Sermon Notes 1-7-2018

So where do we go from here??

1. We Learn Together!

So, the big question is where do we go from here in 2018??

Acts 2:42–47 (ESV)

⁴²And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

⁴³And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.

⁴⁴And all who believed were together and had all things in common.

⁴⁵And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.

⁴⁶And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,

⁴⁷praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Recap!

Matthew 28:19–20 (ESV)

¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

So, what did the first church formed after Jesus ascended do that was so special, so awe inspiring that lead to the making of so many disciples? 

1. They learned together

2. They had one common mission

3. They hung out and spent time together

4. They gave for the common mission

Its hard to believe that it is that simple, but it was. And simple does not mean easy!

·      It takes commitment

·      Its takes your time

·      And it takes a purpose!

  

The Vision for PTCC 2018

Here are a few things I would like to see us doing in the new year! And it will take us all to make it happen!

1. More learning opportunities

·      More small groups

·      More Wednesday night class

·      Specialty classes

o   Couples

o   Men’s

o   Women’s

2. infrastructure up-grades

·      Finishing the Big Barn

·      Completing the kids church

·      Investing in our kids and teens

3. utilizing our facilities

·      From weddings

·      To fellowship

·      The arena

·      To charity events

4.  A community giving program

·      Develop a program to give back to our local community

·      Hosting Charity events

·      Raising money for the less fortunate where we live

It will take us all, we will all have to follow the first church model to pull this off, it won’t be easy, you and I will have to commit, to challenge each other, to get behind a common mission, and if we do we will further the kingdom, reach more people than we ever have, will touch lives, not just give lip service. And we will make and impact!

We also said we don’t want to be Lukewarm!

Revelation 3:14–16 (NLT)

¹⁴“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation:

¹⁵“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other!

¹⁶But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!

·      I see to many churches just getting by

·      I see to many churches never walking out their doors

·      I see to many churches just going through the motions

·      And we will not sit back and watch us become LUKEWARM!

Learning and growing together is important

I know why it’s important, you know why too!

·      Most of us know why it’s important

·      We grow in wisdom

·      We grow in knowledge

·      We find more joy

·      We find more peace

·      We find health relationships

·      We are just plan are happier when we are in the word and with the church

John 10:10 (NIV)

¹⁰The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

·      God wants to give you a full and productive joy filled life!

·      Satan wants to steal your time

o   Kill your joy

o   And destroy your relationship with Jesus and his followers

So why don’t we spend more time together?

·      Because we are to hung up in the world!

·      Our phones grab us

·      Our TV grabs us

·      And we waste some much of our life doing the things that at the end won’t help us at all!

·      We spend on average 33 hours a week watching TV

·      We spend on average 3 hours a day on our phones!

·      That’s why you have no time!!

We have cluttered our lives with so much useless stuff that we think we have no time to do what really matters!

  

SO why is learning together so important?

Its biblical

Hebrews 10:24–25 (NIV)

²⁴And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,

²⁵not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

·      We all need encouraging

·      We all need reminding of our true purpose

·      We all need to meet together

·      I love Wednesday nights

o   Seeing people visiting

o   Catching up

o   Praying for each other

o   And building relationships

We all need feed!

John 21:15–17 (NIV)

¹⁵When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

¹⁶Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

¹⁷The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

·      Jesu knew we need fed

·      Jesus knows that the world will try and grab all your time

·      And without regular feeding everything dies

·      We need regular feeding

·       Feeding of the word

·      feeding if encouragement

·      feeding of hope

·      feeding of fellowship

·      feeding of love

·      the world only feeds junk food

o   in small doses  

o   the news

o   the gossip

o   the drama

o   the hate

o   the rage

·      Jesus wants you to get some good nourishing food through meeting and learning together

We need hey stupid friends!

Colossians 3:16 (NIV)

¹⁶Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

·      We need wise counsel

·      We need good solid teaching

·      We need to be held accountable

·      We need loving advice

·      And we can only do that through relationships

·      Your phone won’t do that

·      The TV won’t do that

·      Only learning and growing together in relationship will do that

We cannot survive this world alone, we need each other and we need Jesus

Matthew 18:20 (NIV)

²⁰For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

·      When the wolves come we can’t handle it alone

·      I don’t care how long you have been a believer

·      I don’t care how strong you think you are

·      You can’t survive alone

·      And when we gather, Jesus is with us!