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“God’s Promise to the body
of Christ”
Acts 2:41- 47, John
14:12-14
February 5, 2006
The Rev. Kong Namkung
When we believe that God saved us from our sins to be His child and to be a member of the body of Christ, we also want to know what kind of promises God has for us in the body of Christ.
I as a father promised to my son, Joel, to buy a bicycle for him and to buy Hannah a guitar for her since last year before Christmas. I have not kept these promises yet. Whenever I pass by the bicycle shop, it reminds me of my promise and whenever I see a guitar, it reminds me of my promise to Hannah. It is I who want to keep promise to my children, to you. However, many of us have postponed our promises, or forgotten our promises.
Unlike us God’s promises never ever fail and His promises have been kept. That is why God is faithful and trustworthy. As the Psalmist says, “….his faithfulness to all generations.” Ps 100: 5
The same God promises to all of us, God’s children, to the body of Christ. What are the promises God keeps to the body of Christ?
Acts 2:41 says, “So those who welcome his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.” After Peter was full of the Holy Spirit, he preached and 3,000 people accepted Jesus Christ. Do you believe the Holy Spirit is the same as yesterday, today, and tomorrow? Then this kind of unbelievable thing will happen anytime, not because we are good people, not because we are United Methodist, not because we are doing something different, but because God loves to see the growth of the body of Christ and God loves to save the lost souls and put them in the numbers of salvation.
Again, Acts 2:47 says, “The Lord added to their number those who were being saved.”
Does God care for numbers?
In Luke 15 Jesus talks about the lost sheep, this is about the shepherd who had 100 sheep and lost one. The shepherd left the 99 sheep behind him and sought for the lost one. There was a woman, who had 10 coins and she lost one and moved all the furniture in the house and sought for the lost coin. Finally she found one that was lost. There was a father who had two sons. The younger one asked his inheritance from his father, got it and went to a foreign land and spent all that he had. The father waited for the lost son. The lost son came back to his father. Can you see that the author of Luke decreases the number of the lost one out of 100, 10, and 2? -- God’s heart is for the lost souls. Whenever the lost soul comes back, God counts it.
There are many starfish on the seashore. There is an old man who threw the starfish into the ocean one by one. While he is doing this, a young boy comes to him and asks, “Sir, what are you doing?” The man replies, “I am saving the starfish.” The boy says, “There are countless starfish here, when and how will you finish your job? How can you save the lives of all these fish?” The man says, “I do not know when and how I will finish the job. But each time I throw a starfish that fish is saved. One fish is counted for me.”
Yes! God counts one soul. There are 6 billion people in the world. But God wants us to throws the starfish in the ocean so that one fish may have life abundantly. The lost one soul is important for God. If one soul is important to God, shouldn’t we as Christians regard the one lost soul as the most important for us as well?
The book of Numbers counts every number in the people of 12 tribes
So, we care for number, especially for the lost soul.
a. Devoted to learning----- The meaning of “disciples” has “learning.” Let’s talk about where we learn. We learn from books, Mass Media, from people, from experiences, and from nature. Here are some specific learning resources. Other people’s mistakes and bad characters and personalities or from cartoons. We are learning from Jesus Christ. He is our role model. Ask your children who their role model is. Bill Gates, George Bush, teacher or principle, Tiger Woods, and so on. Who is your role model? Mine is Jesus Christ. I am learning from Him.
b. Fellowship. It means “to have in common, to share, to participate for a common cause.” It is very interesting for me to find out the use of the word, “fellowship.” In a family when we have a good time, we do not use the word “fellowship,” rather than family time. However, we use the word, “fellowship” when we come to church and have a meaningful time because our spiritual family lasts forever. To have fellowship with other Christians is more than have a meal or refreshments. It includes unselfish loving, honest sharing, practicing serving, sacrificial giving, and sympathetic comforting. According to Rick Warren, the inheritance of spiritual family has five things.
1. We will get to be with God forever.
2. We will be completely changed to be like Christ.
3. We will be free from all pain, death, and suffering.
4. We will be rewarded and reassigned positions of service.
5. We will get to share in Christ’s glory.
Again, Rich Warren says, “To have a spiritual family symbolizes god’s second purpose for your life; participating in the fellowship of God’s eternal family.”
c. Breaking the bread (The Lord’s Supper, Eucharist)
d. Prayers
Consequence of spiritual growth (Acts 2:43- 46)
a. Wonders and signs. I just want to make sure that you understand correctly. Spiritual growth brings wonders and signs. In other words, wonders and signs are the by-products of spiritual growth. Wonders and signs are not the ultimate goals for Christians.
b. Filling with awe. Awe means “An emotion of mixed reverence, dread, and wonder.” Awesome is displaying awe.
Song: Our God is awesome God. He reigns from heaven above with wisdom, power and love. Our God is an awesome God. What does it mean to us? When we have devotion to learn, to have fellowship among us, to have Holy Communion, and pray, then we are closer to God and people begin to see us with awe and as they see us closely, they say to us, “You are awesome!”
c. Coming together – in unity and harmony.
d. All things in common.
e. Spending time together
One thing that I learned from creation is about geese. When you see geese heading south for the winter flying along in a “V” formation, you might be interested in knowing that science discovered why they fly that way. Research has revealed that as each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately behind it. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.
People who share a common direction and sense of community get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on one another’s thrust.
Another reason why geese form “V” formation is to share the workload. Do you know 20-80% rule? 20% of people do 80% of jobs. 20% of people therefore are burned out quickly. To fly in the front of “V” formation is harder than flying in the back of the formation. Whenever a goose feels tired, the other goose takes up the front part of the formation, so they are sharing the burden of works.
The last reason why geese have “V” formation is to encourage other geese. Have you noticed that the geese in the back of the formation honk as they fly?
If you hear someone honk behind, it means to speed up or get out of the way.
Geese honk because they encourage those up front to keep up their speed. What do we say when we honk from behind? 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” There are many names in the Bible that I love to name for my grandchildren, that is “Barnabas.” Acts 4:36.
In Christian journey there are three persons you need. Paul- mentor, Timothy-student, and Barnabas- encourager.
a. Spreading the gospel further geographically.
Jesus had never preached outside Palestine. Within his lifetime Europe had never heard the gospel. Jesus had never personally met moral degradation of a city like Rome. Even his opponents in Palestine were religious men. But when he had died and risen again, Jesus was liberated from these limitations and his Spirit could work mightily anywhere through his disciples. Today there are more than 130 countries, which heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. What Jesus promised to his disciples has come true. By His Spirit we do greater works than Jesus’ did.
b. Reaching out to more people.
Again, Jesus reached out to very limited people. He healed the blind to see again, deaf to hear again, mute to speak, raised 3 persons from the dead, cast out demons, and so on. With his Holy Spirit, Peter stood up and spoke, how many people repented? Yes 3,000 and later 5,000 people. The Holy Spirit touched a few Americans and about 100 years ago, they came to Korea and proclaimed the gospel and about 70 years later one man, who was influenced by Buddhism and Confucianism, accepted Jesus Christ and came to Him.
c. The completion of Jesus’ work by fulfilling the Great Commission (Mt 28:19-20)
Have you thought about what you will say to your children on your deathbed? Or the last words that you want to say to your loving ones? I as a young man always think about my death, not because I want to die, but because I want to live day by day faithfully before God and God’s people and because I want to prepare for the time that all human beings will confront it anytime and anywhere. I thought about what I will say to my loving ones, “Trust God always, love your family, serve others as much as you can.”
Before Jesus ascended into heaven, said to his disciples, “Go therefore make disciples of all nations.” That was his last words to his disciples. That is the most important words for Jesus to say to his disciples. So it is our duty to go, do not stay where you are. Get out of your comfort zone, and go.
If you have a nice boat with many fishing poles with bait in your front yard, can you catch any fish? NO! You have to go to the river or Atlantic Ocean and throw the fishing poles in the ocean with bait. Then you can catch fish.
Likewise, you have to go out and find out the lost souls. Then bring them to Christ. Then you are fulfilling the Great Commission.
God promises us to grow in number, spiritually, and to do greater works by the power of the Holy Spirit than Jesus did. We as the body of Christ have these promises. Therefore, let us put our faith in God and trust him. Let us love our spiritual family, and let us serve all God’s people reaching out to them with the love of Christ. Glory be to the father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen
Acts 2:41-47
41 Therefore those who accepted and welcomed his message were baptized,
and there were added that day about 3,000 souls.
42 And they steadfastly persevered, devoting themselves constantly to the
instruction and fellowship of the apostles, to the breaking of bread
[including the Lord's Supper] and prayers.
43 And a sense of awe (reverential fear) came upon every soul, and many
wonders and signs were performed through the apostles (the special
messengers).
44 And all who believed (who adhered to and trusted in and relied on Jesus
Christ) were united and [together] they had everything in common;
45 And they sold their possessions (both their landed property and their
movable goods) and distributed the price among all, according as any had
need.
46 And day after day they regularly assembled in the temple with united
purpose, and in their homes they broke bread [including the Lord's
Supper]. They partook of their food with gladness and simplicity and
generous hearts,
47 Constantly praising God and being in favor and goodwill with all the
people; and the Lord kept adding [to their number] daily those who were
being saved [from spiritual death]. AMP
John 14:12-14
12 I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me,
he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater
things than these, because I go to the Father.
13 And I will do [I Myself will grant] whatever you ask in My Name [as
presenting all that I AM], so that the Father may be glorified and extolled in
(through) the Son. [Exodus 3:14.]
14[Yes] I will grant [I Myself will do for you] whatever you shall ask in My
Name [as presenting all that I AM]. AMP
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