THE CHURCH IS NOT A PLACE I GO TO OR AN EVENT I ATTEND. THE CHURCH IS A MOVEMENT I’M A PART OF AND A FAMILY I BELONG TO!
Matthew 16:13-18 (NLT)
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” 15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.
EKKLESIA = “A CALLED-OUT ASSEMBLY OR CONGREGATION.”
1 Peter 2:9 (NLT)
9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
Acts 1:4-8 (NLT)
4 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6 So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” 7 He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
5 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH…
1: FULLY DEVOTED
Acts 4:32a (NLT) 32 All the believers were united in heart and mind
2: LIFESTYLE OF WORSHIP
Romans 12:1 (MSG)
1 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.
3: RELATIONALLY INVESTED
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT)
24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
4: CONTRIBUTORS NOT CONSUMERS
1 Peter 4:10 (NLT)
10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.
Romans 12:6-8 (NLT)
6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
5: MISSION FOCUSED
PRACTICAL ACTIONS STEPS
BE CONSISTENT
TAKE YOUR NEXT STEP
BE A CONTRIBUTOR
GET INTENTIONAL WITH RELATIONSHIPS
Are you accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior today? Let us know so we can pray with you.
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Morning Star Fellowship
04/24/22
Pastor Ryan Defrain
