The Kind Of People We Find In The Church Series

THOSE WHO ARE FOUND IN THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST

Acts 4;32-5:16

Dorn Ridge Church of Christ

Audio Link to sermon: http://chirb.it/Ag3PrB

INTRODUCTION:

1.) This morning I want us to make an examination of Acts 4 and 5, looking at three types of people we will find in almost any Church.

2.) My desire is that this passage of Scripture will challenge our hearts to take serious our relationship with God and to have a reverent fear of God.

I. IN THE CHURCH YOU WILL FIND THOSE WHO LOVE GOD.

1.) The believers were one in heart and mind.

A.) They had experienced a universal sickness.

aa.) Every person of the human race has a common fatal malady, and that malady is sin, and our sinful nature.

ab.) The penalty of that sin is death, both physically, and also eternally from the presence of God.

ac.) Apart from the cure, every person in the history of the world will die both physically, and also experience an eternal separation from the presence of God.

B.) The church was in one heart and one mind rejoicing in God, because they had found the cure.

ba.) Really that is what the church is – a fellowship of those who have found the cure to the disease of sin.

baa.) That does not mean we will become free of sin or the effects of sin in this life, but in Jesus Christ we knew he had paid the penalty of our sin.

bb.) Last week, I dealt quite a bit with Acts 4:12 where Peter declared: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

bc.) When we come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ we have experienced the only cure that God has given to the human race for our sinfulness.

bca.) By a saving faith we speak of the faith seen in the New Testament Scriptures where a person repents

of his sins, confesses Jesus as Lord and Saviour, and is immersed for the forgiveness of sins and indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit of God.

C.) When those things take place a believer has the assurance from the Word of God that he has entered into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

ca.) The only way one can know he has passed from spiritual death is through an obedient saving faith in Jesus Christ.

D.) When the love and Spirit of God dwells within it is only natural that God’s love will also be extended to those around us as well.

da.) This is exactly what happened in the church at Jerusalem.

daa.) Acts 4:32

E.) When Body of Christ grows in the love of God, it is natural to also grow in love for each other.

ea.) This portion of Scripture introduced us to a man who had a love for God and for the church.

eca.) His love gave him a spirit of incredible generosity to the body of Christ.

F.) The man I want us to see is a Levite.

fa.) By saying he was a Levite, I am saying he was a descendant of the tribe of Levi.

faa.) To refresh ourselves on Levi, it was him and his descendants who were entrusted with the service of the temple of God.

fab.) That means that this man would have been an official individual who would have served as a priest,

musician, or in some other official capacity in the temple of God.

.01) This man who was one of the leadership in the Jewish temple, was now a man completely dedicated to Jesus Christ, and giving himself for the benefit of the church.

fb.) Acts 4:36-37

fc.) As we continue to go through the book of Acts, we will see a great deal more of this man Joseph or

Barnabas.

fca.) He did a good job of building up the Church of Jesus Christ.

.01) Because of this, the Apostles gave him the nickname “Barnabas” which means Son of Encouragement.

fcb.) Because of his love for God, and the church, he felt compelled to sell some land and give the money to

the Church.

.01) This seems to have been something that was done from Love, and with a good heart, and the

very best of intentions.

.02) The result of this was that:

2.) The Resurrection of Jesus Christ was proclaimed with power.

A.) People were coming to love God.

aa.) When the church of Jesus Christ loves and serves God, it will impact the power in proclaiming the

resurrection of Jesus Christ.

B.) It is through the word of God, and the preaching of the gospel message that the power and Spirit of God

moves among people.

ba.) The more the seeds of that message grow in the hearts of those who hear it, the greater will be the power of God to move in even the hearts of both the redeemed, and those without Christ.