Fusion Christian Church

This is part 22 of "The After Party," our series at Fusion Christian Church on the book of Acts. Follow along as we explore what happened to the church after Jesus ascended to heaven. In our series finale, pastor and missionary to Peru, Nick Balcombe, teaches about the evangelist attitude all Christians should have.

Mars Hill and the Unknown God.

In Acts 17, Paul visits Mars Hill in Athens where he spots an altar to an "unknown god." Observing the Athenian desire to honor a god they don't know, Paul uses that very altar as a starting point for sharing about the one true God. By paying attention to the culture he was entering into, Paul was able to connect with the people he desired to reach and share the gospel in a more accessible way. By learning about the culture he was evangelizing, Paul demonstrated a deep love and care for the Athenians.

Look, Listen, Love.

Paul made himself aware of what was important to the Athenians and thereby showed his love for them. Christians should follow Paul's example in our own efforts to evangelize others. No matter who we are targeting with the gospel, Christians should try to understand who we are trying to reach. When we understand our audience, we can apply the gospel to their lives in an effective way and we can show them why it matters to them. The gospel is a message that everyone needs, and it is our job to help people see that need. By applying the three simple words: look, listen, and love, we become more effective evangelists. 

This is part 21 of "The After Party," our series at Fusion Christian Church on the book of Acts. Follow along as we explore what happened to the church after Jesus ascended to heaven. In this sermon, Pastor Zac teaches how to live life according to God's will.

Ask God for his will for your entire life.

Often people will surrender a part of their lives to God but try to reserve portions for themselves. This is not enough. Christianity is not a part-time faith and that means we must surrender all to God. If we want to live in God's will, we must submit fully to his will. God knows better than we do anyway!

Ask God to close every door no man can open and open every door no man can shut.

What this means is to recognize that God's decisions are final and not changed by the whims of men. If we make this our prayer, we also recognize the wisdom of God's will. If God intends on keeping a door open, it is a fool's errand to oppose him. Likewise if he keeps a door shut, there is no use trying to worm our way in anyway.

Align your life with God's word.

Perhaps the most straightforward way to live according to God's will is to apply his word to your life. God's will never contradicts his word and vice-versa. The bible is more accessible now than it has ever been, and we should not let it sit on a shelf. There is no substitute for reading it and applying it to our lives.

Start trusting that God has a better plan than you do.

It is sometimes very difficult to see God's plan in the chaos of life. It can be equally difficult to humble ourselves and admit that we don't make the best plans. However, if we do this, we will be better off for trusting in God's plans, which are perfect.

Surround yourself with people who want God's will too.

Christianity is not practiced in isolation, but in community. If we want to continue in God's will, we should surround ourselves with other Christians seeking the same thing. In this way we may all push each other toward the same goal.

This is part 20 of "The After Party," our series at Fusion Christian Church on the book of Acts. Follow along as we explore what happened to the church after Jesus ascended to heaven. In this sermon, Pastor Zac reads from the story of the first church council and teaches how we are saved.

We are saved from God's wrath.

The bible is clear that all men have sinned and that the wages for our sin is death. Because God is righteous, he cannot allow unrighteousness to be near him. Because he is just, he cannot allow injustice to continue. God has every right as a perfect and just creator, to deal with humans as he sees fit. Fortunately for us, God does not desire to punish but to save us. 

We are saved by the blood of Jesus.

God's chosen way of saving humanity was through the willing sacrifice of his own son on the cross. In the Old Testament, he established the principle that without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. In the New Testament, Jesus died as a perfect sacrifice, shedding perfect blood, that there could be perfect forgiveness for all time. 

You're never saved by works.

All the religions of the world and sometimes different versions of Christianity will make salvation about works. This is not how God designed it. Rather, God gave us our salvation as a free gift and we do our own good works as a response to that gift. Salvation can sometimes seem simple and sometimes complicated. At a basic level, salvation is for good works and not because of them. Salvation is fully dependent on God's grace and there is nothing which we do to contribute to it. If you have not believed in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, perhaps it is time to give your life to him today.

This is part 19 of "The After Party," our series at Fusion Christian Church on the book of Acts. Follow along as we explore what happened to the church after Jesus ascended to heaven. In this sermon, Pastor Matt uses the Apostle Paul's teaching in Acts 13 to explain how we should be like King David.

A heart after God trusts.

David learned from his youth to trust in the Lord through his trials. Trusting God in battles against wild animals gave him the confidence to challenge Goliath, knowing that God would be with him. If we are to have a heart after God like David did, it starts with trusting in him.

A heart after God worships.

When David brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, he danced with all his might. David was fully committed to praising God in that moment and declared that he would become even more undignified for the sake of the Lord. This ought to be the attitude of all Christians. With a heart after God, we are dedicated to praising God.

A heart after God repents.

Perhaps most importantly, David exemplified a lifestyle of repentance. Repentance is not a one-time event, but a continual choice for every person. Since we will not be able to stop sinning before death, we must keep repenting each time we do stumble. David did this throughout his life, and it is why he was called a man after God's heart.

What God promises he will fulfull.

For those who put their faith in Jesus, God has promised to finish the work of salvation within them. Like repentance, salvation is not a single event, but an ongoing process completed at the final resurrection. God gives the Holy Spirit to believers as a guarantee that he will complete our salvation. In the meantime, there are a few ways we can and should serve God's purpose.

Work hard.

Christians should not be lazy. Our actions represent Christ to the world and we ought to reflect him well.

Work intentionally.

When we work, we work with purpose. Christians are called to make the most of every opportunity and do all our work as though it is directly for God.

Live with joy, prayer, and gratitude.

Christians who maintain these three things will shine like stars in a dark world. Joy, even in sorrow, is a great testament to the hope Christians have in Jesus. Prayer keeps our thoughts continually on God. Gratitude keeps us humble and positive by helping us to hold God's blessings in mind. How can you cultivate these three in your life?

This is part 18 of "The After Party," our series at Fusion Christian Church on the book of Acts. Follow along as we explore what happened to the church after Jesus ascended to heaven. In this message, Pastor Zac teaches that God is worthy of all glory and warns about what happens when we don't offer it to him.

The downward spiral of being a glory hog.

Glory hogs start with pride, chase applause, are left empty, and end in death. When we pursue our own glory instead of God's it stems from a place of pride. It starts by thinking that we are greater than our creator. The result is that we continue in a neverending pursuit of something that will never satisfy us anyway. We were made to worship God, and worshipping ourselves does not fill that void. Ultimately, those who worship themselves and live as glory hogs will die apart from God.

Glory hogs steal what belongs to God.

Part of the reason worshipping yourself leads to death is that we are stealing from God what is rightfully his. It is crazy for us to steal from God and think that there will not be consequences. Of course, by trying to take glory from God, we also starve ourselves of joy bit by bit. So how can we avoid stealing the glory for ourselves?

Redirect the praise.

By redirecting our praise toward God, we place him back at the center. When we praise God above all else, we are choosing to focus on him. By deciding not to play our own fanfare and instead to prioritize God, we recognize that he is greater and eliminate our own pride.

Don't just give God more glory, give him ALL glory.

It's not enough for us to give God just a little bit of praise, because he deserves all the praise. We must choose daily to give God all glory, honor, and praise, because reserving any of it for ourselves creates a bastion of pride. We owe God everything simply because he created us and sustains our every breath, and much more because he sent Jesus to die for our sins. It is only right for us to pay what we owe.

This is part 17 of "The After Party," our series at Fusion Christian Church on the book of Acts. Follow along as we explore what happened to the church after Jesus ascended to heaven. In this message, Pastor Zac continues the "series within a series" by teaching five more ways to identify a real Christian.

You believe and participate in global missions.

The church is not just a place you go on Sundays, but all of God's people around the world. Participating in global missions means being a part of growing the church even in far off places. Whether that means going to those places or supporting financially, Christians should be involved in growing the church worldwide.

You intentionally learn the bible.

God's word is the bedrock for the Christian church and it needs to be a bedrock for our lives too. Although it is easy to get distracted from studying the bible, a healthy Christian life requires the discipline to stay in the word. Learning what God says on Sundays is not enough. We need to be in the word during the rest of the week as well.

You care for the well-being of the church.

This point applies to both the local and global church. All Christians are part of the church, which means all Christians should care about the health of the church. We, the church, are the bride of Christ, and we need that bride to be as healthy as possible. This means praying and serving so that the church can thrive.

You give generously.

This is a difficult area for many, but Christians are called to be generous with their resources. We must remember that everything we have ultimately belongs to God, and it is only right that we give back to him. 

You belong to a local church family.

Too many people claim to be Christians but refuse to participate in local fellowship. Just as a tree needs roots to grow, so does the Christian needed to be rooted in community. Likewise, as a hand cut-off from the body can do nothing, so too is the Christian cut-off from the church. How can you get involved in your local church?

This is part 16 of "The After Party," our series at Fusion Christian Church on the book of Acts. Follow along as we explore what happened to the church after Jesus ascended to heaven. In this sermon, Pastor Zac begins a two-part series within the series about what makes a Christian stand out.

You believe in the good news of Jesus Christ.

The most basic marker of a Christian is that Christians believe in the gospel. Everything in the Christian life begins with faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ in accordance with the scriptures. If someone does not believe in this, they are not a Christian. This is a very simple mark of a Christian.

You take Jesus with you everywhere.

In Acts 11, the followers of Jesus took their beliefs to Antioch, where they were first called Christians. No matter where his followers went, Jesus went right along with them and became known to the people in that new place.

You tell other people about Jesus.

Just as Christians take Jesus with us everywhere, we also should talk about him all the time. Christianity is not a private faith, and it is the duty of Christians to share our faith with the world. 

Your trials make you stronger.

Christians are not like the world when we suffer, but rather we are to consider it a joy when we face trials for Jesus. Jesus promised his followers that we would face persecution, but also that he would be with us through it. Since Jesus suffered for us, we should consider it a great honor to suffer for him in turn.

You earn a good reputation because of your godly life.

We, Christians, are called to be like Christ. As we grow to be more like him, the world should see our godly character and recognize the change that comes from God. Godly character is one of the best markers of a Christian, because without Christ there is no hope at living a life that pleases God.

This is part 15 of "The After Party," our series at Fusion Christian Church on the book of Acts. Follow along as we explore what happened to the church after Jesus ascended to heaven. In this sermon, Pastor Zac teaches from Acts 10-11 and explains how we can move past the spiritual walls in our lives to reach God.

Start seeking God and you will find Him.

This statement is a promise direct from God himself: that if we seek him with all our heart and mind we will find him. God desires to have a relationship with us, and he sent Jesus to make a way for that to happen. God is not distant, but he remains close so that if we reach out to him we can find him. When you are up against a wall, the first thing you should do is look for God.

Let God get you ready.

Neither Peter nor Cornelius knew exactly what God was doing with them in this story. Both, however, were willing to let God make them ready. They both trusted that God had a plan for their situation, and God used them to open the door for the gospel to be spread throughout the nations. Before this, the apostles ran into barriers preaching to gentiles, but God broke down that wall.

Focus on Jesus.

Jesus said to "seek first the Kingdom of Heaven," and how better to seek the Kingdom than to focus on the King? Jesus rules all; he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. When we focus on Him, he takes care of all our needs. If you are hitting a wall in your life, focusing on Jesus one of the best ways to break through it. If God is for us, who can be against us? 

This is part 14 of "The After Party," our series at Fusion Christian Church on the book of Acts. Follow along as we explore what happened to the church after Jesus ascended to heaven. In this sermon, Pastor Matt teaches through the conversion of Saul and what we can learn from it.

Without Christ I am considered an enemy of God.

Before Saul's conversion, he was an enemy and persecutor of the church. He approved Stephen's execution, he dragged Christians from their homes to put them in prison, and he was on his way to Damascus to do even more damage. What many people don't realize, is that without Christ, we are enemies of God just like Paul was. We might not have hunted down Christians like Paul, but sin makes us all enemies of God by nature. Fortunately, we don't have to stay that way.

God loves me as he finds me.

Despite being God's enemies, God made a plan to reconcile us to himself. He demonstrated his love for us by sending Jesus to die on the cross even though we were dead in our sins. God loves us even at our worst.

God's love is too good to leave me there.

The next part of God's plan to save us is to actually change us from the inside out. He makes us alive and sends the Holy Spirit to guide us so that we might become more like him. 

Nobody is beyond the grace of God.

Paul called himself the worst of sinners, and what his dramatic conversion story shows us is that nobody is too far gone to be saved. As long as we draw breath there is time for us to turn back to God. 

I change from adversary to ambassador.

When we do change, when we do believe in Jesus, we go from being God's enemies to his emissaries. Instead of fighting against him, we fight to deliver his message to everyone who will listen.

Paul's story can be your story.

If you have been far from God, or if you feel like the worst of sinners, it's important to remember that God can change you too. If you repent and put your faith in Jesus, God will adopt you as his own and begin to change you from the inside out. Will you make that choice today?

This is part 13 of "The After Party," our series at Fusion Christian Church on the book of Acts. Follow along as we explore what happened to the church after Jesus ascended to heaven. In this sermon, Pastor Zac teaches through the story of Philip and the Ethiopian, explaining how God appoints circumstances.

How God Works Through Divine Appointments

The story of Philip and the Ethiopian is one that shows how God works behind the scenes. Philip is traveling on the road when he encounters the Ethiopian reading a prophecy about Jesus in his chariot. First asking if he understands it, Philip then offers to explain it when the man says no. The Ethiopian was far from home and in the perfect position to receive the gospel message from Philip, and Philip was in the perfect position to give it. God orchestrates events so that encounters like this can happen, and not just in the bible. God does this today, and Christians need to be ready for it when it does happen.

Listen for God's leading.

There are a few questions we can ask ourselves to confirm that something we should do is godly. First is: Does it contradict scripture? If the answer to this is yes, then what we are thinking of is never from God. God will never contradict himself, so anything that contradicts his word is automatically wrong. The second question is this: Does it bring peace or fear? God gave us a spirit of courage, not fear, and his perfect love casts out fear. If there is no sense of peace about something, it may not be from God. The third question is: Does it encourage obedience or excuses? Often when we are faced with a decision, one option will lead us into obedience to God and the other will lead us to making excuses for not following him. We should always choos the option that makes us obedient to God. Lastly: Does it point you to Jesus? This question is simple, but we often get distracted by issues that don't point us to Jesus and must be careful to stay focused.

Be ready with an answer.

When Philip found himself in front of the Ethiopian, he seized the opportunity to explain the gospel. He didn't let the situation pass him by, he didn't make any excuses, and he didn't leave it for someone else. No, Philip jumped right in and asked the man if he needed an explanation. Then he used the very passage the man was reading to explain who Jesus was and how he had fulfilled it just a few months prior. The bible tells Christians to always be ready with an answer for the hope that we have. How can you prepare that answer in your own life?