INSPIRE

Sunday, October 1st, 2006

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This entry is part 1 of 4 in the series Church on Fire

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Read at beginning of service:

The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand. The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest’s family. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone’. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name.” Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.
Acts 4:1-22 (NIV)

INTRODUCTION

Earlier this summer I took a day to seek pray and seek God’s direction for a number of things in my life – but I found myself focusing more on His direction for HPC. For sometime, as your pastor, I’ve been asking God for more specific insight into some of the unique core values and practices He has for the people in this particular body of believers. While fully embracing the vision to be a City on Hill – I realize that this vision is very broad in scope and we truly do need help in narrowing down some pathways to realizing its fulfillment! And so, while I was praying, I was continually drawn to the account of the launch of the church of Jesus Christ as recorded in Acts 2. Now if you’ve been Christian for any length of time at some point you’ve hear about Acts 2. Certainly, the account of Pentecost and the explosive effects it had on the launch of the early church has been preached about, analyzed, written about and well-covered by much better minds and more articulate folks than I. Certainly, while reading that passage, in my mind was circulating all the various things I’ve heard about and had taught to me and have read about! But then as I prayed and asked God to show me what He was wanting me to notice about this particular passage (which by the way is a good practice for any of us in studying God’s Word), four words kept coming to my mind as I thought about what was happening with the early believers as God formed this first Church. As I dwelt on these four words, it was one of those “eureka” moments – you know where the proverbial light-bulb goes off in your head.

Let’s read this passage (read Acts 2:42-47)

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity- all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
Acts 2:42-47 (NLT)

Remember, this particular passage is the earliest description of what the church Christ established in the power of the Holy Spirit looked like. In the next four weeks, I want share with you some the things I believe God has been teaching me about the Acts 2 church that I believe He wants us, here, today to embrace. Here in Acts 2 we find the description of a group of believers who bonded together as the body of Christ and are a Church on Fire! As we look at this short passage, and draw from examples found throughout the history recorded in the letters, and teachings of God’s Word there are four verbs (or action words) that characterize the activity, and influence of this Church on Fire: Inspire; Involve; Equip; and Grow.

These action words are significant because I believe they relay not only what the church was in it’s earliest beginnings but also what it can be today (and indeed in some cases is). In fact, I believe the church today MUST demonstrate these characteristics in any description of it if it truly is to have any impact for the Kingdom of God.

The reason why I’m sharing these insights with you is because I believe God wants every local church/body of believers to be like the church described in Acts 2. Yet there are far too many that aren’t. I believe that HPC is on the road to becoming more like this church and I pray that we will get there. If we want to be a “City on a Hill” in the fulfillment of God’s vision for us then we must see evidence of these “action words” in our midst.

The purpose of this series then is:

I want to paint a picture of what the Acts 2 church looked like that gives rise to this action word description.

Then, for each action word I’m going to try and answer the question, “Why was the Acts 2 church like that? What is it that makes it obvious that this particular verb is an accurate description? Really, what I’m attempting to do is to draw principles from the answers to that question that we can apply to the church today.

And finally, in sharing with you what I believe God has put on my heart I hope and pray that our hearts will be awakened and a desire fueled to become more like the Acts 2 church with each of those four action words being an accurate description of HPC. It is a reality that I believe is in our grasp! I hope and pray that this series will create space in your thinking and in your life for the Holy Spirit to begin giving (or continue to give) personalized dreams and visions for your individual contribution (prompted by God) to this church vision! Friends, in this series of messages I’m merely introducing to you these four action words and giving some of my observations, however there are places where I’m deliberately leaving the blanks unfilled. My hope and prayer is that a fresh wind of the Holy Spirit will fill in those blanks – answering the questions that are raised as you hear me speak, and a quickening in your spirit as you think of the implications.

Today I’m going to zero in on this first verb. Inspire.

Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
Acts 2:43 (NIV)

(show “man on the street – awe and reverence by Highway Video”) (http://www.sermonspice.com/cart/?p=catalog&mode=search&display_mode=3topics&search_str=AWE&store=main&x=0&y=0)

Watching a video like that can be fairly sobering because it reveals a glimpse into the kind of impact the church of Christ, and Christians are really making in the world. Of course, the reality that it presents is influenced somewhat by where they filmed this clip and who they asked – but I wonder – would the answers be dramatically different if we were to take a video camera to the streets of any of our local communities and ask the same questions? What about if we put some of your neighbors, or family members, or friends on camera? What kind of responses would we get – it certainly is something to think about.

On the other hand. Let’s consider what the answers might be if we were somehow able to run a video feed back in time to the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem and ask those questions? You bet there’d be a significant difference in the responses. The difference is because of inspiration. But before we get into that, let’s try get a handle on what “inspire” means.

Well in my research I came across some common definitions of inspire (noted across multiple sources, dictionaries: online and offline) and I want to highlight these definitions as we look at how this verb applies to the church in Acts 2. Why is “inspire” an action word of the church of Acts 2?

The first definition of inspire is “to provoke a particular feeling – to arouse a particular feeling in somebody”.

In the case of the people in this church, Acts 2:43 says – as I’ve already pointed out:

Everyone was filled with awe…
Acts 2:43 (NIV)

Certainly there is clear indication that the people belonging to or in contact with the early church were provoked to this feeling of “awe”.

The NIV translation of this word is awe but the literal translation is fear. The weight of this word carries the recognition that what was happening was of such substance and reality that it inspired or provoked a feeling of the emotion one feels when you know you’re in the midst of something great and you’re unsure of what could happen to you. It’s the kind of feeling you have when something unexplainable happens that’s beyond your realm of experience and understanding.

There are two edges to this “fear”. Either you are drawn in closer because your curiousity is piqued and you want to know more – OR – you run away because you choose NOT to believe it or it’s too overwhelming.

It’s similar to the feeling that we guys got the very first time we asked a girl out. You manage to get enough nerve to go up to her and say her name, but then when she turns to you – this incredible fear grips you and you are in awe of her beauty but the whole time thinking to yourself “what am I doing here…I’m going mess up…she’s gonna say no…and so on” Some guys they manage to stand there and deliver the question. Others, run away – either because the pressure is too much or they’ve giving up on believing that she’ll go out with them anyways.

No one could say that people outside or inside the early church were ambivalent. People were either drawn to Christ or they ran away because of the inspiration of the church – but there was always a sense of wonder in what was taking place. Look at some of these examples:

They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! Here we are-Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!” They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other. But others in the crowd ridiculed them, saying, “They’re just drunk, that’s all!”
Acts 2:7-13 (NLT)

Peter got and spoke and explained what was happening as he shared about the prophecy of Joel (Joel 2:28-32) and how God foretold that in the last days His spirit would be poured out upon all people – inferring that what Jerusalem was witnessing was in fulfillment of this prophecy. Peter introduced Jesus as the Saviour – his death and resurrection. He explained the significance of Jesus death and resurrection being yet another fulfillment of prophecy as given by David in the Psalms. Once again, the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit inspired and provoked a particular feeling. People interrupted Peter and asked the question, “What then should we do?” as the Bible records Peter’s anointed words pierced their hearts. Some believed that day, in fact over 3000 did and were baptized in water and in Spirit! Into the church! There was no carelessness within the crowd that day.

The Letters of the early Apostles are filled with accounts that demonstrate the definition of INSPIRE wherever the church of Christ was found. There was never any middle ground when it came to emotions and emotional response to the presence of Christ in believers and the church. A common denominator in every account recorded is wonder and awe.

Why is “inspire” an “action word” of the church in Acts 2?

The second definition of inspire is “to stimulate somebody to do something: to encourage somebody to greater effort, enthusiasm, or creativity.

In other words, where there is inspiration – there motivation. People respond in greater ways when they are inspired! In this case, with the church in Acts – there was definitely a stimulation to those within the church to greater effort, enthusiasm, and creative activity. But on the other hand there was also a provoking of activity outside the church as well. Again, as was the case with emotions – there was no apathetic response to this church on fire. Either people, were moved to become a part of what was happening – or people did everything they could to oppose what the church was doing. But there was no lack of activity. You couldn’t say of the church of Acts that they blended in with their communities or with world around them!

Another observation with this is that not only was the early church inspired to do something and inspiring in the process – but this church, this group of people did things in creative ways! In other words, what was inspired in the lives of the people in the church through the church is unique. Our God is a creative, and powerful, Almighty, Majestic being and it only follows that what is done through HIS people should be creative, and powerful, and unique! The church should(!) be at the forefront of creative activity in the world. God has gifted people in unique and creative ways. In manifesting the verb, “INSPIRE” this creativity and activity is released. In the church of acts we certainly see this as the case…

  • A regular experience among people of the church was miracles, signs, and wonders. People were healed, people were delivered.
  • The Bible says these early believers met together regularly and eat together.
  • The Bible says they sold their property and possessions so they could share the proceeds with those in need.
  • They regularly prayed together – and when obstacles appeared, or tragedy struck it was natural for them to get together and pray until there was resolution.
  • They shared their possession among each other!
  • Acts 4:34 says, “There were NO needy people among them…” NONE! Imagine that!

Why is “inspire” an “action word” of the church in Acts 2?

The third definition of inspire is “to breathe in: to inhale air or gas into the lungs“

This is actually a meaning of inspire that we don’t hear very much of or use anymore. But the spiritual implication of this meaning is absolutely mind-boggling when applied as a description of the early church. So far I’ve painted a picture of the church of acts as both a church that was inspired and is inspiring – in the sense that there was a provoking of emotion (i.e. ?awe’), this in turn stimulated the church to do something – with greater effort, enthusiasm, and creativity – and of course that last word is descriptive of the creative nature in what resulted from the inspiration upon the early church and what she inspired. But what is it that inspired the church and inspired through the church?

The answer really isn’t found by asking what, but rather who? And the answer to that is, the Holy Spirit. The third definition of inspire is remarkable in the fact that it describes exactly the dependence the church of Christ must have on the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Not only is He the one who inspires but we are to inspire Him – or breathe Him. Of course, Jesus Christ, the cross, and His resurrection, his imminent return and end-times judgement of God (elaborate) – is the message His followers must testify about (and indeed will share if it has truly made any difference in their lives). The restoration of relationship between a person and His Creator with the ensuing transformation and transplantation from death to life is the goal of the news. However, the vehicle to get from the message to the transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit through the church of Christ dependent on Him.

This is what happened in Jerusalem at the launch of the early Church and this is what has happened whenever the church of Christ demonstrates inspiration in it’s character and through it’s members.

Without the power of God at work in our lives and in our church we will have no lasting impact in for His kingdom. If lives aren’t transformed within the church what chance is there of lives being transformed outside the church?

It’s time to ask the tough questions:

1. If I was to ask the average person here at HPC what is a word that comes to mind when they think of our church would the word “inspire” be verbalized?

I think maybe in a few instances, but truthfully a comparison to the church of Acts reveals that we have much room to grow in this area.

2. If I was to ask the average person in our community (Hanover and surrounding area) what is a word that comes to mind when they think of our HPC would the word “inspire” be used?

I almost hesitate to even guess at the answer but I’m positive that once again it would reveal the need for great improvement.

To be like the church of Acts we must be a church that is not only willing to testify to the message of Christ and His good news, or hopeful of the transforming work of God in our own lives and in the lives of people we influence – but we must also believe, seek, and welcome the work of the Holy Spirit in our midst.

Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in that city. Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is the divine power known as the Great Power.” They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.” When they had testified and proclaimed the word of the Lord, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.
Acts 8:4-25 (NIV)

Notice – Peter and John became aware that something was missing in the lives of these new Christians of Samaria. Peter and John rightly understood the importance of the work, anointing, and presence of the Holy Spirit in the presence of God’s people. If this church of Samaria was to have any hope of impacting the rest of their country they required the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

How does this translate into our everyday lives today?

Well, how much do you inspire (breathe in God, The Holy Spirit) through your day(s)? Do you believe that the signs and wonders we read about in the book of Acts are possible here in Grey and Bruce County? Do you believe that God has spoken through His word incredible wisdom for the decisions we make every day? Is the Holy Spirit giving you dreams and are you willing to take a risk at seeing them become reality? Do you really want God to show up at your workplace or at your school or in your home or on the street? When someone you know shares of a difficulty in their life, do you take the opportunity to pray for God’s miraculous touch in Jesus’ name? Do people to come to you when they are sick or bring others to the church who are sick because they’ve heard reports of God’s miraculous power at work? Do you daily seek the infilling of the Holy Spirit for power and direction in everything you undertake that day? Do you come to service believing that there will be tongues and interpretation or someone healed or some other manifestation of God’s divine presence or do you secretly hope that nothing will happen that will “offend” a visitor to the church? Have you received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit? Do you even understand what that is? Are you seeking it? When God does something powerful in Your life or in the life of someone you know do you seize every opportunity to tell others You know about that event? Do you give God the best of the talents and abilities that He’s given You? Do you obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit when you hear of someone in need and you are able to help them because of His provision in your life?

Listen to these words the apostle Paul wrote the church in Thessalonica once,

Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you. We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia–your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead–Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 (NIV)

Friends, if you leave with nothing else this morning – leave with this – If the church of Christ is going to be Inspiring then believers must inspire the Holy Spirit.

{Relate to communion as we enter that part of the service}

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INVOLVE

Sunday, October 8th, 2006

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This entry is part 2 of 4 in the series Church on Fire

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INTRODUCTION

Today I’m going to continue the series I started last week entitled “Church On Fire”. As I mentioned, last week, this series has been born out of a time of prayer and seeking God for direction for HPC. The Holy Spirit directed me to the account of the launch of the early church and as I sought God’s insight on the portion of scripture in Acts 2:42-47 there were four verbs that kept going around in my mind in reference to the character of this church.

Last week I shared the first word, INSPIRE. I tried to paint a picture of how Acts 2 church demonstrated this action word in their composition. When studying the Acts 2 church you can’t help but notice that their impact, and influence had direct correlation with the fact they were both inspired by the Holy Spirit and the miracles of God in their midst and inspiring to those not yet a part of the church because of their connection with the Holy Spirit. Inspire is a provocative verb – and indeed INSPIRATION of the church of Acts provoked emotions, and activity wherever it was found. The church did not blend in. The lesson drawn from this picture is that if HPC is to have any impact, influence in our world today (both locally and abroad) we need to be inspiring. And friends the only way we can inspire is by knowing, experiencing, and seeking the infilling of the Holy Spirit. In our pursuit of God’s presence we will be both inspired and inspiring.

Today, I’m going talk about the second action word observed in the life of the Acts 2 church. And that word is “INVOLVE”. Let’s reread Acts 2:42-47 and I’m going to emphasize the particular verses we’re going to zero in on.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 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, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Acts 2:42-47 (NIV)

Now when I first mentioned this action word I’m sure the thought that entered many of your minds was that the Pastor is going to be pleading for more workers for nursery, Sunday School, or other ministries in the church again. Certainly that’s an element of what being involved in the church means…but using the word INVOLVE in this context has a far more fundamental implication.

You see when you look at the early church the word that pops up a lot is the word together. Involve is really another way of saying together. Whatever word you use, you convey the idea that this is not a solo endeavor.

One of the most amazing things to me when I read the Bible – along with the central story of Christ of course – is this remarkable choice of God to involve people in His plan! Throughout history as recorded by scripture – God’s interactions with humankind are most often found in His involvement with and involvement of people.

Noah and the flood

One historic milestone is God’s involvement with Noah and his family in the story of the great flood. (Genesis 7)

Call of Abraham and Special Promises God made to Him

God’s meetings with Abraham are told to us in such manner that we may feel we are part of Abraham’s family circle. We are present when the Lord tells Abraham that in his old age his wife Sarah will give birth to a son. We are there when he negotiates with his nephew Lot at the division of the land, then later when he rescues Lot and his family from Sodom. Genesis covers a period of time that sees Abraham enter into the Promised Land then generations later whose great, great grandson, Joseph, at a young age is sold by his brothers to traders traveling to Egypt.

Joseph

Upon being taken as a slave to Egypt, Joseph became a servant in the Pharaoh’s court. When he refuses to yield to the advances of Potiphar’s wife, he is betrayed and put into prison. Two years later, he is remembered and released when the Pharaoh has two dreams no one can interpret. Joseph has the gift of interpreting dreams. He interprets the Pharaoh’s dreams as a premonition of seven years of plentiful harvest to be followed with seven years of famine. The Pharaoh is impressed and puts Joseph in charge of the nation’s affairs. After seven years of harvest, Egypt and the surrounding countries suffer from seven years of widespread famine.

In due course, Joseph discovers that even his brothers were forced to come to Egypt to buy grain. He recognizes them and puts them through a series of tests. Finally, he identifies himself and arranges for his father, Jacob, and all seventy family members to come and live in Egypt where they settle at Goshen.

Moses

From his miraculous deliverance as a baby from Egyptian executioners to His leading the Israelite people out of slavery to the promised land and everything that happened in between – the story of Moses is a great examples of God’s involvement in human affairs and His choice to involve people in carrying out His plan.

Prophets, Judges and Kings

Through Israel’s history in the promised land the Bible records God working through prophets and judges to accomplish His plan and deliver His instructions. There are also the stories of ordinary people, like Hannah the mother of Samuel, Rahab, Ruth, a widow with jars of oil, Esther, Job and many more that demonstrate God’s choice to involve people in His plan.

The very Word of God is a testimony to God’s involvement of people:

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)

The church of course is probably one of the best examples of this. Early on in His first visitation to this planet, Jesus established that He was going to once again follow the pattern of involving people in what He did. From the initial choosing of the twelve men who would closely follow Him, and learn from Him, as he traveled through the countryside – to the commission of His followers at His ascension – Christ clearly communicated His desire to be involved in and through the lives of people who believed in Him. In fact, He made clear on several occasions that the only way God’s blessings, and good news will get out and spread is through people willing to be involved and His work through their lives!

Believers, then have this tremendous privilege of being involved in the work God is doing on this planet and more specifically in demonstrating to the world not only the existence of God, the presence of truth, but also the fruit of salvation. In a sense, God intends the church to be a living example of what life in the Kingdom of God is like. If that is so, how do you think the church is doing?

Well, let’s take a look at how the church of Acts demonstrated their understanding of this incredible privilege. INVOLVE describes them because they,

1. CONNECTED closely with God and with each other.

Jesus used many ways of describing this intimate connection God desires with people (this “togetherness”). One of the most beautiful illustrations is that of a vine and branches…

{vine and branches}

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
John 15:5-8 (NIV)

Certainly when you read about the early church in Acts you can see that they grasped this desire of God. It was taught and embraced that the church is not an organization, but is an organism. They understood that it isn’t a building but a body. It is family, not function.

It is a living breathing extension of Christ at work in the world. Paul illustrated this concept by describing the church as a body.

so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Romans 12:5 (NIV)

And then He goes on to say later that like a body, every part has it’s role. And every part works together to accomplish great things

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body–whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free–and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (NIV)

Reading the first description of the church is insight into this togetherness they lived out. Just count how many times the word “together” is used! In five short verses, “together” is used three times and implied in two other cases.

“devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship” (v.42)

“All the believers were together and had everything in common” (v.44)

“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. (v.46)

Indeed, as you read about the Acts 2 Church you can’t help but see the similarities between the level of togetherness described and that which is experienced in healthy, loving families. Is it no wonder then that elsewhere we discover that salvation involves you in the family of God!

For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Matthew 12:50 (NIV)

…because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Romans 8:14-17 (NIV)

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will–
Ephesians 1:4-5 (NIV)

What is sometimes so casually referenced in Christian conversations today when we talk about our brothers and sisters in Christ – is a reality that the church embraced so fully when it first began. They loved, cared, and were involved in each other’s lives because they literally, and truly saw themselves as family. No racial lines, no lines drawn on social or financial status, or nationality, or intelligence. They were all connected because of faith in and the transforming work of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:28 (NIV)

Not only was there a recognition of this connection between each other in the early church but also a recognition of involvement and connection with God in His purposes, and actions on earth. They regularly prayed and sought God together. They sought the Baptism and infilling of the Holy Spirit so God would be at work through them in the world. When they came together to make decisions they relied on the guidance and direction of God the Holy Spirit.

Acts 4:23-31 – The believers prayed after Peter and John were released from the Sanhedrin (on trial for preaching about Jesus and the healing of the crippled man)

Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
Acts 4:29-31 (NIV)

Acts 12 – Peter had been arrested and thrown into prison by King Herod.

So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
Acts 12:5 (NIV)

God sent an angel to go and get Peter who was sleeping in between two guards who he was chained to. The angel told Peter to get up and as he did the chains fell off (without waking up the guards) then the angel proceeded to lead Peter out of the prison past two more sets of guards without them noticing anything. At first Peter thought he was dreaming but then when the angel suddenly disappeared after leading him a street’s length away from the prison Peter realized what had happened was real.

When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the brothers about this,” he said, and then he left for another place. In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.
Acts 12:12-18 (NIV)

Acts 13 – Barnabas and Saul sent off

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
Acts 13:2-3 (NIV)

Acts 15 – church council at Antioch regarding whether Gentile believers needed to be circumcised and follow other Jewish customs.

In the course of their discussion the church of Jerusalem prayed and sought the direction of God and in the end drafted a letter that opens with these words,

It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements:
Acts 15:28 (NIV)

And finally, this connection with each other and with God in the church is something that Christ Himself prayed for (as noted in the scripture that was read at the beginning of the service.)

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
John 17:20-23 (NIV)

So INVOLVE describes the early church because they connected closely with God and with each other. However involvement also carries with it not only the idea of connection but also participation. The church of Acts…

2. ENGAGED as participants and encouraged engagement on this level – rather than acting as mere spectators.

While Acts 2 does record people being in awe at the supernatural miracles God accomplished through the apostles – it also records these same people in the church being involved in ministry to each other and to whoever God led them to. When you read the historical account of the beginnings of the church, you can’t help but notice that even though there are certain individuals that God used in mighty ways in advancing His kingdom – those same individuals are very obviously supported by and assisted by the involvement of the church. In other words, when you became a part of the church you weren’t just a spectator but you actively participated in the work God was doing. Participated with each other and participated with God.

I could go over some of the same scriptures I’ve already shared with you and highlight the instances where this observation can be substantiated. In speaking of the church as a body – Paul reinforced the practice of the church where every individual was involved in some form or fashion. There was of course recognition that some people are gifted in areas others are not – some do things that are more visible than others – but there is no doubting that although there may not be equal abilities, and talents and practices in the body Christ – every person’s contribution as they participate is of equal importance. The implication is that God doesn’t want us to spend our time watching what others are doing or even wishing we could do what others do – but instead to participate by using the giftings and talents He’s given us to be involved in His work!!

In various letters to the churches is given the accepted teaching about partnering and participating with God in His work.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
2 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV)

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)

…and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father–to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
Revelation 1:6 (NIV)

CONCLUSION

Once again the observation of the Acts 2 church leaves us with some tough questions to ask about each one of us individually as well as corporately as a church. How we answer these questions is an indicator of the presence of this action word in our midst.

As an individual -

Do you recognize that God wants you to be involved in His plan?

Do you believe He has gifted you with abilities and talents to partner with Him in accomplishing His work on this planet?

Do you understand and embrace Christ’s desire that you be in unity with a local church family as you partner together to accomplish His work?

Are you involved in the work of HPC? Do you want to be? Have you offered to?

If you are already involved, do you know that your contribution matters?

Do you encourage others who aren’t involved to get involved?

Are you involved in your church families lives? When you know someone is in need, is sick or struggling in some way do you get involved or do you distance yourself and “busy yourself” with other things?

Do you spend more time complaining about others not calling you or visiting you than visiting and calling others yourself?

As a church -

Do we make room for and recognize the partnership God wants with us in impacting our community?

When people join the family of God do we help them get involved in God’s work?

Are we involved in God’s work or are we busy feeding our “pet projects”?

Do we look like an organization or an organism, is the building more important than the body, do we just function or are we a family?

Ultimately, what we learn from the Acts 2 church is that God’s primary vehicle of involvement in the world today is through the church and individuals making up the body of Christ. God always underscored in all of His interactions with humanity the importance of together. Being together with Him and together in His family. I want to close then with a short video that illustrates beautifully the power of together – that is when lives become so involved with each other that “beautiful” happens.

{show video “Together – Team Hoyt” (sermonspice.com)}

Together with God, together with each other, together we run! INVOLVE!

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Equip

Sunday, October 15th, 2006

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This entry is part 3 of 4 in the series Church on Fire

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INTRODUCTION
For the last two weeks we?ve been looking at the beginning of the Christian church in the book of Acts and discovering some verbs (or action words) that describe the character and activity of these people. The reason why I?ve been sharing this with you is because I believe that if we are to fulfill our God-given vision of being a ?City on a Hill? then it?s important that we demonstrate these characteristics in our midst as well.

In a society that is becoming increasingly fragmented, in which people seem more and more separated from one another the church should be a refuge. It?s more than a building, more than a Sunday morning meeting, more than an organization. The church is about community, family, and operates as an organism. Church is a place where people come together; a place where everyone, not just the pastor, cares about and takes care of one another; a place where every person matters. At HPC, that?s what we aspire to be ? a community, a ?City on a Hill?. And we?re not just hoping to be that ? we are taking practical steps to make it a reality. We are developing a process that will result in the body of Christ being equipped to do what ?City on a Hill? people are supposed to do.

Two Sunday?s ago we looked at the word inspire. I tried to paint a picture of how the Acts 2 church demonstrated this action word in their composition. When you study the Acts 2 church you can?t help but notice that their impact, and influence had direct correlation with the fact they were both inspired by the Holy Spirit and the miracles of God in their midst and inspiring to those not yet a part of the church because of their connection with the Holy Spirit. Inspire is a provocative verb ? and indeed the INSPIRATION of the church of Acts provoked emotions, and activity wherever it was found. The important observation we make is that the church DID NOT blend in! In our quest to be a City on a Hill we must be inspiring. The only way we can inspire is by knowing, experiencing, and seeking the infilling of the Holy Spirit and the presence of God in our midst. It is our pursuit of Him that will lead us into those places that inspire us and the world around us. Christ truly is the ?light? in any ?city on a hill?.

Last week we looked at the word ?involve?. One word that pops up a lot in the story of the early church is the word together. Involve is really another way of saying together but whatever word is used, the idea is conveyed that this is not a solo endeavor. The amazing testimony of scripture and the church is that God chooses to involve people in the working out of His plan. He wants us to partner with Him in the work he sets out to accomplish in the world and for the most part will not do anything without the involvement of believers. A second component of this action word in the midst of the lives of the early church is that they truly were involved not only in the work of God but also involved together with each other. Not only has God chose to work through people but He has also chose to work through people in community. The conclusion then is first: we must recognize the incredible privilege of partnering with God in His work ? that He can use you and wants you to join Him and second; He hasn?t chose you exclusively out of anybody else. That is where the church comes in. As a community working together to accomplish God?s work and partnering with Him there is truly a beautiful picture taking shape of what the Kingdom of God is like.

The next action word we?re going to look at this morning is hinted at in Acts 2:42,

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Acts 2:42 (NIV)

Notice, that there is emphasis placed on the fact that the people in the early church devoted themselves to what they were being taught by the apostles. The idea conveyed by this word is that they didn?t just listen to what they were being taught but they practiced it. In other words, the word of God that the apostles were teaching was important for preparing the church to live full and complete lives. This then is the third word. The third verb we find evident in the life of the early church is the word EQUIP. Not only did the church inspire, not only did it involve, but through the church people were also equipped.

{show ?EQUIP? video from Sermon Central}

{If video shown: As has been so aptly demonstrated by that short video clip ? being EQUIPPED to do something is very important! Let me share with you another example?}

{approach a member of the congregation and had him/her a hammer and ask them to build something. When they say they cannot, ask why not? Answer should be something along the lines of:
- I don?t have the tools I need
- I don?t have the materials
- I have no clue what to build.
- I don?t know how
- I don?t have time}

The bottom line in this case is you aren?t equipped?that is you don?t have what you need to do what I asked you to do! That?s often how we feel sometimes in life, isn?t it? Sometimes we?re just not equipped for work, for specific tasks. The truth is, we?re not all equipped for just anything, because we?re not all supposed to do just anything in life.

When Jerry Brick shows up on a jobsite to build something, do you think he shows up one day and says, let?s build this? No, he gets all the materials, he gets all the tools, and he gets the people who know what to do with those materials and tools. He comes fully equipped for the job at hand?

Fully equipped: we hear that term related to car sales ? what it means is that a vehicle has all the equipment you could want or need

? A.C.
? CD player
? Power everything
? Maybe electronic remote keyless entry, and remote engine starter
? Maybe a video screen etc.

Equipping is empowerment?being equipped means you have the power to do something. Don?t you like the sound of something that?s power equipped?

When you look at the Word of God, we see that God asks or commands us to do many things. God says, ?Be holy as I am holy.? Jesus says, ?Go and make disciples of all nations.? He also tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves. We are told to rejoice in the Lord always. We are not to conform to this world. We are to bless those who persecute us and do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. The same passage tells us to look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

With many of these things, we might have the same reaction as in our opening illustration,

I can?t
I don?t know how
I don?t? have the tools, the equipment, the ability, the time.

That is, I?m not equipped to do those things. But here?s the kicker. God says that, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, we are power-equipped to do all that He has asked us to do.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:3-11 (NIV)

I want to zero in on the one idea, found initially in verse 3 and expanded on in subsequent verses. We first looked at this verse last week when I talked about God?s desire that we be involved with Him in His work on this planet. However, the deeper teaching of this verse is that not only does God want us to be involved in His work but, His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness – in other words ? He calls us to be godly, and equips us to be godly?He gives us the tools to be godly.

Now that doesn?t mean it?s easy. Yes, we still struggle with sin. We need to learn to use the tools He?s given us. You could equip me with all the tools and materials I needed to fix my car, and they?d be wasted ? because I don?t know how to use them!!

What this verse is saying, then, is that not only has he given us the tools but He?s also provided a means for us to learn how to use them. We just have to decide to use the tools, and learn how to use them?and we can learn.

How unlike God it would be if He didn?t equip us to learn what we need to learn to be godly, or even to cope with life? But here, Peter tells us that God has given us everything we need for life, He has given us everything we need for godliness. Let?s take a little closer look?

This isn?t any ordinary power.
We?re not talking about the kind of power that can fail and bring blackouts! We?re talking about divine power. Of course, divine means it comes from God. It?s not anything we can develop on our own. It?s not anything we bring to the task ourselves. It?s source is God.

The truth is, in and of ourselves we don?t have the resources, we?re not equipped to live godly lives. That?s something we have to recognize when we come to Christ for salvation. Jesus said, ?apart from me you can do nothing.? The moment we believe we can go it alone, or try that, we?ve failed. But the good news is that once we?ve recognized that we need Him, we have this divine power source we can tap into. A divine power source that equips and enables us to live life, and to live godly lives, before Him. I like how the Life Application Bible puts it,

Because we don?t have the resources to be truly godly, God allows us to ?participate in the divine nature? in order to keep us from sin and help us live for him. When we are born again, God by His Spirit empowers us with His own moral goodness.

In your notes I?ve listed some other scripture references that illustrate this point (John 3:6, John 14:17-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 1:22-23) ? I?d like to encourage you to take a look at these scriptures on your own and discover the truth that this power, that gives us everything we need for life and godliness, is His Divine power.

So this isn?t any ordinary power ? and God?s divine power is the source whereby full, abundant and godly life is possible. However there is an important word helps make the distinction between those who tap into His power and those who don?t. Notice the word ?through? in this passage. This word indicates cause and effect. It means ?the channel of an act?. It means ?of the mode, manner, state or circumstances through which anything, as it were, passes, that is, takes place or is produced.? This is important because of what comes next which is the phrase ?knowledge of Him? ? Him being God in the person of the father, son and Holy Spirit. What is effectively being said then is

We ?tap into? or are equipped through our knowledge of Him.
The way God has given us this, the means through which God has equipped us with His power, is through, because of, produced by, our knowledge of Him. Please don?t miss this. This knowledge that Peter is referring to is a more intense kind of knowledge that we use when we talk about knowing facts. This knowledge expresses a more through participation in the acquiring of knowledge on the part of the learner. It?s a knowledge that influences and results in activity and demonstrates the relationship of the learner to the object of his knowledge.

In other words, then, Peter is saying that through our increasing awareness and understanding of God at work in our lives and through our lives ? and our participation with Him, His divine power provides everything we need for godliness, and abundant life. It?s not just enough to know about Him, but our knowledge must increase through our partnership with Him. So there?s this more intense usage of the word knowledge that implies learning more about God and learning more about God with Him.

Now the primary means that God has given us for knowing Him is through his Word. We also know (through scriptures!) that we can draw closer to God through prayer, and worship. But there?s another aspect of this word knowledge that directly relates to verb equip as found in the church of Acts.

The connection can be made when we look at another scripture that uses this same word (as in the original language) for knowledge.

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Ephesians 4:11-16 (NIV)

Notice these distinctive truths found in this passage:

i. God gave (gifts, blesses) apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers to the church.
I?m just going to briefly highlight what I believe each of those gifts are ? I don?t have time to go into detail. ?Apostle? means someone sent as an authoritative delegate. I like to think of them as pioneer missionaries or church-planters. Some as ?prophets? ? New Testament prophets provided edification, exhortation, and comfort to the church (1 Corinthians 14:3). Some of them conveyed new authoritative revelation to the church (Ephesians 2:20; 3:5, Acts 11:28; Acts 21:10-11). Most of the prophets, however, simply ?spoke forth? truth that God had previously revealed (cf. Acts 13:1; 1 Corinthians 11:5; 14:26-33).
Evangelists are also listed. Evangelists preached the gospel and served as modern missionaries both at home and abroad (Acts 21:8; 8:6-40; 2 Timothy 4:5). Their ministry was short-term.
Finally pastors and teachers. The Greek construction seems to suggest that this is referring to one function with two aspects. That is, a person involved in shepherding and teaching . The ministry of the pastor-teacher happens among settled congregations in contrast to the itinerant ministries of the apostles, prophets, and evangelists (cf. 1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:9;)

ii. They were given to prepare God?s people?
This is often taken to mean (and I?ve been guilty of this as well) that the pastor equips the church. But that?s not what this says. This says the apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors-teachers prepare or perfect people for works of service ? in other words they help people discover what God has already equipped them with and use what they?ve been given for service. In this sense then the apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors-teachers both teach people about God and what God has done in us (from the Word of God), model what serving God is like, encourage people to service, and help point out the opportunities that God is giving people to serve.

In my reading, I came across this advertisement ?

WANTED: Minister for Growing Church
A real challenge for the right man! Opportunity to become better acquainted with people! Applicant must offer experience as shop worker, office manager, educator (all levels, including college), artist, salesman, diplomat, writer, theologian, politician, Boy Scout leader, children?s worker, minor league athlete, psychologist, vocational counselor, psychiatrist, funeral director, wedding consultant, master of ceremonies, circus clown, missionary, social worker. Applicant should be everyone?s friend, but cannot have close friends. Helpful but not essential: experience as a butcher, baker, cowboy, Western Union messenger. Must know all about problems of birth, marriage, and death; also conversant with latest theories and practices in areas like pediatrics, economics, and nuclear science. Right man will hold firm views on every topic, but is careful not to upset people who disagree. Must be forthright but flexible; returns criticism and backbiting with Christian love and forgiveness. Should have outgoing, friendly disposition at all times. Should be a captivating speaker but should not get upset if people can?t remember what he spoke about only a week ago. He should be an intent listener. Will pretend that he enjoys listening to people talk. Education must be beyond PhD requirements, but always concealed in homespun modesty and folksy talk. Able to sound learned at times but most of the time talks and acts like good-old-Joe. Familiar with literature read by average congregation. Must be willing to work long hours, subject to call any time day or night but not receive any overtime pay ever. Must be adaptable to sudden interruptions. Will spend at least 25 hours preparing a sermon that people will forget in less than 1 hour and must spend an additional 10 hours reading books and magazines. Applicants wife must be both stunning an plain, smartly attired but conservative in appearance, gracious and able to get along with everyone, especially women. Must be willing to work in church kitchen, teach classes, baby sit, never listen to gossip, and never become discouraged. Applicants children must be exemplary in conduct and character; well-behaved, yet basically no different from other children; decently dressed. Opportunity for applicant to live close to work. Home provided; open door hospitality enforced. Must be ever mindful that the house doesn?t belong to him. Directly responsible for views and conduct to all church members and visitors, not confined to direction nor support from any one person. Salary not commensurate with experience, education, or need. All replies kept confidential. Anyone applying will undergo a full investigation to determine sanity. (Quoted in Equipping Them! By Joey Nelson)

Now, this ad is pretty funny but the sobering thing about it, is that some it is true in many people?s minds. Many cultural expectations have come to be attached to this role of minister or pastor while the biblical aspect of this position is often ignored. In fact, the job description didn?t even mention one key area of a pastor?s job!

It was never God?s intention for one individual person to meet all of a congregations needs (i.e. visiting all the sick, comforting all the bereaved, preaching to all the lost, or teaching all of the newly converted). While the pastor should model some of these things, it is his job to prepare the congregation to be engaged in ministry as well. Which is what the next part is all about ? the pastor is given to prepare God?s people?

iii. ?for works of service
Do me a favor, when someone asks you, ?Whose your minister at HPC? Answer them: ?We all are.? Ideally, a pastor-teacher is to work himself out of a job! Who are God?s people? That?s anyone who is a follower of Jesus Christ. That includes me too, of course. Friends I have been prepared by others and equipped by God to serve you in this assembly as a gift from God to be your pastor and help prepare you for service in God?s plan. Now the use of the word ?gift? in reference to myself does not puff me up, because I know that Christ is the gift-giver, not me, and He is the one who has made me what I am so that He might give me to you, and that you might make proper use of the gift given. I fully recognize I am a clay pot. Nothing more or less.

This is what the apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors-teachers did in the church of Acts. Yes, you notice that they are ministering ? but for the most part they spend a lot of time preparing God?s people to serve. The fruit is evident in all the things the church of Acts was involved in. People?s gifts were recognized and put into practice and they learned to serve God in whatever sphere of influence God had placed them as well as through and in the church.

We need that kind of example at work in the church of our society today. However, I can?t tell you how many people I?e talked to over the years, who tell me they?ve visited every Christian church in town, and they still aren?t satisfied. They don?t care about doctrinal distinctives, in many cases I don?t think they?ve ever bothered to learn the basic doctrines of the Christian faith. They want to be appeased, they want to be emotionally stirred, they want to be entertained, they want to be coddled, they want to walk out feeling good about themselves? they are spiritual sloths, perpetual babes ~ if indeed they are born again believers at all ~ and they will not ever recognize the equipping God has given them let alone be prepared for work of service, if they have to run home and hide under the bed to avoid it! On a side-note I?ve also talked with people who move because they?ve been skinned and burned emotionally or because God has specifically called them to use their gifts elsewhere but I?m not talking about these kind of people. Folks, each and every saint of God has an individual responsibility before Him to build on their relationship with Him, and study His word, and avail himself or herself to the kind of training and leadership that would develop them and mature them and prepare them for service.

However, there is also the responsibility of the preacher. When a preacher let?s the thinking of the world dictate his message, when he falls into the snare of thinking he must address the social and political issues of the day, and decry the treatment of animals or bemoan the latest government maladies, or tout the praises of humanitarians and reformers of society; when he is afraid to preach the whole counsel of God because he might offend some big givers or incur the wrath of some portion of his congregation who might respond badly to truth; when a pastor, slothful himself, wants to get by, plucking a feel-good text out of the New Testament, smothering it in several cutsie ?Reader?s Digest? illustrations and patting his flock on the shoulder and sending them home smiling and talking about what a charismatic speaker he is?that man is not preparing the saints for the work of service!

And so there is the dual responsibility. God equips, my job is to prepare, and your job is to minister ? but then Paul goes on to talk about the fruit?

iv. As apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors-teachers do their job and people begin to serve the body of Christ is built up towards unity in faith and knowledge of the Son of God
There?s that word knowledge ? connect it with the passage in 2 Peter and you are left with this astonishing insight. When the church functions as it should they will grow in knowledge of God ? the same kind of knowledge that Peter tells us will connect us with the divine power God has equipped us with for godliness and abundant living. Is it no wonder then that the result of this is?

v. The body of Christ (the church) is marked by maturity and attains the complete fullness of Christ.
In other words ? the fullness of Christ (godliness) is resident in every believer (and correspondingly the church) at the point of salvation but still needs to be applied to every aspect of our life (your thoughts, your actions). And so when the church is functioning as it should ? people recognize their equipping by God, they are prepared for acts of service, and the serve. The cool thing is that as you serve, and as you minister in whatever area God has equipped you?you tap into God?s divine power that gives? ?us everything we need for life and godliness?

CONCLUSION
Let me tell you what I believe so strongly and what I know about our church. HPC needs to be a church that demonstrates the action word ?Equip? in our midst. I want everyone of you to know what your spiritual gift-mix is and where you enjoy serving; to know that God has equipped you to serve. I want HPC to be a place where you are enabled to use those giftings He?s given you. I want you to know how to put together a satisfying devotional life; to know how to explain why you believe the Christian faith; to know and understand people and how to develop relationships with them; to know how to lead an exemplary life in the marketplace; to know how to build a strong family; to know how to be a servant-leader in a church; to know how to develop a positive attitude in life; to know how to bring someone to faith by sharing the gospel; to know how to read and understand the ?big-picture stuff? of the Bible; to know how and be able to disciple a new Christian; to know how to move children successfully through the stages of life. When all this stuff happens, then when we come together in corporate worship, we come together ready to celebrate what has taken place in ministry outside of the church. Worship services are celebration services. We will be so much more effective in every area if our church is like the Acts 2 church was in preparing God?s people for service.

Being an ?equipping? church must be a continual process. A farmer once said, ?The hardest thing about cows is that they never stay milked.? We?ll always be engaged in preparing God?s people for works of service because everyone is not at the same level of growth. We all come in at different heights on the spiritual growth chart. The work of preparation is never complete, so we must commit for the long haul. And this requires commitment. Commitment on my part to do my job as your pastor, and commit on your part to avail yourself of the opportunities to serve, and grow.

What?s the upside? An equipped, and prepared congregation will outlast any one leader. You all know that pastors come and go. Members come and go. We hate to see that happen, but a congregation that recognizes how God has equipped them and who are prepared can keep moving forward and not lose the momentum of what is happening in the church.

So here?s some tough questions:
Has your spiritual life made significant strides in the last five years?
Would you like to live differently with some new tools at your disposal to help you do this?
Would you like to be outfitted with some neat ideas that will help you connect with God and His people?
Nobody can ?do church? all alone. It will take all of us ? that?s all of you and all of me!

[Show the Bible] With the help of God?s word and the willingness to be involved, and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit we can discover where God has equipped us, and grow in our knowledge of Him. In the process we?ll tap into His divine power that ??gives everything we need for life and godliness??!

Amen.

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Grow

Sunday, October 29th, 2006

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This entry is part 4 of 4 in the series Church on Fire

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Read at beginning of service:

2 Peter 3:3-13 (NIV)

INTRODUCTION

For the last three weeks we’ve been looking at the beginnings of the Christian church as recorded in scripture. Our focus has been primarily the description of the church as recorded in Acts 2:42-47 and I’ve been sharing with you what I believe God has been teaching me about 4 verbs or action words that are demonstrated in the life of a church with impact. The way church can and should be. God’s vision for Hanover Pentecostal Church is that we be like a “City on a Hill” and I believe that we have been moving closer and closer to this vision being realized and indeed we are taking on characteristics of that vision year by year. Embracing and practicing these action words that we find in the character of the church of Acts will further accelerate our growth as a church family and the fulfillment of that vision to be a “city on a hill”.

I want to make something clear however. The church of Acts is a great example but it wasn’t perfect! They had difficulties – they made some mistakes. Realizing this is important because not only do we learn from what they did right but we also learn that God continued to work through the church in spite of what they did wrong – and the important thing we notice is that they learned from those mistakes as they continued along the journey God had given His people to travel. It is a journey that we continue today. And indeed in the life of every local church we will not be perfect! We make mistakes – but remember God will continue to work through the church in spite of those mistakes if we are humble and repentant before him and willing to learn from our errors!

So far we’ve looked at three action words. INSPIRE – the church of Acts impacted and influenced the communities they were found in because of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in their midst and through people in the church. The church didn’t blend in with their surroundings but stood out in inspiring ways. INVOLVE – the church of Acts demonstrated their understanding that God wants to be involved through the church in spreading the good news of the gospel and the life of Christ and wants people to be involved in His plans and purposes. The church of Acts also demonstrated the awareness and willingness to involve everyone in the church in kingdom work! Last week we looked at EQUIP – the leaders of the church rightly taught that God equips everyone who believes in Him with the tools to accomplish the specific things he wants them to do – the more we grow in knowledge of Him (that is participatory knowledge – a knowledge not only from learning facts and information but also from doing) the more we tap into the divine power God equips us with. Along with this, we learned that God gifts, apostles, evangelists, prophets, pastors-teachers to the church to prepare God’s people for works of service. In other words leaders in the church help people recognize their gifts and put them into practice. The leaders also help prepare people in teaching and upholding the Word of God. The leaders also point people to opportunities for service. And so the church is a place of equipping.

Finally, today we come to the fourth and last word in this series looking at the action words of the church. And this word is GROW. We see this action word demonstrated first in Acts 2:41,

Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
Acts 2:41 (NIV)

And then a little bit later in describing the things happening in the first church we read,

…praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Acts 2:47 (NIV)

PRAY

One thing you quickly notice when you read through the book of Acts and the other letters to the churches found in the New Testament is that it growth is normal. Wherever there is a description about the impact and activity of the church there is also recognition given to the growth taking place.

Another thing you notice (particularly in Acts 2:47) is that it is God who grows His church. Now why would it be that God grows the church? Because God wants the church to grow – He wants more people in His kingdom! As was read this morning, Peter writes,

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9 (NIV)

But then, what kind of people does God want in the church – or in His kingdom? Matthew records Jesus extending this invitation to all who are burdened with sin…

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:29-30 (NIV)

John records in Revelations the invitation is extended to anyone who wants to be saved from the consequence of sin (which is death) and enter into life.

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
Revelation 22:17 (NIV)

So God grows the church, and He wants the kingdom to grow. Another thing you notice is that it is through the church (the people that make up the church) that God produces this growth. Paul wrote to the Corinthian church,

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.
1 Corinthians 3:6 (NIV)

Paul underscores this principle that Jesus first taught to His followers when He was teaching about what the kingdom of heaven is like. In Matthew 13:31-32, Jesus described God’s kingdom as being like a mustard seed which is very tiny – but eventually grows into a very big tree. Certainly we see, the evidence of that in the church of Acts which started off with 11 Apostles and a small group of disciples in an upper room waiting on the gift of the Holy Spirit – a few days later the church exploded and 3000 were added. Over weeks and months 10,000 and then 20,000 people were found in the church family but it was still a small seed.

In Matthew 13:33 the kingdom of heaven is compared to leaven. Leaven is a small lump of dough, about the size of a golf ball, that is left on the hearth overnight while the yeast inside grows. In the morning a baker would take that lump and mix it with about ? a bushel of flour and this lump will cause it to rise. What will it take for revival, for a community to experience 1st century type of growth? A small lump of leaven. If a church is about doing God’s business – it will impact the community!

That’s what Paul wrote to the Corinthians – he said, I planted the seed, Apollos watered but God made it grow. Paul was merely doing what Jesus wants all of His people to do. Growth only comes when something is sown. In Matthew 13:1-9 Jesus shared the parable of the sower and then explained it in verse 18. I’m going to leave it to you to read that parable but in this parable we learn some important things about what the sower does. What is the job of the sower?

? To look at the ground and decide if it is worth wasting the seed? No, if that was the case then he would have never sowed on the path.

? To prepare the ground before sowing the seed? If that was the case then all of the rocks would have been removed before he sowed the seeds.

? Jesus is using this parable to tell us that we must sow. If the hearts are hard, it is our job to sow. If they cannot turn loose of the things of this world it is still our job to sow!

This church and you individually will reap what you sow. If the church is not experiencing growth, if souls are not being added to the kingdom, the law of sowing and reaping says there can only be two reasons:

  1. We are sowing bad seed
  2. We are not sowing at all.

However, according to Peter…

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
1 Peter 1:23 (NIV)

So that leaves only one choice. Unfortunately, there are many in the church today who refuse to sow! And in looking at the first century church we can discover that some of the very same reasons that plague the Christian church today troubled the first century church.

You seen the truth is, many believers will readily accept that God wants to grow His church and will even say that they want His kingdom to grow…but we don’t want more people. It only takes one person to potentially sabotage God’s plan. So if a church is serious about growth everyone must be serious about growth, from the deacons, to the pastors, to every member in the church. We must be willing to sow seeds. If we aren’t sowing seeds it’s usually because of one of the following reasons…

We want the church to grow but we don’t want people because…

i. …we’re afraid of people

A Christian man owned a barber shop, and one night during a Gospel Meeting he felt greatly burdened to do more for the cause of Christ. So he went out and got a copy of “Go Ye Means Go Me!” and started attending a “soul winners class” at his church. He attended the class faithfully; rehearsed all the material, took extensive notes, and memorized the assigned Bible verses. At the end of the class he received a certificate acknowledging his completion of the course.

The next morning, in the barber shop, he hung the certificate and bowed his head. “Dear Lord,” he prayed, “help me to talk about you with the first man to come through that door this morning.” At that moment in walked the biggest, meanest, foulest man the barber had ever seen. It seems this man had recently lost a bet and now he had to get his head shaved. Needless to say, the barber did not feel very comfortable quoting the “5 Step Plan of Salvation” to a man with a tattoo of a dragon on his neck.

The day just got worse from there and finally at 5:00 p.m., the barber was sobbing with shame. He had not spoken about Christ to a single person. He bowed his head again. This time he prayed, “Lord, if you will allow one more opportunity, I promise I will do my part.” At that, the door opened and in walked a pleasant looking gentleman. The man smiled at the barber, apologized for coming in so late and took a seat in the chair.

As the barber draped the man in his protective sheet, he began to try to remember what he was supposed to say. He began to get very befuddled. As the barber put shaving cream on the man’s face, he tried to remember all of the answers he had learned to the possible objections, and what to say when. Soon the barber realized that he simply could not remember a thing he had learned and he broke out in a cold sweat but not wanting to fail he figured that he had to take a shot. Finally, in desperation, he shook the razor at the man and screamed, “ARE YOU PREPARED TO DIE??!!!”

Sometimes we don’t’ sow many seeds because there are some people we are afraid of, just like the Barber was afraid of the big man with the tattoo on his neck. This is nothing new. In Acts chapter 9:26 we discover that the early church struggled with this reason too!

When he [SAUL] came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.
Acts 9:26 (NIV)

The church was afraid of Saul and I understand that – Saul had been directly or indirectly responsible for the persecution and even death of many Christian believers. When you look back up at verse 10 you discover that even Ananias didn’t want the church to grow if Saul was the next to be added.

In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
Acts 9:10-14 (NIV)

Imagine what it was like for the Lord to appear directly to Ananias. If it happened to you and God said I have something I need you to do wouldn’t you be chopping at the bit ready to spring into action? Well, Ananias wasn’t’ as excited when he realized the nature of the task. But then you read further and you discover that Ananias ended up willingly obeying the direction of the Lord in spite of his initial hesitations. Can you imagine the loss the church would have suffered if Saul had not been converted. Would there have been another man who could have boldly taken the good news to the Gentiles! A loss that didn’t occur because Ananias let the Lord decide who needed to be in the church.

I can’t help but wonder what type of loss the Christian Church has experienced today because of our fear. What kinds of people do you fear – what we need to always remember is that no matter what condition a person is in they are in the same condition all of us are in apart from God. Does God need to check with you before He lets these people in the kingdom?

We want the church to grow but we don’t want people because…

ii. …we don’t want “different” people.

Norman Cates tells the story of a guy who prayed every morning: “Lord, if you want me to tell someone about you today, please give me a sign to show me who it is.”

One day he found himself alone on a bus. At the next stop, a big, burly man got on the bus and sat right next to our praying friend. The timid Christian anxiously waited for his stop so he could exit the bus. But before he could get very nervous about the big guy next to him, the big guy burst into tears and began to weep.

The big guy’s crying got louder and louder, and then at the height of his tears he shouted out, “I feel so empty inside, I need something to give me peace, I need to be saved, and I need someone to show me how to get to the Lord. Won’t somebody tell me how to be saved?”

He then turns to the Christian and pleaded with him, “Please can you tell me about Jesus, can you show me how to be saved?”

With that, the Christian immediately bowed his head and prayed, “Lord, is this a sign?”

Ralph Parlett in his book “The University of Hard Knocks” states that we as Christians need to quit praying for opportunities and begin praying for optometrists

If we were truly honest with ourselves sometimes we want the church to grow but we would prefer that certain different people wouldn’t be around. Now this often varies from individual to individual and church to church but these differences may be color of skin, cultural background, whether the person is poor or rich, how they dress, or just generally “different”. There is a story in Acts that illustrates how an early leader in the Christian church struggled with this very issue. In Acts 10, the apostle Peter is on the roof praying,

He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
Acts 10:10-14 (NIV)

Listen carefully to Peter’s self-righteousness. “Never Lord! I have never eaten any of that bad stuff.” Peter was so interested in being right that he missed the point. It takes another vision, a trip to Joppa, and the tale of a Cornelius’ vision (a non-Jewish man) before Peter finally understands and makes this statement,

Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.
Acts 10:34-35 (NIV)

Now that’s a big step from someone who was taught his whole lie that he was God’s chosen and the Gentiles (non-Jewish people) were dogs at best. It is a harsh reality that in God’s eyes we are all loved equally. Chapter 10 ends with the wonderful salvation and baptism of Cornelius and his entire household but then Peter had to go back to Jerusalem and you can be sure that Peter was in for some “correcting”. I can almost picture the elders of the Jerusalem church sitting on the front porch waiting for Peter’s return…

The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
Acts 11:1-3 (NIV)

Peter goes on to explain the events that had occurred and finally in verse 18 we are told that they eventually accepted the fact that God would even save non-Jewish people BUT still not everyone was willing to share the gospel with them! It’s telling that verse 19 records.

Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews.
Acts 11:19 (NIV)

In his biography, Handyman of the Lord; William Holmes Border tells the parable of a deprived black man who had been reduced to begging for food. You can substitute any “different person” in this story and get the same idea.

Ringing the front doorbell at a southern mansion, the black man informed the occupant, “I’m hungry.” The answer was, “Go around to the back door.” The white man brought food and said, “First we will bless the food. Now repeat after me, ‘Our Father. . .”‘

The black man said, “Your Father. . .”

The white man stopped and looked at the beggar and with frustration in his voice and said “No! repeat after me, ‘Our Father. . .”‘

The black man said, “Your Father. . .”

“Why do you insist on saying, ‘Your Father,’ when I keep telling you to say, ‘Our Father?”‘

The black beggar answered, “Well, boss, if l say ‘Our Father,’ that would make you and me brothers, and I’m afraid the Lord wouldn’t like it, you making your brother come to the back porch to get a piece of bread.”

Friends, God shows no partiality when it comes to race, culture, class, or background – why should we? Are you open to different people being a part of your church?

We want the church to grow but we don’t want people because…

iii. we don’t’ want people in this church that my friends don’t want!

Peter struggled with this same issue. We’ve already looked at how Peter was used by God to bring about the first non-Jewish converts. As long as he was in Caesarea he didn’t mind eating, studying, and visiting with the Gentile believers but when he got back among his Jewish friends the story was a little different. Paul exposed this and gives us insight in his letter to the Galatians…

When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?
Galatians 2:11-14 (NIV)

Now some of us might not mind being associated with certain people, but there is this inner struggle of “if my closer friends don’t want them, I’ll ignore them around my closer friends.” That struggle has existed for years! Even some religious people in Jesus’ day struggled with this issue:

Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.
John 12:42-43 (NIV)

Jesus himself was criticized for the people He associated with. And folks, He associated with sinners! Our problem today is unless we can figure out a better and easier way to carry out the will of God than Jesus did, we will have to face the ridicule and criticism of good people. Jesus faced persecution for loving the unlovable. If we are truly to be about the Father’s business of sharing the good news and loving the unlovable as Christ did then we need to take His words to heart that are found in John 15:20,

Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.
John 15:20 (NIV)

Unfortunately we live in a world that has it’s priorities mixed up. Someone somewhere told you that you were better, smarter, faster or better looking than someone else. It might have been your wife or husband, first boyfriend or girlfriend, dog, or it might have been your grandmother. Or maybe someone told you that you weren’t as good, or pretty, or smart. Whatever you were told, whether you wanted it to or not it has helped shape who you are. Now I’m not going to tell you that I’m ok and you’re ok but to be totally honest with you – we all want to be normal, but the writers of scripture (inspired by the Holy Spirit) insist that no one is normal, at lest not as God describes normal, God says, “We all like sheep have gone astray” And it is that going astray that makes us the unlovable Christ died for.

I have been comforted for more than 20 years by the though that Jesus welcomes, not only sensible sinners, but stupid ones as well. (John Haddington)

Jesus came into the world and pointed out sin as it really is – with all of its heartache and filthiness. He died because of his love for people and because of his compassion took care of the sin. He was the great community builder. He understood what it was to see people with their weirdness and accept them anyway.

We need to ask the same question of ourselves that Paul posed to himself in the letter to the Galatians,

Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Galatians 1:10 (NIV)

We want the church to grow but we don’t want people because…

iv. …we don’t want those who could inconvenience us.

Chuck Swindoll tells about a man who went to see a psychiatrist because he was extremely depressed. After an hour together that the psychiatrist was struggling to get the man to snap out of it. So he said to the man, “Tonight I want you to go to the circus in town because they have a clown named the Great Rinaldi, he is the funniest clown I have ever seen. Whenever I go to see the Great Rinaldi it always lifts my spirits.”

The man responded. “You don’t understand doctor, I am the Great Rinaldi.”

The community and the world we live in is full of “Great Rinaldis”, that is people who are empty and searching for some type of meaning. Their days are filled with desperation and they can’t seem to find relief. They put on masks of happiness and appear fine to everyone around them but when they return to their homes at night they cry themselves to sleep because their life is pointless and they long to find something in life to make them happy and give them a sense of meaning. They look at their lives and wonder what it is all about. Life must have more to offer me than this, they say.

God has given this church and the members of this church the responsibility to reach these hurting people (to be a city on a hill!). It should be a hospital for the hurting not a museum for the saved. The church is a place for people who have problems. People like…

? the single mother who works two jobs to support her kids.

? the drug addict who can’t stop his habit

? the young person who struggles with self-esteem

? the young couple who live together and have never been exposed to the best way to build a home

? the man who does not respect his boss, so he steals from the company and from his co-workers

? the woman who goes out searching for some excitement in the arms of a man that belongs to someone else.

? the alchoholic who is needs help

? the person who thinks they have everything but feel the emptiness of having nothing at all.

Those of us who claim to be followers of Christ are the ones who God sends out to bring the lost home. Because we understand that God wants all people saved, which will cause the church to grow. Time and time again we read in the scriptures that God wants everyone to be in a saved relationship with Him!

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
John 3:17 (NIV)

This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:3-4 (NIV)

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
Titus 2:11 (NIV)

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9 (NIV)

Be honest with yourself for a moment. Think about that one person who turns your stomach. Think about that one person who makes your skin crawl at the very mention of their name. You know that one person who maybe has cheated you, or who has hurt you in some way. The one person who when they enter a room you immediately make a run for the door. Have you got that person in your mind? Now think about them while you listen to 2 Peter 3:9 again,

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9 (NIV)

That person in your mind – God wants them to be saved! God offers them the same forgiveness he offered you. He wants you to invite them in…he wants you to show them that HE loves them also. But this is where we hit the snag. More often than not it isn’t just the people who make our skin crawl where we fail the test – it is that so many of us often pass by the hurting souls in our world and ignore them and in doing so we miss an amazing opportunity to plant a seed. All because we want the church to grow but we don’t want anyone who will be an inconvenience. Some of the greatest opportunities we will ever have to change this world for the cause of Christ are hidden in the little inconveniences of life.

CONCLUSION

Now I’ve shared with you only four of a whole bunch of reasons why the church doesn’t grow. But the point I’m trying to get across is that yes, it is God who brings the growth but He does so through the seed planting of the church! God makes the seeds that are planted grow. If we aren’t sowing seeds – there isn’t going to be any harvest!

Now we’ve seen the first century church was healthy and was growing by leaps and bounds, but we have also noticed that it was not perfect. That’s why the Hebrew writer had to remind the Jewish Christians to examine themselves constantly to see if they were living a healthy Christian life or if they were backsliding into their legalistic traditions, customs and sinful ways of life.

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

We need to constantly invite God’s word to examine the thoughts and intents of our hearts. It’s not something that you do on a yearly basis but something a healthy Christian does consistently. With that in mind we need to answer only to ourselves and to God the following questions using the scriptures to examine our Christian walk…

Is my attitude towards church growth similar to some of the people we’ve heard about today?

Do I want everyone here, or do I try to keep out those that I fear or who are different than I am?

As you struggle with financial and time constraints are you willing to love those who are sick hurting, dirty, or who would be an inconvenience the way that Christ loved you?

Friends, I don’t know about you but I want to be a part of a church that Inspires (I want my life to inspire!), I want to be a part of a church that INVOLVES (I want to be involved and work together with others), I want to be a part of a church that EQUIPS (I want to use my gifts and abilities to advance God’s kingdom and be prepared and prepare others for service in His kingdom), and finally, I want to be a part of a church that GROWS (I want to plant seeds and see those seeds bear fruit) – to see our numbers increase with people who once were lost but find their place in the ever growing Kingdom of God! To me, that sounds like something I want to be a part of, something that I’ve been created to be a part of, and praise the Lord, something that He invites us to be a part of! Will you join me?

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