1. Looking at the book of Acts Building a church that…

2. Looking at the book of Acts Building a church that… waits is spirit filled: Pentecost heals is focussed on Jesus is servant hearted Father’s Day has integrity is empowered

3. We left Peter & John in prison!

4. Acts 4: 23 - 35 23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people & reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your

5. servant, our father David: ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one. ’ 27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom

6. you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus. 31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was

7. shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. 32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so

8. powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

9. Straight back to what they were doing… They acknowledge opposition – but don’t pray for it to end. v29 There’s an increase in power & boldness. The room shook! v31

10. All the believers were one in heart and mind v32 They had a shared vision. The Holy Sprit was building a community of power and love.

11. Church is intended to be a place of transformation. Not by human construct – dress this way, talk this way. But transformation by the holy spirit. One way is as we learn to love and serve God and each other. This is at the heart of following Jesus.

12. 1. To love & serve God

13. They continued to testify to the resurrection of Jesus. v33 Serving God is about devotion.

14. Serving God means embracing discipleship. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 1 Cor 9:24

15. A disciple is one who lives under the discipline of Jesus... Staying on his track!

16. Have you noticed how people look like those they hang out with….

17. 2. Serving others

18. How did Jesus live? “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:43-45

19. Taking the lowest place is best - because Jesus did… Jn13

20. Practice preferring others Join a team with us Randomly treat people Push your own boundaries Don’t over think Don’t worry what others think

21. 3. Serving & honouring the poor We can do this through Storehouse We can do this through Helping Hands We can donate items for our baby baskets Individually seeking to express God’s generous heart (v16,v23)…always looking to their needs!

22. 4. Serving & honouring the lost Everything we do must be for the lost (Luke 19:10)… Our welcome Our focus Because in serving them we serve Jesus himself! (Matthew 25:40)

23. Serving God means taking delight in him

24. Is our service of God a delight?

25. Getting reconnected… O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1

26. Developing a serving heart is at the centre of our lives with Jesus

27. All the believers were one in heart and mind… Much grace was upon them all. v33

28. Looking at the book of Acts together Building a church that… Waits Is spirit filled: Pentecost Heals Is focussed on Jesus That serves Father’s Day Has integrity Is empowered