Acts The Church: Surviving? Or Thriving? Look At The Book! Acts The Church: Surviving? Or Thriving?

Do You Feel Blessed At Southside? Great blessing for me to preach for and belong to a congregation like Southside. Not all congregations are like we are. Some are dying. Some gasping for breath. Some barely surviving. Some are growing beyond our own experiences. We must grow. We must thrive. We cannot remain like we are. What attitudes and practices will ensure that we thrive and not just survive?

Practicing Brokenhearted Devotion Acts 2:37-39 -- Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized 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 your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”

Experiences In Salvation Peter preached about repentance. They heard and responded. They were PIERCED TO THE HEART. Pierced hearts are repentant hearts. Pierced hearts become resurrected hearts. Pierced hearts celebrate the Holy Spirit. Pierced hearts live for the promise of God.

How Do Pierced Hearted People Act? Humble rather than prideful. Pride kills. Pride goes before destruction: Proverbs 16:18 Recognizing that the generation we belong to is perverse and we must remain aloof from the world. Vs. 40: “And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation.”

Do You Celebrate Resurrection? Are you experiencing the resurrected life? Philippians 3:10 -11 – “(7) But whatever things were gain to me, those tings I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.…(10)that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

Are You Living For The Promise? 2 Corinthians 6:14, 17-18; 7:1: “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?...“(17) Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” says the Lord Almighty…. Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” Are you living separate from the world?

Pride Kills. Complacency Cripples. 1 Thessalonians 5:5b-6 – “We are not of the night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.” How important is your resurrection? How important are the promises to you? How engaged are you in the Lord’s church?

Practicing Continuous Devotion Acts 2:42 – “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” They were continually devoted. Are we continually devoted? By following their example, can we experience what they experienced?

They Were Continually Devoting… The apostles’ teaching They had to attend wherever the apostles were to hear. We have the apostles’ teaching made complete in the Bible. Do you have a Bible reading plan? Are you devoted?

Devoted To Worship Things Fellowship Philippians 2:1-2 – “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.” Breaking of bread – by which we must understand the holy sacrament of COMMUNION Communion (EUCHARIST) was vital to their relationship with one another and with the Lord.

1 Corinthians 11:24 καὶ εὐχαριστήσας ἔκλασε καὶ εἶπε· λάβετε φάγετε … EUCHARISTESAS – Jesus “eucharisted” and broke the bread and said, ‘Take, eat….”’ The communion is a vital link in our fellowship one with another. It is not a rite to take lightly. It is a thanksgiving to God and Christ for resurrection from the dead, and for fellowship in His name. It is a remembrance.

They Were DEVOTED To Prayer Paul speaks of things we are to be devoted to. Romans 12:10-13 – “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.” To how many of these are we truly devoted?

Devotion? Or Boredom? Devotion prevents boredom. Devotion prevents backsliding. Devotion brings growth, maturity, enthusiasm, joy, diligence, and fruitfulness.

Maintaining Awe Acts 2:43-47 -- Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

How Did They Maintain Their Awe? By what they saw and heard. By what they shared with one another and gave to one another. By how they worked and served together. By remaining glad and sincere in their hearts. As with everything else, maintaining our awe is a constant work.

How Do We Maintain Our Awe? How do we fight “cold spells” How do we avoid backsliding? How do we survive those “dark nights of the soul?” In short – by keeping ourselves in the word of God, in fellowship with one another, in unity that transcends any earthly concern, and in praising and honoring God.

Psalm 119:36-40 36 --Incline my heart to Your testimonies and not to dishonest gain. 37 -- Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, and revive me in Your ways. 38 -- Establish Your word to Your servant, as that which produces reverence for You. 39 -- Turn away my reproach which I dread, for Your ordinances are good. 40 -- Behold, I long for Your precepts; revive me through Your righteousness.

Maintaining Awe Prevents The Profane We thrive when we maintain our awe in God. We die when we focus on the profane. When we concern ourselves overly much with the world and the things of the world. We thrive when we focus on God and His righteousness. We die when we focus on the world and its passing pleasures.

Do We Really Want To Thrive? If so, it takes every single one of us maintaining our awe. Ephesians 4:15-16 – “…but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”

We Grow As We Supply In Love Every joint is important Every member is vital Every individual part of the body must work together as a whole in love. So that the body will grow as it builds itself up in love.

And So The Lord Added To Their Number Acts 2:47 – And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. Will we thrive? Or merely survive? The answer depends on each and every one of us being what Christ called us to be. Are you?