We Don't Only Belong to A Person, Who is Christ, But Also To A Place

Text: Acts 4:32

32  And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

33  And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

34  Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,

35  And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

36  And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,

37  Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

You are called NOT JUST to belief.

a.   Do you know it's not biblical for you to say I don't need anybody, I just need Jesus? God uses people to fulfill His purpose, and nobody can fulfill God's mission for their life by themself.

b.   While your relationship with Christ may be personal, God never intends for you to be private.

c.   Being a member of a church means being a vital organ of a living body, an indispensable, interconnected part of the body of Christ.

d.   The church is an organism, not an organization; it is a living breathing thing

e.   The biggest thing that God has done with us is allowing us to come together to unify, so that as a unit we can go out there and bring others from a place that is dying to a place that is living.

                             i.        As the Bible says, "A house divided against itself can't stand."

f.    John 17:9-11

10 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

10  And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.

11  And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

                     i.        Jesus prayed that His people would be one as the Father is one. It is so important that the church learns the importance of being unified.

g.   Vs. 12-17

12  While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

13  And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

14  I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

15  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

16  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

                     i.        If an organ is severed from its body it cannot exist on its own, AND NEITHER CAN YOU.

h.   The first symptom of spiritual decline is usually inconsistent attendance at worship services.

1. The person who says I don't need church is either arrogant or ignorant, because there is no person in this room that doesn't need to be around a body of believers.

i.    Hebrews 10:23-24

23  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

24  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

                     i.        Sometimes I know I'm gonna make you mad, and that’s done on purpose, not by me, but by God, because sometimes a person needs to be provoked to get right and do the right thing.

                    ii.        You can get mad at me, but the truth is still gonna be there at the end of the day.

j.    Vs 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

1. Pastor gets up at 5 o'clock every morning.  He doesn't have an excuse not to be in church. What's yours?

2. God does things for a purpose. If pastor has to be challenged to be here, then bless God, he's gonna challenge YOU.

k.   Vs. 27-30

27  But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

28  He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:

29  Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

30  For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

                     i.        This is not talking about the lost, it's talking about the saved.

                    ii.        It doesn't matter if you have church on Saturdays or Sundays, just so long as you BE there.

l.    Vs. 31-32

31  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

32  But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;

                     i.        Today's culture of independence has engendered many spiritual orphans.

                    ii.        When God sends you somewhere you got to stay put until HE tells you to leave.

Why do I need a church family?

1. A church family identifies you as a genuine believer.

             i.        Acts 2:14-21

14  But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

15  For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

16  But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

17  And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

18  And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

19  And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

20  The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:

21  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

1. When we go out of here and witness, and I pray to God that every person under the sound of my voice will be a part of our outreach ministry, we need to go out as one body.

b.   2. Having a church family moves you out of self-centered isolation.

     i.        Our job as a church is to bring people out of their little self-centered world, and get them focused on something else.

    ii.        You got to get out of your house, get out there and realize that there are people out there with broken hearts.

  iii.        Biblical fellowship is being as committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ. God expects us to give our lives to each other.

  iv.        Four of our commandments deal with our relationship with God, and six deal with our relationship with one another.

   v.        All the commandments hang on two, because they ALL really reflect our relationship with God AND our relationship with each other.

  vi.        You can't be right with God and be wrong with your brothers and sisters.

c.   3. A church family helps to build spiritual muscle.

     i.        Over 50 times in the New Testament the words "one another" are used.

    ii.        Isolation breeds deceitfulness. If there is no one to challenge you to grow, there is room for deceit to believe that you have already grown.

1.   We can all do better.

  iii.        If we don't get around people, we may start thinking that we have already arrived.

  iv.        Real maturity comes from relationships.

1.   If you get around somebody that cuss you out, you will know if you are mature by the way you deal with it.

   v.        Real maturity says, "Pastor is a man, I cannot depend on him for all of my needs."

d.   4. The body of Christ needs you.

     i.        Your local fellowship is the place where God designed for you to discover, design, and develop your gifts.

    ii.        You also may have a wider ministry, but that is IN ADDITION to your service to your local body. Your service really should be to your local church. The church cannot run on spit and sweat.

  iii.        The people of God should live by faith, not our bill collectors.

e.   5. You will share in God's mission for the world.

     i.        Soul-winning is the most important piece of His mission.

f.    6. A church family will help keep you from backsliding.

     i.        “Mind your own business” is not a Christian phrase, you know why? Because we ARE each other's business.

    ii.        Satan loves detached believers. Unplugged from the body, isolated from the spiritual family, and unaccountable to other believers, because he knows that they are defenseless against his tactics.

  iii.        People say I don’t' need to be accountable to no man, I'm accountable to God. Go to your boss and say that, see what he says.

  iv.        The difference between being a church member and a church attender is commitment, that's the only difference. You should not be a church member and not commit to your church.

1.   You could be an attender, and nobody expects you to be committed because you are a spectator. An attender is sitting on the sideline. We don't expect anything else from them.

2.   Members are supposed to get involved in ministry, members are consumers.

3.   Long-standing attenders are like people living together who don't want to commit to marriage. They need to say, I want to commit to my church.

4.   You could spend a lifetime searching for the perfect church and you will never rind it. But you CAN find a perfect church for you.

   v.        When I become a part of a church body, I need to commit to that body. I have to commit my resources and everything to that church.

The truth is, we're all blessed. There is not a person in here that doesn't have a house, a place to sleep. We're all blessed. Shouldn't we bring some of that blessing into the church?

a.   Like Paul said, not that I want to receive, but that the giver might be blessed.

The fact is, you can't out-give God.

Being A Cheerful Giver

 Announcements: We praise God as Pastor Bruce Butler and First Lady Donna Butler celebrate 21 years of marriage with a much need and well-deserved vacation. Today's sermon was led By Pastor Michael Hunt.

Romans 13:1

1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

2  Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

3  For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

4  For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

5  Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

6  For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

7  Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

11.   We're not poor because we have nothing, but we might be poor today, because we are always giving to man what we should be giving to God.

a.   Let's talk today about something that the man of God seldom talks about, because he doesn't want you to think that he wants something from you, when he doesn't.

b.   Because we know this, we should not forget our responsibility.

c.   We can't move on because of the little sins we hold on to, that we need to be taking to the altar.

d.   There is prayer here every other Friday. It may be three or four people, and when they come, they come together to pray for everybody that's in this church.

e.   God is not mocked, man is deceived. Because he cannot sow tares, and reap wheat. A tare Is a tare, even if it tries to live with the wheat.

f.    Malachi 3:7-11

7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

8  Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

9  Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

10  Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

11  And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.

g.   You cannot expect blessings from God if you do not do what you are supposed to do.

i.    1 Corinthians 9:1-6

1  Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?

2  If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.

3  Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,

4  Have we not power to eat and to drink?

5  Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

6  Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?

j.    Paul was a Pharisee of the highest ranking, and on the road to Damascus, he ran into a power of the highest extent. He was blinded and ran into Jesus.

k.   There was a time when we were on the road to Damascus, and we ran into Jesus and caught the same light.

m. 1 Corinthians 9:10-18

10  Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

11  If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

12  If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.

13  Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?

14  Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.

16  For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

17  For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.

18  What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

n.   One thing that will make our pastor happy is if we learn how to lift up one another.

22.   God loves a cheerful giver.

a.   2 Corinthians 9:6-7

6  But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

7  Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

b.   If you want to be rich, sow cheerfully. If you only have 5 dollars, and you take it and give it to somebody, THEY will be blessed, and God will multiply what you gave them.

c.   The only poverty that you got is what you make. There isn't a single poor person in here today.

e.   God says if you must have, you have two hands and two feet. Go forward. If you CAN'T do it by yourself, you got brothers and sisters that will help.

f.    We must learn also to get down on our knees and pray.

g.   Giving is a reward in reaping.

h.   Matthew 6:33:34

33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

i.    Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

j.    When you get to the altar and you lay down your gifts, I guarantee you, you're gonna get a blessing!

k.   Romans 12:1-2

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

All your greatness comes from God.

33.   We must have patience. Patience will reward us with reaping.

a.   Galatians 6:7-9

7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

8  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

9  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

b.   Don't be weary, because the devil is everywhere, and he wants to destroy the body of Christ.

d.   We can have victory today, we can be rich today, we can have what God would have us to have today, if we would give up the things that are holding us back.

f.    Philippians 3:13-14

13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.