Rediscovering the Church: A Movement of Faith
Summary
The sermon begins with a prayer for healing, liberation, and joy, and a reminder of the importance of forgiveness and deliverance from evil. The pastor introduces the scripture lesson from Matthew 16:13-18, where Jesus asks his disciples about his identity. The pastor then addresses the tendency of churches to deviate from the original recipe of what a church is supposed to be. He emphasizes the importance of the church being active and present in the community, and encourages the congregation to embrace their role as the church and shine the light of Jesus in a dark world. The pastor also acknowledges the prevalent lack of belief or distorted views of God in the United States, emphasizing the need for the church to reintroduce and demonstrate the love of God revealed in Jesus.
The pastor discusses the origins of the first church and the key ingredients that made it successful. He highlights four essential elements of the first church: the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread (communion), and prayers. The pastor emphasizes that the first church was not defined by a specific location or denomination, but rather by a movement of people who recognized Jesus as their Lord and Savior, studied scripture to follow Him better, cared for one another, shared in communion, and prayed for each other.
The pastor then discusses the concept of a remnant, emphasizing that throughout history, there has always been a group of people who hold onto the original recipe of faith. He highlights John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, as a part of this remnant. Wesley and his brother Charles sought to bring back the original recipe through a spiritual revival. They started a movement grounded in personal piety and social holiness, gathering small groups of people who studied the scriptures, cared for one another, shared communion, and prayed together.
The pastor reflects on the transformation of the church over time, emphasizing that the essence of the church is not about tradition or style, but about the energy and passion that it possesses. He expresses gratitude that there are still moments when the true essence of the church as a movement is recognized. The pastor concludes by reflecting on the original idea of church and its simple principles. He emphasizes that in the first century, churchgoers did not focus on buildings, stained glass, or robes. Instead, the church began as a movement, devoid of staff or bureaucracy.
Key Takeaways:
- The church is not defined by a specific location or denomination, but rather by a movement of people who recognize Jesus as their Lord and Savior, study scripture to follow Him better, care for one another, share in communion, and pray for each other. [49:33]
- Throughout history, there has always been a group of people who hold onto the original recipe of faith. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, was a part of this remnant. He sought to bring back the original recipe through a spiritual revival. [52:45]
- The essence of the church is not about tradition or style, but about the energy and passion that it possesses. There are still moments when the true essence of the church as a movement is recognized. [55:12]
- In the first century, churchgoers did not focus on buildings, stained glass, or robes. Instead, the church began as a movement, devoid of staff or bureaucracy. The first principle of this movement was the belief that Jesus is the Messiah, the living Son of God who came to forgive the sins of the world. [57:30]
- The church should be active and present in the community, and the congregation should embrace their role as the church and shine the light of Jesus in a dark world. There is a need for the church to reintroduce and demonstrate the love of God revealed in Jesus. [59:45]
Study Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Matthew 16:13-18: "When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say the Son of Man is?' They replied, 'Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' 'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say I am?' Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.' Jesus replied, 'Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.'"
2. Acts 2:42: "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."
3. Matthew 6:9-13: "This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'"
Observation Questions:
1. In Matthew 16:13-18, what question does Jesus ask his disciples and what is their response?
2. What are the four elements that the early church in Acts 2:42 devoted themselves to?
3. What does the prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 ask for?
Interpretation Questions:
1. What is the significance of Peter's response to Jesus' question in Matthew 16:13-18?
2. How do the four elements that the early church devoted themselves to in Acts 2:42 reflect the essence of the church?
3. How does the prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 reflect our relationship with God and our daily needs?
Application Questions:
1. Reflecting on Matthew 16:13-18, how would you personally answer Jesus' question: "Who do you say I am?"
2. Considering Acts 2:42, what is one way you can devote yourself more to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, or prayer this week?
3. In light of Matthew 6:9-13, how can you incorporate this prayer into your daily life to remind yourself of God's will and provision?
4. How can you actively demonstrate the love of God revealed in Jesus to someone in your community this week?
5. Can you think of a tradition or style in your church that might be overshadowing the energy and passion of the church as a movement? How can you contribute to bringing the focus back to the essence of the church?
Devotional
Day 1: The Church as a Movement
The church is not a building or a denomination, but a movement of people who recognize Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They study scripture to follow Him better, care for one another, share in communion, and pray for each other. This is the essence of the church, a community of believers actively living out their faith. [49:33]
Acts 2:42-47 - "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common."
Reflection: How can you contribute to the movement of your church community? What steps can you take to be more active in studying scripture, caring for others, sharing in communion, and praying?
Day 2: Holding onto the Original Recipe of Faith
Throughout history, there have always been remnants of people who hold onto the original recipe of faith. They seek to bring back the original recipe through spiritual revival, just like John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement. [52:45]
2 Timothy 1:13-14 - "What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us."
Reflection: How can you hold onto the original recipe of faith in your daily life? What practices can you adopt to keep the faith alive and vibrant?
Day 3: The Essence of the Church
The essence of the church is not about tradition or style, but about the energy and passion that it possesses. The true essence of the church as a movement is recognized in moments of genuine faith and love. [55:12]
1 Peter 2:4-5 - "As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
Reflection: How can you contribute to the energy and passion of your church? What can you do to help others recognize the true essence of the church?
Day 4: The Church Began as a Movement
In the first century, churchgoers did not focus on buildings, stained glass, or robes. Instead, the church began as a movement, devoid of staff or bureaucracy. The first principle of this movement was the belief that Jesus is the Messiah, the living Son of God who came to forgive the sins of the world. [57:30]
Acts 4:32-33 - "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all."
Reflection: How can you embody the principles of the early church in your daily life? What steps can you take to focus more on Jesus and less on the trappings of religion?
Day 5: The Church in the Community
The church should be active and present in the community, shining the light of Jesus in a dark world. There is a need for the church to reintroduce and demonstrate the love of God revealed in Jesus. [59:45]
Matthew 5:14-16 - "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
Reflection: How can you be a light in your community? What actions can you take to demonstrate the love of God revealed in Jesus?
Quotes
1. "You are the church when you live out the values of Jesus on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday even though it can be hard and sometimes friends and family and co-workers can make you feel like an outcast." [37:48]
2. "More than 75% of those who live in the United States either don't believe in God at all or else they view God as a god of punishment and judgment... what a challenge and what an opportunity for us as the eklesia to introduce and to show again our friends and our family and our neighbors and our co-workers to show them a God who in Jesus is full of love and whose love knows no bounds." [39:09]
3. "I say all this because it seems to me we do this a lot with this thing we call church...we try to change the recipe...we will try and change the original recipe." [20:17]
4. "John Wesley realized that some earlier folks had changed the church recipe and Wesley said no no no no no the call to be the church never changes the style may change the songs may change the dress may change but the original ingredients can never change and John Wesley was right he was right then and he is Right today." [34:40]
5. "The church is still about a movement a gathering of folks who when we are together help each other to live like Jesus all that all so that we who are a part of this Jesus movement would become a light in an otherwise Dark World this is what it means to be a part of the church." [35:17]
6. "They devoted themselves um to the apostles teaching fellowship to the breaking of bread and the prayers that is the original recipe of the first church first ingredient the the apostles teaching right that would eventually morph into the study and the teaching of the sacred text the Bible the inspired word of God we learn about God and we learn about his son Jesus all so that we can be better at following him and better at making our lives mirror his." [26:45]
7. "The church began as a movement... built around some very simple principles: the first principle was that Jesus is the messiah... the second principle was that Jesus was brutally crucified but Jesus was resurrected from the dead... the third principle is that all of us in response to the grace of Jesus ought to live our lives in pursuit of being transformed in order to become like Jesus in how we live and how we love." [23:28]
8. "The word church that is used there in the Greek is a word eklesia, elesia means a gathering, an assembly... it doesn't mean a building, it doesn't mean a place. Eklesia is about a movement, eklesia is about a gathering... Jesus says here's the deal on that principle that I am the Messiah I am going to launch and build my eklesia and it was a simplest of ideas but I'm telling you it changed the world." [25:23]
9. "Their movement was started around small groups of folks who would gather in order to draw closer to Jesus. They studied the scriptures, they cared for one another, they shared in communion, and each time they gathered, they prayed for each other. It was a movement meant to connect head and heart and hands, all to be given over to Jesus so that a person's whole life would look more like Christ." [33:30]
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