Devotion

turn if you will have your Bibles. to the book of Acts chapter 2 we look at verse 42 to 47. asked you 42 to 47 must give you a brief contact just cuz you'll help put us in the right place in the story book of Acts. Is he sent you the story of how the church from the point of Jesus Ascension how the church begin?

Chapter 2 is still part of the introduction that our author Luke is writing. It's kind of the closing marks of the intruder.

What was she in the first chapter was just think through quickly here in the first chapter. We see Jesus Ascension into heaven as kind of the last moment that is Apostles in are the apostles in the disciples are going to see Jesus in kind of the same vein or same process as Jesus gives the Great Commission in Matthew 28. He gives the same kind of commission. I'll just in different terminology in Acts 1:8 Go therefore be my Witnesses in Jerusalem Road Angels. Say, what are you guys doing?

The go and they gather together with biases as a as another Apostle somebody who had been with Jesus through the whole matter in the whole time. They were with him. He was here teaching preaching.

Holy Spirit falls upon them fire above their head straight wind storm outside and it draws the attention of many people in Peter gets up and goes outside and gets up and preach the sermon.

He preaches a sermon at the end of his sermon 3,000 people 3000.

parts of changed drawn 3000 people come to know the Lord Jesus Christ

We think about that. We think so Peter must have the greatest sermon

as we look at it as we studied. It's really nothing special.

So I can Flex. Talks about a lot of things from the Old Testament and he shares the love of Jesus.

3000 people commit OG

that's a big church in a minute.

Went from 120 to 3000 +.

Question asked at that point, okay. What now? Set of programs. functions establish an order Leadership make plans. Not at all.

Instead we get Acts chapter 2 verse 42 to 47. Birch 42 Is 3120 people? There's an a devoted themselves to the apostles teaching. into the fellowship into the breaking of bread and to the prayer prayer And every so many wonders in signs were being done to the apostle. We're together and it all things in common.

They were selling your possession belongings in distributing the proceeds to all as any had knee. Day by day attending the temple together in Breaking Bread in their homes. They receive their food with glad and generous hearts. praising God

having favor with all the people

the Lord added to their number day by day.

Give you the same morning I gave you last week. This verse in particular verse 42 has been shaking me off a bit. So I might be a little scatterbrained and I apologize in advance.

There's about three hours of things that I could be saying to you. I've tried to whittle it down to about a half an hour.

Try not to go any Rabbit Trail.

Last week we started a little too part mini series where you want to call it where we talked about the Great Commission we talked about what the purpose of the church one. purpose of the church quite simply probably too full one to glorify God It is always are purple glorify God. In the second is what Jesus tells his Matthew 20:28 and Acts chapter one to go and make disciples of all Nations. The question maybe is what is a disciple? It's not a convert. At least not at the end of it.

Disciples are convert but there's something more there was a pattern in the ancient world in in the first century of disciple people follow Jesus literally left their jobs in Peter James and John were with Jesus everywhere. He went.

Discipleship is action movement. Not just knowledge is not just knowing that I'm saying it's being changed by the knowledge of these.

And then going out and bringing that say knowledge everybody else. I want to try to give you some numbers here. Don't do it as briefly as I can. Let's pretend for a moment that half of the world's population is christian.

Absurd number is way way higher than it actually is 1/2 of the world population and 1/2 / 3.75 billion people + 7 + 1/2 + 3.7 billion.

Let's pretend for a moment.

It's just this pretended I decided nobody else. Nobody else. I decided I'm going to make some time. Really really good. Every single day of my life I make a conference.

How many days it will take to get to 3.75 billion? More than my life.

It's just shy of a hundred million years.

Serta number

and Jesus in this is how the church thinks especially in America.

I can't convert the world. I mean participant.

over the whole world

Let's Pretend There's No Christians on Earth disciple and then after three months those two Disciples of Christ now going to go and make one disciple each and they're going to multiply in. powers of 2 three months double some of you who who are you know, Matt might know what's going to what's going to happen to you. We continue that pattern on the planet. It's going to take probably hundreds of thousands of years, right?

Text takes 15 years. treat every single person on the Earth

pretend there's a half million Christians on the Earth.

It's closer to 10, I think.

It's very possible. to convert the whole world

But it's still a massively daunting task. is maybe some of you have said every 3 months well, good news is you're not going to spiritus Peter tells and 1st Peter chapter 3 tells us to be prepared to give a reason for our hope an answer. Jesus in Luke chapter 12 verse 12. He's talking to his disciples about about being persecuted. He says don't worry about when you're persecuted when you're standing in front of the Sanhedrin and you're standing in front of the the religious leaders, don't worry about what you're going to say, cuz the spirit of God is going to give you the words. Peter tells us be prepared as much as you can and then you're going to be able to win sole. It's the spirit of God. I've said this before and I will say it again the same spirit that dwells in Christ Jesus.

That spirit is not in a second. But a lot of times next year can't work because we simply don't. We don't go to make disciples.

So I'm not going to go over that again.

The real question is okay. How do we do this? What patterns and plans are we supposed to come up with so that we can do this job?

you know how to make based on

Which is a sad commentary on the health of the church today.

I'll give you the simplest answer that I could possibly give you.

You know that every single person is different. But you're right that you left that person gets to decide to their different. You may have similar traits meteor your family.

Baby been married for 25 years and you starting to melt together and you're starting to look very similar to each other.

Then we can all help.

Maybe we share similar traits similar patterns similar and different.

And every person that doesn't know Christ. Needs a different conversation. Not every every conversation every every time we go to evangelize or every time we try to go and grow new Christians into maturity. We have to take a different approach.

No, no. Yes, there are certainly things that are the same. That are similar. There's patterns. Are there things about Jesus, right? Every single conversation that happens in Evangelistic effort has to have something about Jesus.

This I think is what Peter's talking about when he says he prepared to give an answer for the hope.

Christian it shouldn't be.

Some of us I think unfortunately.

to no fault of your own

two for the church or not.

The pattern that very clearly Jesus gave us.

So I think we need to try to be prepared. When you make every effort to be prepared.

What's four prepared? What about all the Oddities? What are the strange situation might arise?

strange

a Hindu Doctor Who's going to work on your child's health issues. How do I get to that person?

we can't read enough books to explain every possible situation and that's not what Make every effort to be prepared and then we trust the Holy Spirit.

That brings us to our past.

The apartment the new Christians in in in the apostles walking around with Jesus.

This is not some complex puzzle that we have to put together. In fact, it's very very simple. Be with Jesus. And be with everybody else be with the church be with Jesus and be with the church. This is how to make disciples.

Get it right that we know that can't possibly be.

other Christians got2b

Sesame devoted themselves verse 42

addition rule different than I normally I'm going to spend less time. Tell me what it says.

I need this passage is fairly simple.

foundation of the church The very first thing that the church stood on where these four point.

Swiss teaching which for us today is the Bible is the word of God.

Is then the fellowship? The fellowship is the word that's thrown out in the church. But many people don't know what Fellowship Fellowship is being with each other.

right now

Later, when some of you will leave in some of you will stay in the back and our new Lobby space Fellowship. Sitting with a friend at the movie theaters. Is also Fellowship.

sometimes

go to the movies with your your significant other and hold hands and you talk about the movie.

The purpose of Fellowship is quite simply to just live life together.

churches intimidating What is it? And we are progressively in this nation moving away from living life with other people. It was once a time whenever you didn't move it move out of this the town that grew up and that's a different conversation for this area. But you didn't move out of the time you grew up in a lot of time to just live with your parents until your parents.

Being with other people used to me.

In the morning to visual lisic we become the more we separate ourselves from other people to our detriment.

to the breaking of bread is just communion. Is this is terminology that we use to describe we take communion once a week here every week old piece of bread. I woke up with juice and we need it. We drink it we talked about Jesus. That's great in the first Believers did foundation of the church.

And when they had meals together they remembered. Frank one inherently special about eating with others Did you know that you must have food to live?

every single person in this room

surprising there's a reason why when we get together and we eat life giving food something Nina's connects with a person different than any other situation. There is a reason why no test.

Is it drawn together unlike anything else? We have, we will never have anywhere else. and those conversations matter

they're connected in a different way.

Should we devote ourselves to the word of God we devote ourselves to ourselves?

The question is how often? is Austin

day by day

Every day they ate together every day. What is not your family?

Ashley to the prayers

Where is circle back around here in a second? I want to show you the response. I want to show you what happens to the early church whenever they devoted themselves to these four things.

Says it all came upon every soul. It was to use the word properly awesome.

It was special. It was unique. It was life changing. It was awesome. Many Wonders and signs were being done to the apostles special things were happening unique things were being killed for being converted for Being Fit.

Crazy things are happening song.

If you study the book of Acts, you'll find it every single time a miracle happens in the book of Acts immediately after or immediately before somebody is told about Jesus. And becomes effective because I just saw God work and now I'm being told by Guy.

We're together and they had all things in common. They were Distributing the proceeds. I think it's a little dicey because later on in the fridge in the first century of Hall has to make a collection from the to help the now impossibly for Jewish or Jerusalem Church because they gave all their stuff away and then continue to work. That was the problem. It was the other people in the church. It was at the shop working to come back like next week. We don't really need to keep working. We just need to live off of But it's very important. We see this. There are other things we have to provide for those people who are exactly the response.

Day by Day verse 46 attending the temple together they they were committed to being in church with one another. Not just on Sunday, but every day of the week, that's a scary one, right? They broke bread in their homes that had meals together and generous hearts. Call Jefferson the purpose of the church again. Why are we still here? glorify Make Disciples of all Nations

verse 47. What else are they doing? praising God glorifying God wedding favor with all people everybody something different about them.

And the Lord added to their number day by day.

Or Saigon and Make Disciples of all Nations. How do we make disciples of all Nations?

What's not a program? Not a pattern. It's not some secret formula. Being in a relationship with a relationship with other Christians. It's really that simple. And when we start to do something inherently changes in how we interact with the rest of the world and then God through our movement bring Converse.

the Lord added

So what should we do?

I want to share my opinions for a second on how I think this church is doing I think they're more than just opinions.

I think We are devoted to the apostles.

I think we do pretty good. We read the Bible in this church. We read it often we care about it. If there's ever a moment because of the scriptures, you better confront me. devotion is a decision

it's a choice and not just think something is important because you know, it's important.

There's a reason why every Pastor ever has told you to read your Bible every single day. It's not because every single day you are going to have some experience with that will not happen. I promise you they're going to be times when you decide to read the Bible don't want to read.

And commanded to be in relationship with our God. Which is why we read the Bible.

Read the Bible not to get something out of it sounds really wrong.

But you be with our God. Max very poignantly pointed out. This is the word of God. This is God speaking to us every single person every single one of the most important things in your relationship. Is good healthy communication?

And good speaking. When we read the Bible listen.

many of us almost

in life many of us are bad listeners.

When I'm devoted to the book because it's some special but that's going to unlock patterns and we are encountering a conversation with the almighty God of the universe. Isn't that worth a conversation?

Conversation is good listening and we don't do often enough.

Now listen, we're also minion.

About everybody else. Miss you.

overtime

And we both only speak English.

The Gerbers I'm sorry Goobers. The cameras used to work never and always all the time.

You're welcome.

Seldom do they use, right? As evidenced by what I just said. my family didn't answer sometimes whenever I mean not a good husband. Miss you will say never. Do the dishes. I think

And what she saying? It's not you just frustrated in the moment and the word that uses this number and what I hear because we didn't use those words because I think my parents had a pet peeve.

when I hear that It cuts me.

I don't feel like you even notice the things that I'm trying to do out of love for you. listeners

We need to learn to listen to God's will never learn to listen to if we don't actually listen only reason why I know you're never a lot. Is because we talk a lot.

and sometimes we don't remember to speak Tactical. I think we do would you wear devoted to work? I think we care about it deeply. I think we do Fellowship.

Many of you will stay around here until 12:31. Sometimes I hear people saying we got to get out of here so I can never I mean sometime.

bright

that to me is so vitally important.

The fellowship should go beyond this building.

Who Would You Rather Be when your brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus that list is pretty sure.

We should be having meals together. I think there is a time when we when we do better.

These things are intentional intentionally doing this. It's a decision not every meal that you're going to share with the fellow brother and sister in Christ. He's going to be on Saturday. You're not going to come fast friends.

It's listening to the simple commands that God gives us. Church would you pray in this church? You start my sermons on prayer and I start every meeting that I can in French.

Devoted to prayer.

It starts with me said the same thing last week. I struggle.

decision 3 hours morning before you go to work if you're going to get burn out immediately and make a decision get your phone out cuz I'm sure all of you have your phones and get the timer out.

2 minutes turn it on.

Talk to him.

Be with me today.

Show me something today teach me today. I think that every prayer. Should in some sense revolve around God speaking back to us. Just the word of God. Prayer and Bible reading should always go hand-in-hand. Every time you read the Bible, even if you're not actually saying things back to God should always be in a sentence. And I think it's we read the Bible and inevitably you come to pack like I have no idea what this is and ask God what it sing. Talk to him like you would talk to a friend talk to him like you would talk to somebody who cares so deeply about you knowing him because he does. 2 minutes + 4 + 5 + 10 15 however long you want to go eventually you'll turn it off because you don't need to be reminded to pray.

Make a choice be devoted to it.

The desire this this Wednesday, we're not going to have our normal Bible study or going to have a prayer meeting. Must be trying to be all right by.

What is the prayer meeting?

Open it up for questions. Maybe we don't know how to pray. We're pretty gather. We're going to pray over scripture when I pray. where to take little baby steps porch deeply caring about the about the fears. and it's when this stuff starts to happen when asked Is it all the rest start to happen?

The widows in a few chapters, they're being neglected though. The Greek widows are being neglected and they don't go. Let's go program. Did you get more?

We will inevitably start to do the things God calls us to do when we know his voice.

But we don't know his voice until we start lessons.

It is as simple as that.

father you have

You have promised us. your helper

So when we know we are weak. We also know he is strong.

I doubt there are many people in this place or really anywhere you think that they are. great prayers

so move OST

Let me know that we do not need to be convinced. That it's important.

It sometimes.

We just don't see its value.

Show it to me.

But our eyes be open enough. To see it when you move.

Drive us to our knees.

And whatever method did you see you see fit?

Hydraulics together as a church what's here in this building?

And everywhere where the church is.

the fellowship with one another with other people who confess Christ the savior

I was open up our homes share meals your stories sure hurts your voice.

teachers from your word

Help us feeble wrenches. Be devoted to you.

You precious and holy son Jesus.

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