Acts 2:1-21 - "The Time Is Now"

Our world is full of politics and double talk and the mincing of words. So it’s refreshing to read Acts 2 where we see Peter boldly proclaiming God’s truth. But Acts 2 also reminds us that the power behind Peter’s bold speech is nothing short of the Holy Spirit Himself. Without the Spirit, we will succumb to pressures and politics. But by God’s grace, we have the power to boldly witness to the truth of Christ. The time is now for trusting Christ. And we must trust in Christ’s supernatural provision so that He can use us to help others trust in His salvation.

Acts 1:12-26 - "Waiting For God"

Today’s passage describes a unique moment in history. It was the 10-day period of waiting on God to send His Spirit. It was a waiting room scene which would culminate in the birth of the Church. Even though we will never have to wait for the Spirit like those early disciples did, we can still learn a lot from their example. They show us what faith looks like as we “wait” for God to show up at different times and in different ways throughout our lives. And this is the big idea for today’s sermon: Living a life of faith means learning how to wait for God. Today’s passage shows us three things that we must do as we wait for God: stay, pray, and obey.

Acts 1:9-11 - "Expect The Expected"

If we lose sight of the promise of Christ’s return, then we won’t be able to fulfill our mission to bring the good news of the Gospel even across the street, much less to the ends of the earth. We will get choked out by fears and anxieties, like the fruitless plants in the Parable of the Sower. Instead of hopefully working hard for Christ, we’ll succumb to discouragement and despair. But today’s passage makes it clear that Christ has been exalted, so Christ should be expected. As we better understand the exaltation of our Lord, we will be able to live for Him expectantly.

Acts 1:1-8 - "Building The Church"

The big idea for today is that the Church is a divine work accomplished through Spirit-empowered people, so we must lean on the finished work of Christ in order to lean into His unfinished work of building the Church. In the first eight verses, we see all three Members of the Trinity playing a role in the birth of the Church. We also see divinely-appointed people being prepared to play their own parts. Today’s passage sets the stage by looking backward to the finished work of Christ and looking forward to the unfinished work of Church-building. Jesus laid the Cornerstone, and now He’s calling His people to the ongoing work of construction.

"The Perks of Church Membership" (Series: Better Be The Church)

Unless we exchange our culturally-informed understanding of church for a biblical one, then we will never experience the real perks of committed membership in a local church. So what does the Bible say about church membership? And what are those perks of which we speak? That’s what we’re going to look at today, and it should leave a lasting impression on all of us. Christ wants us to experience the perks of membership in His Body, and we do that by becoming committed members of a local church. Only then can we experience the perks of shepherding, sanctification, and service.

"The Works of a Church" (Series: Better Be The Church)

As Christians, we have been called to glorify God through certain works, so let’s get to work, trusting that God will empower us to pursue that purpose. There are different ways to articulate the works of the church which bring glory to God. Today, we’re using the three-fold approach developed by Dr. Michael Svigel. These three works of the church are evangelism, edification, and exaltation.

"The Marks of a Church" (Series: Better Be The Church)

We cannot afford to be confused about what constitutes a local church. Participation in anything less than an authentic New Testament church can only lead to problems for ourselves and others. It’s impossible to better be the church that Christ desires if we’re not even members of a legitimate local church. So then, what should we look for in a local church? An authentic New Testament church is marked by at least three core components: orthodoxy, order, and the ordinances.

"The Nature of the Church" (Series: Better Be The Church)

If we think of church as a steepled building, or a business, or a service or program, or a marketplace of spiritual goods and services, then we have lost our ecclesiological map, and we’re in trouble, whether or not we realize it. But, we can always turn back to the simplicity of God’s Word for a refresher course in Church 101. And by God’s grace that’s exactly what we’re going to do over these next four weeks. Our challenge is to better BE the church that Christ desires. In order to meet this challenge, we must begin with a basic question: What is the Church? Today, we’re going to look at the nature of the Church through three lenses: definitions, descriptions, and depictions of the Church in Scripture.

Hebrews 13:17-25 - "Church Leadership"

If a church leader fails to understand and appreciate the leadership principles set forth in Hebrews 13, then it will result in failure. And if a church family fails to uphold and apply these biblical principles, then it will implode, just like too many other Christian churches. Today’s big idea is simply this: Church leaders must be Christ-like leaders. Our passage includes three key ingredients to Christ-like leadership that honors Christ and blesses Christians: God-given authority, Christ-like humility, and Biblical community.

Hebrews 13:9-16 - "New Covenant Commitments"

As New Covenant believers, we sometimes struggle with what it means to be a Christian. And the author of Hebrews knew that, which is why he concludes his letter with one last reminder of our Christian commitments. The New Covenant calls us to a life of commitment, so we need to know what’s expected of us. Today’s passage lays out three basic Christian commitments: 1. Our commitment to the Gospel; 2. Our commitment to discipleship; and 3. Our commitment to worship.

Hebrews 12:18-29 - "Holiness"

A sense of familiarity can dull our appreciation of the awesomeness of God. In particular, we fail to appreciate His holiness: His majesty, power and purity. Today’s passage teaches us that, by appreciating God’s holiness, we can better understand His grace. The gospel of Jesus Christ reveals God’s holiness and God’s grace, and we must embrace both in order to live as we ought to. In the two parts of today’s passage, we see that God’s holiness requires grace; and that God’s grace should result in our holiness.

Hebrews 12:12-17 - "Spiritual Orienteering"

We could think of Hebrews 12 as “spiritual orienteering.” We’ve already seen how the Christian life is likened to an endurance race. We know that Jesus has already run the race ahead of us, and that our ultimate destination is to be with Him. But Ch. 12 also teaches us that as we are running this race, we will inevitably face suffering and hardship, which can be disorienting. We can end up straying from God’s path and losing our way in life. But if we stay spiritually oriented to Jesus, we can stay on the right path, and will eventually arrive at our destination. In today’s passage, we see three indicators that we’re on the right spiritual path, oriented to Jesus, and three indicators that we’re on the wrong path, and in need of a course correction.

Hebrews 12:3-11 - "Suffering & Discipline"

Today’s passage is all about suffering. We tend to think that nothing good can come out of our suffering. But that’s not the case. Scripture teaches us that suffering can always produce spiritual fruit. Like other passages in the New Testament, Hebrews 12:3-11 lays out a process of spiritual growth that begins with suffering and ends with spiritual fruit.

Hebrews 12:1-3 - "Encouragement to Endure"

The Christian life is an endurance race. And it’s easy for us to lose heart and lose focus on our ultimate goal, Jesus Christ. We get hit with tough news. We lose a job. A relationship goes south. We can’t shake a sin struggle. Maybe we’re tempted to go back to our old ways, or to choose comfort or complacency. The good news is that, no matter what our life circumstances are, when we fix our eyes on Jesus, we can run and finish our race well. Focusing on Jesus allows us to run with encouragement, without encumbrances, and with a perfect example.

Hebrews 10:1-18 - "Freedom From Sin"

Christians are freed from sin by the sacrifice of Christ, so let’s live like free people. Today’s passage helps us do that by removing two major obstacles: 1. Not understanding the insufficiency of our own sacrifices to free us from sin (which we see in the animal sacrifices under the Old Covenant); and 2. Not understanding and appreciating the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice to make us free.