GVCC sermon handout Part 2: When the Church is waiting....

Garden Valley Community Church

Pastor Shane Moffitt

January 11^th 2015

 “The Church on Fire” series    

Part 2: When the Church is Waiting…

Acts 1:9-26

We can expect God to do great things

in GVCC when we:

#1.  Long for the Lord’s Presence  ~ 9-11

“After saying this, He was taken up into a cloud while they were watching,                       and they could no longer see Him.” Acts 1:9 NLT

v Notice the sense of longing in the apostles for Christ’s presence

“Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept His authority.”      1 Peter 3:22 NLT & John 14:1-5

As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them.   “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday He will return from heaven in the same way you saw Him go!” Acts 1:10

v Christ’s return will be visible to everyone    READ: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

v  “Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when He returns, we can live     with him forever. So encourage each other  and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:10-11 NLT

We can expect God to do great things

in GVCC when we:

#2.  Love the Lord’s People ~ 12-14

“They all met together and were constantly united in prayer…” Acts 1:14a NLT

“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7 NLT

God’s Love is giving someone what they need the most ~                                                when they deserve it the least ~ 

at great personal cost to you ~

 without getting anything in return

We can expect God to do great things

in GVCC when we:

  

#3.  Look for the Lord’s Plan ~ 15-26

they all prayed, “O Lord, you know every heart. Show us which of these men YOU have chosen.” Acts 1:24

v Watch how they look for God’s Will in selecting an Apostle to replace Judas

v Notice that after Acts chapter 2 ~ there is not mention of “casting lots” because they had the Holy Spirit to guide their decisions

When GVCC is living with a sense of…                        

longing for the Lord’s presence                            

loving the Lord’s people                                               

looking for the Lord’s plan                           

God will honor and bless our efforts

GVCC new sermon series ~ Sermon Handout ~ part 1

Garden Valley Community Church

Pastor Shane Moffitt

January 4^th 2015

 “The Church on Fire” series    

PART 1: When a Church follows God sermon

KEY VERSE:

“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.”

Acts 1:8 NLT

Luke Records the spread of the church

Acts 1-7 the church witnessing in Jerusalem

Acts 8-12 the church witnessing Judea, Samaria

Acts 13-28 the church witnessing to all the earth

The book of Acts tells us about the birth

  and growth of the Church ~ AD 61-63

REMEMBER:

The church is not a business

the church is a body

~ Man does not build the church ~

~ God builds the church ~

#1.  The Main Person of the Church (1:1-3)

v the main person of the church is Jesus

v if Jesus is not the main person of a church then it is NOT a true church

“God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.” Ephesians 1:22 NLT

#2.  The Mighty Power of the Church (1:4-5)

v The Power of the Church is the Spirit

v 1:5 is a reference to Acts chapter 2

v READ: Acts 1:8

“And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you.  And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.” Ephesians 1:13 NLT

#3.  The Major Purpose of the Church (1:6-8)

v The #1 person of the church is the Savior

v The power of the church is the Spirit

v The purpose of the church is Souls

He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times,  

and they are not for you to know.” Acts 1:7 NLT

v The study of prophecy is not the church’s

   major purpose ~ what is the major

      purpose? ~ Acts 1:8 ~ Evangelism  

“You shall be my witnesses” is Jesus Christ’s  

                                                 expectation of you

v Acts 1:8 command starts in Jerusalem ~

               WHY? It was their home town

(song lyrics)

“I would love to tell you what I think of Jesus”

I would love to tell you what I think of Jesus                             

since I found in Him a friend so strong and true                       

I would tell you how He changed my life completely

He did something that no other friend could do

CHORUS

No one ever cared for me like Jesus

There’s no other friend so kind as He

No one else could take the sin and darkness from me