4 marks a Living Church

Por Leandro Louzada

Sermon preached at First Baptist Church in Caiçara - BH at the meeting of fellowship ABU-BH (Alliance Biblical University) and gratitude for the Third Week of Christianity.

Basic Text: Acts 2:42-47

Introduction:

The New Testament shows us that the commitment of the Christian should be the body of Christ, the analogy used by Paul, referring to the Church. The desire of Jesus, do not call people to live with him alone, but a people for himself, to build his Church. Since the same Paul told Titus about the sacrifice of Christ as well, "which itself was caused by us, to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people for His own, zealous of good works . "Acts was written by Luke, who was not a disciple, however did a thorough research on the life of Jesus and the emergence of the church, interesting that in the book of Acts, Luke has not only the facts, but at some point it part of the facts. The book was written at the request of Theophilus, some say he was a person, other than it was for the friends of God, but prefer to stick with a pessoa.No Luke chapter 1 shows that Jesus ascended into heaven, but promised to send the ES and This would empower the disciples to evangelize the whole earth. Chapter 2 describes the descent of the ES on the day of Pentecost, (a party that happened seven weeks after Easter Sunday and the beginning), a historical event and missionary. Peter makes his first speech in which three thousand people have been reached for Jesus. Next up comes the story of how the church lived nascer.A end of the early Church, which received the ES on the day of Pentecost shows us which are the hallmarks of a living Church. Before we go on the tags, we must remember that the early church was a church full of problems, such as hypocrisy, strife, immorality and heresies disturbed the Church, as the Church XXI.Porém century the early Church in the face of so many problems was deeply guided and inspired by the Spirit Santo.Existiam 4 brands in the early Church which made a living church. So I want to share with you the four marks of a living Church, they are:

1) Dedication in teaching

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching" - Acts 2:42
John Stott said referring to the text: "The Holy Spirit, so to speak, opened a school in Jerusalem that day. His teachers were the apostles, appointed and trained by Jesus. And there were three thousand students in kindergarten. "
1.1) The conversion does not despise the intellect
The thought is not saved because they received the Holy Spirit, he would only teach them, but they sat at the feet of the apostles to learn everything they could.
1.2) The teaching should be that of apóstolosComo follow the teaching of the apostles are no more apostles today?
This answer is very simple, the apostles' teaching is the teaching of Jesus that is in the four gospels and later in the following books that comprise the New Testament. Education not despised the AT, however, showed that his message was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
1.3) How is your study of the Word and how you have taught the Word?
In churches there are many biblical illiteracy. The big problem is the discipleship of the churches, people are called to salvation, make a prayer of "accepting Jesus", named after that and did not receive a follow-up. They are taught the basics of faith: Who is God, sin, man and the church, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Trinity, salvation, the end of time. What is missing in the Brazilian Evangelical Church is the fulfillment of Jesus' command: "Go and make disciples of all nations ... (Matt. 28:19).
We need to urgently study the Bible, it is useless to read without understanding, so we need literature that helped us understand the Biblical texts. Read John Stott, John Piper, Calvin, Paul Washer, Hernandez Dias Lopes, CH Spurgeon, CS Lewis, Philip Yancey, Russell Shedd ...
Failure to prepare Bible is the result of superficial preaching the Gospel, along with poor literary and musical. This week I heard a song that went: Like me, like me, I'll do anything for me like Jesus. A song totally unbiblical, because we love God because He first loved us. Yancey said that "there's nothing we can do to Jesus to love us more, not let anything to do for Jesus to love us less."
Universities were created for theological training of pastors. Oxford, Cambridge, Paris, Bologna, Manchester, Princeton, Harvard ...
Jesus told the Pharisees: Ye do err because they do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God and more people perish for lack of conhecimento.Existem saved who do not study the Word of God, by negligence or by not having someone teach you. And teach others, but another gospel which came from men or angels, but God. Read then: Jeremiah 23.21-40

FT: The dedication of the teaching of the apostles is the first mark of a Living Church, the second is:

2) The fellowship

This is a Greek word famous KOINONIA, she bears testimony to two truths: the outer and inner communion.
2.1) The interior communion
The inner communion can only be obtained through the grace of God, God comes and dwell in us. John says: "Our fellowship is with Father and with his Son Jesus" (1 John 1:3) and the apostle Paul added: "And communion with the Holy Spirit" (2 Corinthians 13:14). Our fellowship is a fellowship within the Trinity. We can we separate nationality, ethnicity, culture, race, gender and age, but are united by the same Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Our participation in the common grace that makes us one.
2.2) The overseas fellowship
Luke wanted to emphasize this sense of the word koinonia, he says: "All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to each according to his need "(Acts 2.44-45). The early Christians loved one another, it is not surprising because the first fruit of the spirit is love. They sold their possessions and shared with each other, there was people in need, a full catered the others.The Church of the Holy Spirit of God is a generous church. Generosity has always been a mark of God's people.
2.3) How is my communion with God and neighbor?
I experienced a full communion with the Trinity? How is my generosity, have helped the brothers in need?
The theology of prosperity ended with communion in the churches, because it exalts the individual and not the body of Christ. People go to church to receive his blessing and not enjoy communion with God and neighbor. Another thing we must remember is that people who are or are not linked in any religion, make donations to help those in need, or need not be a Christian to help someone. But there is a huge difference in the Christian contribution, when a Christian does it contribute to the glorification of the name of God and not to receive compliments like "Wow that pious and good man." The contribution should not be done out of obligation, like many entrepreneurs do to pay less taxes or because of persuading someone.
The key contribution of Co II is 9.7 which says: Every man according as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity: for God loves to give alegria.E this contribution is to the glory of God's name.
A missionary agency conducted a survey about how much each invests in Christian missions a year, the result was $ 1.50.
Hebrews 13:16 says, "Do not forget to do good and to share with others what you have, for such sacrifices God is pleased"

FT: A dedication of the teaching of the apostles is the first mark of a Living Church, the second is the fellowship, the third brand is:

3) Worship

"They devoted themselves ... to the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2:42). The breaking of bread is a clear allusion to the Lord's Supper, then a common meal and prayer is an allusion to the worship and prayer meetings . The worship of the early Church was linked to two aspects, formal and informal worship.
3.1) formal worship (v.46)
The early Christians did not immediately abandoned the institutional church, they were eager to reform it with the gospel.
3.2) Informal Worship
They also met in homes, making informal services, household services, fellowship groups.
3.3) How are our services? They are made to worship God or man? We are meeting informally in the home or community groups?
John Piper said the mission of the church is worship, and because of that there is evangelization. The mission of all individuals is to glorify the name of Jesus Christ.
Today we see the contrary, ministers are glorified high and glorify, the order of worship is totally focused on the individual, with campaigns, prayers of healing and miracles and delivery of tithes and offerings as a way of compensation, music in the first person singular . A diabolical anthropocentrism. Some months ago I began to notice how leaders and treat people within the formal church, and I was amazed, I wrote some non-Christian attitudes that alienate people from the church because the worship of God decentralizes the person of the leader, they are:
1 Call the attention of people in front of the church, you can use the microphone;
No. 2 Treat them with indifference, attacks it with the words;
3 Center of people's attention to the pastor;
4 ° Do not walk among the people;
5 º Expose publicly the problems of people of the church;
6 Be indifferent in the celebration of worship;
7 Preach what you do not live;
8 people do not appreciate.
All these items define the misunderstanding of which is to provide a service to God. More or less what the Corinthian church was doing with Paul and Apollos. That's why Paul says in 1 Cor 4.1, they are just servants of Christ and stewards of the mystery of God. Uperetas and oikosnomos. He who takes the book of the law and God's stewards. The pastor and Dr. Franklin Foster said we need to prioritize the celebration of worship, and praise a good word, because the cult is the test of what will happen in heaven. We would love the Lord continuamente.Mas not only in formal worship must worship him, our life must be worship, we must understand that everything we do has to be to the glory of God.

FT: The dedication of the teaching of the apostles is the first mark of a Living Church, the second is the fellowship, worship is the third and the fourth is:

4) The evangelization

"And the Lord added daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:47). So far we have three brands that are related to the interior of the church, and tells us nothing about the proclamation of the Gospel to the world. But the early church was completely committed to missions. This text teaches three aspects of the evangelization of the Church:
4.1) The Lord was engaged in the practice of evangelism
"The Lord was adding ...
4.2) Salvation is linked to membership in the Church
"Those who were being saved ...
4.3) Evangelism than occasionally, but everyday
Day after day the saved acrescentados.Os Christians were still unable to understand what is evangelism, there are several courses to teach how to evangelize, the four spiritual laws, the plan of salvation, the delivery of the brochure on the bus. One thing that always annoyed me was that while participating in a group of evangelism, we go out preaching in the streets and people were converted, they were often forced to do so, making the familiar prayer of surrender, which is nothing more than the replacement of sovereignty of God by human imposition. But they were actually called by God, were never seen by us, ie, the idea of ​​evangelism was to preach, to pray for delivery and the person turned to get a igreja.O text says that those who were being saved were added, ie, evangelism is connected with the integration of the marginalized in the United Deus.John Piper exposing the text of Romans 10.13-15, said that salvation is linked to five points:
1 Invoking the Christ;
2 ° To believe in Him;
3 Listen to the Gospel;
4 ° One who preaches Christ;
5 ° God to send the preacher.

Application Summary: The dedication of the teaching of the apostles is the first mark of a Living Church, the communion is the second, third and fourth is the worship is evangelism.

Conclusion: This church was a quickening of the ES, and because of that she had these four brands. Today we seek the very revival, but we can not understand what it is, Luke teaches us through this small text that is a true revival. Not marked on the calendar, but come from God and genuinely changes completely when it comes to people and their communities.
The church is not:
a) The church is not a club, where everyone pays their tuition and living alone;
b) The church is not saved from a shelter, where each one seeking their own interests;
c) The church is not a service provider, which only seek to meet my needs;
d) The church is not a supermarket, where I'll look for what I like;
e) The church is not a concert hall, where I am just a spectator;
F) The church is a family, where we have one Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all brothers. A community that teaches the Word of God, to meet the needs of the brothers, practicing temple worship and the day-to-day and evangelize Biblically.
The teaching, fellowship, worship and evangelism are all made to the glory of God. May you all continue as a living church in its universities, churches, family and among friends, because then you truly are glorifying God's name.