The Church, Part 2

The Church • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

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We left off last message with the disciples obeying the Lord's command to go to Jerusalem and wait for the Comforter.

Before that, we learned that Luke, as the writer of the book of Acts, was writing a follow up to his gospel account, to the same man…Theophilus.

I want to point out one of the major points we saw in the first message. It was this: Jesus said to them, the disciples,"8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Jesus gave the disciples…which carries on to us, as disciples...a great commission, not a convenient commission. A commission that was only to be carried out in the power of the Holy Ghost…not in their own strength, or ours…let alone their own reasoning, or ours.

We learned that the Samaritans were despised people. So with Jesus commanding to go even to Samaria…to the Samaritans…it left disciples with no allotment for convenience. We, then, talked about how, if we're honest, that we probably seek to fulfill the "convenient commission" often, instead of the great commission.

We can be guilty of trying to avoid “Samaria”…that place of inconvenience…that place of discomfort…away from the Samaritans…from the people that inconvenience us. This isn’t what Christ left us with...

The command was to every creature…in every place. To the gutter-most and to the uttermost.

Do we ensure that? Or, have we grown callous to the need because of the superfluous culture we live in?

Have we drank so often from the bottle of comfort that we stay in a constant spiritual stupor…perpetually intoxicating ourself with temporal trappings, thoughts and concerns…? Do we leave the responsibility to someone else, assuming that others are caring for lost souls doomed for eternal torture in the lake of fire? Or are WE going to ENSURE that every creature…in every place…is hearing the gospel?

We in our human reasoning say, "Well that's impossible!….every person?" Listen, Nothing is impossible with God.

[Point One is a bridge from last week…a recap on a vital point…]

I. God is the God of the Impossible.

We have to start living like we believe that! We are to just go…to do…to obey…let God work out the "how."

But doing this takes us out of the place of comfort and convenience…and places us in a place of absolute faith…it takes us to the place that we actually believe what we say we believe…and that’s the place where God works the miraculous…where man's wisdom is foolishness…where the base things become divine tools…I WANT TO BE THERE. I want to have complete abandon for the cause of Christ. Our prayer should be as it was for the disciples when Jesus walked on water and they feared in the boat..."INCREASE OUR FAITH!"

Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China, said this about this kind of faith, he said...

"I have found that there are three stages in every great work of God: first, it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done."

He also said...

"Many Christians estimate difficulty in the light of their own resources, and thus they attempt very little and they always fail. All giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on His power and presence to be with them."

Lastly, Leonard Ravenhill said...

"No faith is required to do the possible; actually only a morsel of this atom-powered stuff is needed to do the impossible, for a piece as large as a mustard seed will do more than we have ever dreamed of."

So, the first message was simple…it laid some very VITAL foundational truths about the church and gave us insight from the first church, for us today...

I. Jesus is God, He’s Alive, and the Chief Cornerstone of The Church.

II. Jesus gave a clear command and mission to the church.

III. Jesus is returning for His Church and for Judgment.

We must also remember that faith and obedience go hand in hand. Again, as I said in the very beginning, where we left off was the disciples turning to go to Jerusalem, just as the Lord commanded. They obeyed and were going in faith. He said it…they responded: “we will trust Him and do it.”

I want to share a story about faith and obedience to let this simple principle sink in our brains....we can call it "It works when it's done the father's way."

(Avery/Addison learning to ride)

She didn’t want to do it at first.

1. She had a fear that she couldn't do it.

2. She had a fear that she would get hurt.

3. I told her all the hurt would be worth it…even with the bad scratches and falls along the way...she would LOVE it!

4. I explained each step…showed her how it's done…I was an example for her…and then took her in my hands and showed her.

5. I encouraged her…

6. I corrected her when she stopped following my directions.

7. She eventually obeyed and put faith in what I told her…in my word…in me…and she found herself riding.

That's the same way with us…we must trust and …..? obey our Father…for there's no other way….

So, let’s pray and look at Luke's account continuing:

Acts 1:13 KJV

13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.

So they are in Jerusalem and in, possibly, the same room that they had the last Passover…the Lord's supper, with Jesus.

Acts 1:14 KJV

14 These ALL continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

Now, I have to stop and preach a little bit.

What did it say they did?

They continued….ALL of them...with one accord.

The explanation of this little verse can only come when we define who these people are…Who are they? They are an assembly, right?...of disciples...They’re assembled together for the Lord.

They are the first church. The men and women who followed Christ and the family of Christ…men He ordained...and they are continuing in one accord…meaning unanimously, with one mind, with one passion- the word for “one accord” is a unique word, 10 of its 12 New Testament occurrences in the Book of Acts, helps us understand the uniqueness of the first Christian church.

Gives us some insight to the formula.

The image that this greek wording gives is almost musical; a number of notes are sounded which, while different, harmonize in pitch and tone. As the instruments of a great concert under the direction of a concert master, so the Holy Spirit blends together the lives of members of Christ's church.

So they are in perfect harmony…unified…unanimously knit together unto death if necessary…In what? PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION…

WOW! We need to take a lesson from this. This first church was about to have the Holy Ghost baptize them and be filled with the power of the Holy Ghost. And what were they doing when they are first assembled? Calling upon God and making their requests known to Him.

I wonder if the supplications were for new chariots or donkeys?

I doubt it…now, there would be nothing wrong with praying for those things so they could use them for the work ahead, but I strongly believe that they were focused on receiving the power to be witnesses exactly how the Lord said, and trusted that He would guide and provide as necessary.

II. We must be unified in harmonious prayer for God’s will and work.

Let's look at what results from this...

Acts 1:15 KJV

15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)

Now…let’s get this...So, in 3 1/2 years the disciples of Christ grew 10 times. From 12 to 120 here in the church of Jerusalem.

By some church growth experts today…this might be a failure of a church. Jesus, Himself, might be criticized for not growing the church more than by 10 in 3.5 years.

This was healthy growth though. These were true disciples…those who have placed absolute faith in Him…these had counted the cost and were willing to go to death for Christ…they had set their mind on things above…these were the ones that God would use beyond what is possible for man...these weren't part of the multitudes that went away.

Remember, He had many people tuning in at times. If they had streaming back then…he probably had a lot of views and likes...Many people were periodically showing up for church services and events. Many people maybe who were considered “members.” But when it was time to be committed TOGETHER…faithful TOGETHER…IN ONE ACCORD for the Kingdom of God…not the Kingdom of this world…there were 120…not multitudes.

Now, those multitudes at times WERE following him…and to those multitudes that He loved and had compassion on, and healed their sick and fed their hunger, He preached messages like in John 6 "53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

Not very seeker friendly! Jesus was saying, if you aren’t consumed with the Son of man/Jesus and if you aren’t fully surrendered/committed…you have no life…no eternal life.

People today, still don’t like to hear that. They want to hear and believe that hanging on a prayer they prayed to ask Jesus in their heart saved them…but it’s just not true. You pray a prayer…sure…but salvation is about grace and FAITH. Absolute surrender that is evidenced by works…a life change…a commitment and allegiance to Christ above and before all.

It’s also in Luke 14 where it says GREAT multitudes followed him he preaches "26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." and in vs. 33 "33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not ALL that he hath, he cannot be my disciple."

This for me, gives us a good philosophy of our outreach. We can't have a message to please the people. Our message is to be the same as it was from the Son of God.

It takes complete abandon to the Son of God!!! I no longer have confidence in anything or anyone (including myself)…it’s in Christ alone. That means we are absolutely dependent on Him for EVERYTHING.

Do we pray that God uses us up? Yes! Do we seek for ways to show the love of God in our community? Absolutely! Jesus did!

But the message/the gospel today must be just as clear today as it was then…it must be sound…

If you're here today and think you have eternal life any other way other than coming to Jesus Christ in complete surrender of all…complete abandon, then I urge you to consider your eternal fate.

Placing our faith in Christ means we are "all in"…we've held nothing back…where He leads I'll follow…He is my Lord…no one, or no thing, comes before…again not even myself…

The good news is if you haven’t done that…you can do that today!

If you haven't surrendered all to Jesus in faith, that He's the way the truth and the life, and that it's through Him and Him alone that you can have eternal life…through his death for your sins and His resurrection, then I urge you to make that matter straight today!

These first 120 were "all-iners"…

III. The Church is a UNIFIED Group of “ALL-INERS”

That’s the way Jesus describes it.

I’ve shared before that I thought it would be a good idea for a tshirt... “I’m an all-iner.” Then have people ask...then you could tell them...but then I thought, “how hypocritical would it be to wear though?”

God, help US truly be “all-inners” like this first church.

So, they were gathered in obedience to the Lord's command, and Peter begins to lead the group and addresses them.

Acts 1:16-20 ESV

16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” 18 (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms,

“ ‘May his camp become desolate,

and let there be no one to dwell in it’;

and

“ ‘Let another take his office.’

Imagine with me the great distress and hurt that must have been floating around in these disciples minds and hearts.

Judas…who was numbered with us and had part in the entire ministry with us, was a traitor!…"I can't believe him!"

But, I see something here in this text…I see an understanding that Peter, who was their leader, at this point, had.

He is bringing, to this church's remembrance, that God has had a plan for this all along…that even in what seems like a horrible circumstance, that God's will is accomplished. Judas was the instrument of Satan, no doubt, however, it wasn't without the allowance of God Almighty…why?…because it accomplished the beautiful, terrible, death of our Savior, which opened the door of salvation to all men…revealing the great mystery of salvation.

We need to remember this. We learn from the first church:

IV. Our lives must not be defined by decisions in emotion, but decisions of faith in God/God’s word.

I’ve shared many times that we must be careful NOT to let our emotions blind us to spiritual reality and our spiritual responsibility. These apostles could have been caught in a tailspin of emotions dwelling on how they were "supposed to be twelve"… and…. "how dare Judas"… and... "God's plan is messed up now"…but Peter reminds them that God is sovereign…and having witnessed what they just witnessed, they should know that now more than ever!

Acts 1:21-22 ESV

21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.”

The primary office of the apostles is shown here: (1) to testify, from personal observation, to the one great fact of "the resurrection of the Lord Jesus"; (2) to show how this glorified His whole previous life, of which they were constant observers, and established His divine claims.

Acts 1:23-26 ESV

23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

The casting of lots is more evident in the OT...70 times it's mentioned compared to 7 in the NT. There are varying beliefs on how this was carried out. It's believed here that stones were either identified with each person, or names were put on stones...then put in an urn, or pot, or bag, and which ever one came out first was the one chosen by God.

We must understand this, the New Testament nowhere instructs Christians to use a method similar to casting lots to help with decision making. Now that we have the completed Word of God, as well as the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide us, there is no reason to be using games of chance to make decisions. The Word, the Spirit, and prayer are sufficient for discerning God’s will today—not by casting lots, rolling dice, or flipping a coin.

The bible says to let the peace of God rule…sit as a governor…that’s through prayer…leaning on Godly wisdom, counsel and the Spirit.

God didn't ever say the church would be led by democracy, but by Him.

Were they wrong in doing this? Some have condemned the apostles actions here…contending that Paul later was chosen by Jesus Himself and that God's grace and God's permissive will was enacted upon the apostles because they hadn't received the power of the Holy Ghost, yet they conducted this church business.

I'm not gonna say which side I fall on because I see good in what they were doing…they were praying and asking God's will to be done…They were ordained. They had responsibility.

At the same time…could they have jumped the gun?...sure!

The message, or challenge, for us is clear this morning:

1. God is the God of the impossible. We simply need to trust and obey His way…and it will just work. In recent series, I asked the question, "What are you doing to grow your faith?" Today, this week, trust God with the impossible…not foolishly testing Him…but taking Him at His word. Obey His word and trust that the impossible will be done.

2. The first church was found continuing in ONE ACCORD in prayer and supplication. How devoted are we to this? How devoted are you to this? Do we just show up in spiritual duty? Or, do we realize that as a member of the body of Christ, we MUST strive to be of one mind and one spirit…and we MUST be praying together in order for the Lord to lead. Are you striving for this?

3. Are we truly "all-iners"? From the first church until now…the church, the true church, has been all-iners. Have you surrendered all to Jesus? If you have, are you daily surrendering all to Him, or have you gradually taken back some of what you gave to Him at salvation…and through the years as a Christian? The time is too short and the stakes too high to risk missing the mark.

4. We must give effort to ensure that our lives aren’t defined by decisions in emotion, but decisions of faith in God/God’s word.

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