What Kind of Church Will We Be?

Can you imagine 3,000 people being saved in one day, in one place, in one service?
That’s what revival can do to a people. That’s what a group of Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, and Spirit-powered people can do when used by God to accomplish His will for His glory!
Do you want to experience something like that?
Does your heart ache to see lives changed and people saved?
My heart aches for a glimpse, for a taste of what that day of Pentecost was all about. And you know what, I have hope that we will experience it, here, in our church, in our town, in our families, with our friends, with our neighbors. I have hope because I know what God can do.
This morning, I want you to know that it wasn’t by chance that those people were saved. It wasn’t a case of being at the right place at the right time. The reason it happened was because God’s people were doing what God wanted them to do. They were praying.
What were they praying for? They were praying for the promised Comforter that Jesus had said He would send. They were praying for the Holy Spirit.
Jesus knew that the 120 or so disciples and followers did not have the ability, they didn’t have knowledge, they didn’t have the courage, they didn’t have anything within their own power to accomplish God’s will in the world. They may have been devoted followers, but they would be lost without the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
Can I tell you something this morning?
That hasn’t changed in the last 2000 years. If you don’t have the power, if you are living life without the power of the Holy Spirit, you will not live a satisfying or successful Christian life.
Let me explain. God’s plan for our lives is not to just be a lump on a log. God has not called us to a life of vegetation – a life of just using up space and oxygen.
His plan for you as a Christian is a plan of action, it’s a plan of a person who loves God and people so much that you can do nothing but act. His plan for us as Christians is: Make An Impact, using our God-given abilities, working together as a team, forcing the light of God into the darkness all around us.
I want you to understand that what God did on the Day of Pentecost does not have to be a onetime deal. I believe God wants to pour out His Spirit today into us and use us the same way he used the early church. The truth is we have to believe it can still happen.
I want to ask you a question – it’s a simple one, but your answer is so important to our future. What kind of church will we be?
This early church, this group of people at some point decided that they were going to be obedient to what Jesus had asked of them, which was to wait on Him to send His gift, and then to carry out His Great Commission.
At some point, everyone that was in that room decided that what Jesus stood for, what He had taught them was the most important thing in their life. They made a choice of what they were going to value in their life.
They chose to be obedient to God, and that was the one constant value or belief that was holding this group together when God poured out His Spirit upon them.
When they came down from that upper room, they were the same people, but they were being led by the very Spirit of God and they continued to be true to their belief that this cause that Jesus had died for was real, and that Jesus was worth living for, in fact He was worth dying for.
They became so convinced of this belief that it colored everything else in life. Everything in their life fell under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. They were committed. They were sold out for Jesus.
Peter, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, spoke with passion to those that were there. He told them about Jesus, and how they had crucified an innocent man who was the Son of God. He told them that Jesus didn’t stay in the grave though, and that now they could be forgiven of their sins if they would repent and accept Him as their Savior.
What happened? 3000 people were added to the church that day. 3000 people. Is your faith big enough for 3000 people? How big is your belief in Jesus? What kind of church will we be?
The answer to that is all wrapped up in the size of your belief in Jesus.
If Jesus isn’t everything, then it’s not enough. If your faith in Him is only good when things are going your way, then it’s not good enough.
This early church was committed to some core values that they believed in, and they practiced. We find them right in our Scripture this morning. Look at verse 42.
READ: v. 42
There were 4 areas here in this verse that they were devoted to. They were committed to them, these took priority over everything else. “Continued steadfastly” uses a Greek verb communicating “a steadfast and single-minded fidelity to a certain course of action.” What were they?

#1. They were Devoted to the Apostle’s Teaching
What were they teaching? They were teaching the Bible, the Old Testament, plus they were also teaching what Christ had taught them while He was with them.
I asked you what kind of church will we be? I don’t know about you but I want to follow the example of the church god blessed with 3000 new converts on the first day, and then continued to add to their numbers daily.
God was blessing them because they were following His plan.
We must be devoted to God’s Word. As individuals we need to read God’s Word, allow the Holy Spirit to teach us and encourage us as we read.
READ: 2 Peter 3:14-18

#2. They were Devoted to Fellowship
The early church met in each other’s homes every day the Bible says. They met for discipleship and fellowship.
The Greek word koinonia has the idea of association, communion, fellowship, and participation; it means to share in something.
As Christians, we share the same Lord Jesus, we share the same guide for life, we share the same love for God, we share the same desire to worship Him, we share the same struggles, we share the same victories, we share the same job of living for Him, we share the same joy of communicating that gospel to others.
This fellowship had to do with sitting around a living room and sharing what God had done for them that week. It involved accountability to one another, it involved praying for one another. This was a fellowship centered on talking about Jesus, not the weather, sports or personal things. This fellowship involved a bond between this small group of people that could not be broken. True fellowship is the uniting of souls through Christ.
The word “fellowship” literally means “partnership” or “sharing.” Because Christians become partners with Jesus Christ and all other believers, it is our spiritual duty to stimulate one another to righteousness and obedience.
Romans 15:5-7 “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”
Hebrews 3:13 “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today.’ That none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”
Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”


#3. They were Devoted to the Breaking of Bread
Some say this refers to taking communion together while others say it simply means eating a meal together. The truth is it doesn’t matter which one of these is meant, the idea is the same.
In Eastern culture, when you have someone into your home for a meal, the relationship takes on a whole new level of intimacy. They become part of your household, they are under your protection, you become responsible for their safety.
They devoted themselves to breaking bread together because they loved being with each other, and they also realized that Christ wants us to have this relationship with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

#4. They were Devoted to Prayer
This is self-explanatory for the Christian, prayer is our number one option. To know God is to talk to Him.
Whenever God’s work is done, God’s people are praying.

CONCLUSION:
For this early church, these were some of their core values, the things that they devoted themselves to do, everyday. It wasn’t a job to do, this was their life, it became who they were.
Your core values are what determine what you do, how you behave, what you say, how you act.
Are you devoted to God’s Word?
~ Reading daily
~ Bible on CD
~ Devotionals on Resource table

Are you devoted to fellowship?
~ Prayer group on Wed. @ 11:30 @ Westlake’s
~ Encourage group on Wed. @ 7 @ McComas’
~ Sunday school – fellowship before

Are you devoted to breaking bread?
~ Do you get together with other church members/attenders?
~ When was the last time you had somebody in this sanctuary in your house for a meal?

Are you devoted to prayer?
~ Do you know who is on our prayer list?
~ Do you know what prayers have been answered?

The only way we will be the church that God wants us to be, the only way revival will sweep through this church is if we are devoted to God’s Word, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer!
Which of these areas do you need to improve in? Come today and commit to God to work on them starting today!