May 04, 2008

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 Scripture KJV

Reverend David S. Huffer

Westwood Baptist Church - 2124 Davis Road
 Waynesboro, VA

Acts

2:42		And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
2:43		And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
2:44		And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
2:45		And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
2:46		And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
2:47		Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

The Ideal Church - Inside and Out

Acts 2:42-47

The church in Acts 2 …. Had no building, no padded pews,  no organs, pianos, no keyboards or drums with matching symbols;

·      No PowerPoint or enhanced worship media;

·      No ear mic, wireless mic or even a Mike in the crowd to enhance listeners hearing [or to make the visiting pastor look cool & relevant]

·      No two or three piece suits or jean wearing preachers,

·      No men, women, youth, or children’s ministries;

… And yet – without all this – they were radically successful at doing what they were called to do – SHARE THE GOSPEL!

WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE FOR THEM?

DEAR FRIENDS – We are blessed to have, hold, and read the written Word.

·      To which God gives us a vignette {short descriptive sketch or scene) of the Church in its initial days of growth.

ACTS 2:42-47 – READ AGAIN

John MacArthur says: “… This passage describes the new-born church in its prime, when it possessed a purity of devotion to the risen Lord unmatched in succeeding generations.”

In short – this is the “Ideal Church” INSIDE and OUT.

I looked up the word “ideal” so that we could get a handle on it.

Webster’s Dictionary states: “Ideal: a concept of perfection [no perfect church] … a standard or model … an ultimate objective of endeavor, a goal.

The church in Acts 2 is one that we as a church body today should set or eyes, heart, and mind upon as an ultimate objective of endeavor, making it our goal to be and do as they were and did.

IDEAL INSIDE

 Good Leadership

1.         If one could walk inside the church of Acts 2 (I don’t mean a building) you would find good leadership and a people who understood their purpose

1.         You might even find a copy or two of Rick Warren’s “The Purpose Driven Church” and “The Purpose Driven Life” lying around

DEAR FRIENDS – Good leaders; people with a purpose and a couple of outstanding best sellers – What else do you need?

1.         Though I am being a little facetious this evening

2.         One would expect to find good leadership in the Church of Acts 2, as well as people whose purpose could not have been clearer – Acts 1:8

3.         But more than good leadership and a purpose to lead the people with – this band of 3,120 believers had been “Spirit-filled” (indwelt once and filled again and again) and were being “Spirit-led” by God’s Holy Spirit.

Nothing outside the living Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God would define them as the Church.

1.         The Scriptures speak that inside the Church was ideally devoted in their duties and attitudes

2.        Their Spirit-filled duties of devotion were those of:

·      Bible study; fellowship; and prayer.

3.         There Spirit-led attitudes of devotion were those of togetherness and generosity

ISN’T THAT INCREDIBLE!

HEAR ME TONIGHT CHURCH – The same Spirit-filled and Spirit- Led duties of devotion and attitudes can happen here at SherLynd – even without a pastor!

Duty of Bible Study

Can you believe that Luke (author) begins with Bible study?

1.         Boring old Bible study!

I can here people saying now - “Gee whiz – give me a break Luke – I’ve read the Bible!”

2.         Why not begin with experiences?

·      That’s what we like in today’s society – living off our experiences

·      Why here they were fresh off of “Pentecost” – one great experience!

·      Who wouldn’t want another experience like that

·      Wasn’t last week’s worship such a good and blessed service?

·      Why can’t we recreate it each week?

DEAR FRIENDS – You cannot recreate the leading and work of the Holy Spirit!

1.         Instead of experiences – we find the believers “reveling in God’s Word.”

2.         The Spirit of Truth  was leading them to study and submit to the Word

John 16:13 - "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

1.         The Spirit of God leads the people of God to submit to the Word of God

2.         Jesus said: “Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey it.” (Luke 11:28)

3.         James says: “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22)

The Word of God is to be PARAMOUNT in the life of the leaders as well as members of the Church.

DUTY OF FELLOWSHIP – breaking of bread

From the study of the Word their fellowship grew on many levels.

1.         From the formality of meeting around the Lord’s Table observing the Lord’s Supper (breaking of bread)

2.         To informally meeting with one another in their homes for times of fellowship.

HEAR ME FRIENDS – Fellowship in the Christian life is one of a common participation in God.

1.         Their fellowship was not a forced nature

2.         It was a response to the Lord Jesus and the family of God

3.         They shared more than a meal – they shared encouragement to stimulate each other to live holy, righteous, and faithful lives.

Such close fellowship in the Spirit is essential to continuing Church growth and to encourage new believers.

2 Corinthians 6:14 – “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?”

DUTY OF PRAYER

You can see the progression of the ideal church from – their submission to the Word and to one another in fellowship – to a dynamic time of prayer

The Days prior to Pentecost was dedicated to prayer.

Acts 1:14 – “They all continued in one accord in prayer and supplication …”

Acts 6:4 – “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the Word.”

DEAR FRIENDS – As a church we will not “out program” the realm of prayer.

·      Without prayer – what we do is empty and void of the Spirit of God

·      In troubled time this ideal church prayer with fervor

Acts 12:5 – “So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.”

I love how John MacArthur speaks to this duty of prayer in the Acts Church – he calls it a  “critical duty”

They realized how critical prayer was to their lives individually and corporately.

1.         This ideal Church would not have been the same had they not been a praying church

HEAR ME TONIGHT CHURCH – Let us be encouraged to the critical duty of prayer and watch God work in means of wonder and awe.

ATTITUDE OF TOGETHERNESS

All believers were together and continued to meet together

·      They ate together with glad and sincere hearts

DEAR FRIENDS – I somehow sense that when they came together to meet as a church – there was a mad rush to get together – never a stand offish attitude or I don’t need you attitude

John MacArthur – “For a Christian to fail to participate in the life of the local church is inexcusable”

There attitude was one of dependence.

1.         They needed each other

2.         Together they found the strength and encouragement to keep going on with Christ
 

Romans 12:2 – “be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

ATTITUDE OF GENEROSITY

Their Spirit-filled togetherness led into a great attitude of generosity.

Acts 4:32-35 – “Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.”

DEAR FRIENDS – These words sort of blow you away!

·      It feeds on the truth – “God loves a cheerful giver.”

These crazy Christians in this ideal Church had learned with intensity – “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35)

CLOSE

IDEAL OUTSIDE

God was working on the inside of this ideal Church so that He could work on the outside of the Church.

Acts 2:47 – “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.’

DEAR FRIENDS –Their devotion on the inside led them to be witnessing on the outside.

·      They had a “transforming message” and they took it with them everywhere

·      As they went into the Temple

·      As they walked in the streets and entered the market places they were witnesses

·      As they went to work they were witnesses

This ideal Church had become what they were intended to be – a witness for Christ!

Acts 1:8 – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and  in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

DEAR FRIENDS – As the Church today – let us make God’s ideal church our object of endeavor and our goal.
 

Until we as a church decide to start taking these things seriously: The Duty of:

1.       Bible Study

2.       Fellowship

3.       Prayer

With an attitude of:

1.       Togetherness, and Generosity

Until we do these things as a church – not as the pastor’s duty or as the pastor leads – but as a church;

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