Acts: Early Church Life

Good morning. It's good to see you all the lad that you're here with

us. Worship with us on this Labor Day weekend. If you have your

Bible, is turning with me to acts chapter four. Acts Chapter four were

starting verse thirty two in just a moment. The title of my sermon today

as early church life. Now, back in the days in the eighties,

some of y'all may remember a show that was pretty popular at the time.

It's called Lifestyles or The Rich and Famous. Does anybody remember that show back

many years ago? That was probably the first reality TV show, right,

That show showed what lives of very wealthy people was like, what did they

live like? What are their houses look like? What are the things that

they do? And it was intriguing to kind of see in like behind the

scenes, what was rich people really looking live like. Now that's just kind

of exploded now, right that reality TV is everywhere, whether it's Keeping Up

the Kardashians and never seen it, but I've heard it's a reality show about

the lifestyle of another rich family, the Kardashians too. Like even like a

TV show called Hard Knocks now that shows us the behind the scenes of what

it looks like for a football team like the New York Giants or the New

York Jets. That's happening today even to famous YouTube stars who do YouTube channels

about their life. To the Duggers, right, the Dugger family many years

ago that had their TV show about their huge family, and we get intrigued

by watching, like what is life like for these people who have all these

kids? What are their life like for these very wealthy families like the Kardashians,

or what is football like for a team like the Jets or the Giants.

We are intrigued to see what really happens behind this scene. As we

come to Acts, chapter four, it gives us the picture of what really

did the early church life look like. So this was a church probably many

would say ten to fifteen thousand. At this time it was the very first

church ever. So imagine that the very first church ever. It was in

Jerusalem ten to fifteen thousand. And this passage to day should tell us what

did their early church life really look like. There's two passages in Acts that

are like summary passages. These passages are meant to give us just a summary

of what the church life looked like. We saw that one in Acts chapter

two, and now the second one now is in Acts chapter four, and

we just see a glimpse of what it was the early church looked like.

You know, sometimes we reality that we see with reality TV. Sometimes we

see with the things in our world, things that we see in TV is

not normally really the reality. Right, this week, there was a story

that came out about a lady named Ruby Frank and she had a YouTube channel

called eight Passengers, right, and it showed this wholesome family, everything got

together, and this week she was arrested and charged with child abuse that she

would ductake one of her children, her children and malnurished her children. And

yet she had this TV style TV show that was acting as if everything was

all together with their family, but behind the scenes that wasn't reality. This

morning, I want you to see in this passage of Scripture, we see

a church. And one of the things that what you see about this early

church is they are what they presented, right. What you saw on the

outside is who they were on the inside. And so I want you to

see different parts now. I want you to see as we look at this

passage of scripture. Last week we really saw kind of the outward focus of

the early Church. What was the early what was an early church life like?

Well, they were a church that was evangelistic. They were about going

in the synogods. They were about preaching the gospel, were about sharing the

Gospel with unbelievers in their community. And we saw them preaching. We saw

Peter and John healing the laymen, preaching the gospel and the synagod even in

the midst of persecution. So the early Church was very outward focus. They

were very much not about I mean, they were very much about caring for

others, and we'll see about that in a moment, but they were very

focused on reaching the loss that was in their community. So we saw that

last week, but in this passage this morning, it really shows how did

they care for one another in the body? What was life like within the

church body? So this morning I pray we'll look together and we'll see what

did the early church look like and what were aspects of the early church life.

Let's stand together unless read God's Word together as Acts Chapter four, and

we'll start in verse thirty two. In just a moment, it says,

now the full number of those who believe were in one heart and one and

soul, and none said that any of these things that belonged to him was

his own, but had everything uncommon and with great power. And the apostles

were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace

was upon them all. And there was not a needy person among them,

for as many were owners of land or houses, sold them and brought the

proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostle's feet, and it

was distributed to each as any had need. Does Joseph, who was called

by the apostles Barnabas, which means son of encouragement. The Levite, a

native Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him, brought the money and

laid it at the apostle's feet. Let's pray together, Father, I thank

you Lord for this morning. And Lord, I pray that as we look

at this passage of scripture, and we look at the life of the early

Church God, we would consider our church. We would consider our role within

our church, and Lord, how we are living according to what your word

calls us to. Lord, I pray we would look at the unity of

this church. We'll see the Lord the giving of the church. We'll see

the examples within this church. And Lord, we would ask how we as

individual members in a church body or functioning as this early church did. So,

Lord, I pray that you would speak today. We come together Father

today and one accord and one spirit, one heart, Lord, with the

one desire, and that is to hear your voice today. So Father,

I pray for our congregation as a whole that God, may you speak through

me today. May you feel me? Father, May you cleanse me today?

Lord, May you use me today, Give me clarity of speech,

clarity of thought. And Lord, may you anoint the words that I say,

that they might not hear my words today, that may hear your words

today. God, thank you for those who have gathered today. In your

name, we pray, Amen, he may be seated as we see.

What did the early church look like? The first aspect, the first thing

that you see about the early church life, Well, it was an early

church of unity. There's an early church of unity. Look at the passage

chripture and now the full number of those who believe were one heart and one

soul. The word full number there is actually the word and the Greek multitude.

This stands to explain to us that there is a large body here.

This is not just a few small group of one hundred and twenty that once

started the church. Now, this is a probably a size of ten to

fifteen thousand. This was a multitude to believe. Verse, but listen to

that imagery. Think about that you've got a multitude of a thousand people,

and listen to how it describes a thousand people that gathered together. It says,

now that multitude of ten to fifteen thousand of those who believe were what

what did it characterize this group? It characterized them as they were one heart

and one soul. It characterized them as a group that were unified, They

were connected. How were they unified? Well, it gives two descriptions to

describe their unity. One of one heart, it describes them, and the

second one was one soul. The imagery of one heart was something that we

saw in the Old Testament, and the Old Testament and its Second Chronicles.

We saw the nation of Israel was seen as a nation was united in one

heart, it would say, Second Chronicles twenty nine twelve. And the Levits

arose and Mahath and the son of Amicia and Joel the son of Araiza,

and the Khaithites, and the son of Mir. I didn't know, not

know that all these names were going to be in this verse. And I

think I quoted the wrong I didn't put the right verse in my verse.

So which is going to get that? But in Second Chronicles it says they

were one heart, and I quoted the wrong verse in my notes. But

the Bible says it gave them one heart to do the king's work, and

the princes and all the nation together had one heart to obey. We see

that in the Old Testament. We also see that in the New Testament.

And but what gave them this one heart? Well in Ezekiel eleven, and

we're going to read that in our Bible reading plan. We're reading through Ezekiel.

Now Ezekiel eleven, it will give a prophecy. And the prophecy would

say, I would give them one heart and a new spirit I will put

within them, and i will remove the heart of stone that from their flesh,

and I'll give them a heart of flesh. You know, the Bible

is give them a prophecy in Ezekiel of the work of the Holy Spirit,

that when Jesus listened to me when Jesus saves you that the Bible says,

he took your heart, st own heart of sin, and he removed it,

and he give you a new heart. You know what united the body

of believers in the Early Church, their faith in Jesus Christ. That every

all ten to fifteen thousand had had a heart transplant, not a physical heart

transplant, but a spiritual heart transplant. That God had given them all a

new heart, a new heart for the Lord, and not heart for the

Lord. Is what united them. I think it would you only see that

in this passive scripture it says and they were of one heart. But scripture

says and they were of one soul. The Bible describes that. And not

only to have a one heart, but to have one soul. It gives

this imagery of unity. By the way, this is what Paul prayed for

and and taught in Philippians one twenty seven. Only let your manner of life

be worthy of the Gospel of Christ. So the whether I come to see

you or I'm absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm

and one spirit, with one mind, striving side by side for the faith

of the Gospel. Do you know almost in every letter that Paul wrote,

he wrote about unity. He wrote about the church being unified. And here

Paul was commending them to be unified. And in acts we saw an early

church. And what did they look like? What was the early church described

like? What was life like? It was a body of ten to fifteen

thousand people that came together one heart, and that they all had had been

saved and all been changed from the inside out. But it was a body

that came together and says, not only do we have one heart, but

we have one soul, we have one spirit, and we're going to strive

together for the Gospel. We're gonna strive together to work for faith. Can

I tell you? And not only I think the beauty of this passage is

this is what we saw in the early Church. This is what Paul preached

on. But can I tell you? In John chapter seventeen, the Bible

says, before Jesus went to the cross, he prayed. You know what

Jesus prayed for in John seventeen, He prayed that the believers would be united.

This is what he says in John seventeen eleven. As he's praying to

the Father, he says these words, I'm no longer in the world,

but they are in the world, and I'm coming to you, Holy Father.

Keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they

may be one as we are one. In verse twenty one and twenty two,

he says that they may all be one, just as you Father in

me and I in you, that they also may be in us. That

the world may believe that you have sent me, and the glory that you

have given me, that I have given them, that they may become one

as we are one. You know, Paul taught on the portraits of church

unity. The early church life was a life that was described as unified in

one heart and one soul. Jesus prayed that we would be one. Can

I tell you, church family today, one of the major important roles for

the church and you as individual church members is to be unified and strive for

unity and peace. You know, there's so much discussion and I don't know

if you read a lot of news or see a lot of news about what's

happening in the church and the evangelical world in the church life, but statistics

are telling us that the churches on decline in America, and you can read

a hundred different articles that are going to try to give you a reason why

the churches on the decline, that less people now are going to church than

ever in America. But can I tell you one of the reason I believe

personally the churches on the decline because after COVID or during COVID, so many

churches were divided. They're divided on maths, they're devoted on the COVID shots.

They're divided over so many different things. And our world saw what divisions

all over our world through COVID. They saw the same thing about mass It's

all the same thing about the COVID shots. They saw that in their workplaces,

they saw that on the news. And one place they wanted to define

unity was the church, and the church was divided. Can I tell you

today, it's so important for us as a church to show unity, to

be a church that's united, to not get divided over things that don't matter,

but you unite on our faith in Jesus Christ, to be united in

one accord, to reach people for Jesus Christ, and don't get lost into

weeds of things that don't matter. But can I tell you Satan wants to

divide. Right, even Jesus wondered that right a house divided cannot stand.

Can I tell you, Satan longs to divide our church? And I am

so thankful that I pastor church. I have seen God protect us and keep

us strong in the midst of a many storms. But can I tell you

in the days to come, may we fight for unity. May we fight

to be one heart and one soul. And may we be a church that

is that is set in the middle of Durham, in Bethesda, and in

this community. May they hear one thing about Bethesda. I can tell you

one thing that may happen about Bethesta, But Bethesda is united. This was

a church in the early Church. Can you imagine ten to fifteen thousand people

they are united, one heart and one soul, not one was a church

that was united. It was a church early church of giving. Look at

what scripture says and the full number of those believe were in one heart.

And listen to the imagery of verse thirty two. And no one said that

any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but it had

everything uncommon. Verse thirty four says there was not a needy person among them,

for as many were owners of land, ends of houses, sold them

and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostle's feet,

and it was distributed to each one who had as any had a need.

You could imagine the early Church. What happened is you had thousands upon

thousands of people coming to Pentecosts for the festival, for the worship there.

And when they came to Pentecosts, there the Holy Spirit came down and they

found Jesus and they were saved. Where they didn't want to move. They

didn't want to go back home to where they were from because there was no

church there. They wanted to remain in Jerusalem. So there had so many

people who were living in Jerusalem, new believers who were staying there, but

they didn't have homes, so they had great needs. They had it.

Probably many of them were just trying to figure out what they were going to

do occupationally. They didn't plan to come and stay in Jerusalem. They just

came for the festival, was going to go back home. But something happened,

and that was Jesus. Jesus changed their life and they wanted to be

a part of the local church there. So there were many people there that

had needs, needs of homes, financial needs, food needs, and the

early church was tasked with how do we care for the body? We want

to look at what the early church looked like. What did they they were

marked by They were marked of a church of unity, but it was a

church it was marked of giving. Scripture would tell us that because of the

great needs that were in the community or within the church body, there were

those who would sell part of their hand the houses. Maybe they would say,

you know what, I have a four bedroom house, and now I'm

endy nester, and I don't really need all those homes. Now I'm want

to kind of downsize and go to maybe a two bedroom house, and and

I'll take the money that I from that house and I'll bring that to the

church and let the church divide that. And that's what was happening in the

early church. It doesn't mean that there was like a that they were giving

everything that they had and giving it all up to the church. No.

It means that they were taking some of the investments they had and they were

downsizing those and taking what they've made and giving it to the church. That

the Church may distribute, and we saw this. This is knowledge as a

practice of the Christians and the early Church practice of the Jews. In Israel

and Deuteronomy fifteen fourteen, it says, but there were no poor among you.

The Lord will bless you in the land that Lord your God is giving

you for adheritance to possess one of the promises that God gave the people of

visual as they wanted to the promised land, that would be no poor,

but they were to take care of one another. They'll provide for one another

by the way Jesus. Not only did we see that in Israel, but

Jesus taught that. He says and in Luke six thirty four through thirty five.

If you lend to those and who you expect to receive, what credit

is that to you? Even sinners lend to get back the same amount.

But you love your enemies, do good, lend and expect nothing in return,

and your reward will be great, and you'll be the sons of most

High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. As we

come back to the passage of Scripture, and it was kind of hard to

go back, but I encourage you let's look back to this passage of Scripture.

As we looked at the early church life. It was an early church

that was marked by again about to lose mife trade and thought it was marked

by unity. It was a church that was marked by giving. And it's

early church. You see. They I think it's really important as you looked

at verse thirty two, look at what scripture says about it. And no

one said that that of anythings that belonged to him was his own. Now

settle that in your mind. No one ten to fifteen thousand people, and

not one person believed what they possessed was their own. A few weeks we

were in here and Tanner was going through the giving part and he was talking

about his giving, and he talked about as a young boy as he was

trying to learn to give. He said he really struggled with giving. And

he says, he didn't struggle with your giving. He thought you should give,

but he wasn't sure whether he should give. Right, And we've all

felt that way, right, We all struggle with well, this is my

money, this is my checkbook, this is my savings account, this is

my land, this is my house, this is my retirement account, This

is my CD this is my investment account, this is mine. But scripture

says the early Church it's life was marked by believers who said what I have

is not mine. This is the imagery. And no one said of any

of the things that belonged to him was his own. Heard of an individual

just this week was talking with his financial planner, and the financial planner was

asking, what is your goal? What's the goals with your money? What's

your long term goals? What do you want to do with your money?

And that's the imagery that many of us take, right, that's what we're

taught, that's what we're here from the news articles or the media, or

the advertisements on the radio or TV. This is your money. You can

do with what you want to with your money. Right. But for the

Early Church, it was a church that says, these are not my things,

these are the lords. I want you to think about something today.

How do you perceive what God has given you? Is it yours or is

it his? Are you building your kingdom? Are you building his? Because

I do think there's a there's a struggle in all of us right to say

these are my things, this is my money, this is my investment.

That's this is what I want to do with what I have, and in

the end we can build our kingdom. But it's like the passage that we

read this week in Psalm thirty nine, And it surely struck me this week

when I was reading Surely a man goes about as a shadow for nothing.

They are internal and Psalm thirty nine it's talking about the brevity of life,

that your and our life is like the scripture describes in Somesalm thirty nine.

It's like a mere breath. It just comes and goes. It's over before

you know it. And he's saying, and our life is like a shadow

in this verse, and he says, because our life is merely but a

shadow or a breath, sometimes we can spend our whole life in turmoil,

like worrying. And what are we worrying about? Money? He says in

Psalm thirty nine six, surely for nothing. There in turmoil, a man

heats up wealth and does not know who will gather. Here's the imagery.

We surely we worry our whole life about building our kingdom, builderlio, building

our wealth, and building our things. And in the end we gather all

those things and we die, and who's going to do with what we have

left over? For many? It's gathering up many kingdoms to leave it all

behind. The Early Church says, God, You've given me these things that

I might build your kingdom. I encourage you to think about the early Church

was the early Church of unity. It was the early Church of giving.

And lastly I want to finish here today is it was an early church of

examples. In verse thirty three, it says, in the midst of this

two imagery unity, now the full number of those who believe were in one

heart, one soul, and no one said of any of these things that

belonged to him was his own. But they had everything in common that the

imagery. There's fellowship through give, being fellowshipped through unity. But in verse

thirty three it kind of changes it a little bit, and it says,

with great power, the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of Lord

Jesus, and great grace was upon them. In the last serment, we

looked at last week. We looked at how the early Church came together at

their persecution, and they prayed, they prayed for the power, and they

prayed that they would not what cease to continue to share the gospel, but

they would continue to to be bold and continue to tell people about Jesus,

and they would continue to see the power of God in them. In this

passage of Scripture, it shows that God answered their prayers. The apostles said,

Hey, Lord, help us not be silent, but help us continue

to speak. God help us. Not only did we not continue, we

would not be silent, continue to speak, but God help us be bold.

And then God help us not be bold, but God, may we

see our power in us. And then this passage it says what the church

prayed for, they saw it and the early apostles, the apostles will continue

to preach with great power. They weren't ashamed, they didn't in silence,

they didn't back down, but they continue to claim a gospel. But I

also could continue to proclaim the gospel. But also what they prayed, that

the power of God would be upon them, and the power of God was

upon them. Scripture would tell us as would continue to read, that Peter

was continue to do miraculous things, so much so that the power of God

was on him to do the miraculous that people in Jerusalem would get and try

to just get near Peter, that just merely his shadow would fall upon them,

because he thought. They thought, just if Peter's shadow would fall upon

them, that God would bless them. They saw the power of God and

these men God was answering their prayers. And here's what I want you to

see is this, this is an example. The early church was a church

was built on godly examples. You see, the early church apostles weren't telling

the church body, go share the gospel, but we're not going to do

it. Have the power of God in your life, but we're not really

need the power of God in our life. Go be bold, but we're

not going to be bold. No, their early church apostles were ones who

taught to talk and walk the walk, who preached the gospel in the pulpit

and outside the pulpit, who lived their lives with the power of God in

the pulpit at outside the pulpit, who were faithful to be godly examples to

the church body. But I want you to see they were not only examples

of preaching and teaching at sharing the gospel, of having the power of God

in their life, but they were example and giving and as you go to

the end of the pastor's scripture. In verse thirty six, it gives us

an example of an apostle who was giving, just like the early church was.

Here it was Joseph. Scripture says who the apostle called Barnabas Joseph.

We know him as Barnabus. Barns are probably a nickname, actually, and

it was a nickname because he was such an encourageer. But Scripture says this

Barnabas was what one of the twelve apostles. By the way, Scripture tells

us that he's a Levite. Levite. If you know anything about the Old

Testament, Levites were not to have any land. It shows how far away

that the Levite priests that got away from what was happening in the Old Testament.

He eat Scriptures said he owned piece of land. In verse thirty seven,

that this apostle sold a field that belonged to him, and he brought

the money and laid it at to his a fossil's feet. Just as the

whole church didn't see anybody, I mean, anything that was theirs, but

all belonged to the Lord. So was this apostle Barnabas. He was one

of the leaders in the church. He didn't think though the rules applied to

some and not applied to him. No, all of them had a heart

of giving, sharing the gospel, being bold. And here Barnabas was just

like one of the people. They asked the church body to give, and

Barnabas led by example. He had a piece of land, he sold it,

Barbas says, and he laid it at the apostle's feet, you know.

And we live in a world right now that's full of controversy and a

full of things that are happening in our world with the presidential candidates. But

I remember as a teenager nineteen ninety eight, remember what happened in nineteen ninety

eight January nineteen ninety eight, Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. Right, So

this is a story, like we talked about very beginning, like we don't

really know what's happening in the lives of the people we see on TV,

right, we want to hear, we see the things they put out this

one persona but behind closed doors or something else really happening, Right, And

that's what happened in nineteen ninety eight with Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky we found

out behind closed doors, there wasn't a fair, right, But you remember,

I don't know if you remember about them, but I do distinctly remember

this because this is the first time I had ever come across this idea.

There was a big argument at the time when when the fair came out with

Bill Clinton that well, you know he had like his personal flaws, right,

he had this personal affair. But you've gotten this, separate his personal

life and his professional life, right and professionally, as long as he does

what he's supposed to do, then you don't really worry about his personal life,

right, And that was what many in our world we're saying at that

day, Right, don't worry about the affair, just worry about professionally.

Was he a good president? And we had this thing where we segregate our

lives professional life and personal life. I say that to say around the same

time, around two thousand, there was a pastor of a church in South

Carolina, and the pastor had a professional life as a pastor, he's preaching

and teaching, but his personal life also involves some things that were not good.

His children were partying the parsonage on the weekends, his wife was doing

some things that were in moral The deacons went to the pastor and said,

Pastor, hey, there's some things in your life that doesn't match up.

You're not living what you're preaching on Sunday. And these are the very words

that that pastor said to the deacons that day. Well, what I do

from the poolpit, as long as I preached from the poolpit faithfully, what

I do in my personal life does not matter. I tell you that because

just what was happening in politically in our world, where a professional and a

personal life were separated, we did that. Many were doing that in the

church to say, you know what, there is a church life and there's

a personal life. And as long as I act in a certain way in

my church life, my personal life can be something totally different. And I

tell you that today because as we come to Acts Chapter four, listen,

there was no segregation of life. What I lived in the church is what

I lived in my personal life. Today. Can I say today that's not

only a happening in leaders today in churches today that we have pastors, we

have leaders in the churches who are segregating their life to a church life and

a personal life. We're happening that in our church body too. And can

I tell you that early church life was the early church life that was marked

by people of godly examples. They didn't live one way at the church and

live one way in their lives as a church as their leaders who walk the

walk and talk the talk, from their preaching to their boldness, to the

power in their life as far as down to their very giving, they live

what they preached. And can I tell you today listen to me with all

heart and passion and compassion, I can say to you today if we want

to be a church that changes, but as the changes Durham changes North Carolina,

it'll be a church that says, we are going to be a church

that's united. No matter what Satan tries to divide, We're going to unite.

We're going to be a church that's committed to giving, not seeing that

God, what can I gather and build my kingdom? But God, I

want to be a church member. I want to be a church that gives

according to what you have given us, and will be a church who walks

the walk and talks to talk, not just here on Sunday mornings, but

outside the doors of this church will live what we preach. Can I tell

you today you know what we won't When we look at a pastage like this,

we want everybody to do it except us. That sounds good, Preacher,

that sounds really good for you. Can you do that, preacher,

you be unified? Preacher, you give that's good, Preacher, that's good.

And yeah, preacher, you really need to be a pastor who sets

the example. But pastor, don't, don't. Don't talk to me about

my giving. Pastor, don't talk about me being unified. Pastor, Pastor,

don't talk about my giving. Don't talk about what I do on the

weekends or what I do in the week This applies to us all, and

can I tell you today, more than ever, we need church members who

will raise up and say, I want to be example. I want to

be an example to my children. I want to be an example to my

grandchildren. I want to be example to another church member in the church body.

I want to be example to another student in my class. I want

to be example to another deacon. I want to be example to someone else

in the church. Lord help me be an example. Probably one of the

most bold statements in all the scripture is the pastors. We read in First

Corinthians four where Paul says this, I don't write these things that make you

a shame, but I monst you as beloved children, tell your countless guides

and Christ. You do not have many fathers, but I became your father

in Christ Jesus through the Gospel. It talks about the shepherding nature of Paul

and how he tried to be a father to lead and shepherd the church body.

And then lastly he says to them, I urge you then be imitators

of me. That may just seem prideful for you, but I think for

Paul. Paul was saying, you know what, I'm willing to live my

life in such an imitation of Christ that I welcome people to imitate me.

How about you? Can you say, today, Lord, help me be

an example, a person in integrity, a godly man, a woman that

people will look up to, the people want to follow. In my giving

and my teaching and my witnessing and my boldness and the power of the Gospel

in my life. God, let me be an example. Will you pray

with me ever about ever I close? What will I pray today? I

thank you for the example of the early church that Lord was was real.

It was a church that was unified with one heart and one spirit, which

is a church that was was known for their caring for one another, their

giving, their fellowship through giving. Lord was a church it was known for

godly examples. And Lord, I pray that we as a church today would

consider Lord, how we as individuals. Every person that's here, whether they're

in person or where they're watching, watching online, it's called to be a

part of this body. Is called to be a part of unity. It's

called to be a part of giving. It's called to be an example.

And Lord, I pray there's so many people in our world that are watching.

Our world is watching us. Lord, may we not fall short,

but God, may we rise up and be the church God You've called us

to be. Lord, I pray for this time of invitation Lord, that

Lord, there would be those today that would say, you know what,

I've made enough excuses. I've made enough excuses of why I've been upset with

the Church and maybe not agreed with some of the things. But today I

I know Lord, we're united because of Lord, what You've done in my

life today. Lord, help me be unified. Help me strive for peace

and unity. Or I pray there'd be those today says Lord, I'm my

giving. I've struggled with that. I pray there'd be some today, says

Lord, help me the one that's committed to see Lord, what you've given

me as a as a resource that I can advance your kingdom. Or I

pray there would be those that say, Lord, how am I being the

example that you've called me to be? Not did I just speak it?

But God, did I live it? Lord? I pray, Lord,

as you lead us into response to Now, I pray that we would respond

to Lord. I prayed to someone here today that doesn't know your as Lord

and savior. It doesn't have a relationship with you. They don't know your

power, but they do know sin, and today their sin feels heavy,

as David prayed earlier, as we looked at that their sin is over their

head, out of control. Lord, I pray they'd be those today that,

as David did, that they would confess their sins before you, Father

and Lord, I ask for forgiveness. Lord. I pray they be those

today that would believe that you came and you lived and died on the cross,

that they might find salvation today, And Lord, I pray they'd be

those today that would confess you as Lord of their life and receive you as

their savior. Would I pray you today today that some need to just put

their faith in You for salvation. Today would be the day they would do

that right here, right now, would lead us in this time of invitation.

I pray your name, We pray Jesus painting to