
-They shared their time and their treasure.
-They shared the joy of Jesus.
-They shared their prayers and their praise.
*In short, they shared their lives and their love.
-That’s what God wants us to do! -- Will you do it?
-It will surely help our church to survive and thrive!
*Christians, let’s commit to do all of these things as we go to God in prayer.
-And if you have never trusted in Jesus, pray with us and open your heart to the Lord.
1. Sources:
Southern Baptist Decline and God’s Bottom Line
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/undergod/2008/12/southern_baptist_decline_and_g.html
Southern Baptist evangelism plan facing setbacks - By Bob Smietana, The Tennessean - Posted 12/18/2008 7:42 PM
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2008-12-18-southern-baptist_N.htm?csp=34
2. Harold H. Lentz, Preaching The Miracles, CSS Publishing, Lima, Ohio, 1999 - (Adapted from 09/07/03 online illustration from Sermonillustrations.com)
3. SermonCentral sermon “Five Things We Must Do To Reach People with the Gospel” by Craig Hamlin - Luke 19:1-10
4. Robert Morgan - “Real Stories for the Soul” - “Nelson Stories”
5. SermonCentral illustration: “Tasting the Fruit” - contributed by Jim Kane
6. Adapted from SermonCentral sermon “Purpose: Building Up Christians” by Melvin Newland - Eph 4:11-16
7. Found in Sermons.com sermon “You Will Not Leave My Soul in Hell” - Psalm 16; Dan 12:1-13; Heb 10:11-18; 31-39
