A Church that Glorifies God
Is one that trusts in His Sovereignty
Is one that walks in Unity
Is one that lives in Integrity
Part 1
The church Recognizes God’s Sovereignty – Acts 4:23-31
The church Receives God’s Unity – Acts 4:32-37
The church Reflects God’s Integrity – Acts 5:1-11
Slide 1
Good morning. Welcome to church.
Have you ever thought about what it means to be the church?
I know some of you have, because we talk about it a lot.
And I talk to other pastors and people often about church.
I know that many of the pastors I speak with desire to be a church that glorifies the Lord.
But what is it that makes a church that glorifies God?
Now certainly a church that glorifies God is going to be focused on His Commission.
We see that in the gospels and even in Acts 1 that we are to be witnesses for Christ to the ends of the earth making disciples, baptizing disciples and teaching disciples.
That is the mission of every church.
Now even though that is the mission of every church, it doesn’t seem that every church is doing the same thing, in the same way.
Now, even though I think there is a lot of flexibility in how church is done, you can’t just do anything. You can’t just do whatever you want and then make it ok by sharing the facts of the gospel at the end of a message.
What are some of the key distinctives that makes one church a church that glorifies the Lord versus a “church” that is not really glorifying the Lord in being the church?
That is what we are going to be looking at over the next couple of weeks as we continue on in our series, The Church unleashed.
Slide
We see in the book of Acts how God used the church powerfully for his glory and that the early church was one that truly glorified him in their conduct.
Let’s see what we can learn in what we can do to be a church the glorifies the Lord.
Now being a church that glorifies the Lord does not depend on what is going on around us. The early church had good and bad circumstances but it is as they respond to their circumstances that we can
see a church that glorifies the Lord and
learn to be a church that glorifies the Lord.
Transition
Now over the past several weeks, we have seen some of the good and not so good circumstances the early church faced.
We saw that the church was growing exponentially! Several thousand people had come to trust in Christ and follow Him as the Apostles and believers were proclaiming the Good News of Christ’s death and resurrection for their sins.
On the other hand, there were people who were not happy and the Apostles were arrested and ordered not to preach in Jesus name any longer.
You had both good and not so good circumstances going on at the same time.
Hickory Creeks Circumstances
At Hickory Creek, and at many churches, you can find similar circumstances, both good and not so good.
This year, from a ministry perspective, has started out great.
We have just had our best attended month ever with our average attendance for each weekend in January surpassing 600.
We had our Back to Basics 2 weeks ago and had 43 people come out to find out more about Hickory Creek.
We have added 27 new members to the church since the beginning of the year.
Last week we had 5 people baptized and I have 5 more than have already expressed a desire to follow the Lord in obedience to baptism.
We are working at getting ready to build a new ministry addition that will give us 70% more space in our ministry area than we currently have.
We have seen people make sacrifices financially, and in the use of their gifts so we can better minister to others and see God’s Kingdom expanded and advanced!
Some truly amazing things that God is doing in our midst!
But even so, there are struggles as well.
I just preached a memorial service for the father of one of our members this week.
Due to our rapid growth, there is a lot of pressures placed on our staff and volunteers..
People continue to face difficult circumstances with jobs, sicknesses and relational struggles.
We are trying to figure out how we are going to continue to do the ministry we have been doing in the midst of construction.
So while we have good things happening, many are also facing difficulties and some challenges similar to the early church.
Let’s see how the early church resonded to different circumstances so we can learn how to be a church that glorifies God like they were.
So let’s begin reading in Acts 4:23 and see what we can learn.
Slide
Just to catch you up in what has been going on, we have seen
Peter and John heal a man crippled from birth and then they are called in front of the Sanhedrin to account for this and kept captive overnight and told not to keep preaching in Jesus name.
So let’s see what happens next and how the church responds to these circumstances.
Let’s read
Acts 4:23-31
23 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. 24 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. 25 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?
26 The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the Lord
and against his Anointed One.'
27 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. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
31 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.
Ok, Let’s pause here a moment and pray.
Here we see that a
The Church that glorifies God is one that
Trusts in His Sovereignty
Slide
Even in difficulties, the church prayed and recognized God’s sovereignty in the midst of their situation.
They recognized that the people conspired against Jesus and that this is what had been decided beforehand should happen.
God is sovereign all of the time, even during situations that are not good from a human perspective.
This is a hard concept for people to grasp.
That when bad things happen, God is still in control and still sovereign.
But the Scriptures confirm it.
Isaiah 46:10
Slide
I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.
Psalm 33:11 - the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.
He knows and is in control of all
that has happened,
that is happening,
that will happen and in fact, by his creating the world, has ordained that it will happen.
This fact does not at all mean
that God is responsible for sin or
that man is not responsible for the real choices he makes.
We see in the Scriptures as well that man can make real choices.
Joshua, near the end of his life, encourages people to choose to follow the Lord.
Joshua 24:15
Slide
“choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."
Joshua told people to choose.
The Apostles tell people to turn and repent and believe, to choose Christ.
So we see that while men have been given responsibility and ability to make choices, we still have a God who is completely sovereign!
Hard to reconcile
While we have trouble reconciling how both can be true, we need to understand our limited ability to understand God.
The Lord tells in
Isaiah 55:8-9
Slide
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
God is far above us and we are limited beings with a limited ability to understand.
But even if we cannot understand it all,
let’s not diminish God’s complete sovereignty or
His creation by denying their responsibility in the real choices they are given to make.
The apostles don’t do either of those things.
They don’t cry out to God when it is hard and blame Him for what is going on.
Instead, they
recognize His Sovereignty and
the responsibility of those who chose to conspire against him,
and then they ask for strength and boldness to do what will glorify Him, even if it means suffering!
Application
What about you?
Maybe you are in a situation right now that is hard.
Maybe you are wondering,
How long is this going to go on?
Lord why don’t you change my circumstance? Or
Lord, how could you let this occur if you are really in control!
Honestly, I can’t tell you that I know all the reasons that people face different circumstances or even how God is going to work through certain circumstances.
Sometimes there doesn’t seem to me to be any good reason.
That is when I have to recognize that God’s ways are higher than mine and that God has an eternal view rather than my limited earthly view.
And I choose to trust Him and His sovereign control and I ask for strength to continue to move forward.
That is what they apostles do.
They ask for strength and trust Him to be true to His word.
They are saying what Paul tells us in
Romans 8:28
Slide
“we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Trust in God’s sovereignty in the circumstances you are facing and ask for strength and power to glorify Him in the midst of it and God will work it
for your eternal good and
for His eternal glory.
Transition
So a church that Glorifies God is one that trusts in His sovereignty, but a church that glorifies God is also one that…
Walks in Unity
Slide 4
Acts 4:32-37
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34 There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.
36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet.
These believers were facing difficult times and as they prayed and recognized that God was in control and trusted Him, they were unified.
They were of one heart and mind
They gave as the Lord prospered them.
There was nobody saying,
Hey, I have done my part, it is time for someone else to step up.
Through prayer and obedience, they were keeping their focus on Christ, not on what the others were doing or not doing and they received a bond of unity.
Romans 15:5-6
Slide
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 4:2-3
2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
When we are
following the Lord, and
putting the Lord first in our life,
He is going to guide us and direct us and as everyone is doing that, there is going to be a unity that can only come from the Lord.
Apply
I think we are experiencing some of that right now at Hickory Creek. As we move forward with what God wants us to do, there is a recognition and spirit of unity that is here about what needs to go on, that we do need to add some space even as we know that it will be challenging during the construction process.
While it is an exciting time to be able to be growing and expanding, and as there is a unity of purpose in what God has called us to do, I will tell you that this is when Satan will attack.
But even though Satan will attack, we can thwart those attacks
by resisting the Devil,
by fleeing and finding the way out from temptation,
by putting on the full armor of God and standing firm.
But the reality is, is that not all will resist his attacks. There will be some who give into the Devil’s schemes and ways. It is in those times that we can also be a church that glorifies the Lord by doing what the early church did.
We need to be a church that
Lives with Integrity
Slide
Look at the beginning of chapter 5.
Acts 5:1-11
1 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet.
3 Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God."
5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.
7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, "Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?"
"Yes," she said, "that is the price."
9 Peter said to her, "How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also."
10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
Some of us may read this and say, Whoa! That is pretty harsh!
Often at the beginning of God ushering in a new chapter in the unfolding history of salvation and God’s work, there often accompanies with that, great power and serious judgment.
We see this in the Old Testament when the Israelites were entering the Promised Land.
God did a great miracle in bringing down the walls of Jericho. God told them to sacrifice everything, to take nothing for themselves, but we read in Joshua 7 that Achan took some for himself.
Joshua 7:1
Slide
But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Carmi…took some of them. So the LORD's anger burned against Israel.
His sin caused hardship and consequence for all of Israel.
They lost a battle
People died.
And when it was revealed, God judged Achan’s sin through Israel by taking his life.
They did not cover up sin, but lived in integrity, knowing there are consequences to sin.
In Acts, we see something similar going on.
God has brought the New Covenant and is doing many miraculous things.
And because sin is so serious, He judges it and the Apostles in integrity, follow through with God’s leading.
Sin was serious enough to require the sacrifice of God’s Son.
In the text we just read, notice that Annanais and Sapphira did not have to give any of the money that they received for selling their land.
Peter says to them in Acts 5:4
Slide
4 Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God."
They could have kept the money for themselves.
Or they could have given part of it and been honest about it.
But instead, They allowed sin to flourish in their life. They did what they did
so they would look good (Pride),
they held some back for themselves (greed),
but said they gave it all (dishonesty).
They allowed Satan to turn their attention to themselves instead of keeping their focus on God and letting Him take care of them.
When we trust and follow the Lord, He will take care of us.
Since God takes sin seriously, the church needs to take it seriously if we are going to be a church that glorifies Him.
To start with, we need to take it seriously in our own lives. We need to be people of integrity.
When we don’t take sin seriously and deal with it in our own lives,
we open up
our lives and
the lives of our family and the health and unity of the church
to trouble and consequence.
When the church doesn’t deal with unrepentant sin in the lives of the members of the church, what we are doing is basically saying, it is ok, and we openly disgrace the sacrifice that Christ has made for us and the church opens itself up to trouble and consequence.
We, the church, need to reflect God’s integrity in dealing with sin in the church and in our lives.
If we would judge the sin in our own lives we would not need God’s judgment through the church.
1 Corinthians 11:31
Slide
But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment.
Some of you may say, but God says don’t judge.
When the Bible tells us not to judge, it is speaking of the salvation of a person and or the motives of someone or of those outside of the church. We leave those to the Lord to judge.
But within the church, we are to judge the unrepentant sinful conduct of brothers and sisters in Christ who are part of our fellowship.
Paul tells the Corinthians, and us, to judge openly sinful conduct.
1 Corinthians 5:12-13
Slide
12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."
Why are we to do this?
Because unrepentant sin
brings dishonor to Christ and
it impunes the character of God.
AND it is bad for the individual person.
Whether they realize it or not, sin is bad for us.
Satan tries to deceive us and tell us sin will be fun.
We will enjoy life more if we sin.
But that is a lie. We, as a church are here to help people live a full and a fulfilled life of integrity and sin stops a person from experiencing that.
The church has an obligation to help people and to live with the integrity of the Lord.
Conclusion
Being a people and a church that glorifies the Lord means more than just preaching the gospel. The life we are living as individuals and as part of the church matters.
We need to
trust His Sovereignty,
walk in Unity and
live in Integrity
so that He is glorified.
Are you trusting Him? When we trust him more, we will find it easier to walk in unity and to live with integrity.
Let’s make our prayer today to trust Him more in His sovereignty and recognize Him as the great I AM that is in full control, so that we can be a people and a church that glorifies God.
Let’s pray
