Wanna Start Something

Wanna Start Something?

(Dreams and= Visions, Part 1)

Acts 2:37-4= 7, Joel 2:28-32

September 1= 7, 2006

I. Questions

&nb= sp; Have you ever asked yourself questions like these?

How can I keep growing as a person?

Where can I find a sense of belonging?

How can I develop deep, meaningful relationships?=

Can my prayers be more effective?

What role should material pos= sessions play in my life?

How can I best help other people?

How can I make a significant difference in the lives of those around me?

Should I expect real miracles?

How can I experience the presence of God?

What can I do for my friends who don’t believe?<= /p>

&nb= sp; Those are important questions. I imagine we’ve all wrestled wi= th one or more of them. Maybe you’ve even tangled with them all. Think of how much richer, how much more joyful our lives would be if we knew the answers.

&nb= sp; Well, those are the questions and answers we’re going to face today and for the next several Sundays. In fact, all those questions are addressed in amazing ways in one passage of Scripture. That passage is our = New Testament reading for this morning (Acts 2:41-47). As Jim reads it, letR= 17;s all read aloud with him. Be on the look out for the Bible’s responses= to our questions, and listen for the Word of God.

41<= /i>Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added= to their number that day.

42They devoted themse= lves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and = to prayer. 43Every= one was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All= the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, = they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread = in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor o= f all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

   &nb= sp; This passage paints a portrait of what life was like for the first followers of Jesus, the members of the early church. It outlines what it me= ant to be a disciple of Jesus when that was a new thing, a radical thing to do.= It describes the Christian life and the Christian community before Christianity was a respectable religion and the Church was just another social instituti= on. This is fresh faith. Vibrant! Fresh off the presses, before it’s had = time to fade. Hot out of the oven, before it’s had time to cool, or worse, grow stale.

   &nb= sp; It starts with Baptism.

   &nb= sp; I love baptisms, don’t you? The babies are always so cute, in their special little outfits. The grown ups are so excited and filled with anticipation. Baptism is always a joyful occasion. This morning we’re going to baptize Luke Underwood, and I can hardly wait.

    But the exciting thing about baptism isn’t cute babies. It’s just as thrilling when adults are baptized. The point is that baptism is a new beginning. Baptism is the start o= f a new life, saturated with the grace of Jesus. Baptism is a first step in mak= ing disciples.

   &nb= sp; You remember, the risen Jesus gave us this mandate. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of t= he Son and of the Holy Spirit …”

     Baptism is the f= irst step in making disciples, but it isn’t the only step. Jesus went on to say, “teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you.”

   &nb= sp; Our passage starts with baptism, but then it goes on to tell us what happened to the early Christians after they were baptized. “They devoted themsel= ves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer.” Everyone was filled with awe. They had all things in common. They met daily in the temple and in their homes and so on. Baptism = was only the beginning. Baptism was just the start of something. Baptism was the first step.

   &nb= sp; When we baptize Luke this morning, we’re taking the first step= in making him a disciple. But what if we only take the first step, and then st= op?

      You may not know= this, but a couple of years ago I went to Aruba. In fact, the church paid for it!= But I really didn’t enjoy it much. You see, I never got out of the airpor= t. I went on a mission trip to Guyana (you knew about that) and on the way home = the plane had a lay over in Aruba for an hour or so. I’ve been to Ireland= and Denmark, too. But again, I only saw the airport. You could say I took the f= irst step in visiting those countries, but I never went beyond the first step. S= o it really didn’t do me much good.

   &nb= sp; It’s the same way when we baptize someone, and don’t fol= low up by helping that person become a mature disciple.

   &nb= sp; You may remember the story about how we painted my house when I was a kid. My dad worked hard to raise his family. He worked lots of weekends to = make ends meet. But every now and then, when the house needed painting, he’= ;d take the weekend off and we’d paint. However, in one weekend, we could only cover about half the house. The next weekend, dad would have to work again. Or it would rain. Or we’d have a family obligation or a fishing trip planned. By the time we got a chance to paint the rest of the house, my mom would have changed her mind about the color she wanted. So we’d p= ick up where we left off last time, but with a different color – planning= to finish the job next weekend. But of course, the next weekend dad had to wor= k. Or it rained and so on. So the south and east walls of our house would be o= ne color while the north and west walls would be another. This happened three = or four times.

   &nb= sp; As a matter of fact, one time a young man wanted to take my older si= ster out on a date. She told him where we lived so he could pick her up, and he asked, “What color is your house?” My sister answered, “T= hat depends on which direction you’re coming from!”

   &nb= sp; When we baptize Luke this morning, we’re taking the first step= in making him a disciple. But we= would be foolish if we only took the first step. It would be very sad if we start= ed, but didn’t continue.

Jesus sa= id, "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will= he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30saying, = 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'” (L= uke 14:28-30)

     We need to go on= with the work of making Luke a disciple. We need to be about the business of mak= ing disciples of every person whom we have baptized. We need to invest ourselve= s in making disciples of people whom we have not yet baptized but will one day. = Your child. Your neighbor. Your co-worker. Your family member. Your friend. Bapt= ism is only the first step in making disciples.

     And disciples are people who devote themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship= , to prayer. They worship. They share. They care for other people. They experien= ce awe in their lives and all the rest.

     You see, our pas= sage not only tells us what the Christian life was like for the early disciples, it also declares what the Christian life is supposed to be like for all discip= les, at all times -- including you and me. It isn’t only descriptive, it’s prescriptive. The Bible lifts them up as an example. They’= re role models for us. That’s the kind of disciples we’re supposed to make. That’s the kind of disciples we’re supposed to b= e.

   &nb= sp; And so we’re looking at more than a portrait. We’re looking at a vision of= what the Lord wants for His disciples. It’s a vision of what God desires f= or His church.

   &nb= sp; For some time our elders and I have been talking about the need to clarify our vision as a church. Where do we go from here? Where is God lead= ing us? What are we supposed to be in the future?

   &nb= sp; I looked for ways to articulate my vision for this church, so that I could share that with you and the Session. Finally I decided a series of sermons would be the best way to go. As I started studying for the series I= was led back to this passage from Acts 2, and I realized I was going about this= all wrong. My vision for this church doesn’t really matter. The Session’s vision for this church doesn’t really matter. Your vi= sion for this church doesn’t really matter. What matters is God’s vision. What matters is what Jesus wants, because He alone is head of the church. This is His church. It always has been and, please God, it always w= ill be.

   &nb= sp; So we’re going to talk about vision. But we’re not going= to talk much about buildings, much less carpet colors. We’re not going to talk much about the number of members we should have – should we be a small church or a large church? We’re not going to talk a lot about programs. These things are secondary.

   &nb= sp; Instead we’re going to talk about radical Christianity. We’re going to talk about how to be a church where faith is always fr= esh. Hot out of the oven. Never cold or stale.

   &nb= sp; And yes, we’re going to address some very important questions.=

How can I keep growing as a person?

How can I develop deep, meaningful relationships?=

Can my prayers be more effective?

What role should material pos= sessions play in my life?

How can I best help other people?

Should I expect real miracles?

How can I experience the presence of God?

What can I do for my friends who don’t believe?<= /p>

   &nb= sp; Do you ever watch that program, “The Antiques Road Show? People bring in family heirlooms or old items they have lying around the house, in= the hopes that they are valuable antiques. Sometimes the stuff is just junk. But not always.

   &nb= sp; One time a guy named Dale brought in an old vase that a roommate had given him. It turns out the vase was made by a company called Teco around 1= 910 and was worth about $15,000.

     A woman na= med Virginia brought in some fire buckets that belonged to her great grandfathe= r. She was advised to insure them for $30,000.

   &nb= sp; Another woman named Nancy brought in 10 bug-shaped, silver pins which her mother had bought at a curio shop in Tokyo for $50 and an old washing machine. The whole set was appraised at between $30,000 and $50,000!

   &nb= sp; Wouldn’t it be cool if we had a priceless treasure like that, right under our noses, and didn’t even know it? Maybe something we inherited from past generations. Maybe something we picked up for cheap, or even for free.

   &nb= sp; Friends, as a matter of fact, we do. We have a treasure right here, whether know it or not. We have something that can make our lives richer an= d we hardly even notice it. We have something that can answer some of our deepest questions, our deepest needs, and we so often we ignore it. That something = is the church!

   &nb= sp; The problem is we’ve forgotten how precious the church is. We’ve forgotten how powerful the church is. We’ve forgotten the incredible gift the Lord gave us when he gave us the church. But when we recover the church the way it’s supposed to be, when we discover God’s vision for the church, we know that the church is priceless. It’s dynamic. It’s profound. It changes our whole lives –= and our whole culture – for the better.

   &nb= sp; Now this isn’t entirely new to us. Parts of that vision show u= p in our mission statement here at Woodbury. Compare our mission statement with = Acts 2:41-47. The mission of Woodbury Presbyterian Church is to (read it out loud with me):

-- Adore God through powerful, Spirit-filled worship;<= /p>
46<= /i>Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread = in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God …

[Everyone was filled with awe]

-- Care for others through acts of compassionate servi= ce

Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.

-- Teach believers how to become more faithful discipl= es of Jesus

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching …
-- Involve people in a fellowship of Christ-like love<= /p>
They devoted themselves … to the fellowship …

All the believers were together and had everything in common.<= /o:p>

[They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sin= cere hearts,]

Offer God's gift of

New life in Christ to our community and the world.

And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved= .

   &nb= sp; We see the same vision in older statements about the church, too. In= the 1700’s the Presbyterian Church outlined what it called “The Gre= at Ends of the Church.” Th= ese are the reasons the church exists, the goals the church pursues.

"The great ends of the church are:

the proclamation of the gospel for the salva= tion of humankind;

the shelter, nurture and spiritual fellowship of = the children of God;

the maintenance of divine worship;

preservation of the truth;

the promotion of social righteousness;

and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world." (G-1.0200)

   &nb= sp; Again, if we listen closely we can hear echoes of Acts 2. We can tra= ce the faded outlines of God’s vision for the church.

   &nb= sp; God’s vision for the church is exciting. Vibrant. Powerful. Wh= en the early disciples followed that vision, they couldn’t wait to go to church meetings. They would have looked at us like we were crazy if we ever said, “Church is boring!” But now people look at us like that i= f we say “Church is exciting!” Why the difference?

   &nb= sp; Perhaps the difference can be summed up in one word. “Devoted.”

   &nb= sp; The first disciples “= devoted themselves to the apostles' te= aching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer .R= 21;

   &nb= sp; Think about what it means to be devoted. What is a devoted father or mother like? That person puts his or her kids above every other concern.

    Think about what it means to be a d= evoted member of a club. A devoted member is there at every meeting, and brings refreshments! He’s probably on a committee or two.

   &nb= sp; Think about what it means to be a devoted member of a team or a band= or a troupe. You never miss a game or a show, or even a practice. You arrange = your schedule around the activities of that group. And if something else interfe= res, well, too bad for something else.

   &nb= sp; Think of what it even means to be a devoted fan of a sports team or = some performer. You spend huge amounts of time and even money just to see that t= eam or that act.

   &nb= sp; That’s what the early disciples were like. Only their devotion= was to the things of God. Their devotion was to things that have eternal significance. Their devotion was to the things we’ll be looking at in= the messages ahead of us.   &nb= sp;

   &nb= sp; The word that’s translated “devoted” here is an interesting one. It’s used 10 times in the Bible. Mark uses it 3:9 us= es it to tell us that Jesus had a boat at his disposal. It was “devoted” to His use, whenever He wanted it. Acts 10:7 uses it = to tell us that Cornelius had a soldier who was standing by to do whatever he = was told. Verse 46 of our passage uses it to tell us that the early disciples continued to meet in the temple. In other words, they were devoted to worsh= ip.

   &nb= sp; But in 5 of the 10 instances where the Bible uses this word, it talks about being devoted to prayer. And one of those passages knocked me off my rocker.

   &nb= sp; In Acts 6:4 the apostles outline what they believe their primary tas= ks to be – and I believe these should be the primary tasks of any pastor. They say, “we will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of t= he word.” (The word translated “give attention” is the same = word for “devote.”)

     Now, I read the Bible – pretty much every day. I preach, more or less. I pray. But can I honestly say I’m devoted to these things? When I read that verse, it = was like a knife went into my chest. I’m not doing what I’m suppose= d to be doing as a pastor. How can I ask God for more joy? How can I ask God for more power in my ministry? How can I ask God for the fullness of the Holy Spirit in my life, in the life of our church, in this community when my devotion is so diluted? So cold?

   &nb= sp; Perhaps I’m not the only one. Maybe that’s why we don’t experience the church the way the first disciples did. Maybe our devotion has grown cold. Dissipated. Maybe other things are more important, more precious to us than God’s word, fellowship, prayer, worship. May= be we’ve become more devoted to career, classes, hobbies. Maybe even a c= lub, or sports team, or performing group. And family. Maybe we’ve forgotten that the most precious treasure we can give to our families is a vibrant, life-changing, culture-transforming church where faith can grow. Maybe we’ve forgotten what it was like when faith was fresh, and being a Christian was a radical thing to do.

   &nb= sp; If so, it’s time to go back to the beginning. It’s time = to rediscover God’s vision for us. I know that’s what I need, and I didn’t know that until I started working on this message. So I’m going to go back and start over. And I invite you to come with me.