<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Advent HOPE Sabbath School

Kameron DeVasher

A Ministry for This Time

Before we do any study, however, we must begin with a word of prayer.

So would you bow your heads with me at this time?

Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for this beautiful, warm day in Loma Linda, California.

We thank you for those who are in other places tuning in right now or will be watching later on.

And Lord, for everyone, within the sound of my voice this morning, I would ask that you would send, as you have promised to do, your Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth.

Let our message be relevant and applicable to where we are in this world's history and help each 1 of us not only to be recipients of the gospel but missionaries for you for we pray it all in Jesus name amen please take out your Bibles and go to the Book of Acts.

We're going to start our message this morning with a brief survey of the first few chapters of the Book of Acts.

But we're going to draw out a few main points and hopefully weave a thread through these opening chapters of the book of Acts to highlight something that was a unique challenge that was facing the early church and I believe a strikingly similar challenge exists for the last day church today.

Acts chapter 1 verse 8, you're very familiar with this very famous passage where Jesus, the very last statement He makes to His believers as recorded in the book of Acts just before His ascension, says this, "...but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth." He says eventually you're going to go to the whole earth but it can start in Jerusalem then go to Judea and Samaria and then to the rest of the world.

Now, when he had spoken these things, while they watched, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight.

Literally, the last words of Jesus was the strategy for taking the Gospel to the world.

It's going to start where you are in Jerusalem, go to Judea and Samaria, and then to the ends of the earth, and then literally the next thing, he ascends into heaven, disappears from their sight.

Acts chapter 2, told you this is a very brief survey.

In Acts chapter 2, we understand the disciples heeded the call of Jesus.

His instruction was regarded and they stayed put in Jerusalem, praying for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and waiting for the promise that had been given.

And Of course, the day of Pentecost comes, and the Holy Spirit was poured out as promised, and the Apostle Peter and all the disciples were given the power to speak in other languages, and they begin to preach a message.

By the way, I'll briefly say this, that I believe the Seventh-day Adventist Church should be more Pentecostal.

I assume the amens were muffled because of the masks.

Now, when we use that term today in our contemporary context, the term Pentecostal has some images that might come to our mind, right?

Very loud music, demonstrative worship styles, what in this, I grew up in the South, we call it holy rolling, right?

You also might think of speaking in unintelligible tongues, you might think about faith healings, all kinds of, you know, Pentecostal images.

But if you go down the line of the things I mentioned, how many of those are actually recorded in the Book of Acts, Chapter 2, on the Day of Pentecost?

For instance, how much music was played on the Day of Pentecost?

Well I don't know, but none of it made it into the Bible record.

That's not to say that singing is bad or music is, of course not, but it certainly wasn't the power that moved the day.

The Bible doesn't mention anyone being healed on the day of Pentecost.

Again, the gift of healing is valid and praise the Lord if you're sick and He revives you, that's fantastic, but that's not what happened on the Day of Pentecost.

And how about speaking in unintelligible tongues?

In fact, the Bible goes out of its way to list the nations that could hear.

They were amazed, not because they couldn't understand, but because they could.

What made the Day of Pentecost powerful was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the people, the messengers that God had anointed, having the courage to stand up and speak in plain language what the Bible said about present truth.

They had a message that stirred the heart of the people, and they were moved by the power of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.

Notice it says in verse 36, listen to the appeal that was made.

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly Based on the Bible passages.

He had just quoted know assuredly that God has made this Jesus now look closely comma Whom you crucified?

It wasn't a generic sermon about some you know esoteric ethereal love concept.

And God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Now, verse 37, when they heard this, they were cut, where?

Not only did they recognize it was true, they were convinced what he was saying was right, but they were convicted in the heart that it applied to them.

And then the natural response is I've got convict, I've convinced by the truth, I'm convicted by the truth, and now what do I do with this they asked said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles men and brethren what shall we do everything you're saying is true and you're right and we're wrong and Christ was the Messiah and now he's on the throne and we're down here what and of course you know the message It's been the message of John the Baptist and Jesus, and now the disciples.

Peter said to them, repent and let every 1 of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Now, it's a beautiful, powerful thing, but you've got to remember, when Jesus said in chapter 1, verse 8, about going to all the world, He was speaking to the remaining 11 disciples and a few disciple, you know, other followers that were gathered there together.

In fact, when they gather the upper room there's about a hundred and 20.

And now the passage reveals that at the end of this 1 sermon in verse 41 of Jack's chapter 2, then those who gladly received his word were baptized and that day about 3, 000 souls were added and it does not just say to Jesus.

Because friends when you come to Jesus you become part of the body of Christ which is the church.

And notice the character change in these people, the same people that had killed Jesus just 50 days earlier.

Now all who believed were together and had all things in common and sold their possessions and goods and divided them among all as anyone had need.

There is a sacrificial desire to give to the cause, to help out directly, to be part of this great movement that God was raising up.

Verse 45, "...and sold their possessions and goods and divided them among all as anyone had need." The result, verse 46, "...so continuing daily with 1 accord in the temple." I have to add right here, notice they didn't, it does not say so continuing weekly with 1 accord in the temple.

Their religion was not just on the seventh day Sabbath.

They were fellowshipping together, praying together, studying together, witnessing together.

It says in verse 46, So continuing daily with 1 accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house that ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.

And the Lord, what's the next word everyone?

So we had 3, 000 begin And then beyond that, through their personal ministry activity, they were adding daily to the church those who were being saved.

Acts chapter 1, we start with a cadre of the remaining few.

Jesus gives the Great Commission to go to all the world.

Acts chapter 2, the day of Pentecost, really unleashes the big seed investment, if you will, the big starting chunk.

3, 000 plus, through their ministry, daily things are adding.

The church is beginning to grow, and God's name is to be praised.

Acts chapter 4, we see another powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

This time the gift was not healing and it was not even speaking in tongues.

They had prayed for boldness and that's exactly what they were given.

Acts chapter 4, verse 31, And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke the Word of God with what?

Boldness I believe that we as Seventh-day Adventists need to speak the Word of God with boldness more often than we do But notice the result of this outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the preaching of the Word of God.

And see if you see a parallel between there and Acts chapter 2.

Verse 32, now the multitude of those who believed were of 1 heart and of 1 soul, neither Did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common?

Verse 34, nor was there anyone among them who lacked, for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them.

So far, almost word for word identical to the experience of the converted people in Acts chapter 2.

But now the church has gotten a little larger, they're continuing to add and grow, they're still preaching the word, they've got a straight message, it's all good, but now as the people converted, now watch, 1 might seem almost insignificant difference, but I believe it's the headwaters of a great crisis to come.

Back to Menu

A Ministry for This Time

Transcript

Sponsor

Recorded

Related

Acts: First Generation Lessons for Last Generation Believers

4. Antioch

59m

Revelation Made Simple

18. Revelations Spiritual Revolution for a New Millennium

57m

Adult Sabbath School: You're Teaching More than a Lesson

Adult Sabbath School: You’re Teaching More than a Lesson - Part 1

1h 5m

Acts: First Generation Lessons for Last Generation Believers

2. Discipline

1h

The Doctrine of Personal Ministries

Part 4 - Doing the Wrong Job Well

1h 18m

ECYC 2011 Plenary Meetings

Outreach Charge

20m

Morning Devotional: It's War Time

It’s Wartime - Part 8: Marching Orders

53m

Plenary

Sabbath School 1

1h 8m

Practical Christian Living

Sabbath 201

50m

Fieldwork

Follow Me

50m

Talking Points: Advent HOPE Sabbath School Training Series

01 The Birth of Talking Points

53m

Sound Doctrine