Christ Community Church of Pembroke Pines

Church Life

                         Message of the Martyr, Pt. 5; New Temple”

                                                 Acts 7:44-50

The Old Covenant Temple (vv. 44-47)

Psa. 132:4-5 4 I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, 5 until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

The New Covenant Temple (vv. 48-50).

Psa. 11:4 The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord's throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man. 

Acts 17:24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man.  (Jo. 2:19-21)

Heb. 9:11-12 11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come,[e] then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 

Mt. 27:51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.

Rev. 21:3,22-23 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place[a] of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,[b] and God himself will be with them as their God. ...22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.  

Jo. 14:23, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

                  - Our Temple (1 Cor. 6:12,13c,15-16,18a, 19-20) 

Ro. 12:1-2 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.[b] 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Church Life

                              " Message of the Martyr, Pt. 4; Exodus”

                                               Acts 7:35-43

The Redeemers (vv.35-38)

Nu. 14:2-4 2 And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

Lu. 10:16“The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” 

The Rejection (vv. 39-40)

The Rebellion (vv. 41-43)

Ro. 1:22-23 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Ro. 1:24-27 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. 

Church Life

                  “Message of the Martyr, Pt. 3; A Deliverer”

                                              Acts 7:17-34

Consecration (vv.17-22)

Captivity (vv. 23-29)

Commission (vv. 30-34)

              - The “I AM” (32a; Exo. 3:13-14) 

Church Life

                  “Message of the Martyr, Pt. 2; God with Us”

                                     Acts 7:9-16

Providence (vv. 9-13)

Isa. 45:5a; 46:9-10. 

Pro. 16:4,9 33 

Ro. 8:28 

Promises (vv. 14-16)

"Why?"- evil, pain and suffering?

1. Salvation (Gen. 50:20) as we just heard today from Joseph. I can tell you the gospel is going out & the Lord is going to save people in the aftermath of that storm and recovery as hundreds of Christian volunteer workers (FBC Disaster Relief) are going to love on those victims and serve them, showing and sharing Christ and his gospel.  E.g .of 2 former church friends of mine and brothers -David Rodriguez (and Fred S).  So many stories like that..

This is a massive truth that echoes somewhat what the Lord said after the Tower in Siloam fell and killed those 18 people. Rather than directly answer the ‘why’ of that disaster he told them, “Repent or you will likewise perish!” God sovereignly chooses some to suffer an affliction or tragedy so that will uniquely comfort others, even leading some to salvation (2 Cor. 1).

2. Sanctification (Ja. 1:2-4)

It is the will of God in both what he desires and what he decrees, that his children suffer because it strengthens and confirms our faith. Life is hard but that matures in the faith. I’ve never heard of anyone maturing in faith and character while sipping on daquiris at the beach. I love being at the beach but that’s not the best way to grow in Christ likeness. Pain is.

C. S. Lewis said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world” (The Problem of Pain).  God uses suffering to bring us to the end of ourselves and back to Christ to draw close to him and be dependent on him and that’s worth any cost.  

1 Pet. 1:6-7 rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

You don’t want to be found without a tested faith when Christ returns. Listen, one of the greatest proofs in the NT of knowing you’re a Christian, is not a prayer you prayed so many years ago with a decision, or even giving and church attendance as good as those things are. It’s endurance- perseverance of faith (fortitude). Will you hang on to Jesus with everything you’ve got when you have nothing else? As someone wrote, “You don’t really know Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.”  

3. Glorification (Jo. 9:3) 

Church Life

           “Message of the Martyr; Call and Covenant”

                                     Acts 7:1-8

The Call (vv. 1-4)

The Covenant (vv. 5-8)

- Gen. 17:1-6 

- Jo. 8:42-44b, 47

Jo. 8:56-58 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”[d] 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 

Heb. 11:8-9 8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 

Gen. 22:2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” (Gen. 22:7-14)  

Ro. 4:1-3 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

Isa. 53:5-6 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Jer. 31:33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people

Eze. 36:26-27 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

Ro. 4:11a He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.   

Heb. 11:10,13-14, 16 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.... 13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland....  16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

For sermon PP: Sunday, September 22, 2024, Rev. Bernie Diaz, Pastor

           Church Life

                           “Mission of the Martyr”

                                      Acts 6:8-15

His Conduct (vv.8-10)

           - 1 Pet. 3:9-16; 4:12,14,16.

Their Conspiracy (vv. 11-14)

Jo. 2:19-21 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple,[c] and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body.

Lu. 21:12 But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. That’s a future prophecy from the Lord.

His Character (v. 15)

Church Life

“Building the Ministry”

Acts 6:1-

Ministry Needs (vv.1-2)

Ministry Plans (vv. 3-6)

F.A.S.T. Disciples:

- Faithful

- Available

- Servant-minded

- Teachable

Church Life

                            “Portraits of Christian Courage”

                                           Acts 5:27-32

Outline: Taking Stands (vv.27-29)

Jo. 15:18-19,20b, 21 

Portraits of Courage in Acts of Disobedience: 

1)      Preaching (Acts 4-5) 

2)      Prayer & worship (Dan. 6:4-5,10)

3)      Idolatry (Dan. 1:3-19, 3:15c-18) 

4)      Life (Est. 3; Exo. 1:18-20).

Mt. 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Talking Truth (vv. 30-32)

Gal. 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—

1 Pet. 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

 Gospel Essentials:

-           Crucified

-           Rose from the dead

-           Reigns now and will on the earth and forever

-           Gifts his church

Church Life

“Persecution Persists”

Acts 5:17-26

Arrested (vv.17-18)

Mt. 24:9-14 9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many will fall away[a] and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

2 Thess. 2:3b-4 …. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessnessis revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

Freed (vv. 19-24)

Preached (vv. 25-26)

Mt. 10:17-20 17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

 Church Life

                                “Growth in Signs and Wonders”

                                                    Acts 5:12-16

The Kingdom Divides (vv.12-13)

1 Cor. 12:9-10,28   9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues… 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. .

The Kingdom Redeems (vv. 14-17)

Ro. 10:13-15,17 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”.. 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.