To Know God… 1. Us Experiencing His character 2. He (God) Experiencing Our Character Thus knowing God is not about intellectual character but experiencing his character (relational knowledge).

That God wants to experience the following in us: Obey Him Fear Him Belief Him Serve Him Confession of One’s sin Knowledge of Him

Deuteronomy 8:1-2 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the L ORD promised on oath to your ancestors. 2 Remember how the L ORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know (Yada`) what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. Surely God knows already, right, but not experientially…

Are you experiencing Yada`? Are you experiencing God and is God experiencing you? Prayer night – teach how to experience God’s character through meditation…31 st January ‘15

Make God Known What would people miss if we were to disappear? The early church began as a movement but ended up as an institution. Easy to get comfortable. Need a fresh wind to wake us from our slumber.

Desire to “Make God Known” must stem primarily from experiencing God’s character - Love, Compassion, Power, Might, Justice, Righteousness, Grace…

The first thing we see when we open the scriptures written about 2, 000 years ago is that church were experiencing God’s character, Acts 2: – filled with awe. Acts 4: – filled with the Holy Spirit, much grace was upon them… Acts 5: – Great fear seized the church First word about them – “Devoted”

Every chapter in the book of Acts can bee summarized as the disciples experiencing God’s character and God experiencing their character through their obedience of His word.

1. Disciples Who Experience God are Herald of the Good News Today, some in this church view themselves as volunteers for Jesus, not disciples.

We get cynical when we hear the word evangelism mentioned from the pulpit. Evangelism is an excellent way of you experiencing God and God experiencing you…

The word evangelism comes from the original word evangel, which in Greek means good news. In old English it was known as godspell which later simplified into gospel.

To deliver the evangel, or the gospel, is to evangelize or to do evangelism. In the Old Testament, the word is “to herald good news”. The earliest heralds were runners who carried the good news of the victory battle, seen in 2 Sam 18: 19-33

2 Sam 18: Now Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Let me run and take the news to the king that the L ORD has vindicated him by delivering him from the hand of his enemies.” 20 “You are not the one to take the news today,” Joab told him. “You may take the news another time, but you must not do so today, because the king’s son is dead.” 21 Then Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed down before Joab and ran off. 22 Ahimaaz son of Zadok again said to Joab, “Come what may, please let me run behind the Cushite.”

But Joab replied, “My son, why do you want to go? You don’t have any news that will bring you a reward.” 23 He said, “Come what may, I want to run.” So Joab said, “Run!” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain [a] and outran the Cushite.a 24 While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates, the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked out, he saw a man running alone. 25 The watchman called out to the king and reported it. The king said, “If he is alone, he must have good news.” And the runner came closer and closer.

26 Then the watchman saw another runner, and he called down to the gatekeeper, “Look, another man running alone!” The king said, “He must be bringing good news, too.” 27 The watchman said, “It seems to me that the first one runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” “He’s a good man,” the king said. “He comes with good news.” 28 Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, “All is well!” He bowed down before the king with his face to the ground and said, “Praise be to the L ORD your God! He has delivered up those who lifted their hands against my lord the king.”

29 The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” Ahimaaz answered, “I saw great confusion just as Joab was about to send the king’s servant and me, your servant, but I don’t know what it was.” 30 The king said, “Stand aside and wait here.” So he stepped aside and stood there. 31 Then the Cushite arrived and said, “My lord the king, hear the good news! The L ORD has vindicated you today by delivering you from the hand of all who rose up against you.” 32 The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”

The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up to harm you be like that young man.” 33 The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son!” [b]b

Look at the repeated words – “good news” and “run”. Isn’t this what the word “Herald” encapsulates? A sense of excitement to proclaim the good news with excitement.

Acts 8: 4, 12, 25, 35 all contain the verb evangelize. In Acts 11: 19-21, we pick up the narration of the dispersed disciples. They travelled as far away as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch (see map). The experienced God…and were herald of the good news…

Disciples

These disciples moved out at a moment’s notice; no secure employment and home. They also left their friends, business associates and relatives to flee Jerusalem and as they did, there were no rumblings and ill feelings towards God and or the leaders of the church. Instead they continued with great fervour to spread the good news.

Who were the recipients of this good news? They were the Jews at first, but later the message was told to the Greeks. They did this perhaps after they heard word that Gentiles were also allowed to enter the kingdom of God, following on from Cornelius’ conversion in Acts 10. We do not know this for sure. However, the early Christians were daring.

Their zeal and daring step forward was what began a ministry in Antioch. Antioch was the third most influential city of the Roman Empire, only after Rome and Alexandria. Later on the church here eclipsed that of the Jerusalem church in its influence (AD 44). How do we go about starting new ministries, especially in major cities?

In short, the following marks can be observed in the beginning of the ministry at Antioch. Started by nameless, grateful and daring disciples. An experiment in sharing the good news with the non Jewish people for the first time on a large scale. There may not have been a mandate yet from the leaders as to whether this was to be done.

Started by disciples who had no secure employment and/or home, since the indication in Acts 8 was that they fled Jerusalem in short notice. Was triggered not by a conference, but because of the martyrdom of one of the beloved leader, Stephen. Was a huge success.

From AD 33 to AD 64, the Christian faith made such an impact that the emperor Nero blamed them for setting Rome on fire.

2. Disciples Who Experience God Become Missionaries

Message Translation of Acts 8:4 3-8 And Saul just went wild, devastating the church, entering house after house after house, dragging men and women off to jail. Forced to leave home base, the followers of Jesus all became missionaries. Wherever they were scattered, they preached the Message about Jesus. Going down to a Samaritan city, Philip proclaimed the Message of the Messiah. When the people heard what he had to say and saw the miracles, the clear signs of God’s action, they hung on his every word. Many who could neither stand nor walk were healed that day. The evil spirits protested loudly as they were sent on their way. And what joy in the city!

Special Emphasis… Acts 8:4 - Forced to leave home base, the followers of Jesus all became missionaries. Definition of Missionary: “: a person who is sent to a foreign country to do religious work (such as to convince people to join a religion or to help people who are sick, poor, etc.)” – Mariam-Webster

Today, many disciples see the preacher as the person they pay to preach the word, instead of seeing the responsibilities to preach to others fall on all of them. Notice: 1. How it is that much more exciting to come to church when you have a visitor? 2. How exciting it is when you have some one studying the bible?

Conclusion May a fresh wind of the Spirit of God blow over this church and revive those in slumber as we are awakened to his call. Think of all the main towns and cities in Malaysia and let’s plan to go. Meetings must take place and plan must be laid out.

Ipoh… Teck and Patrice