R1456 The Snapshot of the Church

God has an encouraging word for you and me today to the Bible-based preaching up Dr. Don Wilton in a message about the church and is important to note, it's not in your church or my church. This is the C church.

The church that we are as the body, you will be connected by our love of Jesus Christ and his love for us. The snapshot of the church were to gain some insight to help us serve the Lord better and know that God has called us to unity in unique ways. Now more than ever as we open God's word together know that we are opening the phone lines as well were always available with 866-899-WORD.

Talk to pray with you, 866-899-9673 or me this online keyboard keyboard@twonline.org. Now today's message the snapshot of the church with Dr. Don Wilton Bibles to date.

Acts chapter the book of acts in chapter 4 and and you know the book of acts in the Bible really essentially is about the church. It's about us this this was written about us and this is the early church remembered Jesus was born, and then he died.

And then he rose from the grave and appeared to over 590 seemed to go back into heaven. Member Jesus made the statement he said he said I want you to know something about my church that the gates of hell will not prevail against my church. The church has a very special place very special place in the heart of God church is a place of of discipline is not always easy to be in church. If it's not always just the natural thing to do. It involves some forethought in getting dressed and having to get up and go there, but it's so worth it and it's it's worth it because because this is God's house and and what I'm going to do today is I'm trying to pull this together going to be very strike down the line. I want to give you a snap shot of the church.

I want to read to you quite a long passage here because this part of this that I actually don't want to read as if we got to talk truth we going to show the picture. The way God wanted us to see.

Fair enough to show a picture of this church family through God's eyes.

Let's not eliminate the parts that we don't want to have in the picture you're ready for this.

They all start in chapter 4 and verse 32. Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul and no one said that any of the things that belong to him was he's on but they had everything in common and with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them. While there is not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold, and laid it at the apostles feet and it was distributed to each as any had need. Thus, Joseph was also called by the apostles Barnabas, which means son of encouragement, Lee Wagner, native of Cyprus sold a field that belong to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles feet all good right now.

Let's keep going but a man named Ananias with these wife. Since Ira sold a piece of property, and with his wife's full knowledge he kept back for himself. Some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan food your heart to live to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself. Part of the proceeds of the land while it remained unsold did not remain your own position and offered was sold, was it not entirely at your disposal. Why is it that you contrive this deed in your heart you have lied not to man, but to God. When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and he breathed his lost in a great fear came upon all who heard of it, and the young man rose, wrapped him up and carried him out and buried often interval of about three hours his wife came in not knowing what it happened and Peter said to tell me whether you sold the land for so much and she said yes so much. But Peter said to her house at that you've agreed to give with your husband to taste the spirit of the Lord. Behold, the feet of those who buried your husband are at the door and they will carry you out to immediately.

She fell down to be speaking breather lost and when the young men came and they found it did make carried out and buried her beside her husband and a great fear came upon the whole church and upon all those who heard these things now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles and so they were all gathered together at Solomon's portico, none of the race didn't join them, but the people held them in high esteem and moral than ever, believers were added to the church by the Lord, multitudes of both men and women and so that they even carried out the second of the streets and laid them on carts and mats so that his Peter came by beastie shadow marked for on some of the people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits and they will all healed, all he that's an incredible passage. It's an amazing passage.

It's a passage that I love and I really don't like all at the same time.

It's a snapshot I wish I had some kind of means at my disposal.

I wish there was modern technology. I wish I could join a large part of our world and say will look, why don't we just take this part of God's word but not that part while we just dwell on the good stuff while we just leapfrog over the parts that we don't want to read why what what why would God by his Spirit want us to read this. Why this is not popular. This doesn't fit, doesn't fit our agenda. It certainly most on American because it infringes on our rights. This mesas with the Constitution. This is this is God telling us what we should do. We don't do well with that. And great fear came upon the congregation. This is a snapshot. What is the snapshot will it's 99% good.

It's wonderful.

This church had believers number one who shared everything they had. That's what the Bible tells us in these passages. They shared everything that had come on folks, let's let's let's get on board that was fantastic. I mean, I read that passage and in chapter 4.

They are mean the church, the believers came together they pooled their resources, they gave well that's what the Bible says you want to give him you want a snapshot of the church. They they shared everything they had and I'd I just want to say to you on just one person here, you know, many times people who are most desperate are not always or not naturally prone to being able to say thank you and why do they need to they hurting many of them on tenure. The Lord thanks you and I thank you and they thank you. I just thank you church had had believers this the snapshot of the church so they shared everything that they had they not initiated everything but the church had believers who testified about Jesus coming is pretty evident to verse 33. The Bible tells us very clearly in the Scriptures. This is great power they were giving the testimony that they testified that's a snapshot of the early church. You know they they were focused on the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, I want you to know if you if you had any daughter then think that you do. But the truth. This church is about Jesus. I want you to just hear the sin in everything we want to do everything with great excellence and and we we tried jolly hard to do that is about Jesus. He's all that matters is we want you to know that Jesus is everything. It's plus nothing.

It's about Jesus. Give your life to Christ. He's the only one that can forgive you, turn you around and give you life and give you hope give you peace and joy is the only one who can write your name in God's book in heaven, so they this snapshot. These were people. These were believers who shared everything is these were believers who testified about the Lord Jesus snapshot of the church. This this this church had believers this snapshot care was fantastic, but there is 1/3 part of the snapshot you're listening to Dr. Don Wilton our teacher here on The Encouraging Word broadcasting will be back with the rest of today's message in just a moment, but as Dr. Don was talking about these believers who shared everything. I pray that you realize that we are a part of the C church I go to church this location you go to church another location of perhaps even right now, you're not able to go to church part of the body and together as we share each other's burdens, literally. The more we share those burdens together lighter. They are not caring all you like to have some at 86899 never jotted down. You've heard me say, I challenge you jot it down or start new cell 86899973 phone number that will connect with one of us connect with great resources like the one we talked about what is in the midst of this note. 868-9997 online now that is this church had believers who live to God about the giving folks. I can't get her. I called I cannot be truthful to you as a congregation. As you pasta and leapfrog over the icon place some kind of game and pertained it's not there. Ananias and Safari is in the Bible and it talks about us. The church, God wants us to know that he knows one of the questions I've often been lost about Ananias and Sapphire.

This this story about this couple who were in the church. They were believers because they had a relationship with the Holy Spirit. I let me tell you something about them folks, this is not about what they gave or how they gave it is.

It's got nothing to do with it.

This is just about sin in the church and it if you have another real study of this this passage here really is essentially about five sins to Matt. Five sins that God wants us to know about in the church. First of all, the sin of hypocrisy. This is about the sin of hypocrisy it's it's about some people in the church who looked like the church play the part of the church, but actually what you see is not what you get. It's about the sin of hypocrisy. That's a it's a tough one to deal with and and God wanted us to know about this. It's it's about the sin of pride. That's the second sin because essentially this couple in the church were more interested in elevating themselves in the eyes of their fellow church members than being truthful with God. They wanted the church to think that they were doing it right.

So they made this big display about what they were doing thinking on a way they thinking was like God didn't know. It's about the sin of pride.

Is this big contrast between what they did, in front of everybody and what actually was going on it. It's about the sin of complicity. You know the Bible. He is very clear about the fact that this husband and wife were in this together. She knew she suffered the same consequence.

She knew I'm telling you that I think I'm just speaking to married couples you pay heed to one another Gonzaga I would be less than honest with you, to tell you I'm telling you there be more than many times that God has used Karen to come up to me and say hey what is this you know and and God uses us together and it works both ways doesn't. But this is the sin of complicity.

These two this is the sin ready for this.

This is the sin of two-faced sadness.

Now the Bible calls that being double tongued you can go for exalting the pastoral epistles in Timothy you know that the Bible tells us who qualifies to be a leader in the church and who doesn't. Do you know one of the things that disqualifies anybody from being a leader in the church being double tongued we call that two-faced rhyme. So if you take out beacons. For example, that applies Sunday school teachers life group leaders to fight somebody who saves this to you this way and the sooner somebody else comes.

They cite completely different will they give their son St. over here and they laid everybody over here know that. Actually, that's not what they really mean to do someone who looks at you and says you just a wonderful person and I just love you. You just wonderful.

And then I go over here to somebody else and they say turn you know you want to know what I think about her. This is about the sin of of double talk here.

It's about the sin ultimately of lying to God is sin of lying to God because the Bible tells us that repeatedly in chapter 5 you you haven't you known verse four data bobbles very clearly you not lied to man, but you lied to God.

I think what what God wants to remind us of here in the church is man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks. Where does God look on the heart, like mom's. You know, but not quite moms a good eyes in the back of the you know that I got secret eyes) the back of the head because moms seem to notice what they children of doing all the time even when they not looking well. You don't suppose God knows exactly what you're up to.

Right now my friend, you don't think he can see your heart you don't think he knows what you were doing loss not yet think he doesn't know who you are with really in the application here is is in giving and the interesting thing about this passage so direct and God wanted us to know it was their property. They had full God gave them full control of food segment I'm placing you I'm placing you this is your property.

I made a promise commitment to God and they didn't keep this this snapshot here is that it's a it's a it's a very it's a powerful… Powerful this truth, these believers shared everything they testified about Jesus, but they also lied about giving something happen. Number four. This is about believers who performed many signs and wonders, you know you know why I keep reading I tell you I kept reading because God never daintily wanted us to know.

Yeah, they all some people that lied garden live a double life, but don't be deterred because there all those who performed many signs and wonders. I mean it it it was just it it's like these. Nevertheless, in fact, you know, when you get down to verse 12. I'm not asking any of you to speak Greek or anything like it. Just take me at my word for a minute now. But these little worthy in the English texts is now another word is not the real word translated from the Greek, is nevertheless not withstanding this very sad episode.

Despite this, many signs and wonders were being done. God was in the house. I love that I've seen that this week I've seen people from our church God on string. This week, signs and wonders, and great things doing and he's doing it right now he's doing it for use doing it for me on string out prayers.

God, I'm just telling you the Lord Jesus loves us that much in number five that they were there.

The church had believers who brought others to receive healing in verse 15 and 16. The loss to verses that I read to you therein. In chapter 5 the Bible says that that they brought people. They listen these people got so smitten with the belief that Jesus can do it if he could heal that the lame man lame from his mother's womb. He could do anything and they believed it, and they began to bring basic and they began to bring people who didn't know Jesus and I began to noise and road think it got me to church.

You've got to come. You've got to come with these people all come with me. Let me show you the scope.

This hope in this world there is joy this piece. This will give you can be forgiven.

You can be made whole. You can be because he does it all the time. I tell you the church is a wonderful place because God owns the church. He instituted heat he gave this to us. We are the bride of Christ and and I love that I love that passage you not love it. I say double time near the gates of hell will not avail against his church. Incredible promise.

Incredible promise you not over my ministry of older years. Every now and again every now and again hear of someone he gets really bent out of shape over the church and in my heart that it makes me very sad. But you know what, keep moving as God's church. He's only strode don't stop and if you are on the verge of quitting, giving up sitting back down throwing up your arms. I know the how tired you can get something you been praying for a long time haven't you don't stop, don't give up hope. Keep persisting. Keep forging men keep giving keep serving keep preaching, keep witnessing, keep, testify, keep gathering keep laying it down. Keep doing worship lead with a powerful phrase to let worship. I pray that you and I would understand that it is much more than just a style of music is a part of our ministry. We we think about worship music and and and styles of music used by God to deliver the message of Jesus Christ. This is not about a style of music. It's about an attitude of worship are you really worshiping God with all that we are but some of us are musical. Some of us are not, we can still worship God with who we are with what we some of us need to stretch out and use our giftedness to worship the Lord by encouraging someone down the street just by a phone. We need to be reaching out to care and love. Now more than ever, and some of like me at times need to be encouraged and we stand ready to do that right now phone numbers 866899 word that's 866-899-9673 let us connect with you right now and pray with you and for you as a matter fact open your hearts to what the Lord and Dr. Wilkins about to share. Because this could be the most important 60 seconds of today's podcast. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why did you pray this prayer with me right now.

Dear God, I know that I and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross today. I repainted my sin and by faith I receive you into my in Jesus name, my friend. I welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting news just said yes to Jesus we dedicate your life to Christ all, how would one celebrate with you put some free resources in your hands once you give us a call numbers 866899 word 866-899-9673 we have resources to help you take the next step and praying through this know that we care for you and would love to pray anytime, 866-899-9673 or online TW online.org and sometimes there are resources that really make a difference in the way we get through situations and circumstances like we are in right now in this code, 19, 20, 20, 20 year this is a message of faith in the midst of crisis.

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Dr. Don was talking about not taking revenge. Romans 1219 Jesus said you've heard it said-I for tooth for tooth, I tell you, if anyone slept on the right cheek. This whole concept of not getting rid games, but instead letting Lord take care of actually the people that are communicants to push back with love and that will heap burning coals on her head do not overcome evil by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 1219.

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