I Need A Word

"Let's Have Church" – I Need A Word

Main Text: Acts 2:36-42 (ESV)

What is church?

It depends on who you ask. Is it a place to go on Sunday morning to see some of my friends, A place I go because I had a tough week and need some encouragement? If you don't shout today, did we have church? Is it a place where people are just interested in your money? Is it a place that hurts people? It is a place that heals people. A place that takes advantage of the vulnerable? A place you go to get equipped to live the Christian life. A place that is full of hypocrites and people that judge other people. A place to worship God and feel his presence. Is it a place to catch up on gossip and scandals? What is church? Whenever I have questions about the purpose of a thing, I like to look at the beginning of a thing. Seeing how it started should tell me at least what it was initially.

The Day of Pentecost

Acts 2:1-2 (ESV) When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

• At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and Apostles in the Upperroom (120) and they began to speak and preach the mighty works of God. The people from Asia, Rome, Egypt, Libya, Arabians and Mesopotamia hear them in their own language.

The Birth of the Church

Acts 2:36-42 (ESV) Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself." And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

What is a New Testament Church?

A Church is a place where people are Devoted to the Word. | Acts 2:42

v.42 Devoted themselves "to persevere, constantly remain diligent toward a thing"

KJV "Continued steadfastly" – The same word in Acts 1:14 upper room they were devoted to prayer or continued in prayer.

• People devote themselves to a lot of things: Family, Sports Team, Social Media, Careers.
• In my family, we got Hurricane fans, my brother is a Seminole, wife is a Gator.
• Cool but have you devoted yourself to learning and knowing the Word of God?
• The early church's devotion was to the teaching of the Apostles.

What was the Apostle's Teaching?

The things they learned from Jesus.

John 14:25-26 (ESV) "These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

• The Holy Spirit reminded the Apostles of what Jesus had said to them and the disciples taught the people.
• When you read the Word and study the Word of God the Spirit of God will remind you of what God says in your time need.
  • Have you made deposits so that God can remind you of anything?
  • Ever been in a situation where you remember the wise words of your mom or dad, or teacher or coach? Well, the spirit of God will remind you of what God has said in his word, sometimes it is a sermon, or something in your prayer time or reading his word. But the Spirit of God will talk to you.

Jesus Will Remind You:

• Jesus, will not leave you. Matt 28:20. I am with you always even to the end of the Age.
• Come to me all who are burdened and heavy laden, I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me. For my yoke is easy and my burdens are light. Matthew 11:28-30
• My peace I leave with you, not as the world gives. Let not your heart be troubled, do not be afraid. John 14:27
• This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Jn 15:12
• Do not be anxious about your life and what you shall eat, drink, or wear your life is about more than that. Matthew 6:25 – You take care of the birds, I know you will provide for me. I am your child and you are a Good father.
• You didn't choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you would go forth and bring forth fruit and that your fruit would remain. John 15:16
• There was a time in John 6 when Jesus told those following him, that is the work of God, to believe in him who he has sent. to his disciples that He was the bread of Life they had to believe so deeply and internalize Jesus so completely that it is like eating his flesh and drinking his blood so that he becomes a part of you and you will have eternal life. Just like I'm connected to my father, I want you connected to me. And many followers of Jesus said that is too much, I'm not that committed and they stopped following Jesus. Jesus asked his disciples will you leave to. John 6:68-69 Peter said "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.

You have got to get to the place where, there is nowhere I can go, Jesus has the words of Life, Not Mohammad, not Budda, no celebrity quote, no social media post, podcast or interview, will pull me away from Jesus. – I know in whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep which I have committed to him against that day.

Apostles teaching was the...The Interpretation of OT Passages to Explain what was happening.

Acts 2:17 (ESV) " 'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams

• This is what Joel was talking about. I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh and your sons and daughter will prophesy. Young men see visions and Old men Dream dreams.
• In the OT, we see the Spirit come upon some kings, prophets, judges, and select people. But know the spirit is poured out on all believers and it will remain. Just like it descended and remained on Jesus (John 1:32)
  • Knowing the Bible helps you understand what is happening around you.
    • In last days, love of many will grow cold, nation will rise against nation, false prophets will arise and lead many astray.
  • The Apostles used the laws of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalm to show that Jesus was the Messiah.

Luke 24:44-48 (ESV) Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

Old Testament Prophecies Fulfilled:

• Psalm 22 tells how Jesus would be crucified. And how He cries out My God, My God why, have you forsaken me? They that cry to Him will be rescued.
• Psalm 16 tells of how Jesus body would not be abandoned in hades and would not see corruption. He would face death but not stay dead.
• Psalm 110 Tells how Jesus would ascend to the right hand of God. Peter says I saw him ascend and float back up to the sky.
• Law of Moses showed how a lamb would be sacrificed as a substitution for the people. So the wrath of God can be satisfied and the Blessing of God can be released.
• Isaiah 40 The one you have been looking for to make crooked paths straight and prepare the way of the Lord has come. Your sins are pardoned, your war against God has ended.
• Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
• Zechariah 4:6 - Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.
• Jeremiah 31:33-34 (ESV): For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."
• Ezekiel 36:26-27 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
• Psalm 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. The Word of God will help you do right.

The Truth Revealed by the Spirit of God.

John 8:31-32 (ESV) If you abide in my Word, you are my disciples, and you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.

John 16:13 (ESV) When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

The Apostles Doctrine (Teachings) was written down. To become the New Testament.

• They taught from the Old Testament, they taught the teachings of Jesus and the Gospels and eventually their teachings were written down and became the New Testament.
• We have the Apostles teachings.

Can we trust the Bible and the New Testament?

• New Testament books were written by an Apostle (Matthew, John, Paul, and Peter), a person who traveled with an Apostle (Mark, Luke), or a brother of Jesus (Jude and James (1 Cor 15:1).
• There are Gnostic books that were not included in scripture because they were either written hundreds of years after the apostles died, or contradicted the teaching of the

1. The Bible is reliable

a. The Word is not built on myths and fables but eyewitness accounts.

1 Peter 1:16-21 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased," we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

• This book is reliable – It wasn't a game of telephone.
• (I'll have picture of Dead see Scrolls)

b. The bible was not originally written in English. It was written in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic. There are over 5800 copies of Greek NT manuscripts and fragments. The Bible was translated into Latin, Syriac (Middle East), Coptic (Egyptian), Ethiopic (Africa), and Georgian languages and there are over 19,000 manuscript copies in these other languages. before being translated into English. – (So it is not a white man's religion it is a Jewish religion.) The whole NT could could be quoted from the letters and writings of the the Early Church fathers and copies of NT Books early as 200 AD.

c. Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in 1947 - Oldest Whole OT Hebrew Text was the Leningrad Codex in Cairo, Egypt 1008 A.D. – Dead Sea Scrolls had Hebrew Manuscripts from 250 B.C. over 1000 years earlier that were virtually the same. For over 1000 years. God is a keeper. He can keep his word preserved. You can believe that God's word is forever established in Heaven.

d. Jeremiah 1:12: The Lord looks over his word to perform.

The Church is a place where people Desire the Word of God.

1 Peter 1:22-25 (ESV) Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever." And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

1 Peter 2:1-3 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

1. V.23 You have been born again through the living and abiding word of God.

a. You have everlasting life. God's word is an everlasting Word. b. Don't trust flesh because flesh is like grass, the grass withers and flower falls. – The Word of the Lord remains forever!

2. Babes long for pure spiritual milk. (At vacation, we see new babies that were there last your. And my sister in law or cousin would be missing, where is so and so, she went to feed the baby, making bottles and washing bottles, packing bottles. Because babies long for milk.) Reminded me of my little one Ava had a milk allergy. The only milk she could take was Enfamil. In 2013 I was about to leave my job and we had a baby, I was like I needed to stay. She would through up mommy milk. So we took her to doctor she has an allergy. Only Enfamil she could keep down.

3. The Word is so you can Grow. v.2:3

a. Are you eating once a week, twice a week or are you growing everyday? b. Once you taste, you will see that the Lord is God.

The Church is a place where people Do the Word.

Not just to be hearers but doers of the Word.

James 1:22-25 (ESV) But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

• The Word is like a mirror it shows us who we are, what we look like.
  • When you see something in a mirror that is wrong you fix it.
    • Hair out of place, boogie in your nose, Cut on your arm
    • Mirror show you your issue

Discussion Questions

1. The message asks "What is church?" How would you define church based on your personal experience, and how does that compare to the biblical model in Acts 2?
2. Acts 2:42 says the early church "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching." What are you currently devoted to, and how does your devotion to God's Word compare?
3. The Holy Spirit reminds us of what Jesus said when we need it. How can you make "deposits" in God's Word so the Spirit has something to remind you of in difficult times?
4. Peter said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." Have you reached a place where you're convinced that nothing else can satisfy you like Jesus and His Word?
5. The apostles used Old Testament prophecies to prove Jesus was the Messiah. How does understanding Old Testament prophecy strengthen your faith in Jesus?
6. The message emphasizes the Bible's reliability through manuscript evidence and eyewitness accounts. How does this evidence strengthen your confidence in Scripture?
7. First Peter 2:2 says believers should "long for the pure spiritual milk" like newborn babies. Do you have that same hunger for God's Word? If not, what's hindering it?
8. The passage states "The Word is so you can Grow." Are you growing spiritually, or are you stuck eating "once a week" on Sundays?
9. James 1:22-25 compares the Word to a mirror that shows us what needs fixing. What has God's Word recently revealed to you that needs to change?
10. The message distinguishes between being a "hearer" and a "doer" of the Word. What is one thing you've heard from God's Word recently that you need to put into action?

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