10/21/12 We Can Do That!
Text: Acts
2:41-47 (NKJV)
41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that
day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued
steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread,
and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs
were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had
all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them
among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the
temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with
gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the
people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
11 These
things command and teach. 16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine.
Continue in them, for in doing this
you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” 1 Timothy 4:11, 16 (NKJV)
Intro: I would love to stand here behind this pulpit
and tell all of you that the church is fine and there are no problems; but in
reality the church is under attack and it has little impact in today’s world.
Too many spectators and not enough committed Christians! More interested in
methods than messages, too concerned about public image, little concern for
lost people. The New Testament church was dynamic. So the question must be
asked what made the New Testament Church Different.
Application: “These things command
and teach.”
What made the New Testament Church Different?
1. Its Efforts in Evangelism:
vs. 41
"Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day
about three thousand souls were added to them."
It is a Billy Graham Holy Ghost
Evangelistic Crusade. He is in a Coliseum with 20,000 people, and you can see
thousands walking down the long isles during and invitation making their way to
the center field where Dr. Graham leads them in a sinner’s prayer and thousands
get saved. In Chapter two in the Book of Acts it tells us that 3,000 where
saved that day when Peter under the same Holy Ghost guidance that Billy Graham
experienced in that Coliseum watch God perform a miracle in the lives of
thousands. The efforts of the 120 believers at the Day of Pentecost made a
difference. These believers took serious the call to evangelize!
They were all witnessing as commanded by Acts
1:8! This power that these believers received at the day of Pentecost is still
available today. Evangelism is largely forgotten now but it doesn’t have to be,
not many win others to Christ. Few churches hold evangelistic meetings, we have
settled for lesser causes, but hear my heart the world needs the Gospel.
"For I delivered to you first of all that
which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the
Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day
according to the Scriptures." 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
It is my prayer that we here
at Ocean View Baptist Church will respond to that need!
What made the New
Testament Church Different?
2. Its Wonderful Worship: Vs. 42-46
"And they
continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking
of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders
and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were
together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and
goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily
with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate
their food with gladness and simplicity of heart."
They continued steadfastly:
in studying the Word of God, in loving the people of God, in sharing the table
of God, in lifting their prayers to God. They weren’t formalistic but fiery and
faith-building. Not ritualistic but spiritually refreshing.
The world and even
the church today has their own ideas for worship, but it doesn’t need to be
filled with ceremony or that it must be characterized by silence. Worship can
include praising, singing, sharing: “speaking
to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody
in your heart to the Lord.” Ephesians
5:19 (NKJV)
What made the New Testament Church Different?
3. Its Fantastic Fellowship:
vs. 44-47
“Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45
and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had
need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread
from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the
church daily those who were being saved.”
Here is the Fantastic part; they loved
one another, they cared for people more than things. The fellowship that this
New Testament church experienced put away all divisions. They responded to
crises in each others lives, they were all of one accord. No wonder the church
exploded in growth. “WE CAN DO THAT!”
The
True church, a true body of believers, does not just hear and listen to the
Word. They are not just present to join the crowd and see what is going on.
They do not sit with wandering minds and closed hearts. A true church receives
the Word of God; they: welcome it, believe it, take it in, practice it,
experience it, hold on to it, and hunger for it, have joy and rejoice, they
share and have fantastic fellowship. They love the Lord with all their heart
all their mind and all their soul. They do all things through Christ!
Who is
rich? A rich person is anyone who has anything beyond what he needs. What
Christ demands is that we give all that we are and have to meet the needs of
those in such desperate need. We are to hold back nothing. This is often the
great complaint against Christians, that we just do not believe, not really.
The evidence of our unbelief is seen in the perseverance of Christ, the demand
that we give all we have to feed the starving and meet the desperate needs of
the poor and lost of the world. But we don't. Gandhi, the great leader of
India's independence, is said to have never embraced Christianity for this very
reason. How many others have rejected Christ because of our hypocrisy?
“Praising
God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church
daily those who were being saved.”
WE CAN DO THAT!
This church had favor with
all the people, the public noticed its daily growth: Evangelism – Worship - Fellowship.
So how do we measure up?
How can we become more like the New Testament Church?
What made the New Testament church different? This was a people who:
- A people
who received the Word - gladly
- A people who continued - steadfastly
- A people
who stirred souls with a godly fear
- A people who were together - sharing in
ministry
- A people who were unified
- A people who worshiped and praised God - daily
Ol’ Man Kline
A certain Mr. Kline,
discouraged, defeated, and convinced that life just wasn’t worth living because
no one cared for him, walked past a church one Sunday evening when services
were in progress. As the congregation sang he caught the strains of that
familiar hymn: “Saved by grace alone, this is all my plea. Jesus died for all
mankind, and Jesus died for me.”
His hearing, however, was not very good, so
when the congregation came to the words, “Jesus died for all mankind,” he
thought they sang, “Jesus died for ol’ man Kline.” “Why”, he said, “that’s me!”
Stopping in his tracks, he turned and entered the small auditorium. There he
heard the simple message of the Gospel as the minister presented the good news
that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. Mr. Kline believed and
was saved. - Richard De Haan
In : Sermon
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