Bro Erik Lai
05-03-2017
All of us have been called for a purpose in this season to influence people for God.
The Holy Spirit can transform God's people into a supernatural community.
Acts 2:40-47The Message (MSG)
40 He went on in this vein for a long time, urging them over and over, “Get out while you can; get out of this sick and stupid culture!”
41-42 That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers.
43-45 Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person’s need was met.
46-47 They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.
Acts is about the exponential growth of the church.
This was after Jesus was crucified. This was after the Holy Spirit came upon the people.
They continued to:
1) Learn
2) Care
3) Fellowship
4) Worship God
They saw beyond the situation and circumstances, and prepared the people (persecution). When persecution did come, they were ready and considered it worthy.
Day by day, the Lord added to their number.
They devoted themselves to the Word of God and the Apostles' teachings.
Every need was met through the sharing, breaking of bread and eating together.
It was a community that was different from what they were used to before.
It was a community that lived for each other.
Prayer was essential and integral. As a result of this, the community grew. The church expanded and multiplied. Because the people prayed.
God did signs and wonders as they prayed and trusted God.
The vitality of the church was measured by the vitality of prayer.
The church community in Acts 2:42-47:
1) Spiritual community
2) Servant community (they washed each other's feet)
3) Saving community (they proclaimed the Good News)
Small groups exist for people to engage in a biblical community -- to become more like Jesus.
HF vision:
-Build Christ-centred relationships,
-Demonstrate God's love, and
-Transform our community
Build relationships that are Christ-centred.
Be doers of the Word. Love one another in practical ways. Love covers a multitude of sins. Then we transform the community.
HF goals:
-Evangelise (community transformation)
-Equip and Edify (discipleship and nurturing)
-Empower (multiplication of HFs)
4 groups of people:
-Subtract (always take things away from you)
-Divide (out to destro you)
-Add (contribute to your life)
-Multiply (magnify, grow and develop you so that you reach your maximum potential. Demonstrate God's love)
GROW (Acts 2:42-47):
-God (He Himself is in a community of 3 persons who exist in perfect unity)
-Relationship
-Outreach
-Worship
It is not good to be man to be alone. (Genesis 2:18)
God created us to be in a community.
This statement was made before the fall of men. Adam was living in perfect communion and fellowship with God. Yet God said it is not good for man to be alone.
"Community is deeply grounded in the nature of God. It flows from who God is. Because he is community, he creates community. It is his gift of himself to humans. Therefore, the making of community may not be regarded as an optional decision for Christians. It is a compelling and irrevocable necessity, a binding divine mandate for all believers at all times."
- Dr. Gilbert Bilezikian
(Professor Emeritus, Wheaton College; Co-founder of Willow Creek Church; Author of Community 101 & Christianity 101)
Jesus Himself called 12 disciples to be in His community. He loved them and taught them. He created the first home fellowship.
The Apostles continued this model and form communities of believers because they were grounded in the Word, they prayed together, they turned the world upside down.
4 Distinctive Features:
1) God
He is the reason and centre of everything we do.
Matthew 22:37-40New International Version (NIV)
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Colossians 1:9-14New International Version (NIV)
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father,who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
It was all about God. Each time they gathered, they celebrated God and engaged in life together through prayer, fellowship, communion and radical generosity. They demonstrated the love of God in practical and supernatural ways. They supported each other. They treated each other as one body in Christ.
Colossians 1:9-14
-God fills us with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives
-We live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way
-Bearing fruit in every good work
-Growing in the knowledge of God
-Being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might
-Giving joyful thanks to the Father
How do we grow in our intimacy, knowledge of God, know and live out His will?
-Encounter and fellowship with Him daily (Connect with God)
-Read His Word daily (Hearing from Him)
-Pray (Talk with Him)
-Fellowship with other believers (Join a Life Group)
-Practise and apply His Word in our daily life (walk the talk and talk the walk)
"I stopped approaching my quiet time as a spiritual positioning activity for the day and began to approach it as an encounter with Christ."
- Bob Roberts Jr
2) Relationship
Love is centre and reason
John 13:34-35New International Version (NIV)
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
"People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care"
- John C. Maxwell
God never intended for us to live the Christian life alone.
He calls us to encounter one another so that our lives become transformed.
Be an agent of change even to toxic people. Through our love, we can transform them.
Through the New Testament, it was a way of life - spiritually significent intentional relationship with one another. Being church instead of doing church. Iron sharpens iron.
We live in a fragmented and disconnected world. We have thousands of friends in Facebook but we do not even know our neighbour.
In a life group, we build relationship whom we care and they care for us.
We don't compete with each other but we complete one another.
"God uses people to form people."
- John Ortberg
The main goal is to be more like Jesus. Live our life to be Christ-like in every manner.
Relationship is the glue that holds people together. It must be built upon:
-God's love (our human love is finite but God's love is infinite that we can even love our enemy and God's love can soften the hearts of the greatest sinner)
-Trust
-Honesty
-Integrity
-Sincerity
-Truth
-Respect
-Genuine concern and care for one another
-and many more...
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
-African Proverb
Together, we can make great impact for God.
3) Outreach
Mission is the heartbeat of God
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 13:34-35New International Version (NIV)
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Matthew 28:16-20New International Version (NIV)
The Great Commission
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
People will know us by our love for one another and by our love for them.
Christian community is the final apologetic.
"The beginning and the end of all Christian leadership is to give your life for others."
"Our greatest fulfillment lies in giving ourselves to others."
- Henri Nouwen
This is our mission and our outreach.
Seriously think about our role as salt and light and be involved in transforming communities.
Psalm 68:5New International Version (NIV)
5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.
Isaiah 1:17New International Version (NIV)
17 Learn to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow.
4) Worship
Worship is Worthship.
Worship is not a noun but a verb.
1 Chronicles 16:23-31New International Version (NIV)
23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
24 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
25 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
27 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and joy are in his dwelling place.
28 Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,
ascribe to the Lordglory and strength.
29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come before him.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
30 Tremble before him, all the earth!
The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.
31 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
Romans 12:1-2New International Version (NIV)
A Living Sacrifice
12 Therefore, I urge you,brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
"Worship must be - Christ centered, Holy Spirit led, a Response to the Father, about Intimacy and Service and always lead to Transformation!"
- Tim Hughes
"Worship changes the worshiper into the image of the One worshiped."
- Jack Hayford
The secret of the sequoia tree is they never grow alone.
We are only as strong as the ordinary member but together, we bring transformation.
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