Hope Church LV Sermons
Community
We had church tonight. Amen You know how hard it is to do that and then tell me I've got to be have a brief message ready for this weekend What a time we've had in worship and celebration praise the Lord. Amen. Let this bunch know how much again you appreciate them God bless you guys Amen Approximately 2,000 years ago Simon Peter stood up on a day that has become known in church history as the day of Pentecost and On that day Simon Peter stood and he preached the gospel of Jesus Christ It was just recently that Jesus had been crucified and buried and risen from the dead And now Simon Peter stood up full of the Holy Spirit of God and he proclaimed the glorious gospel and the Bible records for us Then on that day 3,000 people Trusted Jesus Christ they embraced the gospel Devoted their lives to Jesus and became followers of Christ But if you're not careful You miss something very significant That's a part of that story Because you see what happened when those 3,000 people embrace Christ is That something was born a Community was born We call it the church That's a word that we've used so frequently and so often that it's become so familiar that when we use the word church It it doesn't really necessarily even always mean what was intended when it was born, but church is Community Listen to it in Acts chapter 2 look at this on the screen verse 41 Says so then those who had received his word were baptized and that day there were what's the next word? added About 3,000 souls It begs the question Added to what They were added to the community The community of believers the local church is community And I want you to listen what happened next look at Acts 2 verse 42 listen to what happened after that moment They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship to the breaking of bread and a prayer 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 with them 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 Do you hear how natural it was I don't know about your Bible, but in my Bible. There's not a verse between verse 41 and 42 that says they brought them all together And taught them how to do church And I was really I've read that like you I'm sure I've read that hundreds of times But this week as I read it it birthed something in my heart that I want to I want to put on the screen Here's the statement Community is not What we do as a church Community is who we are as a church It's not what we do Like some people think they can come to church and not participate in community Community is not something we do at church communities who we are When the church was born at birth a community that was living and vibrant and active and as you read Those verses it just began to flesh itself out Now we've been infected in the Western world with a very individualistic mindset And it's affected church We come to church and think church's all about me Hey, we even look for a church Based on what it does for me that they do the music I like uh-oh Do they dress like I like to dress it sure so the people look like I look Does the preacher teach like I like him to teach is he too loud? Is he too soft? Does he have a bad southern accent? But the New Testament knows nothing of a Christianity like that It was community As a matter of fact just a thought every book in the New Testament after the Gospels Was either addressed to a community of believers It was describing the activity of a community of believers or written to effect change in a community of believers Nothing individual about it It's community Now as the church begin to grow and expand this idea of community Basically expressed itself in two forms one. We're doing tonight large group Large group community has been a part of the church since the day it was born 3,000 people on day one. I'd say that's a large group, right? I Can imagine on that Sunday people going to Peter say, you know, I just don't know if I like this church anymore. It's just gotten too big You know the bad thing there wasn't another one down the road they could go to This was it They would gather the Bible says in the temple courts It's most often gathering place for the believers in this day for the large group Listen what we've done tonight is a valuable part of community Coming together corporately is a large group to worship and to celebrate and to listen to the word of God That is a valuable part of community, but listen to me for 2,000 years. The church has not just gathered in large group The church has also gathered in small ground The Bible says they met in the temple, but the Bible also says they met from house to house and Unfortunately in our individualistic western mentality many are participating in church community only in large group And if that's all you do you are missing out on a significant experience of the life of following Jesus You see small group is not just a program that the church came up with somewhere in the 20th century Large group and small group has been the pattern and practice of the New Testament church since the day it began The Bible says in verse 41 3,000 people got saved verse 42 says they kept gathering large group small group temple courts house to house Small group Is just a small group of people It's a community That together is focused on rightly relating to God to one another in the world This weekend is really celebrating Worship and large group, but it's also for us at Hope celebrating small group We're kicking off our fall season of small groups and in about five minutes. I want to give you four reasons why Every one of us should be participating in a small group Now I'm not just talking about for those of you that attend Hope if you attend other churches Listen, I know we've got some other leaders here tonight from other churches This principle is true in your church too. You need to go and connect in a small group where you are and I'm gonna give you four reasons Why here's the first one? You need others to grow an intimacy with God The Bible tells us here that these people begin to devote themselves together To the apostles teaching to prayer and to fellowship. Let me give you my paraphrase of that They were continually gathering in informal settings to share in each other's lives through prayer and the Word of God From the moment the church began They were gathering in informal settings in homes and they were taking what they were hearing from the apostles and they were saying man How does that apply to your life? How does that apply to my life? They were sharing in each other's lives and they were praying together It wasn't a program in the church. It was a part of being community The Bible says iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another The reality is there are things about God you'll never learn apart from fellowship with other believers in small group settings If you're not in a small group, let me tell you what you're doing You've just put a lid on your intimacy with God Don't think that this is a long-range your journey. It's not God wants to do things in your life and some of the things God desires to do in your life will only be accomplished as you Engage in the life of other Christians and you see God's word in their life And you see it manifest itself, and you hear the testimony and the story It's in small group settings that you deepen intimacy with God Number two You need others to walk through the ups and downs of life Listen to verse 44 and 45 again look what it says All those who had believed were together and had all things in common and they begin selling their property and positions and we're sharing with them all as Anyone might have what's the last word? A very real part of the human experience is need If you're not in need right now, you've been in need or you know somebody in need or uh-oh, you're headed To a situation where you're gonna be in need Every one of us knows what it is to need something. Sometimes it's a financial need Sometimes men Especially in this economy in the last 12 months people faced all kinds of things some people needed some things financially sometimes it's a physical need Maybe you're sick You need some help Somebody to take you to the doctor somebody to go pick up some medicine for you Somebody to bring you a hot bowl of chicken noodle soup. I don't know what it is, but we know what it is to be in need Sometimes it's emotional. Sometimes you just need somebody to put their arm around you It's one of those days where everything in the world has fallen apart at work And you just need somebody to speak a word of encouragement in your life. Where does that come from? Community If you're trying to live out this thing called Christianity on your own you will Struggle because we all have need and God designed community To meet our needs The bible calls it the one another relationship there were 50 references in the new testament to the one another relationship Listen to some of them love one another give preference to one another except one another Encourage one another serve one another bear one another's burdens pray for one another forgive one another Comfort one another listen there are times of joy in my life when I need to celebrate with others There are times of sorrow in my life When I need to grieve with others and in those moments of my life when I am in need listen carefully If all you know about church is large group community Listen You will feel all alone Small group You may find this shocking God doesn't send an email to the pastors that hope when you're in need Now I say that kind of tongue in cheek, but but I really want you to know that Because I think there's some people that think he does We don't get an email about what's going on in your life if all we know is a large group Listen even if God did send us an email We have over 2,000 regular tenders that attend this church Over 3,000 people got saved on the day of Pentecost if God had sent Peter an email There's not anything there wasn't enough hours in the day for him to meet all the needs Right How does God meet those needs? Small group Listen And I want you to hear this with all sincerity and every ounce of my heart If you are not in a small group And you experience a crisis in your life, you will probably feel like the church let you down Because remember the church is community The church is not an organization The church is community and if you are not living life in community You are missing out You need others Number three You need others to accomplish the mission Rick Warren Who by the way just recently committed to come and speak at our pastor's conference and we're going to be hosting for our denomination Next June so you can be praying about that but listen what he said in his great book the purpose driven life We are created for community Fashion for fellowship and formed for a family and none of us can fulfill God's purposes by ourselves How many of you have ever heard this phrase the great commission See your hand that's what I thought can I tell you something you may not know And all four gospels in the book of acts where the great commission is given it's always you plural It's never you singular you know what that means, right? It's not your mission. It's our mission The great commission was not given to the individual the great commission was given to the community Now Individually we're a part of it as we live out community But you need others to accomplish the mission not just large group small group Listen to what the bible said in acts to day by day continue with one mind in the temple 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 now Listen to the experts and the lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved you hear what was happening the mission being accomplished was the overflow of community As they were living out their relationship with God in the context of fellowship with each other Guess what was happening? The mission was being accomplished locally and globally Well Remember I said at the beginning that we've been impacted by a western mindset that's very individualistic So what i've told you so far is what small groups do for you Let me give you the fourth reason need to be in a small group you need others Others need you You see being in a small group is not just about you Everything I said tonight others need that from you Others need to deepen their intimacy with God after seeing God at work in your life Others need to walk through the ups and downs of life and guess what there's going to be some days you are the word of encouragement You're going to be the shoulder that they cry on You're going to be the one taking them to the doctor They need you to accomplish the mission You need others Others need you When you came in tonight in your seat was a Little brochure that looks like this for those of you that call hope your home On the inside of that is a listing of a lot of new small groups that we're launching I'm encouraging you tonight to take that Find a time and a group that meets your needs Feel this out and in just a moment when we receive our offering I want you to drop this in the offering basket or if you want to talk We're going to have some of our small group leaders at kiosk out here in the courtyard when we finish the service tonight You can go out there and stop by and meet some of those small group leaders and get some information about small groups But listen to me very carefully. There shouldn't be a single person here leave tonight And not be committed to large group and small group You need it And others need you You Let's pray God we bow before you tonight and thank you for your word And lord as we've taken just a moment to look at the principles of community God I pray that you'd speak to our hearts and lord even now God I pray that you would have your way in this time As you're sitting there before the lord tonight, we're not going to have a time where we invite people to respond publicly I just want you to respond privately right where you're sitting I'm asking you right where you are to pray about this idea of community And it's a very simple question. Are you in a small group? I don't need to ask you if you're in a large group. You're sitting here Are you in a small group? Hey, if you're in a church that doesn't offer small groups and you want to get in a small group You don't have to come to our church. You can go to large groups somewhere else and be in small groups here. That's fine Every Christian needs large group and small group community As you're sitting there before the lord I'm about to talk for just a second to people that maybe you're here tonight that don't know jesus But if you're here and you know jesus, I want you in your heart to be looking at that brochure and asking god god what group And a lot of you can check it and drop it in the offering basket in just a moment But some of you need to go outside and meet some small group leaders after the service and find a group that works for you We all need it. Listen for two thousand years. This has been the church large group small group It's in like a new program we came up with Since acts chapter two, it's been the practice in the pattern Believers why you think about that, let me say just another word if you're here tonight and you don't know jesus christ Is your personal lord and savior We hope the message that you've heard tonight is that ultimate story of love Hey, the bible teaches every one of us as a sinner But jesus christ came As the sinless god and took on human flesh Lived a sinless life and he offered his life on a sacrifice as a sacrifice for our sins on a cross And he died in our place paying the penalty for our sin But then the bible says three days later, god raised him from a dead as a testimony that had accepted his sacrifice for our sins And now you and i we can be forgiven of our sin And be given a relationship with god by grace When we simply place our faith in the person of jesus christ and what he did on the cross If you're here tonight and you do not know jesus christ as your lord and savior and you would like to embrace him tonight Receive him receive forgiveness of your sin to turn from your sin and trust christ right now with me. You simply pray this It's not this prayer that saves you. It's your faith in jesus and what he did But you simply say lord jesus I know that i'm a sinner I know that you died for me I Invite you to come into my life To forgive me of my sin and to be my savior Jesus I turn from my sin and I trust you Now if you just prayed that with me for the very first time I'm going to encourage you to do something If you really meant business with god when we break our service in a few moments I want you to just go out to one of those kiosk where all those small group leaders are going to be And you can just walk up to them and say I gave my life to jesus and they'll take care of the rest. All right They'll talk with you. They'll get you some information. You just say I gave my life to jesus They'll take care of the rest God, thank you for your word tonight It's in the name of jesus. We pray Amen (soft music)