WEBVTT 00:00:34.732 --> 00:00:35.332 Good morning. 00:00:35.332 --> 00:00:35.765 Church. 00:00:35.765 --> 00:00:38.665 How are we doing? 00:00:38.665 --> 00:00:40.232 It's good to be with you. 00:00:40.232 --> 00:00:42.765 We had a little bit of a hiatus. 00:00:42.765 --> 00:00:52.399 We were away at camp with our students, and my wife and I decided we needed to take a Sunday off after camp, but we had, so much help with camp. 00:00:52.399 --> 00:00:54.566 It's been a great summer thus far. 00:00:54.566 --> 00:00:57.533 I hope it's been a great summer for you all. 00:00:57.533 --> 00:01:03.165 And after getting back from camp, we, we had tons of leaders that helped support us in that. 00:01:03.165 --> 00:01:06.033 And in fact, they're not here today because they needed a vacation. 00:01:06.033 --> 00:01:09.200 As you can imagine, after a camp with students. 00:01:09.200 --> 00:01:10.400 So they're away. 00:01:10.400 --> 00:01:20.566 And I just want to say publicly, I'm so thankful for all that our church does to provide for our student ministry, our children's ministry, and that be financial. 00:01:20.566 --> 00:01:27.766 That's through time and effort and who actually are dumb enough to come on a week long trip with students. 00:01:27.766 --> 00:01:30.200 But we are so thankful for all of that. 00:01:30.200 --> 00:01:30.766 Thank you. 00:01:34.865 --> 00:01:43.566 And ironically, we actually have staff from the camp that we attended here in attendance this morning. 00:01:43.566 --> 00:01:45.933 I want to give a shout out to my few staffers up here. 00:01:45.933 --> 00:01:48.933 Can we give it up for them as well? 00:01:52.900 --> 00:01:56.233 And what's funny, you know, our adults are dumb enough to go a week. 00:01:56.233 --> 00:01:58.799 They're dumb enough to do, like, a couple months with these kids. 00:01:58.799 --> 00:02:00.566 Like, you all are crazy. 00:02:00.566 --> 00:02:06.566 But I see my man Nick up here and Jake Josiah, like Brandon, are our AMC for the week. 00:02:06.566 --> 00:02:08.265 We just had an incredible staff. 00:02:08.265 --> 00:02:14.633 This group of people, young adults who give up their summer to pour into our students and they grew. 00:02:14.900 --> 00:02:27.733 Coming back from church camp, we had tons of students who rededicated their life, students who wanted to give their life to Christ, students who started getting back into God's Word, who sparked a fire. 00:02:27.733 --> 00:02:33.099 And that is the growth that we strive to have in our student ministry and at Valley View. 00:02:33.099 --> 00:02:42.765 And this month, we're going to be talking about this idea of grow, and we're going to have a couple speakers come and we're going to have, Andrew Harrell and then Troy Kolb. 00:02:42.765 --> 00:02:49.665 We're going to speak into this series, and we're all focusing in this series about this idea of growth. 00:02:49.699 --> 00:02:53.066 And some of you this morning are thinking, well, what does that mean? 00:02:53.066 --> 00:02:56.265 What do we mean by this idea of growth? 00:02:56.800 --> 00:03:00.466 And honestly, there's a lot of things growing in my life right now. 00:03:00.466 --> 00:03:08.765 I can tell you one thing that's not growing is my hair, obviously, but there's a lot of even a lot of weeds in my backyard that is growing right now. 00:03:08.765 --> 00:03:13.099 And my impatience for this hot weather is growing right now. 00:03:13.099 --> 00:03:15.800 but I know some of you all have asked. 00:03:15.800 --> 00:03:22.400 And so, I mean, just to say it publicly, and I'm thankful for this, but my wife is growing, a baby. 00:03:22.633 --> 00:03:24.932 And so we're thankful for that. 00:03:24.932 --> 00:03:27.932 And God's blessing. 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:29.765 We're so thankful for that. 00:03:29.765 --> 00:03:37.699 but today in this series, we're going to talk about growing spiritually and the church growing. 00:03:37.699 --> 00:03:39.599 In fact, we're going to be in Acts chapter two. 00:03:39.599 --> 00:03:45.066 So if you want to turn there with me, Acts chapter two, we're going to work through verses 42 through 47. 00:03:45.066 --> 00:03:50.900 And as we look at this passage, we're going to be talking about two ways in which the church grew. 00:03:51.633 --> 00:03:58.133 They grew numerically, but they also grew spiritually, personally. 00:03:58.133 --> 00:04:07.699 So there's this corporate numerical aspect in which the church grew, but also this individual, spiritual, one on one relationship with God that they grew. 00:04:07.699 --> 00:04:09.332 And so we're going to deal with this idea. 00:04:09.332 --> 00:04:15.066 And so as I was preparing this message, I was thinking about how I have grown in my life. 00:04:15.066 --> 00:04:18.300 And early on, baseball was a huge part of my life. 00:04:18.300 --> 00:04:23.000 And so I devoted a lot of time and attention to that. 00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:30.000 My parents can even vouch for their bank account, how much money they devoted to this, to this, experience of my life. 00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:39.899 And so I love baseball, I enjoyed baseball, and I remember there is a particular aspect to baseball that took me a little while to grow and learn. 00:04:39.899 --> 00:04:43.665 And so I was an infielder by trade when I played. 00:04:43.665 --> 00:04:49.833 And there is this certain play that it took me a lot of practice and devotion to figure out. 00:04:49.833 --> 00:04:52.632 And it's called a do or die play. 00:04:52.632 --> 00:04:56.300 So I'm gonna nerd out a little bit here with baseball, but bear with me. 00:04:56.300 --> 00:05:05.600 There is this play in which if a ball is hit, a ground ball that rolls slowly, you already only really have one chance to get the runner out. 00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:15.932 If you're playing, and to get it, I would have to run full speed, catch the ball on a full speed run, and then get rid of it while I'm running. 00:05:15.932 --> 00:05:18.500 You don't have time to stop your feet and slow down. 00:05:18.500 --> 00:05:22.533 So in other words, it's a play that's common, but it's hard to make. 00:05:22.533 --> 00:05:24.932 And so it took me a long time to figure this out. 00:05:24.932 --> 00:05:34.233 I remember I had a coach that devoted, a specific time in practice to this one play that we had to practice and learn. 00:05:34.233 --> 00:05:42.800 My dad spent hours hitting ground balls and helping me learn how to do this play, and over time, it became more natural. And I. 00:05:42.800 --> 00:05:44.333 And I figured it out. 00:05:44.333 --> 00:05:53.966 And I remember my junior year, I played at Tates Creek High School in Lexington, and we were actually playing PRP at our house. 00:05:53.966 --> 00:05:57.065 Shout out to the state champs this year, PRP. 00:05:57.065 --> 00:06:01.966 But yeah, yeah, I didn't like them at this point though, in my life. 00:06:01.966 --> 00:06:22.333 So my junior year, there was a play that I was playing third base and a slow roller was hit to me, and so instinct took over and all of my devotion and time and practice came to this moment in which I was able to do this, do or die play, and I make it and I get the runner out and I was pumped, you know, I beat my chest. 00:06:22.333 --> 00:06:24.565 I was so excited because it was a big moment. 00:06:24.565 --> 00:06:30.733 I'm not going to mention the error that I made in the earlier in the inning and the strikeout I had later in the game, but that that's that's for another. 00:06:30.733 --> 00:06:32.065 Another time. 00:06:32.065 --> 00:06:46.733 But, I bring all this up to say that if we're going to grow in anything in our life, it's going to take devotion, whatever it is in our life, if we want to grow in it, it's going to require devotion. 00:06:47.333 --> 00:06:59.365 And so for us this morning, I want us to see in our passage that to grow in Christ, believers must devote themselves to the biblical principles of the early church. 00:06:59.365 --> 00:07:12.800 For us to grow even today, we must devote ourselves to the foundational, important biblical principles that are found being practiced in the early church. 00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:16.632 And thankfully, we have an entire book written to focus on this. 00:07:16.632 --> 00:07:18.966 And that is the book of Acts. 00:07:18.966 --> 00:07:23.932 So just for some context for us this morning, Jesus has been raised from the dead. 00:07:23.932 --> 00:07:30.966 He spent 40 days with his disciples and with the apostles, and after that he ascended to heaven. 00:07:30.966 --> 00:07:46.365 And then he commissioned the church to go and make disciples of all nations, beginning first in Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, because he sends the Holy Spirit, just a couple of days later, and the spirit descends on men and they start speaking in tongues, they have this amazing miracle. 00:07:46.365 --> 00:08:04.733 And then a guy named Peter, who was a disciple, an apostle of Jesus, he stands up and gives this incredibly challenging, rousing sermon and 3000 souls confess Jesus and give their life to Christ in one day. Talk about a first week in the church. 00:08:04.966 --> 00:08:11.766 And so from this spans the early church in how they practiced and lived out their faith. 00:08:11.766 --> 00:08:28.100 So when we're talking about this idea of grow, even today in our modern context, when we're talking about growing in our faith with faith in Christ, when we're talking about growing in faith with each other, we need to go to go back to the early church and see how they did it. 00:08:28.100 --> 00:08:36.166 Because if we're standing here today, thousands of years later, because of these early Christians, we can look back and say, I think they did it right. 00:08:36.166 --> 00:08:38.566 So we're going to do that this morning in Acts chapter two. 00:08:38.566 --> 00:08:44.899 So we're looking here in verse 42, if you want to turn in your scriptures with me, Acts chapter two, verse 42. 00:08:45.166 --> 00:08:46.299 And this is what it says. 00:08:47.533 --> 00:08:56.566 And they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 00:08:58.033 --> 00:09:11.700 So suddenly we’ve got to point out here already, is that there is four aspects that the the writer of Acts, his name was Luke, four aspects that he details that the early church practiced and held as a principle. 00:09:11.732 --> 00:09:17.265 These four aspects are crucial and critical for the church. 00:09:18.033 --> 00:09:26.932 And so I want to go in and just briefly explain each for each of these things, because it helps us set up exactly the principles and practices of the early church. 00:09:26.932 --> 00:09:32.832 And so the first thing he says is that they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching. 00:09:33.100 --> 00:09:54.033 So apostles’ teaching is simply describing the testimonies and doctrines of the apostles and this and this teaching in this, these testimonies, they were unique in the sense that they carried an authority that no one else had. See, to be an apostle in the early church, you had to have seen the resurrected Jesus. 00:09:54.033 --> 00:09:57.799 You had to have been with Jesus to hear from Jesus. 00:09:57.799 --> 00:10:03.600 And so when they spoke, they carried a unique authority that no one even possesses today. 00:10:03.600 --> 00:10:11.832 So to be an apostle, you had some weight to throw around, which is why I mention here in a cross reference from Ephesians four for you all. 00:10:11.832 --> 00:10:18.000 It tells that the apostles were sent by God to build up the church and equip the church for ministry. 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:20.200 It's what they were called to do. 00:10:20.200 --> 00:10:29.166 So this was one aspect in which the early church pursued in practice, and a principle that they had in the early part of their existence. 00:10:29.166 --> 00:10:31.633 But the next thing is fellowship. 00:10:31.633 --> 00:10:40.666 So the fellowship is pretty straightforward, but it describes the unified community of the early church who lived out their faith together. 00:10:41.033 --> 00:10:42.765 Day by day. 00:10:43.732 --> 00:10:50.765 Because if you know anything in the Old Testament, you know the church faced a lot of pressure from the external world. 00:10:50.765 --> 00:10:58.166 They faced issues with division in the inside, and the world or the world persecuted them from the outside. 00:10:58.166 --> 00:11:09.200 And so for the church to it have gone through that stage and even exist today, there had to have been a tight knit fellowship of community and unity within the church. 00:11:09.200 --> 00:11:14.432 And they practiced this day by day ss we're going to see a little bit later in the passage. 00:11:14.432 --> 00:11:16.265 Next thing is pretty straightforward too. 00:11:16.265 --> 00:11:18.966 It's the breaking of bread. 00:11:18.966 --> 00:11:24.265 This is speaking to the to the aspect of communion that the early church practiced. 00:11:24.265 --> 00:11:28.500 So the early church constantly held communion. 00:11:28.500 --> 00:11:34.166 And as Jesus said, and Paul would say, it was all to be done in remembrance of the cross. 00:11:35.166 --> 00:11:39.265 So obviously they would get together and they would meet and they would partake of communion. 00:11:39.265 --> 00:11:45.566 Because one thing the early church did not want to forget was the cross of Christ. 00:11:45.700 --> 00:11:51.700 And so to keep that at the center of everything the church did, they practiced communion on a regular basis. 00:11:51.700 --> 00:11:59.166 And we as the church, if we ever forget this aspect of the gospel, we have lost the gospel. 00:11:59.166 --> 00:12:01.166 And so the early church kept this at the center. 00:12:01.166 --> 00:12:04.166 And last but not least, the prayers. 00:12:04.865 --> 00:12:13.566 The prayers were the public prayer ministry where the people of God were calling upon the power and provision of God. 00:12:14.332 --> 00:12:20.600 We see this in Acts chapter four, when Peter and and John were being persecuted for their faith. 00:12:20.600 --> 00:12:29.600 But then they pause and they pray for boldness, and God sends a attitude and and power of boldness in their hearts, and they start spreading the gospel even more. 00:12:29.600 --> 00:12:37.466 And so it's a routine for them to pray, not just personal prayers, but the public prayer ministry that they had and praying for one another. 00:12:38.633 --> 00:12:51.566 And so I want to make this point this morning, that biblical doctrine, fellowship, communion, and prayer are the core principles that grew the church. 00:12:51.566 --> 00:12:59.033 And I'm here to tell you this morning that those will be the same core principles that will grow the church today. 00:12:59.066 --> 00:13:06.666 The beautiful part about the gospel and about Christianity is the message hasn't changed. 00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:09.466 The principles have not changed. 00:13:09.466 --> 00:13:31.566 Yes, the method in which we do things changes, but the principle and practice of the church remains the same for thousands of years, which is why we do what we do in the church, which is why we have life groups on Sunday mornings, which is why we meet and we talk about God's Word, which is why we pray with one another. 00:13:31.566 --> 00:13:33.232 It's why we partake of communion. 00:13:33.232 --> 00:13:49.200 All of these things are central and core to the church, because if you've ever played the game of Jenga and you start knocking out one of those pieces and the whole structure starts to move right, you have to pause and be like, okay, I can't touch that piece. 00:13:49.200 --> 00:13:52.100 I can go over here and find something else that I can knock out, right? 00:13:52.100 --> 00:13:58.700 But if you start hitting on that piece in the game of Jenga and it starts shaking the whole structure, you got to stop. 00:13:58.700 --> 00:14:07.966 When we talk about things that uphold and make up the church, there are certain things you can't take away or else you cease to be the church. 00:14:08.166 --> 00:14:22.600 And at the core of the early church, I pray at the core of our church, are these four things of biblical doctrine, fellowship, communion, and prayer. 00:14:22.899 --> 00:14:30.200 And so these same principles are the same tools that God uses today to work in and through his church. 00:14:31.332 --> 00:14:35.133 We can't forget them, we can't overlook them. 00:14:35.365 --> 00:14:45.799 And sometimes there's this there's this temptation to allow this, these same things to become mundane or overlooked, and we want to push them to the side. 00:14:45.799 --> 00:15:00.799 But we have to keep these things at the center of who we are at Valley View Church, which is why I'm thankful for Pastor John and our elders and our deacons who strive so hard to keep the main thing the main thing. Amen. 00:15:00.799 --> 00:15:03.799 But I'll come back to this verse because this is important. 00:15:03.799 --> 00:15:06.600 Because notice the word that Luke uses. 00:15:06.600 --> 00:15:11.832 He says in verse 42, and they devoted themselves. 00:15:13.100 --> 00:15:16.100 It's one thing to know the what. 00:15:16.700 --> 00:15:19.700 It's another thing to know the how. 00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:22.466 Yes, we know what they devoted themselves to. 00:15:22.466 --> 00:15:25.666 But Luke says it's how they did it. 00:15:27.166 --> 00:15:37.133 I want you to think about something that you have devoted your life to, that you've devoted your time to, that you have devoted your money and energy towards. 00:15:37.799 --> 00:15:43.500 When you've devoted yourself to those things you've wanted to accomplish, meant to grow in them to, to, to learn them. 00:15:43.500 --> 00:15:52.500 And the same is true of our walk with Christ and our Christian faith, that if we are going to grow in anything, we need to be devoted to it. 00:15:53.066 --> 00:16:00.566 And here's the reality this morning you will devote yourself to the things you most desire. 00:16:02.100 --> 00:16:04.865 The things that you desire the most in your life. 00:16:04.865 --> 00:16:07.865 You will devote yourself to them. 00:16:08.432 --> 00:16:15.799 And the temptation is instead of us devoting our lives to Christ and His church, other things try to get in the way of it. 00:16:17.666 --> 00:16:29.299 And so we have to be careful, because the early Christians, the early church, they didn't have time to play, they didn't have time to sit off to the side. 00:16:29.299 --> 00:16:36.066 They had to get on the right track and devote their entire lives to God and his church. 00:16:36.066 --> 00:16:38.799 And I got a quote for us this morning that helps me. 00:16:38.799 --> 00:16:43.932 It helps me process this, and it may help you all too this morning, but this comes from William Law. 00:16:43.932 --> 00:16:48.865 He wrote a book called ‘Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life.’ And this is what he says. 00:16:48.865 --> 00:17:03.500 If you will look into your own heart in utter honesty, you must admit that there is one and only one reason why you are not even now as saintly as the primitive Christians. 00:17:03.500 --> 00:17:05.900 You do not wholly want to be. 00:17:08.133 --> 00:17:10.665 This is a humbling reality. 00:17:10.665 --> 00:17:24.066 He's getting at this important idea that the reason, at the end of the day, that we don't become more like these early Christians and ultimately more like Jesus is because we wholly don't want to. 00:17:24.965 --> 00:17:27.732 It's not a sorry, it's not our greatest desire. 00:17:27.732 --> 00:17:29.599 And I'm up here saying the same thing. 00:17:29.599 --> 00:17:40.432 There are seasons and moments in my life when I have gone off and derailed, or got my attention focused on other things, and I haven't devoted my life to Jesus because it wasn't my greatest desire. 00:17:40.900 --> 00:17:51.066 But for us as Christians, for us, as believers, our greatest devotion, our greatest desire should be to God and His church. 00:17:51.066 --> 00:17:53.066 And I had this verse for us this morning, which will be helpful. 00:17:53.066 --> 00:17:55.165 2-3. 00:17:55.165 --> 00:18:03.232 It says this-- like newborn infants long, crave, desire, for the pure spiritual milk. 00:18:03.232 --> 00:18:03.865 Spiritual milk. 00:18:03.865 --> 00:18:14.833 Here's talking about God's Word craving and longing for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation. 00:18:15.500 --> 00:18:19.165 If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 00:18:19.165 --> 00:18:26.532 So Peter is telling his people, you need to long and crave and desire for God's Word, for relationship with God. 00:18:26.532 --> 00:18:35.299 And you can even add to this through prayer and through all the various principles that the early church had, that for us to grow, we need to have this craving in us. 00:18:35.333 --> 00:18:37.500 And notice the conditional clause in verse three. 00:18:37.500 --> 00:18:44.232 Notice verse three if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 00:18:44.599 --> 00:18:51.432 But this is also true this morning, that you cannot long or crave for something that you have never tasted. 00:18:53.400 --> 00:18:58.700 You can't long or crave for something that you have never tasted. 00:18:58.766 --> 00:19:06.500 You know, within my first year marriage, I discovered one of the greatest blessings my wife's cooking. 00:19:06.500 --> 00:19:11.266 She is an excellent cook, and there are a couple dishes that I. 00:19:11.266 --> 00:19:14.299 I just will stay up at night thinking about. 00:19:14.299 --> 00:19:17.299 And that is her lasagna and her chili. 00:19:18.200 --> 00:19:18.965 She. 00:19:18.965 --> 00:19:20.766 I, I just don't know what it is. 00:19:20.766 --> 00:19:23.633 It's it's just so good to me. 00:19:23.633 --> 00:19:29.500 And you all can think of a dish or a meal that you have at your house that you just think, oh, man, I need to have that soon. 00:19:29.500 --> 00:19:30.665 Quick in a hurry. 00:19:30.665 --> 00:19:33.066 For my mom, it was chicken and dumplings. 00:19:33.066 --> 00:19:35.299 But we all have these cravings. 00:19:35.299 --> 00:19:37.766 Why? Because we've tasted it. 00:19:38.932 --> 00:19:40.200 We know what it tastes like. 00:19:40.200 --> 00:19:47.400 We know what to expect, and we develop a craving because we have tasted that it's good. 00:19:47.400 --> 00:19:53.900 So my question for you this morning is, have you tasted and seen that the Lord is good? 00:19:54.799 --> 00:20:01.665 Because before you can grow in anything, before you can grow in a relationship with Christ, you need to first taste God. 00:20:02.500 --> 00:20:03.099 And for the you. 00:20:03.099 --> 00:20:07.732 This morning you may be coming and you have never tasted that the Lord is good. 00:20:07.732 --> 00:20:09.000 Well, I've got a couple of things to say. 00:20:09.000 --> 00:20:09.532 One. 00:20:09.532 --> 00:20:19.365 The Lord is good, and if you would just taste and see, your life would be forever changed. 00:20:19.500 --> 00:20:24.032 So don't leave this place without first getting that experience with God. 00:20:24.032 --> 00:20:26.266 And I pray that worship introduced that to you. 00:20:26.266 --> 00:20:35.133 I pray that God's Word introduces it to you, but have a conversation with someone before you leave because you need to taste and see that the Lord is good. 00:20:36.200 --> 00:20:49.599 He goes on in verse 43, Luke continuing on, he says, and awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 00:20:50.599 --> 00:20:51.665 So catch this. 00:20:51.665 --> 00:20:54.932 3000 people were just accepting Christ. 00:20:54.932 --> 00:20:57.099 The church started being the church. 00:20:57.099 --> 00:21:08.665 They devoted themselves to these core ideas and principles and the response not just of the believers, but it says every soul was awed. 00:21:09.965 --> 00:21:12.965 They were filled with fear. 00:21:13.400 --> 00:21:16.365 So the opponents of Jesus just crucified him. 00:21:16.365 --> 00:21:18.532 Not too long ago. 00:21:18.532 --> 00:21:23.700 The other people in Israel hated this movement of Christianity. 00:21:23.799 --> 00:21:33.599 But when they see 3000 lives change, their mouths close and they're in awe and they don't know what to say or what to do. 00:21:33.599 --> 00:21:37.000 Because here's the thing you can't argue against the changed life. 00:21:39.099 --> 00:21:40.500 And lives are being changed. 00:21:40.500 --> 00:21:46.766 The gospel was flourishing, the early church was moving, and people stood in awe. 00:21:46.965 --> 00:21:54.799 So listen church, when the church is devoted to biblical principles, the world will take notice. 00:21:56.732 --> 00:22:01.165 You want to make an impact in our community and in our world with the gospel? 00:22:01.165 --> 00:22:06.465 Devote yourself to God's Word, to God and His church. 00:22:06.799 --> 00:22:17.099 It is a core principle that the early church possess, and for us to have the same type of impact today, we need to be devoted to the same things. 00:22:17.099 --> 00:22:19.665 Amen. 00:22:19.665 --> 00:22:27.633 So my first point this morning is you will grow when you devote yourself to biblical principles. 00:22:27.633 --> 00:22:30.566 So you want to know how to grow in your faith, in your walk with Jesus. 00:22:30.566 --> 00:22:33.000 Devote yourself to what the Bible teaches. 00:22:34.400 --> 00:22:38.032 Don't stray away from my students to TikTok. 00:22:38.032 --> 00:22:42.200 Don't go after the the, the, the things of this world. 00:22:42.200 --> 00:22:50.400 The things that try to tempt you don't even go after the incredible marketing strategies of these big, giant marketing companies. 00:22:50.400 --> 00:22:59.900 The way we're going to grow the church, and you personally are going to grow so that we can reach this world, is by devoting yourself to the biblical principles in God's Word. 00:23:01.365 --> 00:23:06.099 And some might say, well, I know I got to read my Bible, but what else? 00:23:06.266 --> 00:23:08.266 What else should I do? 00:23:08.266 --> 00:23:10.900 No, no, no, don't get ahead of yourself. 00:23:10.900 --> 00:23:15.200 You need to get in God's Word and get God's Word in you. 00:23:15.200 --> 00:23:19.965 You can't take any steps of faith and growth without having God's Word in you. 00:23:19.965 --> 00:23:27.465 You can't take steps of faith if you don't have fellowship in your life, which is why we push for life groups, which is why we push for dgroups. 00:23:27.465 --> 00:23:29.333 Because life is already hard. 00:23:29.333 --> 00:23:32.633 But why would you want to make it harder by trying to do it yourself? 00:23:32.633 --> 00:23:33.900 Get into a life group. 00:23:33.900 --> 00:23:42.932 Have a group of people come alongside you to pour into you, to lift you up when you don't have the strength to and to, and to direct your life with wisdom from God's Word. 00:23:42.932 --> 00:23:44.633 Spend your life in prayer. 00:23:44.633 --> 00:23:48.599 Spend your life meditating on the sacrifice of Christ. 00:23:48.599 --> 00:23:55.700 By taking communion, all of these principles are set up and given to us by God so that we would keep growing. 00:23:55.700 --> 00:23:57.532 And I pray that for you. 00:23:57.532 --> 00:23:58.865 I pray that for Valley View. 00:24:00.432 --> 00:24:09.266 So Luke goes on here in verse 44, he says, and all who believed were together and had all things in common. 00:24:10.465 --> 00:24:18.500 It's a beautiful picture of the unity of the church here when it says that they they were they were together, meaning they had the same mind. 00:24:18.500 --> 00:24:20.665 They were in agreement. 00:24:20.665 --> 00:24:24.732 They weren't disagreeing over silly, trivial things. 00:24:24.732 --> 00:24:26.333 They were focused on the main thing. 00:24:26.333 --> 00:24:27.900 They were focused on the gospel. 00:24:27.900 --> 00:24:30.165 They were focused on the apostles teaching. 00:24:30.165 --> 00:24:33.165 And so they were together. 00:24:33.299 --> 00:24:37.633 And if the church is going to be reaching this culture in this world, guess what? 00:24:37.633 --> 00:24:45.465 We got to be unified because we can't point to the world and say, you need to come to come to church and get to know Jesus. 00:24:45.465 --> 00:24:47.633 When we're infighting and divided. 00:24:48.833 --> 00:25:04.299 The beautiful part about this is that all of them were in agreement and had a common understanding of where they were headed, and that was good leadership that was have standing on good principles. 00:25:04.299 --> 00:25:06.400 And again, I'm so thankful. 00:25:06.400 --> 00:25:11.066 So thankful for our church here at Valley View that we have good leadership. 00:25:11.066 --> 00:25:15.932 And because of that, we are in a healthy place and we're heading in a great direction. 00:25:16.299 --> 00:25:20.099 But the early church was committed to these two things. 00:25:20.099 --> 00:25:23.799 They were committed to sacrifice and charity to others. 00:25:24.732 --> 00:25:26.266 See, they would all come together. 00:25:26.266 --> 00:25:38.532 And there's an old proverb that says, all friend are friends, have all things in common meaning your stuff really wasn't your own, but you were willing to give it up to all those around you. 00:25:38.532 --> 00:25:47.066 And so the early church looked a little bit like this, where people weren't clinging to possessions, people weren’t clinging to their money, people weren’t clinging to their schedules. 00:25:47.066 --> 00:25:49.266 People weren’t clinging to the things of this world. 00:25:49.266 --> 00:26:07.032 They were, in fact, offering them up to the church so that they could be unified and all could be helped, which he explains here in verse 45, it says, and they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 00:26:07.266 --> 00:26:17.299 This is a beautiful picture of what it looks like when a church lets go of their their life, possessions and goods and gives it to the good of the church. 00:26:18.200 --> 00:26:28.465 Now we got to be careful here, because some may read that verse and think, well, I've got to go be homeless now, that's not the case at all. 00:26:28.465 --> 00:26:39.165 This is not a call to foolishly give, to starve yourself and starve your family for the sake of some religious practice and money grab. 00:26:39.165 --> 00:26:43.165 This is a call to leverage your entire life for the sake of God. 00:26:43.165 --> 00:26:46.299 And you say to God, whatever it is that you want, God you take. 00:26:47.500 --> 00:26:52.000 Because I know at the end of the day you're going to provide for me anyway. 00:26:52.766 --> 00:26:57.865 And so these people were willing to give up all that they had, whether God took it or not. 00:26:57.865 --> 00:27:00.833 And they were saying, God, take this from my life. 00:27:00.833 --> 00:27:05.133 And there's a person in the book of Acts, as we see in chapter four, his name was Barnabas. 00:27:05.133 --> 00:27:16.165 He was a rich and wealthy man, but he later sells an entire field and gives it over to the church to be given, and the proceeds to be given to those who were in need. 00:27:16.333 --> 00:27:25.700 And I want to say this this morning that the church was not built on the on the mindset of consumption, but sacrifice. 00:27:26.532 --> 00:27:35.000 So I think we live in an Americanized culture that is kind of affected the way we do church, in that we are to come to church to receive. 00:27:36.165 --> 00:27:38.299 I need to come to church so I can feel good. 00:27:38.299 --> 00:27:40.500 I need to come to church so I can consume. 00:27:40.500 --> 00:27:49.665 But instead, the early church proved to us that we don't come to to gather together as the body of Christ, to receive, but to give. 00:27:50.799 --> 00:27:58.833 As the early church shows us, we are called to sacrifice and to give towards the mission of the church and to give our lives to God. 00:27:58.833 --> 00:28:01.799 Not expect God to give his for us. 00:28:01.799 --> 00:28:09.799 Now I want to clarify that now obviously Christ died for us, but what I mean is, is we don't come to church expecting God to give us handouts. 00:28:09.799 --> 00:28:12.665 We don't we don't come to church looking for everyone to serve us. 00:28:12.665 --> 00:28:18.200 We come to church because we are now in the game of saving souls and I’m going to give it all. 00:28:18.200 --> 00:28:19.133 Here I am, God. 00:28:22.700 --> 00:28:35.932 And practically speaking, I think the solution to some of our problems and anxieties is to take the focus off ourselves and look to Christ and others. 00:28:36.400 --> 00:28:49.766 I think a lot of anxiety and problems that that we may deal with today is because we're so hyper focused on ourselves and we're not looking to Christ and we're not looking to the church. 00:28:49.766 --> 00:29:01.799 So I would say, if you want to grow, if you want to deal with maybe some of the problems and anxieties you're dealing with, maybe it is that you need to take your eyes off of yourself and lift them to God. 00:29:02.232 --> 00:29:09.232 So listen, you will increase your spiritual growth in Christ when you release your grip on this world. 00:29:09.900 --> 00:29:15.299 When this world does not have a hold of you anymore, you will grow in your faith. 00:29:16.700 --> 00:29:26.566 When we are so focused on holding on to our possessions, holding on to our goods, holding on to our status, holding onto our 401 K, holding on to all the things that this world can offer. 00:29:26.566 --> 00:29:33.400 Our attention is not going to be on God and His mission to reach this world for eternity, but it's going to be on this world. 00:29:33.400 --> 00:29:39.032 So my second point for you this morning is that you will grow when you devote yourself to sacrifice. 00:29:40.732 --> 00:29:49.500 If sacrifice is a part of your life and you're willing to give up what God has blessed you with, you will grow in your faith. 00:29:50.732 --> 00:30:03.032 Now, for some of us, I recognize that not all of us have, you know, billions of dollars. I get that, and honestly, I didn't join the ministry to make a lot of money either. 00:30:03.032 --> 00:30:05.099 But here's the thing. 00:30:05.099 --> 00:30:18.599 God, whatever God has given you, whatever it is that be it time, gifts, possessions, money, leverage, all of it for the sake of the gospel and the glory of God. 00:30:18.599 --> 00:30:23.900 And I can promise you, you will grow in your faith more than you could imagine. 00:30:23.900 --> 00:30:25.700 7. 00:30:25.700 --> 00:30:36.799 It says, for whoever is generous to to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed. 00:30:36.900 --> 00:30:47.299 When Maggie and I had a season of of of finances in which we were really tight in our finances, we were struggling to figure out what we were going to do. 00:30:47.299 --> 00:30:55.865 And in this particular instance, we were really concerned about being able to meet some ends and figure out what the next step was for financially. 00:30:56.833 --> 00:31:07.732 And out of the blue, two of our friends who we'd probably known just a little while, we hadn't really gotten too close to them, but they come and they just hand us a sum of money. 00:31:07.766 --> 00:31:10.766 That was exactly what we needed. 00:31:11.000 --> 00:31:12.665 We didn't ask them. 00:31:12.665 --> 00:31:14.299 We weren't hinting at it. 00:31:14.299 --> 00:31:20.500 We were just praying for God to provide for us what we couldn't provide in the moment. 00:31:21.000 --> 00:31:22.633 We were still giving to church. 00:31:22.633 --> 00:31:23.900 We were giving what we had. 00:31:23.900 --> 00:31:30.032 But God came in in a way that we were totally unprepared and provided for us exactly what we needed. 00:31:30.032 --> 00:31:36.465 And so I want to encourage you this morning, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink. 00:31:36.465 --> 00:31:41.900 God knows that you need all of these things, but seek first the kingdom of God and God will take care of the rest. Amen. 00:31:44.299 --> 00:31:45.633 Let's look at this last portion here. 00:31:45.633 --> 00:31:48.200 Last two verses 46 and 47. 00:31:48.200 --> 00:31:54.900 Verse 46, Acts chapter two says, and day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes. 00:31:54.900 --> 00:31:59.333 They received their food with glad and generous hearts. 00:32:00.465 --> 00:32:07.732 This is really cool description here from Luke that we get, and I love that we get these pictures of what the early church did. 00:32:07.732 --> 00:32:15.000 But this day by day, this idea of them doing something day by day, it really speaks to their consistency. 00:32:15.400 --> 00:32:20.432 It speaks to their their willingness to immediately start doing something. 00:32:20.665 --> 00:32:32.900 Because if we can learn of of how to not get caught up in procrastination in our culture and in our in our life, we've won a big battle. 00:32:32.900 --> 00:32:36.500 Because I think procrastination is a dangerous thing to deal with. 00:32:38.099 --> 00:32:47.099 But these believers were day by day, consistently and persistently pursuing and devoting their lives to God. 00:32:47.099 --> 00:32:56.000 And so day by day is a call for you and I as believers to the immediate and persistent devotion to God in this church. 00:32:56.000 --> 00:32:58.700 And I would encourage you, some of you, or may be in a season of dryness. 00:32:58.700 --> 00:33:00.400 Some of you are in a season where you've kind of veered off. 00:33:00.400 --> 00:33:06.200 And I would encourage you this morning, there's no better day than today. 00:33:06.200 --> 00:33:07.665 Start it up. 00:33:07.665 --> 00:33:09.266 Get in God's word. 00:33:09.266 --> 00:33:10.766 Find a life group. 00:33:10.766 --> 00:33:21.932 Find a way to devote yourself to God in his church today and day by day by day, little by little, you will grow closer to Christ. 00:33:21.932 --> 00:33:27.299 Because you've heard the phrase before Rome wasn't built in a day, right? 00:33:27.465 --> 00:33:30.333 I saw an interesting quote from from from a writer. 00:33:30.333 --> 00:33:35.900 He says Rome wasn't built in a day, but they did lay bricks every hour. 00:33:37.165 --> 00:33:40.532 So, yes, you're not going to fix every problem in your life. 00:33:40.532 --> 00:33:44.732 You're not going to you're not going to grow to be the ultimate Christian ever tomorrow. 00:33:44.732 --> 00:33:47.833 But listen, you can start by laying a brick. 00:33:47.833 --> 00:33:50.232 You can start by getting in your word. 00:33:50.232 --> 00:33:51.200 You can start by praying. 00:33:51.200 --> 00:33:54.200 You can start by finding a life group. 00:33:54.200 --> 00:33:55.700 I want to come back to verse 46. 00:33:55.700 --> 00:34:02.665 It says here that they were attending the temple notice together and breaking bread in their homes. 00:34:02.900 --> 00:34:05.566 So they received their food with glad and generous hearts. 00:34:05.566 --> 00:34:11.865 What's so cool about this is that the early church, because they had so many people they had nowhere to meet. 00:34:11.865 --> 00:34:13.465 So you know where they went? 00:34:13.465 --> 00:34:19.900 The temple where Jewish sacrifices and the Torah was being read, and the Old Testament law. 00:34:19.900 --> 00:34:23.800 And so what the Christians did strategically is they go to the temple. 00:34:23.800 --> 00:34:29.632 There's this large forum, and they held these gatherings where they taught the apostles teaching. 00:34:30.233 --> 00:34:35.365 So it was strategic, it was missional minded because other people would hear and they would join the fold. 00:34:35.365 --> 00:34:42.132 They would join in with Christ because they would be seeing this, this group of people praying and worshiping Christ. 00:34:43.233 --> 00:34:44.800 How strategic this was. 00:34:44.800 --> 00:34:50.266 But notice also too, it says they were breaking bread in their homes. 00:34:50.266 --> 00:34:52.032 And I don't think Luke's talking about communion here. 00:34:52.032 --> 00:34:59.733 What it means is, is they have themselves big old meals and talked about the gospel like this was the family environment. 00:34:59.733 --> 00:35:06.465 This was where believers came together, opened up their houses, and they sat down and ate food and talked about God. 00:35:06.465 --> 00:35:11.965 And if we are a true Baptist church, all we need is food and God and we are good, right? 00:35:14.300 --> 00:35:19.400 I'm telling you, the easiest way to get students or college students involved is just tell them food is going to be there. 00:35:19.400 --> 00:35:22.132 They're there. 00:35:22.132 --> 00:35:23.766 But this is what the early church did. 00:35:23.766 --> 00:35:31.099 Isn't this like this practice seems so, you know, like it seems very practical, but like, this is what the early church did. 00:35:31.099 --> 00:35:34.099 They got together, they ate food and talked about Christ. 00:35:34.099 --> 00:35:37.400 In fact, that's what Jesus did for so long with his disciples. 00:35:37.400 --> 00:35:45.300 So notice the church made it a habit to gather publicly in the temple and privately in each other's homes. 00:35:45.632 --> 00:35:53.300 It's something we're really going to force or not force, but start with our students is we're going to start doing some in-home Bible studies and stuff them with food, and then talk about Jesus. 00:35:54.965 --> 00:36:00.166 But the reality is, they were building fellowship, building community all centered around the gospel. 00:36:00.900 --> 00:36:02.500 Look at this in Hebrews ten. 00:36:02.500 --> 00:36:06.965 It says, and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works. 00:36:06.965 --> 00:36:17.900 Notice not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near. 00:36:17.900 --> 00:36:26.500 This is why Covid and this, the whole pandemic was so devastating to the function and practice of the churches because they stopped. 00:36:26.599 --> 00:36:37.000 But we're so thankful for these opportunities to meet on a Sunday morning, but also gather in homes and gather in Bible studies where we can get back to the gospel. 00:36:38.400 --> 00:36:41.166 Last verse for us this morning, 00:36:41.166 --> 00:36:52.833 47, and they were praising God and having favor with all the people and the Lord added to their number day by day those who are being sanctified are those who are being saved. I'm sorry. 00:36:55.099 --> 00:36:59.632 This is a picture of what happens when the church is the church. 00:36:59.865 --> 00:37:07.365 You see, the church and the gospel is attractive when believers are devoted to living out their faith. 00:37:08.199 --> 00:37:10.565 Real people want life change. 00:37:10.565 --> 00:37:12.032 People want to find hope. 00:37:12.032 --> 00:37:14.900 People want to find a reason to go on. 00:37:14.900 --> 00:37:20.465 And what better way than to look at the church and see them living out their faith? 00:37:20.733 --> 00:37:24.932 The gospel is attractive when it's actually lived out. 00:37:24.932 --> 00:37:31.965 But see, the gospel is not attractive is when we say we follow Jesus, but then we don't follow Jesus. 00:37:33.965 --> 00:37:41.666 But if we want to to be attractive to the world, not by joining the world, but by being the church. 00:37:42.432 --> 00:37:49.865 So my third point for you this morning is that you will grow when you devote yourself both publicly and privately. 00:37:52.300 --> 00:38:00.300 What would it look like if your devotional life and following of Christ look the same publicly as it did privately? 00:38:00.300 --> 00:38:09.699 What if you lived out your faith in the context of the church and community publicly here, but then you would go back to your workplace and you'd be the same there. 00:38:09.699 --> 00:38:12.266 You'd go back to school and be the same there. 00:38:12.266 --> 00:38:25.599 You go back home and live out your faith, because I believe you will grow in a relationship with Christ and grow in your spiritual faith when there's no difference between the two. 00:38:25.599 --> 00:38:30.565 And something we've been encouraging our students is that you need to be authentic. 00:38:32.300 --> 00:38:37.733 I'd rather you be the same person in both places than try to try to act different. 00:38:37.900 --> 00:38:39.666 That's tiring. 00:38:39.666 --> 00:38:41.099 Like that is exhausting. 00:38:41.099 --> 00:38:42.733 To try to be two different people at once. 00:38:44.365 --> 00:38:47.132 But I want to challenge you this morning. 00:38:47.132 --> 00:38:53.132 How is God calling you today to devote your life? 00:38:53.132 --> 00:38:57.632 How is God calling you to devote your life today? 00:38:57.632 --> 00:39:04.632 And what area do you need to renew your devotion? 00:39:04.632 --> 00:39:08.266 And some of you, you need to taste and see that the Lord is good today. 00:39:08.266 --> 00:39:16.666 So wherever you are at the same principle applies that you need to get in God's Word. 00:39:16.666 --> 00:39:18.166 You need to have fellowship in your life. 00:39:18.166 --> 00:39:23.766 You need to keep the cross at the center, and you need to be in prayer. 00:39:24.199 --> 00:39:34.532 And so for all of us this morning, my prayers for you all to join in, as we did with early as the early church did, that we would join in those same practice and principles. Let's pray.