Count Me In - I

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God, you want to hear from you. Would you consider emailing me you can reach me at greg@harvest.org again that's greg@harvest.org and you can also make me one of your friends on Facebook and drop me a comment. Some churches focus primarily on worship will even say we want more worship and shorter sermons.

Your sermon is really there's a need for balance in the worship service of a healthy church pastor Greg Laurie reminds us that God's word is what features I want you guys to know your wife because Jesus said we are to worship him in spirit and in truth and in the sermon on which not the musical on the mountain.

It wasn't the drama performance on the mouth or the interpretive dance on the mountain all pointed out that it pleased God through the foolishness of the message to save those who believe today on a new beginning pastor Greg Laurie helps to see the importance of opening our Bibles part of an engaging worship service. All Scripture is profitable teaching puking, correcting and training in righteousness okay were hard to of our two-part series called how to go to church so I went out to the turned to chapters of the Bible adds chapter 2 and Romans chapter 12, but since review a couple of things I've already pointed out in the will dive into the final part of this message number one. As you may remember I pointed out to you that Jesus started the church, Jesus loves the church that says the foundational truth that we all need to remember now, Jesus is not always happy about the state of the church. He's very concerned about his welfare of the church. Jesus said the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Remember, we pointed out that the church and when I say church. I don't mean the building.

I mean people when I say church I really mean you and I mean me. I mean us together. The church exists for three reasons.

The glorification of God the edification of the saints of the evangelization of the world upward in word and outwork all right with that of my let's read our text again were reading acts chapter 2 verses 42 to 47 were looking at the first century church. The church to turn their world upside down a verse 42. They continued steadfastly underline those two words. Please welcome back. They continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship. Underline that to the breaking of bread and prayers, and fear came upon every soul.

Many wonders and signs were done through the apostles to all who believed were together and they had all things in common.

They sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, is anyone in need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house the 8/3 food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people of the Lord added to the church daily those that were being saved.

When we pray together now now father is as we look at your plan for the church. Help us to find our place in it so we can get the most out of attending church, but even more get the most out of being a part of the church. So speak to us from your word, we would ask now in Jesus name, amen.

Alright, so it remember we summed up the church of the first century with the acronym well WELL they were worshiping church there were an evangelistic church. They were learning church. They were a loving church we already pointed this out, but will review quickly. Number one, they were a worshiping church and what we gather together as we just did and we worship the Lord something happens right. You can't get this anywhere else.

There's nothing out there like it when Christians come together and worship Jesus promises when two or more are gathered together in his name. He's there in the midst of the Scripture tells us that the Lord inhabits the praises of his people and we should worship it. We feel like it or not. Hebrews 1315 says we offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lives, giving thanks to his name.

So even if you don't want to worship you should worship because God is good and God deserves our worship and how do I do it I don't just stand there in silence, or check the scores on my teams but I worship verbally openly lifting my hands lifting my voice to God now. Point number two they were learning church.

This is a very important one verse 42. They continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and prayers here something vital to understand God has ordained preaching and teaching. Now look some people will say we, I like to attend church online.

Maybe you can get out to the church in person.

I understand that I appreciate that. I know there are people that watch even from run our country in the world and and it's a way for them to still participate put something special happens when God's people gather together and study the Bible together and you know it when you're there and you experience it, and this is what the early church did the church of the first century with the Bible studying church when it uses the phrase continued steadfastly it means to continue to do something with intense effort. Despite difficulty to continue to do something with intense effort. Despite difficulty are there any things in your life you don't like to do which are glad you did them when you're done, you know, maybe it's cleaning up a mess. I don't do it but you know you can find anything so you clean it up and afterward you're thinking I'm glad I did that or working out who you know people like to work out some do.

I don't know why they say endorphins are released. I mean, I dread workouts I complained during workouts, but our friend. I'm glad I did one right and so that's sometimes what it's like to study the Bible of Herodotus and other times we really want to read the Bible we are looking forward to it another time to get up in the morning. The thing you will just skip it today. You do it anyway. Let's legalism, no friend that's discipline.

There's a difference. Discipline says I want to do it because I need to do it and I know God wants me to do it and I'll be glad I did it when I'm done so I'm going to read the Bible. That is an absolute I'm in a do this before I do anything else, but don't have time to check social media or emails or text or anything else is one thing I want to do is read the Bible, so this is something that we must discipline ourselves to do. Mr. Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message in just a moment. Listeners are finding their faith in Christ by hearing the studies and reading God's word, even in the most unlikely of places. This listener contacted us last Thanksgiving, Pastor Greg, thank you for guiding me through the Bible, your notes and the new believers Bible really helps me understand what I needed to understand. I was born to a religious family and even spent a year in seminary before eventually walking away from God, spent more than 25 years away from him currently serving a prison sentence in the state of Minnesota.

But I was in County jail. I picked up a copy of your Bible between your study helps in a fantastic jail ministry team my study of the Bible brought me back to belief this morning, Thanksgiving day, I caught a new beginning on the local radio station and I really enjoyed listening to your sermon on what could be a very depressing and lonely Thanksgiving day. I have so much to thank God for this is the first Thanksgiving in which I can honestly look into myself and count all my blessings. I won't be defined by my past, but I will let God transform me into a new person. Thank you and God bless your life is changed to pastor Greg's teaching you let us know when you get in touch ask about our new believers Bible just dropped Greg an email at greg@harvest.org again, that's great@harvest.org well today were learning lessons on how to go to church from acts chapter 2 and Pastor Greg is pointed out the importance of studying God's word as a part of our church services and in some churches today if they're getting away from biblical exposition getting away from teaching, preaching, some churches focus primarily on worship will even say we want more worship and shorter sermons hold out no buckaroo not understand I'm not threatened by that because actually my job would be much easier if I give shorter sermons, they will just have a worship service.

I'll get up and talk for five minutes right but I do what I do because I'm called by God to do this and we need this because worship is a response from think notice y'all didn't clap thank you for those of clap the ones at Dodson late, except that now it's out of control, but okay.

Sorry to say it's great to worship. I think we made the point pretty clearly. Listen, our worship is a response to what we know about God.

That's very important. We want to worship with intelligence, not just with a motion sometimes there's a lot of passionate worship, but not enough biblical understanding will be able to sell. I love to go to church. I love to worship.

I'm so in love with Jesus. I just love the Lord and their living a moral either doing drugs or getting drunk and fight wave Houston we have a problem. This is what was going on of the church of Corinth. You know they were using spiritual gifts and they were living a morally, so Paul had to call amount on that and correct them. I've often said, you know you could call the book to first and second Corinthians.

The book of first and second Californians because they were a lot like we are.

We are a lot like they were but so we don't want to be weak. Theologically, we don't have to choose between the two I've seen some churches are there's a lot of worship primarily worship and the message is almost more like a pep talk, almost like cheerleading and yes it shorter to short message. All we like the church because the sermons are short, here's my fear sermon that's create Christian acts okay. I want you guys to know your Bible. This is very important because Jesus said we are to worship him in spirit and in truth it's possible to worship in truth with no spirit, no cash and no emotion that orthodoxy it's possible to worship in spirit without truth a lot of emotion without understanding what the Scripture says here in harvest.

We offer theology without apology. We want you to know the word of God.

Okay, so no question we need anointed preaching. I don't understand how some pastors can make the Bible dull the Bible is an exciting book the words jump off the pages that if you have the ability to take the powerpack living word of God and make a dull, you need to get a new job okay because it's not dull and some are dull and the way they speak. We do need passionate preaching, but we also need passionate listening. We need strong listeners. This is why Jesus often said, he that has ears to hear, let him hear these folks in the early church applied themselves to what was being taught from the word of God.

We need to see the value of God's word and longing for God's word. Job said in Job 2312.

I've not departed from his commands.

I've treasured his words more than my daily food. So it's coming in offering our attention with in tension again our attention with intention. This is why I encourage you to take note. Or to put it on your phone or however you like to process information and write things down because I will often hear something that all faith that's great. I would remember that and I forget it. An hour later. Right, but I write it down and I read my notes.

It sparks my memory and I remember not only that, but a lot of other things as well. So the key to getting the most out of church is coming with passion.

I encourage you to get here early and don't leave early. Some people arrive late and they leave early. That's not a good idea because if you arrive late, you miss out on the worship.

If you leave early, you miss out on the close of the service which is very important. But here's the key, though, that I want to really bring to your attention. Serve in the church all these people that serve you every Sunday morning from the people in the parking lot to the people that may hold a sign or greet you or help you find the seed or watch her children or teach your children.

These are all volunteers here at harvest that are doing this are paid nothing for it. They do it because they love the Lord and they love you so always be sure to thank those people that are serving you. That's very very important. So this brings us to .3. This was a loving church. They were learning church.

They were worshiping church. They were a loving church. Verse 42. They continued steadfastly in fellowship spirit filled believers like to meet with other believers, as we learn more from the word of God. We want to spend time with others who also love the word of God and by the way, the Lord loves it when we gather together and talk about The church is not just a place to come and hear a message about God. It's a place to talk to each other about God.

That's what fellowship is Malachi 316 says those in fear of the Lord talk with each other in the Lord listen and her. That phrase listened and heard leads to prickly year to bend down so as not to miss a single word. You know, I've never been in a room and maybe someone mentioned your name and somehow you just pick it up right so that's how God is all we get together and we talked about the Lord. Lord Cerda bends down and eavesdrop on our conversation, he loves to hear us talk about listen when you're walking with God you want to be with God's people, let me turn that around. When you're not walking with God as you want to. You probably won't want to be with God's people as much. The stronger your vertical fellowship is the stronger your horizontal fellowship will be. So if you find yourself out of fellowship with God. You'll also find yourself out of fellowship with other believers and you'll find yourself saying things like, well, I don't really know if I want to go to church today. Besides, there's so many hypocrites in the church and when I go I feel judged by other people, you know, there's so many holier than thou people.

Now let me say something that will shock you. Maybe you need to be judged a little bit Judge Miller to be judged very nice that the only version okay church really should be judged. That means condemned not on not to condemn any other person but judgment i.e. evaluation is something we should do for one another, helping one another encouraging one another and, if necessary, correcting one another. Listen, I reserve the right to confront if necessary. A fellow believer if they're on the wrong track because over in Hebrews 10." It again it says let's consider one another to stir each other up to love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as a matter of some is, but exhorting one another so much more. As we see the day of the Lord approaching that over in second Timothy four it says that we should preach the word patiently correct, rebuke, encourage, or people with good teaching so we should help one another. Speak to one another and maybe the reason you feel judged is maybe you're doing something you shouldn't be doing.

And that's why you feel judged.

And here's another thing to consider when you say all these holier than thou people were supposed to be holy. We always use in the negative way older so holier than though there will you/the Bible says God speaking be holy as I'm holy.

He wants us to be holy people not holier than thou in the way that you looking down at a person with condescension, but it means living a life that is honoring to God and wanting to become more like Jesus each and every day bring the men and women.

The Lord wants us to be pastor Greg Laurie with insights from a message called count me in.

And there's more to come. As the study continues here on a new beginning but anytime you miss a part of a study you can always get a replay by going online to harvest.org you can stream the message while you're on our site or download an MP3 for later. Just go to harvest.org or call us for a CD at 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 and again the title of today's messages. Count me in. Pastor Greg, it seems like everyone is on some kind of special diet plus I have there's inhibitors.

If you again and there's vegetarian and there's gluten-free others Quinto and Atkins in kosher and low-salt. And yes, don't eat anything that's purple and only eat things that are part time on the seafood diet. The seafood diet I seafood not he that hath heard of that one know I guide I'm not sure how well that would work for that so well paren well, spiritually speaking, the food that nurtures our soul is the truth of God's word x-ray and we have sort of a special kind of meal for new believers and those who really want to grow spiritually going. Yes that's right if people of ever attended our harvest crusades are listen of this program. You've heard me mention the new believers Bible actually wrote the notes for this project many many years ago in cooperation a partnership with Tyndale publishing and does so it did very well.

10 million copies of that have sold over the years so the folks at Tyndale came to me and asked if we would be willing to go and re-boot this whole project. In other words, go back to the drawing board. Look at the old notes maybe freshen them up abed add some new notes and so we agreed and we been working on this for a number of years and I'm very excited to announce that it is now out and available the whole Bible.

Now, folks, we remember a number of months ago we offered the new believers New Testament. This is the whole Bible. What is it basically is first of all, that in the new living translation, which is an excellent translation of the Bible. That's more understandable than your other translations like King James or new King James number two it's filled with notes from me that encourage you to grow deeper in your faith that take you through the foundational basics of things that every Christian needs to know more about. I talked about everything ranging from why the Bible is the word of God to how to share your faith, or how to pray more effectively to why we go through difficulties in life and how to know the will of God, you name it we probably deal with that in some way shape or form. So it's a great resource if you're new in the faith. But listen, it's also a great resource if you build the Lord for years. Think of it as a refresher course to go back over some things that maybe you forgotten or maybe things you haven't even learned to start with, and so this is something I think that will be a blessing to anyone that orders a copy the just-released brand-new new believers Bible, published by Tyndale filled with notes that I wrote coming your way to bring you spiritual encouragement and we hope you get in touch and requested, in fact, if you request it right away. We want to include a companion resource called start to follow the cover so many helpful topics for new believers, actually believers of any type, including the seven things every believer needs to know so will send both resources to thank you for your gift of any size. We so much appreciate your investment that helps cover the costs of bringing this program your way each day. So get in touch today and mentioned the new believers Bible you can write a set a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call us at 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org when next time the final installment from Pastor Greg in a short series on how to go to church inside on being the self-sacrificing churchgoer God is looking for. Be sure to join us next time you're on a new beginning and end before we go pastor Greg another something you want to add.

That's right, Dave.

We've learned something were very excited about your harvest ministries is called harvest church on line. Basically, it's an intimate church experience that you can be a part of. No matter where you are in the world every Sunday morning and I recently read that 82% of the unchurched are likely to attend church of a friend, coworker, neighbor or family member would invite them. There's just tons of people that want to go to church and I hope you invite people to your church and I hope you have a church but here's a thought, why not bring church to them.

You can send a text or an email with the link you could posted on social media like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and just say hey, join me now at this Livelink for harvest church online so you could be in one part of the country.

Your friend to be in the other part of the country you could experiences worship service together and talk about it later. Also, we have a really cool live chat feature so as you're watching the service you can talk to other people around the nation around the world. You can bring prayer requests. There you can share your thoughts and what's been said or what's been done in the service and it's really a very interactive thing. As I mentioned, it intimate. So if you want to dig deeper in your spiritual life.

Join us for harvest church online. Just go to harvest.org more and possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor grades free daily email devotions and harvest.org