Participants: Sean Reed (Host), Elizabeth Asefa, Natasha Nebblett, Daryl Cheng
Series Code: 11GYC
Program Code: 11GYC000010
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00:11 The last four months I have been learning
00:13 what it means to be continually devoted. 00:16 You see, just four months ago, 00:17 my wife and I welcomed 00:18 a brand new baby boy into the world. Amen. 00:21 That's right, I'm a dad. 00:23 His name is Gavin, he's a delightful little fellow. 00:26 Wide-eyed and sometimes wide-eyed 00:28 when we wish he was sleeping, 00:29 but you know, how kids are. 00:30 And we've been learning 00:32 what it means to be continually devoted. 00:35 Everyday he needs his diaper changed, 00:37 he has to be fed, he has to be walked 00:39 and spend time with and almost 24X7 00:42 it seems entertained and played with. 00:44 And even though sometimes we may get tired 00:48 or may wanna sleeping on a particular morning 00:51 we're continually devoted. 00:53 Unceasingly focused on caring for that little boy. 00:59 And it's the same way for us as part of the family of God. 01:03 When we joined God's family we're invited to be 01:07 continually devoted to the life of being 01:12 a member of the family of God. 01:14 In Acts Chapter 2 verse 42, 01:17 the Bible records for us, Luke records for us, 01:19 the activities of the early Christian church 01:22 just after the Day of Pentecost. 01:24 It says, "They were continually devoted 01:27 to the apostles teaching and to fellowship. 01:30 To the breaking of bread and to prayer." 01:33 Now I've invited three friends to join me 01:35 on the platform this morning. 01:37 And we're going to dig deep into Acts Chapter 2, 01:40 beginning in verse 42 going through verse 47. 01:43 And we're going to study this morning, 01:44 what does that mean to be continually devoted? 01:48 And what are the activities, what are the ministries, 01:50 where the forecast is, that God calls for us 01:53 to focus on is His church. 01:54 After all, when the Holy Spirit is poured out, 01:57 what do we going to be doing? Good morning, Elizabeth. 02:01 Good morning, Daryl, and Natasha, 02:02 thanks for joining me here for the study. 02:05 We're looking in, of course in Acts Chapter 2, 02:06 beginning in verse 42. 02:07 And those, those, those four activities 02:09 that the early Christian churches focused on. 02:12 And I guess really the context of that is, 02:15 this has happened just after the Day of Pentecost. 02:17 Three thousand have been added to the church, 02:19 120 before the Day of Pentecost, 02:21 and 3,000 after the Day of Pentecost. 02:24 And so this is taking place in the context 02:27 of this is what the church is doing 02:29 to disciple new believers to incorporate them 02:32 into the body of Christ. 02:33 And of course, this is just after 02:34 the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 02:36 So this is what a spirit filled church looks like. 02:40 So, why this focus on the apostles' teaching? 02:44 What is the apostles' teaching? 02:46 Let's all turn to Acts Chapter 4 verses 10 and 12. 02:51 And the Bible reads in verse 10, "Be it known unto you all, 02:55 and to the people of Israel, 02:57 by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, 03:00 whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, 03:03 even by him doth this man stand before you whole. 03:07 This is the stone which was set at 03:08 naught of you-- of you builders, 03:11 which is become the head of the corner. 03:14 Neither is there any salvation in any other, 03:17 for there is none other name 03:18 under heaven given among men, 03:20 whereby we must be saved." 03:21 And so truly the apostles' doctrine is, 03:26 it's focused on Christ. 03:28 So it's Christ centered, it's what Christ has done, 03:30 it's what Christ is doing, and what Christ will do. 03:33 It's, it talks all about what Christ did on earth 03:37 in coming and being the spotless Son of God, 03:40 the Lamb of God paid for, who paid for our sins. 03:43 What He is doing in heaven as our heavenly intercessor? 03:47 And what He's gonna do when He comes back 03:48 to save us from our sins? 03:50 So are you saying that the apostles' doctrine 03:52 is the everlasting gospel in a sense? 03:54 Yes, yes. 03:55 And it's, Jesus is the very focal plan of that doctrine. 03:58 Now why were the- Why was this, 04:01 this need for focused on the apostles' doctrine, 04:03 after all hadn't they just received the Holy Spirit. 04:06 When we receive the Holy Spirit, 04:07 aren't we supposed to have a direct line to God 04:09 and He just speaks directly to us, 04:12 and we just allow Him to lead us where He is leading us? 04:14 I mean, why this focus on doctrine on teaching? 04:17 John Chapter 7 verse 16, goes over that a little bit. 04:27 So John Chapter 7-- 04:29 Verse 16. Verse 16. 04:30 And the Bible reads, "Jesus answered them and said, 04:34 'My doctrine is not Mine, but Him that who sent Me.'" 04:36 So we see here, apostle means, one who is sent, correct? 04:40 So Jesus was sent by God and Jesus sent the apostles. 04:44 So there is like a direct like. 04:46 The apostles were sent by Jesus who, 04:47 and Jesus was sent by God. 04:49 And the Holy Spirit comes in as when, 04:54 when Jesus went up to heaven, 04:55 He promised the Holy Spirit to the disciples 04:57 and as a result to us as well. 04:59 And everything that we've learned, 05:02 the Holy Spirit will bring things into remembrance. 05:05 And so though the apostles had Jesus 05:07 at the time and He was, His very life was the doctrine. 05:11 His very teachings, His very being. 05:14 Though we may not see Jesus as I see you, Sean, 05:16 the apostle-- We have the Holy Spirit 05:19 to inspire us and to really give us 05:21 an understanding of who Jesus is through the Bible. 05:25 So it sounds like biblically then. 05:27 The Holy Spirit being given and filling us 05:29 as spirit filled church would be even anymore 05:32 Bible study focus church, rather than 05:34 a less Bible study focus church. Exactly. 05:36 In the way that I understand it is, 05:38 see you're reading a poem, 05:39 for example, and you read the poem 05:41 and you kind of drive your own meanings 05:43 and you wish you had the author of the poem 05:44 to give you what he meant or what she meant 05:46 when she wrote the poem. 05:48 And the same with the Holy Spirit, we read it-- 05:49 we may read the Bible and we may drawn our own conclusions, 05:52 but if we draw, if we pray for the Holy Spirit 05:54 and ask for His wisdom and His enlightenment, 05:56 He Himself will give us an understanding 05:59 of what He intended when He inspired the Bible writers 06:01 to write what they wrote. 06:02 And that's the-- that's truly the power 06:04 and the beauty of the Holy Spirit. 06:06 The apostles' doctrine was focused on Christ 06:08 and the Holy Spirit will give us 06:10 that understanding of who Christ is and dwell in us. 06:12 And the apostles heard Jesus speak the doctrine, right? 06:17 And the Holy Spirit will give us, and will give us 06:22 the ability to have Christ to live in us 06:25 and to fulfill those doctrines. 06:26 So that we may live like Christ and He may restrain us. 06:30 And the Bible says, "The love of God constraineth us." 06:33 And we find that in John Chapter 14 verse 15, 06:38 a direct application that we can draw... 06:45 And this is such a beautiful verse. 06:49 "If you love Me, keep My commandments." Right? 06:52 So our ability to keep 06:53 the Commandments of God is Christ centered. 06:55 We--often times we remove the commandments, 06:58 the Law of God from Christ. 07:00 And Christ is making a direct connection between the two. 07:02 "If you love Me, " Christ says, "Keep My commandments." 07:05 And the Holy Spirit will constrain us 07:07 as it reads in Second Corinthians 07:09 Chapter 5 verses 14 through 15. 07:13 He will dwell in us, so that the word of God 07:15 and the life of Christ will be manifested in our lives 07:18 through His word and through the Holy Spirit. 07:21 So it sounds like what scripture is teaching us 07:24 that the apostles' doctrines really not the apostles' 07:26 doctrine after all. No, not at all. 07:27 It's really the teaching of Jesus. 07:30 And Jesus said, "That He spoke as His Father told." 07:34 So really we have the teachings of heaven. 07:38 Now, you connected that with this, 07:40 this with the gospel. Right. 07:42 That the, the apostles' teaching in Acts 4 07:44 is the Gospel of Jesus, the message of Jesus. 07:47 So, are doctrines or teachings salvational issues? 07:51 Everything is salvational, 07:53 'cause Jesus, His very ministry on earth, 07:56 and what He is doing in heaven is salvific, right? 07:59 So everything that we should do, 08:02 it should be centered on Christ 08:03 and Christ's entire ministry was to save, right? 08:06 And He, He taught, so that we may understand salvation. 08:10 We may understand the love of God 08:12 that was designed-- our salvation 08:15 that was designed from, from the Garden of Eden really. 08:18 And that that reminds me of Second John verses 9 and 10. 08:23 Second John verses 9 and 10. 08:26 "Anyone who goes too far 08:28 and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, 08:30 does not have God, the one who abides in the teaching, 08:34 he has both the Father and the Son. 08:35 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, 08:38 do not receive him into your house, 08:39 and do not give him a greeting. 08:41 For the one who gives him a greeting 08:42 participates in his evil deeds." 08:44 So what scripture is telling us then 08:46 and what you shared with us is 08:47 that doctrine and teachings are salvational. 08:50 It matters what we believe. 08:52 It matter that we accurately understand God's word. 08:54 Because if we don't have the right teaching, 08:57 and this is a Gnosticism 08:58 where we know the some special knowledge that, 09:01 that makes us superior 09:02 and able to enter into the divine realm, 09:05 but this is just a reality that God communicates with us, 09:08 He communicates with us in scripture 09:10 and He wants us to believe what scripture says, 09:13 rather than erroneous false teachings. Yeah. 09:15 And Jesus says, "He came to fulfill the law." Right? 09:17 So His very, His very existence on earth was designed, 09:21 so that all that was written in the Old Testament, 09:23 He was a fulfillment of that. 09:25 And it will continues to be so. 09:27 So the apostle's teaching is something 09:30 that the early church was devoted to, 09:32 continually devoted to, unceasingly devoted to. Right. 09:36 How were they devoted to that apostle's teaching 09:40 and how can we emulate that in our lives today? 09:42 They were devoted to it 09:43 because everything they taught 09:45 the way they lived was, they had Christ in mind. 09:48 And there is a quote by Ellen White 09:50 in Acts of the Apostles, page 28 that reads, 09:53 "The disciples were to carry their work 09:54 forward in Christ's name. 09:56 Their very word and act was to fasten attention on His name, 09:59 as possessing the vital power 10:01 by which sinners may be saved. 10:03 Their faith was to center in Him who was-- 10:05 who is the source of mercy and power. 10:08 In His name they were to present 10:09 their petitions to the Father, 10:11 and they would receive an answer. 10:12 The disciples were to speak with the same simplicity 10:15 which Christ had spoken. 10:18 They were to impress upon their hearers 10:19 the lessons He had taught them. 10:21 So everything that they did was Christ centered 10:23 and that's really the take home message 10:26 from the apostles' doctrines is. 10:27 We are to live our lives with Christ 10:29 as the center point and He will fulfill the promises 10:33 and the prophecies in our lives 10:35 as we see seek Him constantly 10:38 and seeks to fulfill His word through the Holy Spirit. 10:42 So the apostles' teaching is vital. Right. 10:45 A spirit filled, a spirit led church 10:47 will devote themselves the study of scripture. Exactly. 10:50 Because they wanna accurately understand 10:51 God's revelation of themselves. 10:53 Most clearly seen of course in Jesus. Right. 10:56 And then related to the apostles 10:57 that He shared down with us. 10:59 That reminds me of Second Peter 1 11:02 where we have the clear revelation that, 11:06 holy men spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. 11:10 So the apostles teaching 11:12 and being filled the Holy Spirit. 11:13 We really should become to the same place. Exactly. 11:16 A spirit filled church is not gonna teach false doctrine. 11:19 No, it's not. So what's that mean? 11:21 If a church is teaching contrary scriptures 11:23 that mean they're not filled with the Spirit. 11:25 It means they are not surrendering themselves 11:27 to the movement of the Holy Spirit. 11:29 So virtually surrendered and asking for the wisdom 11:32 and the direction of the Holy Spirit. 11:33 He won't lead us right, right 11:35 because the same Holy Spirit 11:37 that was there when the apostles were teaching 11:39 and the same Holy Spirit that inspired scripture 11:42 is the same Holy Spirit that will inspire us 11:44 to really understand 11:45 and devote ourselves to scripture. 11:48 Now, it's says here that they will 11:50 continually devoting themselves 11:52 to the apostles teaching. 11:53 It sounds like this isn't just the apostles 11:56 sitting in a back room and doing acts of Jesus 11:59 and then pulling down the commentaries from the shelf. 12:01 I guess they didn't have commentaries, did they. 12:02 Well, they had the Old Testament -- 12:04 They were Old Testament commentaries from our base. 12:07 But that this was the entire church involved in it. 12:11 So I remember hearing a gentleman preach once 12:15 and he said that he focuses on praying 12:18 and his wife is the one who does the Bible study, 12:20 so he prays and she studies. 12:22 Yeah, that's a very literal understanding 12:25 of two shall become one. 12:29 So we can't kind of divide up our spiritual activities. 12:31 No we can't. And say I'm going to do the Bible study, 12:35 my wife will do the praying 12:36 and my little boy will do the witnessing. 12:38 No-- And he has the voice for at four months. 12:40 He has the voice for I guarantee you. 12:43 He can wake people up in the middle of the night. 12:45 So is something that all of us need to be focused on. 12:49 Definitely, definitely. 12:50 I don't have to be a biblical scholar do I. 12:53 No, not at all. 12:54 To be devoted to the study of scripture. 12:55 No and that's the joy and the beauty of the Holy Spirit. 12:58 He has promised us understanding, 13:00 despite our educational knowledge, 13:03 the apostles were unlearned men. 13:05 Some of the apostles were unlearned men 13:07 and yet the Holy Spirit was able to do phenomenal things 13:10 with their ministry and with their lives 13:12 as a result of their surrender entirely to the Holy Spirit 13:15 unto the example that Jesus Christ had set. 13:18 So only the Holy Spirit is the fulfillment of Christ promise 13:21 of guiding us into all truth. Exactly. 13:23 And so the Holy Spirit wouldn't replace scripture. 13:26 Spirit filled life doesn't mean we need less of scripture. No. 13:29 It simply means 13:30 we're going to understand scripture more fully. Exactly. 13:32 This gonna be applied and lived on our lives more completely. 13:35 And they work in harmony, right, the Holy Spirit, 13:38 the example of Jesus and the leadership of God. 13:41 So we have the church, a spirit filled church, 13:43 a spirit led church that is focused. 13:46 They're continually devoting themselves 13:48 to the apostles teaching and those second two components, 13:52 to fellowship, the breaking of bread, 13:54 those seem to go together Daryl 13:56 and what is this fellowship 13:58 that they're devoting themselves too. 14:01 Thank you Sean, I think the Christian really relevant. 14:03 I think let's turn to Acts Chapter 2 verse 42, 14:05 let's go back to our passage just to have a look 14:07 a little bit more about what the two elements were? 14:11 I think in Act Chapter 2 there is a combination of things 14:14 which make the church very effective in soul winning. 14:17 And I think there are lots of principles 14:19 we can learn from and the particular question 14:21 about fellowship is extremely important. 14:24 In verse 42 it says, 14:26 "They continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine 14:28 and fellowship, in the breaking of bread." 14:31 I notice I like this the sandwich principle 14:33 because there is sandwich in which we need to look 14:36 at this concept of fellowship. 14:38 You see the Greek word for fellowship is Koinonia. 14:41 And Koinonia sometimes when you think about fellowship, 14:43 you think about hanging out with people. 14:45 We think about fellowship as saying 14:48 hello to someone after church potluck 14:50 and not seeing them until next week. 14:52 But I think in the Bible in the early church 14:54 fellowship is a lot more than that. 14:56 If you turn with me to Second Corinthians Chapter 8 verse 23 15:00 we say that Paul describes his fellow workers 15:04 as more than just team members. 15:07 In fact in Second Corinthians Chapter 8:23 15:09 it gives us a clue as to what 15:12 fellowship meant to the early church. 15:16 The Bible says "If anyone inquires about Titus," 15:19 now I assume Titus is a Paul's friend. 15:22 He is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. 15:26 You see sometimes in the Adventist Church 15:28 and I'm guilty of this, sometimes as well, 15:30 we have very good at working in teams. 15:34 We are very good at working with people 15:35 in church as colleagues, but we're perhaps 15:38 not so good at making friends with our church members. 15:43 I know in the early apostles Titus was not only 15:46 Paul's worker and fellow missionary, 15:48 he was Paul's friend as well. 15:51 He was Paul's friend. 15:52 I think this is again seen, if you wanna turn with me 15:55 to another Bible verse, Second Corinthian Chapter 1 verse 7 15:57 we see the same the concept of fellowship. 16:00 What does fellowship mean? 16:01 Your friend, you're a team member, 16:03 you're a worker but I think that's more than that. 16:07 2 Corinthians Chapter 1 verse 7 the bible says 16:14 and our hope for you is stedfast, 16:16 because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, 16:20 so all so you will part take of the consolation. 16:23 Now the word partaker comes in the same Greek route word 16:26 and it's almost is a fellowship means 16:29 that the disciples were united. 16:32 There're united in mission in purpose 16:34 but they're not only to spread the gospel 16:37 but they were to encourage and support 16:39 each other's friends. 16:41 Now, It sounds like this is so what have been 16:44 undoing of the rupturing of human relationships 16:47 in Genesis Chapter 3. 16:49 Where we have this closeness, this fellowship of Adam, Eve 16:54 and their maker ruptured by of course sin and rebellion. 16:57 Now here we have spirit filled church, 16:59 where thousands are coming to Christ 17:01 and they're being brought back into that unity, 17:03 that fellowship that closeness 17:05 with each other and their Maker. 17:06 You mentioned the sandwich principle 17:09 and I'm kind of looking at that verse 42, 17:11 when we have that fellowship 17:12 right in the middle of teaching and prayer. 17:18 Absolutely and I think that this means 17:19 that fellowship is not so much something that we do, 17:22 or something we attempt to do, but it's a way of living. 17:25 It's our lifestyle. 17:26 The way we interact with our friends, 17:28 they way we interact with our team members, 17:30 in way we interact with the church, 17:32 but also the way the apostles interacted with people 17:35 who were nonbelievers. 17:36 I think that's even more. 17:38 You noticed in Acts Chapter 2 verse 42 17:40 if you read all the way down to 47 it says, 17:43 that many were added to the church daily. 17:46 So this fellowship, this breaking of bread 17:49 applies to not only church members 17:52 but also impacts the way that the apostles 17:55 dealt with nonbelievers in their community. 17:58 So this question fellowship is coming together. 18:01 And I'm really struck, you mentioned 18:03 reading down through verse 42. 18:04 I'm really struck by how tangible this fellowship is? 18:09 Is he describes his activities that they involved in. 18:12 They're selling their property to support each other. 18:15 They're continued with one, one in the temple 18:18 breaking bread from house to house, 18:19 eating together, praising God together, 18:22 interacting with others together. 18:24 It seems like this fellowship principle 18:26 impacts every facet of our lives. 18:30 Absolutely, it's so much still a lifestyle, 18:32 but in every aspect these apostles are united, 18:36 in the same mission in the same goals 18:38 with the same excitement. 18:40 And it's almost like you can say- 18:41 they can co-each other up anytime. 18:42 Hey, how you going? 18:44 You know, what you're up to? 18:45 Should we catch up, should we encourage, 18:48 you want to spend sometime praying together. 18:49 It's almost-- it's a sense of edification, 18:52 its sense of encouragements of way of supporting each other. 18:55 It's a way that they live their lives 18:57 in the early church and God really blessed the early church. 19:02 Now, if this fellowship is truly gonna be biblical, 19:05 because I mean we can have 19:06 lots of kind of fellowship, right. 19:08 There is gonna be a New Year's Eve party tonight, 19:10 right across the street from us. 19:11 This gonna be little bit loud probably 19:13 and I imagine there is some fellowshipping 19:15 is going take place out there. 19:18 Is that different within the kind of fellowship 19:21 we're talking and there can be a lot of unbelievers, 19:22 is that fellowship. 19:25 Oh, it's interesting you know, in Ellen White's writing 19:27 she does mention that meetings of believers 19:30 or meetings of small group meeting 19:31 that we have should be 19:32 both spiritual and social at the same time. 19:36 Too often I think, there is a not a balance 19:37 found between those two acceptance. 19:39 Sometimes when we're fellowshipping 19:41 we try and be holy or spiritual, 19:43 but we miss out on the social component. 19:46 Other times we also find that, 19:48 you know, when we get together, 19:50 we just wanna have fun. 19:51 And sometime we forget about 19:53 that we are reflecting God's character in everything we do. 19:57 And so I think a balance between 19:58 the two is vitally important and you see 20:01 all throughout the book of Acts. 20:03 I'm sure that disciples and the earlier apostles 20:06 in the early church enjoyed the time they had together. 20:08 They had holistic joy and enjoyment together, 20:12 but yet at the same time they were spiritually focused. 20:16 It makes me think of First John Chapter 1 20:21 and First John Chapter 1 is introduced with this, 20:24 this concept of us having fellowship, 20:29 of us being one, of us interacting with each other 20:33 as God's believers and also as, pardon me, 20:39 also as individuals who are fellowshipping with the Lord. 20:43 And I'm struck that is we read this, 20:46 I'm just reading a couple of verses, 20:47 if you don't mind. 20:49 "That this is the elder to the chosen lady 20:50 and her children, whom I love in truth, 20:51 and not only I, but also all who know the truth, 20:54 for the sake of the truth which abides in us 20:56 and will be with us forever. 20:57 Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, 20:59 from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, 21:01 the Son of the Father, in truth and love. 21:05 So this unity, this truth, this fellowship 21:08 that brings us together has to be saturated with truth. 21:14 Absolutely and in fact, you know, I show you 21:16 if you turn one book backward to First John Chapter 1, 21:20 it's almost interesting when we look 21:22 at the epistles of John here. 21:24 First John Chapter 1 compliments 21:26 what you've just read in Second John Chapter 1. 21:29 First John Chapter 1 verse 6 and 7 describes 21:32 the fellowship that we've with someone else 21:35 and this is almost the model 21:36 that we can have is a early church. 21:38 Verse 6 says "If we say 21:39 that we have fellowship with him 21:41 and walk in darkness we lie 21:42 and do not practice the truth. 21:44 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, 21:47 we've fellowship with another and the blood of Jesus Christ, 21:51 His Son cleanses us from all sin. 21:53 You know, beings we're having fellowship here. 21:55 I can be honest, that's actually 21:56 the verse I was I looking for 21:58 and I was looking there in First John. 21:59 I thought it was First John, 22:00 or Second John I was looking at. 22:02 Thank you Daryl, I'm really glad you brought them, 22:03 I am glad nobody else knows 22:04 that I missed that just the four of us. 22:06 That is good. 22:08 So -- so we have this fellowship 22:10 and this is truth base fellowship. 22:12 So while there may be a New Year's Eve party 22:15 going on outside that may not be 22:18 biblical fellowship then you're saying. 22:20 I'm not sure what they done 22:21 on the New Year's parties here in America, 22:23 I'm from Australia so but the New Year's parties 22:25 they have, they're kind of are slightly different. 22:27 I think that you know 22:28 the apostles in the early fellowship 22:31 everything they did was focused on Jesus. 22:34 And the model for their fellowship development 22:35 was their fellowship and interaction 22:38 and the integration of Jesus 22:40 and the Holy Spirit into their own lives. 22:42 And this is what we hear about this week 22:44 and feel me a earnest plead, 22:45 because when the Holy Spirit fills us 22:47 the fellowship that we have with our friends, 22:49 with your family, with our workers, 22:50 with our church members with the people around us 22:53 becomes naturally focus on Jesus. 22:56 And I suppose then the fellowship focused on Jesus 22:59 will be sacrificial giving fellowship. 23:01 Where we're looking at how we can bless 23:04 and benefits others rather than just looking for. 23:08 Well, you know, those kind of people 23:11 who call you all the time 23:13 and you're not one of those people 23:14 are you like any hour of the day. I'm not. 23:17 I'm a pastor and when I first started pastoring, 23:22 I had dean member of one of my churches 23:24 who would call me at all hours of the day, 23:28 just because he woke up in the middle of the night 23:29 want to talk to somebody. 23:30 He call us past at 2 o'clock in the morning 23:32 and I wasn't married yet, so it worked out okay. 23:35 But actually got to the point 23:37 and don't tell my church members 23:38 where I turn my phone on silent at night 23:41 just because of that. 23:43 Is that the kind of fellowship we're talking about where, 23:47 well, I guess I'm being convicted right now. 23:49 Self sacrificing giving fellowship, 23:52 he wasn't having that kind of fellowship, 23:53 but I should have been giving 23:54 that kind of fellowship to him, right. 23:56 Oh, I guess so, I don't' know. 23:59 I've never been a pastor so I can't comment on that. 24:02 You know sometime, it's interesting and sometimes 24:05 it's difficulty to get the balance 24:07 between are we stretching yourself 24:09 and wanting to give of yourself 24:10 self sacrificially to support others as well. 24:14 But I think if you noticed the disciples, 24:17 example going back to Acts Chapter 2 24:19 this was their life. 24:21 This was their life. 24:22 And sometimes when we look at it 24:24 as something that we have to drag ourselves to do, 24:28 it becomes a chore and it's almost like 24:29 oh, man you know some same person at church 24:32 has called me again to bring fruit for potluck, 24:34 its like three weeks in the row, I can't do that. 24:37 But when you look at from the angle, 24:39 when you look at from there, 24:40 through the glasses of 24:42 well, I'm supporting my fellow church members. 24:44 And we're doing this together to encourage each other, 24:47 and to encourage our church family. 24:49 It becomes so much more of a positive approach. 24:52 You know, I'm struck by 24:53 the radicalness of the fellowship. 24:55 Just turn Acts Chapter 2 24:57 they were selling their belongings 25:01 so that they can share with all. 25:04 I have a few belongings back home 25:07 and you know that guy who would call me 25:10 at 2 o' clock in the morning, 25:11 you know, I'm not sure If I will be willing 25:13 to sell my MacBook to you know, 25:16 feed him or, you know, 25:18 send them to somewhere where 25:20 they don't have cell phones, 25:21 you know no phones we can't call me 25:22 and I don't know if, if, you know-- 25:25 is that we'll be calling to do is to sell things 25:29 just give and give, and give, and give. 25:32 No, I thinks that's what I call 25:34 a symptom of the underlying principle 25:36 you know in the few that I worked in, 25:38 in medicine, symptoms are an example 25:41 are display of the underlying principle. 25:44 I think if you have look at Acts Chapter 10 25:47 the principle is illustrated here, 25:48 I want to quickly just have a look 25:50 at the story in Acts 10 of why the apostles were so excited 25:53 about selling their possession and giving all for Jesus. 25:59 You must read Acts 10 before where it's telling 26:02 the story of Cornelius and remember 26:05 Cornelius was a nonbeliever. 26:07 So here we're focusing on fellowship 26:08 between believers and nonbelievers. 26:11 And Peter was quote by always 26:14 given a vision and then someone came 26:16 to ask Peter to leave his house 26:20 or place where you are staying to go 26:22 to Cornelius house and share with them 26:24 about the gospel. 26:26 I want you to notice when Peter returns. 26:29 Sorry, in Acts Chapter 10 verse 48, 26:30 he says he commanded them to be baptized 26:32 after it finished sharing in the name of the Lord. 26:35 Then they asked him to stay a few days. 26:37 Now I imagine here the Cornelius' family 26:40 would have fellowshipped with Peter. 26:42 And when you stay at someone's house for few days, 26:44 you don't just stay in your room and pray and sleep. 26:46 I'm sure you go out and have food together 26:48 and may be you go for a bush walk or hike together. 26:52 I'm--just what is a bush walk? 26:57 Bush walk is the Australian term for hike. 26:59 Oh, okay, okay. 27:02 Or they play ball together that's what you guys call here 27:05 or something and you know they got fishing together, 27:09 how knows, Peter could have taught 27:10 Cornelius how to fishing. 27:11 Cornelius could have told Peter 27:12 how to march properly down the street being a general. 27:15 And so here in Acts Chapter 11 27:17 when Peter returns back to the other disciples 27:22 notice what they said in verse 2. 27:23 When Peter was come up to Jerusalem, 27:25 those of the circumcision contended with him saying, 27:27 "You went in to uncircumcised men" 27:30 and what "and ate with them." 27:32 So Peter had done exactly 27:34 what Acts Chapter 2 verse 42 to 47 was telling. 27:37 He was breaking bread with these unbelievers. 27:41 You know, I want to compliment 27:42 that with a quote from the pen of inspiration 27:46 in Gospel Workers page 193. 27:50 Ellen White writes that "Your success will not depend 27:52 so much upon your knowledge and accomplishments, 27:55 as upon your ability to find your way to the heart. 27:59 By becoming social and coming close to the people, 28:02 you may turn the current of their thoughts more readily 28:05 than by the most able discourse." 28:08 You know sometimes its Adventist 28:12 we get the order slightly wrong. 28:14 We are encouraged and I was so excited, 28:17 yes I was helping to flag people 28:18 to load the buses I was so excited, 28:20 there were so many people who were excited 28:22 to go and give outreach and that's always exciting. 28:24 We are excited about sharing our faith to people 28:26 that we meet, the family, even friends that we have. 28:28 But too often we try and share our faith 28:31 without trying to befriend someone. 28:33 You know, I have a principle that I try and live by 28:36 and I believe it's biblically 28:38 in Spirit of Prophecy page that someone in order 28:41 for someone to come and want to stay in the church 28:45 they need to belong first then believe 28:48 and then they behave. 28:50 They belong because they feel comfortable 28:52 in a circle of community. 28:53 They feel comfortable in a friendship group. 28:55 They feel comfortable fellowshipping 28:57 with us who are Seventh-day Adventist 28:59 and then for them it's easy 29:01 once they belong in fellowship to listen 29:04 to the teaching and doctrines 29:06 that Elizabeth was sharing about this morning 29:08 and also as Natasha will share about intensive prayer, 29:11 often we return it upside down. 29:13 We try and share with them without wanted to befriend 29:16 and I think that fellowship and breaking of bread 29:19 in the early disciples what Peter did, 29:21 what Paul did, what all the disciples did 29:23 was not only share their faith but also befriend them first. 29:28 So this fellowship is not necessarily church membership. 29:32 Absolutely not. 29:34 So we are befriending and fellowshipping 29:37 and spending time with not just our church family, 29:40 but with our human family as a whole. Absolutely. 29:46 You know, we're talking about this whole fellowship, 29:48 apostles teaching, we're gonna talk about prayer in a minute 29:51 and as I look through this description 29:55 of the spirit filled church just after the Day of Pentecost. 30:00 Where's the public evangelistic series? 30:03 Are they still preaching? Absolutely. 30:06 Are they, are they still-- 30:08 so this fellowship isn't we placing public proclamation? 30:12 Absolutely not, in fact, you just touching the point, 30:15 I just want to raise in, it summarize in this quote, 30:18 our needs to reach 30:19 because when I read it last night while preparing, 30:21 I was so moved by it. 30:23 The Spirit of Prophecy Volume 3, Page 275, 30:27 this is talking about the Acts Chapter 2 example 30:30 and this is describing what happen at the end 30:32 and Ellen White quotes that passage 30:33 and then she says, "There were men at the feast, 30:37 they're eating, that they're breaking of bread, 30:38 they're fellowshipping from every quarter of the world, 30:42 and the truths received by them were carried 30:45 to their various homes and published 30:47 among their people, among their people, 30:49 winning souls to Christ. 30:52 Yes, they were preaching public evangelism, 30:54 Peter preach a powerful sermon in Acts Chapter 2, 30:56 yes, they were sharing, yes, they were teaching 30:58 but the things that they could share 31:00 while they were fellowshipping 31:02 would just as powerful to win souls for Jesus. 31:04 So, I guess in the sense 31:05 they were following the example of Christ, 31:07 you know that famous quote, of Ministry of Healing, 31:09 Christ's method alone will give true success, 31:12 He mingled with men as one who desire their good, 31:15 ministered to their needs, won their confidence. 31:18 Then He bade them, "Follow Me." 31:20 Absolutely. And I think if every member of our church worldwide 31:24 would do that today, can you imagine 31:27 the number of souls that we can win for Christ? 31:30 So fellowship is evangelistic. Absolutely. 31:32 Fellowship, focus on the apostles' doctrine, 31:35 focus on prayer results in verse 47 31:39 of the Lord continually adding to the charge. 31:42 So we have, focus on doctrine, 31:44 focus on teaching because that reveals to us 31:47 that's what we find in accurate reliable identification of 31:51 who God is, His character, His love for us, 31:53 His willing, His plan for our lives. 31:55 But that leads us to fellowship, 31:56 this apostles teaching takes place 31:58 in the context of fellowship, spending time with believers. 32:01 We're not isolated, no man is an island. 32:04 But there's prayer as well, I guess 32:06 we need to have a balance. 32:08 We don't just get together and study. 32:10 We just don't get together in fellowship. 32:12 We also spend time in prayer. 32:15 And Natasha, why, why was prayer so important 32:20 in the life of the spirit filled church, 32:22 after all they'd already gotten 32:23 what they prayed for, the Holy Spirit. 32:26 They had, they had, you know, 32:27 Sean, as I look at the beginning chapters in Acts, 32:31 there is like, there's hardly even a chapter 32:33 where prayer is not mentioned. 32:35 It was like the very backdrop, 32:37 the very foundation out of which 32:39 the church even operated. 32:40 You know, back before like you mentioned 32:42 the Holy Spirit was poured out, there's only 120 of them. 32:45 But actually prayer, if you look at the Bible, 32:48 we come to Acts Chapter 1, prayer was like their primary, 32:52 their primary activity than study of the word 32:55 before the Holy Spirit was poured out. 32:56 And then once the Holy Spirit was poured out 32:59 then you see prayer all infused 33:02 throughout every single thing they do. 33:06 You know, I look one example 33:10 that I was looking at as I was studying 33:13 Acts was right there at the beginning 33:15 when they would be having to choose 33:16 another apostle to join 33:18 in with the group there, they prayed. 33:21 Bible specifically says, they stopped and prayed 33:24 before they choose who the church leaders, 33:27 what, were gonna be. 33:29 And as I think about our lives as young people 33:31 as we're participating in the church 33:33 that we long to see the Holy Spirit, 33:35 you know, in and everything like that. 33:39 How often, just recently 33:41 our church had the same pastor 33:43 for like eight years which is pretty long to have, 33:47 you know, pastor in one church. 33:48 And he was an incredibly godly man. 33:52 And then to our great distress 33:54 he was being transferred away 33:56 and we were gonna had to get a new pastor. 33:59 And, you know, church was a little bit, 34:01 you know, unsettled state there 34:02 when we didn't have a pastor and everything, 34:05 during that time it's easy for us 34:07 as young people to be like, 34:08 oh, boy, you know, our last pastor, 34:11 he was so wonderful, you know, 34:13 I can't believe we're loosing him. 34:15 Well in reality our job if you follow the Bible 34:20 it's to get on our knees even 34:21 we as young people we don't think 34:23 we can do that much about it 34:24 but God is one that can do about it 34:26 and prayers what connects us to Him. 34:28 And prayer at the intersession 34:29 can accomplish everything in the world. 34:31 And, I'm thankful to say, 34:32 we did get another very wonderful pastor 34:35 in our church after much prayer, 34:36 God was, God was very good. 34:39 And then as you look into as you continue study 34:42 through Acts, you see prayer in medical ministry, 34:44 Peter, when he was going to heal Dorcas, 34:47 he knelt down and pray. 34:48 The Bible says specifically, before he went 34:50 and actually told her to arise. 34:52 Or when Peter and John went and healed the man 34:55 by the beautiful gate in the temple, 34:57 they were on their way to pray. 34:59 Prayer was all in Israel 35:00 and we're not doing healings, 35:02 obviously at this point 35:03 but we are called to reach out through medical missionary 35:06 even if we aren't medical personal, 35:08 we are call to visit the sick, 35:09 we are called to reach out to the hurting 35:12 and prayer is the very backdrop of that. 35:14 So God still works miracles through prayer. Amen. 35:17 As we fall to our knees and pray. 35:19 And I think it's interesting of the ten times 35:21 in the New Testament where God's people 35:23 are described has being devoted to something. 35:25 I think like six of those times it's in reference to prayer. 35:29 We have that before the Day of Pentecost 35:31 as they're in approved in Acts 1. 35:33 But we have it here in Acts Chapter 2 35:35 as a description of what they're devoted 35:37 to as a early church, that spirit filled. 35:40 And then, of course, we get to Acts 6 35:42 where there was this little bit of concern about the, 35:46 I guess, you know, we read Acts Chapter 2 verses 42 to 47 35:49 we get this idea there's a Utopian Community. 35:51 Yeah. Everything is working perfectly. 35:53 Yeah, you get to Acts 6 35:54 and you find out or some people feel 35:55 they're getting left out. 35:57 But the disciples, the apostles, 35:59 what were their response when they were asked 36:01 to care for some of these other needs. 36:03 Right, well, they comes up distress, 36:05 you know, because it's like the Greeks are saying, 36:08 Greeks are complaining of some discrimination issues, 36:10 they're saying, you know, the Jewish widows are getting, 36:14 you know, helped in this daily ministration 36:15 where everyone was being helped by everybody else 36:17 as we read in Acts Chapter 2. 36:19 But the Grecian widows were not getting 36:21 that enough and they were complaining 36:23 that there was an issue of discrimination there. 36:25 And there were some tensions over it 36:28 the Bible indicates and the apostles 36:31 make a very interesting comment. 36:33 They make the comment 36:34 that it would not be appropriate for them 36:38 to neglect prayer and the ministry of the word 36:44 even for something like church administration 36:47 or ministering to the poor and the widows 36:49 which are biblical commands, which they recognize 36:52 to be needful and necessary. 36:54 But they said, flat out that it would be 36:58 inappropriate for them to neglect prayer 37:00 and the ministry of the word for this. 37:02 Now it doesn't mean they ignore it, 37:04 they took care of it, they did care of it 37:06 and they arrange for things to happen, 37:07 so that that would be handled fairly. 37:11 But they had this recognition of the importance of prayer 37:15 and the importance of the word of God. 37:18 Now are you telling us then that, 37:20 well, scripture telling us, right, 37:21 because we don't really care of what we think? 37:24 Well I can't care what I think but anyway. 37:27 But, is the Bible telling us then 37:29 that only certain people should be devoted to prayer, 37:32 I mean, after all it was just the apostle devoted to prayer 37:34 and some of the less important of us 37:36 would take care of, you know, like issues like 37:37 discrimination and feeding people and things like that. 37:41 No, indeed, in fact, Paul later on in the New Testament 37:45 comments that we are all to pray 37:47 without ceasing it's not just like a suggestion, 37:49 it's actually command to pray without ceasing. 37:53 Peter talks about prayer also. 37:55 John talks about prayer, approaching God in prayer. 37:58 Not just something for the apostles, 38:00 not just something for the pastor, 38:01 the elder, the conference president, 38:03 the general conference president, 38:05 you know, it wasn't just something for them, 38:08 it was something for everyone to continue 38:10 in continually to devote themselves to it. 38:15 So we have a spirit filled church 38:18 that prays even though their prayer has been answered. 38:22 You know, I wonder if sometimes 38:23 we come to a conference like this, 38:25 Natasha and our theme itself is fill me out, 38:29 honestly it's a prayer itself. 38:31 And we've been praying that all week long, 38:33 we continue to pray that all through today and then tomorrow 38:35 until noon we depart. 38:38 But it seems like what happen 38:40 with the other Christian church was, 38:42 it was not just an intense focus on prayer 38:44 then they went home and forgot about it, 38:46 but it was an ongoing part of the Christian life. 38:50 How do we actually make that happen? 38:53 How do we make sure 38:55 that we are continually devoted to prayer 38:58 not just when I'm surrounded by 5000 people 39:01 who are encouraging me to pray? 39:03 You know, I think it has a lot to do 39:06 with incorporating into our daily lives, 39:09 our daily schedule as we look into the Book of Acts 39:12 we see Peter and John, who were like 39:16 we could quite easily say, 39:17 the most prominent of the apostles. 39:20 You know, Paul came along little bit later, 39:22 he was also very prominent 39:23 but in the early church right 39:25 then before Paul came on the scene. 39:27 Peter and John were like the primary figures 39:31 and we see them going to the temple 39:33 to pray rather than dealing with all this 39:36 and that and the other, 39:38 you know, we need to organize, let's preach a sermon, 39:40 let's... And I think so often we get caught up in the, 39:43 the details of our day, of our school, of our work 39:48 or if we are apart of a ministry, 39:50 the details of the ministry 39:52 and all those things are good, 39:53 and all those things are necessary. 39:54 But we see even Peter and John making time 39:57 even in their incredibly busy schedules 39:59 as the most prominent leaders 40:01 of this new church taking aside, 40:04 active actual time to pray to God. 40:07 So if, if you, if me, if all of us are devoted to something. 40:13 We'll going to be intentional about it. 40:16 We'll going to be intentional about making sure 40:19 it is a active vibrant part of our lives. Amen. 40:23 And you know, we were, Natasha, 40:26 you mentioned the reality that we individual 40:29 can make this apart of our lives. 40:31 But you know some of us may go home 40:33 to a church that isn't devoted to prayer, 40:38 isn't devoted to the apostles teaching. 40:40 And wouldn't know what fellowship was 40:42 if they came up and bit them on the nose. 40:44 So can I really, if I go home, and by the way, 40:49 I told you I'm a pastor 40:51 that I am not describing my church by the way. 40:53 You know, not describing my churches 40:55 but, you know, if we do go to a church like that 40:58 or family like that, that spiritual fervor, 41:03 Bible study prayer is not part of family life. 41:06 Can I do something about it 41:07 or am I just stuck having 41:09 my own individual existence in that context? 41:13 And Daryl, I think you probably would, 41:15 could address us on that. 41:16 This reality of when we feel isolated 41:20 when we want to devote like the early church 41:22 did ourselves to prayer, to fellowship 41:24 and Bible study but we feel like we're all alone. 41:29 Yeah, that's the difficult one in the country 41:31 like where I you come from, there are lot of church members 41:33 and also young people who are not in a place 41:37 or are really isolated 41:39 because Australia is a fairly big country, 41:41 we have 20 million people across 41:43 the vast land mass with only 55,000 Adventists. 41:47 And sometimes when we are stuck in the situation 41:49 and we don't know what to do, 41:51 and we are disappointed and discouraged 41:54 and we feel all alone or always go to back, 41:59 always go to back to that initial start of the matter. 42:04 How can the Holy Spirit changed me, 42:07 how can the Holy Spirit changed me my heart, 42:10 through my heart so that I can then 42:12 reach out to the people around me. 42:14 And here whether that's starting your prayer life, 42:17 whether that's thinking of one name 42:19 that we can share with or fellowship with that week, 42:22 whether it's doing a Bible study 42:24 or preparing a Bible study 42:25 that we can share with someone else. 42:27 It comes back to the filling of our heart by Holy Spirit 42:30 before we can reach the people around us 42:33 in our church, our family, our community. 42:37 So as you mentioned, it starts individually, 42:40 feel me our earnest plea, God's call me to my needs first, 42:45 to be pleading with him that He would fill 42:47 and transform my life. 42:49 And then I can be part of something bigger 42:52 that He is doing in my church. 42:54 So in a way practical sense then what you are saying 42:57 then is I can go back to my church or way I am 43:00 and I don't have to wait for someone else 43:02 to initiate Christian fellowship. 43:04 I don't have to wait for someone else to initiate 43:06 a prayer ministry of my church. 43:08 I don't have to wait for someone else 43:09 to initiate bible study in my church. 43:12 I can take that step as God is leading me. 43:15 I can reach out and invite someone else 43:17 to study the Bible with me. 43:18 I can go up to Elizabeth and say lets pray. 43:21 I don't have to sit in a corner 43:23 and just wait for someone else to take the initiative. 43:26 And this is so applicable for those of us 43:29 who are at public universities. 43:30 I for myself, I'm at a very secular university 43:33 and when I was, when I first got there 43:35 it seemed very dry, no there is-- 43:38 at least during the week, there is no Bible studies. 43:40 I think it was very hard to have 43:41 spiritual conversations with people, 43:43 but if you go with it in a very intentional like 43:46 I am gonna, I wanna create this atmosphere, 43:48 I wanna create by the grace of God 43:51 and by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit 43:54 to have this community, then God will surround you 43:57 with people who are interested in the same things 43:59 and who may not have expressed 44:01 that without you expressing it initially, 44:03 but God will work on their heart 44:04 and He is there before you 44:05 and He will target the heart strings. 44:08 The Holy Spirit will target the heart strings of people 44:10 and create that community, 44:12 so there are definitely people 44:14 who are searching just as we are searching. 44:16 I wonder, as we're concluding in a few minutes, 44:18 I wonder if we can fleck for a few minutes 44:20 on the reality that all of this life of the church 44:26 and I guess take back to what 44:27 we discussed Elizabeth at the beginning. 44:30 This whole life of the church was based on 44:32 what the scripture teach us. 44:34 That's what mentioned first, the apostle's doctrine. 44:38 Sometimes people say 44:41 we don't need to worry about doctrine. 44:43 We don't need to worry about teachings. 44:45 We just focus on Jesus, we love each other, 44:48 we will hold hands sing Kumbaya and then Jesus will come. 44:53 And I may be, as I don't hold hands with people anyway, 44:55 so that doesn't work for me 44:57 but I guess that isn't seem to be what's happening here 45:02 and I guess that's not what we are gonna be doing, 45:04 is spirit filled people. 45:05 No not at all. 45:06 I mean, if the, like I said the apostles doctrine 45:10 is focused on Christ, so we always have to center it 45:13 on Christ and if we lose sight of who Christ is, 45:16 we can get people have gone into plenty of trouble 45:20 because they lose sight of the heart 45:22 and the focus of why fellowship exists. 45:25 Who the center of our fellowship is? 45:27 Who and why prayer exists? 45:30 And who's the center of our prayers? 45:32 And who intercedes on our behalf 45:34 to make our prayers acceptable in the side of God? 45:36 So really when we lose sight of Christ, 45:39 we kind of negate the potential of what 45:43 can be unleashed otherwise and we invite a lot of-- 45:47 we invite a lot of room for trouble 45:49 and for self gain and for self gratification 45:53 and for self we exemplify ourselves rather than Christ 45:58 and we are imperfect, 45:59 therefore we are gonna have imperfect fellowship 46:01 or imperfect prayer and imperfect relations. 46:05 But scripture kind of keeps us on track 46:08 in imperfect world with imperfect people 46:10 who are being transformed only by the power 46:13 of the Holy Spirit being empowered to be 46:17 likewise I appreciated what 46:18 Pastor Divecha has been sharing with us in the evening. 46:21 I remember he mentioned that temptation 46:24 is a wind falling is an if in descend. 46:30 I suspect that's gonna be 46:31 more and more experience as we are filled with the spirit 46:36 as we are focused on scripture as we are allowing 46:38 that to drive the life in the mission, 46:41 in the ministry of our church. 46:44 I wonder if we can make this very intensely practical. 46:47 And I wonder if each one of you could come up 46:50 with two very practical suggestions, 46:54 principles that all of us could take home with ourselves 46:58 and apply as we are struggling to have 47:02 the spirit filled existence. 47:06 You know, what are two practical suggestions 47:08 for being devoted to scripture? 47:10 What are two practical suggestions for being 47:12 devoted to fellowship? 47:13 What are two practical suggestions 47:15 for being devoted to prayer? 47:18 And I guess its not only fare but Elizabeth, 47:20 we'll start with you, 47:21 they will get to think about it more. 47:22 But you don't get much time. 47:25 To be devoted to scripture, I think it would be great 47:28 if we spend time memorizing scriptures, 47:31 so we can have it on our heart like David says 47:33 "To light to be a path on to us 47:35 so we can constantly meditate on it. 47:37 And secondly to spend intentional time 47:41 during the day in the evening and in the morning 47:44 in the word and really meditating on and spending time 47:48 reflecting on it and asking the Lord 47:49 to give us a message for the day, 47:53 so that we can really be prepared for what's 47:56 to come and give us a message 47:57 that someone else may need 47:58 and to truly enter and infuse the word in our conversation, 48:03 so that its no just something 48:04 that we do in the morning and night 48:06 or not something we memorize just by ourselves, 48:08 but something that we make real intangible 48:10 in our conversations and in our interactions. 48:14 So memorize scripture. 48:18 I guess that's pretty devoted, isn't that? 48:20 Yeah. Focus on memorizing scripture. 48:22 So Daryl, how can I be focused 48:24 on fellowship in a very practical way. 48:26 Yeah, I think we can do two practical things 48:28 Sean, I think, why not think, 48:31 let's each of us think of two names 48:33 that when we leave his place and go back 48:35 this week two church members 48:38 that you can intentionally make an effort 48:40 to fellowship with this week 48:42 whether its giving him a call not just to ask him 48:44 to do something but to spend time 48:45 and listening to them encouraging them, 48:47 praying with them or may be going 48:50 to a Friday night prayer meeting 48:52 or Wednesday night prayer meeting 48:53 together with these two people 48:55 just to support each other. 48:57 And on the other hand, think of two nonbelievers 49:00 who we can intentionally fellowship with this week. 49:03 Whatever it's going for an outing or inviting them 49:06 over to your house for dinner. 49:08 Let's think of four names, two church members, 49:11 and two who are not yet believers 49:14 that we can intentionally fellowship 49:15 when we leave this place this week. 49:18 So Elizabeth, he said memorize scripture. 49:20 I have another one. 49:21 Oh, you have another one, oh, okay. 49:23 We can I know from me I have-- 49:26 like on my iPod I had the Bible on my iPod, 49:28 so as I am walking, listening to the word 49:30 on my iPod you know, 49:31 if you listen something long enough, 49:32 it become music to your ears 49:33 so really just using the word in that way 49:37 even as we are walking and stuff. 49:38 So your suggestions are saturating 49:40 your mind with God's word. Exactly. 49:42 Saturated mind with God's word. 49:45 Prayerfully thinking of two individuals in God's church. 49:48 This next week are we trying to in fellowship with 49:51 and two who are not yet believers. 49:54 And then Natasha what are two suggestions 49:56 for how we can be devoted to prayer. 49:59 Well first one that comes to my mind 50:01 is to actually make an appointment in our day, 50:06 time to spend with God 50:07 and you know what like inevitably Sean, 50:10 because the devil is so dedicated to us 50:11 not spending time praying, 50:13 the cell phone will be ringing, 50:14 someone is going to be knocking at the door, 50:16 you know, my dog will be stick his stomach 50:18 and throwing up, something is gonna happen 50:20 at that point to keep me from spending time with God. 50:23 But if we make that concrete appointment 50:25 and we keep it as we would keep an appointment 50:27 with our senator because isn't God 50:33 so much greater than our senator? 50:34 Do you have appointments with your senator? 50:40 No. I think that's great, you know, 50:41 be involved in our countries and that's wonderful, 50:44 I just thought maybe there's a story behind that. 50:47 That's just the person that came into my mind 50:49 but you know, but seriously keeping that seriously 50:53 isn't God so much more great, so much more omnipotent, 50:55 has so much more under his control 50:59 weighing in the balance 51:00 to respond to his word than our senator? 51:03 I mean if you made 51:04 an appointment with your Senator, 51:05 that you should keep it, but you know what, 51:08 how much more should we keep an point 51:09 when we make it with God. 51:10 Even though the devil will send everything 51:12 he possibly can to keep us. 51:13 So the first suggestion make an actual appointment 51:16 in the day ahead of time, 51:18 a time to spend with God 51:19 and don't let anything get in the way, 51:21 that's been one of the biggest blessings 51:22 in my own personal life. 51:23 And my second suggestion is actually find a person 51:28 to pray with also together joining together 51:31 where Christ said where two or three gather 51:33 in my name there I am in the midst of them, 51:35 I still live in home so you while ago 51:38 I would go to my mom every night 51:40 and she would pray with me before I went to bed 51:42 or our family we meet at you know, 51:44 at 7'o clock in the morning and 7'o clock in the evening 51:46 or friend or someone, find someone to pray with 51:49 so that is continually a part of your life. 51:53 You just mentioned seven in the morning, 51:54 seven in the evening that's more seven, 51:56 seven, seven, seven days in the week right 51:57 that's one of the initiatives 51:59 of the revival information communities 52:01 to co-adjust to have an appointment 52:03 with God in prayer. 52:04 So I have got a review these in my mind 52:06 to make sure I know them and the more I review them, 52:08 the more you will remember them. 52:10 You are gonna write these down on these great ideas, 52:11 you write those down, yeah, they are good. 52:14 So I am going to memorize scripture everyday 52:17 and then saturating my mind with scripture 52:19 when I am walking, or running, 52:20 or whatever driving in the car, 52:23 popping the CD and listen to the Bible. 52:25 So two suggestions. And then Daryl you said, 52:30 that I should preferably consider two church members, 52:34 two believers and this next week reach out to them 52:38 and find an opportunity to fellowship with them. 52:40 And then secondly, 52:42 that I am gonna think of two nonbelievers 52:44 and I am gonna to be very intentional 52:46 about reaching out to them this next week 52:47 and having an opportunity to fellowship with them. 52:50 And then thirdly, for prayer, 52:53 Natasha you mentioned make an appointment 52:55 with God and keep it, 52:58 an appointment with God and keep it. 53:03 Someone who is not too good with that. 53:06 I am not a very organized person. 53:10 When I was in academy, I had a little saying 53:14 that "Procrastination breeds creativity" 53:20 because I sometimes, you know, push things back, 53:25 that's deadly in a Christian's life, 53:27 isn't it? It is. 53:29 Pushing back our time with God 53:31 saying I will sleep in little extra this morning, 53:33 skip my devotions or haven't tonight, 53:37 I am not gonna spend time praying right now, 53:39 I'll do it later but making an appointment and keeping it. 53:43 And then secondly, is to pray regularly with someone else. 53:47 Yeah. Not just myself. 53:49 And I think it will be good for us in just a minute, 53:52 to actually spend some time praying 53:54 that God would compel us 53:59 to a dot this kind of life for ourselves 54:05 and for our church and I am gonna invite 54:08 everyone where you are. 54:10 If you would just turn to the person next to you, 54:12 just turn to the person next to you, 54:14 just in twos and let's spend a few minutes, 54:17 let's spend some time praying 54:20 that God will help us remember 54:24 when we go home that we're taking a new approach 54:28 to Ellen's personal life and the life of the church. 54:31 We are gonna have an Acts 54:33 approach to Christian experience, 54:36 the Christian life, first of all. 54:38 And secondly that God would compel us, 54:42 not just remind us, but compel us, 54:46 not give us any rest until we step forward 54:50 in faith to follow His leading 54:53 and implementing the life of a spirit filled church. 54:56 Can you do that together with us this morning? 54:58 Those two items that God would help us 55:00 remember when we go home. 55:02 Six wonderful suggestions, remember 55:04 and secondly that he would compel us, 55:06 let's do that right now. |
Revised 2014-12-17