Common Believers

Acts 2: 44

⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common.

Last night I came from a meeting with some men from church, and I got a feeling of what it might have been like for the early church.

One of the things that grabbed my heart, was how 13 guys seemingly think so much alike.

I don’t think I’ve felt this confident in a group of leaders in our church, in the 13 years I’ve been in Pastoral ministry.

There’s nothing like it, and we get to experience it!

Confidence grows when the church is together.

Joy comes into a fellowship, when we have all things spiritually in common.

I don’t think I’d want to repeat what has happened in our church over the last 6 months.

The way things are now though, there isn’t anything like it in the whole wide world.

After the Holy Spirit came upon the early church, the church was then vibrant, growing and committed.

That’s what it finally feels like in our small church.

This is where many churches fall asleep, but our church needs to continue to develop.

Now that we know how to take care of each other, we need to continue to do that.

Our church has been gifted with a pile of people, who really know how to give.

We actually have some good givers and some really good discerners.

What a joy it is to work together, for the common good of the flock, and for the glory of Christ…

healthy?

Acts 2: 42

⁴² And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Would you say you attend a healthy church?

If so, what would you say are some of the healthy signs you see there?

The first healthy thing the early church had, was devotion.

They were devoted to studying the Bible, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer.

In your home church, what would you say you’re devoted to?

Are you devoted to something?

A healthy church is devoted to the following things:

·         A continual devotion to the Lord…

·         A continual devotion to the people of the church…

·         A continual devotion to the Gospel work around the world…

So how would you say your church measures up? How would you say you measure up?

I know churches which are marked with discord, gossip, mettle and strife.

I wonder how that honors the message of Christ?

Make no mistake about it, for there to be true fellowship in the church, the people there, must be truly saved, first.

Maybe that’s the core issue of an unhealthy church? Now there’s something to ponder… 

A warning letter!

1 Corinthians 4: 14

I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children.

Have you ever warned someone in the faith?

Most people don’t like confrontation in the church, and so what should be warned, is often never given another thought.

I was working at church on Monday afternoon, and I saw 3 kids enter the parking lot from the south.

I watched as they moved toward our pond. They came to try and catch some of the many frogs that make our church pond their home.

At first I felt the old crotchety old man rise up in me, and then I felt the Holy Spirit speak me down.

I went out of the main entrance, and made my way down to the pond.

As I got to the children, I introduced myself as Pastor Dan, and each child introduced themselves to me.

Yesterday I got to meet… Jeremiah, Aaron, & Libby.

I warned them about what might happen if they fell into the pond.

I told them that the pond was 14’ feet deep, and I showed them approximately what 14’ looked like.

After I made my point though, I asked them how much they liked candy.

I had three takers, and they cleaned me out of…“Tootsie Pops”, in 5 second flat.

How are you at offering warnings? Do you offer warnings?

Sometimes it’s how we go about it, that makes all the difference in the world… 

Sweet Fellowship!

Psalm 55: 14

We who had sweet fellowship together, walked in the house of God in the throng…

David Murrow wrote a book in 2011, entitled… “Why Men Hate Going to Church”.

Men say… “Church is boring”… “It’s irrelevant”… “It’s full of hypocrites”…

A group of men from two local churches, came together yesterday out at Lake Breeze Golf Course, for the inaugural “Christian Cup” event.

I know a few of the guys in the championship pretty well, but other’s I met yesterday for the very first time.

We had sweet Christian fellowship, and frankly, men need sweet fellowship with other men.

And let me make this bold statement…there was nothing boring about this event at all!

I think the greatest testimony I heard yesterday, was from the female bartender inside.

She said and I quote… “We sure don’t get many groups of men like your group very often!!”

I think that says a whole bunch about the men from CCC & WCF.

Men and boys are fleeing the church in record numbers all over the world. Maybe there’s a reason for that?

Sunday’s event wasn’t at all about golf, but it was about sweet manly fellowship.

For the guys who made it about anything but fellowship, they missed the boat for sure.

It’s time the men of the church, showed this crazy world what we’re really made of.

I happen to think the 24 guys that came together for golf on a hot Sunday afternoon, went a long way in doing that…

A Place to Quarrel!

Psalm 81: 7

⁷ In distress you called, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah.

Meribah was actually called a place of “quarreling”.

This is where God’s people, argued with their God.

Can you imagine having a disagreement with God?

I can’t being to wonder why people accuse God of wrong doing.

God is constantly in the business of testing our trust in Him.

These people had a short memory, and had forgotten what God had done at the Red Sea.

But after all this complaining, God still answered their prayer.

He answered their cries for help.

When we are in trouble, God answers us, but we may have to wait a while before He supplies our need.

Maybe the wait time, is for filtering out some of the bad attitudes we have.

The Bible says that God “abhors”, complaining and fussing.

Yet in His great mercy, He still answers us.

Even in time spent in the wilderness, God doesn’t let us wait forever.

Maybe He has a plan in letting us wait.

Even in our sin and rebellion, He is still there to meet our needs. Wow, what a God… 

Words!

Isaiah 55: 11

¹¹ …so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; t shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

To many people, words are just plain words.

I wonder if most churches could be summed up as… “all talk, and no action”.

I’ve heard the term used… “Put your money where your mouth is”.

Empty promises are just plain words.

But with God my friends, His words hold a lot of weight.

His words are as good as done.

Do you need to hear that today?

Just like all the seeds in the great state of Wisconsin that were planted in the fields, they will reap a harvest.

So will God’s Word, and you can take that to the bank.

The world might tell you that you can’t, but God’s Word says we can.

We can do ALL things!

When God gives a promise, it’s just a matter of time before it’s fulfilled.

When He declares a specific purpose, that too will be fulfilled.

God’s Words are not empty words, even if ours sometimes, are.

There’s nothing empty about God’s Word…ever…

More Grace!

James 4: 6

⁶ But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

 

This verse seems simple enough to understand.

I counseled into the late hours of the night last night, and that meeting could’ve gone a lot smoother (and shorter), had there been an ounce of humility.

 

That’s why this devotional is later than it should’ve been.

In what state are you in this morning? Humble or proud?

 

God gives His grace to the humble at heart.

He actually opposes the proud.

 

Grace is the Divine influence of God, flowing into, and out of our hearts.

No humility…no rich flow of grace.

 

Maybe grace isn’t what the church has thought it to be all these years.

Maybe the reason people are struggle so much with rebellion, is because they aren’t humble.

 

An attitude of pride and rebellion, will never, ever lead us to a good place.

The Apostle Peter knew all about humility. He wrote a lot about it, too.

 

He said…We’re supposed to clothe ourselves in humility…We’re supposed to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God.

Maybe the reason people aren’t experiencing the flow, is that they haven’t yet learned to bow low?

 

That’s something to consider, as we go about our day