Opening Day
When I say “Church” what images come to mind? Some of us may say the building down the road, the online church we attend, the school my children go to—others may have a much darker image come to mind…one of hurt, anger and mistreatment. This week, we are going to dive in to what the Bible says about Opening Day for The Church in Acts 2 and how we can the same image in mind He did for The Church!
- The Church is a MOVEMENT Not A SYSTEM (Acts 1:4-8 Acts 2:1-13 Matthew 28:18-20)
- Jesus promised in Acts 1 that when the Holy Spirit came down it would be the movement that spread the Gospel to the ends of the Earth and fulfill the Great Commission in Matthew 28
- There are at least 14 different groups hearing their own languages spoken at Pentecost in Acts 2
- That lead to the moment Peter, the one Jesus told in Matthew 16 would lead the Church, was made for…to kick off Opening Day of the Church
- The Church is a PEOPLE Not A BUILDING (Acts 2:22-24,32-33,36-39)
- The Greek word for Church is Ekklesia…translated to an Assembly/Gathering
- The English word for Church is Kirche…translated to Lord’s House
- This has been the source of bad theology about the Church for generations!
- It was never meant to be one church in one location but to be a body of people spread all over the world!
- The Church wasn’t meant to be a style, a ritual, or location…it was meant to be a people together working towards one mission
- The Church is The MISSION for MULTIPLICATION Not A SUGGESTION For ADDITION (Acts 2:40-41)
- The Church has always had the mission to do one thing: Create Followers of Jesus. When that happens, Jesus does what only He can do and multiplies what only we could add.
- We can get caught up in buildings and styles of worship but when we do we miss the point of it all! The Church is the people gathering together for one mission one purpose…to point others to the Hope that is only found in Jesus.
Take Away:
What was your most vivid experience from Church? Good Or Bad? Why was it so?
How has learning about what the Church is supposed to be changed your perception of Church? Is Jesus calling you to be a bigger part of the God’s movement?
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