Introduction

• Acts 2:1-4, 14 - The Holy Spirit inspired these men to speak.
• The way God would change the world was through this message.
• Acts 2:37-42
• Acts 4:1-19 - They tried to limit the spread of the message. They realized that’s where the power was!

If the devil was desperately trying to suppress the gospel, what does that tell you???

• Romans 1:16
• Matthew 28:18-20
• Acts 6:9-10 - The Bible is a treasure! Steven died to give us Acts 7.
• Acts 28:8-9 - Paul was healing them even though he was still a prisoner. It was not about Paul. It was about the message.
• Acts 8:3-5 - Persecution spread the gospel even more.

If the gospel of Jesus is that important, we should …

Read it!

• Luke 4:16
• Discount for lifetime license to Dwell audio Bible: https://get.dwellbible.com/wardonwords

Read it carefully!

• Keep things in their context.
  • Psalms 14:1
  • I Corinthians 7:27
• Harmonize passages
  • Matthew 4:5-7 - The devil quoted scripture, but misapplied it. Jesus harmonized the scriptures.
• Compare translations.

Obey it!

• Acts 2:37
• James 1:22

Local churches are authorized to provide for worship and edification (continued)

Can’t the church practice FELLOWSHIP? (continued)

• Yes, a church should practice fellowship.
• But what does “fellowship” mean?
• Sharing in something (determined by the context)
  • (share, contribute, participate)
    • Philippians 4:15
    • Luke 5:10
    • I Corinthians 10:16
    • I Timothy 5:22
    • I John 1:7
  • The word fellowship is never used in the Bible in reference to a church meal.
    • Acts 2:42 - “Breaking bread” here likely means the Lord’s Supper.
  • Benchley has a fellowship hall - we’re in it studying the Bible right now!

A church should also practice EFIFICATION

• (build up, strengthen spiritually)
  • Acts 20:32
  • I Corinthians 14:26, 16, 40
  • Ephesians 4:11-12 - They were using the word of God to build up the body of Christ.
    • Pastors: Titus 1:9
    • II Timothy 2:2
    • Romans 10:17
• Think of it this way: if churches are not limited to the source of edification in the Bible—God’s word and worship—then where would the limit be (carnivals, concerts, sports, etc.)?
• Remember that there’s a difference between an individual and a church (Matthew 18:15-17; I Timothy 5:16).
  • Matthew 9:10; Acts 16:34
  • Acts 2:46
• What about the “love feasts” (Jude 1:12)?
  • II Peter 2:13; Jude 1:12
  • The Greek word behind “love feasts” is just agape.
• “What is Fellowship?” by David Smitherman

1 in 60 Rule

• One degree off course? After sixty miles, you’ll miss your target by an entire mile.
• Proverbs 4:25-27

Can I do this in the name of the Lord?

• Colossians 3:17 - This refers to both secular and spiritual activities. We should always be reflecting Jesus in what we do.
• Acts 4:10-12
• Galatians 2:20
• Hebrews 13:15 - Thankfulness to God can be a good indicator of our attitude.
• Romans 1:20-21
• I Thessalonians 5:18

Am I providing for the lust of the flesh?

• Romans 13:12-14 - Make no provision for lust!
• What am I feeding? Whatever I feed will grow.

Am I pursuing a course that daily leads to walking by the spirit?

• Galatians 5:16-21 - Walk in the spirit!
• Romans 6:23 - Sin results in spiritual death.
• Galatians 5:22-24
• Galatians 5:13
• Philippians 4:7
• II Corinthians 13:5

How do we measure how well we are staying on track as Christians?

Here are four signs you are doing well:

1. You are pursuing God.
   • John 15:5-12
   • I John 3:24
2. You are not focused on what the flesh desires.
   • Galatians 5:16-17
3. Your mind is set on walking in the spirit.
   • Romans 8:5-8
4. You are producing good fruit.
   • Matthew 7:15-16

I Samuel 17

• I Samuel 17:8-11 - See I Samuel 8:19-20. They wanted a king to fight their battles. They were falling into the trap of letting the enemy dictate the terms of the engagement. What Goliath demanded of them should have been of no consequence to them. The people forgot that God is much bigger than Goliath.
• I Samuel 17:28-30 - David’s brothers had a terrible attitude, but David was not dissuaded. When David arrived, they likely felt guilty for their own inaction when they should have been buoyed by his courage. We must be careful not to sit back and criticize when we should be acting.
• I Samuel 17:33-37 - God had protected David from lions and bears, so how much more so would God protect David from this man who dared to defy God! Don’t wait for big moments to show faith in God. See I Samuel 7:12 - “So far the LORD has helped us.”
• I Samuel 17:45-47 - The ultimate goal here was to show the power of God. We must always give the glory to God and that’s what David did here.

I Samuel 18

• I Samuel 18:6-9 - Saul missed the point entirely. God deserved all the glory.
• I Samuel 18:18, 23 - David showed his humility here.
• David, born in Bethlehem, went out to defeat a physical enemy. Jesus, born in Bethlehem, went out to defeat a spiritual enemy.

Introduction

• James 3:6-12

Take their little problems seriously …

• I Thessalonians 5:17; Romans 12:12
• I Peter 5:6-7 - God wants us to come to Him with all these things.
• Colossians 3:12
• Psalms 103:13
• Those little problems are big to them!
• James 1:19
• “The way children spell love is T-I-M-E.”
• If I’m talking, I’m not listening!
• Proverbs 29:20 - Don’t speak until you know the facts!
• You want your children to grow up knowing that you will listen to them and they trust you.

… but give them a Biblical perspective.

• II Corinthians 12:7-10 - God chose not to take this problem from Paul.
• Romans 8:18 - Paul maybe appreciated this ideas more after having dealt with his own thorn in the flesh.
• Ephesians 6:4
• We must instruct them based on values in the Bible.
  • Proverbs 14:12
  • Romans 12:14, 17-21 - Overcome evil with good.

Reprove and rebuke …

• I Samuel 2:22-25; 3:13 - Eli did not go far enough with discipline.
• Proverbs 28:23
• Be careful to not create a situation where your child will become a master manipulator.
• Proverbs 18:17
• Proverbs 25:11
• Proverbs 15:2
• Maybe don’t:
  • Correct your kid publicly in front of their friends if the matter would be better handled privately.
  • Rebuke your kid when you’re both tired (unless it is urgent).
  • Come down hard when it might be better to share your own experiences and help the child learn from what you’ve gone through.

… but don’t go to irrational extremes.

• Proverbs 12:18
• Proverbs 15:28
• Colossians 3:21
• Ephesians 6:4
• Ephesians 4:29