R881 The Soul Of The New Testament Church, PT.1

We all could use some encouragement and will find it together today in the Bible-based briefing of Dr. Don Wilton about the soul of the church were so grateful to have this time to study God's word together in this two-part series today and tomorrow about the soul of the New Testament church reopened God's word together. I pray that you would know that this is so much more than just presentation is Dr. Don would say it's a conversation we love to hear from you. Pray with you and for you to connect with resources that will help you grow like the daily Encouraging Word Bible got all of those resources are online at tewonline.org G that's DEW online.org or phone number 866899 word Chinatown store Noosa 866-899-9673. Now today's message with Dr. Don Wilton corsets. I program. I really don't like that word but it's a study and when you begin to experience God, you begin to understand the fresh that he speaks to us and he does things for us that not only lost a lifetime but radically change us forever in the basic premise of experiencing God is the fact that God reveals himself to us. We have great difficulty at that point because being the kind of people that we all we want to look around and decide exactly what it is that we want to do because all of us want to do it in the ways that we best thing things ought to be done and so we look around and we pray we come together as churches we bring our own brand, as it were, to the type and then we look around and re-sign God wherever you are, and we believe in you and we love you. Come on down, join us.

We want you to be involved in what we are doing and we come to discover that God doesn't operate like. In fact, that's the very opposite of what the Lord Jesus Christ teaches us in his word is exactly what happens, according to God's word responsibility is to get on our faces to study God's word come together in fellowship and consult with God to allow his spirit to speak to us and reveal himself to us in terms of his action because he is acting. God is doing amazing things in his amazing grace is too amazing for words and then we turn to him and we say Lord, would you allow us to join you at which point the Lord Jesus Christ is come on up, join me. Now we are presented with a crisis of belief because when God shows us what we need to do. Often times what it is that he shows us to do threatens our own human nature. It may be somewhat uncomfortable.

It might be to daemonic might be excessive in expectation.

Maybe if we going to do what God wants us to Do Way, God is we go to lay aside an agenda that free but open hands and let go. Sometimes we go to change in attitude sometimes even we bought a look at what we want and then lay aside the things that we've done so well and we look into the face of God inside but God we've never done it that way before and so we go through a crisis of belief in God looks into our hearts and he says I require one thing from you. Obedience and in to be obedient, you may need and necessity have to adjust your self adjusting your behavior. I don't need to adjust. God tells us God doesn't need to address because he is God is in charge. We are the ones that need to adjust and so the Lord gives us an opportunity to adjust to sit in a different seat put on a different set of clothes to visit a different place to stand up instead of sitting down to sit down instead of standing up, but God speaks to us and we just assumes and we end up joining God with God is been our experience and I want to assure you with all of my heart. When you addressed your behavior and what you're doing and you meet God on God's terms here in the greatest place to be in the Lord will bless you and he will fill your cup to overflowing. Something happened to me, that hadn't happened really in reality, in my ministry. I came into this worship service at 8 o'clock the early service and I was speechless. I didn't know what to say. I had something planned but God wouldn't let me say what I had planned. And so I had to make an adjustment. The Lord took me to a passage of Scripture and God is been speaking to my heart.

I want to speak to you about the soul of the New Testament church, the soul of the new testament church. I want to say to you, my dear friends that there is a battle going on in America today for the soul of the New Testament church there all over our region. There are wonderful New Testament churches and God has something to say about the gathering of God's people. Whether you are here.

Whether you're in Brisbane Australia with your in Johannesburg, South Africa, London, England, Chicago or Spartanburg. God has given to us the blueprint, the foundation of what he has determined in regards to the New Testament church and so it is I'm going to invite you to open your Bibles this morning to the book of acts and chapter 4. The fourth chapter in the book of acts right. The beginnings of the New Testament church. You know that every time the Supreme Court gathers in essence and if all the attorneys at law will forgive me for my simplicity.

In essence, the Supreme Court of the United States of America is charged with the responsibility of making certain that we the people conduct our affairs. According to the Constitution of the United States of America regardless of what we think about it that's the charge to the Supreme Court is that we would be governed by the Constitution of the people when it comes to the church's sole means of governance is the word of God. God's authority and folks.

We've got some unbelievable work to do and I meant to say one more thing before I read this passage I meant to share with you to obtain distinctives of the New Testament church from the word of God and by God's grace I am going to try to share with you how to put feet on some of these distinctives how do they translate in the practical reality of a body of believers such as this one does it mean how do we do this. I also want to say this to you that I've come to the conclusion and I trust in a correct way.

As I think about our time today in and the things that God has given us to do.

I'm going to tell you the glory of God and with gratitude in my heart that I believe that 10 of these distinctives are evident are real are alive and functioning in this body: First Baptist Church now want to tell you that right up front, I command you because I believe that in regards to these taming pullers. These obtain distinctives that will tailor these all manifold Lee evident are functional but also some heads, when I said but I believe my friends that we've got a great deal of work to do and I do not believe that everybody is operating in their realm of response to God the way God is telling us to do and I do believe that to whom much is given much is required and we are not reaching the height that God is set before us, and we are still holding on and there are many areas in our lives as individuals and in our ministry that we are not pleasing the Lord and conforming to his standard. So whilst on the one hand I'm going to tell you that I love the Lord Jesus Christ and he's my personal savior. I also want to make an announcement. I am a forgiven man. I want to hasten to tell you that I am a sinner. I've got a long way to go.

Folks and I regularly grieve the heart of God. And I desperately want to please the Lord in my life. So the next chapter 4 verse 23.

The Bible says only release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them when they heard this, they raise their voices together in prayer to God's sovereign Lord. They said you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them you spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David saying why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain. The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his anointed one. Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together. Did they not the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this very city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will decided beforehand should happen. Now Lord will consider the threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness, stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs, wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus. Often they pray, the place where they were meeting was shaken.

They were all filled with the Holy Spirit spoke the word of God boldly. Believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of these positions was he's on but they shared everything they had with great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons, among them from time to time. Those who own lands or houses sold them both the money from the sales and put it at the apostles feet and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. For example, Joseph Levi from Cyprus whom the apostles called Barnabas, which means son of encouragement Joseph Winton sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles feet and they gave it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to those who had me great joy came upon the people.

Blessings abound.

People came to know Christ the Lord add daily to the church such as should we say revival came upon that place, God instituted the New Testament exciting to hear in the study the New Testament church and its nexus is beginning its Genesis, so to speak, will be back with more and ask for in just a moment with Dr. Don was me to remind you we are here for you to encourage one on one, would love to talk with you. Pray with you phone numbers 866899 word Ella connects with what I was 24 hours a day. Happy to talk or listen. Prayer connects with great resources like that wonderful Daniel the man of courage that Daniel was has been an inspiration for centuries to all of us but he can be an inspiration to you and me as we live our life today are interested in that particular resource will find more details on our website@twonline.org]'s place for all of our resources online.org love to connect ballots dive back into today's message, the soul of the New Testament church… The question is where do we go from here if we believe in the power of the gospel to transform the lives of people. We believe that to whom much is given much is required.

Upon which foundation do we stand, what is the soul of the New Testament church. Where is God acting as he want us to do. How must we adjust in order to meet him where he is. I want to share with you these obtain distinctives that all huge points in and of themselves might get through 12, number one, number one, the soul of the New Testament church lands at the heart of the leadership distinctive.

I want to talk to you this morning, my beloved friends about the leadership distinctive when you come here into verse 23 of acts chapter 4. Indeed, right throughout the institution of the New Testament church time without number God's gonna bring you back to the leadership distinctive because that's the way God has always done his work. God has always raised up people. God has always called upon people to stand up and be counted. And when we find ourselves in acts chapter 4 verse 23 contextually when we begin to understand this passage, you go back and you read at the beginning of acts chapter 4 how that that God came in God did an incredible thing through these leaders and made a pronouncement that, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk in the next chapter 4 the Bible says that people didn't like what they heard and saw these leaders.

They stood up and they boldly proclaim, through Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the day.

They focused everything that I had on the main thing which is Jesus Christ and the old.

I spoke about Jesus Christ people out there in the community at large began to become uncomfortable and so in this context I even Winton arrested Peter and John and they they threw them in jail. We know the rest of the story how time without number. Peter and John were flogged and they would beat up cost at the cost and thrown out. That was backed up on the day they became despising it with power from the spirit of God speaking with Mr. God, base, and they proclaim the power of the gospel through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the day the Bible say is often they release they did three things. Rather somewhat interesting, one they went back you got it. They went back I'm going to submit to you today, my beloved friends that when Jesus instituted the New Testament church. He made a declaration concerning the suffering of Jesus Christ and he called upon men and women, boys and girls and young people on our campuses to stand up and boldly proclaim the power of the resurrection in Jesus Christ, even if it means that you will be arrested and costing the jail and that when you are maligned and mistreated out cost that you go back to the people that you go back to the people they naughtily went back. But they reported to the people folks leadership that's not willing to stand up, be willing to be arrested for the cause of Christ and then is not willing to go back to the people and not just simply went into the company of the people around about them, but to go back with a report. These me and my friends did not resort to silence.

They stood up and they spoke out they gave a report number three they joined in with the people. The leaders were in the company of the committed, they became one with the body of Christ. They stood up and proclaim Jesus Christ. They went back to the people. They made a report and as a result of that, the people rose up in the leaders became fused in one as they gave praise and glory to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's a picture of the leadership distinctive in the local New Testament church. I've got good news from deacons Sunday school teachers to people who leave discipleship groups commission groups I see the leadership distinctive. I see it everywhere numbering in the hundreds where you where you there are not enough leadership.

My friend is not leadership without a willingness to stand up and be counted. Leadership in the local church is not good enough in the eyes of God. If it's not willing to take a report back to the people leadership. According to God's standard is the cornerstone of the local New Testament church is a leadership that's willing to testify. It cited leadership that's willing to join arms and do and be part of all that God is doing just by accident I got into a conversation with three of my brothers three main how this came up.

I don't know just kind of people talking you know we got onto the subject of our young people I tell you what folks, I have a renewed sense of gratitude for all our people butted very especially for our young people and I tell you yes I am proud of our young people, but folks let me tell you something what's happening to our young people. There is a battle for the soul of our young people in America today.

You know that back in the 60s and 50s and 40s and 30s not going to make something very clear folks.

There were some pretty bad people. Back in those days don't let anybody come back and tell you, well you know everything back there in my day was just perfect and everybody was wonderful and nobody ever did anything wrong that's not true young people. If you watching me right now, please. You need understand there were a lot of people that may stop just the same as they do today, but there are some differences there are some differences.

Dr. Evans Whitaker, president of Anderson University in Anderson, South Carolina, one of our fine fine universities write a statement the other day. He said that they research has led them to conclude that on Anderson University campus. There are over 1 million hits on the Internet today. Just on the campus of Anderson University. That's just one campus with 2000 students. I'm not talking about Clemson and Carolina and all these massive institutions.

Just imagine when these 2030 40,000 students just on one campus.

There are over 1 million hits on the Internet today on the campus of Anderson University is the bottom line with the availability of Internet pornography today.

How many of those hits on pornographic websites powerful start to console New Testament church and perhaps is… Been talking about even that staggering statistic about online pornography on the joy of being online is that there is like life of wonderful resources and tragic things, not online.org missing out on something strengthen you and strengthen our resolve. As followers of Jesus Christ, to avoid everything that would take us away from focusing Jesus I pray this brought because God wants you to take a moment and open your heart with Dr. Don Wilton share in the studio. Are you ready to give your life to the Lord Jesus Christ so happy to hear that wanted to pray this prayer dear God, I know that you love me very, very much and I know that the Lord Jesus Christ came and died on the cross so that I might be forgiven of my sin.

Today I repainted my sin.

I can face my soon to you and I invite you to come into my heart come into my life by faith in Jesus name I pray, if you prayed that pray that Mimi the first want to welcome you to the family of I hope that you know how much I'm going to be praying how very important this is for me. Corliss said we can talk to Nick right place you can begin this wonderful journey is been a life-changing day for you. Some of you I know have given you like some have come home to Christ. We dedicated your life in either way, we would look for resources and pray with 866-899-WORD testing of pray that you've Artie jotted down sorting yourself because we are available 24 hours a day to day life to Christ dedicate you like lettuce with these resources. Dr. 86899673 this online online. As a matter fact, right now you have a wonderful resources about how make a difference in the world. We would love to have you join us by becoming an encouraging scene partner, 86699 word to request the encourager brochure. There is no greater gift can get him to help spread together we can do impact the world for Jesus Christ commitment to God's will in 2020. The Encouraging Word is a newer listener supported ministering for listening today to remind you were continuing the same that they can online.org online.org