A WITNESSING CHURCH

#059/762a                                A WITNESSING CHURCH

Scripture  Acts 2:38-47, NIV                                                                                 Orig. 8/12/1962

                                                                                                                                 Rewr. 2/8/1982

Passage: 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

The Fellowship of the Believers

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Purpose: To share with my people an intense statement from the church as presented in Acts, a measure of these characteristics that define the church today.

Keywords:      Church           Education       Worship         Fellowship     Ordinances

Introduction

            Dr. Earl Guinn, former President of Louisiana College, speaking at the Louisiana Evangelism Conference (1982), raised a question relative to our authority for preaching the gospel to a lost world.  It is obvious from many quarters that the lost world itself is not interested, and to a large degree does not want to be bothered.  Can it then be a measure of our responsibility to force something down the throats  of other people that they really don’t want?  Is our authority within ourselves?  Is it simply that we have something that we want to give away?  Can it be that only in this way can we improve life upon the earth?

            Dr. Guinn answered the question he asked by reminding us of some of the other authority for doing some of the things we do.  As never before in world history, there is a major emphasis upon feeding the hungry people of the world.  Thousands upon thousands of people are involved.  Huge sums of money are being spent.  Our authority for feeding hungry people is their HUNGER.  Many, many people in the 20th Century are included in the task of educating people in 3rd world nations and other places as well.  Our authority for educating the unlearned people of Mother Earth is IGNORANCE.  We need no further guideline.  Many of our own missionaries are involved in medical missions.  Our own government has agencies that spend millions of dollars every year in an effort to assist other nations with medical emergencies.  Other denominations, and other governments, are just as concerned as we.  Our authority for involving ourselves in the intimate medical needs of people whom we do not know is LIFE-THREATENING ILLNESS. 

            Our speaker that day at the Evangelism Conference wasted no more time making his point.  If anyone ever  raises a question about our authority for evangelism, for witnessing, then just remind him of the LOSTNESS of people without Christ.

            It is easy to perceive of the church’s role to witness as one that is gravely over-stated in the Scripture.  Yet, there is such a tendency on our parts not to do, and not to be, what we must.  The circumstance of the church in Ephesus is a case in point.  In this book of symbolism, the church was represented by a candlestick.  In the letter to Ephesus, the ultimate in God’s displeasure was stated in terms of removing the candlestick “out of its place.”  It was not the idea of God turning “off” the light.  It was the idea of a light that is not burning is serving no purpose.  A lampstand that does not give off light is just something else to stumble over in the dark.

I.          The Church is to Witness by Her Unity.  V44, And all that believed were together.

            The first goal of the Church is Community.  Over the past ten or so years, 40 or 50 families of Mennonites have come into East Carroll Parish.  They came from a state, Kansas, where it is against the law, outside of direct family units, to engage in family farming.  Unity is the  ultimate character of their church, socially as well as religiously.

            The next, and perhaps the only other goal of a church is self-determination.  (Now that we are together in unity, what are we doing to do with all this energy?)  Baptists move on the cutting edge of effectiveness because of self-determination.

            I continue to be dismayed and somewhat overwhelmed by how quickly news travels about churches in squabbles.  I am convinced that nothing pleases Satan more than a disrupted congregation of believers.

II.         The Church is to Witness by Her Fellowship.  V46, And they, continuing daily . . . , did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.

            We must be careful to understand that of which our fellowship consists.  People who are active in leadership and financial support.  Others who have little to give and feel themselves unworthy of leadership.  Perhaps even, some who do not even attend. 

            The link of fellowship is an experience in which Christ is made unquestioned Lord of our lives.

            The last and least link in fellowship is the gathering of a small group of church members called “Fellowship.”  We fellowship in groups, large and small, where the substance of our togetherness is our declared relationship to Christ who died for our sin.

III.       The Church is to Witness by Her Organization.  V47, And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

            A reference was made under unity to the matter of self-determination.  How do we minister to our constituency?  Offering a program based on Bible education that will enable us to make Christ-honoring decisions.

            How do we minister to other people?  The basis has always been first through the Sunday School.  The main emphasis is often on enrolment.  We have based our organization on five great principles that remain unchanged:  (1)Know your possibilities; (2)Enlarge your organization; (3)Provide needed space; (4)Enlist and train workers; (5)Go after the people.

IV.       The Church is to Witness by Her Training. V42, And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine.        

            Every opportunity must be taken to train people for the tasks they are called to do.  No time or inclination to talk about spiritual gifts, but keep people in areas of interest.  Organized training studies: Jeremiah, census.  Church training.

            Every believer should desire to improve his knowledge.  II Timothy 2:15, Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed.

V.        The Church Must Witness by Her Place of Worship.  V46, And they, continuing daily with one accord in the Temple. . . .

            Much could be said about the place of worship.  We must certainly do no worse by our Lord’s house than we do by our own homes.  We should treat that building with the respect due.  What is to be thought of a community of well-tended homes where the church building is in disrepair and is untidy?

VI.       The Church Must Witness by Her Worship.  V46f, And they continued daily with one accord in the Temple, . . . praising God, . . . .  Acts 5:42, And daily in the Temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus the Christ.

            It must be attended with dignity.  It is to be winsome and compelling.  Above all, it is to honor God.

VII.      The Church is to Witness by Her Ordinances.  V41, Then they that gladly received the word were baptized; . . . and they continued . . . in breaking of bread . . . .

            We honor our Lord by every visit to the baptismal pool.  It means that we are sharing our faith.  Too often, however, we are  only baptizing our own.  It is greater honor to our Lord when we have reached out to the unbelieving and unsuspecting community about us.  Baptism pictures our death to self and resurrection to life in Him.

            We honor Him further by occasional forays at the table.  We hold up the broken fragments of His life.  We examine the nature of His blood, poured out at the cross.  We glory in the reality that He is alive, and that we live through Him.

VIII.     The Church is to Witness by Her Membership.  V38, Then Peter said, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

            Water baptism is a living symbol of a larger experience of submergence in grace.

            Membership in the community of faith, then, consists of three things: (1)Repentance—the initial act of faith; (2)Baptism—link of obedience and community; (3)Holy Spirit—the empowering agent for the Christ-honoring life in the world.  Remember, we don’t have the Holy Spirit, as if He were a potion of some kind to help us get what we want.  The Holy Spirit has us to use to magnify Christ in the world to the glory of God.

IX.       The Church is to Witness by Her Name.  This is really a part of the one above.

X.         The Church is to Witness by Her Contributions.  V45, And sold their goods, and parted them to all as each had needs.

            Don’t let disdain for communism blind you to truth.  These folks were not interested in ideology, they were interested in honoring Christ.

            We too must give  of our substance. (1)Money. (2)Goods. (3)Service.  (SELF).  Within the context of that cultural, social, political ideology that applies to us, we are to seek to honor Christ with what we are, and what we do, and what we have.  This is not largely different from what happened in Jerusalem.

Link/References

Guinn:            https://lcuniversity.edu/homage-to-dr-g-earl-guinn/