Introduction: 

We continue in our “Church Without Wall” series. Today’s theme is service. 

"To Serve Man" is a science fiction short story written by Damon Knight. It first appeared in the November 1950 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction and has been reprinted a number of times, including in Frontiers in Space (1955), Far Out (1961) and The Best of Damon Knight (1976).^[1] The title is a double entendre, meaning either "to perform a service for humanity" or "to serve a human as food."The story is set in what appears to be the present time (i.e., 1950), in cold war America. It is told in first-person narrative by a United Nations translator. The story opens at a special session of the UN where three alien emissaries, the pig-like "Kanamit," are testifying that the purpose of their mission to Earth is "to bring to you the peace and plenty which we ourselves enjoy, and which we have in the past brought to other races throughout the galaxy." The aliens soon supply Earth with cheap unlimited power, a device that suppresses explosions, and drugs for prolonging life. As a further token of friendship, they allow humans to visit their home planet via ten-year "exchange groups."

A friend of the narrator, a UN translator named Gregori, steals one of the Kanamit books, and he and the narrator attempt to translate it, via a basic Kanamit-English dictionary provided by the aliens. After some weeks, they determine that the title is "To Serve Man." Two weeks later, the narrator returns from a trip to find Gregori distraught. Gregori says that he has translated the first paragraph of the book:

"It's a cookbook," he said.

Now that is not what I have in mind when I say service. Probably nothing quite explains service as joining the service or military. We all know it is a sacrifice for the common greater good that may even require your life. That is why we often find Christians as patriots. We understand what service means and by that I mean a sacrifice of yourself, your world possessions, and all that you are. In my daily readings of the Bible this week, I found this verse in I Kings 8:61:

“Therefore devote yourselves completely to the Lord our God, walking in his statues and keeping his commandments, as at this day.” That day was when the temple was dedicated into service. 

Devotion and service just seem to go together.    We find that in our scriptures today when the apostles identified the primary problem, which was not the distribution of food. The primary problem was they were being pulled away from prayer and serving the word. After they solved the problem by appointing servants within the church to the task of food distribution, they said we “will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word” (Acts 6:4). As they were able to fulfill their God given calling the scriptures say, “the word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem” (Acts 6:7). 

We are going to focus on this phrase, “to serve the word.”

That phrase seems cumbersome to me. It seems like to me it ought to say they served chicken, or they served BBQ. In fact the word is similar. 

Served here means “to be a servant” or “to distribute.” Now let’s substitute that in our phrase. Their primary focus of the church was to “distribute the word.” Now the obstacle that kept them from distributing the word was the lack of co-ordination in distribution of food. Note this difference from how we often will do things. 

The distribution of food was a secondary activity not first. 

The distribution of the word (the gospel) was the primary activity. 

Often mainline churches including Methodist churches allow the service of physical needs such as food be the primary thing they do outside the 1 hour time of worship. Now envision your favorite animal. If you love cats, envision a cat. If you love dogs, envision a dog. If you love cows, envision a cow. The main body represents the body of Christ, but there is also a head and a tail. If you are a tail, you get to always see where you have been. You are not leading. You are following. If you are the head, you get to always see where you are going and to decide which way to go. 

Service of physical needs and service of spiritual needs – whose the tail and whose the head? 

The head is spiritual. The physical service follows the spiritual service that leads. The tail does not wag the dog, but the dog wags the tail. Our primary focus is and must always be “the word.”

What brought about this recentering of efforts of the disciples. It was the distribution of food. It seemed that the Jews saw to it that the Jewish needy in the community got help, but the new converts who were Greek – no one was looking out for them. They said it is not fair. We are members of this community. There was a need that needed to be filled. Christian believers, who were a part of the community, were going hungry. 

I grew up in the hills of West Virginia. In our valley, the sun did not make it over the hill until about noon and then it went back behind the hill around 5pm. That’s a short day. A good part of the day is a day of shadows. Where you grew up, or how will affect how you see things.   My dad grew up in the coal camps. The lower up the social ladder you were, the further back in the valley you lived. My dad grew up in the back of the valley. That experience changed how my dad saw the world. He saw the world that everyone was worthy before God and no one deserved to be stuck in the back of the valley just because you talk different, or you were dirt poor, or you were an immigrant, or for the color of your skin. 

Today’s story reminds us that everyone including both Jews and Greeks (now in case you don’t understand what that means – it means everyone) have needs. We don’t just serve people that look like us, talk like us, act like us. Everyone deserves to be served when in need. Today that is whites, blacks, or Hispanics. It is high class and low class and everyone in between. 

If we can’t take care of the needs of all people, then our message doesn’t get out. That is an obstacle. 

Distraction #2 – How to get the job done.

What happened that the distribution of food become so much of an issue that they had forgotten that the main purpose of the church is to give the word? They recentered on the Great Commission. 

The Great Commission in Matthew 28:28-30 – we are to make disciples of Christ not food distributers. Let me give you an example:

In Acts 4:18, John and Peter were brought up on charges not for improper food distribution or inefficient food distribution or in a worst case a neglect of food distribution – their charges were that they were speaking too much on this fellow named Jesus. What things were they teaching about Jesus?

Acts 4:2 – In Jesus there is the resurrection of the dead

Acts 4:10 – this man is healed by the name of Jesus Christ.

Acts 4:12 – there is no other name besides Jesus by which mortals can be saved.

Acts 5:31 – In Jesus there is forgiveness of sins.

Acts 5:42 – They did not cease to teach and proclaim Jesus as the Messiah. 

 

Let’s go back to our original definition of true service and that is to distribute the word. What do you think? In chapters 4 and 5 they are distributing the word then things kind of got messy and they got distracted – the tail starting wagging the dog. 

We cannot forget that our message is salvation in Jesus Christ. We do service whether it is food distribution or cutting trees in Sanford because we are saved. In fact, this is what we are devoted too – prayers and the word. If we are not devoted to prayers and the word, then we are just a club of good people doing good things. If we can’t share salvation in Jesus Christ, then we are giving an incomplete message and a half truth.

III.                What happens when we get it right? 

The book of Acts was written for us as a church to look at and be able to say, church – this is what it looks like when we get it right. When we remember that Jesus is pre-eminent in our teaching; he is imminent in his return. We are obedient to his teaching, and we just can’t stop talking about salvation in Jesus Christ. It is who we are. It is who we are meant to be. It is a Christian’s destiny. We cannot stop telling everyone about God’s love, God’s grace, forgiveness of sins, new life, and yes we do need to be reminded that there is a judgment, but when you have made things right with God through the sacrificial giving of his life for us, the judgment becomes a confirmation of God’s love. We choose to go to heaven or hell. God doesn’t send anyone to either place. It is our rejection or acceptance of God’s loving actions toward us. What are we going to do with them.

1.        The Word of God continued to spread.

When we are faithful, when we are bold, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, when we don’t get caught up in the work that we are doing for God that do use our voice and tell people of God’s salvation. 

St. Francis of Assisi is often quoted saying, “preach the gospel and use words if necessary.” First, he never said that. He did say get permission to preach the gospel to his fellow brothers and preach with your deeds, but if we don’t tell someone about the why we do the good we do, then it good be we do them to honor the god of consumerism, communism, materialism. We must tell the story. 

We need to get back to asking the question. If you died tonight, do you know where you are going? You might hope you are going to heaven, but the real question is have we settled things before God. God doesn’t send people to hell. People choose to reject God and be the king of their own lives. They then will feel the absence of God’s presence in the world to come. That is hell. The Bible doesn’t paint it in pretty pictures. 

This is a message that must go out. According to the scriptures, when the church gets things right, it does go out. 

2.       The number of the disciples increased greatly.

It is important for us to see something here. It wasn’t the distribution of food that got people saved. It was the distribution of food that allowed the apostles to share the gospel message – they served the word. They got rid of all hindrances from spreading the word. They did not think that serving food was their primary task. Spreading the word of salvation in Jesus Christ was their primary task. When they got it right, people got saved. 

3.       Great many priests became obedient to the faith.

What is important about this statement is that even their adversaries got saved. Even their greatest critics got saved. People today that don’t want to hear the word often will say they are atheist or agnostic. When the early church got it right, took care of the food issue so the primary concern of spreading God’s love could go out, even their critics got saved.

This is a reminder to us that everything we do at the church is so that God’s word can go out. We don’t do good things because that is what God’s people do. We do good things because God saved us. Our obligation then is to be sure that God’s word goes out that we are bathing our community in prayer. That salvation is our primary task. 

Serve the word

Bath our Community in prayer

Be bold

Ask for the Holy Spirit to guide you. 

And God will do what God does – save the least and the lost. 

To do anything less than this is to serve to the world half truths and let words be unspoken. As the scriptures say how are they going to hear unless there is a messenger. How can they hear unless the word is spoken for Romans 10:17, “faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the Word of God.”

Amen. 

When I worked at Farm Bureau, we had an insurance office at the time that defied the three most important rules of business: location, location, and location. Businesses do much better when they are visible or are in a location with other businesses.  Businesses like to be in the same mall as Wal-mart. Why? Traffic. Well, the office I am talking about is in Brunswick County. It is tucked in a neighborhood and cut off from any other route to get to them by a by-pass. You have to want to get there.  You don’t just happen to be in their neighborhood. 

 

So why did they do well when they had such an undesirable location? There is no doubt about it the word had gotten over all the county that this is a good place to do business. The word just seems to get out whether it is good or bad. In this case it was good. 

 

As we look at the scriptures, we find a story where Stephen has preached a sermon. We read the very end of that sermon. The sermon came in response to the questioning of the high priest. The word had gotten out on Stephen and he had been arrested. This brings us to an age old question, “if arrests were being made for anyone that was Christian, would there be evidence to convict you?” The word gets out. 

 

When you walk into a room, your reputation has already preceded you. You can’t hide who you are. In fact, the scriptures tell us that God knows our secret thoughts. He knows all about us. Psalm 139:2 says, “You discern my thoughts from a far.” Verse 4 says, even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely.”

 

Adam and Eve tried hiding in the garden. How’d that turn out? God made them face the fact they were hiding because of sin. Listen brothers and sisters, what a church does cannot be hidden. Either we are proclaiming salvation in Jesus Christ or we aren’t. 

 

We are looking at the end of the story for Stephen. We are going to do a freeze frame and rewind the tape so speak to find out why Stephen is giving the sermon of his life. 

 

It is said that from the valley of the Jordan River, the city of Jerusalem 14 miles away and 4,000 feet up in elevation, cannot be hidden. If there is light, it can be seen.  So, what was his secret of success?

 

Last week, we talked about the importance of prayer. This week, we are going to look at the lives of some of the apostles and see how they prayed. As we do so, remember Jesus’ instructions, ask for anything in my name, and it will be given unto you (Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9; John 15:7). A careful study though does reveal that this asking for something that is within God’s will. We just can’t ask for anything. Need a million dollars, God might answer that prayer, but God might also say that sure is self -centered. So what did the apostles pray for?

 

1.        Their Prayer: Boldness to speak the gospel (Acts 4:29); Col 4:2, “Devote yourselves to prayer.”

a.       II Timothy 1:7, “for God did not give us the spirit of cowardice….do not be ashamed, then of the testimony about our Lord” (NRSV). 

b.      II Timothy 2:12, “But I am not ashamed for I know the one in who I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him” (NRSV). 

 

This is not boldness in being rude or disrespectful. This is boldness in speaking the truth and living the truth. It is not backing down when the winds of culture change. In Philippians Paul speaks of his now speaking in even more boldness for Christ since he has been imprisoned and he realizes clearly to speak boldly puts him in a difficult situation as his boldness may even lead to death. He says in 1:22, “for to me, living is Christ, dying is gain.” Stephen was bold and it got people’s attention. 

 

2.       Their Prayer: Healing, signs, and wonders in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:30).

They prayed that God’s spirit would be so evident in their lives, and in the life of the church that others would see the miraculous things that were going on and want to know what is going on. That perhaps brings us to the question, does God heal today?

 

I believe he does. God is in the life changing business. God commands us to seek out injustices in the world and make a difference. Christians cannot ignore the fact that human trafficking is a major concern in our world today. Christians cannot ignore the fact that parts of our world go hungry and thirsty when other parts have plenty. God commands us to help those in need. Jesus ministered unto the prostitutes and the tax collectors. Who are they today? The drunks, the addicts, those with relationship issues, the thieves. When you give a helping hand to those who know that they don’t deserve it, they also quickly know that this is grace – freely given, freely received. We live a life of grace that models what Christ has done in our life. We then share it with others. Note again, their prayer is that God would be evident in their lives. 

 

3.       The result: 

a.       they were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:31)

b.      and gave testimony to resurrection of Jesus (Acts 4:33),

c.       and preached that there was forgiveness of sins in Jesus (Acts 5:31). 

 

Are we willing to be bold, and to pray for boldness? It is what the early church did. If we want to be a church without walls going out into the community and proclaiming salvation in Jesus, we must be bold. The early church knew they could not do it on their own. They need the supernatural power of God, and it comes through the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in John 16:8-9 that it is the Holy Spirit that proves the world wrong about sin – in other words, it is God who does the convicting not us. 

 

The apostle’s prayed help us to have boldness to speak the truth. The prayers began in the church. We cannot do without the church if the church is being the church if they are a place of prayer. 

 

Stephen was one of the first deacons chosen. The deacons were to serve in the needs of the ministry of the local church. Why was he chosen? It was evident God was in his life. How?

a.       His confessed beliefs - He was Christian, a Christ follower, a believer in the forgiveness of sins through Jesus, and that there is new life in Jesus.

a.       Romans 10:17, “For if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (NRSV). 

b.      He was devoted to Scripture – He had a comprehensive knowledge of the Bible (See his sermon – recounts Genesis 12-50). He retold the story of Israel. Joshua told Israel as they prepared to enter the promised land “you shall mediate upon [the book of law – their story] day and night” (Joshua 1:8). The Psalmist instructs us to meditate upon the word day and night. This is not some legalistic duty. Reading the scripture is saying God I am willing that you change me, and I read your word so that I can understand the change. 

a.       Book of Discipline, Article V – “The Holy Scripture contains all things necessary to salvation.”

b.      II Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work” (NRSV). 

c.       He trusted God, and he was not afraid. He had the courage to Serve God. Joshua told the Israelites as they prepared to enter the promised land, “be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

a.       II Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth” (NRSV). 

d.      Visible Sainthood (Acts 7:60) – please forgive them.

 

 

Stephen’s secret perhaps could be summarized in Romans 1:16, “for I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, the Jew first and also to the Greek” (NRSV). Stephen was given a few gifts because of his prayer. 

 

1.        Yes he was given boldness.

2.       He also was given wisdom that confounded his critics.

3.       He was given the ability to see and to name the sin. He stated unbelief or “opposing the Holy Spirit” (Acts 7:51) was the sin. He also stated he knew what the problem was. They did not listen to God’s word (Acts 7:52). We would call that disobedience.  Unbelief and disobedience. The scriptures say when we know that we should do something and do not to us it is a sin. 

4.       He was given courage to state the truth regardless of the consequences for they did not like being told they were not believers nor did they live out God’s word. This led them to react out of anger and to kill Stephen. 

 

As we come back to the end of the story, we find that there are choices being made. Those who heard Stephen’s testimony chose to reject God’s word so they acted in anger and killed an innocent man. Stephen full of the power of the Holy Spirit prayed unto God forgive them – or do not hold this against them. Stephen had an unresolved will to see them saved. 

 

A witness cannot be hidden. We cannot be quiet. We cannot pretend the world is OK. Our human sin nature keeps bringing us into wars, terrorism, murder, abuse, slavery, addictions, broken relationship, and stealing for example. God is in the healing business we cannot be quiet. 

 

We are to be God’s city on the hill. We cannot be hidden. Amen.

 

 

Theme to begin: I have one life to live. I will spend much time on things that are not important. This compels me to consider the important things and do them.

 

We live in a world filled with reality game shows, and TV shows that somewhat reflect reality. What reality do these tell? A competitive spirit to become #1 perhaps in the reality game shows – I have been impressed when people on the amazing race tried to help each other, did not resort to complaining, and criticizing other teams. If you are going to be #1, let’s do it with class. Some shows like Survivor have you trying to get rid of the strongest team members in order that you might survive so lying or deception become part of the game. I like mysteries so that often has me watching crime shows in order that we can figure out “who dunnit.” While I am impressed with the huge computer screens, often the gore in these shows is more than I can handle. I am not sure there is much value in life in any of these shows other than be at least slightly entertained for an hour. 

 

My life has come to this: “I have one life to live. I will spend much time on things that are not important. This compels me to consider the important things and do them.” 

 

So what is important? Health comes to mind. When I went to Glenville State in West Virginia, we met on Sunday nights in Christian fellowship in a group sponsored by Inter-varsity. I chose this group specifically because all denominations came to this group. It was sponsored by the Methodist Church. It was there that I found out that 7^th Day Adventist were really interested in health. This got Dianna and I going to health food stores before they became main line. You can now buy tofu at any store. Back then, it was hand made at the health food store. So this has always been an important part of our lives. We all want to be healthy, but we don’t always do what health officials say to do.   For example, we are told to first get rid of empty calories. That means we are loading up calories with no benefits. The obvious example is sodas, sweet tea, or even Gatorade. We are told to trade in our large plates for small plates and are told to exercise at least 30 minutes daily. We all kind want to do these things? But, are we devoted to do them? It really is sometimes easier to choose the empty calories and the shows on TV that are practically void or empty of meaning to fill our lives. 

 

This brings me to a word in our scriptures for today that I want to define for you. Devoted in the Greek means:

 

Devoted – the root of this word means a stranger who permanently settles in the land. In our context, it means to persevere and to remain faithful. 

 

What we really are saying is habits. We are to devoted to our habits or to turn this around our habits define who we are. Repeat this please: “Our habits define who we are.”   

 

Now let us consider this phrase in the understanding of its root. When Joshua led the Israelites to conquer the land of Israel, they became settlers in a strange land. The land was filled with temptation.   Not all people living in the land had been killed. There were remnants of a people who worshipped other things besides the Lord God of Israel. They worshipped the god of success – Baal. The worshipped the sexual god of Ashtoreth. Israel would only remain faithful to God if the developed the right habits, because habits define who we are. Joshua realizing the seriousness of faithfulness told the people of Israel in chapter 24 of Joshua, choose this day whom you will serve. If you are going to choose God, then put away the other gods in your lives.  Joshua even said to them, I don’t think you can serve God. The people responded yes we will. “We will serve the Lord!” (vs. 21).

The nation of Israel is a story throughout the book of Judges and throughout the books of Samuel and throughout the books of the Kings of complacency and revival. That is unfaithfulness and faithfulness.  

The question we ask is do we “persevere?” Do we wrestle with the temptations of life and the other gods of this world? Are we faithful or complacent? Are we in revival or do we talk about revival of the past? Are we living like strangers in a foreign land because our home is heaven. 

If we are to be a “church without walls” that bursts out of the walls of this church structure giving witness to the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, then we should be like the early church. We should be devoted to God so today, we are going to take a test. This is kind of a pop quiz. We will begin by looking at the things that were important enough for Luke to give us a list of things that the early church did. 

Bishop Will Willimon says the book of Acts (and specifically this list) is the church’s ongoing attempt to reflect upon the “implications and applications of the gospel.” What does it mean to “love our enemy,” or who is the “Samaritan in the road,” or the fact that John says he wrote the gospel with this one theme in mind that we would learn that “Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” In other words, the gospel was written for this singular reason so that people would be saved.   How do you live that out? We come to church to learn who that we are to be and we leave the church to live out who that God has called us to be so it’s a learning and a doing. How many Sundays would you have to come to church to be “devoted to the Apostle’s teachings?” Is the worship service alone enough to be “devoted to the apostle’s teachings.” How well do you think the apostles knew the Bible? How well do you know it? 

Remember, devotion is to persist and to be faithful. Should this not also include daily devotions – note the word devote. How can we devoted to the teachings of the apostles if we do not read God’s word?

Psalm 111:2, “Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.”

Psalm 119:11, “I treasure your word in my heart, so that I may not sin against you.”

Psalm 143:5c, “I meditate on the works of your hands.”

There is something about the getting together of Christians together. We find encouragement and we define unity. Though we may not all agree on all points, we know that we are to live in unity of God’s purpose. We are to live in unity of the salvation that God gives us and in unity in our offer of the message of the grace of God. Everyone is included. We do not exclude due to income. We do not exclude due to race. We do not exclude because you are a sinner. In fact, we are all sinners and if we treat people like we are better than they are – that is a sin. 

The scriptures say great signs were brought about meaning when God’s people meet together, support each other, God does a marvelous work. These early Christians shared with each other and loved each other. 

Psalm 84:10, “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.”

Psalm 122:1, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘let us go to the house of the Lord!”

The breaking of bread is often seen as a communion meal. If we understand the breaking of bread this way, we need to be sure that we also understand that the communion meal is the identification we have as believers in salvation in Jesus Christ and it is a an understanding of unity in the body of Christ. We also may want to just see this as a meal, but here we need to understand in the near eastern understanding a sharing of a meal with someone was a sharing of yourself. This is the main reason that the Pharisees did not want to eat with sinners. They would become one with each other and they were sinners. Strangely, Jesus lived a life that in essence said we can’t exclude people because we think we are a better Christian or that we are more devoted or more faithful. The breaking of Bread is again a sign of unity of purpose. It is a foretaste of glory divine. 

Psalm 73:25b, “There is nothing on earth that I desire other than you.”

Psalm 90:17, “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and prosper for us the work of our hands – O prosper the work of our hands!”

Psalm 103:10, “He [the Lord] does not deal with according to our sins nor repay us according to our iniquities.” 

The early church would have continued what they had done as Jews. They prayed at different times of the day. We know for sure they prayed in the morning at lunch and at the evening. They very likely also had prayer times mid-morning and mid afternoon. How do our prayers make us look like we are foreigners living in a strange land?

I have to confess some days it is a struggle to pray? I think my problem is I focus on what I am doing rather than focusing on what God is doing, because if I focus on what God is doing all I have to do is arrive – be there. 

Bishop Will Willimon has some words of caution to the modern day church. We have all kinds of activities and one suspects that socialization has replaced the gospel. That’s kind of tough words. He follows up and says “business is being offered” rather than “Spirit Empowered community.” 

Have we lost the place of prayer? We have put so much on praying as you are led that we forget that we have to arrive first for God to speak to us or are our prayers only one sided – God do this and then do this and it will be OK. 

I have already told you that some days I struggle to pray. I confess I am a sinner, but maybe we do better as a church. We have two prayer meetings per week. One in the morning and one in the evening. How many people would need to show up for us to say we are devoted to prayer? I’m kind of crazy I know, but I am thinking about ½ the congregation so let’s just say 50 people. If we had that many people, we would have to change how we have prayer meeting. Last week wasn’t a good week for our prayer meetings. We all have our bad weeks I know. On our Wednesday prayer meeting one person beside the pastor showed up and on our Thursday morning prayer meeting one person beside the pastor showed up. Is that a devotion to prayer? I know we can pray at our house at any time, but did you? The scriptures have told us to be in unity and community and Jesus said where 2 or 3 are gathered the Spirit of God is there. I believe God calls us together to pray. 

Remember the story with Mary and Martha. Jesus said Martha , Martha, only one thing is needed and Mary has sought it. Bishop Will Willimon says we need to ask ourselves about the “one thing that is needed.” 

Business or prayerfulness

Complacency or Spirit Empowered. 

 

Psalm 4:1c, “Be gracious to me, and hear my prayer.”

Psalm 9, “The Lord has heard my supplication: the Lord accepts my prayer.”

Psalm 55:16-17, “But I call upon God, and the Lord will save me. Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he will hear my voice.”

Psalm 63:6, “when I think of you on my bed and mediate on you in the watches of the night.”

 

Those are the habits to devote ourselves too. What were the Results?

 

Result #1 – Miracles and signs occurred. When God’s people show up, God does a mighty work. 

Result #2 – An Extreme Generosity. I don’t think the scriptures teach that all are to give all away, but some might receive that call. In Acts, we find a group who were called to put it all in the pot – a not holding back of anything. This isn’t just generosity – this is a way of life. 

Result #3 – The early church spent much time together not in just socializing, but in being challenged and energized to live a Christian life.

 

Before we come to Result #4, I want to say the United Methodist Bishops have seen the writing on the wall. One thing has become evident, if we as Methodist don’t get back to serious soul saving, the church will cease to exist in America in about 50 years. 

 

So here is result #4 – many were saved.

 

How did we stack up in the Apostle’s teachings, in fellowship, in breaking of bread, and in prayers?

 

Have we become like the Israelites and become complacent? Where have we sensed God’s might and power? Have we joined God in his saving work? I did not say in business. If we have a weak area, what are we going to do about it? Is there anyone willing to name it, and say we really are not a praying church and we need to change? What will you do? Will you take a first step today?

 

In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?"

"Hold on a minute," Socrates replied. "Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. That’s why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"

"Well, no," the man said, "actually I just heard about it and…"

"All right," said Socrates. "So you don’t really know if it’s true or not. Now, let’s try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?"

"Umm, no, on the contrary…"

"So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about my friend, but you’re not certain it’s true. You may still pass the test though, because there’s one filter left—the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?"

"No, not really."

"Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor even useful, why tell it to me at all? (Author Unknown).

In the book of Acts today, we come to a fabulous story of telling. If we were to test the story by Socrates’ rule, we would say the story is true. The story is good and uplifting, and the story is useful to all who hear it. The story is Peter telling the gospel story to a group of Jews that are startled at hearing the story in their native tongue, and for the disciples who are pretty exuberant in their telling. People are asking the question – are these people drunk?

1.       The Spirit Gets you Moving

 

We come to our first point of this part of the Pentecost story that is 50 days after the resurrection. The Holy Spirit gets us moving. We use this story to launch a new series titled, “A Church Without Walls.” This term is not new. There are even churches named such and as big as 5,000 members with a lot of church walls. A church by definition must be more than their church structure or building. Sometimes, we lose sight of that. We find the disciples behind closed doors praying and fellowshipping. The question we should ask is what happened after the Spirit moves in? What we find is the disciples went out from their church type of gathering and told the story of Jesus in whatever language the person they met as they went out. The gospel message was told in such a way that people understood. The gospel message was told right where the people were. This incredible witness to the life of the church began in the church and went outside of the church where the people were.  This leads us to make this correlation:

 

When the Spirit Dwells in a church, the church moves beyond their own needs and moves to give witness to the life saving story of Jesus Christ to those in their community. Here is how it works:

 

A.       Home – Your relationship with Jesus Christ is developed at home and other places where you devote yourself to prayer, Bible study, and God’s presence. Your own efforts to connect to God are the most influential to your spiritual growth. Why else would Paul say these words: “pray without ceasing” (I Thes. 5:17). Prayer will lead us to confession (I John 1:9) – “if we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 

B.      Church – We come to church as the body of Christ to be encouraged, challenged, and strengthened to live a life fully in God. This is the place where we can hear God saying to us “go team.” None of us are going to take the world on our own, but as believers linked together as this community of faith that are linked together with other communities of faith can accomplish much for the kingdom of God as we work in unity together.  Ephesians 4:15, “we must grow up in every way….into Christ from whom…the body is equipped….[and] promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.”

C.      Our World – We as the body of Christ must move beyond our walls of the church to the open world. James 1:22 says, “be doers of the word not hearers only.” I Peter 2:9 says, “that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” II Peter 3:8 says, “the Lord is not slow about his promise as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.” There is a great work to do. Ephesians 2:10 says, Christ created us for good works. 

 

2). We have a story to tell.

I Timothy 1:15 says it like this: this is something that we should never forget, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”   II Timothy gives us these instructions, “do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.” I Peter 3:15 says, “always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you.” What are some of the claims that Peter made:

 

A.       We are witnesses of the resurrection (Acts 2:32).

B.      There is forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ as we repent as we then start a new life in baptism (Acts 2:37). 

C.      The Holy Spirit is given to believers so they can fellowship daily with God (Acts 2:38). 

 

3). The Story Demands a Response

Peter ends his sermon with these words “save yourselves from this perverse generation.” 

a.        There are always contrary stories or events that demand our attention. Jesus was crucified because there was another story. Serve yourself rather than serve others. Build up yourself rather than build up others. It is better for one may to die than we be discomforted and lose what we have obtained. Judas heard the story of a revolution. 

b.      The story if it is truly true, good, and beneficial then certainly demands a response. Sometimes, I get stressed or feel to many pressures in life to want to take the time to do something. I may not clean the car or pick up my clothes, but I cannot let the stresses or the business of life control me. If I cannot respond to what is truly important, then I am obviously listening to another story besides the one Peter preached. 

c.       3,000 people responded to the gospel message on that day. 3,000 people wanted to be marked by baptism as a new creation in Jesus Christ. 3,000 people wanted to join the disciples in prayer, fellowship, God’s word, and Holy Communion. 3,000 people were moved by the Holy Spirit that day. 

 

This monumental day in the life of the church all began as the Holy Spirit came upon the believers in their church setting and they were moved to go outside of their church and to witness of the gospel message of salvation in Jesus Christ. Yes, Peter preached a sermon and gave an altar call, but every believer did their part in sharing the story. 

 

What response is God asking you to do?

a.        Baptism?

b.      Profession of faith?

c.       Commitment to prayer and Bible

d.      Sharing the gospel to others – 4 point method

a.       Prayer

b.      Care

c.       Dare

d.      Share

 

Amen.