Sermon Tone Analysis

The church is beautiful.

Why?

Because of who she is and what her purpose is and that’s what I want us to talk about today.

What is the purpose of the Church?

I hope that in the next few minutes, you’ll begin to see the focus and the purpose of the Church and its people.

We are going to start off this morning in the book Acts, so please turn your bibles with me to Acts chapter 1 and as you do,

I spent Friday night and yesterday morning at the Men at the Cross conference, which only confirmed for me that we are on the right track for our sermon this morning.

Please stand with me as we read from the Holy Bible Acts 1:1-8

1In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

3After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive.

He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

4On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.

5For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

6So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"

7He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.

8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Churches in St. Louis and across the country are closing there doors and selling there property, because they are dying out.

They are fizzling out.

But, why is this happening?

I believe that that they have lost the focus on the purpose of the Church.

And so this morning we are going to answer that call, what is the purpose of this church located in Soulard, Mo?

Our first point is:

We are part of the plan; God’s people are part of His plan to accomplish His will.

Luke begins and he explains a very important truth about his last book that many people seem to over look, He says that in verse 1 and 2

1In my former book, Theophilus, (Talking about the Gospel of Luke, Theophilus was a roman official and he was a Christian) ) I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2until the day he was taken up to heaven.

Lets stop here for a moment.

Here is what a lot of folks miss it, the flicker begins here.

This is the beginning of the church He said…

“All that Jesus began to do and to teach”

Do you see the word “began”

Scripture does not tell us that Jesus finished His ministry… it is saying the beginning,, all that he BEGAN to do and to teach.

Luke is saying that his death on the cross is only the beginning, It was Jesus that started the ministry and it is through the church,, that Jesus will continue with His ministry.

Now it is going to be through His people that He will carry on with His work.

Jesus taught his disciples by word and deed the truth necessary to carry on with His work and with the ministry.

I am turning over to Acts 3:6

The Crippled Beggar::

Expain

Now in verse 6 Silver or Gold I do not have, but what I have I give you , in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazereth “walk”

It is not through the power of the Apostles or Peter alone that he could make this crippled beggar walk.

You see the hand may have been Peters but the power came from Jesus Christ.

Peter could not have healed the man with out Jesus.

Without the death and resurrection of Jesus the Crippled beggar could not have been healed.

We are part of the plan, and by being part of Gods plan does not mean we can complete anything on our own.

We must let Christ work in us.

Just like Peter.

Lets move on to verse 3

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3After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive.

He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God

Jesus was proofing to the Apostles, that you did see me on the cross but now I am alive!

All the things I have been teaching you,,,,,,, are now true.

He showed them that he was alive by:

walking and talking to them

by eating and drinking with them.

He showed them the wounds of His hands, feet and side.

They even touched them

While he proofed to them He was alive He continued to teach them

He spent 40 more days proofing that he was resurrected and teaching them about the Kingdom of God.

Their testimonies became eye witness accounts of the resurrected King of Kings.

We are part of the plan, Jesus will fulfill his ministry through His people.

Our second Point comes in verse 4 and 5.

There are times in our lives and in the Church we need to wait.

Verse 4 says that 4On one occasion, while he was eating with them,(Proof), he gave them this command: (this was not a thought or a suggestions it was a command) "Do not leave (CHILDREN) Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.

5For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

To often something will happen in the church and our lives that seemingly sees as a great potential and we jump on the band wagon without waiting and praying about it, we just do not wait for God’s answer.

Niki the shoe company spent many years and millions of dollars with the saying of “Just Do It”.

When we just do it without God chances are it becomes a failure.

Often times we get mixed up in Lures..

A lure in fishing terms is an object attached to the end of the fishing line and designed to resemble and move like an item of what fish prey (a minnow, a worm, a crawdad).

The purpose of the lure is to use movement, vibrations, and color to catch the fish's attention to make them bite the hook.

And then they are caught!

Once their caught they fight the line to get loose as they are reeled in.

A lure in the church or in our lives is an object that resembles and moves like a ministry.

Its movement, vibrations and color catch our attention.

The purpose of the lure is to catch us so that we spend our time fighting the line as we are being reeled in to make that so called ministry work and we forget what the real ministry is about.

We are Caught!

We become so busy doing all the lures in our lives, that we rarely see the true ministry right outside our doors.

That is what happened to my Pastor, he had a ministry given to him by the Holy Spirit, to go out and witness (similar to what he does at the Olympics) to the people at the All Star game.

He went to the Assocoation

He had a few committed people at the church.

VBS, a sickness, a block party, problems in the church with personnel,

All these became lures for the one purpose the Holy Spirit gave him which was to go out and witness,,,

Jesus commanded the Apostles to wait; and that command is for us and the church, to wait for the gift that God has for us, for the direction from God.

The key is to get direction from God the Holy Spirit,..

We wait our turns at the bank, in line at the grocery store and amusement parks.

We wait for our turns to go through intersections (well some of us do).

We even wait for the service to start at our church.

Waiting is what we do every day of our lives, so why is so hard to wait on the Holy Spirit?

This brings us to our third Point in verse 8 and it gives us the last two insights of the churches purpose.

8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

First:

When we receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit we must allow Him to take charge and to give us His Power.

In the 5th chapter book of Joshua.

God called Joshua to replace Moses and he sends them to cross the Jordan river and they camp on the plains of Jericho, they are in the promised land.

Joshua was heading to Jericho and he is ready for what God wants him to do.

And then he looked up and saw a man in front of him with his sword drawn, Joshua went up to him and asked him are you for us or for our enemies?

(the Canaanites)

Neither he replied, but as the commander of the Lords Army I have come down.

What he is saying to Joshua is this; he said I have not come to take sides I have come to take charge, because he is the commander of the Lords army.

He is saying to Joshua I am the one in charge not you.

We see that at Jericho,,, Joshua is told to march around the city ….