Acts 2

What is Church?

What is Church?

Dave Riddle - 6/09/2024

Key Passages: Acts 2:42-44, 2 Corinthians 8:1-5

“There is no relationship with God apart from His family”

Consumerism is about:

- satisfaction

- Entitlement

- More for me

- Obsession

- Devouring

- We think WE are doing the devouring, but instead IT devours us.

Community is about:

- being on mission

- Responsibility

- Serving others

- Freedom

- Creating

Partnership

- God desires for you to be an active partner, not a passive observer.

- 2 Corinthians 8:23

- Philippians 1:4-5

- Hebrews 10:33

- Philemon 17

- Acts 2:42-44

- koinos: “All things in common” = common; shared by all our several

- koinonos: associate, comrade, companion, sharer, partner

- koinonia: fellowship, association, joint participation, communion, community, the state one has in something, partnership

The mindset of partnership

- 2 Corinthians 8:1-5

- melos: being a living part of an interconnected body/dynamic body.

- Romans 12 & 1 Corinthians 12

- a partner is someone who is engaged with the organization’s mission

What is our focus?

- Privilege or responsibility?

- Get or give?

- Passive or active involvement?

How?

- Philippians 2:3-5

- Love, unity, humility, a common mission…

- A family on mission

Life in the Spirit

House Rules - Holy Spirit

Dave Riddle - 10/16/2022

Key Passage:  John 14:16-17

Life in the Spirit

  • walking in the power and leadership of the Holy Spirit, while bearing spiritual fruit and utilizing spiritual gifts.

A Promise Fulfilled

  • John 14:16-17

    • We need help!

  • John 16:7

    • Jesus was leaving, but He didn’t leave us without help!

    • Helper = paraklētos - summoned, called to one's side, esp. called to one's aid. One who pleads another's cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant, an advocate. One who pleads another's cause with one, an intercessor. In the widest sense, a helper, aider, assistant

Friendship

  • Holy Spirit “…is the loving, self-communicating, out-fanning and out-pouring presence of the eternal divine life of the triune God. By the Spirit, God draws near to the creature and mediates a knowledge of divinity in a hundred thousand ways.” - Jürgen Moltmann

Conviction

  • John 16:8-9

    • We are completely dependent on the Holy Spirit bearing fruit in our gospel work and in our lives.

New Life

  • Acts 2:37-38

  • John 3:5-6

  • John 6:63a

Empowered Life

  • Acts 1:8

  • 2 Timothy 1:7

    • Power = dynamis (Greek: δύναμις) strength, ability of power, especially inherent power, residing in something (or someone) by virtue of its (or their) nature.

  • Galatians 5:16

Changed (Fruitful) Life

  • Galatians 5:22-23

  • Galatians 5:25 - If we live by the spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit

    • Keep in step = stoicheo (Greek: στοιχέω) -literally, to march in military rank; to proceed in a row as the march of a soldier. Figuratively, to conform (in virtue, piety)

Gifted Life

  • 1 Corinthians 12:4-7

    • We are strengthened by each other’s gifts.

  • 1 Corinthians 12:12

Directed Life

  • John 16:3

  • 1 Corinthians 2:14

Eternal Life

  • Ephesians 1:13-14

  • Ephesians 4:30

United Life

  • 1 Corinthians 12:13

  • koinōnia (Greek: κοινωνία) - fellowship, association, community, intimacy, joint participation (the share which one has in anything), communion.

Why Did Jesus Leave?

Why Did Jesus Leave?

07/03/2021 - Paul Trulock 

Key Passage: Acts 1:6-11

Jesus has dominion over everything 

  • Acts 2:34-35

    • A footstool, a doormat, walked all over…

  • Philippians 2:9-11

    • Every knee

The Real Thing - Our King and High Priest

  • Hebrews 7:20-25

    • You have a high priest sitting at the right hand of the father who intercedes for you.

  • Hebrews 7:26-27

    • Isaiah 53 - the messiah was innocent

    • Daniel - He will die a violent death

    • David - He will not see corruption

    • Romans 8:1 - There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ

  • Hebrews 7:28-8:2

    • The work is finished!

    • The work is perfected

    • Matthew 27 - God tore the veil to signify that WE can now enter into the presence of God.

What does it mean for us today?

  • Hebrews 10:19-25

    1. Let us draw near to God

      • V. 22 With a sincere heart and full assurance of faith.

    2. Hold fast to our Hope

      • V. 23 hold onto hope without wavering

      • Our hope is based upon a sure foundation.

    3. Encourage one another

      • V. 24 spur one another on towards love and good deeds

        • 1 Peter 2:9…

    4. Be in community

      • V. 25 - do not neglect meeting together

        • We can’t think ONLY of our own sanctification.

Why did Jesus leave? 

  • He entered the Holy of Holies , to be crowned as king and to present Himself as our perfect High Priest

Our Need for Repentance is Unchanging

Unchanging Truth: Repentance
Dave Riddle - 8/15/2021
Key Passage: Mark 1:14-15

The Problem: Sin

  • We can’t do anything about it.

  • Only Jesus can.

The Solution: Repentance 

  • it’s deeper than being sorry.

  • It’s more than regret due to the consequences.

    • Worldly sorrow vs godly sorrow

      • Godly sorrow leads to repentance

  • Repentance = Metanoeo: literally to know, after. It signifies a change of mind consequent to the after knowledge; indicating regret for the course pursued and resulting in a wiser view of the past and future. Implied within us a “turning from” and a “turning to”.

John the Baptizer

  • Matthew 3:2

    • Repent the Kingdom of God is near

Jesus

  • Mark 1:14-15

    • Repent and believe

Peter

  • Acts 2:36-39

    • Repent (to those who have not yet believed)

Paul

  • Paul’s epistles

    • Repent (to believers)

John the Revelator

  • Revelation 2 and 3

    • Repent (to churches)

We are a people who are called to repent.

  • not about guilt and shame

  • It’s about life!

Why Baptism?

Why Baptism?

Dave Riddle - Baptism Sunday 5/2/21

Key passage: Matthew 28:19-20

Why do we baptise?

  • It’s a Perfect Picture

  • Dead to sin (dunked) raised to new life in Christ (raised out of the water)

    • Romans 6:4

Why Immersion?

  • Seems to be the regular practice in the New Testament and Apostolic Age.

  • It’s consistent with what baptism symbolizes.

    • baptizo (Greek: βαπτίζω) - to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge (of sunken vessels); to cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one's self, bathe.

    • Pickle recipe from 200BC

      • The immersion leads to a permanent change of the vegetable.

  • It’s about identification

    • Romans 6:3-4

  • It’s a public declaration faith

    • What are we declaring?

      • 1 Peter 3:8

        • What we believe about Jesus

      • 2 Corinthians 5:17

        • What we believe about ourselves. Made new!

    • Who should be baptized?

      • Acts 2:38 - Repent and be baptized...

      • Philip and the Ethiopian

      • Baptism follows salvation.

  • It’s a Reminder of Who We Are in Jesus

    • Romans 6:6-7

    • Romans 6:11

    • Galatians 2:20 - ...it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me

Paul’s Apostolic Travel Plan

Paul’s Apostolic Travel Plan

Dave Riddle - 2/16/20

Key Passage: Romans 15:22-29

What Was

  • Romans 15:23b - ...I have strongly desired for many years to come to you...

    • He never allows his personal desires to override his calling.

    • Taking the gospel to those who had never heard it was Paul’s primary objective.

What Is

  • Romans 15:23a - But now I no longer have any work to do in these regions...

    • There was still a lot of work to be done, but Paul’s work was finished.

      • He had planted churches, trained leaders, and empowered believers.

  • Romans 15:25 - Right now I’m traveling to Jerusalem to serve the saints...

    • Why was the church in Jerusalem so impoverished?

      • Potentially as a result of their extreme generosity (as seen in Acts 2 & 4).

  • Romans 15:26-27 

    • Paul acknowledges the importance of the Jerusalem church in the planting and thriving of churches all around the Mediterranean.

      • He is asking now for those churches to bless the Jerusalem church in the midst of their great need.

What‘s Next

  • Romans 15:28 - I will visit you on the way to Spain.

    • Spain was one of the furthest reaches of the Roman government at the time

      • Many Jews, few Christians.

      • A place ripe for the gospel.

    • A tremendously long and difficult journey.

  • Romans 15:24 - I hope to see you when I pass though and to be assisted by you...

    • He isn’t staying long.

    • He anticipates being “filled up” by their fellowship and support.

What’s For Sure

  • Romans 15:29 - ...I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

    • He takes the focus off himself and places it on Jesus.

What do we take away?

  1. Paul’s preoccupation with the Gospel

  2. The importance he places on people in need.

  3. The importance Paul places on the mutual benefit we have in building each other up.