“MONDAY MORNING CHURCH”

Acts 2:41-47
“So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” (ESV)

Bruce Larson wrote a book about missions in his church, and the first person that he mentioned was a woman who sacked items in the grocery store. She said that she prayed for everybody who walked through the line and whose groceries she sacked. She took this as a ministry for God and an extension of the kingdom of God. Too many times when we think about ministry, we think about the people we pay at church, or the person who hands out bulletins, or teaches a class; in a sense, that is ministry, but it is in-house. What we need is to get people to say and be, in reality, God’s people out in the marketplace. Every Christian needs to feel that he or she is a missionary and has a calling to the place where they work or live or spend their leisure time.
As we begin tonight to adjust our aim for visitation, we are joining in with FBC and Calvary to reach every home in Childress by Easter 2010. We will start our part on March 8, when we will do a blitz with as many people as we can going from door to door. But we need everyone who can to meet at Donny and Trica’s tonight so that we can all know what we are doing and how. All too often we have the attitude that it isn’t our job; that it belongs to someone else, but if you read the pastor’s pen this morning, you know different.

Lloyd Ogilvie tells of going to the First Presbyterian Church in Hollywood, California, and finding that inwardly the church was strong with lots of people coming, but no real vitality. He took his leaders on a retreat to answer his four questions:

1. WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE DOES IT TAKE TO CHANGE THE WORLD?
Verse 42, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

1 Timothy 4:6-8
“If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (ESV)

Romans 8:1
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” (NKJV)

Romans 8:2
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” (NKJV)

Romans 8:3-4
“For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (ESV)

Romans 8:5-6
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” (ESV)

Romans 8:7-8
“For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (ESV)

Romans 12:1-2
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (ESV)

2. WHAT KIND OF CHURCH DOES IT TAKE TO PRODUCE THOSE KINDS OF PEOPLE?
Verse 46-47, “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people.”

1 Corinthians 1:10
“I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” (ESV)


3. WHAT KIND OF LEADERS DOES IT TAKE TO PRODUCE THAT KIND OF CHURCH?
Verse 43, “And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.”

Who are the leaders? The leaders are the deacons, and those who are in a possession of leadership.
It takes leaders who are not afraid to make the tough decisions, to do the things that may not be popular.

4. WHAT KIND OF STAFF DOES IT TAKE TO PRODUCE THOSE KINDS OF LEADERS?
1 Timothy 6:11-12
“But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (ESV)


These four questions changed Lloyd Ogilvie’s church, answering these four questions can change our lives and our church.
One of the problems with American Christianity is that we have come to think too much of the church as an institution. That is, it is something I go to with a leader to listen to. But the church needs to be seen as a mission. It is a body of Christ working out in the world.
The question is, “Where is the church on Monday?” It is down on the car lot, it is at school, it at the store, it is wherever you are, wherever you are working.
“And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

Sermon outline on 2/24/2009

"GO AND TELL"

How important is it that we tell others about Christ? Jesus said in Acts 1 for us to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, that means here at home, and in all Judea, that means here in Texas, and Samaria, that means in the United States, and to the end of the earth, this means, well you know what this means. Did you realize that the Great Commission given to us by Jesus is not a request? If it were a request then we could just say no thanks. Did you realize that he did not say that some have this gift and some don’t? If He did then we could just say, it’s not my gift. He didn’t say if you feel like it, go; or if you think about it go, He simply said GO. He said in Mark 16:15, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” (ESV) Jesus said to GO into all the world. It is every Christians job to tell about Jesus and what He did for us on the cross. Maybe you are being called to go to Africa on one of the mission trips during the next 5 years, maybe God is calling you to go somewhere else in the world on a mission trip, maybe you are being called to do mission work here in the United States, but one thing that I do know, you are being called upon to tell others about Jesus. And I also know that the best place to begin is with your family and friends, why is this the best place to start? Because these are the ones that you care for the most and if you can talk to those who know you the best about Christ, you can talk to anyone. This may sound strange but our loved ones are sometimes the hardest ones to talk to, we don’t want them to think less of us, or we don’t want them to laugh at us. But if we allow them to go to Hell without telling them about Jesus, they will think less of us and they won’t be laughing. I want to encourage you to tell others about Jesus, by the way, we have visitation tonight. We will not be going out tonight to visit, we will however be getting ready for our big push, on March 8, time changes and we will begin to a big push to reach every home in Childress. On March 8th we will go to one of the apartment complexes and knock on every door, and we need you help to do this. Our goal is to reach every home in Childress county, along with the help of First and Calvary, by Easter 2010.

“WHEN LIFE GETS TOO HEAVY”

GALATIANS 6:1-5 & PSALMS 55:22
Galatians 6:1-5
“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load.” (ESV)
Psalms 55:22
“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” (ESV)

A seminary professor used to say to his students, “Young men, be kind to everyone because everyone is having a bad time.”
Hard times are a part of life. We all have burdens and heartaches; we need to learn what to do with them. The scriptures tell us:

1. SOME BURDENS ARE TO BE SHOULDERED.
Some burdens we must carry, some we are responsible for.
Galatians 6:5 says, “For each will have to bear his own load.”
Some loads we must carry alone.
But the mistake we make all too often is that we try to carry all burdens alone.

2. SOME BURDENS ARE TO BE SHARED.
Some burdens are too much for us to carry alone.
Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another's burdens”

3. SOME BURDENS ARE TO BE SHIFTED.
Some we cannot begin to carry.
Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you.”

Some say Christianity is nothing but a crutch – yes, but who not limping?

I don't believe that we have to carry any burdens alone, Jesus said in Hebrews 13:5
"I will never leave you nor forsake you." (ESV)
He is always there to help us, to help carry our burdens or to carry us if He needs to.

Cast your burdens on Him today.




Sermon outline for 2/24/2009

BURDENS OF LIFE

We all face burdens, heartaches and hard times in life. But what do we do with them, how do we face them, how do we respond to them? We as a church and as individuals are having to deal with the death of a young man, this is a heavy burden to bear. You expect your children to grow up, get married and have children, the last thing you ever expect to do is to have to bury them. We are all saddened in this loss. We all have things happen to us that burden us down, so what should we do with those burdens? Sunday we are going to learn what the Word says as I preach a sermon titled, "WHEN LIFE GETS TOO HEAVY."
Be here Sunday, I believe that this is sermon that will help all of us, no matter how heavy our load is.
See You Sunday!!