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Grace Notes Sermon Ministry:
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BIG Days
Acts
2:41
Our church has had many
‘big days’ over the years.
Special promotions and theme days are a fun way to boost enthusiasm and
attendance. We’ve had ‘baby
day’, 'give it all Sunday', and on one day we buried "I Can't" in a full
funeral fashion! In 2 weeks
we'll have ‘old fashioned day’, and next week is ‘pack a pew Sunday’, and
‘today is Friends and Family Day.’
Big days are nice but the
best news is that we are having big
days right now! We’ve had
people getting saved and joining the church almost every week!
We’ve had revival meetings, but I’ll tell you what’s better is to
have real revival, and I believe
we’re in the midst of it right now!
This is a big day, but not
like v. 41…that was a huge day [3,000 saved!].
We’re praying and watching for that day in the future, but in the
meanwhile, to have days like v. 47 [the Lord adding to the church daily] is
just fine!
Secrets of a
·
A
Converted Membership
v. 41/47
The LORD did it, it was genuine!
The lost are welcome,
invited, even honored here, and…they’ll be instructed in their greatest
need: how to be born again!
If you need to be saved,
this is your big day…there’s no better day to be born again than today.
In v. 41 they got saved,
then baptized.
Converted membership…
·
Constant
Ministry
Notice what happened right
after they got saved:
v. 42 That rings my bell…because
the test of a great church is not just how many decisions there are, but are
they continuing? Do they stick?
Are they growing, developing?
They CONTINUED! Not only
were they baptized, but they were discipled, they became faithful, and began
reaching others themselves.
Fruit began growing on these new trees, and growth is the proof that you
have been born again and that you are alive!
Adrian Rogers:
“If nothing happened to you
after you walked the aisle, then nothing happened to you
WHEN you walked the aisle!”
We’re seeing big
days…dozens are doing discipleship, and many more are just about to begin.
It’s really happening here, and I want to make the case to you this
morning that God is in this, and if He is in this place, you should be too!
A
healthy ministry enjoys:
[avoid being anemic!]
1.
Truthful Teaching*
v. 42 doctrine [lit.
“teaching”]
1 Pet 2:2
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
It’s exciting seeing people wanting to learn, desiring preaching, laying aside excuses and making it a priority, setting aside the time, driving a distance, and showing they are serious by making up what they have to miss online!
2.
Fun
Fellowship*
v. 42 comes from Greek word
Koinonia = to have in common
Fellowship is “2 fellows in
the same ship!”
If a believer wants to be
right w/ God and grow, they HAVE to be around other believers to encourage
them…no coal can remain hot if it’s alone, away from other coals!
I wouldn’t
want to try to live the Christian
life by myself! Too hard!
Just because it’s possible doesn’t mean it’s probable,
and it certainly wouldn’t be very enjoyable.
Joke—2
hicks in the field saw airplane over head, had never been on one…1st
said, I’d hate to be way up yonder in that airplane/other said, yeah, but
I’d hate to be up thar w/out it!
In
scripture, believers are always pictured together as:
Sheep
in a flock: if divided, they
are an easy target for the roaming lion, Satan…he’s just looking for that
one that says, I don’t need the flock”
[that’s a baaaaad attitude!]
Soldiers
in an army:
cuz we’re in a war…and the safest place to be is in your unit, w/
your C/O…don’t get separated or you could be taken captive by the enemy!
We need fellowship!
One thing I love about ours here is that the ground is level…cliques
are a thing of the past, and by God’s grace and continuing efforts they
should remain in the past…we’re open to the rich as well as the poor /
educated, uneducated / cultured, uncultured / yard
Thank God for a church
where the ground is level!
“Nobody is anybody but
everybody is somebody!”
Obey your thirst…how much of God is enough for you?
Small, medium, or large?
AM, PM, Wed. nite, Sunday School!
We need some people to step up to the next level and say, Super
3.
Persistent Prayer*
42b We can try education, we’ll see what education can do / science
/ technology / industry / programs / promotions…but try prayer and you’ll
see what God can do!
Prayer moves the hand that
moves the world! We see later in
Acts:
The angel fetched Peter out of prison,
but it was prayer fetched the angel.
4.
Plentiful Participation*
v. 43
Many churches are like an NFL football game…50k seated spectators who
desperately need exercise watching 22 people work, who desperately need
rest!
v. 45
This is not a mandate for the church, this was a temporary situation
based on special circumstances.
These 3,000 who just got saved were Jewish, and when they were born again,
they would lose their jobs, be persecuted, be disowned by family members.
Still today, when an orthodox Jew converts and is born again,
becoming a Messianic Jew, the family has a ceremony like a funeral,
declaring that one to be dead!
Their circumstances demanded sacrifice, and sometimes ours do!
We all should do our part w/ the tithe, our talents, and testimonies!
These are special times and they call for special measures!
All they had was at God’s disposal…how about you?
Your time / talents / treasure?
A successful church must
have converted membership/constant ministry…
·
Continual
multiplication
Acts 1:15
And in those days Peter
stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names
together were about an hundred and twenty,)
Acts 2:41
Then they that gladly
received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them
about three thousand souls.
Acts 4:4
Howbeit many of them which
heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
Acts 6:7
And the word of God
increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in
We’re about 200 at best,
and the FBI couldn't find all of them on the same day.
It's good, but…do you wanna stay that way?
Me neither. And I don’t
believe God has kept these doors open for no reason.
I don’t believe He’s raised up this group gathered here today for no
reason. I don’t believe He’s
given us the pews behind you for no reason.
The foundation is laid, and
the big days are upon us. The
Lord is adding daily to the church, and we need some really big days to meet
the challenge.
You see our goals in the bulletin? That's a start, and we're on our way! But our main goal is to help people. Did God bring you here for that reason? Can we help you? Can you help us?
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