Reaping the Harvest
Acts 2:43-47
By: Pastor Cecil Lovelace
Introduction
(1) What happened when a church follows the Biblical Blueprint for the NT Church? If you follow a blueprint you should get the same result.
(2) The four things mentioned in verse 42 resulted in some things happening. Things never stayed the same.
(3) We should never become content with where we are as a church! We should ever be praying for and expecting progress, growth, new stimulation to greater things for God. Don’t get stale on God!
(4) Notice several things they began to reap; things that began to happen because they, "continued stedfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread and in prayers."
I. THEY DEVELOPED A FEAR OF GOD. V-43
A. They sat in wonder. V-43 At times they just stood in awe at what God could do. That’s the way it is when HE is in control.
B. They saw wonders. V-43. "Many wonders and signs were done by the apostles."
(1) The signs were evident. (Remember they did not have the new testament)
(2) The supernatural was expressed.
II. THEY DEVELOPED A UNITY AMONG THEM. V-44-45
When they became "infused" as one, "All that believed were together and had all things common."A. They shared their pain. When one hurt, they all hurt. When one rejoiced, they all rejoiced. When one was burdened, others shared the load.
B. They sold their possessions. V-45 "And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need."
(1) What they had they shared.
(2) They were not selective... "all men."
III. THEY DEVELOPED A CONSISTENCY AMONG THEM. V-46
"And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple.."A. They were not just weekend, or part time Christians.
(1) God is being crowded out of the average life by other "things."
(2) You have to make time to serve and worship God. He should be top priority.
B. They were not half hearted, anemic Christians. They meant business for God!
(1) Today, people are so inconsistent. So many are just "hit and miss" in their faithfulness to God and to his church.
(2) Today, it takes so little to pull folks away from church. There was a time when people only missed church if they were too sick to get there. Nothing else got in the way.
IV. THEY DEVELOPED A PRAISE AND ADORATION FOR GOD. V-47
A. Baptists used to shout the victory every now and then. The younger generation knows very little about that. It’s dying out in our churches.
(1) The ladies would get happy and shout their hair down or throw their bonnet!
(2) Different people express themselves in different ways, but we all should have a shout.
B. We’ve let the Devil steal our joy and our shout in our day. Is God not the same? Do we not have just as much to shout about and rejoice about in our day?
(1) We need to learn how to praise him in private.
(2) We need to learn how to praise him in public. Your joy will bubble over onto someone else.
CONCLUSION:
When they "continued stedfastly in the Apostles’ doctrine, and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.." (1) They developed a fear of God.
(2) A unity among themselves.
(3) A consistency in their walk.
(4) A praise and adoration for God.
AND
I believe it’s worth following.
: "The Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." "Praising God.." When you follow God’s Biblical Blueprint for His Church, you’ll learn to praise Him because you understand it’s HIM, not you, doing it. When you witness the awesome power of Almighty God it will put a fear and respect in your heart toward God. :