Sunday Reflections (7-16-17)

God continues to amaze me! What incredible services we had this past Sunday on "The Hill." The Spirit of God had free reign in both our AM and PM worship services. As the invitation was given Sunday morning, the altars were flooded. The leadership came and prayed for our church. The men came and prayed for their families. Others came and laid their burdens before the Lord. We had one come on profession of faith Sunday morning and one Sunday night. In our 11AM worship service, we had another sweet couple come and make BRVBC their church home. Welcome Jesse Evatt and Moriah Hughes... And congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

We continued our Sunday morning series on "The Church Ablaze" in the book of Acts, and our Sunday evening series, "Deeper." There is a sense of excitement and expectation in the air at BRV. With each passing Sunday, we are seeing God do incredible things and move in different ways! I can't wait to baptize 8 or 9 more this coming Sunday night!

Let me give you our AM and PM outlines for you to reflect upon this week:

AM Service

Series: "The Church Ablaze"
Subject: Early Church in Acts
Sermon: "Fire Power!" (3/7)
Scripture: Acts 4. 1-33

INTRODUCTION

*One of the most incredible passages in all of the Word of God on praying: Acts 4.31

I. WHERE THEY PRAYED (18,23)

   A. In the Midst of Tribulation (18)

*There is something wrong with Christianity when Christians do not suffer tribulation in some form or another.

John 16.33

   B. In the Midst of Persecution (23)

*Many times where TRIBULATION and PERSECUTION exist, revival also breaks out.
*Our Christian life will either attract or antagonize a watching world.

John 15.20
Matt. 5.12

II. HOW THEY PRAYED (24-25, 28-30)

$$ Statement: There is no greater force on earth than a praying church.

*3 aspects of their praying:

   A. Unity (24)

*One church in one accord!!

   B. Their View of God was Clear (24-25)

*They had a Biblical View of God!!

     1. God of Sovereignty- "Lord, you are God..."
     2. God of Prophecy- "who by the mouth of your servant David said..."
*quote Psalm 2 in their prayer
     3. God of History (28)

   C. They Prayed Big (29-30)

- They did not pray for little things. They desired revival. They desired for God to shake their world. And they did not compromise their message despite their circumstances!

III. WHAT HAPPENED IN RESPONSE TO THEIR PRAYING (31-33)

*2 things happened as a result of their praying:

   A. The Church was Empowered to Minister (33)

*Could it be that the church today has no great power because we have no great prayer meetings?

*Thousands were saved and ministered to because they were operating in the power of the Holy Spirit!

   B. The Church was Filled with Grace (33, 35)

"grace"- the love of God in action

*There was a conscious spirit of community- a caring and sharing that was extraordinary.

CONCLUSION

*God does not work in spite of us- He works through us, and He works in answer to prayer.

*The church's strength is not revealed in it's business meetings. It is revealed in it's prayer meetings.

*The early church's prayer meetings were demonstrations of how God's people should always pray.

PM Service

Series: "Deeper"
Subject: Deepening our Spiritual Roots
Sermon: "I Am a Church Member" (#2)
Scripture: Colossians 2.6-7; Hebrews 10.25

INTRODUCTION

QUESTION: After salvation, where do we start to deepen our spiritual roots?
ANSWER: In a local fellowship called the church. The church is essential to a deepening Christian life.


QUESTION: What is a church?
ANSWER: A group of saved, scripturally baptized followers of Christ

*What does it involve?

I. MEMBERSHIP

*There are no such things as spiritual gypsies. God wants His people deeply rooted in a fellowship of believers.  

*You can be a christian without being a member of a church, but you cannot be an obedient one. 

QUESTION: What kind of church should I join?

   A. A Bible Preaching Church!

     1. It Ought to be Preached Consistently (2Tim. 4.2)
     2. It Ought to be Preached Courageously (2Tim. 4.2)

   B. Where Jesus is the Main Attraction! (Eph. 5.23)

*Worship is not about me and it's not about you. It's about Jesus only.

"Just give me Jesus when I come to church!"

   C. Where God's Spirit is Present! (Acts 2)

*There is nothing more sad and CONTRADICTORY than a dead church.
*The church you join should be alive with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

   D. Where God's People are Passionate about His Work and Will (Acts 2.41-47)

II. COMPANIONSHIP (Hebrews 10.25)

*Church is a place of Christian fellowship.

   A. The Assembling of the Fellowship (25)

*Christian are to attend faithfully the church to which they belong.
   
   B. The Expectancy of the Fellowship (25)

*As we approach the coming of the Lord, assembling together as fellow believers becomes even more important ("so much more...")

   C. The Encouragement from the Fellowship (25)

"exhort"- has the idea of comforting and encouraging one another (I Thes. 4)

*Assembling together as believers is important because we draw strength from the companionship and fellowship that we have with other christians!

III. STEWARDSHIP (Titus 1.7)

*The church is a place to serve. It is a place to be a good steward of our spiritual gifts.

*The Bible speaks of every Christian as being gifted to serve, therefore you need to:

   A. Discover your Gift (1st Cor. 12.4)

*Spiritual gift is how God has equipped a believer to serve. You were not saved to sit. You were saved to serve.

   B. Employ your Gift- Put it to work!!!

*The church needs your service, but greater than that. you need to be serving.

AGAIN: You were not saved to sit. You were saved to serve.

CONCLUSION

*In order to deepen our spiritual roots, we need to be a part of a church. Our Membership, Companionship and Stewardship are all part of our spiritual growth.


Until Next Time,

Bro. Pastor
Eph. 3.20
     

Sunday Reflections (7-9-17)

It is hard to put into words what we saw God do in our midst this past Sunday. It was just one of those sacred times when God settles down among us as we are in a spirit of obedience to Him. I thank God for the testimonies in the 11am worship service of what God is doing in your lives. I praise Him for displaying His power in our lives and in our church. I once heard the phrase that "A church alive is worth the drive." I believe that...and it is obvious, even in the middle of Summer, that many of you do as well!

Here's a brief recap of our messages from Sunday:

Sunday AM

Series: "Deeper" (#1)
Subject; Assurance of Salvation
Sermon: "Oh Yes I Know!
Scripture: 1st John 5.6-13

INTRODUCTION

1. We are beginning a series on Sunday nights entitled, "Deeper." In this series, we are going to reveal the building blocks of our faith...how to go and grow Deeper in our walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. How to grow closer to God and walk in a greater obedience to Him on a daily basis. "Deeper!"

2. If you want to go Deeper in your walk and in your faith, you have to begin with the foundation: the assurance of your salvation. You will live in defeat if you wake each day wondering whether you are "saved" or "lost."

3. Based on Scripture, we can know beyond the shadow of a doubt that we are a child of God. You should never have a "Hope So" salvation when the Bible teaches that you can have a "Know So" salvation.

$$ Statement: You will never go Deeper with God if you do not have this foundational truth settled in your life.

*John outlines for us in our text the truth of salvation:

I. SALVATION IS BASED UPON HIS WORK (6)

   A. Notice the Sacrifice (6)
     1. He Speaks of the Water
     2. He Speaks of the Blood

   B. Notice the Symbol (6)

"blood"- salvation, conversion, judicial cleansing
"water"- sanctification, continuous cleansing, practical cleansing

*The blood of Jesus saves me. The water of the Word cleanses me!

II. SALVATION IS AFFIRMED BY HIS WITNESS (9-12)

*His witness (Holy Spirit) in me confirms my salvation.
*God sent Christ to accomplish our salvation, but He sent Holy Spirit to empower us to flesh out our salvation.

**The witness of the Holy Spirit is indispensable if we are going to be saved and have the assurance of our salvation.

   A. This Witness is Reliable (8)
   B. This Witness Reveals (9-10)
   C. This Witness Plays a Role (11-12)

REMEMBER: The Holy Spirit will always point us to Jesus Christ...
"Any parade that emphasizes the Holy Spirit over the Lord Jesus Christ is in direct contradiction to the Word of God." Dr. Akin

- The witness (testimony) of the Holy Spirit is found in v.12!

III. SALVATION IS EVIDENCED IN MY LIFE IN ACCORDANCE TO GOD'S WORD (13)

   A. Our Basis for Assurance- the Word of God!
- Not remembrance
- Not feelings
*The truth of the Word of God is our basis for the assurance of our salvation

   B. The Behavior of Our Assurance
1) Joy!
2) Service!

Dwight L. Moody: "I have never known a Christian who was any good in the work of Christ who did not have the assurance of his salvation."

CONCLUSION

Dr. Adrian Rogers suggests that John gives us 3 tests to reveal how salvation should show up in our behavior:

     1. The Commandment Test (1st John 2. 3-6)
     2. The Companion Test (1st John 3.14)
     3. The Commitment Test (1st John 5.10,13)- are you trusting Jesus right now- Him alone- as Savior and Lord of your life?

**Is there any evidence in your life today that you are the offspring of the living God?


Sunday PM

Series: "The Church Ablaze" (#2)
Subject: The Early Church in Acts
Sermon: "The Portrait of a Great Church"
Scripture: Acts 2.41-47

INTRODUCTION

$$ Statement: The ultimate aim of evangelism is not only to produce converts, but also to produce disciples.

- Converts become disciples when they are involved in the kind of church Luke describes in 2.41-47. The Acts 2 church is A Portrait of a Great Church.

"The verses between 41-47 describe what happens when God breaks loose in a group of ordinary men and women!" Harbour

- Notice the core values of a great church. A great church is:

I. ROOTED IN THE WORD OF GOD (42)

*Converts become disciples thru the study of God's Word.

II. SERIOUS ABOUT THE WORSHIP OF GOD (42, 46, 47)

   A. Worship that is Active (Vibrant) (42, 46-47)

"Worship is a verb." -Babbie Mason

   B. Worship that Uplifts (43)
   C. Worship that Attracts (47)

*Converts become disciples thru Biblical worship.

III. COMMITTED TO FELLOWSHIP AMONG THE PEOPLE OF GOD (42, 44, 46)

PRINCIPLE: God never intended the Christian to go it alone. *Converts become disciples thru fellowship with other Christians in the setting of the local church.

IV. EXPERIENCES THE POWER OF GOD BY PRAYER (42-43)

   A. Devotion to Prayer (42)

William Barclay: "They (early church) always spoke to God before they spoke with man; they always went into God before they went out to the world; they could meet the problems of life because they had first met with God."

   B. Displays of Power (43)

fear, awe, wonders, signs

- Maybe we don't see awe and wonder in the church today because we don't labor in prayer.

*Converts become disciples thru the disciplined practice of prayer.

V. SACRIFICES IN ORDER TO MINISTER TO OTHERS (44-45)

- Their caring and sharing caused the culture around them to stand up and take notice.
- This church was more interested in giving than receiving. ministering than being ministered to.

*Converts become disciples thru serving and other ministry.

CONCLUSION

- I am attracted to the Acts church. I want BRV to follow her example. They made such an impact because they came together from all regions and ethnicities and shared a common faith in Jesus Christ.

*What does a great church look like?

1) The Word of God is Foundational
2) Biblical Worship is Transformational
3) Commitment to One Another is Non-negotiable
4) Prayer is a Priority
5) Ministry is Carried Out

*Who are we BRV?
*Who do we want to become?

BENEDICTION: Remember during the highs and lows of this week that: "Anything short of Hell is grace." -Bill Stafford


Until Next Time,
Bro. Pastor
Eph. 3.20