A Church After God's Own Heart
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Good morning Church! It is so good to be here with you today.
I would like to ask everyone to stand, hold your Bibles up high, and repeat after me!
This is my Bible, It is God’s Holy Word!
It is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path,
And I will hide its words within my heart,
That I might not sin against God! Amen!
Would you be finding in your Bibles Acts 11 please?
Context
Context
For the last two weeks, we have been looking at how God miraculously saved a group of Gentile believers through the preaching of Peter. God sent an angel to Cornelius, a vision to Peter, and then brought them together so that He could throw down some grace!!
Today, we are going to see that this group of Gentiles that got saved was only the beginning of what God wanted to do. Today, we get to see yet another group of Gentiles who were saved through the preaching of Jesus.
Read Acts 11:19-30.
The title of the message today is: “A Church After God’s Own Heart”
Content
Content
Determination
Determination
They were determined to see the Kingdom of God grow!
They continued to preach the Word wherever they went (v. 19)
Even though it wasn’t custom, they preached to Gentiles too! (v. 20)
We should follow their lead. They were willing to go to those who were considered undesirable within the Church. They tried going to those who they wanted to believe, but they wouldn’t accept the Gospel, so they went elsewhere. They went to those who nobody else wanted. They decided that they would rather have a full church of people desperately in need of God’s grace, than to have an empty church while trying to convince those who were already “religious”.
Apostle Paul himself.
Marriage supper of the Lamb.
Jerusalem was determined, so they sent support to assure the success of the Church! (v. 22)
Barnabas was determined so he went and got Paul. (v. 25)
Dedication
Dedication
Christianity is not a light switch that you flip on in the midst of your own darkness. Our light is not only for us. Our light is to shine so others can see. Notice the level of dedication of those involved in the text today:
Through the midst of persecution and fear for their lives, they are still preaching the Word (v. 19)
Jerusalem was dedicated to God, not just the Church in Jerusalem. When they heard what was happening in Antioch, they sent help so that God could be glorified. (v. 22)
Barnabas taught them to be faithful to God in their hearts. (v. 23)
Barnabas taught them that it wasn’t about what they did on the outside, but rather that it was a heart thing.
If you tie your Christianity to a place, you will only be Christ-like in that place. If you tie your Christianity to a person, or group of people, then you will only be Christ-like around that person or group of people. If you tie your Christianity to a purpose, then you will only be Christ-like when you feel that purpose is being fulfilled. If you are going to tie your Christianity to anything, let it be that blessed hope of future restoration. Otherwise, your light will be dim and your faith weak.
Barnabas was so dedicated he refused to stop. When he could not handle it anymore on his own, he went and found help. (v. 25)
It takes the dedication of everyone to see the Kingdom of God grow.
Duplication
Duplication
Salvation is not the goal in and of itself. Salvation is just the beginning. In order to fulfill Christ’ command that we find in The Great Commission, we must reproduce reproducing disciples. If we think we have one when someone comes to know Christ, we have indeed failed Christ.
To abandon a newborn Christian to figure out their spiritual life on their own would be no different that abandoning a newborn child to figure out this physical world on their own. When one falls to the level of depravity as to abandon a newborn child, we call it neglect, child endangerment, and murder. Yet when a newborn child of God is abandoned to themselves without nurture, care, and guidance we call it nothing.
If we are to be faithful to God, we must duplicate. If we are to see the church grow, we must duplicate. If we are stop losing our children to the world, we must duplicate. If we are to win our co-workers to Christ, we must duplicate. If we are to raise up those within the church to serve, we must duplicate. If we are to win Dowelltown to Christ, we must duplicate. If we are to do ministry the way Christ did it, we must duplicate.
Paul and Barnabas stayed with the disciples at Antioch for an entire year, teaching them what it looked like to be faithful followers of Christ. (v. 26)
The result is plainly stated at the end of v. 26: “And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”
Notice that they did not call them followers of Paul or followers of Barnabas. They called them “Christians”: followers of Christ. They made sure that everyone knew what had happened in their life and who was responsible for it.
Commitment
Commitment
Let us take this Word to heart! May we be dedicated to the Lord in all areas of our lives. May we be determined to lead others to Christ no matter what. May we be steadfast in discipling those who come to Christ, so that their lights might shine brightly for God.
Let us pray!