This morning we want to take a look at the Impact of the Church as we complete The ACTS: Revolution. As we look back we see a revolution like never before nor has ever been repeated since of the revolution that took place in the lives of those early believers and how the Lord used them to revolutionize the world in such way that left an impact that we are still feeling and walking in today. This is not some story that we are looking at in Scripture that happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away that has no effect on us today. Oh no! It was and still is a revolution and is becoming more of one in our day more than ever in the history of this country.
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting (basket) of silver. Proverbs 25:11
All Christians have received a portion of God’s resources with which we need to be good stewards. God holds us accountable for the resources he entrusts to us. Those resources are our time, talents, spiritual gifts, energies personalities, experiences, attitudes, and material resources. The awesome thing is that God does not judge us on how much ability we have, because He has given us that ability. As a result we are rewarded based on our faithfulness not the results. We have to remember that God doesn’t give us these to make much of ourselves but to make much of him and to advance His kingdom.
This morning we take a look at Hebrews chapter 11. We are talking about having NOW Faith, that will help us trust Him. God is asking us all today, "Will you trust me?" So many things are going on around us that are causing great concern right now, but God is saying "Will you trust me?"
I want us to take a look at the early Church and we see these very things occurring – it was normal, natural, regular, fresh with the Spirit of God blowing through their lives and their church and I pray this morning that it will awaken and ignite a fresh movement and wind of God in our lives and in our Church that will leave a deep and lasting impact which we will take a look at in our next message.
We are living in perilous days no doubt. Should we be surprised? No! The Lord told us these things would happen – it shouldn’t really shock us. The Church is on a decline in America according to latest Pew Research – we are fast heading towards what Europe is now. SBC latest report showed we lost another couple of hundred thousand members – back down to 15.5 million or so – down from well over 16 million a decade ago. However as one commentator said, the Church is not dying, but in reality it is becoming clearer who the true believers are. The line is being drawn in the sand and it is why today’s message and the ensuing ones will fit into exactly that Christianity isn’t normal anymore and that’s good news. IN the Book of Acts is wasn’t normal then either!
Here he finished the sermon, really hasn’t finished his sermon, but here there was an interruption. He finishes in a minute. But here he is interrupted and it is at this point that we see the reality of the response to the Holy Spirit Fundamental Question by the responses of the activity of the Holy Spirit and it has been asked for ages, and even now in our day and time. What must I do to get in on God’s eternity, what must I do to be saved? To get into heaven, to inherit eternal life, etc. The question is asked here by those hearing Peter’s message on the day of Pentecost and is still being asked today.
Repentance unto salvation here in Acts – repent and turn to Jesus There is also daily repentance as a Christ Follower I repent in my heart because I am a Christian How do you feel when you hear the word repentance? Romans 2:4 It is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance – kind to reveal our sin to us – so we can receive that mercy and cleansing Repentance like a shower after a hot sweaty day in the yard – that shower feels so good – sit down after supper Kids – no shower needed! Adults do though – why we understand the need to be clean. So to with believers – immature runs from repentance and mature believers run to it!
We are in a series talking about the early church and its beginnings and what that means for us today. In this section we are talking about the Mission Control – talking a look behind the scenes if you will at what was happening in the early church – taking a look back and pulling back the curtain to see the mission control. We pick up today where we left off last week – the Holy Spirit had been given to these 120 Followers who had been waiting in Jerusalem and there were 3 incredible signs given including them being able to speak in other known languages that the people who were there from other nations could hear and understand. There was a huge crowd that had gathered and they had questions and looking for answers.
The coming of the Holy Spirit had nothing to do with these disciples did Other than, that did what Jesus told them to do. (Go back and wait) It is centered not around them being in one accord and one place but instead it is centered around the particular day in which God in His sovereignty chose to bring the Holy Spirit to His church and baptize these believers with the Holy Spirit and fill them for the very first time.
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