R882 The Soul of the New Testament Church, Pt.2

God is calling on you and me as a part of the church to be the sole New Testament church discover more together. This is The Encouraging Word featuring the Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton moments to continue in the fall. He began yesterday actually day before yesterday about the soul of the New Testament church and how you and I in our own churches, not just the Procedures for the church in your specific church. How God can use us and call us on unique perspectives of service even in the scope in time when were separated as we open the word together. Know that we love to pray with you and for you we can connect on our phone line at 866-899-WORD 866-899-9673 or online@twonline.org.

Now here's Dr. Don Wilton's in chapter 4 and invite you Bob. I wish I could read to you from verse 23, right through the end of the chapter, but I'm not going to today as I've got a lot to tell you about, but I want to focusing on one verse and Anita Bibles open the entire time because I have nothing to say outside of God's word in next chapter full the institution of the New Testament church. In verse 31 we read this often as I prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken and I were with the Holy Spirit and as a result they spoke the word of God boldly.

The next verse is important in our ministry, and immediately in just a moment. The Bible says all believers. As a result of this was one in heart and in my many years ago our church burned to the ground. People stood out there on Main Street one in heart and mind. I could give to you today. One account off for another as to how blotting generation after generation, as Donna work that truly leaves this place shaken to the ground because people come together in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. But here in this passage with trying to ask ourselves what all the distinctives of the New Testament church. I want to speak to you on the soul of the New Testament church folks, this is so important today because in America today in the soul of the New Testament church is being challenged the Christian church has become the subject of the same political opinion poll as anything else.

Everybody's got their version.

Everybody wants to do their own thing. Everybody's got an opinion. I most certainly do, but what is going to have to say about has he changed his mind.

What is he having school for us for the next 50 years. What about tomorrow. All we what does God require of you and me as we come together as believers in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. What is the Lord want us to accomplish what is he sitting before us. There are team distinctives. I'm fully aware folks in each one of these require a series in and of themselves. I suggested to the ministers that in reality I need to preach two points per Sunday and go for five weeks just on the series. There's a lot here and I'm just scratching the surface so you listen carefully from God's word.

The three that we mentioned guy just give to you by way of summary distinctive number one the leadership distinctives verse 23 we discovered there how Peter and John.

Often they had been released from prison because they took a stand for Jesus Christ did three things. Number one, they went back number two by reporting. They open their mouths and number three they joined in with the people.

Now there are three distinctives of Christian leadership and we believe folks in our church and we believe in the local New Testament church that it is fundamental to the mission of Jesus Christ that he showed us by the gathering of the 12 around the Annie instituted the leadership principle. Anything you 12 going train another 12 and another 12 and another 12 and another 12 and mandate in the local New Testament church is to be about the business of raising up Christian leaders who are not only going to go back to the people, but they going to open their mouths, they are going to report and testify concerning Jesus Christ and him having testified, they are going to join together with those they testify, and they obey to walk in the work that God has called them to do three incredible leadership distinctives number two the people distinctives we noticed there in verse 24. The Bible tells us when they heard this, they raised their voices together. I tell you there is something about the body of Christ. We've seen that time without number, and what this bags of us, my friends, is to re-rediscover how the New Testament church works. You might remember that I pointed out to simplistically but very deeply and significantly that the New Testament church works in four ways. Number one, it's possible led and we soon discover that it's not about to leave the pasta what it is about is about servant leadership because Jesus Christ is our model.

God has always raised up leaders to be shepherds and to gather around them. Leaders who gather around them. Leaders who gather around them. Leaders who gather around them.

Leaders who parse that baton on, but he does it to us under that model of leadership which is servant leadership, which according to Jesus Christ comes from the bottom up, not from the top down. Remember, the church is not BMW. The church is not some kind of organization out there. The church is not a local high school or school district.

The church is the church of the living God modeled off to the fundamental precepts and practices of the New Testament church.

How does the church work for we the people. It is postulated number two it's deacons served. Number three.

It is team organized. How does the work of the church house and donning the local church. I didn't do anything in this church we the people. We also everybody to do something I told you this might be right off the charts. You. I'm praying within the next two years may be in that might be wishful thinking on top of that, but wouldn't it be wonderful if in a short time that this church made a decision that no body in this church is allowed to serve in more than one ministry service capacity per year all. Just think about it folks we know to be praying that more and more people doing fewer and fewer things rather than fewer and fewer people doing more and more things the average church today. You got a little group of people carrying the whole 9 yards.

By doing everything God says that's not how it works. The church works through the people who are the body of Christ during the which means the fourth way the church works is that we are body approved folks watch this. Listen carefully today where in the New Testament.

The average church out. They looks at a church meeting as an opportunity to ruin the witness of the church. The average church out.

They immediately says when we have a church business meeting. That's when we come and laid out all our dirty laundry.

That's when we behave badly. That's when we question everything. Not if we do it the way God tells us to because if we do what God tells us to do it and it is team organized means people are out there in the ministries of the church bringing to the table, things that we need to do and when it is body approved and we will come together folks on stand up and say that to you. That's not the time for people to come and to express opinions and to get bent out of shape and disgrace the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and to divide churches and to ruin the witness of Jesus Christ. That's the time when God's people come together and worship as God's people and say we have done the work week coming today to offer what we've done as a living sacrifice and worship you and decide we we because told us to do it is the body work together somebody listening you want me to tell you why there's so many divisions in so many churches because they not doing it God's way folks any questions this morning are you listening stop the nonsense.

The church is becoming dark is looking at churches across America and I are seeing people and fighting game out of shape and express opinions that do not in the slightest way. Separate us from our political candidacies and platforms and the way in which American people tear the heart out of one another for the sake of a political office that they might occupy in the dirty relate bring out in the public opinion polls and no doubt there is walking the United States of America today because only tendering one another apart and hanging out there in public, not in the church, not in the church. I'm so grateful to God for you people say to me all across America pasta.

What is it about first Baptist part why you growing this is what I showed. I can tell you, my dear friends in 12 years I have not been in a meeting in this church where there has been one single ugly word curve ball thrown by anybody. I'm here to make an announcement today and if anybody thinks I'm exaggerating. Come with me. I have not been in a deacons meeting with 150 deacons in this church in 12 years with is been a bad word with somebody is discredited or somebody's got bent out of shape and stormed out. Doesn't happen in the house of God and if you want to why people are coming to know Jesus Christ.

We must, God puts in front of us and do it according to his way, listening to Dr. Don Wilton our teacher on The Encouraging Word will be back with this concept of understanding with the sole of the New Testament church. But how that applies to you and me today. As we continue to strive to be the men and women calls doing it is Dr. Dodge is mentioned his way to face these concepts together of praying together for each other church, not just for the C truth want to move together corporately across the entire globe is the followers of Jesus Christ.

But each of our churches individually. Now more than ever in this time of covert are experiencing different times and perhaps your church could be encouraged by you in a radically new way to step out say I'll do it, whatever it is we love to pray with you about the next in your commitment to your own local church. 866-899-WORD is our phone number to pray about that, but that's also a source where you can connect with someone help you find a local church if you're not involved in again. Jim and Michelle leave that department, 866-899-9673.

Let the folks know that you're interested in finding a local church and our best to find you one with a couple ZIP Codes where you are right now embraces this passion for God's word to Dr. Don Wilton in 866-899-9673 or this online TW online.org backspace message with Dr. Donald number three distinct is the Lordship distinctive Bible tells us that they say the sovereign Lord, there were three things that God tells us about himself. We call it keeping the main thing the main thing that means everything we knew about is about the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lordship distinctive because he's the head of the church or is he who is in charge, whose church is this anyway is mine and yours belong to somebody that anything in this church that belongs to anybody about a microphone, a bus ministry up to just say that an agreement what is God, tell us about the Lordship distinctive three things.

Number one he is the God of creation which means that he made us number two. He is the God of history, which means that you possess number three God calls which means that he direct us and it is 28.

The Bible tells us that what happened happened because God had already determined that it happened before it happened. That means God is the God of cause and effect, and it God is the God of creation and the God of history and the God of an effect. My only responsibility is to get in line with God and say, Lord, what is it that you want us to do quite simple really. God already knows about tomorrow.

My responsibilities to fall on my face and say Lord just directly to me which road to turn on. Help us to make good decisions together as God's people number field is the request distinctive in verse 30. These people kind together, stretch out your hand they said to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your servant. Now, folks. Everybody watch me.

What did they request. This is the request distinctive in the local New Testament church.

What didn't I ask for somebody tell me so everybody signed miracle arrived only three on three.

What did they awesome God to do 123 miracles that stood against some of you nonbelievers what they awesome God. 123.

We don't believe it anymore. What's America. America is something only God can do right now. What seems to be our problem. Folks in the church today. We have gotten to the point at which we no longer awesome God to perform miracles and a miracle is that which only God can do. That's the request distinctive Lord, would you do a miracle in my marriage would you do America with my health.

Would you do with my finances. Would you go with my teenage daughter would you recall in our church.

Would you recommend this mission project with you as we move this place, which we no longer do that, folks, because we don't believe what's at the New Testament church upon the request distinctive you have not because you ask not. We need to come together and lost God to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves folks. That's why we have a budget that far exceeds our ability.

The day that we come to this church and we sit budgets that we can reach. We believe there is a sense in which everything we do in this church with her without young people, senior adults, babies, building buildings, whatever it might be. It doesn't matter we need to be signed.

Lord, all help us.

We call this, how can we do this week on paper. We don't have enough hands.

How can we feed a crowd like that. And Jesus looks into Hartley says what you God will God is just too little for she's in a couple of loaves of bread and give them to me but cannot give them to all I need is one little boy and he took that meager little offering and he broke performed miracle, asking the guards going on calls us as a people to look at our deacons and say they lost a man, let's do a little losing about mind for the next 10 years. Anybody want to join me and they are out of their mind. How can we do that we can't, folks. Having said that, let's not lose our sense and sensibility is seen moving and acting by faith is not an excuse for rank stupidity having a credit card is one thing but knowing how to use it is entirely another.

You can have a credit card as long as you got the money to pay for it. You don't God put yourself in a position where you just putting yourself of your head, walking by faith is not an excuse for a body of believers to get together and just throw sense and sensibility to the wind.

That's why we have team. That's why we have deacons.

That's why we have a ministry team that's why we have worship services.

That's why the body of Christ comes together collectively to know the mind of Christ, the request distinctive number five the prayer distinctive Bible says Sharon in this incredible passage. Often they prayed I'm sensing in my heart I a tug-of-war, a sense of renewal in my own heart because the single most difficult thing that I do folks is to pray myself. It is the biggest battlefield of my own life praying with my family, praying with myself praying with God alone getting into the closet because I seem to spend my life praying everywhere I go positive when you come in young bright would you pray Judaism pray you pray you come and pray on primal time training the time. So what happens often while on men just give me a break. I don't pray let's exactly where the devil wants me to do anything but pray folks. The problem is in the local church that we forgotten what it means to pray if we would organize a barbecue here on any given night. We'll have thousands of people, but you are still people to come and pray. How many of you would come. Bible says often they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken to the ground. They were food with the Holy Spirit, which leads me to the six distinctive the Holy Spirit distinctive verse 31 when it comes down to the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, folks. We got so much to say. The Bible tells us in John's Gospel, but the functional element of the Holy Spirit is threefold. Number one he is the one who convicts us of sin. Number two. He is the one who convicts us of righteousness. Number three. He's the one who convicts us of judgment. Now watch the spokes if you take certain righteousness and judgment of the church. Watch me you don't have a church you have a country club. Are you listening, you don't have a church you have a country club.

What is singing too soon points me to the need for salvation what is righteousness. Righteousness points me to the need of holy living waters and judgment to judgment points me to the necessity of being a witness. If you'd like salvation, living and witnessing and testifying the power of the resurrection of the New Testament church is a country club toward you have left.

So when it comes down to the pillows of the local New Testament church. The Holy Spirit distinctive is so vital. Number seven the word of God, distinctive also in verse 31.

The Bible says a result I spoke the word of God boldly.

I've had nothing to do with it when I became a part of the search committee.

Let me know in no uncertain terms that the word of God is the centerpiece on the mantelpiece of this church folks.

I want to reverse that if the Bible was not the means by which we go. The place to which we go. The acid taste. The only means of consultation. Where would that leave us. There are three critical issues in the church you know about these you will know these some of you can recite them to me, but it's God is God is putting his vision for our church in my heart folks. We've got to come back to these things.

There are three critical issues in the church that have a direct bearing on the word of God, distinctive, number one, the issue of absolute truth.

We living in a world today where absolute truth is becoming increasingly nonexistent. It's irrelevant. The world is declaring absolute truth to be relevant.

Absolute truth is the word of God. Everything about God. Genesis 11 is absolute truth in the beginning God people lost me about marriage between a man and woman that's absolute truth is nonnegotiable because God determined that Jesus Christ is absolute truth.

Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life no man can come to the father but by me. Even site through your riches or your poverty will through your service or your mission mindedness so your church membership or your ability to preach.

He said through me that's absolute truth. That's the narrow way that's absolute truth and, in so far as we are able to do so as a congregation of believers we give one another permission never to compromise when it comes to absolute truth second critical issue is the matter personal conviction personal conviction boy, that's a good thing to talk about.

I love and I think we should be people personal conviction. I think that should be our business and personal conviction should come out of absolute truth, but in so far as we are able to do so. We do not give anybody permission in this church to impose their personal convictions on this church as absolute truth. Are you listening challenge are relisting to make sure that we are not using our own opinions. Perhaps that you've not heard an opinion of Dr. Wilton but you have heard the spirit of God, life I would never want to imitate or try to be the Holy Spirit in your life speak opening your heart to his love and his passion for you and his perfect plan for your life.

I pray that you would open your heart for just a moment for what Dr. Donald to share in the next 60 seconds or so, are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ.

I'm so happy to hear that wanted you pray this prayer with me today. Dear God, I know you love very very and I know that the Lord Jesus Christ came God on the cross so that I might be forgiven of sin.

Today I repainted myself I can face my son and I invite you to come and talk to my life. Jesus name I pray. If you pray that prayer, let me be the first one welcome to the family of this is I hope that you know how much I'm going to be praying how very we can make to the right place. You could begin this wonderful journey is changing your life you were saying yes to him. Love to be involved in the next spring you through putting resources in your hands.

We have wonderful free resources give new life to Christ, to be dedicated to my just calls 866-899-WORD is the number 866-899-9673 you'll find that way to connect and others on our website as well. TW online.org that's TW online.org and also great resources like this. We believe in the power of prayer on someone wearing where you all reading and why your online website.org online.org