So where do we go from here??
Rap-up
So, the big question is where do we go from here in 2019??
· Peter had just preached a sermon of a lifetime
· Proclaiming the Gospel boldly
· And all of a sudden, a church of 100 became a church of 3000
· And they didn’t sit back and say, “look at us” or “we don’t want this many people”
· They dug in and kept doing the lords work!
Acts 2:42–47 (ESV)
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common.
45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,
47 praising 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)
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching 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
It's hard to believe that it is that simple, but it was. And simple does not mean easy!
· It takes commitment
· It takes your time
· And it takes a purpose!
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 healthy relationships
· We are just plain happier when we are in the word and with the church
John 10:10 (NIV)
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
· Satan wants to steal your time
o Kill your joy
o And destroy your relationship with Jesus and His followers
· God wants to give you a full and productive joy-filled life!
So why don’t we spend more time together?
· Because we are too hung up in the world!
· Our phones grab us
· Our TV grabs us
· And we waste so 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?
· It's biblical
· We all need to be fed
· We need hey stupid friends!
· We cannot survive this world alone, we need each other and we need Jesus
Spending time together
You are who you spend time with!
Proverbs 13:20 (NIV)
20 Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.
The wisest Man I ever knew
· My dad always told me that I need to surround myself with people I inspired to be like
o To be more like Jesus
Friends greatly influence your choices.
Why is spending time together important?
· It's where we form our hey stupid friends
· It's where we learn to put our faith into practice
· It helps hold us accountable
· It shows the world what walking with Jesus looks like
· It's where we get wise counsel
We are not of this world, they don’t understand us!
· The world and its people don’t understand you
· They don’t solve problems like you do
· They don't think like you
· You are as different as night and day!
What does spending time together look like?
· Recreation and Social Interaction: Not A Work Of The Church
· Benefits
· Make Opportunities: It Takes Work
Summary
Social interaction with God's people is important for every Christian. It's up to each of us to make opportunities to spend time together outside our assembly and to take advantage of such situations. If we do, we'll be stronger, and our lives will be more fulfilling.
Summary
Social interaction with God's people is important for every Christian. It's up to each of us to make opportunities to spend time together outside our assembly and to take advantage of such situations. If we do, we'll be stronger, and our lives will be more fulfilling.
One Common Mission!
Jesus Gave us commands to carry out His mission
· Some were for us to stay close to him
· And others were for us to carry out His mission (reaching others)
1. Keep My Commandments
John 14:15 (ESV)
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
· He knew the world would interfere in our lives
· And that the only way we would be able to carry out His mission was to follow His commands
· That’s why the first church learned together and spent time together
2. Forgive Others
Matthew 18:21–22 (NLT)
21 Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!
· Jesus knew that without forgiveness we could never carry out His mission
· That people both in the body and out would offend us and we need the skill of forgiveness
· This is a key part of staying on mission
· To learn to forgive often and regularly
3. Love Your Neighbor
Mark 12:31 (NLT)
31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
· The world needs more love
· More compassion
· More hope
· And we do that by not putting a price on things
· But rather people
· God put unbelievers in your path for a reason
· And that is to show a lost and dying world the importance of people
· That they have worth, value
· That we know they will fail often
· But that we will love them through it
4. Love Each Other
John 13:34–35 (NLT)
34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.
35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
· This is how a world peering in, will know we are different
· This is us living out the all that Jesus taught us
· In community, together
· Loving each other
· Taking care of each other
· Doing life together
· Holding each other accountable in love
· Not judging each other
· The world needs to see Jesus in ACTION, through His people!
· And frankly this is where we fail so miserably!
5. The church, God's people on Mission!
Baptize and make Disciples
Matthew 28:18–20 (NLT)
18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.
19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
· This is the church on mission
· Not giving a check to a nameless faceless missionary
· We are all missionaries!
· In our communities
· In the lives that God places in our path
· Making a difference where we live!
What can we do to be on Mission!
· Reach a lost world!
o The methods have changed
o The mission has not
· If we walk into every Team meeting
· If every decision we make in this church revolves around the mission of reaching lost souls
· If we in our daily lives become kingdom minded we will make an impact!
· If every day you ask yourself how am I living? How am I making a difference, how am I impacting the kingdom?
· We can change the world we live in!
Supporting the mission
Giving and Serving
Matthew 6:19–24 (NIV)
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.
23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Where is your treasure?
· Are you storing it all up here?
· Are you tied to things more than Jesus?
· If things matter more than Jesus your heart will never truly be His!
Stewardship
· Do you see yourself as a steward of God’s wealth?
· How is that tangible or not tangible in your life today?
· Where are you tempted to see your possessions as yours and not God’s?
· What conflicts does the idea of stewardship raise up in you?
· Where do you need to grow in your stewardship?
· What can you start doing today to be a better steward?
Money and Worship.
· How is money related to worship in your life?
· Where do you see money/things competing with Jesus for glory in your life?
· What things have you sought after for joy but left you wanting after you possessed them? What do you see as the highest purpose for the use of money?
· How does your concept of money need to change for you to realign your worship with God?
Prayer: Take time to Reflect and meditate on the death of Christ.
· Praise God for His faithfulness and generosity.
· Pray for correction where it is needed in regard to stewardship.
· Pray that the money we steward is converted into souls won for Jesus.
Do you worship God or money?
· To truly serve, money has to be a secondary issue
· To truly give your heart it has to belong to Jesus
· Are you giving first fruit or the leftovers?
· Are you part of the family?
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