Acts Pt4- Devotion and Service
Opening Comments
P Tony, K Malone, P Mario- challenged us- offerings.
Review/Recap
Gospel of Luke, Acts- both written by Luke-
Luke- living picture of Christ as seen in history
Acts- picture of work of HS- Jerusalem/nations.
Acts- beginning of the life/mission of the church.
Acts helps us to see how everyday men/women took their faith and applied it- practically lived it out.
Biggest gap in the church today is between that which we know and what we practice.
We saw how expectation opens-human heart to receive.
Beggar- his expectations resulted in him leaving- place of a beggar/repositioning himself as- worshipper.
Too often we position ourselves as beggars and not possessors of God’s Life.
We looked at the death of Ananias and Sapphira-
With discipleship comes responsibility.
In Christ there is both mercy and justice.
Current Application
Act 5.17-20
Life- zoe- zoology- principle of life- man/animal-
ultimately in this occurrence- life in the absolute sense, life as God has life, the life of Christ.
Jn 5:26 “For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself;
Jn 3:15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
Through faith- we become possessors of God’s life.
Principle of life- has become controversial in society-
Mississippi- life at fertilization or personhood initiative recently defeated- defined- person to include “every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning, or the functional equivalent thereof.” Some confusion over wording- divided Christians- part of- problem- inconsistent worldview. Some felt too extreme- what about pregnancy from rape or a child w/birth defects or a mother not able to take care of a child? Ask the question: at what point in the womb is it okay to kill a baby? If you believe life begins at conception (unique individual exists at the point of fertilization), there is no justification for killing a baby in the womb- it is a person. Life of a person- protected- God/constitution. The rights of a woman do not make it right to take the life of another person.
Pastor Mario said-
Ideas have consequences. Thoughts are responsible for our actions.
Some Christian’s believe- church should not be involved in- political arena- Bible has answers- every area-
Every law passed, every executive order written, every bureaucratic regulation- has either a moral implication or supports a particular world view.
All laws, regulate morality- the question is whose morality/worldview will determine our laws?
Church- ekklesia- assembly of people to establish affairs of state- church called to govern culture.
Show Worldview Video
Quote by Dr. Del Tackett-
If we do not know the true claims of God, we take the claims of the world as truth.
In Rom 1.25- exchange the truth of God for a lie
Next year- 12 wk DVD series- Truth Project- worldview.
Act 6.1-7 read
v6.2
Neglect- to leave behind, to forsake or abandon.
Apostles- understood- could not build the church and neglect hearing God’s Word- what is God saying?
Can also apply to- study/ministry of God’s written Word.
