27 May Be the Church | Part 3 “Three Signs of a ‘Great’ Church”
Key Verse: Acts 4-5
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15 Wishes for 15 People – If you group would like to submit a ‘Wish you can go to waterschurch.org/15for15 and fill out the application. You can also let us know how you can sponsor a Wish too! Small Group Leaders should discuss the nomination with their coach prior to submission.
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Saturday, June 23 from 9-4: Car Wash put on by Elevate youth to raise funds to send the youth to Camp Modnadnock! Triboro Gulf at the corner of Toner Blvd and John L Dietch Blvd. Spread the word!
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The Book of Acts is our ancestry, where we come from. The people genuinely cared for and loved each other. They sold their things so no one would be without. The Church was filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to live how God wanted them to live.
Q. What are some differences between the Church, when it began in Acts, as oppose to today?
3 REALITIES OF A GREAT CHURCH:
1. GREAT GRACE EXPRESSED IN TANGIBLE WAYS.
Notice there is no number of people given in the text. It just says the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul. They genuinely loved and cared for one another. They had one heart.
The Grace of God is not the ability to get away with things. Grace is not God’s leniency to sin. Sin is an offense to God. Salvation is a heart change, but God does not just forgive us when we get saved, He sent his Son to pay for our sin. It is either Jesus pay for our sin or we pay for our own sin in Hell.
Q. Have you ever thought grace was a license to sin and why?
Grace is God-given Ability and Desire to Do God’s Will.
It is hard to do what God wants us to do, but He gives us the grace to do it when we ask. Grace is the power to cause us to do better and He gives us the desire to do His will. We need to ask God to give us the grace we need to do what he wants. We will have no regrets when we obey God. God’s grace comes into our lives and he re-directs us.
Q. What desires has God given you that you require his grace to accomplish?
Great Grace in the Church Produces:
1 – Genuine Friendship/Family.
We have a family we can rely on. The Church exists to give us family.
Q. How have you or how do you rely on your church family? Is relying on your church family the same as relying on your own family? What are some differences or likenesses?
2 – Genuine Giving.
None of their things were their own. It is freeing to know that our stuff is not our stuff but it is really God’s stuff. The more we own, the more it owns us. The Church that is filled with the Holy Spirit wants to be Jesus to someone else.
Leader here is an opportunity to talk about 15 Wishes for 15 People: Not only do we want to nominate those in need, but we also want to provide a solution as well. Think about how you can provide help to make a wish happen for someone. As the needs come in, we will be having to fulfill them with people in the church. Maybe you can give your time, maybe you have a skill or you can give monetarily as a group or individually.
2 GREAT POWER TO SHARE THE GOSPEL.
We have to be careful that the Church does not become just a gathering of people who love each other. It does not take long before the Church becomes inward instead of outward. We don’t need to know everyone. We can love everyone, but we don’t need to be friends with everyone.
It is common for a Church to get so “loving” they only end up loving each other.
The most loving thing we can do is to tell someone outside of the Church that Jesus loves them. We cannot just love each other, we have got to love others and tell them about Jesus. When the gospel is preached, people get saved and those people are like new born babies. They bring excitement into the Church. We then, as seasoned Christians, can stand alongside them and help them grow, and when we do this we grow too!
There is a level of growth that only happens when you become responsible for someone else.
Q. What is your experience as one helping a new believer in their walk with Jesus and/or what has been your experience as a new believer in this Church where someone has assumed responsibility in helping you grow spiritually?
3 GREAT FOR GOD’S GLORY.
Ananias and Sapphira’s real sin was that they saw people getting recognized and they wanted to look better than they really were. They wanted to get God’s glory for themselves. The Church of Jesus Christ is here to give glory to God in Heaven, not ourselves.
Q. In what ways have you ever tried to appear better than your really were? How might knowing that this was the sin that was fatal to Ananias and Sapphira change the way you present yourself to others?
Regard For God’s Glory Means I Understand It’s Not About Me.
Pray for each other, the lost, your community, nation and leaders.
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