ADDING TO THE NUMBER (HPFFJ3)
Acts 2:42-47
#Pentecost2020 #HPFFJ
INTRODUCTION… https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/100434/healing-by-ed-vasicek?ref=TextIllustrationSerps
A Baptist preacher and his wife decided they needed a dog. Ever mindful of their congregation, they knew the dog must also be Baptist. They visited an expensive kennel and explained their needs to the manager, who assured them he had just the dog for them.
When the dog was produced, the manager began giving it commands. "Fetch the Bible," he commanded. The dog bounced to the bookshelf, scrutinized the books, located the Bible, and brought it to the manager. The manager then said, "Find Psalms 23". The dog, showing marvelous dexterity with his paws, leafed thru the Bible, found the correct passage, and pointed to it with his paw.
Duly impressed, the preacher and his wife purchased the dog. That evening a group of parishioners came to visit. The preacher and his wife began to show off the dog, having him locate several Bible verses. The visitors were amazed.
Finally, one man asked "Can the dog do normal dog tricks too?"
"Let's see" said the preacher. Pointing his finger at the dog, he commanded, "Heel!"
The dog immediately jumped up on a chair, placed one paw on the preacher's forehead and began to howl. The preacher turned to his wife in complete shock and disbelief. "We've been swindled! That manager sold us a Pentecostal dog!"
When we use the word “Pentecost” today, we are not talking about a particular flavor of Christian, but rather we are talking about the event in Acts 2.
In Acts 2, we are given the description of the beginning of the Church. Here in Acts 2, we are given the ultimate example to shoot for in our church. Th Church was founded on the Day of Pentecost when 120 believers received the Holy Spirit and spoke the wonders of God in other tongues. That pouring out of His Spirit is described at the beginning of Acts 2. It was then that Peter preached his great sermon to a large crowd of people who were wondering about the miracles they were observing. As Peter preached, 3000 people in the crowd were cut to the heart, convicted, and converted to Christianity. They were subsequently baptized in water so that they also might receive the Holy Spirit. These new Christians and the 120 disciples were bonded together into one community in which they lived out their faith in Jesus. The church was growing.
I firmly believe our church family is building a church family that will last. We are building a church family on a solid foundation. We have so much to be thankful for and so much to look forward to in the future.
THREAD: The purpose of Cincinnati Christian Church is to “Help People Find and Follow Jesus.” That is our stated purpose and the goal that we let guide us. It is a good one.
KEY QUESTIONS
What does it take to build a church that lasts?
What are important priorities for our church family to get right?
How do we help others “find Jesus” and add to the Kingdom of God?
How do we help others “follow Jesus” on a consistent basis?
READ Acts 2:42-47
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
TRANSITION
What priorities made up this early church? The first priority was devotion to the Word.
I. PRIORITY ONE: DEVOTION TO THE WORD
The first thing we notice is that the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teachings, meaning this was an apostolic church—the apostles led the church. The distinguishing characteristic of this church was that the members devoted themselves to studying and practicing the apostles’ doctrine. The Apostles were commanded by Jesus to preach the gospel to people, to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and to teach them to obey all that Jesus had commanded them to do. This is what they were doing. In their efforts to reach out, they taught the same things Jesus had taught them.
They started with immersing themselves in the teachings of Christ because all of the life of the church flows from the fixed, authoritative, infallible Gospel teaching. The apostles were authorized by the Lord to preach the gospel and they did!
Where do we find such teaching today?
How can we devote ourselves as they did?
We find the teachings of Jesus in the Bible. We have the very words of Jesus at our fingertips. So, a modern apostolic church is a church that teaches the truth of the New Testament as well as the Old Testament; with conviction and urgency and with diligence. So then, one basic way that we can devote ourselves to the Word, if we want to follow the example in Acts, is to commit ourselves to diligent study of God’s Word.
If we are members of a Spirit-filled church, we will study the Scriptures regularly. We study the Bible on a regular basis so that we may get to know God better, love Him, and please God by living out what He has to say to us.
Regular Bible study means we will grow in our knowledge of God, in our acquaintance with God, and in our love for God. It means we will become mature rather than remaining as infants. We must study the Bible seriously. We must engage in the intellectual exercise of Scripture study. We must be an explorer of the Bible and not a tourist. A tourist travels quickly, stopping only to observe the highly noticeable or publicized points of interest. The explorer, on the other hand, takes his time to search out all that they can find. Too many of us read the Bible like a tourist and then complain that our devotional times are fruitless. It is necessary that we take time to explore the Bible. We need to be committed explorers of the Bible.
THREAD: The purpose of Cincinnati Christian Church is to “Help People Find and Follow Jesus.”
We are going to do that by being devoted to the Word of God and relying on the Holy Spirit’s power.
ILLUSTRATION… http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/p/pentecost.htm
Power can be used in at least two ways: it can be unleashed, or it can be harnessed. The energy in ten gallons of gasoline, for instance, can be released explosively by dropping a lighted match into the can. Or it can be channeled through the engine of a car in a controlled burn and used to transport a person 350 miles. Explosions are spectacular, but controlled burns have lasting effect, staying power. The Holy Spirit works both ways. At Pentecost, He exploded on the scene; His presence was like "tongues of fire" (Acts 2:3). Thousands were affected by one burst of God's power. But He also works through the church--the institution God began to tap the Holy Spirit's power for the long haul.
TRANSITION
What priorities made up this early church? The second priority was devotion to fellowship.
II. PRIORITY TWO: DEVOTION TO FELLOWSHIP
The second characteristic of a Spirit-filled active moving-forward church is fellowship. A Spirit-filled Christian is one who is delivered from self-centeredness and is one who is focused on fellowship with God and purposeful fellowship with others which takes time.
ILLUSTRATION… http://feedingonchrist.com/gods-metrics/
Pastor Nick Batzig tells a story about a construction project. He said: “I built homes for a number of years after I was converted. On one occasion, the company for which I was working was building a large cabin on the top of a mountain. Another construction company happened to be building another cabin on the same property on which we were building. We had begun our work quite a while before this other construction company had begun theirs. Both cabins were going to be essentially the same size. We sought to be meticulous in our craftsmanship. However, I started noticing that the other construction company was building much faster than we were. The owner of the cabin we were building started complaining that we were not timely enough in our work. I asked my boss why the other construction company was finishing much more quickly than we were. He walked me over to their cabin and reached up under one of the eaves. When he pulled back the trim, I quickly realized that there was no frame behind it. The construction company was (literally) cutting corners to finish more quickly and to be able to boast about their timing. No cutting corners for us!
What kinds of things become important?
Worship: The picture we get from the Book of Acts is that believers gathered often to take time to worship together. They met on the first day of the week which is Sunday. Some gathered every day. The purpose of their time together was to focus on God and worship Him with song, hearing from the Apostles, and communion.
Spiritual disciplines: We trust in Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior and trust in His grace to save us. That grace calls us to a life of holiness. The early church got together and encouraged each other in things like meditation, prayer, fasting, study, simplicity, solitude, submission, confession, worship, guidance, and giving. These things take time.
Discipleship: The entire purpose of the church is to make and train disciples. The passing on of the faith from one believer to another is discipleship. Learning to be more like Jesus is discipleship. Each week as the believers gathered they would encourage one another further along in their faith journey. Discipleship takes time.
Fellowship: Family eats together. Family plays together. Family travels together. Family supports one another. Family does projects together. Family struggles together. The early church was connected to each other as a community and it strengthened their faith to know there was a whole fellowship of believers beside them. Living life together takes time.
Service: The early church was not self-centered. The early church was Jesus-centered which produced in them the desire to think of others in their community. Service for others is a key part of love and sharing the Gospel with people who do not know Jesus. They shared Jesus by serving others because that is what He did. We find Jesus constantly reaching out to those around Him and His followers did the same after He went back to Heaven. We do not need to cut corners in serving others.
Evangelism: Evangelism is the on-purpose sharing of the Good News of Jesus with words with someone who does not know. Evangelism is one of the most basic parts of the Christian faith. Nevertheless, the early church was clearly sharing their faith on a regular basis. This was the only way Christianity could spread… one believer telling a nonbeliever about Jesus Christ. We will take time to share the Gospel.
THREAD: The purpose of Cincinnati Christian Church is to “Help People Find and Follow Jesus.”
We are going to do that by being devoted to fellowship with God and purposeful fellowship with others relying on the Holy Spirit’s power and we will not cut corners.
TRANSITION
What priorities made up this early church? The third priority was devotion to the breaking of bread.
III. PRIORITY THREE: THE BREAKING OF BREAD
The third characteristic of a church is the breaking of bread. This phrase, “breaking of bread,” refers to the observance of Communion and emphasizing Jesus Christ in all that we do. Jesus Christ had been crucified and buried, but on the third day He rose from the dead and appeared to many of His disciples over a period of forty days before He ascended into Heaven. Now seated at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven, Jesus Christ has been appointed both Lord and Christ, the Sovereign Lord of the Universe. While Jesus was on earth, He instituted the Lord’s Supper as a sign of the new covenant between us and God. It is a time of reflection of the heart, a focusing of the Spirit.
The early church regularly and frequently celebrated Communion as a way of remembering their Lord. On the night before He died, Jesus told His disciples, “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19, 1 Corinthians 11:24-25). Whenever the early disciples ate the bread and drank the cup, they were remembering Jesus Christ and His great love for them. Jesus’, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of God the Father was all done because He loves each and every one of us. Every time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper we are reminded of this great truth that Jesus Christ loves us and desires a relationship with us.
Communion is a time to remember Christ and focus your heart on Him, but as God’s people, our hearts should always be turned to Him and focusing upon Jesus. Jesus is the motivator of our hearts.
Communion is that time when we focus our hearts on Him in the areas of: Atonement, Blood, Confession, Deliverance, Eternal Life, Forgiveness, Grace, Hope, Sacrifice, and the Love of the Messiah.
THREAD: The purpose of Cincinnati Christian Church is to “Help People Find and Follow Jesus.”
We are going to do that by being devoted to the Lord Jesus and focusing properly on His life, death, burial, and resurrection. We know what happened on the cross and we stand under it.
TRANSITION
What priorities made up this early church? The fourth priority was devotion to prayer.
IV. PRIORITY FOUR: PRAYER
The fourth characteristic of the church in Acts 2 is that the members of the church spent their time in prayer. The early disciples were constantly praying. In Acts 2, we read that they were praying in the upper room before they were baptized in the Holy Spirit, and they continued to pray together daily afterwards. Why? Because prayer is a means by which believers keep in touch with God. These disciples were connecting not only with one another but also with God.
Throughout the book of Acts we read about the apostles praying:
Acts 4:23-24 says, “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.” In verse 31 we read, “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken.”
In Acts 12, we read that the Apostle Peter was put into prison by King Herod. Herod had already killed the Apostle James and he was planning to kill Peter. In Acts 12:5 we read, “So Peter was kept in prison but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.” God heard the prayers of the church, sent an angel to release Peter, and in verse 13 we see Peter knocking on the door of the house where the people were praying for his release. The angel fetched Peter out of prison, but it was prayer that fetched the angel.
In Acts 13, we read that the church in Antioch fasted and prayed for divine direction. As they were praying, God directed the church to send out Paul and Barnabas on what became their first missionary journey.
In Acts 16, we find Paul and Silas in Philippi. After they were severely beaten, they were put into prison. In verses 25-26 we read, “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken and everybody’s chains came loose.” The jailer rushed in, crying, “What must I do to be saved?” and the Bible tells us that the jailer and his family believed in Christ and were baptized that very night.
ILLUSTRATION… Watchman Nee on Prayer
Watchman Nee wrote, "Our prayers lay the track on which God's power can come. Like a mighty locomotive, His power is irresistible, but it cannot reach us without rails."
Great things happen when God’s people pray!
THREAD: The purpose of Cincinnati Christian Church is to “Help People Find and Follow Jesus.”
We are going to do that by being devoted to prayer and seeing the power of God change people’s lives.
CONCLUSION
Our church family is one that will have a firm foundation that lasts. Our firm foundation is based upon the practice of the early church and what they made priorities.
At CCC we are devoted to the Word of God.
At CCC we are devoted to God and each other through Worship, Spiritual Disciplines, Discipleship, Fellowship, Service, and Evangelism.
At CCC, we are devoted to Jesus Christ and focus our hearts on Atonement, His Blood, Confession, Deliverance, the gift of Eternal Life, Forgiveness, Grace, Hope, Sacrifice, and the Love of Jesus our Messiah.
At CCC, we are people of prayer.
INVITATION
I’d like to share a little bit with those of us this morning that may not believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
RE-READ Acts 2:42-47
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Why? Because Jesus Christ changed their lives.
43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
How did they do that? Through faith and the power of Jesus Christ.
44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
Why did they do that? Because they had found fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
Why? Because Jesus Christ saved them from guilt and death.
47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Do you need to be added to the number of those who have confessed Him as Lord?
PRAYER
