WHO HAVE YOU BEEN WITH?
Acts 4:13
Who have you been with this week? Last week we talked about what our purpose was here at South Coast, and now I’m asking you, who have you been with?
The first recorded miracle of the church takes place in chapter three of the book of Acts. Here is one of the most familiar stories of the New Testament, the story of the healing of the lame man at the gate of the temple.
Peter and John had just been in the upper room where the baptism in the Holy Spirit was poured out on the 120 who were there praying. From this place of power and the manifestation of the very presence and majesty of God, they walked out into the world of suffering and shame that they lived in. A phrase struck me this week, ... they took note that these men had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13
I know that they wanted to stay in His presence, in that place of blessing and power, but life doesn’t leave us in those places. Sooner or later we must face the realities of everyday life with all of its struggles, troubles and problems.
I can’t help but think that Peter and John would have wanted to live in that place of peace, but that’s not why the Holy Spirit came into the upper room.
God has called us to do a work for Him and to reach out to the lost at every opportunity.
Peter and John weren’t always like they were this day. Turn with me to Matthew chapter 26, Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray. He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?’ he asked Peter. ’Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.’
He went away a second time and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.’ When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Matthew 26:36-44
Several years ago I heard a message on this passage that left a deep impression on me. It is the story of Gethsemane, and the three circles of association around Jesus.
The first circle is those Jesus simply told to pray. They weren’t ready to go any further.
Peter, James and John went further with Jesus, the second circle, but they fell asleep.
The core, the inner circle, had only one, Jesus.
I have always wanted to be a part of that inner circle with Jesus. Not part of the eight, or even the three, but with Jesus in the inner place.
What circle are you in? Where is your relationship with Jesus. Who have you been hanging out with? Let me draw you a picture as we travel through these circles.
The circle of the converted
Jonathan Edwards, the great early American preacher said, there are only two kinds of people in the world; members of the company of the condemned, or members of the company of the converted.
The church in our day has placed a great emphasis on being saved. Saved is a wonderful word, but it should never be used by itself to describe the initial Christian experience.
The emphasis shouldn’t be just on getting a ticket to heaven. Salvation also means, repentance, belief, confession, and conversion.
Salvation cannot be divorced from conversion. If you are truly saved, then you will truly be converted.
What does that mean? In the New Testament, conversion is a word which means to turn, to turn around. It means turning away from something to something else.
Paul describes it well, ...They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God. 1 Thessalonians 1:9
When you’re converted you start on the road to becoming a new person. If you were stealing, lying, cheating, you no longer do those. If you were living with your girlfriend, you immediately change.
If you are still doing the same things you did before you became a Christian, you have not been converted. You may have been convinced, but not converted. You need to be converted!
Conversion brings a new identity.
When I grew up we had a dog I dearly loved. He was a boxer, named Captain. He thought he was human, part of the family. He did everything he could to be considered part of the family. The truth is, he could never be anything but a dog.
Identities are set throughout all life forms. A rabbit cannot be a fox, an ant cannot be an eagle, a lion cannot be a lamb.
We however, are the only ones in creation that can make a change. We make that change through conversion.
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. John 1:12-13
That’s the first circle, the circle of the converted.
The circle of the committed
Did you know that Jesus has many more followers than he does disciples? The second circle within the first circle represents the company of the committed. It is great and wonderful to be converted, but not all have become committed.
I grew up in church were conversion was not enough, you had to be committed. There was a great emphasis on consecration and dedication to the Lord.
The old hymn says it well, I’ll go where you want me to go, I’ll do what you want me to do, I’ll be what you want me to be.
Jesus recognized that this problem would always face the church. The problem is not the harvest. There is a mass of humanity hungry for the reality Jesus offers. The problem is the shortage of committed workers.
What our church desperately needs today is less people looking for a blessing, and more people seeking to be a blessing. The Kingdom of God is in need of every member to be committed!
In the Christian leadership circles, there is a rule that is well known, the 20/80 rule. Twenty percent of the people of any church do eighty percent of the work, the praying, the volunteering and the giving. My dream, my prayer is that we would become a 100/100 church.
As your pastor it is part of my responsibility to keep an eye out for the welfare of the whole congregation. I’m concerned because I see two things happening.
First, I see a couple of our ministries with just enough strength to be alive, but not enough to be powerful. Our bulletin continually has opportunities for ministry. I think the lid would blow off this place if the commitment would take a sharp increase.
I am also concerned about something so basic as regular and faithful church attendance. In Southern California it is so easy to slip into a Christian life style that says, I’ll be there if I don’t have any other plans.
I can’t even imagine Jesus thinking that way. He loved to be in his Father’s house. He was there every chance he had.
My second concern is the following, I see a picture of a tremendous reservoir of blessing from God ready to pour out through our Church to our community and world, but it needs to have free flow. That flow is being constricted because of lack of commitment.
I see us in the same position as the disciples after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. He tells them to untie/unwrap him.
Now Jesus could have done that, after all he just raised him from the dead! But there are some things the Lord leaves for us to do.
As believers we must ask the question,
* What if everyone did what I do?
* What if everyone prayed as much as I do?
* What if everyone witnessed as much as I do?
* What if everyone followed my example in
giving to the work of the Lord?
You can’t read the record of the early church without noting the word devoted.
Are you committed to the Lord, to his people, to his work?
At the beginning of the twentieth century there were two brothers who lived in Portland. James and Oliver. They married and had children, one eight and the other nine.
James became the town banker and had a nominal profession of faith in Christ. Oliver became an ardent Christian. His job was selling newspapers, magazines, candy, etc, on the train.
One day Oliver’s boss told him he had to sell cigars as well. He explained that he couldn’t because of his commitment to the Lord. The boss said, sell or else!
Oliver took the else and moved his family to Ohio, where for the rest of his life he worked hard as a street vendor. He never owned a car, always rode the street car. While waiting for the street car he would always preach on the corner to any who were there. Much the embarrassment of his children. He was always witnessing.
The twentieth century unfolded and James and Oliver’s children grew up. None of James’ children evidenced a commitment to the Lord. All of Oliver’s children served the Lord. Three of them became missionaries.
Today James and Oliver’s grandchildren are in their sixties. Again, James’ grandchildren show no interest in the kingdom of God. All but two of Oliver’s grandchildren and great grandchildren are strong Christians. My friend is one of Oliver’s grandchildren, a pastor and national church leader.
What a difference commitment makes!!! Lord, make us part of the company of the committed.
The circle of the broken hearted
My desire is that the compassion of Jesus be lived in us! Three times the New Testament speaks of Jesus weeping. He weeps over an individual (Lazarus), he weeps over a city (Jerusalem), and he weeps over the world (Hebrews 5:7).
In 1984 I took a group of young people to Haiti on a missions trip. (Tell story of Dale Prieser)
God help us to weep over Southern Orange County!
Becky Pippert tells the story from her college days about the hippie who decided to visit the church next to the university. (Tell story)
This older gentleman entered the company of the broken hearted. Rather than criticize, he stood along side the you man.
Which circle are you in this morning?
* Are you in the company of the converted?
* The company of the committed?
* Or the company of the broken hearted?
As Peter and John stepped out into the streets of Jerusalem that day and went to the temple, the realities of suffering and the power of sin in the lives of men was glaringly evident.
They came to the very gates of the temple, the House of God, and there they saw a pitiful sight. A lame man, crippled from birth, lay there begging for money to help him survive.
What Peter and John gave that man on that day were far greater than any amount of silver or gold. They gave him Jesus.
They gave him that same power that had changed their own lives and they knew that Jesus was his only real answer to his need. They could not heal but Jesus could. They could not save, but Jesus could.
That man’s life was forever and completely changed through the power of God that was manifested in the lives of those disciples who had followed Jesus.
When you have been with Jesus everyone will know it. When you haven’t spent time with Jesus, we will all know that too!
The only way that can happen is if we truly spend time building a relationship with Jesus Christ. The power of the Holy Spirit will be with us. The love of Jesus Christ will shine through us.
... they took note that these men had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13
