A Journey of Faith: Sanctifying Grace
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
What is the Church?
What is the Church?
— “a body of believers” “Christians” “Those who believe in God” “A group that worships together”....
What makes a successful church?
— love, grace, mercy, people doing God’s work, serving, changed lives....
What causes those things to happen?
That is the question we have to answer. That’s the 10 million dollar question…
— What makes a church a life changing… transformational… entity within a community?
Look at Acts 2:42-47
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.
44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.
45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
That’s an awesome church isn’t it?!
— That’s a life-changing… transformational… church, isn’t it?
Can we be that church?
I believe that Bonham Community Church can BE that church!
I. What made this church special?
A. They were devoted.
Acts 2:42 (NIV)
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
— to discipleship
— to living life together
— to Prayer
B. They were GIVING
Acts 2:44–45 (NIV)
44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.
45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
— not just to what they related to, but to those in need --- EVERY need!
C. They worshipped daily.
Acts 2:46–47 (NIV)
46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
— They lived a lifestyle of praise and worship!
II. What is the ONE — outstanding — characteristic of this church?
— Jesus said, “Where 2 or more gather in my name, there I will be also.”
— So, we know it isn’t the building
— It’s not the property, or what we can do on it
— It’s not the programs
So… What is it?
(love, unity, devotion,…)
Those are all good, but can I tell you what I see?
What I see, woven throughout this story, is JOY…
— They are filled with JOY…
Acts 2:46 (NIV)
46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.
— They were blown away by what God was doing!
Are you “blown away” by what God is doing in your life… in this church… ?
What do you think would happen if we got so excited about God — about what He is doing right here in this church — that we couldn’t help but talk about it OUT THERE… in our daily lives?!
…
Look at Acts 2:42
Acts 2:42 (NIV)
42 They devoted themselves to… the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
NO!
— It is easy for us to get apathetic in our lives…
Apathetic — “to show a lack of interest or concern… to be indifferent… to be passionless.”
When we become apathetic, we start just “going through the motions”
Have you ever been there? Maybe you’re there now?
That is NOT what God wants!
— God wants us to experience the same awe … wonder… and joy that these early Christians experienced!
III. Where did their JOY come from?
17 “ ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.
23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.
24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
25 David said about him: “ ‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope,
27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’
29 “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day.
30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.
31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay.
32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it.
33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.
34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” ’
36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
— They found pure joy in what God was doing… Do You?
(I want you to see something)
IV. This is the same Peter who just 2 months prior to this event was so lost… so discouraged… so apathetic… that all he could think to do was “go fishing”.
— to return to the old familiar… the old mundane life…
Church… We are not stuck there!
— Jesus went to Peter… He restored him…
— He’ll do the same for us!
That is Sanctifying Grace!
I need Sanctifying Grace!
That’s what we declare every time we receive communion.
(Communion)
Take home:
What would happen if we got so excited about what God is doing… right here… in Bonham Community Church… that we couldn’t help but tell EVERYONE?