CrossPoint Fellowship Messages

Your word should be fact. Tell the truth even if it hurts and live your values whether no one knows or everyone is watching.

• Honesty is the idea that we tell the truth even when it hurts. 
• Part of being truthful is being truthful when you could hide the truth. 
• Confession is built in truth and results in the mercy of God. 
• Integrity is present when we live out our values outside of the presence of others. 
• A person with integrity is a person literally without blame.
• Better for a man to be the person that tells you no, their wife no, their children no - than to be a person of empty promises.
• Men who are honest and have integrity don't have to bargain in order to be believed. 

Matthew 6:33 says that when we diligently seek God, His Spirit will be with us and take care of our physical needs. This is what we as believers need to live everyday, seeking the Kingdom first and foremost, and allowing the Spirit to act, to perform miracles in our lives to show that Jesus, though ascended, is very much still active in our world today. The early Church depended on each other and on the Spirit in our Acts passage - we need to model that in the Church today.

• The Holy Spirit connects us to the attributes and abilities of a living God while working on our behalf to complete the total work of salvation in us through the process of sanctification.
• The value of pursuing the Spirit comes in finding contentment in the ever-changing circumstances of our lives which might otherwise cause debilitating anxiety. 
• Rather than spending time worrying about these things, we should first turn our attention to seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness. 
• Growth comes from devotion and community.
• It is easier to do these things, and we find more success in having these things make an impact in our lives, while in fellowship with other believers.
• Being in the body has an impact that has an impact.

Just as Jesus spoke with authority towards demons, casting them out and commanding them, that authority is given to believers by the Spirit. This authority is unique to believers and the demons know it, people can try to imitate it, but will not have any luck, the best they can do is try and trick people, just like Satan. The glory of God is shown when imitators are exposed and the truth is shown.

• We have a responsibility to invoke the name of Jesus when evil attempts to appropriate Christianity. 
• There is no cross-pollination in Christianity.
• Melding the Godly with that which is ungodly is cross-contamination. Nothing good blooms from evil.
• We have authority over sin.

In the face of intense persecution, the Church devoted itself to prayer. Not only does God hear our prayers but He acts on them. God’s actions in freeing Peter show His power over man, that despite Herod’s best efforts to keep Peter from working for the Gospel, those chains were powerless before God. When in the face of persecution, whether by man, Satan, or ourselves, bringing the Church together to pray is our best option, because “if God is for us, who can be against us?”

• Sometimes we find ourselves in need of prayer for a situation that is unfair and undeserved.
• Peter, like so many of us often do, needs God to move if there is to be any hope in this situation.
• Our confidence in God’s ability to bring about a needed outcome affects our serenity in the midst of stress.
• The goal is to be servants of Jesus and not consumers of Jesus.
• It’s important to take a moment to appreciate what God has done when you come to the realization of what he has done.
• Recognizing the work of God when it happens gives us strength when we don’t see him moving.
• Somebody testify!

Most of us have heard the story of Paul. The Apostle to the Gentiles, arguably the greatest missionary in history, and author of 13 books in our New Testament. He didn’t start this way though, he was one of the primary instruments of persecution against the early Church before Jesus decided enough was enough. This process took the faithful actions of multiple believers to accomplish, starting with a man named Ananias, who was called by Jesus to share the Gospel and baptize Paul, the very man who had been going around sentencing believers to death. Without the faithful act of Ananias, where would Paul have gone? What would’ve been the ministry to the Gentiles? Ananias, though a single action of faith that Christ would protect him, set in motion a man who would make an eternal mark on history.

• Sometimes the Light of the World cripples us to ensure we lose sight of our past.
• Ananias shows us that faith and courage go hand in hand.
• Faith in the place of fear makes room for those who are blinded to their sin to receive sight of the truth.
• Having faith in the place of fear leads to powerful life-altering testimonies.

The Spirit leads and equips us to impact in ways we could not imagine. Philip is led to a seemingly random individual to explain the Scripture to him. Through Philip’s faithful actions, the man believes, and carries that belief back to Ethiopia. That single act by Philip led to a great spread of Christianity in Ethiopia, leading them to officially adopt Christianity in 330 AD, making them one of the first nations to declare themselves “Christian.” We often don’t know why we’re being led somewhere or to someone by the Spirit, but in following we have the opportunity to potentially be a part of history.

• A single act of faithful servitude to the Lord can create change beyond what we can even comprehend.
• When our relationship with Christ is where it should be, He is the why.
• Following the Spirit is exciting.
• First, the Eunuch accepts Christ as his Savior.
• Secondly, the Eunuch continues his journey back home, rejoicing on his way.
• Third, there is now a joy-filled Gospel spreader of great means going back to the queen of Ethiopa's household.

The Spirit equipped the early Church to do both great miracles and also to speak beyond their natural ability. Through the Spirit we have the ability to completely change people’s lives for the better. It doesn’t take a formally educated or trained individual to share the Gospel in powerful ways. It takes someone willing to step out in the boldness of the Spirit and rely on Him as their Helper.

• The only reason we get to witness the extraordinary in this moment is because of the obedience of the disciples.
• The disciples were worried about the restoration of a nation while Jesus was focused on the restoration of humanity. 
• This week I have wondered how many times I have missed the opportunity to change world, because I was focused on my will and not his. 
• The Holy Spirit is capable of equipping us for the extraordinary.
• The Spirit moves with purpose
• God can and will use you, where you are at, with what you have available, the Spirit will make up for any weakness that exists.

The Apostles, having lived with Jesus for 3 years, only to see him be killed and rise again, are left having to say goodbye again as Jesus ascends to Heaven. Knowing how we are, Jesus didn’t leave His followers to fend for themselves, and promised to send them a helper, the Holy Spirit.

• The gifting of the Holy Spirit is the fulfillment of the promise that God will not leave us nor forsake us.
• Keeping his commandments comes with the promise of the Helper.
• We are promised an eternal presence who receives his power from God the Father. 
• The Spirit leads us to the truth in study and helps us discern the truth in the presence of confusion. 
• The Spirit testifies to us about Jesus.
• The Spirit convicts us of sin.
• The Spirit teaches us.
• The Spirit delivers specific instruction.
• The Spirit intercedes on our behalf.
• The Spirit gives us strength.
• The Spirit, having the very same authority as Jesus, gives confidence that Christ’s promise of peace is not wanting. 

Jesus died on the cross to take our place, to take on the sin that we committed. Let’s face it - our sin put him there, we are the reason he was condemned to die. But that’s not where the story ended - he miraculously rose from the grave and he lives for us today.

• The introduction of Sin necessitated the coming of Christ.
• Everyone has sinned, and everyone falls short.
• Sin separates from God.
• To be justified means to be declared righteous.
• God made the free gift of salvation available to all people through the sacrifice of his son Jesus on the Cross. 
• Christ died for each and every one of us while we were still in love with sin.
• So Christ died in your place, for sins you committed, before you have ever thought about not committing them.
• Christ chose to die for you, but he chose to live for you as well.

How can we be real with evangelism and discipleship? What’s our motivation, power source, audience?

• God’s motivation for evangelism begins and ends with His love for people. 
• Loving others like God does causes us to have compassion for them. 
• Our perspective on evangelism would change if we truly viewed others as lost sheep and not lost causes. 
• A Christ-like perspective comes from a Christ-centered life.