FOLLOWING JESUS INTO THE UNKNOWN 2018 - A Unity That Guides Our Steps
February 25, 2018
Acts 2:42-47 (p. 759)
Introduction:
When I was 6 years old my family took a trip out west…we traveled in a Dodge Van that converted into a little camper…5 of us crammed into this little space…but it was one of my favorite childhood memories. We stopped at the corn palace, tons of little places on route 66, we visited the Rose Bowl…but the two places that stand out in my memory are Disneyland and the Grand Canyon…Disneyland is a natural thing for a 6 year old to remember, but the Grand Canyon was indescribable…Dad got us all up at sunrise the morning after we arrived …I remember watching as the dark purple sky turned into a glorious golden canvas…and the canyon stretched out for as far as you could see…It was enormous…I'm sure I didn't know the word back then…but the word I would use now to describe the experience is “awesome."
SHOW GRAND CANYON PICS
Even at 6 I understood this was something huge and beautiful….something so big it just didn't fit into my little mind…that's what "being in awe" of something is all about. Your mouth drops open…there are no words to describe it…you just stand there admiring something way beyond your understanding.
It was just such a feeling which was going through the early church in Jerusalem…they were witnessing something so big, so majestic, so far beyond words…that the only word that Luke could use to describe it was “awe." It bound this early group of believers together with a spiritual glue that could not be broken.
It’s been less than 2 months since Jesus shared the Last Supper with His followers. It’s been less than 2 months since His crucifixion and resurrection…it’s been a little over 10 days since His ascension back into heaven with the promise of the Holy Spirit’s coming…and it’s just been a few hours since the Holy Spirit came upon them as a violent blowing wind and tongues of fire enabling them to speak in other languages.
Jesus followers knew their mission…to go and make disciples…and it would start with an awesome demonstration of God’s presence at Pentecost…This day is the birthday of Jesus’ church.
ACTS 2:5-13 (p. 759)
We can throw around the word amazing and awesome all we want…but there are very few things that really are…This event is so big that it’s beyond the ability of some to rationalize. “These guys have to be drunk!”
But they’re not…are they? Peter the Denier now became Peter the Proclaimer.
ACTS 2:14-24 (p. 759)
Peter gives them a biblical history lesson from Israel’s King David…these Jews from all around the world, gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost…hear the gospel in their own language and at the end of his message Peter brings it home.
“Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this, God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36)
And the Holy Spirit broke their hearts…He cut them to the very core of their souls with conviction…so much so, they cried out…“What shall we do?”
Peter answered… “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ…your sins will be forgiven and you will receive the gift of His Holy Spirit.”
(Acts 2:38).
3,000 plus came forward to do just that. The Church is born with something so big and so powerful…only one word can describe it…“AWESOME.”
As these new believers began their journey to FOLLOW JESUS INTO THE UNKNOWN, two qualities consumed their live…A commitment to grow…and a crucifixion of self.
Let’s look first of all at their commitment to grow:
I. COMMITTED TO THE CORE FOUR
"They devoted themselves…" This was a conscious choice of priorities.
These early followers of Christ had to make a decision for themselves, about what would keep them on the right path…what will help them be the people Jesus wanted them to be and the church Jesus wanted them to be…and 4 things immediately became the glue:
1) The apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer.
These believers didn't stop being husbands or wives, moms or dads, business owners or workers. Each of them still had the normal, everyday priorities of life…but now, Jesus changed everything…their belief in him was now wreaking havoc with their former priorities.
[I took 13 students and 4 adults on a mission trip to Haiti when I ministered in West Virginia. One of those adults was Ann Mills…"Miss Ann.” She was a VP at Beckley Savings and Loan. She was the individual who approved all the loan applications, while in Haiti, Miss Ann took care of all the babies…she held them, loved them, fed them…Some of the situations were heart breaking. When we got back to the states she had a hard time dealing with her emotions…when a guy came in to borrow 20,000 bucks for a new bass boat…the faces of those babies came back…she had a hard time not saying "How can you spend 20 grand on a boat when there are children dying…children I've held and loved…Haiti wreaked havoc on Miss Ann's priorities.]
Our text says that in the early Church “everyone is filled with awe.” A big God is doing big things and people are captured by a sense of wonder.
Being filled with wonder and awe is one of the greatest definitions of true worship.
My question to those of us who claim to follow Christ in the 21st century is: Do we still live in expectation of a big God doing big things?
In the 1st century church, God was working through the Apostles with wonders and signs…and yes I believe the Apostles were unique individuals…they could heal people in Jesus’ name, give miraculous gifts through the Holy Spirit, and were the foundational leaders as the Church began.
But, I have to say I still believe God works through His people in awesome ways…If we’ll live lives devoted to the core 4 of the Apostles’ teaching, the fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer…God will unite us in our love for Jesus and others.
[Deliver a bed and maybe you’ll get to baptize that person into Christ and she’ll become your adopted daughter…and the church will experience unexpected joy and awe.
SHOW ZANTE BAPTISM VIDEO
If we really believe in the work of the Holy Spirit and are open to relationships on a new and daily basis, we’ll continually hear stories of God’s intervention and timing.
When Jesus becomes our priority He wreaks havoc on our priorities.
We want to learn what Jesus taught us through the apostles’ teaching…we commit ourselves to share our lives with others who are on this journey…not just on Sundays (which is really important because of the Lord’s supper and worship), but our bond goes into everyday life with it’s victories and struggles. But when we break bread together around the Lord’s table we have a “rallying point.” It keeps us focused on our No. 1 priority…Jesus died for us and rose again…He saved us by His death and promises us eternal life through His resurrection. It’s the core of the Gospel…and it’s why we take that bread and juice together…to remember and celebrate what really binds us together…
And when we really love each other in Him, we pray with each other and for each other. You are my friend and family in Christ…But let’s talk to our best friend…Jesus.
The other stuff is still present in our lives…jobs, family, bills, sickness, sports, STUFF, but “we’ve been to Haiti.” We’ve experienced the resurrection…we’ve seen the wonder of salvation…and in awe of Jesus our world view has changed.
There is a spiritual principle that brought unity and power to the early believers…and it’s the same principle that the Church must focus on today.
II. THE J.O.Y. PRINCIPLE
Do you remember this scripture? “If anyone would come after me, they must deny themselves, take up His cross daily and follow Jesus.” (Luke 9:23)
If your first concern about the church is “How does it make me happy?” You’re probably not too interested in following Jesus as a disciple.
We used to sing this little song in Junior Worship when I was growing up, it went like this… “Jesus first…Yourself last…Others in between…JOY…JOY…JOY.
If anyone would come after me…is an amazing statement from Jesus. It’s conditional “IF.” It’s a choice…It is intentional. Come after holds two truths…He came first and now we follow…How do we follow Jesus? Denial of self…Death of self daily.
Jesus first…Yourself last…Others in between. It’s the principle the early church practiced for JOY. They understood their calling.
This devoted church in the book of Acts sure did…Jesus came first…that changed everything. Self began to die…others became more important.
"All the believers were together and had everything in common."
This doesn't mean they were all the same, these believers were rich and poor, slave and free, men and women. It doesn't mean they all had the same personality or gifts…These very different believers were together, they shared a new life in Christ and because of that they had everything in common.
Some sold property and stuff for Kingdom needs and to help others. Every day they met together to encourage and hold each other accountable…they had friendships that went beyond Sunday meetings…they ate in each others homes…with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people...this community was not just focused on themselves, but also on the society in which they lived…their faith was so genuine, so true…whether you were a believer or not, life was better because of them.
Jesus had called to them… deny self, take up your cross and follow me…and that's exactly what they were doing.
Loving and serving others was a real and powerful effect of their relationship with Jesus. They were growing because of their commitment to the core 4…the proof of that…"The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
The disciples who had had their feet washed by Jesus were now setting the example for others to follow…they remembered what he had said to them right after he washed their feet….
"Do you understand what I have done for you? - John 13:13-17 (p. 751)
They weren't Masters…they were servants and the blessings were pouring in because they were doing what Jesus had done for them.
They remembered his new command:
"Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love on another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples; if you love one another" (John 13:34)
Jesus first, yourself last, others in between became the joy principle for God's blessings.
I…still believe with all my heart…it still is!
We live in an age of convenient Christianity…and convenient Christianity robs the Church of Jesus of “awe.” It replaced the JOY principal with justifications and practicality.
The reason God added to the church daily (Monday through Saturday as well as Sunday) was that Jesus was being lived out in the real world…people made their decisions through that which they'd devoted themselves to…the apostles’ teaching, the fellowship of believers, the Lord's sacrifice and prayer…this commitment "set them apart". They were peculiar, different than everyone else at work, at home, on the streets…everyone else looked out for self…they were serving others…they were loving one another…they were disciples of Jesus.
Convenient Christianity wears the mask of believing, but reason away self denial…crosses are gold plated, not life taking…following Jesus is something we’ll do…as long as that path runs in the same way as mine.
Convenient Christians and convenient churches will never have a unity that guides their steps, because the Joy principle is something they talk about, but don't really practice.
