Why On Earth Does The Church Exist ? Part 2
Acts 4:31-35
Last Sunday we began a five part message on Why Does The Church Exist ?
The first word we used last week in a effort to answer our question was....”glorify”. The church exists to glorify God. This morning I want us to look at another work in answer to the question.....the word this morning is “Gather”. The church exists to glorify...and to gather !
The very word “church” itself comes from the greek word “ecclesia”, and is synom. with the Hebrew word “kahal”....both meaning “an assembly” or “congregation”. The word “kahal” in the O.T. was used to refer to the congregation of Israel. In the N.T. “ecclesia” is the word used to describe the “assembly of the saints of God”.
This morning I want us to look at one of the gatherings of the early church, and the events that unfolded ! Perhaps God will do the same here this morning !
Acts 4:31-35
1. The Prayers Were Said. Acts 4:31
A minister dies and is waiting in line at the Pearly Gates. Ahead of him is a guy who’s dressed in sunglasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket and jeans.
Saint Peter says to the guy, “Who are you, so that I may know whether or not to admit you to the Kingdom of Heaven?”
The guy replies, “I`m Joe Cohen, taxi-driver, of New York City.”
Saint Peter consults his list. He smiles and says to the taxi- driver, “Take this silken robe and golden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”
The taxi-driver goes into Heaven with his robe and staff, and it`s the minister`s turn. He stands erect and booms out, “I am Joseph Snow, pastor of Saint Mary`s for the last forty-three years.”
Saint Peter consults his list. He says to the minister, “Take this cotton robe and wooden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”
“Just a minute,” says the minister. “That man was a taxi-driver, and he gets a silken robe and golden staff. I get a simple cotton robe and wooden staff. How can this be?”
“Up here, we work by results,” says Saint Peter. “While you preached, people slept; but while this guy drove, people prayed.”
Prayer is a powerful tool !
It has been said before that “prayer is to the soul what breathing is to the body.” You know what happens to a body that doesn’t breath. It dies !
It is no doubt true that the same can be said for a church that does not pray.....there will be no life....no vitality.....no energy.....no excitement.....no enthusiam.......a church that is not willing to pray both as individuals......and as a church will die !
John Hyde was a missionary to India during the 1800’s and early 1900’s. He earned the nickname of “Praying Hyde” because of the diligence in which he prayed. It was not unusual for him to spend hours on his face praying and at times he prayed through the night.
Pengwern Jones recalls the prayer life of John Hyde. “He was always on his knees when I went to bed, and on his knees long before I was up in the morning, though I was up with the dawn. He would also light the lamp several times in the night, and feast on some passages of the Word, and then have a little talk with the Master. He sometimes remained on his knees the whole day.
What moved Praying Hyde to pray with such fervency ? God had spoken to his heart earlier that “the church was not up to Bible standards.”
2. The Place Was Shaken.
The result of their praying is a “mighty move of God.” The place being shaken is physical evidence of the presence of God. Prayers move God.....and God moves places.....and people ! Oh....I would to God that he would shake us this morning........I would that he would shake us out of our coldness......our callousness.......our complacency ! What the world needs is to see a move of God at the house of God ! But it want happen unless we the people of God are willing to pray !
3. The Power was Supplied.
.....”they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.....”
The Spirit of God is no respecter of persons ! If we will make ourselves available, if we will set ourselves apart........God the Spirit will fill us !
God supplied the power that the early church needed ! The power to face persecution, to overcome opposition, and most of the power to be effective, courageous witnesses for him. In our modern day, we have all kinds of programs, and plans........we’ve seminars, and seminary, but the one thing that we need the most is to be filled with the Spirit of Almighty God !
4. The Preaching was Strong.
What was the evidence of their being filled with the Spirit of God ? What accompanied it ? They spake the word of God with boldness !
What would have been the results of the early church had they not tarried in Jerusalem ? Would they have been as effective ? Would the church have experienced the phenomenal growth if they had not tarried ? No......and we will not be effective, we will not reach people for Christ without being filled with his Spirit !
5. The People Were Solidified.
Church named “Four Mile Baptist”......problem was it was only two miles from town.......
In order to settle a disagreement between the church renaming committee, and the church public relations board.....the church voted to rename the church “Three Mile Baptist” and move the church bldg one mile further from town.
The need for the church to be unified can not be overemphasised. The great power evident in the early church.....the great productivity of the early church can be linked to the fact that they were of one heart and one soul. The church must function together. We must cooperate in our efforts to win the lost to Christ !
Burger King an elderly couple came in and ordered one burger, one order of fries and one coke with two glasses. When they got to their booth, the man placed a napkin in front of himself and one in front of his wife, then proceeded to divide the fries, cut the burger in half and divided the coke equally.
A gentleman nearby noticed and offered to buy them another burger, fries and Coke.
The woman then said, “No you don’t understand. We’ve been married over 50 years and all our life we agreed to split everything right down the middle.”
Her husband then began eating, as she sat with her hands in her lap.
The gentleman nearby noticed and asked the lady why she wasn’t eating.
She replied, “As I said before, we split everything right down the middle, and it’s his day to use the teeth first.”
6. The Possessions Were Sold.
To meet the financial needs of the church, and to make sure that those who were in need were provided with the essentials of life.....people in the church sold their possessions, and gave it to the church. That’s radical isn’t it ! That’s fanatical isn’t it ! When we get to the point that we realize that all that we have has been given to us by the Lord, and we are willing to give it all back, then the church will not lack the money that it needs !
There are those who have been called to the mission field right now....they have been properly trained, and approved, but yet they will be unable to go for at least 2 more years.....why ? Because their is a lack of funds ! Where is out pocketbook ? Where is our checkbook ? You’ll find our heart there also !
When the early church gathered, there was giving ! And the needs of the early church were met because of the unselfish, sacrificial giving of those early believers !
7. The Progress Was Spectacular.
Acts 5:11
No one would ever have imagined that so much could be accomplished by a handful of believers ! And it couldn’t have had it been apart from the Spirit of God working through them uniting them and using them to fulfil the purpose of the church ! We have yet to see what God can do here !
The same God who made much of that small beginning can make much of us ! It has been said, and I believe rightly so......”God must work in us before he can work through us “
As we have gathered this morning at the house of God, I pray that his word has spoken to you, and that his Spirit in moving in your heart ?
