R1349 The Uniform of the Church

Undefiled church, founded on an inclusive invitation on the focus message in an obvious place and a significant response and I call about company welcome to today's edition of The Encouraging Word between the Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton, and today we bring the conclusion of yesterday's message on the undefiled church we were in acts 11 a great deal in one of the things that I cut a highlight in my mind. Dr. Don said yesterday is I look around our nation today and I see the gates of hell prevailing against our churches. It's frightening but here's the good news got so much bigger. The power of Jesus. Greater is he that is in me you the power of Jesus in the world today as we study the word no are available for you love to pray with you at 866-899-WORD or online@twonline.org and now Dr. Wise seven you between acts chapter 2 the next Chapter 11 number one issue spiritual leadership number to the issue of spiritual maturity, and number three. The issue of pride and prejudice when you get to ask Chapter 11.

Those three issues are settled. Spiritual leadership is been established. Spiritual maturity has risen up among the believers and prejudice has walked out the back door because all the sudden Peter came and he said we believe that Christ died for all people and in fact in the preceding verses to the one that I read you beginning at verse 19 he got to the point because it's virtual leadership maturity that I said we understand that this gospel is no longer just for the June for there is not a juvenile Greek, neither male nor female. In the bon mot free because we are all one in Christ Jesus infected bothers me greatly how many people got so much to say about women's rights in America, but I have nothing to say about the abuse and the persecution of women in Arab and Muslim countries all across the world. Something is wrong and so we find ourselves being presented with the undefiled church and I believe beloved friends when we study the church in Antioch which was the First Christian Church. One can extrapolate from the church at Antioch foundational principles, according to God's economy that constitute the filed church read if you ask Chapter 11 and verse 19. Now, those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over. Stephen traveled as far as Phoenician Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except the Jews. But they were some of them men of Cyprus and Cyrene coming to Antioch spoke to the Jews. Also preaching the Lord Jesus Christ and the hand of the Lord was with them in a great number who believed turn to the Lord Jesus Christ. In this report came to the public church in Jerusalem, and so they sent out Barnabas to Antioch and when he came and sold the grace of God.

He was glad and he exhorted them, or to remain faithful to the Lord with false purpose, for he was a good man the Holy Spirit and of faith in a great many people were added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for solely would become the apostle, and when he had found any boarding to Antioch by the way, how many of you know, the first church that Paul costed its Antioch body to Antioch where for a whole year. They met with the church toward a great many people and the disciples were first called Christians that were given 199 these guys profits came down from Jerusalem to Antioch and one of them. My Megabus stood up foretold by the spirit that they would be a great famine all over the world, which historically you know came to fruition during the writing of Clodius, so the disciples determined, everyone according to his ability to send relief to do and to send relief to all those living in Judea, and they did so sending it out to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and of soul. All right, we've got this church right there in the middle of all this new beginning, surrounded by all the struggles facing all the persecutions finger-pointing's older difficulties.

And God begins to establish this church boot on the rock, and he says I want you to know that as I build my church. The gates of hell will not prevail against it.

So I want to know what the church was founded on men. I would ask myself the question to what extent can we say that we look like this church so yeah they are the filed church.

In this case it Antioch was founded first of all on an inclusive invitation.

That's right there in verse 20 Bible says they went out they broke the barrier they accept the meaning of the gospel and I took the gospel to the full court is of the earth, and they included anyone.

Everyone. No one was exempt from the gospel. It was an inclusive invitation. That's the first Mark of the undefiled church I present to you a church where everyone can invite anyone to come.

The first Baptist Church to encounter the living one you lost yourself questions about that. I'm very excited about it not commanded you, as a group of believers.

I commend you for your spiritual leadership and I commend you for your spiritual maturity and I commend you for your spring ritual inclusiveness that this Jesus came to save all people, free number two and undefiled church was founded on a focused message while you don't have to look very far on verse 22nd part of verse 20 that the Bible says they preached concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.you just love that.

It's like will you mean to tell me that I told the people about Jesus. Jesus said I will build the church on me.

It's about me. Everything in the church is about me. Anything not about me is an invitation for the gates of hell to prevail, preached Jesus you know Paul made that wonderful statement. He said on site to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. It's what I love about The Encouraging Word board cost ministry that God has blessed this church with going out across the nation. Going out across our world today. It's about the Lord Jesus about sharing God's truth without searching well it's pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ. Someone said to me some weeks ago said, you know there's one thing that I love about our church doesn't take long for you to come to this church that somebody's going to be talking about the Lord Jesus Christ. That's a discipline. Well, there is 1/3 foundation here the undefiled church was founded.

Thirdly, on an obvious place an obvious basic look at verse 21 and the hand of the Lord was with them is that a beautiful statement you know if I could and I'm all do a little bit you know. But if I could today.

You know what I love to be with the rest of this message to the odd love to just walk out and walk up to every person here today and pray over you with one request. Lord Jesus, would you be so kind as to put your hand on this lady undefiled church was founded on obvious place. I see the hand of the Lord all around people you number four. It was founded on a significant response. A significant response Bible says in verse 21. A great number who believed turn to the Lord Jesus, by the way they many wonderful things that happen in the church.

We know that a lot of mission trips lot of activities all the things that we do.

But you know the most significant response that God rots on the heart of his church is that people would come to know Jesus when launching a new initiative. It's not new boss Katie Robertson, who secure to be our lead person because of his giftedness, his organization and his heartbeat for evangelism but starting in the next several weeks want you to just think about all the fishing pools in our church, by the way, what is a fishing pool fishing pool is a pool of water into which fish come to swim and feed Jesus said be fishers of men. Now many fishing pools we have in our church cannot name some for you. Some of them up pretty obvious, but celebrate recovery refuge. Let's talk about the helping ministry center on the greatest ministries report Sally Ruth: has been directing that ministry for over 20 years. She's fantastic. You know how many people in our community come every week.

We are only open three days a week you not my vision is our vision that we would be open seven days a week. Too many hurting people. This is what I want to say I'm asking 80 to help. We want to come to you as a people. I want as many of you as possible say I'll do it. He's going to help us organize ourselves into fishing pool teams so on Monday morning when the helping ministry center opens to take care of a wonderful group of people all our people as usually gonna be providing clothing, food, all the different things that we do to reach into our community. But now we can.

I have a T234 people on Monday morning that again also be but they not going to be handing out food and water bottles and trying on sizes of clothing, moving boxes or sorting out the going to do any of that fact. I'm going to tell them I don't want them to touch a thing. The only thing I gonna do is walk up to those precious people tell them about the Lord Jesus and invite them to give their lives to Christ. I'm going to ask you?

Friends, this is the undefiled church. Should we with all the fishing pool ministries in our church. Should we not be rejoicing 50 6000 200 people every we could give their lives to Christ every week is good enough just to give someone a warm coat C-arm are asking these questions and we all know that people you folks are the ones reciting this to me. We had a brandish a whole new initiative in this church. I believe every week we're going to have small teams two, three, four people at a time at refuge and celebrate the coppery and going to Kentucky and on quiet tours, all out different things children's ministries handing out backpacks and getting into the inner city teaching opportunities. The things that God gives us to do right here in our own backyard but deleting all of that is going to be this incredible foundation and that is a significant response, 26, and a great number believed turn to the Lord. Join with the Lord Jesus in this know you will keep on doing it church founded on an inclusive invitation in the focused message in an obvious basic significant response and I about company for giving us will be back with all of today's message with Dr. Wilton in just a moment, but he wants me to remind you that in the same way that the Lord's arms were open wide for you. There is inclusion that you need to know about the perhaps you forgot he may have felt like you have run too far. You turned your back on God. Too many times God's love for you is not dependent on you. It's him it's his unconditional love that using this broadcast today to say I love you have a plan for your life be like to speak with someone about that.

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We would love to connect with you. Now back to today's message with Dr. Don Wilton number five, eight talk about the Bible says write you this report came to the ears of Barnabas in Jerusalem and I didn't even have Internet yesterday. We were in different places around town and I had a person walk up to me yesterday and they seem to me like that picture from the church.

All I knew it was you.

I cannot disguise myself annexing you as you see, they just don't know that I'm much better looking in person on top.

You know this precious lady. She then said this to me, Steve, it was wonderful. She seemed to me she said I watch on television. She said you know I wonderful things going on at First Baptist Church.

I love that is true. 20 said talked about happening.

There was a conversation going on about. I'm talking about a conversation among believers folks, not unbelievers. You don't excuse me you don't really think that people who hate God will say good things about where God is doing great things. What these were believers they were saying.

Can you imagine what God's doing. Talked about happening. Number six and witness. That's the six foundation of an undefiled church and evidenced witness verse 23 when he came he sold the grace of God that evidenced witness, you know, one of the things that I love most about our church is rock.

When I come here on any given occasion, especially if you take Sunday mornings. I know that I left a lot of you down but I'll try. I just I just get caught up talking to my talk too much on but I love to walk around hi Ron how you doing I love to walk around and say hi Brian hi Charles how are you Brian, good to see you this morning. So glad to see you folks today that the care you know one of the reasons why like walking around and in the car does in the fellowship and all evidenced witness.

It doesn't take rocket science for me to see the grace of God in your face the grace of God is not a mystery.

It's not a hidden substance.

It's a manifestation of the blessing and of the spirit of God, what a foundation and undefiled church was founded.

Number seven on night teaching determination. The Bible says in verse 26 pull the pasta and Barnabas arrived at Antioch. They sat down so to speak, and for the next year they told the people you know that's what we try to do.

That's why we believe so strongly in Sunday school and discipleship and life groups and some of you may all of you would on the set that's what I'm doing right now.

By the way I'm in the role of the teacher. I'm just teaching us. I'm preaching but I'm teaching him, saying, look, you know they seven years.

Karen, this is way and this is what the church looks like it.

Take a look at this and let's analyze that what you think about this. It might be that teaching you know what teaching does folks. Teaching gives to you and me an understanding of what God sees and who he is not get this a week theology will result in a week lifestyle you know that you can justify any kind of behavior by virtue of the theology that you don't believe it, and churches today have the gates of hell prevailing against them.

Because groups of people have gathered together and they said this is the way the church is going to be. This is the way the church is going to operate.

This is the way the church is going to look like.

According to what I feel.

Basically what you do is you set yourself up as the United States Congress. That's not a good thing for the church. That's why spiritual leadership. Spiritual maturity is so important in the local church without a you never get the great commission done you'll never eliminate prejudice.

You'll never see people come to know Christ.

Because the types of hell will prevail against the church. Jesus said upon this rock I will build the church. My church and the gates of hell will not prevail against are not given you seven closings number eight. The undefiled church. In this case Antioch was founded on number eight the giving spirit that's beautiful.

You know these lost versus that I read just rang such a beautiful sound in my heart because of you.

I've never been around giving people lack of being around you, and I think you want to be blessed as a church be giving church you want to be blessed as a person be a giving person, just God's law, but this was a manifestation of who they were founded on because Jesus gave his life so I take a look at something like this and I say to myself, Lord, I want this for our grandchildren. God is saying to me you got make sure you stand on stick to it cultivated grow it. Just keep looking to Jesus as every time we look at ourselves. We got a little problem on our hands. I just wanted to tell you how much I love you today someone here this morning. I doubt it might say what you know pasta all you've done is brag about your church. That's fine somewhere in America. There needs to be an undefiled church that the gates of hell will not prevail against you know what there's a lot of churches just like ours.

We were churches like that) community we not the only one I get letters from people around the country. You find churches like this in Texas, California, Massachusetts, on on trucking. Some of you, you will even Alabama. Now that's a real shock is great to be an undefiled church, not for ourselves, but only because of Christ, who dwells in us. Would you bow your heads with me today, Lord Jesus, I want to thank you today for the privilege of serving alongside a determined people, Lord, when we look at the undefiled church at Antioch bond. No major could we ever apply that to ourselves outside of you. We have so much more to do. We fail you. We sin against you.

Every day, and for that we crave your forgiveness we confess to you is people in today Lord we surrender our lives a fresh we open our hands, our hearts, our pocketbooks we go we will serve. We will we will be undefiled and in the name of Jesus. The gates of hell will not prevail against church and for that prayer we pray for every Bible believing church in these United States of America around the world, Lord, that you most incredible grace would come down upon us and we thank the Lord now is people come to say yes to you, to give their lives to you as people come to commit their lives to use people come to put the roots down. I want to be part of an undefiled church. I want to be in a place with Jesus is lifted up, Lord, may that be so bold they are.

People rise up and so may we go we believe people Lord about which of the sea. Those people come together in the house, for they Jesus Christ. We all Christian together in Jesus name we pray. Amen we are not ashamed, and neither are you. But perhaps we have been acting like were ashamed where is the boldness let's ask God for and watch this be the greatest year 2020. Looking ahead of the lights in a dark world be like to have someone pray with you. We're ready to do that right now it 866-899-WORD that's 866899673 or online@theencouragingword.org.

We would have a shortcut will get you there. TW online.org just know we would love to connect with you before get away. Perhaps the most important thoughts for our pastor asked are you ready to pray this prayer with me. Dear God, I Jesus loves God today. I can face him a if you prayed that from you giving your life will brother it's getting gauge to give because we are connected together for ever as believers in Christ and don't leave whatever you do is I'll be right back. As we wrap up this week. Here we are wrapping up just about a year is today the day you need to let someone pray you through the next step following Jesus Christ.

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